Reflection

I've been home just over a month now and things are pretty much back to normal.  I am back to working two days a week doing massage, have two community pilates classes starting at the beginning of October and am doing a some administration work for my friend as and when she needs a hand.  One thing I did promise myself was not to over-stretch myself and end up working too much and over too many days like I used to before I left for Riyadh.  I believe this is one of the reasons why I felt the need for a change and ended up in Saudi.  Sometimes we try and fit too many things into such a short space of time and actually forget how to enjoy things.  So for me, getting the work - life balance right was definitely one of the things I needed to address and up to yet it seems to working quite well.  I know I won't earn as much money but sometimes you just have to re-evaluate and ask yourself what your priorities are and what is important to make you happy.  The second thing I needed to address was my relationship with Steven and what we needed to do in order to make it more harmonious.....relationships are hard as we all know and unless we are prepared to work at them and give and take, they will end up failing.  So we have been trying hard to be mindful of each others needs and address things that are not working and "touch wood".....we seem to be doing pretty well.
In the first few weeks back I did have a few times where I felt quite flat and wondered if I had made the right decision in not returning in September but to be honest we all have days where we feel flat.  I know I have made the right decision, even though I miss the girls out there and I also miss that I had very little to worry about, only eating, sleeping and working but life would be pretty boring if that was all we did day in and day out.
I am really enjoying having the freedom of being able to go where I want and do what I want when it suits me.  The Muslim way of life in Riyadh is very restrictive, being a woman, prayer times, the heat but I am also very fortunate that I had a chance to experience something different and would encourage anyone if you have a dream or a desire then go and chase it and try to make it happen.
I have not written off working in another country again.  My short time in Riyadh gave me the confidence to give something a go if it was what my heart desired and life is too short to sit at home saying" I wish I had tried this or done that" even if you do it and it isn't what you expect at least you can say you have tried it and draw a line under it.
I have been doing a lot of cycling since I got back and am loving being outside, even though the weather is starting to turn and it takes a bit more effort to get out of the door, unlike when the sun is shining......the reason why I am telling you this is that I am off to the Pyrenees soon tackle a few famous cycling climbs and thought it may be an opportunity to write another blog......
So for now, life feels good, I feel like I am in the right place and being in Riyadh gave me the kick up the backside I needed to get things back on track at home.  Like they say "A change is as good as a rest" 

10 further observations

1. Saudi women are typically pear shaped
2. I can't take a man, wearing a long white dress, sandals and a tea towel on his head seriously (but Gandhi seemed to pull it off)
3. Inshallah should mean "If I can be arsed" not "God Willing"
4. Riding a bicycle with no lights on a major road (4 lanes wide) its deemed a safe mode of transport
5. So is riding on a moped with no helmet on the aforementioned road
6. There are no buses in Riyadh (public transport)
7. The muttawa are still a pain in the arse
8. True Muslims don't have tattoos (it won't allow them to enter heaven when they die if they have them)
9. Eid is a bit like our Christmas...they give money and present, eat nice food and party
10. Riyadh is built on a 600m (above sea level) rocky plateau

Final Countdown

I woke really early this morning so thought I'd take the opportunity to get the blog as up to date as possible before I go home.  I have decided to continue it for a while also when I get home as I am sure there will be things that happen to me within the first month and maybe beyond that are a consequence of me spending the last five months in Saudi Arabia.
I am not quite sure what I am feeling this morning, in fact I am not sure I am feeling anything at all.  I would say I am not really an emotional person, I don't cry a lot, I don't tend to get excited over things or too sad about things.  This is not to say that I don't have a heart or don't care but it's just how I am we all show our feelings differently. So this morning I am searching to find what my feelings are about leaving Riyadh and I can't really find any.  If you ask me what my head is saying, it is telling me "Come on girl, You are going home, get excited, jump up and down on the bed, play loud music, dance around in your underwear" but all it's saying to me is "Your going home"  As I said in my last blog I have been doing a bit of reflecting about my time here in Riyadh and as much it may all look like it has been difficult and not a great experience this is not the case.  Yes, there has been many things that have happened that wouldn't happen in England but there are also things that happen in England that would never happen here.  The lack of rules within the spa made things difficult as I know that the Spa Manager made them up as she went along and one rule for one was never the same for another and even though this didn't affect me directly, it did affect me when it upset the rest of the girls that worked in the team. Being English made me high up on the list of "don't treat her like shit" I know the country is very different to what I am used to but again, it's just rules and if you are prepared to live by them and just go with the flow, they are easy to get used to (except them closing the shops all the time for prayer...that is a pain in the arse!)and some of the rules they have should be implemented in many other countries.....I am talking mainly about crime, murder etc here.  When the fear of being executed in public hangs over you if you commit a serious crime then I guess it makes you think twice  about committing one as appose to getting to spend the rest of your life with many home comforts and being looked after by the state..they have definitely got this one right (in my opinion!!!)  I have not watched TV or read a newspaper whilst being here, no need as Facebook keeps me up to date on public opinion of what is happening in the world (well, mainly sporting event results and more recently the death of the poor little boy called Daniel...I am not going to go on here about what should happen to the mother and step father but again, in my opinion, I wished they were living in Saudi Arabia and it was Execution Day!!!)
So what has been happening in the spa this week?  Lore has left for England.  She has a course to attend and then she is heading over to Norway to stay with family before heading back to Saudi Arabia in September.  For now, she has taken the job in Al Khobar with a view to returning to Riyadh possibly in January to take a fitness position with a gym called NuYu.   We have all started packing and it seemed I had done quite well and was the only one going home with the same amount of bags that I came with, albeit it feeling 10 times heavier than when I arrived.  The other girls however, have been a little less conservative on their retail therapy and gift buying.  Kedi has paid for a carton (cargo) with a 45kg allowance (450 riyals...just under £80) to be shipped to South Africa as it is cheaper than taking it with her on the plane.  Valentina has bought an extra suitcase and will pay around £50 to British Airways.  Lore, went home with just the one suitcase but has left 3 boxes, one suitcase a mini oven and numerous other bits and pieces at a friend's house in Riyadh which she will collect when she returns in September.  May Ann is not going home to the Philippines but is hoping to take a holiday in Dammam and visit friends.
I have been paid and other than flight deductions I have been given everything that I am owed up until the 7th August.  Kedi, Val and May have not been paid from 25th July to 7th August but have been told they will receive this in the September pay run.  I was paid up to date as I am the only one that has said I am not coming back.  We have all been given our passports back and Dindo has been informed of the times he needs to take everyone to the airport.  I am the first one to leave tonight on and Val and Kedi leave tomorrow evening.
I am going to close here for now and as I said earlier, I am going to continue with my blog for a while when I get home.......So for now, I am going to do something out of the ordinary for me......jump up and down on the bed, in my underwear singing "She's coming home. She's coming home.....(thanks for that one Andrea Smith!!) and this time in 24 hours I will be home with Steven, My Girls, My Family, My Babies (cat, rabbit, guinea pig) and My Friends...but, and there is always a but, I will be leaving behind some wonderful friends that I have made but I will be taking away some wonderful memories....so thank you May Ann, Valentina, Kedi, Lore, Mysti and everyone else that I have had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with for making my experience a memorable one and I hope that I get chance to meet you all again...Inshallah
 

All Quiet and Reflection

Things with Hanan have been quiet during Ramadan.  She has started the Iqama process for Kedi and Val and other than that we have not seen her (pay day is looming so I am sure there will be some upset in someone's pay packet) she only comes in for a few hours between 12pm and 3pm.  The gym is very quiet during the first shift. We usually see the same three ladies and they only usually want to do Pilates, so that means Kedi draws the short straw.  I have taught pump a few times but when clients are fasting with no water it's not the best choice.
It is proving quite difficult to get out for groceries....only because I can't be bothered to go during our long break as I have got into a little routine of one hour by the pool and then I spend the rest of the time just catching up with people at home, getting my work at home in place, eating and generally relaxing....I have just felt so tired during Ramadan and as I have said before I am struggling to get out of bed at 11am to get ready for work.  We have a small supermarket across the street so anything I need I either go at 1am after work or I wait till Friday evening and go the bigger supermarket.....highlight of the week, a walk around the supermarket and retail therapy!!!!
I've started preparing for my return home...... and with regards to my work schedule at home, I almost feel like I have a new lease of life "A change is as good as a rest"  My massage clinic days and times have been sent to my clients.  I have sourced venues to start my fitness pilates classes in the community, I have considered and declined requests to teach in the gyms I worked in before, my new bike has arrived and Steven and I are going cycling to the Pyrenees in September (OMG....talk about run before I can walk!) and I have a trip planned with Charlotte, Hannah and my mum six days after I get home.  Steven is taking some time off when I get back so we can have some quality time together (it feels like we are starting again).....I feel raring to go.  Maybe I should work away for five months every year if it does this to me.

