Udhailiyah, Saudi Arabia

New pictures uploaded

Uploaded some new pictures, see here:
http://udhailiyah.com/photos/

Also updated the “Then and Now” page, see here:
http://udhailiyah.com/?page_id=117

James

#1 on google for search: udhailiyah

I knew it wouldn’t take long, but there you have it.  #1 on google.  I feel a wam fuzzy feeling all over…  But hey?  Who the heck knows how to spell “udhailiyah” anyway?  HA HA!

See Results here

James

New Photos uploaded!

Ok! It’s about time!  Agreed!  I’ve been knocked out for the last week or so with broncitus and doing work at the same time… so all this has taken a back seat for the last month.  I’ve uploaded some pictures that Gail sent me on “Photo Album Page 3” and also more “current” photos of Udhailiyah on “Photo Album Page 4“.  Enjoy the view!

James

A new year brings new laws in Saudi

It’s about time they punished those “back seat” drivers! 

See the new Traffic Laws.  Enjoy!

James

Happy Thanksgiving

I’m thankful for having Udhailiyah as part of my childhood and everyone I have come back in contact with. It has been a very rewarding experience! Even to this day, when a conversation comes up, when I tell people I have lived in Saudi Arabia, it brings expressions of “Wow, really?” For those that might have some experiences they would like to share but don’t really want to get involved with the “posting” of materials on this site, just send me an email with your unique experience or memory and I’d be glad to post it for you. (with your permission) It’s no problem. Thanks again for the pictures that have been sent and your long letters telling me of your life history. It’s been partly exhilaration and a little bit of depression. HA! (mostly the former!) Have a good long holiday weekend with your friends and family. James

Interest in a reunion?

Hey everyone! 

I will throw this out and wait to see comments to this post.  If we had a reunion, where and when would be the best time?  Some factors to take into account…

1. kids.  Some of us have kids in school, so timing is rather limited to Summer and seasonal holiday periods.  (seasonal holiday periods tend to be reserved family times)

2. location. Best to try to have it in a region that is close to the majority of attendees.

3. cost.  Where to have it and cost for lodging.

4. What the heck are we going to do once we get together?  Just stare at one another in amazement on how old we all look?   LOL!

5. How long would it last?   Arrive on Friday, leave on a Sunday/Monday?

So… if you have any comments, please contribute to the “think tank”.  

James

So this is what it feels like to be old?

It seems with our collective memories we have only accumulated about a dozen memories.  Don’t feel bad.  After I posted my “most” memorable memories…  the rest sorta became a fog.  =)

I was contacted about 2 weeks ago by a person (who will remain nameless) who currently lives in Udhailiyah.  How exciting!  I encouraged him to upload pictures and tell me more about how Udhailiyah is now and if he could send me some “current” photos of things in Udhailiyah.  He wanted to know when I graduated UDH… ie 84.   It turns out he won’t be able to send me anything.  He was only 11.   HA HA!  Well…  having kids older and younger than that age, I told him he would have to ask his Mom and Dad to contact me.   So… Mom, Dad, if your reading this about your son, who shall remain nameless, please contact me. 

james84(at)udhailiyah(dot)com

James

Class of 1985 & 1986 & 1992 uploaded

See the class of 1985 year book photos here.

See the class of 1986 year book photos here.

See the class of 1992 year book photos here.

Also uploaded pictures that Rick sent, see here.

Thanks Rick for 85 & 86 and the other photos!

James

8 more photos available

Rick uploaded some pictures today, see them here.

top 10 in google

We are already listed #5 & #18 out of 674 for the key word search: udhailiyah

Nice and fast! 

I’ve also registered: uthmaniyah.com

It is a redirect to this site.

I also added the Google Maps link on the links section. 

 James

Need pictures!

If you have pictures either current photos or old photos…

send an email to:  photos(at)udhailiyah(dot)com 

An auto responder will let you know how to use the photo upload feature.

linked on aramco-brats.com

We are now linked on the Aramco Brats page as of last night.  

