Our New "Normal"

We've been in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (aka "the Kingdom" or KSA) about 2 weeks now and we feel very settled.  We're learning the way things work and how to do "normal" things in a completely new environment.  We are currently on a smaller compound waiting for a home to open up on the main compound, but we love our environment.  There are lots of kids here for our children to play with and a great pool, bowling alley, rec center, & movies most afternoons they are keeping busy and happy.  School doesn't start for another week or so and my kids and their mom (me) are ready!  I think they will be a good fit, but will be a challenge at first.  Great curriculum!

A couple of things we are slowly getting used to:

1. The Weekend.  Friday, Saturday is the weekend, with the work/school week being Sunday-Thursday.  Friday is worship day and Saturday is the weekend.  The biggest thing is to remember what day it is and when the week starts. 
2. Prayer Time.  As Coby stated there are 5 prayers per day and the times change.  No worries - there's an app for that!  During prayer time shops and restaurants close for about 30 minutes (some you can stay in and shop/eat if you're already in, but you can't enter during prayer).  Planning for prayer is key to a happy shopping/dining experience!  I appreciate the reminder to remember my relationship with God on a regular basis, but sometimes it can be frustrating.  Some shops close from 12-4pm.  Not sure the exact reason, but a reason I've been given is in the very hot months not too many are shopping in the hottest part of the day (12-4) so they close.  The nice thing is that most shops are open until 11pm or midnight - so late night runs to the store after the kids are tucked in are an easy possibility.
3. No driving - for me.  Although there is a small market here on compound, the no driving off compound thing is a HUGE change for me.  Coby and I have been grocery shopping together more in the last two weeks than in many years previous.  Luckily we like each other. :)  There is a great bus system from our smaller compound to the large compound and shopper buses (think large coach buses) each day to various shopping destinations around the local community.  This slows my groove, but I'm learning patience in MANY ways here!  I know there has been talk about women driving here, but for now, I'm enjoying my very handsome chauffer and the time we get to spend together. 
4. Grocery Shopping.  Many of the grocery stores here are called Hyper Markets.  I was thinking hyper in terms of some little kid hopped up on sugar, but I think it is more representative to think of lots of shops, etc.  The hyper markets (Lulus, Panda, Danube) are a large grocery store with a varying number of smaller stores connected in a small indoor mall.  The hyper grocery stores are more like Walmart/Super Target where you have groceries, clothes, home goods, etc. all in one place.  There is a more Americanized grocery store called Safeway Timimi where you can get some great familiar things, but for the most part we are enjoying exploring the other hyper markets.  Imported goods are EXPENSIVE here, so we are trying to make due with more local ingredients, but we do spurge on some things.  Some great advice I got my first day here - don't make your family favorites, they won't taste the same, try some new recipes.  Although we have made some family favs and they taste similar, I'm looking forward to trying new things too.  Here are some things I find interesting, maybe you will too:
1. Beef-here we get mostly New Zealand or Australian beef.  It's good, but much more gamey tasting than we are used to.  You can buy Canadian beef which is supposed to be more "regular" tasting, but at nearly twice the cost of other options we are acquiring a new taste for gamier beef.
2. Chicken-mostly the same as the States, but a little gamier too. 
3. Veges-lots of great options in the produce departments.  Some very different things that I've never seen, but love all the options!  You can often choose not only between varieties of a fruit or vege, but also from where it came.  Often produce is not only identified by its type, but from its originating location - depends on how much you want to spend and how picky you want to be.  Once you choose your produce and put it in the bags, you go to a weigh station where an employee weighs, closes the bag, and puts a barcode on it.  This speeds up your time at the cashier (it kinda reminds me of the weigh stations at HEB in Texas where you can weight and barcode your produce, but someone "official" does it here).
4. Lunch meat - great selections and varieties, but still different.  One big thing we have to remember is cost is by kilo (1K = 2.2 lbs).  No pork products in Kingdom, so my love of ham will have to wait until we travel outside of the Kingdom.
5. Cheese/Dairy-there is awesome dairy here!  The milk is delicious and price set at SAR7 for 2 Liters (about 1/2 a gallon)(more on SAR later).  Hard cheeses are very hard to find and expensive.  Soft cheeses are very prevalent - cream cheese (more like a spreadable tart cheese than the cream cheese I'm used to) seems to reign supreme.
6. Bread - my time here will not be good for my carb addiction! I love the naan bread, Arabic bread (also substitutes nicely for pizza crust and tortillas and is SOOO cheap!), and the sandwich breads are a great variety and delicious!
7. Drinks - soda is quite cheap here (SAR3 for 1 Liter of Coke) and bottled water (approx. SAR1 for 1/2+ Liter) is even less expensive.  The kids have found a love of Tang in it's many flavors (I guess I never gave it to them in the States, but I love it too).  We love the many options for sparkling juices.  Alcohol is forbidden in the Kingdom so there is a great selection of Martinelli's type beverages.  We love the no alcohol - we can get fancy drinks at a restaurant and not have to worry about the booze!
8. That's what I can think of for now...
5. Money.  SAR (Saudi Arabian Riyal) is the currency.  The exchange rate is $1=SAR3.75.  So in my previously mentioned SAR7=$1.86, SAR3=$0.80, SAR1=$0.27.  Although most major stores take credit cards, cash is king.  We carry way more cash here then we ever did in the States.  The initial shock at seeing a cost for something - like SAR49.95 for 2.5K of frozen chicken is abated when I remember the equivalency - $13.30 for 5.5lbs - not too bad.  And again, there's an app for that!  Tipping SAR5 or 10 is normal for the baggers that take your groceries out to your car, more for your waiters at the restaurant (usually can't be combined in the payment for the meal), and cash for the cost of gas (45 halala [SAR0.45] for 1 Liter of gas - so about $0.48/gallon for 91 octane-gov't fixed prices) plus a tip for the gas attendant (only full serve gas).  When I see SAR675 on the cash register after a grocery shopping trip I freak out until I do the math and realize $179.79 isn't too bad (not a great deal, but better than $675-my first reaction).
6. Abaya. When we go off compound I wear my abaya.  Although there are varying and strong opinions about this practice, I figure it's easier to just follow the culture I'm in.  There are tons of options of all kinds for an abaya.  You can spend a small fortune for a very ornate, jeweled option or just a small amount for something plain.  It is warm to wear an extra layer out and about, but I love that I only have to get ready from the neck up!

