Achieving "understanding"

Understanding is an interesting thing, I've found in most, if not all aspects of my life that "understanding" is a relative term, it comes in stages and its a fluid term-always changing depending on the perspective of the one trying to understand. I've never understood my employers almost violently negative reaction to me attempting to learn Arabic, in fact I've always imagined that it had something to do with negotiations. If I spoke Arabic fluently, I would be in a much better position from which to negotiate. However, they've always simply said that there is no reason for me to do it. That English is the language of education and its the language that I should always use in my classroom. I finally believe them.

I graded some exams last night, a group of students from level 5 which is the beginning of the advanced levels and subjects. I knew during the exams that there were going to be a few major problems, I knew today when I entered the grades that I'd better write an accompanying report. And I knew that I was going to have to defend my grades with a few upset students.

Less than an hour after turning in the grades for the second exam, I found myself confronted (nicely) by two students. Both wanted extra marks, one wanted a re-test, the other just wanted me to increase his grade by 30-40%. I refused both requests and took both students to the Department Head. The first who wanted to re-test soon accepted the refusal and left the office. The other however continued to argue that this was Saudi Arabia, that it was an Arabic country and that he should be taught and tested in Arabic. His explanation for his poor performance on the test was that he doesn't speak English, doesn't understand English and can't read English. Therefore, he couldn't be expected to do well on the test because he didn't know anything.

Needless to say, we almost found this funny. Here we have a student telling us that he's never read the book, doesn't know how to read the book and hasn't understood any of the classes he's taken in the past two and a half years...and that this is why he should pass! It was funny, for a few seconds at least. I suggested that he could happily take his complaint to the College Council. He then turned it around, or thought he did and said that myself and two of our Filipino instructors should not be teaching, because we don't speak Arabic. It was explained to him that Arabic should not be used in the classroom, even to help students understand the material because if it is, it is a violation of the rules of the Ministry of Higher Education...Hearing that, and not one to be held back by his own lack of ability, the student then proceeded to call out and name the instructors that had tried to help him by explaining something in Arabic...

Now, I finally understand why they didn't want me learning Arabic

16 months and thoughts of home

This post is probably premature. For that reason, I'd been putting it off until I made some decisions. Premature or not, I'm going to publish it, because for any thinking of coming to Saudi, I want you to have a better understanding of what its like to be here.  Its a day by day experience.

I realized the other day that I hit my 16 month anniversary here in the land of sun and fun. I was going to take a picture, it was a pretty good day, I was in a suit, my hair had recently been cut and my beard was trimmed. However, towards the end of the day I just got busy and lost interest. I had other things on my mind.

There is a sickness here in Saudi. Its grounded in greed and pride. Hire the right people to do something and replace them with cheap people when its done. Maintenance, in any form, is not a concept in this society  Explaining my situation to other expats brought up many stories of similar experiences that either they or people they know have had. Their advice was pretty much the same across the board. Smile, pack up and say goodbye. Since I've been silent on this topic in the past, let me back-up and explain a bit.

I was brought here with 3 others to help stand this program up. I was brought to advise, support and work tirelessly to build a real Paramedic program. I was told during my interview that I would be here for a year if the program failed, 3-5 years if it succeeded. I was told that I would support all of the campuses. I was told that I should be training these students to pass US standard testing and we should be working towards CoAEMSP accreditation, and that while the vast majority of our students would never go to the US, those that did should be indistinguishable from their American paramedic brethren. Most of that, never happened. Instead, power struggles and poor attitudes ended up leaving us in a much more hands on teaching role. We simply became instructors. I was sent to the Damamm campus to take over the training role, and help the struggling campus. I did exactly that. 15 months later, I'm the only American left, all the rest have given up and quit. Here in Damamm we have a new department, a department that I had an integral role in creating. The bleak walls are now covered with medical information, classes start on time and end on time, tests are administered appropriately.  Students don't cheat as much, students wear uniforms and take pride in what they've done and what they're doing. They train hard and for the most part do well. These things are not solely because of my presence, but to believe I didn't have a large role in the transition is naive.

Naivety is rampant though. It seems someone I've never met in Administration has taken a look at the numbers and decided he could replace me with 3 Filipino's (their words, not mine). I thought this was just a segue into negotiations, but apparently not. Apparently, I'm being replaced with nurses from the Philippines.

