The second week
Published: 12.10.2016
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Hello everyone - مرحبا بالجميع
So, two weeks have already passed..
Time flies, but at the same time there's so much going on that it feels like we've been away for a long time.
By now, we have also 'fully settled in' - we've made our rooms a bit more personal (added a small carpet here, a few pictures on the wall there..) and still feel very comfortable here. Work is also starting slowly. Next week, we will do fieldwork for the first time. Unfortunately, it will only be snorkeling. I (Susann) now have my Saudi diving license (Felix will get his in the next few days), but we still need to do a test dive with the Dive Officer from the scientific diving department.
And if there's one thing we've learned in such a short time here, it's that you need a form, application, or something similar for everything in this country :-) And how and which form to fill out seems to be completely arbitrary. But well, maybe you get used to it over time ;-)
One thing I can definitely get used to is being able to relax by the pool or beach on the weekends. The weather is really great at the moment. Not as brutally hot anymore (between 35 and 30°C during the day and around 25-27°C at night), there's often a pleasant breeze in the afternoon, and the high humidity that really got to us in the first few days is slowly decreasing. Unlike many others, I don't want to stay in air-conditioned rooms all the time - that's why we still walk most of the way instead of taking the air-conditioned bus.
In general, one of the big mysteries here is where most people spend their weekends. Nobody on the streets, only a few people at the beach or pool, even the cool sports facilities are deserted during the day. But that's good for us - there's always enough space ;-)
Another good evening activity is going to the cinema (by the way, the only one in Saudi Arabia!)
Last week, we watched 'Pets' there - movie ticket + popcorn and cola for only €3.30 :-D
But of course, we don't just have free time, we are also working hard! For our projects, Felix with CO2 budgets in reefs and seagrass meadows, and me with giant clams, we currently spend a lot of time on the computer, reading lots of papers and trying to get familiar with the topics. A lot of preliminary work that will hopefully be replaced by fieldwork soon. Fortunately, there are many nice colleagues here - the work is quite mentally challenging but enjoyable.
In the following maps, you can see where we live and work on the campus. The entire university campus is huge, but the daily commute is not bad. It takes about 20 minutes (~2.2 km) on foot from the apartment to the office.
Unfortunately - and this is surely the biggest drawback :-/ - you are not allowed to simply go into the sea here. I think we were both looking forward to that the most - just packing our snorkeling or swimming gear and jumping into the water.
But because a) Saudis apparently have a strange relationship with water sports and their dangers (see: the fact that we had to officially convert our, now quite 'advanced' diving certifications). Quote from a colleague: 'They all can't swim themselves and that's why they're afraid of water'.. and b) someone apparently had a heart attack while walking in/on the water some time ago, swimming is only allowed in a restricted area on the official beach. And you can't go snorkeling there. So we really hope for a lot of fieldwork and that we will soon be able to go diving or something similar in Jeddah or the surrounding area.
Next week, we will hopefully be back with pictures and a report from the field.
Until then, greetings to all of you,
Felix and Susann
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