A Day in the Desert

So, my fellow teacher asked me if I wanted to join her for a trip to the desert to go 4-wheeling and to have a picnic.  Her son was coming with a friend of his and she did not want to be the only girl.  Because it is Saudi, her driver was driving, setting things up, and acting as a sherpa.  I was excited about the opportunity to do something my students had been raving about, as spending time in the desert during the winter is the greatest past time.  So, with no expectations, a bottle of water, and a large package of wet-wipes, I was off.

After over an hour of waiting at the meet-up point, we were finally on our way.  Our fearless leader had sent everyone a map point to show them where we were supposed to go.  He then took off like a bat out of hell and left us mostly in the dust....literally.  There was a small caravan of cars heading to the desert until one of the cars got a flat tire.  When we pulled over to help. we got stuck in the sand.  We got out of the car and this is what greeted us.

Yup, pretty much what it looks like.  There are dunes further on, and the green stuff is some hardy desert plants.  There are these round things that look like tiny watermelons, that turned out to be actually related to watermelons, but most sites on the web said they were inedible...I did NOT bother trying a bite.

Apparently it was grasshopper mating season, so we all got to enjoy the show.

We had paid 180 SAR (about $47) to use the 4-wheelers, and for a barbeque supper, but my friend Maria said she did not trust what they might be cooking so she came prepared with a cooler full of burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and the works.  When we FINALLY made it to the site, we found ourselves between some dunes, and having gotten stuck in the sand once, agreed to load everything into someone's vehicle who had serious 4-wheel drive.  So, unpack, repack, head over the dunes.  So, if you look at the pictures above, this was pretty much it.  After realizing that the wet-wipes were very welcome, we headed over a dune for privacy to hit the head.  Yup, why I hate hardcore camping.  After that, we headed back to the site to assemble the grill and prepare to cook.

The wind had started to kick up and soon enough, grill was blazing, the hot dogs and hamburgers were cooking, and we were getting hit with a serious sand storm.  Maria and I stopped for a pic.

By the time we got around to cooking the steaks, things were very crunchy to eat.  We all agreed that as soon as we were done cooking we were heading home.  We were fortunate to be in a vehicle that was capable of getting over the dunes.  The driver hit a running start and we literally flew/bounced over the dunes hard enough to hit the ceiling and bounce back a few times.  Our driver could NOT load the stuff into the car fast enough to head out.  Ok, "camping in the desert"....I can check that off my bucket list....not going back!

Some Saudi Stuff

My last trip to Bahrain, possibly for a very long time, was disappointing in that I had a beautiful suite and a large tub, but no hot water the whole weekend.  If I had not arrived at midnight, and if I had not returned from shopping at 10:00 pm, I would have made them fix the problem.  I was just too exhausted and disappointed to complain.  Oh well, I won't like be back for a while.

I have not spent much time actively exploring the sights of Saudi.  I have to admit, I was not really that interested in the culture, and I was more interested in the pay, but I have seen some amazing things here.  First and foremost is the architecture.  I am NOT a fan of modern anything, but some of their buildings are pretty amazing!

The pictures may seem hazy, but that is the dust from the sand in the air.  In addition to the architecture, there is also the cultural stuff that I was able to experience this week at school and last week at a food truck rally.  The food truck rally was in a park behind the above building, which I always thought was neat looking, but turned out to be the library!  I had "mexican", small letter on purpose as the food was not really Mexican, and it was passable at best.

This week we had cultural presentations in our classes.  The classrooms are named after various regions in Saudi, so each class was supposed to talk about their region.  It was loud, it was colorful, I ate WAYYYYY too much food, but when your students tells you they made it, or that their mother made it, how could I say no?

This is a typical seating area for a Saudi living room or for use in a tent when camping.  They LOVE camping in the desert.

I good time was had by all, and needless to say, very little "teaching" was achieved that day.

Bahrain again and then Oman!

