Saudi Celebrating its National Day and Women can finally vote!!!!

A lot has been happening in this quiet part of the world, Saudi Arabia.
First of all, Saudi was celebrating its National Day this pass Friday-Saturday in memory of  their Kingdom, the struggle and wars of Saud.
The girls had an assignment to do in class where they had to write about why they love their country and why they were proud to be Saudi. I thought that most girls might hand in a blank piece of paper. However, these girls couldn't stop telling me about why they love their country so much.
One of my bright students explained to me that King Abdul -Aziz bin Saud, who was the leader of the Saud, returned from exile to continue the conflict with the Al Rashid and finally seized Riyadh. These battles and conquest finally led to the modern foundation of Saudi since 1932.  By that time (since 1903) the Ottoman's recognised him as their client in Nejid. Saudi was already then recognised by its rich oil even though its grounds were infertile for any kind of plantation to grow, except the date tree.
During King Abdul-Aziz's reign over the country, he had significant problems with dealing with the economical stagnation of the country, therefore he was replaced by his brother Faisal.
I only recently found out that the Saudi Arabian flag was only used by the government since 15 March 1973.  The flag, which is one of the most meaningful and beautiful flags on my list, is in green and white. It features the Arabic (Thuluth) script in white, which is the As- Shahadah every Muslim declares in his faith "There is no God(Allah) but God(Allah)  and Mohammed is His Messenger." At the bottom of the script there is a sword. Due to the fact that the As-Shahadah is considered holy, this flag is often not printed on t-shirts or on other items. The flag is never lowered, as it symbolizes mourning, and lowering of the flag would be blasphemous.

I asked my girls what does Saudi mean to them. They gave me really good answers and I have to say, most of these answers the western world would only gasp for air.
They said that they love being Saudi,  because they can be who ever their want to be and it is their free land to roam in. This was often said with a hand on the heart and the love they have for their King.
In addition Saudi is an amazing country for them, because it is the only country that successfully rules by the Islamic law the Shar'ia and that they don't have any fear but peace in their land. They added that it posses the two holy cities in Islam, Makkah and Madina, and that the Saudi government helps all Muslims in the world to do their Ummrah or Hajj with ease. They also love Saudi, because the King rules with Allah's blessing and that he is aware of his actions, because Allah is aware of his actions. They told me that they love the fact that it is the country of their grandparents, that they are not slaves or refugees in their country and that the King is kind and extremely generous ( that is actually true, I have never met a leader that is so generous).

While they were writing, I was strolling in the classroom and making sure that they wrote good paragraphs. Then, one girl asked me "Teacher do you love Saudi?" I said "yes, I love Saudi." Then she proceeded to ask me "why teacher?"  I said it is a good country and very moral. They didn't understand "moral" and I had to quickly flip through the dictionary. Eventually they agreed. I said that it is the only country that is so well guarded and protected. The country is led by dignity and law, God's law. It is also a very peaceful country, where I hardly worry about safety or security. They asked me "so teacher, will you then live in Saudi and never leave. Teacher will you marry a Saudi?" I said "inshallah I hope to live here for a long time, but as for marriage, that is another topic on another subject. You must just write," I always tell my girls, all of them that they are so blessed to be in this country. Even though watching the TV and seeing how other countries might be appealing, it doesn't come close to the peace and safety they have here. I often tell them how I had to be a hustler from the age of 13 and always "trying to survive". Saudi has it all figured out for women and really placing their care and needs first.

Soon after the day was finished, most girls started wearing their Saudi outfits. They all wore green and white. Some of them even got creative and wore beautiful green make up.
When we got home, I flipped the channels and Al-Jazeera was blurting it out that the King has announced that women can vote in Saudi and also be elected as municipal councils!!!!!
That was a big deal! I couldn't believe my ears and eyes while I was watching the news. Women can finally vote in Saudi. I was so excited, even though I am not Saudi or even share the history of this country, I was excited for the women that could finally participate in the decision making.

