Saudi Wedding Extravaganzas
There are two big celebrations surrounding a marriage here – the engagement party “milkah,” and the actual wedding. I’ve only attended milkahs, so this post is related to those. :: The gender-segregated parties typically begin around 11pm and go until 5am. They take place in large homes or wedding halls (milkahs are smaller but wedding […]
Getting Used to Accepting Help
If you could affordably hire a live-in house helper, would you? Sean is ready to get onboard with the Saudi practice of having live-in help but I’m a lot harder to convince. :: Many families here will have a woman who lives in their home and does the cleaning, cooking, and childcare. Some families have […]
Riding the Wave of Culture Shock
Culture shock is an inevitable aspect of living overseas for most people. If you’ve taken any culture classes or spent time abroad, you know it has stages, beginning with the honeymoon period. This lasted almost 6 months for us, where we were fascinated by the new culture and riding the high of discovery and adventure. […]
Water in the Desert
Drinking tap water here is a gamble for one’s health. 🚰 Will dirt come out? Or a feather? Might it be orange today? :: Okay, so I’m exaggerating a bit – dirt and feathers are rare – but still the water is not safe for consistent consumption. Instead, everyone has water cooler dispensers in their kitchen […]
Joining a Gym
I finally bit the bullet last year and signed up for a gym membership. Our first year here, I couldn’t bring myself to pay the exorbitant fees, but I quickly realized that I needed to be able to work out for my physical and mental wellbeing and at-home YouTube videos weren’t cutting it. :: There […]
Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here
My favorite quirk of our apartment is the elevator that opens straight into the top floor of our place. It makes me feel fancy, 😎 but is also kinda weird when you think about it. :: We have a special key we turn in order to push the button to come to our floor, so we don’t […]
Arabic Coffee: The Essential to Every Gathering
Arabic coffee, “gahwa,” is an essential part of Saudi hospitality. In the US, I came to expect it at any event my Saudi students or colleagues attended. Here, they bring thermoses of the hot beverage on road trips, picnics, to work, and house visits. Basically any time there’s a gathering of people, Arabic coffee is […]
“Two Under Two” is No Joke
I was warned about this. That “two under two” would be difficult and exhausting. That I’d essentially be taking care of two babies except one now has opinions and is also prone to spend half the day tripping over his own toys.. :: “Just rely on family for help,” they say. “Or friends.” “Call the […]
Devotion to the Finer-Smelling Things in Life
I think Saudi singlehandedly keeps the perfume and cologne industry afloat. They are very into intense fragrances and both men and women are generous with their daily spritzing… Even just going to the grocery can be an experience more fragrant than a junior high girls’ locker room after a Bath & Body Works sale. (Does […]
Finding Color at the Yanbu Flower Festival
The past couple springs we’ve made a tradition of hopping in our car and driving 4 hours north to see…some flowers. You get desperate when you’re surrounded by cacti and palm trees, sans any bright colors, all year long. 😆 :: The city of Yanbu hosts an annual flower festival and, having our expectations appropriately set […]
