Saudi Rainy Day

Woke up this morning to the sound of thunder. Hmmm, that wasn't in the forecast. Looked outside to see a serious rain coming down, and me without an umbrella. Oh well, some days you're just gonna get wet on the way to work.  I put on my windbreaker and hat and headed off for the 10 minute walk, which was, of course, directly into the wind. Got there not quite soaked, but plenty damp.

It's funny, most of the Westerners were scowling at the rain, but the Saudis were all smiles! Any day of rain here is a good day and brings good moods.  So we enjoyed a lovely cool, cloudy, rainy day and I dried off after about an hour. My jacket took a bit longer, but by the time I left this afternoon it was dry as well.

I know, this is not the most exciting bit of  information you'll get today, but it doesn't happen very often here, so I thought it worth reporting! And the plants all loved it and will benefit from it. They normally get briny water pumped up from wells - remember we are right next to the Arabian Gulf - so a day of fresh water is good for everything!

A Walk in the Rain

It doesn't rain very often in Saudi Arabia - didn't know if y'all were aware of that or not, so I thought I'd mention it! Today's forecast was unexceptional - 86 degrees F, 15 mph winds, 10% sky cover, 0% chance of precipitation.  That no precipitation part is usually a pretty safe bet.

But this morning there were some lovely high, wispy clouds, and this afternoon it clouded up, as it sometimes does. Still doesn't usually portend anything except some clouds. This evening I went to the mall to pick something up, and watched what had to be a thundercloud on the horizon build and grow, then split. The sunlight was amazing as it spilled around the edges in bright shafts - wish I had a picture but I was on a bus at the time.

The mall shuts down at prayer time (more on that in a future post), or at least, all the stores MUST close so the men can go pray. I don't mean that in any disrespectful way. I honestly don't know if any of the women go to pray or not. There are prayer rooms for men all over the place, but if there are also some for women they are well-hidden.  Mostly the women congregate on benches and talk and/or watch the kids until the shops reopen.

So tonight, since I had my shopping done and had another 45 minutes to wait for the bus back to Aramco, I walked around the mall - on the outside, of course. It was well into twilight, but I could see a rain shaft off in the distance in the direction of where the storm cloud had been before. I thought it was very lucky for someone to be getting that much rain today, since we are getting into the part of the year where it may only rain once or twice again before summer arrives.

As I approached the bus stop I felt a few unmistakable drops of rain on my head! I spent the next 10 minutes waiting for the bus standing next to the shelter where all the women were hiding from the rain! It wasn't heavy, barely a sprinkle, but it felt delightful out in the open with a lovely breeze blowing. Not something I expected here, and I stood there and smiled for 10 minutes!  By the time I got back to camp I was dry.

So, while I'm on the subject of praying at the mall, I must share a photo I took last week. Again, I mean no disrespect, but only offer this for cultural familiarization. Before going in to pray, men must wash their feet - as you may expect, sandals are very popular here. Adjacent to each prayer room is a foot washing room, with walls lined with foot-level basins and water taps for washing the feet. What else is usually associated with washing up in the mall? Here, this should explain:

Shamal

I may have written about this before, last year, but today announced itself as the day to revisit the topic of "shamal," which essentially means "wind."  What it means here is dust storm.

Shamals are common here later in the spring, but today brought one that surprised everyone. The forecast was for a high of 97, with 20 mph winds, and coming to work this morning looked lovely. At lunch I walked from work back to my room to fetch something, and I could see visibility was a bit reduced, but still normal.  At 1 p.m., though, when I went outside to meet the taxi to go to the U.S. Consulate to pick up my passport there was a serious reduction in visibility.  (The image below is the observation at 2 p.m. after I returned.)

Being out in this wind is kinda like being out in a driving rain in a heavy wind, except sharper.  I've been out in rainstorms - heck, let's be honest, I've gone out of my way to be out in big rainstorms. I love it!! There is something invigorating in that, when the air is alive and the rain hitting your skin and drenching you is energized! It is an exhilarating experience!!  A shamal is not quite the same.

