Free!

Now that I am in the US, I feel free to write more and free to say the things that I had to be more careful not to talk about, like religion and Christianity. It has been so nice to be back in the Bible Belt in Southern Alabama. It is like a polar opposite from Saudi Arabia. Within a 30 minute drive, I counted 7 churches. There are also as many Christian radio stations as non-Christian ones. Now that it is summer time, Vacation Bible School is being offered at almost every church. It is just wonderful.

In Saudi Arabia, it is against the law to publicly practice (or even discuss) anything other than Islam. Before I went there, I was aware that there were countries where sharing one's belief in Christianity was not always welcomed. I had been to some of those countries. However, in Saudi Arabia, it was not allowed. It is so hard to explain this concept because in any other country in the world, people can freely follow a religion or not. Freedom to believe "whatever" is possible.

I will never forget the moment I joined a "Christians in Saudi Arabia" facebook group. I asked in code words if there were any "meeting places for other believers." I received a few responses saying, "How could you come here and expect to go to church....don't you know that you can't meet with other Christians here-this is a Muslim country....you should just practice your religion in the privacy of your own home-for your own safety and for the safety of your family." Stunned-that's how I felt. Bewildered- that other Christians were too afraid to meet with another. Amazed-that my pursuit of simply meeting other believers would probably not happen.

And it was true. I never did find any church to meet with. I did hear of individuals who met in a small group and I did meet a few Phillipino's who asked me my religion and I told them and they responded that they too had the same beliefs. But that was it-it was just not enough. Having no support group was just no way to live there. I am sure that others have better stories and I hope they do, but this is my story and unfortunately things did not work out the way that I had planned.

I feel truly blessed. God took me through many trials and I did not go crazy (well, maybe once or twice). I hung on for as long as I could and God gave me a way out-safely. I feel like this little bitty town is heaven on Earth! Thanks for reading my ranting and ramblings! What do you think? -Andrea

Sweeeet Home Alabama!

Nearly two weeks ago, my family left Saudi Arabia. Our adventure was cut short due to problems that had been developing for months with our employers, the countries newly enforced laws and our safety. Although it was sad to say goodbye to our close family members and friends, it was necessary.

Ideally, I would have waited until July, however, I realized that there was no need for me to continue looking for confirmations. I had confirmations and needed to just do it-and I did. I can't argue with God's timing. I have no regrets! Being back in America is absolutely amazing!.

While we were still in Saudi Arabia, everything back in the US just fell into perfect place. A house came onto the market, just weeks before....and it was nearby my parents! This house is just perfect, I must say-it's like it was tailor made just for us. It came with a dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, nice carpet and perfectly chosen painted walls in each room! We have a huge back yard, front yard and empty lot to the side of us. Most people in the US do have most of the above, but to me, I now think of them as luxuries and blessings! In Saudi Arabia, I washed all the dishes by hand, I hung all the clothes to dry and we had no yard or patch of grass anywhere close to our home!

Just yesterday, we got a new SUV....well, its older than my 2nd and 3rd child....but it looks new! It has new tires, leather interior and is just perfect for us!

This past week, the kids went to VBS and they all made good friends and are so excited to start school with them in the Fall!

We also just adopted 4 cute little orange kittens. They are so tiny and just 5-6 weeks old, so the kids are learning to take care of them and they are giving them so much love. They stay outside and have so much room to play!

I set up our cable, internet, car insurance and other necessary bills. I changed our address and phone number as staying in Alabama will most likely become long term. The kids love it here and appreciate it so much more than I did when I was a child. I am so impressed at how well they have adapted and made new friends so quickly. As a said, everything has fallen into perfect place!

Getting Yelled Out by a Stranger - An Encounter with the Religious Police

Picture from Arab NewsPaper in Saudi Arabia (www.arabnews.com)

I got yelled at…by the muttawa! The muttawa (also called haia) are commonly known as the religious police in Saudi Arabia. I have waited 9 months in anticipation for this to happen. I now feel inducted into society! I was sitting in the car, after going out to a local restaurant. Hubby was not yet in the drivers seat and I turned to see this white Jeep Cherokee type SUV pulling by slowly. We were parked and he was yelling something loud in Arabic. He was a guy of about 60 or 70, had his hair covered in a white scarf thing and had a long gangly beard. He was also wagging his finger. I didn’t even realize what was going on. I was just spectating and rolling my eyes at this crazy guy yelling at me. I mean, how often do you get yelled at, and out in public??! So, traffic kept moving and he was gone and then I told hubby what happened.

