How hot is it?

I get this question all the time. Just what is hot to you? Is it 90 degrees and 20% humidity? Is it 85 and 50% humidity? How about 135 degrees and 80% humidity?

That is what we have been going through. Until you go through it you have no real idea of what heat misery is. We welcome 130 degrees and 20% humidity. To us that is tolerable. My wife tells me it is 94 degrees and 10% humid and she complains.

We are going to Las Vegas in October for my nephew's wedding and there are some who are worried that it will be too hot. Me....I'm dressing for winter.

Out for a while

I am out of the country on R&R right now. I really don't want to PO my hosts so lets just say that it is a VERY different mind set and way of life from what I am used to and that includes Iraq and Kuwait!

You have to make a lot of adjustments. A big one is the constant monitoring of the prayer time clock. Businesses shut down during the 5 prayer times every day and they are at different times every day. I have a link on my web browser that gives me the prayer times every day for the Eastern Province.

If you want to go to a restaurant you have to be inside before prayer time starts or else you are hanging around outside waiting for them to re-open. If you are inside you just keep eating and pretend nothing is going on. They roll down some window shades and turn off the interior lights. They keep working the kitchen but you can't order anything else during the alloted time.

If you are at a grocery store you can still keep picking items from shelves but no one will help you at the meat and cheese counter or will check you out. You just have to wait.

It usually only takes 20-30 minutes (30 on Fridays) so it is not as bad as it sounds. It makes it an interesting time keeping exercise but one that I have adjusted to. I don't get as irritated as some of the others, I just adjust to it.

You & Me & Mickey D!

Yes folks, there really are McDonald's here in Saudi Arabia. There are also Pizza Hut, Chili's, Burger King, Hardees, KFC, etc. They may despise our morals but they love our food. Add this to the caffeine consumption I watched at the mall and it adds up to the beginnings of globalization even here. The Mall of Dharhan has a Seattle's Best, Starbucks, and Costa Coffee all within eyesight of each other and all were packed.

The food is the same as in the land of the big PX but it's got a few differences. As part of this truly segregated society of always visible men and almost invisible women all the restaurants have two completely different sections. One is for "Singles" and one is for "Families". What that really means is that one is for men and one is for any group with women and/or children. The only place I have seen any mix is in the food court at the Mall of Dharhan.

I have attached a shot of of our local Mickey D so you can see it. Take the different entrances, add the kooky hours with all the closings for prayer time and such and you will find that you really have to make an effort to eat here.

Pictures say a 1000 words, what about flags?

"There is only one god, Allah and Allah's prophet is Muhammad". The flag makes quite a statement doesn't it? It is the only national ensign I am aware of that makes quite so religious a statement. Of course the King's title is pretty cool too. He is not "The KING". He is "The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques".

It's a good thing I have been here before. I deal with it but it is really tough on others. I'm off tomorrow and will be out in the greater Dhaharan area. If you hear about a diplomatic incident down that way it wasn't me.

My Digs

Here is where I live for the next few months. A lot of the other guys complain but I have my own room, TV, Internet, and don't have to share my shower or toilet with anyone else. Of course if the toilet seat and lid matched it would be a much better situation but I make do.
No boom, boom but I do have a street lamp that just blares through my window at night. I think I'll find a cheap blanket somewhere to put up and try to block it out.

Testing 1 . 2 . 3

Allah Akbar, welcome, bienvienedos, wilkommen.

I will use this blog site to chronicle my time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Everyone here refers to it as "The Kingdom". Thanks to an Australian blogger who responded to one of my posts on thosewackyiraqis I have decided to call this blog "The Magic Kingdom".

I guess it reflects on my time living in California as well as what exists here. In CA the Magic Kingdom is Disneyland. You know the place! It is the "Happiest Place on Earth!" Well, maybe to the well heeled but what about those who can't afford it or those who have to work there? Everything in Disneyland is fake, a image of what they want you to believe.

So to it is here. It's not so bad if you have some coin but the vast majority of folks here who toil away in the endless summer can't afford the niceties and are in most cases, indentured servants. The buildings and structures here are symbols of the unbelievable gift that these people were given by having all this oil but the facades are already crumbling away. The money is unevenly distributed, the wealthy are despised, and it is a hotbed of fundamentalism.

Where is Mickey when I need him most?