I went out, I guess, near the beginning of the peak period of the event. The wind was around 30 mph with some serious gusts. Like in a big rain storm when you can see sheets and waves of raining moving toward you, I could  masses of dust swirling, rolling, and racing my way. But unlike rain that hits and spreads across your skin or clothes, the sand hits and bites, digs, and stays. Not knowing this was coming, I didn't even have my sunglasses for eye protection, but I'm not sure what help they'd have been.  I do have good reflexes, which I know forced my eyes shut many times a split second before a blast of wind-driven sand impacted my eye lids - I am grateful for those reflexes!  It is exhausting to fight your way through the wind and sand. When you come in, you feel pretty much beat to pieces and don't want to do that again!!

From inside a building or car it looks like thick fog, and you have to remember what is going on out there - not an issue when you are out in it!!  Just for reference, below is an image I took from the top of my building last April on a clear day.

 This image is from this afternoon about 2:30. It was after the peak of the shamal so visibility was already improving, but you should get the idea. At the peak the visibility was down to a quarter of a mile, about half as good as below - at the peak I couldn't even see the mosque near the center of the image, which is at center right in the image above.

 Last year we had no significant shamal events, while year before last they had two months of it, almost non-stop from April through March, and we had a very mild year, relatively speaking, for temperatures. It'll be interesting to see how the coming year plays out - I'll let you know!

If you've read this far, thank you! If you enjoy my writing, I'd love to hear from you - it's encouraging to get feedback every so often so I know if anyone is reading! If you don't want to miss a word, there is an option to "Follow by Email" on the right side of the page; enter your email address and click Submit to get a notice when new posts are ready. I'd be happy to have you aboard as I continue this journey!  Best to all, Mark

Clouds, Haircut, & Consulate

Here is an image I took this morning walking to work. Actually, I was there - this is the front of my building! This time of year there have been some beautiful clouds early on, which won't be here as summer progresses. This was a quick capture, as cameras are not allowed inside the area where I work, but with the proliferation of camera phones they are not quite as rigid as just a few years ago,

I came to get a haircut after a short afternoon outing described below. I got one not too long ago, but it was much too long on top so I came to get it evened up a bit.  This sign is posted on the barber shop door, which means the price of my haircut has gone up to the equivalent of $4.99!

I like my barber, Mel. He was the first guy to cut my hair here and does a very good job, so I try to time things so I can get him. It's a ticket/number system, so sometimes I have to wait a while, but I let him know when I arrive and he usually manages to time it just right!  I make it worth his while and  tip him very well.

They provide a "scalp massage" for SR8 (8 Saudi Riyals, about $2) that consists of a brief workover of head and shoulders with a heavy duty massage - I typically tip him the entire amount of haircut and massage and he gives me about a 20 minute workover with this thing - head, neck, shoulders, arms, and back (all while sitting in barber chair)!  All for about $15. And no, don't worry Natalie at Salon Professionals in Fayetteville AR, he can't replace you - but while I'm here he will do! :)

Last week a co-worker found out the hard way that if you run out of empty pages in your passport they won't let you back into the country! She spent two days in Bahrain until she could get into the U.S. Embassy to get a batch of pages added to her book. So after discovering that my passport has only a handful of blank pages left, I went to the U.S. Consulate here in Dhahran today to expand my book.

Interesting experience. I think it's easier to break out of prison than to get into this place! I'm not complaining, much. Given the proclivity around the world for various groups to target any American facility they can, precautions must be taken. No electronics can go in, so check you phone, ipad, etc. at the dooe. and photographs are forbidden! and all surrounded by passive and active defences. not really a fun visit.

I had to wait almost an hour to give them my book and be told to come back tomorrow to pick it up. They typically do it while you wait but they were short-handed today.  So rest assured, citizens, here in what is arguably the most stable place in the Mideast it is nearly impossible to penetrate the U.S. outpost. Even with an appointment!

More soon!

Art Show All Done

The art show is finished (well, a few days ago now! it's already a busy week) and I have somewhat mixed feelings about it.  On the whole, I'm very pleased to have participated and grateful to have some good images to submit. Still, photographs were treated as pretty second rate, and were posted in a an unannounced, unmarked second room down a dark hallway, so there was not much traffic through "my" room.

