What's Thai for "Will you marry me?"

This week's Round Up is hosted by Sara at Wife-Mommy-Woman. The topic is your most embarrassing expat moment. I am thankful that nothing immediately comes to mind; that's not to say there aren't good stories to be told, but I can't think of anything super embarrassing off the top of my head. So that brings me to one of my favorite stories.

In college, I spent my junior year abroad - a semester in Khon Kaen, Thailand and then a semester in Cape Town, South Africa. On my first day in Cape Town, our orientation included a trip up Table Mountain at sunset. Our group consisted of about fifty students from around the US. We were all meeting each other for the first time. For those of you who have never been to Cape Town, Table Mountain is the striking feature in the middle of the city - aptly named and featured on all iconic pictures of the city. You can hike up or take the cable car up, which was our method that day. At the top, we walked all around the plateau and took in the views of the landscape below. It truly is gorgeous views, particularly at sunset.

As the sun started to set over the Atlantic Ocean, I noticed that the two men standing near where I was sitting with some fellow students were speaking Thai. Having just returned from six months in Thailand, including six months of intensive language, I decided to strike up a conversation. The men were selling balloon animals. My limited Thai skills didn't extend too far beyond basic conversation (or buying fruits and vegetables), but I gleaned that they had only been in South Africa a few months and were trying to make a living with their balloon creatures.

I went back to my group after a few minutes and noticed that there was a small wedding going on nearby. I was engrossed in watching the ceremony when one of the Thai men came up to me with a bouquet of balloon flowers. He was saying things I didn't understand, but I did hear the word wedding. I replied yes, that's a wedding. Then, the man grabs my hand and starts to lead me towards the wedding. At this point I had no idea what was going on. My Resident Director and several peers were looking on with curiosity and amusement. As we make our way closer to the bride and groom I start thinking I've maybe agreed to marry this man. Maybe I didn't say "yes, that's a wedding" so much as "yes I want a wedding. now. with you."

Against my better judgment I let the man and his balloon flowers lead me straight to the happy couple. The officiant stopped speaking as we approached. And just as every frightening accidental marriage scenario played through my head, the Thai man hands the bewildered bride the bouquet of balloon flowers and looks at me saying something to the effect of "wedding. flowers. for her." and that's when I realized he didn't want to marry me. He wanted me to translate while he presented a gift to the couple. So I apologized for interrupting their ceremony but that this man wanted to give them flowers on the happy occasion. They took it in stride, laughing and graciously accepting the balloons.

The Thai man thanked me, and he and his companion headed towards the next group of tourists. I walked back towards my new friends, completely stunned by what had just (almost) happened. The few who had realized what was going on were laughing. We finished up our tour of the mountain and headed back down. Incidentally, several of us went out for Thai food that night. I did not even attempt to speak to anyone in Thai. Lesson learned.

The incident, looking back, was quite funny. And in many ways it helped bridge the experience between two very different countries and cultures. It was not, however, an ego boost for my Thai language skills. 

A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall: Flood Redux Recap

I read/heard one time that most Foreign Service evacuations happen in places where there was no hint of unrest or problems. You only have to look at Tunisia and Egypt right now to see how quickly things can escalate from 0 to really bad. (Lebanon has a little more context, but that doesn't make things any less difficult.) I think this factoid is sticking in my mind because the last 36 hours have been entirely unexpected. And while I am now safe, dry, at home, and with electricity and water, I may well be among the minority in Jeddah. Here's what's happened.

On November 25, 2009, Jeddah received 90mm of rain in four hours. This unprecedented precipitation caused at least 123 deaths, destroyed thousands of buildings, and left even more residents homeless and/or stranded. The aftermath of these floods have shaped civil society in Jeddah, and perhaps even in all of KSA, for the past 14 months. I've talked about this before, but it's worth repeating now. The 2009 floods are part of Jeddawi consciousness and are not for a moment forgotten. There were calls to punish the negligent contractors and builders, to implement infrastructure upgrades, to guard against this tragedy ever happening again. I can't speak as to how much happened to improve things in those 14 months. I can only say that it wasn't enough.

