Well not exactly. In fact for most of my life I've hated running. There was something about panting and sweating and being bored that really didn't appeal to me. At all. Then this year, I decided to try something different, and KAUST provided me with that something. They announced they would be having a Family 5K Run/Walk extravaganza. I figured this was my chance to finally fulfill a New Years Resolution. I would train to run a 5K, in three weeks.
So I made a plan, following the infinite wisdom I found on the internet, and proceeded to convince other would be runners to join me. I first asked my squash buddy. Yes, even after my accident I still took up squash and play with the same person. He took a little convincing so that he'd play with me again, but that is another story. Either way, we were walking out of the gym and I saw the sign up sheet for the 5K, turned to him and said "We should totally do this!" He said "ok."
As it turns out, he is a runner. He just didn't tell me this. So we start our training. The first day, we run for about 20 min. He looked like he was exhausted, I was ok. Wow, I thought, maybe this running thing isn't going to be that hard after all. Little did I know that the first run is the easiest.
The plan was to run every other night, so two nights after our first attempt, we went on a second run. My lungs burned, my legs ached and my stomach was not very happy, I wasn't even able to go as far as I had two nights ago. Uh oh, maybe training for a 5K in three weeks is not such a good idea, I thought. But there I was two nights later trying it again. This time I had two more runners with me. I must admit that there was a moment when I thought we all must look pretty funny because here was this one girl running with three guys. I felt like one of the ridiculous pop stars with her entourage/body guards running at her side. Run #3 was a success! I ran almost 4K.
The following runs were more advances and finally being able to run 5K in about 40 min. Now I should probably tell you that all this running was happening in the evening once it was much cooler out. Yes, incredibly it can get a cool 70 degrees here in Saudi, so we were taking advantage of the weather, paying little to no mind that the actual race would be at 10am.
The day of the race came much faster than we expected and by then we had basically split our little team into two. The ones who can run, and the ones you will jog (I was a part of the latter team). Those of us in the slower group set a goal to run/jog the 5K in less than 30 min. Amazingly, we did!
While I am not entirely sure I have bought into this whole running thing, I will attempt to continue doing it while the weather allows. Who knows, maybe by the time I leave Saudi I'll actually be one of those annoying people who wake up before work and go for a jog...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Hace un año
Today marks one year since I started working at KAUST. It's hard to believe that it has been a year (only a year!) since I first arrived in Saudi. It's been a year since I arrived alone in my Penn sweatshirt and was "rescued" by a good Samaritan expat. One year since the abaya shopping creepiness. One year since meeting the people who have become my family in Saudi.
A year ago today I arrived to this campus for the first time. I was full of hopeful expectation and was completely taken aback by what I saw. A campus that was not quite finished but still stunning. People from all over the world who had come to work on this experiment. I arrived to a cubicle and started by opening mail. How far I've come?
There have been ups and downs this year. Moments of complete chaos and moments of sheer joy. I've traveled more than ever before and have faced myself in ways I'd never done before. I've learned that I am stronger than I give myself credit for and that I have amazing friends. I've also discovered that there is more to life than a job that pays well and am now looking for more balance in my life.
While this may not have been the experience I thought it would be it has still been an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and will probably influence everything I do from here on out. At a time when we think about New Years resolutions and what we want to do for next year I also think about what 2011 will bring and how to make the most of what is left of my time here. I will embrace what I can and learn to let go of what I can't.
I sit here in my office and listen to salsa and remember why I started this blog to begin with. I wanted to share this with those that I love. I wanted to feel connected to the people I left behind. I hope in some small way I have been able to do some of what I set out to do just one year ago and I hope you will continue to ride this crazy roller-coaster with me for as long (or short) as it turns out to be.
A year ago today I arrived to this campus for the first time. I was full of hopeful expectation and was completely taken aback by what I saw. A campus that was not quite finished but still stunning. People from all over the world who had come to work on this experiment. I arrived to a cubicle and started by opening mail. How far I've come?
There have been ups and downs this year. Moments of complete chaos and moments of sheer joy. I've traveled more than ever before and have faced myself in ways I'd never done before. I've learned that I am stronger than I give myself credit for and that I have amazing friends. I've also discovered that there is more to life than a job that pays well and am now looking for more balance in my life.
While this may not have been the experience I thought it would be it has still been an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and will probably influence everything I do from here on out. At a time when we think about New Years resolutions and what we want to do for next year I also think about what 2011 will bring and how to make the most of what is left of my time here. I will embrace what I can and learn to let go of what I can't.
