To Depart & Arrive

A young woman who accompanied our group in Jeddah wrote this poem and read it aloud at a luncheon before we left Jeddah. It is beautiful and she shared it with us via email when we left. I will always remember those who I was privileged to meet and talk with on this trip. After all the incredible sights and sounds have faded, the conversations will remain- and they have changed my life.

Some people depart from our lives
Others arrive
So, you must be strong
To accept the new
And learn more on your own

Your memories will guide you through
For, it is through who you were
And the life you lived before
That .. will give you hints
On where you'll go
And how you'll get there

So don't be scared
You will always find a reminder along the way
In everything you do
In every way you choose to go
With any one .. your fate takes you to
You will always remember those who departed
Yet still.. smile with the ones who just arrived

So smile and be compassionate
Every moment is an adventure
You will never know who will leave
And who will remain within your reach

So celebrate those you have around
Be gentle and nice
Tomorrow their smiles mixed with yours
Will form the memories
That will lighten up your soul


By: Haneen Mohammad Shoaib

Home Sweet Home

In case you are confused- I just added two blog entries. One called Easter Sunday. And the other called Camels, Deserts, and Airplanes (Monday's events)
And so... now I am home. And happy to be here. It will take me a long time to process all that I have learned. I may add more to the blog as I do so. Check in once in awhile . Thanks for reading along.
Kris

Camels, Deserts, and Airplanes

I didn’t sleep well last night and morning came very quickly. We boarded the bus at 8:30 with our entire luggage. Then we rode out to the desert. It took about an hour. On the way we passed all sorts of interesting sites including small fun fairs – with Ferris wheels, merry go rounds, etc. And Bedouin camps complete with 4 wheelers in the front yard of the tents. Camels wandered around everywhere – seemingly without guidance or limitations.
We arrived in a semi-national park that is also used for research and rode to a site with permanent tents. The workers had set up a big tent with pillows under it. We sat and had tea and dates, as is our custom before any meal. It was HOT – but windy too so it was tolerable. Then the fun began. First I got to ride a camel. Two camels came and we all took turns going for rides. My camel was quite feisty and wanted to eat the plants (probably had water in them). I held on and never stopped smiling. We went for a long walk around the desert floor and then came back. The handler had the camel kneel and I jumped down. All in all, an amazing experience. Then a falcon trainer came and I got to hold the falcon. What a beautiful bird. We all walked around the dessert looking at animals and plants for a while. The waiters in uniform ran along beside us serving us tea and dates. One surprise- when I went to the washroom (expecting to find a big rock to hide behind), I found a beautiful bathroom carved into the side of the hill complete with pedestal sinks and beautiful tiles. The sinks outside the washroom were also embedded in the rocks.
Soon enough, they called us to lunch. We entered a permanent tent – complete with air-conditioning and carpets. And then we saw that we had the most amazing lunch prepared for us. Here we are in the desert – it is very hot – and we have ice sculptures above the food! Fresh flowers on the tables. And food a mile long. It was amazing.
When we finished Aramco gave us all leather briefcases – with books inside. More weight!
Then we went straight to the airport in Riyadh. Threw on our abayas to cover the smell of camel- and left Riyadh in a violent sand storm. About an hour later we landed in Damman – where we returned to the Aramco Compound hotel. I tried to repack my bags – and finally decided to pay the overage. I just have too much stuff. The Saudis gave us so much and I bought many things. I don’t want to throw it all away. So I will pay the overage and forget it. Everyone is in the same situation.
I’m on my way home now – and I am ready. I will pause and reflect on this trip many times over the next few months. And when I do, I will remember the friends that I made, the fascinating people that I met, the wonderful hospitality that Saudi Aramco showed us, and the amazing land that is Saudi Arabia. I was blessed to be invited to participate on this trip. And now I need to pay it back- by sharing with others what I learned. Hope you stick around.

Easter Sunday

It is now Monday morning and Sunday’s blog was never done. Easter occurred only in our heads and hearts – we had two bags of jelly beans and a few choruses of Easter songs.

