Vol. 2, No 14; May 11, 2010

EDITORIAL: There is some confusion regarding the bus schedule published in last week‟s newsletter. Though it was shared with Campus Admin. Assistants, it was evidently not sent to the bus drivers. Be sure to check on departure times, destination and return times.

What’s New?

“Recently, we have had several people report they were unable to reach emergency services after calling 911. Investigation revealed they all mistakenly attempted to dial 911 from their mobile phone. The 911 emergency number only works from a KAUST land line. If calling from a mobile phone you must dial 02-808-0911. Please place the above tip in the newsletter – it will help us spread the word that 02-808-0911 must be called when using a cell phone. “ P. Hutter

Establishment of the KAUST Community Advisory Committee (KCAC) - details on a later page. Wednesday night TALENT SHOW @ 7pm in KAUST Auditorium, Building 20 – more details on a later page.

Lots of pictures – maybe of you/your child(ren) – can

be seen on the final page of this newsletter.

Want a trip to Farasan Islands? Available May 19-21? Cost=SR1850. ONLY 6 spaces are still open. For information contact roshabdullah@hotmail.com

There is another NEW bus schedule in this newsletter, from Logistics (S. Oliveros).

Can you Ceroc? If so, please contact Debbie at 808-3041.

Propose or write an article; Provide photos that illustrate an

interesting trip, event or scene; Describe something “unusual,”

“surprising,” delightful going on here at KAUST;

Describe someone who is an interesting person, doing interesting work, or who has a unique hobby (photo please).

Writing for the Red Sea News has no age limits;

Content needs to be appropriate and interesting with editing possible (.doc file or email);

Author‟s name will be included.

Submit your contribution to: editor@redseanews.info Need contact information,

always available bus schedules, Movie schedules, archived

newsletters, Jeddah sites? Go to: http://kcomm.info

DON'T MISS the KAUST Talent Show this Wednesday, 12 May

at 7:00 pm in the KAUST Auditorium (Building 20).

We have a roster of 13 wonderful finalists! Come and enjoy a family-friendly evening as your friends and

neighbors entertain you with their talents!

DATE: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 TIME: 7 pm

VENUE: KAUST Auditorium, Building 20 We look forward to seeing you there.

Regards, Office of the Arts

Speaking of talent:

A Talented Photographer shares various moods of KAUST:

“Photography allows me to look at the familiar in different ways – just a new angle, or unusual lighting The Yacht Club views were taken in late afternoon sun, and some just after sunset, when the lights were coming on, but the sky was still light enough The sunset shots were what lots of people come to look at but, by creating a “frame” in the foreground, you get a different perspective of that magnificent setting sun KAUST takes on numerous “personalities” at different times of the day, and I enjoy using a camera to capture those changing moods.” – Gary Taylor

Wednesday at KAUST Library: ISI Web of Knowledge Training

On Wednesday, May 12, in the Sea View Room of the KAUST Library, a training session on use of the databases of ISI Web of Knowledge from Thomson Reuters, which are

available online via the KAUST Library will be held.

During this live demonstration, which starts at 1 p.m. (until 3 p.m.), Dr. Guillaume Rivalle of Thomson Reuters will show how to get improved research results and increase research productivity. There will be ample time for questions and discussion of search strategies. Participants will learn a range of valuable research skills, including how to:

identify important scientific publications relevant to your research or studies; identify other researchers in your field; identify publications that have cited your work; get automatic alerts by email or RSS feed when new articles on a topic are published or

when certain articles are cited; capture and manage citations to articles, books, thesis, etc.; find the impact factor of journals.

The training is open to all members of the KAUST community.

Questions: Sarah Algirim, KAUST Library, sarah.algirim@kaust.edu.sa

DRIVING ALERT:

Activity Calendar for the month of MAY

No more

Storytime

No more Sunday Storytime

A short section of the road separating the Academic campus from Discovery Square will be reduced to a single lane for one month starting now until the 9th of June.

