Saudi Arabia is a land of many wonderful beauty products for me. The shelves are filled with so many choices of deep conditioning treatments and moisturizing body scrubs that Michael Abraham circles the grocery store four times by the time I have narrowed it down to a couple choices. My hair and skin is very happy here, for the most part.
They have about every cream and lotion here that they do back in the states, except my old favorite Curél. That was my secret back home, put Ultra Strength Curél all over my face like three times a day. Try it, it works. So I have been on the search for a new facial moisturizer. Jergens body lotion just does not cut it. You would think with all of these other perfect products that I should have no problem. Well, here it is: They have Olay and L'oréal and Garnier and Ponds, all the normal brands. The issue with them is that most of the facial creams are bleaching creams. "Natural White" "Fair and Lovely" "White Beauty" "White Perfect" Night, day, oily, dry... they are almost all skin whiteners as well as your standard cream.
This is an interesting clip I saw a few years ago about skin bleaching in Jamaica.
Now, I am pretty sure that all these big name brands do not use hardcore chemicals in their creams, they stick to the well received alpha hydroxy acids and natural extracts. They just like the label, it sells. But if you look on the bottom shelves you can find off brand creams filled with melanin inhibitors and sometimes mercury. I have seen quite a few oddly fair complexioned women with some pretty scary acne and scars that I assume are caused by these products.
This is the story that takes the cake though. A few weeks ago, we ran into one of Michael's co-workers with his family. They had just had a baby girl. I was talking with the woman and I peeked into the little bundel she had in her arms. All snuggled up was a tiny girl with long dark eyelashes, creamy almond skin, and gold earrings. "She is beautiful!" I was not even just saying that, she was so warm and peaceful. The woman sighed and looked down at her new baby, "She is not beautiful. She is DARK." I was bothered by this. I did not know how to respond. We soon parted ways and I asked Michael if maybe it was some sort of communication error, something lost in translation, even though I felt that it really was not. The next day he went and had a talk with his co-worker. Michael asked about what his wife had said to me. His response was something like, "I love my daughter, she is very lovely in her own way, but she is dark. Her brother is so beautiful with his light skin, but she is dark."
WTF. Really!?! I still think of this every day. I hope this baby girl's skin can not hold her back, I hope her parents outgrow this "hurdle" of her being "dark", I really hope she does not feel pressure to smear on chemicals ever. She is Saudi, what color is she suposed to be!
It is terrible to think of all these white girls in the United States becoming orange and addicted to tanning, and at the same time girls over here are scrubbing and peeling and soaking their skin with chemicals to become whiter. It all can cause skin cancer. Please just enjoy your natural color, for your health and bank accounts!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Strange Day.
Mariam and I slept in. We got up, did our stuff. Everything was normal till I started to make lunch. I took a chicken out of the fridge and got it ready for cooking. I peeled off two layers of plastic and lifted the chicken out of the little styrofoam boat it had been sitting it. I brought the chicken over to the sink to rinse it off and rub it with seasoning, I turned the body over and saw that the wings still had a bunch of boney looking, sharp pin feathers in them. Ish. I thought to myself, "This is fine (blah) it's normal. I am going to pull these out and enjoy my meat." I have cleaned deer, made dead geese dance, eaten fish with eyes, but for some reason this grossed me out. It was processed, it was not suposed to be like that! Pin feathers are hard to get out and I can now see how a few stayed attached after the meat processing plant had it's hands on it. I had to squeeze them out, like removing a splinter or popping a giant pokey zit. Mike got home with sandwiches when the chicken was half done. We decided to have it for dinner. A really fun picnic dinner by the sea! with tea! and chess! A good idea.
I cooked the chicken up with some fava beans and chick peas, green peppers and onions. We packed some cheese and crackers, fig bars, tea and water. The two of us managed to get all that and Mariam out the door right at sunset. The Red Sea is about a five minute drive from our apartment. The shore is all developed pretty well, with sidewalks and plenty of little gazebos and benches for anyone to use. The sun was sinking down quicker than I wanted it to, so we pulled off at a close spot where there is a wave breaker and little stone piers for people to picnic on. A few groups of people had claimed some of the piers, but there were lots open. A nice one in the middle looked like it was just for us. I got out of the car and a cute little garbage cat came up to me. It followed me and my chicken out to the end of the pier where Mike had set out the blanket and these humps we have so that you can lean comfortably as you sit on the ground (I am not sure what they are called, they are popular here). Mariam was rolled out in her stroller. Everything was set for fun! I opened the pot of chicken. All of a sudden little eyes and ears and tails popped out of the rocks.