As you can see, the laptop is back on the desk.  I am leaving for Oman, in about 30 minutes, for a 3 day paid vacation (aka a real visa run).  They are paying for my flight and hotel so I am springing for a rental car.  I hate driving, but cabs are HORRIBLE for tourists.  It is just easier to drive as long as I can walk to a bar..LOL  My last hotel in Bahrain had no bar...I chose poorly.  Apparently, I am not the only teacher going to Oman this weekend (Muscat), but I am the only one in my hotel :-)  No intention of looking anyone up while there, as the whole idea is to GET AWAY!

My last hotel in Bahrain was another experience.  When I finally arrived at my hotel at about midnight, I was exhausted.  I chose a hotel that was not close to anything so I went ahead and rented a car.  I waited in line behind a family who was trying to get adjoining rooms or something so that took about 20 minutes to get them checked in.  The man who went next was checking OUT at midnight.  When I finally got to check in, I was cranky.  After not having a tub in my last hotel, I made sure to ask if my room had a large single bed and a tub. I was told, "yes."  I had told him of my hunt for a hot soaking bath and how the last place had lied to me about having tubs.   When I finally got to my room, I discovered I had NEITHER of those items in my room.  I literally ran back to the front desk and pretty much screamed, "Are you freaking kidding me?!?"  I was pissed off and let him know it.  He then apologized and sent the housekeeper to check the room before he sent me to another room.  I was upgraded to a beautiful suite with a HUGE soaking tub.....NO HOT WATER!

Oh the people you meet and other stuff

     My overall impression of my fellow TEFL instructors in China was that they fejl into 4 catagories:  1)  Mid-life crisis mode (me); 2) young and adventurous; 3) loser men looking to get laid because no woman will give them the time of day in their home country and obviously ALL Asian women find white losers appealing (this is what they are thinking, can't make this shit up); and finally, 4) people with issues (drugs, alcohol, anger management, inability to hold a real job).  It seemed there were more men in China, but that might just be based on the fact they separate the sexes in Saudi.  I came with no expectations of who I might meet, and it has been a pretty crazy adventure so far.
     The biggest factor in Saudi, as to getting to know people, is that they seriously separate the sexes.  All women have to eat in the Family Section of the restaurant or get it to go.  This doesn't bother me in the least, EXCEPT for the fact that this can generally include screaming children.  So, I live in an apartment building (I still refer to as "the dorms") that is all women.  There is a male security guard outside the door, who is only good for yelling at the cab drivers in Arabic when they try to rip us off for a ride home.  They almost all run off meter and tell you to pay what you feel they should get.  I figure it probably doubles or triples the amount of the ride.  I use Uber.  It lets me enter the destination in English and put it on a card.  Also, it tells you ahead of time how much it will be AND I can complain and get a refund if I have an issue (like the guy who charged me twice after I cancelled the first time and got him anyways).
     Living in the dorms here is vastly different than in China.  NO ONE comes out to hang out.  First of all, there is nowhere to hang out.  There is no common area or patio.  We can go to the roof, but there is no furniture and you have to wear your abaya...in the sun...in the heat....no shade.  So, I have tried hosting a few open houses/crafting events, and had no luck.  It seems that people here prefer to stay in their rooms or hang out with a few select friends.  No problem, my Baby Girl gives me someone to talk to.  I do occasionally have someone over for coffee and a chat, but mostly it is just me.  My biggest complaint about China, ok, aside from all the other issues...LOL, was that I had no time for me or the space to do it in.  I have that in spades in Saudi.
     First of all, I have the space and the free Wii to exercise.  I was doing really good until my knee started to bother me.  See previous post for info.  Doc said to NOT do any kneeling, so have to watch the workouts, and no going up stairs, but walking or running on a flat surface is ok.  I can go for a 10 mile hike on the trail at the diplomatic quarters (DQ) and I can do it without an abaya.  Also, they have a Starbucks for a post hike treat.  Aside from the 40-60 SAR cost for the cab, it is a great option.  The gal I have gone with once walked to slow and was always stopping to take pics...I will have to go it alone!

     Because no one here "hangs out", because, with the exception of shopping, there is no place to go and nothing to do, I find I have a great deal of "me time" at my disposal.  I have collected everything I need to start crafting and have been going at it like gangbusters!  I made seasonal decorations for my door.

I crafted for the holidays.  

 I baked stolen as well.

And I traveled to Bahrain right before Christmas so I got to see a tree and holiday lights!

