Anniversary

Twenty years ago today I got on a plane to Saudi Arabia.  I was single and I was terrified.  When we landed I was probably the last one off the plane wondering what on earth I was doing.  The heat hit me as I got to the door.  We had to walk across the tarmac into the shed which was pretending to be an airport.  There were rows of soldiers with weapons lining the route across the tarmac from the plane to the shed.

Once inside I realised that a couple of planes had landed from Asia bringing people who would be employed doing manual jobs.  The place was full of probably a thousand people, and I was one of about five females.  There was another first time western girl there and, although we had never met, we decided to stick together.

A man in uniform, with a gun, came to us and grunted that we should follow him.  We did.  The custom is for women to be taken to the head of the line (luckily we remembered that in our briefing).  They then took our passports for processing and we were told to sit and wait.

The whole arrival experience for women has changed over the years and they now land in a beautiful new airport.

My goal when I left for Saudi was to change my life. 

Twenty years on I am back in the UK, but I am now married to an American, have changed the area I live in and am retired.  I have had so many exciting experiences!

Thank goodness I took a chance!  A big life changing event is always scary, and settling in is never easy - but I am so glad I took the opportunity.

For those coming over to the UK - it can be quite a challenge - but what an adventure!

Thanks for the post Blossom.

How did you get around Saudi?  Did you have a driver or something? 

Why did you pick there?

As you know, women can't drive.  But we had to live on a compound and women can drive on the compound.  They drive like maniacs over there so that wasn't a problem.  I wonder how the women will get on when they are allowed to drive next year.

I didn't really pick Saudi.  I'd reached a point in my life when I realised that if I didn't do something my life would remain the same.  There was an advert in the local newspaper so I applied.

It was so hard!  There was no internet, no mobile phones. no cameras.  The newspapers were all censored so you would get them a couple of days late with black marker pen all over them. 

But it was a challenge.  The alternative was to do nothing and wait for the coffin to arrive for me. 

What a life.

Thank you so much for asking.  It must be so boring to read.

x

Not boring at all!  Were you working?  Did you ever see any hand chopping? 

How did you get from there to the UK?

Yes, I went out to work in Admin for an oil company.  As a single female we had to live on camp.  The (Saudi) company had various compounds and ours was one of the smallest.  It had beautiful white sandy beach fringed with palm trees, a ladies and a mens gym, squash courts, tennis courts, bowling alley, cinema, library, supermarket, florist, stables, running track, football pitches, baseball pitches, various coffee shops, restaurants, supermarket, golf club, golf course, yacht club.  Then there were self directed groups.

They do the chopping usually on a Friday after they go to the mosque.  I made sure I never saw anything like that.  It would be reported in the Arab news the next day or two later.

Did you ever see the film, "The Kingdom?" 

I could wear conservative clothes on camp and when I went off camp too.  When 9/11 happened the atmosphere changed.  From then on I always wore the black cloak called an abaya.  I was in the Easter Province which is more easy going (but not much) and so would not cover my hair unless I was shouted at.

Once off camp you got taxis everywhere if you didn't have a man to drive you.

Bahrain is connected to Saudi by a bridge and that would be the favourite place to go if you had time.  Bahrain is very tolerant and you can get pork and alcohol there and women drive.

It is quite an indulgent life for western expats.

Thank you for asking.

How very interesting!!!!   Life is fun, isn't it?