Hey NIKNAK, I know you were saying it as a joke, but I don't find beer out here expensive at all. Disregarding the fact you are buying the beer with tax free money, rather than in the UK or elsewhere, you are paying with money that you have already paid tax on, beer is reasonably priced I think. You go to a grog shop here, and pay 100 dirhams for a carton, of European, American, British, Irish, Australian, Indian, Mexican etc etc beer. In Oz dollars that is between 35 and 40 dollars which for an imported case of beer is cheaper than what I would pay in Oz. And as far as range goes, while yes not having the local specialty beers you may get in Pubs in the UK, it has all the big brands, with most pubs having around a dozen different beers and ciders on tap, and grog shops having probably 30 different beers to choose from. Not bad I'd say, and with the weather out here, lots of beer drinking weather to be had ie. no need to warm the beer up here.
Hey Bob, any further on that amount you mentioned???? Is it a reliable source? 30K would certainly soften the blow of the 30% paycut I have taken the last couple of years due to the exchange rate. I don't think it will keep people here much longer than they would have previously stayed, and probably won't make much of a difference as far as recruitment goes, but will make things a little more comfortable while I continue to work here, so better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick, I say.
That said, I am worried it will turn into another accomodation allowance desert mirage.
One point I will be seeking to clarify is the comment in the letter that this allowance will incorporate our normal 2005 pay rise. If this allowance is just that and doesn't effect our gratuity/SORAS, does that mean that due to in effect our salary not increasing for 2005, we will be worse off than we would have been gratuity/SORAS wise????? That would be really low, if it was the case.