up my butt and around the corner

Since I've been out of touch with so many people for so long, I guess I owe you all one of those "my life" posts...

So a LOT has happened in the last few weeks. I got my driver's license, making me a fully mobile member of society! Whenever I get a car, its definately gonna help with the massive distances I'll have to traverse to get across this huge-ass campus. Speaking of UT, there are some striking comparisons that need to be made between SMU and UT. Now, i'm not going to lie. UT is maaaad ghetto. The dorms are nowhere near the quality of the ones at SMU, and they're pretty run down, but I guess that's to be expected at a public school. The advisors here are ghetto too. They offer little help at all, only suggesting classes they think you should take, and offering little advice on career tracks or what you should take to do well in school. I guess I should be happy with more freedom, but when I was at SMU, I was kinda comforted by the fact that someone was there to guide me along. Also, with such a large school, it's really easy to get swept up and lost in the beaurocracy of it all. I can't tell you how many times I've been screwed over here because I was new, and the bottom of the ladder. Anyways, as bad as I've made UT sound, I really like it here, and that's really what counts right?

UT is filled with tons of nice people, which is what I like. A lot. Unlike SMU, when you go out on the street, you're not overwhelmed by bitches with handbags and french manicures on cellphones. And unlike SMU, people here actually acknowledge your existence with a smile or whatever, regardless of whether they know you or not. Another thing I like about this place is that it's basically the liberal capital of Texas, the only blue blip on the map! I'm sorry, but SMU was just too freaking conservative for me. I guess this shouldn't have affected me as much, being a "moderate" and all, but trust me, it makes a big difference.

In other news, I met my roommate for the first time the other day. NAKED. Well, not fully naked, but almost. It was 11 PM, and he hadn't moved in yet, so I figured he wouldn't come until at least tomorrow. So I decided to take a shower and get to bed. Well, I was naked, when I heard a key turing in the door. I rush to my closet and put my bathroom on, and just as I do, my roommate, AND his family come into the room. Yeah, it was just a lil bit awkward.... but funny, I'll admit. Anyways, I'm still on summer break, and school starts on the 31st, so I still have some time to enjoy my freedom.

im at UT, and so much is happening right now that I haven't had time for an update, but rest assured, one's been bubbling for a while now. Until then here's a little taste.... my roommate and his family saw me almost naked!!!

I <3 work!

This summer, I have experienced the joys of intense manual labor at my old junior high school. So what exactly has come out of my work? A few new friends, a buttload of memories, and about 700 bucks in taxless income, that's what haha! But also, I've gained a newfound respect for the workers of ARAMCO and Saudi Arabia. The whole time i've been working (especially as a painter), i've been working beside all of the Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan workers imported from their homecountries to serve as the "working class" of Saudi Arabia and ARAMCO. An enormous amount of respect has got to be paid to these guys, who have left their home, friends, and family purely to ensure a better life for their loved ones. I say "purely" because there is no other reason for why any man would voluntarily leave their home and subject themselves to such a low quality life here.

Each and every one of the workers here is underpaid and unappreciated for the amount of effort they put into their work. These guys actually work harder and longer than any of our educated, specialized parents. They wake up before 6AM, at the crack of dawn, and they are on the job until late in the evening (i've seen busses of workers heading home past 11 PM), all for something like 40 riyals (11 bucks) a day or something rediculous like that. Although it may seem like big money for them back home, it definately does not do justice to all the CRAP they have to take while earning it. With my sparkling salary of 6 dollars an hour, I find it sad that me, an eighteen year old student, was getting paid more solely because I was an expat, or because my dad worked for the company.

When I first started on the job, there was a good deal of tension between us student workers and the imported staff. I think it was rightfully so, because the majority of westernized kids these guys come across scoff whenever they see them, or pay no attention to them at all. But eventually, things began to lighten up, and, even though they didn't speak much English, by the time I quit, we were all greeting each other in the halls, and complimenting each others' painting jobs. It's something I will definately remember for the rest of my life.

So, this post goes out for my boys, the underappreciated, underrated working class of Saudi Arabia. Although they will probably never read this, I thought it was something worth sharing.


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The Death of a King

On August 1st, The King of Saudi Arabia, or as everyone here called him, King Fahd, died. Not much was known about him until after he died, when every news channel began broadcasting his life’s story, but he really did do some important things for the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for future reference). In the most conservative and strict Islamic country in the world, he stood out as a liberal voice among harsh hardline critics, embracing America’s involvement in the world, incorporating what he could with traditional beliefs. Although it did not seem like he was acting in the best interest of his people, the KSA would most definitely not be where it is today without his leadership. Anyways, if you want to learn more about King Fahd, just watch the news, haha.

Immediately after the announcement of the King’s death was made, radio and television stations all across the Middle East immediately cut to prayers, and broadcasted nothing but for days in order to pay respect to the dead. I think its cool how this was done, even by countries with less than sparkling relations with Saudi Arabia, as it shows a certain amount of mutual respect each nation has for each other. Leaders from foreign countries immediately stopped what they were doing, and flew to Saudi Arabia to pay homage to the recently departed King and congratulate the ascending ruler. For a moment, it seemed as if all the trouble plaguing the world and the Middle East were put on hold, so that respect could be paid to one deserving great leader. It was great. The last time a King died, every working man in Saudi Arabia received a bonus month’s pay, so that’d be tight if it happened again, because at $62 per barrel, I’m sure it wouldn’t really be a problem. But then again, the new King had technically been ruling for a while already, so he doesn’t really need to please people to win their loyalty.

King Fahd had been incapacitated for about a decade or so, with his appointed successor and brother the now King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud (81 yrs old) ruling de facto. A lot of people might ask why he would appoint someone so old as the next King, the reason for which I think would be to avoid any competition or jockeying for power among his sons. But I think herein there lies a potential problem for the future. The new King has chosen his brother as successor as well, and as he is 77 yrs old, this could provide for an interesting next few years. Each of the original brothers, all sons of the original founder of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud, is getting older, which means each member of the royal family will begin jockeying for power, setting up members of the younger generation to eventually take over. But as long as shit doesn’t go down while I’m still here, I’m happy :-)