You can see the link here.

Thanks Dawn!  (Dawn is a graduate from 92?) 

I also put up a “Contact Us” page at the top this morning.  If you would like me to setup a forwarder for your email address @udhailiyah.com, let me know.

I added an auto responder for people to get the password for the photo upload. 
Send an email to: photos(at)udhailiyah(dot)com

I also put up a guest book archive.  The brat-land.com guestbook for udhailiyah hasn’t worked since 2003.  I copied the entries so as not to lose them if ever that site should go away.  I did remove the email addresses.  (they don’t work anyway)   Read the old archive here.

James

1982 class photos uploaded

I uploaded the 1982 class photos this evening.  Yes, all the work done by someone else.  Thank you! I just uploaded and organized them on this page.

Check out the “Then and Now” page!

James

Wikipedia on Udhailiyah

 Have you read this entire Wikipedia entry about Udhailiyah?

The growth of radical Islamic violence in the kingdom, culminating in acts of terrorism against Aramco and contractor facilities and a steady undermining of western employee moral forced the company to appeal to the government for an armed security presence around all of it’s camps, including this remote location. A reinforced company sized detachment of Saudi National Guard forces equipped with Commando armored vehicles were set up at intervals around the camp perimeter.  

I’d say you probably shouldn’t play “security chase” huh?? 

Currently, the camp houses less than one hundred Western employees.

Not like the good o’l days, that’s for sure.   Probably no kids there either.

James

guestbook comments

Ok, Ok… here’s the scoop.  The guestbook comments password has been removed.  If we notice any dorks posting, then I’ll lock it down.  The “capcha” touring image is cAsE sEnsItiVe. 

 James

42 pictures scanned and uploaded

DONE!

I scanned my photo album pictures I had from Saudi.   Here is what I learned… don’t try to remove them from the old photo album.  You know those old photo albums where the picture sticks and it has that clear plastic over the pics?  I just peeled back the clear plastic and scanned the entire page of the photo album without removing the pictures.  Then cropped them.  If you don’t know how to crop, no worries, send me the big picture and I can crop it for you.

Does anyone have more pictures? Send them to me and I’ll upload them!

You can either send them via email or use the handy “photo upload” link.   The password was sent in an email the other day.   Then you will need to sign up for an account so your uploads will go into your folder.  I think Von figured it out the other day.   Just waiting for some pictures now…  tick tock… wow, another 20+ years just blew by! 

James

photo upload enabled.

I uploaded a new upload script which will allow you to register for an upload account and upload photos from Udhailiyah.  Click here

You will need a password to access that page.  You should have gotten an email with that password in it.   This keeps the weirdos out, know what I mean? 

Also, you can use that same pass to make comments on the guestbook.

If you need the password, contact me here: james84(at)udhailiyah(dot)com

Oh, I think I have finally memorized how to spell U-D-H-A-I-L-I-Y-A-H !  I just hope the spammers can’t spell it. 

If you register for this blog you will also be able to make comments on my slow progress.

 James

83 and 84 year books online

The 83 & 84 year books are now online.  yes, someone else did the scanning and I just downloaded and reuploaded the photos.    However, the other site (Aramco Brats) does not seem to be updated at all and the guestbook over there for Udhailiyah has been broken for years evidently.  This site is more focused on Udhailiyah only.  I didn’t know anyone from Dhahran or Ras Tanura or Abqaiq?  Did any of you?

I’d like to get photos from Udhailiyah that were not in the year book.  If you have photos, please scan them.  I am going to put up an upload script to make it easier for you to transfer photos.  I personally have about a dozen or so photos that I’ll be uploading soon.  (I just gotta go get my scanner of of the box!)

If you have photos to send now, send them to:  james84(at)udhailiyah(dot)com

Current or old photos, both work for me. 

 James

It’s the beginning

Sign the guestbook so we can get organized!