Garbage cats everywhere! They came closer, all sizes and colors. Some were brave, some scared off easily. They wanted my chicken that I had worked so hard on trying to enjoy. They had scary looks in their eyes. It was so hard for me, my brain is wired to love cats. I got up and stomped on the ground and banged my shoes and tried to shout at them. The guys next to us must have thought we were the stupidest, most entertaining things. Mike "PSSSSSSSSSSSTED" at them, but garbage cats do not know that language. They kept coming. We were trying to stick it out. Mariam was not in danger, the cats would not come that close. We lasted about two minutes before I said I was uncomfortable. I got up, looked down the rocky edge of our pier to check out the cat situation, and I saw it. It was as big as a cat, shaped like a half moon.
A big grey rat was sitting there in the dark, about four feet up from the salt water. The cats could care less. They were not going to help me in this situation like any decent cat would. These were BAD cats. I bet they team up with this thing. That was it. We ran out of there. We drove up the shore to our usual, clean, bright, populated spot. I checked for rats unter the car seat, in the pot with the chicken, and in my purse. Arrgah! We got a new clean cat and rat-less spot and tried to eat the chicken. Neither of us could stomach it. Lesson learned: if not a lot of people are there, and it seems like a really nice place, it is not. Get out.
I cooked the chicken up with some fava beans and chick peas, green peppers and onions. We packed some cheese and crackers, fig bars, tea and water. The two of us managed to get all that and Mariam out the door right at sunset. The Red Sea is about a five minute drive from our apartment. The shore is all developed pretty well, with sidewalks and plenty of little gazebos and benches for anyone to use. The sun was sinking down quicker than I wanted it to, so we pulled off at a close spot where there is a wave breaker and little stone piers for people to picnic on. A few groups of people had claimed some of the piers, but there were lots open. A nice one in the middle looked like it was just for us. I got out of the car and a cute little garbage cat came up to me. It followed me and my chicken out to the end of the pier where Mike had set out the blanket and these humps we have so that you can lean comfortably as you sit on the ground (I am not sure what they are called, they are popular here). Mariam was rolled out in her stroller. Everything was set for fun! I opened the pot of chicken. All of a sudden little eyes and ears and tails popped out of the rocks.
Garbage cats everywhere! They came closer, all sizes and colors. Some were brave, some scared off easily. They wanted my chicken that I had worked so hard on trying to enjoy. They had scary looks in their eyes. It was so hard for me, my brain is wired to love cats. I got up and stomped on the ground and banged my shoes and tried to shout at them. The guys next to us must have thought we were the stupidest, most entertaining things. Mike "PSSSSSSSSSSSTED" at them, but garbage cats do not know that language. They kept coming. We were trying to stick it out. Mariam was not in danger, the cats would not come that close. We lasted about two minutes before I said I was uncomfortable. I got up, looked down the rocky edge of our pier to check out the cat situation, and I saw it. It was as big as a cat, shaped like a half moon.
A big grey rat was sitting there in the dark, about four feet up from the salt water. The cats could care less. They were not going to help me in this situation like any decent cat would. These were BAD cats. I bet they team up with this thing. That was it. We ran out of there. We drove up the shore to our usual, clean, bright, populated spot. I checked for rats unter the car seat, in the pot with the chicken, and in my purse. Arrgah! We got a new clean cat and rat-less spot and tried to eat the chicken. Neither of us could stomach it. Lesson learned: if not a lot of people are there, and it seems like a really nice place, it is not. Get out.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Arabic Coffee
Here is how to make one crazy pot of this stuff:
Grind up a bunch of light roast coffee till you have about 3/4 of a cup, or get some pre-ground. The finer the better, think powder.
Grind up some cardamom, about a 1/4 of a cup!
Grate some ginger, about a teaspoon.
If you are fancy get a 1/4 teaspoon of saffron.
Boil 3 cups of water on the stove, add coffee, cover, and continue to boil on a low heat for about 15 to 20 min.
Add cardamom, ginger, and your saffron. Let boil another 3 to 5 min.
Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes.
Pour into your thermos or coffee pot unfiltered. You can leave the goopy stuff in the pot from the stove or keep it with your coffee. It all settles to the bottom anyhow.
It is a pretty intense brew. They eat it with dates here to make up for the bitterness. I like the taste. Don't go adding any sugar either, all you true Minnesotan black coffee drinkers should be fine with it anyway.
I make this for Mike before he has to go to work2: tutoring fourth graders.
Grind up a bunch of light roast coffee till you have about 3/4 of a cup, or get some pre-ground. The finer the better, think powder.
Grind up some cardamom, about a 1/4 of a cup!
Grate some ginger, about a teaspoon.
If you are fancy get a 1/4 teaspoon of saffron.
Boil 3 cups of water on the stove, add coffee, cover, and continue to boil on a low heat for about 15 to 20 min.
Add cardamom, ginger, and your saffron. Let boil another 3 to 5 min.
Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes.
Pour into your thermos or coffee pot unfiltered. You can leave the goopy stuff in the pot from the stove or keep it with your coffee. It all settles to the bottom anyhow.
It is a pretty intense brew. They eat it with dates here to make up for the bitterness. I like the taste. Don't go adding any sugar either, all you true Minnesotan black coffee drinkers should be fine with it anyway.
I make this for Mike before he has to go to work2: tutoring fourth graders.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Arranged Friendship.
When you move anywhere different I suppose it is hard to meet new people and make new friends. When you are a girl who has had trouble all her life feeling comfortable enough to make friends with ease, it is extra tough. I said to Michael tonight what I have been thinking about for the past few days, "It takes me a good six to eight months of working/schooling with someone every day in order for me to even think about being comfortable hanging out on a weekend." He laughed and said he was going to write that one down. I told him I would write it down. It is true, and I will not be slow to admit it! I feel more comfortable giving a presentation to a room full of 150 college students than I do riding in a car with a girl I have worked with for a few months. I would love to just wear a shirt that says, "shy and slow to warm up". Maybe people would have a bit of empathy for me and not just think I was being rude, which is what my anxiety ridden mind figures most people come to believe.
One of the reasons I married Michael and had the guts to follow him across the world is that he holds the opposite friendship making power. He has made plenty of friends here already. I knew we wouldn't just be lonely shut ins here in Jeddah, even if I think sometimes that I want to be. We have been invited to many lunches, dinners, and outings to the sea. A challenge for me here is that traditionally when you go to dinner at someone's home, the husbands go to one room and the wives go to another for the entire night. I have refused each and every invitation like this so far. I can not go without my Michael Abraham shield, and I just feel that it is wrong and a strange thing to do. If we are invited to the co-worker who I have head so much about's home for dinner, I want to meet him, not just his wife in another room. I put the burden on poor Michael to explain to them that I am not comfortable with this set up, and sometimes people comply and sometimes we just don't go. This is something I am planning on getting over (eventually) just to be more polite. :P
Last night I went to our friend's villa for dinner with just Mariam. We have been to their home several times as a family, and I had met this couple before we even moved. So I am finally somewhat comfortable sitting alone with this woman. My arranged friend Fartun. That is what it feels like to me, an arranged friendship. We don't know much about each other, we didn't pick each other. But, we are two Minnesotains in a strange country, and our husbands are good friends. So we are friends. She is really nice, and we are getting to know each other. I still feel great anxiety over this arrangement. What if she doesn't like me and we just have to hang out because we feel obligated?
Mariam and her arranged friend Thaina
If you don't work, and you don't get out much in Minnesota, you really never ever meet new friends. Here the socializing is different. Perhaps one of my biggest social nightmares came true tonight. We were at a mall (big surprise) and Mike saw a student he knew from school. A kid who is in a different grade than he teaches, but he knew him because the boy has such a reputation for being a trouble maker. Mike waved and said hello, and we went over and met his mother and little sister. His mother is a Moroccan who grew up in London, so her english is perfect. She seemed a little older, and had that agressive middle eastern hospitality along with diamonds all over her. She asked how I liked it here (fine), if I had friends (yes), if I was working (not right now). Michael chimed in on the last one that maybe later, when I became more adjusted here. She replied, "Oh she does not need any time! It is good here, easy to get used to, not like in America or Europe!" Then she asked me for my mobile number and said that we could get lunch one day and that my little girl could come too. Ok...
