What was it like living in Saudi Arabia?
How long did you live there for?
How did you find the culture and the people?
What did you like and what didn't you like?
How was the weather, the city, the land itself, the vibe of the people?

Would love to know your thoughts & feelings on living abroad.

- J.

Originally posted by The Jake
What was it like living in Saudi Arabia?
How long did you live there for?
How did you find the culture and the people?
What did you like and what didn't you like?
How was the weather, the city, the land itself, the vibe of the people?

Would love to know your thoughts & feelings on living abroad.

- J.

It was awful living there for me. Being female I had no rights whatsoever. I was 16 and had to stay in the house anytime my dad wasn't with me. He was allowed to escort me to whereever and could not leave me alone with a boy. I only knew one in the same town that we lived in from the boarding school. I wasn't even allowed to play basketball with him. I was supposed to be dressed in an abaya (all black with the veil) whenever public.

The people were nice. I never had a problem with the natives. It was the people not from the country that I got pinched by when in public. My dad was too cheap to buy the abaya for me, so I was in pants and that wasn't a cool thing.

My dad was there for a year at the desalinization plant in Al-Jubail on the Arabian coast, south of Daharan. I was there over Christmas break and summer vacation. I was there for a total of 2-3 months myself. The most boring time in my life.

I hated the heat. I loved the gold shops....hehehhe. I hated that I couldn't go anywhere and the fact that if I was out and got raped, it was my fault. They are so strict on the "no showing of skin or anything of the like" that they cut the kissing out of sleeping beauty.

It was HOT HOT HOT! It was 140 degrees in the shade the day we left. I hated it! Then I lived in Imperial Valley for eight years....lol. I didn't get to see much of the land, but what I did see was desolete and dry. It did rain for forty minutes when I was there for Christmas. Oh, we couldn't openly celebrate Christmas while we were there.

I didn't have much time with any of the people there because of me being a female. I was supposed to be the inferior gender and keep my mouth shut, which I was warned to do by my dad...and I did. LOL Jim once thought about getting a job over there after the Kuwait incident. I told him to call a lawyer. I wouldn't go.

Oops....forgot to comment on your last request.

I love living abroad. It was an experience of a lifetime that I wouldn't trade for anything. I loved Greece, (so did my bodyfat....LOL I gained alot). The food, the people, the sightseeing. I loved it. I got to see Africa and Holland while I was there and it was awesome. If the opportunity had popped up for my kids, I would have had them go. Experience of a lifetime.

Kewl. Thanks for that.

I can only imagine how living in Saudi would be like. My dad saw a job there he was going to apply for but we were dead against it... thank god!

- J.

Wow, you are lucky to have been able to travle and see much of the world MCM. I've been all thru the States but I'd like to go visit Europe and other countrys.....

Very interesting stuff, MCM.

Thanks....I was lucky in that respect that I got to travel abroad. I have also lived in eight states. From the west to the east from the north to the south and in the middle. I was actually born in the city Curly lives in.

I miss the idea of staying in one place for a long time, but oh well. We've moved a bit on our kids, but once M started high school, we stayed put and I told hubby that I don't want to move until they are all thru high school. Only five more years to go....lol. Then he can move me again. Maybe;)

I was always big on talking about maybe moving here or maybe working there. Realistically when I look back, up until I met Arju I really don't think I would have wanted to move or was mentally ready to move. Hell, I mean I've moved now, but even know I don't think I'm ready for it. It's just a case of having time to brace myself for the idea of it and being able to say good bye to everyone and everything I left behind.

****, I remember as a kid, moving 30mins away from where I used to live was traumatic enough. LOL.

It takes awhile to get settled in when you move anywhere (I've been living here for six months now and I'm still nowhere near being "settled" in really).

But I think once I do get settled in, it will be very very hard for me to move anywhere again - even the idea of moving back to Australia at some point with Arju seems daunting.

If I get a job I really like or she gets her own job she really likes, and when we get our own place, that will probably be the clincher of where we're going to live. I know my mum has hopes we'll move back to Melbourne but I do not know if that will be possible.... :-(

I guess I will have to start my own game company and have division in both countries :)

- J.

Originally posted by madcrewmom
and the fact that if I was out and got raped, it was my fault

I can't imagne why people would have something against arab countrys after hearing that.

Originally posted by The Jake


I guess I will have to start my own game company and have division in both countries :)

- J.

Now that sounds like a winner of an idea and a way to solve the problems of having your heart in two countries.

We have Jim's family in Arizona and there is a reason why we've stayed here. Nice groupt to visit, wouldn't want to live near them. That and after living so near the beach, we aren't moving back to the desert. No way on God's green earth will I live in Phx. again.

