Monday, April 9th, 2007

Hi Ryan and Mrs. Maynard, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Emmond and everyone on that team! Thanks for all of your incredible questions. I will try and answer each question for you so here goes..........

Hi mom its Ryan. So those questions I was telling you about I have right now so here they are.

Are there any animals in Saudi that you wouldn't see in N.H. If so what?This I will have to ask around about. I will tell you that the only dogs I have seen were out in the desert and they were wild. People here have cats for pets and I often seeing them walking and cuddling with one, and I also see many stray cats on the streets. People also have birds as pets.

{How does it feel to be in a hot climate?}I love the warm weather so it feels great except for the fact that I am wearing black abaya which absorbs the heat! I try to drink water all day long to stay hydrated and there are lots of delicious fresh fruit drinks to quench your thirst. The weather here is actually mild for the region with temperatures around 70-90 degrees but there is always a nice breeze which gets quite strong later in the day. In June - October it will get very hot here with temperatures well over 100 degrees. Luckily everything here is air conditioned.

{Do the women talk a lot?}Many do, but many are quite shy. Their culture has raised them to be quite shy and to not interact with people outside their friends and family. Saudi women can be reserved around men they don't know as it is not proper for them to speak with other men that are not family. The woman we are meeting however, are less traditional and more westernized. They are eager to talk to both men and women and they are incredibly well educated. Most of them have traveled around the world and have attended colleges in the United States.

How do you get around? We travel by a large "Coach" style bus which is very comfortable to be in. That is good as we spend a great deal of time in it going from place to place. There are no train stations in each city and no public buses so that means everyone (male) has to have a car. Since women cannot drive here, every family has to employ a driver for the women and children in their family and it is also common to have a house servant.

What food do you eat? Whats the geography like
How is the economy there? Are there a lot of homeless people?}The economy here is getting stronger, but the employment level is high ( around 13%). This is because, many Saudi's view certain jobs as "beneath them". For example, up to this point in this society, service type jobs, working in restaurants, hotels, and other industries like that have been done by foreigners from India, Bangladesh etc. Now, as the economy grows and more young people are needing employment, they are having to consider these jobs and they are slowly having to accept that these jobs can help them to make a living.

Does the geography really vary? The coastal regions are relatively flat in some sections and mountainous in other regions. The interior of the country and the regions to the south, like the Empty Quarter (Rub a Kali Desert) are vast areas of desert. There are some sections that are oasis, fertile areas of palm trees feed by underground natural water supplies.

What are the cultures /customs of people? That is a big question and one I will answer briefly now, and one I'll expand on when I see all of you in 7th grade. Family is the most important tradition in their society. They have great pride in the clan or tribe they come from and family live near each other. Family helps to select marriage partners for their men and women. Respect for anyone older than yourself is most important. Education is looked at as a very important gift and the children here are very studious.

What would happen if the women refused to wear the Abaya? Most of the pressure to wear the abaya comes from the girls family and tradition. There are no laws requiring a girl to cover, but societal pressure exists so most conform.

What are the foods and drinks like?}Drinks are incredible... lots of colorful fruit juices which look amazing to drink before you even taste one. Kiwi, orange, mango, coconut, and apple juices are very popular. Teas like green tea, and coffees ( with cardamon flavor- very bitter) are also very popular. Lots of water is also consumed. Foods really range and I but sea foods like lobster and shrimp, fish, lamb, curry flavoring, hummus, pita breads, fruits, rices are just some that I tasted. I will do an entry on my blog at a later date to tell the specific names of traditional foods.

{Does the food taste good? What is it made out of? YES... most of it was awesome!

Do baby girls where abayas? Do you have to where the abaya to bed?}I saw little girls as young as 6 or 7 wearing an abaya with no head covering and I also saw in the stores abayas that were very tiny for 3-4 year olds.

(This ones from me){Are the camels as big as the ones at the museum down in Boston that we saw.} The camels were a range of sizes, the older they got the bigger they got and yes, they ended up at least as big as the one's we saw in the Boston museum.

