We went to Germany again (can you believe it?) to spend some of the Christmas season with the Troils (minus Eric who is in Afghanistan). We had an awesome time (more about that later). We left Riyadh at 0200...yawn...early morning. When we checked in we were told that the flight would be stopping in Jeddah...no problem. Our flight from Riyadh to Jeddah was ok. The plane was pretty full but the flight attendants were pleasant. Everything was going well.
We land in Jeddah. All the Saudi’s get off. There are just a handful of us expats left on the plane. We’re thinking this is going to be a great flight to Germany. After about 45 minutes we’re asked to sit down in our seats. One of the expats asked if the flight was going to be full and was told “Yes.” And “Yes” it was full.
On the plane they came...the Turkish horde. The boisterous, big and hygiene deficient Turkish Hajjis. Now I’m not trying to disparage the Hajjis...but wow it was site I’ve never witnessed before up close (I’ve seen stuff like this on TV).
All Muslims, if financially and physically able, are supposed to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. There are whole tourist agencies built around the Hajj. It’s incredible. But when you consider that over 3 million attend Hajj this year and the number keeps going up..well that’s a lot of money. I know that most of the Hajjis are just humble people doing something to help build their spirituality and understanding of their faith.
As the Turkish Hajjis entered the airplane it was as if the rest of us didn’t exist. Here we are sitting quietly in our seats and then all this commotion. One man kept telling the flight attendant that he was supposed to get a window seat and was expecting the expat sitting there to get up! The flight attendant told him that his travel agent may have told the traveller he was getting a window seat but he wasn’t. She pointed to his three seats and in a firm voice told him to sit down (she had to repeat this three times before he and his group sat down). The Hajjis would look at their tickets, the number and then just sit wherever. I’m not sure if they couldn’t read the number or if they just saw an empty seat and decided what the heck I’ll sit here. The flight attendants were going crazy trying to get everyone in their assigned seats. Even when the seats were found the Hajjis would wander around the plane chatting with each other. Finally, in exasperation, one male flight attendant, in a loud voice, said “Hajjis, sit down!” Some did and some didn’t. Over the loud speaker came the announcement “Open seating...please find a seat and sit down.” That created even more chaos.
After an hour the Hajjis were finally in their seats and the plane was ready to take off. We’re in the air cruising and the coughing begins. Not just one or two people but half the plane! Cough, cough, cough. I felt like germs were crawling on me and I was contaminated. I wanted to scream, run down the aisle, open the emergency hatch and parachute out and then burn the clothes I was wearing. I could tell Laurie was not enjoying the flight at all. Lucky for Timmy he was sleeping.
The loud talking, the wandering, hygiene deficient and the coughing....sigh...it didn’t make for a good flight for me. BUT I also have to remember that for the Hajjis this was the high point of their life. They were excited. They had done Hajj. They couldn’t wait to tell their experience to family and friends waiting for them in Germany. So I kept repeating “Serenity now,,,serenty now....”
As we landed I told Laurie that we needed to just sit on the plane until the Hajjis had gotten off and she agreed. I did get up to get a suitcase for the female Hajji sitting in front of us. She smiled and thanked me.
The Hajjis had mostly debarked so we got up and got off the plane. We got our luggage and went to passport control. There were the Hajjis...but lined up and being quiet. As we left the area the doors opened and there were hundreds of family and friends waiting for the Hajjis. I knew they couldn’t wait to hear the stories and that the Hajjis couldn’t wait to tell their stories.
It was by far one of my worst flights...but...what’s a little chaos. We got to Germany ok...we survived the Hajjis...we had an awesome time in Germany. The flight back to Riyadh...practically empty and quiet and best of all no coughing.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Holiday Concert
Yesterday was the Holiday Concert at the American International School-Riyadh (AIS-R). I asked my boss if I could take time off to attend and he smiled and said yes. I planned for a 50 minute drive (even though the school isn’t that far from my office…the highways are packed in the afternoon). I used all 50 minutes.
I figured parking at AIS-R wouldn't bad since I have a pass that allows me to park closer to the school but the line was packed so I ended parking in the main parking lot and walking the “blue mile.” By the time I got to the concert hall…yes hall and it is very very nice…the concert had started. I was looking for Laurie and her assistant pointed to where Laurie was sitting and saving me a seat.
The 1st and 2nd graders were singing funny songs about playing outside in the snow and how they were bored with no school. They were dressed very festive in red shirts and had green and red scarves. It was very nice.
Then the “older” elementary children came out. They were dressed in dark pants and white shirts. They looked so clean and fresh…even angelic. I scanned the stage looking for Timmy. There he was in the back. I was barely able to see him. I mentioned something about sizing the children to Laurie. Laurie pooh poohed that. Then I remaindered her that in military careers hang in the balance on whether or not a person can size a squadron. All the parents started waving to their children…including me. Everybody was excited to see their child / children on stage.
As I sat watching and listening it was amazing. Here are all these children with different social, ethnic and religious backgrounds getting along. I loved seeing the all the dark hair, a smatterings of blonde and then the only red-head (our Timmy). There was brown skin, black, white, Asian, Arab, European, African and American, Christian and Muslim all standing and singing together. It was like looking a little UN. I hope that as these children get older and go through life they’ll remember they are friends.
The songs for the older group were more serious focusing on joy and peace. They sang a song holding candles (the ones with the light bulbs) all the lights were turned out and all you saw were the candles shining and heard their angelic voices singing. I got teary eyed. Even though Christ was not mentioned the song was about all the virtues that both Christians and Muslims are supposed to live up to (love one another and peace).
I was fascinated with a Saudi father. He was sitting two rows in front of Laurie and me and wearing traditional Saudi dress. He wasn’t reclining in the seat but instead was sitting forward with a huge smile on his face and clapping after each number. I don’t know which child was his but he was obviously proud of them and wasn’t afraid to show it.
When the concert was over I realized that it really had touched me. The message was peace, joy and love to all. Isn’t that what all of us want and hope for?
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL!!! May all of us have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
I figured parking at AIS-R wouldn't bad since I have a pass that allows me to park closer to the school but the line was packed so I ended parking in the main parking lot and walking the “blue mile.” By the time I got to the concert hall…yes hall and it is very very nice…the concert had started. I was looking for Laurie and her assistant pointed to where Laurie was sitting and saving me a seat.
The 1st and 2nd graders were singing funny songs about playing outside in the snow and how they were bored with no school. They were dressed very festive in red shirts and had green and red scarves. It was very nice.
Then the “older” elementary children came out. They were dressed in dark pants and white shirts. They looked so clean and fresh…even angelic. I scanned the stage looking for Timmy. There he was in the back. I was barely able to see him. I mentioned something about sizing the children to Laurie. Laurie pooh poohed that. Then I remaindered her that in military careers hang in the balance on whether or not a person can size a squadron. All the parents started waving to their children…including me. Everybody was excited to see their child / children on stage.
As I sat watching and listening it was amazing. Here are all these children with different social, ethnic and religious backgrounds getting along. I loved seeing the all the dark hair, a smatterings of blonde and then the only red-head (our Timmy). There was brown skin, black, white, Asian, Arab, European, African and American, Christian and Muslim all standing and singing together. It was like looking a little UN. I hope that as these children get older and go through life they’ll remember they are friends.
The songs for the older group were more serious focusing on joy and peace. They sang a song holding candles (the ones with the light bulbs) all the lights were turned out and all you saw were the candles shining and heard their angelic voices singing. I got teary eyed. Even though Christ was not mentioned the song was about all the virtues that both Christians and Muslims are supposed to live up to (love one another and peace).
I was fascinated with a Saudi father. He was sitting two rows in front of Laurie and me and wearing traditional Saudi dress. He wasn’t reclining in the seat but instead was sitting forward with a huge smile on his face and clapping after each number. I don’t know which child was his but he was obviously proud of them and wasn’t afraid to show it.
When the concert was over I realized that it really had touched me. The message was peace, joy and love to all. Isn’t that what all of us want and hope for?
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL!!! May all of us have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
Experiments
Here in Riyadh we live in a huge villa. At times it seems overwhelming to live in a villa this big. Our houses in the States were more manageable. The two houses we’ve owned were both 3 BR with 2 baths (one bath in the Master BR and the other bath in the hallway). Since we only had two bathrooms they were used every day. Here we have 4 BR each with their own bathroom. So we rarely look at Timmy’s bathroom. Even more rare is going into the guest bathroom.
About six weeks ago I had had enough of Timmy’s clutter and decided that he and I needed to clean it up. We picked things up off the floor. Put stuff away that was piled on his dresser, bed and desk. The room looked better…still not “perfect” but better. Then I decided to look at this bathroom. I thought the most I would find would be some towels on the floor and maybe a set of dirty clothes (Timmy normally takes a bath in the master bathroom if we’re in there or in Laurie’s bathroom if she’s in the Queen room…he rarely takes a bath in his own bathroom). I was a little shocked at what I found.
On the sink were various sizes of bottles, cups and vials filled with some sort of liquid. Some of the liquid was clear while others were green or blue. There was even a 9-volt battery sitting on the sink (it had gotten wet and didn’t look good). I called Timmy and asked him what all this was.
Timmy: “It’s my experiments.”
Me: “Really.” What are you mixing.”
Timmy: “Soap and water and sometimes food coloring.”
Me: “Uh huh. And what are you hoping for?”
Timmy (in a very excited voice): “I’m trying to mix stuff together and have it explode!”
Wow. My son the mad scientist. I explained that mixing soap, water and food coloring wasn’t going to cause an explosion. Timmy seemed a little disappointed. He told me that he mixes the experiments together, leaves them for a few days and then adds stuff to the glasses, bottles and vials. I told him I was impressed with him determination and imagination but that the experiments had to be cleaned up and in the future we needed to discuss his experiments.
I looked in the bathroom today. It’s mostly clean except for some toothpaste in his sink (we’ve been working on that for a while now…and….).
About six weeks ago I had had enough of Timmy’s clutter and decided that he and I needed to clean it up. We picked things up off the floor. Put stuff away that was piled on his dresser, bed and desk. The room looked better…still not “perfect” but better. Then I decided to look at this bathroom. I thought the most I would find would be some towels on the floor and maybe a set of dirty clothes (Timmy normally takes a bath in the master bathroom if we’re in there or in Laurie’s bathroom if she’s in the Queen room…he rarely takes a bath in his own bathroom). I was a little shocked at what I found.
On the sink were various sizes of bottles, cups and vials filled with some sort of liquid. Some of the liquid was clear while others were green or blue. There was even a 9-volt battery sitting on the sink (it had gotten wet and didn’t look good). I called Timmy and asked him what all this was.
Timmy: “It’s my experiments.”
Me: “Really.” What are you mixing.”
Timmy: “Soap and water and sometimes food coloring.”
Me: “Uh huh. And what are you hoping for?”
Timmy (in a very excited voice): “I’m trying to mix stuff together and have it explode!”
Wow. My son the mad scientist. I explained that mixing soap, water and food coloring wasn’t going to cause an explosion. Timmy seemed a little disappointed. He told me that he mixes the experiments together, leaves them for a few days and then adds stuff to the glasses, bottles and vials. I told him I was impressed with him determination and imagination but that the experiments had to be cleaned up and in the future we needed to discuss his experiments.
I looked in the bathroom today. It’s mostly clean except for some toothpaste in his sink (we’ve been working on that for a while now…and….).
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Lost in Translation
Living and working in a foreign country is awesome. One thing I find challenging sometimes is trying to get someone to understand me or trying to understand them.
Recently I was having some problems with the car. So I called the mechanic. They said they would come and get it. Awesome. I wrote out a list for them...just three items. I get the call that they are at the gate. I take the car...look for the Hanco truck...nothing. Hmmm. Well I'll wait. I see two men walking...wearing slacks. It turns out these are the Hanco guys (I was looking for the blue coveralls they usually wear). I tell the guy I have a list. Then he says "Yes I will make a list."
"I have a list."
Him.."Tell me everything and I will make the list."
So I tell him. He starts to write. Then I give him the list.
"You have a list."
Me.."Yes."
Him.."Oh thank you sir."
Off they go. I get a call from them.
"Sir there is 15 riyals in the car."
"Ok."
"What do you want us to do with it?" (I keep money in the car for gas...15 riyals will almost fill me up..that's about $4).
"Leave it in the car."
"Keep it?"
Leave it."
"Keep it?"
"No, just leave it in the car."
"OK we will keep it."
"Ok that sounds good." I checked the armrest today...they kept the 15 riyals..and bought a drink with it..I threw away the can. It's no big deal to me..we aren't going to go hungry and maybe it made their day to have some extra money.
The gardener has been asking me about planting some more plants in the front. He took up the "old" ones. He normally puts in new plants twice a year...once in the spring and once in the fall. I've told him to wait a few weeks. BUT, we do have three planters on the front porch that are empty (I think).