On Tuesday, I woke up to pouring rain. A novelty. But we've had a few rainstorms this winter, as I've discussed. It rained hard for several hours, and the streets were a bit of a mess. Then it stopped.

On Wednesday, I woke up to pouring rain. It started before 7am. It abated slightly a couple of times, but there was significant downpour until about 3pm. Lately the city has been panicking with only a little rain. So far, if you've waited until the rains stop and then a couple hours later, the roads are passable. But this time, the rain just didn't stop. If we had a window to get home, looking back, it was early in the morning.

From my office window, I once again watched the compound become a lake. At first my most pressing concern was what our staff would eat for lunch, as we'd planned to go out (a rare occurrence). Motor pool essentially stopped operating except for dire emergencies before noon. Staff were advised to stay put, but were told they could take unscheduled leave if they felt they needed to go home.

Parts of the Chancery began flooding; FM did a good job with wet vacs and mops to staunch the flows and keep things running. All the compound's cats, victims of a recent management notice against feeding them, huddled on the front steps to try to stay dry.

Our plans to head to Medina after work, en route to Madain Saleh, started looking grim. Reports started coming in that roads were full of water and cars.

One of my staff left around 1pm to go pick his daughter up at the university. When we spoke with him two hours later, he was not far away and stuck in a parking lot, as the roads were impassable. He told us that there were submerged cars in some areas, the traffic was beyond unmanageable, and that underpasses were completely filled with water. He was staying put for the time being. (He left his car a few hours later and walked home, through waist-high water, which took several hours.)

Another colleague got word that her home had water leaking in. She advised her family to turn off the electricity and stay dry. We outfitted her in rain gear, including plastic bags over her feet, and she prepared to make the 20 minute walk home. Only a few minutes later she returned. She got to the sidewalk outside the compound but couldn't navigate the knee-high waters. She said it was horrific out there. (She attempted it later on and was able to make it home after getting a lift through the major intersection.)

The husband of a colleague left work in a less-affected part of town to get home. The 20 minute drive (on a normal day) took 3.5 hours. He was among the lucky ones.

Rumors starting flying in. A dam in the east had breached. Flash flooding. A fire at one of the malls caused by wet electric circuits. Major roads were being closed. Helicopter rescues were underway. People stopped outside hotels/furnished apartment buildings who got frustrated and rented rooms. (All true, it turns out.) Civil Defense issued a warning telling everyone to stay at home or stay put.

About 5pm there was a meeting to discuss next steps for Consulate employees. My colleagues and I scoured the web for news and were horrified by the few images/videos we found. Cars floating away down major roads. People walking through waist-deep waters. Submerged cars. We were only half surprised when we were told we'd be spending the night at the Consulate.

About this time I was really kicking myself for not bringing my suitcase for the expected trip in to work. That would have made things much more palatable.

Between the CGR, MSG house, and our employee association, we had enough food, and a makeshift but ample dinner was prepared. We all gathered in the Marine House to eat and socialize, roughly half the employees of the Consulate and assorted stranded others. The major cell networks were only slightly functioning, so calls to assess the whereabouts of colleagues, friends, and families were dropped or wouldn't go through. I was trying to track a few people and just couldn't get through.

The Warehouse team did a phenomenal job distributing mattresses and bedding. Most of the ladies bunked in the (unoccupied) Ambassador's house. We laughed, saying the representational area looked like it was turned into an orphanage. The few on-compound residents opened their homes. Men bunked at the Marine House. Some slept in offices or on couches. Even though it wasn't pleasant to spend 24 hours in work clothes and not brush my teeth or shower, I feel very fortunate to have been dry, fed, and sleeping on an actual mattress.

I didn't fall asleep until after 2:30am, but I slept for about 4 hours. At 7, we got the call to quickly grab all our stuff and head out to shuttles. They sent the first group of us out in a convoy of six vehicles, all high-clearance. Amazingly, we were home in 45 minutes. It wasn't easy going, but we were among the few vehicles on the road. Hundreds, even thousands, of abandoned cars lined every available street and lot. There was a lot of winding around; we didn't make it to a major road for 30 minutes.

