Thread: What would you do if you lost your job?

^

That is the correct answer,

I could be earning 100 K a year in my old job plus very generous holidays and Superannuation credits or i could be retired here in Thailand and get none of that.

Don't need the money, Thailand wins.

This place is absolutely awash in worry and gossip.

It's that time = mother ship needs a 5 year renewal w/ the al sauds.

The military leaked that the teaching staff will be cut in 1/2 and they're keeping the "better half."

And the latest is I made the cut.

It's a little odd..., there's this small spark of excitement deep inside at getting turned away & life saying: 'sort yourself out mate' (again). But, I'll stay if they'll have me.

Solid salary, huge savings potential, tolerable work situation and I'm one of the few who doesn't really mind being in Saudi.

Some similarities with Alaska here in that being a "hermit" (anti-social) doesn't get you branded a freaktard too harshly. I see that Simon (the Op) is a bit like that, too.

I quit teaching and switched to farming.

^ sweeeeeet!

I'm much too busy with inner dialogue for idle chatter, being a student of Krishnamurti.

”The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.”

Originally Posted by hick

Krishnamurti

Bright fella he is.

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Well that would all depend on if you needed a job or not..no?

Of course.

It was aimed at Mandyloopy though. He's a puppy still.

Originally Posted by hick

This place is absolutely awash in worry and gossip.

It's that time = mother ship needs a 5 year renewal w/ the al sauds.

The military leaked that the teaching staff will be cut in 1/2 and they're keeping the "better half."

And the latest is I made the cut.

It's a little odd..., there's this small spark of excitement deep inside at getting turned away & life saying: 'sort yourself out mate' (again). But, I'll stay if they'll have me.

Solid salary, huge savings potential, tolerable work situation and I'm one of the few who doesn't really mind being in Saudi.

Some similarities with Alaska here in that being a "hermit" (anti-social) doesn't get you branded a freaktard too harshly. I see that Simon (the Op) is a bit like that, too.

I was gonna ask you about some of that earlier but didn't wanna go off topic. Was gonna ask if you've got the 5 year (Ive got one) visa and IQAWA/Banking transfer issues IE must be paid into a Saudi Bank then transferred out etc.

And there is a fuck ton of Saudization going on as well. Luckily my job is pretty niche.

Not I, I'm on year by year. Salary to Saudi bank -> I transfer out (no issues in 3 years, fingers crossed)


The larger contract (i.e. corporation w/ Saudi govt.) is every 5 years.



I've got no niche. I'm a "taffler." We're a dime a dozen.

Originally Posted by Simon43

Trouble was, (as Mandaloopy can confirm), many (most?) of the westerners at our local restaurant/drinking hole, were either teachers with a 'dubious' reputation, teachers who had lost the plot or expat techies who were hooked on hard drugs.

Same old CP, I'm afraid! Less techies since they got purged-they caused multiple headaches around the city- even got expats banned on mass from the Sedona- residents only pool and gym now. Twats of the highest rank imo. A lot of young teachers (as in younger than me at a puppy like 31) with big drink issues. Sad.

I would write a book. A fishes tail. And for kicks I'd walk around talking to a go pro or some other vlogging devise to occupy the time that I would have spent working.

Originally Posted by hick

I've got no niche. I'm a "taffler." We're a dime a dozen.

You teach Arabic as a fa-foreign language?

^ Heh.

The only Arabic I know is "Get the f**k away from me. I teach Princes."

I really hope they make it worth your while. Sounds intriguing but so does fishing, once the Squalls and rains pass.

I guess I'd rather teach a poor kid than some well-heeled big wheel. But then again I wouldn't be doing it for money.
Honestly, stick it to them, you know they may wish the same. Just a guess from a clueless.......fish.

On a side note, Prince was pretty handy with an axe. I only could dream of teaching Prince.

PS. I go for my third lesson next Sunday. Crazy flipper fingers just get in the way but none the less I can play a mean Pinball.

Originally Posted by Simon43

Don't get me wrong - I like a good chinwag and a drink/meal with intelligent and sociable mates.

Trouble was, (as Mandaloopy can confirm), many (most?) of the westerners at our local restaurant/drinking hole, were either teachers with a 'dubious' reputation, teachers who had lost the plot or expat techies who were hooked on hard drugs.

I got bored of their company and took myself off to Naypyidaw, where there are bugger-all foreigners, and I can happily engage in intelligent and witty conversation with myself.

