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Published: April 3rd 2009
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4/1/09
It is time to head for the airport with my wife Susan and daughter Abigail. On the way, we prayed for each other (primarily that I would not loose my passport—a very real concern of my wife, as she has witnessed me over the years misplacing everything from camera’s to car keys to wallets).
The time of prayer was foreshadowing.
I was already checking in when my daughter frantically ran up to me to retrieve the car keys I had walked away with before I took them half-way around the world. An omen of things to come? We shall only see, “In-shallah”.
Check in was easy, and the Lufthansa personnel were exceptionally pleasant, and looking very sharp in their black outfits with golden scarves and accessories.
I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty passing all the long lines in economy as I breezed through in business class. But the guilt quickly faded as I settled into the comfortable Business Class lounge with a croissant, juice, and coffee and waited comfortably to board.
On boarding, I switched seats with a lady who was the wife of the man I was sitting next
to. This turned out to be a nice switch, since my new seat mate was an interesting 24 year old world traveler named Stephen who was just returning from a five month trip to Tahiti & Seattle.
After taking a quick course in how to adjust the 24 variable position seat from straight up- reading to 180 deg recline/sleeping, I settled in to a light conversation with my new-found friend.
He was raised in Provence, France, and currently living in Sweden. When I told him where I was headed, and the extent of my previous travels, he gave me an amused, knowing grin.
Soon, I was ordering a four-course meal from the menu, and wondering what kind of nuts/pretzels the economy class were being offered right now? AAh, sweet guilt - relieved only by the stuffed jumbo shrimp placed before me and the after dinner chocolates and coffee.
19 hours later I am landing in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. I have flown through 11 time zones with only three hours of darkness between the 31st of March and April 1st. I slept about three hours total, spending about six hours reviewing training materials I received
just hours before my flight.
Like a wrinkled Zombie I groggily file into the customs line at the Damamm airport. I notice with wonder the cultural differences before me already. The men wearing their Thobes (long white, loose fitting robes) with their red checkered headdress and black headbands. And the women in their black ajabs (Not specifically required, but is the nationally accepted attire for adult women).
Even in line formation , cultural differences began to emerge. The visiting European/American workers in my line kept a good three feet distance between themselves, whereas the Middle-Eastern and African nation foreigners in their lines packed themselves tightly up against each other.
I was told the Middle East culture demands much less “personal space” -here was evidence of that within 10 minutes of landing.
I was met by a cab-driver who had become a little impatient with the wait. We took off for Dhahran, and as we entered the Aramco compound, we were stopped by guards and I was told to get out of the car. This apparently was unusual, since the cab driver who does this every day did not know exactly what to do.
He
pulled ahead about 25 yards to park, and they shouted at me to come over to the guard gate. Visions of the movie “Midnight Express” ran through my mind as I walked up to the guards.
They looked up and down at me, carefully inspecting my passport with stern looks, and finally handed it back, saying “Thank You”.
I walked back to the cab past a car-load of Saudi’s who were laughing as they were watching this scene. I failed to see the humor in it all.
26 hours after saying good bye to my wife and daughter, I am missing them. I try calling, and cannot get through for some reason. It is 1:30 am and I just want to sleep for two days. Checking in to my room, a drop my bags, clean up a little, and crawl into bed.
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Steve DeWitt
non-member comment
Nice story
I like the story. It sounds like you are having a great experience. I hope you keep updating this. It is interesting. We should hike when you get back.