tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78996170139784798552011-12-30T21:22:29.674-08:00Details my trip to Saudi Arabia with the Educators to Saudi Arabia Program in March-April of 2007.Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-26467345812160939102007-04-10T22:49:00.000-07:002007-04-10T23:32:27.978-07:00

I was fortunate to have some time in Amsterdam, Netherlands on my return home. I had debated about whether or not to include my photos from here on this blog. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was a good way to add closure.Amsterdam is in many ways an antithesis of Saudi Arabia. Here drugs and prostitution are legal. Tourists abound, and it's hard to pick out the local

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-41104754632889235942007-04-10T09:42:00.001-07:002007-04-10T09:42:47.374-07:00

(1) When was the Kingdom tower built? 1999, or somewhere around there…(2) What is the significance to the beads and plaques hanging on the school walls? The beads are Islamic prayer beads. Most Muslim men carry them around. The plaques are artistic drawings/paintings of Mosques. I included these pictures to show how religion is reflected in all classes—from English to art.(3) Why were

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-40320648316449532072007-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:002007-04-10T09:40:57.641-07:00

What comes to your mind when you think of the word picnic? Probably not what I experienced in Saudi Arabia today. We loaded the bus in Riyadh and took an hour drive out into desert country. Here is what the landscape looked like as we arrived:The government has established campgrounds for young men, so that they stay in touch with their desert roots.I took some time to wander the desert alone. I

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-12796001926204661172007-04-07T21:39:00.000-07:002007-04-07T22:01:22.069-07:00

We had the opportunity to visit the award winning Kingdom Tower. Nearly 300 meters high, this building contains the Guiness Book's highest Mosque. The birds-eye view photos come from the bridge at the very top of the building. FYI--The architecht for the project was American.

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-36702694803231358812007-04-07T21:34:00.000-07:002007-04-07T21:39:24.190-07:00

I have heard this question a few times, "How do the Saudis treat you?" Like royalty! Aramco, our sponsor, has spared no expense on this trip, which is something we American teachers are not used to. From the most lavish of accomodations, to meals that leave us busting at the seems, to gifts that could fill an additional suit case, we have been left spoiled. At the same time, they have exposed us

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-86803686186243115222007-04-07T04:41:00.000-07:002007-04-07T04:51:46.318-07:00

Though I can't comment on many of the buildings, here is a peek at what we have seen from our bus: The Kingdom tower is visible from my room. We will be visiting it later today. Sulaiman is the Arabic form of my name :-) Of course there are many malls here. There is even one connected to our hotel. It is closed during prayer tim, 12-4, which is when our break is :-)

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-80401042850651964242007-04-07T04:24:00.000-07:002007-04-08T21:35:33.745-07:00

We had quite the opportunity today! We visited the King Faisal Educational Complex, a network of 3 government ran Saudi schools. Located on the campus of a local university, most of the attendees are sons of university employees. (The women in our group visited a female school some distance away.) We are the first international group that has been allowed to visit these 3 schools, and the first

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-87964423055513922392007-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:002007-04-06T22:17:51.256-07:00

(1) Are the books I am receiving in English or Arabic? Good question! Thank goodness they are in English or they would be useless for me! (Although I enjoy looking at Arabic writing as an art form.) Arabic is an extremely difficult language to learn. To give you an analogy that I heard here, it would take ten years of studying Arabic to have the same language ability one would have from

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-50511088451105921342007-04-06T10:33:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:55:22.245-07:00

I had the privilege of meeting some inspiring people in this "liberal" Saudi city. Beyond talking about Saudi culture and roles of women, we bonded. We shared stories of our families, our hopes for the future, our ambitions, and our problems. They shared their knowledge of Islam and of love. They recommended books, and even surprised me with gifts. I was able to talk with them about difficult

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-43485005693551570972007-04-06T10:27:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:33:31.396-07:00

