Well, I would love to have the energy to write about our pending move. Or my experience today buying a mobil phone. Or even our wonderful afternoon today with a lovely Pakistani family. BUT, all I have time for is a correction...my eyes just wont stay open for much longer. And the correction is:
Hijab -- headscarf that covers the neck and hair
Niqab-- veil that covers the face up to the eyes
Sorry...I wrote that both were HIjab.
Goodnight :-)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
I miss my kitchen!!!
As with any move into a new home, compromises must be made. Maybe the bedrooms are a little too small or the bathrooms are a little too old, but, in the end, with patience and perserverence, one can find something that they can live with. In our case, in moving to Riyadh, the choice of housing was pretty much made for us. A newly built compound at the north east edge of the city. There are a lot of pluses with living someplace newly built: the kitchen and bathrooms are clean, new and equiped with updated appliances etc, nobody else has had the chance to bang up the walls, the materials havent had the chance to start cracking and disintegrating, etc, etc.
The new compound was scheduled to be ready for move in on June 1. That date got moved back to June 15 and when we arrived on June 24th it still wasn't ready for move in. After living in a hotel for a week, we were finally given a house on a compound other than that on which we had planned to move. We moved a few days ago. (that's why there have been no posts...no internet until today). Our new home lies within a compound which is described as the compound that "has set the benchark for other compounds to follow and is much sought after by the expatriate and corporate communities". That may be the case but...THE KITCHEN IS HIDEOUS! I miss my kitchen!!! Is a kitchen a small thing in the big picture? Ok, ok, now I'm getting sidetracked.
As I said, since coming to Riyadh we have been staying at a hotel. I'm not 100% sure the kids have appreciated being pent up in a room with next to no toys. It hasn't helped that we've been right in the middle of a really big city where pedestrian traffic is non-existant and the heat is...well, you know.
Staying at a hotel has, however, given us just the motivation we have needed to get out of the house...uh, room. And, in getting out of the house, the kids and I have had the opportunity to visit a few compounds.
How do I describe a compound? Well, take a housing development of about 100 - 400 units. Put a wall around it, add some barbed wire, armored cars, tanks, machine guns, parimeters, baracades, checkpoints, tyre shredders, rolling patrols, look-outs, and a platoon of national guard...oh yeah, and gladly a wall around that...voila! compound!
The first time I entered a compound, I was, needless to say, unprepared. I had no idea. What looked like a harmless gated community on the outside, turned out to be WWIII on the inside, and desert resort on the inside of that. Two very stark contrasts in very close proximity messes with your head just a little bit. With few exception, cars other than those belonging to residents are not allowed on compound so, at this first visit, we parked our car on the street just outside of the wall and walked in through the pedestrian entrance. On the way in I was in awe, fascinated, curious...on the way out I was...apprehensive. If all of this security is necessary, shoud I really be going out there? But I suppose that is a question left for another maybe more philosophical entry...that's just not happening tonight!
On the bright side, once inside the compound it really is an oasis. But, in that I don't mean to say that the compound is an oasis from the "out there" of KSA, (on the contrary, I have found KSA to be very interesting and would love to explore more) it is an oasis from much more than that...an oasis from real life maybe? Here one has the gardener, the housekeeper, the nanny, the driver, the carpenter, the handyman, the security guard and the activities coordinator; the movie theater, the grocery store, the restaurant, the dry cleaners, the beautician, the clinic, the pre-school, the travel agency, and the jeweler; the swimming pools, the tennis courts, the squash courts, the bowling ally, the gym, the billiards room, the teen room, the youth room, the toddlers room, the basketball court, pilates, kids guitar lessons, gymnastics, soccer, football, badminton, hip hop classes, tae kwon do, ballet, drum lessons, volleyball, ping pong, golf, piano lessons, library, coffee shop, free shuttle to many shopping areas / places of interest, free limo service....whew, you get the idea! I imagine it is difficult for some to keep a foot in real life when on compound. That said....
I wonder how long it is going to take me to forget my kitchen?
