Looking Out While Looking In: RIYADH

written on the 10th of October

So I finally left Dubai, those 13 hours took forever. Not the nicest airport at all, no people skills. The flight to Riyadh was only 1hr and 40 minutes, but we were delayed because 4 people checked in late, Emirates so accommodating. I watched "the Lucky One" such a cute movie. Dinner was served, again an awesome meal and with that and the movie, I felt like we were coming in to land 2 minutes after we had taken off.

I put on my abaya and took a deep breath expecting to wait in queues for hours and for there to be complete chaos, boy was I wrong. We went into a massive arrivals area, with so many police/security/army, I don’t know which. They wear immaculate olive green uniforms with gold regalia, so smart. One of them came over to me and asked if it was my first time in Saudi. After I answered he directed me to one of the queues, a few minutes later he came back and said he was wrong and took me to another one, much shorter all women travelling alone, but not all Western. Passport control was a breeze, took electronic fingerprints and then off I went to get my suitcase. Considering I had checked it in CT I was slightly nervous that it would in fact be there. Couple of minutes and along it came, about 3 men rushed to help me take it off the carousel. Then customs, I was dreading this, I had been warned that they could keep you for ages, making you unpack your bag and even open your laptop to check what movies etc were on it. Nothing like, they that put it through the xray thingy and off I went. As I came through the sliding doors, I saw Osama with my name on a board waiting for me. He showed me where to sit and we waited for Sulaiman also from CT (if only we knew we were travelling together). I asked about my sim and I asked for STC to be my provider. (tip from Rhoda). Poor Sulaiman took double the time I did. We dropped our luggage in the car and then went to the STC Counter, again fast and friendly service. by the time we left the airport parking my sim was active and about 2 hrs later my bbm was up and running.

We stopped at a supermarket on the way to the hotel, you cannot believe how cheap things are - 2l water, 2 cans pepsi lite, sandwich with turkey and salad, cheese croissant , pringle like chips and a biscuit thing - R36.

Then the hotel, omw, think of those old motels in American movies, well there you have it, but clean and again so friendly and helpful. Most importantly, a comfy bed and working aircon. The staff ran around to find me a converter plug for my laptop, our 3 prong round ones are just not an option here or in Dubai. I would have been better off with a 2 prong plug, they fit here.

We were to be ready at 10h00 on Monday to be taken to the office. After not sleeping properly since Friday night and all the emotions of saying goodbye I was finished. But before he left us, he left us with 2 bottles for our medicals, 1 for urine, 1 for stool. Yuk never had to that before!!!!

The next morning we were fetched spot on time. Head office is in a very impressive building down town, not far from the hotel.

I met Waleed, my big boss, the one I have been chatting to on Skype, very charming.

Then off we went for our medicals, all this time I had my 2 bottles in a packet in my bag, gross! So first a pregnancy test, I got the giggles. Then only once we had the result off for a chest x-ray. So I go into the room, male radiologist, broken English, asks if I am wearing clothes under my abaya. Tell him yes, says I must remove and put on the special robe that they can xray through. I ask if I must remove my underwear and he says no. So we do x-ray. I am sitting at the end of the passage waiting with Osama. The little man comes carrying my xray gesticulating and going on about something in loud agitated arabic. My heart is beating thinking what the hell is wrong. Osama starts laughing you can clearly see the metal from my bra on the x-ray! But I didn’t have to redo it because they could see my lungs are fine.

Then we went and bought an entire new laptop cord and it was only R40 and I needed 16 id photos and they were R50. Money makes no sense here. I know a new laptop cord is a few hundred rand in SA and id photos are much cheaper. We are dropped at the hotel, Sulaiman was being fetched for the airport later in the afternoon. He is also going to Ha'il and he and his wife taught there last year. She and their children will join him when he has his iqama. (Thats like your full on permit, looks like a drivers licence and then you can open a bank account etc etc). So we decide to go for lunch after the current prayer time is over. Everything closes 5 times a day for half an hour for prayer. So we stroll down the road, looking at the different food places, every 2nd shop is some sort of fast food outlet. We find a place that seems to sell different variations of rolls like the Hero Rolls at Steers. We ask if I am allowed in because it doesn’t say that it has a family section. Remember in Saudi, restaurants are for men, but some have a section for women and families. The man says I am welcome, we got to the counter and order. Next thing the other man comes over and says I have to leave so sweetly and apologetically at least. Sulaiman waits for our food while I go to the shop. Again, giggling too myself.

Downstairs in the foyer of the hotel are tables and chairs with places set to eat so just enjoyed our lunch there. Then I went off to my room and fell asleep watching Suits.

Enough from me, for now. Later I will email again and tell you about my Lebanese dinner last night and my first adventure off on my own in a taxi to the Kingdom Tower. I am sleepy AGAIN so I am going to watch Mad Men for a while.

My heart is happy and every time I speak to Zeem and the kids they all seem so content and settling in to things. I am overwhelmed by a sense of this being the right thing to do. The control freak in me struggled to let over the reins but I have left our life in good hands and we will all grow from this. I am blessed with an amazing husband and beautiful children and such supportive family. I am deeply grateful to be on this journey.