I'm leavin' on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again. Oh babe, I hate to go... But my bags are packed so I'm ready to go... Yes, tomorrow is my last day in the kingdom and I'm not sure if I will be returning now that they have a permanent replacement for what I've been doing. However, I've learned that everything is unpredictable (especially here), so you never know. On past trips I've taken photos of the great food we've been served at the Center. However, this trip has been food-less. So to make up for that, I'm [View Full Entry]

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One of the fun things about this work assignment is that I work with consultants from all over the world. This leads to a lot of cultural discussions. Apparently there is a tradition in Sweden of making something called (in English) Pancake Cake. Bjorn has given lessons to Pat and Wolf for making this dessert. What the Swedes call pancakes, Americans (and the French) would call crepes. They are very thin pancakes. So to make pancake cake, you make 10 large crepes (thin pancakes), spread jam on them and layer them with strawberries, blueberries, or whatever fruit you have on hand. [View Full Entry]

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Today eight of us headed two hours south of Dhahran to a town called Hofuf. It's about an hour south of Abqaiq, which is another Saudi Aramco facility. We rented two large Suburbans and two drivers for the day. It was an amazing experience and yet another "I'm not in Kansas" moment for me. Hofuf used to be the capital of the Eastern Province (the area along the Persian Gulf) until 1953. At that point it was moved up to Dammam, which is a city I’ve visited on previous trips. The area is more broadly known as Al Hasa (that’s the [View Full Entry]

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And now for something completely different! I've been contacted by people from all over the world who have read my blog and I'm now up to 8700 hits. So I'm taking a momentary break from Saudi Arabia blog entries, to give you some photos from where I live. There is nothing more Minnesotan than the Minnesota State Fair, which takes place at the end of August. Here are some photos that my daughter took while we were there. These photos are the essence of being Minnesotan. In fact, these could be used in an anthropology class at the University of Minnesota [View Full Entry]

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Both of these photos were taken within the last 24 hours. One was taken in Minnesota and the other was taken on my way to work this morning in Saudi Arabia. Can you tell which photo goes to which place? OK, that might not have been the hardest quiz question. While it's been snowing and below freezing in Minnesota, it's been 100 degrees F. (38 C.) here in Dhahran. I think I left at the right time! This is looking like it's going to be quite a short trip. Since the plan is for me to leave a week from tomorrow, [View Full Entry]

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I'm back in Saudi Arabia for trip #4 to Saudi Arabia and Aramco. However, this time I'm only scheduled to be here for about two weeks (including travel) and my plane ticket is scheduled to leave Saudi on October 21 (to arrive back home on October 22). The reason I'm scheduled for a shorter amount of time is that my primary mission this time is to train a couple of new internal employees to do the administration at the assessment center. However, based upon my previous experiences here, one never knows for sure; I could be here at late as November [View Full Entry]

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Well, I thought I had written my final blog entry for this trip. I’m using this loophole: the previous entry was last EVENING in Dhahran and this is the last DAY in Dhahran. Think of it as like being an extra on a DVD. (However, there will be no director’s cut of this blog.) The last day of the last assessment session is kind of boring because I usually use the afternoon to do the preparations for the next session. But of course on the last day, there isn’t a next session. Koen had some extra time too because one of [View Full Entry]

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I would like to thank you all for taking this journey with me, especially those of you who have slogged your way through three trips worth of blog entries. It’s been a fun journey and I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you. As in any trip, no matter how interesting and fun it is, I’m looking forward to going home. When the exotic becomes routine and the new experiences grow old, it’s time to go home. I miss my family, friends, and co-workers. I miss falling asleep watching TV, I miss reading the Sunday paper, and I miss all of the routine [View Full Entry]

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Last night I ate at a place called Heritage Village in Dammam, which looks like an Arabian castle. Keep in mind that there aren't tourists in Saudi, so this place survives on the locals; most were traditionally dressed. (Just what makes a building qualify as a “village” is another Saudi mystery I cannot solve.) The building is privately owned, which is pretty amazing in itself. It looks like an Arabian castle, complete with turrets and rooftop lookouts. You come in the door and there is a large three-story entry that includes a lake, swans (fake), and parrots (real). We wer [View Full Entry]

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Friday was spent at the beach in Ras Tanura (RT to those who are in the know). But first it was a trip to the Hobby Farm. I mentioned this in another blog, but failed to explain what this is. First off, it not just any hobby. For example, this is not a farm for stamp collectors, coin collectors, or even Beanie Baby collectors. Well, truth be known, it’s not even really a farm. It’s a place for horses. From what I understand, the Hobby Farm is a place where Aramco people (known to everyone as Aramcons) can own and ride [View Full Entry]

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