Yesterday morning we went to the ash-Shoura Council. This council is the consultative body that advises the king. First we had a lengthy forum with the Education Subcommittee that was very interesting. There were many items to discuss and the differences between our two systems were quite apparent. The members of the education subcommittee come from all over Saudi Arabia. There were no women members – but the women were consulted on “women’s issues”. After this session ended, we went to the morning session of the Ash-Shoura Council – the larger body. They had an agenda that included driving issues as well as some issues of inheritance. We sat in the upper balconies and listened through a translation machine. Again, this body was only men. They had lively disagreements on issues but it is interesting when there is no real resolution to anything – again they are a consultative body not a legislative body.

After several hours in the government house, we went back to the hotel. Several of us really needed to do some shopping but the stores in the attached mall close from 12-4 and so it is difficult. (we are not allowed to leave the building). The women in our group had arranged a luncheon with one of the teachers from the school we visited the day before. She came with a friend. She was very happy to be visiting with us - she grew up in the United States until she graduated from high school. Despite a very good life here, she is still very fond of the States. She has two young children and a husband who is a CEO.
She is building a house with an indoor pool (so she can wear her bikini and swim). We were very pleased to have her join us.
After lunch we had a bus shopping trip. Some members needed luggage badly. So we all climb in the bus and ride to a luggage store and a few minutes later we all emerge with three more suitcases. Then we went to an abaya shop for a few last minute purchases.
When that was over we were taken to the Historical Center- the national museum. We were given a guided tour that lasted a long time. It was fascinating to see the history of Islam and Saudi Arabia in a museum. There is more than one way to understand many things. After that tour, we were taken on a tour of the original palace of King Abd Al-Aziz, the founding father of Saudi Arabia. We then proceeded into their courtyard where we had a presentation on the new “National Dialogue”. The current king has begun this program in the interest of fostering national conversations on important issues. People around the nation are taught about proper dialogue procedures (public speaking) and then there are discussions in various places around the country.
Dinner followed this meeting (it began at 10 p.m.). It was another delicious meal- with lobster and lamb as the main courses. We returned to the hotel at midnight and THEN I had the opportunity to meet Mohamad Talbah, the young man who I have communicating with for several months. He currently lives in Riyadh but lived in Chicago until December. He has not been given a visa to return to the US after returning here to see family. So now his family will be moving back to Saudi Arabia permanently. He is interviewing for positions in Computer Science. He brought his niece and we sat in the lobby and talked until 1 a.m. It was wonderful and I really enjoyed meeting my friend.
I then came back upstairs to pack. Everything has to be in the lobby at 8:30 this a.m. We are taking a trip to the desert for a picnic. It has been suggested that we may ride camels!
Then we return here mid afternoon and fly to Damman. We go back to the Aramco compound for a few hours and then at midnight we fly home.
I will finish this blog when I return to Madison. It has been a wonderful trek – one that has changed my life.

