Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Hotel Alhamran Sofitel, Saturday, 1996-05-25 11:30 local (Z+3)
I've been in Jeddah since a little past midnight yesterday. I got 8 hours of sleep then spent yesterday morning walking around this part of Jeddah (really HOT—the weather, not Jeddah), working on my laptop, and laying in the sun (which was directly overhead). I then made the mistake of laying down for a few minutes. Amazing, I passed out and slept for 12 hours, awaking at 02:00 this morning and thus screwing up any possibility of being optimally rested for the return trip late this afternoon.
Not much has changed since last year. Jakarta's Halim Airport runway is still too short, the thunderstorms along the route of flight are still horrendous, Saudi Arabia is still blisteringly hot, and the controllers are still hard to understand.
The Hajj is winding down. Tower sent one of the four airplanes based at Jeddah home yesterday and two more will go home tomorrow. The three airplanes based at Jakarta will keep flying through the 31st, possibly until June 2nd.
I talked to some the crew members who have been based here in Jeddah. It's been a real mess. Some of them have been here for 10 weeks. Tower didn't do its homework and didn't realize they would need exit visas if they wanted to let the crew members go home over the 10 day break between the inbound and outbound portions. One of the crew members, an engineer that I flew with at Evergreen, quit in disgust, unwilling to spend the break in Saudi. He waited three days for the company to get him out legally, lost patience and hopped a freighter to Europe and then home. The rumor is that Tower is facing a $10,000 fine from the Saudi government for letting that happen. All Jakarta based people got to go home at the break.
Tower's crew scheduling department continues in its arbitrary ways, some people who were awarded bid lines for the Jakarta base for the outbound portion were sent to Jeddah. Fortunately that didn't happen to me.
I've been reading the Arab News, Saudi's English language newspaper. They have a religious advice section. From the issue of Friday, May 24, 1996, the following items concerning proper behavior:
“Adopting a child so as to make it one's own child and giving it one's own surname is forbidden. But looking after an orphan child, and bringing it up, while maintaining its name and surname is a good act that earns rich reward.”
“Moreover, it is forbidden for a woman to tie natural or artificial hair to her own hair. The Prophet has made that very clear. Wearing a wig is just the same as tying hair, except that it is done in a more sophisticated way. This means that wearing a wig is forbidden in any way.”
There's a jackhammer going outside that's producing a noise that is only slightly below my pain threshold. I have to admire the guy using it though. He's out in the sun, bareheaded, barehanded, with no ear protection, and the temp is now over 100 I am sure. It's amazing what the human body can take. He's a TCN of course (third country national) and in the eyes of the Saudis that makes him not quite human.
I think I'll go over to Safeway (across the street) for a little lunch. Hopefully, the poor TCNs will get a lunch break. There's no way I can lay in the sun at the pool with that racket going on (they're by the pool). How's that for lack of consideration for another human being. He's out there eking out a living and I'm worried his activities will disturb my leisure. Am I any better than the Saudis? I am only if thinking about the inequality counts.
Terry