Then, it hit me-I had a muttawa encounter! The guy was most likely yelling at me to cover my head with a scarf (which I never do-because I don't have to). I told hubby, I think I just got yelled at by the muttawa! The car was almost long gone, but he was able to see it and verified that, yes, I had in fact had a muttawa encounter! How exciting-right!?? Well, that was the most exciting thing that did happen to me all day! And I’ll leave it at that.

In case you are wondering what the “Muttawa” are…..Well, they have a very important job in Saudi Arabia. Their job includes, but is not limited to the following:

1.   Telling women  to cover their head (even though it is not required by law)

2.   Ensuring that shop and store owners close during prayer time

3.   Monitoring product packaging, to keep them free from images of women in swimsuits (like having a woman sitting in a pool, on the package of a blow up pool or float)

4.   Browsing books and magazines to eliminate pictures of women that are “too 

      revealing” (example: a woman’s legs being revealed in a shaving or razor advertisement)

5.   Making sure that single men and single women are not socializing in public (it is against the law and people do go to jail for this) Often, I see the muttawa walking the malls. They have walked past me in 3 separate instances and not yelled or said anything to me in the mall.

Thanks for reading!

Andrea

 



Andrea's Taxi Adventure!

I took a taxi, all by myself- 3 times last week!  This was one way of me “feeling independent.” You see, it gets a bit annoying to have to depend on men to be able to go somewhere. Being that I am a woman, I am not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. Why? Well, its the law. There are no public transportation systems in place here either (no subway or metro busses) thus forcing me to take a taxi, hire a personal driver, or use the hubby. I do have a driver that takes me to and from work each day.  If I want to go somewhere to grab a bite to eat, I use a taxi. Thus...adventures always follow!

I don’t know why it took me 7 months to realize that I could travel in a taxi alone. Perhaps I didn’t trust a stranger or maybe it was that I didn’t trust that I could navigate myself around Jeddah.
Now, a simple taxi ride here, always transforms into an interesting story.

Earlier this week, I walked out of my office and waited for a taxi to drive up. I then asked the driver if he could take me to Hardees. He said “yes.” I said, “Do you know how to get there, because I don’t.” He said “yes, I know.” I then said, “Are you sure?” Of course he said that he did, so I got in and off we went! We drove and drove and drove and I saw no Hardees anywhere. I did not panic because this is his job to know where places are. He then picked up his cell phone and asked someone how to get to Hardee’s. Oh brother! He didn't know! Ten minutes later we arrived to Hardee’s. I was craving a Frisco burger, so this was my motivation in taking this particular taxi ride. I asked him to wait, so that he could take me back to my office. I made sure he was willing and asked if it would cost 15 SR-he agreed.  He waited, we returned and he triple charged me for the fare! Hubby taught me earlier this year that 15 riyals is the common price for one way. That’s about $ 4.00. So, when I handed the guy 15, he started shouting at me, “not 15….50.” Oh, one of us misheard the other, earlier, I guess.  Well, 50 riyals is $ 13.00. I told him that I had never paid that much for a taxi here and that since he got lost and lied, saying he knew where I wanted to go, that I would not pay that much for the ride. He got angrier and so I took out 10 more riyals, handed it to him and he yelled some more. I simply opened the door…and said “bye-bye, now.” Later, I learned that it is typical for taxi drivers to try to charge Americans more money. I was flabbergasted as to how this guy would overcharge me-but I did not let it ruin my day. Actually, I was happy to have a new story to write about!

-Andrea

More interesting Taxi Tales:

http://americanbedu.com/2009/02/26/men-and-taxis-in-saudi-arabia/ 

http://canadianinriyadh.blogspot.com/2009/03/saudi-taxi-driver-learns-lesson.html

http://www.hziegler.com/articles/list-taxi-travel.html

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120522124675

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/31/235333.html

Photo from: jeddahphoto.blogspot.com   More wonderful photos of Jeddah are here!