   

   Not a great picture, but here's my first abaya.

7. Traffic.  With no women driving here, I am now convinced that women MUST be the better driver!  Traveling by vehicle is an adventure!  Defensive driving and Proactive driving are a MUST! 
1. Speed limits are more of a lax suggestion. 
2. Lane lines mean nothing - a 3 lane road can quickly become a 5-6 lane road when you use the shoulder of the road and have multiple cars side-by-side in a lane.  ANY lane can be a left turn lane - some cars pull up on the right shoulder of the road just so they can turn left and cut off traffic. 
3. Traffic lights are only at the very front of the lane, not across the intersection like most places in the States.  Only one lane of traffic goes at a time.  Many of the busier intersections have timers that count down before a light goes green and then counts down how long the lite will be green. 
4. Honking is a popular pastime - "hey drift back into your own lane" honk, "you're a moron for cutting me off" honk, "GO!" honk (used at a stop light and usually started by a car WAY in the back the second the light turns green), and so many more. 
5. One of my recent favorite experiences while on the road with my handsome chauffer was when we were waiting at a light - the first car in the right of two lanes.  The shoulder lane to the right of us was open and a few cars use it to turn right at the light.  Then a small truck uses the shoulder to drive up, cut in front of us and the other car at the line and U-turn on our red light.  Soon after two other cars pull up on the shoulder and then cut in front of us and the other car at the line to be the first at the light.  The biggest problem for them being that they now can't see the light - so when it turned green for us we had to honk to get them going.  We use most of these experiences as a good laugh and other less fun and more dangerous experiences as a reminder that life is precious. 
6. We've seen a couple fender benders and a really bad accident.  I have a feeling these are only the first of some nasty car accidents we will see.
8. Tender Mercies.  We've experienced many tender mercies before and since our time here in KSA.  People, events, and circumstances that help us to know that this is where we are supposed to be!  Thank you for being a part of this amazing adventure!

That's all I can think of for now.  If you have questions, please let me know so I will know what to write about.

A lot of Firsts

Since we have been in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) we have experienced many firsts.  Some have been great and some have brought some frustration but none the less we are having a great time.

