The Train Ride There and Back: Dammam - Riyadh (Camel Tour Part 1 . . . and 4?)

While it seems that this section should have been written first, it has taken me much longer to write as there just isn't much to say about a train ride in either direction. In addition to that, I neglected to take pictures, so there is really nothing to show...

It was a fight to get away from work in order to get back to the apartments with adequate time to properly prepare ourselves for the two day-ish journey that was to follow. What should we pack? What should we wear? What is or is not allowed? Normally these questions would not phase me, but with my unsureness in dealing with Saudi culture, I tend to over-think just about everything. Eventually we managed to escape, and with the generous help of a coworker, we made it to the train station with time to spare.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25527386 Dammam

We entered from the front and went to the left where we showed our ticket and had it scanned. We then went through the "door" to another space where they once again checked our tickets and ids and put our backpacks through an x-ray scanner. We then pick up our "luggage" and proceed to the train bypassing the first class lounge we would have been entitled to use had we arrived earlier.

We exited through the back making our way to the train. We boarded and were led to our seats. The ones whose numbers matched the ones on our tickets were at a table, but a woman and two children were sitting there. We were shown to different seats. My seat was facing the opposite direction than the train was going, but I didn't really notice, even with the large window I had been fortunately seated next to. It would have been a great view if it wouldn't have been dark!

/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_stations_in_Saudi_Arabia

 As the train was pulling away from the station, they made an announcement over the PA system. Part of this was a recitation of a part of the Koran which is said for travelers. It was s very interesting thing to listen to (unfortunately, it was in Arabic, so all I understood was the description they gave in English before hand).

The 4.5 hour ride went fairly quickly. We chatted a bit, watched a couple of kids watch their movies and play their games, and had a nice unhealthy meal in the meal car: a cheese sandwich, two small bags of salt and vinegar chips (crisps for you British types), a can of Coke, and a Bounty (think Mounds).

The return trip was basically the same, though quite a bit more subdued. We spent a few minutes in the first class lounge before heading to the train, and we were able to get the seats we had been assigned. It was the last train of the night, and it wasn't overly populated. After the rather disheartening meal of fast food, and the long day we had spent on the tour, we were ready to sleep, and sleep we did... for a while at least.

When we arrived at the station in Dammam, we realized that we didn't know the name of the compound in such a way as to communicate it to a taxi driver without them thinking we needed to go far beyond where we need to. This leads to an extreme increase in price, unnecessarily. Thankfully, there was someone there who spoke both Arabic and English AND actually knew where we were talking about! He helped us negotiate a fair fare, and we were able to learn that the name people are going to know is quite a bit different than the actual name! Thank goodness for my bed!!!!

Actual Tour (Camel Tour Part 3)

White Camel at Festival

 We left the hotel early in the morning... around 4:45 am or so. Getting a cab was easy, and while negotiating a price wasn't as difficult this time around, I am still not comfortable with such necessities.

The ride took about half an hour. Finding the meeting spot wasn't as easy as it should have been, but we arrived safely and relatively quickly. We boarded the bus and commenced with the waiting. They pointed out the tea and coffee that was available for us to make should we desire. I should have known then that it was going to be a rather odd day!

The bus ride took forever! It wasn't really uncomfortable, just long. It was basically long stretches of desert with occasional camels and/or goats dotting the landscape. We also passed through a town/city every now and then as well. Somewhere along the way a couple of the other passengers decided that we weren't too odd to actually talk with a bit. Eventually we arrived!

We were a little late for the festival, so we apparently missed some cultural performances. As I am not sure what exactly we were supposed to have seen, I really don't feel like I missed out on too much. After we had offloaded the bus, we were taken to a place on the opposite side of the ring as the rest of the spectators. I felt like we were being given VIP treatment. This feeling was supported by a person in an SUV who upon exiting stopped to say "Hello. I hope you enjoy the festival!" Not very profound words, but the "guide" informed us, as the SUV pulled off, that the man was one of the high princes. An early morning greeting by a high prince of Saudi Arabia while being led to an exclusive viewing area at a camel festival? Yes, definitely VIP experience!!

We didn't get to see all of the camel judging. It was a typical tour at this point in which it was a bit rushed as there was a schedule to keep and such. But what was to come was as much of a joy! We made various stops where we had tea, Saudi white coffee, dates, and were given gifts of hats and trinkets. (I now have about 4 or 5 hats that I will need to give away.)