"Rajenda. Are there plants in these?" pointing to the planters.
"Yes"
"There are?"
"Yes. We need plants in there."
"So, there aren't plants in these."
"Yes"
"Yes no plants?"
"Yes you need plants."
"Ok. Thanks Rajenda." He smiles and I tell him that I'll let him know what plants I want in the planters.
There are other "lost in translations" moments that I could write. These are the most recent ones. At times it does get discouraging...but then you have to handle it with humor because it is funny most of the time.
Recently I was having some problems with the car. So I called the mechanic. They said they would come and get it. Awesome. I wrote out a list for them...just three items. I get the call that they are at the gate. I take the car...look for the Hanco truck...nothing. Hmmm. Well I'll wait. I see two men walking...wearing slacks. It turns out these are the Hanco guys (I was looking for the blue coveralls they usually wear). I tell the guy I have a list. Then he says "Yes I will make a list."
"I have a list."
Him.."Tell me everything and I will make the list."
So I tell him. He starts to write. Then I give him the list.
"You have a list."
Me.."Yes."
Him.."Oh thank you sir."
Off they go. I get a call from them.
"Sir there is 15 riyals in the car."
"Ok."
"What do you want us to do with it?" (I keep money in the car for gas...15 riyals will almost fill me up..that's about $4).
"Leave it in the car."
"Keep it?"
Leave it."
"Keep it?"
"No, just leave it in the car."
"OK we will keep it."
"Ok that sounds good." I checked the armrest today...they kept the 15 riyals..and bought a drink with it..I threw away the can. It's no big deal to me..we aren't going to go hungry and maybe it made their day to have some extra money.
The gardener has been asking me about planting some more plants in the front. He took up the "old" ones. He normally puts in new plants twice a year...once in the spring and once in the fall. I've told him to wait a few weeks. BUT, we do have three planters on the front porch that are empty (I think).
"Rajenda. Are there plants in these?" pointing to the planters.
"Yes"
"There are?"
"Yes. We need plants in there."
"So, there aren't plants in these."
"Yes"
"Yes no plants?"
"Yes you need plants."
"Ok. Thanks Rajenda." He smiles and I tell him that I'll let him know what plants I want in the planters.
There are other "lost in translations" moments that I could write. These are the most recent ones. At times it does get discouraging...but then you have to handle it with humor because it is funny most of the time.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Vacuum
I know all of you are fascinated with our life here in Saudi so I have to share this. When I arrived in Saudi and was given the villa it came furnished…awesome..and that included a vacuum cleaner. However, the vacuum cleaner was terrible…no suction and I could never find the attachment so I could stand up (if I wanted to vacuum I was on my hands and knees..imagine that for 5,000 sq ft). One day the door bell rang and a lady offered to be my maid…and she came with her OWN vacuum. How could I say “No.” She was hired. All went fine until one day I spilled something and needed to vacuum it. Remember the one from the villa is terrible so the vacuuming didn't go well.
So, we went out and bought a vacuum. A nice shiny new one. I told the maid and it made her very happy because now she wouldn't have to lug her vacuum on her bike. We were all in vacuum heaven. That was year ago. Recently the vacuum has sounded strange and it didn’t seem to be picking up as well. I thought I’d look it over. I did. I unscrewed screws, took off things here and there and made nice piles so I could put everything back together. I ended up with extra screws and could not figure out how to get the plastic guard back on. The vacuum turned on…it picked things up..it sounded much better…and then I finished the hallway and the vacuum sounded terrible and stopped picking up. Great…now I have to go and get another vacuum.
I saw the vacuum I wanted…the angels were singing…music was everywhere....I was in a trance. I wanted the Hoover Wind Tunnel + Cyclonic! Then the announcement..the place was closing for prayer. There was no time to look this vacuum over. That night I dreamed of vacuuming with the Hoover. I couldn’t wait to go back and check it out.
I went back to the store..in plenty of time to inspect it. It was more beautiful than I remembered. I was ready to buy it until I noticed it was 220!! I need 110. I searched for a sales guy and found one. Surely they had one that was 110. Insahallah…yes inshallah. He goes to the back. No. No..how could that be? I left dejected.
I went to another store and saw the Hoover. It was 220! I was ready to settle on a lesser vacuum. The sales clerk saw me. He assured me that there was a new Hoover in a box in the back with 110 voltage. I was smiling and told him to go get it I was in buying mood. He comes out of the storeroom empty handed…all the Hoovers were 220. The manager comes over. He makes a call. One of the stores on exit 23 has a 110…floor model. He will have it delivered and will call me. Excellent. BUT the manager tells me to go check out one other store. So I do (BTW he never did call me).
I get to the 3rd store during prayer…but it’s the last prayer of the day. I wait. I call Dad. I call Aunt Charlotte (I use up all my credit and only have like 5 cents left after talking to her and Uncle Bill..but it was worth it). Finally the doors open. I find it…the Hoover Wind Tunnel + Cyclonic and it’s 110!! YES! The clerk comes over. He is sure there’s one in the box. He comes out empty handed. The floor model is a little scuffed and it’s missing a wand but I need it because the maid is coming the next day. I buy the floor model at FULL price with the promise that I can bring it back within 7 days and exchange it for a boxed vacuum. Off I go. I turn it on at home…it hums and picks up dirt…I fall asleep with happy dreams.
I go back in 6 days to return this one for a boxed one. At first they don’t want to give me one. I tell them a story about the maid not liking it…she thinks it doesn’t pick up dirt very well (you always have to have a reason over here…for everything..you can’t just return something…there has to be a reason). They plug it in and vacuum with it. They tell me they will have it serviced. I’m feeling dejected because I want one in a box (is that so hard to understand). Finally I speak to the manager and tell him “I was told I could exchange this one for one in the box.”
Him..”But you bought this one without the box.”
Me..”Yes with the understanding that I would get one in a box.”
Him..”What is wrong with this one?”
Me..”It’s not in a box and it’s missing a wand and I paid full price.”
Him..”Who told you that you could bring this back and get one in a box? A Filipino?”
Me..”Yes.” I wasn’t backing down. I was taking a stand on this. I was ready to give a speech about how in America when you’re promised a vacuum in a box you get one in a box.
Well prayer time is about to start. He finishes up some paperwork and tells me to come back tomorrow same time and there will be a new vacuum for me. I come back the next day…there it is…still not in a box..still no manual..but it has all the wands and looks cleaner and newer. I take it home. I love it.
It’s an adventure living here and the next adventure is right around the corner.
So, we went out and bought a vacuum. A nice shiny new one. I told the maid and it made her very happy because now she wouldn't have to lug her vacuum on her bike. We were all in vacuum heaven. That was year ago. Recently the vacuum has sounded strange and it didn’t seem to be picking up as well. I thought I’d look it over. I did. I unscrewed screws, took off things here and there and made nice piles so I could put everything back together. I ended up with extra screws and could not figure out how to get the plastic guard back on. The vacuum turned on…it picked things up..it sounded much better…and then I finished the hallway and the vacuum sounded terrible and stopped picking up. Great…now I have to go and get another vacuum.
I saw the vacuum I wanted…the angels were singing…music was everywhere....I was in a trance. I wanted the Hoover Wind Tunnel + Cyclonic! Then the announcement..the place was closing for prayer. There was no time to look this vacuum over. That night I dreamed of vacuuming with the Hoover. I couldn’t wait to go back and check it out.
I went back to the store..in plenty of time to inspect it. It was more beautiful than I remembered. I was ready to buy it until I noticed it was 220!! I need 110. I searched for a sales guy and found one. Surely they had one that was 110. Insahallah…yes inshallah. He goes to the back. No. No..how could that be? I left dejected.
I went to another store and saw the Hoover. It was 220! I was ready to settle on a lesser vacuum. The sales clerk saw me. He assured me that there was a new Hoover in a box in the back with 110 voltage. I was smiling and told him to go get it I was in buying mood. He comes out of the storeroom empty handed…all the Hoovers were 220. The manager comes over. He makes a call. One of the stores on exit 23 has a 110…floor model. He will have it delivered and will call me. Excellent. BUT the manager tells me to go check out one other store. So I do (BTW he never did call me).
I get to the 3rd store during prayer…but it’s the last prayer of the day. I wait. I call Dad. I call Aunt Charlotte (I use up all my credit and only have like 5 cents left after talking to her and Uncle Bill..but it was worth it). Finally the doors open. I find it…the Hoover Wind Tunnel + Cyclonic and it’s 110!! YES! The clerk comes over. He is sure there’s one in the box. He comes out empty handed. The floor model is a little scuffed and it’s missing a wand but I need it because the maid is coming the next day. I buy the floor model at FULL price with the promise that I can bring it back within 7 days and exchange it for a boxed vacuum. Off I go. I turn it on at home…it hums and picks up dirt…I fall asleep with happy dreams.
I go back in 6 days to return this one for a boxed one. At first they don’t want to give me one. I tell them a story about the maid not liking it…she thinks it doesn’t pick up dirt very well (you always have to have a reason over here…for everything..you can’t just return something…there has to be a reason). They plug it in and vacuum with it. They tell me they will have it serviced. I’m feeling dejected because I want one in a box (is that so hard to understand). Finally I speak to the manager and tell him “I was told I could exchange this one for one in the box.”
Him..”But you bought this one without the box.”
Me..”Yes with the understanding that I would get one in a box.”
Him..”What is wrong with this one?”
Me..”It’s not in a box and it’s missing a wand and I paid full price.”
Him..”Who told you that you could bring this back and get one in a box? A Filipino?”
Me..”Yes.” I wasn’t backing down. I was taking a stand on this. I was ready to give a speech about how in America when you’re promised a vacuum in a box you get one in a box.
Well prayer time is about to start. He finishes up some paperwork and tells me to come back tomorrow same time and there will be a new vacuum for me. I come back the next day…there it is…still not in a box..still no manual..but it has all the wands and looks cleaner and newer. I take it home. I love it.
It’s an adventure living here and the next adventure is right around the corner.
Thank You!
Here in Saudi we often forgot some of the holidays. I was glad to be reminded by AFN, blogs and Face Book about Veteran’s Day.
I never thought much about Veteran’s Day growing up. There were parades and speeches made. A lot of “old” men and some women remembering their experiences. I knew my Dad had been in the USAF and had been to Vietnam (he never really talks about it. I’ve heard a few stories. Myrna once told me that Dad has nightmares if he talks about Vietnam so I don’t ask anymore).
As I got older it seemed that Veteran’s Day was another day for stores to hawk their wares..10, 20, and 30% off. It seemed it was just a shopping day.
While in the USAF I never thought of myself as a “veteran.” Veterans were the old men and women. I was still young and full of life and definitely not a veteran.
This year Veteran’s Day has really pulled at my heart. I know two people that are deployed…Eric and Mike. One is in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Eric has a great family that we love and I know his family misses him so much and they’re staying strong for Eric (but 179 days is a long time to be away from an awesome family). Mike has a baby girl that he’s never held and wife that misses him so much (she will be 6 months old before he can hold her and then he has to back t Iraq for another 6 months. A year away seems almost too much). The sacrifice that Eric and Mike and their families are making truly does bring me to tears. They are all heroes to me.
As I watch AFN I see all these young men and women deploying I often think I could have never been that young…but I was. I remember living in the tents (one leaked when it rained so we covered up with our ponchos..there always seemed to be mud in the tent and on our clothes), being away on holidays, and walking to the bathroom in the freezing cold to take a nice hot shower and then walk back to your tent in the freezing cold so you could finish getting dressed and all the other things that go with being deployed. But it was my duty..it was my job. I was grateful to help protect the US from enemies foreign and domestic.
I remember someone once thanked me for my service. I had to blink away the tears. I didn’t feel worthy of the thanks. I hadn’t fought in WWI or II, Korea or Vietnam. I hadn’t come back with anything missing. I hadn’t lost any buddies in battle. Yet, here was someone thanking me for being in the USAF…I can never forget his sincere thanks.
I hope that all the Veterans..the young and the old…the retired and active duty, Reserve and Guard…get the Thanks they deserve. And it’s not just the Veteran’s that need to be Thanked it’s also the families. I don’t know if “civilians” really understand the sacrifice that is made for them…I hope they do.
Too all Veterans and families …these two words can never be enough…Thank You!
I never thought much about Veteran’s Day growing up. There were parades and speeches made. A lot of “old” men and some women remembering their experiences. I knew my Dad had been in the USAF and had been to Vietnam (he never really talks about it. I’ve heard a few stories. Myrna once told me that Dad has nightmares if he talks about Vietnam so I don’t ask anymore).
As I got older it seemed that Veteran’s Day was another day for stores to hawk their wares..10, 20, and 30% off. It seemed it was just a shopping day.
While in the USAF I never thought of myself as a “veteran.” Veterans were the old men and women. I was still young and full of life and definitely not a veteran.
