Saturday 11 May 2013

Little Adventures

My husband is great! He took me out this afternoon, despite being really tried, and found a lovely place for us to take some pictures and walk. It was a great surprise.

I've wanted to enter or at least get close to a lot of the very old structures here, we tried, until we ended up in front of someone's house and they generously invited us in (as per custom), and my husband is so shy (naturally) and so worried I can't make conversation because of my arabic skills, so we left. It's was nice and interesting though.

Oh, and the reason we didn't get to the old place was because apparently people are too scared and there was no way to get up by car. Just climb. Lol. I wish I wasn't so adventurous! I was bummed out. I can see why people are scared (the believe of Jinn in these old places) but since Richard, I'm pretty much fearless. Besides, knowing not a lot of people trek up in the hills and mountains to these old places means there is more for me to discover.

It's actually very interesting, a lot of Saudi Arabia remains intact and untouched, especially because when you discover artifacts (as someone recently did here, a woman's face in stone that dates back 1000 years before Islam) you don't get money for them like in the West. That dramatically reduces the desire to plunder artifacts for money, apparently. You get named the discoverer which is pretty darn cool, though. Bridgette Martin, explorer? Heck yeah!

I watched a show on Saudi by BBC and it talked about that very subject. I'll have to search it up and post it : The frankincense trail (I'm pretty sure that's what it was). The hostess went scuba-diving and found tons of old incense burners and a ship- never been discovered. Just like that! Isn't that incredible, to know there are so many little things out there to be found? I'm not really the type to remove these things, but take pictures? of course! Everything has it's place.

Beautiful Saudi South
We drove up mountains and down into valleys, we got pretty close to some old stuff, took a ton of pictures, and relaxed. I walked a little, but today was breezy and lovely so a lot of people were out and about. We found a really nice park, it's just being finished and I cannot wait to take Eliana.

Canada is so new so it's always such a thrill to touch and examine things before my time. I'm getting my fill, that's for sure. I can't wait for my husband to take me to the old houses... if we can find a way up to them!

That reminds me, I found these really beautiful flower print hiking boots...


Friday 10 May 2013

Almost a month!

I've been here 3 weeks and a day. I'm terrible at math so I could be wrong! It has passed me by so quickly, almost as quickly as my daughter's first year... woah.

The weather here is beautiful. I know I'm missing the best season in Canada right now, but it's actually slightly cooler here in Al Baha than it is in Ontario, surprisingly! The sun, the breeze, it all calls me. But can I go for a walk? Nuh uh. I'm trying to get my husband to find a park nice enough and private enough that we can go for a nice long walk like we used to. It's been hard.

My foots been falling asleep a lot, like every day for a week. I need to get out of here and jog. I had a dream last night that I walked past all the store fronts and window shopped. I'm deprived, at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that people don't walk or my husband wont let me. It's just finding a nice area to do it where you wont get run over by cars or harassed by teenage boys.

It's also kind of hard here with the weird roads up the mountain, if we got down a little to a different area I know for a fact there are nicer parks (larger parks) but the land demographic here just wont allow it. I'll have to wait and pace around the living room a couple more times *sigh*.

My lovely husband took me out to Little Caesars here, it tasted like home and I practically inhaled it. To be perfectly honest, I like chicken and rice a lot, but not as much as my husband's family and I was starting to get really bored from eating. Yes, me! Bored from eating! Can you believe it?

We were tucked away in the family section with our pizza, crazy bread, and wings under the AC and beside a window- the best spot in the lot. I promptly uncovered myself, all of myself. I sat there in my dress, like I was in Canada, except no one could watch me eat. I swear to god I was moaning with pleasure, my husband shot me a crazy look and I had to stop. It was SO good. So good that I had to take picture. So good that I ate half a pizza. I'll admit it. Yup.

Did I mention I haven't had pepperoni on pizza in like 5 years? Like that's an excuse for eating as much as I did, haha.

Then he took me to find a book to write in. I'm starting a gratitude journal and taking control of my happiness! I'm not unhappy here, but it's different and I find it hard to be optimistic when so much change is happening around me. My husband is getting his job back, inshallah, we're moving to Jeddah or Makkah soon, my daughter is 1 in a month, and life here is so different...

I knew I had to do something or I was going to become a big ball of crazy emotion and then the idea was presented to me- a gratitude journal, a book of all of the things that made me happy, all of the things that I am thankful for, all of the things people did for me and I did for them. I can tell you, from the first page, a lot of the stuff is things that my husband has done for me and it opened my eyes to how accommodating and lovely he's been.

