| First time visit to Saudi Arabia | | | | worried maybe he was not there. Around 5-10 |
| Sitting in my home in Sweden and looking out as | | | | minutes scouting for someone that could be my |
| the sun set and the clear autumn sky revealed its | | | | contact person made me anxious, maybe I was |
| color rim on the black canvas developing slowly, I | | | | left alone here now and had to find the way |
| could not avoid thinking of the adventure ahead | | | | myself to my accommodation. However, as out |
| of me. | | | | of nowhere at short man stood next to me and |
| In 24 hours I would be in Saudi Arabia, a country | | | | asked If I was Steve. I turned my head and |
| I only had read about and seen in the news on | | | | looked into his eyes, and said, i am Stig. He looked |
| TV. I rarely knew anything about the country | | | | down at a note he had, and looked at me again, |
| apart from what I had read and that it is the | | | | and said ok, follow me. I assumed he had found |
| major oil producer in the world and the central | | | | the right man and I had found the guide I needed |
| country for muslims and with a long story in | | | | to get me to a bed to sleep in. |
| Islamic faith. I raised myself from the chair and | | | | After an hour or so with paper work at the |
| closed the door, knowing it would be a long time | | | | airport I was sitting in a Taxi running down an |
| till next time I would see this place again. Leaving | | | | endless asphalt road aiming straight as an arrow, |
| behind me the memories of this place and | | | | patched with sand dunes here and there. It was |
| embark on a new chapter in my life, and to enter | | | | dark so I could only see the lights of some |
| a completely new way of living. This country not | | | | buildings and the road signs. Names in Arabic |
| allowing bibles, nor crusifics with christ nor crosses | | | | combined with English made me at least |
| on bracelets intreaged me as well as made me a | | | | understand we were in a country were |
| bit nervous. How would it be to live in a country | | | | infrastructure was ok. After one hour of silent |
| where there were no room for other faiths than | | | | driving, as the driver did not make any attempt |
| Islam? | | | | to talk to me, we came to a security gate |
| After spending several hours on the airplane from | | | | manned with men in helmets and guns. The driver |
| Gothenburg in Sweden, and after a pit stop in | | | | talked something in Arabic to the guards and we |
| Amsterdam we were only minutes from landing in | | | | drove further in to this enclosed area, which |
| Saudi Arabia. I still was a bit confused about | | | | apparently were Saudi Aramco facilities. Then |
| where this place was, it is called Dammam, but I | | | | another gate appeared in front of us, and another |
| had finally got the understanding that it was in | | | | guard in helmet approached the car and talked |
| Saudi Arabia, but whether it was the place I was | | | | with the guard and he pointed at me and my |
| going to stay or not, I did not know at this | | | | driver showed some papers and we were told to |
| moment. Also the excitement of entering the | | | | drive apparently because the taxi moved again. |
| country of mysteries and secrets made me a bit | | | | After 5 minutes more driving we stopped at a |
| nervous. | | | | parking lot and the driver told me, this is it, and |
| Seeing all those uniformed men standing looking at | | | | we took one piece of luggage each and walked |
| you as you wait for your luggage made me feel | | | | between some small grey houses. He stopped in |
| a little bit uncomfortable, but trying to look | | | | front of one of them and pointed at the door. He |
| unaffected by the situation I took my suitcases | | | | looked at me and said, this is the place you will to |
| and left for the customs control. I had been told | | | | stay, and he took out a key and opened the |
| many stories and heard about adventures in this | | | | door. Inside a living room with carpet revealed |
| check point in Saudi Arabia before, now I was | | | | itself and I could see an open kitchen in the end |
| there, and the man looked first at me, then the | | | | of the room, and stairs leading up to next floor |
| suitcases, which he asked me politely to open and | | | | next to it. We sat down my travel pieces on the |
| he just looked quick at them and asked me to | | | | carpet and he just made some checks and gave |
| close them. His attention was at my plastic bag I | | | | me the keys. Ok, he said, have a good night, bye, |
| had in my hand which contained my newspapers, | | | | bye. He closed the door behind him and there I |
| magazines and leftover of my snacks and a diet | | | | stood in the middle of the living room alone, very |
| Coke. Looking at the bag, he pointed at it and | | | | alone. The silence surrounding me, only hearing the |
| asked to see it. I gave it to him slowly and he | | | | buzz of the air-conditioning made me feel very |
| began eagerly to examine the magazines in there. | | | | alone at this moment. The silence was astonishing |
| The magazines I had was an issue of a Mans | | | | at this moment. I had arrived to Saudi Arabia and |
| Health magazine, an issue of a trend magazine | | | | was completely alone, what a strange feeling. I |
| and finally a car magazine. He did not say a word | | | | found everything prepared for me, even some |
| as I inspected page by page the Mans Health | | | | food and all necessities was there. I went |
| magazine and then began slowly to look at the | | | | upstairs’ and took a shower and my thoughts |
| Trend magazine. He stopped at some pages, | | | | began to work, how do I get to the people I am |
| which of course had adverts of some women in | | | | supposed to meet tomorrow, I have no clue |
| bikinis and in beach ware, as he apparently got | | | | were I am and were they are? I just hope they |
| more and more concentrated reading my | | | | will send someone to meet me tomorrow and |
| magazines. He quickly shut the magazine and | | | | guide me. |
| handed it over to me and said it was ok and | | | | I buried myself in to the new bed with fresh |
| asked me to go. | | | | sheets and a soft pillow, closed my eyes and |
| Standing outside the customs area looking for my | | | | made a slow breathing. Ok, Stig, your first lines in |
| man to meet me and give me the drive to the | | | | the new chapter of your life, Saudi Arabia, lets |
| apartment they had allotted me, made me | | | | see how it goes then. |