{How is it wearing an abaya}Sometimes it gets hot, and I really get tired of fixing the hijab head covering which falls off and blows off when it gets windy. I watch the Saudi women, and they are constantly fixing their hijab covering as it slips off their heads too! In some ways, it is like wearing a uniform, because you don't have to worry about what you are wearing, but remember, that women, once they arrive in an all female environment, or at home, can take off the abaya and were regular clothing. Trust me, the Saudi's are VERY into fashion and the beautiful stores that are everywhere have the very latest of clothing that most girls in the US would die to wear.

{Have you seen any interesting foods there? The most interesting food I saw was balls that looked like meatballs but they were made of camel liver. I admit to tasting one and it was a bit game-y tasting. One bite was enough for me!

Where do you stay? Aramco Services provided our accommodations for the 3 cities so we stayed for 3 nights at the Aramco compound in upscale dormitories, 3 nights at the Jeddah Hilton, a seaside hotel, and the Al Faisaliah Hotel, a stunning 4-5 star hotel in the capital city of Riyadh.

What's the difference between their schools and ours?}Boys and girls never attend the same school in this country which reflects the traditions of the culture in this society. The class sizes were also quite different, as most classes we visited had 40 or more children squeezed into a classroom the size of Mrs. Robinson's! Amazingly, the students were saw were all on task and working hard to pay attention to the lesson.

{Has the way you looked at America changed since you have been there? One thing I will take back from this trip, it that Americans need to be careful not to impose their Western ideas on other cultures. Just because someone dresses differently, does not mean that they need to change to be more like us. I admire how committed this culture is to preserving who they are, but also hope that they allow change to happen if the people of the society desire change.

Do you have to where abaya to bed. No! Like I said, the abaya is like a coat, that you wear when you are in public. As soon as a female enters their home, the abaya gets hung up at the door, just like you hang up your coat when you get home.

Do the kids play the same sports as we do?}Football (soccer) is very popular here, but they play on dirt fields and we see them everywhere. Kids also rollerblade, swim, fish, play basketball, ATV , jet ski... I have not heard of lacrosse or American football here.

{Is it really hot there especially w/ that burka on? Yes... it gets hot in the middle of the day and black is a tough color to wear in the heat, because it really absorbs the suns rays.

What do the police look like?} The police here wear an olive green uniform with a black beret.

{How is the weather there and what is there hottest temp?}We have had great weather with temperatures between 70-90 degrees. In another month, this region of the world will be unbearably hot with daily temperatures well over 100 degrees F. We have actually had moments of slight rain, ( 2 minutes of a passing light shower) which is very unusual in this area. That little rain really helps desert plant life to turn green.

{Is it hard to adjust to their different culture there?}There are definitely some things that are easier to adjust to than others. The currency, Saudi Riyals is the equivalent of $1.00 = 3.75 SR, so if you see something that is 120SR you just divide by 4 (rounding) to get an approximate cost in US dollars ($30.00). The language barrier could be difficult but we have been escorted so that has been pretty easy too. The restrictions on women regarding how we can come and go has been more difficult to adjust to and having to look a certain way (abaya) is also something that I feel I would get tired of as an American woman who has been allowed to chose how I dress my whole life.

{What is the most exciting part of you visit? Would you go back there?} I would come back here in a minute because I think anytime you have a chance to learn about another culture, you should jump at the opportunity. For me, the most exciting visits were to the special education school and the public school for girls. I love seeing children and have missed my own children and my students at AMS.

{Why do the women have to wear black clothing,can you were any other color?}The Islamic or government laws do not require black abayas, but Muslim tradition does encourage it. Abaya fashion is becoming quite popular and younger women are moving away from the all black abaya to more festive abayas like the ones you see me wearing in my blog pictures.

{What type of food do they have there and what is your favorite and least favorite?}My favorite was the stuffed lobster and my least favorite was the camel.

