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Hazel 2005
Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 2
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:42 pm Post subject: Single Female English Teacher in Bahrain. |
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I am considering teaching in Bahrain. I am not so much looking for job advice but am more concerned with what life is like for a single Western woman in Bahrain. Are there opportunities to go out and socialize and meet other foreigners/expats? Are there any specific safety concerns that I should be aware of? I have read through this board and there just doesn't seem to be much information on this topic. Any experiences and/or advice would be welcome. Thank you!!! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 2:54 am Post subject: |
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So, you are pondering work in the Gulf again I see. (apparently you decided against Kuwait a few years ago) I have never lived there, and we haven't had hardly any English teachers come on here to give us any information for... like... years. There are not a large number of jobs in tiny Bahrain, and those that work there don't come here to post, I guess.
So, I will just make a couple of sweeping generalizations about Bahrain and life in the Gulf for women. It is a small place and thus the number of Western expats will be small. By the end of the year, you will probably have met most of them. (good news/bad news kind of thing - actually a common situation in all of the Gulf) You mentioned in the past that your social life at your current position included the military - did you mean US military men? There is a presence there, but I'm not sure whether they are allowed to mingle much. They keep them on a short leash in these Gulf countries because they don't want any incidents involving booze or women.
I would say that it is a safe country in that there is little violent crime, but there are rumblings now and again from the local Shia population with demonstrations. Thus far, nothing has been directed at Western educators that we know of. Bahrain does a have a night life, BUT many of the spots are overrun by Saudis who cross over to indulge in the available... um... talent... and get soused. I expect that the local expats quickly learn which places to avoid at what times.
If you do get a job there, please come back and tell us the latest from the ground.
VS |
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jdl
Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Posts: 632 Location: cyberspace
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 1:47 am Post subject: |
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VS,
Don't forget the weekend KSA expat crowd! Another experience! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Now you've done it!! I was going to let that be her big surprise.
VS |
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mouse5
Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 142
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 3:48 am Post subject: weekend visitors |
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Sheikh Khalifa is considering make the island into an "alcohol-free" zone. Bars are already closing. That'll keep a lot of weekenders away. |
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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 3500 Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 4:58 am Post subject: |
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Lotza sailors there (HQ of the U.S. 5th Fleet doncha know!). Security-wise, they had a significant bombing campaign back in the early 90's, but things have been calm for years...
If they lose their alcohol, IMHO, they lose their only real reason to exist.
NCTBA |
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Neil McBeath
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 277 Location: Saudi Arabia
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 2:56 am Post subject: Single female teacher in Bahrain |
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Things are not all that calm in Bahrain.
In April 2008 Molotov cocktails burned a policeman to death in his car in the village of Karzakan, and on the 1st of May 2009 a car exploded in Daih. The authorities are still investigating that one.
The Bahraining government, unfortunately, pinned its faith on developing banking and Formula One motor racing to develop the kingdom, and back in 2005 they looked as if they were on to winners. In 2009, banking is tarnished and motor sport is in a crisis, and all this adds fuel to the government's critics. They are mainly the religious parties, who would love to close the Manama bars and hotels. These places don't affect the average Bahraini, and they would not affect a woman who was living and working in education, but they attract the weekend hordes from KSA; and very nasty some of them are. |
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kaw
Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 302 Location: somewhere hot and sunny
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Bahrain is as safe for women as anywhere really and there are chances to get out and meet people. Now, I know it's not the most exciting of places but it really isn't that bad. Similar to Kuwait in fact but without the booze.
Wonder which bars are closing - hopefully just the 'dodgy' ones of which there are many. The 'no booze' thing has been going on for ages now and it's unlikely it'll be got rid of completely as the country would lose too much money - yep back to those Saudi tourists and of course F1! |
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balqis
Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 373
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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... except that Bahrain has a heart of Cordelia and Kuwait only Goneril's tongue... |
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Arabian Hawk
Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 79 Location: Mystical Kingdom
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:31 am Post subject: |
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Bahrain is the "perfect" destination for an ESL single female English teacher in the Gulf who most definitely will have no shortage of students to tutor in Mamana from across the causeway especially on weekends! |
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7atetan
Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Not in the Mediterranean Sea
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 8:02 am Post subject: |
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Arabian Hawk wrote: |
Bahrain is the "perfect" destination for an ESL single female English teacher in the Gulf who most definitely will have no shortage of students to tutor in Mamana from across the causeway especially on weekends! |
*groan*
Yes, Bahrain is a Mecca (pun intended) for the oh-so pious Saudis to get up to everything forbidden in their "paradise" across the causeway, and there is no shortage of providers to, um, service them... - mostly female but by no means ONLY female. O.K., we get it. Is it really necessary to spam every thread in this forum with scurrilous innuendos to make that point? It was funny and clever the first couple of times; now it's neither. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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I have never heard any locals describe KSA as a "paradise". In their belief system that is somewhere not to be found in this world - but in the next. |
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7atetan
Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 93 Location: Not in the Mediterranean Sea
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="scot47"]I have never heard any locals describe KSA as a "paradise". In their belief system that is somewhere not to be found in this world - but in the next.[/quote]
You mean paradise is EVEN BETTER than Saudi!!? Jeezaloo, sign me up for a bungalow in hell post haste, then! |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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MOD edit |
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