October News

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a rough couple of weeks for us in early October.  Carolyn hadn’t been herself, in a health sense, since shortly after we arrived.  What initially looked like a persistent and pernicious UTI for which she ended up spending a few days in the hospital getting some hard core antibiotics, eventually resulted in a gall bladder ectomy after a large stone was discovered.

Even after surgery, she needed time to recover including a lot of rest since she was sore and tired - a lingering effect from the anesthesia.  But that next weekend, we were relaxing in a very nice hotel room in Bahrain where I attended a math conference and Carolyn went along for the change of scenery.  She spent most of her time lounging by the pool...even though she isn’t usually much of a pool lounger.  After my first day of learning math methods and curriculum, she was feeling better and we took a couple a walk together.  

In Bahrain you can imbibe in an alcoholic drink, order a pork chop, or watch a movie - all things that are unavailable or forbidden in Saudi Arabia.  (Man, you can really tell the people from Saudi because they TOTALLY over-do it!) The shopping experience was also somewhat expanded but Carolyn was unable to find the low carb tortillas she was promised were there.  I guess people just don’t really know what low carb tortillas really are.  We find that many people think that gluten free or sugar free is the same as low carb.

But to just back up a bit, Carolyn’s surgery went well.  We liked her surgeon, a friendly, fatherly sort of guy with a matter-of-fact approach to his practice.  All indications are that it went as planned with one startling surprise thrown in at the end.  I had to give Carolyn a series of four injections of anti-coagulant.  My nurse friends in the US all tell me that is unheard of in the states, but regular practice...at least at our hospital.  It turned out not to be a big deal - pretty easy since the disposable syringes come pre-loaded in idiot proof systems.

Most of the reading I do is for school since everything feels so new and unfamiliar.  But I feel as if I might be getting closer to actually reading a book in the near future.  

Add to my new enthusiasm for teaching math, the newly found freedom gained from finally getting our many-layered paperwork finished so that we can finally make use of our new-to-us car.  It feels quite different to have wheels and the ability to go wherever we want whenever we want.  The intoxication of this freedom led to a terrible choice on our maiden voyage.  Driving in Saudi Arabia is quite a different experience from driving in the US.  And Carolyn and I somehow chose a night to go out and test our wheels that everyone KNOWS you should NEVER go out.  Friday is the holy day in Saudi Arabia and afterwards, the entire city, it seems, goes for a drive.  That is when Carolyn and I decided to venture out.  (When I say ‘Carolyn and I’ please remember that in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive - the only country in the world with such a law.)

Our new car - a Hyundai Santa Fe for those who care.

It was so bad.  First of all, we didn’t realize that you simply cannot turn around on the freeways here.  There are no exit ramps that lead you back on the same freeway back the way you came.  In fact, there are precious few exit ramps that allow you to cross over to the side opposite from the side you are traveling on.  There are ways to get around this but they are labyrinthine and signless.  So we drove and drove down this incredibly busy, hectic highway getting further and further from landmarks we recognised.  

Finally we managed to get on a different road leading to what we hoped was home.  But first we had to navigate a round-a-bout that was not going ‘round.  The traffic from one direction was so thick - as in five lanes wide going “around” the round-a-bout that we simply couldn’t get through.  Trust me, I tried.  You wouldn’t believe the horns and irate people who couldn’t fathom a person trying to get through...and I wasn’t the only one...just the first to give up.   So after several near accidents I finally joined the current going the wrong way...once again.

At this point it got very, very quiet inside the cabin of our new car.  Neither of us knew what to say or do.  I can’t even remember how we managed to get back home.  The following day, we went out for a cathartic, emotionally corrective morning drive hoping to wipe away the memory of our perilous journey the night before.  Gradually we began to feel more comfortable and since then we’ve been driving to work regularly.

Carolyn tells me that after one week behind the wheel, I have already adopted a Saudi driving style.  I don’t think she means this as a compliment.