Christmas Day 2012

Spikey-cactusy thing
with very blue flowers

Upstream view of the Jazan Wadi Dam

 OK, so Christmas day (or 12 Safar, 1434 as it's known in KSA) is just another work day for most people here.  However, I went out on a mini-adventure.  Earlier I had written about my attempt to 'discover' the Jazan Wadi Dam ("for Spain!") but ended up no where near it.  This time I had a plan with Google maps to back me up.  I headed up to where the 'town' was as this appeared to be the easiest way to get there.  However, there was a fence, a gate and a guard who didn't speak English.  (But he could say, "I don't speak English." in English.)

Downstream view of the
Jazan Wadi Dam

Bug hurrying to some important
bug meeting

 So, I had a back-up plan.  This involved finding some sort of dirt track heading off into the desert somewhat in the direction of the dam from the interstate highway that is nearby.  I've never been one to go easy on a car, regardless of the road, so I figured the Camry would just have to make it and it obliged.  It was really odd to see so much water in the desert.  Here's where it is located: http://goo.gl/Uo65c

This trip was a good time to place a Geocache.  Now there are two Geocaches in this neck of the desert, both placed by me.  (For more on what Geocaches are go to www.geocaching.com.)  One of the guys who works at JEC-PT is a 'cacher.  He's been doing it for a couple years less than I have but he's got around 3200 'finds' (I've got 185).  Anyway, I'll see if there are any other cachers in the region.  

The Jazan Wadi Dam

BTW, in case you are interested, Muslims also 'believe' in Jesus Christ.  (I've been told that if they don't they aren't true Muslims)  The only difference is that their belief is merely that he was another prophet.  

Interesting 'barns' 

On the way back to the main road (which was about a kilometer away) I saw a Dust Devil playing around.  Here's a video of it for your viewing pleasure: Dust Devil

I just liked the texture of this hill

Of note, aside from obvious volcanic rock in the area, I saw some rock of similar nature and structure as some of the rocks from Devil's Tower area in the U.S.  I've got a piece from there at home and the stuff really soaks up sun energy.  The rocks lying around here were just as hot.

A couple pictures

This is in lieu of adding a string of cans

Yes, limited sight for the driver and just
a little clearing for the mirrors on both sides

 I found these pictures which I hadn't published before now.  As you can see, 'wedding cars' are rather unique in this neck of the (lack of) woods.  I really can't explain it but can only surmise that the bride can/is 'uncovered' in the car while this temporary paint job is in place.  I think I'd like to get one of these jobs done to my car just because one can.  Don't really like the 'pink' motif myself but here that is more of a 'male' color than is usually the case in the western world.  Maybe I'll wait until my 'blushing bride' shows up again...or when I get my 2nd wife.  (I think that once you have 3 wives you get the 4th one free!)

The power has gone out here (yet again, third or fourth time in a week) which means that the internet is also out.  Bummer!  The connection was bad enough as it was.  

Here's the reconstruction of (I presume)
the fort which used to be at the top of
the hill overlooking the city of Jizan

I happened to drive up near to where the ruins of the old fort up on the hill overlooking the city and the Red Sea to also check out the 'new' fort which has been under construction since before I arrived last year.  I didn't go in but I understand from one of my friends that you can so sometime I'll go back and check it out.  The ruins are a ways off and are fenced off but I'll try to post some pictures of them a little later on.

Christmastime in KSA

It's Christmastime in the Kingdom...and everything is the same brown color.  Last year one of the grocery stores did put up red and green garlands all over.  I thought that was interesting.  This is the first year in a long time that I kind of miss hearing Christmas songs, and, of course, 'It's a Wonderful Life'.

Can't tell if this guy is starting
a style trend or not

OK, this 'break' isn't starting out very auspiciously   So far I dropped one of my 'cow-magnets' that I carry in my pocket and it broke in half.  (No, it does NOT attract cows.)  I just dropped one of my two coffee mugs and the edge chipped and the handle broke into pieces.  What next?  The end of the world?  Oh, it's the 21st and so far nothing has happened differently than on about any other day.  I suspect it will be dark tonight but aside from that I'm not planning on much.

Woo-hoo!  In one week I'll get to hug and kiss my sweetie!  New Year's Eve in Athens Greece, I'm sure we'll find something to do.  I hear they have concerts in the city squares which are mostly nearby.  I will be freezing I'm sure since the temperature is supposed to be 'up to' about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since I really don't have much in the line of winter clothes here in sunny Jizan, Val is bringing a winter coat for me.  It should be a good trip with lots to see and do.  Hopefully the weather cooperates as far as sun goes.

Speaking of weather, we have had a LOT of rain here over the past few weeks here in Jizan.  I don't remember so much rain last year at this time. Must be due to climate change or something.  Now if there were only some soil around here things could grow!  Alas, it is still just dusty and dirty with lots of sand.