I sit here in my office and listen to salsa and remember why I started this blog to begin with. I wanted to share this with those that I love. I wanted to feel connected to the people I left behind. I hope in some small way I have been able to do some of what I set out to do just one year ago and I hope you will continue to ride this crazy roller-coaster with me for as long (or short) as it turns out to be.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
No More Melting into Oblivion
At what point "inner peace" and "total apathy" are actually the same thing? For weeks I had been desperately trying to stay afloat. I was so angry, sad, and frustrated at my inability to change anything meaningful in my life. Nothing was good, everything was bad and I was alone. I didn't have the life I had envisioned. I was in a job that made me unhappy, and unfortunately for me, couldn't really distance myself from it because I live where I work most of the people I know are just as unhappy. And let's be honest, discontent breeds more discontent. We had all become a sick, sad vicious cycle of perpetual venting and bad mouthing. Soon, discontent turns into sadness, and sadness turns into apathy which breeds... nothing.
In this new year I have decided to make a change. I have decided to face the tunnel and look for the light at the end of it with a smile. 2011 will bring good things, but in order for this to happen it has to start with me. No more feeling sorry about the life I don't have. Or the opportunities I didn't take. Or the job I don't particularly like. This year, I choose to focus on the positive aspects of my life. My wonderful friends. My amazing family. The strength I have developed in what can only be considered a "difficult" year. No more will I melt into oblivion. If this is what my life has handed me then I say, bring it on.
As many of you know, I'm pretty sure that these will be my last six months in KSA. As a result I think that the best use of my time is to take advantage of living here as much as I can. I mean it has been less than a year since I arrived and I have already paid off my two government loans! So, check that off the list. Coming here did that.
This year will be a year of great changes for a lot of people in my life. Some of my dearest friends are getting married, others are having babies, and other like me, are still trying to sort themselves out. In the end however, I think the big thing about the new year is the hope that it brings with it. We all look at the year that has just passed and the countless things that happened in it, the people we met and the decisions we made. We contemplate both the good and the bad and resolve to do better, or more, or different. I look forward to being a part of those big moments and having some of my own.
This year, I resolve to be a better version of me and to smile more often. I will look at everyday as a new adventure to be had and perhaps a new hill to climb. It's time to look at the positive and focus on what you do have control over. Surround yourself with people who are good for you and be brave enough to let go of those that are not.
Oblivion is a state of mind and I want out.
In this new year I have decided to make a change. I have decided to face the tunnel and look for the light at the end of it with a smile. 2011 will bring good things, but in order for this to happen it has to start with me. No more feeling sorry about the life I don't have. Or the opportunities I didn't take. Or the job I don't particularly like. This year, I choose to focus on the positive aspects of my life. My wonderful friends. My amazing family. The strength I have developed in what can only be considered a "difficult" year. No more will I melt into oblivion. If this is what my life has handed me then I say, bring it on.
As many of you know, I'm pretty sure that these will be my last six months in KSA. As a result I think that the best use of my time is to take advantage of living here as much as I can. I mean it has been less than a year since I arrived and I have already paid off my two government loans! So, check that off the list. Coming here did that.
This year will be a year of great changes for a lot of people in my life. Some of my dearest friends are getting married, others are having babies, and other like me, are still trying to sort themselves out. In the end however, I think the big thing about the new year is the hope that it brings with it. We all look at the year that has just passed and the countless things that happened in it, the people we met and the decisions we made. We contemplate both the good and the bad and resolve to do better, or more, or different. I look forward to being a part of those big moments and having some of my own.
This year, I resolve to be a better version of me and to smile more often. I will look at everyday as a new adventure to be had and perhaps a new hill to climb. It's time to look at the positive and focus on what you do have control over. Surround yourself with people who are good for you and be brave enough to let go of those that are not.
Oblivion is a state of mind and I want out.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Unrealistic Expectations
I'm sure we've all done it. Created an illusion of someone based on someone we have just met. Then we make the fateful mistake of assuming that illusion and reality are one and the same thing. We soon find ourselves enamored by the idea of a person, whether it's because we looking for a soul mate or a new best friend. We place our hopes and fears into this person and hope against hope that our trust has been properly placed. We believe that this person is different and they understand us, complete us and will be with us for the rest of our lives. Then, the inevitable happens. They disappoint us.
