Raindrops keep fallin' on my head!

I awoke this morning to a strange sound. I wasn't sure at first what it was. It sounded like thunder, but it seemed out place in Saudi Arabia. I heard it again and jumped out of bed, pulling back the blinds covering my window. It was raining!
What a rare way to wake up in Saudi Arabia. It only rains once or twice a year, at the most. Sometimes it doesn't rain at all! I remember seeing dark clouds the day before and thinking, "Those look like rain clouds. I wonder if it's going to rain soon?"
I jumped out of bed, made sure I had on some decent clothes, and grabbed my camera. I ran barefoot into the street in front of our apartment building at 7:30am, letting the rain soak through my hair and clothes. I felt like a kid as a stood in the street with my tongue sticking out, trying to catch the raindrops. Some of the other teachers came out with their cameras to enjoy this rare experience. We called out excitedly to each other, "It's raining! It's raining!", laughing like little children.
I'm usually not one to stand out in the rain back home...unless it's during the eye of a hurricane...but I gained a new appreciation for a rainstorm today. I never thought I'd be that excited to see rain! I ran up to our roof to try to get a better view of the streets outside our compound. No one else on the compound seemed to be out. We had been told that when it rained here, it usually only rained for about 10 or 15 minutes, but it has been raining off and on all morning. The streets are even a little flooded. After I decided that I was wet enough from the rain, I went back inside my apartment to see what time it was in Florida. Was it too early or too late to call home? It was about 11:30pm, but I checked Skype just to see if anyone was on. I just had to tell someone back home that it was raining in Saudi Arabia. Luckily, Taylor was still on after having a late night shift as an RA. I Skyped him and told him the exciting news of the rainstorm. He didn't seem quite as excited as I was, but you never can appreciate rain as much as when you're in the desert. Here are some pics and a video of the first rainstorm since I've been in Jeddah:
Enjoying the rain in my pajamas and bare feet.
My flash was on, so the raindrops almost look like snowflakes.

Enjoying Hajj :)

We get two weeks off for Hajj, and I have been enjoying it tremendously.  We have been able to see many different parts of Jeddah, including the not so pretty parts.  Here are some pictures of what we have done so  far:

Jungle Land...a small amusement park we went to with one of the Arabic teachers.  We rode this ride that spun us around and upside down with our abayas flapping in the wind and our bare feet dangling in the air.

Me and the Canadian teachers outside Jungle Land.  I love these girls :)

One of the private Western beaches where we can wear normal bathing suits.

Another view of the beach.  When I'm at one of these beaches, I feel like I'm no longer in Saudi Arabia.

Red Sea boat trip

Here are pictures from our boat trip on the Red Sea.  It was so beautiful and relaxing! What a great way to kick off our vacation :)

Walking through "Diver's Village" down to the boat.

Curious cultural pics

Every mall has a mini amusement park inside for the kids.

This ride was under construction, but looks like a water rafting ride.

This is the front of the Mall of Arabia, one of the biggest malls in Jeddah.

This is one of the souks, closed for prayer.

It's so deserted on the weekend during prayer.

Boom Boom Pow

My 1st grade boys continually surprise me by their behavior (good and bad), academic progress (they are picking up more and more English), and funny things like singing lyrics to English songs I didn't expect them to know. Today, three of my boys suddenly started singing the Black-Eyed Peas song "Boom Boom Pow". They knew more of the lyrics than I did! I'm not sure if they liked it because it had the words "boom" and "pow" in it (typical boys), but I was shocked that 1st grade Saudi boys would know that song! They were so cute and so serious. Then, later that morning, we were creating a mural of the four seasons. The boys who were drawing pictures to represent Spring (some of the same ones who were singing "Boom Boom Pow") decided to add Michael Jackson to their picture. They even gave him an umbrella since it rains in the Spring...and of course a microphone so he could sing. I'm not sure if they know he's dead, but one of my boys idolizes him. He wants to be like Michael Jackson when he grows up, and can even do the moon walk. I have a feeling I'm gonna miss my boys after two weeks of being away from them. But tomorrow I plan to enjoy the sunshine, the Red Sea, and being away from kids for a change.

