On Thursday, February 13, over 125 members of our rapidly growing HG Travel Club met in the Ballroom to hear Dr. Norma Hudson’s experiences of living and working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 35 years. For clarity, she is my “younger” sister, as she emphasizes, not “little” sister. Norma began her educational career in Saudi as a music teacher in a private international school, one of a dozen schools operated by the Saudi Arabian International School (SAIS) system. She and her husband Bruce (now deceased) taught in the private SAIS schools and, after earning graduate degrees, both became SAIS administrators. After she earned her doctorate, she became superintendent over the entire SAIS system in the Kingdom.
She showed us numerous photos of what it is like to live in a very conservative Muslim country, where customs are quite different than our Western culture. And as you can imagine, your whole lifestyle is different in that desert country. The SAIS schools are modeled after the American education system, and there is significant focus on educational achievement in those schools.
She showed us photos of shopping opportunities, such as jewelry stores, Persian and Afghan rug shops, and modern shopping malls. Additionally, there were photos of restaurants that we think of as American, such as KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Hardees, etc. It was interesting to see the wordage on their signs being in Arabic, but with logos that are familiar to us. Living internationally certainly provides many more diverse types of cultural opportunities than what we have here in the U.S.
I also discussed upcoming meetings and activities for our HG Travel Club. On Monday, February 17, 85 members of the club embark on an 11- day, 10-night Caribbean cruise to St. Thomas, Antigua; St. Lucia, Barbados; and St. Kitts and Nevis. I will provide more information and photos of that exciting experience in next month’s Heron.
Our next meeting on Wednesday, March 12 (in the Clubhouse Ballroom from 2 to 4 p.m.) will feature Dick Muller and Suzanne Flynn. Dick will continue his helpful hints on how to enhance the digital photos we take on our smart phones, and Suzanne will share her recent experiences in the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador.
On Sunday, April 6, we will have 73 travel club members going to Naples to see the show The Man of La Mancha at the Naples Playhouse on Fifth Avenue and have dinner at one of the nearby restaurants of our choice. This motorcoach trip sold out very quickly.
And Monday evening, April 28, is our Annual Potluck Dinner in the Ballroom. We anticipate over 125 people at this event: details later. As you can see, our club is extremely active in travel and educational opportunities. Anyone can attend our meetings without becoming a paid member ($5 per year), but to go with us on trips or attend the Potluck you must pay that $5 membership fee. Our meeting and travel announcements are posted on the Glen’s Google Group. We have 380 members now, and 82% are paid members. Why don’t you join in the fun with us? If you have questions, then give me a call at (636) 541-4561 or Rhonda at (314) 566- 6168. Join our interesting club and expand your travel horizons!