I'm really getting into driving like a Saudi lately.  Fortunately I have not been involved in an accident (knock on wood) and I don't plan on it.  I have caught myself driving rather aggressively just like the natives do.  However, I've learned how to get around through the traffic circles, which side of the road to start out on, to get the best position to slide through quickly.  The other evening I was stopped in the right lane back some distance from the light and with all the poor parking that everyone does here (2 cars deep sometimes) the guy behind me was stuck.  So he started blowing his horn then just leaned on it continuously.  I waved.  At another light, I was in the '3rd' lane (there was still room for someone turning right to squeeze by) and this kid - not even close to puberty - pulls up in a Suburban and proceeds to pull in front of me AND the other two lanes so he could be the first to make a left turn.  Don't get me started on how many people don't seem to think the color of light doesn't pertain to them, they'll go through anything.  Driving habits around here would get people shot in Detroit or Flint.  I'm not driving for some time when I finally get back to the U.S.

More later, gotta get some stuff done around the apartment.

Recently...

What kind of campus is this?

Saw this humorous sign near where I reside.  Suppose I could cut them some slack since my Arabic isn't all that great.  But it is kinda funny nonetheless.

I went on yet another trip up to Jeddah to find some equipment to purchase so we have something to train our students on.  Unfortunately they have no big machines, those must all be imported.  There's plenty of spare parts though, pumps, motors, valves, blowers, etc.   Hopefully those get purchased soon as we need them desperately.  That is one of the big problems with how things have been going at the school.  Our parent company hasn't been really forthcoming on providing items and the local tool and equipment companies don't seem too eager in finding and quoting even though we are ready to purchase lots of stuff.  Oh, and did I mention that we not only specified what we needed but provided a web link directly to the item(s) we were looking for?  They must not really need the business.  The question I always ask when one of the guys starts out "Why don't they....?" is "Where are we?"  The Magic Kingdom, gotta love it!

Really nice hotel in Jeddah

The bed was very comfortable, nice and firm

So, this is the last week before our Christmas break.  And this year I don't have to spend it all by myself here!  Woo Hoo!  The first week I'll be here but the second week Valerie will be joining me for a holiday in Athens Greece.  It'll be interesting to see how they celebrate the new year.  (Of course that is all assuming that the Mayan's aren't hosting an End-of-the-World party on the 21st.)  I personally think that their calenders were sort of like the Franklin Mint and once you subscribe they keep sending new ones but someone forgot to keep the subscription going so this is merely their last 'collectors' calendar.

Another problem at the school is the students attendance.  Sheesh, you'd think they would be glad for the opportunity but you'd be wrong.  We've gotten rid of 5 so far that haven't attended enough of their classes which is about 10% of our total.  They don't comprehend what is going to happen when the oil runs out.  However, there is one student who does get it, here's an essay he wrote (click on the picture and enlarge it.) 

While the spelling and grammar isn't 100%, it was written by a student who has only had one year of English at our school.  The student is Haron Ali and he's our 'cheerleader'.  I certainly hope he succeeds.

Another sort of fun thing we all did here was have a 'brunch' this past Friday morning.  The guy who is our compound manager set it up (he had also set up a U.S. Thanksgiving meal here last month.)  I'm such a good cook I made plastic plates, forks, knives, spoons and napkins!  And I didn't burn any of it!

A good wife is hard to find...

Fun times in the desert in wintertime!  It has been "freezing" here lately, down to 78 F!  I almost haven't wanted to have my windows down on my drive to work in the morning.  I know, you're all laughing at me because I've always hated hot weather and now I'm 'complaining' about a temperature that used to be very hot to me but now seems very cold.  Now I know how Bom felt coming from Thailand an living in Michigan through the winter and that freezing cold ski trip to Maine!

As to the title of this post...  Let me start out by saying that even after (mumble-mumble) years of marriage it is still difficult to communicate sometimes with a spouse.  One couple I know both like to ride dirt bikes, snowmobile and shoot firearms together.  They've been married for decades - the common 'saving grace'? - all of those activities involve the wearing of earplugs by both parties.  Hmmmm!  The communication problem over the distance from KSA to MI is severely exacerbated by the uncooperative technological links that are necessary to make contact in the first place.  The internet here doesn't like to cooperate, the internet at Val's work is no longer existent apparently and there are other various and sundry reasons conspiring against us.  To top it all off, going back to EST has made it a little more problematic to connect.  The timing is all off.  On top of all that (at least in the U.S.) the holiday season is into full swing with the associated stressors.  So, maybe it is time to break out that dusty old daily planner and schedule some coordinated communication time with the wife of my life!  Frustrating?  You betcha!  (Of course when I'm the one who's off the radar it seems that the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah gets a call - I don't know who to contact in MI for the reverse situation.)