Reflection

You know when you make a decision to do something and even though it seems like the right one? doubts still keep creeping in to make you question the decision you have made?  Well today has felt a little like that.  Even though everything is falling almost too perfectly into place at home.  I still question it so let's weigh it up:

I have a beautiful family, my girls and Steven
I have a lovely home
I have work in place to support me
I have lovely friends
I am free to chose what I do and when I do it (no abaya, even though I actually quite like it)
I have my health
I can run, cycle, jump, skip all outdoors without melting in the heat or being arrested and much much more that will take to long to list......so why am I even questioning my decision?

What I have here:

Sunshine everyday (albeit a little too hot)
Tax free salary (nice)
Shared accommodation (not as bad as you think)
I get to sit by a beautiful pool all to myself on a Friday (this is the bit that I think I'm wanting to keep)
I have lovely friends (I do at home as well)
I only have to worry about waking up, eating and working (I think I'm being a bit selfish here!)
I have to work 48 hours a week over 6 days (too much)
I get one holiday a year, all thirty days have to be taken in August (not ideal!!) as I don't get home for Christmas or anything else that doesn't happen in August for that matter

The more I write the more I know even questioning my decision is wrong.  I am just hoping that it doesn't take me too long to settle when I get home and who knows?  I may come back to visit the friends I have made (if I can get a sponsor, as you can't enter the country without one).  I do feel happy with what I have and I feel privileged  to have been able to do something different.  No doubt I will want to experience something else that takes me out of my comfort zone.......at least I will have story to tell my grandchildren, when/if I get any.
 

Birthday

Wednesday 17th July

Am I really 46?!!!! (not till the 21st) I don't think I feel it, even though I am not really sure what 46 is meant to feel like.  The only signs are when I look in the mirror and see lines and the grey hair but I manage to keep the latter under control....NICE AND EASY!!!
It's Wednesday 17th July and Val and I are invited to Fahl compound to meet Fadi and Miguel for lunch during our 5 hour break (3pm to 8pm).  Lunch! yes, I know its Ramadan and eating is not allowed until 6.45pm...you can even be arrested if you are seen chewing gum but within the confines of your home, in the compound etc as long as you are a non-muslim you can eat during fasting hours. Fahl compound is full to bursting with non-muslims so eating is allowed.  Fadi informed me that men cannot even have sex with their wives during these hours...... he never said they couldn't have sex with anyone else's wife though....joke!!!
The meal we have was typically Arabic/Lebanese and very nice.  I have been pretty adventurous with food whilst being here and have tried many different types of cuisine (Steven won't believe this bit as he thinks I can only survive on chocolate!!).  Then to my surprise, Val has been plotting secretly, I am presented with a birthday cake and gifts.  I was not expecting this, I thought we were just going for lunch....I am overwhelmed.  The guys have been so kind to us since we have been here.  I suddenly feel a tinge of sadness that I am not going to see them again.  Its amazing how quickly in just four months I have a new life, new friends and new experiences, all of which I won't forget.  I am hoping that we will keep in touch and who knows one day meet again.

Friday 19th July

The weather has been very windy and dusty again today to the point that we all have sore eyes. Many Saudi's suffer from respiratory problems due to the weather.   There is sand everywhere, even the pool is full of sand.  It's definitely not the kind of weather you want to sit out in unless you want to look like a sandcastle!!  I spent most of my day off, cleaning and resisting the urge to start packing my bags for my return home.  Three weeks prior to departure is way to early.  Tonight we are going to TGI Fridays, Kedi, May and myself.  Val wasn't feeling up to it and Lore had already paid for a ticket (200 riyals) to go to a compound party.  I still refuse to pay to go to one of these parties as the ones I have attended have been totally rubbish.  Anyway, we arrange to go out at 6.45pm just after the fourth prayer (you can eat at this time as it symbolises the end of the fast) and before the fifth prayer at 8.30pm.  All restaurants are closed during fasting time during Ramadan.
We have a lovely evening , the food is great and we finish it off with a trip to the shopping mall for a little retail therapy.  The only thing that spoils it is the bloody mutawa following you and telling you to cover your hair "Woman!!! cover your hair"  They even follow you into shops and harass you.

Friday 21st July

12am (I hour to go at work) and the girls surprise me with a birthday cake and the "Happy Birthday" song.  I feel very lucky.  I am going to miss these girls.  I know I say it a lot but I have spent the last four months with them, morning, noon and night.....Steven calls me to wish me happy birthday and I sleep feeling happy.

6pm....still on the 21st I speak with my mum, Charlotte and Hannah and some friends.  I may be 4000 miles away but I feel very close to everyone.  It is true when they say people can feel lonely even when they are in a relationship or have their family and friends close to them but for me right now I don't feel lonely I feel in a good place with myself, my feeling and my emotions.  I am ready to go home to see everyone and I know it's going to take a while to adjust but I feel ready.

Let me get you up to date with Lore before I go.  She is still in the accommodation waiting to fly back to England on the 2nd August.  She still has not been given an exit visa or her passport.  She has been offered the job starting in September in Al Khobar but has also been a very busy girl researching gyms and spas in Riyadh, sending her CV and attending interviews.  On the up shot of this she has been offered two more jobs and is also waiting on the response of a third.  So she has options.  The salaries and packages offered at the other spas are pretty much the same as here but on the plus side, they don't have Hanan for a manager.  Lore said they appeared to be very different and one of the companies had an English Manager.  She did say that when she told them her reasons for leaving Yibreen Spa, they were appalled at what had been happening . So whatever happens, Lore is coming back to Riyadh in september (when she has decided which offer she will accept).  She should feel proud of herself because even when the chips were down she never gave in.  She told me that if I felt I wanted to return that I would easily get a job at any of the spas or gyms in Riyadh (they love English Instructor) as now they were replacing all freelance instructors and employing full timers due to the iqama situation.  For now I just want to go home but I know the door is open for me if I want to come back.  You can only plan what happens in your life to a certain extent.....like what time you get up and what you eat for lunch but the rest of it....well!!!! so just try and live it and enjoy!! 

 

Ten Observations

1. Everywhere you go in Riyadh involves a U turn
2. Muttawa are a pain in the arse
3. Three kisses on one cheek is an acceptable greeting
4. You can't kiss a man in public.....unless you are another man
5. Eating, drinking and sex are not allowed during fasting hours
6. Riyadh is just busy roads full of restaurants and shopping malls
7. Dreary in Saudi means its still boiling hot but you can't see the sun for dust
8. Taxi Drivers haven't got a clue where anything is
9. Panda is a chain of supermarkets
10. Ghada, Wafa, Zana and Johara are very common women's names

Water Man

Water and Riyadh don't seem to go together but today's water saga was a little bit different to the previous ones.
Val and I were getting ready to go to meet some friends for lunch at Fahl compound.......  I know it was a work day but during Ramadam we get a five hour break before shift two and as much as it sounds lovely.....it has put a huge strain on all the instructors, we have all been exhausted and some nights not getting to sleep till around 4am.  I have even managed to over lay on one occasion......start time at 12pm and the girls ring me at 12.20pm to see if I was ok....that's how tired I feel.....Anyway back to the water story.
I hear Val talking to someone in the living area and don't recognise the voice but do recognise it is that of an Indian Man.  Val calls me and I go out to see what she needs......who is this strange man and how did he get into the accommodation?  The only time we see a man in our accommodation is when he comes to fix the air conditioning (quite often) and he is always accompanied by two cleaning ladies.  So the strange Indian man in our accommodation starts to become slightly worrying.  It appears that the strange man has got through security to see if we need to buy some water (we buy large bottles to save us carrying it from the supermarket).  The man is trying to hold Val's hand and then he tries to pull her towards him to, what looks like, kiss her on the cheek.  Val quickly pulls away and looks grateful that I have appeared.  I tell the man to get us two bottles of water and Val goes off to her room to get some money.  When the man returns he then attempts to take me by the hand and then proceeds to tell me he loves me......His age, around 55, his ethnicity, Indian, his height, around 5ft 5", his smell, definitely Putrid!!!!! with a capital P.  I give him the money and ask him politely to leave but at this point he is pretending that he doesn't understand a word I am saying.  He uses hand gestures which suggest he would like a drink of water so I respond with hand gestures comprising of two fingers that suggest he best leave and then point towards the door.  He decides it is not time to leave and starts to head toward Valentina's room......now I raise my voice a little and suggest he leaves before I give him a kick in the nuts!!!
Val appears a little shell shocked by what has just happened as she was the first to encounter him and was praying that I heard her call me when he tried to kiss her.  We decide to mention this to the security guard on our way out and he immediately picks up the phone and calls the Indian Water Delivery Man.  The security guard is shouting and it appears that he is telling the water man not to do this again.  I am just thankful that Val nor I were alone in the accommodation as who knows what would have occurred.
We were informed that we could have reported said man to the police firstly because it was Ramadam and any sexual intentions towards women are definitely not allowed and this would have made his punishment ten fold and secondly he could have been charged with harassment.
So we have drinking water in our accommodation albeit it a little eventful, the accommodation smells rancid but the lesson learnt for today is if they are 5ft 5" their nuts are well in range of a size 5 shoe!!

