My life in Riyadh and my travels are detailed in a series of stories I sent my friends. I myself like letters 15, 12, and 24 the best. I'd recommend that you read those first, if you don't have the time or interest to read everything.
Terrence
March 27, 2000
| Topic | ||||
1. |
Death Letters | How I got sucked into the project | March 99 | |
2. |
I'd Been Had | Travel | Misadventures of getting there | Mar. 11-12, 99 |
3. |
Cordoba Prison | Life in Riyadh | The compound we lived in | March 99 |
4. |
Black Moving Objects | Cultural commentary | Language, dress, and the abayas | March 99 |
5. |
Elbonia | Life in Riyadh | Trip to see the mud palaces and the camel market | Mar. 19, 99 |
6. |
Jarir Bookstore | Life in Riyadh | Visa gripes, city planning, censorship, names | March 99 |
7. |
Terrence of Arabia | Life in Riyadh | Eating Saudi food and buying Saudi headdress in the souqs | Mar. 25, 99 |
8. |
"I Must Touch the Sand." | Life in Riyadh | Day trip to Dammam (first stage of culture shock) | Mar. 26, 99 |
9. |
"Stop Wearing Skirts, Dude." | Cultural commentary | Different world views on time, class, social mobility, blame, etc. (second stage of culture shock) | April 99 |
10. |
"Mafi Moshcula." | Life in Riyadh | Visa gripes, daily routines, the limited entertainment options of shopping and dining (third stage of culture shock) | April 99 |
11. |
Greece | Travel | Athens and vincinity | May 6-9, 99 |
12. |
Threatened by the EgyptAir Captain | Travel | Misadventures with EgyptAir | May 9, 99 |
13. |
Cairo, Forced Upon Me | Travel | Unexpected day in Cairo visiting the Pyramids and fighting hustlers | May 10, 99 |
14. |
Nineteen Hours in Bahrain | Travel | Weekend trip to Bahrain | May 20-21, 99 |
15. |
A Small Staffing Challenge | Life in Riyadh | Spoof about our project | May 99 |
16. |
Groundhog's Days | Life in Riyadh | Slow days of May, June, and July | May-July 99 |
17. |
Churches, Concerts, and Cafés | Travel | Vienna, Prague, and Budapest | June 24-29, 99 |
18. |
Graffiti Rock | Life in Riyadh | Getting our truck stuck in the sand on a desert drive | July 9, 99 |
19. |
Where Are the Arabs? | Travel | A day in Dubai on my way to Singapore | July 21-22, 99 |
20. |
I Like It | Travel | Second time in Singapore since five years ago | July 23-25, 99 |
21. |
Golden Triangle of India | Travel | Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra on the way from Singapore | July 26-29, 99 |
22. |
Nothing Less Than 3000 Years Old | Travel | Going to Egypt again, this time to more than just the pyramids | Aug. 12-17, 99 |
23. |
Too Nice | Travel | Sydney, Ayers Rock, Cape Tribulation, and Cairns in the Land Down Under | Sept. 2-16, 99 |
24. |
The Difference Two Weeks Made | Cultural commentary | Why I wanted to leave | Sept.-Nov. 99 |
Pictures from Saudi Arabia and from various trips are in the Photo Gallery.
See more pictures and stories at Ricardo Olivares' homepage.