The new compound was scheduled to be ready for move in on June 1. That date got moved back to June 15 and when we arrived on June 24th it still wasn't ready for move in. After living in a hotel for a week, we were finally given a house on a compound other than that on which we had planned to move. We moved a few days ago. (that's why there have been no posts...no internet until today). Our new home lies within a compound which is described as the compound that "has set the benchark for other compounds to follow and is much sought after by the expatriate and corporate communities". That may be the case but...THE KITCHEN IS HIDEOUS! I miss my kitchen!!! Is a kitchen a small thing in the big picture? Ok, ok, now I'm getting sidetracked.
As I said, since coming to Riyadh we have been staying at a hotel. I'm not 100% sure the kids have appreciated being pent up in a room with next to no toys. It hasn't helped that we've been right in the middle of a really big city where pedestrian traffic is non-existant and the heat is...well, you know.
Staying at a hotel has, however, given us just the motivation we have needed to get out of the house...uh, room. And, in getting out of the house, the kids and I have had the opportunity to visit a few compounds.
How do I describe a compound? Well, take a housing development of about 100 - 400 units. Put a wall around it, add some barbed wire, armored cars, tanks, machine guns, parimeters, baracades, checkpoints, tyre shredders, rolling patrols, look-outs, and a platoon of national guard...oh yeah, and gladly a wall around that...voila! compound!
The first time I entered a compound, I was, needless to say, unprepared. I had no idea. What looked like a harmless gated community on the outside, turned out to be WWIII on the inside, and desert resort on the inside of that. Two very stark contrasts in very close proximity messes with your head just a little bit. With few exception, cars other than those belonging to residents are not allowed on compound so, at this first visit, we parked our car on the street just outside of the wall and walked in through the pedestrian entrance. On the way in I was in awe, fascinated, curious...on the way out I was...apprehensive. If all of this security is necessary, shoud I really be going out there? But I suppose that is a question left for another maybe more philosophical entry...that's just not happening tonight!
On the bright side, once inside the compound it really is an oasis. But, in that I don't mean to say that the compound is an oasis from the "out there" of KSA, (on the contrary, I have found KSA to be very interesting and would love to explore more) it is an oasis from much more than that...an oasis from real life maybe? Here one has the gardener, the housekeeper, the nanny, the driver, the carpenter, the handyman, the security guard and the activities coordinator; the movie theater, the grocery store, the restaurant, the dry cleaners, the beautician, the clinic, the pre-school, the travel agency, and the jeweler; the swimming pools, the tennis courts, the squash courts, the bowling ally, the gym, the billiards room, the teen room, the youth room, the toddlers room, the basketball court, pilates, kids guitar lessons, gymnastics, soccer, football, badminton, hip hop classes, tae kwon do, ballet, drum lessons, volleyball, ping pong, golf, piano lessons, library, coffee shop, free shuttle to many shopping areas / places of interest, free limo service....whew, you get the idea! I imagine it is difficult for some to keep a foot in real life when on compound. That said....
I wonder how long it is going to take me to forget my kitchen?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Our first afternoon...continued
Well, here I am again, and I have again today a substantial number of experiences to add to the list of things to write about. But, I think I have to continue with day 1 or I'll forget...there is something about the aging mind...or, at least, my aging mind. :-)
After our fantastic brunch we pulled our 5 year old away from her new best friend Salwa who politely told us that if we wanted to go shopping sometime and drop the kids off, she worked as a manager at the Children's Care Center inside of the mall. Not only was I happy to find such a nice brunch, but I now had learned that there was a Children's Care Center inside of the mall and a staff person that the social although very picky 5 year old liked. What a kind, thoughtful, helpful woman, and to top it off she let me take her picture! Something that all of the guide books told me was a big no no.
We then walked from the hotel, into the adjoining tower that was connected to the mall. The security guard was right, the mall was open. The shops, however, were not. (I have to smile at this). Some of the shops were open but very few. We decided to walk around anyway just to get a feel for what Riyadh had to offer. (After four days I see that Riyadh has everything any big city has to offer. Take away the Arabic, the clothes, the call to prayer, the radio and tv and Riyadh could be a large city in the middle of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada...or any other desert climate. Everything you could want (except for pork and alcohol) is available here....at least everything I have thought I may have wanted in 4 days time...we'll see what I feel like after a year). But, back to my story...on day one I was happily surprised to see shops that I recognized: Gap, Aldo, Next, Aldo (did I write that twice? I've always loved their shoes...and while we're talking about shoes....) 9 West, Karen Millen, Claire's accessories...etc, etc. Did I mention we only "hit" 1 floor of 3??
