Monday Afternoon, at TRH

I made it home on schedule, around 3pm at TRH. I'll water plants, grab the mail and some new clothes, and head for Richmond around 7pm. I hope the traffic is OK by then.

I also washed off the Rover, and it's ready to go. It's gonna be strange to drive after three weeks of not driving.

Early Monday in the BA Lounge

I made it out of Saudi and Bahrain, leaving at 1:30 last night. Now, it's 8:30am and I am in London. Showered in the BA lounge at Heathrow, so now it's just another day in another airport. I'll leave here around 11am, and get to Dulles around 2pm. Then it's to TRH and to Richmond.

I'm wondering if anyone is reading these Blogs, or if I'm just keeping a secret diary.

Sunday, Last day in the Compound

Today I work all day then get on a plane in Bahrain and fly to the rain -- I made a rhyme!!! But maybe it stopped raining at TRH by now. Hope there are some spring flowers left for me to take pictures of.

I'll be returning to an emply house, Deborah in AZ and the puppies with Lucile. Oh well, I'll only be there an hour or so before driving to Richmond. Finally home again late Wednesday night.

Friday at the Compound

Just a day of work today, getting ready for a management presentation after class tomorrow.

Bought a newspaper today, Gulf News "Most Widely Read English Paper in the Middle East". A page was missing, so I went back to the store to get another one -- that page had been torn out of all the newspapers there. Guess there was something I was not supposed to see!!!

Two more days of training, then its to the Bahrain airport to fly all night Sunday, taxi to TRH Monday afternoon to pickup the Rover, then drive to Richmond to teach Tuesday and Wednesday. Hope I can sleep on the airplane!!!

Thursday Morning at the Compound

This is first day of the weekend and I am off to Bahrain for the day. Going with a guy who takes his wife there for hair stylist. Bahrain is another country, about an hour away, via car and about a thousand miles away culture-wise. There people were normal clothes and they serve beer and wine. Maybe they have some clustered pearl earrings - whatever those may be.

I finally got my PC attached to the internet here - and can access some additional travel and banking websites. But can't download mail into Outlook so still have to use Yahoo webmail. Took three weeks to find a guy who knew the correct 8 letter proxy server name. That's all it needed.

Tomorrow I am going with their ERM manager to look at electronics shops in the town just outside the compound.

BD at the Compound

Seafood buffet last night at the Meredian Hotel in town, outside the compound. Really nice hotel. I went with two auditors from here. One is in charge of ERM implementation and needs help and advice. I also setup a two hour briefing Saturday with the senior managers in finance and the VP Finance regarding COSO, to tell them what I've been telling their staff. Those are also the ERM decision makers.

I may make it to Bahrain tomorrow, Thursday (which is like Saturday in the US). We'll see if they have pearls.

I bet the basement plant needs a cup of water, and so do the others upstairs and down. The bulbs too, and they'd like to be outside, I bet.

Monday Evening in the Compound

I'm back at the compound!!! Good to be out of all that class of the Four Seasons and back to this down-to-earth sand and dirt!

Have a two-day session tomorrow with audit here, then weekend then one final two day session. Also, have a firm request to consult with them on a per day basis to choose an ERM provider and to provide 1/2 day senior management briefing on COSO and ERM. Also have a RFQ for ERM work with Telecom company in Riyadh. More work here than any one person can do - so better price my time on the high side!!!

Sunday Afternoon at the Four Seasons

Finished now with another COSO seminar. That's 3 down and 2 to go. They announced to the class another series of training sessions here June 11-15, so if that goes as planned, I'll be here again then.

A local economic magazine interviewed me after class, and I have another interview with a local newspaper tomorrow morning. Both interviews complete with cameramen. Wow - whoever thought auditors were such big celebrities!!!!

Dinner tonight with the partners of the consulting firm sponsoring the Riyadh seminar. I said I was looking forward to some belly dancing and beer drinking -- they said only camels belly dance here, and no one drinks beer!

Saturday Evening at the Four Seasons

First day of this two day class. Lots of bankers and telecom companies. About 26 people.

Got busted in the gym after class. Walked from lockers to showers without a towel around me and was told that was not allowed. Must be wrapped in towel or robe, even though all men in gym!

Booked to go back to Compound Monday at 2:30. Should be back in confinement by 5pm Monday. Teaching Tue - Wed, and maybe go to Bahrain for Ths or Friday. No pearls here in Riyadh.

Friday noon at the Four Seasons

Had buffet breakfast and then went to spa this morning. Sat by pool in the hot sun for an hour - maybe I'll have to do that again! Going on a tour at 4pm to see old souk and other things. I was told I could see everything in a couple of hours, and that I can take pictures.

Friday is like Sunday in the States. Except here everything is closed. I don't even know if the souk will be open tonight. We'll see.

The spa/gym is great. About 50 modern workout machines, plus weights. Pool was nice and private from rest of hotel - but water way too cold, for me. Massage, etc available, but I only rode bike and sat in sun and listened to my audio tapes.

Don't know where women go to workout or spa -- because the whole Four Season Spa/Gym is for men only! Men's dressing room opens directly onto the workout room, and men have to parade from lockers to showers by walking past the open walkway to the workout area!!!

Maybe they could bring you a skip rope to use in the hotel room, as long as you stayed away from the open windows where someone might see you!