Spring
April 28, 2007
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
Now our maid has been a little more than a week and all I can say is al hamdulilla. I have heard so many stories about maids and this and that but she is truly great. Seeing how she has organised things here I hm kinda realised how disorganised I am. It’s like I don’t have any sense when it comes to order. Where she has put say for example all dvds in one place I had put one here and one there thinking there was a reason for that eeeh yea right. She was sure worth waiting for.
What else?
Ah the driving. Yesterday as I was sitting in the car I saw a kid in the car next to me. Behind the wheel. He must have been about 15 years old. A skinny little shit. With 3 friends in the car. Two of them smoking. All sitting there confident as if they were adults. And me, ya childish me, I just felt so insulted that this little shit is allowed to drive and I’m not. I really don’t care that I “got” my license in Beirut only last year and I am not a very skilled driver (nor reckless), I should still have the effing right to drive.
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
Our maid has finally arrived. She came last night and she is from Indonesia. We didn’t find out until a few hours before that she was arriving but heey you can’t really expect good service in this country.They didn’t even tell us her name before she came. She is 30 years old and has 4 kids that she has left back in Indonesia. Hmm really sad that people have to do that. It does feel a little odd to have another person in our house even if I knew that it was coming. It doesn’t feel odd on the other hand to have a sparkling clean kitchen 24/7.
In any case, alhamdulilla she is great so far. Unfortunately she doesn’t speak English but she does speak Arabic but uuh I don’t. Any Arab would have laughed his head off hearing me trying to communicate in Arabic today. Like these are the words I have used…akil, jouanee, sghrir,lahza, harr kteer and some other things…… try to figure out what they mean! They are spelled as bad as I pronounced them. At some points I just used sign language and English and that worked just fine.
Now all we need is little ones passport and all will be hunky dory(until next time I have a fit over how people drive).
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Culture, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
It surely is always interesting to see what search strings people have used to land on your blog. Not saying people are weird out there but hmmm. Here are some that has been used the last few days;
“arabian women’s breastfeeding photos”
Hmm hmm, did you find any? Weirdo! I get a lot of similar search strings.
“filipino gay maid looking for job”
Good luck mate.
“i don’t understand why israel exists”
Well no one does but isn’t it interesting when people use the search engines as if they are talking to someone?
“i am gays saudai”
You’re what??
“taking wine to saudi”
Good luck to you too haha!!
“men souk Breastmilk from woman”
Eeeew, not sure how to interpret that but that’s just naasty!
“Why do humans breed in secret?”
Is this guy from the same planet as the rest of us? And like what kind of a question is that?
And this ones goes out to all the Saudi loving Bahraini readers!
“how a saudi can get bahraini nationality”
Maybe you guys can give him a hand hehe.
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Sweden.
I had a effing crap afternoon. Technology seldom works as one expect here!#$$%%. Just when you are about to email something or read something the fucking connection disappears. And of course the internet connections in Sweden are great! Why can’t the connection be great here too? And what is this thing with the plugs. Why can’t I just plug something in and then it should work? Why does the plug have to stick out halfway creating sparkles and flashes until it works? The compound is brand new so why can’t they hire people that does these things properly? Like ggggggggrrrr it was the same in Beirut! Add to that a screwed up, slow laptop that needs formatting and two screaming kids and aaah you got my afternoon.
And what is up with this maid and the damn passport? Is the maid swimming from Indonesia? Rowing? And did they send the passport papers by camel to Sweden? I will have a major fit one of these days!!! I had enough of things!! Bloody enough!!
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Beirut, Lebanon, Manama, Pictures, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Sweden.
Men holding hands in Bahrain
On the parking lots by some of the malls here are yellow spiky metal thingies sticking up from the ground that are designed in a way that you can only drive from one direction or they will puncture you tires. They also have them by the gates of many compounds to protect them from evil minded people. If you drive from the right direction they will be pushed down into the ground as you drive across them. If you drive the other way, well then you will have to make a visit to your local tire company very soon. Seems some people aren’t aware of this, or well at least not the Asian driver that took his employers big ass GMC and drove the wrong way just as I left Dhahran mall. First I heard like a strange sound as if he was driving with his wheels touching the sidewalk and then the sound of tires going flat. He didn’t realise that all tires were going flat until some Saudi guys started pointing and waving for him to stop. Hmm poor guy probably got a one way ticket back to wherever he came from…
Not much happening here. Still haven’t been to Bahrain since mid January and it’s like buhu. I am hoping the passport will come next week. Not sure how I feel any longer about things other than I know it’s not normal for me to live in a place like this. I know if you’re brought up here you think it’s all normal but to me it just isn’t. It’s just too weird for me not to see women anywhere…Ah I won’t go into that.
Was hoping to go to Beirut sometimes April but I don’t think it will happen since my mother in law is heading this way soon. Ah, how I miss my Beirut.
Something I find quite interesting here is the gay Filipino men working in some of the shops here. How do I know they are gay…? Well they are blatantly gay no doubt about it, and I find it quite cool. Before you come here you hear so much about gays having a hard time here and I am sure that’s true but these gay men working in the shops (and being all gayish as these guys are) are a slap in the face of the system here. Or isn’t it? Is it perhaps just a notion that gays aren’t welcome in this society? Anyway, I am less sure of their nationality than I am of their sexual orientation. They make me smile though.
And by the way, I know it is common here and in some other Arab countries that men hold hands but I still can’t help but smiling when I see it. It’s just so cute hehe. My son just can’t get over it. If you saw two men holding hands in Sweden you would know for sure they are gay (unless they are arabs that is hehe) but of course that’s not the rule here. I just feel like “coochycoochy how cute” when I see two tall men in thob, gutra and beard holding hands muaaahaahaha. Such sweeties.
