Saying Farewell to Saudi Arabia

At KAUST wearing my favorite yellow abaya

When I moved to Saudi Arabia in 2014 to work at KAUST, I had no idea what to expect…and I had no idea I would like it so much. I met such wonderful people and learned so much about the culture, their humor, their creativity and their challenges.



Group selfie with my amazing co-workers

 I also learned about the real meaning of generosity as they don’t think twice when it comes to ensuring you are comfortable in their country – and instantly they embrace you as part of their family.

When I first moved to Saudi, I remember thinking that my heart was “thrifty” compared to theirs. They would offer to drive me places, would randomly pick up things for me like converters, organic peanut butter and other essentials just because I had mentioned it…and not because I asked. Never did they want anything back in return and were insulted when I tried to give them money. They said it was like I was trying to pay for their kindness and that wasn’t the way it worked.

Farewell dinner - miss you all!!

A year later, when I had a guest from the US come visit the university to speak, I was reminded again at how generous they were. As a woman, naturally I couldn’t drive my guest anywhere, but when I mentioned it to my co-workers, I had not only one volunteer, but four who couldn’t wait to show my guest around.

 They drove him to the mall, helped him pick out stuff for his wife and suggested the best dates in the world to bring back to his friends. And then, when my guest said he wanted a thobe (the traditional dress for men), they took him to a local place to get fitted for one and spent hours helping him dress, pick out the head gear and negotiating a reasonable price.

Man...I love these dates.  Best in the world.

If we had more time, they would have taken him back the next night to show him some of the landmark areas of Jeddah. It was fun to watch my friend learn what the people were like and see through his eyes the amazement at how authentically generous their culture is. Like me, he came in with a shield of mistrust and was surprised at how easy going they were, how funny and how they were willing to take him around without any hesitation.

Just a few of my Saudi family members

Now, as I’m leaving Saudi, I have to say goodbye to these wonderful people who treated me so well when I was so far from home. But I won’t be leaving with my thrifty heart. That one was replaced months ago with a Saudi heart. Well, maybe not quite that big yet as it takes a lifetime to learn to be as generous as they are. But it’s much more open and willing to trust the good in people than it was before.

Taken my first week in Saudi and will always remind me of Samia, who took me under her wing.

Thank you, my Saudi friends for making me a part of your family.

Walking through history in Al-Balad in Jeddah

Sometimes I can’t believe that I live in this amazing place. There is so much history to Jeddah and when you ask the people who grew up here they just shrug and think I’m crazy for thinking it’s so cool.

Just like we don’t look twice at the black squirrels that live in Toronto, these people don’t see their history like I do – probably because they are a part of it. Take Old Jeddah for example.

 Situated in the city of Jeddah, the locals call the area Al-Balad which translates into “The City.”

A street in Al-Balad, Saudi Arabia

Yes, it looks old in the photos and that’s because it is old.

 Al-Balad was founded in the 7th century and used to have walls around it to protect it. The walls were torn down in the 1940s, but many of the original buildings and streets remain.

The Al Shafei Mosque in Al-Balad

The Al Shafei mosque also still exists. Built in the 7th century, it’s currently undergoing a major restoration as over the centuries, it sunk into the ground. 

Fresh meat shop in Al-Balad

A lot of the shops in the area have been around for years and locals still go to the souk there for fabrics, fresh meat, dates and nuts and of course, frankincense, which was a big Saudi export before the oil boom. 

One of the most surprising things was that some of them didn't lock up during prayer time.  They simply hung a sheet across the doorway (see below) and trusted no one would come in and steal anything.  Now that's something you wouldn't do in the US!

Shop closing up for prayer time

The houses in the area were built using rocks taken from Arba’een Lake. They were positioned like bricks and set in place using mud with wood separating them to help distribute the weight. 

You’ll also see lattices in the windows. These are used to catch the wind and create a breeze to cool down the homes. It’s surprising how well this worked.

Ignore my hair. The intense heat and humidity makes it completely unmanageable. 

