When Sunday is on a Friday

Well, last of the staff arrived today. We’ve been waiting for Jane since September. From Yorkshire. Problems with visas and medicals and all that nonsense. Makes me realize how fortunate I was. Which is why I keep saying, it was meant to be. I looked at Jane, fresh off the plane. Of course she’s a bit out of sorts. Not that it’s her first post abroad. She taught in Taiwan before. But seeing her, made me think of my first day. Boy, I actually prefer not to think about it. The craziest thing I’ve ever done and actually the scariest too. And here I am – two months down the line – AND STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE!

The psychological effect of having been threatened with death, in no uncertain terms, is comparable to having a loaded gun pointed at you. It stays with you. Was listening to some gospel music. It is after all my Sunday. Panus Angelicus. It touches my soul every time I listen to it. I thought about life and how fragile it is – not just for me. For all of us, all of the time. People get born, people die, people all over the world are so goddamn lonely. I also feel alone at times even though I do have people around me. But I miss the comfort of belonging and being amongst loved ones – friends and family. I realize how precious everyone is to me. I realize that … never mind. The mind has shut down.

I don’t know why I’m so sad tonight. It’s not been a bad day at all. I think what I’m learning here, is never to take anything for granted. Not the water that runs from the tap, not the light that goes on when I throw the switch. The ability to drive. To be mobile. To drink wine. To have choices. To talk to people, male, female, stranger, friend. The absence of prayer calls. I am extremely tolerant. But the prayer calls sometimes gets to me – especially over week-ends when it is very quiet and that loudhailer starts blaring. To me it does feel like indoctrination and it does feel as if it’s infringing on my space. (Please accept my apologies if you’re Muslim – it’s not a criticism – just being honest about how it makes me feel.) I am use to hearing church bells on a Sunday and that is a comforting sound. But not five times a day every day.

I hear three sounds daily – the prayer calls, the cats fighting, and the water running through the pipes as the pump gets switched on. One day I’ll be in a place with no prayer calls and I’ll probably wake up thinking:”What the hell is wrong!”

The Arabian Horse

And God took a handful of South wind and from it formed a horse saying: "I create thee, Oh Arabian. To thy forlock, I bind Victory in battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil and a Treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth.. I give thee flight without wings."

From an ancient Bedouin legend

All the King's Horses and all the King's Men

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Saudi is a nation of tribes. It extends from the Red Sea in the west to the Arabian Gulf in the east; bordered on the north by Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait, on the south, by Yemen and Oman, and on the east by the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. It has no perennial rivers and is considered one of the driest areas on earth. The Rub al-Khali, virtually uninhabited, is almost entirely without rain.

King Abdulaziz (1932-1953)

The legendary King Abdulaziz ibn Saud was a remarkable leader. He was the first king and founding father of the modern Kingdom. He was outstandingly tall, indifferent to injury, hardened by battle and extremely disciplined. Spiritually he was deeply devout. His vision set Saudi Arabia on the road to modernization. When he won his kingdom, it was exasperatingly poor. Then a stroke of fortune changed it all when oil was discovered. Today, only Arabs can afford to shop at Harrods! The most valuable asset in Monopoly, property in Mayfair, belongs almost exclusively to Arabs. At this rate, they might soon acquire another kingdom!

Abdulaziz was a busy man, and at the time of his death, he left behind him forty-seven living sons and unnumbered daughters. His family tree shows only male descendants, as if they miraculously sprang from the earth.

King Saud (1953-1964)

Abdulaziz’ eldest son Saud acceded to the throne upon his father’s death. It was determined by the king that succession should pass from the oldest son to the next. One of King Saud’s greatest successes was the development of education – under his rule the first institute of higher education, King Saud University, was established in 1957.

King Faisal (1964-1975)

King Faisal succeeded his brother. He established the first public schools for girls. Throughout the period of the 1960s and 1970s, which included two Arab-Israeli wars and the oil crisis of 1973, King Faisal was a voice for moderation, peace and stability. Unfortunately his reign came to an abrupt end when he was assassinated by one of his scores of nephews, also a Faisal, the son of a half-brother. Before dying, the king is reported to have asked that his assassin be spared execution. In the aftermath, Faisal bin Musa'id was publicly declared to have been insane. However, Saudi officials claimed that his actions were deliberate and planned. He was tried and found guilty. Hours after the verdict, he was publicly beheaded in Riyadh. Saudis do not like to mention this part of their history, but Shakespear would have had a field day.

King Khalid (1975-1982)

Khalid, yet another of the brotherhood, succeeded King Faisal. King Khalid also emphasized development, and his reign was marked by a period of enormous wealth and prosperity for the country.

King Fahd (1982-2005)

King Fahd was groomed for leadership from an early age. In 1953, in his early thirties, he took the education portfolio. He also represented the House of Saud at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. As Crown Prince in 1981, he proposed a plan to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict and give the Palestinians an independent state. The plan was considered one of the first attempts to find a just and lasting settlement that took into consideration the needs of both the Arabs and Israel.

King Abdullah (2005 - )

Peace in the Middle East and the plight of the Palestinians are of particular concern to King Abdullah. His proposal for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, presented in 2002, has been adopted by the League of Arab States and is known as the Arab Peace Initiative. He has been unwavering in his condemnation of terrorism. At the International Counterterrorism Conference in Riyadh in February, 2005, he called for greater international cooperation to fight this global problem.

