Saturday 24 August 2013
Hi - back again for Placement #3. I'm half way through this contract now and therefore Riyadh is becoming quite familiar. Sitting in the car heading back to our Compound after being met by Ahmed - one of our drivers - everything felt commonplace. (I was going to say driving from the airport the morning I flew in - but that might give the impression that I was driving, which would not only be inaccurate, but illegal). As we turned into our street, I felt a sense of calm with the recognisable street-scape, even though it was 3:45am! But the calmness probably came as a result of the very stressful preceding three hours.
I arrived in Dubai from Melbourne (travelling Qantas Premium Economy - poor man's Business Class - nice though) and had a short time to travel from one terminal to another - using excellent underground train shuttle. I hadn't long sat down with my orange juice and my flight was called for boarding. I made my way to the Gate Lounge and lined up with the other passengers. I handed the ground staff my Boarding Pass and my Exit/Entry Visa for Saudi Arabia. He looked worried, had another look at the letter and then checked again. My letter was the one I used in March and therefore out of date. My current one was somewhere - perhaps on my desk in Warrnambool, perhaps long since found the recycle rubbish. He told me this and my heart sank. I showed him my Iqama (work permit card), told him where I worked and he became very helpful. He looked online and my current visa was there and he gave me the number and let me through but with a warning that I was on my own if I was questioned about this on arrival in Riyadh. The entire flight and the hour long wait at Immigration at the airport in Riyadh, I didn't know if I wanted to be ill, cry or just be optimistic. Good fortunes prevailed. I informed the Guard at Immigration that somewhere since getting on the plane in Dubai and this arrival hall, I had lost my Exit/Entry letter, BUT i have the number. Showed him the number, he punched a computer and through I went! During that hour wait - not unusual in this country when arriving for Immigration - Ahmed had phoned twice to check that I had arrived and later to check that I had arrived at King Khalid airport because I was taking so long to get through.
The next couple of days was spent catching up with the rest of the Australian Team who had arrived before me, and greeting those who came in over the following days. Back at school was wonderful. We have all been greeted very warmly, and traditionally - 3-5 kisses on the right check and then a warm embrace. This greeting applies equally to the men. It also feels right to be working again after such a long break. In fact my memory is improving quickly - I was secretly worried that I was getting a touch of dementia when I struggled to remember names and places for the morning Age Quiz at breakfast with Peter.
The downside of the return is the construction next to our Compound. It has continued and structure is growing - apartments. Though the jackhammering has recommenced - 2m from my window and now 14m below! The blessing is that they don't start until 6:00am which is about the time we leave for work, and they finish their day around 4:00pm which is close to the time we arrive home. However there is Saturday. All is quiet on Friday as the Islamic Prayer day, but this morning the march (of only 5 bulldozers with jackhammers) commenced I was up and readying the drinks and small backpack for a walk around the Diplomatic Quarter.
Today was my 4th walk and I'm getting better and faster. Ben & Ron walked this morning and both like to walk fast - so I made a big effort to keep their pace, though they are both over 6' and I'm short! But we finished in 75mins, so not too bad. Keep in mind that it is HOT - probably 36 degrees at that time of the morning. This walk is about 8km and being in the DQ means women aren't required to wear an abaya - which means we can wear gym gear like the men.
We finish at Starbucks and I have enjoyed a huge orange juice each time. There is a time when American supersizing all foods and beverages has an advantage.
At work the teachers are spending this two weeks in technology training. The school is moving to a 1:1 device for all students. Students in Grades 1-6 will each have an iPad whilst the older students will each have a laptop. With that commitment the demand is on the teachers to be able to incorporate technology into their lessons. The school has also installed 100 interactive whiteboards with another 100 to be installed later this year. I have some professional/pedagogical difficulty with the demand of the ICT team insisting that all lessons have a technology component - but choose to ignore that at this stage.
We have also welcomed about 16 new teachers who have been recruited from various Job Fairs (London, San Francisco, Toronto) to teach English and provide models for local teachers to observe - particularly in the kindergarten and elementary schools. Some of the new teachers are living in our Compound and some are in another location, referred to as community villas as there isn't the additional external wall and national guard presence that we have here, but very nice and comfortable and only 3km from the school.
For the first time the elementary schools are introducing a home teacher who will teach English and Maths to their class. There aren't enough of these teachers yet so the international elementary school is commencing this model in Grades 1 & 2. Previously the students have a different teacher for each subject - as they would in high school. Another new component to the regeneration project is that the international schools in elementary and high school will have all instruction in English with the exception of the 3 Saudi compulsory subjects: Holy Qur'an, Arabic and Saudi History.
Haven't done anything new in Riyadh at this stage - but only being here 10 days. I have been shopping though! Yesterday Sue and I took some of the new arrivals to a home centre to help furnish their villas (sheets, towels, pillows, kitchen items additional to what is supplied and stuff), and then met them at a nearby mall. Great sales on at the moment. I got a beautiful DKNY silk dress for less than half price (It was a BARGAIN Peter!). It was interesting to realise that seeing all women in black, 90% of them with their faces covered with the exception of a narrow opening around their eyes (though some cover the face completely with a fabric that they can see through), was no longer strange or unusual.
Havent any new photos of Riyadh, so here is one I took earlier ... some of the grandchildren.