One of the many cups of tea!

Amid all of this hustle and bustle, we also had lunch. I was under the impression that it was going to be Subway as that is what one of my traveling partners was told. It turned out to be a huge spread of pita bread, various hummus dishes, chicken, kebab, lasagna, fish, fruit, and whatever else I may be forgetting at the moment! There was no way to go hungry here!

While the food was wonderful, I was even more pleased by the discussion. Our tour guide was a Saudi woman who had earned her PhD in Special Education from the University of Syracuse! The topic of women driving came up, and she informed us that many women were actually opposed to it because of the responsibility they would have to take on if they were allowed to. She also told us about the body of 100 people that advises the king: 30 of these are women.

Off we went again. We saw a camel up close, listened to a man play a Saudi instrument (I wish I could remember what it was called, but it escapes me at the moment), and just relaxed.

Camel, man playing instrument, and
child from tour enjoying herself.

There was also a stop at a Wildlife Society station where we watched a video while sitting in very comfortable chairs. Again, included in all of these stops was coffee and a date! I think I had more coffee and tea in this one day than I did previously in two or three months!

Then we started home. To make up for not being able to stop at the souq (shop), we stopped at a store on the way home. Here there was a place one could buy dates, one that sold homemade cheese, butter, milk (cow and camel apparently), and large convenience store where they sold just about anything you could possibly want.

Family centered doll set. 

 The toys they sold surprised me a little. They had your everyday toy AK-47s, cowboy hats, and rocking horses, but they also sold dolls. These dolls were not covered; they were your standard dolls that one would find in stores across the western world. For a place that says they censor tv, movies, magazines, and the like, allowing such things as these seems a bit on the odd side. Of course after having seen the magazine selection they have here, I am of the impression that things aren't as heavily censored as people have made it sound... at least not in this area.

Then it was time to head home again. The women who had allowed themselves to be subjected to my tea induced giddiness were kind enough to continue talking with us. My tendency for puns/word-play having been greatly increased, I commend them for not throwing me off the bus any number of times!

It was quite the diverse make up, our group. There were the two of us strange Americans (plus the other who was sitting across the aisle), a South African of Indian decent, a Maori woman from New Zealand, and occasionally a British woman. It was great meeting them, and I am hoping that it isn't the last time for such an honor. As it was, they exited the bus early, and not too much later my group was at the shopping center finding a place to eat before heading off to the train station for the long ride back to Dammam!

Tulip Inn Riyadh (Camel Tour Part 2)

After the train ride, we had to negotiate with a taxi in order to get to our hotel: Tulip Inn Riyadh. They wanted to charge us 50 SAR, but we were armed with information from the hotels website: they were only five minutes from the rail station! One of my traveling companions called the hotel in order to get directions. He gave his cell phone to the driver in order for the desk worker to give him directions. The driver listened, gave my friend back his phone, and said that we didn't have a reservation at the hotel.

I said that we just wanted to get there and deal with that upon arrival, so we asked the driver to take us there. He didn't know how to get there! We re-called the hotel so he could actually get directions! We then were able to negotiate a 30 SAR price. As we were riding and getting closer and closer to the hotel, my other companion informed us that we were in the bad part of town. It was crowded, loud, and looked like many busy south Asian locals.

When we finally arrive at the hotel and find the entrance, we are greeted by a sign that says reception but with no indication as to where it is. We decide to walk up the stairs to see if we can locate it. Fortunately, it is there. Unfortunately, they state they don't have my reservation. I show them my confirmation email. The receptionist tells me to forward that email to their home office and proceeds to check me in. He confirmed with me that I had already paid for the room and gave me the key. My two friends and I go to our Executive Suite!

Main Room

 The Suite is made up of the main room, which includes a television, and three bedrooms. The main bedroom also has its own bathroom. The beds are a bit hard, but I slept mostly on the couch anyway!

View

The view from the hotel, while in no way what I would call beautiful, gives one an idea of how things are going outside. In this case, one can see the extremely busy Riyadh traffic! The noise that found its way into the room matched the traffic on the road below.

After a good night sleep, or rather five hours of tossing and turning, I got up and took a shower. I was partially sleeping, but I was still a bit surprised to

Used Soap in Shower

find the bar of soap in the shower that looked as if it had been used no more than twice. It would have been a nice addition would it not have been used.