So we got that and then we went to a store so I could find a new abaya- which I did! Which I love! It's lovely, it's perfect, dare I say it is beautiful. It's not special but the one I had (which I spent a whopping 60$ cdn on) was heavy, huge, and I looked like someone's Saudi grandmother rather than a 22 year old wife. Anyway, it was 90 SAR, I don't even know where I got it but it's lighter and more comfortable and the boost I needed.



Life is moving on.


Saturday 4 May 2013

Saudi Makeup

Food here is cheap.
So is clothing.
Pretty much everything here is very cheap except for makeup. 

I made the mistake of leaving all of my good stuff at home, hundreds of Canadian dollars down the drain there. All of my nail polish, everything! I thought, like everything else, I'd be able to find it here no problem. Well, I was wrong and I'll be the first to admit it. I'm suffering.

Finding and experiencing new brands used to be a hobby of mine, now it's a nightmare. I am tossed around by products, some look amazing but the quality stinks, some look terrible but have staying power like nothing else I've ever used. It's the mix of arab, asian, and european market brands here that make it absolutely impossible to find anything good or worthwhile without buying, taking home, and either loving or regretting, first.

There are no real huge malls here in Al Baha, so I've experienced a couple of stores in search of makeup brushes. Let e tell you- they are as expensive if not more expensive than Canada. I couldn't even tell if it was a good brand because I've never heard of it! God knows if it's like dollar store quality and I don't know. Plus, you can test on your hand but no where else, so I'm frightened to run out of foundation and have to go looking for that later on.

And the men!
Agh!

Looking good guuuurl!
I love it when there is a nice covered saudi woman at the counter. I politely tell her how I don't speak arabic and she guides me towards the good stuff and is very helpful, when I'm done she cuts me a deal (doesn't use me!) and I usually get something free in the end. Done and done. When there is a man around I feel like he's burning holes into my abaya and my hand with his eyes- especially because I'm english. Then suddenly the 24 riyal nail polish becomes 40 riyals. I CAN READ, MAN!

Anyway...
I hardly talk to anyone without my scary husband anyway.

I can't wait to move to the city where there are malls with sephora and other things I'm familiar with. I guess I can't escape the price, which is a pity, but at least I know what I'm buying.

Now I have to tackle my organic fix and lingerie.

No organic stuff here from what I've seen, not Baha nor Makkah. Lingerie? Awkward, and I'm saving it for later.

If anyone has tips on finding makeup here PLEASE, let me know. I'm stressing!

Friday 3 May 2013

Week 1- Hello Country, Hello SICKNESS

So we've been here ten days, maybe? I lost track.

We have been so sick. My daughter has never been sick so for her to go from a stomach upset to a head cold was a true test of our parenting and my strength as a mother. I lived with my parents before, so it was easy to take care of scary situations or new developments in her. Of course, everything happens at once and when I'm by myself.

The morning my daughter started throwing up (day 2) we took her to a private clinic in Makkah. It looked a lot like the old clinics in Canada, a bit run down, not very high tech, kind of unclean. I wasn't impressed, especially because I was freaking out over my daughter's projectile vomiting. The doctor only talked to my husband (where I was previously always the one to deal with doctors) and the next thing I knew my daughter was getting a shot for Rotavirus? I basically looked at my husband with a "don't you dare" expression on my face. I still don't understand why she got it, which was a big no-no. I, first of all, would not have taken her to get medicated had she not been vomiting so much the first time she's ever been sick. I went in search of a few reassuring words and some directions on how to deal with the sickness, not shots and two huge bottles of medicine... (one for colic? Wtf!) If I could contact my parents, or someone I would have been able to get advice. It was an emotional fiasco. I was very upset. Needless to say, she was vomiting without diarrhea  so it wasn't rotavirus, and it was easy to deal with (just a lot of clean up)!

The next, next day we met my in laws. They had a great party for us and it was heartwarming to see my husband so happy and comfortable. They're all great people, and I'm very lucky to be a part of their family. It's lovely here in Al Baha (18 degress, 10 at night), we have an apartment to ourselves- so it's been nice to get some time alone, too. Every so often the maid comes to clean, comes to take Eliana to her grandparents, and I get a break (which feels really, really weird).

Our second day her and we caught a head cold thing. My daughter has her first fever, and I was seriously sick as well with  terrible fever. I don't think I have ever felt so sick. We were run down from the stomach issues from before, so this was pretty intense and it's almost gone except for some runny noses.

As soon as the fever was gone, my daughter learned to crawl! Guess how I found out? With my daughter crawling off the bed while I fetched her a diaper. Yup. From the middle of the king sized bed onto hardwood floor. I screamed bloody murder, the maid and ALL of my in laws came running into the apartment to find me crying and my daughter happily at my boob. Lovely.

Now shes standing by herself, walking against furniture, crawling absolutely everywhere. All I can say is Alhamdulilah I feel better now and I can chase after her.

