We took three separate flights to Saudi. In Cincinnati we were given the "full treatment" by security. My guess, we were flagged due to our destination. When we arrived we found out that all the new families were also thoroughly searched at their respective airports. We had 10 carry-ons, full of electronics plus my purse. Every teeny tiny item was swiped and tested for explosives. We all had to sit down separated by search stations and were told repeatedly "Don't touch anything." You can imagine the looks we got from other people coming through security. :0) Eventually, we were cleared and could repack and move on to our gate. When we stepped off the subway close to our gate, security alarms we're going off. We went on up the escalator and took the moving walkway to our gate. Where we encountered security guards lined up abreast of each other not letting anyone pass. It turned out to be nothing but it delayed us for quite a while longer. Thankfully we went to the airport 3.5 hours early or we might not have made it!
The rest of our travel was uneventful. It was a bit nerve wracking finally arriving. As I watched Middle Eastern women on the plane going to the restroom dressed one way and coming back completely covered up. Reality started to sink in. :0) Thankfully, we seemed to be the only flight arriving at Dammam International Airport at that time of night and almost all the departing passengers were for our school. The majority stayed on the plane traveing on to Doha.
My principal and her family ended up on our final flight due to a late plane arrival into Amsterdam the previous evening. My kids were thrilled. We had traveled to their "lovely" lake house a few days earlier and become pals. Also our buddy couple was on our flight as well as three other families. It seems I was nervous for nothing because security sent us right through, didn't open anything. Oh wait, the first official talked to David and asked him several questions, silly ones I might add. Then he talked to each kid and would ask them things like "Who is Abraham?" "Where is your Dad?" He talked quite a bit to Triniti. I thought it very interesting that he didn't speak to me, ask me a question or even act as if I was there. Not so much as to even mention my name. I said to David "and so it starts..." :0) We both had a good chuckle over it.
My principal and her family ended up on our final flight due to a late plane arrival into Amsterdam the previous evening. My kids were thrilled. We had traveled to their "lovely" lake house a few days earlier and become pals. Also our buddy couple was on our flight as well as three other families. It seems I was nervous for nothing because security sent us right through, didn't open anything. Oh wait, the first official talked to David and asked him several questions, silly ones I might add. Then he talked to each kid and would ask them things like "Who is Abraham?" "Where is your Dad?" He talked quite a bit to Triniti. I thought it very interesting that he didn't speak to me, ask me a question or even act as if I was there. Not so much as to even mention my name. I said to David "and so it starts..." :0) We both had a good chuckle over it.
We were greeted by the district superintendent Norma Hudson, and H.S. Vice Principal Marcus Toneatto and some other staffers. They had a huge banner welcoming us with all our names on it. We did all the preliminaries... even the distributing of settling in funds in the airport terminal before we walked out to the buses. After walking out I knew why everything was done inside. I can't tell you how immediately, amazingly hot it was. It felt like I couldn't breathe. Seriously. The humidity was way over the top. Words are not enough to convey the heat right about 110 degrees, and especially the humidity, and this was at 10:00 PM.
"How's that for a warm welcome?"
"How's that for a warm welcome?"
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