About JJsmith48

Status:

Expatriate  

Currently Lives:

Alabama, United States

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Kuwait: is it enough?:

I worked in Kuwait for six months. No, I do not think 650kd is enough. It is about 2000 dollars, us. Rent is not expensive, but, if your child is old enough you may have to pay for school. The private schools are a hit and miss proposition. They are always owned and administered by Kuwaites who are usually somewhat closely related to the Emire. Utilities are free and health care is very modern. Kuwaites drive like crazy and it is easy to get lost when you get off the circle roads and have to navigate the districts. Mail is terrible. The Arabs are not always pleasant to Malaysian, particulafly the ladies. Unless your company can insulate you and your family from the cultrue at large by providing education and some type of social life, I would think twice about taking a job in Kuwait. For me, it was an eye-opener, that explained a lot of reasons for the problems we are having in the Gulf.

Kuwait: A new & different job (?) in Kuwait:

Hello, I will be moving to Kuwait city, from California, USA to teach gymnastics to children at the Little Gym of Kuwait--of all things. I should arrive sometime before Jan. 24, 2004, and I'll be there for at least two years. However, this all depends on agreeing on some final details in my contract. This negotiation process has been creeping along for six month. The gym owners (they're Kuwaitis) seem implicitly honest, warm and very accomodating; but they seem to expect me to accept a lot of good faith arrangements without question. I have never taught nor negotiated a contract in a foreign country before. What should I expect from the Kuwaitis. Also, I am a older or--should I say a mature male teacher who will be working with young childern and there parents, mostly mothers. I'd apreciate any thoughts or comments on what I should expect. Also, is it easy to obtain popular english--read America-- sci-fiction and music in Kuwait, or should I bring my collection of vintages Author C. Clarks and Edgar Rice Borrows, etc. And, what's the banking situation like... That's all for now. JIM

Kuwait: new to kuwait:

Hello, I will be moving to Kuwait city, from California, USA to teach gymnastics to children at the Little Gym of Kuwait--of all things. I should arrive sometime before Jan. 24, 2004, and I'll be there for at least two years. However, this all depends on agreeing on some final details in my contract. This negotiation process has been creeping along for six month. The gym owners (they're Kuwaitis) seem implicitly honest, warm and very accomodating; but they seem to expect me to accept a lot of good faith arrangements without question. I have never taught nor negotiated a contract in a foreign country before. What should I expect from the Kuwaitis. Also, I am a older or--should I say a mature male teacher who will be working with young childern and there parents, mostly mothers. I'd apreciate any thoughts or comments on what I should expect. Also, is it easy to obtain popular english--read America-- sci-fiction and music in Kuwait, or should I bring my collection of vintages Author C. Clarks and Edgar Rice Borrows, etc. And, what's the banking situation like... That's all for now. JIM

Kuwait: Finding a job in Kuwait:

Dear Glen and Knight I have been working in Kuwait for a small private business for about four months. The owners are wealthy Kuwaitis who bought--or were sold--a franchise probably thinking it was easy money. I have been having conflicts with the "all knowing" owners who have never held a real job or had to work in their life. Also, I and the owners have had trouble obtaining my work permit. And, I have been having trouble collecting my full salary. I have a lengthy contract that has "everything" in writing, it was "checked out" by an attorney, a cpa, and a professor of business management before I left the States. Like Knight said, I came here for the money, I have everything in writing, but so far it seems to mean little. I have recived one lame excuse after another from my employers, and the hours are brutal. Maybe large corporations are different, but beware of the little guy. If the job market would have been better in the States, I would have never left.

Date Joined:

1/6/2004

Total Posts:

5

Posts/Day:

0.00