The artists reception Thursday evening was pleasant enough - lots of people came by to look, and my display was really quite well received. I had many lovely comments, lots of questions, many more suggestions on local places that I must go shoot (and some of them I will try to do so!!). I got a lot of attention Thursday evening. I also won a prize.

My shot of the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles (below) was awarded 3d place in photography, so I'm very pleased with that!  My friend and co-worker Mike Thomas got 2d place for a photo he shot in Portugal, and first place was a very dark, grim image of a little girl that looked like it could be the poster for a horror movie - I really don't know what they were thinking with that one!

The event was also a sale, which was the true disappointment. In the photo room, with I'm guessing 200 images displayed, only 4 were marked as sold at the end of the weekend. There were some very nice pieces in there and I'm really stunned that nothing sold.  But I'll get over it and am not worrying it, and will enjoy my wall art while I'm here - I have a lovely assortment I can rotate through my cubicle!!

Dhahran Fine Art Show

There is a very active community here at Aramco's Dhahran camp. Since it is also relatively small, people are very interactive and involved in many pastimes. If you have enough interested people, you can start a special interest group in almost anything! There is a quilting group, motorcycle group (HOG - Harley Owner's Group; love this one!!), even the Hangar Flyers International group, which I joined last year (flying enthusiasts!).  This week I joined another one, the Dhahran Art Group, or DAG.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking - Mark isn't an artist! Yep, must agree with that. But about a month ago a Saudi friend sent me an email about the DAG's upcoming fine art show, and suggested I consider entering some of my photos in it. Hmmm . . . that was something to think about that I'd never considered before.

But I started asking some questions, and learned that yes, they do accept photos for the show, which is primarily an art sale and fundraiser for the group. I can sell my photos for whatever I want, and they get 10% - not an unreasonable deal. It started to sound more feasible.

Then I started going through all the images I've taken here and there and all over the place in the past year. When Dana and I went to Europe last summer we collected some stunning images, and there are some very photogenic locations here that have given me very nice images. Eventually, with the help of some trusted friends, I narrowed it down to six images that I was willing to invest in and print to see what kind of response I'd get. (below - Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris France)

Then I was lucky enough to have a friend recommend a print shop near the mall, and I learned that they could print on canvas and mount it to a frame. I printed one as a test and was totally pleased with the result - great quality product all the way around, and something I would be proud to present as my work. I brought it to the office the next day and hung it there for two weeks with nothing but positive comments, and lots of inquiries about the piece. (below - The Grand Mosque, Bahrain, courtyard)

Then, of course, the person I'd been communicating with about the show told me that no, every photo must be printed and framed - no canvas! Eventually we got that worked out; turns out in the past they've had people bring in loose, unframed prints and canvases that couldn't be displayed.
(below - the London Eye, London UK)

Sunday afternoon (our Monday) was artwork turn in.  I'd been to the photo shop 5 days earlier to order my five other prints, and was a little worried they wouldn't be ready on Saturday night as promised. So I went Friday evening just to check and remind them I had to have them, and was pleased to learn they were already done! They brought out five neatly wrapped packages and opened them up for my inspection. (below - Grand Mosque, Bahrain, interior hallway)

I was pleasantly surprised as each was better than the previous, and all exceeded my expectations. Yeah, these looked like they belonged in an art show, or in someone's home!  I was very excited to carry these out, get a taxi, and head back to camp! It was very reassuring, too, when an Arab man in thobe (the long white robe) and head scarf offered in the shop to buy the image below, right then and there, that he had to have it! I thanked him very much, but conveyed that the print was to be in an art show at Aramco, so he had to know all about the show, when and where, so he could come to buy this print. I'd call that encouraging feedback! He shook my hand many times and told me he would be at the show - it'll be cool if he shows up! (below - Hall of Mirrors, Chateau de Versaille, France)

So Sunday after work, two co-workers and I bundled up our images and carted them over to the large multi-purpose room on camp and turned them in for the art show! Not something I ever thought I'd do, and can't wait to see how it turns out. I'll let you all know next week.

