Well, it has been almost three weeks here in Riyadh and we are all still adjusting. Pictures will be coming soon...we have been going non-stop with working at the school since we arrived and on top of that we just got internet service in our house two days ago. We are learning quickly what "In Shalla"(I think I spelled that right???) means...God Willing.
So, where do we begin?
The flight - It was rough leaving our friends and family behind in the States, but it was a fairly painless flight. Or at least MOST of the flight was. We had "that guy" that had just a few too many at the bar before the flight that apparently was a bit obnoxious and another passenger let him know it. The problem was that by the time the other guy had enough it was around 5:00 a.m.! Not cool to wake up to a bunch of F-bombs being tossed around, but made for some good entertainment afterward. We will definitely have to make future plans to stay in Germany longer than a three hour layover. The boys slept for quite a bit of the overnight trip but loved their personal TV and the meals we had. Finding our way around the airport was interesting however and we found a great little coffee shop. The flight to Riyadh was was much better...the boys (all three of us) slept the whole way! We woke up to cheese and hummus sandwiches. YUM!
Riyadh - It definitely is NOT what you see on CNN. The people we have met here have either been very nice and welcoming or they keep to themselves completely. There are hundreds of small shops/stores all over, grandiose malls, coffee shops everywhere, and thousands of wild drivers!!! It is HOT here but very dry so it doesn't feel as hot as the thermometer says. We haven't made it down to the sooqs yet so we are excited to possibly get that chance this weekend. By the way, our weekend is Thursday and Friday. Definitely NOT used to that! We are going for a mini tour tomorrow with our personal buddies, Jaison & Crystal - GREAT PEOPLE, so maybe we will get there and be able to get back without getting lost. The only problem is that getting lost is the best way to figure this city out, although I think Baltimore is more confusing.
AIS-R - WOW! That is the best word I can find to describe the school, the people, the facilities, the house, everything. It is definitely more than we had anticipated. We got off the plane here in Riyadh and an hour later we are standing in our new home that is fully furnished all the way down to a new vehicle in the driveway. Truly amazing. Never did we think we would be where we are back in that hotel room in San Francisco (Thank you for pointing us this direction Tracy). The boys are in an amazing school with tons of activities, resources, great people, and endless possibilities. The welcoming that has been given to us, and all of the other newbies as well, has been overwhelming.
We have just finished our first week of classes and are settling in for our first full weekend off since we have arrived in Riyadh. Hopefully we will get a chance to get out and take a few pics and post them here for you to see. Well, it's a little after 11:00 p.m. here and we have an early morning shopping trip (best time to hit the grocery stores) so I better get to bed. We miss everyone back home and hope this finds everyone well and happy.
Now that we have internet in our house, we can post more frequently so please check back soon for updates!
So, where do we begin?
The flight - It was rough leaving our friends and family behind in the States, but it was a fairly painless flight. Or at least MOST of the flight was. We had "that guy" that had just a few too many at the bar before the flight that apparently was a bit obnoxious and another passenger let him know it. The problem was that by the time the other guy had enough it was around 5:00 a.m.! Not cool to wake up to a bunch of F-bombs being tossed around, but made for some good entertainment afterward. We will definitely have to make future plans to stay in Germany longer than a three hour layover. The boys slept for quite a bit of the overnight trip but loved their personal TV and the meals we had. Finding our way around the airport was interesting however and we found a great little coffee shop. The flight to Riyadh was was much better...the boys (all three of us) slept the whole way! We woke up to cheese and hummus sandwiches. YUM!
Riyadh - It definitely is NOT what you see on CNN. The people we have met here have either been very nice and welcoming or they keep to themselves completely. There are hundreds of small shops/stores all over, grandiose malls, coffee shops everywhere, and thousands of wild drivers!!! It is HOT here but very dry so it doesn't feel as hot as the thermometer says. We haven't made it down to the sooqs yet so we are excited to possibly get that chance this weekend. By the way, our weekend is Thursday and Friday. Definitely NOT used to that! We are going for a mini tour tomorrow with our personal buddies, Jaison & Crystal - GREAT PEOPLE, so maybe we will get there and be able to get back without getting lost. The only problem is that getting lost is the best way to figure this city out, although I think Baltimore is more confusing.
AIS-R - WOW! That is the best word I can find to describe the school, the people, the facilities, the house, everything. It is definitely more than we had anticipated. We got off the plane here in Riyadh and an hour later we are standing in our new home that is fully furnished all the way down to a new vehicle in the driveway. Truly amazing. Never did we think we would be where we are back in that hotel room in San Francisco (Thank you for pointing us this direction Tracy). The boys are in an amazing school with tons of activities, resources, great people, and endless possibilities. The welcoming that has been given to us, and all of the other newbies as well, has been overwhelming.
We have just finished our first week of classes and are settling in for our first full weekend off since we have arrived in Riyadh. Hopefully we will get a chance to get out and take a few pics and post them here for you to see. Well, it's a little after 11:00 p.m. here and we have an early morning shopping trip (best time to hit the grocery stores) so I better get to bed. We miss everyone back home and hope this finds everyone well and happy.
Now that we have internet in our house, we can post more frequently so please check back soon for updates!
I loved reading about your preparations and the flight over. Sounds like even the schedule is a new way of life. Please give my regards to all in the family and an extra hug for Sam.
ReplyDeleteSheila