Saudi Photos

Here are some highlights from the photos of my trip. You can look at all them on my Flickr page.
These first pictures are from the old city of Jeddah.  The gate in the bottom right is the gate to Mecca, where all pilgrims on the Hajj arriving from overs would pass through on their way [...]

Thoughts on Saudi Arabia in New York

Today was my first day back in the U.S. after my trip, and I find myself thinking a lot about it.  While I was in Saudi Arabia, I was often critical of many of the things I saw and heard, as you know if you read this blog.  But today I found myself often defending [...]

In Transit

I’m in the Amsterdam airport now.  There was no quick connection, so I had a seven hour layover.  Instead of waiting in the airport, I headed into Amsterdam with four other teachers from the program.  We got into the city at 8 A.M. It was still dark, cold, and rainy, so I ended up buying [...]

Wet Abayyas

I’m leaving Saudi Arabia in seven hours. It doesn’t seem like I’ve been here for twelve days. I’m not sure if the time has gone by quickly or if I’ve been treated so well that I’ve hardly noticed the difficulties or challenges. Either way this trip has been one of my most [...]

Highs in Riyadh, women of Jeddah, Souqs, and Immigrants

I just came back from another fancy dinner.  This time it was in Spazio on the seventy-seventh floor of the Kingdom Tower.  We sat by the window with an incredible view of the city of Riyadh.  After dinner, we went up to the observation deck on the ninety-eighth floor and looked out over the city.  [...]

Thank Allah It’s Wednesday

In Saudi Arabia, the weekend is Thursday and Friday.  I was on the bus this evening talking about this shift, and I decided that we should say “Thank Allah It’s Wednesday.”  I know it’s a bit stupid, but I like the expression even more after my Wednesday night.  If you’ve read my other postings about [...]

Saudi Update

I’m in Jeddah now.  I arrived here last night.  Aramco employees met us at the airport, picked up us luggage for us, and arranged a police escort for our bus all the way to the Hilton.  I never quite expected to be treated this way.  Aramco is basically rolling out the red carpet for a [...]

First Thoughts from Saudi

I’ve been in Saudi Arabia since Friday night. I’ve spent almost all of my time so far at the Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dhahran, so I haven’t seen a lot of the country. Aramco has spent the past three days showing off the company. I’ve heard at least ten times that Aramco [...]

Houston

I have been in Houston for six hours now.  I would say that it’s already been about five hours too long.  In case you don’t know, I went to high school in Houston.  I also left as soon as I graduated, and I have only been back once. 
In the six hours I’ve been here, [...]

The Problem with Torture

For the past two weeks, the possible use of torture by the United States has been in the news.  There was the article in the Washington Post about the CIA secret prisons.  The article details the supposedly secret black sites that the CIA has set up in eight countries around the world.  Then there has [...]