Ramadam

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorates the revelation of the Quran by Allah to the Prophet Mohammed, and is celebrated by Muslims all over the world who, from sunrise to sunset for 30 days straight, refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, arguing, cursing, and sexual activity......I've been doing most of this since I got here, even though my fasting once a week for 24 hours is a little different to theirs for 14 hours with no water and I must admit to a bit of cursing but the rest I can say I've managed to sustain from.
Ramadam was due to start on Tuesday 9th July but it can only begin when certain men in high places....and I don't mean Allah, see the new moon, so everyone sits and waits with baited breath for them to tell them after the fifth prayer if it is the start.  However, tonight the weather was dreary (Saudi term for when you can't see the moon because its either too dusty or cloudy, but mainly its due to the dust and sand flying around that stops you seeing it.) So the moon was not visible on the 9th so Ramadam now officially starts on the 10th July and lasts for 30 days.
Day one and the gym seems quiet and you can sense that the Muslim girls that work here who are about to embark on their 30 day fast are feeling a little anxious at the thought even though they have done it every year since puberty (that determines when you start fasting).  Mona told me that the day before she starts fasting she always feels like she should eat as much as possible as she fears the hunger and the dehydration (the latter being the worst part).  Most of the rich Saudis who don't work, turn their night into day and visa versa so they really don't feel the true meaning of hunger or thirst as they are in bed for most of the day and get up just before the fast breaks.  The fast is broken after the fourth prayer (around 6.45pm) with a few dates and milk or juice and is called  Iftar and then a lot of time is spent in prayer and then they eat a very large traditional Saudi meal, Suhoor which is the last meal before sunrise.  So the fast basically lasts from 3.30am to 6.30pm the following day (around 14 hours).  I think the worst thing is that they can't drink anything and it doesn't help when its 50 degrees outside and you can't even have a sip of water.
Over the next 7 days I am surprised to see we have clients coming to the gym in the morning even though some of them look very tired, to attend mainly pilates or abs.  A few girls have been in and done some running on the treadmill but to be honest in the first three hours of our shift it has been pretty quiet.  However, they seem to appear out of the woodwork when it comes to the evening and it has totally took me by surprise at how many girls are prepared to come to spinning at 12am before the gym closes at 1am......All the instructors are struggling to get into the new working hours....12pm to 3pm and then 8pm to 1am.....its so hard to sleep and so most nights it 4am before we manage it and then you feel a bit like death warmed up for the first half of your shift in the morning.  We have a lovely break at 3pm when we tend to go to the pool for an hour when the gym closes at 4pm and before the sun goes down at around 6pm (even though it hasn't been possible for a few days as it is so dusty and sandy that you can't even see the sun.  In England I guess we would call this overcast (dreary) and then after this nice break when you feel like you should be going to bed or relaxing we then hit round two, the second shift at 8pm and to be honest it is busy so if you are even thinking of feeling tired, you better forget it.  So 3 more weeks of this to go and then it will be time for me to come home.
I'll just fill you in with the Lore saga before I go as I think it is finally over after much to...ing and fro....ing but to cut a long story short.  Hanan has to pay Lore everything, holiday pay, two months salary and her flights home because Lore has actually in no way breached her contract, it was just Hanan trying to pull a fast one and deduct as much money as possible form her.  This has been a very tough time for Lore as she literally had no money and nowhere to go but hats off to her for pulling herself together and not letting this woman walk all over her.  Lore said the lesson she learnt from this was not to be afraid to stand up for herself especially when she knows she is being treated unfairly......

Resignation

As we are getting closer to going home, I decide to go to see the boss about her deducting our salaries for our flights home in August and back in September.  The employer is supposed to pay all flights but Hanan wanted a guarantee that  we would return so said she would be deducting them from our August salary.  She also said she would not be paying us the final two weeks of our salary as they fell into the following months salary. (fair enough, even though I don't agree with the flight deductions but nothing we could do about it.)
I sat in my room that night still feeling a little confused (doesn't take much) about the deductions and didn't think it was fair she was doing this so I sent Hanan an email asking if she could take the £550 from the final two weeks salary that we wouldn't be getting till our return and not the salary we would get on August 1st....not that I needed it as I have been saving like a trouper but my thoughts were if I don't come back in September  I would sooner be £700 down and not £1250.  She sent a blunt email back saying she wanted a meeting with us all to clarify this.
In the meantime, Lore is not further forward. The Embassy said they can't help her with the salary, only thing they could do was to send Hanan a letter asking her to release Lore's passport.  So at this moment in time Lore is still not allowed to work and still has not been given her salary, passport or exit visa.  Mysti posted on her facebook wall about a Saudi Princess who had just been arrested for literally enslaving a Kenyan woman http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/saudi-royal-princess-charged-enslaving-kenyan-woman/ worth a read if you have time.....but it highlights that these type of things are still happening.....the passports, the pay.
So two days later we go for our meeting with Hanan and as always I end up sitting the closest to her!!!  Anyway, I start by asking her to explain to us why the deductions come out of the August salary and not the final two weeks pay....I am not going to go into everything that was said in the meeting but what I can tell you is that about five minutes in I hear her say "I need you to tell me if you are not coming back so I don't waste time and money sorting your iqama"  My mouth opens and out pops "I'm not coming back" then for a split second the room goes quiet.  She replies, well I think she does but I a cannot hear anything as I am still in shock at what has just come out of my mouth.  So again the conversation goes on and by this time her voice has raised a few decibels and she is now somewhere in between talking and shouting about god knows what as my ears are still not working correctly since I last opened my mouth and then I hear again something about not coming back and once again my mouth opens and I say "I'm not coming back"...."Ok" she says, "tell me what date you want to work to either 25th July (salary cut of date) or 8th August" which is the planned finished date before we fly home.  I tell her I will put it in writing....Then she launches into a verbal attack on Valentina as she mentions feeling unsettled about the Lore situation. "Well!!!"  Hanan is now registering on the richter scale as she starts to shake and shout even louder.  "I'm glad you brought that up, let's get it all out in the open".  She then proceeds to shout the Loretta story......after about 10 minutes it becomes a little calmer and we recap over what has been said......the only thing I can hear is my head telling me "I think you have just resigned"!!!
So this is where things are at the moment:

• I am not coming back
• We are being deducted on 1st Aug for 2 flights home and back
• Our 12 months contract has suddenly turned into 13 as she informs us that the holiday month doesn't count!!
• Iqama's are being started for those who are returning in September
• Lore is being ignored and still not being paid

But then there is a big turn around!!!!! she must have had a change of heart! Honestly, my head is spinning.  I just want all this drama and shit to be over. First it's this and then it's that.  I won't go over the events of the next few days in detail or this blog will be longer than a hockey player's sock, but this is now what is happening.....don't hold your breath though as it may all have changed by the next blog:

I am being paid up to the 7th August and I am also getting some holiday pro-rata based on the months I have worked here.  This also applies to Kedi, Val and May Ann

My contract is being left open.  Hanan wants me to come back and has asked that I think it over during my holiday and let her know if I change my mind.  She also said that even if I change my mind three month's down the line she will still have me back.....I am very flattered by this. Lore is going to get paid for July, even though she has not worked it (not Lore's choice as Hanan banned her from the spa) and she is also getting paid for  the August holiday....I think Lore's threats of going to the Labour Office to report Hanan have finally paid off or maybe this woman has decided to try the nice approach now that Ramadam is here and Muslims are supposed to show kindness, forgiveness, empathy etc etc.... or maybe she has realised we are well within our rights to be paid and this is in line with the Saudi Law......All this shit is really getting us all down now and it is starting to give me a headache or is it the sandstorms and change in the weather that's been giving me the headache....It is starting to get hotter and drier.  It is definitely summer in Saudi.