EAT LUNCH WITH A STRANGER! NO! GIVE MY NUMBER TO A STRANGER! NO! Mike does not even really know her son! Why is this happening! I was conditioned a little to heartily with stranger danger as a kid, and I still have not gotten over it. Michael says this is how people do it here. You learn someone's name and then you go do things with them, no thoughts about it. Bah. I want to toss my phone into the Red Sea and hide with the garbage cats. What if this woman calls!?
I know what I have to do about all of this though. My dad has told me since I was six. Get over it, look people in the eye, and say hello.
One of the reasons I married Michael and had the guts to follow him across the world is that he holds the opposite friendship making power. He has made plenty of friends here already. I knew we wouldn't just be lonely shut ins here in Jeddah, even if I think sometimes that I want to be. We have been invited to many lunches, dinners, and outings to the sea. A challenge for me here is that traditionally when you go to dinner at someone's home, the husbands go to one room and the wives go to another for the entire night. I have refused each and every invitation like this so far. I can not go without my Michael Abraham shield, and I just feel that it is wrong and a strange thing to do. If we are invited to the co-worker who I have head so much about's home for dinner, I want to meet him, not just his wife in another room. I put the burden on poor Michael to explain to them that I am not comfortable with this set up, and sometimes people comply and sometimes we just don't go. This is something I am planning on getting over (eventually) just to be more polite. :P
Last night I went to our friend's villa for dinner with just Mariam. We have been to their home several times as a family, and I had met this couple before we even moved. So I am finally somewhat comfortable sitting alone with this woman. My arranged friend Fartun. That is what it feels like to me, an arranged friendship. We don't know much about each other, we didn't pick each other. But, we are two Minnesotains in a strange country, and our husbands are good friends. So we are friends. She is really nice, and we are getting to know each other. I still feel great anxiety over this arrangement. What if she doesn't like me and we just have to hang out because we feel obligated?
Mariam and her arranged friend Thaina
If you don't work, and you don't get out much in Minnesota, you really never ever meet new friends. Here the socializing is different. Perhaps one of my biggest social nightmares came true tonight. We were at a mall (big surprise) and Mike saw a student he knew from school. A kid who is in a different grade than he teaches, but he knew him because the boy has such a reputation for being a trouble maker. Mike waved and said hello, and we went over and met his mother and little sister. His mother is a Moroccan who grew up in London, so her english is perfect. She seemed a little older, and had that agressive middle eastern hospitality along with diamonds all over her. She asked how I liked it here (fine), if I had friends (yes), if I was working (not right now). Michael chimed in on the last one that maybe later, when I became more adjusted here. She replied, "Oh she does not need any time! It is good here, easy to get used to, not like in America or Europe!" Then she asked me for my mobile number and said that we could get lunch one day and that my little girl could come too. Ok...
EAT LUNCH WITH A STRANGER! NO! GIVE MY NUMBER TO A STRANGER! NO! Mike does not even really know her son! Why is this happening! I was conditioned a little to heartily with stranger danger as a kid, and I still have not gotten over it. Michael says this is how people do it here. You learn someone's name and then you go do things with them, no thoughts about it. Bah. I want to toss my phone into the Red Sea and hide with the garbage cats. What if this woman calls!?
I know what I have to do about all of this though. My dad has told me since I was six. Get over it, look people in the eye, and say hello.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Unlocking The Beauty Secrets Of The Middle East: Alien Head Princesses
So something I have been struggling with here is how I look when I go out. Getting the proper abaya, putting on the headscarf correctly (or in a way where it won't fall off), what shoes to have on, which giant purse to take, how I will do make-up, what should happen with my hair, etc... I have never cared so much about how I look, really ever. One would think that throwing on a black robe and a scarf would make things so easy. You would never have to think again how you look to the outside world. So simple. Yeah right.
The ladies here all look like they put 19 hours into their appearance when they walk around the mall. Not all of them I guess, but a lot of them. I really want to know how they do it. I want to know how to fit in and not look like a ragamuffin. I want to know how to make that costume they all wear. I have been watching them and looking and thinking and figuring since the day I got here. Being a girl who when she was small got pissed at inaccuracies in other little girls poodle skirts and Laura Ingalls Wilder costumes, I want to do it right.
