Buffalo Springfield--Something Happening Here
There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There are lawyer strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when your always afraid
Step out of line the man come and take you away
You better stop
Hey what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Funny how things stay relevant over time. Context changes, feelings stay the same. The youth have taken to the streets all over the Middle East in the spirit of collective activism for what they hope will be meaningful change. The questions which remains to be seen is whether they get the change they're asking for. Think back to Nasser and the "first" Egyptian revolution. There was indeed a change from monarchy to president, but then not more than thirty years later, the ideals of a people's Egypt had gone to the wayside under the emergency rule of Hosni Mubarak.
Saleh of Yemen, Tunisia's Ben Ali came to power around the same time. Assad's father held power in communist Syria and Qaddafi staged his coup in Libya a decade before. The 60's and 70's was another era of power transition in the Middle East, with leaders acceding their respective "thrones" through strength of arms, and staying there through repression, oppression and depression of various varieties.
We see a similar wave of discontent happening now with the people finding strength in both their numbers and their desperation. It does sound slightly histrionic, but the Middle East is at a crisis point, where the status quo just isn't good enough. I'll call it the "lack of" syndrome. Lack of freedom, lack of domestic opportunities, lack of employment, lack of future, lack of choice, lack of food, lack of self-respect--someone said once when all you've got is nothing, there's a lot to go around. For a long time, there's been a growing amount of nothingness.
I theorize that this nothingness, when taken into conjuction with Arab's natural pride, has lead to a lot of the conflicts that we've seen over the last several decades--or rather maybe the last few thousand years. Throw in the factors of oil, some water, geo-strategic placement in global affairs, power hungry leaders, and a few perceived invasions and boomdeyada! You've got yourself a hotbed, nay, a quagmire of epic proportions.
With all the external disctractions, it's been easy for these leaders to deflect attention from internal problems, especially when throwing money (be it oil money or foreign money) at the problems seems to have kind of worked for a while. But now there are not enough jobs for the masses, but still oodles of money for the rich, and that's just not going down well with the peeps. Can you blame them?
So the cycle of discontent continues. Will there be long-lasting, meaningful change in the direction of legitimate democracy and reform? Or will we see the results of these revolutions being overthrown twenty or thirty years in the future? The people have passed the point of singing songs and carrying signs. Things are going downhill in a hurry. Can we avoid this? Qaddafhi, can you recover your wits long enough to recognize that you're destroying your country? Saleh, can you step down while preserving the stability (tenuous though it is) of your country? Bahrainis, shwaya shwaya. Prove to the world (especially your next door neighbors) that your revolution is legit, and not at the behest or provocation of Iran. Assad, learn from Mubarak and Qaddafhi. You decide which way you want to go forward.
It's an exciting time to be in the Middle East, that's for damn sure. Saudi is hanging in there. Rather than protests, there was a huge street party a couple weekends ago celebrating the king and the lack of protests. My girls are happy because they got their checks from the King this week for being students. But these times, they are a changing. What remains to be seen are the results. Yallah ya shabbab!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Whoa Now
Well well well well well. It's certainly been an exciting month and a half here in the Middle East. Saudi is surrounded on all sides by protests, and rumor has it there will be a Day of Rage here on the 11th of March. We'll see what comes of that. General sentiments here are that Qaddafi is a lunatic murderer who really really needs to go.
This stands in stark contrast to the all out We-Love-King-Abdullah bonanza that took place here last week around this time. The king returned from his recovery hiatus in Morocco to bestow a $35 billion gift upon his people in the form of debt relief, infrastructure, education funding etc. etc. But the Saudis want more. They want a monthly subsidy like the Kuwaitis get. They think that the petrodollars belong to everyone. Not being Saudi, I would settle for a first rate public transportation system...
But Riyadh got it's flag on, lining all the major roads with endless rows of flags. King Abdullah's face was plastered on every available flat surface. Companies would cover their entire building with a huge poster of the King, websites gave thanks for his safe return, and my classes were interrupted so the girls would have a chance to write a letter to their monarch. Saturday we had off thanks to the king's beneficence, and then Sunday there was a presentation to give thanks for his good health, and some little girls did a dance, and a little boy in a thobe and shmagh recited a poem. It actually seemed a little cultish, which was kind of awkward. They do love their leader here.
Which leads me to conclude that protests would be both minimal and quickly dispersed. They don't have a whole lot of tolerance for dissent here, and most people legit like the king. But as we've seen, the status quo has gone right through the window, and things may get surprising.
But, life continues generally as normal (except for a relative increase in news watching). Our second semester has started, and we're off to the races. This semester is much calmer than the last one, so things are going pretty well. Trying to see what we can swing for fun in the sun and make our own entertainment. Grapeleaves on Friday? I think yes!
This stands in stark contrast to the all out We-Love-King-Abdullah bonanza that took place here last week around this time. The king returned from his recovery hiatus in Morocco to bestow a $35 billion gift upon his people in the form of debt relief, infrastructure, education funding etc. etc. But the Saudis want more. They want a monthly subsidy like the Kuwaitis get. They think that the petrodollars belong to everyone. Not being Saudi, I would settle for a first rate public transportation system...
But Riyadh got it's flag on, lining all the major roads with endless rows of flags. King Abdullah's face was plastered on every available flat surface. Companies would cover their entire building with a huge poster of the King, websites gave thanks for his safe return, and my classes were interrupted so the girls would have a chance to write a letter to their monarch. Saturday we had off thanks to the king's beneficence, and then Sunday there was a presentation to give thanks for his good health, and some little girls did a dance, and a little boy in a thobe and shmagh recited a poem. It actually seemed a little cultish, which was kind of awkward. They do love their leader here.
Which leads me to conclude that protests would be both minimal and quickly dispersed. They don't have a whole lot of tolerance for dissent here, and most people legit like the king. But as we've seen, the status quo has gone right through the window, and things may get surprising.
But, life continues generally as normal (except for a relative increase in news watching). Our second semester has started, and we're off to the races. This semester is much calmer than the last one, so things are going pretty well. Trying to see what we can swing for fun in the sun and make our own entertainment. Grapeleaves on Friday? I think yes!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
It's A Whole New (Arab) World
I sit here in my room, jubilant about the recent developments in Egypt and watching songs of the current and previous Egyptian revolutions on the "hit music" TV station. The old songs are in black and white in the classical Arab style, heavy on the strings and drama. The new songs show footage of the last two and a half weeks of protest, and celebrate the courage and the will of the people. Tunisia went first, and now Egypt--the most populous and one of the most influential countries in the Middle East has a chance for a new start. We'll see what they make of it.
After Mubarak survived the "Day of Rage", I thought he just might be able to hold out until September. I thought that it would take a special set of circumstances for him to actually step down. In the meantime, I was worried about my friends in Egypt. How were they doing? Had they been caught up in the violence of the first week of protests? Were they affected by the looting that went on? The internet block was one of the most frustrating aspects of the events, because people didn't know if others were okay.
Freedom is an easy word to take for granted for those of us who were raised with the idea that it is an inherent human right. Only when you lose it do you realize how truly precious it is. The Arab world's got a taste of it now, and it surely is sweet. Saudi is surrounded on all sides by protests. Are you paying attention? It will take courage, and the same strength of will that the Egyptians and Tunisians have shown in their protests to lead these events to a successful conclusions: free and fair elections in both countries, and increased freedoms ALL around the Arab world.
I think that there is a certain incredulity all around the world that the Egyptians have actually pulled this off, though I still say no one does chaos and massive street gatherings like the Egyptians. You got your wish, Egyptians. So where do you go from here? For now, alhamdulilah my friends are okay and the future is bright, though uncertain. Don't blow it!
After Mubarak survived the "Day of Rage", I thought he just might be able to hold out until September. I thought that it would take a special set of circumstances for him to actually step down. In the meantime, I was worried about my friends in Egypt. How were they doing? Had they been caught up in the violence of the first week of protests? Were they affected by the looting that went on? The internet block was one of the most frustrating aspects of the events, because people didn't know if others were okay.