This year Veteran’s Day has really pulled at my heart. I know two people that are deployed…Eric and Mike. One is in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Eric has a great family that we love and I know his family misses him so much and they’re staying strong for Eric (but 179 days is a long time to be away from an awesome family). Mike has a baby girl that he’s never held and wife that misses him so much (she will be 6 months old before he can hold her and then he has to back t Iraq for another 6 months. A year away seems almost too much). The sacrifice that Eric and Mike and their families are making truly does bring me to tears. They are all heroes to me.
As I watch AFN I see all these young men and women deploying I often think I could have never been that young…but I was. I remember living in the tents (one leaked when it rained so we covered up with our ponchos..there always seemed to be mud in the tent and on our clothes), being away on holidays, and walking to the bathroom in the freezing cold to take a nice hot shower and then walk back to your tent in the freezing cold so you could finish getting dressed and all the other things that go with being deployed. But it was my duty..it was my job. I was grateful to help protect the US from enemies foreign and domestic.
I remember someone once thanked me for my service. I had to blink away the tears. I didn’t feel worthy of the thanks. I hadn’t fought in WWI or II, Korea or Vietnam. I hadn’t come back with anything missing. I hadn’t lost any buddies in battle. Yet, here was someone thanking me for being in the USAF…I can never forget his sincere thanks.
I hope that all the Veterans..the young and the old…the retired and active duty, Reserve and Guard…get the Thanks they deserve. And it’s not just the Veteran’s that need to be Thanked it’s also the families. I don’t know if “civilians” really understand the sacrifice that is made for them…I hope they do.
Too all Veterans and families …these two words can never be enough…Thank You!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ich liebe Deutschland
I love Germany! I really do. It was so awesome visiting Germany. As I was planning the trip I asked Laurie what she wanted to see. Her response “I want to see Germany.” That’s like saying “I want to see the beautiful state of Georgia.” Germany has a lot to see. I settled on three cities: Heidelberg, Wurzburg and Rothenberg. All were my favorites when I was stationed in Germany. I knew we wanted to see our friends the Troil’s…and they live near all three cities so that was easy.
We landed in Germany and waiting for us with smiling faces and warm hugs was the Troil family (Eric, Val, Emily and Vance). Timmy was so excited to see Vance (best friends in San Angelo). Timmy had talked constantly about what he and Vance were going to do…lots of adventures. But it had been over a year and I was a little worried that things might have changed…they hadn’t. Timmy and Vance fell right back into being best friends as we were walking through the airport. Timmy even rode with Val, Emily and Vance to their house (Eric got stuck with me and Laurie).
The Troil’s house…I’m jealous and envious. I love their house. It’s so German and yet so spacious. We had our own guestroom downstairs with a bathroom..it was like being at the Ritz. Laurie and I would wake up in the morning to cool fresh air and look outside and see flowers, trees and bushes and we were in a real neighborhood where people talked to each other, women drove cars..it was awesome.
The first city we went to was Heidelberg…the romantic city of Germany. I fell in love with it all over again and Laurie fell in love with it. The café’s, restaurants, Neckar River, cobblestone streets, old hotels, the market square and cathedrals everywhere. So beautiful. We walked and walked and never got tired. It was just so refreshing to walk. We went to the castle…stunning even though most of it has been destroyed. The gardens are nice to walk in. You get a sense of what it must have been like to be royalty.
Heidelberg has the Neckar River running through it. I loved being able to stand on the old bridge and just watch the river. Heidelberg also has so many alleys that seem to have something more exciting or enticing than the main walkway that we were on. They beckon you like the Pied Piper to follow them..it takes strong resolve to stay on the path…and yet at times it was fun to veer off and see what there was. This is a city to have your camera ready and have extra batteries with you.
Next we went to Rothenberg. This town is like living in a fairytale town. This is a town that Disney would have in some movie. But it’s real. It’s so charming, so quaint. We walked along the city wall ducking our heads at time because we were taller than they were when the wall was built, ate in a restaurant that overlooked a valley, went to the castle grounds and saw people enjoying life. You feel like some knight in armor is ready to defend the chastity of his fair maiden. I really expected to hear horses come galloping down the street. It’s a must see town.
Laurie and I went to Wurzburg by ourselves…Timmy was spending his days with Vance (and he had a great time…I am SO grateful for friends like Eric and Val who made sure Timmy was safe and had a good time). Wurzburg with the Residence of the Prince-Bishops built on the scale of Versailles very grand and ornate. The gardens were gorgeous…breathtaking almost. The inside was very royal. If you stood still you could almost hear the servants rushing to and fro while the Prince-Bishops were holding court and ladies were swooning over some handsome man. The chapel was so ornate and gaudy it almost had an unholy feeling to it (as if the world was more comfortable there rather than Christ). The Residence is absolutely incredible. But there’s more to Wurzburg than the Residence. There’s the Fortress where the Prince-Bishop’s and their entourage would go to in times of emergency. So we started walking.
Laurie and I loved the walk. There was so much to ohh and ahh at. We stopped for lunch in the market square. Had schnitzel (have to eat pork when we can and the schnitzel was SO delish….a little lemon squeezed on it…yummy) and frites (we ate more potatoes…fries, mashed, fries…but delish). Our waitress showed us the map so we could continue our journey and off we went. In Germany we walked a lot. It’s just easier to walk or take the bus/train…driving on the autobahn is nice but driving in the city is a big headache. We crossed the beautiful bridge and saw the Fortress. Then we saw a sign…20 minutes if you follow path A and 45 minutes if you follow path B. We chose A. But it took us a lot longer than 20 minutes. The walk up was challenging but worth it. Once we got to the top…wow! We could see for miles…the town…the churches…the river. It was an awe inspiring site. The Fortress had a very nice tour that we took on our own. Again you really can get a feel for what it was like to be powerful.
Germany was more than castles and cathedrals. It was good food, fresh air, good friends and three days in a hotel without Timmy (charming hotel in Heidelberg…the best breakfast buffet…and romantic). We saw vineyards (Val took us to some vineyards in their town on our final day and it was the perfect ending for our trip), orchards, things growing…life. We saw incredibly beautiful flowers…different colors and varieties. We walked and walked and never really felt tired.
Most of you know that I love food. So I have to mention that almost every night I got spaghetti eis (spaghetti ice-cream). Sounds gross doesn’t it? It’s vanilla gelato that they make look like spaghetti (they spoon it into this spatzle do hicky, squeeze and viola spaghetti) , then they put a strawberry topping on it and sprinkle it with some white chocolate flakes…it looks like spaghetti with cheese. It is SOOOO DELISH!!! I had some made with chocolate gelato…it was ok. Made with vanilla eis….DELISH.
I love Germany! Laurie and Timmy love Germany. And the cool thing is Timmy had 3 days of adventures that Laurie and I didn’t have with him…he has his own memories and that’s awesome.
If you’re thinking of going to Germany…go. We thought the end of Sept was the best…the weather is cooling down, the trees are green but with a hint of color and it’s not too crowded.
Where are we going next? Maybe back to Germany!
We landed in Germany and waiting for us with smiling faces and warm hugs was the Troil family (Eric, Val, Emily and Vance). Timmy was so excited to see Vance (best friends in San Angelo). Timmy had talked constantly about what he and Vance were going to do…lots of adventures. But it had been over a year and I was a little worried that things might have changed…they hadn’t. Timmy and Vance fell right back into being best friends as we were walking through the airport. Timmy even rode with Val, Emily and Vance to their house (Eric got stuck with me and Laurie).
The Troil’s house…I’m jealous and envious. I love their house. It’s so German and yet so spacious. We had our own guestroom downstairs with a bathroom..it was like being at the Ritz. Laurie and I would wake up in the morning to cool fresh air and look outside and see flowers, trees and bushes and we were in a real neighborhood where people talked to each other, women drove cars..it was awesome.
The first city we went to was Heidelberg…the romantic city of Germany. I fell in love with it all over again and Laurie fell in love with it. The café’s, restaurants, Neckar River, cobblestone streets, old hotels, the market square and cathedrals everywhere. So beautiful. We walked and walked and never got tired. It was just so refreshing to walk. We went to the castle…stunning even though most of it has been destroyed. The gardens are nice to walk in. You get a sense of what it must have been like to be royalty.
Heidelberg has the Neckar River running through it. I loved being able to stand on the old bridge and just watch the river. Heidelberg also has so many alleys that seem to have something more exciting or enticing than the main walkway that we were on. They beckon you like the Pied Piper to follow them..it takes strong resolve to stay on the path…and yet at times it was fun to veer off and see what there was. This is a city to have your camera ready and have extra batteries with you.
Next we went to Rothenberg. This town is like living in a fairytale town. This is a town that Disney would have in some movie. But it’s real. It’s so charming, so quaint. We walked along the city wall ducking our heads at time because we were taller than they were when the wall was built, ate in a restaurant that overlooked a valley, went to the castle grounds and saw people enjoying life. You feel like some knight in armor is ready to defend the chastity of his fair maiden. I really expected to hear horses come galloping down the street. It’s a must see town.
Laurie and I went to Wurzburg by ourselves…Timmy was spending his days with Vance (and he had a great time…I am SO grateful for friends like Eric and Val who made sure Timmy was safe and had a good time). Wurzburg with the Residence of the Prince-Bishops built on the scale of Versailles very grand and ornate. The gardens were gorgeous…breathtaking almost. The inside was very royal. If you stood still you could almost hear the servants rushing to and fro while the Prince-Bishops were holding court and ladies were swooning over some handsome man. The chapel was so ornate and gaudy it almost had an unholy feeling to it (as if the world was more comfortable there rather than Christ). The Residence is absolutely incredible. But there’s more to Wurzburg than the Residence. There’s the Fortress where the Prince-Bishop’s and their entourage would go to in times of emergency. So we started walking.
Laurie and I loved the walk. There was so much to ohh and ahh at. We stopped for lunch in the market square. Had schnitzel (have to eat pork when we can and the schnitzel was SO delish….a little lemon squeezed on it…yummy) and frites (we ate more potatoes…fries, mashed, fries…but delish). Our waitress showed us the map so we could continue our journey and off we went. In Germany we walked a lot. It’s just easier to walk or take the bus/train…driving on the autobahn is nice but driving in the city is a big headache. We crossed the beautiful bridge and saw the Fortress. Then we saw a sign…20 minutes if you follow path A and 45 minutes if you follow path B. We chose A. But it took us a lot longer than 20 minutes. The walk up was challenging but worth it. Once we got to the top…wow! We could see for miles…the town…the churches…the river. It was an awe inspiring site. The Fortress had a very nice tour that we took on our own. Again you really can get a feel for what it was like to be powerful.
Germany was more than castles and cathedrals. It was good food, fresh air, good friends and three days in a hotel without Timmy (charming hotel in Heidelberg…the best breakfast buffet…and romantic). We saw vineyards (Val took us to some vineyards in their town on our final day and it was the perfect ending for our trip), orchards, things growing…life. We saw incredibly beautiful flowers…different colors and varieties. We walked and walked and never really felt tired.
Most of you know that I love food. So I have to mention that almost every night I got spaghetti eis (spaghetti ice-cream). Sounds gross doesn’t it? It’s vanilla gelato that they make look like spaghetti (they spoon it into this spatzle do hicky, squeeze and viola spaghetti) , then they put a strawberry topping on it and sprinkle it with some white chocolate flakes…it looks like spaghetti with cheese. It is SOOOO DELISH!!! I had some made with chocolate gelato…it was ok. Made with vanilla eis….DELISH.
I love Germany! Laurie and Timmy love Germany. And the cool thing is Timmy had 3 days of adventures that Laurie and I didn’t have with him…he has his own memories and that’s awesome.
If you’re thinking of going to Germany…go. We thought the end of Sept was the best…the weather is cooling down, the trees are green but with a hint of color and it’s not too crowded.
Where are we going next? Maybe back to Germany!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Leaving
We're paking up and getting ready to go back to our desert kingdom. We're both sad and happy. Sad because living in Saudi really is far from everyone and we didn't get a chance to see everyone we wanted to (The LeMays and Strobels). Happy because we want to get back "home" to our villa and back to our "normal" Saudi life (I'm starting to get bored with no work).
We've had a great time while on vacation...Disney World, St Augustine, visitng the Reeds, Stone Mountain, taking picuters and sometimes just doing nothing. We really enjoyed going to the grocery stores...they have so much food and such great selections.
We looked at some land in Pike County and found some that we really liked. We're going to put an offer in and then.....hope we get it. Hopefully we'll have saved enough to build our dream home in about 10 years.
The US really is a great country...and I am proud to be an American...freedom and deomocracy..old Glory, politics, freedom of religion and...well everything. I am never ashamed to tell people that I'm from the US...and I hope none of you are either.
Later...I'll blog after we get back to Riyadh.
