Oops I'm in Saudi

How did I end
up here?

Sabah-Al-khair everyone!

Earlier this year I left my old amazing monotonous life in India to start a new amazing monotonous life in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. So far, bomb attacks: zero. Cultural shock: moderate.


I had presumed my life would suck here but then I got an amazing Wi-Fi connectivity, so all is well.

On landing I was first greeted by my mortal enemy - the cold. Goddammit be who you are, Saudi - a desert! I could almost see the white walkers rising. I spent the next two weeks hibernating under a blanket.

Living in an ice
cube

On walking around the airport, seeing a large 'M' symbol made me grin. As much as I love sambhar-rice, I had enough of healthy food over the past three years. My body desperately needed some real food. Now I thrive on junk food mostly. You've kept me happy, Saudi. (Although a week after I left I heard news that a McDonald's is opening shortly in my hometown. SMH.)

I thought I was prepared before coming here but Saudi is quite different from what I had imagined. I expected it to be a Dubai at least in architecture. It's more of a Counter Strike map. I like it, I like it. Fast cars, no undue honking, general peace and quiet - a nice change from India. Perhaps when I visit India next time I'm gonna love the chaos.

One of the things I don't like is the mandatory uniforms for women. Hello I left school years ago like WTF. Women are legally obliged to wear black snuggies (read: Abhayas) in public. Some women dare to get coloured ones too - like dark grey. Even so, I cannot deny the benefits of this. You can just wear your nightdress underneath it and get out. There's no hassle of outfit of the day. I could wear a yellow tee with pink shorts and nobody would even know. I could wear my batman tee and still end up looking like a mature adult.

Privacy is like a big deal in Saudi Arabia. Most cars have tinted glass. Public photography/vlogging (i.e. if other people in the background are caught in the shot) is frowned upon. All restaurants and food chains have two sections - the Single Section and the Family Section. Men-only groups enter the Single Section while women along with their men enter the Family Section. Within the Family Section, every table is hidden behind partitions. The waiter has to knock on the partition before opening it. Were this the case back in India, the partitions would be used for very different reasons IYKWIM. We went to a mall and the whole of first floor, which is the food court, is Family-only. Fazin and some of his friends entered some of the Family Section places for the first time ever because of my presence.

Contrary to what the rest of the world believes, women are not treated harshly here. If anything, they are put on a pedestal. For example, while crossing the road Fazin alone would have to wait for the stop signal. No car would stop for him unless I am with him. When I am seen, almost every car stops to let us by. You would reach nowhere if you accuse a woman of a petty crime. It is still sexism, but at least passive sexism is better than aggressive sexism. I feel quite safe here.

What is happening to me?

I am trying hard to be a glass-half-full person. But hey there are enough good things around that fill half of the glass to keep me happy. :)