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!
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