Category: Uncategorized (Page 16 of 17)

First off, I’m not expert on security, even though I tend to be very aware of my surroundings at all times. I even carry a whistle with me, which thankfully saved mine and my Kiwi mate’s asses one time with a pack of stray dogs in Burma, and which I’m equally thankful I’ve never used regarding my safety being threatened by another person. But that’s not really what this post is about. When I was here in 2010/2011 things were far from what I would call “safe”. At that time demonstrations and protests were taking place throughout the Middle East in what became known as the Arab Springs. The majority of these protests and the violence that ensued took place outside of Saudi Arabia, however; during this time Westerners were warned to take precautions especially after the noontime prayer on Fridays. Then there was the Florida preacher Terry Jones who threatened to burn the Koran which lead to protests and deaths in Muslim countries around the world. And then there was the killing of Bin Laden. If memory serves me correct embassy events in Riyadh were cancelled during the week Bin Laden was killed. There were always rumors of incidents against female hospital employees while off the hospital compound. Warnings passed from nurse to nurse regarding assaults in taxis or at markets. I recall an incident making the news regarding some western women having stones thrown at them outside of Kingdom Mall.

One of the biggest fears I had about returning to Saudi Arabia this time was that events in Iraq and Syria would start to spill over. One only needs look at a map to see how close Saudi Arabia is to the action. It shares some reported 900km border with Iraq. Canada updated their travel report related to Saudi Arabia last week and currently advises travelers to Saudi Arabia to exercise a high degree of caution. The US Department of State urges its citizens to carefully consider the risks while traveling in Saudi Arabia. In October, an American was killed in Riyadh in an incident that reportedly stemmed from a workplace incident. A couple weeks ago a Danish man was shot in the shoulder in an attack that prompted the cancelling of embassy events in Riyadh. His attackers have since been arrested and its been reported that they have ties to terrorist organizations. Then the following week a Canadian man was stabbed in another part of Saudi Arabia. This was also deemed a random incident although the attacker was apprehended. Then, just this past week was the murder of an American woman in a mall bathroom in Abu Dhabi. The female attacker in this case is being dubbed as a lone terrorist.

Al Ula is the red dot

This past week fighter jets could be seen and heard flying over the city. I’m not certain that this means anything in regards to the current security situation (for all I know they could be practicing) but the noise is hard to ignore. On Thursday I flew to Al Ula and to my amazement I actually boarded a place without my ID even being checked. Went thru security and no one asked for ID or even to see my boarding card. So security is in place in some cases and not in others. Over the weekend I spent 2 nights in Al Ula visiting the area and getting to see Madain Saleh and while we were there it was required that we have a police escort. In actual fact this consisted of very young unarmed Saudi policemen who sometimes escorted us and sometimes were no where to be found. It was hard to believe that in the unlikely chance we might find ourselves in need of security what exactly these teenagers would be able to do to protect us.

So what does all this really mean? I still feel safe within my limited knowledge of the security situation. I don’t feel unsafe when I go out in public. I do believe that random incidents could happen here and just as easily back home. I’m not changing my behaviour, or isolating myself inside, but I’m more aware when I go out. I’ve put “just in case” numbers into my phone. And I’ve accepted that my being here is subject to a variety of circumstances that are beyond my control. I’ll keep you all posted……

This past weekend I had the chance to go to Friday brunch at the Ritz Carlton. Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend here, so most of the fancy brunches take place on Friday after the noontime prayer. The Ritz Carlton was built 3 years ago so it wasn’t open the last time I was here. The hotel is set on 52 acres of land right next to the King Abdul Aziz Conference Centre. The hotel is, as you can imagine, a very magnificent building. It’s very, very fancy. Our driver Shahbaz dropped us off and we met up with our group in the lobby- which was huge, and open, and naturally being Saudi Arabia there were meeting areas for single men, separate from the meeting areas for families and women.

