How Do I Love Saudi...Let Me Count The Ways

Since sooner or later I'd be saying adieu to this country that's been my home for the last, well, almost five years, especially with the current underlying issues of Saudization from which we might be sent home whether we like it or not, I would like to share the reasons I've gotten to love my stay here, even for a while. I will always remember the good and the bad, the experiences and the people I met. I will not deny the fact that when I go home, there's this part of me that will always miss Saudi Arabia.

1. Foods like the Kabsa, Dates, Shawarma at Mama Noura...Lebanese, Indian, Egyptian foods, sweets, Ful, Tamis, Samboosas, bhaklavas, and the Khuboos which was always served oversizingly overflowing.
2. Shisha or the "bubbly-bubbly" which I learned how to inhale and got a lot of coughing in the process!
3. The extreme weather from super hot summer to bone-deep winter.
4. The unholy working hours during Ramadan.
5. Learning Arabic, "Shokran," Sabr-khair," "Ki-fak. "Marhaba," "taal" and "Iqkrabeta" (not sure about the spelling but sounds like, which their favorite expression and don't ask me what it meant!)
6. Being reprimanded now and then by the police and mutawas for wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts, having long hair, too graphic designed shirts, looking at women, forbidden to shoot pictures and asked for your iqama (resident permit card) as if you've done something illegal.
7. How cheap to buy things here in their currency that is, from clothing to food, to electronics to furniture.
8. My trips to Harajj to buy second anything, name it, you'll find it there.
9. The sights, like the Faisaliah Tower, Kingdom Tower, my trips to Dammam, Corniche, Fanateer, Khobar, Abha, Khamis, Jeddah. Red Sand, Hidden Valley, "Ashra-ashra"
10. The malls that weakens one's knees from walking the vast space and feasting on designer and labeled clothes and what have you.
11. The constant call to prayer 5 times a day, from early morning to sundown.
12. The "kabayans" I met here.
13. The fancy cars I see at Thalia St., from Lamborghini to Rolls Royce, the latest BMWs, Mercedes, the Toyota FJs, sports cars, SUVs, all in season models, being paraded and broke in by TEENAGERS to their delight!
14. Jarir Bookstore ESPECIALLY the one in Olaya St.
15. The Boofias for my daily breakfast of "Shukshuka Samoli" and "Chai-haleeb"
16. The trips to Batha.
17. IKEA.
18. My Arab friend's at work that were so nice to me.
19. The Indian tailor that repairs and fixed my shirts, pants and sleeves to fit me perfectly.
20. Shemaissy, where I live all these years.
21. The electricity bills that sends me into a rage whenever it is more that SR 50.00 a month!
22. The fruit and vegetable Saudi vendors across the street where I live.
23. Smothering myself with moisturizers and body lotions everyday due to the dry weather.
24. Eating spicy foods which I never thought I'd get to like, as in!
25. Okay, okay, the men, period.

I think there are more, but generally these are what will I miss most. So there.

Old Shemaissy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Old Shemaissy, my home for the last 4 years of my stay in Saudi Arabia, it's an area teeming with life and culture from various ethnicity. Here you may find living together Filipinos, Pakistanis, Indians, Bengalis, Sri Lankans, Saudis, Badus (Black Local Saudis), Yemenis, Syrians, Jordanians, Turkish, and some Chinese. One can just wonder the mingling of these people, it's like a mini world within a world.

I have had my own fair share of life's experiences here, one fact is that for the last four years I have move six times around this small area, yes six times! But I think I am settling with the last, otherwise I told myself no more for moving out and in a new place is not for the faint hearted, it is not easy!

Here, I find everything I need without going far (unless I want a more uptown atmosphere, I'll go to the malls), grocery stores or "bakalas", bakeries, barbers, tailoring shops, mosques, fish, chicken, vegetables and fruits stores, banks, atm machines, restaurants with choices of Indian, Arabic and Filipino foods, or if you want the commercial fast foods, you'll find KFC, Kudo, Pizza Company, Pizza Hut, Seattle's Best, Cinnabon and Krispy Kreme, what is unbelievable is that ALL of these are just a few walks from each other!



I also have a lot of experiences meeting all these ethnicities here in Shemaissy, and you get to know their lives and cultures in one way or the other, some were nice people, others were too proud of theirs, some are only nice because they need something from you, others doesn't even care, there were those who thinks their the best people, whence others I feel sad because they do the lowliest work just to survive.

But regardless of that, I found real friends here, a handful, one-handful that is. I found life here, find new experiences everyday and I am not sure how long will I stay more, but I am sure I will be missing this place when I leave, and when I look back, I could say that in one small town far, far, away from where I was born, along the winding streets, mud houses and twisting corners, in a busy town called Shemaissy in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, I was there, and the memories will linger on.

Missing Saudi Arabia

It's been a week since I arrived from Saudi Arabia, hmmm.

In all honesty, I am missing Saudi Arabia, and pondering about it, I am wondering why.

Is it the freedom I have in there?
The culture I get to understand?
The people I get to know?
The friends I made?
The weather, the food, the scene?
The work?
My speaking Arabic?
The life, the humdrums of the street where I live?
The apartment and the ghosts we live with?
My adventures and misbehaviors?

I am not sure really, maybe anyone of these, or all of the above.

I've always been an independent person, trying to find my way in life. So I guess it's more of the freedom that I miss much about this arid country.

I guess, it's my second home, well, until I find another place to call home besides the Philippines.

Abha and Jeddah Get Away

It is Eid here in Saudi, something like our New Year, everyone's going on vacation, and my housemates and I were heading for Abha and Jeddah for some joyride, fun and new experiences.

I really love to travel, and it seemed to be so therapeutic to me, feeling the gush of wind on my face while riding the car, the sights that pass by, new faces, new places, exciting things to do.

It doesn't matter that the looong drive (10 hours to Abha and 7 hours to Jeddah)hurts my bottom and my back from sitting, but it will never, ever replace the experience of being in another place.

Here are some pictures: