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Linda467
Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 138
Location: A Secret
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 Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:44 am Post subject: |
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I had lived in the High Mojave Desert in California for many years and the desert has done nothing to my mind. 
I just cannot understand why people cannot be civil and respectful, either in writting or actions. This is supposed to be a "pro" forum for educated people or did I get something wrong along the way?
Chill out  |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: Those With magic kingdom Experience |
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| haqiqah wrote: |
Hi.
I have been reading many of your posts the past week and they've been quite helpful. So before my question: thank you.
Saudi Veterans, does this seem paltry for an EFL instructor with 5 years experience teaching academic, young learners, general ESOL; celta; u.s.a. teaching certification.
12,000 riyals
30 days vacation
housing, ticket, medical, visa taken care of..
25-30 contact hours!!!!
40 total hours
thanks.
-joe |
With US teaching certification plus the rest, it is certainly not great. Contact hours very high... vacation very low. On another thread there was a suggestion that the housing was shared. (?) You could do better in the Emirates right now. (timing isn't great though... late for hiring there)
VS |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Linda467 wrote: |
| I just cannot understand why people cannot be civil and respectful, either in writting or actions. This is supposed to be a "pro" forum for educated people or did I get something wrong along the way? |
This board actually gives quite an accurate picture of the average Gulf faculty room.
VS |
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lucreziaborgia
Joined: 19 May 2009
Posts: 177
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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| VS, I suspected that. Same here. One adapts a haughty particularity and looks elsewhere for discourse. Not at pool parties, I hasten to had. The locals here are generally more uplifting company than one's so-called colleagues. My introduction to ESL was facing up to the fact that I would meet few people who weren't sociopaths; the sort of people one would eschew in The West. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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I would disagree a bit on that. A few sociopaths over the years, but mostly a very interesting cross section of global English speaking humanity. A major benefit is that unlike my home country, there were many people that shared my interests in travel and world history and different cultures.
Based on the postings here, Saudi probably has a higher percentage of eccentrics, but from what I saw in person in other countries, they provide the most amusement and fodder for the letters/emails back home. As long as they managed to show up at work so we didn't have to cover their classes, I was fine with whatever...
A disadvantage to the Gulf is that one can't easily escape into the local culture, so you are stuck with your fellow expats... for better or for worse.
VS |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| SR3,000 a month is the daily rental rate. Unless you're renting a Mercedes or BMW it's a grotesque waste of money long term. |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| Linda467 wrote: |
| I just cannot understand why people cannot be civil and respectful, either in writting or actions. This is supposed to be a "pro" forum for educated people or did I get something wrong along the way? |
This board actually gives quite an accurate picture of the average Gulf faculty room.
VS |
"Pro" is for professional, not "positive". And it is professional to be honest with people. I think most of us here try hard to be honest about the circumstances in the Kingdom so people can make informed decisions. |
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Linda467
Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 138
Location: A Secret
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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desultude, absolutely right, exactly my point and I would like to thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping me make an informed decision.
Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Danke |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
I would disagree a bit on that. A few sociopaths over the years, but mostly a very interesting cross section of global English speaking humanity. A major benefit is that unlike my home country, there were many people that shared my interests in travel and world history and different cultures.
Based on the postings here, Saudi probably has a higher percentage of eccentrics, but from what I saw in person in other countries, they provide the most amusement and fodder for the letters/emails back home. As long as they managed to show up at work so we didn't have to cover their classes, I was fine with whatever...
A disadvantage to the Gulf is that one can't easily escape into the local culture, so you are stuck with your fellow expats... for better or for worse.
VS |
Amen to that. Some of the most interesting people I have known I met in the Kingdom. They had the virtue of being both well educated and well traveled. Hanging out in the evening, we could discuss most any place in the world with some authority. I met women well into their 60's who thought nothing of getting on a plane and flying into one of the most closed countries in the world and take a job for 2 years. Whether this is a sign of courage or insanity, or both, it made for some grandly interesting company.
My greatest distress at my last job was that upon leaving I was leaving a good number of friends. I think most of us really enjoyed working together and felt the same about leaving. It was insane for the university to allow such a good cohort leave, and anyone with a contract up for renewal, save just a couple of instructors with no other choice for family reasons, did leave in the spring.
Fortunately, most of us are still in touch with each other and some of us are going to be working together or close to each other in the same country. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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I concur - interesting; yes, eccentric, sometimes; but if I ran across any sociopaths, they had me fooled (although I did have ONE colleague who stuck me as being whacky - but then, he was a very right-wing Republican, so maybe that was par for the course.)
I'm still in touch with many of my colleagues, some are "westerners" still in the Kingdom or the UAE, some are here in the States, some are Saudis. And a few have visited me here in Santa Fe. I treasure all the great friends I made there.
Regards,
John |
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Mia Xanthi
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 955
Location: why is my heart still in the Middle East while the rest of me isn't?
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Amen to that. Some of the most interesting people I have known I met in the Kingdom. They had the virtue of being both well educated and well traveled. Hanging out in the evening, we could discuss most any place in the world with some authority. I met women well into their 60's who thought nothing of getting on a plane and flying into one of the most closed countries in the world and take a job for 2 years. Whether this is a sign of courage or insanity, or both, it made for some grandly interesting company. |
I completely agree with desultude. I met the most interesting women I have ever known while working at PMU in Saudi Arabia...women that any university would be proud to have as instructors. Excellent colleagues and fascinating friends. I just wish we could have all been together in some other institution.
Now the male colleagues, that was another matter. There were several among them that could be described as "sociopaths"! However, that's a long way from saying that they were all social misfits. |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Mia Xanthi wrote: |
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| Amen to that. Some of the most interesting people I have known I met in the Kingdom. They had the virtue of being both well educated and well traveled. Hanging out in the evening, we could discuss most any place in the world with some authority. I met women well into their 60's who thought nothing of getting on a plane and flying into one of the most closed countries in the world and take a job for 2 years. Whether this is a sign of courage or insanity, or both, it made for some grandly interesting company. |
I completely agree with desultude. I met the most interesting women I have ever known while working at PMU in Saudi Arabia...women that any university would be proud to have as instructors. Excellent colleagues and fascinating friends. I just wish we could have all been together in some other institution.
Now the male colleagues, that was another matter. There were several among them that could be described as "sociopaths"! However, that's a long way from saying that they were all social misfits. |
Oh yeah, there were a some men teaching there that we probably could have got a big reward for for turning in to the authorities somewhere. |
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