Class-y Dressers
Class-y Dressers Sure, it’s the case that in any place, that the clothes one wears hints at your station in society. And it’s definitely the case here. For example, you often see men dressed in...
View ArticleBig Family Vehicles
This is a place where big cars are popular: - the average family size is six (down from higher numbers in recent years, and still lower in Riyadh than in smaller towns where the average size is 7-8) -...
View ArticleExtra Money: Saudi Budget Surplus
While the US posted its third consecutive highest annual deficit ($1.3 trillion), the Saudi government is faced with the problem of what to do with its latest surplus. That’s right. The Saudi...
View ArticleGoing for a Swim
Here in Riyadh, many compounds (expat residence communities) have swimming pools. But if you don’t have a friend on a compound, can you go swimming? Yes, you can!, my teacher friends told me. Here’s...
View ArticleHome of the Free
Walking around on the streets of Denver, I’m in awe of our freedoms. I just got back from two months in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wow, look at that lady walking alone, head uncovered, no abaya, walking a...
View ArticleLove Your Students
Change your lesson plan. Renumber your objectives for the day and make number one: Love your students. I’ve taught English to students in the US, Korea and Saudi Arabia. One thing’s for sure. You can’t...
View ArticleThe right to exercise
As I finished class on Friday here in Korea, I asked my fifth-grade student what she would be doing this weekend. She answered, “Studying!” “Oh,” I said, “well, make sure you get plenty of rest and get...
View ArticlePoem: Lanterns Sway …a Haiku
Pink, yellow and blue Lanterns sway, ajummas pray, Make my dreams come true! – * ajumma = elderly lady in Korea – About the poem: Touring a Buddhist temple in Seoul today, the grounds are decked out...
View ArticlePoem: Where Will You Go?
Where will you go? I don’t know How will you get there? I don’t really care Who will you see? That’s not up to me What will you do? Every day the same … About the poem: I have noticed that since I...
View ArticlePoem: Flying through the night …a Haiku
Pedaling my bike Sailing through pools of street light Flying through the night — About the poem: What freedom! Do you know when I lived in Saudi Arabia, riding my bike was the biggest thing I missed?...
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