Thanks to an invitation from a colleague, we were on the last weekend in October at a rugby tournament, known as the Riyadh Rugby 7s . Here, there were three teams from Riyadh, the Falcons, the Scorpions and the Barbarians (note the typical rugby martial name), and one team from Ta'if, Jeddah and Al Khobar each other.

Has taken place the whole in Salwa Garden Village compound. And in this we could learn how security can be practiced. It is in this compound with many employees of British Aerospace (BAe), but probably necessary.
At the entrance there was a sort of vehicle stage where we had to park the car for us to go in a small house next to it through a metal detector. Susan has even led to a separate area where they had to briefly take off their abaya. A look in her bag but was not thrown
Parallel was our car was searched and we could finally enter. Not directly, but to compound the visitors' car park. It followed the transition to the inlet to be sent back only to return because we have not had a visitor access card. Well, one must know. In the visitor center access (Visitor Access Center) then came the nasty surprise: we were not on the list. That cleared up quite quickly though, but it was annoying.
We got our ID cards printed. With name, photo, name of our host and period of stay. Accordingly, we now have a record in the Salwa compound, so the next time go faster.

Since we were, after we had been driven by a driver for the Rugby field. The same, very green and the adult dimensions of a standard football field. When we were just running a game. I must admit that I have not notice the course of the game too much. First, my rugby rules are not really known, for others it was often quite quickly

That was the teams, the tournament took it very seriously to moor at the meantime of fight. Somehow one thing led to another and two teams went at each other. Much has happened, but it was definitely not fun Kabbellei. Unfortunately I did not have any pictures

But besides that, there were some nice moves, such as objections and the lifting of the players to get to the egg. Or the turtle. The guys on the pitch knew how to play rugby at any rate, that I could find so far

In the meantime, we are in the compound's supermarket and were able to get an idea of the size of the Salwa Garden Village, with its 700 houses. For comparison, our Najd Compound has 150 houses and is one of the smaller (but comfortable ) Compounds in Riyadh. Beautiful course, was that the supermarket is just a flower shop was connected. Without going to drive a greater distance, here in Saudi to bring your flowers are not so easy, so here in the last few months, no flower photo messages were more.
At 700 stores such a supply situation but of course worth more than 150th Interestingly I also found that the workers of the compound with all three-wheeled bicycle were traveling and radios used for communication. When the dimensions of the compound probably have to.

When finally won the Rugby team of Ta'if, how in the article to Riyadh Rugby 7 at Arabnews can read. The team of my colleagues were at least third after they had won the last two years more

Incidentally, I also could see that the sun here in late October still has the power to allow a period of 10 minutes without sunscreen a decent sunburn on the face of magic

The complete selection of the images are there as always in the Riyadh Rugby 7 Gallery

Perhaps also by the pressure from the public , could within a short time the Nutella-embargo to Saudi Arabia to be broken!

The supply is then put back safe and Nutella is again available in sufficient quantities in the local Carrefour. Care packages are up to date so no need to

You know those weekends. Either there is nothing going on or even all at once. And so it was last weekend. Although I complain to me does not want. On the contrary, it was a joyous occasion

Thursdays

It started Thursday at which Susan had an exception to the school to look after the kids for a project day. I had to rest in the afternoon.

Then we were off to the final game and awards ceremony at the basketball tournament of the company. This began later than announced, so I only the first half of the game and not paying attention to the awards ceremony. Instead, it went to Bonfire Night in the compound.

True to style, there was a large fire in a metal box, into which a Guy Fawkes doll was thrown, this British tradition needs to be. I fell exactly 3 minutes before the doll was thrown into the fire and was able in time to make some nice shots of it.

During a final round of the soccer field, we found by chance a kind of wooden plate, which is equipped with a mechanism to get out of the flat wooden bowl for a tray to make as nuts or the like, which you would like to offer on the table. Probably the thing was totally overpriced, but we could not resist and took it. And the thing was already a hit shortly afterwards with all that made it show again and again while we were already on the way out.

