Friday 19 April
The past weeks have been particularly busy. We began a week's break on 21 March for the mid-semester. I flew to Bahrain where I met Peter who was flying in from Australia. We spent 3 days in Bahrain, largely to finalise his visa for Saudi Arabia. This had been a long, torturous and stressful process. I had commenced the process 4 weeks earlier and following a number of we will have your husbands visa number tomorrow - Inshallah, and a visit to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, we learned that Ron (my boss) and I didn't have our iqamas registered with Foreign Affairs or Immigration (which I'm not sure). This meant that we couldn't sponsor anyone for a visitors visa. Ron was trying to bring his son for a visit and of course Peter had his ticket bought and paid for and was arriving in 6 days. The schools Deputy Director General, Abdulrahman got into action. He phoned a friend who is now a Saudi Ambassador somewhere in Africa, but who was formerly the head of this Ministry. Phone calls were made and I ended up with Peter's visa number the last day of school - 3 days before his arrival! [Ron and I - and the others whose iqamas weren't registered - have properly register iqamas now]
However the saga didn't quite conclude then. We enjoyed a lovely day wandering around the streets and markets near the hotel on the Saturday, waiting for the weekend to finish and get to the Saudi Embassy to get the visa before heading to Jordan. Unlike Saudi, Bahrain follows the neighbouring UAE and Qatar states and has a weekend of Friday and Saturday. (Saudi is Thursday & Friday). So Sunday morning we were at the Agent with visa number in had and passports. Then the request for passport photos was asked of Peter - who had not brought any! A quick run to the street and locating a taxi to get to a photo shop, get photos and back to the Agent before 9:00am. It was now 8:30. The next bit of information - unwanted - was that shops don't open until 9:00am. However our driver took on our task and drove about until an open shop was found. Peter was groomed by the photographer - unnecessarily really as he didn't look any different - and the shots were taken. Then he took an extraordinary time to upload photos, select, crop and eventually print the photos. Then he began laboriously cutting them up to passport size. Once 2 were done, I grabbed them and scooped up the rest and we ran to our waiting taxi. Somehow, despite several red lights along the way, we got back to the Agent by 9:05 and the Embassy official hadn't arrived to collect the waiting visas for process. We handed over documents and then they requested our marriage certificate. Peter had suggested a week earlier that i take this document with us just in case. Thankfully I listened this time... The rest of the day we enjoyed sights of Bahrain including the Mosque, ancient city sights, an ancient fort and museum. Later we collected the passport with KSA visa fixed and readied ourselves for Jordan the next day.
Jordan was great. Our initial walk around the streets near the hotel was disappointing and we thought of moving to a hotel on the Dead Sea or even to Petra. Thankfully we took the lazy way out and gave it another day. Our hotel was fantastic - one of the best we have ever stayed in. Pure luxury and great staff and service. We had a driver for the next day who took us to Jerash.
Jerash is north of Amman (where we were staying). It is the ruins of an ancient city with a history back to pre-Greek period. In fact many of the ruins date back to the Greek times and later the Romans. Alexander the Great, came by and had his retiring soldiers settle here - bit like a retirement village. The area was brilliant as we could wander anywhere. No fencing, no over zealous workers telling you that you can't walk on the grass... The structures were fantastic and in amazing condition. Much of this had been buried in sand over the past centuries and only 'rediscovered' in the past 100 years.
The best thing about Jerash was the surprise of it. Definitely worth visiting if you get to Jordan.
We used the same driver again over the next few days and visiting sights of Amman, including the Citadel which sits high on one of the hills of Amman. Like Rome, Amman was originally built on 7 hills. this has now extended to about 20 and growing. The Citadel is an ancient Roman town that accommodated 200 000 people. Again we had the opportunity to roam widely with the only interruption from local people or students visiting. As always in Jordan, these people would ask us where we were from and after a chat, would always conclude with a welcome to Jordan and thanking us for visiting their country. Can you imagine our young school kids whilst on an excursion, engaging tourist in conversations (maybe) and then thanking them for visiting Australian (no...).
