This is typical to see women wearing their abayas while walking, or pushing a stroller. We only wear ours when we go off the compound.
This is our next-door neighbor... he is a Muslim African and often wears a thobe.
It's a three-day weekend (for all but the high school) and Brooke's internet isn't working; so instead of playing on the computer, she was forced to think of something to do, and she decided to build a swing set. We don't have swings in our park, so she got the wood from our backyard which she had collected and began setting it up. She borrowed Bruce's tools, and eventually, the neighbor kids were all helping.
They all scrounged the neighborhood and found discarded supplies. Isn't the ladder they built cool?
Below you can see the paving stones, they were given. One dad loaned Brooke his cordless drill as long as Bruce was supervising. At one point, the kids needed a board cut, heard a saw in the distance, and Bruce sent them out to find the saw and ask the person to cut the board.... they succeeded!
Neighbor boys would be riding by, and just stop and drop their bikes in the street so they could join in and help.
I passed out American chocolate chip cookies. The neighborhood kids couldn't remember when they'd had this much fun!! Around here, everything is done for us by "the help," and we figured these kids didn't get much of a chance to do things for themselves... they really enjoyed it! Over the course of the next week, many dragged their parents out of the house to come and see what they had built.
Today was the coldest day many can remember since moving here. It was 41 degrees when Bruce left for work this morning... he decided not to ride the scooter today!
Jordan said the seats in school were even cold!
I gave Jordan some of the chocolate chip cookies I'd baked to take to school and share with her friends, and a funny thing happened. It was so funny, that Jordan's friend, Kelcy, wrote a modern day folktale about it. You can read the folktale by clicking on it and read her Jan. 23rd entry. It was so funny because when Jordan's bus driver handed her the lunch bag, he and the other bus drivers giggled a little and she didn't understand why. She was so happy to get her favorite lunch bag back, that she gave the bus driver a cookie. And when she met her friends and tried to give them the rest of the cookies, she discovered that the bus drivers had eaten most of the cookies and there were only two left!
Brooke and Reese tried to do their school work in the newly-built treehouse across the street today, but the wind is so cold that it just cut right through them. I'm glad we were able to get our warm clothes from Georgia! I guess we'd better pull out our winter coats and put away our flip flops!
I like how Brooke wears mittens, but she's still barefoot.
Monday, Jan 23
As the neighborhood kids began to congregate at the hang-out, a berry-throwing fight broke out and escalated into a water balloon fight in 50 degree weather! The kids had a blast, but were cold and wet. The fight ended at dark, so they weren't able to clean up their mess. The rocks were scattered into the street with berries and balloon pieces strewn everywhere. They plan to clean it up tomorrow.
Look at those sneaky girls with water balloons hidden behind their backs.
Jordan and Bruce are going to the University Night for Juniors at the high school tonight. They didn't want to take the camera, so we don't have any pictures of it!
Tuesday, Jan 24
We knew it would happen; we just didn't know when. This morning when we woke up, we found the trash collectors cleaning up the tree house site. The kids left it in such a mess last night, but these trash guys are fast! We had to run out there in our bare feet to save anything we didn't want thrown away. They started to take the kids' home-made ladder, but we told them they couldn't take it. Whew... that was close! Fortunately, they left the ladder, the swings, and the boards up in the tree,but all the paving stones were removed. Mission accomplished... tree house saved!
Here are the neighborhood kids home for lunch... they only have half an hour, yet they find time to play at the Hang Out.
Tonight, Bruce once again drove to the high school to attend a meeting on Jordan's upcoming trip to Cambodia with Habitat for Humanity. After the meeting he went to the theater with Brooke to build sets for the upcoming show. Unfortunately, there aren't any parts for kids in this show, so Brooke is just building sets back stage with her dad, but she's really enjoying it.