I turned on the shower and realized that I hadn't put the curtain inside the tub. I dismissed it with the thought "what is the worse that could happen? A bit of water on the floor isn't a big deal." As it turned out, it could be a big deal! I had to use the hair dryer to dry out some of my clothes that I was going to wear that day.

After my shower, it was just about time to go out and catch a cab to the mall in order to catch the bus for our day long tour!

Negotiating Meaning with My Students

The discussion somehow turned to Arabic, and I was left wondering what was going on. I finally figured out they were talking about masoob. My students quickly remembered they were in English class and started to explain what masoob was: bread, cream, bananas, and .... something else. They said the word in Arabic, but I didn't quite recognize it at first. Then they discussed it among themselves for a few moments. It was then I recalled the word.... but I didn't let them know!

The students decided to act it out: "what is animal that bzzzzzz?" while using a finger to move in a spiral toward the ceiling.

Me: A bee?
Students: No! Different animal!
Me: Hmmm... A fly?

A student went to the board. "This," he said as he drew a picture.
"That is a flower." I was really interested to see what he came up with next.
As he was finishing filling in the stinger on a crude but recognizable drawing of a bee, "What is this?"
"A stinger."
"Noooo!" His earnest reply made me smile.
"A bee." Noticing there puzzled looks, I continued, "bzzz! It stings you; it swells; and you go to the hospital." The gestures to accompany this were being readily used throughout.
The students smiled. "Bee goes flower ..." one brings his fingers to his lips to mimic eating something thick like noodles, "then goes back home."
I draw a box on the board and try to make it look like a passable hive and write next to it "hive" while saying "hive. A bee's home."

The students try to gesture some other word. It doesn't really come across as much of anything, but I decide to have mercy on them and not play stupid. "A bee makes honey."
"YES!! Honey!!"

The students are ecstatic. They are proud to have finally figured out the word. While it would have taken far less than the 20 minutes it took us if I had used a dictionary, we would not have learned the words 'stinger', 'bee,' 'hive,' and 'make.' And even more importantly they wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn the process of negotiating meaning. This is a skill they will need when they go to Texas and need to talk with some of the other students who may not know a lot of English or any Arabic. Hopefully this is something they have learned from and will retain!

A "Nice" Dinner Out.

As I have been in Saudi Arabia for going on six months, I figured it may be time to go out and have some Saudi food. One of my students suggested I try masoob. He told me it was really good for breakfast, but I wasn't about to go out and attempt to find such a thing early in the morning on my day off!

So last night, a fellow worker and I decided to have this dish for a later dinner. We left the compound around 7pm to start our adventure of discovery. Trying to find the area in which the restaurant was located proved to be a little more difficult that first imagined. Being the progressive, modern, and technologically individuals we are, listening to the GPS on his phone seemed to be the way to go. It turned out to be a little less than reliable, though. Apparently the streets are too close together for the GPS to really be able to tell if you are on the correct one. Ultimately we ended up going in a huge circle before finally getting to the area of town we needed to be.

After arriving we entered the rather small restaurant. Upon entering one is faced with the cashier to the left and a long counter to the right, similar to some kabob places I have visited in the past. If you look past the cashier, there is a hole in the wall that leads to a room with seats. We took a seat and waited for someone to come take our order.

   

http://cookbookstoreblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/gulf-house-arabian-gulf-cusine-in.html

Everything was in Arabic (imagine that! A place in Saudi where the menu is only in Arabic... the shock one must be going through hearing this.), so I was at the mercy of my coworker whose Arabic is quite good. We went through varied masoob choices and decide on one with cream, honey, and cheese. It almost had a Waffle House feel to it both in sitting and the multi-ways in which the masoob is served (think hash-brown styles).

When the food came out, I was a little skeptical about it being enough. It was a small dish, and resembled a slightly thicker form of oatmeal. It is made with crushed bananas which one can definitely taste. With the honey, this is quite a sweet treat, that is also quite filling. The oatmeal looking stuff is apparently flat bread that has been ground up with the bananas!

We started eating after 8pm. I finished mine, but just barely (and I hadn't eaten all day at that point)! The following day, I still felt full until about mid-afternoon! This would be a great breakfast food for one who likes something hearty that will keep them full throughout the morning. I like the sweetness provided by the honey, the richness provided by the cream, but I wouldn't recommend the cheese. It wasn't bad, it just didn't seem to compliment the rest of the dish.

