Week Three already!

It is hard to believe that just three weeks ago I was landing in Jeddah and nervous about keeping a hijab on my head! Since moving to campus last week I really feel like I am in a bubble. It is not quite like living in the US but I definitely don't feel like I am living in Saudi Arabia either. Most of you know that I love watching CNN international and the BBC. Well, the programming for both of these stations in the morning when I am up and getting ready for work stinks! Anderson Cooper is just not a comprehensive news show. No offense to Anderson. So I get no news unless I read it on-line. Perhaps the one plus of the hotel was that I got The Arab News: http://www.arabnews.com every day. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has several copies of the paper but they are not for sale so you have to have time to sit and have a coffee and read it there. I log for a good old-fashioned New York Times!

This weekend brought some "normalcy" or routine to my new life. My shipment arrived on Thursday (remember that is my Saturday)and it was all so beautiful! I unwrapped all of my pictures first and then my kitchen. I was never so happy to see my knives! I had my mother's peach jam on my toast this morning. I think it will just be a weekend treat... I should have brought more! I did my first loads of laundry and made my bed with my own sheets and comforter and pillows. I can stop wearing the same three pairs of pants and two skirts I have worn for the past three weeks- woo hoo! It is like I have a new wardrobe.

In anticipation of my clothes arriving I went to the Red Sea Mall Wednesday night and bought as many hangers as I could carry. And it still wasn't enough! I also bought what I thought was an imitation swifter. But alas, when I went to swift this morning I realized it is a wall washer??!! So it looks like a swifter but the handle doesn't move. So I would basically have to lay on the floor in order to get the swifty part to be flat on the floor. So sad! Who washes their walls!!?? So, I went to the market on campus and the only thing they had in stock was one of those old fashioned mops- wood handle with the off white clothesline wig-like thing at the end. My hands were such a mess after squeezing and ringing. Forget it.

Yesterday I went to a baby party in my neighborhood. Yvette and Jeremy had Sienna two weeks ago! The first KAUST baby. She is beautiful and reminded me of my new niece Lilly. Of course I offered to babysit ;-)

I also went for a walk today from my house across the water (like a canal) to the island and the beach. Still lots of constuction as you can see from the pictures. The building with the cone-like thing is going to be the sports complex with the pools and hopefully will open soon. It is about two-three blocks from me. I wish I could put captions with the pictures... Much of the beach and Marina area are still WAY under construction. The husband of our new administrative assistant is Director of the water sports area and is completely frustrated with how slow things are moving. But of course there are people who have been in hotels for four months too. The building with the glass like spiral is the Administration Building at the center of what is called the Spine- the area where all of the classroom, labs, and administrative buildings are. My office is in the Student Affairs building which is at the end of the Spine near Discovery Square. It is the building with all of the orange furniture in front and the night time picture with the tall pillars. The building that is red is actually where the elevators are to go to the lower level where the Dining Hall and another gym are. The colors actually change! The building with all of the marble is the main library. And I also included a picture of the lovely artwork that decorates my refridgerator. My nephew Cooper drew that for me before I left. He is a big fan of Star Wars as you might guess.

This week I get to travel! My first recruitment trip and it is to Turkey. I am so excited to see my friends there and do just a little bit of shopping in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. I'll be visiting universities in Istanbul and Ankara and will be traveling with a faculty member. Keep your fingers crossed that our power point is done and working by Monday!