Visiting childhood - ARAMCO compounds - Dhahran



Dhahran is the town that I graduated 9th grade from. In Brat speak, we list out town and our 9th grade graduation year. So I'm DH80. We've skipped over my Abqaiq years, where I spent 5th and most of 6th grade, because I never cared for Abqaiq and our house is now a park there anyway.

In the picture above is our house on Cactus Court - C123. My room is the one you see above the garage with the huge patio in front. The enclosing wall and door on the left weren't there before. We figure that so many homes now are enclosed for privacy since many Saudis now live in camp. They lead more sheltered/private lives. I show the tree because my mom planted that and now you can see just how big it is. Keep in mind dad retired in 1987.

My brother's room was to the left of mine and later on he would sneak out. My parents often parked with the suburban's rear end sticking out of the garage. It was easy enough to climb over the fence, onto the car, and down. Me? I was a good girl.

I didn't take as many pictures of town as some of my fellow brats did. Less fond memories here as I was a 'new kid' that wasn't popular or made a lot of friends. I kinda now regret not taking a picture of the 'hills'. There were two in town that, as a kid, I thought were so steep, but as an adult they turn out to be so tiny!

 Sadly our school is now walled in.

 And heavily gated.


 We would all gather and sit on this ledge waiting for school to begin and socializing.

 The Rock is now gone, apparently relocate to the other side of the school. This is now the back of the school and it got moved to the new front of school. Sadly I didn't get a chance to go back and see it.

Luckily Andrea did.


 We couldn't believe the water fountains were still the same!

 Home ec is no more. Now it's a computer lab.

 The gym

 And the stage where I performed in the talent show.


Requested by a friend, a shot of the hospital, now located outside one of the many security gates.


And just for fun, there are now gun turrets outside all the security gates.