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floydrules
Joined: 02 Jun 2010
Posts: 45
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 Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:42 am Post subject: |
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Scott, I sense that it could be due to something called 'comfort zone'? trust me each and every one of us, looks out for it and at times we do find it but then it fades away. In your case I guess it got better instead of fading and 40 years passed by, rt?
I just feel that place(s) where you worked in KSA for all these years realize your importance of being there, your contribution, dedication, the hard work you have done for them and pay a big farewell when you leave  |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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Saudi Arabia can be quite a comfortable place if you are not looking for bars and broads
Last edited by scot47 on Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Taiwanlight Zone
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 25
Location: Danshui, Taiwan
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| As for life being restrictive in KSA, what do you mean ? No booze and no bimbos ? |
Well, when I was there in 1987-8 not only could you not booze, you could not: talk to women (most of whom were not to my recollection 'bimbos') if you were not related to them, go to cinemas(none), dances(none), places of non-muslim worship(none and you had to be careful even organising it in your own home if you didn't live on a compound).
There were no public places where one people could gather to discuss interesting topics or hear lectures on anything remotely intellectual unless you count the (in)famous lectures by the late unlamented Ahmed Deedat (one of the few Indians who got any respect from the Arabs because of his defense of Islam and hammering of ... well do I need to tell you?) Foreigners went to his talks (not me) but had a strange disinclination to argue with him(like now there weren't many jobs waiting back home).You were in a similar though more awkward situation if your students wanted to know why you weren't a Muslim and what were you going to do about the Crusades.
.There was only God help us, Saudi TV channels 1 and 2, one of which was in Arabic (fair enough of course but it does mean that for non-Arabic speakers your limited choice was even more limited, not that it looked like we were missing much) and the English channel was showing mostly old American imports from the 1960s (Fans of 'Get Smart' were having a ball).
Not much in the way of radio stations or music. In the morning I needed to hear something so I played my tapes just about every morning for about a year. My flatmate who had never heard of Sade before he came to SA told me he was going to buy a tape of her when he got back home. I'd have thought he'd hate her after a year of hearing her every morning but there you go.
Women could not drive, had to wear the regulation clothing if they dared to show their faces outside and were sometimes found dead and raped in the desert which tends to lead to a disinclination to go out i.e. you become restricted in your movements.
Men could also get raped (my flatmate had a close call on a bus which started going off route down a quiet road and that was not the only story I heard) and people drove around in cars as walking was risky (I was almost hit by a 4x4 which I thought at the time was just an accident but I've since wondered (and don't bother wasting your time going to the police).
Magazines were censored (I was reading an Economist once, when I came across an article on censorship around the world. The last paragraph mentioned KSA by name and I turned to the next page. It had been ripped out.
Prayer five times a day meant shops and restaurants closing at sometimes awkward moments (like mid-swallow and then you were on the street unless the proprietor was friendly enough to draw the shutters and let you stay). This doesn't happen in other Gulf countries by the way.
Then there were the Mutaween of which I don't think anything need be said you've heard many stories. For those of you who haven't and who think I'm just being a whinging foreigner google 'The Religious Policeman' a blog written by a Saudi who is ten times more critical than I am. Then there are all the books written by foreigners and Saudis alike on the various dos and (mostly) don'ts of life there.
One of my colleagues got talking to his students one day and they almost collapsed in tears saying how their rulers didn't let them do anything. Every vacation there was a mass exodus and not just of foreigners, of people heading not to other Muslim countries but to the hated West. London was a favourite. Thailand, I remember, was another, but I digress.
Restrictive? I rest my case m'Lud. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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I still say that Saudi Arabia is acceptable and even more - quite comfortable.
If you want time - for reading, for reflection, for developing your interests - there is time to do it here. Those so inclined can spend their days watching Satellite TV. I have colleagues who do just that. Non-stop Medical Dramas on BBC Entertainment and Football on whatever channel it is they watch.
Why do you choose to criticise those who choose to spend time in KSA ? Perhaps you had problems in hacking it ? Health issues ?
Ahmed Deedat incidentally was a South African, not an Indian.
Saudi Arabia is not for everyone. CLEARLY you did not like it. For others it is an okay place to work. I am one of those and have spent 16 out of the last 40 years here.
I will make a deal - you stay in Taiwan - which I loathe and detest - and I will stay in Saudi Arabia until I choose to retire. Pluralism is clearly a concept that you have not got your head around. |
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Sheikh N Bake
Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 1307
Location: Dis ting of ours
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
| Saudi Arabia can be quite a comfortable place if you are not looking for bars and broads |
..or... having a cup of coffee with a woman who not only dresses as she likes but is not even related to you...or...working with her...or...having her drive you home...
But of course who needs the other gender, the other 1/2 of humanity in the kingdom of humanity? We just party like it's 1499!