Wednesday, Jan 25
This morning, Bruce had to take a 4:45am bus to a nearby compound (Ras Tanura) for a visit to the under-sea survey boat that Aramco uses to survey the Arabian Gulf. It's an hour bus ride and the boat was docked. While there, he got to see the boat, meet all the guys, and see what they do. It was mostly a bunch of ex-pats, all wearing shorts and flip flops. They work six weeks on and three weeks off... it's tough. They don't get a house here; they just fly in, work and sleep on the boat, and then fly home. Here's a picture from the weekly company newspaper's October issue.
Since Bruce had to leave so early in the morning, Jordan was worried that she might oversleep and miss her school bus. Without Bruce, there's no one in our house that is allowed to drive her to school! And sure enough, early in the morning, I was awaken by Jordan's stressed voice telling me that she missed her bus and needed to take a taxi to school. Still groggy, I agreed that she should call a taxi and get to school quickly... until we realized that neither of us knew how to call a taxi because Bruce has always done it for us! I shook myself awake and tried to figure out what to do. Jordan had been up until 2am studying for her Chemistry test, so she couldn't miss it! I looked at the clock, and then I realized that it was only 6:30... her bus hadn't come after all! She had 20 minutes to get ready for school. It was a good thing she took her shower at midnight and made her lunch last night. So Jordan quickly got ready and I settled back under my covers and fell asleep.
Once again, I was awaken by cries of anguish. Brooke and Reese were starting their school work when they looked out of the school room window and saw that their hang out had been destroyed. We were shocked! We thought we had saved the tree house only yesterday. The ladder was gone, the swings were gone... even Brooke's rope... and the "Hang Out" sign that the kids made was gone. Despite the tears, Reese quickly got dressed and decided to ride her bike until she found the trash truck that took everything. But as she thought about it, she realized that she would never be able to find the truck. Instead, she called the housing department and asked if there was any way to get her things out of the trash truck. She was told that climbing trees and tree houses was not safe, that they're against regulation, and that she should find somewhere else to play.
Thursday, Jan 26
Ahhhh... it's the weekend now, but, at 7:30, I was awaken by a phone call from Brooke's friend, Jayda, who is going to enter the Doggy Run with Brooke and Shadow. For a few riyals the girls will enter the race with Shadow and try to win prizes. The race starts at 8am at the BMX track near our neighborhood.
Brooke, Jayda, and Shadow got a ride home with our neighbor, Laura. Shadow is wearing a new scarf and carrying a new bone in his mouth. They ran 3 miles and finished in fourth place!
The girls didn't get organized and decided not to sell cookies today. Instead, we ate them.
It's been so cold that we decided to enjoy the jacuzzi this evening after we ate a shawarma. We met a man in the jacuzzi who is the IT guy at the middle school on camp. Brooke's computer & internet aren't working, so he is going to recommend a Phillipino guy who can help us. He tells us that the Phillipinos aren't allowed to live on camp. We wondered why we never see them (except for house maids and garden boys.)
Friday, Jan. 27 (Desert Sunday)
Friday school begins at 8:30 in the morning... a little too early for a weekend day in our opinion, but we all try to get out of bed at 7:00; and we enjoy it nonetheless. Today, a women's conference was announced... I haven't been to one of those in ages... not since I heard Beth Moore with my mom in Arkansas. There will be a speaker from Germany and the theme is "to grow where you're planted." That sounds exactly like what I've been asking God... what is the purpose for being here. Bruce thinks I should go. It does sound fun to get to go to Bahrain with only grown women and have some time alone with God. I'll think about it.
Jordan and Brooke sat with us in the main service today, but when it's over, Jordan goes to her own Friday school and enjoys learning with her friends until 11:00.
Saturday, Jan. 28 (Desert Monday)
I think it's warming up -- it's 54 degrees at 7:30am. Jordan is taking her finals this week. Today is Arabic and Chemistry. I think she'll be glad when this week is over!
Sunday, Jan. 29
Today Jordan is taking her two hard finals -- AP Literature & Language and AP Economics! We will be praying for her today.
While Bruce was home for lunch today, he was able to help Brooke with her math. She's learning about statistics -- Bruce's favorite! She has to roll the dice and chart it.