The entire Al Balad Historical District is 1.5 square kilometers. It was added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in June, 2014.

And then there was this crater...

At 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning, most people are sleeping.  But not my friends.This Sunday in August, we are up and already on the road in an effort to beat the heat of the Arabian Desert. It was still dark out and already 38 degrees Celsius, but we had a quest. We were going to see the famed Wahba Crater.

The Wahba crater is located 254 km from Taif in Saudi or about 3.5 to 4 hours from KAUST. This will mean nothing to you unless you’ve been here so let’s just say, it’s a 2 km hole in the middle of nowhere. Really. It is in the middle of nowhere. The road just stops and when you get out of your car, you are standing at the top and it’s a long 250 meters down to the bottom.

But while it’s a bit of a drive. It’s worth seeing – as it’s strange. Some people told us that the crater was caused by a meteorite, but geologists now say the Wahba Crater is volcanic.

It was apparently caused by a phreatomagmatic eruption-an explosion. And if you don’t know what that means, don’t feel bad. I had to look that up as I had no idea what that meant. It means that groundwater came into contact with hot lava or magma and created a mass of sodium phosphate crystals.

It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, because frankly, how often do you come across a giant white lake of sodium phosphate crystals?

I know you are wondering….can you touch it? Yup…if you can find the way down. This was the hard part of our trip. It took us nearly two hours of wandering around the top of crater in the sweltering sun to find the path. In the end we cheated and had to call someone to guide us to the location. But once you are on it, the route down to the bottom is fairly easy and you can do it in 20 minutes.

The great thing about Saudi is that everything is natural and tourism is a big thing yet so if you can find it, you can see it, eat it (don’t do this), bike over it – whatever. But because it’s not commercialized, you won’t find restrooms, snack bars or any other people for miles around, so come prepared with water, sunscreen and a tank full of gas. Cell phone reception was also a little sketchy out there.

Do I recommend it? Yes!! (that's me in the pink shorts).

Did someone say Whale Sharks?

Each spring between March and May, the staff, faculty and students of KAUST frolic around the professors of the Red Sea Research Center for the chance to go on a Whale Shark diving expedition. Sadly, I was not one of them – or rather I “tried” to be one them, but by the time I heard about this amazing adventure, they were already booked up.


Whale Sharks in the Red Sea from KAUST Red Sea Research Center on Vimeo.

Here’s why the trips are so popular:

• Whale Sharks are the largest fish in the sea and get up to 40 feet long.
• Even though they have the word “shark” in their name, they prefer to eat plankton and not people.
• They have super big mouths which are amazing to see. Okay, this is my own strange fascination, but really they are like the Cookie Monster of the sea. 
• They are currently listed as a vulnerable species so if you get the chance to see them in peaceful way, then take it.

Whale Shark photo taken by another person on the boat.

Those are the basic facts, but another cool reason I wanted to go is because the area around Saudi Arabia is not a place tourists can go, the coast off the Red Sea by Al Lith and Al Qunfidhah are newly discovered “hot spots” for my massive fish friends. And because the Red Sea Research Center at KAUST is studying them, they know where to find them (they’ve also tagged a bunch of them so can track them down).

But as I mentioned, I was too late to get in on the KAUST weekend expeditions so I had to come up with Plan B, which was to find a third party company that would do it. In other words, it was Facebook to the rescue.

 I was also hoping to convince a couple friends to go with me because I’m still not confident in all the Saudi etiquette and didn’t want to be the only Western woman on the boat.

Me looking a little tired and sun burnt

That’s when I came across Nomad Arabia. I learned about this company from another newbie like me who had done a camping trip with them at some ruins. Again, I was too late to that trip as it was happening that day, but I did see they had a Whale Shark Adventure coming up in two weeks – and I was told they were a “KAUST approved” operator (so safe and reliable).

Red Sea Coral

I signed up instantly.