Some of our firsts are:

• Driving in the Eastern Province - this has brought a whole new meaning to defensive driving.  Blinkers are not always use and it doesn't matter what lane you are in as they are all turn lanes according to the local drivers.  Also, it's okay to use the shoulders of the road as driving lanes.  So when you think that you have 3 lanes of traffic...almost double it up.  Honking is the national pastime while driving.  There are different honks for traffic.  A short honk = hey I'm right here.  Multiple honks = let's start moving people, usually comes from 3 cars and further back at the exact second the light turns green.  The long honk = you just cut me off and I'm not to thrilled about that.  Needless to say it's a driving experience.
• Prayer time - everyday there are 5 times to pray for the Muslims.  When that happens all shops, restaurants and stores stop.  Some will allow you to continue to shop while the employees go to pray, others kick you out of the store until they are done.  We always have to plan our outing around prayer time.  There are a lot of stores that close from 1200 until 1600 so they can go to prayer, eat and prayer again.  Needless to say even though we plan around prayer time we appreciate the devotion.
• Weekends - the weekends are Friday and Saturday.  Most shops and stores do not open on Friday until after 1500 or 1600.  Going to work and school on Sunday instead of Monday has taken a little to get used to.  We learned recently that the weekends were Thursday and Friday.
• Food - we have tried to immerse ourselves into the area and not only stick to the food that we know.  On our flights over we had Middle Eastern food and we have tried to eat quite a bit of it since living here.  Schwarma, Kabobs, Hummus, and Arabic Bread are quite delightful and will be a part of our diets.
• Money - the exchange rate here is $1 US Dollar = $3.75 Saudi Arabia Riyal (SAR or SR) and so when you see that something costs $350 SAR it is really less than $100 USD.  Having to get over the sticker shock and then realization that you aren't spending that much money is still a bit of a chore but I think we are getting used to it.
• Friends - since being here we have made several friends and there are so many people here who are willing to help out at a drop of a hat.  Those who have been here a few months are able to share experiences with us that is able to help us understand and power through.  The kids are playing and bowling and meeting new people all the time and that has been great for them.

We have truly enjoyed our first week over here and look forward to many more firsts.

Moving Day

It has been awhile since our last post and lots has happened.  We moved from Katy, TX to Herriman, UT and we are now on the move again.  This time a little further than from Texas to Utah.  We are heading to Saudi Arabia. 

We loved our time in Katy and have many dear friends there.  We had lots of great memories made in Utah with family and friends.  We look forward to our biggest move of all. 

Back in late June Coby was contacted by a recruiter for Saudi Aramco to see if he was interested in an opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia.  Over the next few months the process unfolded.  Interviews, orientations for Coby and Codi, medical exams for Coby and Codi, kids to get accepted into the school systems and waiting for the visas to be approved.  On October 17th we found out that our visas were approved and so our roadmap to adventure to Saudi became more clear.

In our last few weeks in the States we spent the night in Little America, WY so that we could check off that item on Codi's bucket list.  We then moved on to Denver to spend time with the whole family for Thanksgiving and then on to Oklahoma to spend some time with Codi's parents before we head down to Houston/Katy to see our dear friends and fly out to Dammam, Saudi Arabia where the adventure begins.

Stay Tuned for the last adventures of the Long Family - Life in the Desert.

We all RUN? for Ice Cream!

