Greetings from Saudisandy

I learned something about our medical clinic on our compound. Two weeks ago we had been to the dermatologist and he told us to return and be rechecked after two weeks. Usually the procedure is to take a number and then check in at the front desk. At this point the men at the computers type our file numbers and open the access for the individual doctors on their office computers. This particular dermatologist said that on our return visit we did not have to check in at the front desk, just to keep our old slips (little slips are issued at the front desk for each visit and then handed to the receptionist at the various areas in the clinic), and just tell the receptionist it was OK. We did all this, got in to see the doctor, who didn't remember us at all. He then said we should have checked in at the front desk. He insisted that he never told us to by-pass the front desk. Good thing my husband and I always go together to the doctors as we can bear witness to all that is said to us. Then the doctor had to call the front desk and they in turn were the ones that had to push the right buttons that would activate the computer in his office to our files. What a shock to us to find that all the doctors at our clinic are controlled to such a degree that they can not get to a patient's file on their own computers in their own offices unless the front desk activates their computer. Once he saw our files on the screen, the memory of us came back to him, of course, and he apologized for everything. No matter what, we will now always check in at the front desk.

This morning I went to the monthly meeting of AWEP (American Women of the Eastern Province) held at a local hotel and was treated to a wonderful cultural event. Five women form South American, representing Columbia, Venezuela, and Bolivia, and dressed in their traditional dress, gave an interesting presentation of their areas in South America. They had power point and in beautiful Spanish accents they introduced us to their native homes. Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera. Shortly after I arrived, one of the women from Colombia recognized me and came right up and we chatted for a bit. She also attends the 'Fellowship' group I go to once a week. We were talking about traditional foods and she wanted to know if I would try her favorite traditional food from her country that she always brings back to Saudi. I am adventuresome in this area, so she led me to a beautifully decorated table they had set up to show some of their traditional pieces and offered me the treat from a plate. "Try and guess what these are?" She gleefully said. They looked like tiny black berries of some kind or Columbian coffee beans. I popped a couple in my mouth. Had a bit of a nutty taste and quite crunchy....ANTS! My first ever. How clever of her to get me to try this as I would never have tried them if I knew what I was eating. I kept smiling and continued to discuss their taste as one would discuss a good wine. Then, the first chance, I made my way to a plate of cookies and downed a couple. Felt a tad queasy at just the thought of what I had eaten.

These South American ladies all live on ARAMCO and what they did was to give the hotel recipes from their country and we were then served a wonderful lunch of their favorite foods. The whole morning was just a huge treat in so many ways.

You know, I can still see and taste those ANTS, however.

Greetings From Saudisandy

There has been a huge amount of digging on the road in front of our apartment here on our compound. At first we thought it was to be just a resurfacing. Our mistake, or were we just misled? We are getting a new road. Not a little project, as the machines have dug out the existing road down over two feet and the whole area is terribly dangerous to walk on and we have to walk on it to get to our car that has now to be parked about a block away. Outside of stepping into muck over my ankles as I headed out to have a social day, and one day my husband tripping and falling while arms were full of groceries, we are surviving. He wasn't hurt and the concrete-type muck came off my feet and shoes after hard scrubbing.

However, I do think a bug from Hell was unearthed in this process. Seriously! I came out my front door the other day and saw this ghastly black thing, half hornet and half locus flying and hopping about in a nasty frenzy. He would bounce and fly about a foot off the ground and then when he hit the ground he would rub his ugly head around on the concrete. It was really sickening to watch. This is how he maneuvered down our walkway: bounce, fly, grind head in concrete, bounce, fly, grind head into concrete. He was the size of my index finger. I saw him once and never again. Thank God, it was one bug and not a fleet.

We are finding the new mosque, just about one half a block away, to be very disturbing. The sound on their speakers has been turned to full volume and the first call to prayer at 4:30 or so every morning is wrecking the nerves of many in the surrounding neighborhood. With our doors shut and air-conditioning on full, we hear it as if it were on our back patio. A friend who lives even closer than we do, paced off one day from her apartment: 50 steps, the next nearest mosque is 70 steps and the last and biggest mosque in our compound is 100 steps from her doorway. Her husband has put in a request to be moved. He is suffering from sleep deprivation. So far, my husband is sleeping through this first prayer call of the day, but I am not. Better me than him. Another mosque is half completed about four blocks from us. Our compound has five mosques that I know of, and a sixth is being built.