OK, so I got an email from the U.S. Embassy/State Department warning all U.S. citizens against travel to Saudi Arabia.  Apparently there are still some concerns with terrorists in this country.  I haven't seen anything around here, not that I'd know what to look for and I usually don't hang around late at night outside.  However, with all the regional news lately, I am a little 'aware' since my flight over the Christmas break takes me through the airport in Cairo.  I certainly hope things don't get out of hand since I do want to visit Athens (and more importantly, meet up with the aforementioned spousal unit.)  It should be interesting to spend New Year's Eve in Greece.  (Yeah, don't talk to me about the unrest and potential for demonstrations in the cradle of democracy!)  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Which reminds me once again of the old Chinese curse - "May you live in interesting times."

"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy!", that and "Keep your stick on the ice."

R.I.P. Fred Rodney

Fred's final resting place

Yes, I've been somewhat remiss in regular postings lately.  (OK, a lot remiss.)  And I still owe you all a posting about the Paris trip (that's a little teaser.)

Last week marked the end of the story for my friend, Fred who died at the school in March 2012.  His body never did make it back to Canada but that was not for lack of paperwork.  Apparently the file was many inches thick with all the forms for the various bureaus and embassies along with the legal documents and police & medical stuff.  The upshot was that even though an 'exit visa' had been processed and there were no costs involved to receive the body, Fred's step-brother refused to take possession of the body for burial in Canada (he did take possession of the monetary remainder of Fred's estate.)  If I ever met the guy I would have a few choice words with him.  In any event, this meant a 'few' more documents before Fred's body could be laid to rest in Saudi Arabia.  The upshot was that he would be buried on the 27th of November.  I had moved a meeting I had scheduled on that day to the following day.  In a typical Saudi fashion, whatever office for whatever reason canceled and moved the day to the 28th.  So, I couldn't attend.  That was a bummer.  

Fred might have found some humor in the fact that it took 9 months to be buried, almost as long as it takes to be born.  The picture you see above is apparently the local area where deceased expats are buried.  There are no grave stones, no markers, just a stretch of sparse sand in the middle of nowhere.  Rather sad.  All those mounds are graves.  The Saudis dug a shallow grave and the body was in a plywood box.  That's it.  The End.  Rest in Peace my friend.

Seriously, plywood crate, shallow grave

Wow!

It's hard for me to believe that it has been a year since I left the comforts of home to start this new adventure.  Yep, you may recall that I flew to London on my birthday last year and this year I get to spend it at work.  I don't expect much to happen although we may be having a cricket match this evening.  I hear it's a lot like baseball or something like that.

Anyway, a few more thoughts on travel, etc.  It was rather depressing to come back to Jizan after being in Istanbul.  People in Turkey also spit on the ground at a higher rate than I was used to in North America.  Many are very nonchalant about 'mining for gems' in their noses while in public - I'd hate to see what they do in private!  That's saying a lot coming from a guy who suffers with allergy and sinus problems on a continuous basis.  If I think it's bad (with as bad as I am) think how annoying it would be to a 'normal' person.  Also, as in Jizan (and KSA as a whole) there seemed to be a memo that got relayed that there was a "wiener thief" in the area as many of the men kept checking their 'junk' periodically.  I thought I was/am at a baseball game!  Sheesh!

It looks as if there is new solution to allow women to
drive in Saudi Arabia (of course this is a joke - women
can't drive!)

Notes on travel: my flights from Jizan to Riyadh and on to Istanbul were uneventful and as pleasant as a plane ride usually is.  Flew NAS for the first part, which, IMHO, is quite a nice carrier.  There seems to be more room between the seats even in economy and the flights are cheap.  For the second leg I flew Turkish Airlines - they get high marks in my book.  The meal (with real metal flatware) was better than I have seen on some U.S. carriers in first/business class.  The Riyadh airport is easy to get around in and about except for the fact that it is a long walk from one terminal to the next but at least the domestic terminal I ended up in was right next to the international terminal.  I would have really disliked to have had to walk from one end to the other of the entire airport.  Istanbul airport was easy getting in and around when I landed (probably because it was so early in the morning.)  However, when I left it was a different story.  I had to find the proper ticket counter(s) for TAL which isn't easy in a country that doesn't use much English in their signage (not that they have to) and the lines were long.  You have to go through one security to get into the airport (metal detectors, etc.) then another one when you go from the ticketing area to the boarding area.  I had made it through the first without any problem with my 1.5 liter bottle of water on my pack but after I got through the second one was told that I had to toss it.  So I drank most of it there before going on.  That was a preview of coming attractions apparently.  The gate was listed for my flight, walked all the way to one end of the airport, got settled and checked the board again.  They'd moved the gate to the other end of the airport, so I walked all the way back.  Sat there a while, checked the board again and the gate was moved again and the flight was delayed by 40 minutes.  Needless to say there was another gate change and the plane took off about an hour late.  However, I made it back in plenty of time to catch my next flight, which was good.  Their airport skills leave much to be desired and I've heard that it's almost always that way.