 

Foot Loose

I wish my foot was loose.  I woke this morning unable to move my big toes.  Goodness knows why.  It didn't hurt last night and unless I'd been doing ballet in my sleep, could find no reason why.  Anyway, onward and upward.  I teach 2 spin, 1 swimming lesson, 1 body balance class a private session and it seems to hold out.  Hopefully it will feel better in the morning.......I spend the whole night tossing and turning the pain is so bad and it is spreading, now its even hurting under my foot, in my ankle and the side of my foot has swollen to 3 times the normal size.  I get up in the morning and can't even put my foot to the floor.  I get dressed and attempt to put my trainers on.....there is no way that this is going to happen unless I break my big toe or cut my trainers and I don't fancy doing either to be honest.  So I hobble off to work in my flip flops.  If I don't go to work, I don't get paid and will need a Drs note.  We still don't have medical insurance so there is no way I am paying to see a Dr for a note that says my foot is swollen when it is plain to see just by looking at it. I speak with Mona (Receptionist) and ask to cancel the classes which involve me jumping or having to wear my training shoe and keep the ones where I can just instruct....spin, abs, gym circuits.
May Anne goes off to the chemist to get me some anti-inflammatories and comes back with them and a course of antibiotics......this is the third lot of antibiotics in 3 months (note to self must get Steven to order me some probiotics when I get home to put some good bacteria back).  The chemist suggested to May that I take them in case it was a bite and there was some infection.  At this moment in time, I will take anything if it gets rid of the pain and gives me a normal size foot back.  Val kindly massages it for me.  I love these girls, not just today, obviously for taking care of me but everyday as we have become a little family and take care of each other.
Five days later........I have my foot back :).  No idea what caused it but I am back to wearing two shoes.

All Change Part 3

Told you there was going to be a part 3 and I can feel that this is not quite the end......

Today was pay day.  Edgar is a Filipino guy who does the spa's accounts.  He comes in a few times a week and just by looking at him you can tell that if Hanan says "Jump", he says "How high?"  So at 5pm I go to collect my salary and Lore follows swiftly after.  I go back to the gym to start my next class and then I hear Lore, crying and shouting very loudly...."The F******* Bitch... We all rush to her to find out what is wrong.  Hanan conveniently left early today, obviously to avoid this as when Lore went to collect her salary, Edgar informed her that she didn't have one.  Hanan has said that she didn't/won't complete her contract going by the date that Lore had put on her letter (this is bullshit to be honest as Lore's contract finishes on the 6th of September and due to a forced one month's holiday would not return till the 8th September which is 2 days after her contract ends.)  so her contract will already be finished whilst she is back in England on her holiday.  Lore gave two months notice instead of one so that Hanan had plenty of time to find someone to replace her.......So Hanan deducted the cost of iqama, her return flight ticket home etc....all of this should be included in our employment package but every time when someone leaves she finds away to deduct money (we are convinced that she is putting said monies in her back pocket) and so Lore is left with no salary for the month....To cut a very long story short and because I don't know the exact facts of the story, Lore tried to call Hanan who didn't pick up. Lore refused to teach another class till this was all sorted.  Hanan turned up to speak to Lore (who was in the shower at the time Hanan was knocking on her door so didn't answer).  Hanan went to Reception to tell the Receptionist to contact Lore and inform her that she was not allowed back to work in the spa and was to leave the accommodation in August when her flight was booked.  What is wrong with this crazy place/woman.  Surely when Lore gave Hanan her letter of resignation it would have been much easier to explain to Lore the exact date she was expected to work to in order to qualify for her holiday pay / return flight home / iqama fees etc but no she has to use the power trick and say that she hasn't completed her contract (which is not true) so she has deducted everything.  I could tell you a lot more but this would probably confuse the story.  So the next step for Lore, we are not sure.  We know she has five options:

a) email Hanan asking for a meeting with her to sort out this mess
b) telephone the princess who owns the spa (a client has given her the contact number) and tell her everything
c) go to the British Embassy and tell them everything
d) get the hell out as fast as she can and don't look back
e) all of the above

All of this is so unsettling but one thing is for certain..... I will not be returning in September!!!!  Well I say that and then the same day all this kicks off I receive an email from Jill in Dharhan to let me know that there is a family run office in Jeddah looking for a PA (my previous job...well almost, Data Services Manager but close enough.....doesn't really matter in Saudi....Jill told me you can just lie!!)  My mind shifts from going home to suddenly going to Jeddah even though my head is telling me to not even think about staying a minute longer than necessary.  I send Karen (the lady from the agency) an email explaining my current situation here in Riyadh, my plans for going home unless I am offered something that is too good an opportunity to miss.  I receive an email back asking for my CV and that she will be in touch in due course when she knows more about the position.  Am I crazy????? The same day I receive a message from a friend asking if I will be staying home in September as a gym I had worked for previously wanted me to teach a few classes for them on a Sunday morning.  This is followed by two or three messages from people asking when I would be coming back and if I would be starting up my massage clinic on my return as they wanted to book in.  Now my head is spinning around like you can't imagine.  I know its late but I call Steven to tell him all this.  He reassures me and tells me not to worry or do anything about any of the above just yet....spend a little time thinking it over before I make a decision.
At least I know I have options and my heart will steer my in the right direction, but tonight I just want my normal life back with Steven, the girls, my parents, family and friends....I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

All Change Part 2

There are going to be a few more of the All change blogs as I can't keep up with them. I write a week behind so as I am writing this one, things have already changed but I can't do part 3 without part 2.

So Amera (hairdresser from the spa) has left.  Her notice was cut short by the boss, It went from the end of July, to the end of June and then she was given just 2 days to clear her things from the accommodation (so she never even made it to the end of June)  The boss stopped talking to her and transferred all of her clients and appointments to a new hairdresser that has just been recruited.  Amera was told that she would not be paid her final salary until her iqama (residency card) has been to Amera's brothers sponsorship so that the spa was no longer responsible for her.  This girl had been here 11 years and was treated like this....what chance do we stand?
Lore's plans have changed slightly.  She handed in her notice (well not really notice but a letter informing Hanan that she didn't wish to renew her contract for another year) and all went well (from what we can gather).  Hanan asked if there was anything that would make Lore stay......more money, an extra day off? but to be honest when you are not happy working in a place more money and an extra day off won't make a difference to how you feel about the place.  However, (all change again)  her relationship with Emad is over.  She said he was too possessive and was already insisting that she do as she was told and that she wasn't really allowed to do anything without his permission (Muslim men for you!!).  Anyway, this has paved the way for her admirer, who must now be jumping for joy.  She still plans to move to Al Khobar so hopefully it will all work out for the best for her.
Kedi, Val and myself were called to Hanan's office. We were expecting a telling off for not wearing our abaya when we came from the accommodation to the spa today.  Let me try and explain how far it is from the accommodation to the spa.  From the accommodation to the first gate is around 20 steps, high walls and not visible to the outside world.  The for the next 10 steps the path is concealed by a green hedge, albeit it a little withered and sparse due to the extreme heat and then you have three steps to take where there is no hedge and no wall and is visible to any driver that might be dropping his client off at the gym......other than that you still cannot be seen by anyone that is not actually on the spa drive at that exact time that you take those three steps.  Now these 3 steps are very important let me tell you.....if you are seen walking these 3 steps showing a shoulder or an ankle then you are in the office faster than you can say "Jack Robinson".  So this is what happened.  We are called in to see Hanan and then the praise sandwich begins with Hanan talking about Ramadam working hours and that we shouldn't worry about anything.  She tells us that the gym will probably be quiet and when we don't have classes that we can relax and in our break we can sit by the pool (now you're talking) and even though it is a 1am finish, there will be 11 hours albeit it sleeping time before we have to return to work......and then she gets to the real reason why we are there.  "Who took the three steps of doom (she didn't say exactly that, but this was what she was referring to) not wearing an abaya at lunchtime today?"  "Hands up" I say "that was me"  I had forgotten something so I quickly ran back to collect it.  I only passed that way once as I chose an alternative route on the way back and she didn't see me.....She informs us that it was not only me once but Val, twice and then Dindo's wife came out in her ripped pyjamas.  Hanan was having a meeting in the office with a Prince, who witnessed all of this.  Well, I almost wet myself trying to hold in the giggles.  So like good girls we agreed not to take the three steps ever again without wearing our abaya!!!!!
Hanan seems to be very nice at the moment but we know that she just wants a full team of instructors back in September.  I am still not sure what I am going to do but I am waiting, like I say every time, to see how I feel about things when I go home in August.  This last week I have missed being with Steven and my family.  Talking of Steven, he is currently on a short break with some of our friends for a 40th celebration.  This was planned before I left for Saudi in March, so I feel a tinge of sadness that I'm not there.  He has been keeping in regular contact though to let me know what he is up to and reassuring me that all is well.....This is nice, I feel like I have my Steven back.

