The OP specifically asked for opinions and you are telling him to ignore peoples opinions you don't agree with, get off your high horse. Suggesting that you need to have lived somewhere to have a valid opinion is an absurd fallacy and the definition of ignorance.
Anyone jumped to the Middle East?
- Thread starter skaif
- Start date
The OP specifically asked for opinions and you are telling him to ignore peoples opinions you don't agree with, get off your high horse. Suggesting that you need to have lived somewhere to have a valid opinion is an absurd fallacy and the definition of ignorance.
Soldato
Crime rates are generally very low, and when crimes do occur the police have the time and resources to investigate them properly.
Soldato
Incorrect, you've obviously not read my post since I said positive or negative. I told him to ignore any opinions if the basis for that opinion was non-existent, whether it aligns with my views or not.
Is it? Since when are people's opinions useful or relevant about a matter they have absolutely zero experience with? Especially something like living somewhere; I wouldn't dare commenting about whether a place is good or bad to live in without having at least visited the place for an extended period.
Quite interestingly, the defintion of ignorance is "lack of knowledge or information", which I would say IS the definition of giving an opinion with no experience. Since you pulled the first trigger - and, to be frank, were quite nasty in your reply - I'd go as far to say you're ignorant.
Me nasty? Says the person who was telling others to just ignore me.
It is official law that homosexuality etc. is illegal in swathes of the middle east, punishable by death in some cases, you need absolutely zero experience living over there to convey that to the op. There is plenty of information in the news about the negatives of the middle east, we live in the internet age where enough information is freely available to form a valid opinion.
Telling people to ignore those who don't have personal experience promotes ignorance of the valid information those individuals are providing, it is not in the slightest bit helpful and is quite an antagonistic comment to be frank.
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Soldato
So you believe everything you read in the news, without question, then?
And your solution to policies that you don't agree with is to isolate? In your specific example...
What would the future look like if everybody that went to the Middle East was homophobic?
And what would the future look like if some people that went to the Middle East were liberal/pro LGBT+?
The fact that you're happy to say I'm on my high horse whilst simultaneously dishing out judgement about people and places you've never been to or experienced means I'm basically barking up the wrong tree. I'll leave the OP to ask for more of your advice if he feels it useful beyond a quick Google.
And your solution to policies that you don't agree with is to isolate? In your specific example...
What would the future look like if everybody that went to the Middle East was homophobic?
And what would the future look like if some people that went to the Middle East were liberal/pro LGBT+?
The fact that you're happy to say I'm on my high horse whilst simultaneously dishing out judgement about people and places you've never been to or experienced means I'm basically barking up the wrong tree. I'll leave the OP to ask for more of your advice if he feels it useful beyond a quick Google.
You're asking questions that you already know the answer to. The fact is the middle east has civility problems and pretending they don't exist doesn't make them go away...
Well today's the day! Got off to a rocky start tho, issues with work visa meant I have missed my initial flight. The school have been good and sorted out the next flight but its a 6 hour delay....
Anyway, shouldn't be too much of an issue.
See you on the other side!
Anyway, shouldn't be too much of an issue.
See you on the other side!
Finally here! Stupid o clock and after almost 20hrs of travelling I'm finally at the hotel that will be my home for the next few months. Got my medical and bits and pieces to sort out and then it's time to start getting involved with the school.
Need to sleep right now but first thing tomorrow morning will be a quick gym session followed by a swim. I could get used to this!
Need to sleep right now but first thing tomorrow morning will be a quick gym session followed by a swim. I could get used to this!
Associate
Finally here! Stupid o clock and after almost 20hrs of travelling I'm finally at the hotel that will be my home for the next few months. Got my medical and bits and pieces to sort out and then it's time to start getting involved with the school.
Need to sleep right now but first thing tomorrow morning will be a quick gym session followed by a swim. I could get used to this!
Good luck! I moved to Egypt as I grew fed up of the Primary system in the uk. I’m now in my 6th year here and loving it.
More Money and low cost of living certainly help and have moved into a Head of Computing role. They do really struggle to find candidates for positions sometimes. The media don’t help with this much. But statistically it is safer here than the US and the Uk.
There are plenty of downsides to living in a land of sand but the right schools do look after you.
There will be bad days where the culture seems to hit you hard. Remember to smile and just try to laugh about it later. I think that has been the biggest help to my transition. I will be one of those “lifers” here.
