Job Discussion Forums

[eslbear]

Yes, evil boogey-men await you around every corner in these fake cities! One day, you are enjoying a decent salary, more recreation than you ever had at home, golfing, sailing, beach lounging, frittering away your money in bars and elegant restaurants and then, poof, some medieval dictator comes along and spills his drink in your lap - no apology !

You want to talk about evil? Google "eminent domain" and see what kind of power the "greatest democracy" in the world has over its citizens. Or look at the foreclosure mills that process people out of their homes 20 times an hour, especially in a place like Florida.

Indeed, evil exists, maybe not only where you care to look.

And, yeah, I wouldn't live in Korea either.........

elsbear

[isabel]

[urbanversion]

To be fair it seemed to be highlighting the gay scene and targeting Brits as drunken obscenely behaved oafs...

[isabel]

[urbanversion]

And nothing...just it wasn't a wholly anti american/anti western tirade...there was also the issue of workers rights, which I believe is at the core?

[isabel]

Worker's rights have been trounced on in the States, but they rise barely to the level of slavery around the Gulf.

In the neoliberal universe, the interests of workers fall to the bottom of political concerns. I expect the revolutions going on in the ME and north Africa will result in a world safer for global markets, I mean, er, democracy.

I'm not sure how the conversation got here- but it beats the hell out of golf in Dubai.

[veiledsentiments]

[urbanversion]

[Turbster]

[urbanversion]

The issue has been summarised...it seems VS still has her ten cents to chip in?!

[Warning Bells]

[urbanversion]

But not the falaj...me don't like those arrogant oil workers...

[happyroofus]

VS: I have to say, you've nailed the whole why-Nizwa or even why-any-uni-in-Nizwa issue. It's 100% bang on: a great place to "try out" as a first-time Gulf-based esl'er, expect low standards (all round), do the 2/3 years, and get the hell out once it's started to fry you. And with Nizwa, it's truly not hard to realize that one could be doing much better elsewhere.

Though I would add, that Nizwa itself has become a lot more uncomfortable to live in these days, and I'm not talking about the weather: cafes with late night soccer games have been sprouting up all over the place, usually right under or near residences; a population of young (and generally unemployed) men have come of age all over Nizwa, at a time when "entitlement" seems to be the mentality of their particular generation; more cars, more traffic, and therefore more insanity to deal with while on the way to and from the Suq. In short, it's certainly not the little quiet charming place it used to be. Hell, there's even a Lulu's a about to open up!

God be with the days when you could just stick out a thumb at nine pm at night somewhere in Firq and a very friendly, elderly Omani would stop to pick you up, ask you where you were going, and then not attempt to charge you 5 Riyals for a kilometer ride to a place that was not actually on his way..

Not much of the old Oman left, really. (Though the goat suq on the weekends is still a bit of a kick!)

[urbanversion]

[posh]

Interesting thread this. Shame to hear about small town Oman losing its atmosphere.

Here's another article about the money culture: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/04/dubai-201104