Korean Job Discussion Forums

[randall020105]

Hi all... anyone been in the Middle East doing ESL work?
I'd like to hear any news on the major differences like
student attitudes, living, general feel of the place...and so forth?

[andrewchon]

pm fromtheuk. He's taught in Korea and Saudi.

[shostahoosier]

I would check out the ME forum too on the other side of Dave's.

Quite a few teachers have made the change from Korea to the Middle East. Of my friends who have gone, the women hate it, and oddly enough, the gay men love the place.

[randall020105]

I'll let this simmer... till around 4pm... in the meantime i'll message fromtheuk. thanks alot. no one else in Korea?

[JustinC]

I'd done Saudi and Kuwait before coming here. It really depends on the individual; I saw long-termers out there (in Saudi almost all married and Muslim, in Kuwait usually quite experienced).

In Saudi I saw/heard of lots of people come and go, one guy in a friend's compound totally lost his mind (apparently it was pretty sad watching his mumbling and psychosis develop, eventually they tracked him down living rough in another city and deported him), a female colleague of another friend of mine also lost it and she had to be escorted by a doctor onto a plane back home, I read (on the Saudi forum on Dave's) of a guy who got shafted by his employer and threatened to kill himself, and got put straight into a mental asylum ... in Saudi. Read lots on that forum, it's horrifying and unbelievable at the same time but I recognise most of the goings on there as being par for the course.

Most other people I knew who left (I was there 2 years and worked in 2 different cities) left in a rage and declared never to go back. YMMV of course. Some swear it's a fantastic place to live with the great money, very little chance to spend it and a decent villa if you get a good job. Also you're usually finished in the early afternoon in a University, although might still desk warm until 4 or 5.

Kuwait was great, unless you get stuck in Al-Jahra in the north - next to Iraq and very, very conservative by Kuwaiti standards.

I know a guy who'd worked in Libya for years but left (without his stuff) just as the Arab Spring got going there; he loved it and would like to go back soon. He was in a good place though, there are some rough places/management/facilities just about in every country in the ME.

As to the students; some are fantastic, in general they're usually a little 'relaxed', very 'relaxed', asleep, would rather not be there or hate you, you decadent western infidel scum.

[randall020105]

Wow! excellent Justin. Great comparisons there. I need to make up my mind on that front..which is better (to save coin...social life...etc...)
Are folks able to study further over there...? ESL related?
Did you find your experience there prepared you for ROK? Does it look good on your resume?

[JustinC]

[Squire]

I can see myself in the middle east in a few years. I know a number of people who moved to Saudi from Korea and all of them are doing okay. A few are approaching the end of their first year, one has been there for 6 months. No horror stories, anyway

At first I thought this thread was a lawsuit between the OP and the Republic of Korea

[Nolos]

I'd like to hear about some expats who got with some ME women over in Saudi Arabia or somewhere else over there. Isn't it forbidden? lol

[JustinC]