Countdown and Time.

"Let's go to the beach" was the request from Tord & Joe.
The work week had ended, being sunny and hot ( around 40 deg C).
My admiral (Joy) was in the States visiting family, Tord was batching with his wife in Los Angeles, Joe likewise with his wife in Beirut, Lebanon.
All of us having endured a more than usual hectic work week.

We left at 0900 and were comfortably settled on the sand by 0945, first row of seats so to look directly out to the blue waters of the Red Sea.
Being early, by local standards, we were almost alone for the first hour.
The small sea crabs could be seen scuttling about on the shore, before the crowds forced them into seclusion. The early day sun was sparkling on the water, only small wavelets to be seen. It was quiet and peaceful.
By noon the scene would change with increasing numbers of families and bodies jumping in the waters in front of us - oh for the serenity of the "early" hours. But seeing normal bathing outfits and bikinis, and children making monuments in the sand, made it feel like a normal western beach - although the occasional "full length" outfit squashed those notions, but only slightly.
By noon the sand became so hot that it was not possible to walk on it without shoes or sandals. The glare off the sand and the water also required sunglasses, unlike the softer lighting earlier. It was time for a dip before lunch.
On wading out the water close to shore felt almost like a bath, not refreshing. Small fish could be seen, and occasionally felt against our feet during the wading out. On swimming out towards a small man made island off the beach the cooler mixed currents of water could be felt, but not truly refreshing until at least fifty yards out. It felt good on the legs while swimming in a low impact setting. The goal was to swim around the "island" then back to shore, a reasonable workout, more pleasant than the gym.
At times it was nice to stop and simply float on my back, with eyes closed, gently drifting, feeling the warm sun on my face. The increased salinity and hence buoyancy producing gentle bobbing. Serenity. The trials of the Magic Kingdom far away. This aspect, with its close proximity, will be missed.

Then it was off to lunch at the small restaurant just off the beach.
A small mixed salad, grilled chicken off their BBQ, and sparkling cold apple juice (yes we are in the Magic Kingdom where only artificial beer can be purchased - legally).

By three pm it had become too hot for mere western souls so we drove home, taking in the simple pleasure of a shower, a small dinner, and a pirated DVD.
Looking out from my balcony the evening lights were coming on, the traffic increasing, as the usual night time hours of the locals had begun. But I was tired, from sun, sand & water, now instead of an evening stroll, to enjoy my bed in a cool air conditioned apartment - another simple pleasure.

On awakening this morning it was with the awareness that it is now "countdown" mode. Yesterday at the beach it was exactly five months to my last working day - today it is one day shy of five months.
Joy will be back tomorrow, from her last planned trip across the Atlantic before we depart in November.
Next weekend I plan to fly to Europe for my last planned conference while here.
This August we have planned our last real vacation to Europe while here.
The process of getting ready for departure is rapidly approaching.

Being patient and open minded is required for a long term expat life here - but it is now "time" for us. Yes there would be advantages to staying longer, and easy to be lulled into signing on for yet another contract year, as many expats have done, one year drifting into another. But then at some point to stop, stand back, and balance this time against the other significant disadvantages, of being away from home, family, and friends. To balance this against our other life goals. What is of value to us? Time is not a commodity that can be put in the bank to earn interest, for when it is gone it is gone, not to be re captured at a later date. Time needs to be used wisely.
That notion of reasonable "balance" in life, that notion of an important goal, can be an elusive concept, not easy to determine, but eventually requiring the decision to jump at some point, weighing the good and the bad. Otherwise we drift through life - and time disappears. What is good, what is bad, an individual value or choice.
Our "jump" has now begun as the "countdown" takes place.
It's time to walk to my local Starbucks.

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More Masalamas and B Day.

Masalamas (goodbye parties) are getting to be a regular event here, as more and more expat friends are deciding to exit the Magic Kingdom.
Their reasons for leaving are varied (it is "time"), something we will be doing ourselves later this year. We believe it is the end of a long era, already slowing when we arrived in 2010, when western expats were previously a large part of the workforce here, when the "community" was large with an adventurous spirit, but no more. The geographic region around us is in turmoil (although stable here), the native populations are being placed in many previous expat positions, and of course the difficulties for adjustment for many in a strict society that is changing at a glacial pace. It's been a great experience for us, particularly having experienced the 90's here (in Riyadh) as well as a decade later during this tour of duty (in Jeddah), but again it is now "time".

As a result we have experienced four masalama events over the past month, a sad but expected part of the expat experience.

Aside from masalama (goodbye) to friends & colleagues, there is also the same to be said regarding our chronologic years as they go by, and the new challenges we face with the advancing years. The years gone by have been good, being fortunate to have experienced many valuable family times, good friends, and the numerous adventure opportunities along the way, and with the good health to enjoy those years. Things have not been perfect, but what is, but its been a great run despite the "bumps" in the road of life.
June 6th was my 66th birthday, a time when our previous generation had put people "out to pasture". Sitting in the here and now one ponders the wisdom of that philosophy, as the skipper believes he has still much to offer, as many others must have felt before me. Although it will be our masalama from the Magic Kingdom later this year, we believe it will open the next chapter of the life adventure as we are feeling far from being "put out to pasture".

Being a weekend here on the B-day it was "fitting" for the old guy to savor some downtime. Although we did the ten minute walk to our local Starbucks this morning we stayed in the rest of the day being officially 48 deg C outside(unofficially over 50 deg C)! A several day heat wave, which occurs sporadically. Usual summer temperatures here are high 30's to low 40's deg C, with "some" humidity being a coastal city.
But we did go to the gym in our building, with the clear understanding that with age comes the need to keep myself moving. Some of this activity is clearly "home physio" for my knees, agreeing to do much myself instead of as many official appointments. The resolution now is to try to keep this pace up several days a week .... we will see.

And yes it is around 50 deg C, and humid, outside the window of our gym.
We have our own sauna ........ when walking outside on these days.

A Post regarding some aspects of indoor life when not out and about.
Masalama for now.

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