Then I started my preparation which included: buying a rash guard shirt to protect me from the sun and keep me “modest” (Amazon.com), motion sickness pills just in case (got some from someone who did whale sharking the week before), and finding a floaty device to borrow as I’m not really a swimmer. Yes, I’m going off to swim with Whale Sharks…in the water…in a sea…and I’m a splasher more than a swimmer. Just a small issue, but not one that was going to stop me. Thankfully, one of my girlfriend’s is also not a strong swimmer and lent me her floaty device.

And to make the adventure perfect, I was able to convince two newbies from Ireland who just got their diving license and couldn’t wait to dive on their own. Also, because they are new like me, they missed out on signing up for the KAUST trips too. They also showed me where to buy my snorkel, mask and fins.

So did we see a Whale Shark? Yes!!! We spotted one just as it came to the surface and instantly everyone hopped off the boat to try to touch it. It tried to be patient with us and then I think it just gave up and swam away. Frankly, I would too if 10 splashing humans were trying to catch me.

Dawn on the Red Sea

The tour guides also brought us to two other places to dive/snorkel in the Red Sea too check out the sea life living in the coral. It was absolutely amazing. And the water is so warm here. There isn’t that 30 seconds of “burrrr” that you get when swimming in other places.

The other thing that was interesting was that all 9 people on the trip were ex-pats like us. They had come from Australia, Portugal and Poland. It was my first time meeting other Westerners who weren’t from KAUST and it was kind of nice. Made me feel like the world is less small knowing others were living just an hour away and adjusting to Saudi life just like me.

One of women even had her own Jeddah blog: LivinginJeddah.com

VIDEO MOMENT: Camels!!!!

Yes, I'm a tourist. I can't resist getting out my camera when I see a camel just wandering the desert.

Abayas: A Whole New Fashion Item to Explore

When coming to Saudi Arabia and starting at KAUST, I was concerned about the abaya and making sure I bought one the right one.

So I did some research- which mainly involved trying to see what women were wearing on the local news sites. From what I could gather, they were wearing plain black robes with plain black veils.

Oh, how I was wrong. There is nothing plain about them.

I did buy this one and totally love it.

In my month here, I've learned that the abaya/robe is more like a long jacket that you wear 
when you leave your home and they have some really nice ones. I had assumed they 
were all black and drab, but most of them are decorated -- and they don't have 
to be black.

I think black is like our standard corporate suit that never goes 
out of style, but many women wear ones that have color, some sort of decorative accent on them. 


I’ve been watching my co-workers and checking the abaya fashion sites (yes, I actually do this) and it seems chocolate brown was hot for the winter months. But now that the weather is getting 
really hot, I'm seeing off-white, lavender and other colored abayas on the Saudi girls.

Now I’m getting excited. This is a whole new fashion arena that I never knew existed.  

In addition to the colors, you also have different styles that range from the button down, to the zip up, to belted, to umbrella sleeved, to the pullover. There are work abayas and some for casual wear.

And they wear them with dress shoes and heels and not flat sandals like I thought.

Oh yeah. I'm kind of regretting giving away most of my stilettos now, but they probably aren’t practical for running around the campus.

Then there is the veil. I admit I'm still trying to master that part as I seem to get caught up in it, but without it, it looks like you forgot something.

I’m sure if I had to wear an abaya and veil everyday, I would be less excited, but I only have to wear it for shopping or dinners when I go to the city and
 traveling. So basically, when I put it on, it means I’m going to go someplace fun -- so I might as well look fashionable when I go.

All the abayas featured on this page are from Aab Collection, my favorite abaya shop so far.

Picnic under the moon

Midnight in some countries is witching hour, but not in Saudi. Here midnight is beach time - and I find it just as magical.

I don't know how they do it as I'm ready for bed at midnight, but if you drive along the corniche in Jeddah at that time, you will find the shores of the Red Sea packed with families. Yes, that's right. Families with kids and everything are awake and enjoying the evening.

...

So are they swimming?

No. Many of them are eating.

I'm learning quickly that they love their food and their sweets - which is dangerous for me as I too love good food and desserts. But it is how they are serving the food is what I love. They do it berber style.

They literally bring a carpet, roll it out by the sea and then serve the food or midnight snack on it. Some also bring these special cushions made for relaxing on. And they eat and talk and eat some more. It's all very relaxing under the moonlight and for some reason - probably because it's dark - even though the beach is crowded, you really don't noticed anyone else except those sitting around your carpet.

It's one of my favorite things - along with their coffee tradition. And if they combine the two, then it's perfection.

Fun and Food at Janadriyah

Saudi Arabia is so far been one amazing experience after another, and last weekend’s Janadriyah Festival was not the exception.  I have absolutely no regrets moving here. The people have been very welcoming and the country is one that needs to be lived in to truly appreciate the beauty it has to offer.

Me holding a hawk. So beautiful.

By back to this weekend and why I'm holding a hawk in the photo.

Janadriyah is a yearly event and it’s held in Riyadh. Approximately 30 of us from KAUST got up really early (like 3:30 a.m.) and took the plane to the city for the weekend to see what this festival that commemorates Saudi heritage, culture and history had to offer.

And that is why I'm holding a hawk.  In the past, hawks were caught and trained to hunt for the nomads living in the desert.  He was quite beautiful - and as nervous as I was.

My friend buying this leather bag that you put fat in for cooking.

Our group was given VIP treatment as we were allowed to tour the area a couple of hours before the masses arrived and enjoyed Arabic coffee and mint tea in the executive tent.

I was worried at first as I’m not a coffee drinker, but Arabic coffee doesn’t taste like regular coffee. It’s actually tasty – and I love the dates that come with it. I also learned that it's an insult not to accept the coffee when you come to a friend's home (good thing I like it) -- and it's very traditional to offer it as a welcome.

My friend enjoying some delicious Arabic coffee.

My favorite part of the trip was hearing about things from the perspective of a Saudi.

One of my friends here at the University had never been to Janadriyah, but while she’s very western, she had heard about the traditions from her parents and could explain them to me.

I think I got more out of the festival with her as she put things in context. I know I would have missed out on the spiced tea with condensed milk and I would have no idea what some of the things in the marketplace were for like the black leather bag in the photo above.  She said you store fat in it for cooking. Interesting.

Weird mushy grain stuff that was surprisingly tasty.

There were even some things that she had never experienced, like this strange mushy grain dish with honey on top. It was good and extremely filling, but neither of us knew what it was.

Saudi Arabia. Always full of wonderful surprises – even to those who are from here.

Traditional meal at one of the restaurants.

Learning How to Shop Saudi-style

The malls in Saudi Arabia are incredible – and gigantic.  I’ve only been to the ones in Jeddah, but I’ve been told the ones in Riydah are just as fantastic.  

They are multi-leveled and have interesting things in them like a full-scale amusement park, a snow village where it actually snows fake snow, tropical lagoons, go-cart tracks and more.  The only thing they don’t have are movie theaters as those aren’t allowed here.  

And then you have the shops.  One of my friends asked if they have any shops they would know. The answer is "yes." They have them ALL.   There’s Sephora, Guess, Bebe, Boots,  Juicy Couture, Zara, Applebee’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins and more.   They also have a few local shops, a bunch of designer shops and some British shops.  You name it; they have it…or they will have it soon.  I saw a sign for a Tim Horton’s coming soon at The Mall of Arabia.

So why so are the malls so amazing?  I think it’s because it’s hot here and the malls are air conditioned so people go there as a family and hang out.  And I mean they really hang out because they stay for hours.

The website says the malls are open from 10 a.m. until midnight, but with the prayer times, many of the actual shops close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening.  Then they are packed from 6:30 p.m. to closing. When I say packed, I’m talking Black Friday shopping packed. 

But while the shops are the same, the way you shop is different.

My first time in the mall, I picked out a bunch of clothes and wanted to try them on. Apparently you don’t do that as very few of the shops have change rooms. Surprise!

