Settling In-First Impressions

We arrived in Khamis on Friday morning, and here are some early observations and updates:

1. It's dry here. Really dry. Duh Erin, it's the desert you might say. But I forgot what dry FEELS like on a daily basis. I lived in Las Vegas for a brief period many years ago and it's just like that. Bloody noses, chapped lips and cracked soles are just some of the daily discomforts. Our noses get so dry sometimes it hurts to breathe through them. It wouldn't have been such a hard transition if we didn't come straight from Houston, TX, home of humidity! 

2. It's very quiet on the compound. So far, we've seen very few people out and about. Its felt very much like a ghost town as we walked around, seeing a couple of maintenance workers here and there. Two days ago I had the good fortune to meet a really cool chick in the snack bar who seems (so far anyways) like someone I could become really cool with. She has kids, one only a year older than Kel and they hit it off the one time they got to play together. I can already tell isolation leads to depression so it'll be critical to develop a decent social life to chase any blues away.

3. Our cleaner came on Saturday. He's very nice and it seems the majority of cleaners available on base are men. He does everything but dishes and our laundry and per our current agreement comes once a week. We'll adjust as needed.

4. Monday I had to go to a clinic for yet another blood draw and chest X-ray for submission to get the Saudi equiv of my green card. The clinic was quite literally a hole in the wall. I was aghast. There was no difference between it and a third world clinic. Cracked and peeling walls, dirty steps and floor crevices, mystery stains on shabby and ripped upholstery. I was mind boggled. It was like they don't notice their surroundings. This place is such a study in contrasts. One of the wealthiest nations in the world, and one of the dirtiest. I was trying to explain the city to Steven. It looks as if the city suffered a massive, devastating earthquake 20 years ago, and instead of clearing the gigantic piles of rubble and trash, they just built in and among them. I try to be somewhat fair. We are plunked down in the middle of a desert, so everything's bound to be dusty. But that doesn't account for the general run-down, dirty, third world look to everything.

Anyways, these are early observations. I try to avoid being too critical too quick, but I am fighting against my American sensibilities. I know they look down on our lack of religion as a country, our lack of commitment to consistent worship as a whole. But I'll say this much--If cleanliness is next to godliness, then don't worry y'all, us Americans are winning the spiritual battle:)