Driving and Cars

I can officially and legally drive in Saudi Arabia! Wow. For two weeks AEC personnel have promised me "Tim you'll get your license soon--maybe this week or next." Next week finally got here. So here's what happened.
Khalid picks Tuesday to go. He tells me to be at the office by 1000 or 1030. I arrived at 1000--the earlier the better. However, 1000 didn't really mean 1000. Khalid didn't show up until 1100 and had to fix paperwork--some it relating to our time sheets so I wasn't going to argue with that. Prayer time is at noon so Khalid said we would wait until after prayer. Finally at 1230 we left. But before leaving I had to have the usual 5 photos of myself (this place is crazy about photos) along with my iqama (work permit) and my Texas drivers license--I had them all. Khalid grabbed a green folder with papers in Arabic stamped with the official AEC stamp (they're crazy about stamps too--my time sheet has to have an office stamp on it). I found out later that the green folder is crucial to getting your license. If the folder is any other color--no license. Off we go--Khalid talking on the cell phone, smoking a cigarette (I felt like I had a smoked a cigarette by the time we arrived) and whipping in and out of traffic (he's a great driver--really). As usual no signals or mirrors were used--I think they're considered optional here.
We arrive at the building--a big pink building. In we go--Khalid is still talking on the phone. Khalid has wasta--meaning he knows people. We go to the front desk--smiles, talking, something about my folder, Khalid ignores them and we go to another room.
Up to that window. I produce my iqama and Texas license--Khalid talks--money is exchanged--a stamp on my papers. Things seem to be going well. Now to the next window.
We get to the next window. More smiles, talking, my name is mentioned--I'm a little bored so I look in this machine and see some numbers and colors. The policeman asks me to tell him the numbers--oh that's what this is for--so I do--big numbers by the way that I could have read without my glasses. Now on to the blood test.
I am a little nervous about this. I hate giving blood in the US much less in a foreign country. In I go. The older and very nice Saudi gentleman talks to Khalid and then smiles at me and says "Are you ready?" I tell him "Not really but go ahead." He smiles and chuckles. I stick my arm out and close my eyes. My finger gets pricked. Wow that was it. He squeezes some blood out puts some sort of solution and says I'm O+--which I am. The paper is stamped and more money is exchanged.
Now to the final desk. Khalid is talking he's mentioning my name--he gets a little irritated. We leave that window and go to some office that has a very serious policeman sitting at the desk. Khalid mentions his friends name. The policeman asks something then my paper is signed. Khalid tells me we're leaving. But I still don't have my license. In the car Khalid tells me the computers were down. BUT tomorrow--bukra--I'll have my license and it will only take 20 minutes.
So back to AEC on Wed morning at 0800. Abdullah takes me--Khalid is getting ready for vacation that starts on Saturday. I like Abdullah--he speaks little English but is fun to be around. Off we go listening to Arabic music, Abdullah smoking constantly, honking the horn, "Timothy look"--I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at but I smile and say "Wow" and Abdullah smiles.
We arrive at the building. Abdullah gets out of the car and fixes his headress--it looks good on him. Some Saudis outside talk to me but I don't understand anything and tell them to ask Abdullah. Come to find out they're trying to get 25SR out of us but not today.
We get into the building. I tell Abdullah what window we need to go to. He goes to window 2 instead. Lots of talking--lots of hands moving and then we go to window 1 (like I had suggested). At window 1 more talking but now there are smiles. My folder gets taken. Abdullah tells me to sit.
I sit for the next hour! Sit and sit and sit. Names are being called out and people are rushing to get the sacred drivers license. Abdullah asks me for money--I give him 200SR and he disappears--but gives me my folder and tells me when 32 is called to go to the window. 32 is never called. Finally Abdullah comes back. He takes my folder to the window and 20 minutes later I have a license. Abdullah is very proud of me--lots of smiles and "Timothy very nice."
We get in the car--Abdullah stops at an ATM and gives me back the 200 he had borrowed. I get back to AEC and then walk back to my office. Now on Saturday I'll finally be able to invite Laurie and Timmie to Saudi.
It's only about 10 miles to work. But the cars along the way--insane. The roads are modern, there are street lights, stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights and lines in the road indicating the lanes--but nobody pays attention.
3 lanes turn into 5. The red light means that at least 10 more cars can go. The yield sign--I'm not sure what it means. The stop sign means to yield.
There are something like 8 million people that live in Riyadh and I think they all have at least one car.
I drove home--with Lenny reminding me of some of the turns--now he's on vacation in the States. I almost got bumped once--but I honked and they moved back into their lane.
I drove to Jarir bookstore today--I really really like Jarir--it has computers (the Saudis love their computers, thumb drives, etc..) and upstairs lots of books (Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart are here in the Kingdom). I never really get a chance to browse with Lenny--he's not a browser. So today I drove to Jarir and back. I was rather proud of myself.
Ok back to cars. The popular makes are Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Hyundai. The popular models are Camry, LTD, Malibu and Sonata. Of course there are Mercedes (I like the S class), BMW, Porsche and I even saw a Rolls Royce. The Saudi's love a low maintenance car--which is why they like Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Hyundai--and parts for all these are easy to find in the Kingdom.
I mentioned that I'd like to get a VW Jetta. Some sighing. Some frowns. "Timothy this car requires maintenance--the parts are expensive--and only foreigners drive them." I thought the last part was funny--I am a foreigner. We we'll see what happens. Right now I have the company Toyota Corolla--not much power--to drive. Maybe next year.
At least now I have true freedom. Now I just need to figure out how to get places--because everything looks the same to me--brown with palm trees.
Oh and the photos I gave--none of them were used--some other photos of me were used. So I don't know what happened to these 5. And my blood type--remember it's O+-but somehow now it's B+--at least O is the universal donor.