Ending a Vacation

Someone once made the observation that vacations were bad things because you either spend them in places that are worse than where you work making them something to not really look forward to, or you go somewhere great and end up coming back and being overly depressed by the job you have had to return to. I find neither of these extremes to be the norm, nor would I find them to be good reasons to forgo vacations even if they were. I must admit, though, that I am not looking forward to the work that faces me when I am finally blessed with no longer having to sit and wait.

I have just finished a short, two-week vacation. I flew from Saudi Arabia to Michigan looking forward to meeting up with friends and family. The first week was spent with my brother. I didn't do much other than sit around and talk and watch dvds. Not very productive, but just what a vacation is for! Besides, I did a little studying as well. In addition, I was able to meet up with a friend whom I hadn't seen in at least 5 years along with her children. The discussion was interesting, even if a bit disjointed and derailed by constant interruptions interjections by the kids.

Sometime during this, I took a test on which I didn't score as well as I would have liked; it was better than nothing, though! This disappointment was deflected by getting to meet up with friends I hadn't seen in a while. We had a good lunch of cheeseburgers and fries along with a side of great conversation.

Immediately following this nourishing of  body and soul, I drove the over 400 miles to see yet another friend and find rest on her couch. We were able to catch up during the day and enjoy the two youngsters when they returned from their daily romp in the school system. Watching Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Honey I Shrunk Ourselves with a 6 year old is an interesting experience. As is learning about her and her 5 year old sister's take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Go green!!

I then had my mandatory meet up with APO! The friends I have made within Alpha Phi Omega are wonderful, and I cherish them greatly. Unfortunately, I see them rarely and for too short of time. Far too soon I was off to Wisconsin where I was to visit another friend from university and take a three hour test the following day. Of course, I didn't sleep that night, so my test may or may not have gone so well, not that I mind so much either way. Right after sleepily taking that 3 hour exam, I was on the road yet again. This time I had to drive over 8 hours back to my brother's apartment where I would stay for the night. I arrived around 9pm. This was the perfect time as it gave me plenty of time to figure out what to pack, what to pack it in, and then how to pack it before heading off to bed so that I would be able to get up around 4am to get to the airport in time for my flight in the morning. It seems to have worked out fine as I am now typing this at the Minneapolis airport where I am waiting the 5.5 hours for my flight to Amsterdam to board. My vacation is not yet over, but I must say it has been busy, stressful, and full of good things! The ending is like a strawberry covered in dark chocolate: rich, sweet, bitter with a dash of satisfaction in knowing that moderation is the key to enjoyment. 

The Eggman!

There he was, in perfect form, staring up at me with his bright, orange face, confident that his mucous-fiber would hold. Of course, he was right! If not for location, this would have been a great site for those who yearn for that perfect, sunny-side up energy provider.

After admiring it for a couple of minutes, I attempted to clean up the mess I had inadvertently caused by severely underestimating gravity's control over my everyday life.  This cleanup process turned out to be a bit more difficult than I had first imagined. At first I tried using a flat device to scoop it up with. This ended in the disastrous splitting of the skin holding in the orange blood that now came flowing out. This signaled the necessity of one of the napkins I had collected (I have yet to purchase paper towels which may move up on my list of things to buy). It took two or three of them, and it was a little more difficult to pick up the gel-like substance that was left, but I did finally manage. In the future, I will remember that a pan is a much better location in which to cook eggs than the floor will ever be!

On a high note, this does mean that I have been eating, and it has been mostly at home. It may not be quite as healthy as I would like, but I am working on changing that. It is a step in the right direction for me! 

Iqama Received! Mall experience ....

After all the stories about how it would take two or three weeks to process, I was really surprised to have received my passport and iqama yesterday! I guess it is good to do such things during Ramadan. Who knew? Now I can leave the country and be able to come back! If I had the money I would use a few vacation days and return to the US for a bit, just to see how things were going.

Last night was Thursday; the day that I had designated as the day to go shopping for the following week. Apparently we westerners need to eat even during vacation! So, true to our word, my coworker and I headed to the Mall of Dhahran. I really don't like malls to begin with, and going at 10pm is not really an improvement. Actually we went at 8pm and finally returned about 11:30pm!