Living the life of the expat I have learned one thing. People are rarely what they seem and certainly not what we want/hope/need them to be. When your options are limited, you make friends with anyone who will talk to you. You convince yourself that this shared experience will bind your friendship forever. You overlook things that would normally drive you crazy, and forgive what could otherwise be considered unforgivable. You are lonely and believe that the only people who can understand what that feels like are the people who have decided to live the same nomadic lifestyle. You are wrong.
The truth, as I see it, is that there are people who are meant to come into your life for a certain amount of time. Many of those of people are were friends of circumstance. People who would talk to you, that you shared a common experience with and as such were willing to overlook other personality "flaws." They were in your life when you needed them to be there, they were there for you, they taught you something about yourself, helped you get on your way or stopped you from doing something rash. In the end, the biggest disappointment is really the illusion that we ourselves have created. We must learn to accept this and move on.
In looking back at this year and my life in Saudi, I have learned a great deal about myself and the people I surround myself with. I have discovered the power of a real friend who may be thousands of miles away, but still knows exactly what to say and when. I have learned that true friends are with you regardless of where you are or how often you talk to them. They are with you in good and bad and have no problems in telling you when you are wrong or have made a mistake without passing judgment. They listen when all you need to do is vent, and will do their best to make you laugh when all you want to do is cry. While they may not know what it feels like to live where you do, they know you, and in the end that's all that really matters. These are the people that are with for the rest of your life and I have learned that we all need to take more time out of days to let these people know how lucky we are to have them in our lives and how much better our lives are because of them. Thank you to all of you who fall into this category.
Living the life of the expat I have learned one thing. People are rarely what they seem and certainly not what we want/hope/need them to be. When your options are limited, you make friends with anyone who will talk to you. You convince yourself that this shared experience will bind your friendship forever. You overlook things that would normally drive you crazy, and forgive what could otherwise be considered unforgivable. You are lonely and believe that the only people who can understand what that feels like are the people who have decided to live the same nomadic lifestyle. You are wrong.
The truth, as I see it, is that there are people who are meant to come into your life for a certain amount of time. Many of those of people are were friends of circumstance. People who would talk to you, that you shared a common experience with and as such were willing to overlook other personality "flaws." They were in your life when you needed them to be there, they were there for you, they taught you something about yourself, helped you get on your way or stopped you from doing something rash. In the end, the biggest disappointment is really the illusion that we ourselves have created. We must learn to accept this and move on.
In looking back at this year and my life in Saudi, I have learned a great deal about myself and the people I surround myself with. I have discovered the power of a real friend who may be thousands of miles away, but still knows exactly what to say and when. I have learned that true friends are with you regardless of where you are or how often you talk to them. They are with you in good and bad and have no problems in telling you when you are wrong or have made a mistake without passing judgment. They listen when all you need to do is vent, and will do their best to make you laugh when all you want to do is cry. While they may not know what it feels like to live where you do, they know you, and in the end that's all that really matters. These are the people that are with for the rest of your life and I have learned that we all need to take more time out of days to let these people know how lucky we are to have them in our lives and how much better our lives are because of them. Thank you to all of you who fall into this category.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Saudi Wedding
This week I was invited to go to a Saudi wedding. No, I was not invited by the groom, or the bride. I was invited by a friend who happens to know the groom and asked if I and another friend could come along. He said yes.
Now there a couple of things everyone should know about Saudi weddings. One, they start at midnight. Two, the are during the week. Three, there are two; one for the groom and the men, and another for the bride and the women. Yes, like all things Saudi, the weddings are segregated by gender. Which in my mind begs the question, and you were invited by the groom?
As it was explained to me, it is not uncommon for people to bring their friends to a wedding. Most weddings want to be large, and this is one of the few occasions that people (or in this case women) can gather, dance and be merry. However, I was also told that I would need a dress. So we went shopping.
Traditionally I'm a big fan of shopping, but shopping in Saudi is not quite the same (for reasons I have mentioned before). This time, however, I was faced with what seemed like an insurmountable problem, I wanted a simple dress that would not go above my budget. Alas, it was not to be. The dresses in all the store we went to (and we must have visited at least 10 stores) were horribly over the top (think sequence, glitter, feathers and bling... all on one dress) and excessively over-priced. So I decided to wear one of my old dresses. Fine.
We arrive at the wedding (fashionable early?) at 11:30pm. We turn in our invitations and are ushered inside a room behind a partition. Once inside, we take off our abayas and hand them to clerk. I hear what I think is some kind of door bell, it is not. It is a woman "announcing" the arrival of guests to the party. She's loud.
