Re: Awards Ceremony

[dwheeler@icx.net]

I've really tried not to comment on this, because everyone else has;
however, after Truman's last post of his team's experience, I decided to
share my experience.  

I spent 6 weeks in Saudia Arabia after the cease fire, for a similar reason
-- installing a system to assist in the redeployment of troops.  I was not
on a diplomatic passport, travelled by myself, but was housed with the
military at Khobar Towers (yes, the same location that was bombed a couple
of years ago), & worked side-by-side the military at the port of Damman.
Although I had been issued military BDUs, I did not wear them.  Having
experienced the chaotic driving on the roads, I had no desire to have to
employ my defense driving techniques.  When we ate at restaurants, we did
not sit in the family sections & never once were we asked to leave (maybe a
couple of dirty stares).

Only twice in that 6 weeks period did I ever experience reactions that I
considered rude.  First:  I was moving a monitor two floors down.
Obviously the elevator was a safer bet than the stairs.  However, when the
doors opened there were 4-5 Saudi businessmen inside.  I politely declined
to wait for the next one.  Two of the men were very polite & insisted that
I enter.  The rude behavior:  one of the men completely turned his back to
me -- literally facing the back wall of the elevator.  The remaining men
were very eager to get my opinion of their country & to find out what part
of the US I was from (most had either been in school here or visited on
business frequently).  

The second:  when visiting a mall in down to purchase more cabling for the
LAN, a local approached the man (non-military) I was with, handing him a
card that declared the "evils" of women outside the home.  

Now I'm really going to make lots of friends.  Personally, neither of these
was particularly upsetting.  No more so than when a northerner visits the
south & southerners think they are rude because they are always in a hurry
& talk so fast.  Or when a girl from Tennessee (me) goes to Boston on
business & everyone wants to hear me talk -- about anything -- because they
"just love the way I talk".  Both of these perceptions & actions are rude
IMO because we are stereotyping people that are not like ourselves.

Now for the sportsmanship issue -- apparently most of you have not attended
SEC football games (Samm, you'll have to vouch for me on this one).  I'm
ashamed to say that there is no sportsmanship between Aug & Nov in the
Southeastern Conference!  As a Tennessee fan in Knoxville, I can attest to
the fact that booing & hissing at the opposing team would be a welcome
change.  It has been so bad that during one game, the opposing team fans
threw oranges (UT is known as the Big Orange) at the TN players.  UT fans
are still so upset about Peyton Manning losing the Heisman, that ESPN is
literally afraid to come to Knoxville.  

So I think that everyone who was not present & cannot attest to the mindset
of the UAE locals needs to look closer to home to make sure we are not the
pot calling the kettle black.

Vicki Wheeler
Knoxville, TN