Chiropractor Round 2

I went for my 2nd visit to the Chiropractor last night and almost (I did say almost) strangled the Receptionist.  The thing that is so apparent here is that most don't want or like work (none of us do but we still try and be polite, even when we are having an off day).  She is slouched in the chair wearing a white overall that is far from white, with coffee and lunch stains on it and she was chewing gum.
"Hi, I have an appointment with Dr Sohl at 7pm" I say....No response. She looks me up and down, chews her gum  and then leans forward to look at the computer screen.  "You need to pay 115 riyals (£20) that you owe us from last time"  I can see that it took her a lot of effort to lean forward and tell me this, maybe she has had a busy day!!  I show her my receipt from last time and explain that I paid my bill for last time.  The conversation goes back and forth until she tells me to speak to the Dr and let him inform her of whether I need to pay it or not.  I am told to go and sit down in the waiting room and the she turns to the Receptionist next to her and starts to call me!!!! (in Arabic).  I stand and look at her and just nod my head to acknowledge that I know she is calling me but she doesn't even flinch!!!!
So I sit in the waiting room.....half an hour passes and I start to become agitated as I have to be back at work to teach my last class at 8.10pm.  I get up and go to a Filipino nurse and ask her if she knows how long the Dr will be as I have to be back at work.  She checks the computer and informs me that the Receptionist has not booked in my arrival so the Dr doesn't even know I am here....."Take a deep breath (nafus.....breath in Arabic) she is not worth stressing over!!!!! sharmuta (look this one up for your self).  I can't believe her laziness and attitude, but like I say, I have experienced this so many times.  They are not interested, they are lazy, they are rude (this is not all people here, just 99% of people that are customer facing).  The Filipino nurse takes me back to Reception and I am told by the Receptionist that I have to pay the 115 riyals and then I can see the Dr.  I give her 150 as I have nothing smaller and she puts it in the top pocket of her not so white overall (I guess this is the till).  I ask her if I am getting any change, she ignores me and then picks up the phone and starts talking to someone obviously in another area of the hospital.  The Filipino nurse explains that I am in a hurry and to give me the change after I have seen the Dr!!!!!  I fell so uptight.  I purposely came early so I didn't feel rushed and now I feel 10 times worse than when I arrived.  I was literally in with Dr Sohl 7 minutes.  I am sure he didn't check everything properly as he was now also in a rush because I was in a rush!!!
I ask the Filipino nurse if she wouldn't mind coming to Reception with me as I may end up strangling the Receptionist.  My bill should be 200 riyals (£35).  The lovely Receptionist tells me its 335!!!!! I am counting to ten.....Warhad, ithnan, talatha, rrbar, hamsa.......I am inches away from her, would anyone notice if I gave her a quick poke in the eye?  The Filipino nurse then tells her to give me the correct change which she takes out of her dirty white overall pocket......I grab it from her hand and leave as quickly as possible!!!!
I don't think I want to experience this again so hopefully I can last now till I am home in August when my Dr Bond can put me back to together.  I know this is not England but for goodness sake, manners and a smile cost nothing.....

All Change

 We had a new receptionist start at the spa this week, Sahar, a pretty Saudi girl.  I am not sure if she is permanent or just temporary as her post has come about after the announcement from the Government that Security Officers will be checking establishments on the 3rd July to check staff at said establishments are on the correct documentation (iqama) and said establishments are employing Saudis.  In the last month 250,000 foreigners have been told to leave the country.  Riyadh has a population of almost 5 million of which 2.5 million are foreigners and make up the majority of the workforce.  Anyway, on the 3rd of July, Security Officers may visit the spa.  The girls that are on the wrong iqama have been given the choice to either come to work and risk it or stay home if they feel safer doing this.  If we are investigated and their iqama is checked and is wrong then they will be deported (so that is all the girls in the spa....none of them have the correct sponsor on their iqama).
We have a lady working in the laundry at the spa, her name is Hargusa, from Ethopia.  I am not sure of her age but I would take a guess at in her 60s.  She has been in working in the country for more than 20 years and from what I understand, has no husband but has a son who still lives in Ethiopia whom she sends money home to.  He must have been very young when she left but this is very common here, people leaving their children with other family members so that they can come to another country to earn money and support their extended family.  So Hagusta's previous sponsor has decided not to renew her Iqama as she is no longer working for him.  Her iqama sponsorship should have been transferred to the spa when she began working here about 2 years ago but this never happened (this is also very common in this country).  This morning, she is not her usual  happy self.  She looks really troubled, she is not smiling and her eyes are black, obviously from crying and lack of sleep.  Maria (boss's secretary) has told Hargusa not to worry as they are trying to sort everyone's iqama situation as quick as possible so hopefully no one here will get sent home.
My visit visa has been extended for a further 3 months so that means I am safe.  Even is we are investigated on the 3rd July I will be able to say that I am just staying at the spa and am not working but just visiting the princess and that is what is states on the official letter that I have from her.
Anyway, let me get back to our new Saudi receptionist.  She came on the recommendation of our fitness receptionist Allaa (she is a friend of hers).  No interview took place.   She is being employed because she is Saudi and all companies are having to show that they employ Saudi people.   Her first day she asked where the TV was so she could watch it when she got bored, where she could go to sleep when she got tired and also that she wanted to work on fitness reception, not beauty, even though there wasn't a job available and after being here all of 10 minutes she announces she is going to take an hour break for her breakfast!!! and the boss's response to all of this "let her do whatever she wants, we need to employ a Saudi!"  How crazy is this?
I spoke with some of my friends from home this week.  Clare, Tracey, Kelly, Susanne.  Clare had organised a girlie get together at her house at a time that was convenient for everyone (it's great having a friend who organises).  So Clare cooked them all food, supplied the wine (Clare wouldn't be Clare without the Sauvignon Blanc) and then set the laptop up on the table so it looked like I was sat in the room with them.  It was great to speak to them all and hear what they had been up to and what was happening at home even though nothing had changed.  Once again I was thankful for technology.......but this may come to an end here if the phone companies get their way.....Viber and Tango have already had their plugs pulled and there has been talk that Whatsapp and Skype may go the same way......this could mean that contact with the outside world will only be free via email, I message and FaceTime......I'm not liking the sound of this at all.  I also had a long conversation with Steven which was really lovely and not awkward at all, so I am feeling reassured that all will be good in August when I go home.  The days are ticking by so fast, less then 50 days now till my holiday and that will be 4 1/2 months done.......we shouldn't wish our lives away but I am looking forward to seeing my parents.....my mum has been my rock since being here, in fact I would say that this experience has made me feel closer to her than I have in the last 45 years.......So I am thankful for this too.
Also on the all change front, Lore has a new job starting in September at a spa in Al Khobar which is the largest city located in the Eastern Province and has a population of around 941,358.  It is close to Dammam near where Emad (new man) lives.  The salary and package sound pretty much the same as here but she will live outside of her work on a compound and also there are less restrictions there unlike here in Riyadh.  She seems very happy and I am so pleased for her.  She is also off to Bahrain on Wednesday night for a few days.  She has been allowed a few more days off without pay.  To be honest, I don't know how she has managed since last September, 6 days a week with no break till now.  It is so physically and mentally draining.
Finally on the all change front......its hard to believe that there has already been so many staff leave in 3 1/2 months........Amera (Lebanese Hairdresser, been here 11 years) almost bust a gut as lunch today when she comes sliding into the kitchen at lunchtime in her flipflops to tell us that she is leaving at the end of the July after yet another fight with Hanan (the boss).  She tells us that since Hanan has been the manager a large amount of staff and members have left.  So the staff numbers are plummeting faster than a comet heading to earth...Shivona, Mysti, Amera, the Filipino ladies with no iqamas, Robert the maintenance man and Lore in September....all in 3 months.  I begin to think about my future with the company.....is it to time to go and find a job back home........the week ends with the Saudi Receptionist leaving after 3 days......"Oh Happy Days"!!!