We got a little side tracked because when we went down to the lower level, we were faced with an indoor amusement park! When the temp is 120 outside (50 C-ish), and you have two kids, an indoor amusement park is a blessing! And the amusement park was really made for kids. Teacups, rollercoaster, train ride, bumper cars, etc all at kids sizes. In one corner there was a "bushus" like play area ...our 5 year old was in heaven.
Here, our 5 year old was busily making new friends, including a 6 year old from India whose father is here working for some company. The playground friendship ended with the dads exchanging phone numbers. Meanwhile, mom (that's me) was sitting on a bench watching the children play along with 3 arab women. After a short time, 2 more women arrived..all very happy to see each other with lots of kisses and hugs and as they were talking they suddenly started including ME by commenting or asking a question in english and then they would translate for each other and for me. The whole thing was so unexpected. And they started asking 101 questions: where are you from? why are you here? are these your children? why doesn't she look like you? have you been here before? how long have you been here? how long will you stay? have you been to any gulf state before? how old are your children...etc, etc, etc, Finally, I asked whether they were related and they all started saying yes, yes, and they removed their hijab so that I could see their faces (2 had faces covered and 3 had faces uncovered). Then started pointing to each other to explain who was who's sister etc. It was all so unexpected and really, really pleasant. We sat and spoke the entire time the children played. Fantastic.
So, I guess, in a nutshell, I'd have to say that day one was a success.
After our fantastic brunch we pulled our 5 year old away from her new best friend Salwa who politely told us that if we wanted to go shopping sometime and drop the kids off, she worked as a manager at the Children's Care Center inside of the mall. Not only was I happy to find such a nice brunch, but I now had learned that there was a Children's Care Center inside of the mall and a staff person that the social although very picky 5 year old liked. What a kind, thoughtful, helpful woman, and to top it off she let me take her picture! Something that all of the guide books told me was a big no no.
We then walked from the hotel, into the adjoining tower that was connected to the mall. The security guard was right, the mall was open. The shops, however, were not. (I have to smile at this). Some of the shops were open but very few. We decided to walk around anyway just to get a feel for what Riyadh had to offer. (After four days I see that Riyadh has everything any big city has to offer. Take away the Arabic, the clothes, the call to prayer, the radio and tv and Riyadh could be a large city in the middle of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada...or any other desert climate. Everything you could want (except for pork and alcohol) is available here....at least everything I have thought I may have wanted in 4 days time...we'll see what I feel like after a year). But, back to my story...on day one I was happily surprised to see shops that I recognized: Gap, Aldo, Next, Aldo (did I write that twice? I've always loved their shoes...and while we're talking about shoes....) 9 West, Karen Millen, Claire's accessories...etc, etc. Did I mention we only "hit" 1 floor of 3??
We got a little side tracked because when we went down to the lower level, we were faced with an indoor amusement park! When the temp is 120 outside (50 C-ish), and you have two kids, an indoor amusement park is a blessing! And the amusement park was really made for kids. Teacups, rollercoaster, train ride, bumper cars, etc all at kids sizes. In one corner there was a "bushus" like play area ...our 5 year old was in heaven.
Here, our 5 year old was busily making new friends, including a 6 year old from India whose father is here working for some company. The playground friendship ended with the dads exchanging phone numbers. Meanwhile, mom (that's me) was sitting on a bench watching the children play along with 3 arab women. After a short time, 2 more women arrived..all very happy to see each other with lots of kisses and hugs and as they were talking they suddenly started including ME by commenting or asking a question in english and then they would translate for each other and for me. The whole thing was so unexpected. And they started asking 101 questions: where are you from? why are you here? are these your children? why doesn't she look like you? have you been here before? how long have you been here? how long will you stay? have you been to any gulf state before? how old are your children...etc, etc, etc, Finally, I asked whether they were related and they all started saying yes, yes, and they removed their hijab so that I could see their faces (2 had faces covered and 3 had faces uncovered). Then started pointing to each other to explain who was who's sister etc. It was all so unexpected and really, really pleasant. We sat and spoke the entire time the children played. Fantastic.
