Wednesday, September 10, 2003
I've heard that working for the armed forces here can be stressful so the Air Force has decided to only employ teachers who have officially 'lost it' although the perks seem nice.
JOB POSTING - ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE
We will have one opening in December for an experienced, qualified teacher.
Successful applicant will be:
Male
American or Canadian
Certified
Previous experience (especially in Saudi Arabia) preferred.
Benefits include competitive salary, paid vacation, in-Kingdom healthcare, housing on a secure Western compound, signing bonus, cheesecake on arrival (specify blueberry or chocolate).
Interview in Colorado.
Send a short form of your resume and a list of references (who will be called).
Job Posting - Dave's ESL Cafe
JOB POSTING - ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE
We will have one opening in December for an experienced, qualified teacher.
Successful applicant will be:
Male
American or Canadian
Certified
Previous experience (especially in Saudi Arabia) preferred.
Benefits include competitive salary, paid vacation, in-Kingdom healthcare, housing on a secure Western compound, signing bonus, cheesecake on arrival (specify blueberry or chocolate).
Interview in Colorado.
Send a short form of your resume and a list of references (who will be called).
Job Posting - Dave's ESL Cafe
I read this when I first came here nearly two years ago. It's an opinion from a discussion board about life in the Magic Kingdom. The guy is attacking ex-pats who whinge all the time about their lives here and about how 'it isn't like home.' Never a truer word was spoken.
View 1
I've never bothered to write on this sort of forum before, but I must respond to some of the rubbish I've read about Saudi on this web page. I've divided my opinions into four areas which are probably the most relevant to teachers who are going to teach in Saudi.
1. Teaching
Saudis are great students. You will never have to raise your voice, they will always do what they are told and they love conversing. The only teachers who have problems here are people who can't respect Islam. I'm an athiest, but I don't have a problem with people who want to pray to God five times a day, refrain from eating pork and make women wear bags on their heads. If you can't handle this, then don't bring it up in the classroom. Any discussion on these subjects will lead to your dismissal.
2. Drinking
I'm a single man living with a Saudi family, but I've managed to find lots of things going on here. You don't have to live on a compound to have a social life. I've been to bars in Jeddah, Riyadh, Yanbu and Jubail - you just need to know which door to knock on. How do know where to go? Ask around. Most westerners will know where to get hammered at the weekend. If you can't find a bar, then it's pretty easy to make your own. A teaspoonful of yeast, 20 litres of grape juice and a couple of kilos of sugar should point you in the right direction.
3. Sex
As a heterosexual man, it's not difficult to get laid out here. There are loads of nurses who are well up for it. You might need to lower your standards a bit, but generally the women are gagging for it. I sometimes wish I were gay, because there are loads of batty boys at it. I've never seen so many bandits in my life.
4. Culture
Most westerners, in my opinion, are very disrespectful to Saudis. Quite a common view is "the only good Muslim is a dead one." Personally, I quite like Saudis and I've found them very friendly and helpful. I've actually been to a couple of Saudi weddings and been alienated by westerners for it. Read "A passage to India" by E.M.Forster if you want to know what I'm getting at.
Basically, Saudi is easy money. Have you ever worked in China for 7 dollars a day? Have you ever done a 40-hour teaching week? Have you ever worked your butt off without any recogition of your hard work? This won't happen here. You'll get fantastic money, you'll do at most 20 hours a week in the classroom and the students will respect you. If you can't enjoy yourself in Saudi, then you're a very sad man and you shouldn't have conme here in the first place.
Dave's ESL Cafe
View 1
I've never bothered to write on this sort of forum before, but I must respond to some of the rubbish I've read about Saudi on this web page. I've divided my opinions into four areas which are probably the most relevant to teachers who are going to teach in Saudi.
1. Teaching
Saudis are great students. You will never have to raise your voice, they will always do what they are told and they love conversing. The only teachers who have problems here are people who can't respect Islam. I'm an athiest, but I don't have a problem with people who want to pray to God five times a day, refrain from eating pork and make women wear bags on their heads. If you can't handle this, then don't bring it up in the classroom. Any discussion on these subjects will lead to your dismissal.
2. Drinking
I'm a single man living with a Saudi family, but I've managed to find lots of things going on here. You don't have to live on a compound to have a social life. I've been to bars in Jeddah, Riyadh, Yanbu and Jubail - you just need to know which door to knock on. How do know where to go? Ask around. Most westerners will know where to get hammered at the weekend. If you can't find a bar, then it's pretty easy to make your own. A teaspoonful of yeast, 20 litres of grape juice and a couple of kilos of sugar should point you in the right direction.
3. Sex
As a heterosexual man, it's not difficult to get laid out here. There are loads of nurses who are well up for it. You might need to lower your standards a bit, but generally the women are gagging for it. I sometimes wish I were gay, because there are loads of batty boys at it. I've never seen so many bandits in my life.
4. Culture
Most westerners, in my opinion, are very disrespectful to Saudis. Quite a common view is "the only good Muslim is a dead one." Personally, I quite like Saudis and I've found them very friendly and helpful. I've actually been to a couple of Saudi weddings and been alienated by westerners for it. Read "A passage to India" by E.M.Forster if you want to know what I'm getting at.
Basically, Saudi is easy money. Have you ever worked in China for 7 dollars a day? Have you ever done a 40-hour teaching week? Have you ever worked your butt off without any recogition of your hard work? This won't happen here. You'll get fantastic money, you'll do at most 20 hours a week in the classroom and the students will respect you. If you can't enjoy yourself in Saudi, then you're a very sad man and you shouldn't have conme here in the first place.
Dave's ESL Cafe
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
This is an example of the advice we got from the British Foreign Office before the attack on Iraq.
WARDEN NOTICE 07/03
The Embassy would like to draw your attention to a change in Travel Advice for Saudi Arabia issued on 19 March. A copy of the text is attached; it is also available on the FCO’s website.
Since that notice has issued, military action in Iraq has commenced. The threat to British nationals and organisations in the region, including Saudi Arabia, is high. This includes terrorist attacks, whether by disaffected individuals or by members of organised terrorist groups which could involve the use by them of chemical and biological materials. You will find in the text of the travel advice a new link to separate advice on chemical and biological agents; in Saudi Arabia the emergency number for the Civil Defence Agency is 998.
We continue to advise against all non-essential travel, including holiday travel, to Saudi Arabia, and to encourage those here to consider whether their presence and that of their dependants is essential. Meanwhile you should maintain a high level of vigilance. It will be particularly important in the coming period that you adopt a low profile, minimise in-country travel, practise sensible security precautions and observe the advice on personal and vehicle security we have issued regularly in the past.
Some practical suggestions for the next few days might include the following:
•Make only essential car journeys
•Don’t draw attention to yourself. Dress modestly, speak quietly, be aware of your situation and, if you feel uncomfortable, move to a safe place
•Drive sensibly; always lock your car, have the mobile phone to hand and on, pre-programmed with useful numbers and check the ring tone is discreet
•Leave nothing in the car that indicates which nationality you are
•If you think that you are being followed, drive calmly to a safe area (compound, police station or a friend’s house)
At times such as these, numerous reports circulate about incidents affecting the British or wider expatriate community. While we always welcome such information, the overwhelming majority are rumours with no factual basis. If there are confirmed incidents which could affect the security of the community, we will tell you promptly of them and offer any appropriate advice.
Finally, it would help us considerably if you were able to let us know of British nationals, dependants or otherwise, who have left or are leaving Saudi Arabia.
WARDEN NOTICE 07/03
The Embassy would like to draw your attention to a change in Travel Advice for Saudi Arabia issued on 19 March. A copy of the text is attached; it is also available on the FCO’s website.
Since that notice has issued, military action in Iraq has commenced. The threat to British nationals and organisations in the region, including Saudi Arabia, is high. This includes terrorist attacks, whether by disaffected individuals or by members of organised terrorist groups which could involve the use by them of chemical and biological materials. You will find in the text of the travel advice a new link to separate advice on chemical and biological agents; in Saudi Arabia the emergency number for the Civil Defence Agency is 998.