We've had a great time while on vacation...Disney World, St Augustine, visitng the Reeds, Stone Mountain, taking picuters and sometimes just doing nothing. We really enjoyed going to the grocery stores...they have so much food and such great selections.
We looked at some land in Pike County and found some that we really liked. We're going to put an offer in and then.....hope we get it. Hopefully we'll have saved enough to build our dream home in about 10 years.
The US really is a great country...and I am proud to be an American...freedom and deomocracy..old Glory, politics, freedom of religion and...well everything. I am never ashamed to tell people that I'm from the US...and I hope none of you are either.
Later...I'll blog after we get back to Riyadh.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sweet Georgia!
Sweet Georgia! I love being back in the South. Here in Zebulon life really is slower…a lot slower than in Riyadh (I honked at someone today because they weren’t going fast enough after the light turned green..Dad said “Timmie slow down and enjoy life.”). I love Riyadh but it has a nervous go go energy that never stops and I needed to stop for a little while.
I love seeing all the green…grass…trees. I can’t believe how green it is here or maybe it’s not really that green and I’m just used to seeing desert.
The accents are so awesome here. I love a good Southern accent. It’s soft and falls on your ears gently. It doesn’t hurt to listen to a Southern accent like it does to listen to other accents (some of those accents from the North…ouch!).
I love the food. Southerners have this connection to food. Food means money. Food is to be shared. Food is to be enjoyed and eaten and eaten and eaten…if you gain some weight so what.
I love Southern writers and how they express themselves in a way no other section in the US can or does. When I read a Southern writer…especially from Georgia..I fell like I’m listening to old friends and family…everything is familiar.
I love driving the country roads here. The roads seem to go on forever and are lined with trees and kudzu. The trees and kudzu have a thin layer of red Georgia dust on them. And when you’re driving down the back roads you look in the rearview mirror and see all the dust you’ve stirred up….I love doing that.
I love seeing my Dad and seeing that he’s looking well. I love that he loves Timmie and Timmie loves him. I’m also glad to see my step-Mother. I love the eccentricities that comes from their house..but then what good Southerner doesn’t have eccentricities.
I love seeing my Grandmother who is 99. I don’t think she knows me..but she’s so sweet that it doesn’t matter. I do miss the stories she used to tell us about her youth and I miss her cooking…but at least she’s still here. Grandma still has a twinkle in her eye and she still wants to be involved and loved.
I love seeing and visiting with my quirky sweet little sister. Is it quirky or eccentric..who cares. She’s never dull. She’s always full of stories that center around her (but then Laurie tells me that all my stories center around me). My little sister is also full of love and never tells you that you’ve gotten fat or old…she takes you for who you are. She really is a sweet sister and I’ve missed seeing her.
Ahh…Georgia…I’ve missed you!
I love seeing all the green…grass…trees. I can’t believe how green it is here or maybe it’s not really that green and I’m just used to seeing desert.
The accents are so awesome here. I love a good Southern accent. It’s soft and falls on your ears gently. It doesn’t hurt to listen to a Southern accent like it does to listen to other accents (some of those accents from the North…ouch!).
I love the food. Southerners have this connection to food. Food means money. Food is to be shared. Food is to be enjoyed and eaten and eaten and eaten…if you gain some weight so what.
I love Southern writers and how they express themselves in a way no other section in the US can or does. When I read a Southern writer…especially from Georgia..I fell like I’m listening to old friends and family…everything is familiar.
I love driving the country roads here. The roads seem to go on forever and are lined with trees and kudzu. The trees and kudzu have a thin layer of red Georgia dust on them. And when you’re driving down the back roads you look in the rearview mirror and see all the dust you’ve stirred up….I love doing that.
I love seeing my Dad and seeing that he’s looking well. I love that he loves Timmie and Timmie loves him. I’m also glad to see my step-Mother. I love the eccentricities that comes from their house..but then what good Southerner doesn’t have eccentricities.
I love seeing my Grandmother who is 99. I don’t think she knows me..but she’s so sweet that it doesn’t matter. I do miss the stories she used to tell us about her youth and I miss her cooking…but at least she’s still here. Grandma still has a twinkle in her eye and she still wants to be involved and loved.
I love seeing and visiting with my quirky sweet little sister. Is it quirky or eccentric..who cares. She’s never dull. She’s always full of stories that center around her (but then Laurie tells me that all my stories center around me). My little sister is also full of love and never tells you that you’ve gotten fat or old…she takes you for who you are. She really is a sweet sister and I’ve missed seeing her.
Ahh…Georgia…I’ve missed you!
Visa Crisis!
A month ago I turned our passports in to get multiple entry / exit visas for all of us and paid for them (the multiple allows us to leave the Kingdom when we want to). Before our visas could get processed the Kingdom deemed that all male foreign workers had to get fingerprinted and photographed. My company told me that I had plenty of time to do this before I went on vacation. However, I told them I wanted it done sooner rather than later. The company arranged for 6 of us to get our fingerprints and photos done…no problem.
I submitted my request again for the multiple visas and got them two weeks before our vacation date. But I noticed something…one visa had Timothy Dukes and then at the bottom had Timmie’s name. No problem my site office told me since this was the new way of doing things..the father and children were on the same visa. Ok…they know the rules not me.
The night before vacation I decided to check the web site to make sure all was ok. I was prompted to do this. I typed in my passport number and visa….nothing…again….nothing. Hmmm. I typed in Timmie’s passport number and visa..he has one. I type in Laurie’s…she has one. Now I panic. We’ve paid a lot for this vacation. I want to travel with my family. I start making phone calls.
The first phone calls went to the manager of our site office. He doesn’t answer. Then I call his assistant. No answer.
The next phone call was to the American HR guy this is supposed to take care of us. No answer. I go to his villa..the car is gone. I go to the restaurant..he’s not there. I do see another HR person from another company. Ron tells me to go to the airport and see if I have a visa and if not see what they can do for me.
I rush home. We get a babysitter for Timmie and Laurie and I rush out the door. We’re both in a panic and we’re not hiding it.
We get to the airport and find the office. I talk to a very nice man. He looks me up in the computer…nothing. He listens to my story but tells me there is nothing he can do. I’m told that someone from my company has to handle the problem. I call the General I work for.
The General asks to speak the guy at the airport. Then the General asks me for a phone number to anyone in the company. I give him Faisal’s number. Five minutes later the General calls me and tells me that Faisal will be calling me. How the General got Faisal to answer the phone..well I’m glad he did.
I call Faisal. Faisal tells me that he’ll meet me at the compound. SO Laurie and I rush back to the Compound. Faisal isn’t waiting. I call him. His car battery died and he had to call his cousin to come and give him a jump. Ok..I’ll just wait.
Faisal finally shows up around 1000pm—yes pm. This all started around 4pm and our flight leaves at 745am and we’re going to be at the airport at 0530am. The clock is ticking and I’m a nervous wreck..but smiling and pretending that all is ok and will all work out…inshallah.
Faisal is talking on the phone and then hands me the phone. I’m talking to our government relations person Mohammed..I don’t know what a GR is or does but if he can get me a visa I don’t care.
Mohammed tells me that it’s impossible to get a multiple visa BUT he can get me a single entry. I tell him that’s what I want and will worry about the multiple later. Mohammed tells me to give him an hour..that’ll be 1145pm. I go back to the villa.
Lots of prayers from me, Laurie and Timmie (“Dad I hope you get to come with us”..with tears in his eyes). At 1145pm Mohammed calls me and tells me that he has the visa for me and will bring it to the compound. At midnight he shows up with the visa.
Mohammed tells me that the company made the mistake. I paid for a multiple and didn’t get it. He promises that when I come back and apply for a multiple that I’ll get it no problem.
I am exhausted, happy, elated and irritated (irritated that the Americans that are supposed to take care us failed to). I can’t sleep but I do nap on and off. I hear the morning prayers and we all get up.
The van picks us up at 0500…right on schedule. I tip him very generously. We get to the British Airways counter and check in with no problem.
The flights were crowed, long and tiring. The food was excellent and so was the service. When we arrived in Atlanta and got to baggage there was Dad and Myrna with happy smiles. I’m glad to be in the US!
As I look back I’m also glad that Saudi Arabia has an office open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to handle these types of crisis. AND I’m very glad that I thought to call my General and then action started happening. We love being in Saudi and now we have our own visa crisis story..but I don’t want to go through that again!
I submitted my request again for the multiple visas and got them two weeks before our vacation date. But I noticed something…one visa had Timothy Dukes and then at the bottom had Timmie’s name. No problem my site office told me since this was the new way of doing things..the father and children were on the same visa. Ok…they know the rules not me.
The night before vacation I decided to check the web site to make sure all was ok. I was prompted to do this. I typed in my passport number and visa….nothing…again….nothing. Hmmm. I typed in Timmie’s passport number and visa..he has one. I type in Laurie’s…she has one. Now I panic. We’ve paid a lot for this vacation. I want to travel with my family. I start making phone calls.
The first phone calls went to the manager of our site office. He doesn’t answer. Then I call his assistant. No answer.
The next phone call was to the American HR guy this is supposed to take care of us. No answer. I go to his villa..the car is gone. I go to the restaurant..he’s not there. I do see another HR person from another company. Ron tells me to go to the airport and see if I have a visa and if not see what they can do for me.
I rush home. We get a babysitter for Timmie and Laurie and I rush out the door. We’re both in a panic and we’re not hiding it.
We get to the airport and find the office. I talk to a very nice man. He looks me up in the computer…nothing. He listens to my story but tells me there is nothing he can do. I’m told that someone from my company has to handle the problem. I call the General I work for.
The General asks to speak the guy at the airport. Then the General asks me for a phone number to anyone in the company. I give him Faisal’s number. Five minutes later the General calls me and tells me that Faisal will be calling me. How the General got Faisal to answer the phone..well I’m glad he did.
I call Faisal. Faisal tells me that he’ll meet me at the compound. SO Laurie and I rush back to the Compound. Faisal isn’t waiting. I call him. His car battery died and he had to call his cousin to come and give him a jump. Ok..I’ll just wait.
Faisal finally shows up around 1000pm—yes pm. This all started around 4pm and our flight leaves at 745am and we’re going to be at the airport at 0530am. The clock is ticking and I’m a nervous wreck..but smiling and pretending that all is ok and will all work out…inshallah.
Faisal is talking on the phone and then hands me the phone. I’m talking to our government relations person Mohammed..I don’t know what a GR is or does but if he can get me a visa I don’t care.
Mohammed tells me that it’s impossible to get a multiple visa BUT he can get me a single entry. I tell him that’s what I want and will worry about the multiple later. Mohammed tells me to give him an hour..that’ll be 1145pm. I go back to the villa.
Lots of prayers from me, Laurie and Timmie (“Dad I hope you get to come with us”..with tears in his eyes). At 1145pm Mohammed calls me and tells me that he has the visa for me and will bring it to the compound. At midnight he shows up with the visa.
Mohammed tells me that the company made the mistake. I paid for a multiple and didn’t get it. He promises that when I come back and apply for a multiple that I’ll get it no problem.
I am exhausted, happy, elated and irritated (irritated that the Americans that are supposed to take care us failed to). I can’t sleep but I do nap on and off. I hear the morning prayers and we all get up.
The van picks us up at 0500…right on schedule. I tip him very generously. We get to the British Airways counter and check in with no problem.
The flights were crowed, long and tiring. The food was excellent and so was the service. When we arrived in Atlanta and got to baggage there was Dad and Myrna with happy smiles. I’m glad to be in the US!
As I look back I’m also glad that Saudi Arabia has an office open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to handle these types of crisis. AND I’m very glad that I thought to call my General and then action started happening. We love being in Saudi and now we have our own visa crisis story..but I don’t want to go through that again!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Fantasy life
Most of you know that we live on a Western compound (I really hate that word--makes me think of being in prison) in a huge villa with a pool. The compound is like a small town with a restaurant, very small grocery store, huge public pool, gym, etc.. We have workers all over that take care of everything--trimming trees, mowing, sweeping the streets, changing your light bulbs, taking down your curtains for cleaning and then putting them back up, people will deliver your groceries and food and on and on. It's a fantasy life here and if we're not careful we get caught up in believing it's real.
The other day I was talking with Peggy--a friend of ours. Her husband's company provides them with a car, Lincoln Town Car Signature Series, and a driver. Neither Peggy nor Ron really wanted a driver--but they got one. They also live on a nice Western compound. They're used to the driver now. He takes Ron to work and then goes back to their villa and waits for Peggy to go out. When she goes out he waits for her to finish shopping and takes her wherever else she needs to go and then he picks Ron up from work.
Peggy was telling me that a few months ago when her Mom was here visiting they went shopping. When they finished and were walking towards the door Peggy's Mom asked her how the driver knows to pick her up. Peggy said she just looked at her Mom--she had never thought about that--the driver just shows us and puts things in the car for her. We started laughing at the story because it's so bizarre to us regular people to have a driver. I mean Trump, Bloomberg and the President I know they need drivers--they're running billion dollar companies and a country--time is money and time is precious. But us?