The program is good, the students are already in, who needs the expensive Amriki right? Well, my students for one. Apparently, a few of my students have come up with an idea to go to Riyadh and tell them just how much I do here, and how hard I've been working. I don't say it enough, so let me say it now. I am amazed by what these students can do. I am humbled by the way they treat me and speechless that they think this highly of me.

I'll say more about it in the coming weeks, no matter what happens. But I'm not ready to go just yet-for a lot of reasons. The program isn't ready yet, there is still a lot to do, and I'm a part of that. Maybe the most important reason I'm still needed is that I don't lie like other expats do. When someone gives me a stupid idea, I let them know its stupid. When I'm asked my opinion, I give it. In the case of some of my wonderful co-workers, they give the answer that is asked for-it's complicated, but it boils down to a sense of what we are doing here. I came to build something, they came to work. We both get paid and money is important, but my primary mission is to build what I was told to build, they're primary mission is to work.

Whatever happens, I have a couple of months till I'm headed home. Maybe for good, maybe just for vacation. If I leave, it means the last person who has ever worked on an ambulance, will have left the college and the education of Paramedics will be trusted to those whose experience and expertise is limited to the hospital.  With no disrespect meant to my co-workers, who are all great...No more paramedics, sucks for my students and myself alike.

Welcome Back...

This post was supposed to take a different approach...I had written a little on the plane and at the airports. Some of it good, some of it great, some of it down right poetic...(I'm sure some of it was crap too).  I had written about the emotions of leaving, the hassle at the airports, some baggage tricks I learned a little too late, and the awesome mix of West and East that I found at Dubai International...However this post will be about none of those things.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and thank you for flying with us".  Those were the words from the young first officer and the flight attendants as I stepped off Saudia flight 557, service from Dubai International to King Fahad International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.  I progressed quickly to passport control found the lines reasonable and within 2 minutes, a smartly dressed professional passport officer opened an additional line.  5 minutes after arriving in line, I found myself standing in front of him while he reviewed my passport and Visa.  He thoroughly looked through my documents for about 30 sec and then looked up and in clear, excellent English said: "Did you enjoy your vacation Mr. H.?" taken a little off guard, I replied that I had, he smiled.  "Welcome back to the Kingdom, please proceed."  On to the Baggage claim, I grabbed a cart and a few minutes later the bags started flowing.  I watched as one, then two and then the third bag I was still angry about appeared.  As I grabbed them I noticed that they were in good shape...and had not been tampered with this time.  Amazed I headed over to Customs and the X-ray machine.  Again a young professional officer opened an additional isle to combat the growing lines.  5 minutes later, I was placing my bags on the conveyer.  As I collected them, I couldn't help but tell the young man, how much better this was then the time I came through Riyadh, he smiled and said again in good English, "Really?  Thank You, where are you from?"  I replied that I was from the US, his face lit up, he gave me a thumbs up and said "America Good!".  I smiled and thanked him.  I had just cleared passport control, retrieved my bags and cleared customs in under 15 minutes...Wow!

My apprehension gone, I began making phone calls and text messages, I began hearing joyful voices, both Eastern and Western welcoming me back, As my driver approached, he shook my hand and hugged me, smiling widely while helping me load my bags.  

At this point, I was smiling, grinning actually, all I could think was "I made the right decision, I'm ready to get back to work, I'm wanted here...this is going to be a great year!"

This morning, I went into work early, jet lagged, on no sleep, ready to get started.  I was welcomed with open arms and "Saudi Kisses".  I made my way to my office and found the building workers cleaning it and getting it ready for me, AC repaired and all.  I made my rounds and said hello to everybody.  I found out that the student project I never got to see before I left was finished, posted on You Tube and was excellent!  I found out that instructor reviews from summer session were very positive for me and that I had finally really found "my groove" with the students.  Check out the video below...This was their final project for the summer semester. 