     Now to the people I have met and with whom I work and live.  Like the folks in China, there tend to be a few categories that the gals around here fall into:  1) mid-life crisis (me again); 2) loners; 3) Muslim women who appreciate living a purely Islamic environment; 4) nut jobs and whackos, or just plain too "unique" to qualify under another heading.  My first real encounter was with a woman I rode the bus with on the first day.  She was head to toe abaya, hijab, and niqab, and her fingers were covered in mostly silver rings.  I saw nothing but her eyes.  When we arrived at school and the coverings came off, it was a whole new ballgame.  She had bleached hair that screamed mad biker chick and her rings, voice, and the way she carried herself, I didn't think I was mistaken with my first impression.  I was singularly impressed with her intelligence and general knowledge of just about everything, but like others I met, I highly suspect Aspergers.  These women may spend large amounts of time by themselves for mental health issues.

     Another type I have met is the converted Muslim.  There are a number of women (tending to be American) who have converted.  How do I know they have converted?  Well, the fact they are from Kansas and Texas and not at all Arab looking, just a clue.  I had one of them living in my apartment on Granville and I called her ghad jane (spelling wrong to avoid NSA probe :-)  There is one almost exactly like her here.  She has issues and likes to hide behind her coverings and appear weak and incapable so folks do things for her.  Both woman may have had prior drug and alcohol issues, but I have no real idea, and don't want to open that can of worms.

     One of the women I have met came to us out of a bad relationship in the US.  The man cheated on her, took her money, and basically used her.  After divulging this to me, her first question was, "How do you meet men in Saudi?"  I wish I was kidding.  My heart broke for her immediately.  I tried to explain that Saudi culture was not conducive to "meeting men" and that she should focus on herself.  Her snippy reply was that she was fully capable of living on her own, she just wanted to meet men.  I reminded her repeatedly, after she discovered they were mostly married men she was meeting on Internations, that you can NOT be "just friends" with a married man in Saudi!  They stone people for that shit!  They give you actual fucking lashes with a whip, if they don't just behead you!.  She has been having these men pick her up, AT OUR DORMS!, with the security guard watching and everything!  She sits in back so she can pretend he is her "driver", but she then proceeds to go out for supper with them or have coffee.  (VERY heavy sigh and shaking my head)

     I am happy to sit at home and read, craft, or watch tv.  A HUGE reason for not blogging so much is that in order to watch my Netflix or my movies on my 32" TV in the living room, I have to move the laptop to the couch area and put it on my couch side table to plug in the HDMI cable.  While I can still type and use the laptop, it is MUCH HARDER to do any serious typing.  So, I tend to leave it by the TV and only move it back to the desk when I know I will be blogging.

     Finally, we have to be at school for 8 hours a day (in a split fucking shift thing that is killing me!) and we are only required to teach for 6 of those hours.  Because teachers are out all the time (sick, visa runs, or fake cough), we are promised "overtime" to cover their classes.  Because we are already being paid to sit there, we just get an extra few SAR to cover it.  I have told them repeatedly, that unless they give me comp time, DO NOT ASK!  I was promised comp time last month and was looking forward to a 3 day weekend in Bahrain.  Oops, wrong form, they gave me the pay.  I quickly informed them to not ask me again!  So, during my free time at school, I have taken up crochet.  It is one of those tasks that is impossible to do in the presence of a cat.  Yarn + cat can only = play time ....right???  I keep it in my locker and pull it out when I have some time or when I am proctoring tests.  We do tests once every 4 weeks and I don't think I give a rat's ass if they are cheating, so I am free to crochet away.  You can't tell but this is over a foot square.  I chose poorly in that I chose a hard yarn to work with that requires a small hook...