 

Pearls and Old Things

I love old things. I love things with stories and with a unique past. Good thing. There are many old and interesting things in this city I am living. In the US, I found old things also. It was actually my hobby and thrill to go to every Goodwill, Salvation Army or second hand store. Even when I visited friends and relatives in other cities, if I spotted a Goodwill, I had to stop there and shop! Over the years, I obtained many children's books and puzzles for my kids and my classroom. It was a good way to get a shopping rush! However, the rush for me was finding something that had a "story." One old thing that I found was a tattered and falling apart old brown colored Bible. Before I bought it, I wondered "Who owned it before me? Who read it and was comforted by its words?" Actually, every time I read a "used" book, I wonder who held it before me.

So, how does this relate to Saudi Arabia and Pearls? Good question. Thanks for being patient with me as a rambled the above pre-amble to my story.

Pearls. Pearls are old. Did you know that the rarest and roundest most prized pearls can take about 5 years to form? I found this out, after I purchased some REAL pearls from Al-Balad, one of the oldest areas within Jeddah.

I recently became interested in pearls when I saw strings of them for sale at the street market. I had never seen such interesting things for sale at a street market before. Pearls are usually in jewelry stores or around someones neck! I will never forget that elderly man sitting criss-cross on a rug, with strings (literal white strings!) of pearls. Now, what I found most interesting was that these pearls were not perfect. They were cream colored and not round. Each one looked a bit different. I asked the elderly vendor if they were real and he said "yes, of course, look at them, you can tell that they are." He showed me his fake pearls and his real ones. Somehow I knew that he was right. So, I paid less than twenty US dollars for them and brought them home.

Investigation time. Why were the pearls so cheap? I went on YouTube and found out that the more rare a pearl is, the more expensive it will be. Pearls that are rare, are the ones that are almost completely round and have a high sheen. They usually take up to five years to form.

Here are a few video's about how pearls are formed and tips for Pearl shopping.





The pearls that I now own are not the rare. However, I wonder how many people own these type. I just love them, they are mostly round, a little bumpy in places and they have a medium sheen. To me, they are more beautiful that the rare and expensive ones. What do you think?
 

What Happens When You Vacation BACK to the US from Saudi Arabia?

Image via www.carseatblog.com 

First of all, how was it possible that we all were able to come back to the US for a mini-vacation? We have only been in Saudi Arabia for 6 months. My company was so generous and thoughtful to give me and the kids’ airline tickets to visit the US. During the month of November, I had a bit of a “culture shock” melt down and I think my boss agreed that I just needed a little break to refresh and recharge.

Before we flew out, each family member stated what we needed to stock up on when we got back to the US. Other than being with and enjoying our family, our other mission was to load up on the things that were either too expensive or too hard to find in Saudi.

The “stocking-up” began with my brother taking the kids to Wal-Mart. Not just a regular Super Wal-Mart, but a miniature regular sized small town Wal-Mart. His trip with them took over an hour  2 hours! My brother let them buy whatever they wanted and it was just so funny to see the random things that they chose to buy (based on the things that they must have missed the most).

Our youngest son bought:
·         Chocolate donuts and beef jerkey
·         Angry bird game and watch
·         Trident ice-cream flavored gum –and a
·         12 pack of Capri Sun drinks!

Our daughter bought:
·         US Weekly magazine
·         Press on finger-nails complete with art designs
·         12 pack of HUGS juice drinks –and a
·         Mini-video camera

Our oldest son bought:
·         Beef Jerkey
·         gum and candy
·         A remote control helicopter

While the kids were going crazy at the little Wal-Mart, the hubby and I were hoarding items at the Super Wal-Mart in the next city over.

Here is what we (mostly me) bought:
·         5 boxes of Cold-brew Lipton Iced Tea bags
·         5 tubes of Burt’s Bee’s chapstick
·         5 automatic eye-liners (self-sharpening)
·         My favorite shampoo and conditioner
·         Tomato bouillon cubes
·         Goldfish snacks and Cheez-itz      
·         Chili powder (to make home-ade chili with)
·         Ranch Dressing mix
·         Creamy peanut butter-3 jars
·         Grits (oh, how I missed them!)
·         4 bottles of makeup foundation, powder, eye shadow and lipstick
·         Tampons
·         Saltine crackers
·         Loads of kids Tylenol chewable tablets and chewable Pepto Bismol tablets
·         Socks for the boys

Things I forgot to bring back L  (dang it! why didn’t I think of that while I was there!)
·         Chef Boyardee Ravioli
·         Neosporin
·         Bengeit mix (not available, sadly)
·         Hot Tamales candy
·         Bubble-icious-gum

After our major splurging trip, we made sure to eat at our favorite places throughout the week. We went to: Larry’s BBQ-twice, Cracker Barell, Captain D’s, McDonald’s (for breakfast), IHOP, Chick-fil-A and Olive Garden. Stores we (me) got carried away in were: Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, JCPenny, Dillards, WAL-MART, Target, Barnes & Noble, Michael’s, Kohl’s and several shoe stores.

