We pull up outside the spa and wait for the 10ft high metal gate to be opened by the security guard. You wouldn't even know this was a spa because all you can see is metal gates and 10ft high walls. I am greeted by a lady by the name of Amera ( I believe she is from the Lebanon, one of the countries that surround Saudi Arabia) who has worked at the spa as a hairdresser for 11 years!!! 11 years in what already looked no better than prison. I was shown to my room (looks pretty much like a 2* Hotel, if you've ever had the pleasure of staying one. You know the kind, leaking toilet, cracked tiles, drawers broke, no shower curtain) and then left. This was it, the start of the next year of my life. Time to sleep.
3am and I am still wide awake, my body clock telling me that it was still 3 hours behind. I close my eyes and must drift off for a while but then am woken by the sound of a man chanting over what sounds like a megaphone, in fact he almost sounds like he is in my room!!! I best have a word!!! I guess this must be one of the 5 daily prayers that I have read about. Everything apparently comes to a stand still for the 5 daily prayers, even shops and restaurants pull down their shutters at the first call.
Wednesday 20th March
A Little knock at the door. I open it to find a beautiful looking Chilean lady named Lore. "You hungry". "Yes", I reply I had not eaten since yesterday. She made me tea and toast and then began to tell me what I had signed up for and what I was actually going to get. Threats of pay cuts if you do anything wrong, long working hours, no medical insurance, 7 months to get a residency card (you need this to open a bank account and even to buy a sim card for a phone) and it was also your protection against deportation should the muttawa (religious police) or the ordinary police decide to arrest you for any reason. She also said the spa director was not a nice lady (I had already gathered that though from my telephone interview with her). I was beginning to wonder what I had let myself in for and what the hell I was doing here but for anyone that knows me will know that I am very easy going, keep out of trouble and like to experience things so I can form my own opinion. So I decided to just take each day as it comes and enjoy my experience for what it was.
Thursday 21st March
Super Market Trip.... We are given a food Allowance of 500 riyals (£83), yes I thought the same....no way will that last me a month but the girls seem to manage to pretty much make it last. A Trolley full of sensible shopping costs around £35 and will last almost 2 weeks. Ok, black abaya on, check, (kindly lent to me by Lore till I get paid and can buy one) scarf around my neck just in case my head needs to be covered, double check, is any part of my body showing? No, good, let's go.
A short taxi ride to the nearest supermarket is 10 riyals (£1.70). Petrol is so cheap here it cost approximately £5.00 to fill the tank, almost hard to believe that in Saudi Arabia petrol is cheaper than water. No wonder why the roads are 4 lanes wide in Riyadh and full of big cars. Gosh, it's very dusty here but I guess we are close to the Desert and from what I understand Spring is the season of sandstorms and occasional rain!!! and it's still between 30 and 40 degrees.
A trolley full of shopping for 234 riyals (£35) and I am on my way back with the beautiful Lore to fill my one shelf in the fridge (We all have one shelf and one cupboard).
Friday 22nd March
Day off and I've not even done a days work yet (I have been informed they won't be paying me for them!) but all the same I will see what there is to do around here.....Through 2 locked steel gates and I'm into the pool area and it appears to be just me, the other girls must still be in bed even though it is 12pm. I just sit my bottom down on the sun lounger and notice that the building next to the pool has workmen in it (not Saudi's, maybe Indians, they make up a large part of the workforce here alongside the Filipinos). Now am I allowed to strip down to my biking with men being so close? I decide not to risk it and keep my shorts and t-shirt on. At 4pm I am joined by Kedi (a beautiful, smiley South African lady who speaks like she has been to a very expensive English School) and Lore. We decide to risk the swim but soon covered back up after it.
Saturday 23rd March
11am....First day of work. I pick up my schedule for the week. Today, 7 classes, 1 hour supervising in the gym, 2 hours for lunch ( I think I'm going to need it so I can have a lie down)
Let me explain a little about the Spa. Yibreen Spa is one of five fitness establishments for women in Riyadh. It was only around 9 years ago these places for women were opened. It is owned by a princess (quite an important one) and is the most expensive in Riyadh, 12,500 Riyals for a years membership. It has a dedicated Pilates/Reformer room, a small studio that holds about 6 people, a large dance/aerobics studio, Spinning room with 12 bikes and a Cardio Suite with the usual treadmills (we have just had new ones delivered this week), cross trainers, free weights in. It has a beautiful outdoor pool, café area and in the spa area there are beauty rooms, massage rooms and a hairdressers. There are also 2 new studios being built (hence the workmen on Friday's) are you getting the picture? it feels like you are in a 5* place. The Clients are mostly princess's, wives/children of wealthy Arab men or single women with either rich parents or good jobs (most that come here employ their own drivers, maids and a few bring their own adult nanny..... seriously they bring women that carry their water, tissues and help them dress after they have showered) I asked one lady if she looked after the princess's children also and she said, "No", just the princess. Talking of princess's it must be pretty easy to get the title here as there are loads of them. Close your eyes and imagine a princess, elegant, petite, slender, beautiful, enigmatic smile, now open them......You've never been to Saudi Arabia!!!! I've met a butch lesbian one (no offence to my lesbian friends) and lots of big round not so pleasant looking ones. If I am honest, they come in all shapes and sizes but mainly the big one.
