Monday, March 30, 2009

Wow...what a meal....

Just finished up with work when I got a call to go to a Shawa restaurant - it's a place where they serve BBQ or rotisserie chicken with rice and something to drink for about $3.00 for 1/2 chicken (11 Saudi Rials). There's a lot of chicken and rice, and it's more than enough to stuff anyone with a hearty appetite, and have leftovers to take home for lunch the next day.

Tomorrow I'll be going out to one of the infantry training ranges on the SANG base called Khasan Al An (pronounced Kas-ma-alan). The base is named after a plateau that when looked at from lover elevation looks like the profile of a camel's nose.

My job pays pretty well ($7k to $8k based on overtime), but like most military jobs that I have had, there was no turnover between my predecessor and myself, and he left nothing in the way of a passdown log or instructions, so I'm figuring things out the hard way.

One last thing - I'm provided with a vehicle while I'm here (a 1999 Ford Expedition) - it's a "hand me down" from the US Army/US Air Force units here in the Kingdom, so they have been abused. Today I looked inside and saw that the rear view mirror had fallen off the windshield and that when I started it up, it stalls out when it's put into gear. I won't have a license for a few more weeks (after I get my internal passport, called an Iqama - pronounced E-gama) so driving isn't a priority right now.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Dinner and shopping in Riyadh....

Just got back from shopping at the Saudi equivalent of a mall....visited two stores (Hyper Panda and Best). Hyper Panda is like a Super Walmart, with more emphasis on the supermarket aspect. Visiting on a Friday afternoon before the last prayer (about 6:15 PM), the store was busy, but not packed. Best is a Best Buy type store, but expensive compared to Electro (another electronics/appliance store).

ATM's are usually found at gas stations here (off on their own small island). Using a ATM card here to pull Rials (Saudi currency) is pretty easy - it asks you if your want English or Arabic menu for getting money. Little kids seem attracted to the units, one actually watched me pull money out of the machine (must have thought is was some sort of XBox or Wii). After the transaction was finished, it gave me my balance in dollars instead of Rials. 200 Rials was about $60.00 dollars (exchange rate is about $1.00=3.75 Rials).

I've eaten out at two resturaunts (Fudruckers and Applebees) in the last couple of days. Prices for the meals are about equal to what I paid back home (I had the Fiesta Chicken and Iced Tea for about 60 rials). Final bill for meals also have a 15% gratuity, regardles of the number in the party, figured in. Waiters in the resturaunt are all foriegn workers (usually filipino males), and seating is segregated (males only in the front of the resturaunt, families seating in an isolated area in the back). Smoking is still allowed indoors here, but there is a push to ban it in certain areas.

One last thing - gasoline prices (and this will piss off alot of people). Gas prices here run about $0.20 to $0.30 per gallon (yes, that is right)...gas is cheaper here than water. Stations are run by Bagledeshi or Pakistani workers that do full service (check under the hood, ful up all fluids, etc...), but they look like death traps from the outside.

BTW - thanks to my internet friend over at "The Loose Cannon on the Right" for traffic that comes over to my blog...PCD was more than happy to allow me to let you know about life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from a "infadel's" point of view.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

I'm in Saudi Arabia...

Well, I arrived in Riyadh last Thursday, after a total of 17 hours on two separate jets (Portland to DC was 4 1/2 hours, DC to Riyadh was 12 1/2 non-stop). The week was spent trying to get my biological clock on KSA time (just about there as of this posting) and checking in to the new job here, which took 2 days. Inital impressions:

Internet service - have DSL on the compound that I live on, but limited bandwidth. During workdays, they narrow the bandwidth from 4 AM to 6 PM so it can be used for work. In the past, many of the employees were downloading while they were at work, clogging up the 'tubes for work purposes. After work and on the weekends (Thursday and Friday), service can be slow at times, but workable. The KSA government has filters on the 'net, which block out pron and sites that they feel are "immoral" or decadent (LGF is one that I check out and its blocked). I've called home using Yahoo's Messenger service - the call was a penny a minute, which seems like a good deal, with no monthly fees.

Living accomidations - I live in a small home, which I share with a former Army enlisted guy (Thomas). it has three bedrooms, three bath, living and dining rooms, and a full kitchen. The compound has about 300 employees total, but just a few spouses here, and no families (terrorism is still a concern here). The compound has a resturaunt, two pools, gym, tennis and B-ball courts and bowling alley. "Fellowship" meetings (aka: church) is done on Friday mornings. There is a small shopette, barber shop and even a jewelry store on the compound, but prices are higher that off the compound.

Riyadh - just about all of the buldings here are made out of concrete and brick, with wood used for doors. Marble is used for flooring in just about all buildings. Building colors are varying shades of tan...very few bright colors seem here. The city's streets are layed out in a North to South, East to West orientation, and poorly marked...buildings don't have proper addresses, like back home. Driving here is like NASCAR on steroids...only men drive here and they are in a hurry to get from point A to point B. Air quality is horrible...LA on a bad day is no where near to Riyadh on a good day. Saudis, for all the money they have, live in cities that are third world at best...

I've got more to post....don't want to put anyone on info overload....

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Layover in DC....

Well, today is the day I started my trip to Saudi Arabia - I left Portland, OR (cold and wet) for Dulles (cold and gloomy) for an overnight stop. Five hours on a plane is long, but I have 12+ hours to go until I get to Riyadh - at least it's on a 747, not a C-141 crossing the Pacific (I've done that four times).

This is the second time I've flown First Class on United (the first time was last month for my screening with Northrup/Grumman). Flying on a Airbus 319 both times, the seats are nice, but not a lot of legroom...meals are OK - they try to make the meals a gourmet experience...not real impressed.

I'm gonna put in a plug for Candlewood Suites (the hotel I've stayed at both times). If you get a chance to stay at one, please do so. Staff at the hotel in Fairfax are great, greeted me with hot cookies (you could smell them baking when you walked in) and the rooms have kitchenettes. They have a pantry area that is done on an honor system...mostly 7/11 or QuickMart type stuff. You may pay a little more for the stay, but it seems to be worth it.

I'll post more after I get to Riyadh...need to go find something to eat...

Monday, March 16, 2009

Ready to go...

Just got word that I'll be leaving for DC tomorrow, with my flight to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening. A little disappointed that I'm starting a week later than I thought, but it gave me more time with my wife and time to take care of things here at home.

I'll make it part of my routine to post at least weekly, and hopefully throw in a few pictures of KSA (and hopefully generate some interest in this blog).

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Still waiting to leave....

Just came back from the Oregon Coast, after spending time with my wife and one of the dogs (Rufus lived high on the hog for the last couple of days). The company that I have a contract with delayed my departure from tomorrow to possible as late as next Wednesday...so that gives me time to take care a few more things here at home before I go....

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

The Economy....

nice perspective from the WSJ on the economy....WSJ