Ponderings

In the last ponderings I was reflecting on mental health and Daniel Pink‟s suggestions in his book Drive that we thrive when we have the following-

Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.

What gives some people the resilience to survive and grow in situations when some of these are missing? Is it possible to survive without any of these?

Pink makes the point that Mastery does not come without practice, drudgery and a lot of brick walls that we will hit our heads against.

I think of Nelson Mandela and indeed my own grandmother: both of them were in situations where they lacked Autonomy and initially Mastery. They both continued their daily struggles with life and flourished. Was it because they had their own personal sense of purpose? What is your personal purpose in life? How can we use our current situation, even if it is not ideal, to build Mastery?

I seem to have a lot of questions this week. Do you? What are your thoughts?

Jodi Nielsen ­ Guidance Counselor – KAUST Schools

– Jodi.nielsen@kaust.edu.sa

TUTOR(s) needed for a 16-yr-old boy – math and economics - and for a 13-yr-old girl in math. Contact Amin during the day at 808-2735.

Cinema Schedule, May 12th to 14th

WEDNESDAY May 12th

THURSDAY May 13th

FRIDAY May 14th

How To Train Your Dragon

12:00pm – 1:40pm

The Road 12:00pm – 1:55pm

The Road 2:30pm – 4:25pm

How To Train Your Dragon

2:30pm – 4:10pm

How To Train Your Dragon

5:30pm – 7:10pm

How To Train Your Dragon

5:00pm – 6:40pm

The Road 5:00pm – 6:55pm

The Road 8:00pm – 9:55pm

The Road 7:30pm – 9:25pm

How To Train Your Dragon

7:30pm – 9:10pm

Establishment of the KAUST Community Advisory Committee (KCAC) We are pleased to announce that we have held the first meeting of the KAUST Community Advisory Committee (KCAC). With fifteen members representing the various aspects of our community, and chaired by Nasser Al-Nafisee, the Interim Vice President of Facilities & Community, the committee is charged with gathering information about issues of importance to the community and advocating ways to improve the quality of community life. Initially appointed by leadership to ensure diversity, the committee will eventually become an elected body. The challenges we all face in creating, from scratch, a culture and a community out of our shared ambitions and dreams for ourselves and KAUST can be as daunting as they are exciting. We hope to do so by celebrating our commonality as much as our diversity. We intend to draw with enthusiasm and respect on the rich culture and deep roots of the broader Saudi community in which we are privileged to live. During this first meeting we discussed how we should operate as well as identified, in a preliminary way, the first issues we intend to address. They are, in no particular order of importance, the following:

Road, cycle, playground and pedestrian safety Ensuring the quality of the KAUST Schools, with every student‟s potential fully

explored Improving the overall quality of our community life Improving the dissemination of information Ensuring security of the individual & his/her property Improving the quality of the beach experience

We hope to act as sort of ombudsmen for the community as a whole, and to do so, we will need a healthy dialogue with you all. We intend to establish several suggestion boxes at convenient places around the community and campus for your use, and anonymity if desired, as well as a dedicated email address. KCAC@kaust.edu.sa Chairman Nasser A. Al-Nafisee Interim Vice President (Facilities & Community) 808-5111 nasser.nafisee@aramco.com

Place: 5391 I Discovery Blvd Date: Thursday, May 13th

Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Tel: 802-5227

Come and choose from the new spring and summer collection of uniquely crafted semi- precious gemstones and sterling silver jewelry; necklaces, rings, pendants, earrings, key chains and other unique silver pieces which will be gorgeous for presents. Scarves, Carpets, Tablecloths, Makeup, Flowers .