One for the ladies

How hard can it be to get a tampon around here???? Anyone would think I was asking for the earth.  Up to yet I have visited 3 supermarkets and one chemist, who by the way must now thing I am a raving lunatic.  He was very intrigued when I started to use hand gestures to describe what a tampon was.  I think he thought I was talking about launching a space rocket and even though he was so engrossed in my demonstration of insertion (try this one for yourself.....describe without talking a tampon and see how you feel) and it not being a pad that he hardly even blinked (I think he was in shock)....his mouth was hanging a little close to the floor I might hasten to add.  I bet he was thinking "Call the men in the white jackets.....we've got one here"  So my next mission is to find tampons in Riyadh.  Valentina informed me that they probably didn't sell them as girls that weren't married should be virgins and maybe inserting something, whatever shape or from may take the title away from them!!!!! but what about the girls/ladies that were married with 6 or more children.......please don't tell me that they are so far behind in this country that they don't sell a bloody tampon......I feel the need to investigate this further.  In the meantime I have to borrow from Valentina who fortunately for me (not her) has not had a period since arriving 4 months ago (sorry Val for disclosing this) and had brought enough sanitary wear to last her a whole year!!
So let's recap.....You can't buy a tampon, that is until Lore, the font of all knowledge, tells me that there are 2 places in the whole of Riyadh where you can buy them 1 is Carrefort (a large supermarket.....a bit like Walmart) that is miles away and Tammimi market which is a 10 minute taxi ride away and sells lots of imported goods.....Hallelulah, I am saved.  I can get some before next month and I must also remember to check why they sell durex for the men to have sex with men but they can't sell a tampon.
I still remained intrigued by the tampon saga so I decided to google it and the result was that before marriage there is a fear that it might break the hymen.....well unless someone was firing it from a catapult from about 2 inches away I would thing this is pretty impossible (but I'm no expert in this field).  It is in the Qur'an about not wearing tampons, well, not in so many words but "al-muddaathhir 74:4"talks about what women should wear during their period and to be honest there is no mention of a tampon and also due to the possibility of toxic shock syndrome it is also condoned in the Qur'an as you are not allowed to do anything that may cause harm to yourself......that rules out doing pretty much anything then as crossing the road outside is more likely to cause harm to you than using a tampon!!!! so there you have it "Allah knows best"
Inserting a tampon is also classed as resembling masturbation and this is frowned upon and disliked.......just for the record I have never once felt like using a tampon to get off on but hey ho, it takes allsorts!!!!

Aleph

Today we were told our working hours for Ramadam which this year in Saudi Arabia is from Tuesday 9th July to 7th August (30 days).  The dates are always set by the new moon and is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar and is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self-accountability for Muslims .  So our hours are from 12pm to 3pm and then 8pm to 1am (8 hours with a 5 hour gap in the middle).  At first I thought this was crazy but after I'd thought about it for a while the more I thought it would be ok.  The hardest bit will be that we will not be able to venture anywhere in our 5 hours break as most places will be closed (restaurants, supermarkets and any other establishment that sells food) and also there will be lots of prayer so the chances of places being open when we are free is nil!!!  So my plan is to stock up on food and enjoy a bit of sunshine during our 5 hour break.....I was going to try and fast like the Muslims but they are not even allowed water and what they tend to do is eat as much as they can between 6.30pm and 4am before they start the fast and then stay in bed most of the next day so they are not tempted to eat.......I see this as cheating but who am I to say if this is cheating or not?  The idea of Ramadam is to feel like the needy do, the ones who have no food or home comforts but if you eat like pigs whilst you are awake then surely this defeats the object?.......One lesson I am learning while being here is not to stress about stuff, just accept it as it is and just go along with it.  The more we fight against stuff, the more we stress ourselves.  The girls are wanting to go and speak to the boss to say they don't want to work a split shift but I ask not to be included as we could make it worse for ourselves and plus we haven't even tried her first proposal yet!!!  At the end of the day, we have to work 8 hours and fit in with Ramadam and the clients' needs (it is unlikely that there will be anyone in the gym for the 3 hours we have to do in the morning as most will still be in bed and also if they can't drink water till 6.30pm in the evening, they will find it difficult to even function let alone do a class).  The girls agree to trial it for a week and if it doesn't work for them, then go and speak with Hanan and ask if it is possible to change it.  As Non-Muslims (this applies in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain have different rules)http://www.dlapiper.com/files/Publication/2cde821c-0999-49a7-a472-7b198caeb169/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/588752a7-2159-4538-8938-7da1610c0faa/DLA_Piper_Middle_East_Be_Alert_Ramadan.pdf 
we have to work 8 hours per day, 6 days a week (no different to a normal week) in Ramadam, where as Muslims only have to work 5 because they are fasting and have to spend a lot of time in prayer.  This doesn't seem right as they do not respect any of our holidays here like easter and Christmas but yet when Muslims live on our country they can take prayer times, wear the head covering and also have the benefits of our holidays otherwise we are classed as discriminating against them yet here we have to live by there rules......something doesn't seem quite right here......is our government too soft?  or should we follow this countries lead?
I have been reading a book by Paola Coehlo (I have read a lot since being here) called Aleph which is the first letter of the Arabic alphabet and has the same meaning as Qi (chi).  If you have not read any of his books it is a must and he takes you on a spiritual journey, you almost feel he is writing the book for you and the quotes are heart felt.  This one was for me, I'm sure, "being alone makes you more vulnerable but it makes you more open too"
Last month I applied for a job at Saudi Aramco (Arab/American Oil Company).  A friend of mine in England gave me the contact details of her friend Jill who worked for the company in Dharhan.  Jill has been here 5 years but is leaving in July to go back to England to live with her boyfriend.  Anyway, Jill has been great, even though I have never met her, I feel like I know her.....this is also what the book I am reading is about.  Jill has given me advice on stuff and also tried to help me get my CV looked at for a position with the company but as always with this country things take for ever and when I applied it stated if I had not heard anything within 3 months then I had not been successful and they would put my CV on file!!!  I applied for a post as the holidays and the salaries are very good and to be honest to earn that sort of money at home (tax free) is impossible, so I thought it was worth a try.  Also for me the country seems to be drawing me in to explore more.  I said to my mum....I question what it is I am searching for, Solitude, escape, experience, money???? I am not sure which one it is but all I can say is that I feel very settled (for now).  Steven seems to be doing ok at home.  He seems to be putting all his efforts into cycling and work.  He doesn't say he is missing me so maybe he is discovering more about himself and enjoying being alone. We haven't had a Face Time conversation for a month now since him saying he wasn't going to collect me from the airport. Two ladies who come to the spa talk about many years they have spent albeit intermittently apart from their husbands and how it works well when they are apart but how difficult it is when they come back together.  This is what I am feeling about going home in 8 weeks.  How will it feel? At the moment Steven feels like a stranger.  I am nervous about how awkward it is going to feel, about it feeling different, I feel like I don't want to go back home but as I said earlier I am not going to let it stress me "what will be will be" and at the end of the day it needs to feel different as it wasn't working the way it was.
One decision I have made, and I rarely make a snap decision, I ponder them for weeks and do the pro's and con's list, is that after this year my fitness teaching days will end.  To be honest, the intensity and the amount of classes we are asked to do here has taken all the enjoyment out of why I like doing it.  So regardless of whether I come home or not.....my fitness teaching shoes will be hung up and I will move onto the next chapter in my life with regard to work.  By no means does this mean that I am hanging my shoes up all together, of course I will still exercise for myself as this is what drives me and makes me want to get out of bed in a morning.

