Job Discussion Forums

[anaxiforminges]

[seven seas]

txmsk- you'll be fine, having lived in those places, nothing will be too 'shocking'.

[txmsk]

Hmm let me list the 'difficulties' or 'anomalies' of living in Moscow... some are subjective, some are objective from the p.o.v. of a North American.. one that's lived and interacted with the local.

- Moscow can be cold, it can get down to -35C - I was here for that in 2006!
- prices are high: some think the higher you pay, the better the quality...hah
- police used to stop and do random document checks, claim something was wrong, demanded money, etc... it's been happening a lot less in the last year or two
- Moscow city districts take turns in turning off the HOT WATER supply for about 2-3 weeks during the summer months, supposedly for 'repairs' (yeah right, you know those people are just taking a vacation!)
- in Moscow the hot water never runs out since it's all centrally provided
- the hot water can be turned off on any random day if an 'emergency' happens
- people don't smile here; maybe cause it's a big city?
- people smell in the metro, especially in the summer... not all of them of course!
- you can't completely go vegan here, and being vegetarian is hard enough (I'm not a veggie-tarian anyway!)

- the evil babushki (old ladies/biddies/etc) like to crowd the buses and metro trains with their big overcoats and little pull-trolleys full of who knows what
- you are expected to give your seat up to a 'woman' in the bus or metro - even if she's not pregnant, old, etc; if you don't you might feel the wrath of the babushki near you
- some babushki and dedushki (old ladies and men) love to just ride the buses or metro so that they can cause problems for other people and/or to socialize with others; you can sympathize with them: they are old and have nothing else to look forward to

- in universities professors, not all of course, like to make their students, even the honest, hardworking ones, feel like crap if the student asks for even a small favor or truly does not understand a topic
- in some schools, especially those in less urban areas, school teachers collect money for presents for THEMSELVES; this happened a lot in the 90's and it probably still happens in less affluent areas around Russia; example: the teacher says she wants a gold bracelet, and the schoolchildren all pitch in to buy it, or else...

- in TEFL in Moscow, you are likely to be told to wait a week or two.. or three before a course actually starts; it puts a damper on your finances big time
- the TEFL industry in Moscow generally doesn't provide teachers with: a good, stable salary, an 'expat' or at least 'nice' apartment, block shifts
- in the TEFL industry native speakers are merely working monkeys: teach, teach, make the students sign up for another course...

- students always ask 'why would you come to our country to live/work, when yours is better' (yes, I really get this a lot)

I'm forgetting a lot!

So could you guys live in Moscow?

[veiledsentiments]

I knew enough to never even consider it. I grew up in that kind of weather. And I spent a few years in Cairo... which is definitely a "third world country" (or whatever they are calling them these days), so I know all about water problems and electric problems and non-functioning elevators... etc... etc, but at least the people were friendly and knew how to laugh.

The Gulf is mostly like American suburbia... in the 50s... in the southwest...

VS

[txmsk]

I know Skype and other VOIP comms are blocked in the UAE, but what about neighboring Oman or KSA? Do they block them, too?

How about the Internet speeds in the UAE? Do torrent-like programs work?

How about Macs, are they popular there?

How much is Basmati rice in the Mid East/UAE? It's really expensive in Moscow - like $2.50 per 500 grams. There are other types of rice here, like Indian, some kind of Asian rice for sushi, and even a rice called 'Texas'.

Anyway, I think I remember my dad being able to get Basmati rice in Texas, from a local Middle Eastern store, $15 for 9kg of rice.

[Zoot]

SKYPE works, just download it off-shore and as for the others like u-Torrent speed is a dream.

[veiledsentiments]

[anaxiforminges]

[veiledsentiments]

Well... obviously, it is desert and hot like the Southwest, and especially if you live in a compound or on campus, you are in a neighborhood. You socialize mainly within the neighborhood like when I was a kid. (since in the Gulf it includes most of the people you know) You tend to entertain at home... I hadn't seen so many progressive dinners and pot lucks in years. It is quiet, safe, and a little boring... and you can let your kids outside to play and bicycle around without the worry that seems to permeate the US now. You never worry about your car being stolen from the driveway at night.

For those living in the middle of the Dubai/Abu Dhabi apartment blocks, the similarity is less, of course. But, the lack of violent crime made it feel like the past for this woman. I could take a walk at almost any hour, or get out of my car in a shopping center parking lot without ever having to look over my shoulder.

VS

[anaxiforminges]

[txmsk]

So it's like a southwestern Hillsdale type of place which Donna Reed and Dennis the Menace types?

[anaxiforminges]

On that note, have people on this particular forum actually met in person in the UAE? When I used to teach in South America a few of us "forumites" would set up get-togethers and have a good time. It makes sense right? Or am I way off here?

[anaxiforminges]

[veiledsentiments]

You won't see them where you are living anaxi... as it will be mostly expat teachers and their families rather than locals.

As to meet-ups, over the years, I have met a number of people from the board - both over there and back here in the US. But, it has often been accidental as much as on purpose. Some might prefer to keep their anonymity.

VS

[wordsmith]

How does one handle a class that wants to talk about taboo subjects? Just when (and how) does one cut a student off, or gently change the subject?