OK, I've been reminded that I've neglected to share all my summer vacation and Paris trip 'news'.  Looks like I have my work cut out for me this weekend.  Stay tuned.

Some more pictures

My feet seem to have gotten 'dirtier'

My feet have changed somewhat over the past year as evidenced by the 'before and after' picture here.  My mother thinks my feet look 'dirty' but they are as clean as anyone else's who walk around in sandals. 

There were cats everywhere in Istanbul.  However, compared to the Jizan nasty, dirty, ugly, useless ones, these were quite friendly, clean, well-fed and didn't scatter every time someone came by.

James trying to coax a little kitten

One of the lodge rooms in the Istanbul
Grand Lodge building

James and I rented a car for a day trip to one of the sites of the WWI campaign of the Dardanelles or Gallipoli where the ANZACs came ashore and fought for over a year of trench warfare up steep hills.  Little progress was ever made and it was considered a failure for the Allied forces.  Kamel Ataturk was one of the commanding officers on the Axis side and became the leader of his country after the overthrow of the Ottomans after the war.  He is akin to George Washington as the 'Father of the Turks' - still revered to this day.

The Lone Pine Cemetery on Gallipoli

One of the trench tunnels near
Johnson's Jolly, Gallipoli

It was almost as moving to me personally to walk here as when I visited Antietam or Gettysburg battlefields.  The terrain here was certainly in the defenders favor.  The losses were enormous.

Trenches used in WWI

There were trenches all over

Unbelievable how men fought
here in Turkey

Famous words from Atatürk,
"...your sons are now laying in our bosom and are in peace." 

At the northern landing beach, the hills
the ANZACs faced were very steep.

Aqueduct in Istanbul, quite a bit
of pollution where cars travel now

Hüseyin and James (Sarge) - they
look like brothers from behind

We met up with James' wrestling friend from his days as an exchange student.  Huseyin is a very nice man and he's strong as a bull!  He's also a very good driver given that the city driving conditions were crowded and narrow.

I have never seen a toilet seat
with an automatic 'sanitary'
mechanism

I guess this would have to be an attempted
murder of crows - I had not seen grey and
black birds before

More photos of the aqueduct

The 'end' of the aqueduct

The current end from the other
direction

Some ruins near our hotel that appear
to have been roman baths or some such

View of the aqueduct from near our hotel

Trees even find space in the city

The history in this city was amazing, I walked for hours & miles.  It was a very safe city (IMHO) and as clean if not more so than almost any major city in the United States that I've been to.  Shop keepers were out sweeping their sidewalks and in some cases mopping them.  I'd heard to beware of pickpockets so I kept a rubber band around my wallet - guess there was no reason to as I never even felt the least little tug.  The people of Turkey are VERY friendly and helpful.  Of course there are many trying to sell you carpets, leather, clothes and get you to sit down in their restaurant   James taught me how to 'tsk' and wave my hand to indicate that I wasn't interested which worked much of the time.

Hüseyin and me

I can't recommend strongly enough that if you ever get a chance to travel to Istanbul - do it!  The city is easy to get around with good mass transit and the hotel we were in was excellent.  There is shopping all over the place even if you never get into the Grand Bazzar.  Great beer (James' host dad works for Efes) and good food, usually too much of it.  You can't beat the history and opportunity to see cultural treasures.  Go to the Blue Mosque (free) and take the tour at the Dolombache Palace, they are well worth it.  Get a mass transit 'card' at the airport and you save a lira on every ride (about 55 cents) and you only need to buy one as you can pass it back to your travel companion(s).  Even the ferry rides to the Asian side of Istanbul are covered with the same card.  (Each ride is about $1.10 vs. $1.65 w/o and you do have to pay if you shift from one mode to another or even from one metro line to another.)

Some more pictures from Istanbul

Some new friends we met at a restraurant 

James got a piece of
bread shaped like
a whale

Had a beer at the Irish pub

There are 'evil eyes'
everywhere if
you just look around

Some of the fine mosaics in one of the
mausoleums next to the Hagia Sofia 

One of the many mausoleums

Fountain and 'front door' of
Dolmabahce Palace

Entry gate at the palace - everything in
symmetry

We took a ferry over to the Asian side of
the city and had lunch right next to a
school that was holding an award
ceremony for something

The statue at the Taxim Square

What time is it?