Freedom is an easy word to take for granted for those of us who were raised with the idea that it is an inherent human right. Only when you lose it do you realize how truly precious it is. The Arab world's got a taste of it now, and it surely is sweet. Saudi is surrounded on all sides by protests. Are you paying attention? It will take courage, and the same strength of will that the Egyptians and Tunisians have shown in their protests to lead these events to a successful conclusions: free and fair elections in both countries, and increased freedoms ALL around the Arab world.
I think that there is a certain incredulity all around the world that the Egyptians have actually pulled this off, though I still say no one does chaos and massive street gatherings like the Egyptians. You got your wish, Egyptians. So where do you go from here? For now, alhamdulilah my friends are okay and the future is bright, though uncertain. Don't blow it!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Control Issues
Let's just clear a few things up.
1) I am independent.
2) I am responsible.
3) I am strong.
4) I am a capable human being.
5) I am intelligent.
6) I am worthy of respect.
7) I am equal to anyone else in the world.
8) I do NOT like to be controlled, manipulated, looked down on, treated as a child, lied to or scammed. And I refuse to be treated thusly.
And therein lies our problem, Saudi. Cause you seem to think it's okay to do all of those things. And for what? What is the purpose? What do you gain besides control? Oh, that's what it is, isn't it? That's the point. You have control. Well, I really hate to break it to you, but when you bring in foreigners, we come with baggage, such as our own language, code of conduct and culture.
I wear the abaya and hijab. That's cool. I don't talk about certain things at school or with other Saudis that I meet. I try to be respectful of your culture and your laws. But for goodness sake, respect and cultural sensitivity is a two way street.
As people who have historically sought to achieve the "American Dream" through hard work and rugged individualism, we struggle with having every minute detail of our day to day life dictated by someone who neither knows nor cares about our wants and needs. We are not clay to be shaped by you, nor are we puppets to dance to your tune. Recognize that your expat community is not here for a joyride. We're here for a purpose, and that is to work and make money. So it's to your benefit to leave us alone to do our jobs, since you're clearly not ready to pick up the reins of dedicated work that needs to be done to keep your country running.
You all want to be managers, but who would you manage if the foreigners left? You want to be business people, but how would you sell anything if you had no one to complete the day to day operations for you? There's money to be made elsewhere in the world. We don't need to be here. Talk to us again when you've collectively decided as a society that it's not beneath you to work.
We chafe under the control. But what about your own populace? What happens when people get sick of the control? Then where would you be? Look to Ben Ali. Look to Egypt. Look around your neighborhood. Look to the dictators of South America. Control does not endear you to your people, and it's an unsustainable method of power. That's been tried and tested over and over and over in different cultures and countries. The more control you feel you need to exert, the more you are fearful of and the more you must in turn fear. And "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Ah, there's the rub. Excess control=fear. Fear=downfall. Therefore, excess control=downfall. Huh. Lighten up.
1) I am independent.
2) I am responsible.
3) I am strong.
4) I am a capable human being.
5) I am intelligent.
6) I am worthy of respect.
7) I am equal to anyone else in the world.
8) I do NOT like to be controlled, manipulated, looked down on, treated as a child, lied to or scammed. And I refuse to be treated thusly.
And therein lies our problem, Saudi. Cause you seem to think it's okay to do all of those things. And for what? What is the purpose? What do you gain besides control? Oh, that's what it is, isn't it? That's the point. You have control. Well, I really hate to break it to you, but when you bring in foreigners, we come with baggage, such as our own language, code of conduct and culture.
I wear the abaya and hijab. That's cool. I don't talk about certain things at school or with other Saudis that I meet. I try to be respectful of your culture and your laws. But for goodness sake, respect and cultural sensitivity is a two way street.
As people who have historically sought to achieve the "American Dream" through hard work and rugged individualism, we struggle with having every minute detail of our day to day life dictated by someone who neither knows nor cares about our wants and needs. We are not clay to be shaped by you, nor are we puppets to dance to your tune. Recognize that your expat community is not here for a joyride. We're here for a purpose, and that is to work and make money. So it's to your benefit to leave us alone to do our jobs, since you're clearly not ready to pick up the reins of dedicated work that needs to be done to keep your country running.
You all want to be managers, but who would you manage if the foreigners left? You want to be business people, but how would you sell anything if you had no one to complete the day to day operations for you? There's money to be made elsewhere in the world. We don't need to be here. Talk to us again when you've collectively decided as a society that it's not beneath you to work.
We chafe under the control. But what about your own populace? What happens when people get sick of the control? Then where would you be? Look to Ben Ali. Look to Egypt. Look around your neighborhood. Look to the dictators of South America. Control does not endear you to your people, and it's an unsustainable method of power. That's been tried and tested over and over and over in different cultures and countries. The more control you feel you need to exert, the more you are fearful of and the more you must in turn fear. And "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Ah, there's the rub. Excess control=fear. Fear=downfall. Therefore, excess control=downfall. Huh. Lighten up.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Attitude Adjustment Necessary
I have made an investment. It's a sign that says "Family Section" on it, so that wherever I go, I can create my own instant area that permits men and women to co-mingle in public. This is all theoretical, of course. I'm going to try it out tonight. I'm not sure if there's a limit to the power radius of my sign, but it's worth a shot. And here's why.
Saudi is a completely segregated society. And I do mean completely. There's a section in the food court of every mall for the "singles"--read men--and for the "families". There's a different entrance into banks for women, and travel agencies have a specific time when they are open to women. Fast food restaurants have two different lines, divided by a wall, for the men and women. Reception areas are divided and closed off, and when we transfer money, it's like a parting of the manly Red Sea when we walk in the door. You'd almost think we had a plague of the worst sort of girl cooties imaginable.
And here's the thing. It's economically damaging to the country. When the women--who have a LOT of time (and money) on their hands--are hindered from spending money, it restricts the spending of a lot of expendable income. When a woman isn't permitted to move freely either, it is personally AND economically hindering. And it just don't make no sense. As quoted from the Arab News:
"For example, businesswomen registering public businesses (businesses that serve both men and women) have been required to appoint a male manager. The lack of relevant business licenses for many popular business activities, such as day-care centers and beauty salons, further complicates the registration process for Saudi businesswomen. In addition, restrictions on women’s mobility due to the absence of public transportation and the ban on driving, as well as restrictions on international travel, may cause delays, extra costs and/or limited options for training abroad.
Recruiting international women specialists to provide training courses within the Kingdom also poses a challenge to business management, due to restrictions on obtaining business visas for foreign women."
I had a few segregation-tastic setbacks today. The first came when we discovered a bowling alley. We (myself and another woman) were SO happy!! Bowling! How fun/normal! How exciting to find something new to do here that doesn't involve a mall!! So we went in to inquire about prices etc. etc. We decided that we had time for a quick game, and were ready to play. We were taking out our wallets when the little worker told us to wait a minute while he called his manager to make sure it was okay. Turns out it wasn't okay for two women to go bowling for a half-hour in an otherwise completely deserted establishment. It's only okay if we come in between 10am-3pm, and we have to call a day ahead. Huh. So they lost 26 riyals.
Then we went to console ourselves, and were debating between Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins. We peeked into the donut store and saw a ton of men, and nary a single woman. So we figured we weren't allowed in there, and went to the now-abandoned ice cream store. There was a sum total of one table, and Chris quickly claimed it for us, as we were determined to sit there until booted out. Turns out the Indian man working there was super nice, and let us stay. We were rather put out by the runaround at this point, but the story's not finished.
We hailed a cab to go back home, and all three of us piled into the cab: two in the back, one in the front. The cab driver refused to go until all three of us were in the back seat, because if the Mutawa (religious police) caught us, the taxi driver would be in big trouble for having a woman who is not is wife in the front seat. So we all smooshed together in the back and just shook our head.
