Well I can appreciate what you are saying...(kind of) but you act like all involved went into this blind and you don't know our backgrounds.
It is not about backgrounds, the duplicity of Saudis is quite well known. I am not speaking of Middle East countries in general but specifically of Saudi. If such massive exploits are known here, it must be commonly known in all countries of the region.
I have been in the mid-east working for 7 years now and Saudi was the 5th country in the region for me so I had some idea of what I was getting into...(I thought),
I understand it is a negative experience. That your previous experiences were better. But as you said, you thought you knew what you were getting into. If it could happen to you with your experience, it certainly can happen to anyone else or a first timer.
but what went on behind the scenes there even threw me for a loop. It is by far the worse example of corruption I have seen since working overseas. It just made no sense at all.
I think it makes perfect sense. In my travels I have found that one of the things most Americans (especially tourists) fail to understand is that in oppresive countries (whether it is in Asia, Europe, Africa, or anywhere) The low guys on the totem pole try to make it up a few steps then they do all they can to fleece for personal gain without exposing themselves to getting caught.
In anycase, being able to blame a foreign worker to make off with some cash or nepotistic deals is the norm. It is also why you are shut out of information loops and nobody answers questions. The more information people have the more likely the corrupt party is to be exposed.
I understand that if they don't pay there is nothing you can do but at the same time you sign a contract and have to take people at their word because that is all people have.
You are superimposing your value of somebody's word on a completely different culture. be careful not to do that. I have been to many countries, and I will point out that even the US State Dept. website states in Saudi that verbal agreements and side letters are not considered binding. Not just in Saudi do local people take advantage of that.
No matter the country, if verbal agreements are nonbinding, the native parties think you are a fool for accepting somebody's word. Basically the impression is you deserve to be ripped off for not being smarter.
The majority of these threads are to warn people of the corruption that goes on there..
I have followed this thread for some time, the last few days was all about crying about being ripped off. I was tired of it so i figured I would just call a spade a spade in a nonpolitically correct way.
And of course just because we got screwed by which ever side (it's hard to tell anymore) doesn't mean we will just forget about the month salary we are owed and right it up as experience. Wether we need the money or not it is a matter of principle and I personally do not like the fact of people sitting over tea laughing about how they put one over on me.
ROTFL.
It doesn't matter what you like, or what you think you are owed. You were screwed. You have no recourse. You put yourself in a position by your own admission you were not expecting or ready for. If it makes you feel better they probably aren't laughing at you because they are too busy setting up the next group.
I have been ripped off before when I didn't know what I was getting into, trust me, let it go. You will never get satisfaction. whether you desperately need the money or not, it is gone. The only people who are stressing over how you feel is you and those close to you. with all there is to worry about, why worry about something past that can't be changed?
I am really curious where you get the information of asians referring to us as cock roaches since my wife is asian and I speak the language fluent enough to know when someone is putting me down.
Which Asian language? I consider a few Pakistanis, a few Indians, a greater number of Turks, and even a handful of Egyptians my good friends. I also have an American friend working in Paris helping women escaping husbands or refugees from Central Asia. (particularly the middle eastern countries) Tomorrow I will ask specifically what the word is and post it here, but it translates to "cockroach" and it is often used when mocking westerners, especially when discussing the selling of nonmuslim women.
I don't know if you meant to come across in a demeaning way but I have been offended by your post the most!!
I meant to be blunt. Like I said, the rest of the world is not an extension of America. You navigate it on local terms and at your own risk. As I pointed out, not being aware or prepared can cost you your life. I can tolerate only so much crying about losing a few dollars. Especially when it is rather minimal compared to what could have been lost.
Every year I see a new batch of Americans show up on their first overseas trip. I have probably seen just about every mistake that could be made. It is my experience that most Americans I encounter outside of the US really are ill prepared and completely out of their league once they leave North America. It is safer and better for them to stay home.