I fired up my computer and got ready for a conference call with the main campus in Riyadh...and that's when everything went to shit.  I discovered my salary will be 8 days late this month, my housing allowance is already 36 days late and may not be paid because they are considering transferring me to Riyadh again, and after traveling for 24 hours on my own ticket plus baggage for a year ($1400+400 USD or SR6750)...my contract may expire and might not be renewed...nobody's sure yet...To say that I am "sick to death" of this company, is the understatement of the year.  I told the guys in Riyadh today that we need to have a face to face with the BIG bosses, and just lay it out...just say "look, I'm here, I'm ready to work, if you don't want me to, then lets shake hands, you give me a letter of no objection or a final exit, and I'll go somewhere else.  I'm not a slave, I'm a free man, an American Citizen and an expert in my field, you WILL NOT treat me like a child, if this doesn't work then fine, lets shake hands and part ways".  However with this company, I doubt I'll get anything but lies and back peddling.  Just a bunch of BS, until finally one day I get on an airplane and don't come back...maybe that's what I should have done this time!  This is not a problem with the eastern world, it is not a problem with Arabs, nor is it even a problem with Saudi Arabia as my airport experience proves...it is a problem with Wasta appointments and this damn company! 

Did I mention that even after all of the late salaries, late housing allowances, all with no good given reason...that I'm being docked 3 days pay for coming back "late" even though we don't have students yet, even though we don't have enough instructors, even though school will most likely really start in 3-4 weeks?  

If I couldn't laugh, and couldn't vent...I'd probably just be forced to cry and scream in frustration!  
Welcome Back!

The Persian Bazaar

Depending on who you are, you're probably not going to like this post nor the comparrison I'm about to make...Regardless of what the real Persian Bazaar's looked like or how they were ran, the term "Persian Bazaar" in the West means a dirty place of disorderly, and dishonest conduct.  A place where the price changes 3 times before you get close to sealing a deal and you're just as likely to have all your money stolen...I might be in Arabia, but it feels a hell of a lot more like a Persian Bazaar. 

There have been a couple of constant irritants in my life since I've been in Saudi, but one of the most unfortunate is money and the problems associated with it. 

Considering I'm an American and I make a pretty decent salary this may seem like needless bitching, but the fact is that my contract is written in Black and White (well blue and white actually) and states that I agreed to come here for X amount of time for Y amount of SAR and would be paid on the 1st of every month.  Saudi Labor Law is pretty black and white on the issue as well.

The problem lies in the fact that it seems that because we are foreigners, with little to no knowledge of Arabic and little ability to go to the court, we are taken advantage of.  Saudi labor law clearly states that the Iqama fee's and associated costs such as Healthcare licensing will be paid by the employer and yet I and my co-workers had these fees deducted from our salary illegally.  Salaries have been paid late with no compensation three times.  Housing allowances have been cut in half, if paid at all.  And the men in charge who were often educated in America or England suddenly "Don't Speak English" when you need to discuss these issues or when you ask them point blank "who is stealing from my salary and therefore stealing from my family?".  Blank looks are all you get if your lucky, if you're unlucky you get a lot of backsliding BS and excuses. 

So potential expats beware, you might be in an Arab country, but when it comes to money, they'll steal from you even during Ramadan.  After all, you're not Muslim, you're not Saudi, your just a worker.  Its a damn shame some people line their own pockets and make the rest of their countrymen look like...well...look like thieves I guess. 

What prompted this little rant you ask?  Well I spent about three Months in a hotel.  I asked for my housing allowance day two.  I was told not to worry, it would come.  When it finally did three months later, I was only allowed half of it and told that I would get the second half in six months.  When six months came I was ignored and now that I have finally managed to get someones attention, I've been told that I'll get it "soon", but that it will be cut in half due to the fact that I spent so long in a hotel...It seems I have to pay that portion as a fee for the pleasure of staying in a small hotel room for three months.  Did I mention that the original agreement was for a 2 story luxury Western style compound in Riyadh?  This whole situation with money and all the problems of late salaries has got me pretty annoyed.   This gentlemen is called Bullshit, and I've had almost as much of it as I can stand, its a damn good thing that I'm going on vacation in two days...

I Smell Sex and...Medicine?

No actually I don't, and neither should you.  "Sex and Candy" "Sex and Chocolate", "Sex and Money", Sex and Love", "Sex and Oysters" "Sex and Violence".  You'll find a reference citing either a scientific or popular culture correlation between all of these things.  However you won't find one citing any correlation between Sex and Medicine as well you shouldn't!

Now I "toe a fine line" in this blog and sometimes...I toe over it...OK, OK sometimes I jump on the other side of the line and dance in a circle, but I'm not trying to that here, I'm just saying that there should be absolutely NO correlation between Sex and Healthcare and in that spirit, there really shouldn't be any problem educating male healthcare students alongside female healthcare students, and preparing both of them for the actual practice of delivering emergency care to the sick and injured. Regardless of culture!  I am a Critical Care Paramedic, am I expected to watch a woman die rather than come to her aid?  If the answer to that is yes, we have problems. 