So, I guess, in a nutshell, I'd have to say that day one was a success.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Our first afternoon
Well, I have a calm moment after breakfast, 5 year old is playing with her new Barbie and 1 year old is crawling around exploring our hotel room...I guess I'll continue writing about Day 1.
After breakfast we returned to our room and wondered a little about what to do. We called for a driver to take us to a nearby mall. He informed us that everything was closed until 16.00. So we went down to the outdoor play area here at the hotel but it was a little too late in the day, 11.30, to be outside, the temp was already approaching 50 deg C (122 deg F). Back at our room we called down to the reception and asked if there was any kind of indoor play area here at the hotel. We were told that there was a play area at the gym. So H and the kids went down, but could not find any play area. An additional call to the reception and we were told that the malls would open at 13.00 and we could find an indoor play area there. So, another call to a driver who came and picked us up. When we told the driver where we wanted to go, he said that the malls were closed until 16.00. He suggested that we go to the Globe restaurant.
http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/dine5.cfm
The Al Faisaliah Tower and its Globe Restaurant are one of Riyadh's landmarks. We thought that in our newly landed, tired, middle of the day, crumpled state, the Globe Restaurant was a little bit too much. By the time we came to that conclusion we were already at the tower and the driver was speaking with the security guard (getting car access to many buildings is difficult, with road blocks and security guards controlling who gets in and when). The security guard told the driver that the mall which is connected to the Al Faisaliah Tower would open at 13.30. We decided to eat lunch at the adjoining Al Faisailiah Hotel, in the hotel lobby and then go check out the mall after.
http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/
When we entered the hotel lobby and neared the restaurant, we were asked if we would like to have brunch. Friday is Islam's equivalent to Sunday in the west....aka brunch day! We were also told that there was a children's room with staff to watch the children if we would like. We decided to start by checking out the children's area. To get to the children's area we walked passed the brunch area. On our way we passed a room full of deserts, cakes, pies, delicacies, chocolate fountains, waffle irons, crepe stations, fruit, etc --- I have to say, it was GORGEOUS. I was already in awe. We walked passed a cheese bar, a sushi bar, a seafood bar, an Arabian bar, a Japanese bar, a Chinese bar, an Italian bar, a pasta bar, a Moroccan bar, a cold mezze bar, a warm mezze bar, and much, more!! In the children's room there was a plethora of activities and table upon table of goodies--cakes, cookies, candies, ice cream a create your own cookie, doughnut and muffin table...it took about 6 minutes in the room for our 5 year old to say "mamma, I think you can go now". So, the parents were free to eat brunch too!!!! The only thing that seemed to be missing from the brunch was the champagne mimosas. But, I must say, we were served some kind of sparkling fruit drink that was very refreshing and the whole set up was just so elegant and extravagant that I can't say I missed not having champagne. And, to top it off, it was so completely unexpected, it made it all the more wonderful. This brunch now tops my list along with my favorite brunches at the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center in Arizona and at the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge in Washington
http://www.thescottsdaleresort.com/
http://www.salishlodge.com/?WT.mc_id=SnoqualmieFallsWebsite.
After breakfast we returned to our room and wondered a little about what to do. We called for a driver to take us to a nearby mall. He informed us that everything was closed until 16.00. So we went down to the outdoor play area here at the hotel but it was a little too late in the day, 11.30, to be outside, the temp was already approaching 50 deg C (122 deg F). Back at our room we called down to the reception and asked if there was any kind of indoor play area here at the hotel. We were told that there was a play area at the gym. So H and the kids went down, but could not find any play area. An additional call to the reception and we were told that the malls would open at 13.00 and we could find an indoor play area there. So, another call to a driver who came and picked us up. When we told the driver where we wanted to go, he said that the malls were closed until 16.00. He suggested that we go to the Globe restaurant.
