Job Discussion Forums

[personae gratae]

Hey

The acronym has changed...formerly known UoH, the University of Hail changed its acronym to UH...Wow! what an impressive change ! Nothing else but the acronym has changed though. In fact from what we hear, the place has gone worse over the past few years...Teachers go on hunger strike, some of them go nuts and get deported, students riot, wild dogs roam the compound, teachers don't get paid for three months, teachers get kicked out of the compound for having the wrong skin colour...errmm what else? Ah yeah, almost forgot...salaries got reduced by 15%! What more to ask for?

[lcanupp1964]

Anybody that still wants to try teaching at the U of Hell after all the info that people can read on this site doesn't have my pity anymore. Not talking about the OP, but anyone that thinks it will be different when they get there is just a dum-dum and it's their own damn fault.

Maybe Non-Western teachers can handle it??????

[desert_traveller]

[freesoul]

Yes, non-western efl teachers CAN handle it whereas Western sojourn teachers can not and are too weak to survive there. As I have always have said: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

As for the reference to non-whatever EFLers as ***kisser, it is an outrageous thing to say from someone who is entrusted by a group of students and is supposed to be culturally sensitive inside and outside classroom in KSA. This might be the very same reason why you are treated in such a way OR maybe you had it coming!

[johnslat]

Dear freesoul,

Generalize much?

". . . whereas Western sojourn teachers can not and are too weak to survive there."

Nineteen years for me. Please post when you pass that number .

Regards,
John

[Grendal]

[freesoul]

ـJohn,
OR! 'nineteen years' could be the trigger for old-EFL-timers to just SNAP inside the classroom then being viewed on utube by rejoicing sts GLOBALLY?

Here's the thing, a lot of professionally expired intruders join in the ELT teaching industry dreaming of some extra cash as they are touring around. This is one of the main reasons why many ELT teachers cannot survive here. They just lack that sense of commitment to the profession.

[johnslat]

Dear freesoul,

Oh, snap - not me. After all that time in Saudi, I make Job seem like a rash, impetuous kind of guy.

I left the year the compound bombings began, but I'd told the IPA the year before that the next would be my last year.

Made me look like some kind of Nostradamus - but it was mere coincidence

Having been teaching EFL/ESL for over thirty-five years now, I'm seriously considering making "a commitment to the profession." But maybe I'll wait another twenty years or so, just to make sure.

Regards,
John

[scot47]

johnslat

What are you going to do when you grow up ? I have not decided yet.

[hashim99uk]

[quote="personae gratae"]Hey

The acronym has changed...formerly known UoH, the University of Hail changed its acronym to UH...Wow! what an impressive change ! Nothing else but the acronym has changed though. In fact from what we hear, the place has gone worse over the past few years...Teachers go on hunger strike, some of them go nuts and get deported, students riot, wild dogs roam the compound, teachers don't get paid for three months, teachers get kicked out of the compound for having the wrong skin colour...errmm what else? Ah yeah, almost forgot...salaries got reduced by 15%! What more to ask for?

I do not know why some teachers try to exaggerate minor things as they come from perfect places? Why they decide to work in Saudi Arabia if they criticise everything and unhappy with anything!!
If the teachers especially the Westerners, come from the perfect places why the left it and put it in their behind? heading for underdeveloped and third world countries as they describe and mock!!
I am not an English teacher, but I have a friend who is teaching at UOH, he is very happy. New compound, new buildings, new management, the HOD Mr.Edward is a fantastic guy, he is very helpful and cooperative. 3 holidays a year; Hajj and Eid for 20 days, Mid-term for nearly one month and summer vacation for 3 months ( paid )! you can not find this anywhere on this planet!!
What you said about hunger strike or problems this is in 2009 with M.trading teachers. This company is very bad and delayed their salaries for few months. This is 3 years ago!! dogs roaming the compound! this happens everywhere. Foxes roaming streets and homes in the eveninig in UK and US, so what?
I remember, when the university of Cairo brings English language teachers
it chooses westerners with high qualifications, articles, published books, highly educated and we have to praise the selection committee for this. Saudi Arabia brings lots of poorly-qualified teachers with very narrow minded and cannot find teaching jobs in their home countries!When they come to the Middle East they do nothing, just ( easy money ), tax-free, free accommodation, transport, tickets and medical. Despite they nearly do nothing in comparison to what they must do in the West, they should be grateful and satisfied for saving decent money they can not do anywhere. It does not mean that this place is perfect. We have to admit it is underdeveloped and lack of skills and good management. The West needed centuries to reach this level of well-organised and developed countries. Middle East is newly-established and the oil was discovered in Fifties but the governments did not control the returns of oil until the late Seventies, 30 years ago. Also we have to put into consideration that the human being's nature plays vital role in any management and administration. They are Bedouins and simple. Bedouins ( Badu ) does not mean bad or aggressive, on the contrary, they are generous, respectful and hospitable. But they are lenient with regulations and often untidy, careless and messy!
We have to open minded and acknowledge different cultures.
Please do not exaggerate and try to be grateful and appreciate people who respect you, and you can financially benefited from them to achieve your aims.

