About bjccot

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Jubail, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Saudi Arabia

Citizen Of:

United States

Past Expat Posts:

Finland

Czech Republic

Israel

India

Some Forum Posts:

Qatar: Barwa City:

Barwa City is a work in progress, with lots of construction all around, so more and more new facilities will come available while you are there. I drive around it last month: close to the airport and to Religion City, with easy road access to downtown.

Qatar: What questions to ask?:

We have signed contracts to start work in Doha in August--will visit next month to check it out, in person. What questions should we ask? What should we inspect more carefully before we move there?

Australia: Work&Holiday Visa Tips?:

After working elsewhere in Asia for over a year, our son (age 25, US passport) plans to go to Australia next month on the Work&Holiday visa. He is ready for hard work. Any tips? Places or people to avoid, or to seek out?

Korea: Work Visa Question:

Recent experience for U.S. citizen in Korea on tourist visa, applied for jobs in Korea: lots of paperwork required from US, but not required to physically return to US. However, all are required to pick up the visa from a Korean consulate (i.e. outside Korea). It is efficiently automated, but...depending on the consulate, they may keep your passport 1-3 days.

Korea: Possibly moving to Korea advice please - dogs, Jewish community, housing, costs, British Schools:

My wife and I moved to Seoul last summer, after 3 years in Saudi. What a breath of fresh air! People are happy, and the surroundings are cultured. Drivers are intelligent, but Very Competitive. (Saudi drivers have cheap gas, and no training) Traffic police are barely present, so minor infringements are common. Seoul is Very Densely populated, so living space is expensive, as is free-running area for dogs. But there are parks galore (bring your pooper-scooper). We see lots of people with lapdogs. And we see no stray dogs, only a few cats. Cost of Living? Imports are expensive, and nothing is subsidized. But local food is quite reasonable in markets and restaurants. Public transport and taxis are stunningly good and cheap, but linguistically difficult. Strangest thing about utilities is the tradition of under-floor heating, which is slow and difficult to control, therefore possibly expensive. Climate? August is unrelentingly hot & humid; January is unrelentingly cold & dry. Other months fall in between. As one of the most (historically) homogeneous societies in the world, it can be prejudiced; but the government is extremely welcoming to foreigners.

Korea: Pretty great resources/information/products for people prepping to move to Korea:

What a coincidence: we today moved in to our new apartment in Seoul, and just now received delivery of our two boxes of bedding and linens from The Arrival Store, just as promised! Yes, you can prowl around myriad discount stores and probably find lower prices -- but at what cost of time and energy? This is super convenient, and what good service!

Korea: Mattresses, soft and topper?:

We will move to Seoul next week. Our American hosts warn us to bring mattress toppers because local mattresses are unusually hard. Any advice? Where can we buy mattress toppers -- or softer mattresses -- in Seoul? Or must we ship them from the U.S.?

Saudi Arabia: American Woman Moving to Riyadh No Compound:

To some extent we all live in social bubbles. In Saudi Arabia the bubbles are more clearly defined, particularly for women, specifically manifested in the requirement that women wear an abaya cloak in public. For muslim women the bubble is even more tangible and restrictive. You can be happy living in the bubble of your house, your chauffeured car, your fitness club, your women's group, your friends' salons, your kids' school. And periodic escapes to other countries with more freedom. Restrictive, yes; Dangerous? no. Happy? chacune a son gout. Compound living allows for a slightly bigger bubble. Most will say that pursuing a vocation greatly eases the feeling of restriction.

Saudi Arabia: Moving Teenage girl to Riyadh:

Compound life is a gilded cage. We brought 2 teenage boys to such life, and were glad they grew up here rather than in the States -- a bit more sheltered here, a chance to be a child and not forced to emulate older kids. The super-strict laws forbidding alcohol and drugs and Public Displays of Affection, and the super-tight security at the compounds, tends to keep the traditional adolescent temptations of alcohol and sex and drugs at bay. School tends to be the social and community center, so be sure to carefully select your kids' school, for both academic and social requirements.

Saudi Arabia: plus outlets:

It's a mixed bag: many of the older compounds were built to American specs, with US-shaped outlets at 110volts; some also have 220volt US outlets (with a strange 90-degree-angle plug); as of 2011, all new construction must use UK-style plugs, 220volts.

Date Joined:

12/16/2010

Total Posts:

14

Posts/Day:

0.01