BTW, if you haven't tried it before, you can click on these images to see a larger version!  I would love to hear from you - which of these is your favorite? Best to all, Mark
(below - Tower Bridge, London UK)

Home for the Holidays

I got to be home for Christmas, which was delightful. Even after a career in the military, this is the longest I’ve ever been away from, so it is always a treat to come home after an absence, but even better to get there and we are all together!  Dana and Darby decorated the house and tree most beautifully – it really felt like coming home when I got there. Of course, we had to go straight from the airport to the University of Arkansas campus and see the second half of a Razorback basketball game – Go Hogs Go!! I know, sounds crazy, but it was fun!

Shannon and David made it in through awful weather from Montreal, and Darby trekked up from Little Rock. Everyone seemed healthy but me, who had a sniffle with sneezes – my classic allergy symptoms. We ate at our favorite places – Penguin Ed’s BBQ, the Catfish Hole, and almost P.F. Chang's.  We went on Christmas Eve to Rogers intending to eat at PFCs and then go to a movie, but they had a 1.5 hour wait; just too long.  So we went to Mimi’s Café next door and had a delightful meal together (and got an order of orange/cranberry muffins to go to have with brunch on Christmas morning!). I highly recommend Mimi’s Café!!

We saw several movies over the break – the new Hobbit, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and the Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  All good choices!  We hoped to see American Hustle, but my allergies turned into a sinus infection and I just couldn’t do it.

Christmas day started with brunch, then presents, then cooking the turkey, then a lovely dinner, which my friend John was able to come and share with us. And I got everything on my wish list – I’m just a little fuzzy about who got me what because I was just a little sick and simply can’t remember – I got back to KSA with things I didn’t remember getting.  But I know who got me each significant thing, and I am thankful for and appreciative of everything!

Shannon and David had to head back to Montreal a few days after Christmas and it was hard to see them go.  Then Darby went back to Little Rock for a few days, and then I got really sick Wednesday night of New Year’s Day!  We’d had a quiet evening in for New Year’s Eve – Chinese food from Mong Dynasty in Fayetteville (my favorite!), we watched a movie and an episode of Elementary (CBS’ excellent Sherlock Holmes drama), and watched the ball drop at midnight. Not too exciting, but I was right where I wanted to be!

I was able to get in to see our family doctor late Thursday morning and he gave me the works. I had two shots and got an oral antibiotic chaser.  By Friday night I was feeling a bit better, and by Saturday noon I felt much better, and good enough to travel.

Big mistake. Don’t fly when sick, boys and girls. It wasn’t the flying so much as the traveling. Flying was fine. Sitting in an airplane for 8 hours was hard. Getting nothing more than catnaps for 2 days was exhausting.  Literally running through the Chicago terminal, wearing a 30-pound backpack, to make my second flight with 15 minutes to make it and arriving as they were closing the door, was almost more than I could do, and I coughed uncontrollably for 2 hours once I got on the jet.  Pretty sure that little jaunt set me back at least a week of recovery.

Nonetheless, I made it back safe and sound, albeit without my suitcase. In the quick turn at Chicago during a snowstorm, my bag took its leisurely time while I was running to make the flight. It took four days to show up in Bahrain, but I’ll forgive it and Lufthansa – it was a rotten day in Chicago and a lot of people had it rougher than me. Next time though, I will take a delay and email work and tell them I’ll be back soon, but not yet!

747 in Frankfurt, Germany 

And now I am pretty much all better – I have a little residual cough that shows up once or twice a day, but yesterday I took a good long walk and it felt great. I can focus again on my work and don’t need an hour hap every after work day to make it through the evening.   

just after sunrise in Frankfurt 

Of course Dana and Darby came down with strep throat a few hours after dropping me at the airport, and then were immediately snowed in for several days while prescriptions were waiting for them at the pharmacy! It’s lovely to live on top of a hill in the woods, but some days it can be problematic.  Thanks to a neighbor who has a lovely little tractor with a blade, they finally got down the hill, got their meds, and are finally starting to feel better!  This is the worst time for me when I'm away, wishing to be home to help my girls and there's nothing I can do!

I am grateful for the opportunity to get home for the holidays, and even more grateful for my wonderful family who make my efforts worth the trouble. I love you all!!