12 things you probably didn't know about Saudi

1.     Tissues for everything! At work and at people’s homes, everyone uses tissues after they wash their hands. They also use tissues during meals in place of napkins

2.     Sock it up. Badr’s sisters and mom and aunt told me I need to wear socks or I’ll get sick. I don’t like wearing socks in the summer but they say the tile will make my feet too cold

3.     What’s your number? When Saudi’s give you their number, instead of saying “050-222-1688” they will say “050- triple two- 16 double 8” 

4.     Perfume me. Saudi’s LOVE perfume and cologne. I constantly walk past people and find myself in a cloud of good smell. I don’t know how they manage to make it that strong but it’s really nice

5.     Can I try this on? Saudi malls and stores do not offer dressing rooms. The common knowledge is that you buy the item, try it on in the bathroom, and return it if it doesn’t fit

6.     It’s a boy! If you have a baby, YOU are the one who brings treats to work. A guy I work with had a baby and he brought a big dish of nice chocolates for us to enjoy

7.     Cats rule and dogs drool. Saudi mostly don’t like dogs. They are either deathly afraid of them or just think that they are dirty. Cats are the animal of choice

8.     Where do I park my car? I have yet to see a garage here. People park outside under a tent like cover

9.     Let’s go to the gym. Everything is separate here. Gyms are entirely men or entirely women. They don’t even have separate floors. Just “Men’s Gym” or “Women’s Gym”

10. Where’s the kitchen? Most kitchens are entirely closed off. In the States, the kitchen is open usually to the living room. Here, the kitchen is closed off by a door. I think it is because the smell of food is unwanted in the living room and the rest of the house. My kitchen is a unique exception

11. I’m starving. Dinner on a school night is frequently served at 10 pm. During Ramadan when everything is done at night, it is normal to eat dinner at 1 a.m. and then sleep until 3 or 4 p.m.

12. Can I have water? At restaurants here, when you order water, you pay for it. It comes in a plastic or glass bottle. I usually order soda because it is CHEAPER than water

dubai

Last weekend we went to Dubai; it was so much fun! We stayed there 3 nights in a hotel that was connected to the largest mall in the Middle East. This mall had every store you can imagine, from Forever 21 (of course I went there) to Sephora to Nike to Gucci and Prada. It also offered a wide selection of restaurants including IHOP (went there too), Red Lobster, Chili’s, Cheesecake Factory, Rainforest Café, and lots of others.

We took a taxi from the airport and there was a Muslim woman as our driver! Our hotel room wasn’t ready so we went to the mall with our backpacks (Badr’s being the huge camping backpack) and got a couple stares.

After we checked into our room, we just explored! We went to the Waterfront and got to see the water fountain show with music. We walked and walked and walked. I thought my kneecap was going to fall off because it started hurting a great deal. Our first choice in restaurant heaven: Texas Roadhouse. It was glorious.

The next day we just did the mall. We started the morning with a breakfast of champions: IHOP. I was so darn excited. I got my favorite stuffed French toast; it was incredible.

Another cool thing about this mall is it had a huge (2 story I think) aquarium in the middle of it. We walked by and it had sharks and sting rays and a bunch of other boring fish. The mall also had a 3 story waterfall fountain with metal men diving down it.

We went out of the mall and found traditional Arabic stores. One store was just full of camel stuff. We also found a market where we bought snacks and water. In the hotel, the “mini bar” offered an 8-ounce Red Bull for only $10. The market had a 12 ouncer for $2, so that’s what we went with. Badr and I are addicted to Red Bull.

We took the Metro to a different district and did more walking. We went to the Marina where there is a body of water in the middle (part of the ocean? Not sure) surrounded completely by skyscrapers. And people are in the water on speedboats blasting music. It was a great area.

We also walked to the beach and sat down so my kneecaps could rest. When it got dark we walked back and had dinner by the water at an Italian restaurant. We were trying to enjoy it but were angry about the prices (we are exactly the same sometimes).

We took the Metro back and had dessert at Paul; they are famous for their pastries and coffee (that’s what Badr said but I’ve never heard of them).

The next day we circled around the mall some more. We grabbed lunch at Shake Shack. The lady asked for my name and I said Gibson. Depending on the race of the asker, Badr and I either go with Gibson or Alasem (it’s easier that way). The receipt she printed said “Lipson” and we couldn’t stop laughing. Badr told me that they only have them in New York and Dubai. It was glorious.

The desert safari started at 4 and we were picked up at our hotel. They took us out to a place and we all sat down and the whole convoy (like 17 cars worth of people) watched a Falcon show. It was lame to be honest, but I think Badr enjoyed it. I hate birds. Then we got back into our cars and hit the dunes. The dunes were really narrow in some areas and really steep. They intentionally drive crazy for the joy of the ride. They would drive really fast or cut a corner really sharp. If I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, my head would have hit the ceiling many times. We stopped a couple times to get a pic in the desert and a pic of the sunset.

Then it was traditional Arabic camp time. We got to ride a camel, (my dream come true) but only in a quick circle and he had a muzzle on his mouth. Poor thing. Then I got a henna tattoo.

The camp was set up with carpets and cushions and you sit on the ground to eat. They had a traditional Arabic dinner buffet and dessert. Plus, you could smoke hookah if you wanted. You could also get a picture in traditional Arabic clothes, but we were like “We wear that everyday so…”

Badr and I sat with the people who were in our car. John was a married businessman who was alone in Dubai for a business trip. He was from Hong Kong. The others were a married couple with a child from Italy. We had a great time.

At the end of dinner, the Italian guy (Daniel) said to the group “I’m going to smoke hookah if anyone wants to come.” I was like, “ok!”

Badr, Daniel, and I sat down waiting for the hookah. It was one of those moments I’ll never forget. Sitting in an Arabic camp with Badr and Daniel, looking up at the stars and smoking double apple sheesha. I couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

When the night ended, I was sad. The driver had a CD with old rap songs that I listened to in high school that I found humorous. When we got back to the hotel, we got a piece of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

The next day we just took one more trip to the mall, packed up our things and left. Badr and I had like $4 worth of Dirhams left so we bought a few candy bars. It was a great trip.