So we check in for brunch just after 12:30 and the place is mostly empty, which is perfect because all the food is beautifully displayed! There was so much food. An entire section dedicated to all things smoked salmon, and another one full of seafood (prawns, octopus, lobster tail, mussels). Are you hungry yet? There were tons of salads to choose from, an Asian section with noodles that you could have freshly cooked and a sushi bar. There was a fresh pasta bar, delicious prime rib, cheese plates, and then the desserts. Literally tables of desserts. Including an ice cream sundae bar and my personal favourite…..the chocolate fountain. Fresh juices are included in the 325riyal price ($86US or $100CDN.) Now brunches are always a little stressful because there is so much to choose from I never quite know where to begin, and am always afraid of missing out. I want someone to hand me a map or tell me what the game plan is, but this never happens. So I filled a plate with smoked salmon and seafood. Then I followed that up with some sushi and a piece of prime rib. Then I left room for dessert. We were finished around 2:30, but you could easily sit there until the brunch finishes at 4pm to really get your money’s worth. I however, had other plans for us because I wanted a guided tour of the hotel.

So we asked could we have a tour? And the response was “yes mam” and a bubbly Filipino guy named Jaime took us around. First stop was to see the pool area which sadly, is only for men. Same goes for the spa and hair dresser. The pool was empty which meant we could go down and have a looksie. The pool area is indoors and surrounded by large windows and the ceiling is painted to look like the sky which gives it a really relaxing natural light. The pool is surrounded by upholstered baby-blue chaise lounge chairs which seems a little odd given that if you’re lounging near the pool you are most likely going to be wet, but its all very opulent. The pool area is over looked by the 2 other restaurants in the Ritz- an Italian restaurant and and Asian one. After we finished taking photos of ourselves relaxing in our abayas on the poolside furniture we toured the hotel rooms. The hotel is designed in an “X” with great care taken into ensuring the security of its guests, as members of the Royal Family stay here, as do diplomats and neighbouring countries royals. Basically this means that floors or wings can be blocked off if need be. So the basic rooms are nice- pretty much what you’d expect from a high-end hotel. Then there are the executive suites and 40 some-odd Royal Suites. And these suites are fancy- like you definitely have servants if you’re staying in a place like this, kind of fancy. It costs 25000riyals/night for the Royal Suites- more than my current monthly salary (around $6600US or $7600CDN.) So its unlikely that I’ll be glamming it up there anytime soon. These suites only sleep 4 people, but have a huge dining area, office, kitchen, enormous seating area, and wall to wall marble. The square footage of these suites is over 4000 sq ft so larger than many peoples homes.

The gorgeous pool area

The marble lobby

Me. Being a boss.

Sitting area of Royal Suite

Royal Suite entry way.

A bedroom fit for royalty

So if 5 star glam is your thing- The Ritz won’t disappoint!! If like me, your tastes are more simple, or less extravagant than you should go to the brunch. Like this Friday. But, have a game plan so your stomach isn’t full before your eyes take in all the food options. And lastly, many thanks to Jaime for our top notch tour!!

I never had a chance to visit the Riyadh Zoo the last time I was in Saudi so this past week I had a day off that coincided with a “ladies day” at the zoo so my kiwi side-kick and I decided to check it out. As with most activities in Saudi the sexes are separated and the zoo is no exception. “Ladies days” often mean women and families, but it was a nice surprise to find out that in fact only women and children were allowed. Women were free to roam the zoo unaccompanied and even free to remove their abayas (little black dress) and let the stress of the day fall away. Years ago I read a blog post about another ex-pats experience of visiting the Riyadh Zoo, so I can’t say I was completely in the dark about what it might be like, but even with this bit of knowledge the zoo was a very disheartening experience. The first clue that it probably wasn’t going to be up to my western standards was the entry price. It cost a whole 10 riyals ($2.50US) to get in. Where in the world can you go to a zoo for the price of a coffee people? Just as a guess I’d say most North American zoos will cost between 80-100riyals entry ($20-30US). If it costs you a coffee to get in you can rest assured that none of this money is likely going into wildlife preservation, or public education of any sort. More on that later…