The city is busy and everyone seems to drive - but unlike Saudi, the drivers don't think they are on a formla one track and are far calmer and the roads seemed safer. We headed to Petra for our final day - a big trip taking 3 hours. The weather was fine with a gentle breeze, just perfect for walking into the valley to find Petra (the Valley of Moses actually - where Moses discover a natural spring critical for his tribe). Petra lived up to the photos (and Indiana Jones and the last Crusade) but was far more extensive than we had been led to believe. We only spent 3 hours there wandering about, but you could spend several days exploring the extensive areas that has been rediscovered over the past 100 - 130 years. Again the city was covered by sand.
The day was long but enjoyable. Again the surprise was the vastness of the ancient city. Crowds were everywhere as were locals trying to make a living from the tourist through selling trinkets, offering horses, carts or camels for rides back to the entrance a few kms away.
The past weeks have been particularly busy. We began a week's break on 21 March for the mid-semester. I flew to Bahrain where I met Peter who was flying in from Australia. We spent 3 days in Bahrain, largely to finalise his visa for Saudi Arabia. This had been a long, torturous and stressful process. I had commenced the process 4 weeks earlier and following a number of we will have your husbands visa number tomorrow - Inshallah, and a visit to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, we learned that Ron (my boss) and I didn't have our iqamas registered with Foreign Affairs or Immigration (which I'm not sure). This meant that we couldn't sponsor anyone for a visitors visa. Ron was trying to bring his son for a visit and of course Peter had his ticket bought and paid for and was arriving in 6 days. The schools Deputy Director General, Abdulrahman got into action. He phoned a friend who is now a Saudi Ambassador somewhere in Africa, but who was formerly the head of this Ministry. Phone calls were made and I ended up with Peter's visa number the last day of school - 3 days before his arrival! [Ron and I - and the others whose iqamas weren't registered - have properly register iqamas now]
However the saga didn't quite conclude then. We enjoyed a lovely day wandering around the streets and markets near the hotel on the Saturday, waiting for the weekend to finish and get to the Saudi Embassy to get the visa before heading to Jordan. Unlike Saudi, Bahrain follows the neighbouring UAE and Qatar states and has a weekend of Friday and Saturday. (Saudi is Thursday & Friday). So Sunday morning we were at the Agent with visa number in had and passports. Then the request for passport photos was asked of Peter - who had not brought any! A quick run to the street and locating a taxi to get to a photo shop, get photos and back to the Agent before 9:00am. It was now 8:30. The next bit of information - unwanted - was that shops don't open until 9:00am. However our driver took on our task and drove about until an open shop was found. Peter was groomed by the photographer - unnecessarily really as he didn't look any different - and the shots were taken. Then he took an extraordinary time to upload photos, select, crop and eventually print the photos. Then he began laboriously cutting them up to passport size. Once 2 were done, I grabbed them and scooped up the rest and we ran to our waiting taxi. Somehow, despite several red lights along the way, we got back to the Agent by 9:05 and the Embassy official hadn't arrived to collect the waiting visas for process. We handed over documents and then they requested our marriage certificate. Peter had suggested a week earlier that i take this document with us just in case. Thankfully I listened this time... The rest of the day we enjoyed sights of Bahrain including the Mosque, ancient city sights, an ancient fort and museum. Later we collected the passport with KSA visa fixed and readied ourselves for Jordan the next day.
Jordan was great. Our initial walk around the streets near the hotel was disappointing and we thought of moving to a hotel on the Dead Sea or even to Petra. Thankfully we took the lazy way out and gave it another day. Our hotel was fantastic - one of the best we have ever stayed in. Pure luxury and great staff and service. We had a driver for the next day who took us to Jerash.
Jerash is north of Amman (where we were staying). It is the ruins of an ancient city with a history back to pre-Greek period. In fact many of the ruins date back to the Greek times and later the Romans. Alexander the Great, came by and had his retiring soldiers settle here - bit like a retirement village. The area was brilliant as we could wander anywhere. No fencing, no over zealous workers telling you that you can't walk on the grass... The structures were fantastic and in amazing condition. Much of this had been buried in sand over the past centuries and only 'rediscovered' in the past 100 years.
