Return after a quarter century from the Gulf
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:28 am
Mn-op, you are right no amount of money is worth it if you cant have dignity and mental peace. That being ssaid, I think your views with regards to life in the gulf are extreme and perhaps loaded with ignorance. The lifestyle there is quite good and esp for white collar professionals, life is fine and pretty much insulated from any of the extremeties you mention about sheiks. Some countries like saudi have more extreme islamic laws, others like signifcantly more advanced and even westernized like dubai which could resemble mumbai (if it were modernized, ridden of slums, the stench and given an uber wash and cleaned thoroughly for 18 months). Overall if you obey their laws, they will leave you alone. For blue collar workers and laborers, it might not be so dignified but then again these people live even worse lives in their home countries be it India, pakistan, bangladesh or the phillipenes. I'd venture to say that the lives of blue collar workers in the US is not so dignified either....i wonder how many racist remarks are endured at the lower end of the pole by people who do labor work, drive cabs etc. Finally, The gulf countries wont give you a green card or a PR but even in the US, you are on your own for 6 years with a 50% probability to get a green card or not!
"Most Indians who contiue to stay put in the US do NOT live there for money...a sharp contrast to gulf." Amen for saying that. I would say however (and look within this forum itself), there is a Significant portion of folks who live in the US to "earn in dollars" despite not having "sense of belongingness". I dont understand this crowd. To me this crowd will never 'get' the US, but will continue to stay here and be miserable. I say for their own sake they should return. Sorry yet another irrelevant statement in the context of this thread.
In the end the perspective is all about where your starting point is. If you are in india and are looking at 2 - 3x the compensation you make, gulf is luring and perhaps worth any inconviniences you may endure. Income is tax free, savings potential is high and the 'barriers to exit' are limited to money and not other aspects of life. In other words the whole R2I equation gets solved a lot easily in the gulf versus US.
Again, i think the lure of the gulf even for those originating from india is changing as india itself has become a good paymaster and life style provider. If you are in the US, my take is there is no case to be made to go to the gulf period.
"Most Indians who contiue to stay put in the US do NOT live there for money...a sharp contrast to gulf." Amen for saying that. I would say however (and look within this forum itself), there is a Significant portion of folks who live in the US to "earn in dollars" despite not having "sense of belongingness". I dont understand this crowd. To me this crowd will never 'get' the US, but will continue to stay here and be miserable. I say for their own sake they should return. Sorry yet another irrelevant statement in the context of this thread.
In the end the perspective is all about where your starting point is. If you are in india and are looking at 2 - 3x the compensation you make, gulf is luring and perhaps worth any inconviniences you may endure. Income is tax free, savings potential is high and the 'barriers to exit' are limited to money and not other aspects of life. In other words the whole R2I equation gets solved a lot easily in the gulf versus US.
Again, i think the lure of the gulf even for those originating from india is changing as india itself has become a good paymaster and life style provider. If you are in the US, my take is there is no case to be made to go to the gulf period.
mn_op;490524gulfIndian thanks for the great diary.
I am sure Gulf countries have changed a lot in last couple of decades but I think it will take a couple of centuries for Sheikhs to evolve into normal humans. One of the reasons I may never go to gulf countries is because my contempt and despise for those humanoids. Dangerous and super rich humanoids.
India may lack infrastructure but doesn't lack in human population. With all the flaws and vices that come with being human. I have close friends who thrash me for my views on gulf countries but I will never understand why anywould would want to suffer living around those unevolved tyrants. Is money that important? Most Indians who contiue to stay put in the US do NOT live there for money...a sharp contrast to gulf.
I know I am biased and I am sure that I can be proven wrong easily. But my phobia of those moneyed weirdos is incurable.
Sorry for the irrelevant post and pouring in my unwanted opinion.