I was sure to also bring back many children’s books, Beth Moore and Joel Osteen studies, a mini-Christmas tree for each child, new clothes and shoes for the whole family, magazines and my Keurig coffee maker!

Of course there were more high-lights of our trip, but the best ones of all were spending time with friends and family that we hadn’t seen in years!

Family Day!

Today, we had a family day at the beach. We arrived about an hour before sunset, where the kids played on a few of the playgrounds lined up in the sand. We saw some locals picnicking near the water. We then bought a kite from a lady who had a makeshift store laid on top of a blanket on the sand. As the sun began to set, the cotton candy vendors emerged and so we bought some (at a quarter a bag!). We ended the night by wasting money on some light up toys for the kids. Total cost-less than $10!

Visiting a American-like city, Within the Desert

Yes, after 4 months of living in "Opposite World," as we all call it now, I was ready to take a little break and step back into someplace different that was a little more "Americanized." So, my sweet husband drove me 3 1/2 hours away to a quaint little city called Yanbu. He actually grew up in Yanbu, as a young child and he took us on a family tour through the neighborhood that looked like a little piece of America. I was amazed and thrilled to see cute little houses sitting on green grassy yards. The streets were nicely paved, without potholes. Unlike Jeddah, people obeyed traffic lights, followed the speed limit and stopped at stop signs. Parks and playgrounds sat on the corners of several neighborhoods. For a moment, I felt like I was in Florida as we drove between a long stretch of towering palm trees.

During our day trip, we decided to spend the night in a hotel and believe it or not, we stayed in a Radisson. It was more pricey than we planned, but there were no available rooms elsewhere. This was the end of the Hajj vacation, so we should have known. On the other hand, the cost was about 70% of what we would have paid in Florida for a beach front room.

We awoke to a nice "super-sized" American style breakfast buffet. It was complete with bacon, waffles, fresh fruit, cereal and omelettes. It was so tasty! Not too far away, we could see the beach outside of our window. It was pretty much deserted so we thought we would go for a swim. Being that we were near the industrial part of Yanbu, the beaches had a little grime and slime along the shore. We decided to just stand and look at the water, instead of swim in it! Either way, it was nice to be able to drive our car right up on the sand near the water.

After not swimming at the Beach, we went for a little drive past the shipyard. We saw the import "ports" and a cute little orange tugboat. Next, we happened upon a historical site where old buildings were toppled one on top of the other. The archways of the former doors and windows were strikingly exquisite! The blue, red and green doors were like artwork just sitting there waiting to be discovered. So, once again, I pulled out my trusty iPhone and snapped some photo's of "Old Yanbu."

Things You Should Know Before Moving to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is both mysterious and unique in many ways. A trip to the kingdom can be both challenging and adventurous at the same time. Getting used to a new culture, language, and country can also be the way to test ones patience. Saudi Arabia is no exception. Below is some useful information for anyone preparing to visit or move here either alone or with family.

The Work Week:
Instead of the typical Monday-Friday workweek, with Saturday and Sunday off....if Saudi Arabia, the work week is from Saturday-Wednesday, with Thursday and Friday off. So, Wednesday is like Friday. Saturday is like Monday. It still confuses me!

Prayer Times:
Being an Islamic country, every place of business closes their store during this time. Prayer times occur 5 times each day.There are apps you can get to let you know when they are. Roughly, prayer times are around 4 am, sunrise, noon, around 6:30 and 7:30. It changes according to the time of year and the Islamic calendar. Prayer times last from 15-40 minutes, on average. On a loudspeaker, the call to prayer can be heard. It is like a beautiful song-like poem in Arabic. It signals Muslims to give them enough time to either go to the local mosque to pray or shut down their work area. Some stores turn off their lights to signal for everyone to leave and wait outside. Others, like IKEA and larger grocery stores, allow you to continue shopping. However, you can't pay for your items until prayer time is over. In local markets, the shop owners leave their items covered with a sheet and then they head to the mosque.

