Happy Halloween

I ran into my friend at the compound grocery store yesterday and she was buying huge amounts of candy for the little kids and their big Halloween party over at her school for today. That was when I remembered it was Halloween time! She works in the office at an American/British school in the area. She and her husband have been here for 40 years! Saudi Arabia is really their home even though they grew up in the West. So many different stories unfold out here.

This morning I chatted with a woman form India. Her husband is from Kerala India and she is from Bangalore and they have been here in Saudi 30 years. She worked for five years as a secretary at ARAMCO, and then her family in India arranged the marriage with her husband, who is from Kerala India. He works for ARAMCO. She and her husband live in an apartment in Dammam, not on the ARAMCO compound. He has some kind of administrative job on the ARAMCO compound and a bus carts him back and forth daily form Dammam to Dhahran and ARAMCO. Lots of people work for ARAMCO, but do not live on the compound as their work is contracted out. This couple's adult sons, who went to boarding schools in the States, now live and work in Canada. So she and her husband are now in the middle of a cultural conflict of Western kids who want nothing to do with India and a Dad that wants to return to India forever in two years and a Mom who DOESN'T at all. I have seen movies on this subject. It was actually overwhelming listening to her and all that she has to deal with. Their own marriage was arranged and Dad now wants his sons to hook up with nice girls that he and his wife will find for them in Kerala. Sons think Dad is so out of it and no way will this ever happen. They do not even like to visit Kerala anymore and Indian food gives them stomach aches. Mom is on the side of the kids, and did admit that her husband vents all his frustrations to her, but not to his sons. She in turn tries to calm him down. He can't wait to return to Kerela, however, she wants to live in Canada close to her sons. Dad hates Canada as it is just too cold, and on it goes. She spends three months out of the year in Kerela and during that time she tries to meet and chat with the women in the area, but these women can only sit still for just a few minutes at a time. They keep checking their watches and then they have to take off to tend to a goat or a cow. Having been to Kerela, I know exactly what the environment is in the villages where she visits. She gets very lonely there. She and her husband have two years to work things out. Spooky!

I have another friend here that came to Saudi with her husband when they were both in their 70's. They have only been here about six years. Now they are looking at being 80 years old in a couple of years. I had a hard time guessing her age, but she told me today. I thought she was MY age, and I certainly am not even close to 80 years old. Yeah, I do feel it at times. So, on the positive side, working overseas, even in Saudi, can keep you active and certainly very young at heart, if my friend is any indication. However, I think at a point in time, being here can also start to strip your youth and health away and have a negative effect. I know it is time for us to be leaving for good. Just a few more months. I am all filled up with Saudi Arabia.

My electric mixer went out on me today. Certainly not going to replace it. Not worth it and I just won't bake anymore. My iron went out on me about a month ago and I have taken a few things to the dry cleaners to be ironed. However, they came back sub-standard, so I hauled out my travel iron and touched them up. I am enjoying seeing the other end of our circle of life here as I pare down to the bare essentials we arrived with. Scary!

Hope you have a charming and not-too-spooky Halloween!