HOUSTON

My trip has begun. After a short trip to Chicago this a.m., I am now in Houston. I don't think I've ever left the airport in Houston before. It is definitely spring here - and the flowers are blooming and the grass is green. Lots of traffic - we are staying right downtown but our limo driver flew through it all and delivered us safely to our home for the next 2 nights - the Intercontinental Houston. It is a long way from the Days Inn.
So far I've met about 10 or so people who are part of our group. In a half hour, we will convene downstairs for conversation and dinner. It does seem odd to be meeting perfect strangers and realizing that we will spend the next two weeks together. So far, so good. The group is a mix of younger teachers and some who are older than me! About half men and women. And about half librarians and Social Studies teachers. I fit right in!
Thanks to everyone who wished me bon voyage. It will certainly be an adventure and I'm glad you are going along with me virtually.
(Sorry I can't show you the hotel - the webpage isn't opening.) Maybe it will open for you.

Taking Off!

In 36 hours, we will be on our way. I am ready. While I don’t know exactly what I will encounter as I go, I know that it will all be very different. I look forward to watching, listening, talking, and learning. I will try to share with you – my friends, colleagues, students and family- as I go. Check back when you can. And please leave comments!


On Tuesday, we will all meet in Houston for training at Aramco's North American Headquarters. On Thursday, we will leave on our long trip to Saudi Arabia!

Camera Test

Here are two pictures taken in the library




and here is a super zoom of the afghan yarn I am working on :)

Not bad for an amateur.

Countdown to 10

Ten days until we go! Each weekend, I try to take stock of where I am in regard to the trip. And so, here goes---

This week we got our flight itineraries. We will first fly to Houston for orientation at Aramco’s North American headquarters. Then we will fly to Dharhan via Amersterdam.
The actual number of hours in the airplane will be 9 hours and 20 minutes to Amsterdam and then 6 hours to Dharhan. And that’s just the plan! We have a five hour layover in Amsterdam. So now real travel time is 20.5 hours. But – it will be fun- new friends, new adventures. While I am looking forward to going… I am not looking forward to returning. That will 6 hours to Amsterdam, then 15 hours to Chicago and then a 5 hour layover before an hour to Madison. Somehow it all computes to a full 24 hours en route. I arrive home (in theory) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday April 10 and am planning to be at work the next morning.

The adventures of the camera. As you already know, after much research, I selected a camera and bought it online from a 5 star company. Well… after 2 weeks, a box arrived and it was WAY TOO BIG for a tiny camera. So I opened it and it was a Nintendo Wii.
Now I had never heard of this game before – but apparently it is in short supply and great demand. (Several young people offered to buy it from me) The price, if you can find it, is twice what I paid for the camera. So I called the company and explained the problem. The best they could offer was – you return the Wii and THEN we’ll send the camera. I cancelled the camera purchase (and returned the Wii). Then we went to a local camera store to try to buy the camera I wanted. It was out of stock. Two hours later, I had a new camera (made by Samsung - which I didn't know makes cameras) And now I need to learn to use it. Nothing is ever as simple as you would hope. I’ll try to post some pictures before I leave.

Several of my fellow travelers have now put up blogs. I have listed them to the right. They also are collecting creative gifts to give to our hosts. I'm afraid I am not up on the gifts - I have 4 small books on Wisconsin and a box of "motion W" pins from the University of Wisconsin athletic department. Maybe I'll try for some pencils or pens this week. But then maybe I won't. Many of my good intentions are being put by the roadside.

More later.... Go Badgers!

Baggage

This weekend I am all about baggage. I need to travel with as little as possible and bring extra luggage for the return trip. We have been told that we will be given many gifts.

While I have a basic suitcase, I need to get a messenger bag to carry all of the things that I will need to have with me throughout the day. So we went to REI and investigated their options. Too many choices.

The guest bed is now the staging area for this excursion. I had to buy little bottles of vitamins and aspirin – The Saudis want everything to be in its original packaging.

And then there are the electronics. I bought a new camera this week. Cameras today sure have lots of bells and whistles. I don’t need all those fancy features- but I do want to take great pictures. I also will bring my computer so I can upload pictures to this blog at night. I hope I can take movies with the same camera.