I think that Saudi has a long road, since it is a young country and people need to keep that in mind. It stands very firm in its faith and its cultural practices. However, they are moving. Finally, they are moving forward.
 The King has made it to the top 5 of my most admirable people! Go Saudi!!!!!

A Bus Trip to Paradise- Dawmat Al Jandal

Inside tower of the Castle. Too beautiful for words!

If you could picture paradise, what would it look like? What would it feel like? What would it smell like?
I could answer those questions after I met the most peaceful and loving place called Dawmat al Jandal.

I didn't know that about an hour away from my hometown Skakah, there is a place that is so blissful.
We were lucky to have gone on a trip today to really experience some Saudi history.  I almost didn't go since my two room mates called-in sick and Skakah was eaten alive by the blazing sand storm. However, I was still determined to go and do something different than to just sit and think of what to cook next. After all,  I needed to do something that would help me relax after a hectic week at school.

Traditional rugs/mats/bags/wall decoration

Unlike most people, I really enjoy the bus trips, I indulge on the sights of the sand dunes and spotting a camel here and there. We took a sharp right out of Skakah on the way to the airport, but turned into a different road that lead us to something that we didn't even know existed.
As we were driving, our bus driver was being our tour guide and mentioning things about certain building and places. I finally got to see the new project of Al Jouf University being build. It looks spectacular! The front gate was so majestic and looked serious for serious students. Well done for Al Jouf University.

On the far dune-rock "Allahu Akbar" is written in white! Verily Allahu Akbar

We carried on driving for another 30 minutes and finally we saw a big dam. We got out as soon as possible. We couldn't believe that there was so much water in the middle of the desert. It was as if we have never seen so much water in our lives before. Everyone whipped his/her phone or camera out to snap the moment. It was so peaceful there, only water and the rocky dunes hovering over it. The water was making small ripples as if it didn't want to disturb the quietness of it all. The sun had no mercy, it was at its highest point. In Saudi the sun is always at its highest point, blistering anything that comes in its way. I love the sun. I am addicted to it, like an addict addicted to his own choice of drug.

The open dam-I call this picture "peace"

I stood there for a while breathing the air that had not taste or smell, just its own existence that couldn't be denied.
After that we took a ride further and all of a sudden, we moved from dust to absolutely paradise. As soon as we passed a big sand dune rock that had "Allahu Akabar" engraved on it we entered this little paradise on earth.
We saw a small Bedouin haven,  where sheep were freely grazing and the wind blowing the afternoon laundry away. Tall grass weeds were at their greenest as if they were welcoming Spring.
I asked our bus driver as to why it was so green here. He said it was a natural spring that surrounded that area. Natural Spring!!! An Oasis!! I have only dreamed of ancient oasis and small towns living around them.

Soon, we saw a big rock, which was a Copper Rock. Young boys were running up this rock with absolute ease, as if they have done this before.
We drove around the rock and we saw a small village. A beautiful small village at that. The houses were small and often one floored with small gardens outside!! It was unbelievable. There was even a Saudi man with a cigarette in one hand and the hose pipe in his other hand watering his garden. He had no care in the world, but to enjoy the afternoon sun and taking care of his own. Little children were playing and waving at the bus with their outside clothes worn out from their heavy duty of playing. They were happy and that made me think of how much fun kids can have no matter where they are.

This area is naturally green due to natural spring/oasis.

The little town was so welcoming, the palm trees were high up and pregnant with bright red dates busy ripening. The trees looked really good and heavy.