Because at the end of the evening we went to a 40th Birthday to Cordoba compound. Once there, I was really surprised at first, because the tables had ADAPTED by the pool like a wedding. On the other hand, of course, was a 40th Birthday accordingly
And so there was good food, but it was within a short period rather fresh. In early November would be nothing unusual in Germany, in Saudi so I had not expected and have always thought the descriptions it would be cold in winter, as excessive and "cold no longer used" estimated. Apparently I was wrong and here but it can be quite fresh. Interesting contrast by the way: get to the weekend before a nice sunburn and shortly afterwards to shiver in the evening light.

Together with the coolness and the actions in the course of the day, was with us then to have short Clock 23 a day and it went home. Originally, we wanted to celebrate along with the other birthday boy in my inside. Well, you get old

Friday

Old or older, at least I was on it briefly and then it was preparing for my 30th Birthday the next day. This included vacuum cleaner get, because we lack this and will be brought in daily by our janitor.

This was followed by garden tables and chairs appropriate amount. In this it was still necessary, even desert dust to clean from right. Since they are usually showered with water, had in addition to a harder jet still be applied by hand. Apart from that, even had coffee and tea can be ordered at the compound. We had borrowed the other in the family, this time we could even be delivered. Pretty handy and I think we will certainly use one or the other times. Priced way, also completely in the frame.

At last we could finally take advantage of our large terrace, and the same was filled with the invited 23 people, but it sure would have had another 10 more space. For this purpose, but Susan would certainly have gone crazy with the cooking preparations. Hats off to her for all the guests to cook and even invoke one of the pie for themselves.
There was a cheese anyway, marble, good flat chocolatey chocolate and coconut cake and a brioche from the German bakery.

In the evening we were allowed to be hermachen a chilli, a curry and a Bolognese. What remains is the way, hardly anything. Strongly suggests that there appears to have tasted

Gifts were also I now have not yet a traditional Saudi robe (the Thobe), but ever practice with the tie in the typical look of the headscarves of the Saudis. For selbige I received the next day directly praise from one who daily bears the Thobe.

Apart from the tie, we finally hang some of our wedding photos on the wall, so the house looks personal. To the Arabic course in the blog, I am now probably no longer around, after I have been given some assistance to Arab learning. Then you have to pay for the same

So much for our weekend and I'm curious if this holds even more surprises next or whether it actually remains aktionslos

About Sonos, in general , one can at Volker Weber (vowe - his sign c't editor) read quite a lot and entry into this multi-room audio system, get one.

After much back and forth, we finally decided on holidays in Germany in September, two Sonos S5 to take them in Saudi. For the resulting stress due to the chaotic situation on our order page, I would like with Thomas Lang from everywhere-musik.de apologize and thank you at the same time, for the effort he has put on the to us in time to allow the driving!

Arrived in Saudi as hand luggage - you want to let equipment worth of more than 500 € and not necessarily the case and risking that they are after the flight no longer in the case - was announced in commissioning. As in Germany, went off by themselves:

Establishment of the SonosNet

1. ZoneBridge to the power and a LAN to the router
2. ZonePlayer S5 in the living room to the stream.
3. The Desktop Controller install and during installation when prompted press two buttons on the S5.
4. Done!

For the second S5 in the kitchen:

1. ZonePlayer to the current.
2. In the Desktop Controller to add new zone (zone menu -> Add New Zone)
3. Press the Zone Player in the kitchen to call, two buttons
4. Done!

After these steps have had the S5 it for now as far as operational, we synchronized on both devices simultaneously and without hearing problems Kabelwust Internet Radio Stream SWR3. Of course, with the possibility to individually adjust the volume of both units, either the controller or the device itself and also, of course, you can always remove one of the devices from the network and fire up as another stream.
I'm also in that a device at any time from the power and once it is reconnected to seamlessly integrates back into the network. Very handy when slipping out here in the usual sockets, cable ...

Sonos Desktop Controller with Wine

We know, we have a pure Linux, specifically Kubuntu, household. Beforehand I had contacted in this regard Volker Weber if he could recommend in this environment Sonos. Could not he. Especially in view of the fact that we are in addition to Linux and Android-only-only and are no Apple devices - it is a free iPhone / iPod touch, Sonos Controller - and because of the price and the Sonos CR200 did not want to get into the house .