Crown Prince Sultan

Prince Sultan, like his brothers, received his early education in religion, modern culture and diplomacy at the royal court. After serving as Governor of Riyadh Province from 1947 to 1953, he became the Kingdom’s first Minister of Agriculture. In 1955, he became Minister of Communications, and contributed greatly to the development of the Kingdom’s road, rail and telecommunications networks. He has been Minister of Defense and Aviation since 1963.

Prince Sultan is suffering from cancer and it is not likely that he will outlive or succeed his brother. Interestingly enough, his son, Prince Bandar, who had been Saudi’s ambassador in Washington for 22 years, has disappeared off the map.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz

In the absence of any official news about his health or whereabouts, the rumour mill has been working overtime. As is often the case with Saudi affairs, the truth is elusive. Those who know won’t talk and those who don’t know talk a lot. One theory is that Prince Bandar was seeking to oust King Abdullah before Prince Sultan dies, thus placing his father on the throne. Other rumours claim that Prince Bandar is ill, or that he angered King Abdullah by dabbling in Syrian politics without authorisation. Obviously his under some kind of house arrest. (my opinion)

Succession

One thing that has become very clear, is that Saudi is run by a clan of elderly statesmen (octogenarians) whose health and lifespan is rapidly deteriorating and diminishing. If they keep passing it on from brother to brother, the reign of each one will be progressively shorter and more incompetent and more open to behind the scenes conniving and backstabbing. Sons of different mothers tend to stick together. The succession is going to be very interesting to follow and one can only pray that the leadership will remain in the hands of moderate men (or women!).

Asir

Currently reading a book - Undiscovered Asir by Thierry Mauger. One of those beautiful coffee-table ones with exquisite pictures. "His remarkable photographs and a vivid text tell of tribes and communities whose way of life has not changed for centuries. He opens our eyes to people and places scarcely known to the outside world".
Asir is Saudi Arabia's most rugged, remote and varied region. It contains in many ways the most distinctive and diverse of the Kingdom's people. Yet, as a result of its forbidding terrain, it remains one of the least-known parts of the world. Even today the people do not necessarily welcome intrusion, and it is still almost as unfamiliar to Saudis from other regions as it is to the outside world. Of course, the absence of a tourist industry in Saudi has helped shield Asir from outside eyes.
The province of Asir, with Abha as its capital, includes the entire highland area of south west Saudi Arabia between the Yemen border to the south and the Bahah province to the north. From the highlands, it flows all the way down to the lowland coastal plain which runs parallel to the Red Sea. And this is where I live - in the beautiful province of Asir, near the highest point in the Kingdom, Jabal Sawdah.
The challenge is to find the ways and means for a woman on her own to travel and to visit some of the places described in this book. Women may not travel on their own. They may not travel in the company of a man unless its a relative. I will not be reckless, but trust me, I will find a way. Another intrepid traveller will cross my path and I will bring back the evidence of an incredible journey.

Pomegranate - first Arab word I learnt

ROMAINE - pronounced in French fashion

Food and Fusion

Arab cuisine is defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab World, from Morocco and Tunisia to Yemen and Somalia, and incorporating Syria, Egypt and others. It has also been influenced by the culinary traditions of Turkey, Greece, Iraq, the Balkans, Iran, India, Afghanistan and the Berbers. (Wikipedia)

Got invited to a barbecue by one of the ex-pat families. Can’t call it a “braai” coz they don’t know what that is. Was an interesting group of people together: four South-Africans, four Pakistanis, one Irishman and five British. It was okay enough though I really have to get use to the total absence of alcohol. The Pakistani lady brought a fruit salad with what I thought was cinnamon on top. Took a big helping with lots of cinnamon and then nearly choked – it was ground masala ! Who the hell puts curry powder on a fruit salad! Obviously the Pakistanis do. The Pakistani man politely told me it was an acquired taste. Hell, yes!

Today I bought eggplant-salad. It had liberal amounts of a red spice sprinkled on top.  Approached it with caution and dished from the bottom,  in case the “paprika” turns out to be curry again. Please, let it taste like the melitzano salata I remember!

There’s a cafeteria at the hospital, catering for the staff. The meals are subsidized and you can’t make it yourself for that price. Besides the fact that I don’t particularly enjoy cooking (a known fact) I’m just too tired in the evenings to bother. The cooks are from Sri-Lanka. The food is divine. Normally a choice of three – always roast chicken, lots of breyani, noodle dishes, fish and sometimes lamb. Definitely no pork. Funny how one starts missing something when you can’t have it! I skip the lamb because I’ve been spoilt - nothing beats Karoo-lamb.

Love their salads, especially tabouli. (Salad made of bulgur, finely chopped parsley and mint, tomato and spring onion, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.) The most favourite herbs in Arab food are thyme and mint. The Greeks favour oregano, basil and garlic. The Asians add cardamom, cloves, saffron, curry, and chili. (Many of the same spices used in Arabian cuisine are also those emphasized in Indian cuisine. This is a result of heavy trading and historical ties between the two regions, and also because many South Asian expats live in the Arab Gulf states.)  Fusion at its best.