Job Discussion Forums

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Headed back to KSA after summer vac I find myself full of premonitions and generally ill at eae.

Am I just getting old ? Or isit really time to quit ? I do not want to be like those guys who are always doing "just one more year".

How do you decide that the time has come ?

Irish · Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 371

In the end, you're the only one who can really know for sure but it sounds to me like you're reaching the end of your rope. Is this about teaching in general or Saudi in particular? I know you've got a family to support but maybe you could find a job elsewhere in the ME that allows you to take care of them. The money might not be as good as the KSA but how much is your peace of mind worth?

Sorry I'm not much help but I hope your premonitions and discomfort turn out to be unfounded. Let us know how it turns out.

andrew · Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 38

For what it's worth, I've been teaching something to someone somewhere since1967 and that is exactly how I feel every time I return to work after a break! (I took 2 years off and now I am ready to go back to KSA).
You are showing signs of being 'burned out'.

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 6:09 am Post subject:

I think it's normal to be a little down at the end of the hols. However, if you feel that in your case it's more than that, then the above posts might be right - you might be nearing burnout time.

Do you think it's specifically a case of the "Saudi blues" or is it just the tedium of teaching in general? If the former, are you worried about the 'security situation' in KSA or is it just the 'normal' rstrictions that are getting you down?

I've only got a month or so left of my contract here in KSA. My decision to leave didn't come to me overnight - they never do in real life - but i just gradually came to realise that the eenvironment here is not healthy, esp. for a single gal. I'm fed up living somewhere where people are aways talking about money, exchange rates and departure dates. Also, at the moment, it's like a revolving door here, the turnover among WEstern ex-pats is higher than it's ever been.

Of course, you know all of this as well as I do! The only way of knowing if 'your time has come' is to stick it out for another few months and if you're still feeling consistently down, get yourself an exit only. As the above post says, only you will know when it's time to go.

BTW, how long have you been in the Magic Kingdom?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You ask how long in KSA. Well I first went there in 1970 and did two years. Then again in 1990 for one year. Then agai9n from 1996 to 2002. This time...............

We will see. Maybe those pictures of King Abdulaziz ( ie the 500 SR note) will cheer me up.

The way I am feeling now one school year then it is over.

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 12:02 pm Post subject:

A few colleagues of mine had a name for all those woudln't-fit-in-anywhere types who end up teaching EFL in the Gulf.

They called them "Desperate Dans".

Another one was OGFs "Old Gulf Farts"

Prefer the first one myself. Any other nicknames?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Cleo - I feel that your nicknames should be re-titled more accurately to those long termers 'who end up teaching EFL in Saudi.' It is a world onto itself. It is rather like here in the US whenever anyone hears that I taught in the Gulf they say, 'oh how could you live in that terrible place where you can't drive and you have to wear that ugly black sack.' Uh... no... (I say) I always had my own car and drove everywhere and I have never worn an abaya.

It will be good for you to get out of that place and experience the rest of the Gulf. Similarities? yes, but mostly there are differences.

And Scot - I was always hit with more than a twinge of regret when I walked out of the airport in August and that unrelenting heat slapped me in the face. Then there is also your current combination of age (been/am there), the current dangers, and probably mostly leaving the family behind. I don't want to sound like a broken record and I can certainly relate to the need to pad the retirement income, but TESOL Arabia - Mar 10-12 sounds like the place to take a little break and see if you can find something that allows the family to enjoy the other benefits of Gulf life. Smile

VS

andrew · Joined: 19 Feb 2003 Posts: 38

I have just remembered a quotation from John Milton's Paradise Lost. (I got 5 or 6 marks for it on my Xmas English literature exam back in 1962 or 63):
'A mind is in its own place, and in itself, can make a hell of heaven and a heaven of hell'
Now isn't that special, you say?

Cleopatra · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 5:49 am Post subject:

Since we're getting literary, how about this?

HAMLET: Denmark's a prison.

ROSENCRANZ: We think it not so, my lord.

HAMLET: Why then, 'tis none to you.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

TESOL-Arabıa was already on my mınd. The Job Faır rather than those awful presentatıons about Teachıng. (I have to confess that I have done one of those myself !)

But I am not sure that my wıfe wants to be anywhere ın the Arab World.

Thanks for gıvıng me the dates. Where ıs ıt ? Al Aın ?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Scot -- it is as if your message was written in some obscure code. Smile

All of the letter 'i' changed to symbols. What causes that?

I just went over to the tesolarabia site and it says that the conference is in Dubai. That is good. It saves you the expensive taxi fare to Al Ain.

http://tesolarabia.org/conference/index.php

You mean one is supposed to go to those seminar things?? I know that lots of places 'force' teachers to make presentations, but no one could force me to attend them. Smile

I always used the conferences for networking. (which is just another word for hanging out with people you used to work with or may want to work with in the future---)

VS

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Th1s 1s some sort of Ottoman curse. When you use some keyboards 1n Turkey the 9th letter of the alphabet changes 1nto someth1ng else. The 1slam1st revenge for abandon1ng the Arab1c alphabet ?

1 have made th1s eas1er to read by us1ng the d1g1t for ONE 1nstead of the 9th letter of the Engl1sh Alphabet

johnslat · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 11:53 pm Post subject: Back in the K of SA

Dear scot 47,
How does one know when the time has come? There's probably a different answer for each individual. But the fact that you're even asking that question may be a good indication that your time ( to depart, that is ) is approaching. It just seemed " right " for me to Exit Only this past July and not only for one specific reason but for many, some large, others smaller. So far anyway, I don't regret it in the least - although there certainly are some friends I miss seeing. One problem with relocating to someplace in the UAE is that, from what I understand, it's not a " geezer-friendly " sort of hiring environment. But it wouldn't hurt to attend the tesol/arabia conference, if that's possible. Only you can answer the question, though, and, as always, that answer may be right, may be wrong. I hope that whichever it is, though, that it's the best one for you and your family.
Regards,
John

Cleopatra · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 5:45 am Post subject:

Welcome back Johnslat,

BTW, when does one get to be a geezer?

And is it a boys' club (this is the Gulf, after all!) or can anyone join?

johnslat · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 2:22 pm Post subject: On geezerhood

Dear Cleopatra,
Thanks for the welcome. To address your questions, well, one CAN be a geezer at practically any age since, at least by my definition, it describes an aged state of mind more than of body. In this, it resembles " curmudgeons ", although unlike them, geezers are not ncessarily crusty or cantankerous but are often experienced, feisty and worldly-wise. As for as the UAE goes, though, I suspect that anyone over the age of, say, 45 would fall into their geezer category. And of course ladies can be geezers, although some of those prefer to be called geezerettes.
Regards,
John