Work in Progress

We are back in full swing. The project picked up speed after the end of Ramadan. We are busy and that is good. I mentioned already that the temperatures are quite moderate now. It's fun and comfortable to walk through the city in the evening. We discovered a few very good restaurants. Excellent food for a reasonable price. I brought a cold back from Germany and happy that this handicap is gone now. I had a few exercises in the gym today and beginning tomorrow I will be back in full swing. The National Day of Saudi Arabia is celebrated on 23 September. In case this day is on a non working day the government will announce a no working day in addition. This is tomorrow. Tough luck we will be in the office anyhow. I start to get used to my new camera so I am able to handle it reasonably well when we start our site survey tour. We got the word that there is a good chance that we can move into the new compound in October, keep fingers crossed.
That should do for now, have fun.

The Quality Time is Over

My quality time at home is over. Martina accompanied me to Herrsching at the Ammersee where we ha our second workshop. Nice weather and a great hotel made the stay enjoyable. All good things will come to an end and I will fly back to Riyadh tomorrow for my next work intensive period until 12.November when I will fly back to Germany again to celebrate the 90th birthday of my mother in Luebeck. Until then we will start our site survey and begin the adventure travel tour through Saudi Arabia. Stay tuned for more.

Short two week trip

Today I arrived in Munich for a short business trip . We will hold two workshops to cover the time when every man and his dog is on holiday during Eid in Saudi. It's a nice and strange experience coming back from a different part of the world which only has a few things in common with the way we live. Last week I experienced a quite interesting and common wx phenomenon, When looking out of the window it appears to be foggy, it looks like there is a lot of moisture in the air. A closer look and the fact that we where in the middle of the desert made humidity a very unlikely explanation. It was sand or better fine dust which filled the air. You only realize it when blowing your nose. Strange feeling. Leaving Riyadh on Monday at 02:30 am is an experience you only need once. I am in for a treat and will have this distinct pleasure more often. NOTHING is organized. a gazillion people crowd in front of a security check point which is a contradiction in terms. Everything gets through there. Your luggage will be taken away by Pakistani boys in green overalls and you have to hurry to keep a visual on your belongings. They push their way trough the crowds using my luggage as a plow. Magically you end up in front of the Lufthansa counter and they demand at least 30 Rial for their service. You give them 20 , they complain and disappear. With a lot of patience you finally make it to your seat. Take off 2:30 am, a horrible time, this brings you back to Frankfurt at about 7 am.
Despite all this, I love it. It's fun, the job is exciting and challenging. Stay tuned.

Another Week is over

This was another week. Time is flying by so fast. The office days are stuffed with work and are certainly not boring. The team still is working to fine tune the work but we are getting there. Yesterday I had a chance to visit the compound which was specifically build for the company. That will be a big step to move there. The houses are very nice and the amenities top notch. A great lap pool and all other pt facilities you need and all brand new. We expect to move there around mid October. The temperatures are getting into a more acceptable range now. Yesterday evening we walked down a nice shopping street in Riyadh and it was 34 C. That was nice and convenient. Window shopping at it's best.
So far I like it very much. In October we will have the chance to travel through all of Saudi Arabia as a part of our site survey. I am very excited to be a part of this adventure to learn more about this country.