We continue to advise against all non-essential travel, including holiday travel, to Saudi Arabia, and to encourage those here to consider whether their presence and that of their dependants is essential. Meanwhile you should maintain a high level of vigilance. It will be particularly important in the coming period that you adopt a low profile, minimise in-country travel, practise sensible security precautions and observe the advice on personal and vehicle security we have issued regularly in the past.
Some practical suggestions for the next few days might include the following:
•Make only essential car journeys
•Don’t draw attention to yourself. Dress modestly, speak quietly, be aware of your situation and, if you feel uncomfortable, move to a safe place
•Drive sensibly; always lock your car, have the mobile phone to hand and on, pre-programmed with useful numbers and check the ring tone is discreet
•Leave nothing in the car that indicates which nationality you are
•If you think that you are being followed, drive calmly to a safe area (compound, police station or a friend’s house)
At times such as these, numerous reports circulate about incidents affecting the British or wider expatriate community. While we always welcome such information, the overwhelming majority are rumours with no factual basis. If there are confirmed incidents which could affect the security of the community, we will tell you promptly of them and offer any appropriate advice.
Finally, it would help us considerably if you were able to let us know of British nationals, dependants or otherwise, who have left or are leaving Saudi Arabia.
Shopping and hanging around in shopping malls is a major pastime in the Magic Kingdom. It's a bit like this.
Ilsa is wandering round the Souk in Casablanca while Rick finishes his business with Señor Ferrari in the Blue Parrot. The stall holder offers Ilsa a ‘bargain’ for 700 Francs but she is not interested. Rick approaches from behind and the stall holder realizes he is a friend of Ilsa’s and offers a discount – 200 Francs. Still Ilsa does not bite. The stall holder recognizes there is something between the two old flames – “Ah for special friends of Rick’s we have a special discount. 100 Francs.” Ilsa says she is not interested and walks away from the stall with a sad look on her face.
Shopping in Al Khobar I know how she feels. The first price the stall holder quoted was 700 Francs and he finally went down to 100. Ilsa is sad because she knows the stall holder was prepared to cheat her out of 600 Francs. Shopping in Al Khobar is not so different. In this city I know the price(s) of everything but I am never quite sure of the real value.
Shopping in Al Khobar has ceased to be a pleasure as I never know if I have been ripped off or got a fantastic bargain. Shopping should be fun but how can you enjoy it when you fear you are being over charged all the time just because of your nationality?
Consider the case of Irish Johnny who really needed a bag. We wandered round the Yemeni Souks. Every stall holder offered him their wares and “special” discounts. Eventually Johnny found a bag he liked and negotiated down to “best price.” He handed over SR 40 and was well pleased he had played by the rules yet was still able to get something he liked and even better it felt like a bargain. For shoppers that feels the same as scoring a beautiful goal in football.
We sat down for a well deserved Turkish coffee and Johnny’s eyes fixed on a shop full of bags. I warned him not to go and look but curiosity got the better of him. In the window he saw a better quality bag. He could not believe the price tag. It was SR 10 cheaper than the bag he had just bought. You should have seen the look of disappointment on his face.
“Why can’t they just put price tags on everything and let us choose what we want?” Johnny complained. His warm feeling of contentment had changed to one of bitterness. I know that every time Johnny uses that bag in Ireland he will have a pang of regret that he lost SR 10 on the deal.
Shopkeepers to a man will say, “What’s SR10 here or there to an ex-pat. They can afford it!” I do not think it is the amount of money “gained” in each transaction that is the question. It is the bad taste left in the mouth of the customer when they find out that the “best price” they paid was in fact the “worst price.”
The problem is two fold. Many ex-pats think they are being ripped off at every turn. Obviously they are not. Haggling is part of the culture here and you have to get used to it.
However many shop keepers think that all ex-pats are made of money and will pay over the odds without complaint.
What shopkeepers gain with one hand they lose with the other. For every disappointed shopper like Irish Johnny they lose a potential loyal customer for the future that will not spend money in the shop again or tell his friends to go there.
I am convinced that if shops in Al Khobar put a sign in the window – “WE DISPLAY PRICETAGS,” they would see a significant increase in business.
Unlike Ilsa we cannot all be special friends of Mr. Rick and we have to fend for ourselves when shopping. For you here are some Golden rules when shopping in Al Khobar.