Most of the flood waters in our area had receded. But not completely. You could see marks on cars that had been partially or completely submerged. Damage was evident; you could tell some had been carried by the waters to where they now were parked. Some areas still had submerged vehicles. We heard that two cars had tried to leave the night before. After 3-4 hours of circling the Consulate and being unable to get more than a street or two away, they returned.

I spoke to one of my neighbors once I got home. She had been at home all of yesterday, and she had no idea how bad things were. Our housing compound and neighborhood was spared most of the worst of things. I got home, hugged my cats, showered, brushed my teeth, put on clean pajamas, and fell into bed. The cell network was still down, so I couldn't reach colleagues/friends to see how they'd weathered the storm. I reached several later this afternoon, and everyone is home and safe. But the stories are pretty horrific. Escaping cars just in time to see them wash away. Joining throngs of stranded people to wade miles through waist-deep water. Huddling in whatever dry space they could find. 24 hour journeys. Again, I'm one of the extremely lucky ones.

I posted some links in a previous post. There's not a whole lot more information available. At least four confirmed deaths; I imagine that number will rise. I hear that helicopter and boat rescues are still ongoing. Roads are still closed. The low-lying South and East areas of Jeddah - also home to the city's poorest residents - are hardest hit. Again.

I just read that primary schools will be closed for two weeks. Not a bad idea. Intermediate and high schools will close Saturday. There are calls for a return to normal by Saturday, but I'm skeptical. We'll see.

Please keep Jeddah in your thoughts in the coming hours and days. We have yet to see the extent of the damage. I am among the lucky ones. arabnews.com seems to have the most comprehensive coverage if you're interested.

One thing's for sure: I will be packing a bag of clothes, toiletries, and necessities to keep at the office.




Updates to come...

Change of Plans

So Madain Saleh didn't happen this weekend. Instead, record and destructive rainfall happened. The 111mm in 3 hours surpassed the 90mm in 4 hours tally of 11/25/09, the date of the deadly Jeddah floods. And it didn't just rain for 3 hours. It rained for 9. After raining for 3+ the day before. needless to say the city is flooded and in a state of emergency.

Jeddah is in bad shape. we ended up spending the night at the Consulate - there was no choice. I'm home safe now, as are most if not all of my colleagues, thank goodness. but things are bad. I'm worried about the thousands of people who are in the lowest-lying and hardest-hit areas.

I will blog about it later, but I need some sleep and relaxation first. for the time being, see photos/videos here: http://www.alriyadh.com/en/article/598488/heavy-rains-hit-jeddah. Or http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article243514.ece.

Al Baha

This week I am lucky to have two trips inside Saudi Arabia scheduled - one for work, and one for fun. For fun, I'm joining a group of colleagues for a weekend trip to Madain Saleh - Saudi's version of Petra. More on that after Friday.

For work, I joined our Consul General on his first official visit to this small but mighty province. Al Baha is KSA's smallest province but with an estimated population larger than some Gulf states. (*cough* Bahrain.) It's a 5 hour drive (or 30 minute flight) from Jeddah. We flew; I'd like to have driven. Al Baha is geographically and climatically very different than the rest of the country - it's mountainous and has changing seasons and varied weather. On our short trip, we saw the famed fog - so thick you could barely see a car's brake lights in front of you - as well as a clear, but chilly, day. I thoroughly enjoyed the brisk weather (it probably only got down to about 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit), but everyone was decked out in winter weather gear. Most of the men had on winter jackets over their thobes, while a few sported floor-length fleece/fur overthobes (my own made up word).

The views on a clear day are absolutely spectacular. I've included a few in a photo collage here. We went up to a panoramic lookout point in Raghodan Forest, but, unfortunately, we went on the foggy day. So I missed out on the really great views. But what we saw was pretty awesome anyway! There's considerably more vegetation in Al-Baha than in most of KSA - some low, scrubby bushes/trees but also taller, conifer-like ones. I heard of olive tree farms nearby, and the honey from Al Baha is famous. We didn't go anywhere that sold either, unfortunately.

