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.