1.Learn the food prices in the large super markets before you go to a market. That way you will recognize a bargain when you see it.
2.Buy household goods in “Everything for SR10.” Some goods might be worth less while others are worth more. What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.
3.If you see something you like in a shop without a price tag, ask the owner why he does not put price tags on his goods. If he gives you a sly smile indicating you have found out his little secret go to a shop which displays price tags. It usually is cheaper.
4.Say you are not American when you are negotiating “best price.”
5.Go shopping with a Saudi friend.
6.Shop in Damman. With or without price tags it is much cheaper than Al Khobar and an all round much better shopping experience.
Ilsa is wandering round the Souk in Casablanca while Rick finishes his business with Señor Ferrari in the Blue Parrot. The stall holder offers Ilsa a ‘bargain’ for 700 Francs but she is not interested. Rick approaches from behind and the stall holder realizes he is a friend of Ilsa’s and offers a discount – 200 Francs. Still Ilsa does not bite. The stall holder recognizes there is something between the two old flames – “Ah for special friends of Rick’s we have a special discount. 100 Francs.” Ilsa says she is not interested and walks away from the stall with a sad look on her face.
Shopping in Al Khobar I know how she feels. The first price the stall holder quoted was 700 Francs and he finally went down to 100. Ilsa is sad because she knows the stall holder was prepared to cheat her out of 600 Francs. Shopping in Al Khobar is not so different. In this city I know the price(s) of everything but I am never quite sure of the real value.
Shopping in Al Khobar has ceased to be a pleasure as I never know if I have been ripped off or got a fantastic bargain. Shopping should be fun but how can you enjoy it when you fear you are being over charged all the time just because of your nationality?
Consider the case of Irish Johnny who really needed a bag. We wandered round the Yemeni Souks. Every stall holder offered him their wares and “special” discounts. Eventually Johnny found a bag he liked and negotiated down to “best price.” He handed over SR 40 and was well pleased he had played by the rules yet was still able to get something he liked and even better it felt like a bargain. For shoppers that feels the same as scoring a beautiful goal in football.
We sat down for a well deserved Turkish coffee and Johnny’s eyes fixed on a shop full of bags. I warned him not to go and look but curiosity got the better of him. In the window he saw a better quality bag. He could not believe the price tag. It was SR 10 cheaper than the bag he had just bought. You should have seen the look of disappointment on his face.
“Why can’t they just put price tags on everything and let us choose what we want?” Johnny complained. His warm feeling of contentment had changed to one of bitterness. I know that every time Johnny uses that bag in Ireland he will have a pang of regret that he lost SR 10 on the deal.
Shopkeepers to a man will say, “What’s SR10 here or there to an ex-pat. They can afford it!” I do not think it is the amount of money “gained” in each transaction that is the question. It is the bad taste left in the mouth of the customer when they find out that the “best price” they paid was in fact the “worst price.”
The problem is two fold. Many ex-pats think they are being ripped off at every turn. Obviously they are not. Haggling is part of the culture here and you have to get used to it.
However many shop keepers think that all ex-pats are made of money and will pay over the odds without complaint.
What shopkeepers gain with one hand they lose with the other. For every disappointed shopper like Irish Johnny they lose a potential loyal customer for the future that will not spend money in the shop again or tell his friends to go there.
I am convinced that if shops in Al Khobar put a sign in the window – “WE DISPLAY PRICETAGS,” they would see a significant increase in business.
Unlike Ilsa we cannot all be special friends of Mr. Rick and we have to fend for ourselves when shopping. For you here are some Golden rules when shopping in Al Khobar.
1.Learn the food prices in the large super markets before you go to a market. That way you will recognize a bargain when you see it.
2.Buy household goods in “Everything for SR10.” Some goods might be worth less while others are worth more. What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.
3.If you see something you like in a shop without a price tag, ask the owner why he does not put price tags on his goods. If he gives you a sly smile indicating you have found out his little secret go to a shop which displays price tags. It usually is cheaper.
4.Say you are not American when you are negotiating “best price.”
5.Go shopping with a Saudi friend.
6.Shop in Damman. With or without price tags it is much cheaper than Al Khobar and an all round much better shopping experience.