Bonus

So the boss has decided to try a different tactic, instead of threatening us with salary deductions she has decided to start handing out bonuses.  The reason for this is very clear.  She needs us all to return in September after our holiday otherwise she is in trouble.  So far this is what the girls who work as instructors plan to do.  This is not set in stone as 1. We are up and down like yoyos, one day we are coming back and the next we are not and 2. Who knows what will happen when we get home in August!
May Ann, for sure will return.  She is not going home in August and will remain in the country with her boyfriend.  Ideally she would like to go home to the Philippines in December to spend Christmas with her mum (she has not been home for 9 years).  Kedi, plans to come back and finish her contract as long as there are no further hiccups before she leaves for her holiday.  Lore is giving her 30 days notice at the end of this month.  Her contract finishes on the 6th September just before we are due to return on the 8th.  Her plan is to find a job in Dammam close to Imad (the Syrian guy that she met) and hopefully be much happier.  So that's one instructor less.  Valentina says she is over Saudi Arabia.  She previously worked in Dammam for 6 months before coming to Riyadh.  She has also worked on cruise ships, Italy and a few other places so quite possibly she won't be coming back to finish her contract which is due to end next February. And me.....well I haven't got a clue from one day to the next.  I did suggest to Steven that I would have liked him to tell me he wanted me to stay home with him but he said this was not going to happen after the bad few weeks so I think I just need to not worry about it, enjoy it while I am here and see what happens in August.  So that is two definites, two not sures and one not coming back.  If only two girls return it is going to be tough on them as they work five of us pretty damn hard so only two doesn't bear thinking about.
Anyway, the bonus.  Is given to one member in each department that has a good attendance record, been punctual, shown good customer service and a few other things.....and the winner of the bonus for May 2013 is Lore!!! I am pleased for her of course and hats off to her for playing the system so well as she has just had a recent holiday and goes back to the apartment frequently to drink tea, eat toast, paint her nails etc.  And get this the winner of the June 2013 bonus is Lore.....apparently Hannan told Val and Kedi that they had come close and because I had not been here 3 months yet I was not eligible.  However, she did also state that my name has been put forward for the staff appraisal bonus next month......told you she was handing them out like sweets.  The bonus is one weeks salary.  Just a bit about salaries.  We are not allowed to discuss with each other how much our salary is as we all get different even though we all work the same hours and do the same job and I know this for a fact.  May Ann for sure will be on less than everyone else because she is Filipino and this breaks my heart because there is no on here that deserves it more than her.  Things have happened where it has been highlighted that she is not treated as an equal.  So my plan is if I do get a bonus I am going to give some to May.  When May gets her salary she sends money home to her brother to help with his children and their schooling and also to her mother to help with the mortgage which she struggles to pay since May Ann's dad died a few years.  I said earlier that May wants to go home this year to spend Christmas with her family so she asked Hanan  for time off (without pay of course) and Hanan's reply was "If all the instructors come back then she can take the time off"  We know this is not going to happen as Lore is not coming back and Val and me are on the borderline.  This is so unfair (I told you she was treated differently being as Lore has just been able to take a week's holiday and is going again next week for a few days) and it is unlikely that she will receive a bonus and even though she says she is not worried about this and she is happy with what she already gets.....it must hurt.
I haven't felt too well this week.  I have my second sore throat in 3 months and have been feeling very dizzy and nauseous.  I am not sure whether is it the air conditioning, the dust, tiredness, a virus or what.  So I am trying to take good care of myself....vitamins, lots of water, lots of sleep and also the chemist has given me some anti-biotics and anti histamines (thank goodness I can buy over the counter and not have to keep paying to go to the Dr) I have lost a few pounds since being here but that is definitely because of the amount of exercise I am doing and the loss of water through sweating!!! I have also still managed to maintain my once a week fast which I started around 7 months ago after reading a research paper, a book and watching a documentary on the benefits.  To be honest, I find it easier than at home as it feels too hot to eat some days and sometimes I am too busy to remember I am hungry and I also don't fill the fridge with much so I am not tempted to eat.
I forgot to tell you I saw my first 3 car pile up the other day.  I popped out at lunch to grab a coffee (it's 2 minute walk away) and I wasn't sure whether it was my abaya blowing open and showing my ankle or the way they drive like lunatics that caused it.  Driving here is a bit like being in a peloton in the Tour De France.....one puts their foot on the brake and everyone behind is in trouble.  The 3 cars involved, (all guys of course as women can't drive here) just get out their cars and casually stand in the flow of 4 lanes of speeding traffic and calmly exchange details.  I am sure looking at the state of the cars that this happens frequently and I am also led to believe that there is no law that states you have to have insurance, again, I am not sure how this works when you have to get the car repaired as two of the cars were taxis and they earn peanuts!!!! Mind you, looking at the taxis here, there is no way they would pass a taxi test in England and inside they usually smell and have holes in the seat covers.  You can see now why Saudis employ a driver.
Also this week I went to get my Iqama photos taken.  Robert (Spa driver from the Philippines) took me to a place just outside the centre of Riyadh.  It looked very poor, the shops didn't look anything like the glamorous ones in the centre.  We pull up outside a small shop that says "Studio" above the door and a sign saying "Iqama/Passport Photos".  The gentleman sat on the step ushers me into a little dark back room.  Thankfully Robert has come into the shop with me for my safety (I think) as it looks a bit uninviting.  Thank goodness I didn't come alone.  So one press of the button, a click of the shutter and my picture is loaded onto the computer.  The photographer starts to airbrush my laughter lines / crows feet / wrinkles......whatever you want to call them.  This is so cool, for 20 riyals he gives me 8 photos with me looking 10 years younger.  He made my day :)
 

Iqama Part 2

Saturday morning, week 11 and I am tired before I even start, self-inflicted though "burning the candle at both ends" but I want to enjoy the whole of my experience and If it means only sleeping a few hours on a weekend then so be it.  I did get to experience number 2 on my tick list which was to go to the top of Kingdom Tower. Kingdom Tower is Riyadh's newest landmark  and a truly stunning piece of modern architecture.  It is Known as the 'necklace' for its unusual apex, it's particularly conspicuous at night when the upper part is lit with constantly-changing coloured lights.  Rising 302m above the ground, its most distinctive feature is the steel-and-glass, 300-tonne bridge connecting the two towers. High-speed elevators fly you (at 180km/h) to the 99th floor Sky Bridge. We ate in the restaurant there Spazio 77, it is supposed to be 5* and very expensive but I was not overly impressed with the food but the experience and the view of the city whilst sitting in the restaurant was amazing.  I've still not quite got the hang of the men and women thing though as I lifted my foot up to show my shoe heel to Valentina my abaya opened and showed my leg and I could feel the eyes of all the women in there burning a hole in the back of my neck.....yes the women, not the men.......I know it is there culture but it almost feels too ridiculous to explain.  Another example of this was today at the spa, we had to have the maintainence men in this morning to clean the pool as the weather over the past few days has been extremely hot but windy so there is sand everywhere.  Picture the scene......There are 2 men cleaning the pool, Maria in her abaya and head scarf (it's 46 degrees) and two cleaners stood over these 2 men to ensure they don't look anywhere other than the pool.  The cleaners have attempted to screen the area that the men are working in with boards and see through screens.....it seems so far fetched.... the ladies that are in the spa are wearing gym gear anyone would think that they were naked but I suppose this is the law, men aren't allowed to see what is happening under an abaya whether it is good or bad.
Lore is back from her holiday looking very refreshed.  She brought us all a gift.  She is always so generous, many times I open my fridge in a morning and she has brought me chocolate or cake....bless her.
Also this week I was called to see the boss again!!! The only thing I think it can be is about my Iqama.  I go to her office and there are already two Filipino girls who work in the spa  (Prima and Shela).  They are going back to the Philipines asap.  They are classed as "runaways".  They came to the country on one sponsorship but then did a moonlight flit due to bad treatment and working conditions (this is very common for the Filipinos)  Anyway these girls have been working in the spa illegally, (almost everyone working at the spa is illegal, including me).  So Prima and Shela have to exit the country quickly otherwise they will face jail.
The ladies leave and then it is my turn.  Hanan starts with "We have to get your Iqama sorted"  Once again I explain I don't want one till I come back in September.  She tells me that if I don't get one then I won't get back into the country in September.  I tell her I am willing to take the risk.  The Government are enforcing lots of restrictions and have already started deporting immigrants and anyone here illegally (they have to be careful here though as this country cannot function without them), the Saudis would never do the jobs that these people are doing.  Most Saudis don't work if they can help it, even though the Saudi workforce is increasing as men and women are now taking jobs and the city now has universities for women to enable them to study here rather than go to America, Paris or the UK.  A lot of the ladies who work who come to the spa either work in Medicine or Banking.  So I tell Hanan (and I was proud of myself for standing up for myself for once and saying what I actually wanted to say) that if she wished to get my Iqama she was more than welcome but I would not be paying for it and if she deducted the 3000 riyals from my salary then I would be informing somebody.  I stated that according to the Saudi Labour Law that it  was the responsibility of the employer to get the Iqama.  She asks me to give a guarantee that I would return.  My reply, as all Arabs would say Inish Allah (God Willing)  She was gob smacked but I am learning to play her at her own game now.  I leave her office after her agreeing to pay for it.
The weather is getting hotter, we seem to be reaching around 46 degree in the day and dropping to between 24 and 30 in the middle of the night.  Hard to image how I am going to feel when I come home in August to our Summer climate......I think Steven might need to have the heating on for me......talking of Steven, (I knew you were dying to ask)  he text me a few days ago after 2 weeks of not talking from our previous incident.  I had assumed it was over being as it took so long but we are still hanging on by the skin of our teeth.  I hope it will start to get easier for us.  It is hard to make up when you are so far away so we will see how it goes and hopefully we will be ok when we get to spend some time together in August.