Jordan came home brain-dead today, but like a trooper, is still studying for the remaining finals.
Monday, Jan. 30
It's 48 degrees at 7:30 this morning. Bruce has ridden his scooter to work, and Jordan her bus to school. Jordan will be taking her finals in her Weight Training class and her Algebra 2 class today. She doesn't feel quite ready for math, but she says she'll have a couple of hours at school today to study. This week they have a long lunch and all the kids get to have lunch at the same time instead of splitting into two lunches. Jordan gets to eat with some of her friends that usually have first lunch.
We discovered an Australian opera singer here who teaches voice lessons! Here is Brooke having her lesson with Kellie.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
I drove Bruce to the bus stop at 4:30 this morning so he can once again get a ride to the compound in Ras Tanura.
Jordan is taking her last 2 finals today, and tomorrow she'll get to sleep in!
Brooke, Reese, and I have to take the shopping bus out of camp today in order to buy a present for a birthday party on Wednesday. Brooke bought a watch last month for the girl, but now it's not working. Hopefully, we can find a place that sells watch batteries and see if that's the problem; and Reese will be able to find something to give her.
We had a successful shopping trip (for once!... I wonder if we're starting to understand this place?) We were able to get a battery for the watch (although the battery ended up costing twice as much as the watch itself cost,) we were able to buy printer cartridges for our printer (we've been out of ink for 2 weeks,) found a present, and even picked up some meat that is a little cheaper than the meat at the commissary. While Brooke and I ran through IKEA to price some bedroom furniture that she is saving up for, Reese pushed the shopping cart through the parking lot over to the waiting bus and loaded all the groceries under the bus. I gave her money and told her that if the bus left without us, to go to the Dining Hall, buy some lunch, and wait for us. She sat on the bus holding her breath, hoping we would make it. We got lost in IKEA, and had to ask for the quickest way out--it's like a maze in there! We made it to the bus in time and Reese was relieved! We got off the bus at the Dining Hall on camp, and had lunch before we drove home.
Since the High Schoolers don't have school tomorrow, Jordan met with her friends this evening to play a game called grounders at the park, and then watched a movie at Jocelynn's house.
That's it for January!
- Pattie -
Fired up and refusing to give up, the girls formed a plan to raise money and have a proper community hang out built in their chosen tree. Over here, there are so many skilled laborers that would jump at a paid job to build something; and so the girls decided to get the neighbor kids involved in raising money door-to-door or in bake sales in the park so they can hire a builder. Here's where all that Girl Scout cookie selling will come in handy!
When the school lunch bus rolled into the neighborhood, kids started appearing at the ruined hang out. Brooke and Reese began telling everyone what they thought had happened, when someone found the ladder hidden behind the nearby bus stop bench! The kids began searching the neighborhood and found their sign broken into two pieces and tossed aside. They couldn't find the skateboard they had used as a swing, but they found Brooke's rope thrown on a roof top. Now they realized their hang out had been vandalized! They decided it was either a group of teenage boys or a certain neighbor boy who wanted to build a better tree house! Brooke was determined to get to the bottom of it!
After school, while I was baking chocolate chip cookies for the girls to sell to raise money, my neighbor, Gina, came over with her daughter, Stephanie. Gina and I had a cup of tea while Reese and Stephanie played. Bruce was done with his meeting in Ras Tanura at 2, but just missed the bus back and had to wait for the 4:00 bus. When he finally arrived home, Gina and I were visiting, so we all decided to walk to the pool with her family and eat shawarmas. It was so cold there! We all ate inside the warm snack bar. But then we had to walk back home in the cold! My ears and nose and fingers were frozen!
Thursday, Jan 26
Ahhhh... it's the weekend now, but, at 7:30, I was awaken by a phone call from Brooke's friend, Jayda, who is going to enter the Doggy Run with Brooke and Shadow. For a few riyals the girls will enter the race with Shadow and try to win prizes. The race starts at 8am at the BMX track near our neighborhood.
