CRAZY MAY IN SAUDI ARABIA
Wow, I have been away from chatting here for so long. Our trip to Kerala India was amazing in March. And after the dust settled on that, it was like I mentally and physically went into hibernation. I am able to peek out now because in two more weeks we will be landing in Chicago and I will be ready to spend four glorious months in the USA! Jim will be returning to Saudi the end of August and I will return the end of September.
May is a touchy time for me here in Saudi Arabia. It is when my defenses drop and it is best that I don't move around the society much at all. I know I handle myself so much better after I return to Saudi in the Fall and know that it will be several months before I visit the USA again. On returning to Saudi, I slip into my coping mode and the ride of living here is much smoother than it is for me right now. So, in order to not be in that grumpy ol' I-can't-stand-it here mood in May, I just pretty much stay at home A LOT.
The temperature during the day right now is well over 100 degrees. It is a dry heat, but even going out to water my few potted plants, that haven't been fried yet, can zap the energy, as well, right out of this old body.
Cabin Fever hit last week and I told Jim I really needed to get out, have a coffee somewhere and see people. So, we went off to the Mall of Dhahran right down the street. We goofed a bit on our timing and got there just as they were closing everything up for the Asr Prayer time which was about 3:05 or so that day. The prayer times are posted everyday in the newspaper, but sometimes we don't always have a current paper on hand and the times change slightly every day. Anyway, we had about a 45 minute wait before we could be served a coffee. The good thing about this Mall is that there are a couple of coffee shops that have mixed seating where everyone sits together, men and women and we can look out onto the foot traffic. Hey, I thought I was doing pretty good by not stomping out in a huge huff, angry at this whole prayer-time closing stuff. Unfortunately, by the time we got our coffee I was ready to gulp it down and leave. People watching was starting to get to me. Everyone dressed in just black and white. Women were all covered up in black, some with just their eyes showing and many, with faces totally covered, lifting their veils and sneaking sips of liquid or delicate bites of food in a way so no one could see their faces. There were a few housemaids along with their employers and these maids were all wrapped up in black except for their faces. All the men were in their white thobes with red and white checked head gear, the majority talking on cell phones. Like I said, May gets to me and I had just had enough of seeing all this, so, we went back home pretty quickly. Jim and I were the only Westerners about at this time of day and, that's another thing, I get real crazy about wearing an abaya this time of year. It hangs on the hook at home a lot. I see so many black -covered woman during the year here that by May, I like looking down at my own lap just to get a color break in clothing.
Outside the mall were several hired drivers just sitting and waiting. The outside world here is full of waiting drivers.
OK, something else starts getting to me this time of year. With or without wearing an abaya, I am invisible and by May, I am pretty fed up. EVERY time, and I mean EVERY TIME, Jim and I go out, the totally male work force, all say, "Hello sir!" "Thank you sir." "Come again sir." The workers here are SO trained and conditioned to NOT even look or talk to a woman when she is with her man. I have even tested this out by going ahead of Jim, or paying the bill or whatever, and I still get, "Thank you sir." "Good-by sir." Now, if I am alone or with other women, it is different. Then it is "Madam" for everything. But, realizing that Jim is the only one getting talked to when we are out together is one of those itchy things that starts crawling on my skin by May.
This morning I came across a little article in the local paper that reaffirmed that A LOT of Saudis are equally put out with their own country and their crazy customs. An official in the passport office told a Saudi that he could not renew his housemaid's work visa because she had to pay a fine for a traffic violation. The Saudi told this official that was impossible since the Kingdom did not allow women to drive, much less issue a driver's license to a woman who is a guest worker! This passport official referred the Saudi to the traffic department. So, the dilemma is: Does the Saudi just go ahead and pay this crazy traffic fine and continue the process of getting the maid's visa renewed. OR, does he wait until this mistake is investigated and cleared before proceeding with getting her visa, and thus pay the fine for not renewing on time! I wonder if there will be a follow-up on this dilemma.
I am not totally hibernating here as I do get out to play Bridge a couple times a week. However, I really do find a lot to keep me busy inside this wee home. I am reading a lot, and I really recommend "I Am Charlotte Simmons" by Tom Wolfe and "Small Island" by Andrea Levy. Actually, my pick for my book club here next year is "I Am Charlotte Simmons". Being the only American in the group, I thought this was a super pick to introduce some American ways to the ladies! And "Small Island" certainly opened my eyes to England during 1948 as they were recovering from the war. I had no idea...... Currently I am reading ""44 Scotland Street" by Alexander McCall Smith, and waiting on the shelf is, "Back When We Were Grownups" by Anne Tyler. My assignment for myself is to complete these two books and then pick up my next book at the Bahrain Airport on the way to London, and another book at Heathrow Airport on my way to Chicago!
So, there is Bridge and reading to keep me involved and....the other day, I sat outside in the heat of our private patio and proceeded to cut off all my hair. Well, I started in front of the mirror in the bathroom, and then took the project outside because I couldn't see what I was doing anyway and hair is easier to clean up outside. Hey, I don't think it looks all that bad! Nice and short, almost a crew cut. Jim tidied up the back around my neck. Now this isn't as strange as it sounds. I am around a lot of women here at KFUPM that cut their own hair. Inspirational! How else am I spending my time? SUDUKO! Oh my God, I am addicted! Excuse me, a game awaits......