Al Baha tends to be a conservative area, but I had no problems as the only female member of the delegation. In fact, I was the only one who got to see women at all! Seriously, we did not see a single woman in the streets, in cars, in shops, in the hotel, at the university, anywhere. I have heard that's not uncommon in some parts of the country, but I had yet to experience it. I visited with a group of women at the Literary Club and was treated to the most adorable performance of a welcome song, in English, by some local schoolgirls. I gave them certificates and took pictures with them afterward (none on my camera, sadly) - it was great. The women were impressed/amused by my Arabic and kept giving me things to read (slowly). I had a great time with them, and they gave me two bouquets of flowers (see below photo). I had a wonderful time.

Perhaps the best part of Al Baha, for me, was the baboons. Those who know me know that I am an animal lover. My (two) move(s) to South Africa were based at least partly on the existence of penguins and elephants. Ditto Thailand on the elephants. I could spend weeks, even months, at a time on safari. I desperately miss wildlife living in Jeddah, so the baboons were a welcome change. They appeared at the hotel in the morning to scavenge for food. Unlike those I encountered in South Africa, these baboons were fairly small and not socialized at all - both good things! (I'll save my I-was-attacked-by-a-baboon story for another post...) I spent a good half hour walking around and taking photos and a couple videos. I think I may have to go back to Africa for my next post, simply for the proximity to national parks...

Anyway, the Al Baha trip was short and sweet, and we had some great interactions. I'll post about Madain Saleh next week!

(the photos in the collage below are pretty low-res, as a better quality copy wouldn't load here. apologies.)

Impulse Travel

I've been trying to plan where to go for President's Day weekend for several weeks now. And having procrastinated dearly, my cheap flight options were dwindling. I did dozens of searches to find a relatively inexpensive flight to somewhere new, but even places relatively close by were more expensive than I would have liked. Finally, I happened upon a cheap flight to a new place; even better, the flight times were relatively ideal.

So. I'm going to Sri Lanka!

I don't know anyone living there and have only done a little bit of research into what to do, where to go, and where to stay. I have three full days and three nights there. So I'm opening it up to the wonderful FS  (and beyond) community for any suggestions you might have. Have any of you been to Sri Lanka? What should I definitely do or definitely not do?

Thanks!

Two Countries, Three Religions, Four Days

I am just back from a wonderful long weekend visiting friends in Jerusalem.  My A-100 seatmate and a good friend from Arabic class both had babies within a few days of each other, so it was a good excuse to see a new country, spend some time with friends, and hold babies.  Those are among my favorite things to do, so it worked out well!

I have long been curious to visit Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, and I had a wonderful time.  There is so much history in the area; it is really overwhelming at times.  I did not have an agenda or list of things I had to do, so I was able to take time to wander around and soak everything up at a leisurely pace.  I went during the Saudi weekend but the Jerusalem work week, so I was on my own for a couple days.  The first day I jumped right in and spent a very long day exploring the Old City.  I got lost dozens of times, visited each quarter (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Armenian), and visited a few sites.  I toured Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was a site I knew very little about before visiting.  I spent an hour or so at the Western Wall, watching the faithful in prayer.  Several bar mitzvahs were going on, so I got to peek over the wall at the men's side to see the pomp and ceremony.  I found it quite funny that a relatively high wall has been erected to allow the pilgrims a modicum of privacy, as well as to separate the genders, but dozens of tourists (and perhaps locals as well) were standing on the plastic chairs provided for contemplation in order to get a better view.  I timed things right to be able to access Temple Mount, where I got to see Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque up close.  The area is beautiful and peaceful and has some architectural gems around every corner.  I ate lunch in a square overlooking Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.  The Old City is absolutely packed with phenomenally important religious and/or historic sites, and I only saw a few of them.  I only visited Jaffa Gate, didn't go to any museums, and missed dozens of other churches, mosques, synagogues, and other landmarks.  There's lots to do on a future visit! 

