Ras Tanura

Today we went down to Ras Tanura beach. This is another Aramco site about an hour from main camp, it's really pretty down there, there seems to have a more relaxed pace too. Got the bus at 9am with Maggie, Amanda, Julie and Paget, we met Jo down there who flew over with Amanda, Julie and Paget, and works down there.

Lovely, relaxed day it was a real tonic and bit of a break from main camp. The beach was pretty empty and there is always quite strong breeze down there, so the heat isn't too mad. Still got a bit burnt, the whole breeze/water thing is deceptive but it was great just to be outside with the breeze and the sand and to swim. Reckon will be coming down here more often! wish i could bring the cat but think she'd just be fed up.

This is Maggie, Jo and Amanda.

Below is view of the beach - it's lovely, very windswept and a bit like Malaysia. If any consolation, looking the other way you can see the main masts of the refinery so bit like bathing at Grangemouth!

This is one for Sus and Nick- remember cuttle fish? i haven't seen them since about 1972, a bit like the Bugles. you prob get these all over but was a right blast from the past picking them up along the beach.

First trip to Bahrain was about 4 weeks ago, for a Isabel’s birthday (friend of Maggie). There were 10 of us all together and it was a really good weekend. I was a bit daunted at first because knew no-one else but they were all pretty friendly – all nurses, most of them really don’t like it here, or certainly the jobs (the nursing side is notorious for being not only difficult in job but difficult in the environment - a lot of crap goes on, suffice to say its pretty bad because none of them are ever briefed properly (or perhaps truthfully) on the set up here, so when they arrive it’s like being dropped from a great height and told to get up and run.
I prob shouldn’t say this because even the blogs are scanned apparently for any ‘out of turn’ comments). Anyway, had a really nice time, they were all very down to earth and ‘normal’ (camp can be a funny place).

Stayed in apartments, this was the only photo I took!

 Had meant to take more as they were so nice, unexpected, and not that expensive so it is a good find.

WE went out for an Italian meal in lovely restaurant with some pubs after (a lot are attached to the hotels). The pubs (or ones we were in) were just like home, I think all pubs round the world are based on UK or Irish, so in some ways it was weird to be in places that looked so familiar but with Arabs in full Arab regalia having a pint! Didn’t ask if I could take a photo….

Bahrain is lovely, much more modern and has pubs and none of the restrictions in Saudi, so obviously a big draw for all including Saudis. Its reached by a Causeway between the two places and takes about 40 minutes to get across on a good day, 2 hours on a bad one! There are 4 checkpoints to pass through, incl customs, and you need your passport with a multi exit visa (which you get once you’ve been here for a bit, this lets you in and out of Saudi otherwise you just can’t go anywhere).

It is not good to be caught with even a little booze on the way back to Saudi – this has happened and usually very inadvertently, someone has left a bottle of beer in the boot or something and didn't realise. but most cases that's it, deportation. It’s a bit daft as everyone knows anyone who is going over is probably going to be partaking of some, if not a lot, but as long as they don’t find it on you or you’re blitzed out your head, it’s ok. Oh well!

Anyway, long story – Bahrain is lovely, you can literally feel the protocol and custom ‘lift’ as you go over. I hadn’t expected to feel this but it was there!.

Some general shots from the top of the apartments where we were staying.

Mish

As you prob know Mish arrived safe if kind of frantic, she is doing grand and will likely be putting lots more photos of her in, but just wanted to put this pic in of her at the window being all very hunting, shooting, fishing in her stance. She loves watching the birds – well, I think it drives her a bit nuts but the little toot is fascinated by them! I have loads of photos of her so I will keep you posted with her adventures

The Core Area

Here are some pics of the Core Area. This is town central - one photo looks over to tall buildings, known as the Tower Building. All this area is where most people work, the secretaries etc. Except me, I must smell very bad as i'm in the LIP area (Light Industrial Parkway). Actually, the dept I'm in used to be down here but moved about 4 years ago.

Think I maybe already said that this is where the Comm etc is, PO, mailboxes, dining hall etc etc. I have obivously taken arty farty sunset shots for maximum effect.

The Ball Field

Here is the Ball Field or ball park, I forget which is the ‘official’ title – it used to be (strangely enough) a ball field for baseball and stuff but it’ not any more, more of a park area. Here is where the library is, a café, bowling area (which I only saw the other day), restaurants (a tandoori-come-pasta place) and THE CINEMA. I love the cinema. I am so pleased we have one because they ain’t allowed in Saudi outside. Though some people slag it and prefer to go to Bahrain, I love it. It’s a bit like a 1950s theatre but modern, apparently they expanded it quite a bit from howit used to be and the films they show are a lot more up to date. I was surprised what has been on – Slumdog Millionaire, My Blueberry Nights, Revolutionary Road, New Town. So someone somewhere has obviously made the effort to up the ante here and am well chuffed. Plus enry is £1 and popcorn is 50p!! Bargain :).

A pic of the cinema!! (blue building)

Also love the library (yes I’m very sad…) got great paperback selection, all the magazines which is much cheaper than buying new (imports are expensive, about £6 to £8 – with any ‘inappropriate’ pages ripped out, which can be very annoying I have to say…) plus newspapers. The usual library thing. And some good DVDs.

Restaurants are fine, again not everyone’s cup of tea, but good for a nosh if you don’t mind the salt intake and also do a great meze starter of hommous, tabbouleh, motable (like hommous but with aubergine) and stuffed vine leaves. The ace thing is you can order antying off the menu for delivery or pickup, and I mean anything (well apart from jasmine tea I found out). eVen the meze which you get beautifully laid out on a wee foil platter. The only ‘drawback’ is with everything, and I mean everything, you get 3 enormous home made nans – this is just a drawback because you end up with so much food. If you order a ‘special’ nan (eg peanut one, exremetly tasty!) then you still get the 3 standard ones. It’s like they can’t send anything out without them. But as they’re warm and very fine (except if you’re one of the anal people who goes on about carboyhydrates and how bad everything is here). But the area is jolly fine for an evening wander.

