SaudiArabia: 9 months! Part 2: Pros/Cons

 Where were we?.....welcome back .....

7. Independence

What independence? It's extremly hard to be independ, life is more to depending on others, i'm the kind that can sit in the park and read a book, write my blog, so long as theres good weather! The kind that can really enjoy themselves. Own time is available but not enjoyable, you cant just sit alone in the park, its awkward and scary! Just sit there alone all covered! Picture that! you can go to the malls alone but you feel abit strange after 30 minutes, you don't know if you walk into religious police and stuff! Plus you got to take a cab so it's always cheaper to have friends along, just for some sense of security, life's sad when you don't feel fully capable! Not for all but for me and my kind of people.

8. Prayer Time!

#sigh# 11am

Ring...ring... Salam aleikum... Blablablabla.. For english, press 1, sorry, all our agents are out for prayer, please call again later!

When you are in a shop at 330pm trying to see and measure trousers waist with the circumference of your neck to make sure it fits!( there are no fitting rooms in shops) by the way that works for right sized People, i've had a hard time convinvicing the westners that this works, we bought clothes in markets in Africa, mothers would check if the trousers fit like that! Just put the waist around their kids neck, if it accurately fit! We were got to go! If the ends overlap! Too big! 

What I meant to say is that, you are busy doing your thing in the shop, then the prayer song goes on and all are sent out, shops close and you wait outside till prayer time is over! And trust Saudis to close it 10 mins before and half an hour later so give yourself 45 mins to find a comfortable place to sit even on the floor!

   Me and Olga in mall during prayer time

Five times a day!! Shopping has never been more fun! Ha!

9. Recycling/ Waste or resources

Not in this country, this topic makes me ache! When you go to a supermarket, they park 3 things in one plastic bag, so you could leave with 100 plastic bags! Believe me! People purchase millions of plastic bottles, be it water, joghurt, name it! Yet nobody recycles.... I can't talk about it! Am mad like that!!!!!

We understand it's a rich country, but the waste of  labour, money, time is just ridiculous! It's a desert, some flowers just can't keep up here! Yet every week flowers are planted, they die the following week, they are uprooted, new ones in place! They die...Uprooted.. Planted..die..

10. Animal rights!

What? Animals? What do you mean? They are lots of stray animals around, even in my place of work! The first thing they told us during orientation is that it is not allowed to feed the cats! Sorry, I cannot watch cats dying of thirst in the desert, I will feed and water them and thanks to all others that do! I heard the quaran does advocate for killing cats! So the clever not mind here, takes the cats out in the deserts and leaves them there, poor cats, they cover their guilt in that they didn't kill them..#rolling my eyes! You left the cat out there with no food or water........ 

11. Cultural attitude!

It is the arrogant I don't care type of attitude! Saudis walk in somewhere, there's a que!, and they just walk shamelessly right to the counter, with a face  insinuating they are in their country! Dare someone talk up, i've seen a confrontation and no they actually don't know how to talk so you can imagine someone shouting at you right Infront of your face with hands wagging everywhere! You better leave it!! It can never be a civilized situation.

 Offices work at their own feel, they will tell you.. Come tomorrow,.. Come next week, and you will realize months later you have been going forever!

12. All humans are not equal!

Your passport is important! How they treat you here will depend on that! It's very sad! One day, I will explain this topic, give me 3 months....but then again, it happens all over the world, it's just on to another level here..:(

13. Sins!

At this rate I wonder who will be sitting at the right hand of God! We must have all come short of his glory causing him to lock up the heavens. Standing and chatting of unmarried opp sexes is a sin, showing your hair is sinful, not covering up is a sin,  hugging unmarried opp is a sin! The list is endless! Friday is a holy day and a day to punish the extreme sinners! Yea there are light sins and extreme sins and punishment is not even left for the most high, holy men decide how many lashes you get, whether your head is to be slashed off or you will hang! And yes people are encouraged to come see those being punished so as it can be a lesson to many! I swear, I could pee on myself if I saw such! I don't want to hear someone's last cry of horror! That cry that shakes up your insides! I chose to leave judgement to the spirits of the universe. Who are we to judge others while we are burning up humanity in a world no one owns..

Between if you are raped, you are a sinner too, because you must have done something to cause the rapist to fall into temptation! Don't ask me how, I don't know... May the spirits of the universe revenge for you..

14. No visitations

If you come here, dont excite your friends about a holiday, there is no tourism is Saudi, if you want to see Camels, sand dunes and mosques, go to Dubai. The only Person entitled to visit you is your married husband/wife, (proof must be carried, so instead of lipgloss, the marriage licence will be more important in your handbag), your birth children and your birth parents! Period! I hear brother, sister.. Mafi(no)!!! If you are in this country, you are an employee! But we like to ice the cake and call ourselves expats!

I especially love that word, it raises me above groud, to blow a little dust! You see, nobody ever Called me an expat in Finland, even though am an employee there too, People just assume i am an immigrant! I always explain my status! But in Saudi I am simply an expat! Next time am declaring myself an expat in Finland... Oh wait, Am actually not an expat! See I even forget am a citizen. Ok, enough with the expat dust. Lol! 

14. No freedom of expression

Keep your opinions to your self! That by the way means any opinion here is mine, and cannot be reflected on other people or institutions, it is basically from what I see, evaluate, estimate, size up, listen to secrets/gossips/serious talks all around me. 

It is an 'interesting' place, with what I term as extreme rules, having lived in Africa, Europe and now in the MiddleEast , it is by most the strictiest place I have ever been. Having travelled a lot, it's the only place I have felt that my spirit is suppressed and cannot live for long. I tried to make it till end of contract! And I did! That tells you am really good at keeping my word! 

Bravo... Bravo..