This whole adventure was inspired by another friend who wanted to go to the dentist. It involved 6 people to get her to the dentist: the driver, the person who had to give the driver permission to take us, two people who had to give the driver directions, two of us for moral support/propriety and the patient. And such is daily life. Just like our route to the dentist, we just seem to go round and round and round in circles to get any small thing accomplished. What would usually be a one person deal to make and go to an appointment suddenly required a whole contingent of people. And that's ludicrous. In addition, it's wasteful.
The women are smothering, especially in the younger generation. They need to be able to go out for what they need. They need to be able to enter public places of business in order to, you know, conduct business. They need to be able to get into a car when they need to and go where they need without the interference and intervention of a horde of other people. There's nothing improper about getting your teeth checked, or going to a medical appointment, or going to the grocery store, or meeting a friend for coffee. By placing so many restrictions on daily life, every small thing becomes an event, and therefore gets blown completely out of proportion. And that loss of perspective, I believe, leads to some of the dangerous attitudes we see not just here but all over the world.
Let's take a mental step back and remove ourselves from the perceived need for control over every minuscule facet of daily life. Women are very capable when they are given the opportunity for responsibility. Look at how they have found ways to flourish despite the restrictions placed on them! Let them go, Saudi, and watch them thrive! I think you would be surprised by the benefits--monetary, social, developmental--that you would reap. You'd finally allow your women to grow up and reach maturity, which is something they are sorely lacking in now. Lighten up, and watch your country bloom, just like the desert after a storm.
Saudi is a completely segregated society. And I do mean completely. There's a section in the food court of every mall for the "singles"--read men--and for the "families". There's a different entrance into banks for women, and travel agencies have a specific time when they are open to women. Fast food restaurants have two different lines, divided by a wall, for the men and women. Reception areas are divided and closed off, and when we transfer money, it's like a parting of the manly Red Sea when we walk in the door. You'd almost think we had a plague of the worst sort of girl cooties imaginable.
And here's the thing. It's economically damaging to the country. When the women--who have a LOT of time (and money) on their hands--are hindered from spending money, it restricts the spending of a lot of expendable income. When a woman isn't permitted to move freely either, it is personally AND economically hindering. And it just don't make no sense. As quoted from the Arab News:
"For example, businesswomen registering public businesses (businesses that serve both men and women) have been required to appoint a male manager. The lack of relevant business licenses for many popular business activities, such as day-care centers and beauty salons, further complicates the registration process for Saudi businesswomen. In addition, restrictions on women’s mobility due to the absence of public transportation and the ban on driving, as well as restrictions on international travel, may cause delays, extra costs and/or limited options for training abroad.
Recruiting international women specialists to provide training courses within the Kingdom also poses a challenge to business management, due to restrictions on obtaining business visas for foreign women."
I had a few segregation-tastic setbacks today. The first came when we discovered a bowling alley. We (myself and another woman) were SO happy!! Bowling! How fun/normal! How exciting to find something new to do here that doesn't involve a mall!! So we went in to inquire about prices etc. etc. We decided that we had time for a quick game, and were ready to play. We were taking out our wallets when the little worker told us to wait a minute while he called his manager to make sure it was okay. Turns out it wasn't okay for two women to go bowling for a half-hour in an otherwise completely deserted establishment. It's only okay if we come in between 10am-3pm, and we have to call a day ahead. Huh. So they lost 26 riyals.
Then we went to console ourselves, and were debating between Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins. We peeked into the donut store and saw a ton of men, and nary a single woman. So we figured we weren't allowed in there, and went to the now-abandoned ice cream store. There was a sum total of one table, and Chris quickly claimed it for us, as we were determined to sit there until booted out. Turns out the Indian man working there was super nice, and let us stay. We were rather put out by the runaround at this point, but the story's not finished.
We hailed a cab to go back home, and all three of us piled into the cab: two in the back, one in the front. The cab driver refused to go until all three of us were in the back seat, because if the Mutawa (religious police) caught us, the taxi driver would be in big trouble for having a woman who is not is wife in the front seat. So we all smooshed together in the back and just shook our head.
This whole adventure was inspired by another friend who wanted to go to the dentist. It involved 6 people to get her to the dentist: the driver, the person who had to give the driver permission to take us, two people who had to give the driver directions, two of us for moral support/propriety and the patient. And such is daily life. Just like our route to the dentist, we just seem to go round and round and round in circles to get any small thing accomplished. What would usually be a one person deal to make and go to an appointment suddenly required a whole contingent of people. And that's ludicrous. In addition, it's wasteful.
The women are smothering, especially in the younger generation. They need to be able to go out for what they need. They need to be able to enter public places of business in order to, you know, conduct business. They need to be able to get into a car when they need to and go where they need without the interference and intervention of a horde of other people. There's nothing improper about getting your teeth checked, or going to a medical appointment, or going to the grocery store, or meeting a friend for coffee. By placing so many restrictions on daily life, every small thing becomes an event, and therefore gets blown completely out of proportion. And that loss of perspective, I believe, leads to some of the dangerous attitudes we see not just here but all over the world.
Let's take a mental step back and remove ourselves from the perceived need for control over every minuscule facet of daily life. Women are very capable when they are given the opportunity for responsibility. Look at how they have found ways to flourish despite the restrictions placed on them! Let them go, Saudi, and watch them thrive! I think you would be surprised by the benefits--monetary, social, developmental--that you would reap. You'd finally allow your women to grow up and reach maturity, which is something they are sorely lacking in now. Lighten up, and watch your country bloom, just like the desert after a storm.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
First Times
Today was a very interesting day. After getting one friend out of the country after an epic, protracted and thoroughly unnecessary war with our company, another friend and I were able to visit and enjoy the hospitality of a Saudi home. What an experience! Here's the story. Last week, we all went to one of the biggest malls in Riyadh. As we were wandering around, a couple of women came up to us and said they wanted to "communicate" with us. I, being the naturally suspicious person that I am, was at first very hesitant to accept any invitations or get tied up with anyone. Then, I decided that it would likely be one of my few opportunities to get to know Saudi women.
Turns out that one of the women is a journalist, and her daughter is a college student. They both want to improve their English, and followed up with me earlier this week to meet up today as a "get to know you" type thing. The mother met us at the mall this evening, and then invited us to her home. I was more reticent, but since I had a buddy with me decided to go for it. We braved the Thursday night traffic and driving by the son-without-a-driver's-license, and got to their villa. It was kind of what we'd seen before when we were house-hunting, with several sitting rooms, a large kitchen and maybe 4-5 bedrooms. The whole house was painted a vivid yellow, and the furnishings were plush. The hospitality these women showed was lavish. First there was juice and water. Then cake and tea. Then Arabic coffee and dates. Then a large plate of fruit each. They also gave us a package of dates each and sent a driver for us to take us home.
Our discussion ranged from the beauty of English to the difficulty of Arabic to what everybody studies/d in school to how women in Riyadh are not particularly open to new ideas and don't try to improve themselves and don't look to the future.They loved hearing about all of our "firsts", and were so pleased that they were the first Saudi home we'd been to, and wanted to serve us our first real kabsa. They also told us that we were the first foreigners they'd known, which was I suppose flattering for us.
We were rather surprised and pleased that we seemed to have gotten ourselves involved with a more liberal family. The mother explained that because her English wasn't very good, all the important assignments for the newspaper went to men. Both mother and daughter want a driver's license, and feel that English is the gateway to the world. Inside, I was cheering them on, thinking that they will be the catalyst for change in Saudi Arabia. But they're from Medina, which I think has some very different attitudes from Riyadh, which is much more conservative. I think it will take an attitude adjustment here in the capital for change to happen. But we'll see.