Ramadan:
This is a holy holiday that is highly observed by Muslims. From sunrise to sunset, they are not permitted to eat or drink anything. As soon as the sun sets, they open their fast by eating. If you are not Muslim, you are not required or expected to "not fast." However, it is nice to respect the culture by not eating and drinking in public. On the other hand, those who are born in Saudi Arabia are born into the muslim religion and are required to observe and participate in fasting. The same is for the many foreigners who live in Saudi Arabia, whom are also Muslim. EVERY place that serves food starts opening before the fasting time (iftari). It is common to see long lines in the grocery stores and at local eating places. They are selling the food that everyone will begin eating. Some families cook a nice little feast and they gather and open their fast together. After this it is common to take a nap for a few hours and then have dinner. Staying up and going shopping is very common. It is normal for stores to still be open at 2 am!

Value of time: 
Most people in Saudi Arabia think of time as an infinite resource. Appointments are made as a hope that it will happen. For example, I have seen many business meetings rescheduled for the following day because the person who called the meeting was tired or had forgotten about the meeting. So many times, I have also seen people show up for meetings to meet with a person who was not even in the office. Many times the phrase "insh-allah" is said. For example, when we bought a table we were told that it would be delivered in the evening, insh-allah. My translation: "if it works out, I will get you your table on the date and time that I said. If not, it was not meant to be." This phrase is meant to mean, though that if God wills it, it will happen accordingly. Again, this is something that you get used to here, but it can be frustrating too.

Women are not permitted to drive:
As a woman myself, this has been the most "interesting" idea to adapt to. I do respect the culture that I have chosen to live in. I do, also, miss my independence that I had in the US. Women are not permitted to drive. A husband, personal driver, taxi or relative is allowed to take women to and from work and elsewhere. So, like me, if you run out of sugar, you either walk to the store or wait for your husband to get home and take you.

Women must wear an Abaya, at all times in pulic:
An abaya is a black covering that looks like a robe and it is worn over your clothing. Amazingly, this was not hard for me to adjust to. Here in Jeddah, most women wear black abaya's (including myself). However, it is ok to wear them in other colors too. I have seen Navy, dark brown, dark purple and dark gray. They button from top to bottom, in the front and some of them zip up and down, for easy off and on access. It's best to just go to a shop and try them on until you find the size that is perfect for you. Many shops even customize abaya's to make them exactly how you want. They come in various materials like polyester, knit and lace overlays.

Head Coverings:
This is not a requirement. In the past 4 months, I have never encountered anyone telling me or asking me to "cover my head." I have heard of it happening, though. Many women do cover their heads here in Jeddah. It is common and I have gotten used to it. Some women also wear a head covering that also covers their face-leaving only their eyes exposed. This is common also. Not covering your head does draw attention, though. I just don't make eye contact with strangers in public. That way, I won't know if I am being stared at or not.

Accomodations:
Many options are available from apartments, villa's, or compounds. My family lives in a 5 level apartment building and it is a nice and quiet place to live. The drawback of an apartment is that there are usually no parks or children's entertainment nearby. Our children cannot safely ride their bike outside. Also, apartments here are not like those in the US, where there is a shared pool and gym. But, most here have elavators! Villa's are also available. Here in Jeddah, most are large and more expensive. Villa's are the equivalent to a house, but most have a large wall around them for privacy. Many also have pools. A compound is the next choice. Compounds are like mini-neighborhoods, with a pool a little store, sidewalks, and trees. They are more expensive than an apartment and for a family, much smaller. That is why we chose the apartment life here.

Food Choices:
Food from around the world is available here. Many chain eating places are here, like Applebee's, Subway and McDonald's. (I have also written an entire post about the choices here in Jeddah). The fast food joints are about the same price as in the US. However, the sit-down American restaurants are almost double of what you would pay in the US. The local food (chicken and rice) is typically less expensive.For me, I have not enjoyed the food as much here. My Texas food from back home is truly missed by me!

Family Life:
There are a variety of place to take children to entertain them. Each mall has huge arcade like children's play places (similar to Chuck-E-Cheese) but on a larger scale. Some schools offer extra-curricular activities, but some also charge for them. The beach is easily accessible, to stroll by, on Corniche street. Private beaches are available as well. These are the ones that you pay for to enter, and you don't have to wear or swim in an abaya. It is common to see locals having a picnic on the side of the road with their family or friends.