We were all taken back at how different this was from our home. We eventually drove up around and there was a wall full of colourful art and on the right hand side we saw the ancient castle, still in its most dignified state. It was well preserved. We got out of the bus so fast that we all were ready to discover this ancient piece of work. The Caslte is more than 1500 years old. It had an outer tower which I believe that was use for the Athan to call people for prayer or as a  watch tower  to detect the enemies. Inside the Castle there were small rooms that were painted in a vague blue, and some of them were just bare with walls made of mud, reed and water.
Inside the Castle there was another tower which led to the view of the outskirts of the town. We decided to be brave and to climb the stairs all the way to the top. It was pretty steep, but I made it with abaya and all.
At the top of the tower,  I could see the outskirts of the town. It looked like a maze from the top. I assume people lived closer to each other and shared walls. At the far side of the ruins there was a sheep and animal stable, where I assume the community kept their live stock together.  At the very far end the whole area was just surrounded by beautiful palm trees that were like old bones being swayed back and forth by the wind.

I discovered the museum next to the caste. This museum is really precious. It has the oldest pottery, fine art, war -ammunition, coffee grinders and coffee pots. It was written both in Arabic and English, which really helped. It even had beautiful rock paintings of the ancient civilization leaving their footsteps behind for us to find where they came from.

Like most ancient civilizations, rock painting often tell the stories of old battles.

After the museum trip I went to a beautiful old store that had the oldest jewelry.Most jewelry from the ancient Arabias were made of silver. Even the Riyal used to be a big coin, bigger than the current South African 5 Rand coin. It was made of silver and rough to the touch. I saw the old rings and thought to myself, I wonder who's ring am I staring at and admiring. Were one of these rings used for marriage proposals? Were they used for family signatures? I couldn't help myself but to wonder and I eventually bought myself a beautiful silver ring that had a lime coloured stone engraved in it.

Traditional body rest, coffee grinder and home items

Soon Maghreb prayer was taking place and the doors were being closed. I went outside the shop and stood at the open area and looked at the sunset, and realized how beautiful this town was. I went for a small walk to the shops,  hoping to see something that would dazzle my eyes. However, it was not an item that dazzled my eyes or even my thoughts, but it was the people. They were so kind, so relaxed and so at peace. The air was different. Men even sat outside near the street and drinking their afternoon tea and indulging in their conversations. Women and their husbands were freely wondering in the streets and enjoying the afternoon with a walk or a peak at a store. There was no sense of a strange fear or even hostility. It felt really good.

Copper Rock! The colour of this copper is a stone-blue

Soon, we all quickly slipped into a store to buy some water and snacks for our way back to Skakah, and the shop keeper was a Saudi, who was really warm heart-ed and tried his best to understand me and to speak some English. He politely handed my provisions over, unlike in Shaloop street where shop keepers often throw stuff at you!!!!
I couldn't stop myself from thinking of why this town was different. Why were the people so much more calm and relaxed? Even the traffic was peaceful. I thought to myself, it must be the green of the earth. It must be! Or was it just that town's culture? Soon ,I thought to myself, If I could bottle or capture a picture of peace, it would look like this. If I could smell peace, it would smell like this. If I could feel peace, it would feel like this, and if I could taste peace, it would taste like this. This is paradise!

A view from the castle! 

So, if you happen to swing by Al Jawf province, try not to miss this little town, Dawmat. I promise you , you will not be disappointed.

I have added some pictures that I took along the way. If you have any questions about them, please feel free to ask me, I will try my best to give you an accurate answer.

Kurabiethes or Kurabiye- They simply melt in your mouth!

Whether it is "Kourabiethes" or "Kurabiye" or simply short-bread cookies, they are the treat of the gods. They just simply melt in your mouth!
These little cookies I learned to make from my days of working at the Greek Kitchen, which used be in Stellenbosch and also in the kitchen of my Turkish mother.
They are a treat for afternoon tea and to impress the guests.

I prefer the Greek Kourabiethes, because they don't add oil to them. However, I like the Turkish simplicity of not adding any almonds in them.  Making these delicious biscuits can be tricky, because you shouldn't knead them too much or even bake them for too long. If you do, they will be hard outside and lumpy inside.
I added my own little twist to the recipe. If you don't have vanilla essence in your kitchen then one teaspoon of cinnamon will give them a beautiful aroma. Also, I stick in one small twig of clove, and it bursts with flavour when it is baking in the oven.

