Job Discussion Forums

[grahamb]

John, I forgot that "liberal" is the f-word of American politics.

[walkingstick]

I am an American who taught on Kish Island, Iran, in 2006 because of a job advertisement I saw on Dave's ESL Café. I will say that because the university's language center was run by an Australian women, it was easier for me to get hired. She arranged my stay, as well.

Please be aware: If you are an American, absolutely for sure you will be watched (and especially so now) as I was then. When I arrived in the airport, the officials were HIGHLY suspicious and were not going to let me stay. Someone from the university had to plead with them. On night 14 of being there, someone tried to enter my 1st-level apartment, jiggling the glass door rather hard in the middle of the night. I had no phone or internet connection.

By the way, there was no washing machine, and the stove was one that you actually had to light with a match. It was like going back in time.

On another occasion I went to their shopping mall, and there was a "special" taxi there waiting for my new Iranian friend and me. My friend said he noticed that it wasn't a regular taxi, and so he gave them the wrong address and just walked home from there.

The groundskeepers at the university and at the apartment were of the lower class there (Pakastani and Afghan). I adored them and felt bad for them, trying to help them as much as I could by taking my own trash to the dumpster. But they were also scary to me because I never knew when they would just appear out of nowhere. One of the guys carried a club (I guess like security at the apartment) and when he saw me, he would slap the club hard in his other hand. I don't know...maybe as a way of intimidation? Who knows.

Of course you take a risk by going. Anyone knows that. I knew that. Before I left, I had a plan for my family if I did not return.

A month into being there, the "lovely" Lebanon crisis involving Hezbollah broke out in Israel, and suddenly the university had to send my passport to Tehran to "update my visa status" or so I was told. As I returned to the States, officials that I spoke to here said that they should not have had any reason to do that.

You will be at their mercy because you are in their country. That's just how it goes.

I hope this helps a little.

[akoo1]

I really don't understand why people who are happiest in their own countries even go to the Middle East.

The ironic thing is if a Middle Eastern person went to Europe or North America or Australia and went on an internet forum to complain (about even the weather) he/she would get flamed (and told to get out, if they didn't like it).

Once i met a female teacher from Sweden in Australia. She was a closet racist. She found that complaining about the cold weather in Sweden is a reasonable excuse to tell a Kurdish immigrant to go back to his country. She said it with pride as if that's a NO NO for an immigrant. Come to our country, but don't comment on the weather. In Australia, i had a similar conversation with another closet racists (they're so many these days). This man said he was tired of all the Chinese and Japanese tourists coming to Queensland (and complaining about the humidity). He said if they didn't like it, they should *uck off back to their own countries. His words, not mine.

Well, given the reality of Western attitudes toward the "other"

ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED HOW YOU'RE TREATED ABROAD, especially in the Middle East.

From my point of view, it's karma. If you treat Middle Eastern people in the West like immigrants or ignored, excluded citizens (or the "other). Naturally, they will treat you similarly when you go to their countries.

Well, i think it works both ways. If you don't like it, leave.

In Australia, they have a "lovely" saying. AUSTRALIA, Love it, or Leave it.

Maybe they should take their own advice abroad as well.

Just my two cents.

[CANDLES]

Lots of 'closet racists' all over the world in all walks of life!

[akoo1]

Agreed. It just seems internet forums attract the worst of them. What i don't understand is why would a closet racist even want to be an English teacher abroad?

How can one claim to teach English as a FOREIGN language (and not like the country they're in). It's an oxymoron. A TEFLer by definition should like living abroad. And if they don't like that particular country fine, move on and find another one. But from my life experience, these kinds of people always find something to complain about no matter where they are.

If they don't like how other cultures and countries go about their business, why go there looking for work? Arab or Muslim bashing is not the answer. I am surprised it's even tolerated. Isn't it against the rules of the forum?

[walkingstick]

Ha! Racist?? Really, where is your professionalism? Fine, American teachers will stay in the US and you can fend for yourselves. Good luck with those that behead.

[veiledsentiments]

Not sure what has set you two off... I read the whole thread and didn't find anything even close to being anti-Arab or anti-Muslim.

Perhaps you thought that you were on the Saudi branch where there certainly a lot of Saudi bashing. But as I lived around the Middle East, nobody much liked the Saudis... and I'm not talking about Westerners, but other Arabs, North Africans, and those from the Sub-Continent.

VS

[MuscatGary]

[akoo1]

[CANDLES]

fend for ourselves? Actually the rest of the world does until the Big Brother US or UK pokes their noses into other people's business.

In the teaching profession some of the Western teachers think they invented 'civilisation' the way they act with the students. Sorry state of affairs![/b]

[veiledsentiments]

As I said above... this thread was about Iran... full of rather positive comments until a couple of you segued on your own into some odd "racism" discussion. I'm thinking that you must have got lost wandering in Dave's branches...

VS

[akoo1]

Yes it was her comments about Kish that set it off

However my reaction was just not in regard to her, Kish or Iran, rather a general commentary on the overall energy represented on these forums

You can brush it aside as irrelevant if you want, but it's like sweeping dust under the carpet. It will create a bigger mess later on.

Deal with issues of Western cultural superiority which is a huge psychological complex for some teachers. That's all I'm saying.

[CANDLES]

So is it a good idea to go off to Iran or not?

Simple question really....sadly I think the job has gone!