So we pay the entrance fee and walk into the zoo and there are ladies in fashionable Middle Eastern attire as far as the eye can see. Since mostly I only see covered women around the hospital I was unaware of the trend of super dark almost sharpie markered on eyebrows that the ladies in Riyadh are sporting. Personally I’m not a fan, but each to their own. Also as a side note, stilettos are a completely reasonable footwear choice for a trip to the zoo. My kiwi mate and I were a little self-conscious in our flipflops. Anyways, there is a cement path that winds around the zoo property, with women having picnics on the grass alongside the path. We took a left at the flamingos and came up on the monkey cages which kinda resembled cell blocks. The cages were quite small and the first thing we noticed was the garbage that was inside the cages- water bottles, chip and candy bar wrappers, and whatever else people were too lazy to put in the garbage. The monkeys were very cute- especially the ones from the Amazon, but they were in very small enclosures. Further along we could hear quite a commotion and came to some larger monkey cages. There was a crowd of Arabic women and children outside the cage who were yelling and throwing popcorn into the monkey cage. A woman and a couple kids had even climbed over the barrier to get closer to the animals. Secretly I hoped one of them would get bitten by one of the wound-up monkeys. Sadly, I did not get to witness this.

So from here things only got sadder. The animals we saw were either listless and uninterested or completely agitated. There was a bear who tried to do tricks for treats, and a gorilla that was being aggressively yelled at by some teenage girls. There was a tiger enclosure where 2 tigers just paced back and forth, back and forth. There were double humped camels in a exhibit with reindeer from North America which seemed a little odd. Many enclosures for the larger animals were also littered with garbage. I can only imagine how hot the animals get during the summer months when the temperatures are very high. I can’t say I saw any airconditioning, although many of the enclosures did have shaded areas. Watching the way the animals were treated by the girls and women made me thankful to not have to witness how teenage boys and men behaved with the animals on the all-men days. I can only imagine if the women were being aggressive with the animals how groups of men likely behave and it makes my heart cry. I could have easily left after 30 minutes but we had arranged for our driver to come back in 2 hours. So for the next hour we wandered in a state of shock. My emotions ranged from sadness, to annoyance, to anger, and then to complete disappointment. I scolded children telling them not to feed the animals candy or throw garbage into the cages. I swore under my breath and held back the urge to punch people in their faces. My kiwi sidekick cried. It was awful. The entire experience felt like a massive fail for humanity.

So the real issue for me is how do you teach people to be compassionate for animals in a country where many families don’t own or take care of animals as we do in western countries. For me to watch how women and children treated caged animals felt ironic as women here have far fewer freedoms than we do back home, and often I feel caged here as a woman. Where was the kindness? Where was the compassion? Missing was the part of the zoo experience that many of us cherish- that of seeing these amazing animals up close. Missing was the  education that most zoo experiences offer. The entire time we were at the zoo we did not see a single person working there apart from the ticket person and the worker selling the popcorn and chips. Maybe it was because they weren’t allowed to be there as it was a “ladies day” and it would’ve been improper to have zoo employees mixing with unaccompanied ladies. My point is that there wasn’t a single person watching out for how the animals were being treated, or trying to educate the visitors about why the bear doesn’t eat potato chips because in real life bears eat small animals, berries and fish ect.

When we left I asked to speak with someone who worked with the animals, but the ticket man told me that the person I needed to speak with had already gone home for the day. The gentleman who runs the zoo is Australian (as per the person we asked). I did not get a chance to speak with him. In saying all of this I don’t know what conditions those animals faced prior to coming to the Riyadh Zoo. Maybe they came from worse conditions. This I do not know. Maybe the people who work there feel as awful as I did and have tried to change the way visitors to the zoo treat the animals. This I also do not know. What I do know is that the experience there left me feeling numb and disheartened. So if you love animals I’d take a pass on going to the zoo here. I’ve done a little research about animal rights groups within Saudi Arabia and all I could find were groups pertaining to domestic animals and some information about a petition regarding a different zoo in Riyadh a few years back.

Also- as an ironic little souvenir of my visit- look what toys they sold at the zoo. Aren’t they sweet, and very appropriate. I imagine some kids have even gone so far as to shoot these toys at the animals.