Ingredients:

250 grams of unsalted butter (salted butter can also be used)
2 1/2 cups of soft icing sugar (soft castor sugar can also be used)
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk (if the egg is small, add in another 1/2 an egg yolk)
1 spoon of vanilla essence ( 1 spoon of vanilla powder)
cloves
about a hand full of toasted almonds (optional. If you want to make greek style cookies, then add the almonds)


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcuis.

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar. It must have a fluffy creamy texture and look to it. Then gradually add the egg yolk and vanilla essence.
Sieve flour and the baking powder over the butter mixture.
With a fork gently mix the flour into the butter mixture. As soon as it becomes a soft dough, start kneading it gently with your nuckles. Don't knead too much.
Wrap the the dough in cling wrap and store in the fridge for 30 min to an hour.
While the dough is in the fridge, you can start preparing the almonds. In a pan without butter add the almonds. Toast them until they are golden brown. Make sure you don't burn them.
Grease a flat baking pan.
Take out the dough. You will see it is firm and easy to work with. Take small amount into your hand and form them into little balls. They must be about the size of a wallnut. Don't worry, when they bake they rise a little and become bigger. Insert one clove at the top of each dough ball.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. They must be firm on top,but soft enough to make a dent with your finger.
Let them cool on a wire rack. With the reserved icing sugar, dust the cookies generously.

Greek Style
Instead of making the dough into small balls, you can cut them into crescent shapes.
Roll out dough on a flour dusted service. The dough must be about 10 mm thick.
With a drinking glass, press int the dough, and press down again so that it cuts the curcle in half to make crescent shapes.
Place the crescents on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Once they are done, place them on a wire rack and cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

This short bread cookie is delicious on its own or served with hot black tea.
I remember that on Fridays my Turkish mom and her friends used to recite the Qu'ran. They would decide who was going to make what for Lunch. Nazli, my host mom's best friend used to make these little cookies.
They were so cute and so delicious.

Today, while I was making these cookies I was so desperate to bring the mood of Istanbul into my home. The memories of me standing by my host mom's side while she was preparing the treats and the sounds of taxis, children and people living their lives are still so clear. So, I switched on the Turkish TV channel, and luckly they had a travel program about Istanbul. Turkish was piercing through the room. I also opened my Turkish playlist of romance. The mood was perfect!

Happy Baking!

Breaking Dishes :) Life in the desert more than a bubble!

"I'm breaking dishes up here all night.

I'm not gonna stop until I see police lights" - Rihanna "Breaking Dishes"

Well, OK, it is not that dramatic as breaking dishes. Living in Skakah does make you want to break dishes sometimes. Right now, we are fighting over dishes!!! :)

It is hilarious how sometimes we can live in a bubble and it is the only thing we consume. It is like we are on a diet on a utopian world that has some reality in it...sometimes. 

About 2 nights ago, we had an old male teacher for tea. He decided to move out of the compound and in the world of reality. He said that living on the compound is a big bubble! A big bubble of how we want life to be and    being away from all the "surviving" and the "struggling" of the world. 

However, I would like to correct that. I don't by any means think that we live in a bubble or live a very Utopian life. I will break it down physically, mentally and spiritually. 

Physically: If you think that living in the desert,  in the middle of nowhere is a bubble??? No it ain't. There is a Bedouin tent about 1 metre away from us. I remember the first time I mentioned to my Saudi friend that I was going to Al Jouf. I asked him does he know anything about it, so that I can at least prepare myself. He said "are you sure it is called Jouf? Cause, I have never heard of that name before." I said to him that I will look at my contract again and let him know. I was right, it was Jouf. I called him up again and said "yes dude, it is Jouf" He was like "mmm, never heard of it before." We even google-d it. Try googling Jouf, not even google can get a hundred thousand hits on it. So, yes, I'm in the middle of no-where, and that is not a bubble. Sorry to burst your bubble. 

