Well, it’s been a while. For a very long time I’ve had zero inclination to write anything, but here I am again. It’s strange, for a good few months life has been quiet and relaxed and I’ve had hours and hours at my disposal to sit and write and there’s been nothing, not even a whisper of inspiration or desire to type or put pen to paper. Now, however, when I’m rushed off my feet going from one Christmas party to another whilst planning Christmas dinner for around 13 people I feel utterly compelled to write something, anything. God damn creativity has done it again!
Anyway, my topic today is not creativity and how much of a fickle mistress she is, it’s about Christmas. I know, there’s going to be a lot of those blogs around for a while, but I think our Christmas may be slightly interesting to some of you. As you may know, my husband and I live in Saudi Arabia. We’re both British (though he grew up in Canada) but we’re currently dug in in the desert waiting out the tidal wave of economic depression.
Saudi is obviously not the most Christmas friendly place. Technically speaking we’re not even supposed to celebrate at all, even having a tree can get you in serious trouble. However, the ex-pat community being as strong as it is here there’s actually minimal resistance to celebrations in the part of Saudi we call home, so long as we’re not organizing Christian parades down the main streets the authorities tend to turn a blind eye.
The problem I’m finding with Christmas in Saudi is that I keep forgetting that it is even Christmas time. Well, when I say problem, I really mean blessing. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Christmas. Seriously, my dream job would be working as an elf in Santa’s toy factory way up in the North Pole. Christmas addict as I am though, I am unbelievably happy to have missed Christmas music in the stores for the last two months, and all the Christmas shopping in crowded malls and the pressure to spend butt loads of money to appease every single person on the gift lists consumerist desires.
It’s quite pleasant to suddenly realize, as I did last week, that it was nearly Christmas time. It hit me as I was at work that I had arranged nothing, and I mean nothing, for Christmas. The day itself will be just a regular day for us here as we’ll all be working. The 25th is a Saturday, but as the weekend here is a Thursday and Friday we’ll all be chained to our desks. But I hadn’t even thought of a gift for my husband, I felt seriously behind the game!
So, I did the logical thing, went into Christmas overdrive! The top of my to do list was buy a tree. Now, as I mentioned that’s not the easiest thing here, but a friend of mine assured me that she had found one in a craft store that I adore called Al Zamil. Zamil is a bit like Aladdin’s cave, you never know what you’ll find there but they have a brilliantly wide range of crafty supplies, from glass painting tools to wood carving and everything in between. It stood to reason that if anywhere in Khobar (our home town) had a ‘seasonal plant’, as they’re known as out here, it would be this treasure trove of a store.
So along we went. Not only did they have a room full of trees of assorted sizes there was an entire aisle full of baubles, tinsel, lights and an array of other decorations. There was a bit of an Only Fools and Horses moment when it came to finding the trees though I have to say! In hushed tones we were directed to a stock room in the attic of the building and when we had chosen the size we wanted we were handed an oblong, brown cardboard package with nothing on it but the price and ushered out of the room. It was awesome!
Whilst I was there I picked up supplies for my Christmas card making. I’m making my usual little Santa and snowmen cards. Very simple, very easy and a process I may share with you tomorrow.
Once the tree was up I was in full Christmas elf mode and was inviting people left right and center to join us for a feast on Christmas Eve. Well, they all accepted, so now I have to cook my first ever Christmas dinner for 13. Nothing like a baptism of fire eh?
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Frank Michels
Nabina
Betamale
Barbara Joanne
Gail Walter
Redstocking Grandma
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Jonathan Volk,
Black Diamond Rings
AND YET------The Saudis do not grant these legal rights to non-Muslims living within their own nation. They seem like Hypocrites.
The further we get away from Arab Oil dependence the further we can get away from this idiotic state of hypocritical dependence upon a regime that most Americans blatantly and viscerally despise to their very cores.
For this reason, then, perhaps the rise of Iran in the region is a good thing. It will keep the Saudis in check and humble their arrogant, wealthy asses.
Glad you found your tree. Sounds like doing a drug deal!
Happy Christmas!
rated.
I'd say the evangelists are just as powerful, if not more, than the mullahs and Imams in the Muslim world. In Pakistan for example they've never gotten more than 5 % of the vote. In America the Evangelical following and influence has a major impact on the results. They are all for the Republicans and the killing machine.
The Saudi Royals are all a bunch of hypocrites squandering away the wealth. They are darlings of the Washington establishment. Why? Because which pack of scoundrels would spend close to a trillion dollars, over the years, to buy U.S. arms which have never been used or will ever be used.
~R
Jim Ohio - Thanks for stopping by and taking a stroll with me! Merry Christmas to you too.
Rwoo5g - That's one of my biggest bugbears when I go home to the UK or visit Canada. The hypocrocy of folk who insist on another culture making room for theres and their religion when I have to come back here and can't even get behind the wheel of a car. But I knew what I was getting into when I moved here so I tend to just suck it up and get on with it. Thanks for reading btw!
Barbara Joanne - Thank you for reading my blog, and thanks for the add as a favourite! I do quite like ex-pat life, people are much more social I find, don't you?
Salamandar - World politics, it never makes sense. Thanks for reading.
Fusun - It's good to be back! though I'm told I might be late to a party that's drawing to a close, is it true the site is closing? As for what I will cook for 13 people, see today's blog.
Marion Stein - If the American's in question work for Aramco that is definitely the case. Aramco has it's own town in the part of Saudi I call home, and it's huge. The 'compound' is classed as American soil so the women can drive, there's usually a bit more free reign with the home brewed and smuggled alcohol and it's a bit more like home.
Most other companies are not like that. All companies are bound by law to provide housing for immigrant workers, so we all live on a company owned compound, but there's a mix of nationalities and it's very heavy on the Islamic contingent so life is not as free. Besides, most compounds are small enough to walk around, supermarket shopping etc having to be done out in the 'real Saudi' and we don't have to cover on the compound as it's classed as 'western style living'. I'll do a blog on it soon I think.
John (dad) - Our tree looked fantastic until one of the cats sent it for it's 4th fligh across the room last night and broke the start and left it looking a bit bedraggled! We'll have to fix it up lol. This Christmas won't be a patch on last year, and it won't have anything to do with my cooking (I hope)! We'll miss you all xxx
Joan H - I don't think the tree will get us into too much trouble, we don't get regular visists from the authorities so we should be ok!!
Ger - The cats are having fun with it! Our first Christmas with the four of them!