A visit with the Prince.

Have been very remiss in not mentioning that Dave had an "up close and personal" visit with a Saudi Prince last week.
Sent him off to Riyadh looking spiffy(is that even a word?) in his suit and tie,a new haircut and new business cards....complete with an Arabic translation....just in case the Prince needed to contact him again and invite us to his palace.....need to check my messages !!!
Just another example of the, "I can't believe that happened" moments we are experiencing here in the Kingdom.
Wish I had a photo to prove it....but apparently that would have been a bit tacky to ask!!!

The King is back !!!!

Yes,he's back........but not the king from Memphis you're thinking of...but King Abdullah. "Custodian of the 2 Holy Mosques"(yes,that is his correct title) is back from having surgery in the USA.....and Saudi Arabia is in celebration mode.
With the green flags of Saudi proudly displayed, vehicles decorated and horns blaring... it's clearly party time.
All government workers have been given a wage rise,and without any notice at all, the whole country was granted a 3 day weekend.
With our regular weekends being Thursday/Friday (see previous post), to add Saturday... just somehow felt luxurious.
Sadly for we expats, who love to rush across the causeway to Bahrain at every and any opportunity to enjoy a taste of some "forbidden fruit",the current unrest in that country forced us to think of plan "B".
A quick flight to India was briefly considered, to watch the Aussies thrash the Kiwis at cricket....but Dave, being the romantic that he is, settled for a day trip to Jubail" The Industrial City",(yes,that's what it's really called)....and a visit to Starbucks....mmmm.
All in all,with one down and 2 to go....life's pretty good.

What day is it....really???

The longer I live here the more I realize how programmed we become to certain things.....that just "are".
The most curious example of this very thing, is having it firmly ingrained in your psyche that the weekend is Saturday and Sunday.....not Thursday and Friday.
Dave has declared "it's just not natural" any other way.
When our pseudo weekend is over, I still wake up the next day and proceed to fulfill whatever requirements I have.... for Monday....well of course I do!
So appointments are missed ,that don't even know they're being missed,and voicemails of "where are you?"are.....well, they are really annoying.
So you stagger through Monday....or whatever you want to call it,and wonder why no-one in the USA is home to reply to your email....because it's the weekend...aaaagh!

Proof of the Aussie camel jockey!

Yes,that's me....with Dave accompanying me on his trusty steed.

I must have been quite a sight, as vehicles were stopping and shouting encouragement.

To be honest,it's not all it's cracked up to be....my back is still recovering.....but you can't live in the Saudi desert and not ride a camel at least once.

A Day in the Life.....

Having passed the one month anniversary of living in Saudi,it seemed fitting to share some observations and experiences.
Having someone clean your house and iron your husband's shirts is heavenly.
Riding a camel is hilarious.....and somewhat humiliating......pictures to follow!!!
Wearing an abaya to the beach is not only divinely comfortable, but the need for sunscreen is completely removed.
Waving daily to your machine-gun-toting front gate attendant is strangely reassuring.....until you notice he hangs his hat on the barrel !
Harassing the executive chef of a swanky 5 star restaurant to share his secret recipe of a Saudi specialty dish is worthwhile.....despite sacrificing your famous pavlova recipe !(only my Aussie readers will appreciate that).
Discovering "bingo" is a blood sport.
Caving to undue pressure and learning how to play bridge....well I had a lesson!
Discovering that totally covered Muslim women are so normal, they shop for groceries with screaming kids and a list....just like us!!!
And best of all.....learning that smiling is an international language that cuts through all barriers.