We are among the first to arrive. The tables are set (23 to be exact). The all have large center pieces, coffee, sweets and hours d'oeuvres. There is live music (four women singing to what I though was recoded music) and a stage. Add to this, the waitresses (yes everyone in the room is female) who are coming around with a bunch of other little appetizers and sweets.
However, that is not the first thing I notice. In fact, I am too caught up in all of the colors! I guess since women here are forced to wear black all day, they go all out when it comes to these events. Pink, gold, blue, white, red, purple, yellow and every color in between, and what's more they are all dancing! Yes, I'll admit it is still a little weird to me see only women dancing (with no men anywhere to be seen) but what is more this is a (dare I say it?) sensual dance! It's kind of like Colombian cumbia with belly dancing added in.
Now here is the interesting tidbit. The women are all dancing on this stage that basically resembles a cat walk, and the mothers are watching. I am told that basically the mothers are looking to see who among these single women would be able to "satisfy" their sons (because obviously dancing must be a proxy for something else) and be marriage material. So, a wedding is also a matchmaking session. Very interesting indeed.
The party continues, with lots of dancing until suddenly (at like 2am) everyone starts to put their abaya back on. The lights dim. And finally the bride arrives, with her husband (thus the need for abayas). They walk down the cat walk in a spot light while everyone claps and yells their well wishes. The couple stand there for a while just kind of looking out at the crowd (behind the lights). And then it's time for the groom to go and for dinner to be served (at 3am). By now, however, my friends and I are too exhausted and decide to skip the meal which consisted of a huge buffet of all kinds of things.
Clearly just another day (or night) in Saudi!
Now there a couple of things everyone should know about Saudi weddings. One, they start at midnight. Two, the are during the week. Three, there are two; one for the groom and the men, and another for the bride and the women. Yes, like all things Saudi, the weddings are segregated by gender. Which in my mind begs the question, and you were invited by the groom?
As it was explained to me, it is not uncommon for people to bring their friends to a wedding. Most weddings want to be large, and this is one of the few occasions that people (or in this case women) can gather, dance and be merry. However, I was also told that I would need a dress. So we went shopping.
Traditionally I'm a big fan of shopping, but shopping in Saudi is not quite the same (for reasons I have mentioned before). This time, however, I was faced with what seemed like an insurmountable problem, I wanted a simple dress that would not go above my budget. Alas, it was not to be. The dresses in all the store we went to (and we must have visited at least 10 stores) were horribly over the top (think sequence, glitter, feathers and bling... all on one dress) and excessively over-priced. So I decided to wear one of my old dresses. Fine.
We arrive at the wedding (fashionable early?) at 11:30pm. We turn in our invitations and are ushered inside a room behind a partition. Once inside, we take off our abayas and hand them to clerk. I hear what I think is some kind of door bell, it is not. It is a woman "announcing" the arrival of guests to the party. She's loud.
We are among the first to arrive. The tables are set (23 to be exact). The all have large center pieces, coffee, sweets and hours d'oeuvres. There is live music (four women singing to what I though was recoded music) and a stage. Add to this, the waitresses (yes everyone in the room is female) who are coming around with a bunch of other little appetizers and sweets.
However, that is not the first thing I notice. In fact, I am too caught up in all of the colors! I guess since women here are forced to wear black all day, they go all out when it comes to these events. Pink, gold, blue, white, red, purple, yellow and every color in between, and what's more they are all dancing! Yes, I'll admit it is still a little weird to me see only women dancing (with no men anywhere to be seen) but what is more this is a (dare I say it?) sensual dance! It's kind of like Colombian cumbia with belly dancing added in.
Now here is the interesting tidbit. The women are all dancing on this stage that basically resembles a cat walk, and the mothers are watching. I am told that basically the mothers are looking to see who among these single women would be able to "satisfy" their sons (because obviously dancing must be a proxy for something else) and be marriage material. So, a wedding is also a matchmaking session. Very interesting indeed.
The party continues, with lots of dancing until suddenly (at like 2am) everyone starts to put their abaya back on. The lights dim. And finally the bride arrives, with her husband (thus the need for abayas). They walk down the cat walk in a spot light while everyone claps and yells their well wishes. The couple stand there for a while just kind of looking out at the crowd (behind the lights). And then it's time for the groom to go and for dinner to be served (at 3am). By now, however, my friends and I are too exhausted and decide to skip the meal which consisted of a huge buffet of all kinds of things.