{Do you need to follow the Muslim religion?}The only religion allowed in this country is Islam. People traveling into this country are not allowed to bring symbols or books regarding any other faith.

Thanks for your great questions! I am going to post them all on my web site tonight! I hope to have an open house to showcase everything I have learned after I return. Thanks again and Shukran.

Sunday, April 8th, 2007 Happy Easter to all who celebrate the holiday

Greetings everyone. How strange to travel in a country that does not recognize Christian holidays. Several bags of jelly beans from the states floated around our bus today in honor of the holiday.Today, our travels took us to the Shura Council, the appointed representatives that help govern the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These 120 elite members of the Saudi society were personally selected by the King Abdul Aziz for their proven abilities in both academic and societal success. Each member on the committee serves a four year term. They must be a registered Saudi at birth, over 30 years of age and renowned for expertise in many fields.

This is the outside of the building where the Shura Council Committee members meet. Just like in Washington DC, this facility has high security to protect the important members of their committee.

Out discussions with members of the Committees which report to those on the Shura council took place in a round table format.
Our meetings began by entering the room where General Meeting Panels are held. This round table format, had our names on name plates and we were each asked to introduce ourselves to selected members of the education delegation for Saudi Arabia.

This is the great hall where formal legislative sessions take place in Saudi Arabia.

Following this question and answer format, we were given a guided tour of Shura Council Auditorium before being seated in a balcony to observe on ongoing Shura Council Session in progress. The agenda items we listened to (with headphones to translate into English) were as follows:

1. transportation, communication and information technology Committee's perspective on views regarding advertising on public rental cars and other vehicles.
2. Discussing draft regulations on civilian rehabilitation centers for the disabled.
3. Discussed draft of the traffic bill.
4. Discussion about fines collected from inheritances and repayment obligations
5. Protocol on combating manufacturing and trafficking of firearms/ illegal activities.

Here we were able to observe a session of the Shura Committee as they presented various issues that were on the agenda for the day.
Watching the procedures was just like being in the United States and watching political discussions take place in the house and senate. Very similar protocol and formalities were used to order the meeting.

Our morning session ended with our IIE guide, Josh, being interviewed by a Saudi TV station about the groups impressions of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Now we have returned to the hotel for a luncheon hosted by one of the teachers we met at the public school yesterday and then we go on to the King Abd Al-Aziz Historical Center for a 3 hour tour of its facilities.

This is the view of the inside courtyard at the Riyadh Heritage Center that is next to the National Museum. We attended a presentation which encourages international dialogue and sat in an open air courtyard prior to dinner.
Our evening program takes us to a dinner held in the honor of Al Faisal Ibn Abd Ar-Rhaman Al- Mu'ammar, Advisor at the Royal Court. I am sure that you are seeing that many of our hosts have very long names, and that is their formal name which tells which family and which clan system they are a part of. Family history is very important to the Saudi people.

Here I am with a new teacher friend, Martha, who teaches at an all girls private school in California. These lovely gold chairs surrounded the perimeter of the outdoor courtyard in the Heritage Center.

Well everyone, my journey is almost over. Tomorrow, we leave for a 4 hour visit to the desert region of Riyadh and then it is four flights and 30 hours before I reach Manchester, NH. I don't want you to think that this blog has come to an end. It really is only the beginning. I have so much more information to share and hope to continue to update the blog with more information for months to come. While I am in no way an expert on Saudi Arabia, I now have many unique experiences that I wish to share with anyone who will listen. I encourage you to continue to post your questions and to keep your eyes out for press coverage about this trip and about events that deal with relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Thank you all for traveling with me thus far. I hope you are willing to help me take the next step, which is to foster international relationships between our country and Saudi Arabia. I have made many contacts that are willing to help build bridges between both students and adults and I intend to make that my on going mission.

Once again, Shukran (Thank you!) In Shallah (God Willing), our countries will remain at peace and one day, the tensions between our two countries will be much less.

Debbie Hinrichs