Light posting

I know I've been posting lightly this week. The reason is that I got another cold. The sore throat has lasted four days and finally (fortunately) moving to the lungs. Besides sleeping I've spent most of my time monitoring weather back in Iowa. I've asked my friends to send pictures because I'd like to be able to show them to my students.

Today was one of those days that makes me love teaching here: I attended a seminar about getting locals to work in the private sector. Sounds terribly boring, right? For me it's a constant state of amazement that never see an Emirati working outside of the government.

It's an open question: How do you convince someone to work in the private sector for less money and a requirement to actually work 40 hours (or at least 30) per week?

Right now a college graduate can make $105,000/year tax free as a police officer. One idea in the future is to let the new police officer know that his pay is really $25,000 but from the kindness of the Sheikh he is receiving an extra $80,000. Maybe they will offer similar subsidies in the private sector. "Here, take this job at Wal-Mart. You will get paid $20,000 from Wal-Mart, but the government is so happy you took a private sector job that they will pay you an additional $60,000/year."

Hearing ideas like that remind me that I'm not in Kansas Iowa anymore.