In Search of the Sunshine - Tapa blanda

"In Search of the Sunshine" chronicles an expat's unique experiences, from dark days in dreary England, to a new life, in the sun. The author set out to escape his penurious, U.K. lifestyle, by way of an expatriate construction contract, in Algeria. Hard lessons were learned, regarding the perils of attempting to apply established construction norms, to an undeveloped country. Left alone after the demise of the contract, he was persuaded to use some guile to be able to return to the U.K.. With his marriage crumbling, he agreed to a new construction contract in pre-revolutionary Iran. Inevitably the Iranian revolution presented unprecedented challenges, to yet another construction contract. His escape from Iran, together with 10 of his staff was remarkable. Then, characterized as a 'permanent expat', in the UK, he was drawn to a position in Saudi Arabia. There his fortunes improved. "The largest construction project in the world" embraced his expertise and rewarded him accordingly. The comparative stability of the program allowed for creative use of spare time. Into that void came a nascent theatrical group, providing an opportunity to realize long suppressed Thespian aspirations. He relates the challenges and rewards of managing and acting in an unlikely Repertory Theater, while still performing his professional role, in the Construction Program Management team. Throughout the years of post-divorce, expatriate service, the author found solace in a series of international dalliances. These were finally set aside, when through the Repertory Theater, he met his future wife, a nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas. They married in Bahrain and spent several years together in Saudi Arabia, with some exotic vacations along the way. In a period of approximately 10 years, the author's quest for the sunshine was finally realized, with a U.S. 'green-card' and a home in Austin, Texas.

Ken Frost, trained as a civil engineer, spent his early years in the UK. He has two adult children from his first marriage and three grandchildren, resident in the U.K. Following his adventures in the Middle East, he migrated to the US, with his Arkansas born wife, Rosa. He successfully applied years of engineering experience to his new home in Texas. Several prestige construction projects came under his management, both in the private and public sectors. He gained US citizenship in 1988. He recently retired and lives in North Richland Hills, Texas, with his wife, Rosa and their Maine Coon cat, Mr. Dickens. He is a member of St. Stephens Church in Hurst and includes scale model building as a pastime.