Socializing:
Many facebook groups exist for meeting new friends and acquaintances. A few are: Jeddah Mums, Jeddah Moms, Jeddah Blog, KSA Teachers, Expat Ladies Club, Expat Ladies Wing, Jeddah Foodies. It is a bit tricky getting to know people here, but not impossible. I have met some wonderful people via facebook and then in person. We scheduled children's playdates and got to know each other better that way.

Singles vs. Family:
All places that serve food or drink have "sections" to them. There will be a door to enter the "Singles" section. This is for men only-single or not. Women cannot go in a Singles section. Also, you will find a "Families" section. This is for single women, groups of women and families or both parents with or without their children. This was the hardest thing for me to understand while I was in the US.

Working:
When you are offered a job, it is common for your pay to be lower than what you expected. The culture here, "barters" (for lack of a better word.) It is expected that ask for higher than what you think you should make and then you both "meet in the middle." So if you were offered 10,000 SR/month, you could ask for 15,000 and then you both could end up agreeing on 12,000. In addition to your pay, some jobs give you a housing and transportation allowance. Others include those items within your pay or "base salary." Be sure you find out which one your pay includes. Many jobs pay for your airfare, others reimburse you after you arrive. I recommend the first option, for various legalistic reasons. Keep in mind that your pay, accomodations, etc. will vary GREATLY, depending on your job type and company. For example, working for a school versus working for an oil company. Larger companies give shipping allowances and moving expenses. Many schools and smaller ones do not. Expect to get paid in cash if you do not yet have your iquama. It can take months for your employer to get your iquama approved by the government.

Schools:
Public schools instruct only in Arabic and offer English in later grades. Therefore, a plethora of International schools are available to expats. Many Saudi's send their children to these schools as well. All International schools in Jeddah are tuition and "for-profit." Yes, even the American International School and the British International School. Those are the most well known schools around. The exception are few, such as the Pakistan International School. (Their government assists them.) These schools usually offer American or British curriculum. This simply means that the textbooks are from either country. Expat teachers from around the globe work at these schools. However, just because the school has American and/or British curriculum does not mean that all the teachers are from those respective country. In fact, most are not. At smaller International schools, some teachers are native English speakers and some speak English as their second language. Schools range from 8,000 SR-40,000SR per semester. Most schools also have "hidden fees" which are in addition to the tuition (registration, uniform, books, miscellaneous, activities).

Also, be prepared-your child will have an entrance exam (for a fee) that he will take prior to being admitted to the school. Most schools are K-12. Some of the campuses have all the building close by and some are spread out across town. However, pre-schools and Kindergarten schools are also throughout the city. Some schools are split by gender, having a boys side and a girls side. If you have children, my advice is to visit every school that you can, prior to moving here (that is what I wish I would have been able to do). The school websites do not offer enough information. The facebook groups offer some, but not enough information to make the best decision you can, for your children.

I hope that my first-hand and recent experience here, helps you to understand the culture better. Feel free to ask me about anything Saudi culture related and I will give you my thoughts based on my American influenced perspective!

Saudi Bathrooms 101

If you are from America, like me-you are used to American bathrooms. The bathrooms in Saudi Arabia are a bit different for several reasons:

1. Public restrooms do not usually have toilet paper-yep, that's right. Unless you go to a more expensive restaurant-those have TP, but only sometimes.
2. Each stall comes equipped with a hose like water sprayer- just use your imagination to figure out what that is for...I will not go into detail....just remember-no TP!
3. Sometimes the stall floors are sopping wet. Why? Remember the Water hose thing....that's why. Unless- you go to a MORE expensive restaurant, where a cleaning person, mops after each person leaves the stall.
4. Some bathrooms have no toilets! Seriously! They have "squatty potty's" instead. Again-use you imagination...no seat to sit on,but there is a hole in the floor.
5. Some have sign outside, do you know where to go. This sign was in Spanish and Arabic! But the men's sign only came in Spanish....

Lucky for me- toilet paper is sold in all the supermarkets here!

The pictures shown are from a super nice and clean restaurant in Jeddah, called "On the Border." It serves Tex-Mex style food-yum!

School Registration Insanity Continues!

