About Arnobi

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Saudi Arabia: ESL teacher dress code:

Females are usually expected to wear ankle-length dresses and sleaves that cover the arms down to the wrists. These rules are based on government regulations.

Saudi Arabia: Family move to Saudi:

American, I've lived, worked, and raised children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for many years. Ask me whatever you need to know. anneosman@gmail.com I have never had a work permit. The government sometimes chooses to ignore this--the unemployed spouse who works. Other times, the government kind of cracks down. The unemployed wife catches up on her shopping, etc. The fact is that employers make a lot of money by hiring under the table, so to speak. You and your wife are welcome to ask whatever you would like to know. anneosman@gmail.com

Saudi Arabia: Ladies and gyms:

Gold's Gymn in Jeddah is excellent.

Saudi Arabia: Interested in being interviewed about expatriates experiences of compound living in Saudi Arabia?:

An American, I have lived and taught in Saudi Arabia for two decades. I would be interested in participation in such a survey. Email me at anneosman@gmail.com

Saudi Arabia: Work from home:

Your advertisement is marred by a number of errors in English. If you send me your advertisement, I will correct it for you. Contact me at anneosman@gmail.com

Saudi Arabia: Tourism Questionnaire:

I've lived in Saudi for 2 decades. What would you like to ask?

Saudi Arabia: JEDDAH COMPOUND:

Better to buy electronics in Jeddah, as current varies from building to building

Saudi Arabia: Walking dogs:

I have seen seeing-eye dogs, and tiny cute dogs on sidewalks. Some people still don't want them. Islam teaches that the saliva and other fluids of dogs are unclean, which means that a person makes physical contact with one, the person loses his condition of puirty, which is a nuisance. This person must then perform a brief procedure so that the persom will recover his/her ritual purity. Keep dogs indoors or in the car when you're out of the house.

Saudi Arabia: What should/can I take?:

I would bring enough meds for a couple of months, while you set up your medical arrangements. Your employer will help you with that, but it may take a few days, so it's best to ask about it the day you arrive. There are many good docs here and almost all have offices in hospitals, which is very convenient. Ask your doc for a summary of your medical problems (if any!) If female, you'll want, for starters, a long (ankle-length) skirt or two and long sleeved shirts. You may occasionally need to wear a scarf, especially in Ramadan, the month of fasting. You won't need one at the airport. If you have trouble fitting shoes you might bring a couple of pairs, but really you will most likely find what you need, in terms of clothing, in Jeddah. There's terrific shopping, but you do have to keep in mind that most western goods are more expensive here than back home. The variety of goods from all over the world is amazing. Women do wear abayas when out in the city. These are cloaks of lightweight fabric, almost always black, which you wear over your other clothing. Most likely, the people who meet you at the airport will bring you bring you an abaya and scarf to get you started. If not, ask them to get you a starter outfit on the way to your housing. Everybody is on the Internet at home, work, and in shopping areas. Everybody has a cell phone. You can set up a cell phone contract right at the airport, if you like, or ask your greeter to take you to a good place to do it on the way to your housing. Now, if you're an avid reader and prefer printed material to online reading, you could bring something to read. There are four or five fairly good bookstores in Jeddah, but they mostly have school books and supplies. They do carry some light reading as well, and lots of materials for children. However, you can probably download whatever you want to read. It IS another world, in a way, but people are friendly, polite, and hospitable. You will meet people from everywhere, and develop a new world view. I'm American, from Buffalo, NY, and I've been here for more than twenty years. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. You can contact me at anneosman@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy your time in Jeddah!

Saudi Arabia: Looking for an English teaching post in Jeddah:

Hi, Chris! I'm in pretty much the same situation as yours, only American. I'm female, and a little older, and married to a non-Saudi, which makes a difference in Saudi. There's more of a call for male foreign anglophiles - a fair number of female English teachers are native speakers married to Saudis, and they, of course, are more likely to be accepted by for employment than are the "unconnected" foreigners like me. I've taught English in Jeddah for more than 20, years but now am finding it hard to find a tertiary teaching position job in Jeddah, Makkah, or Madinah at my advanced age. Shall we share notes? Share leads? Email me at anneosman@gmail.com if you'd like to collaborate. (Again, I am already married and looking for a job, nothing more.)

Date Joined:

4/25/2006

Total Posts:

35

Posts/Day:

0.01