It should also be noted that many of my students and other students across the Kingdom plan to further their education in the West when they graduate.  Either the US, Australia or the UK.  It should further be noted that some places will ask you to list your strengths and weaknesses.  I had an employer that required this of all Paramedics.  They wanted to know what you were strong in, what you were weak in, what you had never seen and what scared you.  Can you imagine one of my students arriving to the interview and saying "well I've worked a lot of trauma calls, a lot of diabetes calls and quite a few cardiac arrests.  I have never however seen a woman's body, nor have I done a 12 or 15 lead EKG on a woman, nor have I ever physically assessed a female patient...That would fly with the interviewers (some of which are SURE to be female) about as well as a lead duck.  

However, from what I've seen if my students work even 1 year before going on, they won't have to say such a thing!  Women are not blindly shoved into ambulances with no care given and driven to the hospital.  This IS a first world country after all.  Therefore it stands to reason that if they will be expected to perform such skills in real life, they should learn in training how to get over the awkwardness of palpating the head, chest, abdomen, pelvis and extremities of a woman or Vice Versa, with a woman assessing a man.  Maybe more importantly though, they need to understand that their is NO such thing as a "hot" or "sexy" or "attractive" patient.  We don't have those, we just have patients.  Healthcare and sex or thoughts of sex should never be intertwined. 

I don't have much more of a point today, but this needed to be said and I've said it until I'm blue in the face at work, so I'd thought I'd say it here.  And students:  Why would I be blue in the face from talking ???

Semester Sum-Up

Well Folks, its over.  I arrived in Saudi in the late middle of first semester so this was my first complete semester.  Its closure was everything I had hoped for and more.  Tonight's graduation and awards dinner was although typically long, very nice.  Some very nice words were spoken by the Dean, Department Heads and a parent.  Students were jubilant and spirits were high even for those not graduating.  One of the least expected events of the evening was that I received an award.  A very nice award, and it was from my students, not the college.  I realized that I'm a big old softie, things like that renew my faith and keep me going.  So I have a few things to say about the college, about my students and about Saudi, but tonight has at least served to renew my desire to make this a great program, and keep on fighting the good fight.  In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that only the good students showed up tonight, there were a few good ones that didn't show up, but mostly they did.  The dumb shits stayed away.  (I wish they would do that during the year!)

The College:  Can I even write this?  You don't bite the hand that feeds you, you just don't do it.  But what kind of person would I be if I glossed over this and made it look sunshine and rainbows.  I've never identified the name of the place anyway, so I guess I ought to be OK...The college borders on being an unfunny joke and a disaster of bureaucracy.  The wrong people are in charge and they often do the wrong things, often they do nothing.  They recruit you, bring you here, and then forget you.  They treat you like a mushroom and are seemingly incapable of even the simplest tasks when it comes to human resources.  They don't read or act on anything in the multiple reports you have to submit.  They continually insult their own culture and country by blaming everything on "culture"  and your lack of understanding.  i.e. You don't receive pay one month, you ask your boss about it explaining that your family may be evicted from their home.  He looks you straight in the eyes and says "ok, ok, In'shallah".  He gives you through deeds, actions and words the impression that he couldn't give a shit less if your wife and kids live on the street, why are you bugging him?  This isn't his job!  When you keep on him about it, he tells you that you don't understand the culture...really?  This is the culture of don't get paid for work already done?  Oh OK.

The Students:  Same the world over, students are students.  Were not talking Harvard or Oxford here.  However, more so than most Western Universities, I have some serious screw-ups to contend with.  The state of private education in the Kingdom is in a shambles.  I don't know if somebody is paying off somebody else or what, but I have the full spectrum of students.  I have some students that I'm surprised can even get up in the morning and put on clothes.  I know for a fact that some wear sandals because there is no way on this earth that they can tie their shoes.  However, I also have students that are bilingual and have come out of the crappy Saudi school system and despite any problems found there, excel.  I have a few that I would put up against any American student I've ever had.  Some of my students are mature, others are incredibly immature.  Throughout the year students have threatened and harassed teachers and committed acts or said things that would have them thrown out of any western school.  All in all, they really aren't that great, however the ones who are great really go out of their way to show their appreciation for what you are doing.  Now if the college would just let me eject 25% and place another 25% on academic probation...we'd be in business!

