Category: Random Musings (Page 4 of 4)

So I’ve been posting far less than I’ve been wanting to, but rest assured I’ve got loads to tell you about, and a bunch of blog posts on their way. This last 6 weeks have been a real whirlwind of sorts. In early February I spend 12 lovely days in Cyprus, and then had a couple really busy work weeks immediately following. Then I moved out of my shared housing into private housing. Once I eventually get everything into its place I’ll do a blog post on it…..just don’t get too excited. It’s a studio apartment. Literally from my couch I can almost reach out and touch my bed, bathroom, and kitchen. But it’s all mine, and that’s really all that matters!

Mid March I traveled to Scandinavia for 16 glorious days on a mission to see the Northern Lights. My mission, FYI was successful!! My kiwi sidekick and I visited Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. I can’t wait to tell you all about it and show you the photos over the next few weeks. I’ve currently just come off a set of nights and my body really wants to sleep in the day, but I can’t since I’m back to day shift tomorrow. The next week is going to be busy as I’m studying for a course for work involving Neonatal Resuscitation, as I work with very freshly made babies. It’s proving to be more studying then I was expecting, So wish me luck on my test next week. Inshallah, I will pass!!

The other major thing that has been going on here is that there are more security related concerns. While I was in Finland the US embassy in Riyadh closed for a week amidst security threats. Warnings have been circulating informing westerners to be aware of their surroundings, minimize their profile when out and about, and to avoid crowds or large gatherings. Most of these warnings seem like common sense and apply when traveling to many countries that are politically unstable. This week Saudi Arabia started airstrikes within Yemen and there is talk that Saudi forces will be following up with a ground offensive as well. No one can predict the outcome of this, or in fact if there will be an increased instability or hostility in Saudi as a result. So, we just wait and see. And continue to be aware of our surroundings, and keep a low profile, while still maintaining some semblance of a life here………

 

 

I’m sure you are dying to know how the banking saga turned out. Well as of this afternoon I have a Saudi bank account. Yeah!!! I also have a multiple exit/re-entry visa, well, I will tomorrow after I print it off. This process of printing the visa out is different than the last time I was here. The lady at the passport office was getting exacerbated with me as she kept saying “you brint off goggle” (sidenote: many Arabic speakers have a hard time saying the letter ‘P’ and pronounce it ‘B’) anyways, over and over with a thick accent she said “goggle” pronouncing it as go-glah. After the sixth attempt of her thinking I was a complete idiot it registered. Google. Duh.

I have 2 more days of work and then I’m jetting off to Cyprus for 11 days of vacation. I literally can not wait. I’m counting the hours down. That, being said this blog will be a little quiet in my absence, but rest assured I’ll be back to tell you all about Cyprus when I return. If you can’t wait that long then you can always follow along with me on Instagram- under kristinewanders

By this time Thursday I’ll be sipping some legal beverages and toasting my freedom looking out at the Mediterranean. See ya’ll in a couple weeks!

Cheers!

 

2014 was a pretty rad year. I left my heart trailed across India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Canada, the US and Saudi Arabia. I convinced my dearest pals Jen and Sacha to accompany me on what would prove to be an epic adventure as we drove a 3 wheeled auto-rickshaw across India. In fact, that was how we started January 1, 2014. Leaving the starting point of the race in Jaisalmer, India heading south towards Kerala. It was an amazing journey, and one that taught me the lesson that this one precious life is my own, and I’m going to live it how I see fit. As 3 gals driving on Indian roads we set out to to have a great adventure, but ended up shattering traditional gender role beliefs all over the country. After the race we took some time off to visit the backwaters of Kerala and had the unpleasant experience of being robbed by the houseboat crew. Then the even more unpleasant experience of dealing with the Indian police. Here the only gender beliefs that were shattered were our own as we tried to stand up for ourselves but ended up in a bureaucratic uphill battle. Later that week Jen and I found an article about ourselves in a local paper documenting our “alleged robbing.” Funny but also not so funny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our houseboating fiasco Sacha returned to New Zealand. Jen and I traveled to Bhutan which couldn’t be more jarring after spending nearly a month in India. Bhutan was clean, and quiet, and sparsely populated. Since the only way a person can visit Bhutan is by organized tour we could actually relax as we didn’t have to worry about anything. We literally didn’t even have to carry our own bags. Someone told us when it was time to eat and what time we were to wake up. It was pure luxury. We had a kind driver and guide, both of who I still keep in contact with!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Bhutan we flew to Nepal. On route we flew right near Mt Everest which was pretty dang cool. Kathmandu was bustling and over whelming, but was really cool to explore and we had some of the best food of the trip. We spent a few days relaxing in Pokhara with the Himalayas overlooking the lake there. It was lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then flew to Bangladesh, which had long been on my list of countries I wanted to visit. We arrived into the chaos of Dhaka and were promptly informed that there were mass protests planned for the following day and that it was inadvisable for westerners to leave their hotel. The day following the protests we emerged and I fell in love with Bangladesh. I found the people of Bangladesh to be so kind and hospitable. The travel was difficult and often frustrating as there isn’t much in the way of tourist infrastructure, but I loved my time here. For me photography is a huge part of travel and I took so many amazing photos here. The Bangladeshi people we met loved to have their photos taken, and in turn take photos of us. Jen and I would often joke that the paparazzi were trailing us all over the country. Such great memories!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Bangladesh we returned to India to volunteer with a NGO in Kolkata that worked with sex workers and their children. This was such an eye opening experience. I witnessed poverty on a scale I had never seen before. It was shocking, and numbing, and difficult to ignore. The children at the charity were malnourished, and many of them unloved. It was heartbreaking. Our time in Kolkata was hard. It left its mark on me. Jen and I would then return to Delhi where she left for home and I flew to Rishikesh for 10 days of yoga and soul searching. I spent time in an Ashram there, and met some very lovely people. People with who I hope to see again this upcoming year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early march I returned to Canada, to resume work, and even though I had never considered returning to Saudi Arabia, that seed of adventure had been planted, and I started to really consider it. I spend the summer relaxing poolside, visiting my dear friends in Seattle, and road tripping from Denver to Kelowna, BC with Jen.

