EBME Forums Forums Free discussion Out of Hours Magic Kingdom Biomed Expats II

Flying West first, few things to do in the UK including 'meetings' then off to Thailand.

Time to close the book on Saudi Arabia, memoirs will anyone believe (fact or fiction)

Have no regrets about leaving Neil. The Kingdom is no longer fun to work in now that most of the Western Expats have hung up their boots.

No regrets at all Angus, How is Libya, I started my 'journey' in Libya in 1981 down in Sebha.

The journey ends in Jeddah and I will be living in Thailand rather than returning to the UK

The "fun" went out of working in the Kingdom very soon after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Angus.

But I'm thinking about (remembering) travelling around "remote" areas, rather than living in "expat compounds".

Things got a bit "hair raising" on a number of occasions.

Some years ago, thinking (hoping) that things might have quietened down a bit later on, I had a couple of goes at trying to get back out there. But things did not proceed in my favour; I wrote those abortive efforts off to "Fate". A few times in my life I have found that sometimes you just can't force things to turn out as you might have hoped. And at least in the UK (so far) I haven't had gangs of youths throwing rocks at me ... etc., etc. (or even - shot at, as happened to me once whilst jogging home across the desert - the guy did it in "fun", or so I imagine; packs of feral dogs were also a problem where I was at that time, too).

Were you in Khobar at the time of the 1996 bombing, Angus? That was a big bang! For a moment there I thought I was back in Northern Ireland. But are you still in Tripoli? Surely that must be a bit "fun", too?

There's nothing for the likes of us in the UK, Neil; personally I believe it has been that way for decades. Even after fifteen years of being back, I continue to feel that I don't belong.

Many of my (our) Old Mates have retired now; including blokes I have known who worked in the NHS (as well as many who used to frequent this forum). Mates have relocated to Cyprus, Laos ... and yes, Thailand. Sadly, more than a few have moved on to that "Big Workshop in the Sky".

I'm hoping to escape myself before too long (just as soon as I complete my current project - which, I must admit, has become a bit "never ending").

I always promised myself one of those Kanoo "around the world tickets" (do they still do them?) ... but I have in mind something a bit more "permanent" now.

Anybody here that used to be a subscriber to Expats International. If I remember right Keith Emerson (I think this was the name) himself an expat set the magazine up. It was prevalent during the time 70/80s. That time there were numerous Biomed positions on offer, predominantly in the middle east but also worldwide. You didn't have to look for a job, the agents would call you.

I obtained many contracts during this time through this association. Unfortunately, the health-related jobs disappeared in time and were replaced by oil/gas related positions. Thats when I decided the membership fee was worthless.

Those were the days.

Keith Edmunds, Angus.

I met him once, many years ago. A good bloke ... but I don't think he ever forgave "his two girls" who left him to set up as a rival.

Yes, the Jobs Section of the magazine was a loose "pull out". You're right about "oil and gas"; we probably should have re-trained and got into all that, Mate. Bit late now, though.

Of course, what really killed off Expats International was the internet!

Do you remember Paddy Earp ("Middleman"), Angus? For a few years he was "the one to go to" for overseas biomed jobs. Yes, those were indeed the days; in a way it's amazing that it lasted as long as it did - what with "Saudization" and all that.

This it 'finally' the last "working" week in KSA.

Not too late to change your mind, then, Neil.

Or is it definately "exit only" this time?

Exit Only,

One Way Flight, Friday Morning 21 June 2019, the next few months are already mapped out with meetings in the UK and Thailand, busy guy.