I think this is the hardest part of living and working away from your home country. It clearly takes a special type person that can get on by oneself and not go crazy. I have met a handful of westerners in my travels and up to this point only few of them have been what I would call level headed normal types. Like you Simon I'd really enjoy having a few "Buddies" here I could go shoot the shit with but most seem to be wrapped up with drinking all the time, drugs or obsessed with chasing VJJ. I didn't come here for any of that.. I decided to move here because I can make my US money work for me and have a good quality of life and retire early.

At this juncture I do not expect to meet anybody here with similar interests which is fine, no problem. It is what it is. However If I do that would be cool but the westerners I see walking around are either not very friendly, old coffin dodgers or display medical ailments or limitations.

^ I recon that if punters expect to have solid friends they are better off staying home and dialing into their old net work.

When ya throw ya shit in and come to Thailand ya lucky if ya can say ya have 1 or 2 rock solid mates.

Gaining solid friends take place over many years, not just having a shandy and a chin wag down the pub.

Exactly why i like to go home every 5 months for a few weeks, i meet up with my proper long term buddies.

All good.

Originally Posted by terry57

^ I recon that if punters expect to have solid friends they are better off staying home and dialing into their old net work.

When ya throw ya shit in and come to Thailand ya lucky if ya can say ya have 1 or 2 rock solid mates.

Gaining solid friends take place over many years, not just having a shandy and a chin wag down the pub.

Exactly why i like to go home every 5 months for a few weeks, i meet up with my proper long term buddies.

All good.

Exactly Terry. I do not need to stay long in the states, a few weeks is enough to catch up with my long time friends then hop a plan out of the place. To your point, I do not expect to meet up with any long term friendsand it takes years to develop those kinds of relationships. Interesting I have 5 or 6 really good Thai friends I have known now for 10 years. We chat from time to time. Honestly its easier to meet Thai folks then westerners.

^

I reckon if one could speak fluent Thai one could make some really great Thai friends.

I have a heap of regular Thais I see regularly on my daily jaunts but unfortunately i cannot form a proper friendship because of the communication barrier.

My problem not theirs.

I reckon if one could speak fluent Thai one could make some really great Thai friends.

My spoken/written/reading Thai is very good, but that in itself hasn't enabled me to find good Thai friends. My Thai friends (with whom I can chat about global matters, politics etc) all speak very good English. Those friendly Thais who can't speak fluent English, and with whom I chat in Thai, have no knowledge (and no interest) in discussing global matters.

So I tend to use my Thai language knowledge for chatting to sales staff in shops - never really found it necessary for chatting with educated Thais.

And as others have commented many times previously, speaking fluent Thai to a bar-girl generates an initial 'wow you can speak Thai', and after that they shun me because I can understand what they're saying about me

^

Yer,

I reckon you are right on this one but even so Speaking Thai would be a big bonus for the Foreign devils living here, for me anyway.

Originally Posted by Simon43

My spoken/written/reading Thai is very good, but that in itself hasn't enabled me to find good Thai friends. My Thai friends (with whom I can chat about global matters, politics etc) all speak very good English. Those friendly Thais who can't speak fluent English, and with whom I chat in Thai, have no knowledge (and no interest) in discussing global matters.

So I tend to use my Thai language knowledge for chatting to sales staff in shops - never really found it necessary for chatting with educated Thais.

And as others have commented many times previously, speaking fluent Thai to a bar-girl generates an initial 'wow you can speak Thai', and after that they shun me because I can understand what they're saying about me

Interesting. Have tossed the idea around of signing up for one of the Thai language study programs. Not sure how the ED visa works for that. Have a friend from France with a school in Jomtien but she told me recently she's selling out next year. I'd sure hate to spend the money on a shit program.

Taa noy nung. Bo phen young. Nin dee tee dai pope jow.
That and hong nam you sai, wai wai, usually gets me there.

In a pinch.

A knee la kaa toa dia.

So how much is it?

Due ma! She said. A Veit term. I've been called worse. I did negotiate for a resonable price, and all was good after she called me keytee. I am a stingy bastard.

The girl could speak Lao and Viet and I was glad to be called out a cheep son of a bitch as I was, so I bought a dozen hats from her and later gave them away.
1.80usd Next time I'll go 2 bucks. Maybe 2.5 for inflation.