As the semester winds down, I hope everyone is doing well with finals and work. I was wondering if anyone was sticking around in the summer and willing to take care of 4 windowsill plants. I have one green onion plant, a basil plant and two lavender pots. They only need to be watered every two or three days and left on a windowsill or a countertop with good lighting. Plus, there are some basil leaves that are ready to be picked and added to your favorite dishes. I will be returning at the beginning of next semester and I would love for someone to give these plants a nice summer home. Let me know either by email or phone: 05-65720110

Thanks, Becky Katz

Kitchen Fire Safety - H.S.&E.

Did you know that most home fires are started in the kitchen? During the last week of April, KAUST Fire and Emergency Services responded to 14 calls involving cooking-related incidents. Most of these occurred because people became distracted and left their cooking unattended on the stove.

Please keep a close eye on your cooking. If a pot catches fire, slide a lid over the pot to smother the flames and then turn off the stove. Always wear tight-fitting or rolled-up sleeves when cooking. A dangling sleeve can easily brush against a hot burner and catch fire.

Most kitchen fires are preventable if basic precautions are taken. HS&E strongly recommends all KAUST community members to read the Kitchen Fire Safety instructions below and follow them carefully. If you think you know the important points, then just review them here – and share them with others in your family.

Best Regards, Health, Safety & Environment

Kitchen Fire Safety

We would like to promote “Kitchen Fire Safety Instructions” and we strongly recommend all KAUST residents apply the guidelines that follow:

Keep flammable objects away from the stove: Dish towel, oven mitts, pot holders and curtains can catch fire if left too close to a burner. Be sure to keep all of these items safely away from the stove area.

Don’t leave cooking unattended: You must not leave the kitchen while something is cooking. Turn appliances off promptly after you have finished using them. Kettles and toaster ovens can overheat and cause a fire. Always turn off and unplug small electrical appliances when not in use.

Keep appliances clean: Grease from cooking builds up quickly and can catch fire. Clean ovens, stoves and other appliances regularly.

Wear close-fitting clothing when you are cooking:

Sleeves that fit loosely can catch fire when they dangle near hot burners. So can scarves and other headwear.

Heat oil slowly: A fire can easily start if you set the burner temperature too high and leave a pan of oil unattended.

Turn pot handles inward:

Pot handles hanging over the edge of the stove can easily be bumped or grabbed by a child, resulting in serious burns. For safety, always turn pot handles inward (toward the back of the stove).

Beware of microwave burns: Containers and food in microwave ovens get hot, even though they may seem cool. Be careful when removing lids to prevent steam burns, and check the temperature of food before you eat it. This is especially true when warming milk bottles and food for your little ones.

IN CASE OF FIRE Never put water on grease fire. If a pan catches fire while cooking, turn off the burner; cover the pan with the lid.

If food in the oven catches fire, keep the door shut and turn the oven off. If the fire doesn’t go out, call 911.

If a fire starts in your microwave, keep the door shut and turn off the appliance. If you open the door, oxygen is allowed in, which will feed the fire and make it burn more.

Make sure you know how to use a fire extinguisher and have it on hand. A class A:B:C (multi-purpose dry chemical) extinguisher is best for kitchen use.

For those of us on the “I‟ll do it myself” slim-down plan, iVillage.com has some suggestions:

Shrimp cocktail

At around 8 calories apiece, shrimp are a fabulous source of lean protein, which helps rev your metabolism and keeps you feeling full for hours. Next time you dine out, start your meal with a shrimp cocktail appetizer. When you‟re eating at home, dunk your shrimp in this could-not-be-easier cocktail sauce recipe: Simply combine 1 tablespoon ketchup with 1 teaspoon bottled horseradish, (add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of hot sauce for extra zing).

Fiery chicken salad Adding a few dashes of fiery hot sauce to your food „sloooows‟ down your eating big time so you‟re less likely to eat past the point of fullness. For a simple lunch, whip up a chicken salad with diced chicken breast, 1 to 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayo, hot sauce to taste, and any diced veggies on hand. Serve over a bed of lettuce (and have a glass of water handy!)