My friend and I visited a couple of stores and then stopped off at the food court. He then had to go to another store, and I, being tired, decided to go straight to the grocery store and meet up with him there. Unfortunately, I am a little more directionally challenged than I first thought. After walking around the mall for what seemed like an eternity, I exited the mall in order to find the nearest entrance from the outside. I couldn't see it and decided that it was much too hot to be walking around outside. I approached the very next entrance and attempted to enter. The guard put up his hand and hit me in the chest while exclaiming "where is your family?!"

I didn't realize that there were family only entrances to the mall itself, and I am not so sure that this was actually the case. Judging from the way he acted, and the way he said what he did, it seemed like it was personal. I think he looked at me, didn't like what he saw, and used it as an excuse to keep me out. Chalk one up for the security guard!

As soon as I get some actual sleep, I am sure this will all blow over :)

Reflections on the Process in Obtaining a Saudi Iqama (Residency Permit)

As I sit here during my Ramadan break with my brain seeping out my ears, I have plenty of time to reflect on the process I have recently been required to go through. It was a long, grueling process in which one endures great mental games and physical invasion in order to make sure one is "qualified" to live in the Kingdom.

A little overly dramatic? Obviously. However, one needs a little drama in life to keep things interesting, and it is much better to have it on paper than to have to deal with it in the "real world." It could also be a product of the coffee I have been drinking today, but I will throw that by the wayside for now.

The process all started with a word from my supervisor informing me that I would be going to Bahrain just before the start of Ramadan in order to get the required physical. (I had been through this whole process previously while in the states, but as that was for a visa for a different company, it apparently didn't count.) So, me and a colleague took the two-ish hour, 300SAR taxi ride from al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia to Manama, Bahrain. We were put up at the Holiday Inn Express for 3 days.

The physical took half a day; most of it waiting. We were required to do a chest x-ray, get our blood drawn, and have our blood pressure taken (along with height and weight). I think there were other things we were supposed to do but didn't. The blood draw was the worst. The one who attempted to take my blood at first, didn't seem to know what she was doing. For the first time, someone had a difficult time finding a vein. After two attempts, she went to get the more experienced worker (I think I may have caused some nervousness in her, and she was grateful to be rid of me). He had little trouble, and the process was soon over. 

Then it was time to go back to the hotel for the day to wait. The following day we went to a visa processing office. We arrived around 10am and finally left around 5ish. It was a long day of waiting. All that was to be done here was to get fingerprints taken and have our passports taken to be sent to get the visa. It was time was wait again... The following evening, our passports were delivered. 

We stayed the final night and returned to Saudi Arabia the next morning. We waited a couple of days to get over some sort of bug that I am sure we picked up at the hospital in Bahrain. Then it was off to yet another hospital for yet another physical! Another chest x-ray, a stool sample, and more blood!

This blood draw went easier. Interestingly enough, this time the person typed it while I was there.

      "What is your blood type?"

      "O-positive."

     "Who told you that?"

     "Doctors."

     "It is A- negative. If this is true, we are the same. I will check the microscopics later."

So, either my blood type has changed; or the doctors in China, the doctor in the US, and the doctors at the DoD were all wrong. Or, more likely, this typing was wrong. Did she not know what she was doing? Perhaps she was flirting with me... it could happen! I have no idea if it was corrected or not, but this makes me very uncomfortable with the possibility of having to be treated here in Saudi. 

Then we had to send the passports to Riyadh where they will be taken to the embassy and processed for the iqama. I have no idea how long this will take, though I was told that it would take about two weeks. So I sit here waiting and hoping... 

Journey to Saudi Arabia (MBS - AMS)

I finally received my passport with my Saudi visa on Tuesday, subbed on Wednesday, and went to the airport on Thursday to begin my long journey into the unknown! My first stop was, of course, the airport. MBS is a small airport (though still considered international, and I have not yet looked to closely as to what rules apply to such a designation), so TSA precheck is a bit modified (still have to take out laptop and liquids, but don't have to remove shoes), but as I was the only one going through at the time, I wasn't overly concerned about inconveniencing anyone with my having to open two bags to get the necessary items.

The flight to Detroit was extremely short and uneventful; we even arrived early! I was grateful for the little additional time as I wasn't sure where I was going to have to go to catch my other plane, and I had been instructed to recheck in and get a boarding pass in Detroit for the leg to Amsterdam. It turned out to be just one or two gates down in the other section of the terminal. When I arrived at the gate and gave them my name, the agent responded "oh, Rice. I just finished processing your upgrade! Here is your ticket. Go spend some time in the lounge to wait for boarding, which should be in about a half an hour." I took him up on the suggestion and went to the lounge to breath and relax a little.... and take in the news that I had actually been upgraded to business class on an international flight!

