Saudi Arabia is difficult to describe to people. The typical idea of a desert usually doesn't really represent the country, or at least the Eastern Province, very well.
I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago and took a picture of the road ahead. This is about 10 miles from the new factory where I now work.
The road signs point to all of the places one can drive from this part of the country: Kuwait, Riyadh, Abqaiq, the airport, and on and on. In the distance a new housing development is almost completed. No rolling dunes of sand though; just a lot of dust and rock. It's peaceful at night, and even more peaceful on Friday mornings, when prayers take place.
That is one empty road, but peaceful as well! If you remember my blog on Saudi driving, then you can understand how nice Friday mornings are for cruising. This is on my way to water polo at 7am, so even more empty than normal.
Fast forward to last week and I was on my way to Hong Kong for my second, and final, Regional Business Environment Course for my Thunderbird MBA. Talk about a difference! After 5 days of intensive class we were treated to a Bay Cruise and light show. The light show turned out to just be all of the skyline buildings firing-up, but it was still incredible.
One of the buildings was enormous. It seemed to loom over us the entire time we were on the boat.
There were a load of Korean and Chinese tourists on the boat, which lead to some awesome dance sessions to watch later in the evening. Sadly I have no pictures of that melee.
I visited Hong Kong with my Dad in 1987 and it was still a budding city; the bay was incredible, but there was still growth to come. As you can see from the pictures above, there is very little room for anything now. One thing that did make it through time are the old boats that the local citizens have used for centuries. I captured one with my camera.
I had a great trip and learned a lot in my class. I'm now back in Saudi Arabia, plugging away in my job again. More adventures are soon to come!
I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago and took a picture of the road ahead. This is about 10 miles from the new factory where I now work.
The road signs point to all of the places one can drive from this part of the country: Kuwait, Riyadh, Abqaiq, the airport, and on and on. In the distance a new housing development is almost completed. No rolling dunes of sand though; just a lot of dust and rock. It's peaceful at night, and even more peaceful on Friday mornings, when prayers take place.
That is one empty road, but peaceful as well! If you remember my blog on Saudi driving, then you can understand how nice Friday mornings are for cruising. This is on my way to water polo at 7am, so even more empty than normal.
Fast forward to last week and I was on my way to Hong Kong for my second, and final, Regional Business Environment Course for my Thunderbird MBA. Talk about a difference! After 5 days of intensive class we were treated to a Bay Cruise and light show. The light show turned out to just be all of the skyline buildings firing-up, but it was still incredible.
One of the buildings was enormous. It seemed to loom over us the entire time we were on the boat.
There were a load of Korean and Chinese tourists on the boat, which lead to some awesome dance sessions to watch later in the evening. Sadly I have no pictures of that melee.
I visited Hong Kong with my Dad in 1987 and it was still a budding city; the bay was incredible, but there was still growth to come. As you can see from the pictures above, there is very little room for anything now. One thing that did make it through time are the old boats that the local citizens have used for centuries. I captured one with my camera.
I had a great trip and learned a lot in my class. I'm now back in Saudi Arabia, plugging away in my job again. More adventures are soon to come!
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