WEEKS 3 & 4

A girly night at Appleby's, one of the many American fast food chains in Riyadh. There are just some aspects of the West that Saudis can't say no to!

 


LITTLE MISS BASHFUL, ME???

Weeks three and four in Riyadh have flown by like a desert storm, and I feel like I’ve been here for months. I’m even getting used to the fact that guys I used to talk to in London now ‘ignore’ me when I pass them in my hotel. I felt a little miffed at first, but I always have to remember the no-talking-to- any-women-other-than-your-wife thing.

One thing that’s become apparent is that even walking around my hotel, I feel really conscious of being an unmarried woman, and an ‘uncovered’ one at that. I would never think twice about walking past a group of men anywhere else in the world, but now, walking past a man in the hallway, or seeing a group of men in the hotel lobby, I kind of cringe and lower my head, and if I’m not wearing the abaya scarf I instantly wish I was, despite being indoors.

One day I planned the timing of a 5 minute walk home after visiting a friend at the worst possible time, and I ended up walking past the local mosque at the time the men had just finished praying and were swarming outside. Boy, did I feel uncomfortable then! Not that I had done anything wrong, but you just feel a bit embarrassed  to be walking near so many men with more than your eyes exposed. Sounds strange, but that’s what Saudi does to you! But don’t worry, I tried covering my face Arab-style for a laugh the other day and found I couldn’t breathe, so I definitely know the niqab is not for me…

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBBEAN?  I’M AFRAID I’LL HAVE TO CLEAR THAT WITH THE DEAN FIRST…

I decided to be upfront with one of my classes about The List Of Things Banned From Classroom Discussion. They found it hilarious! Hasn’t stopped them from asking me the most inappropriate questions about Western culture though, bless them.

I decided to arrange a debate in one of my classes this week, on the topic of Globalization. It was lively and heated, and they were having such good-natured competitive arguments I really hated having to steer them away from more contentious issues on the cultural and religious aspects of Globalization, because they are clearly intelligent girls who have a lot to say about these ‘banned’ topics.

I love the fact that when I ask Saudi girls to get out their notepads, half of them whip out I-pads to work on. I don’t even bat an eyelid now, I just expect these girls to have the best of everything. And I’m not the least bit jealous…

I DIDN’T LEAVE LONDON TO BE THIS COLD!

Lest you think I’m basking in heat 24 hours a day here, be aware that the King Saud Campus, like any building in Saudi, is air-conditioned to the point of freezing. My girls have taken to bringing oversize sweaters to the class just to keep warm. Failing that, we actually have to open windows in the classroom just to get some hot air!

This is the courtyard of the female campus where you can take yor abaya off before entering the building.

When the staffrooms get too cold, we’ll just slip out and heat up for a few seconds then go back in to cool down.

IT’S A LOVELEY NIGHT FOR A WALK, DARLING

Walking in the evening in Riyadh is simply blissful, really balmy and pleasant. It’s not uncommon to see men huddled in groups on the grass by the roads, eating their dinner, drinking tea or playing cards.

A nice, scenic and safe place for men and women to go walking in the evening is Prince Sultan Park, where you can see single men and women as well as couples strolling leisurely and enjoying the view – fairy-light covered palm trees and ponds.

Friendly  but over-enthusiastic Perfume seller in Prince Sultan Park

Another thing you can see around Prince Sultan Park is keen joggers and sprinters in skimpy exercise gear and sweatbands, as this is where the fitness bunnies of the city go for a scenic jog at night. And of course, no woman is gonna do a 2 mile jog in an abaya, so the only naked flesh on show is very hairy. How come guys get to expose themselves in the name of fitness? Not fair!

 Every few feet in the park there are these strings of time-controlled pipes that spray you with light mists while you’re walking or jogging along the route

LOTS OF ARAB WOMEN + EMERGENCY = MAYHEM

Last weekend I had my first encounter with a Saudi hospital. We were out at a women’s-only fundraising bazaar, when our supervisor had a severe allergic reaction after inhaling some incense that had become poisonous. She stopped breathing and became unconscious in a matter of minutes, and I now know that I do not want to be anywhere near a bunch of Arab women if I ever fall ill. The shrieking and hellish chaos that ensued would have been funny if it wasn’t so serious. I think my supervisor’s husband knew what Arab women are like in crises, which is why he asked me to take her to the hospital with him. Because of the emergency, I hadn’t had enough time to put my abaya on while carrying her out to the car. I had thought, surely in a medical emergency people won’t quibble about me not having enough time to put on my abaya? But I quickly pulled it on in the car when I realized that the Arab women were more concerned with covering the unconscious lady’s head from the outside world than getting her to the car quickly. After handing her over to the (unsurprisingly) all-foreign hospital staff, she stabilized with a drip and a few injections, but I found it slightly awkward that the nurses stopped mid-way through taking her bloods to ask me how I braid my hair…



YOUR PERMANENT HOUSE WILL ALMOST, DEFINITELY, BE SORTED SOON MADAM…(INSHALLAH)

Today I moved 2 minutes down the road to a nicer, more comfortable hotel suite while I continue waiting for a place in a Western compound – the waiting lists are enormous, so I insisted to my employer that I might as well be comfortable in the mean time. This suite has windows that are much closer to eye level and allow much more natural sunlight during the day, plus a decent view of the area’s night lights…

Sunlight and a view of the street!!!

POINTS OF INTEREST

-Have briefly considered investing in a niqab – not at all for religious reasons, but just so people don’t catch me sleeping in an unflattering position on the long drive to and from work…

-I think I’ve just about got used to seeing students praying on their mats right next to my desk after the lesson. That’s one thing that is really different here – wherever you are in the campus, people will just whip out their mats and abayas and start their prayer routine anywhere.

-‘Inshallah culture’ I driving me insane. I asked someone to give me the contact details of a driver, which I knew he had in front of him, and he promised he would text them to me soon, inshallah. I was still waiting for the details an hour later… Seriously, inshallah for what? Just give me the details now and be done with it already!

- This weekend I had my first roadtrip through Saudi Arabia. Man the desert is huuuuuge! We drove to Bahrain, five hours each way, but it was very refreshing to drive over the sea pass between Saudi and Bahrain, and the Arabian Sea looked gorgeous, like a jewel...

We didn't stay long in Bahrain as we were just on brief company business, but the scenery was lovely:

The beautiful Arabian Sea

Driving over the sea pass between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

The point of entry into Bahrain: 

Goodbye Saudi, hello Bahrain!  

Here's some of that famous Saudi oil in the desert...

All the sand you could ever want...

 

  

Never fall asleep in the car when there's a camera in someone's hands...

Have a great week guys!
Mimi in Arabia