EOSB

Yesterday, a few of my colleagues kindly gave me a leaving present and my manager spoke for a few minutes about how I would be missed and how much impact I had had on my trainees across the years. It was delightfully low key and the perfect way to end my time at the polytechnic. 

Today, on my very last day at work, I feel so relieved that’s it’s all over. Work conditions have deteriorated sharply in recent months (six hours a day in the classroom, hectic exam schedules, compulsory masks and distancing, mandatory vaccination from August onwards etc.), so I don't think I'll ever regret packing up at this particular time. Also, I'm not exactly getting any younger here in Arabia and a stressful life only does one thing to your health: ruins it! 

A couple of days ago, HR sent me my end of service bonus (EOSB) calculation, which was a little higher than I had expected. I guess working two more months boosted it up, along with cash in lieu of a travel ticket and pro rata holiday reimbursement. In fact, my EOSB alone will probably be enough to fund knocking down our old wooden house and replacing it with a more modern concrete one. 

Inevitably, given the pandemic situation in the Philippines and the closure of our Airbnb business, we might face down the line financial pressures. Meanwhile, EOSB and our savings from my years in Arabia will keep us afloat for a while until we work out another way to survive. But that's another story, for another time. 

In less than two weeks, this Saudi blog, like my Saudi life itself, will fall into my past. Therefore, if you'd like to follow our ongoing journey, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel, and follow our Instagram and travel blog.