Rambles

Rambles of Jeddah 08-09

• it rained three times


• I questioned my first night in Jeddah thinking "what have I done?" "I don't like living in AC, it is too hot for me" I still don't like living in AC.


• Carolyn, thanks for Peet's Masala Chai tea


• the escarpment road is finally open


• weekend escapes to Taif and Al Hada


• love the Yemeni souq on a Thursday morning (my photo of the vendor selling fish won 2 place in a local photo contest)


• Najran is a place to visit with its unique architecture


• nice to have a pool again for evening swims


• too hot for tennis or am I just a wimp


• went to the beach twice sort of funny because the Red Sea is right here BUT beaches are not


• Papaya is my favorite new place to feel like you are outside when you are really inside


• a magical sunset in the Old Balad on a roof top during the call to prayer


• Munch Bakery for a brownie fix


• Sanwar has been my guardian angel


• Who would have thought finding an excellent tai chi master offering classes next to the school? She also teaches Kung Fu and qi gong and this has kept me sane during some craziness


• beautiful abayas trimmed with crochet


• where does all the time go?


• old friends Martin, Marwan, Jana, Carol, Pat, Michele, Ron, Wendy, Edwin, Abdulaziz, Rami, the Al Zekys, Tasheen and clan, and wonderful new friends Areej and AbdulGhani, Annette, Mimi, Ajmal, Ali, Adam, Cresta, Tehmina


• I could write a book just on tutoring stories alone


• Found a trust worthy hospital close by


• One major bad cold, some sinus issues when the weather changed, and a sore hand from correcting papers again