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
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