Having now visited many third world countries including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Guatemala to name a few; I can confidently say that drivers in Saudi are in the running for the worst.  Driving rules and laws are viewed as mere suggestions to be followed, and then only if one wants to. And really, who would want to given all the flashy cars and SUV’s that are driven on Saudi streets??

The last time I was here I hardly ever wore a seat belt (don’t worry mom I ALWAYS wear one now- that is assuming the car I’m in has seat belts.) Previously I think I thought I was invincible, but this time I’ve heard too many horror stories and seen the remnants  of some very serious accidents alongside the freeway. Ex-pats in Saudi are always saying its not a matter of “if” you’ll be in an accident, but when. Luckily for me I’m hoping I’ve already gotten the accident karma out of my system, because the last time I was here I was involved in a little fender-bender. I was in a cab with 2 other girls and the taxi driver was very busy perving at us in the rear view mirror and he plowed thru the security barrier outside our compound angering the security guards and losing his rooftop taxi sign in the process. We were unscathed, and he was about 50 shades of red getting a strip torn off him by the guards.

I’ve done a little research about how serious driving fatalities are in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Here in the capital of Riyadh it estimated that 9 people die daily with almost 20 people dying in traffic fatalities throughout the entire country per day. So how does this stack up to traffic fatality rates around the world? The World Health Organization has tables that track road fatality rates and the world average of traffic fatalities per 100 000 people is 18 (please note these stats are a couple years old). Just to give you an idea, in Saudi Arabia its 24.8, Canada 6, USA 11.6 and India 19.9. Several countries did have higher road fatality rates than Saudi Arabia and included Iran, Iraq, Thailand, Venezuela, and several African countries. It’s interesting to note that these statistics don’t separate out road fatalities into pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, or vehicles. Here in Saudi Arabia there are very few pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcycles as compared to say Thailand for example. It’s also very interesting to note that here in Saudi Arabia where its illegal for women to drive these stats represent only male drivers as compared to other countries whose statistics would include both male and female drivers.

So really how bad is driving here? I have witnessed cars driving the wrong way down the freeway or off-ramps on many occasions. It is very common for a vehicle in the outer right lane to make a left hand turn and most times they won’t even signal their intention. I once saw a covered truck with several workers in the back set off firecrackers under the canopy while driving 100km/hr on the freeway, because hey, this seems like a super smart thing to do. Children are often unrestrained in the car and often hanging out the window. Car seats are not used. When I asked at work about what type of check off we did when discharging new born babies in car seats I was laughed at like it was the funniest joke ever. The reply was “honey, nobody uses car seats here.” Tail gating is frequent. So is being stalked by a car load of pervy men. I’m not making this up. Most of the vehicles we are driven around in have tinted windows making it difficult to see who’s inside. Sometimes if we are going out in a group one of us ladies has to sit up front. This is where the real craziness begins. Cars full of young men will drive very close alongside, block other traffic, follow you, hold up signs with their phone numbers on it. I always make sure to call these men back and critique their driving skills. Just kidding!! Its amazing home many times you can be quite certain you’re going to be in an accident just being driven across the city.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where it is illegal for women to drive. In recent years there has been media coverage and driving protests across the country to shed light on the issue and move towards allowing women to drive. Earlier this month there was talk of an advisory council to the King recommending lifting the restrictions and allowing women the right to drive. With this recommendation however came stipulations such as the woman must be over 30, wear no make-up, and be allowed to drive in daytime hours only. I guess you have to start somewhere. While I don’t dispute that women’s rights are a major issue throughout the Middle East, even if I was legally able to drive here I still wouldn’t. From what I witness on a daily basis I know my reflexes are not up to speed for Saudi roads. Unless it involves driving over sand dunes you couldn’t pay me enough to get me to drive on the streets of Riyadh!! On one of my next trips out I intend on taking some video footage to show Saudi driving skills at their finest. Since I don’t have any video to show you I’ll instead leave you with some picture of top-notch parking instead!