Clearly just another day (or night) in Saudi!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
La crisis de los casi treinta
So it has hit me like a ton of bricks, I am now 29, and lets be perfectly honest, 29 is practically 30! I realize that 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30, so I guess 30 must be the new 25? (because really who wants to be 20 again?)
When I was younger, I wondered (as so many of us do) what my life would look like by the time I was 30. Clearly I would be married to a wonderful man, have the job of my dreams and probably a kid. I would be living in a great city in my own house and life would perfect. Little did I know, that instead I would turning 29 in Lebanon because I live in Saudi Arabia.
I turned 29 in the company of friends who understood that I did not want to hit this "milestone" in KSA because I was going to need a stiff drink to face the reality of what my life had become. The weeks around my birthday were among my worst here. I had gotten really down on myself and was really tired with the job, the life (or lack thereof) and everything in between. I was disappointed in myself, as if somehow I had made a mistake somewhere along the way that had gotten me to that point. Everything looked gray and miserable.
The birthday weekend itself was fraught with it's own series of problems. A friend of mine was detained in passport control upon our arrival in Beirut because was born in Iraq and his name was on some list. Turns out there are at least 1,000 people with the same name, and a number of them are wanted for doing bad things. On top of that, Iranian president Ahmedinejad was also going to be in Beirut for the weekend, so everyone was on high alert. A bad time to have a common name. Long story short, after two days of going back and forth to passport control, my friend was finally able to prove that he was who he said he was and allowed to travel within Lebanon.
As for Ahmedinejad, we actually did cross his caravan thrice! All in the same day. All within about an hour. The first time, we saw them in the distance as the president must have been giving some speech. The second time we saw the caravan drive by and were even privy to seeing men point their very large guns at us as they went by. One of them was literally holding the back door of an SUV open with his legs so as to have his arms free for said very large gun. The third time, we saw the caravan at what must have been the hotel where the president was staying. I think it's safe to say, that by then, the glamor of our "celebrity sighting" had worn off.
The rest of the trip was fun. We saw Baalbeck, the Cedars and went up the "teleferique." Overall, however, I was not as impressed by my trip as I thought I was going to be. I was expecting over the top partying and we didn't really do any of that, it was after all the Saudi weekend, which is right smack in the middle of everyone else's work week. So maybe that had something to do with it. Oh well, will have to give it another go at some point, but this time will make sure that it's a Fri - Mon kind of thing.
When I was younger, I wondered (as so many of us do) what my life would look like by the time I was 30. Clearly I would be married to a wonderful man, have the job of my dreams and probably a kid. I would be living in a great city in my own house and life would perfect. Little did I know, that instead I would turning 29 in Lebanon because I live in Saudi Arabia.
I turned 29 in the company of friends who understood that I did not want to hit this "milestone" in KSA because I was going to need a stiff drink to face the reality of what my life had become. The weeks around my birthday were among my worst here. I had gotten really down on myself and was really tired with the job, the life (or lack thereof) and everything in between. I was disappointed in myself, as if somehow I had made a mistake somewhere along the way that had gotten me to that point. Everything looked gray and miserable.
The birthday weekend itself was fraught with it's own series of problems. A friend of mine was detained in passport control upon our arrival in Beirut because was born in Iraq and his name was on some list. Turns out there are at least 1,000 people with the same name, and a number of them are wanted for doing bad things. On top of that, Iranian president Ahmedinejad was also going to be in Beirut for the weekend, so everyone was on high alert. A bad time to have a common name. Long story short, after two days of going back and forth to passport control, my friend was finally able to prove that he was who he said he was and allowed to travel within Lebanon.
As for Ahmedinejad, we actually did cross his caravan thrice! All in the same day. All within about an hour. The first time, we saw them in the distance as the president must have been giving some speech. The second time we saw the caravan drive by and were even privy to seeing men point their very large guns at us as they went by. One of them was literally holding the back door of an SUV open with his legs so as to have his arms free for said very large gun. The third time, we saw the caravan at what must have been the hotel where the president was staying. I think it's safe to say, that by then, the glamor of our "celebrity sighting" had worn off.
The rest of the trip was fun. We saw Baalbeck, the Cedars and went up the "teleferique." Overall, however, I was not as impressed by my trip as I thought I was going to be. I was expecting over the top partying and we didn't really do any of that, it was after all the Saudi weekend, which is right smack in the middle of everyone else's work week. So maybe that had something to do with it. Oh well, will have to give it another go at some point, but this time will make sure that it's a Fri - Mon kind of thing.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Life?