By the way, they pay better in the UAE...you should know that. At least at the universities. I will be the first to admit, I've got my highest-paying job ever, here in KSA. But if you take today's dollar/yen exchange rate, I was making $84,000 in Japan in 1990. (It was $54,000 then). No free housing? Big deal; my rent was $600 a month in Nagoya.
But I want to say...I am comfortable too. Qassim is way extreme on both the social-sterility and bad-driving scales, but I knew what it was before I came and it's a great job. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Ahmed Deedat incidentally was a South African, not an Indian. |
Born in Gujarat, died in Natal. |
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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: Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| ...my rent was $600 a month in Nagoya. |
1-2-3 DK or LDK? Certainly not 3?!?
| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| But I want to say...I am comfortable too. Qassim is way extreme on both the social-sterility and bad-driving scales, but I knew what it was before I came and it's a great job. |
Always glad to hear of people who actually enjoy and appreciate their jobs in the k.o.p.
NCTBA |
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Sheikh N Bake
Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 1307
Location: Dis ting of ours
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| ...my rent was $600 a month in Nagoya. |
1-2-3 DK or LDK? Certainly not 3?!?
If you refer to the neighborhood, I'd have to dig deep to find it again or remember my address. I know it was on the western edge of the city.
| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| But I want to say...I am comfortable too. Qassim is way extreme on both the social-sterility and bad-driving scales, but I knew what it was before I came and it's a great job. |
Always glad to hear of people who actually enjoy and appreciate their jobs in the k.o.p.
well....the 25-hour work week, exec-level salary and nice students all help.
NCTBA |
[/b] |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Well, if we are going to try to make Scot47 feel regretful about not having gone for something more lucrative, how come the rest of us posting on this forum are not all in banking? There was that young Leeson lad in Barings in Singapore, who seems to have done alright at the time. And that French banker in the news recently...whatshisname?
Anyway, if we want lucrative opportunities, why stick with KSA? There are better options. Surely there must be ads like the following:
"Energetic young assistants are currently being recruited for a successful family-owned distribution company with bases in New York, Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Chicago. Experience of working in the areas of sensitive-waste-disposal and defence/security technology is a prerequisite, as are a flexible work attitude and an unhesitating willingness to work unsocial hours. Must be willing to travel at short notice, for extended periods in some cases. A knowledge of Italian would be an asset, although ISP lessons are provided. Unwavering loyalty will be expected."
Or for a more exotic lifestyle:
"Proficient speakers of Russian required for security work, Moscow-based with travel opportunities. Knowledge of adult-entertainment-HR and of creative cross-border recruitment solutions is highly desirable, and experience in expeditious security solutions is a must."
Loads of great gigs out there for those who are concerned with the bottom-line. |
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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 Oct 06, 2010 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| ...my rent was $600 a month in Nagoya. |
1-2-3 DK or LDK? Certainly not 3?!?
If you refer to the neighborhood, I'd have to dig deep to find it again or remember my address. I know it was on the western edge of the city.
| Sheikh N Bake wrote: |
| But I want to say...I am comfortable too. Qassim is way extreme on both the social-sterility and bad-driving scales, but I knew what it was before I came and it's a great job. |
Always glad to hear of people who actually enjoy and appreciate their jobs in the k.o.p.
well....the 25-hour work week, exec-level salary and nice students all help.
NCTBA |
[/b] |
Sorry, that's all Japanese Real Estate code:
L = Living Room
D = Dining Room
K = Kitchen
And, the numbers refer to bedroom(s)...
NCTBA |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 6:33 am Post subject: |
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| Japan is another place I have never considered working in. I just do not like the idea of serving the Emperor ! Too organised. I like a bit of Third World chaos in my life. |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm...wouldn't really fancy Japan mesel' either.
The non-third world organization would certainly hold appeal, I must admit (Romania is sadly somewhat closer to KSA than Japan on that front), and I love Japanese food. However, the overcrowding and stifling social rules would be too much, I think.
Saudi has its social rules too...oh, boy, does it...but to be really frank, westerners don't really have to worry too much about them. As long as one keeps a fairly low profile, and shows reasonable respect for the culture, Saudi can be pretty darn relaxed and relaxing.
For men, that is. For women, it's different, granted. |
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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: Thu Oct 07, 2010 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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"Japan mesel'"...what the heck is THAT?
NCTBA |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 1670
Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm...wouldn't really fancy Japan mesel' either.
=
Hmmm...[I] wouldn't really fancy Japan mesel[f] either. |
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Kipling
Joined: 13 Mar 2009
Posts: 371
Location: ...Ah Mrs K peel me a grape!!!....and have one yourself!!!!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:11 pm Post subject: Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bred, strong in t arm and......... |
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Bebsi, is thee from God's own county?
Mr K
________________________________________________
Question: How do you know when someone comes from Yorkshire?
Answer:................................................................
He'll Tell YOU!!! |
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