Life here is going ok. The kids are happy, but I am going a little crazy for the moment! To be quite honest, I feel like I am on another planet that is far far away! "The glam of Saudi Arabia is gone and reality is kicking in," as my husband says. In spite of all the backwards things I see here, I am determined to be a super-hero, with God as my strength! 

Part 1 Summary -- In my last post, I wrote about how difficult it was to find a school and then register my children here in Saudi Arabia. You may have even felt a little sorry for me when I wrote about the process of having my children tested to be admitted to a school and then having to wait until the next day to see if they “passed”. Well, the story doesn’t end there.

Part 2

I went back to the school to pay the rest of the registration fees. I was given a number on a sticky note and was directed to go pick out the kids uniform sizes. They tried them on and we picked out their sizes-but since I was waiting to pay, they couldn’t give them to me yet. So, they stacked them to the side and told me to come back with my receipt. So, preceded with patiently waiting for the accountant to accept my money. My number was 39 and they were on number 21…..at 9:30am! By 11:30 my number was called and I made a fool of myself by whooping and hollering because I was so excited that it was finally my turn. (All this time, Sohail is waiting outside in the car for me because men are not allowed on the women’s side of the school and vice versa.) I was surprised to see that everything was calculated by hand and a calculator-with no computer entry. However, at 12 noon, I was finished paying and went on my way to pick up the uniforms.

Guess what? They gave my stack of uniforms to someone else! So, now I had to guess the sizes of the kids-because I was just so frustrated and didn’t want to have them try on clothing again. And-they were out of the sizes the kids needed. Oh well-what could I do, right? They told me that I could exchange the sizes out next week.

Then, I was told to go pick up the kids textbooks and workbooks. What a sight it must have been to see me walking out the building with over 20 books + the uniforms. Seriously-I could see heads turning and eyes glaring at me-this white girl in a black abaya! Now that I was finished it was 2:00pm and I was exhausted-but I did it-and I didn’t cry or yell at anyone!

Before I left, I was told that school had been postponed…until September 16^th. Oh my-what next?

Well, when I got back to work-the lights were out in my office. Then, I opened the door and the door handle fell off from both sides! What a day! What a day!

The Madness of Finding a Driver!

This past month I got the pleasure of searching for a driver *insert sarcasm here*. When I arrived to Saudi Arabia, Sohail had arranged a wonderful driver to take me to and from work each day. He was great, until after 2 months-he quit. So, again, Sohail arranged a driver and after one week-I fired him! Each week, I have had a temporary driver, since. Why did I fire my driver, you ask? Because I arrived to work almost in tears because of how he drove. We were even in a minor car accident on his 3^rd day! Now that the children are going back to school, we need a driver to pick them up from school, drop them off at after-school care, pick me up from work, then pick up the kids and take us back home. Amazing, right? *insert more sarcasm here* So, tomorrow our youngest starts school and this week our other 2 children will begin school. Wish us luck in finding a driver!

Why is finding a driver such a big deal? Well, if you don’t know, women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia-ever. Women must rely on their husband, father, brother, son, a taxi or a family driver to take them anywhere. I have accepted that these are the culture’s “rules.” However, after legally driving for more than twenty years, I feel a bit demeaned by not being able to drive. Granted, men crazily and unsafely drive here-so I would not really enjoy driving here. But, when it comes down do it-I am not able to drive to get groceries, take my kids to and from school, take them to after-school activities, etc…. So, not being able to drive completely limits what a woman is able to do here. It is frustrating to say the least. 

Many women here have tried to start a movement by posting various articles on their blogs and even in the newspaper. One woman did in fact “drive” but now she faces the horrors of not being able to get a job in Saudi Arabia. Her act of driving must have disgraced the family, unfortunately.

Once again, my fellow Americans, be glad for the rights that we have-in America!

Long ago, women did not have the same rights, nor did African Americans or foreigners. Luckily, human rights activists, religious leaders and government officials made equal rights the law. Although American is far from perfect-at least ethics and equal opportunities are enforced. It didn’t happen in a few years, but over the course of decades. I would hope that many other countries would follow. It could happen!

*update* I now have a driver. The problem is-he doesn't speak English! More adventures await!!!!!!!!!!

Another American living in Saudi Arabia wrote about the same women driving issues here:
http://susieofarabia.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/taxi-driver-2/