I've made an appointment to go and see the Chiropractor whilst I am here in Saudi. It is something I do regularly at home (because I have the pleasure of living with one) in order for my body to function correctly. My job puts a huge strain on things so Steven keeps me firing on all cylinders, so to speak, and for this I am truly thankful because trying to teach on a body that is not neurologically switched on and often out of alignment can place a huge demand on you mentally and physically.
On my first week here I did a search for Chiropractors in the area and 4 appeared. I checked the distance from my accommodation and I found one that was only 2 miles away. Dr Mohammed Sohl.......I emailed him on the address on his website asking him about his techniques, costs and if he was allowed to treat women. I'm still not sure about how this men and women thing works. He sent me a prompt reply with costs, treatment times and his techniques and he assured me that he treated many female patients. Steven checked for me that he was on the Chiropractic Register and not some bogus quack. So all was good except they were closed on a Friday my only day off. Maybe I could get an evening appointment (If it was after 8pm) it's so hard to do anything when you work till 8pm or 9pm every evening and then on Friday when it's your day off, everything except the shopping malls is shut!!!!
I spoke to the Spa Receptionist. who works out the fitness instructor schedules each week, about leaving a little earlier on Saturday Evening (this is the Saudi's Monday) so I could attend an appointment with Dr Sohl. It was all arranged my appointment at the Specialist Medical Centre, Tower 3 on Saturday at 8.20pm. I asked if I could use the Spa Driver (we don't get to use him that often as he is mainly for the Saudi girls that work here) as I would feel much safer if the person taking me knew exactly where he was going and could wait for me and bring me back. Excellent, I would be back in full working order by 9pm.
The end of my shift came and off I went to find the driver. Now bear in mind there are 2 Filipinos who speak a little English, A few Africans who speak a little better English and Mohammed from Bangladesh who speaks no English "I wonder which one I will get?" No prizes for guessing that one!!! Ok, so I ask the security guard if Mohammed knew where he was taking me? "Yes" they had explained to him, he was to take me, wait and then bring me back. They asked me to give him my Saudi phone number (that's a story for later) to which I informed that I did not have one. Ok, not to worry it will all be fine, he knows what he is doing but I can't help but feel a little anxious inside.
I get into the car, a small hatchback and everything is covered in plastic, seats, mirror, visors.....it looks like someone has gone mad with the cling film!!!!! Off we set, now the roads here are ridiculously busy and usually 4 lanes wide with no road markings, pot holes and to be honest a bit of a "free for all". The one thing I have noticed is that it is very important to know where the horn and the break is. Mohammed of course wouldn't be needing his as he never changed out of 2nd gear!!! and my god I was melting in the back! I remember sleeping on plastic a few times when I was young (when you went on holiday and they had covered the camp bed or child's bed with a plastic mattress cover, just in case of that little accident) and waking up thinking I had wet myself only to find it was just sweat you could literally ringing out of your pyjamas. So not only was in my gym gear, an abaya and head scarf, I was also sat on cling film. Thank goodness I don't smell when I sweat otherwise the chiropractic visit might have been a little embarrassing.
We arrive (eventually) and there was just a sea of cars fighting for parking spaces. It's Saturday for goodness sake at 8.05pm (where do all these people come from?) After 5 minutes of Mohammed trying to find a parking space, I look at the time to see it is 8.10pm. I don't want to be late so I decide in my best Bangladeshi accent to tell Mohammed to stay exactly where he was. I was going to my appointment and would come back to where he had left me. He was nodding so fingers crossed he had understood.
Ok, Tower 3. My goodness 3 great big sky scrapers. I stop a man, non Arab, who looks quite friendly and ask which one is Tower 3. He kindly points me in the direction of the one that has TOWER 3 written on it in letters as big as a house. Right, my instruction are to check in downstairs, I will be given a file and then let through security to the correct floor, simple. A man with a red and white tea towel, again, (this is the typical male Saudi dress, it distinguishes them form the Syrians, the Lebonese etc). I have read that only around 5% of the female population work (the men take care of the women financially here), so most places you go it is a man that serves you and also they say the salaries for lower end jobs is poor and that the Saudi's don't really want to work. There are around 15,000 claiming unemployment benefits, Riyadh has a population of around 4 million ( I saw on the Saudi news the other night that the government are trying to enforce rules about stopping benefit if you did not find work).