Hospitals in Jeddah

I have been well the whole time I have been here. I'm used to being sick with a cold this time of year. However, two days ago I came down with a sudden, severe cough. My asthma was affected by it, so I was unable to breathe very well. My inhaler was expired, so I contemplated going to the pharmacy the next day. However, I wasn't sure if they would be open on a Friday - or what times they would be open. I tossed and turned all night with a cough, fever, and headache keeping me up. As soon as it was light out, I made up my mind to go to the hospital.
Now, you might be thinking, "Hospital? Was it that serious?". Well, the hospitals work a little differently here than in the U.S. The doctor's offices are within the hospital, so you could go to the hospital for a wellness visit or something serious. I was a little nervous going, since I had not been to a hospital here before. I was also by myself, since it was early in the morning on our weekend, and I was hoping that someone there would speak English.
I called a cab, and when I arrived I was directed to the Emergency Room. This was the only section of the hospital that looked open at this time of day on a Friday (their Sabbath). I was asked for my insurance card, my temperature and blood pressure were taken, and a female doctor came to ask me my symptoms. I was then escorted to a women's only room where I was put on a nebulizer. After my breathing treatment, they gave me a prescription for meds for my cough, fever, and headache, as well as a new inhaler. I paid 25 riyals (less than $7 USD) to open a file at the hospital and was directed to the pharmacy within the hospital to pick up my meds. Because I used the hospital's pharmacy, I did not have to pay a single riyal for my medication. So, my trip to the ER in Jeddah cost me $7 USD and I was in and out within an hour! I think I like this healthcare system...or maybe I just came at a good time of day?
I am feeling quite a bit better today, but I still have a cough and headache. I took the day off work - my first sick day this year. The hard thing about taking days off is that the school does not have a list of substitute teachers to call in. My principal is actually going to be teaching my students for part of the day, and then other teachers will be asked to cover my class at certain times of the day when they have a break. I feel guilty about taking a sick day and putting more work on the other teachers, but there's no way I would have been able to teach today when my breathing is still not back to normal.
Ask our Father:
* For my health to improve
* That the break we have starting next week will be rejuvenating
* That I will have boldness to speak the Good News to those around me
* That those around me will see J***s in my actions and speech

Internet troubles

Our internet at our apartments has not been working for the past week and a half. The internet at school is off and on. I am typing this at school during my break, so it will be short and sweet.
I just wanted to thank all of my readers for their encouraging words and prayers. My students are settling in to a routine, and I am falling in love with them more and more each day. They are now able to come in to class, put their folders and agendas in the bucket, and get started on their morning handwriting practice. They are even picking up some of the phrases and songs I use in class, and remind each other of the rules/routines. They have improved so much since the beginning of school.
We had parent input meetings last week, and all of the parents that showed up were very supportive and encouraging. A couple of days ago, we were invited to the home of one of the students in another teacher's class. It was just ladies, and we chatted about all sorts of things for three hours, while enjoying good Arabic food. The house was huge! The sitting room had about 7 or 8 couches in it, and four or five coffee tables. They also had an elevator inside the house. The decor was beautiful and the hostess was very hospitable. I wish I had pictures, but it would have been rude to take pictures in their house.
We have one more week until Hajj break. We will be off of school for two weeks, and I have already had many students absent. I'm not sure if they decided to take an early vacation, or they are just sick. I'm not complaining too much, because it makes my class of 25 down to about 20. During Hajj, the teachers are planning on sightseeing, going snorkeling, and shopping in Old Jeddah. All of the teachers are ready for a break, but we're a little worried about the students forgetting routines after a two week break.
I have to go now, but I appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers!