Job Discussion Forums

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

So many teachers left.
But still no comments on Dave's yet?
Oh. Well I can wait.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Down at the seaside we too are curious about developments up there in RUH.

Cleopatra · Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 6:10 am Post subject:

Well, I live in RUH but even I haven't heard much about developments at KSU/Bell. So what's the deal over there? Have KSU outsourced their English language programme to Bell?

Robert2 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: China

Bell/Obekan have been managing(not really the right word) the English Program since Sept. 2007.
But I am looking for comments from others or from possible applicants.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Perhaps those working there are AFRAID to post here ?

Jeddah Aquanaut · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 9

johnslat · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:24 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47,
I'll bet that's the first time you've been called "young" in quite a while.
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Never been called a "padwan" either ! What is it ?

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 12:52 pm Post subject: Good Knight

Dear scot47,
Hmm, not up on your "Star Wars" mythology I take it. A "padwan" could probably be best described as an apprentice Jedi knight in training.
Kind of what squires were to the knights of old.
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Of "Star Wars" I know little but then I live in a land weirder than any sci-fi scenario. Did you know the guy who wrote "Dune" worked for years in ARAMCO ?

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 11:13 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47 (or did Yoda write this: "Of Star Wars, I know little?" - though Yoda probably would have written: Of Star Wars, little I know.)

Yup, Frank Herbert. And he got the idea for those big sandworms that burrow underground from the snakes in Wadi Rum (Jordan) that actually do that, not to mention many of the names.

"Went on a sunrise jeep tour through Wadi Rum. Sunrise was beautiful, though I could have done without the nasty, whiny kids griping about their hangovers from the night before. Saw fantastic sandstone and basalt jebels, and dunes of both red and yellow. Nearly missed a sandworm."

http://polyglotpoetry.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_archive.html

Here's a good article on the subject:

Arabic and Islamic themes in Frank Herbert's "Dune"

http://baheyeldin.com/literature/arabic-and-islamic-themes-in-frank-herberts-dune.html?page=6

Regards,
John

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I had never even heard of these books before I went overseas... having never been a SciFi fan. In a moment of desperation due to a lack of reading material, I picked it up after I had been in the Middle East for 5 or 6 years. The whole way through the book I was being struck by the Islamic/Arabic themes... I quite enjoyed it...

But, I'm still not a fan of SciFi. Laughing

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 4:35 am Post subject:

Couldn't and can't deal with a movie that requires a dictionary to understand the terms of...

NCTBA

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

So read the book NCTBA... I'm sure that through your life, you have read books which contained words that were new to you. Aren't we always referring our students to their dictionaries? Laughing

VS

johnslat · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject:

Dear NCTBA.

Stay away from "A Clockwork Orange" then.

Regards,
John