DrW wrote:Please note that I did not refer to the "Sabbath" in my post. I referred to Sunday (you know, the day of the week). I was comparing the Sunday activities of a faithful Mormon to my own Sunday activities while overseas.
As a matter of fact, while overseas, we normally work 10 -12 hours per day, seven days a week. We have our own facilities and equipment (owned or leased) and try to make the most efficient use of our time there, because it (everything) is expensive.
You referred to Yom al-ahad. Or the first day (of the week). Sunday. This is something someone who actually worked in the Middle East would easily recognize. You did not.
Also the Middle East is not really expensive, depending on your location. I had a friend who lived quite well on $100 a month.
Doctor CamNC4Me wrote:Well, if you're an existentialist who assigns no meaning nor value to Life as a total system then everything is a waste. However, if you're a Humanist then Dr. W's life works far outpace those of the average religionist who pays lip service to his fellow man. If you're a Fantatist who believes he's going to be rewarded after death because you follow arbitrary rules and believe a god is on your side, then... You know...
I will remind you religion had its shot for thousands of years before the scientific method came around. Didn't really do much except make people miserable (and it continues to do so unabated these days).
- DRC
I think it is more basic than that, I think Dr. W is making his story up. I am not sure he ever worked in the Middle East on Sundays.
Bhodi,
You are a relative newcomer to this board. Those who have been here for a while (and who care in the least about such things) would know that I have spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, including the fact that I lived in Oman from March through November of 2012.
If you are really concerned about the veracity of my posts, there are folks on the board who know my in real life identity and can verify what I post here in reference to my professional activities.
If you would like a reference, you can PM me. I will not disclose my in real life identity to you for obvious reasons (although it is not difficult to figure out if one really wants to know). What I will do is refer you to others on the board who can verify my corporate management positions, work overseas, publications, patents, books, etc.
Unless I hear from you on this matter, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from uninformed speculation as to the veracity of what I post here.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."
DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
You are a relative newcomer to this board. Those who have been here for a while (and who care in the least about such things) would know that I have spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, including the fact that I lived in Oman from March through November of 2012.
If you are really concerned about the veracity of my posts, there are folks on the board who know my in real life identity and can verify what I post here in reference to my professional activities.
If you would like a reference, you can PM me. I will not disclose my in real life identity to you for obvious reasons (although it is not difficult to figure out if one really wants to know). What I will do is refer you to others on the board who can verify my corporate management positions, work overseas, publications, patents, books, etc.
Unless I hear from you on this matter, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from uninformed speculation as to the veracity of what I post here.
Ok. I've also lived there for several years, and act as a specialist in the region for a branch of the government. The region has consumed over a decade of my life. In Oman, Church members go to Church on Fridays. It is very odd that you would claim to have lived there shortly and have no functional understanding of the work week. That is really, really odd. I would certainly not give your identity to anyone on the internet, that would be silly, but your comments do not indicate much functional understanding. I am not trying to be offensive, but I am pointing out a legitimate and serious functional misunderstanding. I do not know how to reconcile your claim with my understanding living for as many years as you have months in the region.
DrW wrote:Please note that I did not refer to the "Sabbath" in my post. I referred to Sunday (you know, the day of the week). I was comparing the Sunday activities of a faithful Mormon to my own Sunday activities while overseas.
As a matter of fact, while overseas, we normally work 10 -12 hours per day, seven days a week. We have our own facilities and equipment (owned or leased) and try to make the most efficient use of our time there, because it (everything) is expensive.
You referred to Yom al-ahad. Or the first day (of the week). Sunday. This is something someone who actually worked in the Middle East would easily recognize. You did not.
Also the Middle East is not really expensive, depending on your location. I had a friend who lived quite well on $100 a month.
I did not refer to Yom al-ahat. You did. I referred to Sunday.
If your friend lived on $100 a month, he must have been living in a tent in the desert.
The last time I was in Dubai, my "moderately priced" hotel room was $456 per night.
In Oman, the Ramada Inn residence rate was more than $5,000 a month. If you think I'm kidding, go online and check the room rates at the Ramada Qurum Beach in Muscat, Oman. (The exchange rate is $2.57 per OMR.)
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."
DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
You are a relative newcomer to this board. Those who have been here for a while (and who care in the least about such things) would know that I have spent a great deal of time in the Middle East, including the fact that I lived in Oman from March through November of 2012.
If you are really concerned about the veracity of my posts, there are folks on the board who know my in real life identity and can verify what I post here in reference to my professional activities.
If you would like a reference, you can PM me. I will not disclose my in real life identity to you for obvious reasons (although it is not difficult to figure out if one really wants to know). What I will do is refer you to others on the board who can verify my corporate management positions, work overseas, publications, patents, books, etc.
Unless I hear from you on this matter, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from uninformed speculation as to the veracity of what I post here.
