Going to the store...

I find myself running out of essential items for the kitchen. I looked in the refrigerator and all I have left is some jelly and a few lettuce leaves. It is clearly time to go shopping...easier said than done however...

Here in Saudi there are cabs everywhere, but sometimes the frustration of negotiating a fare rate just doesn't make the effort worth it. The taxi drivers tend to automatically want to overcharge when they see a contractor needing a ride because they assume that contractors have money to blow...also the meters are always either broken or turned off. There are also "limos" which are not actually limousines, but just private cars with drivers that you can call. There are many drivers here in the country who work for a fair wage. This is the case because women can not legally drive, so they have to have access to a driver to get anywhere. Good drivers that you trust and speak English are sometimes hard to come by, so Scott and Rhonda recommended a gentleman named Ameen.

Ameen has been here 9 years and is originally from Bangladesh. I called him up, and he arrived 20 minutes later to pick me up. He charged me 50 riyals (15 USD) for a roundtrip ride to the grocery store. He even helped me unpack my groceries. That is a pretty good deal....He told me all about how he drives for many of the SRCA employees and he knows where all of the stations are. He told me that anytime I need a ride he would be happy to give me a ride. THe price seems fair, so I think Ameen is my guy...for the time being.

The situation with the Health Ministry is moving ever so slowly. Hopefully we will have a resolution Saturday, maybe Sunday...who knows. The SRCA has assured me that I begin getting paid as soon as I step off the airplane, so this delay isn't costing me money at this point, only the convenience of opening a bank account and possibly purchasing a vehicle...and getting a mailbox.

Also, I would like to mention that Julia Roberts is extremely popular here. They are having a week long marathon of her movies on one of the five English channels I get. So, even though I am not working, at least I have Julia to confide in...

Hope everyone is well...Cheers!