Laurie and I have a part-time Maid, Maggie, and a gardener, Rajenda. When I come home on Monday I smile--the house smells so clean and fresh. The carpet has been vacuumed, dishes washed, bathrooms (6 of them) cleaned and everything dusted (except the blinds). Maggie also comes in 4 other days to clean up the kitchen and make the beds. I love having Maggie come over. I know I pay her but there's something nice about having someone take care of things for you. When I feel lazy I leave the dishes in the sink knowing that Maggie will clean them. I feel awful that I admitted that. But I really do appreciate Maggie and can't think of what life would be like without her. When I see Maggie on the compound I always smile and wave and she always smiles and waves back.
Our gardener, Rajenda, is a humble man from Nepal. He has a family there and the extra money he makes from me and some others he sends home. Rajenda takes care of watering the plants and hosing down the tile in the backyard (cleaning the bird poop). He even cleans up after I BBQ if I've left a mess. Rajenda washes my car at least once a week--but more if he feels like it needs it.
Last week after we came back from Bahrain the car was dirty. We didn't get home until 930pm. I wasn't worried about driving a "dirty" car. The next day was work. I get in the car and drive it to work. About half way there I realized that Rajenda had cleaned the car. But when did he do this--late Fri, early Sat? I don't know but he took care of me--and I've gotten used to it.
Here on our compound most people have a maid and gardener. I think most of us do need the maid with these huge villas. But most of us could take care of our own small yards--I used to mow our yard in Texas and Fl and that required more effort than watering--what am I doing with a gardener. I used to wash and wax my Merceds at least once a week--and here I've never even washed the car much less wax it.
Yet this is the life here. And it's not just on the compounds--this is how the Saudi life is. Saudi life is even more fantasy. When you go to a fast food restaurant you don't clean off your table--someone else will. When you're driving and throw some trash on the ground--someone will pick it up. If you don't want to carry your stuff to the car--someone else will. If you want something delivered--every store does and they unpack it, put it together and put it where you want and the list goes on and on.
We were in Bahrain last month and ate at Dairy Queen--yum. We got up to leave and didn't throw away our trash. Then we stopped--where was the person cleaning off the table--oh we're supposed to. So we went back and cleaned it off.
The Saudi life has pampered us. But we also know the extra money we give Maggei and Rajenda helps their families to have a higher standard of living (we're helping stimulate the international economy). We really do appreciate all that Maggie and Rajenda do for us. We tell them Thank you all the time. But it is a fantasy life here and you aren’t careful you begin to believe it’s real.
The other day I was talking with Peggy--a friend of ours. Her husband's company provides them with a car, Lincoln Town Car Signature Series, and a driver. Neither Peggy nor Ron really wanted a driver--but they got one. They also live on a nice Western compound. They're used to the driver now. He takes Ron to work and then goes back to their villa and waits for Peggy to go out. When she goes out he waits for her to finish shopping and takes her wherever else she needs to go and then he picks Ron up from work.
Peggy was telling me that a few months ago when her Mom was here visiting they went shopping. When they finished and were walking towards the door Peggy's Mom asked her how the driver knows to pick her up. Peggy said she just looked at her Mom--she had never thought about that--the driver just shows us and puts things in the car for her. We started laughing at the story because it's so bizarre to us regular people to have a driver. I mean Trump, Bloomberg and the President I know they need drivers--they're running billion dollar companies and a country--time is money and time is precious. But us?
Laurie and I have a part-time Maid, Maggie, and a gardener, Rajenda. When I come home on Monday I smile--the house smells so clean and fresh. The carpet has been vacuumed, dishes washed, bathrooms (6 of them) cleaned and everything dusted (except the blinds). Maggie also comes in 4 other days to clean up the kitchen and make the beds. I love having Maggie come over. I know I pay her but there's something nice about having someone take care of things for you. When I feel lazy I leave the dishes in the sink knowing that Maggie will clean them. I feel awful that I admitted that. But I really do appreciate Maggie and can't think of what life would be like without her. When I see Maggie on the compound I always smile and wave and she always smiles and waves back.
Our gardener, Rajenda, is a humble man from Nepal. He has a family there and the extra money he makes from me and some others he sends home. Rajenda takes care of watering the plants and hosing down the tile in the backyard (cleaning the bird poop). He even cleans up after I BBQ if I've left a mess. Rajenda washes my car at least once a week--but more if he feels like it needs it.
Last week after we came back from Bahrain the car was dirty. We didn't get home until 930pm. I wasn't worried about driving a "dirty" car. The next day was work. I get in the car and drive it to work. About half way there I realized that Rajenda had cleaned the car. But when did he do this--late Fri, early Sat? I don't know but he took care of me--and I've gotten used to it.
Here on our compound most people have a maid and gardener. I think most of us do need the maid with these huge villas. But most of us could take care of our own small yards--I used to mow our yard in Texas and Fl and that required more effort than watering--what am I doing with a gardener. I used to wash and wax my Merceds at least once a week--and here I've never even washed the car much less wax it.
Yet this is the life here. And it's not just on the compounds--this is how the Saudi life is. Saudi life is even more fantasy. When you go to a fast food restaurant you don't clean off your table--someone else will. When you're driving and throw some trash on the ground--someone will pick it up. If you don't want to carry your stuff to the car--someone else will. If you want something delivered--every store does and they unpack it, put it together and put it where you want and the list goes on and on.
We were in Bahrain last month and ate at Dairy Queen--yum. We got up to leave and didn't throw away our trash. Then we stopped--where was the person cleaning off the table--oh we're supposed to. So we went back and cleaned it off.
The Saudi life has pampered us. But we also know the extra money we give Maggei and Rajenda helps their families to have a higher standard of living (we're helping stimulate the international economy). We really do appreciate all that Maggie and Rajenda do for us. We tell them Thank you all the time. But it is a fantasy life here and you aren’t careful you begin to believe it’s real.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Wild Wicked Weather
The weather in Riyadh has been crazy the last two months. It started with the huge sandstorm that got international press--the worst sandstorm in 30 years or more. I was sitting in my office at the RSAF. General Faisal comes in "Tim, Lenny go to the window there is a storm." We get up and hurry to a window. By the time we got there the sand had overtaken the building. Outside it was red and orange as if the outside was on fire and we were being protected--like a sci-fi movie. The guys showed us what the sandstorm looked like as it came down the street--right out of a Hollywood movie special effects. We left work early and it was like driving in fog--you could hardly see in front of you. Laurie said that some parents were coming to get their children out of school early. Wild.
Then a few days later it rained--which is unusual for this time of year in Riyadh. It wasn't a sprinkle--it was a nice thunder and lightning rain. It washed away the dust and cleaned all the trees. It also flooded areas of Riyadh--then they send trucks to suck up all the water so traffic can flow again. It rained for two evenings--very nice.
After the rains the weather seemed to calm down the sun came out and the ground started drying up. People were enjoying the nice sunny warm days.
Then the winds came. It just started getting windy one day. And with the wind it got chilly. Not freezing--to us it was because anything below 70 is cold. It did drop down to the 50's--people were wearing their gloves and scarf’s. The wind blew for two days--The Wizard of Oz type wind (before the tornado). I was wishing we had a dog named Toto just in case we blew away. Wicked.
Then the winds stopped, no more rain and the sand was settled. The temp was rising to 90--all seemed right. Yesterday a sandstorm. Laurie and I walked out to the car and there was sand everywhere. We decided to pick Timmie up from Taekwondo instead of letting him come home on his bike. We went and picked him up. The wind and sand were crazy.
Last night I went out with the guys. Had a dinner party at a straha (I didn't spell it right but it's a place you rent and then invite your family and friends and have a party--this one had a very small pool, small volleyball court, tent for dining and a room with couches--very nice). There was a gentle cool breeze--as if there had never been the sandstorm one hour earlier. Crazy.
All my Saudi guys were even saying that weather has been crazy this year. The US military put out a warning that wicked weather may be here until May. They also warned that the weather this year has been very unusual. Yeah--wild wicked weather--what an adventure.
Then a few days later it rained--which is unusual for this time of year in Riyadh. It wasn't a sprinkle--it was a nice thunder and lightning rain. It washed away the dust and cleaned all the trees. It also flooded areas of Riyadh--then they send trucks to suck up all the water so traffic can flow again. It rained for two evenings--very nice.
After the rains the weather seemed to calm down the sun came out and the ground started drying up. People were enjoying the nice sunny warm days.
Then the winds came. It just started getting windy one day. And with the wind it got chilly. Not freezing--to us it was because anything below 70 is cold. It did drop down to the 50's--people were wearing their gloves and scarf’s. The wind blew for two days--The Wizard of Oz type wind (before the tornado). I was wishing we had a dog named Toto just in case we blew away. Wicked.
Then the winds stopped, no more rain and the sand was settled. The temp was rising to 90--all seemed right. Yesterday a sandstorm. Laurie and I walked out to the car and there was sand everywhere. We decided to pick Timmie up from Taekwondo instead of letting him come home on his bike. We went and picked him up. The wind and sand were crazy.
Last night I went out with the guys. Had a dinner party at a straha (I didn't spell it right but it's a place you rent and then invite your family and friends and have a party--this one had a very small pool, small volleyball court, tent for dining and a room with couches--very nice). There was a gentle cool breeze--as if there had never been the sandstorm one hour earlier. Crazy.
All my Saudi guys were even saying that weather has been crazy this year. The US military put out a warning that wicked weather may be here until May. They also warned that the weather this year has been very unusual. Yeah--wild wicked weather--what an adventure.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Futball---Soccer
In the US we call it soccer--the rest of the world calls it futball. It's ok to go with the flow--but then what would we call football--...
I'm not a big soccer fan--well I wasn't. Timmie was on a soccer team recently and I went to all of his games--there were only 6. It was nice. I enjoyed them. Timmie has talked about soccer since school started--we even bought him a soccer ball. Almost all the guys in his class play soccer--and they're good at it.
Recently Timmie asked me if I would buy him a Manchester United shirt. We went and looked at the price...$$$.. Wow. I told him maybe later. Timmie said ok. I found out that he told his Mom that he was saving his money to buy the shirt because he knew it was expensive. What a great son. Timmie had to get another tooth extracted and once again did it with no complaining. So when Laurie and I went shopping we bought him the shirt--he was with a sitter. When we got home and gave him the shirt he got the biggest smile--it was like the movies..hugs, kisses, thank you...what a great son.
I'm teaching 15 officers and they love soccer--like all Saudi's. There was a game being played at the stadium and they invited me to go with them. Here I am 43 being invited by these young 20 something year olds. Of course I'll go. They asked me what time I usually go to bed. I told them around 10 or 11--that caused some concern since the game wouldn't start until about 8 and end at 11ish and then we had to eat dinner. I assured them that I could stay out until midnight...but then I would start to get very tired. Smiles and ok.
The guys (Mohamed, Adel, Turki and Osama) came and picked me up at the compound. All were wearing jeans and were ready to host me. We parked across from the stadium so we had to cross two roads--they made sure we crossed together and all made it. We arrived at 5 to make sure we got good seats. We sat at the very top--what a walk (whew) and what a view (wow).
There was excitement in the air. The stadium was pretty full. All of us regular people sitting in the blue seats. Then there are the yellow seats for those that want to pay more and then of course the Royal Box (and one of the Prince's was there that evening--that is kind of wow).
All the guys were singing, clapping and dancing--this sea of white thobes and dark hair--it was a sight. The noise level was very loud--everybody is excited. It was Riyadh versus Jeddah.
Then a dust storm--sand everywhere--hair, clothes, nose, etc.. There was concern that the game would be delayed--but it wasn't. The game started on time.
I really got into it. The next thing I knew the first half was over. Over? It seemed they had only started to play. Now it was time for a 15 minute break.
Mohammed wanted me to meet one of his friends so we went to find the friend. Found him and had a nice chat. From the moment I entered the stadium until we left I was greeted with hello's, how are you, etc..I was the only American and I think the only non-Saudi at the game..it was kind of cool.
Finally the second half starts. A goal--now each team has one. Jeddah gets another and the game is over. I couldn't believe the game was over and it was time to leave.
We leave. Calls are made on mobiles to locate everyone. Two of the guys always stayed with me--to make sure I wasn't jostled or anything.
We get to the car. It's after 11. A discussion on where to go for dinner ensued. They really wanted to take me to an Indian restaurant..but it was too late for that. Then TGI Friday’s was mentioned..but again they were afraid the food wouldn’t arrived in time for to be home by midnight. I told them that if they wanted they could take me home...no..we had to have dinner. We ended up going to McDonald's--fast. They got me home by midnight.