Arab News answers reader's questions about Islam. People ask about everything under the sun including what to do if one farts during prayers. Here's an interesting question about silk ties.
Wearing a silk tie
Edited by Adil Salahi, Arab News Staff
Published on 25 November 2002
Q. I am aware of the fact that silk was prohibited by the Prophet for Muslim men, but may I ask to what extent does this prohibition apply? Is wearing a silk tie also forbidden, when most ties all over the world state that they are made of pure silk. Surely today wearing a silk tie is accessible to people in all social strata. Please comment.
R. Sanai, Jeddah
A. Holding silk in one hand and gold in the other hand, the Prophet said: “These two are forbidden for the men of my community, permissible for women.” As he did not give us the reason for these two verdicts, the prohibition applies in all situations and for all time. We certainly can make some assumptions or venture some explanations for these rulings, but we will then be liable to make an error. When a ruling is not explained by the Prophet as based on a particular cause, that ruling remains valid for all time in all situations. This is the case in this Hadith which forbids gold and silk for Muslim men.
We need to know, however, that the prohibition applies to pure, natural silk. If the textile industry is able to produce a type of material which is very much like silk, but is manufactured by machines, then this is not the silk God has forbidden. It is lawful to use by men.
Scholars have also said that it is permissible to use silk at the bottom of one’s robes or clothes, so that a robe becomes more suitable for heavy duty. They mention that it should be close to the breadth of a man’s hand. Some scholars today apply this concession to the necktie and suggest that it is permissible to wear a necktie. The analogy seems appropriate, although not all scholars agree with it. I personally feel that it is infinitely better to steer away from it, as much as one can. There are excellent neckties made of ordinary material. We should always prefer these.
Arab News
Wearing a silk tie
Edited by Adil Salahi, Arab News Staff
Published on 25 November 2002
Q. I am aware of the fact that silk was prohibited by the Prophet for Muslim men, but may I ask to what extent does this prohibition apply? Is wearing a silk tie also forbidden, when most ties all over the world state that they are made of pure silk. Surely today wearing a silk tie is accessible to people in all social strata. Please comment.
R. Sanai, Jeddah
A. Holding silk in one hand and gold in the other hand, the Prophet said: “These two are forbidden for the men of my community, permissible for women.” As he did not give us the reason for these two verdicts, the prohibition applies in all situations and for all time. We certainly can make some assumptions or venture some explanations for these rulings, but we will then be liable to make an error. When a ruling is not explained by the Prophet as based on a particular cause, that ruling remains valid for all time in all situations. This is the case in this Hadith which forbids gold and silk for Muslim men.
We need to know, however, that the prohibition applies to pure, natural silk. If the textile industry is able to produce a type of material which is very much like silk, but is manufactured by machines, then this is not the silk God has forbidden. It is lawful to use by men.
Scholars have also said that it is permissible to use silk at the bottom of one’s robes or clothes, so that a robe becomes more suitable for heavy duty. They mention that it should be close to the breadth of a man’s hand. Some scholars today apply this concession to the necktie and suggest that it is permissible to wear a necktie. The analogy seems appropriate, although not all scholars agree with it. I personally feel that it is infinitely better to steer away from it, as much as one can. There are excellent neckties made of ordinary material. We should always prefer these.
Arab News
I saw this article earlier in the year. No comment necessary really.
Yemeni Woman Butchers Husband in Cold Blood
23/02/2003
Taher Hazim, Special to Arab News
SANAA, 23 February 2003 — Fann Saeed Ghanem, a 26-year-old Yemeni, has made history by killing her husband in cold blood.
Fann was forced into three nightmarish marriages, and moved from place to place to escape from ill-treatment at the hands of all three husbands. After divorcing from the first, she was forced into a turbulent second marriage. She divorced him as well after three years, and her third marriage was to last just three months.
In prison pending trial, Fann spoke to Al-Jadeeda, a sister publication of Arab News.
“My second husband and third husband were work colleagues,” she says. “When my second husband came to pick up my third husband, he would insult me in front of him. There was no one to defend me or show compassion,” she recalled.
“Even my colleagues at the hospital where I worked would make fun of me, calling me ‘Afann’ (rotten), not Fann.”