The Staff:   I should probably wait to write this one as a staff member really pissed me off tonight, but then again many of them do it all throughout the year.  The staff range from completely incompetent to incredible world class educators.  From what I understand they also range from completely honest and un-bribeable such as myself to dirty as hell and not only bribeable but actually soliciting money from students.  I get damn sick of talking about my salary and benefits all the time, which seems to be something somebody always wants to talk about.  I get damn sick of defending my 12 years of experience in EMS actually doing my job to some idiot with a Masters degree who has never worked or touched a patient, but thinks his masters qualifies him to be special.  I notice that when it comes to salary and perks, most staff feel that we should all be equal.  One big happy family, one big team.  However when it comes to helping out the one and only westerner and non Arabic speaker at the campus...I'm on my own.  Finding things to do, buying furniture, getting to work, renting an apartment, getting internet access, paying bills, opening a bank account, only a very select few staff members have helped me at all.  The others pretend they didn't notice I can't speak Arabic, they drive past me walking home, they arrive to work after me and they leave 3 hours before I do every day.  They ignore student cheating and don't even try and report the problems.  In terms of adjusting to Saudi Arabia, my students have been the ones who really reached out a helping hand.  Without them, I wouldn't have lasted 30 days...I have to wonder if some of the other staff weren't hoping for exactly that...My Dean, My Vice Dean, My entire department, and a few select others are deserving of my utmost appreciation. 

Summer school starts on Saturday.  I have a lecture lab schedule for the first 2 weeks, and then just a lab schedule.  However, for the time being, I'm doing good just relaxing and enjoying the fact that we survived another semester.  4 more of those and I'll be good!  To the Students and staff that went so far out of their way to make me feel welcome, thank you, thank you and thank you.  I am forever in your debt and eternally grateful.  My family and loved ones at home thank you as well.  So as we end the year and prepare for the next I give you these words of advice.  The past is past and nothing can change it.  The future is yet unwritten.  Enjoy your break, but seriously examine what about this past year you would do differently if you could, what would you have accomplished?  Now apply that to the upcoming year.  For those of you not in Summer semester, I'll see you in September!

Mr. Geoff

Cheater!

Well folks, the last week of the semester is finally here.  I'll sum it up later, but for now I just wanted to focus on today's activities.  Today, I proctored a test of level 2 students,  preparatory students mind you, none of mine.  These students today were taking a Physics 101 test, there were also some Medical Imaging and EMS students in the room, but it was the preparatory level that was really killing us.  I've proctored this group before, and they're always a handful.  Today though they were unbelievably ridiculous.  Today there weren't 2 or 3 cheaters, they're were 15.  Today in front of the eyes of myself and my colleague, these 15 students passed answers back and forth with toes taps, finger signals and good old fashioned note passing and looking over the shoulder of the guy in front of you.  I'm not really allowed to pull students out and take their test away anymore...I am, but all that will happen is that they will get it back and I'll look even less powerless than before.  So instead we walk the rows, silencing the talking, telling them to look at their own paper, and keeping the most blatant cheating to a minimum.  Today though, they crossed lines, BIG lines.  Today, I was ready to literally throw all of their tests in the dumpster and tell the test control officer that they hadn't shown up.

What on earth do these kids do in high school that prepares them for a college career of nothing but lying, cheating and then lying about it when they get caught?  Why doesn't the Ministry of Education do something about that?  Every week the newspaper is full of stories about this or that Ministry's plan to improve the Kingdom.  Ideas like tax expats, kick out taxi driving expats and replace them with Saudi drivers, increased Saudization, demand more degrees from teachers, test all the teachers, fire all the teachers and replace them with better teachers, build a multi-billion riyal school.  Why can't they just see the simple truth.  Enforce the regulations you already have in place for your own students and in 4 years all will be well in the academic world while also improving the state of affairs outside academia.  As a College Instructor, I spend at least 50% of my time dealing with issues that in the US would be rarely seen and would only take about 10% of my time.  Cheating, attendance, arguing about attendance, retesting, arguing about retesting and the like just eat our time alive here.