Brooke, Jayda, and Shadow got a ride home with our neighbor, Laura. Shadow is wearing a new scarf and carrying a new bone in his mouth. They ran 3 miles and finished in fourth place!
It's been so cold that we decided to enjoy the jacuzzi this evening after we ate a shawarma. We met a man in the jacuzzi who is the IT guy at the middle school on camp. Brooke's computer & internet aren't working, so he is going to recommend a Phillipino guy who can help us. He tells us that the Phillipinos aren't allowed to live on camp. We wondered why we never see them (except for house maids and garden boys.)
Friday, Jan. 27 (Desert Sunday)
Friday school begins at 8:30 in the morning... a little too early for a weekend day in our opinion, but we all try to get out of bed at 7:00; and we enjoy it nonetheless. Today, a women's conference was announced... I haven't been to one of those in ages... not since I heard Beth Moore with my mom in Arkansas. There will be a speaker from Germany and the theme is "to grow where you're planted." That sounds exactly like what I've been asking God... what is the purpose for being here. Bruce thinks I should go. It does sound fun to get to go to Bahrain with only grown women and have some time alone with God. I'll think about it.
Jordan and Brooke sat with us in the main service today, but when it's over, Jordan goes to her own Friday school and enjoys learning with her friends until 11:00.
Saturday, Jan. 28 (Desert Monday)
I think it's warming up -- it's 54 degrees at 7:30am. Jordan is taking her finals this week. Today is Arabic and Chemistry. I think she'll be glad when this week is over!
Sunday, Jan. 29
Today Jordan is taking her two hard finals -- AP Literature & Language and AP Economics! We will be praying for her today.
While Bruce was home for lunch today, he was able to help Brooke with her math. She's learning about statistics -- Bruce's favorite! She has to roll the dice and chart it.
Jordan came home brain-dead today, but like a trooper, is still studying for the remaining finals.
Monday, Jan. 30
It's 48 degrees at 7:30 this morning. Bruce has ridden his scooter to work, and Jordan her bus to school. Jordan will be taking her finals in her Weight Training class and her Algebra 2 class today. She doesn't feel quite ready for math, but she says she'll have a couple of hours at school today to study. This week they have a long lunch and all the kids get to have lunch at the same time instead of splitting into two lunches. Jordan gets to eat with some of her friends that usually have first lunch.
We discovered an Australian opera singer here who teaches voice lessons! Here is Brooke having her lesson with Kellie.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
I drove Bruce to the bus stop at 4:30 this morning so he can once again get a ride to the compound in Ras Tanura.
Jordan is taking her last 2 finals today, and tomorrow she'll get to sleep in!
Brooke, Reese, and I have to take the shopping bus out of camp today in order to buy a present for a birthday party on Wednesday. Brooke bought a watch last month for the girl, but now it's not working. Hopefully, we can find a place that sells watch batteries and see if that's the problem; and Reese will be able to find something to give her.
We had a successful shopping trip (for once!... I wonder if we're starting to understand this place?) We were able to get a battery for the watch (although the battery ended up costing twice as much as the watch itself cost,) we were able to buy printer cartridges for our printer (we've been out of ink for 2 weeks,) found a present, and even picked up some meat that is a little cheaper than the meat at the commissary. While Brooke and I ran through IKEA to price some bedroom furniture that she is saving up for, Reese pushed the shopping cart through the parking lot over to the waiting bus and loaded all the groceries under the bus. I gave her money and told her that if the bus left without us, to go to the Dining Hall, buy some lunch, and wait for us. She sat on the bus holding her breath, hoping we would make it. We got lost in IKEA, and had to ask for the quickest way out--it's like a maze in there! We made it to the bus in time and Reese was relieved! We got off the bus at the Dining Hall on camp, and had lunch before we drove home.
Since the High Schoolers don't have school tomorrow, Jordan met with her friends this evening to play a game called grounders at the park, and then watched a movie at Jocelynn's house.
That's it for January!
- Pattie -
