Safe and Sound

I just wanted to take today to remember that even though life may not always be pleasant and convenient, and even though adjusting to a new place has its hardships, for today I have my family and my safety, and I'm so grateful for that.

Look at this area of the world. Search any news site or channel, and many of these names will come up frequently. (Warning - soap box ahead - A note to reading news: check multiple sources, cross reference facts, and try not to read too many things that you already agree with...challenge yourself to be balanced in your perspective. There's a lot of propaganda out there. I'm still learning how to be a smart researcher. - soap box over -)

So here I am! I feel so privileged to be here, and I am realizing more every day how few people see into this window of the world. It's going to be a very challenging year, but I'm excited to learn, to grow, and to see what comes of it.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

With love from KSA,

- Courtney

Teacher, I have a question.

Today was like a breath of fresh air. Even though I have been experiencing jet lag, sleeping very little, and feeling overwhelmed, today I was so grateful for the energy to keep going.

After getting over the shock of yesterday, I was able to settle into the schedule today and enjoy the beautiful girls that I'm so privileged to teach. They are in between the ages of 17-25, some are just out of high school, some are married and pregnant, some are trying to get a job with their English skills, and some just want to get out of the house and learn. I am looking forward to getting to know them more as they learn! It is overwhelming at this point to think of even learning all their names - I have two classes with 30 students each! But, I hope I'm up for the challenge.

Something I enjoy about these Saudi girls is that they will celebrate any time that they can. They look for excuses to bring sweets and goodies to class to share. Today they were supposed to do a role play using their family vocabulary from the past week. They had drawn their own family trees, practiced introductions, and written party invitations. For the role play, they acted out the invitation process and preparation for a family reunion party, and the role play was complete with music, food, and a real party when they finished. They insisted that I try everything that they had brought - grape leaves, pastries, cake, Arabic coffee, juices, chips...there went my lunch break! It was great to sit and talk to the girls while we ate. They had so many questions for me! Somehow being an American is a novelty, and because I'm young it makes them even more curious about me. One girl asked, "Teacher, I have a question... can I take a selfie with you?" That was not at all what I expected, but of course, how could I say no? Then, as soon as she took the picture, 29 other smartphones came out of nowhere, and suddenly I was awkwardly trying to let them take a picture if they wanted, but also asking them to put away their phones. Khallas! (Enough). It is such a strange experience to be interesting just because of where you're from.

I wish I could post pictures of the school and the girls, but that would be breaking their trust. You'll just have to take my word for it - they are unique and beautiful.

Below is the cake with the theme of Saudi National Day:

After the party was over, I had flecks of green glitter lingering on my face from the mask that they gave me to wear. Today, in addition to learning, we enjoyed the simplest of things.

Now it is time for Eid AlAdha, which is the second of two national and Islamic "Eid's" (holidays). That means two weeks off for me to recover and prepare for the long haul - no more breaks until February! 

Take care, everyone!

- Courtney

Chaos and Comfort - A Strange Combination

Well, I'm here!

I'll save you details of my journey here, but it was long. Flying alone across the world isn't my favorite thing. However, I met some nice people along the way, and 3 airplanes, 1 train, and 1 taxi later, I finally made it!

The Sea of Marmara from the airplane as we landed at the Istanbul airport.

Landing in Turkey :)

The first night in KSA I stayed in Riyadh. A modern, well-developed city with bad traffic, but great views. The schedule while I was there, however, was ambiguous at best. To survive in this country, you have to assume that no one has all of the same information, and that it's up to you to figure it out. Ask questions, and stay flexible. 

The compound I'm staying at is beautiful, small, and comfortable. Most of the workers here are from the Phillipines, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Communication is interesting, but English is used throughout the compound. A unique thing about this compound (owned by the Nada Dairy company) that my company rents from is that no Saudis are living here or even allowed on site. Maybe with an invitation as a visitor it would be okay, but I haven't figured that out yet. 

One odd thing about my "villa" (basically a one bedroom condo) is the voltage and plugs. Some are 110 volts, some are 220 volts, some have the Saudi funky 3-pronged receptacles, and some have the American 2-pronged receptacles. Mixing and matching just means having lots and lots of adapters!

My living room:

Street view

My bedroom! The sheet being used as a curtain is temporary.

My wonderful parents came and helped me clean the entire villa...it was nasty. Lots of scrubbing, vacuuming, and sweeping was involved, and there are still a few things that need cleaning! Once we got it aired out and washed, it started to feel like home.

And classes started today!! The college is under some construction right now, but the offices and classrooms are clean and decent, and everyone I met was very nice. The system and schedule are chaotic and my days will be a frenzy most times, but the students are wonderful. It's nice to be reminded why I'm here.

So amidst the chaos of the cleaning and being thrown into teaching, it is so comforting to have a reassurance of my purpose, and to have such caring parents nearby. 

- Courtney