The International Schools Review Forum

I dont have some internalistic need to suffer. 2 months is long enough to be miserable. I know plenty of people who it didnt get better for as well. Sorry your not convincing me. Yeah 2 months is more then long enough to make an informed decision. I know people that stayed 2 years and were miserable the whole time and didnt leave because they thought it would doom their career.

Ive never taught in Qatar, never will either. There are a lot of very unpleasant things in this word that i havent experienced and it makes me no less of an authority on how bad they are. The bad experiences and stories far out number the good (and the only good ones ive heard are on this forum).

Lastly, I dont need your permission, to form, have and express an opinion. Second, Im very open about what my experiences are and the contexts (and limitations) of those experiences. I leave the value of those experiences up to the reader to decide and if the result of that is they want to dismiss it thats fine, but thats their call, not yours. I welcome you to disagree with me and engage in whatever discussion, argument or debate you feel comfortable with.

'Many things are true, including that many people disagree on what is true".

Yes, some people may have hated Cairo, just as some hate London, New York, Rome... By all means say you had 2 lousy months in Cairo and it wasn't for you, don't then use that to assume that Cairo or the whole ME is shithole.

The point is, as soon as you start commenting on things you don't have firsthand experience of it becomes hard to believe anything you say.

Also, what's this business about "why cant' they staff their school in November?" How is that a sign of a good school?

And as for people never returning to the region or coming away saying they've had a great time there, I have quite a few friends returning there this year and others that have really struggled moving to SE Asia from the ME, it's taking them quite some time to adapt.

Anyway, this thread's gone off course now, sorry OP. Back to Qatar, what are the 5 best/worst schools?

Im pretty sure i can make assumptions about the whole region being a hole if i want. I also know of no impediment preventing me from basing my advice on other experiences. Aside from that, Im not assuming Cairo and Egypt are horrible thats a conclusion, your free to reject the premise of it if you wish but that doesnt make it an assumption.

I never claimed first hand knowledge of the entire ME region, i think ive been pretty focused on where ive been and what the limitations of those experiences were.

Highly desirable schools fill staff their schools early. They get first pick, and teachers will generally hold out for a top choice destination school. Schools in the ME region are always recruiting year round. Bahrain has been posting positions on Search since last year, its the same with Oman, Saudi, Kuwait. I have a friend that is very happy shes leaving Kuwait at the end of this year.

Im sorry your friends are having a difficult time adjusting, those are your experiences, mine are different, and our experiences dont appear to share anything in common. Neither of those experiences is wrong.

Seriously Pys guy hasn't even taught in Qatar and feels he has some sort of need to share his ill-informed opinion with us. Pys guy you remind me of that kid in the class who can't help himself but shout out at every single thing even though he doesn't have a clue whats going on. I teach year one, that speaks volumes of my opinion of your forum behaviour.

I was in Doha for a year and had a blast, there is a fantastic ex-pat community amongst schools and you meet plenty of other people from other professions and the locals are nice too. The kids I taught were lovely. Don't let someone who doesn't have a clue influence your decision to consider Doha as a teaching destination.

Thats a trivial observation, you can make friends, and meet people just about everywhere as well. You could say the same thing about a Thai prison. It doesnt change any of the comparative factors of the ME region with everywhere else, and doesnt make it any less a hole.

Well said lifeisnotsobad! Maybe we should start a thread.... haha

Usually when others resort to personal attacks, its because they consider their position to weak to withstand debate.

This isn't one of those times.... you're just really annoying and people, if given the choice would rather not encounter you on multiple threads. All together.... psy guy, psy guy go away, please don't come back another day:D

No, this is one of those times. Your welcome to your opinion, and its needed on this forum.

PsyGuy...your opinion is offensive and you are a liar. Please go away.

ISR...please make him go away.

You may be offended, but that doesnt make me offensive. Im not responsible for your reactions. Im no more a liar then anyone else who is anonymous on this forum.

Disagree with me as vehemently as you want and feel is needed. Readers on this forum want the good, and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. This forum needs more not fewer opinions and experiences. Im glad you disagree with me, and my mind can be changed (I use to think bringing a pet abroad was a guaranteed nightmare waiting to happen).
Say PsyGuy is full of it BECAUSE.... and then tell us why. Whats so great about your time in the ME? Did you have a medical emergency and the community come together to help you? Did you fall in love with someone? What made your kids so great? Where they wealthy but without a sense of entitlement, where they respectful to you? What is it your friends that left the middle east find so hard about adjusting to asia?

At the end of the day no one on here cares about my opinion, and they dont care about yours either what they care about is information so they can form their own opinion.

:? :?

[quote="lifeisnotsobad"]ISR...please make him go away.[/quote]

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Actually, if the people he annoys/that disagree with him would just ignore him and/or post their conflicting opinions, then things would be much smoother around here. Instead he posts and then there are 5 or 6 back and forths about how can you say that, my perception is my reality etc..

I enjoy Psyguy but he does remind of the kids in my school back in NY. At the end of every bike safety etc assembly they would ask if there are any questions. 10 kids in a row would raise there hand and say, "I don't have a question but I do have a comment..."

Also, the amusingly Clinonesque/Fonzieish lengths he will go to avoid admitting he is wrrr..wrrr, not the most right he has ever been, never get old.

Good friends of mine worked in Qatar at the American School in Doha.

They were very happy there.

However, they were young families who were not bothered by the relatively 'quiet' lifestyle in Doha. They felt safe, there was lots to do with their young children, they were happy with the school (esp. AS Doha) and the expat community, and they saved lots.

It was mentioned that AS Doha had a lot of vacancies - I do know that when my friends went there, the school was going though a huge expansion phase. This may explain the large vacancy list. They left in 2010 so I can speak for the last year or so.