I think the general consensus is that change is happening in Saudi, slowly but surely. Letting Blackberries in, and having women actually live in dormitories on some college campuses are only the tip of the iceberg. Letting women in the workplace is also a step in the right direction. But I think that change will come at the behest of the women, and it's hard to get people who have lived so long without something to imagine themselves having it. Some of the women here have lived without freedom, so they don't know what it is. As such, they are happy with what they have, and being humans are resistant to change. Others have traveled outside the country, and see things they wish were different. Of course not everyone feels the same way--some will have traveled around and seen what's wrong with the world, and not want that brought to Saudi. But the thing is, it IS here in Saudi.
The strict and forced adherence to Islam covers a layer of society that is rotten. It covers the covert parties, drugs, drinking, rape, slavery, incest, murder, racism, greed, domestic violence and xenophobia. Image, money and influence are so important in this country that all of the bad is hidden away so that the world will see only the perfectly Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But God knows the truth, and He'll see through the lie. None of the above are Islamic, Saudi, and you know that but are too afraid of losing face to admit it. Get a grip, understand your own religion and start solving your problems. Don't just ignore them.
The hope for Saudi lies in its women, but not all of them have recognized that yet. Tradition and progress are not mutually exclusive. Neither are religion and equality. Knowledge is power, and the women are rapidly outstripping the men despite huge obstacles. It's only a matter of time, I think, before Saudi will be visibly different, and what you'll see is a public presence of women in charge. That'll be a wonderful first!
Turns out that one of the women is a journalist, and her daughter is a college student. They both want to improve their English, and followed up with me earlier this week to meet up today as a "get to know you" type thing. The mother met us at the mall this evening, and then invited us to her home. I was more reticent, but since I had a buddy with me decided to go for it. We braved the Thursday night traffic and driving by the son-without-a-driver's-license, and got to their villa. It was kind of what we'd seen before when we were house-hunting, with several sitting rooms, a large kitchen and maybe 4-5 bedrooms. The whole house was painted a vivid yellow, and the furnishings were plush. The hospitality these women showed was lavish. First there was juice and water. Then cake and tea. Then Arabic coffee and dates. Then a large plate of fruit each. They also gave us a package of dates each and sent a driver for us to take us home.
Our discussion ranged from the beauty of English to the difficulty of Arabic to what everybody studies/d in school to how women in Riyadh are not particularly open to new ideas and don't try to improve themselves and don't look to the future.They loved hearing about all of our "firsts", and were so pleased that they were the first Saudi home we'd been to, and wanted to serve us our first real kabsa. They also told us that we were the first foreigners they'd known, which was I suppose flattering for us.
We were rather surprised and pleased that we seemed to have gotten ourselves involved with a more liberal family. The mother explained that because her English wasn't very good, all the important assignments for the newspaper went to men. Both mother and daughter want a driver's license, and feel that English is the gateway to the world. Inside, I was cheering them on, thinking that they will be the catalyst for change in Saudi Arabia. But they're from Medina, which I think has some very different attitudes from Riyadh, which is much more conservative. I think it will take an attitude adjustment here in the capital for change to happen. But we'll see.
I think the general consensus is that change is happening in Saudi, slowly but surely. Letting Blackberries in, and having women actually live in dormitories on some college campuses are only the tip of the iceberg. Letting women in the workplace is also a step in the right direction. But I think that change will come at the behest of the women, and it's hard to get people who have lived so long without something to imagine themselves having it. Some of the women here have lived without freedom, so they don't know what it is. As such, they are happy with what they have, and being humans are resistant to change. Others have traveled outside the country, and see things they wish were different. Of course not everyone feels the same way--some will have traveled around and seen what's wrong with the world, and not want that brought to Saudi. But the thing is, it IS here in Saudi.
The strict and forced adherence to Islam covers a layer of society that is rotten. It covers the covert parties, drugs, drinking, rape, slavery, incest, murder, racism, greed, domestic violence and xenophobia. Image, money and influence are so important in this country that all of the bad is hidden away so that the world will see only the perfectly Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia. But God knows the truth, and He'll see through the lie. None of the above are Islamic, Saudi, and you know that but are too afraid of losing face to admit it. Get a grip, understand your own religion and start solving your problems. Don't just ignore them.
The hope for Saudi lies in its women, but not all of them have recognized that yet. Tradition and progress are not mutually exclusive. Neither are religion and equality. Knowledge is power, and the women are rapidly outstripping the men despite huge obstacles. It's only a matter of time, I think, before Saudi will be visibly different, and what you'll see is a public presence of women in charge. That'll be a wonderful first!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Um, Merry Christmas?
So here we are, two days after Christmas, and it's hard to remember a)that it is and has been the Christmas season and b)that in other parts of the world it's winter time, and, you know, cold. The weather here is lovely, which is one of the only positives I can come up with at the moment.
We are losing staff left and right at school, which is hard, so we're all taking more and more classes. People are also sick a lot, so we're covering extra classes for them as well. The disaster continues, and we're not looking forward to the end result of everything. Finals are coming up though and then we have a vacation, which is also very exciting. I think that I'm going to end up staying in-country again, and will try to do more traveling around Saudi.
I've had some very interesting discussions with my girls these last few days that have ranged from whether school uniforms should be required to whether it's better to be single or married. We had a raging debate today about which came first, the chicken or the egg. It was quite funny, actually. I wish that they were as passionate about grammar as they were about their discussion. We've also had some interesting talks about Islam, and their attitudes towards Shi'as (negative) as well as the ins and outs of the marriage process in Saudi (complicated). Every day's an education on both sides, that's for sure.
Christmas has been interesting, with attitudes ranging from open to very very closed. Some seem to completely refuse to acknowledge it or take part in any sort of celebration because, "If we celebrate, it means we believe, and we don't believe." That's a whole debate in and of itself. Others of my students and fellow teachers were saying Merry Christmas and were very conscientious of the holidays. Huh. Shwaya-shwaya, I guess. Anyways, Happy Holidays to my people everywhere!
We are losing staff left and right at school, which is hard, so we're all taking more and more classes. People are also sick a lot, so we're covering extra classes for them as well. The disaster continues, and we're not looking forward to the end result of everything. Finals are coming up though and then we have a vacation, which is also very exciting. I think that I'm going to end up staying in-country again, and will try to do more traveling around Saudi.
I've had some very interesting discussions with my girls these last few days that have ranged from whether school uniforms should be required to whether it's better to be single or married. We had a raging debate today about which came first, the chicken or the egg. It was quite funny, actually. I wish that they were as passionate about grammar as they were about their discussion. We've also had some interesting talks about Islam, and their attitudes towards Shi'as (negative) as well as the ins and outs of the marriage process in Saudi (complicated). Every day's an education on both sides, that's for sure.
Christmas has been interesting, with attitudes ranging from open to very very closed. Some seem to completely refuse to acknowledge it or take part in any sort of celebration because, "If we celebrate, it means we believe, and we don't believe." That's a whole debate in and of itself. Others of my students and fellow teachers were saying Merry Christmas and were very conscientious of the holidays. Huh. Shwaya-shwaya, I guess. Anyways, Happy Holidays to my people everywhere!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Do they know it's Christmas?
Please notice that Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is not on this list.
http://us.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/10/top.christmas.places/index.html?hpt=Sbin
http://us.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/10/top.christmas.places/index.html?hpt=Sbin
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
TGIW
What a week! It's been midterm time, and wowee zowee what a mess. We got the wrong exam for my level, so there were lots of frantic phone calls and grading and giving another exam and more grading. Needless to say, my girls did significantly better taking a test on material they had seen before than on stuff that was completely new to them! I was so worried yesterday when I gave them the new exam that they would do even worse than on the first one! But they came through just fine, and I was never so proud! It's funny, because I have a new co-teacher, so she's usually taught in the pm, while I have the am. Now we do half and half to cut down on our planning, but we still refer to each group as "my girls" and "your girls". So as I was cross grading the exams, I was looking to see how my girls compared to hers. She won for the top grade, but I think overall mine did better, so I'm quite pleased!! :)
Anyways, all of this combined with some outside stressors made for quite a week. I've never been so happy to see the weekend as I am here. I can't believe we were on vacation just a couple weeks ago! I need another one!
