The capital city Riyadh was a brand
new ball game compared to the small seaside resort of AlKhobar. The roads were
much larger, the highways were huge, the cars were many and the people were
totally different. Settling down and getting used to this new environment was
not easy. But life goes on.
Software Development Projects at the
bank was exciting in that it gave me the valuable experience of improving my IT
skills in the financial sector and understanding core banking in its element.
The development team consisted of a great bunch of lads, British, Greek,
Indian, Pakistani, and a few locals. Names I can remember are Keith Wilson, Dimitri
Tsiridakis, Ahmed Bajunaid, Selman Al Faris, Demetrios Monos, Yanni, Anup,
Siva, Girish (who has passed away now, may he RIP), Khalid Khan, PTS, Narayanan, and the erstwhile secretary, Basheer.
Later, we were joined by Bernard and Chris from the UK, and several other
software developers from the subcontinent.
On graduating high school, the girls
choose to pursue their degree program with the University of London through the
British Council in Riyadh. Melina obtains her degree in Sociology and Nadia
gets flying colors with Honors in English Language/Literature.
Melina gets married in 1993 and moves
to Canada with her husband where our first grandchild, Maria is born in Sep 1994.
They return to Riyadh in 1995 where they remain with us thereafter. Abdullah is
born in 1997 in Riyadh. Having the grandkids around us was another experience of
a lifetime that none can relish unless they live through it. Life was good.
Quitting the bank in 1998, I join a
private sector corporate, ACS, and spend two years with them as GM Business
Development. In 1999, I have the wonderful opportunity of being hired by Al Faisaliah
Group IT Department, headed by Selman Al Faris, an ex colleague from SAMBA,
where the IT team implement SAP ERP across 15 subsidiary companies across three
years. My very first exposure to ERP Software was truly fascinating and
memorable.
Nadia gets married in 1999.
I turn 60 in 2008 and decide to quit
my day job and concentrate on IT consulting on my own with the help of colleagues
through the network I had acquired since 1979. Several interesting consulting
assignments were implemented, the most significant of them being the management
of an Oracle ERP solution for Mohammed AbdulAziz Al Rajhi & Sons, in
2010/11.
Spending time with the grand kids, trudging
them to school and back, taking them out to malls, parks, and food courts in
the evenings and weekends, became a part of life of fulfillment and joy. Maria
has a whole host of friends with whom she swings. Abdullah takes to horse
riding and model plane flying.
Maria, eventually graduates high school at Manarat and moves over to Canada, in 2012, to pursue her degree program in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus. It's a sad parting for all of us but life must go on.
Abdullah graduates high school in 2015 and also moves up to Toronto to join the University of Toronto, St Georges Campus.
Nadia moves to KAEC to take up a new job with the GEMS School in Tuwal in the western region.
Melina also moves to Jeddah in 2016 and joins Nun Academy, a new KEd School in KSA. And that is the end of our sojourn in Riyadh.
