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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