I'm still adjusting. I've never used a gas oven, burned a huge patch off my wrist. By huge I mean the size of three fingers. Man I'm an idiot. I have had such a good impression on my in laws... hahaha.

I really miss my family. It kind of hurts when I see my husband and his family of 10. I miss my family of 4 back home, and my Auntie Jenn, and my Uncle Chris, and my cousin Pat. My little family. I miss them, and of course I talk to them, but I've come to realize it's not the same. Not even remotely. I cried like a baby when I was sick, I wanted my mom. I won't even lie about that or leave it out. The feeling I had when my husband lived in Saudi and I was in Canada was sad and longing- now I feel that for my whole family. At first it felt like I had done them some injustice by leaving them and taking my daughter, obviously it's not true, but I'm just very attached to my family. I miss you guys.

I've discovered Sun Top, Rani, Miranda, vimto, and Shani. My best friends. Drinks here are awesome, Sun Top is just orange juice, Rani is sparkling orange with pulp (mmm!), miranda is an orange pop, vimto is a fruit drink, Shani is a fruit pop. All of them are amazing. Arabic coffee is amazing. Tea here is amazing. Yum.

My favourite food these days has to be BBQ chicken arabic style. I love the char flavour, it's so juicy, not overly spicy and quite nice. Arabic bread here is fluffier and fresher than at home. Cheese is good here, and yogurt is a huge thing here. Both are very good quality- your fetas and yogurt cheeses are all top quality. The mozzarella is sub par, and the cheddar... Oh god no. It's ALL processed. By all, I mean I can't even find brick cheddar cheese here. Just american processed cheddar, can, cube, and brick. Bleck! That's something I really miss (I used to eat it daily!).

I was craving homey foods and I made chili last night. It was just what I needed to wind down. I never used to understand comfort food (though I guess all food was comfort food to me lol) until now. I seriously went from grumpy and pessimistic to full and satisfied in a meal. It meant the world to me.

On that note I need to find a way to work out here. I can't just as well go walking by myself like I used to. I can't find a female gym, especially here in the south. I think when we're in our 'all the time' apartment I'll invest in a treadmill and bike again, I don't really have a choice because the amount of food I have consumed and the introduction of my first family car has been detrimental to my body, I'm afraid. All ready, I know!

I ran around and danced in the living room with Eliana, she absolutely loved it and squealed as I jumped and spun. I will do it again, I neglect my arms when I work out but at least I forget about them when I'm holding her. It felt good and made me happy. I collapsed, out of breath and laughing. Elly put her little hand on my chest. What a darling cutie. That kind of work out has got to be good for both of us.

I find that I sleep an awful lot. I'm working through my issues. I haven't been in the best mood, but I'm getting there. I think it's because I'm lacking my daily walk. I've gone from at least 1 mile a day to 0 in a week and it makes me feel really unwell. It's not something I'm willing to compromise. It's so easy, I need to get my husband on board again. Even if he just takes me to a park (what am I a dog?) 4-5 times a week at night.

Clothes here are... eccentric at best. Very different fashion than back home. I'm getting used to that too, though, I have to say, I look darn good in some of the stuff. Though, I'm scared to find pants. I'm like a foot taller than anyone I've come in contact with since we got here. Haaa!

OOOH! But shoes are lovely and inexpensive. I got a new pair, black flats with silver... things. Oh god. I'll insert a picture later. Will send mom shoes. Promise.

Baby items here are chinese and arab made, a lot different than the toys r us stuff back home. The range from sturdy and safe to flimsy and scary as hell. My father in law seems to be a pro, however, and has spoiled my daughter beyond repair.

My brother in law is getting married in a month so we went to get dresses made. This is being run by my sister in law, Sharifah. From day one she recorded my colour preferences and my favorite style. She then went out and got a fortune worth of fabric- wine and gold- and told me I was coming with her to get sized by the people who will make my custom designed dress. I told her, I want quarter sleeves, mermaid bottom, slightly scooped neck, and breast feeding friendly. What she designed was something dreamy.

It's quite interesting how this whole dress making thing works: we left the house at 11pm and drove to someones house. We went behind the house the a shed. A shed. I could fit like 3 people at most! It looked like we were on a drug run, my mother in law and two sister in laws and I got out of the car. I entered last. It was like entering the tardis- Oh my god. The biggest most luxurious room I've ever been in. Not a room, a SHOP! It had henna areas with velvet chairs and fabric hanging from the ceiling and the most delicious perfumes. They had coffee and treats. I passed, because my daughter wailed as she was measured. Like seriously screamed at the top of her lungs. I don't know why? Anyway, that was one serious adventure.

More updates to come! Tata!