Last weekend we enjoyed the hospitality of a friend and went to a Christmas party. It was like a little slice of home, which was really cool. And I got to play a piano!!! :) We also went traipsing through the desert again, and enjoyed some Christmas carols and meeting new and special people. It's always an adventure! Oh oh oh, I saw my first scorpion! I hope to God it'll be my last one too. It was kind of see through and green and alien-looking. Yikes! To go for the hike, we gather in one area of the city, and then people with cars who are heading out for the hike pick people up who need rides. My last driver was about an 80 year old German who loved to chat. He was super interesting though, having built many of the desalinization plants here inside the Kingdom.
This weekend should be fun, though I must confess, I am planning on sleeping in tomorrow!! Oh boy, I can't wait! As I was turning off my alarm at 6am this morning, I just lay there and thought about how much I dislike getting up that early. The sun wasn't even up! Lame. Then I thought, oh boy...another 8 months of this. Then I thought about how much I admire people in the public school system who get up that early and then teach ALL DAY. Wow. I don't think I could do it.
The pictures are from when I was in Al-Khobar, on the east coast of the peninsula. Yup, I've touched all sides of the Arabian peninsula. Check that one off the bucket list. :) Bahrain is in the haze behind me. It's as close to the outside world as I'm going to get for a while!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Vacation Time!
Well, I have been vacationing with a vengence! We started break on Thursday, and found out soon after that King Abdullah extended the break to the 27th! This is most pleasing, though it throws our academic schedule off quite a bit. But I'm determined to not worry about it, and to just enjoy the extra 5 days of vacation.
Yesterday we got back from a camp in the desert. It was super SUPER cool. We got out of Riyadh to this nature preserve type area, complete with big red dunes. We got to dune board and see a falconing demonstration. That was really cool. There was also a huge feast and lots of delicious things to drink, including warm milk with ginger and sugar. It sounds weird, but it was incredibly delicious. We were with some of the Saudi guys from the company, other teachers and our hosts. We were allowed to play around in our regular clothes, because the abaya would've been impractical, and it was cool enough that we were fully covered anyways. But I think I scandalized some of the Saudis by instigating a soccer game, as well as being the first one who wanted to try everything new. Oh well. I enjoyed myself immensely.
I took a gazillion pictures, because the desert is just so ridiculously photogenic. See fb for full visuals.
We still haven't pulled together the rest of our trip, cause it's hard to get the group to make a collective decision. Now that we have a few extra days, we'll try to get moving next week. Today is Eid, so we'll probably lay low, and then we have another trip around Riyadh in a couple days, which will be cool.
I'm enjoying lazing around and watching movies and catching up on sleep. We're going to be changing books after the break, so it's hard to do any advanced planning since I only have one of the four books necessary. It also seems like there will be lots of staff changes, as we're losing people left and right. Let me just say the pregnancy is an epidemic around here...Anyways, I'm determined to enjoy doing nothing for a while, before heading back to work in a week and a half. :)
Yesterday we got back from a camp in the desert. It was super SUPER cool. We got out of Riyadh to this nature preserve type area, complete with big red dunes. We got to dune board and see a falconing demonstration. That was really cool. There was also a huge feast and lots of delicious things to drink, including warm milk with ginger and sugar. It sounds weird, but it was incredibly delicious. We were with some of the Saudi guys from the company, other teachers and our hosts. We were allowed to play around in our regular clothes, because the abaya would've been impractical, and it was cool enough that we were fully covered anyways. But I think I scandalized some of the Saudis by instigating a soccer game, as well as being the first one who wanted to try everything new. Oh well. I enjoyed myself immensely.
I took a gazillion pictures, because the desert is just so ridiculously photogenic. See fb for full visuals.
We still haven't pulled together the rest of our trip, cause it's hard to get the group to make a collective decision. Now that we have a few extra days, we'll try to get moving next week. Today is Eid, so we'll probably lay low, and then we have another trip around Riyadh in a couple days, which will be cool.
I'm enjoying lazing around and watching movies and catching up on sleep. We're going to be changing books after the break, so it's hard to do any advanced planning since I only have one of the four books necessary. It also seems like there will be lots of staff changes, as we're losing people left and right. Let me just say the pregnancy is an epidemic around here...Anyways, I'm determined to enjoy doing nothing for a while, before heading back to work in a week and a half. :)
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Eid al-Halaweaat
Well well well well well. Since the last blog post, things have improved somewhat on the administrative end. Not hugely, but enough to take the edge of things, at least for today. Getting paid--especially on time--does wonders for one's motivation.
My girls threw my co-teacher and I a party that was celebrating finishing a quiz, and the first day of November etc. etc. The fact that it fell the day after Halloween was entirely coincidental. We called it Eid al-Halaweaat, which means the holiday of sweets. They went crazy with cake and cupcakes and candies and doughnuts. They really are a ton of fun. We ate and studied, but it was really funny because the unit we were starting was titled Socializing. So when I said, alright ladies, we really have to get to work, they said,"But Teacher, we're practicing! We're socializing!!" It's hard to argue with such logic. :)
This past weekend was a lot of fun, because I got to go poke around the old city some more, and I saw the gold market. That was incredible! I've never seen so much gold in one place in all my life. I also got to see the camel market which was super cool. It was just camels of every color as far as the eye could see. It's right on the edge of Riyadh, but the city just stops so you feel like you're pretty well out in the desert.
Anyway, things are going better. There's still quite a bit of room for improvement, but we're making our way. I have to get serious about planning for my vacation time! I love vacations! :)
My girls threw my co-teacher and I a party that was celebrating finishing a quiz, and the first day of November etc. etc. The fact that it fell the day after Halloween was entirely coincidental. We called it Eid al-Halaweaat, which means the holiday of sweets. They went crazy with cake and cupcakes and candies and doughnuts. They really are a ton of fun. We ate and studied, but it was really funny because the unit we were starting was titled Socializing. So when I said, alright ladies, we really have to get to work, they said,"But Teacher, we're practicing! We're socializing!!" It's hard to argue with such logic. :)
This past weekend was a lot of fun, because I got to go poke around the old city some more, and I saw the gold market. That was incredible! I've never seen so much gold in one place in all my life. I also got to see the camel market which was super cool. It was just camels of every color as far as the eye could see. It's right on the edge of Riyadh, but the city just stops so you feel like you're pretty well out in the desert.
Anyway, things are going better. There's still quite a bit of room for improvement, but we're making our way. I have to get serious about planning for my vacation time! I love vacations! :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Saudi-Not for the faint of heart
So I've now been here for just over a month. A what a month it's been. I've made some fun friends and work with some very cool people. I've had some fun tromping around Riyadh, and some not so much fun being told I'm not allowed to eat in a restaurant because it's men only.
But all of this has been overshadowed by the huge frustration that is my working environment. The administrative aspect of my job is an unqualified disaster, and makes the day to day job a struggle. I come home most days absolutely gobsmacked by the inefficiency, lack of communication and apparent disregard for the well being of the students. This makes getting anything done challenging; I am still teaching without any basic resources other than a whiteboard and marker. My girls STILL don't have textbooks, because they have been changed now for the eighth time or so. I now am theoretically supposed to teach them two textbooks worth of material in the next two weeks. Now, I don't care if you're Superman--you cannot teach or absorb that much language in two weeks. Oh, and I don't have the textbooks either to start even trying to formulate a plan. And so I plan to do my own thing and hope for the best. If they can't be bothered to give me resources, then I can't be bothered to kill myself planning to stick to a syllabus that doesn't exist.
