We haven’t updated this blog much lately. K has a hypothesis that this is mainly due to two reasons:
1) An insane amount of university work on K’s table (which as now let up, hence this post).
2) Because we have become Saudiaized.
Saudiazation is a program run by the government that tries to tackle unemployment and other problems in Saudi Arabia by employing Saudis, granting cheap mortgages etc. Basically it’s a let’s-try-to-keep-our-citizens-happy-by-giving-them-cheap-loans-nice-jobs-and-benefits. Expats usually refer to it with humor by saying someone has become Saudiaized when he’s picked up Saudi habits. An example of a Saudi habit is driving on reverse on a three-lane highway when realizing the you’ve just missed your exit by a kilometer.
You know you’ve become Saudiaized when you:
…have been boxed in and think nothing of it. “Boxed in” means you’ve parked your car in a legal spot and while you were gone for 5 min cars has been parked illegally in front, left, right and behind your car so that you can’t move.
…start boxing cars in yourself.
…automatically search for a parking spot where it would be hard for other cars to box you in.
…think it’s daring to reveal your shoulders in public.
…think of schwarma as a proper meal.
…the sight of driving females shocks you for a split second when your outside of the kingdom.
…don’t wake up at 3.30AM when the closest mosque starts the morning prayers and they are LOUD.
…stop hearing the prayer calls altogether and attribute them to background noise.
…always pack a scarf with you no matter where you go.
…don’t even think of going out without checking the prayer schedule first.
…start disregarding the “Men Only” signs. Someone will come and tell you if they really don’t want you in there.
…think that the biggest car has right of way no matter the situation. Especially in a roundabout.
…you completely understand when a fellow non-Moslem expat says “hamdullah” (thanks to Allah) to you and nod in agreement before realizing he was being sarcastic.
…don’t think twice about being the only female in sight whose face is uncovered.
…don’t bat an eyelash when you see a car reversing or driving against traffic on a 120km/h highway in the dark without lights on. The only thing that comes to you mind is “It’s ok”.
…automatically think of the muttawa first when you see a white SUV with an official looking logo on the side.
…think it's completely normal for there to be three different spellings for a road or city name.
What we mean is, when you start taking all these things for granted there just don’t seem to be that many things to write about in Saudi Arabia.
1) An insane amount of university work on K’s table (which as now let up, hence this post).
2) Because we have become Saudiaized.
Saudiazation is a program run by the government that tries to tackle unemployment and other problems in Saudi Arabia by employing Saudis, granting cheap mortgages etc. Basically it’s a let’s-try-to-keep-our-citizens-happy-by-giving-them-cheap-loans-nice-jobs-and-benefits. Expats usually refer to it with humor by saying someone has become Saudiaized when he’s picked up Saudi habits. An example of a Saudi habit is driving on reverse on a three-lane highway when realizing the you’ve just missed your exit by a kilometer.
You know you’ve become Saudiaized when you:
…have been boxed in and think nothing of it. “Boxed in” means you’ve parked your car in a legal spot and while you were gone for 5 min cars has been parked illegally in front, left, right and behind your car so that you can’t move.
…start boxing cars in yourself.
…automatically search for a parking spot where it would be hard for other cars to box you in.
…think it’s daring to reveal your shoulders in public.
…think of schwarma as a proper meal.
…the sight of driving females shocks you for a split second when your outside of the kingdom.
…don’t wake up at 3.30AM when the closest mosque starts the morning prayers and they are LOUD.
…stop hearing the prayer calls altogether and attribute them to background noise.
…always pack a scarf with you no matter where you go.
…don’t even think of going out without checking the prayer schedule first.
…start disregarding the “Men Only” signs. Someone will come and tell you if they really don’t want you in there.
…think that the biggest car has right of way no matter the situation. Especially in a roundabout.
…you completely understand when a fellow non-Moslem expat says “hamdullah” (thanks to Allah) to you and nod in agreement before realizing he was being sarcastic.
…don’t think twice about being the only female in sight whose face is uncovered.
…don’t bat an eyelash when you see a car reversing or driving against traffic on a 120km/h highway in the dark without lights on. The only thing that comes to you mind is “It’s ok”.
…automatically think of the muttawa first when you see a white SUV with an official looking logo on the side.
…think it's completely normal for there to be three different spellings for a road or city name.
What we mean is, when you start taking all these things for granted there just don’t seem to be that many things to write about in Saudi Arabia.
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