The Old City is packed with souqs - alleys overflowing with vendors of various wares.  I was surprised (and slightly dismayed) to find that some were as aggressive as those I encountered in Cairo.  The only things I bought all day were a few pieces from an Armenian ceramics artist.  The store was tucked into a corner on a very quiet street in the Armenian Quarter.  Christmas carols blasted from the radio as I browsed.  I love the Palestinian/Jerusalem/Armenian pottery style (they call it each or all of those names); the color blue features heavily in the decorations, and pomegranates and birds, fish, and/or deer adorn most of the pieces. 

I indulged in several Old City favorites while browsing.  I had a great bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, fresh pomegranate juice for a snack, and a falafel pita for lunch. 

On Friday I took things a bit easier, having overdone it a little the day before with the miles of hills and stairs and meanderings.  I headed to Mahane Yehuda market two hours before Shabbat.  I was curious to see the market itself, but, more importantly, I wanted to take in the famous pre-Shabbat rush to do shopping and get home in time for sundown.  It did not disappoint.  Thousands of people crowded in the market, bargaining over produce prices, finding the perfect breads and pastries, stocking up on spices and dried fruits, and buying just about any other fresh food product you can imagine.  My friends had told me how much they love Jerusalem for its fresh, local, quality produce, and I could see exactly what they meant.  It was truly amazing.  I had a leisurely lunch of mezze (and an obligatory cup of sahlab, a hot, milky drink) before one more wander through the market.  This time I happened upon a pottery cooperative.  As you may know (or are coming to realize), I adore handmade pottery and frequently seek it out for souvenirs and gifts.  I bought a beautiful pomegranate figurine (a popular creation in Jerusalem) and a whimsical spoon rest.  I could have bought significantly more if I'd had room in my suitcase...

Friday night we went out to dinner for my friend's birthday with some other friends and colleagues.  The majority of restaurants in Jerusalem are closed Friday evenings for Shabbat, and the streets are largely deserted.  It's quite a sight.  Similar in some ways to Saudi in the daytime during Ramadan.  We had a wonderful dinner and lots of laughs.

Saturday was the one overlapping vacation day my host had, so we headed farther afield.  We drove down the coast of the Dead Sea, past Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), past the garden centers with camels out front as advertisements, and down to Ein Gedi.  I imagine in the summer this is a very busy beach with lots of floating tourists, but it was empty and quiet and wonderful.  We didn't go all the way down to the water, as it was an awkward access point if we weren't actually swimming (and it was way too cold to even think about doing that!).  Hard to believe we were at the lowest point on Earth.  We headed a bit farther south and went to Masada, the site of the last siege during the First Jewish-Roman War between CE 66 and 73.

Masada is located on a plateau high above the valley floor.  You can take the Snake Path up, a winding, 45 minute, strenuous climb up hundreds of stairs.  We opted for the cable car.  It took three minutes.  We wandered the ruins and dodged tour groups and admired the spectacular views.  The Dead Sea is not very wide, and we had great views of Jordan on the opposite bank. 

Travel in the West Bank is severely limited for FS personnel (even those on personal travel).  There are a couple of main roads you're allowed to drive during the daytime, and Jericho is an allowed destination.  So when we finished at Masada, we headed up to Jericho.  My understanding is that Jericho and Damascus tussle over which is the oldest continually-inhabited city in the world, but they both have a pretty long and impressive history of which to boast.  Jericho is also one of the lowest cities on the planet, lying just a few kilometers from the Dead Sea.  We drove through town, which was largely deserted at that time in the afternoon.  It really felt like being in a different country - signs in different languages, different license plates, different feel.  We ate lunch at a great little restaurant on the main drag, ordering a ton of mezze and splitting a delicious musakhan, a traditional Palestinian dish.  It's a roasted chicken in savory spices and onions over bread.  Absolutely delightful. 

To end the day, we stopped at the house of my friend's colleague, who has a connection with olive wood artisans and sells their wares at wholesale prices.  I bought lots of Christmas ornaments, a camel figurine set, a mortar and pestle, some great spoons, and a cheese board.  I was ecstatic! 

