Birthdays in Jeddah

Three of the teachers at our school have birthdays within a week of each other, including myself.  We had a joint celebration at a local tea cafe, went to the beach for one birthday, and finished the "birthday week" with a boat trip on the Red Sea.  I was able to use my new underwater housing for my camera, so here are the pictures from the beach and boat trip:

Digging for clams in the Red Sea.

Dinner...fresh out of the slimy ocean bottom.

One of our family traditions used to be to go to a japanese hibachi restaurant for our birthdays.  I found a Benihana's in Jeddah, so a few of us went out for dinner just for fun!  It was delicious and reminded me of home...although I must say that the chefs at Saito's put on a better show.

Me pretending to be the chef while we were waiting for our real chef to come.  Since it is Saudi Arabia, there are separate rooms for each table.  So, we had a private room for just the three of us...nice and relaxing.

Snorkeling in the Red Sea on my birthday!  What could be better than that?

Holidays in Jeddah

I have not posted on my blog for awhile because a lot of the things I would love to tell about are things I should not post due to security reasons.  Just know that my Father has blessed me with a fellowship of like-minded individuals that have become my family.  Another teacher and I found this group of people on Thanksgiving, which was perfect timing!  We were able to have a nice turkey lunch with them and have been meeting with them regularly.  The group is made up of individuals from all over the world: South Africa, Australia, the U.K., Kenya, India, Canada, U.S.A., etc.  It is a blessing to gather with these people who are so diverse in their ethnicities, but unified in their love for our Father!

Another exciting thing that happened this past month was that my mom came to visit for a week after Christmas (after a month-long hassle to get her visa!).  A bunch of the teachers got together for the actual holiday to have a nice dinner and exchange gifts.  Then, my mom came late the next day and was able to meet my friends and students.  She now has a first hand experience of what I deal with every day with my rambunctious six-year-olds, as she came and helped me in my classroom for two days.  They were actually on their best behavior for her, and they were still crazy!  I also took her shopping at the largest souq (an outdoor market) to get a real cultural experience.  We bargained for gifts and souvenirs that she took back to the States with her.  Finally, we relaxed by the pool and went snorkeling in the Red Sea.  I'm supposed to be going snorkeling again on my birthday, so I will finally be able to try out the underwater housing that I recently got for my camera.

Report cards are due in 3 days, so I will be busy with that.  I will try to post again within the next couple of weeks to show you how my underwater pictures turned out...if they turn out.  Meanwhile, here are a few pics of how I spent my holidays in Jeddah:

All dressed up for our holiday dinner!

Celebrating with my new "family" in Jeddah.

Enjoying time with my mom during her short stay here in Jeddah!