 At first I thought Saudi women simply guessed their size, then tried them on at home and brought back the ones they didn’t like.    

This wasn’t going to work for me.

First of all, I don’t enjoy shopping with crowds of people. Secondly, going to the mall is big endeavor as I take the bus from KAUST from 5 p.m. It takes an hour to get to the mall and then it only picks me up again at 11 p.m.  That’s a long time in a mall for someone who likes to get in and be done in 30 minutes.  And thirdly, I didn’t understand the return policies and some of the shops only give you 2 days to do exchanges. 

Not knowing how it’s done, I didn’t buy anything my first time to the mall. Instead I vowed to never go again and just buy everything online. Yes, that sounds drastic. But keep in mind, I just wasted 5 hours in a mall.  

It turns out there my drastic measures won't be necessary.  There is a secret to shopping in Saudi that nobody told me.  

Yes, you have to buy the clothes without trying them on in the shops.  But there is a place to try them on.  It’s in the restroom! 

I was wondering why the restroom was so big with these bare stalls on one side.  I thought they were for private praying or something (really, I knew nothing).  Nope, they are where you try on your clothes. 

So in summary…you buy the clothes, try them on in the restroom, and then return the ones you don’t like.  

PS  I haven’t bought shoes, so I don’t know how that works yet.

A warm welcome from old town Jeddah

Wednesday was my first day at work and already I got to visit Jeddah, which is the nearest city to KAUST and the second biggest one in the country with 4.1 million people.  

Jeddah is currently having its first cultural festival in the city’s old Balad area and I went to check it out with my co-workers.

So imagine me in my abaya – without the veil (so glad I bought this before I left Phoenix or I wouldn't be able to go) trying to follow a group of other women dressed in black through the busy streets of the city. 

Keep in mind that I'm not only new to the area and my Arabic is limited to "thank you" and "yes" -- or if I'm being fancy, I can say "Yes, thank you," but I'm also without my guardian techno angel -- aka my iPhone.

That's right.  I learned when I got here that my cell phone no longer works because I have an iPhone 4 so can’t get a Sim card for it -- and to buy the new iPhone 5 will be $800. So I've been walking around old school -- pre-smart phone.

In other words, I have no idea how to get back to KAUST if I did get lose my co-workers in the crowd, I can't talk to anyone, and I don't have GPS, any translation apps or a way to call for help.

Little did I know that I had nothing to worry about.  My group was also afraid of getting lost in the crowd so they basically were following me (the only blonde in the streets) to make sure they weren't left behind.  Guess I stood out a bit.

The Jeddah Heritage Festival they took me too was the first of its kind in the city and thousands of people were attending that week.  

I know it sounds strange that heritage festivals are a new thing, but some of Saudi co-workers said it’s because in the past, the country really focused on the future.  This makes sense as there are so many gorgeous modern skyscrapers and other architectural buildings in the city.   

However, this is about to change.

According to Prince Sultan Bin Salman, head of SCTA, this 10 day festival was a “turning point for cultural heritage in the Kingdom.” He told the media, they (meaning the government) are starting to focus on national tourism in Saudi Arabia.

Yay for me!  This works out perfectly because when I’m not at work, I’m basically a tourist.   

And it seems like I'm not the only one excited about this new cultural trend.  My group at work had arranged a private tour of the festival so that we could learn about the buildings, history and the stories behind the structures. 

My favorite one was the house with the tree (yes, it is actually known as that because it’s the only house with a tree).

I loved this house because the owners had stairs specially made so camels could walk right in the front door with the packages and food and take them up to the top floor of the home where the kitchen was.  Smart thinking!  The stairs were shorter and wider to make it easy for the camels to climb up and down them.

So was I shunned walking as a westerner in the streets?  Not at all.

In fact, there were countless times when I would walk past an elder and hear say in a quiet voice meant only for my ears, “Welcome, daughter” and then nod as they made eye contact.

It was humbling, touching and very much their culture to be privately welcomed by strangers like that.