Schools and Libraries - Perfect Day

Another late night last night - so here is yesterday's blog entry.
This morning we were given an amazing opportunity. No American group has ever been allowed to visit a government school. Today, we were taken to one. The men were put in a separate bus and taken to a school at King Faisal University. It serves mostly children of professors. The women were taken to a secondary school that is a public school. And it was amazing. This school has had no visitors. The young women could not have been more excited that we were visiting. Before we arrived, we were told in no uncertain terms that there would be no cameras.The women at the school had asked repeatedly and Aramco respected their wishes. So this visit will remain only in the mind’s eye.
The school is basically a square around a inner courtyard. It has two floors. About 423 students attend (grades 9-12) and they have 35 teachers and 13 administrators. The young women were in uniform, floor length jumpers and green and white striped blouses. The adults had shed both their abayas and their veils.We were invited to shed our abayas but only if we had on a floor length skirt. A representative from the Ministry of Education also attended (to observe). We were given a lengthy introduction to the school and its programs by two teachers (who had lived in the US) . They spoke about programs in their school including 1) No student left behind (sound familiar?), a mother’s visit, a reading nation is a developing nation, Beautiful but! Program, thank you teachers program, supporting prophet (PBUH) program and safety program. We were in a library that had a total of 8 shelving units. They were not full. They looked worn. And they were not in English. The phrase over the door said ,”Pay attention to the order” and “read carefully.” There was no evidence of a librarian and one computer in the room. (one woman in our group reads Arabic) . The girls volunteered to speak to us in English. We saw a PowerPoint on amazing Saudi women that they had made. And they told us their dreams. Two cute comments- one girl said she hoped that all Americans don't think that they all ride camels. And another explained that, in her abaya, she is like a diamond. Everyone knows that she is special. Interesting perspectives.
We then were taken on a tour of the school. The girls were all in their classrooms. The rooms were no bigger than 20x20 and each class had between 40-45 students in it. The desks and chairs were not full size (could not have fitted them in). Each room had a modest amount of technology (overhead projector). I saw no textbooks.
In one room the girls were reading the Koran – one girl did not have one and was sitting there doing nothing. A teacher with our group asked the Dept. of Education person if all students are given a book. She said, “of course’. When the child was pointed out, she became very upset and said she would take corrective action immediately.
The students attend from 7:30-12:30. They have a short snack break. They take Arabic, English, art, math, history, home economics, science and religion. They have a new communications program where mothers can call a number and be informed of their daughter’s attendance and progress. When asked about the No Student Left Behind program, they said that if a child is not doing well, she is asked about why. Her mother is brought in and asked the same questions. A plan is drafted up for correction of the problem. Then tutoring teachers may be available. We asked about children with special needs- they would be given the options above and, if they did not work, they would be send to another school.
This was an amazing opportunity. Imagine if you will, a group of Saudi educators asking and being given access to an inner city school in a large city. The students were beautiful young women, spoke English well, and had great plans for achievement. The teachers were doing the very best that they could. We were all SO impressed.

This afternoon we had a break and I walked with a man in our group over to the mall. (I am not allowed to go unescorted). We had a fascinating visit – and talked with a young man who eagerly introduced himself after he realized that we were not Saudi (or German, as he had guessed);. Each encounter like this leads to more understanding
We then went on a quick trip to the top of the Kingdom Centre. It is the highest building in the kingdom – rising 99 stories. We took two elevators to get to the top and then walked over the top. The building was designed by an American architect. We also briefly visited the highest mosque in the world – according to Guinness Book of World Records- which is on the 77 floor of the building (where you switch elevators.)
Next we were taken to the Riyadh Public Library. This is really three separate branch libraries- the women’s, the men’s, and the children’s. The children’s room was colorful and interesting- although I thought it had too few volumes. We had a discussion about books and circulations with the director of the library. The librarian from the women’s library then met us women and was our tour guide. She was very proud of the various programs that their library offers women. There are 36 employees in this branch and 23 of them are librarians. They are open two shifts. I will share more about her and her program soon.
Finally, we went back to the hotel and were taken to dinner in the globe. (Can you see the globe in the building on the right?)This is in the building that adjoins our hotel. This was beautiful. The dinner was very nice and we then sat and talked with various dignitaries. Dr. Selwa A.F. Al-Hazzaa was my dinner companion and she was wonderful. The other dignity at my table was the managing director of Aramco in Riyadh./ The students at the public school had made a PowerPoint presentation on important women in Saudi Arabia. Selwa had actually been in the PowerPoint that the girls had made. Selwa is the head of Opthamology at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital here. She was simply wonderful. She explained that her mother was illiterate because girls were not allowed to be educated until 1960. In one generation, Selwa became a doctor who is world reknowned. She is about to become a full professor at Johns Hopkins. You might be interested in googling her. She has seen a large change. The food was excellent and the company impressive.
When I returned to my room, my laundry had been returned. I thought you might like to see the box my underwear was returned in. Within the box, all pieces of underwear were bagged separately. All the shirts and my abaya were bagged and hanging in the closet. (It is going to be hard to return to my previous life after this:))
Today we will go to the ash-Shoura Council which is the highest Consultative Council in the nation. (Riyadh is the capital) Nancy Pelosi was here three days ago -so they are now ready for us!