Second of all, the physical adjustment from being busy with 4 different jobs and no sleep to a place where relaxing is the name of the game, is draining. I have never woken up and had nothing to plan in my life. Here, I wake up in the weekends with absolutely nothing going in my life. Sometimes, I just check my breathing just to make sure that I haven't died from boredom. So no, it is not a bubble!

Now, mentally. Being in the desert is sometimes a bliss. It is more beautiful than anything in the world. However, it can be so overwhelming. The silence can be deafening, the peace can be inseparable. It takes time to just fit in it. To fit in this new frame and to be a picture of some sort. It is something that I can't manifest in words, something that only a person can experience on his/her own. I always tell my friends that it is like living on the edge, on the edge of losing your mind. I have learned to enjoy the desert. I have learned to find peace in the view of sand dunes that I see. However, some people come, and they can't handle it and leave. It is a usual novelty for teachers to come and to feel really parted from the world and decide to leave. This is the part that could be somewhat a bubble.

The spiritual fatigue can really get anyone down. I just came home from a long day at school and all I  want to do is to rest. To shut down from it all. I couldn't understand this tiredness in the beginning. Astahfir Allah, but at one stage I was so spiritually drained that I couldn't even get myself to pray for 2 weeks. I finally figured it out. It was the monotonous life, seeing the same things over and over again. It felt like a movie that couldn't stop playing. However, it wasn't just the desert's fault. It was my fault too. I didn't give myself the the chance to go out and to be normal in the middle of the desert and all. It was as if I was locking myself away from nothing. Cause what are you really locking yourself up with? I stop doing the things that I used to do back in South Africa or any country. Like, going for a walk, baking something or even watching my favourite TV show. I started living a little and with that I had to things to actually think about, to pray about and to aspire to.

So, even though it might seem that living in the desert is a bliss,  it does come with its rough side. The side of being in the middle of nowhere, mentally, physically and spiritually. However the bliss is incomparable, the life  beyond the definition of peace. It all lies in the ripples of the sand, the peak of the dunes and the sun that rises beautifully with its penetrating rays. 

However, we do get sucked in to a place where we end up fighting about mindless things like "who is washing the dishes?" I don't answer the question, I would rather just break the dishes!!

We don't drink blood!!!

