Monday, June 18, 2012

What's New in 2012


My first year in Saudi Arabia is coming to a close, and I am reminded of all the experiences that I have not shared due to my newly found lackadaisical nature. In a last ditch effort to rectify this situation…here are the highlights…

A Hardy Welcome from Saudi’s Religious Right It’s not everyday that an American woman, such as myself, is accosted at the food court by a man shouting, “Ma’am, please cover your head. If you do not cover your head I will call the police”. So imagine my surprise, anger, and humiliation when the buffoon kept shouting like a broken record for a good minute-thirty.  Unfortunately, I was there picking up a quick meal with my two daughters, so my only recourse was to ignore the man and continue to wait for our Happy Meals.

Moving Again!!!  The mandatory move was not without drama and controversy that fed the gossip chains of our little community for months.

Charlotte’s First Birthday We were so surprised how many well wishes, and heartfelt gestures came our way for our daughter’s birthday.  Even though we did not have a big bash to mark the occasion, Charlotte had a wonderful time with her family eating cake, opening presents and getting her favorite foods all day long (kiwi’s, mangos, cookies, lentil stew, and of course cake).  Many of our friends came by to give her presents, including a pink plush chair. Presently, Charlotte sits on her thrown while she rules her stuffed animals with an iron fist.

New Baby We recently found out that we are expecting McQueen child number 3!!!  So far the medical care has included a blood test, ultra sound, blood pressure reading, and weighing. No questionnaires, no exams, no checks for the fetal heartbeat. Due to my own experiences and hearing the horror stories from friends that have given birth in the region, I have lost confidence in the doctors here. 

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Pamela The Conquerer


My first trip to the downtown was not so great. I took the bus with a few other women and had Charlotte strapped onto me in a baby carrier. As usual it was hot, so after a few minutes of walking around in my polyester abaya, we were both drenched in sweat. In a couple of hours, I thought my back was going to break from carrying my chubby baby around. I vowed never to go again, but I just couldn't help myself.

A few weeks ago, we decided to join another family and visit the downtown. I figured since we were going at night it wouldn't be so bad. Well, our little excursion was unforgettable. We went to the brass guy to look for some carpets, but the sales person only spoke Arabic, so we tried to locate another shop. Easier said than done. There are no convenient directories on the street corners or a Yelp-Saudi Arabia version. There are rarely street names for that matter. We wandered around a little bit, but couldn't find what we were looking for. Plus side-- we found the open vegetable market, downside--so did the flies. After an hour, we went to a Turkish food place to find out they do not have a family section; therefore, women were not allowed. We returned back to our car empty handed, dripping in sweat in search of finding the nearest MacDonalds. I felt defeated again.

Turns out third times a charm. I went with the ladies on the bus, and I bought a new abaya by haggling (which is a valuable skill in these parts). I also picked up some art, toys, and birthday decorations for cheap, cheap, cheap! The key difference seemed to be limited exposure to the oppressive heat. I also felt immensely proud of myself for being able to carry 20lbs of baby for 3 hours. I don’t know when will be the next time I head out there without my hubs, but I am reveling in my new found downtown independence nonetheless.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Eid Mubarak!


At this time of the year, Muslims celebrate the Eid al-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice.  This affects us in several ways. First, Anna gets a week off of school (yay), but secondly, most of the stores are closed until the nighttime (sad face). This cuts back on my daily activities significantly. However, in a feeble attempt to see the upside of things, I have learned a new greeting to say to the few Muslims that I come in contact with…Eid Mubarak!


A few women on the compound have graciously offered to teach their native languages to us, so I am attempting to learn conversational French and Arabic. So far, I have learned that I am not so good with foreign languages. I can say hello, thank you, and you're welcome. That's it. Since I've been here, I have been relying on the people of KSA proficiency in the English language and gesturing.  Since Anna is learning Arabic in school, I'm trying to get in some practice with her, but she seems to have her mothers talent for languages.

This past week, the girls, some friends and I went to the western beach. We drove about an hour north from the city, and off-roaded a mile or so to the check in station. The man I rode with had to take all of our identification cards and check in with security. The eight of us waited in the car for about 15 minutes while he had to drink tea and make small talk with the guards. When he got back, he drove down to the shore and we set up camp. In the meantime, the guards drove their jeep right above us to make sure no trouble ensued. Martin has since shared with me that they will chase off any non-westerners that try to come (Saudi's included). I suppose this is for our safety, but also because they have had issues in the past with men coming to watch the women in their bathing suits. The group of us had a great time. The water was great, and the weather was good. I didn't get a chance to explore the coral reef, but there were a lot of fish and crabs near the shoreline. I'm excited to go snorkeling soon.




Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly


It has not hit me, despite the 26 hours of travel that it took for us to get here, that I am a world away from home.  It could be that I am in a compound inhabited by westerners, or that Skype has made it easy for me to contact the ones I love at home.  Whatever it is, I do not feel as out of place as I expected.

Martin, Anna, Charlotte and I spent the first few days at the local mall buying the necessary items for settling in this foreign land: nonstick pans, cooking spoons, a toaster oven, hangers and Baskin Robbins ice cream (yum!). The mall is an interesting place. Most of the shops don’t open until nighttime, and they all close during prayer.  Basically, we have a two to three hour window to get what we came for and leave.

About once a week, I go with several other women from our compound the bus to the mall.  We wear our black abayas, and most of us choose to cover our hair as well.  The women are from all over the world: Singapore, Canada, Korea, Italy, and Egypt. In a place like this, you make friends fast.

I am still adjusting to the food here.  The beef at the Hyper Panda has been gross. Many of the ingredients to familiar recipes are not available. And while I’m complaining…it is hot. Very hot.  

Now for the ugly…Back in the US, I always wondered about unibrows. I don’t think I ever really saw someone who sported a full on unibrow. I wondered if they really existed or if it was just something that existed in comedic circles. Well people, they really exist. The other day I saw a man whose eyebrows came together to form a point just above the bridge of his nose. It was fascinating. It was one of those situations where it was both nasty, but intriguing. I couldn’t look away.