There is a certain type of young woman that Mike and I have deemed the Alien Head Princess. These girls are pale with thick black eyeliner and lashes, the abayas they have are glitzed out, they have gold and diamonds everywhere you can see, sometimes their headscarfs are all lace, but the identifying feature is the huge lump of hair they keep under the scarf. All the princess's hair is piled up and pinned to the top part of the back of her head, and with the scarf it looks like she has a giant alien head. I WANT TO KNOW HOW!!!
Tonight we went to the souk across the road from our apartment to wander around and avoid the standing water that is still in the streets. I made Mike stop at a shop that looked like a black market Claire's. I walked up and down the two aisles as he stood at the front of the store with Mariam. The walls were covered with crazy cheep jewelry, purses, sunglasses, make-up, and insane hair accessories that most seven year olds would be embarrassed to wear. I found some hints to this alien head look, so I purchased them all for about $3. Then we went by Abayat Corner, a little stand that sells abayas and accessories. There I found the secret to keeping all my hair up in a headscarf, a soft headband with a little extra brim type thing in front. Relief. None of the internet videos told me about this thing, they told me how to use 100 pins and how to fold a scarf so you can wear earrings, and how to do a formal look, and how to do this and that, but none told me how I could just throw on a little band and loosely wrap a scarf around. Finally.
So, I got home, put Mariam to bed, sent Mike down to the neighbor's, and got to work. With all my hairpins, my new doughnut bun shaper that looks like a dish scrubber you put your hair through, the lace headband thing I found at Abayat Corner, and my existing headscarf, I was ready to look like an Alien Head Princess (or at least the hair portion of her). LETS GO!
My arsenal
Huge hair
What I normally look like/Alien Princess Tontie!
Now, I will not really ever wear this look out. I have a long, far way to go. A lot of ladies here use skin lighteners that give them a grey blue pocky look, and then pile on the makeup. I need tons of powder, kohl eyeliner, fake lashes, loads of jewelry and a flashy new abaya before I can mimic a true Alien Head Princess. But it is fun to know and try. I am sure I will pull out my hair doughnut one day before we go to the mall, just to creep Mike out.
The ladies here all look like they put 19 hours into their appearance when they walk around the mall. Not all of them I guess, but a lot of them. I really want to know how they do it. I want to know how to fit in and not look like a ragamuffin. I want to know how to make that costume they all wear. I have been watching them and looking and thinking and figuring since the day I got here. Being a girl who when she was small got pissed at inaccuracies in other little girls poodle skirts and Laura Ingalls Wilder costumes, I want to do it right.
There is a certain type of young woman that Mike and I have deemed the Alien Head Princess. These girls are pale with thick black eyeliner and lashes, the abayas they have are glitzed out, they have gold and diamonds everywhere you can see, sometimes their headscarfs are all lace, but the identifying feature is the huge lump of hair they keep under the scarf. All the princess's hair is piled up and pinned to the top part of the back of her head, and with the scarf it looks like she has a giant alien head. I WANT TO KNOW HOW!!!
Tonight we went to the souk across the road from our apartment to wander around and avoid the standing water that is still in the streets. I made Mike stop at a shop that looked like a black market Claire's. I walked up and down the two aisles as he stood at the front of the store with Mariam. The walls were covered with crazy cheep jewelry, purses, sunglasses, make-up, and insane hair accessories that most seven year olds would be embarrassed to wear. I found some hints to this alien head look, so I purchased them all for about $3. Then we went by Abayat Corner, a little stand that sells abayas and accessories. There I found the secret to keeping all my hair up in a headscarf, a soft headband with a little extra brim type thing in front. Relief. None of the internet videos told me about this thing, they told me how to use 100 pins and how to fold a scarf so you can wear earrings, and how to do a formal look, and how to do this and that, but none told me how I could just throw on a little band and loosely wrap a scarf around. Finally.
So, I got home, put Mariam to bed, sent Mike down to the neighbor's, and got to work. With all my hairpins, my new doughnut bun shaper that looks like a dish scrubber you put your hair through, the lace headband thing I found at Abayat Corner, and my existing headscarf, I was ready to look like an Alien Head Princess (or at least the hair portion of her). LETS GO!
My arsenal
Huge hair
What I normally look like/Alien Princess Tontie!