http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/dine5.cfm
The Al Faisaliah Tower and its Globe Restaurant are one of Riyadh's landmarks. We thought that in our newly landed, tired, middle of the day, crumpled state, the Globe Restaurant was a little bit too much. By the time we came to that conclusion we were already at the tower and the driver was speaking with the security guard (getting car access to many buildings is difficult, with road blocks and security guards controlling who gets in and when). The security guard told the driver that the mall which is connected to the Al Faisaliah Tower would open at 13.30. We decided to eat lunch at the adjoining Al Faisailiah Hotel, in the hotel lobby and then go check out the mall after.
http://www.alfaisaliahhotel.com/
When we entered the hotel lobby and neared the restaurant, we were asked if we would like to have brunch. Friday is Islam's equivalent to Sunday in the west....aka brunch day! We were also told that there was a children's room with staff to watch the children if we would like. We decided to start by checking out the children's area. To get to the children's area we walked passed the brunch area. On our way we passed a room full of deserts, cakes, pies, delicacies, chocolate fountains, waffle irons, crepe stations, fruit, etc --- I have to say, it was GORGEOUS. I was already in awe. We walked passed a cheese bar, a sushi bar, a seafood bar, an Arabian bar, a Japanese bar, a Chinese bar, an Italian bar, a pasta bar, a Moroccan bar, a cold mezze bar, a warm mezze bar, and much, more!! In the children's room there was a plethora of activities and table upon table of goodies--cakes, cookies, candies, ice cream a create your own cookie, doughnut and muffin table...it took about 6 minutes in the room for our 5 year old to say "mamma, I think you can go now". So, the parents were free to eat brunch too!!!! The only thing that seemed to be missing from the brunch was the champagne mimosas. But, I must say, we were served some kind of sparkling fruit drink that was very refreshing and the whole set up was just so elegant and extravagant that I can't say I missed not having champagne. And, to top it off, it was so completely unexpected, it made it all the more wonderful. This brunch now tops my list along with my favorite brunches at the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center in Arizona and at the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge in Washington
http://www.thescottsdaleresort.com/
http://www.salishlodge.com/?WT.mc_id=SnoqualmieFallsWebsite.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Day 2 -- what to write about?
So, Day 2 is coming to an end and I am wondering where to begin! What should I write about?
Should I, for example, tell you about our spontaneous outing yesterday which turned out to be the best brunch I have ever had and which included a "children's brunch" where cakes, cookies, ice cream, and goodies (and much more) were available for the picking as far as the eye could see....
Or, the amusement park(s) inside of the shopping malls
Or the conversation I had with 5 Arabian women yesterday in which they asked me 101 questions and when introducing themselves took off their hijab so that I could see their faces.
Our 5 year old's social skills that have found her her first friend in Riyadh, a 6 year old indian girl.
Or, then there is our first and second experience with entering...and exiting...a compound.
Or, day two breakfast, same restaurant as day 1 restaurant with just me and the kids.
Let's see, the heat have I mentioned the heat?
Or, wearing an abaya inside out
Prayer time at the mall
Riyadh after 16.00
and last but not least, musical compounds.
Unfortunately I don't have time tonight to write about any of these topics...but they are here as a little reminder for me....if only I knew where to start!
Goodnight :-)
Should I, for example, tell you about our spontaneous outing yesterday which turned out to be the best brunch I have ever had and which included a "children's brunch" where cakes, cookies, ice cream, and goodies (and much more) were available for the picking as far as the eye could see....
Or, the amusement park(s) inside of the shopping malls
Or the conversation I had with 5 Arabian women yesterday in which they asked me 101 questions and when introducing themselves took off their hijab so that I could see their faces.
Our 5 year old's social skills that have found her her first friend in Riyadh, a 6 year old indian girl.
Or, then there is our first and second experience with entering...and exiting...a compound.
Or, day two breakfast, same restaurant as day 1 restaurant with just me and the kids.
Let's see, the heat have I mentioned the heat?
Or, wearing an abaya inside out
Prayer time at the mall
Riyadh after 16.00
and last but not least, musical compounds.
Unfortunately I don't have time tonight to write about any of these topics...but they are here as a little reminder for me....if only I knew where to start!
Goodnight :-)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Arriving in Riyadh
At 15.00 on the 24th of June, we boarded our flight from Frankfurt to Riaydh. When we arrived at the gate, I was already searching for signs of something...different. I didn't see any. Lots of travelers, a great mix of people. Nothing spectacular.