The girls themselves are really fun, and they make the administrative struggle worth it. For the most part they do really want to learn, though I have a few girls who couldn't care less. Homework seems like it's kind of a foreign concept, and they don't see any problem with copying each other, which is something we have to work on. They also have zero critical thinking skills, which we are now trying to develop. We started talking about argumentative essays this last week, and by then end of the week, my girls asked me, "Teacher, you really like to argue, don't you?" I think it's just not done here. But if I'm supposed to be preparing them to operate in the global community, then by golly they need to learn how to make a logical argument!
I usually end my advanced class with 10 minutes or so of free discussion. I try ask them questions about Saudi Arabia, and they love to educate Teacher about how things are done here. I've learned all sorts of really cool things, about camping in the desert, camel farms, Jenadryah festival (the big cultural celebration in late winter), and engagement customs. It's great, because they are so proud of being Saudi, and it really gets them all talking. They all want to teach Teacher!
But all of this has been overshadowed by the huge frustration that is my working environment. The administrative aspect of my job is an unqualified disaster, and makes the day to day job a struggle. I come home most days absolutely gobsmacked by the inefficiency, lack of communication and apparent disregard for the well being of the students. This makes getting anything done challenging; I am still teaching without any basic resources other than a whiteboard and marker. My girls STILL don't have textbooks, because they have been changed now for the eighth time or so. I now am theoretically supposed to teach them two textbooks worth of material in the next two weeks. Now, I don't care if you're Superman--you cannot teach or absorb that much language in two weeks. Oh, and I don't have the textbooks either to start even trying to formulate a plan. And so I plan to do my own thing and hope for the best. If they can't be bothered to give me resources, then I can't be bothered to kill myself planning to stick to a syllabus that doesn't exist.
The girls themselves are really fun, and they make the administrative struggle worth it. For the most part they do really want to learn, though I have a few girls who couldn't care less. Homework seems like it's kind of a foreign concept, and they don't see any problem with copying each other, which is something we have to work on. They also have zero critical thinking skills, which we are now trying to develop. We started talking about argumentative essays this last week, and by then end of the week, my girls asked me, "Teacher, you really like to argue, don't you?" I think it's just not done here. But if I'm supposed to be preparing them to operate in the global community, then by golly they need to learn how to make a logical argument!
I usually end my advanced class with 10 minutes or so of free discussion. I try ask them questions about Saudi Arabia, and they love to educate Teacher about how things are done here. I've learned all sorts of really cool things, about camping in the desert, camel farms, Jenadryah festival (the big cultural celebration in late winter), and engagement customs. It's great, because they are so proud of being Saudi, and it really gets them all talking. They all want to teach Teacher!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Blackberry Nation
Well, I guess I'm now a real teacher! I started in the classroom last Saturday, and have taught taught taught! Well, maybe not that much. Usually only about 45 minutes a day, because everything is in massive states of confusion. Right now, I'm teaching without books, without a schedule, and with a super mixed-level class. That's made for rather interesting going, but so far no disasters (please, God, let there not be any disasters!!).
The girls are really sweet, and overall like to participate. They call me "Teacher" which freaks me out a little bit, but I'm getting used to it. Yesterday, as soon as I walked into the room, they said "Please teacher, no grammar today. Our brains are tired!" So they only got a little bit of grammar, and a lot of homonyms. With the other class I taught, we just did icebreakers (because it was my first day with them). There were lots of Yemenis, which was surprising. I asked them about Saudi, and they ALL wanted to talk, which was wonderful! It was great speaking practice for them!
They have lots of practice talking, because these girls are GLUED to their Blackberries. They have them on lanyards and wear them as necklaces. This, I think, will be one of my biggest struggles as a teacher. The fight against the texting in class! In other news, I got my skirt/dress to wear to school, after being told I couldn't wear pants. I actually really like the dress, even though it's hot pink and has blue pomegranates on it. :)
Today I took a field trip to downtown Riyadh. We went into the Faysaliyya and Mamluka towers, and got to look out over the whole city. It was pretty cool, cause you can see quite far. Then we walked around a little bit. I went into a record 3 malls today. That's a lot of mall time.
The other big excitement is that a) we got new couches today, and they're really uncomfortable (yes, this counts as excitement) and b) I met other teachers!!! We'd felt a little sequestered in the hotel, but now we've made contact! Hooray! Tomorrow will be filled with lesson planing, and hopefully another field trip. We have a vacation (!) in just about a month and a half, so I have to start plotting where I want to go. The adventures never cease for Jenny of Arabia.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Chill Time
So, here I am in my hotel room, doing my chill thing. There have been some crossed wires and logistical glitches which have culminated in me not having to work today. Or yesterday. Nice! Well, actually, I feel like there will be lots and lots of non-teaching time, though I'm going to be in my "office" setting from 7am to 6pm. That's rough. So I'm going to enjoy my lounge time here.
Hmmm, well, I got to see some of Riyadh yesterday as I was going to the University and back. As aforementioned it is not a tall city, the traffic is atrocious and everything is very brown. Cairo was brown, but in a different way. It was kinda fake desert, cause the Nile ran through it. This is real desert. We have a mall right across the street, which is nice cause there's a big Wal-Mart type store (called Carrefour) in it, so we can get groceries and other stuff. My roommate and I snuck in just before the final prayer time of the day, but didn't quite make it out before they closed the store for prayers. So we wandered around for a while and of course ended up buying more than we had originally intended. One of my first purchases was lotion, because it is SO dry, I could just wither up like a little plant without water (which, speaking of water, is not drinkable). So far my exercise option seems like doing laps in the mall, though I'm definitely planning on asking about a gym.
I'm glad I got my abaya in Bosnia, cause its definitely a necessary clothing item. I've gotten some funny looks because mine is a little short, so I might have to get one that's a little longer. I think I'm going to have to invest in some long skirts, because it seems that pants are frowned on in the teaching setting, but I'll have to see.
The facilities at the university yesterday were very modern and up to date. The girls all seemed so young though! I felt like I'd walked into a high school instead of a university. It doesn't help that I'm a giant among women here. Most of the women I've passed here come to about my shoulder, or maybe my chin if they're tall. Ooof. So maybe I'll teach tomorrow, and maybe not until Saturday. We'll see how this all pans out. :)
Hmmm, well, I got to see some of Riyadh yesterday as I was going to the University and back. As aforementioned it is not a tall city, the traffic is atrocious and everything is very brown. Cairo was brown, but in a different way. It was kinda fake desert, cause the Nile ran through it. This is real desert. We have a mall right across the street, which is nice cause there's a big Wal-Mart type store (called Carrefour) in it, so we can get groceries and other stuff. My roommate and I snuck in just before the final prayer time of the day, but didn't quite make it out before they closed the store for prayers. So we wandered around for a while and of course ended up buying more than we had originally intended. One of my first purchases was lotion, because it is SO dry, I could just wither up like a little plant without water (which, speaking of water, is not drinkable). So far my exercise option seems like doing laps in the mall, though I'm definitely planning on asking about a gym.
I'm glad I got my abaya in Bosnia, cause its definitely a necessary clothing item. I've gotten some funny looks because mine is a little short, so I might have to get one that's a little longer. I think I'm going to have to invest in some long skirts, because it seems that pants are frowned on in the teaching setting, but I'll have to see.
The facilities at the university yesterday were very modern and up to date. The girls all seemed so young though! I felt like I'd walked into a high school instead of a university. It doesn't help that I'm a giant among women here. Most of the women I've passed here come to about my shoulder, or maybe my chin if they're tall. Ooof. So maybe I'll teach tomorrow, and maybe not until Saturday. We'll see how this all pans out. :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sun and Sand, Part I
And I have arrived! We got into Saudi very early this morning (why do I not enter Gulf states during the day?!), and are now ensconced in the hotel. Flying in, the city just kind of appeared out of the desert as a grid of blue and purple halogen lights. It's quite flat, and rather dusty as one might expect.
This morning was filled with an unexpectedly early wake-up knock on the door and trip to the company office to fill out some paperwork, and then lunch at the mall which is right next door to the hotel which I will be calling home for a while.