Fal Resort and on to Riyadh

This morning after a few hours sleep, we went back to the Fal Resort. We left the hotel at 7:15 which allowed us to get to the resort before the locals woke up. (They go to sleep late and wake up late) It was a beautiful morning. First I went swimming in the pool. Then I went swimming in the Red Sea – which is salty enough to allow you to float but crystal clear. Then I had a surprise experience. I told Marwan (our Aramco host) that I had a problem. I bought too much at the souk. All my stuff does not fit in my suitcase. So I asked if one of the men could go buy me a suitcase while we were at the resort. He said, just buy one at the Hilton when we return. I laughed and told him that I am a teacher – I can’t buy gum at the Hilton. So he told me to go to the dive shop and see if they have a suitcase. If they do, just charge it to Aramco. So I went to the dive shop, they had one scuba diving suitcase. I took it and signed my name (692 Saudi riyals). That was more than 200 American dollars. I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from this trip. Then I got some snorkel equipment because they would not let me scuba dive. I went snorkeling – the reefs were OK but the fish were wonderful. Very beautiful. So I have snorkeled on the Red Sea and loved every minute of it. When I returned, I swam in the pool awhile and now I am sitting in the lobby waiting for lunch.

This afternoon we go to Riyadh. I dread the airplane ride – just because of the hassle last time. One of my friends said, now you know why they wear full face veils. We are thinking of wearing our full face veils and sunglasses for this ride.

8 p.m. We have now arrived in Riyadh. The airplane ride was much less stressful- because I sat between a man in our group and a Saudi woman. I kept my hijab (veil) on the entire time and managed to sleep a bit. Now we have arrived at the Al Faisaliah Hotel – my room is simply unbelievable. A butler brought me up and I have a butler that I can call at any time. I have a soaker tub and a walk in shower. And it is simply stunning.

We do not have to meet until 8:45 a.m. which is wonderful. I plan to update the blog and then get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning we get to see a government school (which is the first time our group has been allowed to visit a government (vs. private) school. I am looking forward to that.

I continue to pinch myself as I realize how blessed I am to be on this trip. I have certainly been treated royally but I also have learned so much and met an endless number of fascinating people.

Old Jeddah

Thursday morning we headed for the souks in old Jeddah. The old part of Jeddah is distinctive for its old housing with shuttered wooden windows. The shutters allowed for ventilation and for privacy for the women. We broke up into groups and I went with the group to the gold souks. Unfortunately, gold is very expensive and I didn’t find anything that I liked enough to buy. I did find some silver that is very nice. Then we headed for the other souks- When you find something – you ask the price – when they give it, you bargain. Of course, for us, the bargaining is harder. We don’t know Arabic and we don’t do well with the bargaining game. We divided up our group into smaller groups with one of our Aramco guides. They would then bargain for us. We were quite conspicuous. There certainly are no other tourists. We had divided up the items that several of us wanted (spices, abayas, lanterns, etc) and one group shopped for some of those those things. I shopped for spices and that was fun – but challenging.(picture of mryrh on right) When we finished, we were truly beasts of burden. It was boiling hot – and I found out what a joy it is to carry it all through the market with your abaya and head scarf. We stopped in the Nasief House – an old home that is being remodeled. It historically belonged to a large mercantile family – and thus had a very significant place in the shopping district. When the first king of Saudi Arabia conquered the city (1925?) he claimed the house until a suitable home could be built. It has ramps that allow camels to go to the top floor to deliver messengers.

After this time, we went to a beautiful waterfront restaurant for lunch. These lunches last a few hours. There is usually a host who gives a speech. They are important folks. Yesterday was a man whose family owns one of the big shipping yards in SA. He is also on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce and loves Jeddah. (He says anyone who stays in Jeddah more than two days is Jeddahwe. We talked about the millions of people who come annually for the Haj(pilgrimage) and the problems with people who do not leave whcn the Haj ends. They basically become the “illegals” of Saudi Arabia. It is hard to imagine 3 million people arriving for the Haj – They camp in big fields.

After the luncheon we went back to our hotel briefly. A friend and I divided up all the spices for those who we had bought them for. When that was over, my room smelled like myrrh and frankincense as well as cardamom.