My Desk

This is my desk. As you can see it’s huge and totally contradicts the importance of my status! I share my office with Montaha, lovely Saudi lady. She likes cats and has 3 children (or maybe 4). Anyway, she is one of the Arabic translators/readers of sense once stuff has been translated. It feels cheeky as we have much bigger offices than a lot of other people and esp those upstairs – a lot of the blokes are in teeny tiny cubicles, which would be ok and quite snug – apparently the reason we’re in offices is so the Saudi ladies can shut the door at lunch at take off their headscarves etc. But it seems a bit joshy from our point of view as there is only one of them in our dept at the moment who 'covers' anyway, so lucky us!!

Where I work

This is the building where I work – known as the ‘star’ building because it is (apparently) Star shaped. It’s little way out of the core area, only about 5 mins.
I get 2 buses to work – work is actually about 5 mins by car from my house but am on the bus for 35 mins to get there. The bus goes from mango to core area, then core area back out – it’s a bit crazy but gives me an extra snooze.
The work day starts at 7am so it’s up at about 5.30 holy moley. Actually I’m coping with it better than I thought and may even be doing me some good. Luncheon is 11.30 to 12.30 then we finish at 4, except I and bus people like me get to go a little early as the bus is actually at 3.55. It’s all timetabled to a great plan (ha ha! that's a joke by the way).

The beginning

Well here is the beginning of my Saudi blog, a sort of diary/drop-in for you to see what things are like over here and what I'm up to.

So I have been here almost 3 months now, arriving seems quite a long time ago now and then sometimes feels like i've been here no time at all.

As you prob know by now, I flew over with another girl, Maggie, who comes from Falkirk and is a nurse here - we made the flight from Amsterdam together. Business class was a first for me and was really nice, but to be honest, apart from the great amount of room +comfiness (def a plus), wasn't really into all the bone china scrimping and sirring that went on. I quite like the TV dinners we get in economy. Some people are never happy eh!

Since we've been here, it's been good being two 'newbies' as we've hung out quite alot, chatted and got through the paperwork. Both our passports were taken away at the airport which was a bit freaky at first but nowt to worry about. got them back without being sent to a dark corner somewhere. None of our luggage was checked after all the potential of having everything searched but apparently you just never know.

When we were leaving the airport, a western pilot told us, in this low whisper 'you should be wearing an abiya!' - and we (or rather I, because for some reason he pointed at me, not Maggie!!) - were like, we just got off the bloody plane!! nobody told us! Anyway, he must have been on his own hobby horse as apparently its not a requirement for new people.

So this is my new housie on Mango Court!

  

As you can see, I'm very lucky as it's v cute and cottagey (well, to me anyway!). Housing is a bit of thorny issue here, it's allocated according to job grade and I've already nearly had my head taken off by saying where i live to the approx respnse 'how come you're on Mango when you've only just got here'. this is where i'll be unless i decide move but you have to stay wherever you are for 2 years before 'bidding' on somewhere else. I find it very lovely so am not thinking to move. Where I am is in the more residential part of camp, known as the Hills (I know. If only it were the MTV show and I were Lauren whats-er-face.)

This is a view looking up from my garden gate and car park that's there. also where i get the bus to work.

Camp is pretty big, I don't know miles-wise but big enough to need a car (or bus or taxi) to get around. It consists of main Core Area, this is where main office buildings are, plus shop (locally known as 'the Comm', short for Commissary), post office,  fire station etc. It's kind of town central. Then it fans out to the residential area, where it's pretty green, there is the obligatory golf club, sports areas etc. Alot of the nurses /secretaries are in the Ball Park flats (so called because it's by what used to be a baseball park and is now big grassy bit).

It's alot like an American suburb, in fact we may be in Saudi but i'm not the first to comment that as far as being on camp goes, you're pretty much in America. I suppose because originally it was Amercians coming over way back (and i think as a result they feel like they are 'due' here more than anybody else or so the attitude seems to go....). Anyway, it's pretty nice, very wide open, green bits, for this i guess we ought owe the US touch a good deal of thanks. The road layouts, the housing, the general 'feel' of the place. Alot of Saudis now live on camp as well. This wasn't the case in the past and has clamped down alot on camp parties etc and having 'bars' - some people feel very strongly about it, as feel $it was built as a western compound and should be treated as such. on the other side, the company itself is now majority (if not all) Saudi owned, and is 'actively' pursuing Saudization (which i guess you can understand) so technically they have as much right to be here as anyone. i can see both sides and am new enough it doesn't rankle me because I didn't know how it was before. I actually like having the Saudis around, for a start they can be friendlier than the westerners!! 

There are security gates at various points and a main gate to get into (or out of) camp itself. The traffice through these is pretty free flow and not daunting but you need to show your pass going through. This in contrast to other camps where you are very, very aware of the security issue and sobered me up well and truly one evening going to a restaurant. It is easy (or it has been for me) to get caught up in the dailies and forget actually where I am from time to time, but then again there is no point in thinking about it too much or you'd just get in a state.

There are various other compounds or camps in Dammam area for other companies or just residential areas for ex-pats. You can come and go between these pretty freely, for eg if there's a restaurant on another camp or there's a 'do' somewhere else, but for a specific event you usually need to have your name left at the gate to get in.

Hum, i think that's all for now - this pic is just another one of the car park where i get the bus. There is also a mini mart here which is bit of handy thing for someone as vacant as me about shopping.