Job Discussion Forums

[Wicked_Witch]

What can you tell me about Obeikan female apartments? Exactly how furnished are they? How accurate are the photos on the website? How much furniture is there? Are there towels, bed sheets, dishes, pots and pans? What should I bring with me from the US? What will I need to buy in KSA?

[Sheikh N Bake]

Uh, I'm just a guy in these parts, but are you paying for and choosing your own housing?? Normally your employer has the answers you need.

[Wicked_Witch]

I'm moving into an apartment supplied by my employer.

[veiledsentiments]

In that case, I suspect that your employer is the one who has the most accurate answer. Only they can tell you for sure what their provided housing comes with...

The usual answer to "what to bring from home" has been discussed a few times. Most things are easily found in the Gulf much cheaper and more easily than schlepping them from home. I normally brought bedding (because I am very picky about my sheets and pillow...) and a plastic cake container - tupperware type - full of my favorite small kitchen gadgets. Things like a good can opener can sometimes be tough to find.

Other than that, I would have my laptop and a fully loaded Kindle... or Nook. I also shipped by air freight a box of my teaching materials gathered over my years in the Gulf... and pre Kindle, a second box of reading material.

VS

[Sheikh N Bake]

A Kindle, absolutely. Personally I postponed the purchase of one until next year because I noticed that the 3 or 4 books I wanted this time out on vacation are not listed among Kindle books. So, an excuse for me not to spend the money this time around...but on the other hand, I'll read the books in about 3 weeks and then be subject to the pitiful selection at Jarir in Buraidah.

[johnslat]

And the new version is out, but they're selling fast:


"Price: $189.00 FREE Two-Day Shipping from Amazon Details
Color: Graphite

Temporarily Sold Out. Order now to reserve your place in line
Due to strong customer demand, Kindle is temporarily sold out. Order now to reserve your place in line. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis. Orders placed today are expected to ship on or before September 4th.
Ships from and sold by Amazon Digital Services."

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FSUDM4/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=5461918767&ref=pd_sl_1ah4uv6xg3_b

"Facing steep competition from Apple's iPad, which can do just about everything a computer can in addition to displaying books, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) has decided to evolve the latest Kindle into an even better single-purpose device for less than the cost of an iPod. The new Kindle is an improvement in just about every single way: It is sleeker, lighter, faster while also offering better contrast, more storage and up to one month of battery life on a single charge. The device comes equipped with Wi-Fi and free 3G service for $189 and will be available August 27. The Kindle Wi-Fi-only option will cost $139."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/jul/29/amazon-kindle

Regards,
John