     Coby has been so diligent in posting I felt like a slacker and decided I better get in on the action.  I don't have much new to add, but I do want to catch you up on the Blue Bell Fun Run A. and I participated in the middle of April.  The boys had football games that day and A. and I were heading to Killeen to attend Athena's baby shower so it was a perfect plan!
{For those of you not from this part of the World/States, Blue Bell is a YUMMY ice cream brand found in the south and made (among other places) about a 1 hour drive northwest from Katy.  They sponsor the Fun Run every year to support the local high school sports program.}
     Our good friends the Shurtz family do this every year and I had planned to participate last year, but my brother and his new bride had their wedding shower in Lawton that weekend so it was a bust. 
This year I wasn't going to be deterred!
     Along with the biggest loser competition I started training using the Couch to 5K program.  I loved to run as a younger person, but after years of child rearing and "real life" I had let this love slip.  This was the year!
     I trained from February until the day before the race.  I had lots of motivation...watching Audra compete and make it to the podium at IronMan Galveston was awesome!  Although I don't believe I will ever be to that level, it feels great to go out for a 2-3 mile run and not give in to the cramps and shortness of breath after a 1/2 mile!
     Well, April 14th was the big day.  Our family had gone up to Brenham the day before to tour the Blue Bell Factory (yum!) and pick up race packets.  EARLY Saturday morning A. and I woke up and rendezvoused at the Shurtz home for our caravan to Brenham.  We made it in great time, parked and started to enjoy the festivities!  I was feeling a little sick (nerves and a funky digestive system are NOT a good combo!), but with the music and the anticipation of a good run and, of course, the FREE ICE CREAM BARS - I was ready. 
     A. and her friends were the first to run - a 1 mile kids run started at 8.  She did great and had a blast!  After her run she started off with the frozen treats - enjoying a Bullet first.  After all the kids got back from their run the adults headed up the hill to the Starting Line!  The Shurtz family was joined by a few siblings and their families so it was fun event!
      At 8:45 the horn blew for the 5k to begin.  It was PACKED.  People everywhere.  I stared to run with Jen and her daughter L., but with all the people (and the fact she was pushing a jogging stroller) I soon had to just find my way.  There were people walking, jogging, and running.  I started at a comfy pace, but wanted to get away from the crowd so I soon made it around to a nice pocket and set into my comfy run.  I was doing great...my best time...UNTIL - the hills started.  In Katy we have NO hills.  My runs no matter where I go are all flat.  Brenham is getting into the Texas "hill country" towards Austin and they have hills!  I was doing ok still, relying on Pandora - Erasure channel to keep me moving.  But then as we entered more of a rural part of the course my internet connection went down and the hills increased.  I pushed myself through dreaming of the ice cream I would be eating soon, until I came to the last 1/2 mile.  I turned the last right hand corner and there it was...a MONSTER hill!  My heart sank as I was already wearing down.  I ran until about a 1/8 of a mile before the hill...speed walked and once the hill began I picked up my pace to a jog and slowly made my way up (some speed walkers passed me).  Once I reached the top it was all downhill from there...literally...into the high school parking lot and to the finish line.  The members of the Shurtz family that didn't run or had already finished cheered me on as I ran down the hill and A. joined me for the last 1/8 mile.
     VICTORY...I had finished my first race!  I caught my breath, climbed back up to the Shurtz cheering camp to cheer on the rest of our group and then we made our way to the ICE CREAM!  I was NOT disappointed.  Ice cream bars of all varieties!  I started easy...a fruit bar, but soon hit my stride and made up for every calorie (plus more) I had burned on the run.  WHAT FUN! Next year the whole family plans to attend and Jen has told me she thinks we should run the 10k together...we will have to see about that. :)

Ready for the race!

The whole crew ready for the run!

YUMMY!

A. & E. - best friends and racers!

The RUNNERS!



YUM!!

Feeling good!

Mom and A. before after the Kids run before the 5k.







Inspiration/Motivation

Over the past several weeks I have been hearing people talk about motivation and inspiration.  We had a meeting at work where our group's outgoing manager asked us..."What motivates you?"  So it got me to thinking about what motivates/inspires me.

After much thought on this I came to the conclusion of being able to make a difference.  Whether it be through my profession and helping people understand the importance of making safety a personal thing.  Spiritually by doing more than the basic primary answers but showing a genuine concern for others and helping them through their trials of life.  Physically by making a difference in my own life and motivating others to do the same.

Because of the change in lifestyle that Codi and I have taken on and doing our best to be more physically fit we have heard several people tell us we are an inspiration to them.  To me this helps keep me motivated in doing so.  Codi helps keep me inspired to not quit and settle for what I have currently achieved, but to keep going.  My sister-in-law Audra helps keep me motivated by her encouraging words and suggestions to help me become a more fit person. Others offering kind words of encouragement.

Last Friday I went in for my yearly physical and my doctor looked at my chart and exclaimed "You get me excited!!!"  Then she proceeded to give me a high five.  My first thoughts were that isn't something you say to a half naked man sitting in front of you but in the context of the situation it was definitely appropriate.  I had taken a step in the right direction to get to a healthier me and she was very stoked about it.  Codi and I joke about it and laugh, but recently her endocrinologist said something similar to her...she was fully dressed however.