Last week I wrote about the many things that have changed since my first contract in Saudi, and after giving it some more thought and spending more time out and about in Riyadh I wanted to add a few more things to the list. In Saudi Arabia the only recognized religion is Islam. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s ok for westerners to be any other religion (except Jewish or Atheist) as long as they are not publicly practicing said religion while in Saudi. While Christmas is not recognized as a holiday here, many ex-pats still celebrate it in one form or another. Personally, I love everything about Christmas- the music, the decorations, the food, and in 2010 I spent a miserable Christmas in Saudi. It was my first Christmas away from my family and home and I was really lonely and miserably homesick. This year to combat my past Christmas blues I packed some Christmas decorations, music and movies with me, and have really been wanting to decorate my apartment. I had heard thru the ex-pat grapevine that one of the local stores was selling holiday decorations (on the down-low) and was determined to find some. In my head I was preparing for a back alley drug deal type of scenario. I expected myself and my kiwi mate to enter this un-named store and give a guy a wink and then he would escort us out back of the store where the illegal merchandise was and we would come to some type of monetary understanding. Unfortunately, the actual event was much less exciting. We walked into the store and out of the corner of my eye I caught some flickering lights and some shiny material resembling tinsel. The lights and shiny material turned out to be……..you guessed it, Christmas lights and tinsel. And then out in the open right next to them were colourful ornaments, a wreath, and some tiny versions of trees. So we bought Christmas decorations and the only people surprised about how easy it was were myself and my kiwi sidekick. I guess Saudi has become more tolerant on ex-pat holiday celebrations.

Another major change that I have noticed in my 3 years away from Saudi is that you can now try on clothes in many local department stores. Now you’re probably asking what the heck we used to do when buying clothes in Saudi. Well typically women were only allowed to try on clothes in stores where women worked, and since until quite recent times women did not work in retail sales the only place I remember being able to try on clothing was at Kingdom Mall on the ladies only floor. So now I have tried on clothes in many other locations which is so much more convenient than buying something and trying it on in the mall bathroom, or having to take it home to try it on and then hire a driver to take you back to the store if your purchases didn’t fit.

In Saudi culture men are very affectionate with men and women quite affectionate with women. It is very common to see men kissing each other on the cheeks, hugging, holding hands while walking down the street and spraying one another with cologne, and equally as common seeing women being affectionate with one another. Affections between a man and a woman (his wife/wives) are considered to be of a private nature, and typically take place without an audience. On several occasions I have been surprised to witness Saudi couples holding hands while walking in the mall. It’s shocking enough that every time I’ve seen it either myself or whomever I’m with will comment on it in a hushed voice…”look at that couple holding hands.” I would never bat an eye at this at home, and here it always catches me be surprise. I think I would be completely stunned to see a couple kiss in public here.

I guess that the most encouraging part of all the changes I’ve noticed here is that things are relaxing in Saudi. If three years ago someone had told me that I could buy Christmas decorations out in the open, then try on jeans in a regular department store, AND see a couple holding hands in public I would have thought you were cray cray. Oh Saudi….how far you have come!!!

In the three years since I first left Saudi I’ve noticed several changes upon my return. First, the Abayas are a little more bedazzled and modern looking, and on rare occasions I’ve even seen women wearing Abayas that were grey or brown (my oh my!!) That being said, being back in Saudi feels largely void of colour. Pretty much everything is a sea of black and white- you see traces of accented colour, but mostly just the staple traditional clothing of white for men, and black for the ladies. In 2010-2011 the only places women worked in retail was pretty much Kingdom Tower on the ladies floor, but now it’s quite common to see female workers in many stores that cater to women and at the family checkout lanes at the grocery store. Even though I’m saying it’s more common, I’m still a little dumb founded to be approached by a female store clerk.  This is a positive new development and personally, I’d much rather buy my panties from a woman, as opposed to a man who speaks next to no English and stares wide mouthed at my blond locks (which has been my past experiences underwear shopping here!)

