By now you have been able to hear your son’s voice and been able to see the blog. I hope any concerns about this trip have been eased. As Logan pointed out in his post this evening, the Middle East is often misrepresented and misunderstood. We are having a wonderful time and are very comfortable here in Riyadh. Our FTR hosts could not be more gracious.
As a fellow parent, I thought I might post some of those things that mothers and fathers would like to know. The villa’s are all 3-4 bedrooms and all have a central courtyard that can only be accessed through each villa. There are four villas all connected. One of the villas is the corporate headquarters for FTR here in Saudi Arabia. The students are spread out and housed in each of these villas with the executives of FTR. These gentleman are full-time employees of our host company who have relocated from the US. Quite a few went to competing Big Ten universities so there has been some healthy teasing. They have really taken our students under the wings to show them both Saudi Arabia and these iconic construction projects. We travel as a group with these teams and always have a FTR driver. There are many people watching over our group.
FTR has put together a complete schedule for us including all of our meals. We are all anticipating a weight gain. The students had great fun pointing out that my safety vest was on the snug side. I reminded them that it comes with age. I will let the students keep you abreast of their insights, reactions, and learning experience. I am really enjoying watching their reactions to these once in a lifetime experiences.
If for any reason you need to talk to me, feel free to call the student’s international phone and ask to have me call you, or e-mail me with a phone number to reach you at. You should already have my e-mail, if not, it is bbenhart@purdue.edu.
Thank you for allowing your sons and loved ones to attend this program. I am sincere in saying that they are the “cream of the crop” and a joy to be around. They continue to impress everyone they meet. They represent their families, BCM, and Purdue with young professionalism. I am very proud of them as I am sure you are as well.
Sincerely,
Brad Benhart
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