(Is that even proper grammar?)
This is the headline from a NYT article the other day. It was talking about Anya Hindmarch's (a vendor of mine from Neimans!) limited edition re-usable canvas bags that are being sold by Whole Foods in NYC, to promote alternatives to plastic bags. You know that if I was there, I'd definitely be buying that bag. Loove that kind of stuff.
Anyway, the concept of recycling doesn't exist over here. I still feel like I'm committing a crime when I mix cardboards and glass and aluminum together in the big trash can. Reducing the use of plastic bags would be a total bust over here. Plastic bags are made from oil by-products-- so why do you think they are in abundance over here? Not only do people rely exclusively on plastic bags here, they blatantly waste them! The first time I went to the Saudi supermarket, my 18 items went into 15 plastic bags! The baggers put like one item in each bag! When I have to bag my own groceries because the girl cashiers don't approve of my bare arms, I fill each plastic bag until it's bulging in some wacky attempt to balance out the count.
I actually don't mind being stuck with the grocery bags since I use them as trash can liners at home. (And now they make good nappy sacks.) But I hate clothing store bags-- they are narrow and wide at the same time, have awkward handles for tying, and who wants to advertise that you actually shop at a store named Mango? Back home, after my first purchase at the mall, I would get the one bag and then at subsequent stores, have the clerks add my purchases to that one bag. No one ever blinked an eye. It's pretty normal, right? Well, over here, they look at me like I'm a freak!
"You can put it in this bag," I say, opening up the bag from the previous store.
"Uh, can't do that ma'am. It will make the bag too heavy, and you are pregnant."
"Uh, can't do that madam. It is better to put in this bag."
"No, sister!" (Laughs)
What? Do any of these responses make sense to you?
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Plane Crash
Very sad news out of Sao Paolo today. All of the other pilots here are either from Sao Paolo or Porto Alegre. Most of them have done many, many landings at the Congonhas airport, used the very same runway. The runway was built for DC-3s, not jets, so yes it was short, but still land-able. However...
Pilots may be very skilled and adept at handling tough situations, but my opinion is that the companies (airlines, airports, etc) ought to set them up for success. Make it as safe as possible, don't cut corners because your pilots are skilled enough to "get-by" and you want to save a few dollars.
Just two days ago, one of the planes in Jeff's company had mechanical problems, the computer couldn't read conditions correctly, and the airplane stalled. It dropped 3000 ft. To passengers, it may have just felt like hard tubulence. To a pilot, there was something wrong with this plane.
The environmental conditions in this part of the world cause the planes to get really dirty really fast. The sand just grinds through metal. Plane maintenance needs to be done very differently than for, say, an Alaska Airlines plane. Planes that are not regularly cleaned are covered with layers of oil which then act like a magnet to the sand. This can mess with a lot. Let's protect pilots (and passengers) and make conditions within control as safe as possible for them.
Pilots may be very skilled and adept at handling tough situations, but my opinion is that the companies (airlines, airports, etc) ought to set them up for success. Make it as safe as possible, don't cut corners because your pilots are skilled enough to "get-by" and you want to save a few dollars.
Just two days ago, one of the planes in Jeff's company had mechanical problems, the computer couldn't read conditions correctly, and the airplane stalled. It dropped 3000 ft. To passengers, it may have just felt like hard tubulence. To a pilot, there was something wrong with this plane.
The environmental conditions in this part of the world cause the planes to get really dirty really fast. The sand just grinds through metal. Plane maintenance needs to be done very differently than for, say, an Alaska Airlines plane. Planes that are not regularly cleaned are covered with layers of oil which then act like a magnet to the sand. This can mess with a lot. Let's protect pilots (and passengers) and make conditions within control as safe as possible for them.