“When my third husband made it clear that he would divorce me and marry someone else, and that he had married me without taking account of my feelings, I decided to kill him.”
One day he complained of a headache.
“I told him I was going to give him something for his pain and injected him with a sedative. When he was unconscious, I tied his hands and feet with a rope and then I cut his head off. I was thinking of cutting his whole body into pieces, but I didn’t want so much blood on the floor. I went to the police and turned myself in, but they didn’t believe me until they came and saw the decapitated body.”
She says that she did not have an accomplice in the crime, and did not intend to return to her second husband.
“They were birds of a feather,” she explained. “They beat me a lot, and for all I care they can both go to hell.”
Asked if, as has been alleged, she tried to kill her second husband as well, she says: “I’m not as evil as people think.”
Many people are also saying she is insane.
“I do not know if I am crazy or not,” she asserts. “When I killed my husband, I thought I was dreaming. I don’t know what drove me to do what I did.”
However, “when I remember how I was living in hell, I don’t regret a thing.”
She adds she is a lot happier in prison.
“My fellow inmates never make fun of me, and they understand my situation,” she says.
It is possible that she will be condemned to death.
“Then I will blame the judge, society and police for not understanding the misery I lived in,” she claims. “I will ask them to take care of my children and I will tell society that no one kills without a reason.”
A lawyer, who volunteered to defend her, is planning to enter a plea of insanity on Fann’s behalf. “Everybody knows she is ill,” he told Al-Jadeeda. “I am going to tell the court that she was in hospital for four months.”
“Several witnesses will testify that she once burned her clothes because she didn’t receive her salary,” he adds. “This is clearly evidence that she is not all there.”
Arab News
Yemeni Woman Butchers Husband in Cold Blood
23/02/2003
Taher Hazim, Special to Arab News
SANAA, 23 February 2003 — Fann Saeed Ghanem, a 26-year-old Yemeni, has made history by killing her husband in cold blood.
Fann was forced into three nightmarish marriages, and moved from place to place to escape from ill-treatment at the hands of all three husbands. After divorcing from the first, she was forced into a turbulent second marriage. She divorced him as well after three years, and her third marriage was to last just three months.
In prison pending trial, Fann spoke to Al-Jadeeda, a sister publication of Arab News.
“My second husband and third husband were work colleagues,” she says. “When my second husband came to pick up my third husband, he would insult me in front of him. There was no one to defend me or show compassion,” she recalled.
“Even my colleagues at the hospital where I worked would make fun of me, calling me ‘Afann’ (rotten), not Fann.”
“When my third husband made it clear that he would divorce me and marry someone else, and that he had married me without taking account of my feelings, I decided to kill him.”
One day he complained of a headache.
“I told him I was going to give him something for his pain and injected him with a sedative. When he was unconscious, I tied his hands and feet with a rope and then I cut his head off. I was thinking of cutting his whole body into pieces, but I didn’t want so much blood on the floor. I went to the police and turned myself in, but they didn’t believe me until they came and saw the decapitated body.”
She says that she did not have an accomplice in the crime, and did not intend to return to her second husband.
“They were birds of a feather,” she explained. “They beat me a lot, and for all I care they can both go to hell.”
Asked if, as has been alleged, she tried to kill her second husband as well, she says: “I’m not as evil as people think.”
Many people are also saying she is insane.
“I do not know if I am crazy or not,” she asserts. “When I killed my husband, I thought I was dreaming. I don’t know what drove me to do what I did.”
However, “when I remember how I was living in hell, I don’t regret a thing.”
She adds she is a lot happier in prison.
“My fellow inmates never make fun of me, and they understand my situation,” she says.
It is possible that she will be condemned to death.
“Then I will blame the judge, society and police for not understanding the misery I lived in,” she claims. “I will ask them to take care of my children and I will tell society that no one kills without a reason.”
A lawyer, who volunteered to defend her, is planning to enter a plea of insanity on Fann’s behalf. “Everybody knows she is ill,” he told Al-Jadeeda. “I am going to tell the court that she was in hospital for four months.”
“Several witnesses will testify that she once burned her clothes because she didn’t receive her salary,” he adds. “This is clearly evidence that she is not all there.”
Arab News