I was used to living 15min drive from the beach and my sister lives 30min from one of the best surf beaches in the world (Torquay). I can't tell you how much I miss being near the ocean and such pristine beaches. The smell of fresh salt in the air, the smell of gum trees, even being woken up by the sound of kookaburras & ****atoos first thing in the morning. I used to hate that sound too. Now I actually miss it. I miss the serenity of it all.

- J.

Originally posted by The Jake
I was used to living 15min drive from the beach and my sister lives 30min from one of the best surf beaches in the world (Torquay). I can't tell you how much I miss being near the ocean and such pristine beaches. The smell of fresh salt in the air, the smell of gum trees, even being woken up by the sound of kookaburras & ****atoos first thing in the morning. I used to hate that sound too. Now I actually miss it. I miss the serenity of it all.

- J.

The only thing I miss of the desert is being able to see soooo many stars at night. One place that I have always wanted to visit is Austraila and the same with my eldest daughter. M is a surfer girl and wants to check out all the best surf spots in the world. She's giving up on a chance to go to Hawaii next year so I hope she makes it to Austraila one day. I'd rather go there myself.:)

I dont trust Austrailians, shifty eyed bastards......

Originally posted by kaps
I dont trust Austrailians, shifty eyed bastards......

Yeah, but their accents mroe than make up for that.....so sexy.:love:

saudi arbia is great women have no right .... they have to do what you say...

fantastic!!!

Originally posted by astroboy
saudi arbia is great women have no right .... they have to do what you say...

fantastic!!!

F*** YOU!

Astro, is not really like that, don't get to mad at him for that dumb and not funny comment.


:)

Originally posted by The Jake
I was used to living 15min drive from the beach and my sister lives 30min from one of the best surf beaches in the world (Torquay). I can't tell you how much I miss being near the ocean and such pristine beaches. The smell of fresh salt in the air, the smell of gum trees, even being woken up by the sound of kookaburras & ****atoos first thing in the morning. I used to hate that sound too. Now I actually miss it. I miss the serenity of it all.

- J.

I miss most of that too....


You miss the sound of that damn ****atoo? The one that would wake us up at 5am, the one you would complain about on the phone to me for such a long time. I bet the only one you really like is Dr. Tim's pet at the office. That bird just loves you, almost as much as her dad.....

Originally posted by madcrewmom
Now that sounds like a winner of an idea and a way to solve the problems of having your heart in two countries.

We have Jim's family in Arizona and there is a reason why we've stayed here. Nice groupt to visit, wouldn't want to live near them. That and after living so near the beach, we aren't moving back to the desert. No way on God's green earth will I live in Phx. again.

Now that does sound like a good idea.


I've been through AZ and I wouldn't want to live there, no way. I have some friends that live down there some where, I haven't talked to them in a while, hmmmm I should send them a letter I think. . .

Originally posted by madcrewmom
F*** YOU!

Astro was being sarcastic MCM. He's one of my best friends. Pay him no attention. :)

- J.

yes pay me no attention im just looking to solutions for exponentially increased headjobs.

Originally posted by The Jake
Astro was being sarcastic MCM. He's one of my best friends. Pay him no attention. :)

- J.

Okay, I will take that into consideration. I hate being told what to do. I work hard enough without my hubby telling me what to do and therefore am very touchy on the subject. I'm sorry. I was just very cranky yesterday. Forgive me?

I also had a very bad day yesterday. Took my van in for brakes because of the this awful squealing noise. They were down to the sensors and so they needed replacing. The guy gives me a quote for the cost of new brake pads and I lit into him like the 4th of July. I had my brakes redone last summer ('02) and got the lifetime replacements on the pads and the computer shows I didn't. He got scared.....lol. I have ALWAYS gotten lifetime parts on my vehicles. I've been doing that ever since they came out with them. He said that the computer shows.......I said I don't care what it shows. Someone screwed up!! He said okay, I'll take care of you. Don't worry, calm down. LOL, funny thing is, I was calm compared to how I can really get. When it comes to my van, hubby and I get it fixed right the first time. I haul kids around in it all the time. And not just my own. Besides, I have 112K miles on it and plan on keeping it until 200K or my son's senior year (four yrs from now, if he gets it together). So I take good care of my van. I want it to last. Then I'm getting a truck!

"My kid beat up you're honor student"...oh wait in Mzoms case that was true

BZOB FOR FATHER OF THE YEAR!!!..... do you train your kids to be like nelson in the simpsons???