I had a GREAT time. My hosts were awesome. They made sure I was comfortable and was enjoying myself. They even smuggled in water--hid it in their shirts. I am so grateful to them for taking me to the game and so grateful for their kindness and hospitality. The Saudi's can really be a generous people--you just have to get to know them.
Now I enjoy futball. I watch some on TV--not a whole game--but some. Timmie is really getting into now. There's a match between North Korea and another team being held here in Riyadh in May. I really want to go to that one..can you imagine--North Korea. Rumor is that women can go. I'm not sure that I would want to take Laurie. I suppose if we sat in the expensive yellow seats--but then I'd miss the clapping, singing and dancing...the blue seats have more fun. If you’re not a fan…watch some on TV. But to really enjoy the game go see a match live and then hopefully you too will become a fan of futball.
I'm not a big soccer fan--well I wasn't. Timmie was on a soccer team recently and I went to all of his games--there were only 6. It was nice. I enjoyed them. Timmie has talked about soccer since school started--we even bought him a soccer ball. Almost all the guys in his class play soccer--and they're good at it.
Recently Timmie asked me if I would buy him a Manchester United shirt. We went and looked at the price...$$$.. Wow. I told him maybe later. Timmie said ok. I found out that he told his Mom that he was saving his money to buy the shirt because he knew it was expensive. What a great son. Timmie had to get another tooth extracted and once again did it with no complaining. So when Laurie and I went shopping we bought him the shirt--he was with a sitter. When we got home and gave him the shirt he got the biggest smile--it was like the movies..hugs, kisses, thank you...what a great son.
I'm teaching 15 officers and they love soccer--like all Saudi's. There was a game being played at the stadium and they invited me to go with them. Here I am 43 being invited by these young 20 something year olds. Of course I'll go. They asked me what time I usually go to bed. I told them around 10 or 11--that caused some concern since the game wouldn't start until about 8 and end at 11ish and then we had to eat dinner. I assured them that I could stay out until midnight...but then I would start to get very tired. Smiles and ok.
The guys (Mohamed, Adel, Turki and Osama) came and picked me up at the compound. All were wearing jeans and were ready to host me. We parked across from the stadium so we had to cross two roads--they made sure we crossed together and all made it. We arrived at 5 to make sure we got good seats. We sat at the very top--what a walk (whew) and what a view (wow).
There was excitement in the air. The stadium was pretty full. All of us regular people sitting in the blue seats. Then there are the yellow seats for those that want to pay more and then of course the Royal Box (and one of the Prince's was there that evening--that is kind of wow).
All the guys were singing, clapping and dancing--this sea of white thobes and dark hair--it was a sight. The noise level was very loud--everybody is excited. It was Riyadh versus Jeddah.
Then a dust storm--sand everywhere--hair, clothes, nose, etc.. There was concern that the game would be delayed--but it wasn't. The game started on time.
I really got into it. The next thing I knew the first half was over. Over? It seemed they had only started to play. Now it was time for a 15 minute break.
Mohammed wanted me to meet one of his friends so we went to find the friend. Found him and had a nice chat. From the moment I entered the stadium until we left I was greeted with hello's, how are you, etc..I was the only American and I think the only non-Saudi at the game..it was kind of cool.
Finally the second half starts. A goal--now each team has one. Jeddah gets another and the game is over. I couldn't believe the game was over and it was time to leave.
We leave. Calls are made on mobiles to locate everyone. Two of the guys always stayed with me--to make sure I wasn't jostled or anything.
We get to the car. It's after 11. A discussion on where to go for dinner ensued. They really wanted to take me to an Indian restaurant..but it was too late for that. Then TGI Friday’s was mentioned..but again they were afraid the food wouldn’t arrived in time for to be home by midnight. I told them that if they wanted they could take me home...no..we had to have dinner. We ended up going to McDonald's--fast. They got me home by midnight.
I had a GREAT time. My hosts were awesome. They made sure I was comfortable and was enjoying myself. They even smuggled in water--hid it in their shirts. I am so grateful to them for taking me to the game and so grateful for their kindness and hospitality. The Saudi's can really be a generous people--you just have to get to know them.
Now I enjoy futball. I watch some on TV--not a whole game--but some. Timmie is really getting into now. There's a match between North Korea and another team being held here in Riyadh in May. I really want to go to that one..can you imagine--North Korea. Rumor is that women can go. I'm not sure that I would want to take Laurie. I suppose if we sat in the expensive yellow seats--but then I'd miss the clapping, singing and dancing...the blue seats have more fun. If you’re not a fan…watch some on TV. But to really enjoy the game go see a match live and then hopefully you too will become a fan of futball.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Rambles
Has it really been two months since I posted anything? Shame on me--ha--I really am busy living the Saudi life. And what a life it still is.
So what's been happening? Well.....we went to Bahrain again. This time we stayed at the Inter Con (that's the cool way of saying the InterContinental) Hotel--another 5 star. It was really nice--not as posh as the Ritz--but very nice. We arrived on Thursday and I thought I was going to go insane with all the traffic and no left turns--all right turns (darn those British). After getting irritated, lost, discouraged I asked Laurie to please call the hotel---she did--"We're on Lulu" "Yes it is busy..." "Yes" Yes" "Ok see you soon." That was all I heard. BUT 15 minutes later we were checking in at the hotel (and Lulu really was busy). That same day we went to a movie, walked around a mall and ate out. Slept good that night.
The next day was Friday--Church day. Bahrain has a building and Church members can meet openly--no missionary work. We had been given directions. Laurie even downloaded the address. So off we went. One hour later we finally found the building. They are so NICE! They invited us to stay for potluck—they had had a potluck a few days before with Elder and Sis Holland…they were visiting all the wards and branches in our Stake---all of them. So now we know when potlucks are and next time we will stay--we might even bring something.
That same day Laurie said she looked terrible--hair, face, nails, etc...She left the room and three hours later she came back feeling much better--and wow she looked awesome (her toenails were painted a nice red--yummy).
We went shopping on base on Sat and got some real US Wonder bread--soft, delish, white bread---ummmmmmm...it's gone now. We bought some other items and came back to Riyadh.
The drive to Bahrain took us three hours--I was speeding--going between 85 and 95 (the speed limit is 75)--I was just going with the flow of traffic. Coming back there was a sandstorm and it took us about 5 hours--and the front license plate has no more paint on it.
What else? Timmie is now a green belt. He passed his test and we're so proud of him. Timmie is also playing soccer and learning the game. He's in there playing and we're proud of him for that too. Timmie was also invited to a Saudi birthday party.
Now most b-day parties in the States are held at home, Mr. Gatti's, maybe take a friend to the movie. Here they have them at the malls--because all the malls have an amusement park for the children--some lavish and some small. I dropped Timmie off--the Moms came over and fussed over him. It was a 2 hour party so I wandered around the mall. Then I got bored and went to watch Timmie and his friends. I suddenly felt jealous. I realized I was barred from the party--because only the Mama's were allowed. In the States I would have been chatting and helping out--but here I can't. It irritated me and then I realized that this must be how Western women feel. It was very interesting to me.
Finally--well not finally since we had a visitor from Utah come and visit us--and that was incredible—read above!
Ok--finally--Laurie and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!!! Yay us! Wed night I went out with a new guy to "old" Riyadh--where you can bargain, etc.. I wanted to get Laurie a pashmini (sp) shawl and some jewelry (we were poor last year for our anniv). I found some beautiful shawls and bought two--then the man gave me one for free--I protested and told him that it was much too beautiful to give me--I offered to pay--but he smiled and packed it in my bag. I really was moved by that and almost hugged him--but now I'll be buying the shawls from him.
Then I went to the gold souk and found some earrings and necklace for Laurie--nothing Saudi gaudy--simple Laurie instead. I gave my gifts to Laurie the next day and she was pleasantly surprised. Then she gave me a beautiful poem that described the past 10 years--I got really teary eyed--my voice even choked up. Laurie's gift to me was so much better than anything I bought her.
In one month I will have been in Saudi for a year. It has been an amazing adventure and still continues to be.
Now we're planning our trip back to the States. Ahhh..the South in the summer...humidity and heat...we can't wait.
So what's been happening? Well.....we went to Bahrain again. This time we stayed at the Inter Con (that's the cool way of saying the InterContinental) Hotel--another 5 star. It was really nice--not as posh as the Ritz--but very nice. We arrived on Thursday and I thought I was going to go insane with all the traffic and no left turns--all right turns (darn those British). After getting irritated, lost, discouraged I asked Laurie to please call the hotel---she did--"We're on Lulu" "Yes it is busy..." "Yes" Yes" "Ok see you soon." That was all I heard. BUT 15 minutes later we were checking in at the hotel (and Lulu really was busy). That same day we went to a movie, walked around a mall and ate out. Slept good that night.
The next day was Friday--Church day. Bahrain has a building and Church members can meet openly--no missionary work. We had been given directions. Laurie even downloaded the address. So off we went. One hour later we finally found the building. They are so NICE! They invited us to stay for potluck—they had had a potluck a few days before with Elder and Sis Holland…they were visiting all the wards and branches in our Stake---all of them. So now we know when potlucks are and next time we will stay--we might even bring something.
That same day Laurie said she looked terrible--hair, face, nails, etc...She left the room and three hours later she came back feeling much better--and wow she looked awesome (her toenails were painted a nice red--yummy).
We went shopping on base on Sat and got some real US Wonder bread--soft, delish, white bread---ummmmmmm...it's gone now. We bought some other items and came back to Riyadh.
The drive to Bahrain took us three hours--I was speeding--going between 85 and 95 (the speed limit is 75)--I was just going with the flow of traffic. Coming back there was a sandstorm and it took us about 5 hours--and the front license plate has no more paint on it.
What else? Timmie is now a green belt. He passed his test and we're so proud of him. Timmie is also playing soccer and learning the game. He's in there playing and we're proud of him for that too. Timmie was also invited to a Saudi birthday party.
Now most b-day parties in the States are held at home, Mr. Gatti's, maybe take a friend to the movie. Here they have them at the malls--because all the malls have an amusement park for the children--some lavish and some small. I dropped Timmie off--the Moms came over and fussed over him. It was a 2 hour party so I wandered around the mall. Then I got bored and went to watch Timmie and his friends. I suddenly felt jealous. I realized I was barred from the party--because only the Mama's were allowed. In the States I would have been chatting and helping out--but here I can't. It irritated me and then I realized that this must be how Western women feel. It was very interesting to me.
Finally--well not finally since we had a visitor from Utah come and visit us--and that was incredible—read above!
Ok--finally--Laurie and I celebrated 10 years of marriage!!! Yay us! Wed night I went out with a new guy to "old" Riyadh--where you can bargain, etc.. I wanted to get Laurie a pashmini (sp) shawl and some jewelry (we were poor last year for our anniv). I found some beautiful shawls and bought two--then the man gave me one for free--I protested and told him that it was much too beautiful to give me--I offered to pay--but he smiled and packed it in my bag. I really was moved by that and almost hugged him--but now I'll be buying the shawls from him.
Then I went to the gold souk and found some earrings and necklace for Laurie--nothing Saudi gaudy--simple Laurie instead. I gave my gifts to Laurie the next day and she was pleasantly surprised. Then she gave me a beautiful poem that described the past 10 years--I got really teary eyed--my voice even choked up. Laurie's gift to me was so much better than anything I bought her.
In one month I will have been in Saudi for a year. It has been an amazing adventure and still continues to be.
Now we're planning our trip back to the States. Ahhh..the South in the summer...humidity and heat...we can't wait.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Bahrain=Freedom, Naval base and The Ritz
We got back today from a weekend getaway in Bahrain. Bahrain is an island country about 4 hours from Riyadh. The two countries are connected via a bridge—a very long bridge. So here’s the story of our trip.
We left on Wed at 1700 and followed some friends to Dahran—they were staying with their friends at ARAMCO and we were staying at Jadawel East (our sister compound). We get to Dahran and go our separate ways. I knew I had to find the corniche and take a left. Lenny (more about him later) had told me to keep going left until I saw the Dahran International Expo Center. Found it—it’s after 2100 (9pm) so it’s dark and I’m a little unsure (but saying my prayers). Take a right and drive to Jadawel East.
At JE we get thru the first security gate—now for the second one. At the second one I have to stop and get out and register. We have a villa waiting—or do we. I have a letter in my hand saying we are authorized a villa. However the guys tell me” No villa.” They have no paperwork on me. Phone calls are made and we get a villa.
JE villa’s aren’t as big as ours are in Riyadh—but hey it’s free! We set our phones for 0600 because we wanted to leave for Bahrain NLT 0715. We got in bed and slept—woke up on time—packed the car again and left on time.
I have never driven to Bahrain and was there once 17 years ago—so we’re kind of doing this blind. We had a map and I had been told to just follow the signs. We followed the signs got on the bridge and started driving over the ocean—that long long bridge.
