We met this camel on the side of the road.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
$40 a Day in Saudi Arabia
Rachael Ray should totally do an episode in Saudi Arabia. Jeff and I randomly found a hole-in-the-wall off the beaten path (we had gotten lost). We feasted on kebabs, grilled chicken and steak, hummus (but everywhere here spells it houmos!), baba ghanooj, green salad, Turkish bread (yum-o, in Rachael's words) and fresh squeezed orange juice... all for 33 Riyals -- USD 8.80! The proprietor was really friendly; he was from Turkey. The bread was one of the best I had ever tasted, hot and flavorful just from the oven, flat with sesame seeds on top, about 16" long. I asked the guy, "What is the name of this bread?" He answered in English, "Turkish bread. No name." Um, OK. At the end of our meal, the guy presented us with two fresh loaves, insisting that we take it home for free. Shukran!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
SEA - AMS - DMM
I don't recommend traveling halfway around the world when you are 5 1/2 months pregnant. In Economy class. The company sent Jeff over here in Business, a courtesy afforded to all the pilots; but families, I guess not so much. I inquired about the upgrade, was quoted $5000, and decided I could tough it out. And tough it was. Sixteen hours flying time plus a 6 hour layover later, I arrived in Dammam dehydrated, swollen, with pains in every part of my body. I was short of breath most of the way, as the hunched over position forced upon me by the airline seats had positioned my uterus to squish all my internal organs into my throat. So it seemed.
I arrived Valentine's Day night, around 9:00pm. Stood in line at customs (the only woman in a group of about 75). No one at the desks. We stood patiently until four agents took to their posts 15 minutes later. I received no questions, just a confirmation of the pronunciation of my first name. Collected my baggage, scanned it through x-ray, no search. Walked out and saw Jeff, smiling and waiting with all the others who were picking up people off the same flight. People stared at me until I put on the abaya Jeff brought with him to the airport.
The first thing I saw when we got back to the hotel room was a huge, red, homemade Valentine's card perched on the desk. Awww.
I arrived Valentine's Day night, around 9:00pm. Stood in line at customs (the only woman in a group of about 75). No one at the desks. We stood patiently until four agents took to their posts 15 minutes later. I received no questions, just a confirmation of the pronunciation of my first name. Collected my baggage, scanned it through x-ray, no search. Walked out and saw Jeff, smiling and waiting with all the others who were picking up people off the same flight. People stared at me until I put on the abaya Jeff brought with him to the airport.
The first thing I saw when we got back to the hotel room was a huge, red, homemade Valentine's card perched on the desk. Awww.
Monday, February 19, 2007
The Lubby, the Abaya, and other things
The wireless connection was only available in the hotel lobby, so that's where everyone gathered. We'd been using the "Lubby" network, but it was getting spotty. I had been wondering who or what was Lubby (what a strange name for the hotel to use). The connection was off and on for most of the day, so Jeff went to the front desk and asked them to re-set it. As an afterthought, he asked the guy, "What is Lubby?" The guy gestured to the room we were in, "Lubby... the hotel lubby!" BWAH!
Wearing the abaya is a major pain. It is floor-length, so I am constantly tripping on it, or scooting my chair over it, and I have to wear it anytime I am outside my hotel room. It's also polyester, which doesn't help in the 80 degree weather. There are abaya stores, with many different styles to choose from. Beaded, embroidered, anything you like. Unfortunately they all have the silhouette of a graduation gown. All that's missing is the mortarboard. The one Jeff picked out and presented to me at the airport is fit for a doctoral candidate, with grand stripes on the sleeve. He said I can pretend to be an airline captain! Or a student at Hogwarts.
Jeff got fitted for a thobe yesterday. A thobe is the traditional male Arab gown... long, white, crisp and clean. He still needs to get the ghutra and igal (the headscarf and rope-like cord that sits atop the head). I don't know enough to know if his wearing this will be an affront to the locals. All I know is that this is more like a Halloween costume to Jeff, so I'm glad he didn't spend very much on it. Around here, Western women are pretty much required to be in traditional garb, but Western men are exempt. I haven't seen any wearing the thobe, but I've only been here a week.
People smoke, smoke, smoke everywhere! The airport, the hotels, on the sidewalk. Even in the shopping malls, in the individual clothing stores! I feel bad that Eggbert has no choice but to smell this everywhere I go.
Wearing the abaya is a major pain. It is floor-length, so I am constantly tripping on it, or scooting my chair over it, and I have to wear it anytime I am outside my hotel room. It's also polyester, which doesn't help in the 80 degree weather. There are abaya stores, with many different styles to choose from. Beaded, embroidered, anything you like. Unfortunately they all have the silhouette of a graduation gown. All that's missing is the mortarboard. The one Jeff picked out and presented to me at the airport is fit for a doctoral candidate, with grand stripes on the sleeve. He said I can pretend to be an airline captain! Or a student at Hogwarts.
Jeff got fitted for a thobe yesterday. A thobe is the traditional male Arab gown... long, white, crisp and clean. He still needs to get the ghutra and igal (the headscarf and rope-like cord that sits atop the head). I don't know enough to know if his wearing this will be an affront to the locals. All I know is that this is more like a Halloween costume to Jeff, so I'm glad he didn't spend very much on it. Around here, Western women are pretty much required to be in traditional garb, but Western men are exempt. I haven't seen any wearing the thobe, but I've only been here a week.
People smoke, smoke, smoke everywhere! The airport, the hotels, on the sidewalk. Even in the shopping malls, in the individual clothing stores! I feel bad that Eggbert has no choice but to smell this everywhere I go.
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