There is a much more visible presence of Saudi police on the road- it seems you can hardly be driven a km down the freeway without seeing a police car pulled over on the side of the road. Sadly, this has done little to increase the safety on Saudi roads. Saudi’s are still terrible drivers. Seriously. Driving here makes Indian roads look sensible and I should know having driven an auto rickshaw 3000km across India earlier this year. Drivers in Saudi drive the wrong way down the road, turn left from the outer right lane of a 4 laned road, follow no speed limits and have taken tailing to a heart-stopping level. So just to reinforce- increased police presence on the highway does not mean safer roads!!

I remember on many occasions being chased thru the mall or grocery store by the religious police and being instructed to cover my blond locks STAT. In fact the phrase “Seestah, seestah, cover your hair” is engrained in my brain and is permanently tied to my past memories of my time in Saudi. I’ve been back for 3 weeks and have yet to have a religious police encounter- and oddly I’ve seen them quite a bit. And yes, my blond locks have been out on display. I’m assuming this is related to a recent incident in August where the Muttawa were filmed attacking a British man and his Saudi wife while they used the family checkout lanes at a grocery store in Riyadh. This event made international news (rightly so, but sadly many such incidents never get reported or receive media attention involving ex-pats from non-western countries.)

There are several changes I’ve noticed at the hospital I work at also. First- Starbucks finally got seasonal flavours from home. Yep- I’ve had several Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but I’m not holding out hope that they’ll be getting Christmas flavours in. So, no Eggnog Latte for me this year. Wifi is readily available throughout the hospital- this has made keeping in touch so much easier, and has helped to pass the time in several boring computer orientation classes.  “You call this funny hand-held thingy a mouse Sir?!” Also,  they’ve got security personnel at the main entrances directing traffic. Seems like this should’ve been a no brainer right?! Well I can remember cars driving into the one-way drop off drive way and stopping to park to run in and use the ATM, all the while blocking traffic behind them while they got cash. Yes- I witnessed that happen several times.

Even though there are many changes since I left there are still no bars or nightclubs, no alcohol or bacon, no movie theatres, women still are not allowed to drive, although many  believe this will be changing soon (the driving, not the other things people!) I find these changes encouraging and look forward to what else Saudi has in store…..

One of the numerous things on my Saudi bucket list was to have High Tea at “The Globe” restaurant in the Al Faisaliah. Last weekend I organized a group of 10 other nurses from my orientation group and we went. It costs 180 riyals ($48US/$54CDN) which does seem a little steep, but I had heard good things about it and knew the view would be well worth it. I’ve never had high tea before so I have nothing to compare it to but I had envisioned teeny tiny little sandwiches with cucumbers and cream cheese. There was a good mix of western and Middle Eastern foods. I love seafood and there were lots of options with salmon, which was pretty much what I filled my plate with. There was sushi, hummus and bread, some Chinese dumplings, spring rolls, and a variety of other little appetizers and tiny sandwiches. There was a lengthy tea list which was included in the price. The food was pretty good, but the desert and the view were the real highlights. Chocolate fountain. Check. Desserts topped with gold flakes. Check. Too many tiny cakes to choose from. Check.

The view was Ah-mazing. A panoramic view of Riyadh. Unfortunately, the afternoon we went it was hazy (sandy) so visibility wasn’t at its best. We had a front row view of the sunset, which was beautiful. It was cool to see how enormous the hospital compound I work at is. The Globe is split into 2 levels with the level we were on being for westerners, so we were allowed to take off our Abayas. I almost fooled myself into thinking I wasn’t in Saudi except that there was no alcohol on the menu (no surprise) and a large bottle of spring water cost almost 2 glasses of wine back home. After filling our tummies and watching the sun set we went to the observation deck to take more photos of the Riyadh skyline. It was super windy up there, but such a great place to take photos and mix with the locals. Here are some more photos from The Globe….

Riyadh sunset

My hospital compound

View of Kingdom Tower

Globe reflection

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people about what my living situation here in Saudi Arabia is like, and what exactly it’s like to live on a compound. Single women in Saudi are not permitted to live freely as we do back home. Part of my work contract includes housing and all female nurses are housed on the hospital compound. Essentially this means that we live on the hospital property. It’s an enormous area with several different housing complexes ranging from studios to 1-3 bedroom apartments depending on your pay grade. We have access to gyms and pools. Most of the accommodations are shared with another hospital employee. Some of them have in-suite laundry, others have laundry facilities on each floor. The accommodations here are a little dated . I think it has the feel of an 80’s all women’s rehab facility (which is kinda fitting seeing as Saudi Arabia is an alcohol free country). Men are housed in only one of the complexes (which is separated by a fence to prevent male and female mixing) or else they live outside of the hospital compound. Men are not allowed into our housing areas. In fact when returning from running errands its not uncommon to have the trunk of the car searched (I’m unclear if this is for security reasons or to make sure there are no men stowed in there!)

So what exactly is a compound? Well, pretty much what it sounds like- a walled secured housing area. Some of the compounds around Riyadh are huge- with their own schools, stores, and restaurants on them. Often security is very tight to get in, with armed guards and specific security procedures. Other compounds are much less nice and much less secured.

The hospital I work at is completing several different construction projects, so parts of it are like a construction site with road closures and construction workers a plenty. There are some growing pains, but when its all finished there will be some 1200 patient beds in it. This is the largest hospital I’ve ever worked at. With this growth comes the need for some 500 more nurses and with the growing need of nurses comes the issue of where to house them. One of the current construction projects includes another all women housing complex.  They are currently building/digging some type of project eerily close to the building that I live in. So here are some photos to give you a better idea!!

The walk into work.

“The Shining.”

The beautiful pool area.

Pool Rules….

My bedroom.

The lounge

The Kitchen.

Home sweet home.

This past weekend the Social Club at the hospital I work at organized an outing to the Red Sands desert to ATV in the sand dunes. I’d never ridden an ATV and since it was on my Saudi bucket list, myself, my kiwi mate, and my American roommate all signed up. We took a bus out of Riyadh with about 20 other employees and luckily this time the driver knew where he was going!! We left the hospital around 7:30am Friday morning (Fridays are the Holy day here) so traffic was very light. On the way we passed some wadi’s that were super green with vegetation and then a couple minutes later we were passing rocky canyons. It was very distracting trying to take pictures from one side of the bus while there was something equally as beautiful on the other side. After about an hour we reached the Red Sands and it was pretty cool seeing the sand change from an unexciting beige to the hue this part of the desert is known for.

We paid for an hour of time on the ATVs and had the choice between a smaller one and a larger model with gears. Being a chicken I picked the smaller one, but next time I’ll be sure to get a larger one. A small group of us set off over the dunes and it was an absolute blast. The only downside was that people throw their garbage all over so what should be a beautiful desert actually resembles a landfill as you drive over water bottles, soda cans, old pieces of clothing, and various other debris (including a full sized couch). Don’t get me wrong, it was still beautiful, but would be more so if people respected the environment. The ATVs didn’t have a ton of power so if you didn’t gun the engine there was a decent chance you’d get stuck on the way up one of the dunes. Trust me. It was pretty easy to get stuck. Coming down the dunes was a little unnerving as you couldn’t tell how steep it was until you actually crested the top. Some of the dunes had broken off so you’d end up coming up over the top only to find that the backside of the dune resembled more of a step than a dune. Unfortunately, I found this out the hard way and scraped open my shin on the starter. Oh well, it was still a great time. When we originally booked this trip at the Social Club I asked the organizer if they had helmets for us to wear. He laughed and replied “The sand is soft, so no need.” I guess it wasn’t as soft as he thought since one of the girls on the trip got thrown off her ATV and broke her collar bone.

An hour on the ATV was plenty of time because even though it was still relatively early in the morning it was already heating up into the 30’sC. We shared a Saudi breakfast as a group and sat on mats in the desert shaded by a mostly bare tree. After a bit of a rest we walked a short distance to a nearby camel farm. This was where the term #camelselfie was coined. These camels appeared in an absurd amount of selfies and group photos. There were camels photobombing other camels, and camels quite literally smiling for the cameras. They were the friendliest group of camels I’ve ever seen and I’m pretty confident none of the people in our group got bitten or spit at (which with camels is saying a lot!) Anyways…..here’s some camel photos with a bonus camel toe. Your welcome!!