It's been a while since I've posted anything on here and I do apologize for that, so this is my attempt make up for lost time and to update you all (if there is anyone still reading this) what I have been doing for the last two months.
July
As you know from my previous post, July started on a high (with the end of my safari and trip to Egypt) and ended with a low (with what might be the stupidest accident ever). After my accident, I did fly to Florida to visit family, and go to the doctor (let's just say I have more confidence on the health care I could receive there). After about a week, I was back in walking shape and was able to enjoy the rest of my time with my family.
August
August started in Florida where I was able to attend the wedding of a dear friends of mine from KAUST. He got married in a beautiful ocean-view ceremony. After that, I had the adventure (or "dis" adventure) of a lifetime in trying to get back to Saudi. Turns out my original flight was canceled and because my tickets had been so cheap I had a terrible time trying to get anyone else to get me back to KSA in time. In the end, it took me almost 48 hours and I was only here for about four days before I was sent to Seattle.
I was in Seattle for almost 10 days and had a lovely time. I was representing the university at a conference (which between you and me was a complete waste of time) but at least I got to see some old friends and be away from Ramadan for a bit.
September
I arrive for the last 10 days of Ramadan. Which is the holy month of fasting in Islam. It was quite an experience. As KSA is the nexus of the Muslim faith, it means they run a pretty tight ship. As a result no one was allowed to be seen with food or drink during the day (whether you were fasting or not) and every single restaurant or food-selling establishment was closed during daylight hours. Suffice to say, that whether you were fasting or not, this was not the easiest time to be at KAUST but it provide another glimpse into a deeply religious society.
After Ramadan came Eid. I should explain that there are no real holidays in KSA, no long weekends (with the exception of one), so basically people take their own vacation time and the two Eid weeks. The first Eid is after Ramandan, a celebration of sorts. The other is during Haj, the pilgrimage. But anyway, there was Eid and me with nothing to do, so do I decide? "Let's go to Greece" and to Greece I went! I visited Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae and Corinth. I had an incredible time!
I returned for a week and was off again, this time to Oman for the long weekend. The one long weekend of the year, the occasion being 'Saudi National Day.' So what do I (and so many other expats) do? Leave Saudi. Oman was lovely. I highly recommend it for its cleanliness, friendly people and overall happy atmosphere.
And now October is here! Yikes, so much to do so little time...
July
As you know from my previous post, July started on a high (with the end of my safari and trip to Egypt) and ended with a low (with what might be the stupidest accident ever). After my accident, I did fly to Florida to visit family, and go to the doctor (let's just say I have more confidence on the health care I could receive there). After about a week, I was back in walking shape and was able to enjoy the rest of my time with my family.
August
August started in Florida where I was able to attend the wedding of a dear friends of mine from KAUST. He got married in a beautiful ocean-view ceremony. After that, I had the adventure (or "dis" adventure) of a lifetime in trying to get back to Saudi. Turns out my original flight was canceled and because my tickets had been so cheap I had a terrible time trying to get anyone else to get me back to KSA in time. In the end, it took me almost 48 hours and I was only here for about four days before I was sent to Seattle.
I was in Seattle for almost 10 days and had a lovely time. I was representing the university at a conference (which between you and me was a complete waste of time) but at least I got to see some old friends and be away from Ramadan for a bit.
September
I arrive for the last 10 days of Ramadan. Which is the holy month of fasting in Islam. It was quite an experience. As KSA is the nexus of the Muslim faith, it means they run a pretty tight ship. As a result no one was allowed to be seen with food or drink during the day (whether you were fasting or not) and every single restaurant or food-selling establishment was closed during daylight hours. Suffice to say, that whether you were fasting or not, this was not the easiest time to be at KAUST but it provide another glimpse into a deeply religious society.
After Ramadan came Eid. I should explain that there are no real holidays in KSA, no long weekends (with the exception of one), so basically people take their own vacation time and the two Eid weeks. The first Eid is after Ramandan, a celebration of sorts. The other is during Haj, the pilgrimage. But anyway, there was Eid and me with nothing to do, so do I decide? "Let's go to Greece" and to Greece I went! I visited Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae and Corinth. I had an incredible time!
I returned for a week and was off again, this time to Oman for the long weekend. The one long weekend of the year, the occasion being 'Saudi National Day.' So what do I (and so many other expats) do? Leave Saudi. Oman was lovely. I highly recommend it for its cleanliness, friendly people and overall happy atmosphere.
And now October is here! Yikes, so much to do so little time...
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