Today I Made A Grown Man Cry
Jeff was carpooling with another pilot to the airport today. Jeff was still upstairs getting ready, so I answered the door to let in this pilot from the second class, whom I met for the first time today. I led him into the living room where Elena was in her bassinet, so I introduced them, and he leaned down and patted her little hand. I asked him, “Do you have any children?”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “Yes, I do. I will show you.” He took out his wallet and showed me a picture of this beautiful, brown-haired six-year old girl. Then he took out a palm pilot and showed me more family pictures of his wife and daughter. He was really sniffling now.
“It’s really hard to be away, I know,” I said.
It got me thinking about the sacrifices people have had to make in coming here. Working in Saudi Arabia is unusual in that when men (and it’s mostly men who are hired in this country) from foreign countries are hired, they must come over first, without their families. There is a waiting period before the family is added onto the iqama, so for the 6-12 weeks before the process is finalized, the men must live as bachelors in their new country of residence.
Thus, I can’t even put into words how inadequate and negligent the company is. I, for example, still have not been added to the iqama. This is seven months after the process supposedly began. I came to Saudi on a 3-month visa that Jeff had to fight for the company to write the invitation letter. Luckily, being a US citizen, it was granted (Brazilians not so lucky). Two months into my visit, we contacted the company to have them extend it. They refused to help. (Actually, they told me I simply had to fly back to the US for one day for the extension- like that was realistic, also I was 8-months pregnant at the time- ludicrous!) That’s why we hastily got my black-market residency in Bahrain.
Saudi is known for being slow, very bureaucratic, and mostly, suffering from very unmotivated workers. The iqama process is not unlike applying for a US Passport, which quotes a leadtime of 4-6 weeks, but in reality, would only take about one week. So why, 28 weeks later, are many pilots still without their families? Because the company people here sit on the paperwork. And sit. And sit. And we are at their mercy.
In fact, had Jeff not fought for my visit visa, we would have been apart for the duration of my pregnancy, the birth, and first few months of Elena’s life. I understand I have to make sacrifices—Jeff beginning a new career by definition requires sacrifice. But that would’ve been ridiculous.
The Brazilians, on the other hand, left their home country for various reasons. A few have sadly left forever, believing family life elsewhere will be safer, the others plan to be in the Middle East for a few years before going back. There were massive layoffs that caused them to look elsewhere, and this current situation suits them since they are effectively quadrupling their salaries by being here.
People need jobs, and more importantly, people want to love what they’re doing. And pilots love to fly more than anything else. I think they would go anywhere the job is. And in this situation, they happen to be separated from their families for long periods of time. Many of them have young children, and months apart can seem even longer given how quickly children grow.
Seeing the pilot get emotional today punctuated just how difficult it can be to establish a life in Saudi Arabia. There is no real recourse for getting things done in a timely manner. Everything is inshallah, which may wreak havoc on your family life. Don’t you think if it really was inshallah, He would want your family to be together?
Tears welled up in his eyes. “Yes, I do. I will show you.” He took out his wallet and showed me a picture of this beautiful, brown-haired six-year old girl. Then he took out a palm pilot and showed me more family pictures of his wife and daughter. He was really sniffling now.
“It’s really hard to be away, I know,” I said.
It got me thinking about the sacrifices people have had to make in coming here. Working in Saudi Arabia is unusual in that when men (and it’s mostly men who are hired in this country) from foreign countries are hired, they must come over first, without their families. There is a waiting period before the family is added onto the iqama, so for the 6-12 weeks before the process is finalized, the men must live as bachelors in their new country of residence.
Thus, I can’t even put into words how inadequate and negligent the company is. I, for example, still have not been added to the iqama. This is seven months after the process supposedly began. I came to Saudi on a 3-month visa that Jeff had to fight for the company to write the invitation letter. Luckily, being a US citizen, it was granted (Brazilians not so lucky). Two months into my visit, we contacted the company to have them extend it. They refused to help. (Actually, they told me I simply had to fly back to the US for one day for the extension- like that was realistic, also I was 8-months pregnant at the time- ludicrous!) That’s why we hastily got my black-market residency in Bahrain.