Medical Things

  This too will be a shorty as I spent some time at medical.  NOT TO WORRY, I happen to have AWESOME health insurance so things I would have ignored in the past, not so much.  I have found a hospital center that hosts a number of specialty clinics.  You do NOT need a referral to see a specialist, you just have to pick the correct department for what ails you.  About 2 weeks ago, I had a sore throat, my glands were swollen, my ears hurt, and it was difficult to breathe.  Having had pneumonia a few times before, and with all the goobies going around the dorms, I knew to keep a close eye on my phlegm.  As soon as it, like the leaves in fall, starts to change colors, it is time to take is VERY seriously.  It hadn't changed yet, but man it was hard to breathe.
     I went home early on Tuesday and woke up Wednesday morning to visit a close/local clinic.  He ruled out asthma, based in part are an x-ray, and part on an almost listen to my lungs.  What is an "almost listen" you ask?  In Saudi, we are wearing that black robe thing (the loathed abaya) and the doctors, even with a woman nurse present, DO NOT WANT you to take off your clothes and DO NOT WANT to touch you anywhere under the abaya, except to poke your tummy.  So he maybe caught the top 1/4 of my lungs over the collar of my abaya, and that was it.  He referred me to a pulmonary specialist.
     So, stopped for lunch, and then off to my hospital center, which is where I should have gone in the first place.  I saw the specialist, who did another over the abaya listen, and he referred me to the ER for a full work-up.  He said he was not able to order x-rays for what he felt was all in my head.  So, headed to the ER where the female doctor took x-rays and actually listened to the whole lungs over my abaya.  Se agreed that I did not have asthma, did NOT have pneumonia, or any other awful chest thing, that what I had was an issue with dust.  Just as China was pretty much filthy, Saudi is 100% dust 100% of the time.  The ONLY time it is not dusty is when it rains.  I have been here going on 4 months and it rained about 3 days.  That may have been all we get.  So, I have to keep my window closed, wear a mask to go outside and sleep with a humidifier.  They gave me a couple of doses of nebulizer and sent me home with an inhaler in case it gets bad again.  They are doing construction in front of my place, so I am f'd for now.
     Today's trip was about my knees.  It totally feels like I am kneeling on glass when I kneel.  The knees don't hurt to walk or hurt when I bend, but what was an occasional pain is becoming more frequent and not just when I knee.  I explained to the orthopedist that I kept falling up the stairs when I tripped on my abaya.  He just nodded.  So, after more x-rays, he announced that my knees were younger then they looked and it was the cartilage that was irritated.  He prescribed lotion and told me to take the Naproxin Ian was good enough to send me for the pain.  I just wanted to rule out anything serious.
     What I failed to mention, was that the total cost for seeing 3 doctors, 2 sets of x-rays, 2 nebulizer scripts, and an ER visit (including expensive cab rides there and back,...about $56 TOTAL out-of-pocket cost.  Today's little visit with the knee doc...$56, and that included a latte, donut, and sandwich for dinner tonight.  Not bad.

SORRY about December

     I am soooooo sorry about not posting for the entire month of December.  I was busy crafting snowmen, shopping, and crafting for the holiday.  Christmas does not exist, in any way, shape, or form, in Saudi, so I had to cobble together stuff to serve as decorations.  I made another trip to Bahrain in December and was able to purchase a 2 foot faux tree, lights, pearl garland, and an angle topper.  I have left it up and enjoy the colored lights.

I had chosen a new hotel and found myself at the Baisan International Hotel. I was happy to see colored lights in Bahrain, but it turns out it was not for the holidays, but for Bahrain National Day.  Their colors are red and white.  It was simply fortuitous!

It was rather loud, with honking and yelling, when I was driving through the streets.  It was close to midnight and I had a feeling things were just starting to heat up.  I was not to be disappointed.  The view was nice.

So, after checking in, I prepared to go to bed and came to the hard realization that the shower sucked.  After the wonderful shower at the Diva, it was like going from Obama to Trump.  It was beyond a step down.  Old shower head, bad pressure, not much hot water, and that kind of spray that comes with a clogged showerhead.  Saddness ensued,  So, being about 1:00am, I headed to bed,  Sleep?  Not so much.  Apparently Bahrainians celebrate their day like out new year.  Automatic gunfire....at 2am...yup, and firecrackers.....(very heavy sigh)  At least the room was nice and the hotel was walking distance to a TON of things, including some great street food!  They sold these things that reminded me of calzones, but without the tomato sauce, and they were fabulous.  Cheap breakfast and lunch!  That is it for now, I have to head to work, but I will return at lunchtime and continue the saga!