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Beirut, Culture, Dubai, Israel, Karlskrona, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Sweden.
What should one care about when blogging?
Should we review our texts again and again in order not to offend anyone that might come across it (I don’t do that)? Should we have to worry if someone misunderstands us? Doesn’t these things take the joy out of blogging?
I think it is unacceptable to spread lies or insult people naming and shaming them (unless it’s an official person – well no need to lie about them anyway) but should we really have to sit and worry our asses off if people dislikes or misunderstands our opinions? And how far can you go in this part of the world without actually crossing any lines? And should we care if a line is crossed? What is allowed to be expressed and what isn’t? And should we really care?
I don’t know really, but I feel I am restricted in expressing my opinions cus I do not actually want to offend anyone (but Israelis I’m afraid) and somtimes I wonder what can be said without having the blog blocked by our friends in Riyadh (Salam guys) but they seem more open minded than I expected anyway.
Talk about taking things too serious huh? I will just stop thinking about it and get on with things.
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
This morning I read the following in the Saudi Gazette;
African Man Held For Sorcery
“A team of inspectors from the Commision of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Madina arrested an African man who wore a rabbits’ foot around his neck. Inside the talisman he had written the name of his employer. He claimed that he had used the talisman to make his employer pay him his salary on time.
Also, the inspectors arrested a group of African overstayers who were caught selling chips for decoding pornographic satellite TV channels.”
I didn’t know people here needed chips for that. I have heard several times that it’s quite easy to get these channels without any problems (and noo I am not looking to get them ). And by the way, how do you manage to write someone name on a rabbits’ foot?
Last night I dreamt that I was living outside the compound in neighbourhood with only Saudis. I was going to a nearby minimarket and decided to wear a thob (!). As soon as I stepped out on the street a boy shouted -Look, look she is wearing a thob! I kept walking straight ahead and then I heard another boy going -A girl in a thob! Let’s get the camera!
All of a sudden, to my horror, I was surrounded by Saudi men of all ages in thobs shouting at me and cursing me. Some were throwing rocks and waterballoons on me. It hit me as I walked that perhaps I should turn back and go home but stubborn as I am once I have started something I didn’t turn back. I had to pass by a mosque and outside were about 200 men waiting to go in and pray. All cursing and shouting at me 😦 . When I finally reached the minimarket the Pakistani owner told me to take another street back home offering me something else to wear (but I refused). A really freaky dream indeed. Maybe I dreamt it cus I like the thobs so much. But no I have never of thought wearing one. Maybe I should now 😉 (oh gosh I feel an urge to go and buy one now, seriously) .
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Bahrain, Culture, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
-You free lucky bastard, I said out loud as I saw a Filipino man standing in t-shirt and jeans outside the Dhahran Mall yesterday. We drove into the parking lot and I felt I dreaded to walk around in my abaya for some reason. Mainly because it was such a beautiful day and I wanted the sun kissing my winter pale skin. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have liked being in the mall without it.. (and no I’m not looking for a discussion where I am assumed to think freedom is to prance around in a bikini on the high street)
What followed after that was indeed my strangest shopping experience ever. Since I have been pregnant most of the time since I came here I have not bothered buying clothes here in Khobar (bought some in Bahrain though). Anyway, yesterday as I went to buy clothes it was just…..weird. To go into a shop, look at the clothes and then decide to buy them. Khallas. No taking a few sizes or this and that and try them on, just buy them. Felt really odd. I must say I probably bought more that I would have on a “normal” shopping trip since I could flatter myself with the idea that I would look good in the clothes without having a mirror ruining that idea hehe. The whole experience put me in a strange mood, where I would go into a shop, take my time, pick something up, put it back, pick something else up, put it back, pick up the first item again…and so on. In one shop I was told by a guy working there that people buy the clothes and then try them on in the ladies room so they can return them in case they aren’t to the customers satisfaction… I couldn’t really get myself to do that.
Later back home I tried the clothes on and somehow I had managed to pick the right sizes on all items except a t-shirt. Will save it for my slimmer days 😛 . In any case, it was a backward proccess (as in buying the clothes first and then trying them).
I really cannot for my life understand why there are no changing rooms and why there are guys in all the shops. Are there no changing rooms cus people are worried others will peep on them or what? Are the society here really that full of perverts?
We went to the mall just after the midday prayer and there were hardly any people. A great time to do shopping since the malls are jammed with people the rest of the weekends.
Shopping made me a cheer up a little while doing it but I cannot say anything other than my heart is heavy today.
Posted by Aella in Al Khobar, Culture, Pictures, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture.
“Most people are other people.
Their thoughts are someone elses opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation”
Oscar Wilde
Things are kinda crap right now. Not enough sleep and dead bored. Really damn bored. I guess it will pass. Have been at home too much lately. Our compound is so damn small it feels sick to walk around here. Like a bee buzzing around in a circle. I need to get out of here…
Great picture.
Read the following in Arab News:
WAMY Program to Benefit the Young
“JEDDAH, 5 March 2007 — Dr. Mohammad Badahdah, assistant secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), yesterday emphasized the significance of WAMY’s youth development program for young Saudi men and women, saying it would help tap their capabilities for community services and other constructive activities.
Badahdah, who assumed the post last month, made the comment while receiving Prince Amr Mohammed Al-Faisal in his office. He briefed the prince on WAMY’s various activities, especially on the youth development program, which will be implemented in association with relevant government agencies including the Education Ministry and universities.
“The program is aimed at building a new generation of young men and women who can make positive contributions to society and to the Ummah at large,” said Badahdah, who is a consultant surgeon at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah. The program aims at providing training, employment and guidance to young Saudi men and women and protecting them from deviant groups.”
(more…)
S as in Saudi 