On the flight I sat next to a German man that had lived in Riyadh for 17 years. His family had been with him right up to the terrorist attacks of 2003 and then the family went back to Germany. I asked him what his children thought of the experience today. And he replied that his son that just turned 18 requested a trip to Riyadh for his 18th b-day.
As we neared Riyadh, I started looking around the cabin for signs of other women changing into their abayas. Having not been to KSA before and not really knowing what to do, I was searching for cultural clues....what I realized was that there wasn't another woman sitting in our section. All men. Thank goodness we were traveling with two children! The kids were asleep when we landed which ment that I had to wait for help unloading them which gave some of the other passengers time to exit the plane before us. All of the women that walked passed...maybe 5 western women and 2 muslim women....had abayas on. Whew! I quickly put mine on and was ready to go!
There was, again, nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary with the airport...Eucalyptus trees inside...I thought that was cool, I love Eucalyptus trees!! When we arrived at the passport control we were immediately pulled out of line and showed to an official that checked our passports and let us through, passed all of the other travelers waiting, with a "Welcome to Saudi Arabia". All the while, smiles, winks, and warmth where being shot at our 5 and 1 year olds.
As we were waiting for our luggage our 5 year old really had to use the restroom..so we headed for the "toilet" sign and two men sitting in front of the door kindly pointed us in the direction of the women's restrooms. Once inside, she said "Mamma, be careful that you don't get your pretty dress dirty". The restrooms weren't the cleanest but they definately weren't the dirtiest I have been in either.
The customs agent didn't look twice at us, and within what seemed like minutes from getting off the plane, we were getting into the car that was waiting for us, a Yukon, instantly I felt a little as if I were back in the US. Although, waiting outside of the airport was largely men....Arab, Pakistani, etc in mostly robes.
My first impression of Saudi Arabia? Only positive. Thus far the people have been warm, a little shy but quick to joke, friendly and helpful.
Let's see what tomorrow brings :-)
On the flight I sat next to a German man that had lived in Riyadh for 17 years. His family had been with him right up to the terrorist attacks of 2003 and then the family went back to Germany. I asked him what his children thought of the experience today. And he replied that his son that just turned 18 requested a trip to Riyadh for his 18th b-day.
As we neared Riyadh, I started looking around the cabin for signs of other women changing into their abayas. Having not been to KSA before and not really knowing what to do, I was searching for cultural clues....what I realized was that there wasn't another woman sitting in our section. All men. Thank goodness we were traveling with two children! The kids were asleep when we landed which ment that I had to wait for help unloading them which gave some of the other passengers time to exit the plane before us. All of the women that walked passed...maybe 5 western women and 2 muslim women....had abayas on. Whew! I quickly put mine on and was ready to go!
There was, again, nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary with the airport...Eucalyptus trees inside...I thought that was cool, I love Eucalyptus trees!! When we arrived at the passport control we were immediately pulled out of line and showed to an official that checked our passports and let us through, passed all of the other travelers waiting, with a "Welcome to Saudi Arabia". All the while, smiles, winks, and warmth where being shot at our 5 and 1 year olds.
As we were waiting for our luggage our 5 year old really had to use the restroom..so we headed for the "toilet" sign and two men sitting in front of the door kindly pointed us in the direction of the women's restrooms. Once inside, she said "Mamma, be careful that you don't get your pretty dress dirty". The restrooms weren't the cleanest but they definately weren't the dirtiest I have been in either.
The customs agent didn't look twice at us, and within what seemed like minutes from getting off the plane, we were getting into the car that was waiting for us, a Yukon, instantly I felt a little as if I were back in the US. Although, waiting outside of the airport was largely men....Arab, Pakistani, etc in mostly robes.
My first impression of Saudi Arabia? Only positive. Thus far the people have been warm, a little shy but quick to joke, friendly and helpful.
Let's see what tomorrow brings :-)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 1 -- a.m.
Day 1 in Riyadh feels like vacation. We're staying at a hotel, sleeping in a nice big hotel bed, clawing through our luggage trying to find just the perfect pair of socks..where did I pack them again? People are bringing us food, towels, and cleaning....somebody else is getting breakfast ready. So, how do I know I'm in KSA?
