Job Discussion Forums

[kuberkat]

LOL, three kids by age 25? That might have got in the way of your horses, tarka! I've been in the backwaters of Oman for a year, and it's actually been ideal for me. I came here after breaking off a long cohabitation, and I still give a little whoop of joy when I wake up to an empty bed. I am enough of an egomaniac to love single life. The low social demands mean I have time to plot my Life After TESOL now that I am mature enough to know what I want out of life . And the nice thing about being on the shelf in Oman at thirty is that, well, there's not much else on the shelf so you pretty much have your pick. Though the quality of pickers can be a problem...

Innit funny how many singles on the Gulf forums complain that it's hard top meet people? Are we all complete psychos who wouldn't consider each other (I have yet to meet an ESL teacher in the Gulf who makes my heart flutter) or do we somehow pass like ships in the night? Perhaps someone would care to supplement their income with a for-profit dating agency for Gulf professionals?

[Tarka_littleotter]

I can only make my comment based on the people I've met here, but with regard to the psycho thing.....yes, you are!!

But then, someone asked me what my story was and between him and one other girl they had me down as some rich kid who'd gone to private school, become addicted to crack, gone off to rehab and this was my new start in life!! Not quite sure where they got that idea from!! I guess people have to embelish a bit...my story is far too boring to warant talking abou otherwise!

[The_Prodiigy]

Lifestyle and cultural influences result in groups of surly, unmotivated students. We found this to be the case in spades at the Saudi Military College, just past that large, largely unused football stadium.

Scenery is uniform and uninspiring. Saudi has the misfortune to be placed mid-desert - the government have made little effort transforming and beautifying it. Bahrain, Dubai are places that are not soley reliant on oil and great for trade and tourism.

Restriction of choice and freedom of expression (outside and inside the classroom)

Inability to talk freely on subjects and the shops, offices and clubs closing during the myriad prayer-times is annoying and disturbing.

Will never be able or want to make The Desert home. Some schools and colleges DO offer long holidays. KSA is so ridiculous that it is nigh-impossible to justify teaching there to people back home.

Taxi drivers, shopkeepers and other non-teaching professionals despise the environment and it offers precious little to argue with them - even when in a charitable, positive mood. (Well, fruit juices are deliciious and you can walk the streets safely at night)

Went there, lived there ..it sux!

[kuberkat]

Well, it may not be the private school/crack/rehab trail, but I do think the Gulf and/or ESL can be a fresh start for many people.

And as to the psycho thing, I wish you were wrong, but the evidence continues to speak for itself. Not sure if it's the Gulf, ESL, midlife crisis or the toxic gumbo of all three, but we seem to have serious Granola recruitment. Fruits, nuts, and seedies. And I can't even count myself out!

[stoth1972]

Isn't it all expats?

[Bebsi]

[dmb]

I met the soon to be Mrs dmb here on Daves. I bet dave didn't think this board would turn into a dating agency. Will we be the first Dave's wedding?

[caliph]

I left the UAE, after Sheik Zayed died and it became clear that his replacements were out to milk everything they could from the country, which is largely expatriates. Soaring rents, petrol prices higher than some places in the USA, in a country that lifts 2 million barrels a day. Rising inflation, lowering salaries for many because of exchange rates, no pay increase in nine years. After Z died, the hotels in Abu Dhabi started serving liquor during Ramadan, which I thought was rather telling, the Danish ban on products which lasted a few months until the Sheik who had the Danish franchise was "hurting" and decided that money was more important than Islamic "brotherhood." (See hypocrisy below).

The total hypocrisy of the place, which is really a "raggeddy ass third world" country with a marble veneer, built on the backs of abused south Asian laborers. If there ever is a minor earthquake, all that marble will fall down on the street below crushing al the Benzes and BMWs owned by the locals who must park as close to their buildings as possible. God forbid they should walk 100 meters.

They really BELIEVE that the universe revolves around them.

I love that quote from the movie Syriana:

"Businessmen in the west see this as a place where 100 years ago they lived in the desert and cut off each others heads, and will be doing the same thing a 100 years from now."

Oh yeah, the complete lack of freedom. speech, press, assembly, strike. Rule by decree, what a joke. An "elceted" legislature, elected by the rulers, pseudo jobs for all his cronies.

'nuff said".

[stoth1972]

[stoth1972]

[dmb]

[stoth1972]

LOL. Are you one of those looneys, DMB?

[veiledsentiments]

Stoth... is that a serious question?

dmb has always been in the running for favorite looney...

[stoth1972]

I had to think, VS!!! It's quite possible that I've met some of Dave's ESL Cafe ME posters, and not even known it! I should write a book about some of the characters I've met teaching ESL. Perhaps DMB is one of those characters known by another name. Mmmmm....

[veiledsentiments]

You just never know!! And shouldn't we all write that book...

Hey dmb, we've talked about this idea before too. I'm still collecting notes for your chapter...