Time Games (One Month Left)

Time is a strange thing. I was talking to a friend on facebook the other day and I told her it felt like it was only a week ago that I was talking to her in her house. On the other hand I don't think I've ever had a slower period of my life than the first semester I spent here in Saudi Arabia. Some days are slow, some are fast. Its crazy, but one thing is for sure, my last few weeks are going to fly by (I only have 3 weeks of teaching! I just finished typing my final test today!).

I have to say the summer isn't nearly as bad as I imagined it would be. Sure, it is hotter than what I'm used to the in US, but it's manageable. It is usually 115 degrees around here and granted, sometimes it is hard to breath the air, especially because we've been having a number of dust storms lately which are no fun to walk in, but they've gotten us a few days of shortened school. It almost makes me wish we had them more often!



Awhile back I gave my students an assignment to write about the differences and similarities between man and women in the US and Saudi Arabia. It was pretty fun reading what they had to say. Some of it would be pretty sexist compared to the US, but keep in mind, this is a very different culture with a very different mindset. I'll share a few things they wrote:



"In Saudi Arabia, the men are hospitable which means they can invite people to dinner from the first day they meet them. Unlike the Americans, they don't invite anyone over until they know them very well."



"Saudi men like to get together and go to more than one place, but American men like to stay in one place. Men in the K.S.A. like to get married at a young age, but men in the U.S.A. like to get to know the girl before they get married."



"Most similar thing between women in America and women in Saudi Arabia is about shopping. They love to shop almost everyday, including shopping online and shopping at the mall. I think both of them treat shopping like a job."



"Men help women with housekeeping (making food) in America, but in Saudi Arabia women don't do this. When women turn 21 years old they don't need their parents permission in America, but in Saudi Arabia women need their parents permission until they get married."



"Saudi Arabia women can't work or talk with men but in the US they can. In Saudi Arabia women can't travel without her father or her husband."



"Its okay in US to socialize with girlfriend but in KSA it is forbidden. And the other thing is the drink habit, its permissable in the US but in KSA it is also forbidden."



"When the boy is 18 old he can go out without his parents permission. But in the Saudi Arabia the boy can't do that."



"American women are free to wear any clothes, but women here should wear hijabs (the face veil) and abayas. Women in America can drive cars, but in Saudi they can't."



"Women are smarter than men. How? In my opinion, in the KSA women have a job, and she can take care of her children, and her husband, and she can cook. All this in one day."



Those are just a few of the things. Some were funnier and perhaps a little more offensive (but still funny). The way people understand and perceive the world here is completely different from what we in the US are used to.



So, below are a few random pics of my most recent adventures. About a month ago a new Dairy Queen opened up on the most popular street here in Riyadh. I am extremely happy about this. Its one of the only places I can get peanut butter cups in Saudi from the peanut butter cup blizzard. It was especially nice because it was some of the fastest service I've gotten in this country. It also happens to be the largest Dairy Queen in the world. We learned this when we first went there and ran into one of the head DQ guys from Toronto. He told us all about it.

Here is Chris and I in front of the largest DQ in the world. It doesn't look as big from the front, but it is. It can hold over a hundred people (I think over 200) The top floor is for families (single men are not allowed to eat with families for fear that they will hit on the women).
This is Najd Village. A traditional Saudi restaurant. It is very cool and designed like old buildings from a century ago. The inside is also designed like old Saudi homes. We went here with some of our good friends here in Saudi.

My pics didn't turn out too good on the inside but here we are all sitting on the floor eating camel and lamb kappsa (kappsa is some kind of meat with rice).

Some more shots of the other people in our group.

This was kind of like our farewell dinner. They got Chris and I a card and signed it. Its nice to have friends! The food and the company was excellent. That is all for now.