Museums and Meetings

Last night, we went to the mall and the market.  The mall looked no different from any American mall, except for having signs in Arabic and English.  (Yes, everything in KSA is in Arabic and English.  It's wonderful.)  We had our first experiences with the men's section v. the family section at the mall.  We ordered our food from the family register instead of the mens, certainly not a big deal.  As we carried our food to our tables and took our seats we watched our first experience with the enforcement of the segregation.  We had become very aware of a group of young boys, teenagers, that had been walking in our general area throughout the mall for a while.  As we sat at our table in the family section and waited for our hostesses before eating, two mall security officers, not the religious police, approached the group of boys and asked them to leave the family area for the men's section.  The boys argued with security, but eventually were escorted out.  We watched in somewhat amusement and were sincerely glad to see them leave.  We enjoyed traditional Saudi fast food and great conversation.  After enjoying the modern mall, we climbed in our little bus and drove over to the market to look at abayas.  It was rather late, so we only got to stay for a few minutes.  The stores were both open and closed front, full of beautiful rugs, fabrics, dresses, abayas, and jewelry.  Then we headed back for much needed rest.
This morning I woke up after a great night of sleep and ordered room service.  The sheer amount of food that came on the trolley should have indicated the volume of food that would also be put before me for the rest of the day.  While everyone was at the mosque for services, our delegation met and talked about some of the things that we had noticed so far and prepare for our meetings for the next two days.  We had a lunch meeting with one of the advisors to the King and Royal Court.  He was very cordial with us.  We talked about everything from religion and politics (it was ok this once) to education and the economy.  He spoke very freely and openly.  He provided a great perspective on governance.  We really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with him.  The topic he specifically asked us about was our understanding of the Arab Peace Initiative.  The American policy regarding the API seemed to be something that he could not understand.  The food that we ate was remarkable.  We had a four course meal with a buffet entrée and then coffee and tea afterwards.  Our stomachs and brains were very full.  After meeting with him, we traveled over to the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center.  They dropped us off right at the door.  In order to do so, however, we had to drive down the sidewalk in our little bus.  We chuckled as we watched the confused faces of the many families out enjoying the large courtyard out in front of the building.  The Historical Center began with the Islamic understanding of the beginning of time and ended with the unification period under the Al-Saud.  There were beautiful artifacts of pottery, fossils, weapons, and replicas of old architecture and tents.  We even watched a documentary with a bonus laser light show about unification.  We really enjoyed the center and seeing all of the families out front enjoying their equivalent of a Sunday.  Our dinner host was the Secretary-General of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce.  He was clearly a passionate man.  We talked about economic and social issues with him.  He shared his personal opinion about the women issue and offered his heartfelt passion about caring for the women in his life.  He was very hopeful for change-and soon.  After another buffet dinner, we enjoyed dessert and great conversation just among the American women about what it means to be an American woman.  It was a fascinating conversation.  Given that it was New Years Eve, we felt compelled to stay up until midnight.  We had most of the fellows come over to my room where we laughed, shared stories, reflected on our experiences, and wore festive hats and celebrated with noise makers.  Now it is nearly 2am here in Riyadh and I'm trying to settle down to go to bed.  We have an early morning at a local college, only after watching the ball drop and celebrating the new year with our American friends and families back home.  More stories to come...

Briefing, Travel, and Arrival

      After safely traveling to DC and enjoying an evening grabbing dinner in the city, all of us met at the National Council on US-Arab Relations Wednesday morning for our briefing.  We had a full morning.  We started with the Director of the Washington Office of Aramco Services, the Arab American Oil Company.  He helped us get ready for our visit to Aramco in the Eastern Province during our trip and explained the significance and abundance of oil in Saudi Arabia.  We then met with a very helpful representative from the US State Department for an overview of US foreign policy with Saudi Arabia.  Our other speakers were also diplomats familiar with Saudi Arabia.  One was a two time (which is almost unheard of) Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.  The other was the Diplomat in Residence at the National Council on US-Arab Relations.  After these meetings, we grabbed a quick lunch and eagerly went to the airport.  

     The flight was long, but safe.  It was difficult to sleep on the plane and our cramped legs were eager to move.  We were all grateful to land in the desert.  As we approached the terminal, we welcomed the sight of the sand and smiled, even though we were all in our full abayas.  As we got off the plane, we were greeted by our governmental escorts and taken to the government VIP section.  We had an expedited customs/immigration process.  After paperwork and a few words of welcome, we left the airport bound for our hotel and much needed showers.  On our way into the city from the airport, we could not help but be bombarded by all of the construction.  It was impressive.  Saudi Arabia is still growing.  Upon arriving at the hotel, we met some Saudi students that will be showing us around some and helping us while we are here.  We were welcomed with gifts left for us in our respective rooms as we waited for our luggage to be delivered to us.  Saudi hospitality is nothing to balk at.  Tonight we hope to visit a mall in the city and come back for some much needed rest.  So far, so good.  I'm looking forward to more adventures!

On the road from the airport, admiring the desert

On the road from the airport, amazed by the construction

Our lovely welcome gift (with a surprise inside)

What could it be?

Such a great surprise!

Television

People to Count On: Amy Peele

WIS television, a local news station out of Columbia, SC has picked up my story. This is the introduction, presented in the Person to Count On segment, to the story. I will follow up with Dawndy Mercer Plank for a more extensive interview.

Getting Ready

Getting ready for this trip has proven to be a rather interesting experience.  The greatest challenge so far has been finding appropriate attire.  Ankle length skirts are hard to find here.  I was not able to find any in traditional retailers.  It is particularly challenging to prepare for another culture while living in a completely different one.  However, I am now prepared with 8 or so skirts for my journey.  I was able to find loosely fitting shirts that would be more modest and appropriate.  I have my plane tickets purchased and a place to stay.  I've been reading the assigned reading. It's a great book.  The local media have been notified.  I even started putting things into my suitcases tonight.  It's finally real.  Tuesday will be here, ready or not.  I better be ready!