Y&R Discussion Group -- More proof of Texas pride

Y&R Discussion Group

Topic: More proof of Texas pride

Topic Posted by: cook
Date Posted: Thu Jul 10 17:01:22 2008
Additional Comments: We had a dinner party last night and one of the guests is a European who has lived all over the world. He spent 6 years living in Nigeria. He lived on a Haliburton compound (although he didn't work in the oil industry) He was telling us about how all the ex pats hang out together and there are people from all over the world in your social circle. People from multiple compounds gather for parties. Anyway.....there are a lot of Americans, particularly from the south. He said everyone thought it was funny that the Texans sorted themselves. You were either from Texas or from America.

He also said that his compound was about 15 miles from the airport and you would get stopped an average of 11 times. You had to make sure you had enough cash to cover at least 11 bribes. All held by multiple men, surrounding your car with machine guns pointed at you.

Posted by: Pronoun
Date posted: Thu Jul 10 19:55:10 2008
Message:

A good friend of mine went to Nigeria with her hubby once. They were invited to a wedding. What a story! Too long to tell but man, the things that went on. She said you couldn't pay her enough to ever return to that place.

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Jaw dropping stuff. Ranging from horrific to totally corrupt. Like a customs agent that earns a pittance of an official salary but whose 5 children attend one of the most prestidigous boarding schools in London. -cook

Posted by: cook
Date posted: Thu Jul 10 18:28:34 2008
Message:
Hey Midge. I am responding here because it is easier to write in this format. What a fun street you are on! My husband works for a company that does business all over the world so I get a little taste of that. It's lots of fun.
The pay scale for those overseas danger zone places is high. Thomas (our dinner guest) said that not only is the salary and bonus high, many of these guys have gotten lots of company stock as well. And watching that grow made them savvy about investing and they have healthy portfolios. In addition, all living expenses are paid. For example, Thomas and his wife each had a car and driver, 2 housekeepers, a chef etc. and the compounds are kinda like country clubs. But he had some awful stories to tell too! Just awful!

It was also interesting that he said that pretty much everyone, literally everyone had a bar set up in their living room. Even those that lived in small apartments. Actual bars with stools and all! Drinking is a huge part of the ex pat lifestyle.

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I know Eduardo would love to come home, but over the last four years, his wife has ''adjusted'' to having a live in maid and the house and cars provided, plus very generous travel allotments. Right now, they're at a hotel, but leave Sunday to visit some relatives in Ohio, then down to Alcapolco for a vacation with lots of family flying in, then off to Peru to visit his family and back here on August 8 to wrap up things here. There eldest daughter will start her senior year and Eduardo really, really want to be back in the states when she starts college. I know neither of them like Milan, but he said Indonesia was much to dangerous for them. It's a Muslim country and Lisa and the kids are Catholic, which isn't so bad, but Eduardo is Jewish. Fortunately, he doesn't practice Judisum and being Peruvian, I guess it's assumed he isn't. But, his heritage is Jewish and it's not something you want to have out there. Being an American citizen in a household that is Catholic is bad enough. He was very relieved when they were transferred to Holland. In fact, we had a going away party for them, back in 2004 (?) . They were flying to Indonesia the next moring, with reservations at a hotel there. That morning, the hotel was bombed. The party had been fun, but the send off the next day was full of tears and fears. Then if course two years later the tsunami hit and no one could reach them. We were all hysterical. Come to find out, as a Christmas gift, they had flown Lisa's mom to Austrailia and they were all there celebrating Christmas. Midge

Isn't it a blessing to get to know all kinds of people? Thomas also did 2 years in Paris. That was his latest assignment. Wow. Talk about red tape! It was very difficult to manage people there. He says that it is the gloomiest place he has ever lived. They just moved from there to south Florida. They are beyond thrilled! He will be back here in a few weeks. Can't wait to talk to him again. -cook

Posted by: Midge
Date posted: Thu Jul 10 17:45:29 2008
Message:
How interesting that this topic came up. Just a few hours ago, our friend who owns the house across the street stopped in to visit, while he's back home from Milan, Italy. The people who had been renting his house for the past 18 months, were transferred back to France and Eduardo was here to look at the house and hire workers to get it ready to be rented again.

Our street of 34 houses, has a half dozen that are owned by oil company employees who are currently on assignment in other countries. Everyone of their houses is always leased to foreign oil company employees, here on temporary assignment, so in a way, we're like those ex-pat compounds. lol

Eduardo is from Peru, but over the past four years has lived in Indonesia, the Hague and now Milan. The renters in his house have been from Finland, New Zeland, Chile and France. Along the street, we have/had other French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Romanian, Japanese, Syrian, Russian, Bosnian and Iranian. It makes for a really fun place to live. I can hardly wait to see who moves into Eduardo's house next. It's a pretty sure bet they will be foreigners on assignment, since their companies cover most if not all the rent and the rents run around $4,000/$5,000. Not likely any locals would pay that to rent, expecially since buying in Houston is very reaonable.

At anyrate, we're recruiters in the industry and Eduardo was here shooting the breeze about what the hell is going on with the outrageous prices on oil and the subject came up about his maybe looking at other opportunities. He wanted to be sure we let him know of openings he fit, at long as it wasn't Nigeria, Gabon, the Congo or that whole Ivory Coast area. We told him we neither work that area, nor do we even recruit from there. Eduardo was talking about the bribes and said he's had a few offers and the companies tell him that its for the employee only, familes stay behind. They pay full pay (for him that would be $180K+), plus a bonus of 60-70%. He said there is no way he'd even consider it.

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our good friends grandson in the the Congo. Some of the stories she tells are really scary. Not sure I would want my kids over there. But yes he is making tons of money and having some experiences never to be forgotten. eom CG