Hi - back again for Placement #3. I'm half way through this contract now and therefore Riyadh is becoming quite familiar. Sitting in the car heading back to our Compound after being met by Ahmed - one of our drivers - everything felt commonplace. (I was going to say driving from the airport the morning I flew in - but that might give the impression that I was driving, which would not only be inaccurate, but illegal). As we turned into our street, I felt a sense of calm with the recognisable street-scape, even though it was 3:45am! But the calmness probably came as a result of the very stressful preceding three hours.
I arrived in Dubai from Melbourne (travelling Qantas Premium Economy - poor man's Business Class - nice though) and had a short time to travel from one terminal to another - using excellent underground train shuttle. I hadn't long sat down with my orange juice and my flight was called for boarding. I made my way to the Gate Lounge and lined up with the other passengers. I handed the ground staff my Boarding Pass and my Exit/Entry Visa for Saudi Arabia. He looked worried, had another look at the letter and then checked again. My letter was the one I used in March and therefore out of date. My current one was somewhere - perhaps on my desk in Warrnambool, perhaps long since found the recycle rubbish. He told me this and my heart sank. I showed him my Iqama (work permit card), told him where I worked and he became very helpful. He looked online and my current visa was there and he gave me the number and let me through but with a warning that I was on my own if I was questioned about this on arrival in Riyadh. The entire flight and the hour long wait at Immigration at the airport in Riyadh, I didn't know if I wanted to be ill, cry or just be optimistic. Good fortunes prevailed. I informed the Guard at Immigration that somewhere since getting on the plane in Dubai and this arrival hall, I had lost my Exit/Entry letter, BUT i have the number. Showed him the number, he punched a computer and through I went! During that hour wait - not unusual in this country when arriving for Immigration - Ahmed had phoned twice to check that I had arrived and later to check that I had arrived at King Khalid airport because I was taking so long to get through.
The next couple of days was spent catching up with the rest of the Australian Team who had arrived before me, and greeting those who came in over the following days. Back at school was wonderful. We have all been greeted very warmly, and traditionally - 3-5 kisses on the right check and then a warm embrace. This greeting applies equally to the men. It also feels right to be working again after such a long break. In fact my memory is improving quickly - I was secretly worried that I was getting a touch of dementia when I struggled to remember names and places for the morning Age Quiz at breakfast with Peter.
The downside of the return is the construction next to our Compound. It has continued and structure is growing - apartments. Though the jackhammering has recommenced - 2m from my window and now 14m below! The blessing is that they don't start until 6:00am which is about the time we leave for work, and they finish their day around 4:00pm which is close to the time we arrive home. However there is Saturday. All is quiet on Friday as the Islamic Prayer day, but this morning the march (of only 5 bulldozers with jackhammers) commenced I was up and readying the drinks and small backpack for a walk around the Diplomatic Quarter.
 |
| The construction of the new Compound outside my bedroom. You can see 3 of the bulldozers with the jackhammers between the 2 buildings. The greenery in the background is the Crown Prince's Palace. If you look carefully you might see 2 light-towers poking above the trees - that's he's soccer pitch. |
Today was my 4th walk and I'm getting better and faster. Ben & Ron walked this morning and both like to walk fast - so I made a big effort to keep their pace, though they are both over 6' and I'm short! But we finished in 75mins, so not too bad. Keep in mind that it is HOT - probably 36 degrees at that time of the morning. This walk is about 8km and being in the DQ means women aren't required to wear an abaya - which means we can wear gym gear like the men.
We finish at Starbucks and I have enjoyed a huge orange juice each time. There is a time when American supersizing all foods and beverages has an advantage.
At work the teachers are spending this two weeks in technology training. The school is moving to a 1:1 device for all students. Students in Grades 1-6 will each have an iPad whilst the older students will each have a laptop. With that commitment the demand is on the teachers to be able to incorporate technology into their lessons. The school has also installed 100 interactive whiteboards with another 100 to be installed later this year. I have some professional/pedagogical difficulty with the demand of the ICT team insisting that all lessons have a technology component - but choose to ignore that at this stage.
We have also welcomed about 16 new teachers who have been recruited from various Job Fairs (London, San Francisco, Toronto) to teach English and provide models for local teachers to observe - particularly in the kindergarten and elementary schools. Some of the new teachers are living in our Compound and some are in another location, referred to as community villas as there isn't the additional external wall and national guard presence that we have here, but very nice and comfortable and only 3km from the school.
For the first time the elementary schools are introducing a home teacher who will teach English and Maths to their class. There aren't enough of these teachers yet so the international elementary school is commencing this model in Grades 1 & 2. Previously the students have a different teacher for each subject - as they would in high school. Another new component to the regeneration project is that the international schools in elementary and high school will have all instruction in English with the exception of the 3 Saudi compulsory subjects: Holy Qur'an, Arabic and Saudi History.
Haven't done anything new in Riyadh at this stage - but only being here 10 days. I have been shopping though! Yesterday Sue and I took some of the new arrivals to a home centre to help furnish their villas (sheets, towels, pillows, kitchen items additional to what is supplied and stuff), and then met them at a nearby mall. Great sales on at the moment. I got a beautiful DKNY silk dress for less than half price (It was a BARGAIN Peter!). It was interesting to realise that seeing all women in black, 90% of them with their faces covered with the exception of a narrow opening around their eyes (though some cover the face completely with a fabric that they can see through), was no longer strange or unusual.
Havent any new photos of Riyadh, so here is one I took earlier ... some of the grandchildren.
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| Reuben (2), Audrey(4) and Jude (4mths). Two redheads! Reuben doesn't always wear a headband but put it on when it was discarded by Audrey in preference to her crown. |
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