Monday

Looks like rain is in the forecast. The sky is cloudy and overcast. This will be the first rain that have seen here. Had to stop by the library to check out a bird book for the Middle East so that I could add several new birds to my checklist.

Something I have noticed since coming here is the major shift on the compound in the ratios of expats versus Saudis. When I was here almost twenty years ago the compound was almost exclusively expat. There might have been, at most, 10% Saudi families living here in the compound. Now that ratio is more like 70% Saudi families. It is all part of the Saudization that was started back some twenty years ago. That explains why I am seeing so many BMOs here in the compound, when I saw none before. There are probably fewer than 10 significant management position held by expats. By far the largest population is the population of houseboys, gardeners, laborers, etc. from the Indian Subcontinent. Seems like there is a cleaning man sweeping every block in the area. Every expat house hires a houseboy and a gardener. These guys earn something like $60 a month, I have been told. Consider that a house cleaning maid that come to the house and works for about 6 hours back in Houston makes about $60 each visit. My figures may be a little off, but the ratios are pretty sure.