Jeddah, Again

Hope those in the US are enjoying the long weekend.

Today I'm in Jeddah. I still feel a bit awkward at times when I'm here. Simple things - like I'm not sure if I can get in the front seat when my work collegue picks me up from the airport (which I can). And I'm not sure if I'm overreacting to the stories in the press or if it is technically not allowed. Probably a bit of both. There seem to be a lot of things here that are technically not allowed, but are commonly practiced. Like I'm not sure if I'm allowed to go to the mall next door without an escort. And if I would ask at work, they'd want to know why I wanted to go to some old dingy mall - which I don't - but I wonder if I can. Probably I can, but technically it's not allowed, maybe.

In the office, everyone is very welcoming. The women in the office are so happy to see me. It is so unusual to have a woman visit and I think that it is encouraging to them to see a woman who is treated as an equal on the management staff. Most of the office is non-Saudi men. They're all used to working in environments where women are a part of the workforce. And the Saudi men in the office have all received education outside of Saudi, so they too are comfortable working with women. I enjoy coming here and working with the team. It's a nice work environment.

We're getting close to the end of the school year. Lyra will be graduating from her nursery on Thursday. I'll be heading home from here on Wednesday to make sure that I can go to the graduation ceremony. I'm sure it will be an emotional experience. She's made some good friends, but they're all going to different schools next year. I will be sure to post some pictures of the event.