Sunset from my bedroom

Week 5 Wednesday 24 October:

Reflecting on the past month in Riyadh is full of challenges, new learnings, great experiences and new friends.

After flying from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi FIRST CLASS we had our last alcoholic drink - champagne - in the Business Class Lounge before embarking on our final leg to Riyadh.  On arrival we were met by Ron and 3 cars to take us to our new home.  I now know that I travel light!  Though I am here for three months at a time, so others did have some excuse for 2-3 cases that were large and heavy.

After 3 - 4 days Julie and I were moved to a smaller villa in the compound, but it overlooks the swimming pool, gym and soon to open cafe.  (I say 'soon' to be opened loosely - they have been waiting 3 months for mains power to be connected.  Currently the gym & pool area are powered by a generator that is a large industrial one.  Ron is keen for the power to be connected also, as his apartment is in the same building and he can't move in until power supply is guaranteed.  Our villa is very comfortable but has its own quirks.  The first couple of days we were both flooding our respective bathrooms and couldn't locate the cause.  It soon became obvious that when we were having a shower the water was running around the outside of the bath and then onto the floor.  Solution - the maintenance guys (Indians and Pakistani) came and build a 'wall' of silicon to trap the water.  A dam wall they called it.  This has worked well for Julie's but my wall just sends the water back the other way.  My solution to date is to keep a sponge there and constantly wringing it out.  Today they decided I need another 'wall'.  So hopefully soon I can enjoy a long shower without concern of flooding.

School has been really interesting.  The most obvious difference is that our side is only women.  Female staff and students.  The exception to this is that we have a Kindergarten on our side of the Wall.  This starts with 3 year olds, then 4 year olds and finally 5 year olds [KG1, KG2 & KG3 respectively].  The KG is staffed by women only and has male and female students.  From KG they transition to school - Lower Elementary which is grades 1-3.  However the boys remain for the first two years before they move to the Boys side.  It is amazing that most of the staff (including principals) have never seen the whole school, remaining on 'their side'.  We have only seen the 'boys side' on non school days.  This impacts on usual events that we have to stop and think about.  For instance major events and celebrations at the school are for the girls and their mothers or the boys and their fathers.  This includes Graduation.  This is something Ron is looking to change - but has to be thought through carefully as often the Prince is a special guest at the Graduation (boys) night.

The school is structured similarly to an American system: Lower Elementary, Elementary, Middle School and High School.  To add to the number of schools, Middle and High Schools have two schools for each: National and American Diploma.  When you then double Elementary through to High School, you can see where the 11 schools comes into existence.

Me pointing to the Door to the Girls
School. Our bags are at the door
of the Mixed Meeting Room

This separation is gradually being challenged under Ron's leadership.  He has instigated a number of firsts:  Weekly meetings of all principals in the same room, meetings with all teachers (males one time and women on another occasion), meetings with students (again male and female forums) and has commenced meeting with parent groups.  He has started Twittering and the students are constantly sending him emails (and now Tweets) with suggestions for improvement.  The major topic is the Canteen, but beyond that they want harder work, more subject choices and more extra-curricula activities.  To enable these mixed meetings the women (including the female students) must were their headscarf and cover their faces, with their eyes showing.  Though occasionally some will put a light a scarf over their face so that it is completely obscured.  The weekly principals meeting is held in a mixed meeting room near the entrance to the Girls school (see the picture).  We walk past this each morning to enter our side of the wall.  We go through a door and into a room before stepping into the expanse of the Girls school.  Its a bit like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia.

The other major adjustment we have had to make is the wearing of the abaya at all times outside the Compound.  The only place we have been able to take it off has been when we have been in a Women's only Beauty Salon. As we wear them constantly we have all bought several more and even some for 'going out special'.  The last day of the term we went home via an Abaya shop.  Who would have thought 2 months ago that we would all get so excited with the experience of choosing another abaya for our collection!  We can't walk around the neighbourhood without one of our male colleagues.  We can't walk to the laundry to collect our dry cleaning.  This means that we always have to plan ahead.  The guys have been wonderful and willing to accompany us if we wish.  We have also shopped at Malls a great deal as we can be dropped off by our driver (Ahmed - drop dead gorgeous Egyptian - photos in the future) and we can roam the shops with a relative sense of freedom.  That said everything shuts at prayer time and we find ourselves sitting around waiting a fair bit.  Though this provides time for meeting locals and learning more about Riyadh.  The other challenge as women is that clothing shops don't have change rooms for women.  You can exchange and the time for this ranges form 3 days (Zara) to 30 days (Marks & Spencers).  Men, off course, have change rooms for their convenience.

Anyway enough for now.  Off to Oman tonight to spend a week with an old friend from Fiji - Liza.  Liza has been in Muscat working for several years now and I'll get to see more of the Middle East - and perhaps enjoy a nice wine.

Traditional meal being set for us.
Great food (including camel - not
so nice)