Then we left for an evening at the Fal Resort. This is a large private resort about 600 rooms. Once inside the compound, abayas can be ditched. Many Saudi women still wear their abayas. But little children run around and families have fun. First we went to the marina and watched the sun set. Then our Aramco host took us to the gym – where men and women can exercise, play racquetball, pool, get a massage, steam room, sauna, etc.
Then we walked back to the marina which had been transformed by couches, Persian rugs, and a wonderful folk music group performing traditional music for us. (I was pleased because I thought it odd that no one had performed music for us yet. We danced one dance-(which I think surprised the Saudi men) and then only the men could dance the rest of the evening. Women had henna tattoos put on our arms and legs. Then we had another magical dinner at poolside. To the right you can see the picture of our midwest group. Nick (North Dakota), Dwayne (Minnesota), Solomon (Minnesota) and I have been in email contact since we found out we were selected. You can see that they got to party a bit more than we women. We left after 11 p.m. and arrived home at 12. Then all of the people came to my room to get their spices. At 1 a.m. I gave up and went to bed – without completing my blog.

Three libraries, two huge meals, and another amazing day

Once again, the high life is interfering with my sleep. It is 12 p.m. and we just got home from our second multicourse meal of the day. So, I will work fast and get to bed.

Today started with an absolutely fascinating visit to the Help Center – a private nonprofit center for children with disabilities. Young people receive services from birth until 21.
Students with down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, vision and hearing problems, etc. are offered a wide variety of therapies. Parents pay, if they are able. The building was simply stunning. The children were enchanting. And the level of therapy was amazing. While Saudi Arabia has not had children with problems resulting from drug or alcohol problems in their families, it is apparently not uncommon to have genetic problems that are carried through the generations by intermarrying among family members. I learned so much and was so impressed. And the library was wonderful – staffed today by a graduate.

Then we went to the Sophia Binzaqu Art Gallery. Sophia Binzaqu gave us the tour. She has tried to preserve Saudi heritage and tradition in her artwork. All the work in the museum is hers and she has a beautiful studio where she continues to paint. She also has an art program the includes classes at the gallery and contests in the schools. The arts have not routinely been included in the school curricula and she does her best to change that. The building is free and includes an art library that has all of her personal books. I spoke with the librarian for a long time and asked to take a picture. I bought several prints that I really like. Amazingly, I wandered into a women’s art course (men are not allowed) and found a group of young women in art. They were dressed in jeans and t-shirts and looked like young people in our country. (That is why men weren’t allowed).No abayas to be seen. They conversed with me for awhile – asking many questions about America- and then permitted me to take a picture.

Then we went for an amazing multicourse luncheon at the Byblos restaurant. This is a stunning Lebanese restaurant. The food just kept coming. At these meals, there are many local business and education leaders who are invited to join us. They sit with us and we share fascinating conversations. Sometimes when we realize who it was that we just talked with, it is simply amazing. I realize that these experiences could not be purchased and we are truly blessed by the opportunities that this trip has provided.

Two hours later we returned to the hotel briefly before departing for the Saudi Gazette newspaper plant. We got to see the Information Center (library) and I wandered around for awhile comparing their collection. We were given a lengthy tour by the editor and then we had a lengthy forum on the issues of the press – both American and Saudi- and how they influence our thinking on world issues. Many editors of the newspaper joined us for the forum. We had some very hard hitting conversation including discussion of freedom of the press and discussions on controversial issues such as AIDS, drugs, homosexuality.etc

Then we went to the Nuit D’or restaurant for the evening. It was a large banquet hall used for events like weddings. Dr. Ghazi Bin Zagr gave a speech at the beginning. It was about the challenges of building international bridges. He was VERY articulate and convincing about the barriers that come down when people talk to each other. When one does not really know much about someone else, one suspects his every move.We then continued the conversation over another giant meal that lasted several hours. We certainly have been treated to some incredible meals.

Tomorrow we go to the souks (markets) and then to the Fal Resort for a folkloric night.
Should be lots of fun and more informal. (Yes- we still get to wear our abayas to the souks)

Thanks to those of you who are writing comments on my blog and to my email. I love hearing from you too. This trip has been an amazing experience - and I look forward to each new day.

Camels, Jeddah and the Red Sea

Here are a few pictures from the camel farm. As you can see, they were right up close and personal. Liability lawyers in the US would not approve. The gentleman is the owner – he knows every camel and all the details about them. I would too if I had that much invested. He had camels worth $5-$8 million dollars each.