First: I noticed right away I was in KSA when I was getting dressed. What should I wear? I have to say, I was a little disappointed. All of these clothes and they are just going to be covered by the abaya anyway. In the end I picked a pair of white pants and a white top...things I have wanted to wear but have not wanted to get pawed by the sticky fingers of an almost 1 year old...thank goodness for abayas!!! I can already see that I need to have more than one....Souks here I come! Thank goodness I like to shop :-)
Second: I was again aware of my surroundings when we, the family, went down to the hotel dining room for breakfast. Just as we were to take our first step into the restaurant, it hit me again: really? abaya? I feel silly. Do I have to wear this? Am I doing this right? Maybe I don't need it here....in the hotel. What if all of the other women are in normal clothes? I still haven't seen enough women to know what I should be doing!
In actuality, I didn't have to worry about it because there wasn't a single woman in the restaurant. All men...western men, sitting alone, drinking their coffee, eating their breakfast, reading their papers.
Third: When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately shown to a room within the dining room with large doors (open) and large shutters (open). We were shown to a table in this small-ish room which because of the large openings to the main dining room felt like a cozy portion of the dining room. I didn't realize it at first but then I caught on...right, we're in the "family" section. If Henrik were alone, he would have been given a table within the main area of the dining room but we as a family were given a little bit more privacy.
Fourth: As we were finishing up our breakfast, a couple arrived and were shown to a table next to ours. Although I can not be sure that they were an Arabian couple they were muslim as she was wearing an abaya and hijab (head covering which sometimes---and in this case---covers the face from the bridge of the nose down). The waiter seated the couple closed that door, out to the main dining area, which was closest to their table. Additionally he brought out an accordian style partition to give them more privacy.
I suppose we all place differing value on our privacy!
First: I noticed right away I was in KSA when I was getting dressed. What should I wear? I have to say, I was a little disappointed. All of these clothes and they are just going to be covered by the abaya anyway. In the end I picked a pair of white pants and a white top...things I have wanted to wear but have not wanted to get pawed by the sticky fingers of an almost 1 year old...thank goodness for abayas!!! I can already see that I need to have more than one....Souks here I come! Thank goodness I like to shop :-)
Second: I was again aware of my surroundings when we, the family, went down to the hotel dining room for breakfast. Just as we were to take our first step into the restaurant, it hit me again: really? abaya? I feel silly. Do I have to wear this? Am I doing this right? Maybe I don't need it here....in the hotel. What if all of the other women are in normal clothes? I still haven't seen enough women to know what I should be doing!
In actuality, I didn't have to worry about it because there wasn't a single woman in the restaurant. All men...western men, sitting alone, drinking their coffee, eating their breakfast, reading their papers.
Third: When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately shown to a room within the dining room with large doors (open) and large shutters (open). We were shown to a table in this small-ish room which because of the large openings to the main dining room felt like a cozy portion of the dining room. I didn't realize it at first but then I caught on...right, we're in the "family" section. If Henrik were alone, he would have been given a table within the main area of the dining room but we as a family were given a little bit more privacy.
Fourth: As we were finishing up our breakfast, a couple arrived and were shown to a table next to ours. Although I can not be sure that they were an Arabian couple they were muslim as she was wearing an abaya and hijab (head covering which sometimes---and in this case---covers the face from the bridge of the nose down). The waiter seated the couple closed that door, out to the main dining area, which was closest to their table. Additionally he brought out an accordian style partition to give them more privacy.
I suppose we all place differing value on our privacy!
Friday, June 11, 2010
The 24th is a go....hopefully
Well, hopefully this long process of getting our visas in order is coming to an end. Our flights have been reserved anyway for the 24th of June and, although I am looking forward to getting on with the next phase of this adventure and having the family together again, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit nervous.
Last night it hit me...what if I can't find anything to do with the kids??? And when I say kids I mean our 5 year old girl.