We went for drinks at my A-100 colleague's home; she also had visitors in town.  It was a great way to cap off a wonderful weekend.  Unfortunately my flight yesterday morning was hellishly early, but my amazing host drove me to Ben Gurion in the middle of the night.  I got through security with no problems, but my flight was delayed over an hour due to bad weather in Amman.  The flight between Tel Aviv and Amman is very interesting; both times I was in a wide-body Airbus plane, but our flight was 25 minutes cruising at about 9000 feet. 

No delays coming out of Amman, no problem getting back into KSA, and I was home by 4:30.  Just in time to go to a 4.5 hour dinner event.  What day off?!

Pictures will be forthcoming; my priority for tonight is unpacking and sleeping.

Am I Wrong to Complain?

I am spending today in Amman's airport waiting for my flight to Tel Aviv.  I am going to visit friends and new babies in Jerusalem and have a nice, relaxing break for a few days.  And even though I'm on vacation, I'm having a bit of a hard time calming down after events this week.

Sometimes I feel like all I do is complain about my house.  Maybe it's because I had such horrible luck with my Oakwood apartment.  I wasn't blogging much then, but I had my share of ridiculous issues.  There was no heat in the winter; they were working on the A/C (which means turning it off) during the summer.  At one point it was so hot in my seventh floor apartment that I seriously considered moving into the front lobby for a few days, dog and all.  They provided a portable A/C when I suggested that.  (And got State's PCS housing people involved, which helped a lot.)  The elevators were frequently broken or out of order, which meant frequent trips up and down the six flights of stairs (2-3 times a day) with a stair-phobic dog.  Then there was the time Hattie and I got stuck in the elevator for 35 minutes on a Sunday night.  Or the time a steel beam fell out of the ceiling and hit me in the head, knocking me to the ground.  Luckily it missed Hattie.  Or maybe the two (!) times I came home to find all of my UAB and HHE piles moved and disorganized so they could work on the HVAC systems.  And that's just what I remember off the top of my head; I know there was more.  So I'm a little sensitive about housing.

I've (mostly) gotten over the fact that my apartment here is small, has few kitchen cabinets, and the furniture is icky and dorm-like.  I can deal with that.  It's not ideal, but it's a place to live and I don't have to pay for it.  Bed bugs were something I couldn't overlook. Now that that's solved (it only took almost three months...), I am much more relaxed.

Except for this week.

I came home Saturday night to find my kitchen flooded.  The water cooler had started leaking.  Looking back, maybe the fact that I no longer could get super cold water out of it was the first sign.  But still.  Even though it was a GSO cooler, I got the compound guys to come over and unplug it (the plug was duct taped to the extension cord!) so I didn't have to walk into the flooded kitchen and risk electrocution.  They also very nicely mopped it up.  But no potable water for a couple days.  Lots of bottled water instead.  They're supposed to put the new one in today, so everything should work out.

Yesterday I came home, ready to pack and get to bed early.  As I walked into the stairwell, I was hit by an overwhelming odor.  Sort of like paint, but stronger and more toxic, like floor waxing polish or some industrial cleaner.  The floor was sticky and slippery.  So were the handrails and walls.  I made it upstairs to find my door coated as well.  I went inside hoping for relief,  but instead I walked into a literal cloud of toxic-smelling whatever.  I immediately had to throw up.  It was so bad.  I threw open windows and doors to air the place out.  I grabbed the cat I could find and took him into my bedroom, which was a bit better since I keep that door closed during the day.  I couldn't find the second cat.  I was terrified he jumped out a window when my back was turned or had passed out from the  lack of fresh air somewhere inaccessible.  After 15 minutes of frantic searching, I found him under the couch, wide eyed and terrified.  I've never seen him like that.  I managed to pry him out and get him into my room.  He ran under the bed and resumed frantic position.  I held the other cat up to the open window to let him breathe some fresh air.  He seemed to revive a bit (he'd been lethargic).  I called Maintenance.  They told me it was a fogging treatment for mosquitoes.  They seemed totally nonplussed when I explained that it was making me and my cats sick.  I rolled a towel and put it against the door to try to keep the pesticides out.  After about 10 minutes Callaghan finally came out from under the bed.  I let him breathe fresh air, and then he cuddled right up to me, obviously feeling better.  We stayed in my room for more than an hour while I let the rest of the place air out.  It was almost bearable when we emerged, and I kept the windows and screen door open all night.  This morning it was almost back to normal.  Almost.