As far as first impressions go, there seems to be lots of construction and development going on here, especially in terms of high rises. The city seems to be pretty low to the ground, which I think is a concession to the heat. There is, of course, not much green, but the palm trees help to break up the desert-scape.
I'm going off to teach tomorrow, so we'll see how the first day of "classes" go. :S I think I'm going to go study grammar now...
This morning was filled with an unexpectedly early wake-up knock on the door and trip to the company office to fill out some paperwork, and then lunch at the mall which is right next door to the hotel which I will be calling home for a while.
As far as first impressions go, there seems to be lots of construction and development going on here, especially in terms of high rises. The city seems to be pretty low to the ground, which I think is a concession to the heat. There is, of course, not much green, but the palm trees help to break up the desert-scape.
I'm going off to teach tomorrow, so we'll see how the first day of "classes" go. :S I think I'm going to go study grammar now...
Saturday, September 25, 2010
T-1
So near, and yet so far. I'm off to Saudi tomorrow, but first I have to mail this stupid box. The post office informed me today that they only mail boxes that weight under 2kg, and that mine was over so I should go to Maoiruisoiursou (sp?!) office on Monday. Well, that might be a problem, I said, as I'm leaving the country tomorrow. Lame. So now in addition to the rest of my crap, I get to haul a box to the airport as well. No, no I'm not bitter or anything. It didn't help that it was pouring down rain the whole time...
Okay, rant done. I'm consoling myself with some exceptionally delicious baked chips. Lays, you should export this flavor to the States.
I've been in Greece now for two weeks. That's longer than I've stayed anywhere in a long time. And I'm getting antsy. I know that as soon as I start to work I'm going to look back and think, those were the days, but now...I need a purpose. I feel like I should've been doing something with all of this free time.
Well, I'm going to do some strategic repacking now to allow for a stress-free morning tomorrow!
Okay, rant done. I'm consoling myself with some exceptionally delicious baked chips. Lays, you should export this flavor to the States.
I've been in Greece now for two weeks. That's longer than I've stayed anywhere in a long time. And I'm getting antsy. I know that as soon as I start to work I'm going to look back and think, those were the days, but now...I need a purpose. I feel like I should've been doing something with all of this free time.
Well, I'm going to do some strategic repacking now to allow for a stress-free morning tomorrow!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Pending
Oh woe is me. I'm still in Greece. Sigh. Yes, the visa process to go to Saudi has taken rather longer than anticipated. But I now have my visa, and am just waiting for plane tickets, then off I go! The semester officially begins on Saturday (remember, ME Saturday and Sunday is Thursday and Friday), so we all will be cutting it rather close. In the meantime, I must content myself with more ruins and baklava.
So I guess I left off on our train trip to Athens. Well, it departed Thessaloniki at 11pm, and we thought it was only supposed to take 4 hours. We also didn't understand why one lady at the train station said all trains were full, and another lady sold us tickets. We were triumphant, but that was only until about 10:50pm, when some guy told us that we were in his seat. And we asked, where are out seats? And he said, you don't have seats. And we were like, oh. No wonder the one lady said all seats were sold.
So we sat on the floor of the car by the bathroom with about a dozen of our closest friends. Apparently they sell tickets until there is just no more space left anywhere. At one point, some dude came barreling back, and started to smoke and make a rumpus. Then, he reached over and started stroking Lauren's leg. Oh, that did not go over well with either of us. But we got no back up help from the Greeks, who conveniently all decided to try to sleep at the same time. Lame. Then, the guy next to us turned out to be Moroccan, which meant of course that he wanted to speak to us. I need to stop being so friendly. At around 2am, he informs me that I am very beautiful, and he thinks his parents would love me. I was like, I am so not in the mood to be propositioned right now. An hour later, when we thought we were supposed to be arriving in Athens, we were informed that actually we were only about half way there, and had another three hours to go. Sitting on the floor. Oh, dear. Well, it was an adventure. Thank GOD our hotel was only a short walk from the train station.
Then for a few days we did all the Athens sights, and then went to Santorini for a couple days. It was very lovely, and the ferry ride was half the fun. We frolicked around on the black sand beach, and then took a bus to on of the towns to try to get the iconic shot of Santorini. We didn't do too bad for ourselves. We came back last Saturday, and Lauren left me on Sunday.
Since then I've been just bouncing around Athens, loathe to get too far away in case I finally got my stuff, which I did on Tuesday. Yesterday I went to the Embassy, and today I'm just trying to combobulate myself to get ready to go. I'm ready to be getting back to work. If I were still traveling, that would be one thing, but I'm pretty much done with all of this sitting around business. :)
So I guess I left off on our train trip to Athens. Well, it departed Thessaloniki at 11pm, and we thought it was only supposed to take 4 hours. We also didn't understand why one lady at the train station said all trains were full, and another lady sold us tickets. We were triumphant, but that was only until about 10:50pm, when some guy told us that we were in his seat. And we asked, where are out seats? And he said, you don't have seats. And we were like, oh. No wonder the one lady said all seats were sold.
So we sat on the floor of the car by the bathroom with about a dozen of our closest friends. Apparently they sell tickets until there is just no more space left anywhere. At one point, some dude came barreling back, and started to smoke and make a rumpus. Then, he reached over and started stroking Lauren's leg. Oh, that did not go over well with either of us. But we got no back up help from the Greeks, who conveniently all decided to try to sleep at the same time. Lame. Then, the guy next to us turned out to be Moroccan, which meant of course that he wanted to speak to us. I need to stop being so friendly. At around 2am, he informs me that I am very beautiful, and he thinks his parents would love me. I was like, I am so not in the mood to be propositioned right now. An hour later, when we thought we were supposed to be arriving in Athens, we were informed that actually we were only about half way there, and had another three hours to go. Sitting on the floor. Oh, dear. Well, it was an adventure. Thank GOD our hotel was only a short walk from the train station.
Then for a few days we did all the Athens sights, and then went to Santorini for a couple days. It was very lovely, and the ferry ride was half the fun. We frolicked around on the black sand beach, and then took a bus to on of the towns to try to get the iconic shot of Santorini. We didn't do too bad for ourselves. We came back last Saturday, and Lauren left me on Sunday.
Since then I've been just bouncing around Athens, loathe to get too far away in case I finally got my stuff, which I did on Tuesday. Yesterday I went to the Embassy, and today I'm just trying to combobulate myself to get ready to go. I'm ready to be getting back to work. If I were still traveling, that would be one thing, but I'm pretty much done with all of this sitting around business. :)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Greece, Greece, Greeeeeeece, Greece lightning! Hahaha. So we’ve been here for a few days now, and boy what an adventure it’s been! It all started when we tried to leave Macedonia. Oh, Macedonia, thou art both lovely and cheap. Until you try to leave. We were in Ohrid, which seemed like a relatively big town. But then you try to go to Greece, and it all goes to smash.
Let me just say right now that the Greeks, while generally lovely people, are collectively troublemakers. They don’t like the Bulgarians, despise the Macedonians (which involves excluding them from the EU and not converting their currency ANYWHERE in Athens. More on that later.), and generally loathe the Turks. Seriously, Greece? Seriously? This makes some basic things difficult. Like traveling.
Anyways, our poor hostel man in Macedonia was super patient with us, and spent forever and a day trying to help us figure our business out. We eventually settled on taking a bus to Skopje, and from there bussing to Thessaloniki. What we did was something entirely different. We missed the bus to Skopje, which meant we would’ve missed the train. This was a result of the Macedonian bus lady not accepting Euros, which was ludicrous because everyone else in the country LOVED Euros. Whatever. So we missed the bus, and ended up taking a bus to the next big town down called Bitola. Once there, they informed us that the next train was leaving at 3am. It was then 3pm, and we were like, we ain’t hangin’ round here for 12 hours. So the train man, who spoke very little English, called his son to help translate and I ended up trying to make new travel plans with the help of this random dude who was calling all of his taxi driver friends. That did not work out so well, but we got some info and proceeded to take a taxi to Greece.