We had the privilege of relaxing at a resort for a few hours Friday morning. (Which is Sunday here in Saudi.) Aramco made it possible for us to jet ski, snorkel, take a boat ride, swim by the pool or in the sea, as well as other activities. Completely exhausted from our rigorous schedule, I opted to build a sand castle, swim in the sea, and snorkel. I was able to take some underwater pictures

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-61013863401899747972007-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:27:36.117-07:00

From the top of the Al-Kaffir house you can see the many shops, mosques, and homes that dot the old part of the city, as well as the newer part, which has grown ten fold in area in the last fifty years. There has to be at least one picture of me in every set, right? Say "Mosque!" Men walk the streets of the market below. These geometric patterns are commin in Islamic art.The call to prayers

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-69249032242261835372007-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:21:27.375-07:00

Amidst the busy shops of the souq are houses hundreds of years old. Here are pictures of Al-Jaffir, both inside and out: Our guide. He went through the information so fast it was like listening to the micro-machine commercial. Here he is pointing out at the channel that was used to share water throughout the house. The Koran and prayer rug here symbolize what has brought so many people to the

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-27593229712710802432007-04-06T09:49:00.000-07:002007-04-06T10:06:18.834-07:00

We spent one morning in old Jeddah. This part of the city has been around for hundreds of years and was/is an important place for the many pilgrims who visit the city as an entrance to Jeddah. As a result, there is a bustling market place there, or as they call it here, a souq. Practically anything you can imagine can be found in the souqs. Thus, they can be a confusing, bustling maze,

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-50077038365144852792007-04-05T14:13:00.000-07:002007-04-05T14:39:56.513-07:00

Starting from sunset tonight, we spent the evening at a Red Sea resort immersed in folk culture. We watched the sun set over the Red Sea and went back to the resort buildings for tea. After tea, we headed back to the beach. On our way, we were pleasantly surprised by two rows of men in traditional dress welcoming us with music and song. Known as "Raqsa Hejazya" in Arabic, the music and dance

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-41163776493219024622007-04-04T15:22:00.000-07:002007-04-04T15:30:23.401-07:00

While at the Help Center, a center for childrend with disabilities described in another entry, I met an awesome group of high school students. The girls pictured below are seniors at an international school in Jeddah. They are from Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq to name a few countries. They were volunteering as part of their programs. They explained that this opportunity has taught them about

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-45323957280216748102007-04-04T15:10:00.000-07:002007-04-04T15:22:53.515-07:00

We started our day with a trip to the Help Center, a facility for special needs students. Created under the Health Ministry so that women and men could work side by side, this center serves 260 Saudi students with special needs. It was established 20 years ago, and was revolutionary at the time. Today there are 23 similar centers in Jeddah alone. (The number is highest here, as Jeddah has a

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-73340402310855932752007-04-04T14:54:00.000-07:002007-04-04T15:05:43.827-07:00

We had the pleasure of visiting the studio/museum of Darat Safeya Binzagr, an internationally respected Saudi artist. Her work, which is 30 years in the making, is dedicated to capturing and celebrating traditional Arabian life. Aside from displaying work and serving as a studio, the gallery is used for community outreach to increase awareness and provide opportunities to explore arts. Here are

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-49133131429479288352007-04-04T14:14:00.000-07:002007-04-04T14:53:38.085-07:00

I have received more questions to answer!(1) Will we see the "poorer" side of Saudi Arabia?We have a very tight schedule, as you can see. Due to the VIP nature of our trip, we will not be meeting with underprivileged Saudis. What I have learned though is that one of the pillars of Islam is to help support the poor. I need to ask some people more specifically how they do this. Today there was

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-31830990767491693552007-04-03T14:17:00.000-07:002007-04-03T14:26:44.347-07:00

Like I've said before, the Saudis treat us like royalty! We have feasts for every meal. Since being in Jeddah, seafood is a primary staple. Tonight we had a traditional Saudi meal (at least for this region.) It was a lot of fish, calamari, and shrimp. We got to use our hands to literally tear the fish meat off the bone! And though you might be grossed out, you should know that it was all