In the fall I was back in Seattle a couple of times and attended a close friends wedding, spent time with my cousin and her super cute kiddo, and started organizing my life for the upcoming year. The fall was especially hard as my parents decided to take a break to figure out what they each want out of their lives. It was a struggle to plan for my move to Saudi while dealing with the stark reality that the life I was leaving behind would likely be completely different by the time I returned.

So, in October I returned to Saudi, and if you’ve been reading my blog then you’re well aware of how 2014 wrapped up. I rang in the New Year under the Arabian sky at the New Zealand embassy. It was quite the night!! I’m looking forward to the adventures that await in 2015, and to make use of the many lessons I learned in 2014. So I’ll finish this post with one of my favourite lines of Mary Oliver…….. “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

So, I’ve never been a skinny minny (well except for maybe in high school) and I was in no way skinny the last time I was in Saudi. Maybe a little skinnier than my present weight, but not skinny. I’ve always been more of an average (could lose a few pounds) kinda gal, and I’m perfectly ok with that. Several of the staff I worked with back in  2010/2011 are still working on the unit I left and have since returned to. On my first day on the unit a Sudanese house keeper who I remember came up to me and was excited to see me and my kiwi sidekick. She looked us both up and down and then puffed out her cheeks at us and held her arms out from her body to give us the universal sign for “you got fat.” But we were never skinny to start with lady. As we walked away I said to my kiwi mate- “was the fat face really necessary?”

In many parts of the world telling someone they need to lose weight is not meant, or taken the way we do in western countries. Its just meant as stating a fact. Not meant to be cruel or mean, just a mere exchange of info. In February while in Nepal with my American bestie I have a vivid memory of taking a bicycle rickshaw and the man trying to demand more money than we had originally negotiated on account of our size. He made an amazing display his disappointment grunting and wheezing as he shuttled us around Kathmandu like he was hauling a truck load of cattle. He likely, has a future in Nepalese soap operas based off his acting skills!! Anyways, back to Saudi…….a couple days after my fat-face encounter I ran into another housekeeper I knew from before. He is from the Philippines. He exclaimed “sister you came back!!” And I said yes. And then he said “last time you skinny. Now….(and he paused to find the appropriate words)……not skinny.” I was at least thankful he didn’t make the fat face to me, or any other type of sign language to indicate my size. It doesn’t really help my case given that I’m an average sized 5’8″ gal working with mostly Asian nurses who hardly break 5’0″. I’m like a giant. I couldn’t be more acutely aware of my size.

So last week I was walking briskly down the hall and the housekeeper that originally made the fat face at me saw me. She stood in place and started pumping her arms up and down and as I got closer she yelled “exercising, exercising!!!” with great excitement. So that’s my current life. I’m getting cheered at while I walk. Maybe I should bring her to the gym with me?! I want to leave you with a photo to give you an indication of how I feel at work. This is from 2 years ago when the Seahawks were visiting patients when I worked at the University of Washington Medical Center. Here in Saudi I am obviously the football players, and my teeny tiny Asian co-workers are me. Thanks for reading!!