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Chris_R

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  1. Some of that I agree with - entertainment, restaurants, nice houses and schools provided on compounds. But.... - Oppressive 50 degree heat in the summer months means it's almost impossible to be outside your residence or workplace for anything but the briefest of moments - Oppressive political system (Though of course you can possibly ignore that if you can follow the rules, whether you agree with them or not) - Dangerous roads with the worst driving I've seen anywhere on Earth, and I've driven in Delhi. Also a non-Saudi you're not treat fairly in any accidents involving Saudis, you're automatically at fault even if they drive into you - You absolutely cannot "get the real stuff no bother", at least not as a visitor. I'm into well into double-digits in my visits to Saudi often going for a month or more at a time, have locals there I consider good friends, and have never once seen "real" beer anywhere - Your job isn't secure, and you can be replaced at any moment as the pendulum swings back again to "Saudification" and they try yet again to fill all the jobs with locals and you have to pack up and get out immediately with nothing to go back to in the UK - The women may well be gorgeous, but they're mostly underneath Burkhas so they could look like anything for all I know. I know this has relaxed in recent years and even had coverings aren't mandatory anymore, but last time I went to Jeddah most women were still fully covered. I should add that I couldn't possibly care less how they dress, that's up to them, I just mention it as a counter to your point about them being gorgeous. Actually I'm heading back out again in a few weeks so it'll be interesting to see if the needle has moved there on what they're wearing - You might be able to take your wife out there, and you might get a large tax-free salary (Is it still tax free? I thought that had changed and there was now tax paid at least by overseas workers?), but chances are your wife won't be allowed to work so you'll lose that income stream so really you're not that far ahead - if at all - as a couple I do enjoy my visits there, there's a lot to like and as I say I have people over there amongst the locals I count as real friends, but I'd not want to live there. Indeed I've been offered several jobs and turned them all down with very little hesitation. It works well for some, like I said before I've met people who've been there 30 years, but it's not for everyone.
  2. You can get a pint on the compounds I've been on, both in Riyadh and Dhahran. Both have actual bars on them, serving beer, spirits, and wine. It's all brewed on the compounds themselves, everyone in there has homebrew that they sell to the bars, that then re-sell back to the people working there. When I first went in what, 2012? It was all a bit rubbish and amateurish. You'd order a pint and someone would get a massive great bottle of yellow liquid and pour half a pint of that out. Then they'd get a can of non-alcoholic beer, top it up to close to thte top to make it taste like actual beer. Then the last inch would be lemonade to take the final edge off it. But now it's on draught, they've got pumps and everything and it's no different a process to buying a beer in the UK. Outside of the compounds though, alcohol is unavailable. Not even in the hotels. I mean no doubt some Saudis do homebrew like Brits do on the compounds, but as a visitor there's no way to access that market. When I go to Jeddah there's no compound for me to stay on there, so I stay in hotels and my stay there is completely dry.
  3. This. English schools and hospitals too on the compounds I've stayed on. You go to work, come back and it's like the UK but in an oven. Although Saudi is culturally very different, I'd find it far easier to settle there than in Spain if I didn't want to make any effort to integrate / learn the language. I've met people who've been in Saudi for 30 years and barely speak a word of the language because there's just no need to.
  4. Chris_R

    St James' Park

    Move London brick by brick to Newcastle.
  5. I dunno, he can take quite a few of them for me. Just not the good ones.
  6. Chris_R

    St James' Park

    That's a good point. Due to earning disparities between regions, we'll always struggle to price season tickets the same as Arsenal, Spurs etc. Building the same size stadium is only half the battle.
  7. It wasn't for me. It asked me to sign up and I just clicked the X then read the article.
  8. Click the link on the tweet. It's not hard.
  9. Fucking crazy that people are talking about moving Howe on. Give your heads a shake. Still 100% backing from me. 4th last year, and the escape the year before, were miracles. This year, 4th was always going to be much harder than last year just because of the extra games, and other teams strengthening around us. 7th would've always been an "OK" season this year. Throw in Tonali's ban and an injury crisis the likes of which we've never seen before and the season is a write-off. We just need to limp home and try again next year. If 7th was decent coming into this season, 11th isn't sacking level when you consider the above too. It's barely even disappointing. If anything, it's inevitable given what's happened. I'd be gutted if he left, and absolutely devastated if some dinosaur like Mourinho came in to replace him.
  10. Chris_R

    St James' Park

    Agree. There's a massive housing shortage in this country and all those already with houses and a 'NIMBY' attitude are preventing the next generation getting on the ladder they've gleefully pulled up behind themselves. But that's probably not for this thread!
  11. Chris_R

    St James' Park

    Because aside from the Hoppings, it's of neither use nor interest to almost anyone at all. It's one thing to say "isn't it nice we have it?", but how often do you or indeed anyone actually go there? And to do what? For almost all of us, it just exists. It could be infinitely better used. Could put a football stadium on it for starters.
  12. Chris_R

    St James' Park

    It may be unique but that's no reason to keep it. There's good reasons why no other city has "an expanse of agricultural land with grazing cattle in the heart of the city".
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