I think what really pissed me off today though was some of  the stupid excuses I heard for why I saw notes being passed, fingers being held up, taps on the desk with the pen and talking when I turned my back.  First of all one student refused to acknowledge me, he refused to look at me, speak to me or even acknowledge that I was standing in front of him telling him he couldn't take the test anymore.  Another said "I don't speak English" (in English) while his classmates laughed loud enough to let the room next door hear it.  The best one though was the one who got mad...at me.  He said "we don't cheat!, you not know!"  Really?  Ok there Copernicus, what exactly were you doing turned around in your seat asking the man behind you a question?..."checking" was his answer.  My head almost exploded as I told him that checking your answer with another student, during a test, IS cheating.  He disagrees, at least he told me "don't worry, no problem, no problem"  Oh, well in that case, carry on!  And he did, as I walked away in complete exasperation he leaned together with a colleague and made sure they all had the same answers.  I turned and told him "you get zero", he laughed and said "Full Mark".  I reported the entire class of 15 to the test control officer, I doubt much will be done though, maybe 1 point off each test.  

**I should mention that 1 student never spoke a word or looked at anyone's paper.  He however did not object in any way shape or form when his classmates were obviously copying off of him though, I should also mention that my co-proctor was just as diligent as I was today at stopping the cheating, in the end though, what could we do?**

Here are a couple of examples of things I found today...

You make me feel like a whore...

I'm not really that bummed out, I just always thought that line packed a punch and at the same time rang true so often in life, and today it applies...

As the semester winds down, the cracks begin to show.  Not only in the students and the instructors, but the entire apparatus as a whole.  Large western companies with experienced professional staff even start to crack under this kind of workload, here though it looks like someone dropped an egg.  Today is a day that the College has chosen to begin the processing of Visa's and collection of Iqama's that must be traded for the passports that have been taken, mutilated and held hostage all year, lest an employee get the crazy idea to act as a free human being and go somewhere else.  We can't have that now can we.

What really happened today though was that the machine broke down.

Sure, sure it was already running slow, but now its broken.  All because one instructor is leaving a week early to pick up his family and return almost immediately.  You see this wasn't in the plan, and he's only Filipino...so nah...why bother?  Never mind the man has had to spend nearly 10k Riyals on the airfare.  Never mind that its his God Given right as a human being to return to his country if he so desires.  Never mind the fact that he requested permission over 60 days ago, never mind that he is overworked, underpaid and is planning to be back in time to teach summer school, never mind even that he's a fellow Muslim, administration doesn't feel like doing it, so they're not going to.   WTF?

Students have started to get results from the first week of finals and now they come to your office at first begging and then demanding extra "marks".  Extra "marks" for what?  That was my first question...Apparently they're called "consideration marks".  Its basically like asking the instructor to give you a better grade because you like him and you had enough respect to come see him first, before you went to the Dean and demanded a higher grade.  REALLY?  WTF?  Its bad enough that a 59% is passing here.  I mean in any type of US or western based health education passing scores are 80%.  79% is failing with 1 re-take.  I should know, I got a letter grade of C- in Paramedic school.  My percentage was 81%  I passed the National test on the first shot as well.  Today I witnessed a student with 3 grades in the 30's ask for "consideration"...Simply put...NO!

Passports are another thing that just set my ass on fire.  For some reason, a few companies in the KSA still follow the old law (still allowed) and confiscate the employee's passport so that they can't "run away".  They also can't go on vacation, or go to nearby countries over the weekend.  After months of bitching, I finally managed to get back my illegally stickerd, and stapled and folded passport and keep it probably because my employer refused to issue an exit Visa for local travel on weekends.  Now that it's getting close to vacation though, I need my vacation visa.  This morning, they told me no problem, give us the passport, and we'll give you the visa.  I said "no", they said "then no vacation".  I smiled and said "OK, we'll see".  How about just answering me this question.  What business does a Non-American employee have holding, bending, stapling and mutilating a piece of US Government property?  Just answer me that question, and I'll consider giving it back to you to play with again.  Until that point though...Pound Sand buddy...

These things and a few others can just really wear you down.  Today especially its these things that make me realize that like my job or not, care about my students or not, work very hard or not, want to make things better or not, well paid or not, I'm just an indentured servant.  Just one step above a slave really,  one slip too many and the master can quickly put you in your place.  There are days here when you realize that your job is not to do your job, its to do whatever they tell you to do today.  If you don't like it you can...you can what?  They're holding your passport...they're allowed to freeze your bank accounts...they can apparently go to the Ministry of Labor and mark you as essential personnel and FORCE you to go to work.  Failure to show up could get you put in jail and eventually deported.  Money stolen, belongings misplaced, nothing but the dirty clothes on your back.  These things...well they make you realize that if you came to work one morning and your boss said get on the table and dance...well, you're probably best to get on the damn table and dance.  These things ladies and gentlemen, these things that they can do...these things make me feel like a whore...