Experiment as we are, we wanted to test it yet, and at the first test in Germany, we could live with the Sonos Controller for Windows well under Wine, because we could not find any restrictions. The only problem was the display of the font that is in effect but for the use of the system irrelevant. You can read everything, and mostly wants to finally hear the Sonos devices with

It went to install the Sonos controller from just simple. Either in a console or double SonosController32.exe wine, according to personal taste. During installation, one is prompted as described above to press one of the S5, the bridge or another zone player, the Connect button / Vol + and mute. Then wait short and the respective desktop controller is connected and can control the zones.

Android Andronos Sonos Controller

Currently there are no official Sonos application for Android. Andronos it does I think by then but also completely. I have found nothing that this free-to-find in the Android Market application could not.

• Adjust volume, pan, or each device individually
• Connect and disconnect the zones
• Playlist management
• Source change (radio or music from a share)
• "Skim" through album cover ala Cover Flow

Only the finding of the Sonos player sometimes takes a little long or not working. That's happened to me but so far only very rare and I could not reproduce

Perl Controller

Also on vowe I'm on the Sonos controller Perl encountered. This has a few dependencies, so that an installation is on a fritz.box unlikely. More and more bring me such "projects" to the point, here in Saudi again set up a small media server.
I made the Perl controller to properly start problems since he broke off during scanning of music with the message "no element found". Obviously, these are but a Perl error message that occurred, more and more in different places. Meanwhile, we have sorted the music folder from az, because the router on which the disk is an eternity needed to listen to the directory. After the re-sorting is properly again afloat. Since I also think the Perl Controller no more problems to have.

The surface is nice, asks me but the queue is not when we have hung several tracks together, so that we will use the Perl controller becomes more likely.

Python Controller

In the Sonos forum, I found another Python controller , which the developer makes available to direct mail. In principle, there is a UPNP control node. And that means you can ensure that all server and player, use that work with UPNP. Here I am just beginning

I can summarize thus:
But listen to the synchronous playback of music and the way without depending on the notebook to make Internet radio, real fun. The Sonos Controller under Wine is not a problem, just as the Andronos controller for Android. Who comes from years of the Linux world is at this point rather tired smile, and just basically have little hurdles, such as Windows / Mac or iPhone / iPod touch users. Whether we get the right feeling Sonos accept ourselves as vowe describes it, I can not say of course, but it feels so very well received
I see more problems in the Sonos desktop controller and its functionality as a media and playlist management. To this end, the days but no more.

So from me a big thumbs up for Sonos related to Linux and Android.

For the first time it went for us on Monday evening, also by plane from Saudi. From the strict provisions of the western airports nothing is perceived. The check-in desks, it goes through a metal detector and the luggage will be screened. However, sometimes no one is sitting at the control screens and the beeping of no interest. After leaving there was a check again, this time someone actually sat at the counter. The hand luggage of unaccompanied women are quickly placed in front of the waiting queue to tape. Since men are more or less patient and understanding. When a passenger hand luggage has been completely dismantled and seized a pocket knife, with other luggage, I felt the inspector looks away. This gives a bit the impression that the inspection and seizure happens to your mood and needs.
I was out waving and sent by a curtain, there it was continued by a second curtain so no one sees so what. The woman who was waiting, however, more interested in their mobile phone than on the beep that their metal detector was making.

We flew with Air Arabia, a budget airline to Sharjah. By taxi, the prelude to many more trips, we went to the hotel. Beds we had found in the Winchester Grand Hotel Apartment. The taxi driver knew roughly where the hotel is found, one of the few.
The trip cost us 100 EAD, the equivalent of around 20 € and was much cheaper than a flight to Dubai.

Minor problems were still there at the check-in. Apparently it was unusual for the front desk that someone had booked two rooms. Shortly after, was also dissolved and we ate more quickly from the Indian buffet in the hotel restaurant, then we fell into bed tired.

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