The scuba diving yesterday was amazing, it was unlike anything I've ever experienced. The water was crystal clear and the there were loads of colorful fish that are unlike anything in Indiana. Today we went on a site walk of KSU with Max and Bill to 3 different buildings, specifically 5, 26, and 28, all of which were at different stages of construction. Building 26, which is the auditorium, is nearly complete; Building 28 was about halfway done, and Building 5 still had quite a bit to go. We walked through the tunnel between a couple of the buildings, which follows what they call the spine. Walking the site really gives you an appreciation of how large the project is. In the afternoon we were taught, in some detail, about shop drawings and differences in installation procedures in this region of the world. The methodology may not be the same as what I'm used to, but the end product is an exact copy. Now were off to meet with Katie who have graciously invited us to a BBQ.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012
Scuba diving!
Yesterday, we flew to Jeddah for a scuba diving adventure. It was a quick flight. On an unrelated note I was excited to see the clear blue sky at ten thousand feet since the dust in Saudi blocks out the sky. Unfortunately, the sun has no problem shining through making us hot.
Anyways, I took a ton of pictures in Jeddah. The average house tripled what I am used to seeing. Now here are some photos:
sweet ceiling design at the riyadh airport
the TEAM in the main water cooling facility (capacity 20,000 gallons of chilled water)
sweet ceiling design at the riyadh airport
the TEAM in the main water cooling facility (capacity 20,000 gallons of chilled water)Back in Riyadh
Adam Ashouri here,
We are all back from Jeddah and our scuba tour of the Red Sea. The only word I have to describe the experience is 'amazing'. Many people do not immediately think of the Red Sea as a place for scuba diving, but the water was extremely clear and the weather was perfect. After scuba diving, we went and had dinner at a restaurant called Al Baik. Al Baik is a chicken restaurant that has changed my view on how fried chicken should taste. I highly encourage anyone who will spend any time in Jeddah to go in and eat at this restaurant.
Today, Bill Koskovich and Max Meja gave us a tour of the spine, The rec center, and the auditorium.
It was great to be able to walk the job site today and get to here about the experiences of our hosts at FTR International of Nevada. I can't wait for the lesson Todd Enninga is going to give us tomorrow.
Until tomorrow, viewers.
We are all back from Jeddah and our scuba tour of the Red Sea. The only word I have to describe the experience is 'amazing'. Many people do not immediately think of the Red Sea as a place for scuba diving, but the water was extremely clear and the weather was perfect. After scuba diving, we went and had dinner at a restaurant called Al Baik. Al Baik is a chicken restaurant that has changed my view on how fried chicken should taste. I highly encourage anyone who will spend any time in Jeddah to go in and eat at this restaurant.
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| This picture is a spiral staircase in the Auditorium Building. It is cast-in-place believe it or not! |
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| Here is the spine that runs all the way through campus and brings all of the utilities to all off the buildings from a central plant |
It was great to be able to walk the job site today and get to here about the experiences of our hosts at FTR International of Nevada. I can't wait for the lesson Todd Enninga is going to give us tomorrow.
Until tomorrow, viewers.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Take 2...Action!
Salutations to all viewers from last year as well as our new audience this year. Nazir Katbi here, live and ready to go from Saudi Arabia. I have to be honest and say that I honestly wasn't sure what to write, which is why I haven't blogged about anything thus far. The overall Saudi Experience has been relatively similar to the previous year, but inspiration struck me just as I was conversing with the new team on our apartment couches; this year's trip was about them.
The new team this year is fantastic. Each member's character and knowledge of construction has exceeded my expectations. It is obvious that these young men are students of Purdue University. I can only imagine what is going on in each of their minds right now. I, like you, am equally intrigued when I read through their blog posts, and equally surprised to go through their impressions. This year's group is special indeed, and I look forward to the upcoming weeks with them.
However, I'm not going to give you the impression that everything has been the same. In fact, while the "WoW" factor of being in Saudi has diminished a bit for me, the lecture presentations as well as the KSU job site have changed dramatically. This time last year, I was walking around gargantuan precast structures that seemed to be more distant from completion than Mike Mattern's fantasy home. Today, the buildings stand tall and beautiful; the facades have proven to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and interiors of such halls and the auditorium have finally come to fruition. It feels great to see something like that come together, and I applaud the FTR and SBG staff for erecting this twenty first century university in such a short period of time. I can't wait to a detailed job walk through some of the buildings I got top see last year!
But for now, I'll cut this short. We're about to head out to Jeddah today and will be scuba diving in the red sea tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't forget to take pictures of Professor Benhart's hairy chest, so stay posted on that. Over and out.
-Nazir Katbi
The new team this year is fantastic. Each member's character and knowledge of construction has exceeded my expectations. It is obvious that these young men are students of Purdue University. I can only imagine what is going on in each of their minds right now. I, like you, am equally intrigued when I read through their blog posts, and equally surprised to go through their impressions. This year's group is special indeed, and I look forward to the upcoming weeks with them.
However, I'm not going to give you the impression that everything has been the same. In fact, while the "WoW" factor of being in Saudi has diminished a bit for me, the lecture presentations as well as the KSU job site have changed dramatically. This time last year, I was walking around gargantuan precast structures that seemed to be more distant from completion than Mike Mattern's fantasy home. Today, the buildings stand tall and beautiful; the facades have proven to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and interiors of such halls and the auditorium have finally come to fruition. It feels great to see something like that come together, and I applaud the FTR and SBG staff for erecting this twenty first century university in such a short period of time. I can't wait to a detailed job walk through some of the buildings I got top see last year!
But for now, I'll cut this short. We're about to head out to Jeddah today and will be scuba diving in the red sea tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't forget to take pictures of Professor Benhart's hairy chest, so stay posted on that. Over and out.
-Nazir Katbi
Day 4
Matt Swavey here. Today was our fourth day in Saudi Arabia and we are all just about recovered from jet lag by this point and fully enjoying our stay. Yesterday we went to steak night at the U.S. embassy where we enjoyed some american amenities and got to know some great people. Today we had classes on scheduleing and estimating jobs outside of the U.S. They brought up a lot of interesting points that need to be addressed that I would otherwise never have thought about. Tomorrow we are going to get the oppurtunity to go discovery diving in the Red Sea!!. I've never been scuba diving before, and do experience it in the Red Sea will be a once in a lifetime experience. I can't wait, but now I have to go get ready.
Getting Settled In
Adam Ashouri here,
We have been in Riyadh for four days. We are all finally starting to settle in, get over the jet lag, and start to explore the city and the job sites. Tonight, we get to fly to Jeddah (which is on the eastern side of the peninsula) for a scuba diving excursion in the Red Sea tomorrow morning. I look forward to sharing some pictures with all of you. Riyadh is booming. Just outside of the window of our apartment we can see a 20 story ultramodern building being constructed. FTR International of Nevada has been telling us about all of the projects that we get to visit in the coming week, many of which dwarf most current job sites in the United States. I can't wait to share more of my experiences and post some more pictures.
We have been in Riyadh for four days. We are all finally starting to settle in, get over the jet lag, and start to explore the city and the job sites. Tonight, we get to fly to Jeddah (which is on the eastern side of the peninsula) for a scuba diving excursion in the Red Sea tomorrow morning. I look forward to sharing some pictures with all of you. Riyadh is booming. Just outside of the window of our apartment we can see a 20 story ultramodern building being constructed. FTR International of Nevada has been telling us about all of the projects that we get to visit in the coming week, many of which dwarf most current job sites in the United States. I can't wait to share more of my experiences and post some more pictures.
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