Student Notices

Since you guys are reading the blog these days (20 views, 26 views, 12 views so far in the last three days).  I thought I might as well just use it to post some announcements. 

Don't forget that the Deans Breakfast is tomorrow morning at 8:00.  That's right, the Deans Breakfast for students is tomorrow at 8 am.  This will be a great time for you to relax and converse with staff and students as the semester winds down. 

Remember that we will still be having lectures next week, in fact Saturdays lecture will be held upstairs in my classroom with Dr. A and Mr. G in attendance and I will be doing some of the primary lecturing.  It seems that we are getting into some topics that really combine lecture and lab together.

American Heart Association BLS training will still be held on Apr 24th and 25th

Remember that although the semester is winding down, it is not over yet.  Now in this respect, you are no different than students the world over, as summer approaches you get more excitable and it is harder to concentrate.  I understand this, but it does not change the way things have to happen.   I still have things to teach, and there is still information that you need to know.  Some of it because it will be on the test, some of it because it will be used in life.  Either way you look at it, it ain't over yet. 

To my students that went to Bahrain this weekend for your dates...yes I'm still P.O.'d at you.  Telling me Wednesday afternoon that you were excitable because you had dates in Bahrain to go drinking and dancing was a very cruel thing to do.   Yes I still intend to make your life miserable tomorrow morning!  (see that's called sarcasm for the sake of humor, did you pick up on it?  Or did you miss it completely?)

Oh and just to prove that I'm not mad at you guys about summer, my favorite pastime this weekend has been watching the Simple Plan feat. Sean Paul video for "Summer Paradise" on you tube.  Believe me, I understand the desire for summer to be here!

Read The Textbook!

Well aren't I just the belle of the ball!?  It would seem I have new found popularity in the blog world.  My blog had 20 views yesterday...all from Saudia.  I would take a guess that what that means is that one of my students while reading another blog, discovered my blog.  A few views and a few text messages later, I had 20 new visitors. 

First of all, good for you!  Reading some of the EMS blogs out there, especially the ones I read can give you a real insight into the world of EMS.  Kelly Grayson, Peter Canning, and some others can give you an insight into a lifetime of experience. 

Second of all, be careful what you read.  Even the best of you don't totally understand the English language.  It is very different from Arabic even in its structure, and is rife with concepts such as hyperbole, sarcasm, humor and others I can't remember from school.  In this sense, the textbook is much safer as it avoids these types of things. 

Thirdly, I love you guys, I really do.  meeting and getting to know some of you has been a fantastic experience.  But you penchant for cutting corners will get you or someone else in trouble one of these days.  If you really want to read something good about EMS, read the textbook!!!!!  We'll get to blogs and articles and advanced concepts later on.  Right now, just make sure you read and re-read the entire chapter the day before the lecture so that you may better understand the concepts provided. 

Remember, I have a ton of respect for you guys, not everybody can speak, read and be educated in a second language.  You're doing great things, keep doing great things.

and one last thing...READ THE DAMN TEXTBOOK!!!

Holy FML!

Strike every nice thing I ever said about my students and how hard they worked!  Today was spent not teaching, not running around putting out spot fires like I often do, but arguing.  The students in our highest levels, and the best students of those levels no less have mounted an insurrection.  No doubt fueled in part by international headlines about revolution!  Revolution and protests in Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain and hell even the US have I believe created an atmosphere of "we are young, we are loud, who gives a shit if we are right?!" "yeah look we can say dirty words so ha!"  At the heart of our students protests is the fact that they have to take midterms...that's right midterms.