One thing that really shocks me is that I take a bus trip everyday to school with a bunch of teachers. Teachers I tell you! However, the conversation doesn't sound like that most of them believe everything they hear!
A good example happened today. I was speaking about Eid Adha and I was telling a fellow teacher that I was lucky enough to have been part of a sacrificing a goat last year. It was my first proper Eid and my brother made it something really special and unforgettable for girl like me , who has been Muslim for 3 years and 5 months now.
Somehow the thread of the story got to the ears of another teacher. Her comment to this was: (believe me, I am not joking). "So, did you drain the blood into a bowl and drink it? " Yes, I am not joking! That is what came out of her mouth!
Now, I don't really participate in deep intellectual conversations, because at the end of the day, someone is trying to out smart someone. However, I do believe that a level of proper knowledge is required to participate in any kind of conversation.
So, when I am talking about Islam and all you can answer me is "Do you drink the fresh blood afterwards?" I couldn't  help myself to look at her crossed eyed for a split second. I was thinking "Are you actually kidding me?"
Then it move on to Africans do it!!! Then I was even more astonished!
So, this is the break down of what Eid is all about. Eid Adha is the second celebration  after Eid Al-Fitr, which usually takes places after Ramadan. In Eid Al-Fitr most Muslims eat a lot of sweet foods, to celebrate the sweetness of finishing Ramadan.
So, Eid Adh occurs after Hajj and it is highly recommended for Muslims to fast on the day of Arafah.
Eid Adha is the sacrificial eid, During Eid Adha Muslims sacrifice an edible animal in the memory of Ibrahim (PBUH) for his great trial. Muslim should evoke Allah's name when doing so for Allah has given us power to eat what He has given to us.  The sheep should be slaughter with a sharp knife  in such a manner where the animal should be killed instantly and not feel pain nor tense up. Often a hole is dug in the ground, where the blood should flow.  The animal is then skinned and divided into three parts. One for the person who sacrificed     the animal, the other part to families and closed friends and the other part to feed the poor.
Eid Adha is an act of conviction, and act of obedience to what Allah asked of us to do and to also feed the poor and hungry.
There is NO DRINKING OF BLOOD!!!! Blood in Islam is actually holy and shouldn't be consumed. Therefore no Muslim would ever consume that.
So, this is what breaks down in a bus trip daily from school to the compound.
However, I have learned one thing from this shopping trip! Keep quiet if you don't know, before saying anything strange.
I thrive in information. I believe that it is our right and our duty as people to find out as much information as we can about our surrounding and the places we want to visit. This is where the second incidents comes in.
Now, when people say Africans drink blood. That comes like a whip lash at the back of my neck.
I am an African by name (literally my name is African) and my entire family enjoys roaming in the lands of the Eastern Cape, raising chickens and goats. When we have a nice celebration or a ceremony we slaughter an animal, like a goat to feed the people!!! TO FEED!!! Not to drink their blood or do something weird. I am speaking on behalf of the Southern African nations. In our culture we enjoy meat, we enjoy slaughtering our own rather than buying a goat that has been shot to the chest and probably will taste like rubber.
However people must not  get confused between what is a cultural practice, a religious practice or a witchcraft practice.
Culturally most Africans don't drink blood. I know in Kenya, the very primitive nomads drink the blood of the goat or sheep, because it a good source of protein and iron. However that practice has thinned so much, that not even these tribes practice them anymore.
In Southern Africa between the Xhosa, Zulu and the other smaller tribes, no one drinks blood. It is just not done. In our eyes, blood is also seen as holy and something that should be sent back to nature. Often when a slaughtering takes place at a wedding or even at a celebration, the slaughtering will occur in an area where there is lots of soil and grass for the blood to be soaked up.

Now, regarding witchcraft and mysticism blood is probably drunk in Africa, Asia, the Americas and even in Europe. When you are evil, you are just that.. EVIL. It doesn't mater what tribe, country or creed you are from. If you worship and do things that go against nature then it is wrong. It is not an African thing! It is a human defect thing! I don't know about drinking blood and I AM AFRICAN!!! I don't think it is healthy to generalize on this particular manner, especially if the bus is shared with Muslims and with Africans!!

I enjoy it if people ask people questions rather than just accept whatever is in their heads about things that affect other people. We should read instead of just accepting things.

Back to school-Back to reality

A week has passed from organizing and setting up the classroom for the new faces for this year. It was an exhausting experience of getting the class organised for 54 students that are eager to learn English.

On Wednesday all the girls finally came to school for a short meet-and-greet with the teachers. I was nervous, it felt like I was going to teach for the first time and at the same time it reminded me of my first day at school. The feeling of not knowing anyone and being mushed in a colage of new faces and sounds. I won't lie, but I did spend a good hour in my classroom hiding from the girls, trying to sort myself. I looked at the 54 empty seats that will be filled with life. Soon they all came in one by one. Some of them were lost like little sheep that needed to be guided and some majestically walked in and greeted me with perfect English. 

I introduced myself and said that I was a South African English teacher and that I will make sure that by the end of their course they will be able to speak and write in English according to their ability. They looked rest assured. 

Soon they told me about their families. One girl actually has 21 brothers and sisters!!!! I was so shocked and I told her that I only have a 1 blood brother and that is it. They were more shocked about my small family than me being shocked about their mega families. 