This began our transportation issues with Greece. The taxi man stopped by his house on the way out of town because he needed to take the taxi sign off his car. Apparently, it's tough to get through the border in a taxi. Who knew? He threw the sign thingy into his yard. Special. Then off we went, zoom zoom zoom, and into Greece. We did not have any problems at the border, but it seemed like our driver was buddy buddy with some of the guards. He also spoke pretty good German, which was handy cause Lauren was able to communicate.
We then hopped on a train with these two uproariously hilarious English guys. Oh my God, they were hilarious, mostly because they were telling us about the exploits of university rugby players as they were scrap-booking. Priceless. When we finally arrived in Thessaloniki, we managed to figure out the bus system and arrived at the hostel, only to find out that we had booked for the wrong night. And for the male dorm, no less. Whoops! They managed to squeeze us in, though they were completely full. Lauren and I shared a bunk, because we ended up taking the spot of someone who hadn't shown up.
Thessaloniki itself is an interesting city. It's not particularly pretty, but it has ruins scattered around liberally, which I very much enjoyed. We felt like we covered the city pretty well in one day, and that included the epic struggle for train tickets. That is a story for another post.
When I started this post, we'd only been here for a few days. We've now been here for just about a week, and Lauren today abandoned me to go start her job in Kiev, Ukraine. I'm still waiting on my visa, so I'll be in Athens for a few days, anyways. I'll continue the epicness that was our train trip, as well as our time in Athens and Santorini another time.
Let me just say right now that the Greeks, while generally lovely people, are collectively troublemakers. They don’t like the Bulgarians, despise the Macedonians (which involves excluding them from the EU and not converting their currency ANYWHERE in Athens. More on that later.), and generally loathe the Turks. Seriously, Greece? Seriously? This makes some basic things difficult. Like traveling.
Anyways, our poor hostel man in Macedonia was super patient with us, and spent forever and a day trying to help us figure our business out. We eventually settled on taking a bus to Skopje, and from there bussing to Thessaloniki. What we did was something entirely different. We missed the bus to Skopje, which meant we would’ve missed the train. This was a result of the Macedonian bus lady not accepting Euros, which was ludicrous because everyone else in the country LOVED Euros. Whatever. So we missed the bus, and ended up taking a bus to the next big town down called Bitola. Once there, they informed us that the next train was leaving at 3am. It was then 3pm, and we were like, we ain’t hangin’ round here for 12 hours. So the train man, who spoke very little English, called his son to help translate and I ended up trying to make new travel plans with the help of this random dude who was calling all of his taxi driver friends. That did not work out so well, but we got some info and proceeded to take a taxi to Greece.
This began our transportation issues with Greece. The taxi man stopped by his house on the way out of town because he needed to take the taxi sign off his car. Apparently, it's tough to get through the border in a taxi. Who knew? He threw the sign thingy into his yard. Special. Then off we went, zoom zoom zoom, and into Greece. We did not have any problems at the border, but it seemed like our driver was buddy buddy with some of the guards. He also spoke pretty good German, which was handy cause Lauren was able to communicate.
We then hopped on a train with these two uproariously hilarious English guys. Oh my God, they were hilarious, mostly because they were telling us about the exploits of university rugby players as they were scrap-booking. Priceless. When we finally arrived in Thessaloniki, we managed to figure out the bus system and arrived at the hostel, only to find out that we had booked for the wrong night. And for the male dorm, no less. Whoops! They managed to squeeze us in, though they were completely full. Lauren and I shared a bunk, because we ended up taking the spot of someone who hadn't shown up.
Thessaloniki itself is an interesting city. It's not particularly pretty, but it has ruins scattered around liberally, which I very much enjoyed. We felt like we covered the city pretty well in one day, and that included the epic struggle for train tickets. That is a story for another post.
When I started this post, we'd only been here for a few days. We've now been here for just about a week, and Lauren today abandoned me to go start her job in Kiev, Ukraine. I'm still waiting on my visa, so I'll be in Athens for a few days, anyways. I'll continue the epicness that was our train trip, as well as our time in Athens and Santorini another time.
Friday, September 10, 2010
It's good to be brown
Here we are in lovely Ohrid, Macedonia. We arrived at about 5 am after leaving Kotor at about 8pm yesterday evening. We were happy to leave, because we sort of ran out of things to do in Montenegro. But it was beautiful and relaxing, so those were two pluses. We crashed for a few hours upon arrival, and then were up to go to Sveti Naum, which is the spiritual heart of Macedonia with a Serbian couple who were staying in the same guesthouse. It was a beautiful drive, and the monastery and its grounds were lovely, as they are situated right on the lake. It also abuts the border with Albania, which we drove through last night (but they didn't give us a stamp! :( )
I stopped at one of the many vendors that lines the road out of the monastery, and the man started speaking to us in Macedonian. Lauren and I were clearly speaking English, but he kept on in Macedonian. Finally he asked me a question, and I just stared at him and was like, "I don't understand." He looked surprised and said, "English?!" "Yes!", we said. "I thought you were Macedonian. Maybe Macedonian who lived in America." Me: "Do we look Macedonian?" Man pointing to Lauren, "That one, no. You...maybe, yes. Yes you look Macedonian. Usually I can tell Americans a kilometer down the road, but you could be Macedonian." I was pleased, and got a good deal. :)
When we came back to Ohrid, our taxi man drove us to the top of the hill for no extra charge (which was awesome of him!) and we poked around the old city, which is also a UNESCO site. There was a fortress to conquer, and another self-guided church tour which lead to a great church/ruins pointed out to us by the taxi man. He had the knowledge. There was more wandering and lake time, and sampling the local street food, which was very delicious.
Our biggest quandary now is where to go from here. Straight to Greece, or back through Albania? It seems that it is hard to get in and out of the country, and that their public transportation system is a little, um, spotty. But Greece is so expensive! We'll see where the buses are running tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Passport stamps and words of wisdom
We are now ensconced in Montenegro for a couple days, after spending the night the Herzegovina part of Bosnia. It was cool, but we were ready to get a move on. And boy did we move on! Our bus went from Mostar to Dubrovnik, Croatia before heading down the coast here to Montenegro. So there were passport stamps everywhere! Our evening felt very European, as we sat in a plaza drinking a beer and watching soccer while there were soccer chants and church bells in the background! :)
The people of Bosnia were interesting, because they were very blunt. If they didn't like something, they did not hold back. It was rather startling, but we kind of got used to it. What was really interesting though was the willingness of people to say what was wrong with the country and express their dissatisfaction with the way of life in Bosnia. Our hostel guy in Sarajevo told us about how the government couldn't care less about the people, and that he hadn't had a job since the war ended (15 years ago), so he started the hostel. It seems to be working well for him. Our second hostel guy told us how he couldn't wait to leave Bosnia for good and go get Dutch citizenship. It was interesting how one guy wanted to stay and help rebuild his country while the younger one wanted nothing more than to get out. It was also interesting that the older guy said that a lot of the rebuilding that has been done has been to religious structures. He said that it's time for people to stop praying to God for a job and money in a newly rebuild spiritual place, and time to start building factories and things that will be people work and reasons to go give thanks. I thought it was very practical of him,, and put the Bosnian mindset in perspective.
Anyways, the countyside here (as I've said), is just love lovey and the coastline especially is phenomenal. I can see why Croatia is quickly becoming a destination hotspot. I'm glad that we fled the tourists, though Kotor still has more than its fair share. The town is one of the few left in the area that still has the old wall/fortress compound intact, and it's a UNESCO world heritage site. We're off to the beach tomorrow!!
My abaya has been procured, and I am now outfitted and ready to go for Saudi. It's coming up quickly, but Lauren and I still have to see Macedonia, Albania and Greece before our time's up! Yay adventures!!
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