COMPOUND LIVING

I an now settled completely at Mishar 1 compound and it is surreal in so many ways. This could be the loneliest existence in the world. Certainly my first Friday here was. It was also Keanan's  (my son, for those of you who don't know), Valedictory and I was heartbroken not to be there. By 17h15 I had not seen a soul and was feeling desolate. However I realised it was all up to me and I needed to make sure that I was not so alone in the future. So, I put on my big girl panties and started meeting people. That particular evening a new friend Bryan came over and we played cards. He is a sweet older man who enjoys playing cards and has been in Ha'il for 5 years. He knows where everything is and where to go.

A highlight of our existence is definitely the shopping bus. For Al Khaleej employees it comes on a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evening as well as a Thursday Morning. Remember our weekend is on Thursday and Friday. We all clamour on, have light conversation, a lot of laughs and then get dropped at a different shopping centre every time. (More about this in the post on Exploring Ha'il).


Our Shopping Bus

So my philosophy has been to make sure I grab every opportunity to experience as much as possible while I am here. I have one of two options, I can literally curl up in a ball and yearn for my husband and children, which would be my default reaction or I can just get out there and laugh a lot and absorb every experience.

I now play texas-hold-em poker on a Wednesday night with a group of the men. We laugh a hell of lot, down non-alcoholic beers and talk as much sh*t as possible while trying to play a decent game of poker and winning the pot, although the stakes are low. Last week I even won 104 Saudi Riyals! This has become one of the highlights of my week.

My Poker Buddies

During the first week of the vacation, (Remember I was here for 5 days and then went on a 2 week holiday!), I was invited to a braai with an American couple who have a delightful little girl. Mom is an English teacher with me and Dad is a stay at home dad who home schools their little girl. They have made the back of their house suitable for outdoor living. Their neighbours from New Zealand joined us and it was a fantastic evening, with very good conversation.

Lovely big mat with cushions outside to enjoy amazing desert evenings
 

Then there are my 2 closest mates on compound. Aaliya is only 23 a teacher from Johannesburg, She and I have just connected in the most wonderful way, even though I am old enough to be her mother. I think we bring out the best in each other. Then there is Liam, a 38 year old Canadian, who has been an ESL teacher for 15 years and has been in Ha'il for 3. The 3 of us try and walk every night. A lap around the compound is about 10mins and we try and do 5, although the other night, we walked for almost an hour and a half. We have brilliant conversations about EVERYTHING and laugh a lot, which is perfect for those stomach muscles! What I love about this friendship is that we completely respect each others individuality and if any of us need time alone, it just happens with no one taking it personally.

I think a key aspect of this life is that everything is intensified. Zeem (my husband) used to always say a month in Afghanistan is like a year in normal life (He worked there as a chef for a year) and he was quite right. Normally friendships would take longer to develop but here with those you connect with its intensified and that is a wonderful thing.

I have had a group of people in my apartment and we all ended up trying to order a take away delivery with no luck so Aaliya and I ordered a taxi and went and fetched it. Then last Friday I hosted a home cooked meal which was a great success, please remember I can't cook. I was tempted to get them to sign indemnities before starting their meal.



Aaliya, Shamima, Me and Bryan at my place on the take-out night.

Just before my dinner....
 

Take out Night
 










On our walk last Thursday, we walked past the married couples row, and they were on a break from poker. Liam goes but only for a short while, so I will go with him this week and either play from the start or buy in when he leaves, so another poker group to enjoy hopefully.

Another highlight since being here was the halloween trick or treating we had for the little kids on compound, which we only had on the 7th because so many people were away on the 31st. It was adorable.

Later that evening I went to a Halloween party. I laughed so hard I had sore stomach muscles. Some people dressed up and we even had a smoking ghost who after midnight went quad-biking. It was a hysterical sight. Everyone was a little out of it on moonshine  (home-made wine) and I felt like I was at a UN gathering. Romania, Puerto Rico, USA (and many very different states), South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland. One of the guys is very musical and played his guitar and had a liking for the 80s. The guys made shakers and drums and sang along. Awesome music, great laughs! I finally left at about 2am.


Midnight Quad -Biking ghost
 

The Smoking Ghost!

The Ghost uncovered...




Andy playing guitar (really made me miss Zeem)!

Our very own Charlie Sheen. I want that shirt, Nigel!

Corey taking advantage of Nigel



All the naughty "boys"

Last night I started yoga and it was fantastic. When it finished, I texted Liam and we walked (Aaliya was having some time out). My night ended with a bubble bath and going over to Nazra, a newer friend for a chat.

For now, I am truly grateful for my life here and the difference it can make to our life back home.
I miss my family so much but I would be lying if I didn't also admit that I am relishing the chance to be by myself and grab all the new experiences and before I know it my family will visit and I will be able to share it with them.