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Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

filibuster verb (with object) 5. U.S. Politics. to impede (legislation) by irregular or obstructive tactics, esp. by making long speeches.
[dictionary.com]

The quote is a creative but not unreasonable use of the word, in a broad sense, even if we're not talking about legislation.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:41 pm Post subject:

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

On the question of comparative costs, KSA remains one of the few places on Planet Terra where a teacher of EFL can live reasonably well and save a Euro or two.

And that is one of the reasons why I choose to be here.

trapezius · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:42 pm Post subject:

scot's last sentence without the political double-speak:

And that is the one and only reason why I choose to be here. Cool

johnslat · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

Dear trapezius,
I suspect it may be a little presumptuous of you (and perhaps some "projection" is involved) to "translate" scot47's post.
While I know it's probably hard to believe that although the salary is often the only incentive, it can occasionally be only one of the incentives, that is
indeed true.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Regards,
John

trapezius · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:10 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:28 am Post subject:

Dear trapezius,

"Was that presumptuous of me?"

Guess we'll have to wait for scot47 to tell us.

Regards,
John

battleshipb_b · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 189

The cost of living all depends on what you earn. Some teachers are really badly paid (especially in the private schools). Most salaries on offer in the universities and community colleges are survival salaries. Some of the private universities are paying big bucks. You can manage if you making 10,000+ per month but below that will be a struggle. If you have kids, make sure your job includes school fees, otherwise forget coming here. Some places also give lousy accomodation so that is something to take into consideration. The Kingdom is facing hard times and even a lot of Saudis are struggling to make ends meet.

sheikh radlinrol · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Spain

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

When comparing nations' in cost of living, it is most useful to compare purchasing power. That is, compare both median salaries and cost of products, housing and services. Everything is so cheap in Thailand but the pay is abysmal too. It's less cut and dry in the Gulf. Cost of living is similar to the average US city, but cheaper than Europe.

As for me, whether I wish to teach in this miserable "profession" in the US or in the Gulf Middle East depends on housing. Since salaries in community colleges in the US are similar to university salaries in the Gulf, the housing becomes a deciding factor. My house happens to be paid off, and I can claim a number of effective tax deductions. So if I were employed in ESL here, I would personally see no compelling reason to teach in the Middle East--particularly as I've already done 11 years there.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:36 pm Post subject:

Dear battleshipb_b,

Actually, the poor usually have to spend more:

"The concept that the �poor pay more" hit the consumer affairs literature by storm in 1967 with the book by Caplovitz, The Poor Pay More. There is no lack of evidence that the poor in inner-city areas pay more when it comes to food shopping. They often lack access to a convenient grocery store, as large chain supermarkets are disproportionately located outside of inner city areas (Chung & Myers, 1999; Cotterill & Franklin, 1995; Gotlieb & Fisher, 1996). Further, low income persons do not have the same choice of quality, price, and selection as found in suburban supermarkets, as they shop at higher-priced, independently owned convenient or �Mom and Pop� stores that are located in the inner city (MacDonald & Nelson, 1991). Reduced purchasing power does not allow for the nutritional needs of the poor to be adequately met without extra costs (Ashman et al., 1993)."

http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/poor.pdf

"It costs to be poor. When those "Check Cashing" and "Payday Loans" signs hit you in the eye as you drive down a neighborhood commercial street, you are in a poor area.

On some commercial streets, there are more of them than liquor stores and almost as many as churches. Their fees make them profitable so they are growing.

The "payday advance" industry which California legalized in 1997 is almost a license to print money. California has about 1,500 of those outlets now and they do about a million transactions a month.

Check-cashing outlets will cash a check (one they deem safe) for ten percent ($10.00 per $100.00) of the check with a minimum charge of $5.00. That's a hefty price.

For instance, a low wageworker with a $300 paycheck takes it to a check-cashing outlet to convert the check-in-hand to money-in-pocket. The worker walks in with a $300 check and walks out with $270 in cash.

That's a cost of about 75 cents per hour worked that week to cash the check. Most of you think that's a bad bargain and so does the worker.

However, he/she pays it because he doesn't have a bank account, so banks won't cash it. The same goes for stores in the area."

http://www.exodusnews.com/editorials/editorial-065.htm

Regards,
John