06.21.08
Review of “Spamalot”
I was pretty eager to see “Spamalot,” the lovingly-ripped-off stage production of Monty Python’s “Quest for the Holy Grail.” I went to one of those half-price booths and got myself the best ticket in the place, half off. When patronizing one of these establishments, it is important to remember that the position of the best available seat the day of the show often reveals how popular it is. Six hours before the show, 10th row center was their best seat. It was too good a position for the show to be good.
It started out alright. I was expecting to mostly see gags from the film and a little new stuff, and that’s exactly what I got. I would have enjoyed it much more if it had either been written better, or delivered better, which I guess means it was bad overall. The jokes were very dated, like the knights going to Spamalot, where “What happens in Spamalot, stays in Spamalot” referring to the popular Las Vegas slogan. King Arthur was particularly stiff, and walked around most of the time with little or no reaction to the silliness around him, when the whole point of his character is that he is supposed to be the one with some sense.
The other half of the new humor was trying desperately to poke fun at the musical genre, but I ended up being more annoyed than anything. Singing “This is the song that goes like this” and “Whatever happened to my part” felt more like time-killers than anything that was supposed to result in laughter.
As a fan of the movie and of live theater, I was let down. It was a pleasant enough way to spend an evening, but I regretted paying as much as I had to see it.
06.13.08
Reflections on a year with SABIS
So it’s over. It’s finally over. This past year with SABIS has been one of the most horrible personal and professional experiences of my life. What this company has done to myself and others is completely, in the politest possible terms, unacceptable.
I don’t know how to describe it without seeming overly dramatic, but unfortunately, emotion generally is not accurately portrayed in text. I can’t believe how… damaged… I am by the experience. I am a healthy, professional, hard-working individual, and I care so much about the job that I do. There have been times in the past where I felt unappreciated at work, but I’ve never really felt threatened by an employer before, and before this past year, I never would have fathomed working for an employer that was at least, negligent, and at worst, deliberately intending to do me harm.
Who I really feel sorry for are the people who don’t have any choice about staying with SABIS PPP or not. Most of these people can be classified as economic refugees because they did not necessarily want to leave their country, but the job markets at home were too abysmal to allow them to make a living. Most of these people are from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, as well as other places in Asia. They don’t have a choice. There are no jobs at home for them to take, despite their considerable skills, and they are tied to SABIS because of Emirati Labor law. If someone breaks with an employer, no matter how amicably, there is a 6 month work ban placed on them. They can stay with SABIS PPP (or any company they would work for, really), or they can take at least 6 months without any job or income. It’s a terrible situation.
On top of the occasional shaking and crying, I have found myself unable to write or to use my brain properly. Back in Korea, I churned out about a column a week for Socius, and I can’t even find the words to keep a personal blog going. Like I said, damaged.
So here I am in London trying to make it all fade away before I head back to the states this summer. I wish Ziad was here with me, but that’s a story for another time. I’ll get to see Johnathon and Pete this weekend, and hopefully Cat will get back to me soon. I’ve only been here a day, and already the creative juices are starting to flow, despite my excessive drowsiness from the flight.
I will document my experiences here under the tag “SABIS” for anyone reading this blog with research in mind. Apparently, some other people have been busy writing, too. Happy reading, and if you have a job offer with SABIS, Intered, or the International School of Choueifat, DON’T TAKE IT.