So there you go.  I needed to get all my complaints out in one place.  And now I have to ask.  Am I wrong to complain?  Is this normal in the FS, particularly for leased housing?  Should I just bite my tongue and buck up?  I just can't imagine that there are this many serious problems everywhere.  I consider myself pretty patient and tolerant, but at this point, I've been losing my cool more and more easily.  I went to all those health/safety briefings at FSI, and my impression was that pests, pesticides, and floods in the home were pretty serious problems that would get solved in a timely manner.  Or prevented from happening.  Was that just a rosy picture of things?  I'd love to hear from some seasoned veterans about whether I'm being unreasonable.  If I am, I'll accept that.  I just have a hard time believing this is the norm.  Thanks for letting me vent.

A Week of Eating Well

One thing Jeddah has in spades in good restaurants.  I have rarely been disappointed when eating out, and all tastes and budgets are covered here.  Some people find comfort in the existence of most big American chains; I feel the need to name all those that come to mind because I find it incredibly fascinating (and frightening) how prevalent they are here.  I can happily say I have not been to the overwhelming majority of these places.   McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, Starbucks, Little Caesars, Costa Coffee, TGI Friday's, Chili's, Applebee's, Fuddruckers, Ruby Tuesday, Benihana, Subway, Baskin Robbins, Quiznos, On the Border, The Cheesecake Factory (cheesecake only, not the restaurant), Pizza Fusion, and probably more I can't remember right now.

There are some regional chains and some local chains as well.  For instance, Al Baik is the local fried chicken fast food chain.  They're a step above KFC and very popular, but it's still fast food fried chicken.  I haven't tried any of the other fast food chains, because, frankly, there's so many other good restaurants that there's no need.

In the past week I've managed to go to four really good restaurants, two for the first time.  One I'd been to before is called Bab Al-Yemen and serves, predictably, Yemeni food.  The restaurant is well-appointed and comfortable, the management and service is excellent, and the food is top-notch.  I've gone a couple times with big groups where we order everything on the menu, and nobody is ever disappointing.  There's a lot of lamb and goat on the menu, which I don't eat, but the chicken and shrimp dishes are delicious.  And they have amazing bread.  Plus, everything is VERY reasonably priced, so it's tempting to go often.

Another local favorite is Byblos.  It's a higher-end Lebanese restaurant not far from work.  They have a companion shisha lounge called Bubbles attached.  I've eaten on both sides.  The food is good, the ambience is awesome, the service is decent.  However, this is the one place I've ever been hassled about not wearing an abaya in three+ months, so I am a little down on them at the moment.  (They hassled me out of fear they'd get in trouble with the religious police, but it still wasn't cool, since the religious police are few and far between here.  Plus, I was dressed conservatively and agreed to put my scarf around my shoulders (which were covered anyway, but who knows).)

I joined some colleagues at the new favorite lunch spot, Marhaban, this week.  It's a Pakistani restaurant with a really nice lunch buffet.  Lots of good salads, briyanis, lentil dishes, etc.  But the best thing is the dessert - they have a carrot halwa that is absolutely to die for.  And, again, very reasonably priced.

My favorite find of the week, though, is a newer restaurant called Salad Boutique.  I think the name throws people off a bit, but maybe that's a good thing.  This restaurant is located in a relatively new strip of restaurants on the water, behind the Park Hyatt Hotel.  I've been to one of the other restaurants there for brunch, which was so-so.  But Salad Boutique is awesome.  We went for dinner and sat outside, under softly-lit palm trees.  The weather was perfect, the view was great, and the atmosphere was reminiscent of Miami.  If you could overlook the men in thobes and women in abayas.  When the waiter handed us our menus, I fell in love.  Any place that has its menus on iPads is already cool with me.  Plus, the menu was exciting.  Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, appetizers, risottos, entrees, etc.  Something for every taste and very reasonably priced, especially considering the real estate.  I ordered soup and a sandwich.  Wow.  The soup, a creamy four-cheese soup, was incredible.  And hearty.  I ended up not being able to eat my sandwich (a steak & mushroom panini) and had it wrapped up.  (I had it for lunch the next day, and it, too, gets rave reviews.)

