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Having lived in excess of 20 years in Saudi I have the following observations about living in the middle east:[/FONT]
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1. It isn’t going to be like your home country, as my daughter told me recently "Get used to it" Remember the travel agent sketch by Monty Python? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcTFAMwgG64)[/FONT]
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2. When going to a new country, living or vacation, respect the religion, customs, traditions and royal family. If you do not like the way things are put up or leave. You're the guest.[/FONT]
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3. If the locals want to treat their country poorly by leaving rubbish around, hey its their country. You can always remove it. Lead by example.[/FONT]
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4. I walk out of a local bank with £3500 in cash today without a care in the world. You can't do that in the UK, you keep looking over your shoulder. [/FONT]
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5. When in a foreign country I know where I stand. In the UK I do not. Too many stupid rules.[/FONT]
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We are all in a foreign country for one reason, a better more lucrative life style. Most of us are sick and tired of tax, Tony Blair/Gordon Brown, tax, persecution of motorists, tax, hoodies, and more tax, petrol at £1 litre, and even more tax.[/FONT]
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So if you want to work in the middle east, try it you can always leave. You never fail if you try. Of course you could sit around the crew room looking at the back pages of Flight saying "I could do that". [/FONT]
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I love the life and the varied nationalities I meet. It is a great life for me. The good points far out weigh the bad points.[/FONT]