I also put a few more pictures of the Gara Palace and Ib Rashim Pasha in the previous blog. It is beautiful

My hotel room is incredible. A small balcony provides this view of the Red Sea.
I will take some more pictures and show you the place. It is incredible.

Today we began with two stops in Jeddah. That allowed us to see some of the beautiful city. Jeddah is called the “city of art” and every boulevard has sculpture galore. I think I will just get a big book when I return so I can learn more about their art. The building architecture is also very exciting. And well done. We had lunch in the conch shell restaurant on the right in this picture. As usual, they had arranged for locals to eat with us. Often they are speakers from the morning. Today I ate with a woman who owns a marketing firm. She was WONDERFUL – helped us to understand a bit of what happened on the airplane last night and told us about the other side of Saudi life- the one you don’t see from the bus. She is standing in the middle. According to her, Jeddah has a more outside influences because everyone comes here from all over the world to do their Haj (the pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims). She rolls up her eyes at some of the oddities of the Saudi culture but loves it very much.
Then we went to a private home owned by a Islamic architect and his wife who is an interior designer. They designed and built the house in 8 years. (They volunteered that they could do it for us in 3 years) It was unbelievable. And the picture doesn't do it justice.

Tonight we went to dinner at a seafood restaurant. We all sat on the floor and ate a delicious meal. Interesting arrangement of buildings- lots of separate little buildings allow different groups to eat out - for example, women can eat together in a little room and pull the curtains so they can remove their abayas. Same for families. And of course, men can do whatever they wish.

Camels, deserts and airplanes

Dear friends - I am now safely moved into the Jeddah Hilton. My room is simply gorgeous.
And I have internet access that will allow me to work on my own blog. Many thanks to Denise for doing a beautiful job keeping it up - using my pictures and a text document sent each day.

It would be impossible to tell you all of what we did today. We started at 7:15 and headed for the desert. First we headed for Gara Mountain - where we walked in a beautiful cave area with incredible peaks around us. No one would believe we were in Saudi Arabia- instead it looked like Arizona.

Then we went to the Ib Rahim Pasha Palace - a very old fort like palace. We walked around for a long time - and were so impressed with the old architecture. I think the place is about 400 years old (if not more)

Then we headed to a Pottery Business where we watched a man make pots the old way - first by kneeding clay with his feet and then hand throwing the pot. It was very neat.


Then we went to the Intercontinental in Hufuf - a large town in the desert - mainly because it is an oasis. The lunch was extraordinary - as always

At this point-my camera battery died. So I had friends take pictures at the camel farm and will try to post them tomorrow.

After lunch we headed to the camel farm. This is only the second trip that has gone there. Previous trips went to the camel market. One man knew of this bedoin (sp?) farmer with hundreds of camels on many many acres of land. And they arranged for us to go. While I was a tad disappointed that I didn't get to ride the camels (and maybe a bit relieved), we had an incredible experience- we road for a few miles in SUVs to this encampment with lots of camels. Then we went into one of the pens - and actually stood among the camels - which gets exciting when they decide to take off to another part of the area. The noise was lots of fun - I recorded it and will try to broadcast that tomorrow - sounded like someone who had either drunk too much or had the stomach flu. Then we were invited into a tent for tea and dates on the rugs. The sun was setting over the dunes - the camels were callling - and I was simply amazed to be so lucky to be there.
Our drive, although very long, was fascinating as we saw many many industrial sites (Aramco), many high dunes, sand storms across the highway, many monstrous houses in the middle of nowhere (often started but not finished), the Crown Prince's farm, miles of aquaducts.
We arrived back into Dharhan at 7:02, ran to our rooms, threw on our abayas, grabbed our suitcases, checked out and were headed for the airport at 7:35.
Then I had one of the more interesting experiences of my life. The plane was full of Saudis - almost everywoman had a full-face veil. The men were not interested in sitting next to unrelated women, so the stewardesses were shuffling people all over - until everyone was somewhere they could tolerate. Then there were probably 20-30 people doing Imman (sp)- preparing for their pilgrimmages to Mecca. As I understand it, they must come clean - and so these men were literally sitting in the airplane - naked except for bath towels wrapped around them. But we made it to Jeddah and this hotel was worth the effort. We ate dinner at 1 and here I am at two.
More later.