The flight itself was comfortable. I had a very good multi-course meal, watched some movies, and may have even dozed off a time or two for a couple of minutes. I will write more on the flight itself later so as not to add to the length of this writing.

I arrived in Amsterdam and went in search of a transfer agent so I could obtain my final boarding pass. A sign pointed me to Transfer Desk 4 as I would be flying on a KLM flight. There were a number of blue self-check in machines, counters on the other side of them, and a desk where one would enter the area of the counter. I approached the desk where I was told that I needed to use a machine. I attempted to use the machine, and all was going well until it asked me a question! The flags of confusion and delusion had been raised!  The computer obviously didn't like me, so it informed me that I would need to speak to an agent. I very much preferred this anyway, so I took that as a win for me, at first! I approached the desk again. As the agent was dealing with others at the time, I used the machine to the right of the desk to obtain a number. The agent, a little miffed at my obvious provinciality, took the number and told me to just wait a minute. I sheepishly waited for her to finish and call me forward.

She took my passport, and looked me up on her computer. She asked how much luggage I had checked with a bit of shock seeping through her voice. I told her two, and she related her surprise. "It says here that you have checked six, and that you owe 800 Euro." We shared a bit of a chuckle as she attempted to change it, and when she had to call over a supervisor because it wasn't letting her do it. It looked like the computer was having the last laugh on this one after all! We did eventually get it taken care of, and I went off in search of the KLM Crown lounge to wait for the 4 hours for my next flight. 

More Complications.... but closer!

My new employer has been working hard to get me my visa and on my way, but things are never as easy for me as with normal people. I am thankful that I don't have to deal with most of the issues; all I have to do this time is wait... but even that can be a bit nerve-wracking.

It seems that because my former recruiter obtained a work visa for me, it needs to be cancelled at the location it was issued: Houston. I was told that the normal procedure when someone is not sent is for the hiring agency to cancel the visa so they have that visa slot available for someone else. In my case, this did not happen. In an effort to correct what they saw as a bad situation, my recruiter decided to not cancel my visa and to look for other possible positions. This desire to help actually hurt me in this instance.

When I was hired for this new position, I had to send in my passport to the Embassy in DC. The business visa was denied because of the non-cancelled business visa. They requested a letter of no objection from the company that had authorized my visa. I was thinking this was going to be a huge hurdle, but I emailed my recruiter, and she emailed her main office to obtain the letter. The very next day, I was CCed on an email to my new company with the necessary letter attached.

My passport was sent from DC down to Houston where the old visa will hopefully be cancelled with no problems. I am currently waiting to see how things turn out. I am thankful that my former recruiter worked so diligently with my both during the time she was attempting to get me there herself and for the service she provided during this time of need. I am also thankful that I am not the one who has to deal with the airfare. My company had already reserved a ticket for me and had to cancel it. They will get another one as soon as we find out when I will actually be allowed to go. Uncertainty seems to reign in my life :)

Devious Job Pixies!

Last March I was hired by a contract company in Saudi Arabia for a teaching position there. I informed them of problems that would have to be discussed concerning when I would be able to start. We discussed them and agreed on a start date.

As I am a compulsive job hunter, I kept looking during the time my recruiter and I were discussing a possible start date. I talked with a contractor who wanted to keep me on file for a job they were granted a subcontracted for in Afghanistan. The following day I was called and informed that job had been cut. I was hired by another contracting company in Afghanistan for an English teaching position. Within a week, I received a call stating that the position had been "descoped".  And prior to my job offer in March, I was offered a position at an international elementary school in Kabul. I accepted the position and they said they were going to send me the paperwork. I never heard from them again. I tried emailing them with no response

Fast forward to December. The contract company had told me that the physical I would have to undergo in order to get the necessary visa should be done in December. The time came, they sent me the paperwork, I filled it out, and proceeded to get my physical. There were a couple of health issues that came up that needed to be addressed. This was done with no problems.

The contract company emailed their client, got the go ahead, and had me send everything to the visa office to be processed, and I was granted a brand new Saudi business visa! This had been scanned and emailed to my contractor and to myself so that I new that it, meaning also my passport, were finally on their way back to me! I was told that they would forward this information to their client and that I should receive an email telling me when I would be flying out. The email came, and I excitedly opened it! Unfortunately, it was an email to inform me that the job was no longer available!