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-35170933685750992412007-04-03T13:32:00.000-07:002007-04-03T14:16:03.338-07:00

Jeddah is located on the Red Sea on the west coast. It is a very cosmopolitan city. Its multicultural, salad bowl mix of people is result of two things: being a key sea port and being so close to Mecca. Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims. Millions of Muslims from throughout the world (Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, etc.) travel here yearly to perform the rituals. Over hundreds of years,

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-70725515601688011092007-04-03T12:53:00.000-07:002007-04-03T13:30:13.067-07:00

I've been asked a lot about what Saudis think of Americans, as well as the impact of American culture on the Kingdom. Here goes...So far, everyone I've spoken with has a very open and kind view of Americans. Since we are part of a VIP (and I mean very VIP) tour, we are not meeting many lower class Saudis. However, we are meeting very educated people whom I trust. They have favorable views of

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-82934904761199300752007-04-03T05:39:00.000-07:002007-04-03T06:15:14.835-07:00

Yesterday, Monday April 1st, was our last day at the Aramco compound in Dammam. Some of the highlights of the last day included visiting a limestone cave park. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of it. It's a bit tricky translating some things from Arabic to English, and there weren't any signs to speak of. It was really impressive to walk through. As you can see from some of the photos,

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-71204936390724564912007-04-01T20:25:00.000-07:002007-04-01T20:50:15.950-07:00

(1) What's the food like? (Jeff K./Erika) The foot is amazing. We've literally had feasts at every meal. Some of the common meats include lamb, chicken, beef, and seafood. Sorry to tell you Erika (a vegetarian), but as a carnivore by nature, I have really enjoyed the meat here a lot! Last night we had roasted lamb and it was incredible. At every meal we've had sambusa, which is similar to a

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-63223545962847831112007-04-01T13:44:00.000-07:002007-04-01T14:03:00.742-07:00

That's right! They don't call it the Persian Gulf in Saudi Arabia. In case you didn't know, the "Persian Gulf," which separates Iran from Saudi Arabia, gets its name from the Persian people of Iran. (That's right, they're not considered Arabs--a common misconception.) Saudis, culturally a very nationalistic people (aren't we all??), insist that the gulf be named after them. Thus the title

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-83243630403751215442007-04-01T06:05:00.000-07:002007-04-01T06:11:45.128-07:00

Saudi Arabia definitely has a rich, unique culture. From the traditional dress of abyas and thobes to the hummus, lamb and fresh juices, I have enjoyed being immersed in it. But once in a while, (actually often in the cities) American culture can be seen. Here are a few pictures that need no more introduction...(Notice the "East meets West" picture--a mosque with the "golden arches" right in

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-36850647872176748822007-04-01T05:31:00.000-07:002007-04-01T05:56:08.830-07:00

We visited an all-girls College Prep school sponsored by Aramco today. This highly competitive school accepts students who score at a 90% or higher on a standardized test in their 12th year of Saudi public or private school. Unlike US college prep high schools, this program lasts nine months and is started after Saudis graduate (assuming they have the exceptional credentials!) The students we

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-37574112790910206102007-03-31T20:41:00.000-07:002007-03-31T21:09:51.950-07:00

This is an excellent question, Nigel. Saudi Arabia is very strict on who is allowed into the kingdom. In most cases, if not all (?), you must have a host to be allowed in. Our host, as I've mentioned, is Aramco oil. (One of the world's most valued companies--at least 700 billion dollars worth!) Our hosts are extremely generous to us. In fact, we are treated like VIPs. We have been granted access

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-74114372436299258992007-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:002007-03-31T14:55:16.221-07:00

Thanks for everyone who has been writing comments! I really appreciate having some guidance on the things I am learning. Here are some personal responses:YEG--Wow...those are some tough ones. I had an interesting conversation with a woman, Kholoud, who has visited the US. When asked about her positive and negative impressions of the US, she definately was down on the media. She witnessed