Now, I will not really ever wear this look out. I have a long, far way to go. A lot of ladies here use skin lighteners that give them a grey blue pocky look, and then pile on the makeup. I need tons of powder, kohl eyeliner, fake lashes, loads of jewelry and a flashy new abaya before I can mimic a true Alien Head Princess. But it is fun to know and try. I am sure I will pull out my hair doughnut one day before we go to the mall, just to creep Mike out.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
It rained here today.
Mariam and I awoke to a thunderstorm this morning! It was not raining, but thunder rumbled though breakfast. Then the rain hit, just a little at first. Just enough rain to make all the dust clump up causing everything to look dirtier. I have seen this happen once before here. It was not very refreshing.
Last time I was talking to my dad on the phone, and I had the big news, "IT SPRINKLED HERE!" he seemed surprised that this was such an odd event. Here are the numbers: December is second to January in precipitation in Jeddah. We get an average of 0.47 inches of rain here this month, January gets 0.55. Yearly we get 2.11 inches of water, you guys in Minnesota get almost 30. I live in the dessert, rain is rare. My dad asked how all the trees, plants and grass they keep get water. The solution, big trucks come around at night and spray all the medians filled with palm trees and blooming flowers every once in a while.
Anyway. The rain kept coming at a sprinkle to a slow pitter-patter. It continued for about an hour and a half. Mike texted me that the school was closing due to the rain and that he would be home early! I went out and took a few photos of our street. Jeddah doesn't bother to have storm sewers or gutters, everything just floods instead. The ground floor of our building is the parking lot, I see a lot of apartments set up like this and the rain must be why.
Last year it rained here for six hours straight. The water filled everything up and people probably thought the world was ending. A lot of the first graders Mike teaches are afraid of rain now because of last year. One little boy was asking, "Teacher, HOW!? HOW IS THE SUN NOT OUT! HOW IS THE SUN DOWN! WHY!!!?? WHY MUST IT RAIN!" Parents showed up early in a panic to get their children and kids were screaming to call their drivers to come get them. It was like a snowstorm in Texas or something.
Shortly after he texted me about the school closing, the rain stopped. The sun came out, and Jeddah returned to normal. 91 degrees and sunny in December.
Last time I was talking to my dad on the phone, and I had the big news, "IT SPRINKLED HERE!" he seemed surprised that this was such an odd event. Here are the numbers: December is second to January in precipitation in Jeddah. We get an average of 0.47 inches of rain here this month, January gets 0.55. Yearly we get 2.11 inches of water, you guys in Minnesota get almost 30. I live in the dessert, rain is rare. My dad asked how all the trees, plants and grass they keep get water. The solution, big trucks come around at night and spray all the medians filled with palm trees and blooming flowers every once in a while.
Anyway. The rain kept coming at a sprinkle to a slow pitter-patter. It continued for about an hour and a half. Mike texted me that the school was closing due to the rain and that he would be home early! I went out and took a few photos of our street. Jeddah doesn't bother to have storm sewers or gutters, everything just floods instead. The ground floor of our building is the parking lot, I see a lot of apartments set up like this and the rain must be why.
Last year it rained here for six hours straight. The water filled everything up and people probably thought the world was ending. A lot of the first graders Mike teaches are afraid of rain now because of last year. One little boy was asking, "Teacher, HOW!? HOW IS THE SUN NOT OUT! HOW IS THE SUN DOWN! WHY!!!?? WHY MUST IT RAIN!" Parents showed up early in a panic to get their children and kids were screaming to call their drivers to come get them. It was like a snowstorm in Texas or something.
Shortly after he texted me about the school closing, the rain stopped. The sun came out, and Jeddah returned to normal. 91 degrees and sunny in December.
Monday, December 20, 2010
26 strange things.
Here is a list of some different things about living in Jeddah
1. On is down, off is up. The light switches are backward like that.
2. There are two kinds of electrical outlets. One is for things that run using 125 V the other is for 240 V. Don't get them confused, things may explode.
3. There is no city water or sewer line. Each building has it's own septic tanks and water tanks. Make sure you get a good landlord who monitors these, ours has proven to be great so far.
