Short Week 14

Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll be on a plane to Jeddah and then on to Oman. Because of this, my week of teaching was very short so I don't have much to say. Here are just a few pics and stories before I head out.
Above is my favorite cat on the compound. Saudi Arabia is infested with cats. Everywhere I go its cats cats cats. This cat, I affectionately named Blood Cat. I first ran into Blood Cat on Halloween night. I walked outside in the dark and underneath a car I saw this cat with its eyes glowing, but it looked like blood was dripping from its mouth (and who's to say it wasn't?). I often see this diseased looking cat all over the place. Usually when I see it he/she always has his/her mouth open but I don't know why. Some of the cats in the country are pretty disgusting because of the difficult lives that they live. I bet you just want to pick him up and give him a big hug, don't you? Notice the stylish half tail. All the cats are doing it these days.
I put this one up for my folks since they are practically in a biker gang. Believe it or not, they do have Harley Davidson shops in Saudi, and I periodically see biker gangs roaming the streets in their Harley Davidson jackets and other gear. This street is called Tahliya Street, one of the streets where the rich people like to hangout. The cars we sometimes see parked on this street cost a fortune. The young men in the country love to show off their extremely nice cars as well as their moves. Last week I saw a guy on a motorcyle get up on one wheel and ride down the street. We frequently see the teenagers drifting in their cars and doing all sorts of dangerous stuff on the city streets. Any wonder why the death rate by car accident is so high in this country? The death rate on the streets is worse here than in America, and people don't drink and drive because alcohol is illegal here. Its pretty sad. I see a car wreck on the road just about everyday here. My roommate Chris actually had a student that died in a car wreck some months ago.
Sunset on Taliya Street.

Kingdom Tower at night.

My few days in class went mostly well. My students often ask me what Americans think of Saudi Arabians. I tell them that most Americans know very little about their country and that many people don't imagine big cities, malls, and fancy cars. Most people think its all sand and camels. They really think its funny that Americans are so ignorant about their country. In so many ways my students are just like American young men. They play video games, they are great with computers, obsess about cars, and love soccer. Don't get me wrong, there are some pretty sharp differences when it comes to cultural things, but I think you would find that my students are quite wonderful. I sometimes wonder if they would be treated well in our country. I know that some people are pretty racist against people from the Middle East ever since September 11th. The thought of any American being rude to my students kind of infuriates me. So please, if you ever see them, please be nice!

Thats all. I'll have more for you next week.