**Let me clarify that I draw no comparisons between revolutions of freedom from oppressive regimes and this nonsense.  My only point was that the Arab Spring may have unintentionally fostered an atmosphere of generalized revolt.  Not against anything in-particular mind you, just a generalized feeling of revolt against "unhappiness".  Maybe it really is just an "Era of discontent"

Midterms were originally postponed a day due to a dust storm.  The next day was so nice the students decided to take it off too.  Since they had already missed two days, the dean rescheduled exams until after the spring break and ordered classes to be taught the rest of the week.  Yeah that didn't happen...because nobody came to school for the rest of the week and just took an extended spring break.  So this morning we were all ready to take the exams...all except the students.  After an extra 15 days to study, they came to school tired, and angry, having spent their entire Spring Break in nearby alcohol rich countries, they had no intention of taking a test today.  So instead they got together over the past day or two and decided that they would threaten us with complaints if we dared to give them the exam now.  You see, Spring Break is for their vacation here in the Magic Kingdom, not for study, but as a reward for all their hard work.  So therefore, the 15 days was not a blessing, but it was actually a curse.  Are you following this bullshit?  Because I had trouble following it...Long story short, they have been ordered to take the exam tomorrow at 1, they wanted to go home early today in order to "study"...can you believe this?  I didn't have much to do in my lab anyway, so I let them go 90 min early.  They spent the time they were given in the parking lot bitching and trying to get even more students riled up about imaginary problems. Then they called our "boss" in Riyadh, and while we can't get him to answer our calls about anything, he answers theirs.  I asked the department for a meeting, and let them know that I was 99% positive that this was all the doing of one organizer, and that our response needed to be unified, swift and unrelenting.  For the most part they agreed.  By the end of that meeting, our "boss" had called us for "no reason", "just seeing how everything is going"...

I know for a fact that they are organized because they all said the exact same phrases of complaint...smooth super spies, smooth...At one point, I thought about telling them that the penalty for mutiny on the good ship "Mr. Geoff" was walking the plank.  Or that deserters would be shot...reason got the best of me though and I just decided to laugh it off.  Yes folks I laughed it off.  Don't feel bad for doubting that, I still can't believe it myself.

Pretty sure the lazy bastards aren't going to show at test time...if they do, I'm expecting a repeat of the insurrection before and after the test...freakin' unbelievable!  I'm thinking about handing out grade cards that say "I am a lazy, bullshitting, liar, BUT I got an A!" 

Oh well, I got the grill fired up, my Budweiser N/A, some cigarettes and my iPod...Its all gonna be OK

I need a beers (plural)...wait, to hell with beers, I need to get drunk!

So what started as a fairly decent day with beautiful weather took a weird twist in the early afternoon and turned into a big ol' pile of shit!

I don't even know how to accurately describe it, but I can tell you this...starting a program as important as this without a management team already in place 2 years ago was a bad idea.  I knew that already though, I knew that when I signed on.  I just didn't know how bad this place could be on some things and some days. What all started as a minor complaint about a hard quiz worth 25 points, turned bad within seconds when a student complaining to a teacher raised his voice and the teacher temporarily lost his cool.  I thought it was over, so laughed and went on, mainly because crying in frustration in front of students and other staff would have been bad.  Walking back to my office, another student told me that "you know he's right, it is not fair and it is not our fault", I said I know, but its not mine either, I'm the guy trying to fix it, but you guys can't be acting up and acting a fool every time something goes wrong here...for crissakes you won't have time to recover in-between episodes!  He stared to get a little insistent and I just said don't raise your voice to me, don't even start that shit! and then I defused the situation by heading down the hall.  Sitting in my office, I heard the voices start to get a little louder, then pretty darn impassioned, heard a third voice of reason jump in and try to calm the other two, and then I heard voice three get drowned out.  I decided I had better head down the hall and figure out just what the hell was going on...And that was the moment that the whole day went from pretty darn good to not that great to "Oh shit, FML"

Probably just lost my best instructor, the guy who does the work of three men.  His friend will probably go when he does.  Damn near lost my number one student too, still might, the day is young.  If he goes so will his friends, at least a few of them anyway.

Sent an emergency email to the boss,... that didn't work, tried calling,... that didn't work, calmed everybody down the best I could and did OK at that, finally said to hell with it and packed it in for night...If were not careful (and I mean walking in a minefield careful) this is going to unravel right in front of our eyes.  We'll all be going home...quick, fast and in a hurry.  the KSA will not have a better supply of medics, these students will have to start over at another school, we'll have jack shit to show for it, and I'll feel like a failure.  Worse than feeling like anything though, I'll know that we let these young men down.

Wanna know what it was all about?  What the whole disaster that damn near might have cost us the equivalent of 4 staff members and 3-5 of the best English speaking students the entire college has?...

Books...the students want books to study from...