4. People sleep during the day. If you are not working from about 1 pm to 5 pm, you are sleeping. Then you stay up and go out till very late at night. Playgrounds are vacant durring the day and hopping with kids past sunset. I really need to stop asking the question, "is it going to be open this late?" Ikea is open till 1 on weekends.
Mariam and Michael at a desserted daytime playground.
5. Weekends are Thursday and Friday instead of Saturday and Sunday. Friday is the holy day here, just like Sunday is at home.
6. Prayer calls happen five times a day, starting at about 5:30 am. There are mosques all over and they broadcast the call to prayer on speakers, we can hear about three different ones. It is spooky singing, some may think it is beautiful. If you are out shopping at one of these times, you can keep shopping, but you can't check out. That gives the employees the option to pray if they want.
7. Guys hold hands and kiss-kiss all over this place. It is not gay, but it sure catches me off guard.
8. Most middle class people have maids.
9. Our car gets washed every day by the doorman of our apartment. It would be awfully dusty otherwise.
10. Families and single men have separate sections at most restaurants. It is not as strange as it sounds, the family sections are often times nicer with private booths and hi-chairs for Mariam.
MareBear chillin in the family section at Jamaican Grill
11. Women wear abayas. But not all of them are black, not all women cover there heads, and you rarely see a woman in a full on burka in this city. Women also work at grocery stores and malls here, contrary to popular belief.
12. Lots of men wear long white shirts that go down to there ankels. These are called Thobes. You also see guys rockin' sarongs every once in a while. All the 12 to 20 something boys dress like total hipsters, not kidding.
13. Public art is everywhere.
14. Driving can be scary. Where there are three lanes painted there are typically five lanes of cars. No one looks when turning right, and you have to bully your way through roundabouts.
15. I also need to stop asking the question, "is this a parking space?" Everywhere is a parking space. You can even park people in when you run in to grab food or whatever at the corner stores. The etiquette is that if you are blocked by another person and need to leave, you just stand by your car and lay on the horn. The other driver comes out and scoots the car down a few spots. It happened to us last night.
16. The people here love american food. They have tons of restaurants from the US, fastfood and sit down. Burger King costs about the same here, around $6 for a meal, and Mcdonalds has a 5 riyal ($1.25) menu. You can also find whatever you need at the grocery stores. There are rapidly growing diabetes and obesity problems here as well.
17. You can get ridiculously good local food for super cheep. Foot long tuna, egg, tomato, and cheese sandwich for about $1.25. Yummy shwarma sandwiches for about 50¢.
18. There is a store called Hyper Panda. Like Super Target. There are also just plain Panda stores.
hyper panda sign
19. There are like 1,000 different malls. Some are luxury, some are rundown wastes of time. Lots have ice skating rinks.
20. Lots of parts of this city remind me of Las Vegas, with out all the naked girls, drunkenness and gambling.
21. The people here are really nice. We actually know our neighbors and help each other out all the time. In 4 out of 5 apartments I have lived in in Minnesota I have never befriended a neighbor, you usually just turned the other way or did a quick hello. When I got here neighbors stocked our kitchen with bowls, plates, cups and filled our fridge with lasagna, rice pudding, juice and deserts.
22. Kids rule this town. Everywhere you go you see hundreds of kids. You also see tons of toy stores and stands selling junk toys at parks and on the side of the road. Amusement parks are taking over the city and highways. Guys sell cotton candy in trafic, yesterday I saw one car buy six bags. Every store has it's own play area. All these kids are also allowed to do whatever they want. I have seen kids gorging themselves at the grocery store and rollerblading or riding scooters through stores. The best are when they are driving their Powerwheel convertibles or SUVs and tip over displays. These things are not dangerous, someone will pick it up...
junk toy stand.
23. The S is burnt out on the Saudi German Hospital sign. At night it reads Audi German Hospital. I think this is really funny.
24. 107.1 FM is NPR here. We can listen to This American Life, Prairie Home Companion, and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me as we drive down the seaside. 93.7 also plays American rock music not unlike 93X.
25. Cats are like squirrels here.
meow meow.
26. Everything has a musk scented option. Jergens body lotion, laundry detergent, you name it... these folks are into smelling like musk.
1. On is down, off is up. The light switches are backward like that.
2. There are two kinds of electrical outlets. One is for things that run using 125 V the other is for 240 V. Don't get them confused, things may explode.
