It sounds like a such a simple idea... We (the collective Paul, Jamal, and I) have been talking about going to the beach since the New Year. I twice got directions from my friend Jess who goes every weekend with her family. "Everyone" goes!
Thursday/Saturday was a work day. We have over 700 applications for PhD programs that need to be read by the end of the month and then to start on the MS applicants. Everyday we get a stack of mail about two feet high and upwards of 300 emails a day in our inbox with recommendation letters and transcripts attached. Training new staff and working with a new system means we move at a snails pace. I just keep thinking that if I were in Boston I would be working the same weekend hours only I would have to wear a turtle neck sweater and I wouldn't be making plans to beach on Sunday.
So Thursday afternoon Jamal makes a car rental reservation on line but decides to call the rental location to confirm. Good thing because the on-line system people leave at noon on Thursdays so any reservations made after they leave do not get processed until the next day. Suggestion: pop-up to notify renter of these hours. So reservation is not logged. Jamal left for India today so the plan was for him to return the car at the airport. By calling the rental office in Jeddah he learned it would make more sense to rent from the airport. I had already booked a taxi for us to go to Jeddah for the car rental so we had to convince the taxi driver that it was okay to take us to the airport. We actually had to write a note on the taxi order that we requested a change. We first went straight to the car rental pick-up area but were directed to the arrivals terminal to make the reservation. It was just like we were arriving but we didn't have luggage. After making a reservation in the arrivals hall we took a shuttle back to the car pick-up area. The shuttle was supposed to go to another terminal but Jamal convinced the driver to take us to the car rental area. The 2009 Toyota Camry we reserved five minutes before at the arrivals area needed to be washed so could we wait 30 minutes while they washed the car. Ummm, no. After a bit of a discussion (Jamal, not Paul or I) we were upgraded to the 2010 Toyota Camry that was "clean." And I use the term loosely.
We left campus at 6 and by now it is 8:15. Finally on the road our destination is first to find a restaurant to eat dinner and then to go to the Zara Home Store. They are having a HUGE sale and both Paul and I wanted to invest in some home items to make our homes more homey. Poor Jamal has been here the longest- since August- and his home still isn't ready. He has been living in Paul's guest room. By 9:00 we were sitting outside on the patio of Joffrey's which I can only describe as a Saudi TGI Friday's (although they have TGI Fridays here too.) I was overly excited about buffalo wings-- not so good. But my grilled shrimp cesar salad was wonderful and my Lemon and mint beverage divine. There was music and people smoking shisha-- it was wonderful! And Zara Home was a success too. I got new sheets, some cereal bowls and glasses that are not "plain" and a table cloth and napkins.
Friday was a day at the beach! Directions: take the second exit after the check point on the way to Jeddah; follow to the end and turn right; pass a service station, a mosque, and another service station. Then look on the left for a blue gate that says private. Knock on the window in the gate. You pay 100 reals per person (about $30) but it was so worth it. It was a whole new world! Beautiful sand, clear and clean water, nice lounge chairs, umbrellas, palm trees, cafe, clean bathrooms-- sorry Katy but they were cleaner than at Scarborough! And so many people we know. Now when I don't see anyone around on the weekend I know where they are. There is a man-made island out a ways that you can swim to and dive off of. It was fabulous- I swam, read, napped, walked. I am ready to go every weekend! Or at least until our beach on campus opens... rumor has it only three more weeks. Note on pics: Jess and her husband getting out of boat and side shot of Jamal. Paul did not give permission for me to post his pic to the blog because he did not look his best. There are several amusement parks on the highway between Jeddah and Thuwal-- they never look very crowded. And sunset as we arrive back on campus!
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