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
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
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