'Orientation' - Week 2

Honestly? I have only been here for about 1 1/2 weeks and it already feels like at least 1 month >_<

The past few days have been quite eventful - unfortunately not in regards to Felix's VISA because there are still no updates.. Although they assure us that they are working on it with high priority, it is not clear where the specific problem lies and how long it will take to resolve.
So we still have to keep our fingers crossed :-(

In the meantime, I have rearranged my desk. Luckily, the desk I had during the internship is still available.

   

                   My desk at the Red Sea Research Center

However, the week has been filled with events - on various topics, mainly to familiarize all the new students with the conditions here. You can imagine, with over 100 nationalities on campus (and over 40 in the current 'class'), conflicts are inevitable.
I can also say - having been here for a longer period of time before is a definite advantage. Otherwise, the initial period can be quite overwhelming.
By the way, if you're interested in some numbers:
The current batch has 250 students (the majority of them are Master students). Majors include Mechanical Engineering (which, to my knowledge, is the largest group), Chemical Engineering and Petrol Engineering, Bioscience and Environmental Science, and of course, Marine Sciences which is where we are :-)
There were a total of 8000 applicants - in the Marine Sciences, there are nine of us in total, with only 2 PhDs. (In general, there are only 4 new PhD students in the Biosciences this year).

Last Friday, we went on a trip to Ta'if, a city in western Saudi Arabia, about a 4-hour bus ride from KAUST.  Due to the pleasant climate, Ta'if became the residence of the Hashemite Sharifs ruling in Mecca. In 1924, the city was conquered by the Saudis. Because the region is not as hot and receives more rainfall than the rest of the country, vegetables, fruits, and roses can be grown here.

That's why we also visited a factory that produces rose water:

The flowers in the photo are obviously NOT roses, but Bougainvillea :) The rose blooming season is in the spring

What is rose water? Rose water is an essential water from the rose or Rosa centifolia that is produced as a by-product during the distillation of rose oil from rose flowers. It can be used for various things - cosmetics, sweet dishes (e.g. marzipan), or in Indian lassi.

We also visited a vegetable and fruit market where I bought the most delicious figs I have ever tasted!

No trip is complete without visiting another quirky museum where you can find a peculiar mix of folklore, history, and kitsch:

Although it is certainly sad to experience these things without Felix, fortunately, I have met some very nice and funny new people (in addition to the nice people I already knew).
Among them are two Saudis - great guys :) Omar and Fares, who are a perfect example of how different this country and its inhabitants are compared to what one might think from a distance or at first glance.

Fares, Omar, George (my new British colleague), and me ;-)

Yesterday was the last day of the Orientation Phase - and it got creative :) The university had come up with something really nice for the closing program. In addition to pizza and soft drinks, you could try out various creative activities: dyeing T-shirts, 'graffiti', and writing your own name in Arabic calligraphy :)

which I have to admit I am a little proud of and am wearing it to work today :-)

Especially great because this way I can quickly and easily get decorations for our huge apartment :)

      

Still a work in progress ;-) But I put in the effort.

This week, it's finally back to the desk and the lab. And of course, we need to continue to stay on top of Felix's visa situation and hope that he can join as soon as possible!