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| The Gate to Jerash |
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| Original Main Street Jerash |
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| The Forum Jerash |
We used the same driver again over the next few days and visiting sights of Amman, including the Citadel which sits high on one of the hills of Amman. Like Rome, Amman was originally built on 7 hills. this has now extended to about 20 and growing. The Citadel is an ancient Roman town that accommodated 200 000 people. Again we had the opportunity to roam widely with the only interruption from local people or students visiting. As always in Jordan, these people would ask us where we were from and after a chat, would always conclude with a welcome to Jordan and thanking us for visiting their country. Can you imagine our young school kids whilst on an excursion, engaging tourist in conversations (maybe) and then thanking them for visiting Australian (no...).
The city is busy and everyone seems to drive - but unlike Saudi, the drivers don't think they are on a formla one track and are far calmer and the roads seemed safer. We headed to Petra for our final day - a big trip taking 3 hours. The weather was fine with a gentle breeze, just perfect for walking into the valley to find Petra (the Valley of Moses actually - where Moses discover a natural spring critical for his tribe). Petra lived up to the photos (and Indiana Jones and the last Crusade) but was far more extensive than we had been led to believe. We only spent 3 hours there wandering about, but you could spend several days exploring the extensive areas that has been rediscovered over the past 100 - 130 years. Again the city was covered by sand.
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| The infamous Tomb of Indiana Jones fame - Petra |
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| Another carved tomb Petra |
After an excellent week, we travelled back to Riyadh and Peter got to see where I have been living, working and shopping for the past 6 months.
It was wonderful to have him here and he certainly enjoyed himself. He saw the school, albeit for a few hours ( and of course only the Boys School as the Girls school is off limits for any men). He even took the Compound shopping bus one morning with some of the women from the Compound. This enabled him to visit a large book store which satisfied that particular wish. For those who know Peter, you will appreciate that a visit to book stores where ever we are is essentially part of the itinerary.
We also visited the old souk and the museum over the time here was here - both of which provide the essence of this country and culture. Then he had the big winner of being in Riyadh during the Jenadriyah Festival. Jenadriyadh is located on the edge of Riyadh and is a 2 week festival celebrating the cultures of the various provinces around the country. A group of us from the team travelled out to spend a few hours with local families learning more about the cultures of KSA. We watch men sword dancing, ate special dates, were photographed endlessly, joined in sharing coffee with representatives of various villages and generally had a wonderful time. Alison Davis joined us as she was in Riyadh as part of her work with Pearsons (Publishers) and working in our school in the coming week. Whilst the whole thing was like a local Show or Field Day, the joy came from meeting the people and been made to feel so welcome.
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| Early in the evening - note the blonde from HK! |
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| Peter and his 4 (max) wives - plus mystery child |
Only a week before I'm home for an extended stay. Very excited as our new grandson arrived yesterday and I'm anxious to meet him. Another redhead! Perhaps this time I can be a bit more useful and help practically as I won't be working. Also get to see Audrey and Reuben who I have missed terribly. Audrey will have her 4th birthday 2 days before I arrive and Reuben will be 2 in June - so both would have grown so much since I saw them in January.
But before I leave, there is work to be completed at school. All the new Instructional Leaders positions have been announced following an extended process of selection through application, interview and referees. The process follows our merit based selection - unheard of in this part of the world. This week we commence work with the new leaders (23 Girls school + 17 Boys school. The difference in numbers is linked to the Girls school being larger in student numbers as boys stay on the Girls side from KG to Grade 2, before they go to the other side...) The emails, phone calls and comments I have received from this new group of leaders is simply wonderful. They are so excited to be recognised and entrusted in being part of the reform agenda for the school.
Then it will be back in August (and the heat) to work with the new leadership teams to build their capacity to lead the classroom improvement process. Big, but exciting work to undertake. The teachers continue to welcome and embrace the new agenda and are so excited when you visit the classroom and generally feel privileged to be involved in the coaching process.
More excitement to come...