Then there are the things you can’t bring. The visa application stated rather emphatically that the penalty for drug possession is death. Visitors can not bring any symbols or literature of any religion beside Islam. That includes jewelry, books, etc. No liquor is allowed in the country. And no reading, music, or videos that are considered to be vulgar or obscene are allowed. I don’t have any problem with these rules – I just want to make sure that I don’t accidentally have anything on my ipod or in a book that someone in Saudi Arabia would find offensive.

Books I have read

Everyone who reads this knows that I am a librarian. That means that I am in the business of reading and recommending books. Since December I have been reading, reading, reading - almost all of it has been about Saudi Arabia. Here are a few recommendations...

Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia (Carmen Bin Ladin)
I found this book very interesting. Ms. Bin Ladin married into the now infamous family and had two daughters. Over time, she found the opportunities for women to be stifling. While the book is certainly not balanced, I could relate to her as an outsider. I found her observations of Saudi Arabia fascinating.

The Unveiling: An American Teacher in a Saudi Palace (Kristin Decker)
Many Americans are employed in Saudi Arabia and this teacher and her husband took a job in a school with only two students! The two children were part of royalty and the American couple were employed to extend their education by exposing them to Western ideas and ways of learning. Their family wanted them to eventually attend Western universities. Surprising things happen that leave readers wondering.

Saudi Customs and Etiquette (Kathy Cuddihy)
My new Saudi friend, Mohamad, sent me this little book from Saudi Arabia! He has spent years in the US and now is in Saudi Arabia. He found this book and felt that it gives Americans a better understanding of Saudi Arabia. Since there are really no "tour books" for Saudi Arabia as there isn't any tourism, I found this book very useful at explaining, in a very balanced way, the protocol for getting along in Saudi Arabia. I'll read it again when I return and decide if I agree with it.


Beyond The Dunes: An Anthology of Modern Saudi Literature (Salma K. Jayyusi (Ed))
A rare collection of Saudi poetry, short stories, and essays that show the tension between traditional Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world world.

Islamic Art in Detail (Sheila R. Canby)
Since we will be going to many museums and important buildings, I wanted
to get a better understanding of the themes of Islamic art. This exquisite
book makes me excited about seeing the “real thing”. The art is colorful
and also full of non-traditional elements.

A Brief History Of Saudi Arabia (James Wynbrandt)
We received this book from the program that is coordinating our trip. I have several books from the "brief history" series in the library. This was my first chance to read one. The book is very well written. I found the history fascinating.

The Sword of the Prophet (Robert Goldston)
This book is a classic (published in 1982) about the beginnings of the Islamic empire. Despite its age, it is still considered to be a primer for understanding the events and people who are active in the Islamic world today. I am glad I read it.

One Month to Go

I am leaving for Saudi Arabia in four weeks! It is hard to believe! When I tell people that I am going, I commonly get two responses - WOW! and WHY? The answer to the question is that I love to travel and have never been to the Middle East. AND I believe that we must talk and listen to each other if we ever hope to understand each other.

EDUCATORS TO SAUDI ARABIA: This is the fifth Aramco trip. The first two were not open for a national competition so this is the third national competition. Usually about 150-200 applications are received for 24 slots. In order to apply, you must be either a Social Studies teacher or a librarian. Another librarian from Wisconsin went last year. I am the only
Wisconsin teacher to be selected for this trip.

ITINERARY: Our itinerary will not be known until we get to Houston. Previous groups have traveled to Dharhan, Riyadh, and Jeddah. We will be flying via Amsterdam - an 18 hour trip from Houston to Riyadh. I am loading up my ipod, sharpening my pencil (to do Sudokus), and looking for a VERY compelling novel to fill the hours. Hopefully, I will also get a good nap.


CLOTHING We know it will be very hot and we know that women must be entirely covered. A tailor will be making abayas (like the one shown) for the women on the first day. We do have to cover our arms to the wrist and our shirts must cover the collar bone. The abayas will not cover all of this. So today I went out to buy some clothes. Stores in Wisconsin do not sell "modest" summer clothes in February!