Any how - I started 2008 off in Saudi Arabia. As you would expect New Years - by the Gregorian calendar was a quiet affair. Things have changed since my first job here in 1997. My first experience back then was at the Dahrahn Airport and they went through ever crook and cranny of my luggage. The drama at the airport now is much more relaxed. They scan the baggage and hand search if they think it is necessary. Lately they have begun to fingerprint and photo you at the airport on arrival. This is adding some time to the immigration and customs clearance procedures.

My first leave was in mid-March and I decided to drive to Bahrain which is about an hour and a half, then fly out of Bahrain. There are no direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Thailand. You have to fly through some other hub such as Dubai or Doha. The downside is that there is a 6-8 hour layover. By going out of Bahrain I fly at 9pm and arrive back in Bangkok at 7 am in the morning and am back at the condo before 9:30 am. Also by doing it this way I drive back into Saudi Arabia instead of flying. No finger print check and all that stuff. The key here is don’t do it on a Friday - which is the local Sunday - as the traffic on the causeway to and from Bahrain is like the 405 in LA during rush hour.

They still drive like crazy over here. Passing on either shoulder, make a left turn from the far right lane - wild,wild west. When I first arrived I was in a place outside of the compound that I am now in. On the right are some photos from the first place that I was living. The place was new and the owner obviously had some $$$ as he decorated the common areas with some nice looking antiques. Now I am living in a secured compound. I am not sure which is best - being an individual target or a part of a group target. We hope we shall never find out. As such I feel safe over here and it is typical mid-east. After spending the years in Iraq and Libya my adjusting is minimal. Mainly being mindful of the prayer times as everything closes for prayer. If you are in the restaurant when prayer is called then it is ok - if you want to get into a restaurant after prayer is called then you have to find the back door if there is one or wait until prayer is over.

Back in 1997-98 they had no internet here - the only way that I could log on back then was to call a number in the USA - long distance at $2/minute. Now they have broadband and internet access is available everywhere. They even have free dial-up.

I took my first leave in early March. I got the early evening flight out of Bahrain and got back to Pattaya with no dramas - well sort of - After the bags were in the condo and my girl friend Tay have come over - I got a knock on the door, the taxi driver that had brought me from the airport was there. I was a little puzzled. Then he hands me my fanny pack that had my passport and a bunch of cash. Of course I realized what I had done and how lucky I was that he was an honest sort. I got out some money and gave him a tip. A while later I counted the money - which was all there - and then felt guilty about the amount of tip that I had given him. I should have given him more. I tried to call the taxi company but to no avail. The next day I had to go to Bangkok to get a new visa for Saudi Arabia so I stopped by the airport and went back to the counter and asked if they could find the driver. As it was he was there and he came over and looked very puzzled - Tay my girlfriend told him how I felt and I gave him  a serious tip this time. He was very surprised at the amount. Remember these folks don’t make a lot of money so anything that is equal to a months salary is quite a bunch. Any how I felt better he had taken care of me so I took care of him. The amount of hassle etc., that I would have had to go through and the time it takes to get replacement passport would have cost me far more than I gave him for a good deed done.

So off to the Saudi Embassy and get turned down for a visa - I need more paperwork - back to Pattaya and a phone call to the boss. He sends more paperwork and we are off again - success the second time around. The hassle is that it is 2 hours to Bangkok. It turns into a full day that I lose of my vacation time and the expense of getting a driver to take me. I don’t drive a car in Thailand. Only a motor bike in and around Pattaya. So other spending time at the beach with my friends it was a quiet 2 weeks.

I took my second leave in late July. I took the same flight from Bahrain - as luck would have it the flight was delayed about 3 hours. So much for getting back to Thailand early in the morning. This time I kept my fanny pack with me when I got to the condo. Once was enough. Next day I am off to the Saudi Embassy. They again say I need more paperwork. I gave the same as the last time and they want more now - well ok - I call the boss - he sends more paperwork. I go back to the embassy and they tell me to sit down. I wait for more than 2 hours - they say the consular official is out. In the mean time they are accepting other folks paperwork but not mine. They finally call me over. Yes we will give you a visa. This is great - but - they close the receiving window for that days visas at 11am and it is now 11:30. Please come back tomorrow. Just great - another day of vacation shot. This time it added up to 3 days lost to getting a visa. There has to be an easier way.

It is now late October and I am getting ready to go on my third leave. I think I have an easier way to get the visa. Stay tuned for the outcome.

I arrived back in Bangkok on October 25th. Instead of going to the Saudi embassy in Bangkok I sent my passport to Houston for a new visa. I sent the passport on Monday and the visa agent had it by Wednesday. I gave him a week then contacted the agent and asked when my passport would be sent back. He tells me the next Friday - November 7th - that is when he will be able to send it back to me in Thailand. He sends me the tracking number - I look it up - and it is scheduled to arrive back at my condo on November 12 - that is the day that I am supposed to fly back to Saudi Arabia and return to work. Well if it isn’t one thing it is another. So I had to delay my return by several days.The good thing is that I now have a 6 month visa instead of a 3 month visa. The other good thing is that with a 6 month visa I can stay the whole 6 months. With a 3 month visa I have to go out every 30 days on a visa run.

I finally get back to work and everything is quiet - except for the rumor mill. The question is how long will the client keep us on the job. the price of oil falling and everything else dropping with it. The client finally give the word that I will be released on January 9, 2009.  They gave me 30 days notice - unusual as a contractor. Now I am on the prowl for a new job.

I am spending my second Christmas and New Years in Saudi Arabia. As you can expect there is not much festivity as it is a Christian holiday. All was very quiet.

Link to Mike’s 2009 Blog.

Happy New Year.