Frustrated, I emailed out a number of other resumes. I received an interview with a school in China. I interviewed with them, and they said they wished to hire me. I received an email with three attachment explaining various benefits and rules, etc. The email reference an offer letter that I needed to sign and send back. I emailed the recruiter to ask about this. He looked and said that he had forgotten to attach it, and that he would send it first thing in the morning. Four or five days later, I had not heard from him. Then he calls and asks if I had received the email with the letter. I inform him that I did not, and he said that he would send it right away. It is the following day, and I have received nothing.

Fortunately, I had an interview yesterday with a government contractor with a contract in Saudi Arabia teaching Saudi Air Force mechanics. They were looking for someone who could leave by the end of the month. Today, I received the offer letter and have sent it back. I am happy to now have a job and will be off once again making my way in the world.

I know that I have been a victim of those notoriously devious job pixies. They have been researching how I react to their whimsical giving and taking of jobs, and now that I have received what I hope to be my last one this year, I assume they are bored with me and have moved on. If you happen to have an experience with these pixies, do not be discouraged; they do leave eventually!

Mind Full of Travels!

This past couple of weeks has been extremely eventful. I haven't had time to sit and write about what has been happening. Now that I am at the airport awaiting the first leg of my next journey, I have a little bit of time to catch up and relax and report.

From Reno I returned to Michigan for a couple of days. During this time I stayed at a decent hotel, visited my brother, and attempted to relax (which I tend to have a very difficult time with). From there I flew to Baltimore for a night. I stayed at the Westin and loved it! It is a luxurious hotel which I would definitely stay at, but the price is a bit more than I would typically like to spend.

After my short night in Baltimore, I boarded the plane to London. I was actually heading to Endinburgh, but it was on a separate ticket. I was required to transfer terminals and recheck in. The gates at Terminal 1 were great! They are self gates at which you place your boarding pass on the scanner and look into the camera. If all checks out, the gate opens and you go through to security. Shoes, belts, and such are not required to be taken off at first, unless they feel there is need. They are particularly strict about the liquids though. Apparently they do not have as sensitive detectors as those in Terminal 3 as I went through the former with no problem, but managed to set off the others while all on me was the same.

This trip led me up to Edinburgh as stated previously, and then off to London for a night. Then I made my way off to Denver where I was to make contact with the group I would accompany on a glorious trip to Zimbabwe and South Africa! So much fun, so little time!

Connections and Coincidences

Spending a week in Las Vegas may sound like a great thing, and for the most part probably is, but I was not really feeling all that upbeat about it. I had just started an antibiotic regime that was causing me to feel a lot less than stellar, and as usual, I was there alone and was not too fond of the situation. All that being said, it was quite relaxing, and I did have a bit of fun as well. 

On my way to Las Vegas via Chicago and Seattle, I sat next to someone I had met previously at a Frequent Travelers University (FTU) in Tampa. If this rather interesting coincidence weren't enough for my connection based brain, upon my arrival, I sent an email to another person I met at FTU letting him know of the meeting

   

    "I just wanted to tell you that I am not coming to Houston! OK... now back to your regularly          

     scheduled program. :)  Actually, I am on my way to Las Vegas. I was thinking that it had been a long 

     time since we had spoken, so I felt l should send an email. Then during my trip, and interesting thing 

     happened: I ended up sitting next to someone from FTU:  ... Still getting your Southwest fix?"

A fairly innocuous email to which I received the following part of a reply: 

     "Well it really is a small world. I am replying to you on my southwest flight's WiFi en route to LAS 

       myself!"

So, I told him I wasn't going to Houston, where he lives, but instead was on my way to Las Vegas. I then proceeded to ask him about his propensity to fly Southwest. He read it on his way from Houston (obviously) to Las Vegas while flying Southwest! To the normal person, this really means nothing. However, to a person like me who loves to see all the connections that happen in life as connections, it was quite interesting. 

Of course we decided to meet up upon his arrival. We enjoyed a nice lunch at Beijing Noodle Restaurant inside Ceaser's Palace and then walked the strip to see what we could see. He also showed me the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens inside of Bellegio! Much fun to be had all around!

Horse display inside the Bellegio Conservatory. 

The Eiffel Tower. I really need to take a true "European" trip. 

Fountain show. Really needs to be on video!