3am and I am still wide awake, my body clock telling me that it was still 3 hours behind. I close my eyes and must drift off for a while but then am woken by the sound of a man chanting over what sounds like a megaphone, in fact he almost sounds like he is in my room!!! I best have a word!!! I guess this must be one of the 5 daily prayers that I have read about. Everything apparently comes to a stand still for the 5 daily prayers, even shops and restaurants pull down their shutters at the first call.
Wednesday 20th March
A Little knock at the door. I open it to find a beautiful looking Chilean lady named Lore. "You hungry". "Yes", I reply I had not eaten since yesterday. She made me tea and toast and then began to tell me what I had signed up for and what I was actually going to get. Threats of pay cuts if you do anything wrong, long working hours, no medical insurance, 7 months to get a residency card (you need this to open a bank account and even to buy a sim card for a phone) and it was also your protection against deportation should the muttawa (religious police) or the ordinary police decide to arrest you for any reason. She also said the spa director was not a nice lady (I had already gathered that though from my telephone interview with her). I was beginning to wonder what I had let myself in for and what the hell I was doing here but for anyone that knows me will know that I am very easy going, keep out of trouble and like to experience things so I can form my own opinion. So I decided to just take each day as it comes and enjoy my experience for what it was.
Thursday 21st March
Super Market Trip.... We are given a food Allowance of 500 riyals (£83), yes I thought the same....no way will that last me a month but the girls seem to manage to pretty much make it last. A Trolley full of sensible shopping costs around £35 and will last almost 2 weeks. Ok, black abaya on, check, (kindly lent to me by Lore till I get paid and can buy one) scarf around my neck just in case my head needs to be covered, double check, is any part of my body showing? No, good, let's go.
A short taxi ride to the nearest supermarket is 10 riyals (£1.70). Petrol is so cheap here it cost approximately £5.00 to fill the tank, almost hard to believe that in Saudi Arabia petrol is cheaper than water. No wonder why the roads are 4 lanes wide in Riyadh and full of big cars. Gosh, it's very dusty here but I guess we are close to the Desert and from what I understand Spring is the season of sandstorms and occasional rain!!! and it's still between 30 and 40 degrees.
A trolley full of shopping for 234 riyals (£35) and I am on my way back with the beautiful Lore to fill my one shelf in the fridge (We all have one shelf and one cupboard).
Friday 22nd March
Day off and I've not even done a days work yet (I have been informed they won't be paying me for them!) but all the same I will see what there is to do around here.....Through 2 locked steel gates and I'm into the pool area and it appears to be just me, the other girls must still be in bed even though it is 12pm. I just sit my bottom down on the sun lounger and notice that the building next to the pool has workmen in it (not Saudi's, maybe Indians, they make up a large part of the workforce here alongside the Filipinos). Now am I allowed to strip down to my biking with men being so close? I decide not to risk it and keep my shorts and t-shirt on. At 4pm I am joined by Kedi (a beautiful, smiley South African lady who speaks like she has been to a very expensive English School) and Lore. We decide to risk the swim but soon covered back up after it.
Saturday 23rd March
11am....First day of work. I pick up my schedule for the week. Today, 7 classes, 1 hour supervising in the gym, 2 hours for lunch ( I think I'm going to need it so I can have a lie down)
Let me explain a little about the Spa. Yibreen Spa is one of five fitness establishments for women in Riyadh. It was only around 9 years ago these places for women were opened. It is owned by a princess (quite an important one) and is the most expensive in Riyadh, 12,500 Riyals for a years membership. It has a dedicated Pilates/Reformer room, a small studio that holds about 6 people, a large dance/aerobics studio, Spinning room with 12 bikes and a Cardio Suite with the usual treadmills (we have just had new ones delivered this week), cross trainers, free weights in. It has a beautiful outdoor pool, café area and in the spa area there are beauty rooms, massage rooms and a hairdressers. There are also 2 new studios being built (hence the workmen on Friday's) are you getting the picture? it feels like you are in a 5* place. The Clients are mostly princess's, wives/children of wealthy Arab men or single women with either rich parents or good jobs (most that come here employ their own drivers, maids and a few bring their own adult nanny..... seriously they bring women that carry their water, tissues and help them dress after they have showered) I asked one lady if she looked after the princess's children also and she said, "No", just the princess. Talking of princess's it must be pretty easy to get the title here as there are loads of them. Close your eyes and imagine a princess, elegant, petite, slender, beautiful, enigmatic smile, now open them......You've never been to Saudi Arabia!!!! I've met a butch lesbian one (no offence to my lesbian friends) and lots of big round not so pleasant looking ones. If I am honest, they come in all shapes and sizes but mainly the big one.
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