May is a touchy time for me here in Saudi Arabia. It is when my defenses drop and it is best that I don't move around the society much at all. I know I handle myself so much better after I return to Saudi in the Fall and know that it will be several months before I visit the USA again. On returning to Saudi, I slip into my coping mode and the ride of living here is much smoother than it is for me right now. So, in order to not be in that grumpy ol' I-can't-stand-it here mood in May, I just pretty much stay at home A LOT.
The temperature during the day right now is well over 100 degrees. It is a dry heat, but even going out to water my few potted plants, that haven't been fried yet, can zap the energy, as well, right out of this old body.
Cabin Fever hit last week and I told Jim I really needed to get out, have a coffee somewhere and see people. So, we went off to the Mall of Dhahran right down the street. We goofed a bit on our timing and got there just as they were closing everything up for the Asr Prayer time which was about 3:05 or so that day. The prayer times are posted everyday in the newspaper, but sometimes we don't always have a current paper on hand and the times change slightly every day. Anyway, we had about a 45 minute wait before we could be served a coffee. The good thing about this Mall is that there are a couple of coffee shops that have mixed seating where everyone sits together, men and women and we can look out onto the foot traffic. Hey, I thought I was doing pretty good by not stomping out in a huge huff, angry at this whole prayer-time closing stuff. Unfortunately, by the time we got our coffee I was ready to gulp it down and leave. People watching was starting to get to me. Everyone dressed in just black and white. Women were all covered up in black, some with just their eyes showing and many, with faces totally covered, lifting their veils and sneaking sips of liquid or delicate bites of food in a way so no one could see their faces. There were a few housemaids along with their employers and these maids were all wrapped up in black except for their faces. All the men were in their white thobes with red and white checked head gear, the majority talking on cell phones. Like I said, May gets to me and I had just had enough of seeing all this, so, we went back home pretty quickly. Jim and I were the only Westerners about at this time of day and, that's another thing, I get real crazy about wearing an abaya this time of year. It hangs on the hook at home a lot. I see so many black -covered woman during the year here that by May, I like looking down at my own lap just to get a color break in clothing.
Outside the mall were several hired drivers just sitting and waiting. The outside world here is full of waiting drivers.
OK, something else starts getting to me this time of year. With or without wearing an abaya, I am invisible and by May, I am pretty fed up. EVERY time, and I mean EVERY TIME, Jim and I go out, the totally male work force, all say, "Hello sir!" "Thank you sir." "Come again sir." The workers here are SO trained and conditioned to NOT even look or talk to a woman when she is with her man. I have even tested this out by going ahead of Jim, or paying the bill or whatever, and I still get, "Thank you sir." "Good-by sir." Now, if I am alone or with other women, it is different. Then it is "Madam" for everything. But, realizing that Jim is the only one getting talked to when we are out together is one of those itchy things that starts crawling on my skin by May.
This morning I came across a little article in the local paper that reaffirmed that A LOT of Saudis are equally put out with their own country and their crazy customs. An official in the passport office told a Saudi that he could not renew his housemaid's work visa because she had to pay a fine for a traffic violation. The Saudi told this official that was impossible since the Kingdom did not allow women to drive, much less issue a driver's license to a woman who is a guest worker! This passport official referred the Saudi to the traffic department. So, the dilemma is: Does the Saudi just go ahead and pay this crazy traffic fine and continue the process of getting the maid's visa renewed. OR, does he wait until this mistake is investigated and cleared before proceeding with getting her visa, and thus pay the fine for not renewing on time! I wonder if there will be a follow-up on this dilemma.
I am not totally hibernating here as I do get out to play Bridge a couple times a week. However, I really do find a lot to keep me busy inside this wee home. I am reading a lot, and I really recommend "I Am Charlotte Simmons" by Tom Wolfe and "Small Island" by Andrea Levy. Actually, my pick for my book club here next year is "I Am Charlotte Simmons". Being the only American in the group, I thought this was a super pick to introduce some American ways to the ladies! And "Small Island" certainly opened my eyes to England during 1948 as they were recovering from the war. I had no idea...... Currently I am reading ""44 Scotland Street" by Alexander McCall Smith, and waiting on the shelf is, "Back When We Were Grownups" by Anne Tyler. My assignment for myself is to complete these two books and then pick up my next book at the Bahrain Airport on the way to London, and another book at Heathrow Airport on my way to Chicago!
So, there is Bridge and reading to keep me involved and....the other day, I sat outside in the heat of our private patio and proceeded to cut off all my hair. Well, I started in front of the mirror in the bathroom, and then took the project outside because I couldn't see what I was doing anyway and hair is easier to clean up outside. Hey, I don't think it looks all that bad! Nice and short, almost a crew cut. Jim tidied up the back around my neck. Now this isn't as strange as it sounds. I am around a lot of women here at KFUPM that cut their own hair. Inspirational! How else am I spending my time? SUDUKO! Oh my God, I am addicted! Excuse me, a game awaits......
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1:03 PM
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