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-77843660202765865232007-03-31T14:05:00.000-07:002007-04-01T05:30:42.777-07:00

One of our first stops this morning was the Aramco Exhibit. We were greeted by a few members of Aramco's PR department. They showed us a very fun 3-D film about oil and its impact on Saudi Arabia. (The auditorium and the production were very impressive.) After the film, we toured the museum. There were 5, maybe 6 different sections, each with interactive exhibits that detailed fossil fuel's

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-48663481255794015432007-03-31T07:26:00.000-07:002007-03-31T13:49:19.049-07:00

Aramco, Saudi's national oil company, has a large compound that hosts thousands of workers (mostly expats from 35 countries!) and its major buildings. We are staying in Steineke Hall for the next few days. While it is secluded from most of Saudi life, it's a comfortable start while we adjust to some of the cultural differences. Also, it's an ideal hub to visit the multiple Aramco sites we will

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-53320089274365692542007-03-31T07:10:00.000-07:002007-03-31T07:25:50.702-07:00

That's right! It was a 9 hour flight from Houston to Amsterdam. There we had a 5 hour layover. I spent a lot of that time walking around with new friends Nora, raised in Egypt and now living in Virginia, and Nicolle, Utah native. The Amsterdam airport is one of the largest, so we wandered through some shops, did some people watching, and even got to stroll in Holland's crisp spring weather. After

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-87101414492223099012007-03-28T20:55:00.000-07:002007-03-28T21:00:41.031-07:00

Charlie--Thanks for the great questions! (At least I think this is Charlie...if not, who is this :-))Had I considered going "Lawrence in Arabia Style" in the traditional garb?I really was interested in wearing the thobe and bhutra. However, it can be considered disrespectful, so our group is not wearing them. The women in our group must wear the abaya to follow the laws, which are rooted in

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-24570420780573221012007-03-28T15:46:00.002-07:002007-03-28T15:58:07.176-07:00

I have been making connections with a lot of interesting teachers (whose names I am still learning!) I am posed here with a few mannequins dressed in the traditional abaya (women's clothing) and thobe (men's). I look forward to shopping in the souqs (markets) and creating culture trunks, which we learned how to make thanks to a program alumni.

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-45099371784336570602007-03-28T15:37:00.000-07:002007-03-28T15:46:03.073-07:00

Today was spent at Aramco's headquarters in Houston. Aramco is associated with Saudi National Oil, and the sponsor of our trip. We learned some valuable statistics, including that they facilitate the import of 4 million barrels of crude to the US a month! Since 1975, the company has trained five thousand Saudi workers here in the US. We were privileged to meet numerous members of their staff, who

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-10432190267598390982007-03-27T22:13:00.000-07:002007-03-27T22:18:25.345-07:00

Orientation is underway in Houston. The other 24 teachers from the country are really interesting! I was able to practice my Arabic with Nora, a teacher from Virginia. She lived in Egypt for 9 years. Dwayne from Winona is also from Minnesota. He has established sister schools throughout the world, and hopes to do the same with students in Saudi Arabia. I had lunch today with teachers from

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-82192285069459037572007-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:002007-02-27T15:38:07.257-08:00

Click on the following link to read Toni Lambert's article on my upcoming trip:http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ojh/depts/soc/senrick/Saudi%20Arabia/bulletin.htm

Solomon Senrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08031721267236634895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7899617013978479855.post-32284266851700217692007-02-26T20:22:00.000-08:002007-02-26T20:23:42.642-08:00

With this entry I officially start my blog on my Saudi Arabia Trip. Already in preparation I have read from James Wynbrandt's A Brief History of Saudi Arabia, particularly the sections on Muhammad's life in the Kingdom and modern, 20th century history. I have also read articles from the Arab Times and National Geographic. I have been listening to the Pimsleur Arabic CDs and can say good morning,

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