I now have my own abaya, two in fact. We took a trip to Taybar Market (just Saudis go there) and I brought one like a dress and one like a coat that fastens up the front. The abaya is worn to prevent women's figures from being shown, reducing the chance of men ogling them and lessening the chance of immoral behaviour between the sexes. Maybe the people who go on Jeremy Kyle should be wearing them, and probably half of Mansfield. Often the Quranic quote, "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, to cover themselves with a loose garment. They will thus be recognised and no harm will come to them" Qur'an 33:59[2] This is given as the argument for wearing the abaya. Anyway we are off to the Shopping Mall so out comes the abaya. I am quite getting used to it, it saves worrying about what to wear to be honest......Riyadh Gallery is where we are heading tonight, I am in desperate need of a cup of coffee at home I religiously have one a day, cappuccino and unless you go to the Malls here you will struggle to get one. I have tried the Arabic coffee and it is very weak and tastes very scented, more like herbal tea if you ask me. The Arabs like to drink their coffee and smoke shisha (apparently it comes in some really nice flavours but I've not had the pleasure of trying yet, I am still on the look out). So back to the Shopping Mall. Riyadh is full to bursting with Malls all the size of Meadowhall. It is the favourite pastime of the people that live here, that and eating and they are open till at least midnight. On a Thursday evening they are full with families shopping and eating, as I said there is nothing else to do here. Now I know why 95% of women that come to the spa are obese. Anyway, let's get back to the shopping trip, well it was more of a coffee trip really. The Crepe Café "thank you Lore for showing me". A perfect cup of coffee plus pancakes with chocolate, strawberries, ice cream and cream, and there was me thinking I would go home to England a few pounds lighter.
No Sleep
Well, I am a week into my stay and have still not managed more than a few hours sleep per night. You would have thought after a 48 hour week I would be tired but Halas......I was still listening to the prayer at 4.30am in fact I may as well have got up, took the megaphone and done it myself. Did I mention that there are four small mosques literally one on each corner of the spa and they all start the first prayer when the milkman is just delivering the milk in England. Some of the clients at the spa set their alarms to get and pray at this time. Talking of prayer times, when they occur during the day if our classes are in progress most ladies like the music turned down so they can hear and quite often if it falls at the start of the class the ladies will arrive late as they pray first. They have to cover themselves from head to toe, take their prayer mat and face East towards Mecca (mats often come with a compass in to show them the direction, well that's understandable because as women we all know that we are not good with the maps and the N,S,E ,W thing. Mecca, the Prophet Mohammed's birth place and Islam's spiritual centre, it is strictly off limits to non-muslims and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory for all able Muslims at least once in their lifetime. I am not sure what they pray for or about, I have not asked that yet, but they are very strict in their routines and get down anywhere to pray, at the back of the gym reception, in changing room, in studios, in the corners of the gym. I have not yet seen anyone drop to their knees in the street though, I guess they must wait till they get home.
No Sleep
Well, I am a week into my stay and have still not managed more than a few hours sleep per night. You would have thought after a 48 hour week I would be tired but Halas......I was still listening to the prayer at 4.30am in fact I may as well have got up, took the megaphone and done it myself. Did I mention that there are four small mosques literally one on each corner of the spa and they all start the first prayer when the milkman is just delivering the milk in England. Some of the clients at the spa set their alarms to get and pray at this time. Talking of prayer times, when they occur during the day if our classes are in progress most ladies like the music turned down so they can hear and quite often if it falls at the start of the class the ladies will arrive late as they pray first. They have to cover themselves from head to toe, take their prayer mat and face East towards Mecca (mats often come with a compass in to show them the direction, well that's understandable because as women we all know that we are not good with the maps and the N,S,E ,W thing. Mecca, the Prophet Mohammed's birth place and Islam's spiritual centre, it is strictly off limits to non-muslims and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory for all able Muslims at least once in their lifetime. I am not sure what they pray for or about, I have not asked that yet, but they are very strict in their routines and get down anywhere to pray, at the back of the gym reception, in changing room, in studios, in the corners of the gym. I have not yet seen anyone drop to their knees in the street though, I guess they must wait till they get home.
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