"Passport" "Errr, I don't have it (It was taken from me on my first day of arrival by my employer to avoid escape) "Iqama" "Errr, I don't have one of those either, I am on a visit visa" Ahhh ok, think.....!!! I haven't brought the copy of my passport or visa with me as the chiropractor failed to mention it (note to self....don't go anywhere with out paperwork). "I have a copy of my passport on my phone" I say. He doesn't need to know that the copy is the one that has expired but it's worth a try now that I am here. He takes all the details down and fails to spot the date ( he only took the passport number) and then passes me a piece of paper and points me in the direction of the lift. I press the button and as I look around I am forced with a dilemma. There is me and 3 men queuing for the lift "Now, am I allowed to get in the same lift as them?" once again, this was not in my little hand book. Maybe I won't risk it, so I let them go and wait for the next one to come.
The clinic is for dentistry, plastic surgery, aesthetics (It's big over here, a lot of the clients at the gym have had liposuction, tummy tucks, gastric bands......they find it easier and quicker than wasting time on healthy eating and exercise. One client asked me the other day how long it would take to get rid of the excess skin on her legs with exercise and basically if it was longer than a few months she was going to have surgery. I explained to her that I had been working on mine for years and that 3 months wouldn't even make a dent in it. She was literally on the phone to the surgeon before I had finished the sentence). I check myself in with the receptionist pay my 200 riyals (approx £35) and take a seat in the very plush waiting room. I start to become a little nervous. I've noticed since I've been here that am very conscious about showing bits of my clothed body. I check that you cannot see my legs (even though I am wearing clothes under my abaya) by wrapping my abaya tight around them and sit back and wait.
A small Filipino nurse appears, the clinic is full of them. "Madame Tanya, please come this way"
Dr Mohammed Sohl, a thick set gentleman, probably in his mid 30's and I am guessing and Egyptian, (he seems to polite for an Arab) a slight Canadian accent, (It said on his profile, he trained there) wearing an eye patch!!!! "Hi, I say, Is your eye ok?" "Just a bout of conjunctivitis" he says. great, he speaks excellent English.
So 20 minutes later I leave feeling a little bit like I've been jumped on from a great height but know I am fixed. Thankfully my fears were diminished and I said I would probably see him in a month. Now to find Mohammed for my ride home in the sweat box!!!
On my first week here I did a search for Chiropractors in the area and 4 appeared. I checked the distance from my accommodation and I found one that was only 2 miles away. Dr Mohammed Sohl.......I emailed him on the address on his website asking him about his techniques, costs and if he was allowed to treat women. I'm still not sure about how this men and women thing works. He sent me a prompt reply with costs, treatment times and his techniques and he assured me that he treated many female patients. Steven checked for me that he was on the Chiropractic Register and not some bogus quack. So all was good except they were closed on a Friday my only day off. Maybe I could get an evening appointment (If it was after 8pm) it's so hard to do anything when you work till 8pm or 9pm every evening and then on Friday when it's your day off, everything except the shopping malls is shut!!!!
I spoke to the Spa Receptionist. who works out the fitness instructor schedules each week, about leaving a little earlier on Saturday Evening (this is the Saudi's Monday) so I could attend an appointment with Dr Sohl. It was all arranged my appointment at the Specialist Medical Centre, Tower 3 on Saturday at 8.20pm. I asked if I could use the Spa Driver (we don't get to use him that often as he is mainly for the Saudi girls that work here) as I would feel much safer if the person taking me knew exactly where he was going and could wait for me and bring me back. Excellent, I would be back in full working order by 9pm.
The end of my shift came and off I went to find the driver. Now bear in mind there are 2 Filipinos who speak a little English, A few Africans who speak a little better English and Mohammed from Bangladesh who speaks no English "I wonder which one I will get?" No prizes for guessing that one!!! Ok, so I ask the security guard if Mohammed knew where he was taking me? "Yes" they had explained to him, he was to take me, wait and then bring me back. They asked me to give him my Saudi phone number (that's a story for later) to which I informed that I did not have one. Ok, not to worry it will all be fine, he knows what he is doing but I can't help but feel a little anxious inside.