The first thing that poped into my mind was her new found desire to learn how to play golf....so, I googled golf in Riyadh. One of the larger compounds actually has an on-site golf course..but it is difficult to get an idea as to whether this is open to people outside of the compound or if play is restricted to residents only? There is also a course a few miles outside of Riyadh, Dirab Golf Club. It looks as if women and juniors are welcome but,much more info isn't really available. There are also two Riyadh golf courses, The Greens course and the Desert Golf course. I'm not sure if women are allowed to play at these. The on-line membership information page gives one category of member---MEN. The Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh also has a 9-hole golf course...but, who gets to play? At the end of the day, I can't imagine that a 5 year old would ever be allowed to play on a golf course but...what do I know, I've never played golf.
Some other activities I found were the Riyadh Zoo. In my very quick search, I couldn't find a homepage for the zoo but, through tripadvisor I did find the following description: Saudi Arabia’s largest zoo, housing some 40 species of animals, permits either a mother or a father to accompany children but does not allow the whole family to vist together. Upon further investigation I did find a homepage which, in addition to the "men's" hours and "ladies" hours, listed "family" hours on Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri....Thurs and Friday are weekend days in Saudi.
In addition, there are:
Amusement Parks
Horseback riding
bowling
Museums
Castles
Site-seeing
Shopping
and, if we get tired of the desert we can visit the snow park
After this midnight "panic" and short investigation I felt a little bit more at ease about the move. There will be things to do...our compound has a spa, pool, tennis, basketball courts, playgrounds, an indoor children's play center and raquetball/squash courts.
I'm not sure that this is all that Riyadh has to offer us but, if so, is this enough??
At the end of the day, what do we do with our time here at home? Well, aside from work and pre-school we spend time with friends at our home or theirs, our oldest has swimming lessons one half-hour per week, and we have "play dates" with other children. When the weather allows we go to the park to either play at the playground or look at the animals at the petting zoo and we walk down to the lake and take a swim or walk through the woods. For a majority of the year, weather does not allow and we may go to the local science center/aquarium. So all in all, I think Riyadh has plenty to offer our family!
Whew, I wonder what the next panic attack will be about?
Last night it hit me...what if I can't find anything to do with the kids??? And when I say kids I mean our 5 year old girl.
The first thing that poped into my mind was her new found desire to learn how to play golf....so, I googled golf in Riyadh. One of the larger compounds actually has an on-site golf course..but it is difficult to get an idea as to whether this is open to people outside of the compound or if play is restricted to residents only? There is also a course a few miles outside of Riyadh, Dirab Golf Club. It looks as if women and juniors are welcome but,much more info isn't really available. There are also two Riyadh golf courses, The Greens course and the Desert Golf course. I'm not sure if women are allowed to play at these. The on-line membership information page gives one category of member---MEN. The Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh also has a 9-hole golf course...but, who gets to play? At the end of the day, I can't imagine that a 5 year old would ever be allowed to play on a golf course but...what do I know, I've never played golf.
Some other activities I found were the Riyadh Zoo. In my very quick search, I couldn't find a homepage for the zoo but, through tripadvisor I did find the following description: Saudi Arabia’s largest zoo, housing some 40 species of animals, permits either a mother or a father to accompany children but does not allow the whole family to vist together. Upon further investigation I did find a homepage which, in addition to the "men's" hours and "ladies" hours, listed "family" hours on Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri....Thurs and Friday are weekend days in Saudi.
In addition, there are:
Amusement Parks
Horseback riding
bowling
Museums
Castles
Site-seeing
Shopping
and, if we get tired of the desert we can visit the snow park
After this midnight "panic" and short investigation I felt a little bit more at ease about the move. There will be things to do...our compound has a spa, pool, tennis, basketball courts, playgrounds, an indoor children's play center and raquetball/squash courts.
I'm not sure that this is all that Riyadh has to offer us but, if so, is this enough??
At the end of the day, what do we do with our time here at home? Well, aside from work and pre-school we spend time with friends at our home or theirs, our oldest has swimming lessons one half-hour per week, and we have "play dates" with other children. When the weather allows we go to the park to either play at the playground or look at the animals at the petting zoo and we walk down to the lake and take a swim or walk through the woods. For a majority of the year, weather does not allow and we may go to the local science center/aquarium. So all in all, I think Riyadh has plenty to offer our family!
Whew, I wonder what the next panic attack will be about?
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