Sunday, 26 January 2014

Take the rough with the smooth...

I may have to keep the next few posts closer to a timeline of events than I've previously done so far, purely because I'm currently writing almost a week behind my experiences and I'm starting to feel that I may not doing them as much justice as if they were still fresh in my mind with nothing to supercede them.

Tuesday started again with a half 5 alarm finally dragging me out of bed to get ready in time for my 6 o'clock pickup from the hotel. We made the journey without incident again thankfully and I was in the ICT by quarter to 7. This time as soon as I walked in and said hello my Philipino teacher friend from the day before came over and took me to be introduced to two other English trainers who had not been around previously for me to meet. My new desk cubicle was next to them so I sat down and introduced myself. 

One of them had a class to teach and apparently is almost permanently based over in whats known as the portable area - a group of classrooms on the far side of the campus away from the main ITC building. The description conjures up thoughts of fitted out statics but in contrast these are permanent buildings properly kitted out with the same facilities as every other. It's simply a remote village and for some a chance to keep out the way of any department head or senior trainer that may decide to pop in on a lesson to check on the students.

The other trainer had no class of his own that day, only two periods of 'babysitting' somebody elses in the afternoon. Once everyone else had left and it was just the two of us he asked me what I'd been through already, was I settled with accommodation, and a number of other questions to get a feel for what I might need in the way of information he could provide me to help. Almost every question I had been dying to find somebody to ask he answered one after the other without me having to utter a word. Having only arrived less than a year ago himself he was completely sympathetic to my situation. As I said I'm trying to keep this relatively short and sweet and also have to be careful what I include from now on for public consumption but I could not with all the time and words in the world explain to you what a difference this made to me. Back home I would have gone straight out and bought him a crate of beer or taken him out for a fancy meal just as a thank you but unfortunately that's not an option around here and I'm as yet even stuck for an appropriate token of appreciation. 

In the course of him taking me over to meet the third and final English trainer I happened to ask him how long his intention to say was and it was then he sprang the unfortunate news on me that he was to be leaving in a matter of a few weeks. He'd been offered a similar job elsewhere on the same money but with a better rotation cycle allowing him to travel home more frequently to see his wife. While obviously I could understand the reasoning I was really disappointed having just discovered this font of knowledge who put me so at ease. 

Nevertheless on we go... We met the other trainer who was at least 10 years younger than the other two (who are both mid to late 50's). This guy had worked on a refinery near Essex that had closed down and he had effectively been cornered into applying and taking the job here following his redundancy despite having to leave his wife and two young children. His cockney accent amused me and he was a really down to earth character. Clearly this pair were good friends both inside the ITC and out, both choosing to live on the Al-Suwaidi camp that I had refused (though they had no problems with my analysis of the place and in who's defence are actually only paying $3000SAR a month as it turns out the prices were very recently increased in anticiaption of a new batch of recruits of which I am only the first). I immediately began to hope that as my newly aquired mentor leaves that I may find an alternative ally here instead and sure enough just as the thought went through my head he iterated exactly the same sentiment. 

We left our compatriot to get back to the lesson he was teaching and went and occupied an empty classroom down the way spending the next couple of hours discussing backgrounds in the industry (his remarkedly similar to mine despite the age difference) and the pragmatic version of how this whole training facility operates. We went through how to use the smart boards which, to be fair, wasn't the most challenging thing, and then headed back to the staff room again. After lunch he had his group to babysit and said there was no point me being there as a witness becuase he wasn't actually teaching so I sat reading through my manual again until it was time for Ricky to come and pick me up. 

All in all, compared with what I'd experienced up to now, this day so far had been an incredible breath of fresh air. It had now become clear than unlike my experiences back in the UK where there are those willing to help but also those who wish to keep information to themselves to increase their own value, expats (or certainly not those within the walls of Ras Tanura ITC Block A anyway) are purely of the same selfless breed with an unwritten mantra that you will do as much for the next guy as you possibly can. At least this is the impression I have from the guys I have met so far (all nationalities included), My Philipino trainer friend had done his best the day before and been a big help but being younger than me even was clearly still finding his feet with the whole teaching thing anyway and no doubt this is what I will be like when the next guy arrives if I have to field his questions. Todays information though had put me much more at ease about my outlook on the place - sadly I cannot say much more without giving details that may get myself and perhaps even others in trouble. 

Ricky rang to say he was here so I went out to meet him. The last of the students were leaving and the rush was now over so it was a bit easier getting out of the place. We headed to the rental office to collect the keys (which we did after a 10 minute wait) and went to inspect it. Almost all the fittings that were missing the previous day were now in place and the carpets in the bedrooms (which were dirty and had me budgeting for a vacuum cleaner) were removed leaving brand new tiles underneath. To be honest had they been clean I'd have preferred the carpets... 

There were a couple of sockets still to put up in one of the bedrooms but that was not much. We went back to the accommodation office and settled the balance of what I'd agreed to pay at that point. Ricky then took me to the bed store. Unusually, the man behind the counter was not very good at English so Ricky did most the talking in Arabic and translated again where required. It was $750SAR for a basic double-mattress and $900SAR for the more expensive option, and the frame (without headboard) would be another $650SAR. Not particularly liking the look of the bed anyway I decided to follow Rickys advice and just opt for a matress (the basic one) for now and perhaps have a look around for bed frames later when I was more settled. Unfortunately the delivery guys weren't working that day and so we ended up arranging for it to be delivered the following evening at 5pm, giving me time to get back there after work. Obviously now having an apartment with a bed (despite nothing else) I no longer needed to stay in the Khobar hotel as of the following day and as we made our way back Ricky and I agreed that we would leave half an hour earlier the following mornining with my cases to drop them off at the apartment on the way to the ITC - from that point on I'd be on my own!

Unfortunately that last point couldn't have started at a worse time. After going over to the Carrefour in the Rashid mall for the last time and buying several necessities such as a comforter (duvet back home), pillows, pans, tin opener and one or two other essentials I did my usual run to the food court and took it back to my room. Once again I was worn out from the running around, though not quite as bad as the night before, and decided to eat my Burger King whilst watching a film in bed. 

I got half way through my meal and found my stomache doing somersaults and me feeling as though I had been hit by the flu. I couldn't get warm despite being in thick sweat pants and hoodie with socks on too. Shivering from chills yet clearly hot and feverish I knew this wasn't good. Only as I was forced to the bathroom and tried to stand up again afterwards did the severity of what was happening kick in as I began to feel light headed and found myself heading for the tiled floor. Only the harrowing thought that were I to pass out now I wouldn't be discovered by anyone until at least morning when Ricky came for me kept me from losing conciousness at that point as I told myself I had to stay awake and make it back to bed. It crossed my mind to call for a doctor but I would never have had the energy to make it to the hotel lobby and I didn't actually know the number for Saudi emergency services! (It's something that I have been told probably two or three times in both literature I read before arriving here and in my orientation with Al-Hoty to be honest but strangely something that I had not chosen to commit to memory stupidly... For those who need to know from now on: 997 for ambulance). 

I made it back to bed anyway and spent a very uncomfortable night going in feverish chills...

No comments:

Post a Comment