Saudi is known for being slow, very bureaucratic, and mostly, suffering from very unmotivated workers. The iqama process is not unlike applying for a US Passport, which quotes a leadtime of 4-6 weeks, but in reality, would only take about one week. So why, 28 weeks later, are many pilots still without their families? Because the company people here sit on the paperwork. And sit. And sit. And we are at their mercy.
In fact, had Jeff not fought for my visit visa, we would have been apart for the duration of my pregnancy, the birth, and first few months of Elena’s life. I understand I have to make sacrifices—Jeff beginning a new career by definition requires sacrifice. But that would’ve been ridiculous.
The Brazilians, on the other hand, left their home country for various reasons. A few have sadly left forever, believing family life elsewhere will be safer, the others plan to be in the Middle East for a few years before going back. There were massive layoffs that caused them to look elsewhere, and this current situation suits them since they are effectively quadrupling their salaries by being here.
People need jobs, and more importantly, people want to love what they’re doing. And pilots love to fly more than anything else. I think they would go anywhere the job is. And in this situation, they happen to be separated from their families for long periods of time. Many of them have young children, and months apart can seem even longer given how quickly children grow.
Seeing the pilot get emotional today punctuated just how difficult it can be to establish a life in Saudi Arabia. There is no real recourse for getting things done in a timely manner. Everything is inshallah, which may wreak havoc on your family life. Don’t you think if it really was inshallah, He would want your family to be together?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
The Pinking of the Baby Has Begun
People must really enjoy buying things for new babies. How else can one-month old Elena already have a closet full of clothes? Upon opening the door, you see the whole spectrum of pink, from pastel to hot, folded or hanging neatly, grouped by size. Here and there you see a smattering of yellow and lavender. It’s like Easter Sunday in there.
My only contribution to her wardrobe is one-piece pajama thingies, in white and green patterns, purchased when she was still known as Eggbert.
The friends I’ve made in Bahrain have been so excited about Elena’s arrival. We’ve had many visitors to the house. Each time someone visits, they come bearing a pink outfit, and honestly, there is no requirement to bring us something pink when they visit.
My friends are women, so it really isn’t a stretch for them to bring these gifts. Jeff’s colleagues, however, have been so cute. These male, Brazilian pilots have brought Elena pink outfits and pink stuffed animals and pink balloons when they visited me in the hospital. They are characteristically very familial with us; they come from a culture that makes us family, not just friends. One bought us a playpen/bassinet, another this carrier/swing thing… one of them even got me an electric breast pump!
My only contribution to her wardrobe is one-piece pajama thingies, in white and green patterns, purchased when she was still known as Eggbert.
The friends I’ve made in Bahrain have been so excited about Elena’s arrival. We’ve had many visitors to the house. Each time someone visits, they come bearing a pink outfit, and honestly, there is no requirement to bring us something pink when they visit.
My friends are women, so it really isn’t a stretch for them to bring these gifts. Jeff’s colleagues, however, have been so cute. These male, Brazilian pilots have brought Elena pink outfits and pink stuffed animals and pink balloons when they visited me in the hospital. They are characteristically very familial with us; they come from a culture that makes us family, not just friends. One bought us a playpen/bassinet, another this carrier/swing thing… one of them even got me an electric breast pump!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Eternal Sunshine of the Grandma's Mind
So a friend of mine invited us to dinner last night. She had given birth just one day after me, so our babies are almost exactly the same age. My mom was getting Elena ready to go. She was holding Elena in her arms, looking down at her and telling her how cute she was, and that she was going to meet another baby just like her tonight.
My mom turned to me and whispered, "I don't think you should bring Elena, because your friend will see her and get jealous."
Brava, mom! Spoken like a true Grandma.
My mom turned to me and whispered, "I don't think you should bring Elena, because your friend will see her and get jealous."
Brava, mom! Spoken like a true Grandma.
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