Week 10

Week 10.....seems much longer that that but it also feels like time is flying by.
Lore made me smile this morning.  She clocked on at 10am, no-one booked in for her first class so she goes back to the accommodation to shave her legs.  No-one for her second class at 11am so she paints her toe nails.  I am almost expecting her to announce she is going for a wash cut and blow dry at 12pm.  She is taking a weeks holiday and she has had to jump through hoops to get it (unpaid of course).  She has been here since September and had no time off except her one day off a week.  Holidays are not encouraged, we are only meant to take the one month when the spa closes in August.  Lore has had to pay 900 riyals to get 2 exit visas as she plans to go again for a few days to visit a friend in Bahrain.  You cannot leave this country if you don't have an exit visa.  Anyway, Lore is off to Egypt with a man she has only met once for a few hours face to face.  He is originally from Syria and now living and working in Damman.  To say that this sort of stuff is not allowed for Muslims is a bit of a joke really, they find ways round it!!!  For example, you go to the shopping malls and leave your blue tooth on so the opposite sex can connect to your phone, boys drive around in cars at night holding a laminated A4 sheet of paper with their phone number against the window and then drive alongside taxis with girls in (I've had this happen a few times).  Boys display their blackberry pin in the back window of their expensive car that dad has brought them and of course their are loads of social media sites......that is the ones that the mutawa haven't blocked.
Anyway Lore met this guy through a social media site and speaks to him via Skype, WhatsApp and other message options because he doesn't live close by.  The only way they can get to know each other and decide if they want to be with each other is to get a room.  I worry for her as there are some crazy people in this world but she seems happy to take the risk, so hopefully she will return next week much happier.
May tells me something this week that she has been keeping inside all week (we have grown very close and I trust her completely) I knew there was something wrong with her last Tuesday but she said she didn't want to talk and I respected that.  Anyway, she decides to tell me that she has sorted it and as I listen to her story of what had happened my respect and admiration for her grew.  She is such a genuine person who just wants everyone to be happy.  Kedi looks a little low today, she also has stuff going on with an ex and Valentina looks tired and ready to go home to see her family but only days like this we all try to lift each other and make each other smile.
Hannah text me today to say that she had found a part-time job!!!! relief, I might be able to save a few pounds now and also she told me that her dad (Paul) had managed to find her a nice little first car (her birthday present) so all she needs now is to pass her test and then there will be no stopping her.....my second baby is all grown up.  Charlotte sends me regular texts to check I am still ok and also gives me an update on her weight loss.  She is trying to get that flat stomach.....aren't we all??? but I am glad she is motivated and whatever she is doing is working.  I only had 2 children, I started off wanting 4 but soon changed my mind.  The average number of children for Saudis 10 years ago was six to eight but now they are down to an average of 3.....you wouldn't think it because whenever you go to the Malls there are children running and screaming everywhere....they don't know how to control them.  The other night when we were out we noticed a pick up style truck with the rear window open (bear in mind this is a road with 4 lanes and everyone driving like a lunatic) out of this window there are 5 children just hanging out!!!! none must have been over 7 years old I couldn't believe it and he must have been doing around 60 miles per hour.  Also this week I found a store close by that sells supplements so my mission for this week is to stock up on miracle cures and anything that says hormones on the bottle. 
My bed broke this week and no I didn't gain weight and no I've not been jumping up and down on it.  A few screws had come lose that hold the lats so it meant that they were just hanging near the floor and nothing was holding the mattress.  The events which happen next are true......I go to see Maria and ask if they have a screwdriver so that I can fix the bed.  This is what happened next.....she calls a cleaner (with no bucket and towel) to go with me to look at said bed.  The cleaner then reports back to Maria and tells her that a screw has come loose.  Then they call for Dindo!!! so Dindo, the cleaner and I head back to my room to look at said bed and he establishes that there is a screw loose.  He then sends the cleaner to locate a screwdriver to fix said bed....and then he fixes the bed whilst the cleaner and I sit eating dates and watching him, all is well.  It just reminded me of how many men does it take to change a light bulb. 
8pm the same evening we have a power cut.  It just appeared to be the spa and our accommodation that had gone off, the rest of the street looked ok.  Anyway we make sure that all the clients are safe as it is dark here by 7pm and then we just sit and wait....if the water situation is anything to go by I think we could be here for a while.  I don't finish work until 9pm anyway so we just sit outside the spa. cleaners, therapists from the spa, receptionists, instructors.  It sounds so funny to hear four or five different languages talking about the powercut.  New words learnt tonight...Crazy and what's happened?  The electricity is back on by 9.30pm so off I go home to bed....and I don't fall through the bed base.......all is good.

Compounds

Compound 1

Up to yet I have had two experiences of compounds and if I am honest have not been overly impressed. 
Compounds are a little like Fort Knox well the first one is.....We drive down a deserted desert type road which is edged with high barbed wire fences and the a few military looking men parading around.  From the outside it looks like an army barracks.
We enter through two security checkpoints and then into a small room where our names have been put on a list.  You cannot just enter these places at your own free will.  You have to know someone that lives inside.  We hand over our passport (copy of, in our case), iqama or any documentation you my have if you don't have any of the former and then you are in.
The compound we are visiting today (Fahl) is very close to the airport and from what I have been led to believe is that it houses around 800 people, mainly in 1 or 2 bedroomed apartments and most of them from the Lebanon working in and around Riyadh.  Sometimes the cost of living in the compound is paid for by the employer and cost can vary depending on what the compound has to offer.  We were told that a new compound that had just been built were offering 1 bedroom chalets for around 60,000 riyals (£16,000) per year.
So my first impression once we are inside is that it is pretty much like self catering in Majorca on a big scale.  We are taken on a tour......there are two pools, neither which looks very clean and around them there are lots of people, drinking, smoking cigarettes and shisha and also there are lots of children running round.  There a mini market, restaurant, a library, a small gym and much much more.  It's nothing like the spa which feels very 5* compared to this but I am grateful for the tour and the swim in the not so clean pool.  We are told that some compounds are better than others and that they normally come to life on a Thursday and Friday when they have parties and events for the residents and anyone that can get added to the list.  I am not blown away by the compound to be honest, in fact I was a little disappointed I was just expecting something more but it has made me feel grateful for my accommodation at the spa even if we do have to go with out water for a while.  Two of the girls who live at the spa rave about the compounds and the parties they have here but I still like the quietness of our own little compound where there are only 8 of us and not 800.

Compound 2

My second experience of a compound is an invite to a birthday party.  Valentina's friend, Miguel from Portugal works as an architect for a construction company and it is one of his colleagues 57th birthday.  So as much as I would rather stay home I say that I will go as Valentina wants to go but she doesn't want to go alone and I don't blame her to be honest.  Miguel collects us at 9.35pm and we head over to the compound.  I am expecting it to be the same as last time but I am wrong, it is very different.  We pull up on a side street that looks just like walls with a few metal doors on.  There appears to be nothing here then I notice an Indian man sat in a little booth.  Anyway this is the compound, un-noticeable from the street and once inside, very small.  This compound houses around 40 people, Filipino men and women and also men from the UK.  There is a pool and a bar area with a few rooms off, a social area with a pool table and table tennis and a small gym with a few machines and free weights in.  It all looks very dirty and uninviting to be honest.  We are introduced to James, 57, from Scotland, who is marrying a Filipino that lives in the compound pretty soon after his birthday party who is 24 years of age.....I am not sure whether to say lucky boy or dirty old man!!  He asks if we would like food....."Errr, no thank you" I eye up 5 whole bar b qued fish that are sat on the side of the bar area and a container with rice in.  I am not sure how long this food has been sat there but I don't fancy risking an upset stomach.  Drinks....home made red/white wine (being as alcohol is illegal in this country, however, it can be brought from the embassy's...not sure how that works and everyone makes their own) and Sadiki, not sure what that is but Miguel has advised us to stay well clear of it , he said it was like poison for the kidneys.  I opt for a diet pepsi and Valentina, water!!!  better to be on the safe side.
We are introduced to a few other people, Simon, 44 from Liverpool who looks like he has been through the mill, Derek from Dublin who only knows the word F**K!, the Project Manager from Chesire (his name escapes me) and a few others who I can't remember.  I get the feeling we won't be staying long as we can tell Miguel is feeling uncomfortable for bringing us and the men are like flies around the brown stuff!  They are very drunk and smoking cigarettes like they are going out of fashion.  Anyway, we continue smiling and holding our breath to avoid inhaling all Lambert and Camel!!!!! and the smell of the very potent home made wine and sense that Miguel is now trying to work out our quick exit plan.  Within 5 minutes Miguel tells Jim that we have somewhere else to go.  We thank them all very much, smile politely and just nod when they invite us to next week's birthday party......Compound 2......0 out of 10!!!
Compound 3 (and the final one if it is shit) is yet another party but in a compound that houses British Medical Staff.  Watch this space!