Then we come to all the check-points—Saudi first and then Bahrain. At one you pay a toll fee…the next you give your passports…then car inspection…then car information…then you buy insurance…then passports again…Laurie and I kept watching the car in from of us trying to figure out what they were handing—we did pretty good and suddenly we were in Bahrain.
Bahrain equals freedom—freedom to watch movies, not wear the abyaa, women can drive and work, you can eat pork, drink liquor, go night clubbing and you can swim in the ocean. Freedom! Oh and during prayer time you’ll hear the call very faint but nothing closes.
There were some other things I noticed—being the driver. The lanes were clearly marked and everybody stayed in their lanes. The horns were mostly silent. The signs were in English. Nobody took two parking spaces. There was no parking on the roads, double parking or triple parking. The cars looked nicer. People obeyed the traffic lights and signs. Driving was amazingly smooth. Amazingly smooth!
We get to Bahrain, find the Grand Mosque—and it is grand—and then get lost (actually we got lost twice before we found the Grand Mosque). We were looking for Ric’s Kountry Kooking—all US expats eat there and rave about it. Somehow we just kept looking and Laurie says “Tim take a right—there it is.” It was across from the Grand Mosque—across a huge sand lot (we had been told a field and were expecting grass, trees, flowers—I don’t know why—after all this is the Middle East). We go in and order. The food was good—the biscuits with sausage gravy were really good. We ate and waited for Lenny and Kay (they were going to be our tour guides—and they were awesome). So Lenny and Kay arrive and tell us that they’ll eat at the Navy base. We leave Ric’s take a right and we’re at the base!
A base! A US base with all the luxuries I’d forgotten about. In Saudi we have nowhere to use our ID card, commissary, BX, movie theater, etc.. But the Naval base in Bahrain has all that. We parked, walked through security and the angels from heaven started to sing…maybe that was prayer call..but anyway it felt like a slice of heaven.
Lenny and Kay went to eat at the food court and pointed us towards the commissary and BX. I thought we were going to go crazy in the commissary. It was just nice to see US prices and pay a reasonable fee for our chips instead of $10 like we do here. I’ve been wanting Noxema—they had it. Laurie bought some woman stuff and Timmie was excited about the S’more pop tarts. It really is the little things you miss. I even bought….hold your breath…real vanilla. You can’t find it here because it has alcohol. AND I bought nutmeg…something you have a hard time finding here because it’s considered an aphrodisiac (but isn’t chocolate one too—and there’s lot of chocolate here in the KSA). Then Timmie and I saw a sign that said an express Taco Bell coming soon. I thought Timmie was going to cry—he really misses his Taco Bell.
We pack up our delicacies and follow L and K to one of the malls. This mall had a
16plex theater…with 16 different movies…14 in English. Timmie and I saw Bolt—loved it-- and the others saw Twilight (Laurie said it was much better than her pirated copy). After the movies we went to the hotel.
We stayed at..... THE RITZ!!! Yes The Ritz. I have never felt so underdressed and so “country” in all my life. We got government rates—less than half what the regular price is. You drive up and it’s valet parking—you can’t park your own car—it’s not allowed. Someone opens your door, the passenger door and unloads your trunk AND takes your luggage to your room..you do not lift a finger. When we walked into the huge, gorgeous lobby a lady came up to register Timmie for all the children activities—and there were a lot. Laurie told her we were only there for the evening—the lady looked disappointed…but she brought us juice.
After we checked in someone took us to our room! She turned on the lights and showed us our room and told us that if we needed anything to let her know.
The room! WOW! The tub was huge. The bed was so fluffy and cozy. The pillows were perfect. The window over looked the pool (lit at night and looked so romantic) and ocean (private with lots of lounge chairs and raked constantly to look nice). It was incredible.
This Ritz is a spa Ritz—but we didn’t have time, or privacy, to enjoy all the Ritz had to offer. However, some friends at the compound have offered to watch Timmie so Laurie and I can take advantage of the Ritz (that doesn’t sound right but I know you all know what I mean).
We rested for a little while—then walked on the beach to take our pictures—Timmie played for a minute on the playground. Then we all loaded up and went to eat at Johnny Rockets (we were supposed to get one here but we heard it was cancelled).
After we ate it was back to mall for another movie. This time our family saw Bedtime Stories—loved it. L and K saw something else. By now it’s late and we’re all tired. Back to The Ritz to snuggle under that comforter, lay my head on that perfect pillow and sink into the mattress…ummmmmmm.
We woke up on Friday, checked out, the cars were brought around the front, doors opened, suitcases loaded for us and off we drove to eat at Ric’s again (the food really is good American food). After eating we loaded back into our cars for the exciting trip through immigration, customs and trying to figure out what to do at each window (I got a stern warning on the Saudi side for not waiting for them to tell me what stall to go to at the customs area..I thought that would mean our car would be searched…but it wasn’t..the guy just signed off on my paperwork…but now I know for next time to wait).
Once we got back into Saudi there was a different feel. It’s home…but there seem to be so many “constrictions.” Yet we love it here…even with the constrictions. Driving back to Riyadh we saw the usual camels, long truck lines, and of course the desert. This time the wind was really blowing so that meant a lot of sand blowing around--less visibilty but we still drove about 75 - 85mph. We got back to our villa safe and sound.
Wow—Bahrain is so close and now that we’ve driven the road, crossed the bridge, made our way through the maze and know what’s on the other side—we’re ready to go on a more regular basis. Hopefully we’ll become repeat customers of The Ritz too!
We left on Wed at 1700 and followed some friends to Dahran—they were staying with their friends at ARAMCO and we were staying at Jadawel East (our sister compound). We get to Dahran and go our separate ways. I knew I had to find the corniche and take a left. Lenny (more about him later) had told me to keep going left until I saw the Dahran International Expo Center. Found it—it’s after 2100 (9pm) so it’s dark and I’m a little unsure (but saying my prayers). Take a right and drive to Jadawel East.
At JE we get thru the first security gate—now for the second one. At the second one I have to stop and get out and register. We have a villa waiting—or do we. I have a letter in my hand saying we are authorized a villa. However the guys tell me” No villa.” They have no paperwork on me. Phone calls are made and we get a villa.
JE villa’s aren’t as big as ours are in Riyadh—but hey it’s free! We set our phones for 0600 because we wanted to leave for Bahrain NLT 0715. We got in bed and slept—woke up on time—packed the car again and left on time.
I have never driven to Bahrain and was there once 17 years ago—so we’re kind of doing this blind. We had a map and I had been told to just follow the signs. We followed the signs got on the bridge and started driving over the ocean—that long long bridge.
Then we come to all the check-points—Saudi first and then Bahrain. At one you pay a toll fee…the next you give your passports…then car inspection…then car information…then you buy insurance…then passports again…Laurie and I kept watching the car in from of us trying to figure out what they were handing—we did pretty good and suddenly we were in Bahrain.
Bahrain equals freedom—freedom to watch movies, not wear the abyaa, women can drive and work, you can eat pork, drink liquor, go night clubbing and you can swim in the ocean. Freedom! Oh and during prayer time you’ll hear the call very faint but nothing closes.
There were some other things I noticed—being the driver. The lanes were clearly marked and everybody stayed in their lanes. The horns were mostly silent. The signs were in English. Nobody took two parking spaces. There was no parking on the roads, double parking or triple parking. The cars looked nicer. People obeyed the traffic lights and signs. Driving was amazingly smooth. Amazingly smooth!
We get to Bahrain, find the Grand Mosque—and it is grand—and then get lost (actually we got lost twice before we found the Grand Mosque). We were looking for Ric’s Kountry Kooking—all US expats eat there and rave about it. Somehow we just kept looking and Laurie says “Tim take a right—there it is.” It was across from the Grand Mosque—across a huge sand lot (we had been told a field and were expecting grass, trees, flowers—I don’t know why—after all this is the Middle East). We go in and order. The food was good—the biscuits with sausage gravy were really good. We ate and waited for Lenny and Kay (they were going to be our tour guides—and they were awesome). So Lenny and Kay arrive and tell us that they’ll eat at the Navy base. We leave Ric’s take a right and we’re at the base!
A base! A US base with all the luxuries I’d forgotten about. In Saudi we have nowhere to use our ID card, commissary, BX, movie theater, etc.. But the Naval base in Bahrain has all that. We parked, walked through security and the angels from heaven started to sing…maybe that was prayer call..but anyway it felt like a slice of heaven.
Lenny and Kay went to eat at the food court and pointed us towards the commissary and BX. I thought we were going to go crazy in the commissary. It was just nice to see US prices and pay a reasonable fee for our chips instead of $10 like we do here. I’ve been wanting Noxema—they had it. Laurie bought some woman stuff and Timmie was excited about the S’more pop tarts. It really is the little things you miss. I even bought….hold your breath…real vanilla. You can’t find it here because it has alcohol. AND I bought nutmeg…something you have a hard time finding here because it’s considered an aphrodisiac (but isn’t chocolate one too—and there’s lot of chocolate here in the KSA). Then Timmie and I saw a sign that said an express Taco Bell coming soon. I thought Timmie was going to cry—he really misses his Taco Bell.
We pack up our delicacies and follow L and K to one of the malls. This mall had a
16plex theater…with 16 different movies…14 in English. Timmie and I saw Bolt—loved it-- and the others saw Twilight (Laurie said it was much better than her pirated copy). After the movies we went to the hotel.
We stayed at..... THE RITZ!!! Yes The Ritz. I have never felt so underdressed and so “country” in all my life. We got government rates—less than half what the regular price is. You drive up and it’s valet parking—you can’t park your own car—it’s not allowed. Someone opens your door, the passenger door and unloads your trunk AND takes your luggage to your room..you do not lift a finger. When we walked into the huge, gorgeous lobby a lady came up to register Timmie for all the children activities—and there were a lot. Laurie told her we were only there for the evening—the lady looked disappointed…but she brought us juice.
After we checked in someone took us to our room! She turned on the lights and showed us our room and told us that if we needed anything to let her know.
The room! WOW! The tub was huge. The bed was so fluffy and cozy. The pillows were perfect. The window over looked the pool (lit at night and looked so romantic) and ocean (private with lots of lounge chairs and raked constantly to look nice). It was incredible.
This Ritz is a spa Ritz—but we didn’t have time, or privacy, to enjoy all the Ritz had to offer. However, some friends at the compound have offered to watch Timmie so Laurie and I can take advantage of the Ritz (that doesn’t sound right but I know you all know what I mean).
We rested for a little while—then walked on the beach to take our pictures—Timmie played for a minute on the playground. Then we all loaded up and went to eat at Johnny Rockets (we were supposed to get one here but we heard it was cancelled).
After we ate it was back to mall for another movie. This time our family saw Bedtime Stories—loved it. L and K saw something else. By now it’s late and we’re all tired. Back to The Ritz to snuggle under that comforter, lay my head on that perfect pillow and sink into the mattress…ummmmmmm.
We woke up on Friday, checked out, the cars were brought around the front, doors opened, suitcases loaded for us and off we drove to eat at Ric’s again (the food really is good American food). After eating we loaded back into our cars for the exciting trip through immigration, customs and trying to figure out what to do at each window (I got a stern warning on the Saudi side for not waiting for them to tell me what stall to go to at the customs area..I thought that would mean our car would be searched…but it wasn’t..the guy just signed off on my paperwork…but now I know for next time to wait).
Once we got back into Saudi there was a different feel. It’s home…but there seem to be so many “constrictions.” Yet we love it here…even with the constrictions. Driving back to Riyadh we saw the usual camels, long truck lines, and of course the desert. This time the wind was really blowing so that meant a lot of sand blowing around--less visibilty but we still drove about 75 - 85mph. We got back to our villa safe and sound.
Wow—Bahrain is so close and now that we’ve driven the road, crossed the bridge, made our way through the maze and know what’s on the other side—we’re ready to go on a more regular basis. Hopefully we’ll become repeat customers of The Ritz too!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Prayer
God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success! Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is none worthy of worship except God.
Five times a day this is repeated over the loud speakers calling all Muslims to prayer. The call is both haunting and beautiful at the same time. The call comes from each of the different mosques (in our area there are at least 7 mosque and two more are being built).
Before prayer each Muslim cleans himself (I say him since I don’t know if women follow all the same “rules” as men—I’ve only been around men during this process). They will wash their face, hands and arms up to the elbow and sometimes wash their feet. This way they are clean before praying to Allah.
I’ve heard this call for 8 months and I’ve driven by mosques during prayer time—lots of cars triple parked. The call wakes us up in the early morning and it soothes us to sleep at night. Timmie and I were outside by the pool one day during the call and he asked me if we should pray. I asked him what he thought and he said he thought we should—so we went inside and said an afternoon prayer that day—it felt good to take time and speak to God out loud in the afternoon instead of a silent prayer.