I get into the car, a small hatchback and everything is covered in plastic, seats, mirror, visors.....it looks like someone has gone mad with the cling film!!!!! Off we set, now the roads here are ridiculously busy and usually 4 lanes wide with no road markings, pot holes and to be honest a bit of a "free for all". The one thing I have noticed is that it is very important to know where the horn and the break is. Mohammed of course wouldn't be needing his as he never changed out of 2nd gear!!! and my god I was melting in the back! I remember sleeping on plastic a few times when I was young (when you went on holiday and they had covered the camp bed or child's bed with a plastic mattress cover, just in case of that little accident) and waking up thinking I had wet myself only to find it was just sweat you could literally ringing out of your pyjamas. So not only was in my gym gear, an abaya and head scarf, I was also sat on cling film. Thank goodness I don't smell when I sweat otherwise the chiropractic visit might have been a little embarrassing.
We arrive (eventually) and there was just a sea of cars fighting for parking spaces. It's Saturday for goodness sake at 8.05pm (where do all these people come from?) After 5 minutes of Mohammed trying to find a parking space, I look at the time to see it is 8.10pm. I don't want to be late so I decide in my best Bangladeshi accent to tell Mohammed to stay exactly where he was. I was going to my appointment and would come back to where he had left me. He was nodding so fingers crossed he had understood.
Ok, Tower 3. My goodness 3 great big sky scrapers. I stop a man, non Arab, who looks quite friendly and ask which one is Tower 3. He kindly points me in the direction of the one that has TOWER 3 written on it in letters as big as a house. Right, my instruction are to check in downstairs, I will be given a file and then let through security to the correct floor, simple. A man with a red and white tea towel, again, (this is the typical male Saudi dress, it distinguishes them form the Syrians, the Lebonese etc). I have read that only around 5% of the female population work (the men take care of the women financially here), so most places you go it is a man that serves you and also they say the salaries for lower end jobs is poor and that the Saudi's don't really want to work. There are around 15,000 claiming unemployment benefits, Riyadh has a population of around 4 million ( I saw on the Saudi news the other night that the government are trying to enforce rules about stopping benefit if you did not find work).
"Passport" "Errr, I don't have it (It was taken from me on my first day of arrival by my employer to avoid escape) "Iqama" "Errr, I don't have one of those either, I am on a visit visa" Ahhh ok, think.....!!! I haven't brought the copy of my passport or visa with me as the chiropractor failed to mention it (note to self....don't go anywhere with out paperwork). "I have a copy of my passport on my phone" I say. He doesn't need to know that the copy is the one that has expired but it's worth a try now that I am here. He takes all the details down and fails to spot the date ( he only took the passport number) and then passes me a piece of paper and points me in the direction of the lift. I press the button and as I look around I am forced with a dilemma. There is me and 3 men queuing for the lift "Now, am I allowed to get in the same lift as them?" once again, this was not in my little hand book. Maybe I won't risk it, so I let them go and wait for the next one to come.
The clinic is for dentistry, plastic surgery, aesthetics (It's big over here, a lot of the clients at the gym have had liposuction, tummy tucks, gastric bands......they find it easier and quicker than wasting time on healthy eating and exercise. One client asked me the other day how long it would take to get rid of the excess skin on her legs with exercise and basically if it was longer than a few months she was going to have surgery. I explained to her that I had been working on mine for years and that 3 months wouldn't even make a dent in it. She was literally on the phone to the surgeon before I had finished the sentence). I check myself in with the receptionist pay my 200 riyals (approx £35) and take a seat in the very plush waiting room. I start to become a little nervous. I've noticed since I've been here that am very conscious about showing bits of my clothed body. I check that you cannot see my legs (even though I am wearing clothes under my abaya) by wrapping my abaya tight around them and sit back and wait.
A small Filipino nurse appears, the clinic is full of them. "Madame Tanya, please come this way"
Dr Mohammed Sohl, a thick set gentleman, probably in his mid 30's and I am guessing and Egyptian, (he seems to polite for an Arab) a slight Canadian accent, (It said on his profile, he trained there) wearing an eye patch!!!! "Hi, I say, Is your eye ok?" "Just a bout of conjunctivitis" he says. great, he speaks excellent English.
So 20 minutes later I leave feeling a little bit like I've been jumped on from a great height but know I am fixed. Thankfully my fears were diminished and I said I would probably see him in a month. Now to find Mohammed for my ride home in the sweat box!!!
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