Week One

I cannot believe I have been in Saudi Arabia for a week already! In some ways it feels like only a day and in most others like it has been months. It has been a whirlwind to say the least. The KAUST campus is truly as it appears on the website-- very modern architecture that flows into the desert/Red Sea landscape. Lots of transparent marble, fountains, grand sculptures etc. There is a main area of about 10 buildings called the "spine" that houses all of the administration, classrooms and labs. My building, the Student Affairs Center is at th end of the spine closest to Discovery Square which is a good thing. Discovery Square is where all of the restaurants/shops/services will be. At the moment there are a limited number of businesses open-- a Burger King, Quiznos, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, pharmacy, a Thai fast food restaurant and a middle east fast food restaurant. Oh and a mini mart. There is also lots of speculation about when the grocery store will open so the mini mart is the only place to buy groceries at the moment. I was there two nights ago and let's just say the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables is limited. For this reason, the dining hall has been free to all students and staff for all meals. I would compare it to West Campus dining hall for my BU friends-- several stations for pasta, sandwiches, grilled food, main hot courses and then a gigantic salad bar. They also have amazing fresh fruit juices-- my favorite in this region is lemon with mint and I drink one every day at lunch.

Paul was VERY excited to see me and started handed projects over immediately. Which is why I have not blogged yet. I didn't even take a single picture until day 5 on campus. There is so much to do in terms of establishing policy and procedures while working with what systems and limited resources are in place while thinking about recruiting students for next year. I wish we could transport our BU operations guru team to the desert for a month to wiggle their noses and put things in place. I was laughed at when I asked for a report of the current new students. Apparently no comprehensive list exhists! In Shallah (God willing)-- this is a popular phrase in the region that is uttered at just about any request made.

So far my biggest adjustment is the commute. Or should I say the two hour bus ride each way from my temporary housing at the Crown Plaza in Jeddah to the KAUST campus. Depending on who you speak with, some staff moved on campus within a few weeks and others have been in temporary housing for five months. I am hoping for good karma and that they realize I am important and special enough to move me on campus yesterday. How can I be productive if I am on a bus 4 hours a day??