So, thank heavens, there was actually a town, quite a big one. The bus stopped at a hotel and the supervisor for Al Khaleej came out. His name is Madian, a Syrian man, who is so polite and more than helpful. We climbed in to his old Mercedes and went off to my new home a compound called Mishar.
Let me just inform you that if anything sinister is going to happen to me in Saudi, it will be on the roads. Our taxi drivers back home could give driving lessons here and improve driving by at least 200%. For me its doubly scary, because they are driving on the "wrong side of the road".
We got to the compound and my apartment is charming. The pictures tell you everything. However, I didnt get the chance to settle. We dropped my suitcase and Madian took me straight to campus. Now use your imagination, to picture the craziness.
He may not step on to the womens campus so he drops me at the front security and tells me to find Mona. I go through, and let me tell you there are girls EVERYWHERE, so I stop to ask and NO ONE speaks English. My sense of humour was fading fast, sleep deprivation was kicking in and the volume of the cacophony of young women talking at the top of their voices seemed to be reaching a point where eardrums could burst.
Anyway I eventually found Mona who is our contact admin person on campus. She immediately took me to the English department, where I was greeted with glee because they are so short staffed. I was immediately told that I would be teaching a 2 hour class at 12noon. I burst out laughing, assuming that they were joking. No such luck, I was given the 6 units of material that had already been covered and was told that it was super easy because it was just revision week.
I went into one of the teachers areas that I was assigned to. 2 teachers per desk, but everyone was really warm and friendly. I reminded myself to breathe and remember it was Wednesday, so like Friday, and I had the "weekend" ahead.
The class actually went well. I was share the teaching reality with you in my next post. I was truly blessed because this group were really fabulous to teach. They actually engaged a little with me!!!
After class, my working day was over, the bus was ready to take us back to the compound. One of the older teachers, Edna from Canada, asked me if Madian was coming to take me to the shops, because I obviously had nothing in my apartment to eat or drink.
We phoned him and he let me know that there was a bus that night at 8pm. Thank heavens I had bought plenty of water on campus.
I had an incredible afternoon unpacking all my brand new things, had a nap and then went in search of the bus...(which is the highlight of life as an ex-pat in Ha'il.
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| Coming up to the compound at the foot of the mountain outside town |
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Standing in the kitchen, looking at my front door, with desk to the left and lounge area
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| Almost everything brand new for my kitchen |
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| standing in the lounge looking at kitchen area |
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| Little dining room table |
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| view of other side of kitchen |
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| Brand new canteen of cutlery, I have a "thing" for good cutlery |
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| bedroom, note sealed new bedding |
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| dressing table |
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| wardrobe area |
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| Area betw bathroom and bedroom |
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| Entrance to bathroom |
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| rest of bathroom |
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| My courtyard, my entrance is first door on the right |
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| My apartment with the most magnificent mountain as a backdrop. This mountain moves me! |
Will continue tomorrow, I promise....
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