Andrea's Top 20

Top 5 things that I will not miss (from the United States)

1. Rated "R" commercials, that come on before dark
2. The News, which I can't watch around my kids, because it is inappropriate.
3. The price of gas
4. Taxes
5. The cost of medical and dental insurance and the price of prescriptions

The top 5 things that I will miss:

1. My family, friends and co-workers
2. My place of worship
3. Weather below 90 degrees
4. Rain
5. The green grass, trees and flowers

The top 5 things that I do not look forward to in Saudi Arabia:

1. Dust storms
2. Wearing the black abaya out in public, as mandated by the law
3. The constant 100 degree weather, with norms of 110 and lows in the 90's
4. Not having a place of worship, like here in the US
5. Still having to pay back my student loans

The top 5 things that I do look forward to in Saudi Arabia

1. My new job as Curriculum Specialist at the soon to be largest Kindergarten/Early Childhood School in the country
2. Great pay, tax-free!
3. Being able to travel to nearby countries, like Dubai and Egypt
4. Having a driver
5. Having a house maid

Mini update from Houston

Wow-it will be six weeks until our scheduled flight to Saudi Arabia! We still have no VISA's yet, but all is looking positive towards us receiving them soon. My boss though, received her Visa just two days before her flight, back in January. I am supposed to be there before June 5th, but it is out of my control....so all there is to do is wait and be patient, clean the house, take stuff to goodwill and sale furniture. My house is getting very empty. Malik's room has no furniture in it. We sold his bunkbeds today. Tomorrow I have a buyer coming over to look at the couch. I just can't wait to get to Saudi Arabia to see my husband. I miss him so much!

Another Apartment in Jeddah

It's been very tough trying to find an apartment without a Realtor or Online listing system. To find an apartment in Saudi Arabia most people will drive around and stop in front of the building they like. They will then ask the maintenance guy if there is an apartment available. If you are lucky he will respond or else then just wave his hand almost like saying please do not waste my time. Here is a video of another apartment I liked but it did not fulfill all my needs.

Apartment Searching in Jeddah

Here is the first of many apartments that I visited. Finding the perfect apartment in Jeddah is a bit tricky. I had many tactics of how to find available ones. Just let me know if you need advice.

*Update* I did not get this apartment...it was gone the next day!



The second video is of another apartment that I visited. It was on the 5th floor, on a main street and there was not much parking available. *update* We did not get this apartment. It was gone the next day. Tip to Jeddah apartment shoppers. Bring lots of money with you and be prepared to pay a down payment AS SOON as you find a place you like. If you wait a day, like I did, it will most likely be gone!

It's a Small World After All!

One of my new co-workers told me that she was moving overseas. When I asked her where-she told me Saudi Arabia! "What?!" I said. "My family is moving to Saudi Arabia!" Then, it turns out that my co-worker, Delores, also lives in my neighborhood-3 houses down. What a small world, right? It also turns out that Delores' daughter is in my daughter's class. Well, they just got their VISA's and today was D's last day of work. Her realtor is also the same realtor that sold us our first home-9 years ago! Although we won't be in the same city-we will be in the same country, about 9 hours away. We are planning to visit each other when there. I am just a little jealous that her adventure is beginning before mine.

Landing a Job in Jeddah!

I am in the process of accepting a job! Yeah! Here is the latest update. I have been offered the position of Curriculum Specialist and Teacher Trainer. Over Spring break (this coming week!) I am being sent to Denver, Colorado to the corporate headquarters, for training. It is a 5 day, all expense paid trip! I am so grateful to my parents for taking care of and entertaining my kids during that week. My sister will also be popping in, over to Denver, to visit. What a great "pre-bon voyage" time it will be!

All the kids passports are in, along with mine and now the VISA process will begin. The VISA's are our tickets to actually get into Saudi Arabia. Our plan for arriving in KSA (the kingdom of Saudi Arabia) is early to mid-June. The last day of my current teaching job contract is May 31st-and the last day of school for the kids. I am still loving my job now, but cannot wait to be rejoined with my handsome hunk of a husband. June is getting closer, though-yeah!

Here is a little more about what I will be doing.

I am so excited to be able to use all that I learned in my Master's degree program for Curriculum and Instruction! My chances of landing this type of position in Texas was very slim, as about half of the Specialist positions in my current school district, were eliminated in 2011. I am happy that I will not be completely out of the classroom. I will actually have the best of both worlds-teaching, training teachers and adapting the current curriculum for the company that has hired me.

*update* The school is under construction and may not open for at least one year. The process is slower here, for sure!

Saudi Humor vs. Saudi Reality