Soon we were all sharing tips on the best make-up and the best holiday places in Saudi Arabia. They also told me which foods are the best to prepare at home! Soon they were explaining to me how to make Jareesh, which is my favorite Saudi dish that I have ever tasted. 

After a while, I knew they would ask me the question that I dread so much! "Teacher, are you married?" I hate this question like I hate the gum under my shoe. Why ? Well, because my answer is "no" to that question and that answer is always followed by a "why". Then I have to be creative with my answer. "Well, I am not interested in marriage yet. Actually I still want to see the world." With whatever reason I give them, they are never really satisfied, because then they start to introduce the idea that I can just marry on of their brothers. Of course being a South African, the idea of marrying some dude that is living some where some how in this world of ours that I have never met nor seen is a bit obscene.

I told my brother about this and his response was plain and simple "sis, marriage is a gamble really, you never know what you are going to get." I guess he hit the nail on the head, but I am not sure if I am ready to take a gamble yet. 

With all the questions and answers that were being spilled in my class, the girls didn't even realise that they could speak English. Some of them explained things to me. One thing that is the road block of most students learning a langauge is the not the langauge itself, it is the confidence. It is the fear of the spot-light being placed on that person to actually speak in a tongue that he/she don't use in their every day life. The fear of making a mistake and being judged for it. However, if the atmosphere and the area is confident and conversational, the often fall into the trap of speaking without fear or worry. 

After meeting and greeting the girls, they left for home, I stayed behind and all I was left with was a stuffy room with two fans swirling hot air around. I just knew that this bunch of new girls are going  to be good and make teaching more than what I thought. 

So, here is to a new year full of adve

Back in the desert-South Africa a reality shock!

So, I’m finally in Jouf and it is really good to be home. Yes, you are wondering why I am calling it home? Well Saudi just happens to be like a jealous lover, always making me long for it. I missed the quiet and the comfort of this country.

However, my holiday in South Africa was more eventful than I thought. I spend a great amount of time with my family, with my friends and met weird short people.

Before I left for South Africa, I couldn’t help but to freak myself out of the cultural shock that I might be experiencing. I was so worried, that I drew up a “Holiday spots” list of things to do for tourist. Even my brother was like “sis you are freaking out over nothing”.  Little I knew that South Africa would be an experience of saying “hello”, “it was nice to meet you” and now “goodbye”. While I was in the plane and the captain announcing that we have finally arrived in Cape Town, my little heart was beating so fast, I swear I was ready to turn around at the airport already. However, I was staring at the window while the plane was ascending. The beauty I saw of Cape Town was bewitching. The fresh green pleins, the small houses and the ocean so majestically boasting its beauty was more than heartwarming for me.  I told myself “you were born here, there is nothing to freak out about”. It was true, it was good to be home. My brother picked me up from the airport and there was so much to share on my trip home.

When I arrived at the door step of my mom’s house, It was really nice to be welcomed with love and longing. My mom spoiled my rotten while I stayed in South Africa. I mean spoiled me a lot.  I even got breakfast in-bed under her care. I think that it is always good to go away, because the home-coming is priceless.

I was very fortunate to spend half of my Ramadan in South Africa. However, the spirit was not the same. I got flashbacks of how hard it is to be Muslim person living in a non-Muslim world. It actually wears the soul out. However, Eid arrived and it was even more depressing!  I tried to keep the spirit up high by buying myself new clothes and buying gifts for my Muslim brothers and sisters.

One thing that made me and brother realize why we can only do South Africa for holiday was the “I am trying to survive” topic. I will let you in on this in more detail. If someone asks you “How are you doing today?” It is only very humane to be humble about life, even if life is either good or bad, and the best possible answer to give is “I am fine Alhamdulillah”. NOT “I am trying to survive!!”   Whenever I got that responds, in my head I was thinking “Are you for real?”.

