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.