Hello Friends and Family,
Brittney and I have been busy at work the last 9 weeks and started enjoying our Spring Break on 28th of March. We have had a lot of successes the last few weeks through different items we have been involved in at school. I helped coordinate a school-wide fundraising event for the Free the Children charity that our school has been connected with this year. It raised over 14,000 Saudi Riyals about $3,700. It was fun organizing it and see the students (and teachers) react to the competitive atmosphere.
Last weekend I took our JV Boys Basketball team to a 10 team regional tournament. We came in 4th place out of 10 which is an accomplishment after getting 13th of 14 last year. We lost some close games to teams whose players have played competitively for many more years than our students. And I realized some things we need to work on to improve next year (free throws).
Speaking of basketball the March Madness will come our way in the form of a move across town. We are moving to a newer compound. Our employer has looked to rent places away from where we currently live because our current compound is older and has less well rounded amenities. The two bedroom we are taking was offered to three families with more seniority than us and they passed on it for different reasons (mostly related to size inside or outside for gardening). It is the perfect size for us, and it also allows Brittney to keep her unintentional streak alive...she has never lived in the same house for more than 2 years in her life!
UPDATE: We have just moved to a compound four days ago near the sea which means we will be away from the pollution and smells of burt rubber in the air some mornings. Our new compound also better amenities like heated pools in the winter, squash courts, and wooden saunas! I am excited that since there are about half a dozen US Military men there (Marines/Navy) we have access to the AFN Sports channel shared with all ships and military bases around the world.
Tomorrow we will be traveling to the Maldives Islands. We really enjoy the opportunity to travel here but try to pick places that are budget friendly wherever we go, especially since it is easy to do without kids. This trip, however, is a little challenging to do so. The Maldives have resorts that usually fly you in on a little seaplane. However those trips can be $200-300 per person. I don't feel like I should be paying that much for a 30 minute plane ride. So we will most likely be picking a local B&B aka "guest house" option.
The Maldives is a Muslim country and so its not the kind of place you can sunbathe anywhere. I hope to be able to go on sandbar excursions, snorkeling trips, maybe try scuba diving, and of course find a Spa for Brittney. I also took my first windsurfing lesson here a week and half ago. If I get the chance I would like to give it a try in the Maldives also. We will also be exploring Istanbul for a day on the way back to Saudi. As always we will let you know how our adventure turns out.
Last week we have also finalized our planes to come back to the USA for summer break. This is the time of year we start really missing California. We will be spending the majority of our time there with possible quick trips to Austin and Seattle. Let us know if you are interested in meeting up in Southern California or the Bay Area.
-Phillip
Brittney and I have been busy at work the last 9 weeks and started enjoying our Spring Break on 28th of March. We have had a lot of successes the last few weeks through different items we have been involved in at school. I helped coordinate a school-wide fundraising event for the Free the Children charity that our school has been connected with this year. It raised over 14,000 Saudi Riyals about $3,700. It was fun organizing it and see the students (and teachers) react to the competitive atmosphere.
Last weekend I took our JV Boys Basketball team to a 10 team regional tournament. We came in 4th place out of 10 which is an accomplishment after getting 13th of 14 last year. We lost some close games to teams whose players have played competitively for many more years than our students. And I realized some things we need to work on to improve next year (free throws).
Speaking of basketball the March Madness will come our way in the form of a move across town. We are moving to a newer compound. Our employer has looked to rent places away from where we currently live because our current compound is older and has less well rounded amenities. The two bedroom we are taking was offered to three families with more seniority than us and they passed on it for different reasons (mostly related to size inside or outside for gardening). It is the perfect size for us, and it also allows Brittney to keep her unintentional streak alive...she has never lived in the same house for more than 2 years in her life!
UPDATE: We have just moved to a compound four days ago near the sea which means we will be away from the pollution and smells of burt rubber in the air some mornings. Our new compound also better amenities like heated pools in the winter, squash courts, and wooden saunas! I am excited that since there are about half a dozen US Military men there (Marines/Navy) we have access to the AFN Sports channel shared with all ships and military bases around the world.
Tomorrow we will be traveling to the Maldives Islands. We really enjoy the opportunity to travel here but try to pick places that are budget friendly wherever we go, especially since it is easy to do without kids. This trip, however, is a little challenging to do so. The Maldives have resorts that usually fly you in on a little seaplane. However those trips can be $200-300 per person. I don't feel like I should be paying that much for a 30 minute plane ride. So we will most likely be picking a local B&B aka "guest house" option.
The Maldives is a Muslim country and so its not the kind of place you can sunbathe anywhere. I hope to be able to go on sandbar excursions, snorkeling trips, maybe try scuba diving, and of course find a Spa for Brittney. I also took my first windsurfing lesson here a week and half ago. If I get the chance I would like to give it a try in the Maldives also. We will also be exploring Istanbul for a day on the way back to Saudi. As always we will let you know how our adventure turns out.
Last week we have also finalized our planes to come back to the USA for summer break. This is the time of year we start really missing California. We will be spending the majority of our time there with possible quick trips to Austin and Seattle. Let us know if you are interested in meeting up in Southern California or the Bay Area.
-Phillip
Great to hear your latest. Sounds like you are having a fine time and making the most of being there. Give Brittney a kid for me and I hope to see you when you are home - you can't forget Sonoma County!
ReplyDeleteNancy