[lcanupp1964]

Hashim99uk, you are a recruiter. You have admitted it in past postings. You have a �friend� that works at the University of Hell? Why don�t you ask your friend to write a post telling everyone how great this place is????? You are only motivated by money and you will write anything (very poorly) in order to make it. BTW, I have never seen foxes roam the streets of America. Sure, in remote places, one might run into a fox, or two, but if a fox, or any other wild animal gets too close to a residential area, then animal control personnel will come and relocate the animal. The problem is when wild dogs roam the compounds in the areas near the University of Hell, nobody will come (or care). That�s the difference you will never understand.

If the university has truly changed, then any reasonable person would expect to read at least one positive posting on this site. I hope the place has changed, but the overwhelming information about the U of Hell is that it will continue to be one of the worst places to work for in KSA.

Look up and read all the past posting by hashim99uk. You will find many contradicting rants. He will attack anyone that says anything negative about anyplace he is trying to staff in his job as a recruiter. He is not a reliable source of information.

[veiledsentiments]

[johnslat]

Foxes - pshaw, that's small stuff. We have mountain lions downtown:

"Mountain lion roaming Santa Fe

SANTA FE (KRQE) - A mountain lion spotted near downtown Santa Fe Tuesday morning may be living in a residential area, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said while warning people to take precautions.

Game officers continued to hunt for the animal Tuesday afternoon in the area of C�rdova Road and Don Gaspar Avenue and are hoping to tranquilize it, according to a statement from Game and Fish. Based on tracks in the area officers believe the big cat may have taken up residence somewhere in the area.

The area is roughly eight blocks south of the state capitol.

Wildlife biologists from Game and Fish sighted the lion at 9:45 a.m. about an hour after residents reported seeing the animal. The biologists pursued the lion, but it eluded them by going through back yards and traveling along walls."

And bears - jeepers, they're all over the place:

"Black bear trapped in Santa Fe
Bear was released near Fenton Lake

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - The New Mexico Game and Fish Department caught a 300-pound male black bear in a trap set up in the Hyde Park Estates area in Santa Fe.

The bear was first spotted by local homeowners a week ago. The bear was eating birdseed near homes.

The bear was released near Fenton Lake on Thursday."

And coyotes - well, even more of them than bears:

"SANTA FE (KRQE) - Coyotes love to snack on small dogs. But usually when they see a human with that dog they back off. This weekend though, a coyote went after a big dog and the dog's owner. Lisa Stuart and her dog were hiking in the Santa Fe Basin on Saturday when a coyote attacked her Anatolian shepherd. Lisa says her dog was off leash and was running about 25 feet ahead of her when a coyote ran out from the forest and attacked her dog."


Regards,
John

[lcanupp1964]

I must have been living a sheltered and closed-off life on the streets of Atlanta, GA. One might see a small black bear, or two north of the city. My brother-in-law shot one and we had bear-infused chili that same day. I�m sure there are a lot more critters out west.

I have personally never seen a fox around Buckhead/Mid-town unless she had high-heals on.

Now, raccoons and possums� Don't get me started on those guys!!

I guess the point I was making is that IF a person calls for help, they will (hopefully) get some help.

[veiledsentiments]