To date Codi and I have lost a combined total of 50 lbs and we are almost at 90 days into this transformation.  Life gives us opportunities all the time and it is how we seize those opportunities is how we make a difference.  Take the time to think about what motivates/inspires you and seize that thought and do something with it and you will be amazed at what a difference you can make.

Good Luck to Audra on Saturday who is running the Saint George IronMan (140.6 miles)...that takes motivation.

More from the Biggest Losers

This past weekend was filled with a lot of fun, family and motivation. We had lots of family come into town for a couple different professional events. We had the Shell Houston Open and the Ironman 70.3 in Galveston. The "Men" (Coby, Clint, Cyle and Dad) went to Redstone golf course and took in our first official PGA Tour event. The last big tournament before the Masters in two weeks. We saw a lot of good golf and followed a pairing of Ricky Fowler, Steve Stricker and Lee Westwood. Fowler hit a drive on hole 5 that landed within 10 feet of us and Clint and I stayed to watch him hit it while Dad and Cyle went up a little further. We were right behind him and the cameraman had to squeeze in and accidentally hit Clint in the forehead with his boom mic...too funny. As one of the joys of being a Shell employee we got discounted tickets, parking pass and access to the Shell Employee Skybox on the 18th fairway...great experience to continue for many years to come.

Sunday we went down to Galveston to cheer on our Sister-in-law Audra and her friend/coach Sonja while they competed in the Ironman 70.3 competition. 70.3 = 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run all in the same day and all one right after the other with little time in between events to catch your breath or much else. Audra got 3rd place in her age group and Sonja got 3rd in hers. Audra beat Sonja's time by a 58 seconds.

It was definitely a motivating event with so many people competing of all shapes and sizes. There were the professionals who ran and the ametuers who were out there do their absolute best. We got to see Lance Armstrong which was kind of cool, but not as impressive as some of the other competitors. We went into the event thinking that there would be all the atheletically built and almost genetically freakish atheletes competing, but when we saw "normal" people coming out of the water after their swim it motivated Codi and I. We thought man if these guys can do it we do it...maybe not the 70.3 but a scaled down version to start.

I think this really was a great motivator...we have been going for almost eight weeks strong at the Biggest Loser Challenge and I was feeling like I was hitting a wall/plateau and starting to get a little discouraged. But very proud of the progress we have made. So far to date Codi and I have lost a total of 33 pounds and are still going strong. We did get hit with a bout of bronchitis so this has slowed our running but we still keep up the walking. We aren't going to let a little breathing problem slow us down.

One of the other great things about having a family member and friend participate in the Ironman 70.3 was coming back and stay with us and talking to us about what we need to do to improve on our progress and give us further encouragement. Audra has given me some new exercises to do and changed up my running routine to help me. She wants me to lose another 20 pounds before we get into a bit more serious run training...which means 5Ks and beyond. Codi is going to compete in her first 5K in a couple weeks in Brenham and Aedan is going to go with her and do a 1 mile run.

I have to say I am very proud of the progress we have made and continue to make in order to live a better and healthier lifestyle. You can do it, you just have to change your mindset from "I'll do it tomorrow" to "I'm going to kick this thing in the teeth and get off the couch and make a difference in my life so I can enjoy living."

Tomorrow is always so far away when all you need to do is put one foot in front of the other today.

Who is the biggest loser?

Recently Codi and I started a recommitment to a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise and eating right. We have a side bet between us but we are doing this same challenge with some friends. We are doing it Biggest Loser style...whichever team loses the highest percentage of weight wins a dinner paid for by the losing team. So far we are a week into it and sticking to it...but we have 83 more days to go.

Codi is doing the couch to 5k program and I am doing a calorie counting and cardio program I feel like I have made some good progress so far. One of the things I have also done is cut out all soda diet or otherwise. At times this can be difficult but I know it is for my own good. Codi and I have made a commitment to each other to do this and I have done it for myself as well. In my family heart problems and high cholesterol are a big problem...one leads to another. I don't want to be on meds when I get old to control it. I want to be healthy again. We also have a goal for our summer vacation this year at Lake Tahoe. I believe we can make it.

I have near term goals and long term ones. End goals is to lose about 50ish pounds...near term is to lose 10 pounds at a time and feel like I have accomplished something and can improve upon it. I just can't wait to say I am the biggest loser.

Wish us luck and staying power.