The students present different challenges and @OP it sounds like you have plenty of good challenges to get into. Good luck.
Yep getting used to it. The lifestyle here is completely different. Just been out for a meal with the work lot at a swanky place which was only £35 a head for an amazing experience. Can jump in the pool / gym whenever, my daughter is absolutely loving her nursery and I've settled into the school really well.
Went car shopping today as looking to treat myself so watch this space. Loving it so far although I know it's the honeymoon period.
Work doesn't seem like work, getting up in the morning to blue skies and 30degrees is bliss and does wonders for my mindset. In the UK dreary skies and cold used to physically demotivate me. I'm actually looking forward to getting up for work for the first time in ages!
The only downside at the minute is the early starts. Have to be at work for 6.30 which means leaving at 6 and waking up at 4 to do my morning gym routine and sorting out the kiddo. Means by the time we're back home at 3pm we're knackered. Need to find some nap time but at the moment 9pm bedtime during the week is keeping us going!
Associate
Glad it’s going well.
The weirdest thing for me was the week starting on Sunday’s. It meant every time I looked at the timetable on a Monday I got it wrong for a few weeks! Also, Fridays here were eerily quiet initially. Not sure if it will be the same there though.
Haha yeah it's definitely weird changing to a Sunday - Thursday week with hump day being Tuesday. It takes some getting used to. Fridays are annoying because everything is pretty much closed till around 4pm so need to get used to that too!
@skaif out of interest, what are things like there at the moment w.r.t the tension with Iran?
I guess in some ways it is perhaps good that you didn't end up in the UAE, if there is a response/brief scuffle then Qatar is on friendlier terms - it is Saudi and the UAE that Iran really doesn't get along with, though I guess US military bases in Qatar are targets too.
Is there any worry at the moment either re: potentially attacks on and retaliation from Iran or indeed, in the event of a larger conflict, a potential invasion by Saudi/UAE? (after all the current embargo is partly a result of Qatar's friendlier relations with Iran)
Hey dude, at the moment there's nothing at all going on here, Business as usual. Although if I'm being honest, being an expat and a non Arabic speaker a lot of the local issues just fly by me.
Add on the crazy time I'm having at work keeping me busy, I really don't keep in touch with the local politics. I probably should tho!
Add on the crazy time I'm having at work keeping me busy, I really don't keep in touch with the local politics. I probably should tho!
@skaif
ref this:
and this:
Granted you're in Qatar (a country on rather friendlier terms with Iran than the UAE!). You might have dodged yourself an immediate bullet by ending up there instead of the UAE which Iran is now threatening to attack soon (based on US response) would you still want to stay there if the adjacent countries (UAE & Saudi) end up getting dragged into a conflict?
Just bumping this to highlight that earlier point... might never happen but the risk could emerge again in the near future - UAE and Saudi were not so long ago looking to share the spoils of Qatari oil wealth, the US prevented it but with the situation changed and Qatar's friendlier relations with Iran being part of the source of the fall out with its neighbours then is it worth staying there?
Yup might not happen, might be all a bit of a tiff between US and Iran and blow over... but if it does - I'd not want to hang around.
ref this:
and this:
Granted you're in Qatar (a country on rather friendlier terms with Iran than the UAE!). You might have dodged yourself an immediate bullet by ending up there instead of the UAE which Iran is now threatening to attack soon (based on US response) would you still want to stay there if the adjacent countries (UAE & Saudi) end up getting dragged into a conflict?
Just bumping this to highlight that earlier point... might never happen but the risk could emerge again in the near future - UAE and Saudi were not so long ago looking to share the spoils of Qatari oil wealth, the US prevented it but with the situation changed and Qatar's friendlier relations with Iran being part of the source of the fall out with its neighbours then is it worth staying there?
Yup might not happen, might be all a bit of a tiff between US and Iran and blow over... but if it does - I'd not want to hang around.
Just caught this there did seem to be a bit of tension when it all kicked off but things are back to normal now. There's been a bit of rain which seems to have extinguished any issues (rain is like snow to them, whole country stops)
When it was happening we had some jets etc fly over a few times but nothing else. Colleagues at school have referred to Qatar as being the Switzerland of the Middle East. No idea if that translates across but there you go!
Regarding if I would stay if there was any conflict, a resounding no thanks. I have a young daughter and wife out here with me so not taking any chances no matter what they will pay!