Sand Dune Driving - Driving Techniques (Part 3)

This is the final part of the Sand Dune Driving articles. The first part was published on (April 20) and covered a checklist of things to cover before going. The second part was published on (April 27) and included a suggested packing list.

This article will now look at some actual techniques and considerations for when driving off-road on the sand. This list has been expanded and revised from one done earlier.

1) For trips further afield, go in a convoy of at least two 4x4s but three are recommended.

2) The best time to go is probably around two hours before sunset (especially in the summer) as the day will be getting cooler and the sunset over the desert is a beautiful site that no camera can really capture.

3) Use a 4x4: Don‟t try driving on soft sand in a two wheel drive vehicle. Although you will frequently see two-wheel drive Toyota pickups, they are probably driven by locals who have been driving on soft sand since their feet could touch the pedals (normally around ten years old, and that is no joke). So they have a lot of experience.

4) Make sure 4x4 is selected: Select 4x4 upon driving on the sand and not when the vehicle is stuck. Obvious, but someone reading this may forget.

5) Deflate the tires: Not too much or there is a high risk of getting the tire off the rim! Reduce the pressure to around half of what it normally would be. 15-18 psi is about right for most 4x4 tires. A bigger tire footprint means the tires won't sink as easily in the sand and they will give better grip. This isn't essential when driving only a short distance on not so soft sand.

6) Take off slowly in second gear if possible. In automatic vehicles there may be a „Snow Start‟ option that starts the vehicle in second gear (Refer to the owner‟s manual). This option will help reduce wheel spin on take-off.

7) Use the vehicle‟s momentum to drive through the sand. Sometimes turning the wheels left and right, about 1/6 of a revolution, will give the front tires a bit more traction.

8) Come to a natural stop if possible: Breaking abruptly will sink the tires into the sand and create little sand mounds in front of the tires that will make it harder to take-off again.

9) Make sure visibility is clear to judge the incline of the sand dune before charging straight at it. Like snow, sand can cause a lot of damage if hit with force.

10) Make sure visibility is clear to see over the top of the dune before the vehicle is unable to stop going down it.

11) Drive perpendicular to the sand dune when going up or down. The risk of rolling over is greater when going up or down the sand dune at an angle.

12) Keep thumbs out of the steering wheel. If the tire happens to hit something solid it will turn very abruptly breaking or dislocating the driver‟s thumb(s) potentially.

13) When stuck, back up and get out the same way you entered. Normally with sand dunes you get stuck on the way up not the way down, so reverse out rather than sink more and more. As a quick rule of thumb, if the rear differential is sitting on sand, it can safely be said that the vehicle will only get stuck in deeper unless driven out wisely.

14) Bear in mind the approach and departure angles of the vehicle: On some modern luxury vehicles it is very poor. For frequently using the vehicle off road, it is worth raising or lifting the vehicle two to three inches, which will help a lot in tacking more challenging terrain.

15) Practice gently: Some vehicles have a lot of power but are quite heavy, others are the opposite. It will take many outings to understand how best to use the particular combination of the vehicle‟s setup for getting the optimum out of it off-road.

Note: Pic. 1 and Pic. 2 show both vehicles tackling the same sand dune with the first, a short-wheel based (SWB) vehicle, going over the dune, and the long- wheel based (LWB) heavier vehicle going through the sand dune.

Pic 1 Pic 2

16) Finally, before getting back on the tarmac, change the 4x4 setting to 4x2. This is essential unless the vehicle has a full time four wheel drive system that allows it to be driven on tarmac in 4x4 setting. Also re-inflate the tires as needed for the road.

Have fun.

- Maaz Gazdar and pictures courtesy of Luis M Justino

P.S. the author takes no liability on anyone going off-road. These are just guidelines and following them is at your own risk.

References: http://www.landrover.com/gl/en/lr/owners/land-rover-guides/a-guide-to-off-roading/ http://www.offroaders.com/tech/25-Tips.htm