Ok. I've also lived there for several years, and act as a specialist in the region for a branch of the government. The region has consumed over a decade of my life. In Oman, Church members go to Church on Fridays. It is very odd that you would claim to have lived there shortly and have no functional understanding of the work week. That is really, really odd. I would certainly not give your identity to anyone on the internet, that would be silly, but your comments do not indicate much functional understanding. I am not trying to be offensive, but I am pointing out a legitimate and serious functional misunderstanding. I do not know how to reconcile your claim with my understanding living for as many years as you have months in the region.
Bhodi,
I did not make any reference to the work week. I made reference to Sunday and stated that I worked seven days a week, 10 -12 hours per day while in country.
While in Oman, we were responsible for a large public works project in the Al Wusta region (recently re-designated as a Governate). Our field work was mainly in Duqm. Our Muscat offices are in a new villa just off of 18 November Street near the new airport construction site. Coming from The Wave, one turned right at the Shell station. I lived on Qurum Beach while there. Our clients there include SEZAD, be'ah and Oman Dry Dock.
And by the way, one could certainly have doubts about your local knowledge, especially when you claim that a friend lived there on $100 a month. That is patently ridiculous. And you are being offensive.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."
DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
DrW wrote:I did not refer to Yom al-ahat. You did. I referred to Sunday.
If your friend lived on $100 a month, he must have been living in a tent in the desert.
The last time I was in Dubai, my "moderately priced" hotel room was $456 per night.
In Oman, the Ramada Inn residence rate was more than $5,000 a month. If you think I'm kidding, go online and check the room rates at the Ramada Qurum Beach in Muscat, Oman. (The exchange rate is $2.57 per OMR.)
My friend was living in a moderately priced apartment. Far cheaper than mine, but still decent enough.
Dubai can be expensive, if you want it to be. It can also be reaosnably priced, if you want it to be.
The Ramada Inn will be expensive. Hotel living is expensive. I did not live in hotels, I lived on the economy, which is much cheaper. My apartment was far cheaper, which was incredibly nice, but I make/made an average middle class income in the USA (which is oppulent in the Middle East).
I did not make any reference to the work week. I made reference to Sunday and stated that I worked seven days a week, 10 -12 hours per day while in country.
While in Oman, we were responsible for a large public works project in the Al Wusta region (recently re-designated as a Governate). Our field work was mainly in Duqm. Our Muscat offices are in a new villa just off of 18 November Street near the new airport construction site. Coming from The Wave, one turned right at the Shell station. I lived on Qurum Beach while there. Our clients there include SEZAD, be'ah and Oman Dry Dock.
And by the way, one could certainly have doubts about your local knowledge, especially when you claim that a friend lived there on $100 a month. That is patently ridiculous. And you are being offensive.
The Sunday-Thursday work week is a decided oddity, and something that would cause comment, particularly in light of the alteration to sabbath observance. As to your experience, I suspect you did what most westerners do, which is stay in the western oriented regions. This is common, most people are afraid of the Middle East. I am part Cherokee, which is nice since I am darker skinned, particularly when in the sun, and darker haired. I do not look completely Arab, but I pass as a half-Arab in most cases. I can wander, with relative impugnity, in most places where others cannot or more to the point, will not. I was also not referring to Oman, my friend lived in another country.
DrW wrote:I did not refer to Yom al-ahat. You did. I referred to Sunday.
If your friend lived on $100 a month, he must have been living in a tent in the desert.
The last time I was in Dubai, my "moderately priced" hotel room was $456 per night.
In Oman, the Ramada Inn residence rate was more than $5,000 a month. If you think I'm kidding, go online and check the room rates at the Ramada Qurum Beach in Muscat, Oman. (The exchange rate is $2.57 per OMR.)
My friend was living in a moderately priced apartment. Far cheaper than mine, but still decent enough.
Dubai can be expensive, if you want it to be. It can also be reaosnably priced, if you want it to be.
The Ramada Inn will be expensive. Hotel living is expensive. I did not live in hotels, I lived on the economy, which is much cheaper. My apartment was far cheaper, which was incredibly nice, but I make/made an average middle class income in the USA (which is oppulent in the Middle East).
Since we work 7 days a week, we do not really have time for housework and laundry, so we live in hotels. Also, we take shifts in country. For some periods of time more than one of us are there, and sometimes none of us are there, so it doesn't make sense to keep an apartment.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."
DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
DrW wrote:Since we work 7 days a week, we do not really have time for housework and laundry, so we live in hotels. Also, we take shifts in country. For some periods of time more than one of us are there, and sometimes none of us are there, so it doesn't make sense to keep an apartment.
This makes less sense. Companies that operate continually in the Middle East usually rent furnished apartments for their employees, instead of hotels, because of the savings (an apartment would be well less than half of what you have said about a hotel). Also, we had a maid, for $100 a month, which was well over the standard price (we felt bad about it, but loved the convenience), so you should have easily had someone who could cook and clean for you at a reasonable price without the need for hotels.
Are you really saying that your company spent thousands when they could have had furnished apartments that they rotated people into and out of for far less, but did not? Admittedly, I am just in the middle of my MBA program, but this makes no financial sense to me.
Last edited by Guest on Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:22 am, edited 1 time in total.