3. There is no city water or sewer line. Each building has it's own septic tanks and water tanks. Make sure you get a good landlord who monitors these, ours has proven to be great so far.
4. People sleep during the day. If you are not working from about 1 pm to 5 pm, you are sleeping. Then you stay up and go out till very late at night. Playgrounds are vacant durring the day and hopping with kids past sunset. I really need to stop asking the question, "is it going to be open this late?" Ikea is open till 1 on weekends.
Mariam and Michael at a desserted daytime playground.
5. Weekends are Thursday and Friday instead of Saturday and Sunday. Friday is the holy day here, just like Sunday is at home.
6. Prayer calls happen five times a day, starting at about 5:30 am. There are mosques all over and they broadcast the call to prayer on speakers, we can hear about three different ones. It is spooky singing, some may think it is beautiful. If you are out shopping at one of these times, you can keep shopping, but you can't check out. That gives the employees the option to pray if they want.
7. Guys hold hands and kiss-kiss all over this place. It is not gay, but it sure catches me off guard.
8. Most middle class people have maids.
9. Our car gets washed every day by the doorman of our apartment. It would be awfully dusty otherwise.
10. Families and single men have separate sections at most restaurants. It is not as strange as it sounds, the family sections are often times nicer with private booths and hi-chairs for Mariam.
MareBear chillin in the family section at Jamaican Grill
11. Women wear abayas. But not all of them are black, not all women cover there heads, and you rarely see a woman in a full on burka in this city. Women also work at grocery stores and malls here, contrary to popular belief.
12. Lots of men wear long white shirts that go down to there ankels. These are called Thobes. You also see guys rockin' sarongs every once in a while. All the 12 to 20 something boys dress like total hipsters, not kidding.
13. Public art is everywhere.
14. Driving can be scary. Where there are three lanes painted there are typically five lanes of cars. No one looks when turning right, and you have to bully your way through roundabouts.
15. I also need to stop asking the question, "is this a parking space?" Everywhere is a parking space. You can even park people in when you run in to grab food or whatever at the corner stores. The etiquette is that if you are blocked by another person and need to leave, you just stand by your car and lay on the horn. The other driver comes out and scoots the car down a few spots. It happened to us last night.
16. The people here love american food. They have tons of restaurants from the US, fastfood and sit down. Burger King costs about the same here, around $6 for a meal, and Mcdonalds has a 5 riyal ($1.25) menu. You can also find whatever you need at the grocery stores. There are rapidly growing diabetes and obesity problems here as well.
17. You can get ridiculously good local food for super cheep. Foot long tuna, egg, tomato, and cheese sandwich for about $1.25. Yummy shwarma sandwiches for about 50¢.
18. There is a store called Hyper Panda. Like Super Target. There are also just plain Panda stores.
hyper panda sign
19. There are like 1,000 different malls. Some are luxury, some are rundown wastes of time. Lots have ice skating rinks.
20. Lots of parts of this city remind me of Las Vegas, with out all the naked girls, drunkenness and gambling.
21. The people here are really nice. We actually know our neighbors and help each other out all the time. In 4 out of 5 apartments I have lived in in Minnesota I have never befriended a neighbor, you usually just turned the other way or did a quick hello. When I got here neighbors stocked our kitchen with bowls, plates, cups and filled our fridge with lasagna, rice pudding, juice and deserts.
22. Kids rule this town. Everywhere you go you see hundreds of kids. You also see tons of toy stores and stands selling junk toys at parks and on the side of the road. Amusement parks are taking over the city and highways. Guys sell cotton candy in trafic, yesterday I saw one car buy six bags. Every store has it's own play area. All these kids are also allowed to do whatever they want. I have seen kids gorging themselves at the grocery store and rollerblading or riding scooters through stores. The best are when they are driving their Powerwheel convertibles or SUVs and tip over displays. These things are not dangerous, someone will pick it up...
junk toy stand.
23. The S is burnt out on the Saudi German Hospital sign. At night it reads Audi German Hospital. I think this is really funny.
24. 107.1 FM is NPR here. We can listen to This American Life, Prairie Home Companion, and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me as we drive down the seaside. 93.7 also plays American rock music not unlike 93X.
25. Cats are like squirrels here.
meow meow.
26. Everything has a musk scented option. Jergens body lotion, laundry detergent, you name it... these folks are into smelling like musk.
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