Life revolves around Allah and prayer. Everything closes down during prayer—everything. Some stores will let you stay inside while others will ask you to leave. Restaurants dim their lights and don’t serve food—as of yet none have asked us to leave. We schedule our daily activities around prayer.
Prayer doesn’t have to be done at the mosque—it can be done anywhere. At TGI Friday’s we’ve seen the workers put rugs down outside in the back, face Mekkah and pray. At the mall we’ve seen women find places and kneel and pray. Laurie and I often feel like we are intruding and yet we’re intrigued at the same time.
Lately I’ve been leaving the RSAF building to go to lunch. The food they serve is..edible..but very unsatisfying to me. So I’ve been going to McDonald’s (delish, crisp Chicken Ceasear salad) and Subway—something to get me out of the building and office. I've been able to see the men enter / leave the mosque.
In the RSAF the call to prayer is over the loud speaker—there are two calls—the first call and then about 10 minutes later the next call. During the calls the men prepare themselves and then they head down to the mosque on the first floor (or zero floor over here).
As I leave the building I’m normally in the midst of the RSAF going to prayer. I’m intrigued and fascinated by it—and at times humbled. The men quickly but reverently hurry to the mosque. They speak in reverent whispers. They may hold each other by the arm. Before they enter the mosque they slip off their shoes. It feels so reverent that I walk as quietly as I can in the area.
There have been times when I leave 10 minutes after the second call. By then all the men are coming out of the mosque. They seem to have a sense of relief, guidance and clam. As I’m walking through them to get to the door I’ll see some that I know and they give me a smile and speak quietly to me. There is no joking or humor (and the Saudis / Arabs love good jokes and pranks) or loud voices--all is still reverent.
I’m amazed that as a body the RSAF stops everything to pray. Even if there is a meeting it stops for prayer. Last year we had a US company over showing us a database—the RSAF ordered the database and then the company came for the design of the database. BUT every day the meetings stopped for prayer (and the RSAF is spending $$$ on this and spent $$$ to have these guys from the US fly over here and put them up in the Sheraton).
I was talking to Laurie and wondered out loud what would happen if all of us—Jews, Christian and Muslim—all stopped at the same time one day and prayed in one voice. What kind of miracles might happen? It’s an interesting thought.
God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that there is no God except God.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success! Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is none worthy of worship except God.
Five times a day this is repeated over the loud speakers calling all Muslims to prayer. The call is both haunting and beautiful at the same time. The call comes from each of the different mosques (in our area there are at least 7 mosque and two more are being built).
Before prayer each Muslim cleans himself (I say him since I don’t know if women follow all the same “rules” as men—I’ve only been around men during this process). They will wash their face, hands and arms up to the elbow and sometimes wash their feet. This way they are clean before praying to Allah.
I’ve heard this call for 8 months and I’ve driven by mosques during prayer time—lots of cars triple parked. The call wakes us up in the early morning and it soothes us to sleep at night. Timmie and I were outside by the pool one day during the call and he asked me if we should pray. I asked him what he thought and he said he thought we should—so we went inside and said an afternoon prayer that day—it felt good to take time and speak to God out loud in the afternoon instead of a silent prayer.
Life revolves around Allah and prayer. Everything closes down during prayer—everything. Some stores will let you stay inside while others will ask you to leave. Restaurants dim their lights and don’t serve food—as of yet none have asked us to leave. We schedule our daily activities around prayer.
Prayer doesn’t have to be done at the mosque—it can be done anywhere. At TGI Friday’s we’ve seen the workers put rugs down outside in the back, face Mekkah and pray. At the mall we’ve seen women find places and kneel and pray. Laurie and I often feel like we are intruding and yet we’re intrigued at the same time.
Lately I’ve been leaving the RSAF building to go to lunch. The food they serve is..edible..but very unsatisfying to me. So I’ve been going to McDonald’s (delish, crisp Chicken Ceasear salad) and Subway—something to get me out of the building and office. I've been able to see the men enter / leave the mosque.
In the RSAF the call to prayer is over the loud speaker—there are two calls—the first call and then about 10 minutes later the next call. During the calls the men prepare themselves and then they head down to the mosque on the first floor (or zero floor over here).
As I leave the building I’m normally in the midst of the RSAF going to prayer. I’m intrigued and fascinated by it—and at times humbled. The men quickly but reverently hurry to the mosque. They speak in reverent whispers. They may hold each other by the arm. Before they enter the mosque they slip off their shoes. It feels so reverent that I walk as quietly as I can in the area.
There have been times when I leave 10 minutes after the second call. By then all the men are coming out of the mosque. They seem to have a sense of relief, guidance and clam. As I’m walking through them to get to the door I’ll see some that I know and they give me a smile and speak quietly to me. There is no joking or humor (and the Saudis / Arabs love good jokes and pranks) or loud voices--all is still reverent.
I’m amazed that as a body the RSAF stops everything to pray. Even if there is a meeting it stops for prayer. Last year we had a US company over showing us a database—the RSAF ordered the database and then the company came for the design of the database. BUT every day the meetings stopped for prayer (and the RSAF is spending $$$ on this and spent $$$ to have these guys from the US fly over here and put them up in the Sheraton).
I was talking to Laurie and wondered out loud what would happen if all of us—Jews, Christian and Muslim—all stopped at the same time one day and prayed in one voice. What kind of miracles might happen? It’s an interesting thought.
God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no God except God.
I testify that there is no God except God.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
No Abbya!
On New Year’s Day Laurie, Timmie and I woke up at 0400—yes that’s 4am. We were leaving for Khobar, a coastal city, for three reasons—1—buy Laurie her “dream” sewing machine, 2) go to some craft store and 3) go to an Arabian store that caters to Westerners (meaning everything costs $$). There were three cars caravanning—we were following since I wasn’t 100% sure on how to get to Khobar. We left Riyadh at 0515—(yawn) for an adventure.
We arrived in Khobar—with no stops—at 0900ish—a nice long, sometimes boring, 4 hour drive. Desert all the way—though we did see camels and they really are beautiful when they’re walking. They seem to glide along the desert—like ships in the ocean.
Khobar! A coastal town that is somewhat more “liberated” than “conservative” Riyadh. It just seemed more laid back—like most beach towns. Laurie and I rolled down the windows to smell the salt air and we were not disappointed—the air smelled so good. Khobar has a large Western community thanks to ARAMCO—the oil company that has been in the Kingdom since the 1930’s or 40’s. ARAMCO still has a lot of influence in that part of Saudi. We even saw the first gusher. Most signs were in English—including numbers (in Riyadh most signs are in Arabic—especially numbers).
We parked at the craft store. It was big. The bathrooms were nice and clean—Timmie always has to check out the bathrooms. There was lots of stuff..stuff..stuff. I have to admit the store did have a really good selection of crafts and materials—if you’re into that. Timmie and I got bored—especially when we remembered there was food and water in the car.
We left the cars parked and went to the sewing machine place—up 4 blocks take a left and then three blocks or something like that. Walking to the store through the traffic, the people, the variety of stores—that was an adventure. We found the store. Wow—nice (it must cater to Westerners too since the guys all spoke great English and they knew a lot about sewing machines). But it was more than sewing machines. There were fancy watches, binoculars, knifes, etc…..Laurie was thrilled. I got bored and walked around outside. When I came back Laurie was buying the machine. Now all of us drivers walked back to the cars—but not the same way we walked to the store—walking back seemed to take longer. We drove to the store and the machine was loaded into our car—off we all went. We only have about 45 minutes and it’s prayer time.
The last reason we were there was to visit Desert Designs—a very very nice Arab store. I was wowed from the minute we walked in. Furniture, tablecloths (they even have the Iranian one that we have), rugs, art and knick knacks. If you want Arab this is the store. I fell in love with a piece of furniture—then looked at the price—still in love but now from a distance. The women were going gaga—and when we come back to the States we’ll be bringing gifts from Desert Designs. Laurie wasn’t feeling well so we went to the car—relaxing smelling that ocean air.
Ok we did it—we made it to all three places before closing / prayer time. Everybody is happy. Now we go to the corniche. We walk around, take pictures and end up eating at McDonald’s. Timmie and I look over at the bridge to Bahrain (the bridge to freedom—movies, alcohol, pork and hookers –I’ve heard Russian and Thai—hey you need options according to Laurie). Laurie starts feeling better now that she’s got some solid food in her stomach. We load up and drive home to Riyadh. We get back at 5pm—it’s been a long 12 hour day. Timmie did not complain at all—you know I am always amazed at how much he can take—he rises to the occasion when he has to.
So back to my title—No Abbya. In the craft store we saw a woman—Western—no abbya. Not even carrying one. No head covering. Nothing. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants—dressed very nice. BUT the amazing thing—none of the men or women in the store seemed to care! And then I saw her walking down the street. Awesome. As we were leaving town we were at a stop light. Laurie and I both noticed a tall, stunning looking (and she looked Arab) woman. But what was really stunning to us is that she wasn’t wearing an abbya either! Now she did have her head scarf on and was carrying an abbya—but she wasn’t wearing it. She had on nice brown jeans, long sleeved brown shirt and high heel boots. Again, nobody seemed to care or be paying attention. I’ve heard that Khobar was more “liberated” and to me this proved it. Granted it was only two women—but hey it’s two more than I’ve seen in Riyadh.
I love being here. There really is an adventure everywhere we go.
We arrived in Khobar—with no stops—at 0900ish—a nice long, sometimes boring, 4 hour drive. Desert all the way—though we did see camels and they really are beautiful when they’re walking. They seem to glide along the desert—like ships in the ocean.
Khobar! A coastal town that is somewhat more “liberated” than “conservative” Riyadh. It just seemed more laid back—like most beach towns. Laurie and I rolled down the windows to smell the salt air and we were not disappointed—the air smelled so good. Khobar has a large Western community thanks to ARAMCO—the oil company that has been in the Kingdom since the 1930’s or 40’s. ARAMCO still has a lot of influence in that part of Saudi. We even saw the first gusher. Most signs were in English—including numbers (in Riyadh most signs are in Arabic—especially numbers).
We parked at the craft store. It was big. The bathrooms were nice and clean—Timmie always has to check out the bathrooms. There was lots of stuff..stuff..stuff. I have to admit the store did have a really good selection of crafts and materials—if you’re into that. Timmie and I got bored—especially when we remembered there was food and water in the car.
We left the cars parked and went to the sewing machine place—up 4 blocks take a left and then three blocks or something like that. Walking to the store through the traffic, the people, the variety of stores—that was an adventure. We found the store. Wow—nice (it must cater to Westerners too since the guys all spoke great English and they knew a lot about sewing machines). But it was more than sewing machines. There were fancy watches, binoculars, knifes, etc…..Laurie was thrilled. I got bored and walked around outside. When I came back Laurie was buying the machine. Now all of us drivers walked back to the cars—but not the same way we walked to the store—walking back seemed to take longer. We drove to the store and the machine was loaded into our car—off we all went. We only have about 45 minutes and it’s prayer time.
The last reason we were there was to visit Desert Designs—a very very nice Arab store. I was wowed from the minute we walked in. Furniture, tablecloths (they even have the Iranian one that we have), rugs, art and knick knacks. If you want Arab this is the store. I fell in love with a piece of furniture—then looked at the price—still in love but now from a distance. The women were going gaga—and when we come back to the States we’ll be bringing gifts from Desert Designs. Laurie wasn’t feeling well so we went to the car—relaxing smelling that ocean air.
Ok we did it—we made it to all three places before closing / prayer time. Everybody is happy. Now we go to the corniche. We walk around, take pictures and end up eating at McDonald’s. Timmie and I look over at the bridge to Bahrain (the bridge to freedom—movies, alcohol, pork and hookers –I’ve heard Russian and Thai—hey you need options according to Laurie). Laurie starts feeling better now that she’s got some solid food in her stomach. We load up and drive home to Riyadh. We get back at 5pm—it’s been a long 12 hour day. Timmie did not complain at all—you know I am always amazed at how much he can take—he rises to the occasion when he has to.
So back to my title—No Abbya. In the craft store we saw a woman—Western—no abbya. Not even carrying one. No head covering. Nothing. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants—dressed very nice. BUT the amazing thing—none of the men or women in the store seemed to care! And then I saw her walking down the street. Awesome. As we were leaving town we were at a stop light. Laurie and I both noticed a tall, stunning looking (and she looked Arab) woman. But what was really stunning to us is that she wasn’t wearing an abbya either! Now she did have her head scarf on and was carrying an abbya—but she wasn’t wearing it. She had on nice brown jeans, long sleeved brown shirt and high heel boots. Again, nobody seemed to care or be paying attention. I’ve heard that Khobar was more “liberated” and to me this proved it. Granted it was only two women—but hey it’s two more than I’ve seen in Riyadh.
I love being here. There really is an adventure everywhere we go.
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