There are more restaurants I've been to that are good, so this is just a sampling of this week's fare.  (I don't usually go out to eat four times in a week, but that's the way things worked out.  Kudos to one of my colleagues for suggesting all of these and organizing the outings.)

The other nice thing about dining in Jeddah is a website called jeddahfood.com.  It's a user-generated site with reviews and information about hundreds of local restaurants.  It's very popular here and frequently updated.  It makes finding new places fun and easy!

Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

Rain.

You don't realize how much you miss it until you live somewhere where it almost never rains.

In Jeddah, rain now is synonymous with death, destruction, and frustration and causes widespread panic.  In November 2009, floods devastated the city, killing more than 120 and stranding thousands.  The government was slow to react, but the people of Jeddah filled that void with a volunteer effort that has birthed an entire movement here and throughout Saudi Arabia.  I've met lots of volunteers, and every conversation references the floods of 2009.  The tragedy was something of a turning point, and it's quite amazing to see what has come out of such a dark period.

Last Wednesday, I watched from my office as the sky darkened.  Distant rumblings of thunder grew closer.  And then, all of a sudden, down came the rain.  This wasn't the five minutes of a few droplets we had a few weeks ago.  This was a true downpour and thunderstorm.  My colleagues and I were giddy, rushing to the windows and doors to feel the rain and take pictures.

Within a few minutes, though, the flat landscape became waterlogged.  One of our entrances was blocked by flooding.  Parents started receiving calls that schools were closing.  The traffic sounds became more frantic, and more people got on the roads to try and get home.  We received word of leaks in our events hall and had to cancel an afternoon event.  In the excitement, a colleague and I decided to go out for lunch.  We drove, as we thought we'd go a bit farther afield.  We ended up literally across the street; the streets were flooded and jammed, and it was easier to stay close.  In some places it was just a couple inches of water on the road, but there were people wading through with water up to their mid-calf.  After just 30 minutes of rain. 

Getting back to work was a nightmare.  It took us 80 minutes.  I heard similar stories from other colleagues who ventured out.  It's all relative.  In Thailand, during monsoon season, the roads occasionally flooded up to the car doors, but we always kept driving.  While people canoed past us.  But here, with rain barely over the bottom rim of the tire, the panic and phobia caused massive traffic jams. 

Driving home several hours later was better, but the roads were still saturated.  And with predictions of another storm with up to an inch of precipitation the next day, people were visibly shaken.  Parking lots had turned into lakes.  Side streets were canals.  Swimming pools were now filled with brown water. 

Things were better by the time we went out to dinner that night.  But people still seemed freaked.  As I walked home from the shuttle stop, lightning flashed in the distance.

I woke up on Thursday to winds lashing my windows.  I opened the curtains to see driving rain and another thunderstorm.  I settled in for a gray day at home.  The rain didn't last as long as predicted, and it cleared up by mid-afternoon.  I ventured out after the last prayer Thursday night to try to pay my internet bill.  The first two branches were closed, presumably due to weather.  The third was open, but packed.  The roads were still flooded, impassable in some places.  Cars were stuck in a number of places.  It was quite a sight.  Even after a full day of dry weather, the roads didn't drain all that much, as I noted Friday night.  Last night, while at the Consulate, I passed by Hattie's burial site.  I was a little worried it would be flooded, but luckily it is on slightly higher ground. 

One local news outlet, Arab News, has a couple of good reads in English, complete with pictures here and here.  There's also an interesting editorial here. 

Luckily I don't have the same worries about flooding that most of the city's residents have, but I sympathize with their plight after seeing how bad things could get only after just a little rain.  Definitely a cultural learning experience...