ITS COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!
I'm freezing my ass off here! This isn't a proper desert country! Aren't deserts supposed to be cold at night and warm during the day GAH!!! Its been sitting on about 1-2 degrees at night and the days aren't much better...
So, other than that much and nothing has been happening. I've spent an insane few weeks trying to research property in bahrain which is a begucking nightmare for anyone who is used to the GOGOGO approach to buying a house in Australia. Here, the attitude is truly Shwey Shwey...for starters, I swear Bahraini's have a four day weekend because no matter the business you can't get anyone on the phone from the beginning of the Saudi weekend on Thursday to the end of the Dubai/rest of the world weekend Sunday. And then when you get through the conversation usually goes as follows.
Part 1:
George: Hi There I'm interested in properties in Bahrain for foreign freehold purchase
Spacy the Real Estate Agent: I think maybe we have no properties.
George: It says on your website that you have some, are they not available?
Spacy: I this maybe you should contact us through our website, Inshallah we can help you then.
George: I did that, no one contacted me so I'm calling you.
Spacy: Oh, ....How are you today?
George: Fine, How are you?
Spacy: Fine...fine...the weather, it is no good.
George: No its quite cold at the moment,
Spacy: Yes, and we had George Bush visit the other day, very busy....veeeery busy.
George: Oh, that must have been exciting.
Spacy: Yes, yes yes
George: About properties for sale, do you have any?
Spacy: I think maybe we might have one,
George: Oh great, can you tell me about it?
Spacy: No, it is not for you...
George: Ah, well thank you very much, its been nice talking to you
Spacy: Inshallah if you contact us through our website, we will have something for you.
George: (BANGING HEAD ON DESK)
Part 2:
George thinks hmm, on a hunch I'll call one of the lady real estate agents at the same real estate agency.
George: Hi there, I'm enquiring about freehold proper---
Superwoman: Yes we have a number of listings which I'm sure you saw on our website, what would you like to know and when would you like to come to Bahrain to view the properties?
GAHHHH
Unsuprizing to me, the ladies are the most effient business people you'll find in country because they have to work their asses off to prove themselves.
This is nothing though...its gets much more interesting...so far I've had guys try and sell me villas that are exempt from foreign purchase and when I called em on it they just said, 'oh, well inshallah they will become available for purchase for you by the time you make the payments...'
So that rant aside, Anthony just got his first taste of the Aramco performance appraisal process. Which he was warned about by multiple guys before he came here. An expatriate worker or a Shea muslim can never get above an 'average' at Aramco. No matter how well you've done you'll never get told you've done well because that might mean that one of the Saudi guys loses face if they have to receive a lesser rating and it might mean that the expats or shea guys get promoted too high when they can't get past the job level 16 glass ceiling. If all the expatriates get low ratings then everyone's happy. (Well except Anthony who should have known better than to open the damn performance appraisal email!)...
So, we're off to Bahrain this weekend to potentially buy a house...hopefully...well actually we're headed over to have a few glasses of (proper non meths like) wine and some decent food in celebration of Australia Day. With luck two fellow Aussies Craig and Aumi can come on over with us which would be great.
Other than that hmmmm....I'm going home to Perth for a few weeks, (well a week and a bit) in two weeks to take care of house renting and uni stuff which should be marvellous. Anthony's looking forward to me returning with thermals (who would have thought you'd need em here?). He's currently jousting with his HR department over getting leave to see Grandad in the UK in March/April so he couldn't take a few days off to go back home.
Anyways this is getting to be something of a boring post so I shall go off to rug up and conquer my little cold engined golf cart Brunhilde!
So, other than that much and nothing has been happening. I've spent an insane few weeks trying to research property in bahrain which is a begucking nightmare for anyone who is used to the GOGOGO approach to buying a house in Australia. Here, the attitude is truly Shwey Shwey...for starters, I swear Bahraini's have a four day weekend because no matter the business you can't get anyone on the phone from the beginning of the Saudi weekend on Thursday to the end of the Dubai/rest of the world weekend Sunday. And then when you get through the conversation usually goes as follows.
Part 1:
George: Hi There I'm interested in properties in Bahrain for foreign freehold purchase
Spacy the Real Estate Agent: I think maybe we have no properties.
George: It says on your website that you have some, are they not available?
Spacy: I this maybe you should contact us through our website, Inshallah we can help you then.
George: I did that, no one contacted me so I'm calling you.
Spacy: Oh, ....How are you today?
George: Fine, How are you?
Spacy: Fine...fine...the weather, it is no good.
George: No its quite cold at the moment,
Spacy: Yes, and we had George Bush visit the other day, very busy....veeeery busy.
George: Oh, that must have been exciting.
Spacy: Yes, yes yes
George: About properties for sale, do you have any?
Spacy: I think maybe we might have one,
George: Oh great, can you tell me about it?
Spacy: No, it is not for you...
George: Ah, well thank you very much, its been nice talking to you
Spacy: Inshallah if you contact us through our website, we will have something for you.
George: (BANGING HEAD ON DESK)
Part 2:
George thinks hmm, on a hunch I'll call one of the lady real estate agents at the same real estate agency.
George: Hi there, I'm enquiring about freehold proper---
Superwoman: Yes we have a number of listings which I'm sure you saw on our website, what would you like to know and when would you like to come to Bahrain to view the properties?
GAHHHH
Unsuprizing to me, the ladies are the most effient business people you'll find in country because they have to work their asses off to prove themselves.
This is nothing though...its gets much more interesting...so far I've had guys try and sell me villas that are exempt from foreign purchase and when I called em on it they just said, 'oh, well inshallah they will become available for purchase for you by the time you make the payments...'
So that rant aside, Anthony just got his first taste of the Aramco performance appraisal process. Which he was warned about by multiple guys before he came here. An expatriate worker or a Shea muslim can never get above an 'average' at Aramco. No matter how well you've done you'll never get told you've done well because that might mean that one of the Saudi guys loses face if they have to receive a lesser rating and it might mean that the expats or shea guys get promoted too high when they can't get past the job level 16 glass ceiling. If all the expatriates get low ratings then everyone's happy. (Well except Anthony who should have known better than to open the damn performance appraisal email!)...
So, we're off to Bahrain this weekend to potentially buy a house...hopefully...well actually we're headed over to have a few glasses of (proper non meths like) wine and some decent food in celebration of Australia Day. With luck two fellow Aussies Craig and Aumi can come on over with us which would be great.
Other than that hmmmm....I'm going home to Perth for a few weeks, (well a week and a bit) in two weeks to take care of house renting and uni stuff which should be marvellous. Anthony's looking forward to me returning with thermals (who would have thought you'd need em here?). He's currently jousting with his HR department over getting leave to see Grandad in the UK in March/April so he couldn't take a few days off to go back home.
Anyways this is getting to be something of a boring post so I shall go off to rug up and conquer my little cold engined golf cart Brunhilde!
posted by George at
7:37 am
1 Comments:
Aw, poor coldies! It's 36 degrees here, so not as hot as you guys get, but I would love some 1 degree action right now. Oh yeah :-p
You post just proves what I already suspected - women are better at everything. Ever. Except opening jars with tight lids.
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