The weather in South Africa was cold. The air was crisp and bit into our skins. However, it didn’t stop me from doing some shopping! One cultural shock that I did experience was “I can’t do this on my own anymore.” Saudi has spoiled me in ways I would never imagine. First of all, the fact that in Saudi I NEVER carried my own luggage. In South Africa I had to carry my own stuff! Secondly, skipping the shopping queues! I forgot that I was back in South Africa, the land of “every man looking out for himself”. I was standing in the queue and decided that this is just not working out for me. So, like I would do in Saudi, I just skipped to the front of the queue with my shopping trolley. One man tapped me on the shoulder and said “Girl friend! Girl friend! Back in the line!” This is not banana republic!”. I was half offended and I told him “But I am a woman.” He was even more offended and gave me that scanning look from my head to my toes “Hey sisi, back in the line.” So, I had to push my trolley back into the line like an injured puppy dog. I told myself again “I can’t do this on my own anymore.”

The second week of being in South Africa was more beautiful. The weather was just so nice to do things and my friends spoiled me rotten. I went to a media lunch with my friend and met some famous people. We ate gourmet foods at a beautiful hotel that over looked the Paarl and Stellenbosch mountains. The smell of fresh cut grass, the clinking of wine glasses and the buzz of fluffy conversations carried the mood. I remembered how I always wanted to live in a place where I can see the mountains. I realized why so many Europeans came to South Africa and never wanted to leave.  It’s beauty is unmatchable, the freedom is incomparable and most of all it is the soul child of Africa.

Another eye opener was the fact that there were so many traffic police in the streets. My friend, who was driving without a driver’s license tried to find various ways of escaping the police (also known as the POPO). Then something funny happened, her steering wheel was locked and therefore the car couldn’t ignite. For ten minutes we were struggling to get the car going. Eventually I said “dude, lets just get some man to come fix this problem.”. She looked at me and said “You and your Saudi mentality. This is South Africa, women can fix their own cars.”. That is when I realized again that I CAN’T DO THIS ON MY OWN AGAIN!!!!!!

Cape Town was alive, full of colours and different people. It was nice to see people enjoying the sun, because that means we will have a jam packed weekend. The clubs and bars were buzzing, girls wearing their shorter than short skirts with 6inch high heels and strutting their stuff! Students were walking barefoot in Stellies and painting the town red with their drunken songs and waving the South African flag.  Only in South Africa where you will find people becoming patriotic after heavy drinking!!

Me and my brother decided to go to our favourite place to chill out on a Friday night. Things clearly haven’t changed. There were the gay guys doing their thing. The black people clustering up with the scared expression on their faces, Emo kids wearing their skinny jeans and blondes dressing the same and screaming “hoooo” after every shot they drank. It is good to be young in Stellenbosch, but still I can’t do this on my own no more!

When I was packing my bags after an eventful time in South Africa, I was really pleased with my expectations and ready to get on the next plane back to Saudi. I and brother took some time out at the airport, and I told him that I even knew the Riyadh airport better than the Cape Town one. He looked at me with an un-impressed face “You only know the Riyadh airport, because there is no other way to go. There is only one way and organized chaos.”We had a good laugh at that. Soon I was in the plane on my way to Dubai. It was a beautiful flight, the sun was settling under the beds of the mountain and the ocean was glistering like a million diamonds floating on water. The mountains were a pale blue and sky was so clear. That is when I told myself that this is a goodbye.. for now.

As soon as I landed in Jeddah, I felt like home. The buildings were the way I knew them. Soon a Saudi gentleman was helping with my luggage. He organized a taxi for me to go to a hotel to take a rest before my flight that day.  When I arrived at the hotel, once again someone took care of my luggage; I just had to carry myself to my room. There was no tap on the shoulder anymore. It was feeling the way it was all suppose to be…normal.

When I arrived in Jouf late at night, I was welcomed by an overheating oven of a home, fresh dust on my door mat and the fresh smell of open air. The silence was surreal; I never felt such indifference.

It was good to see my friends back at the compound, everyone eager to share their stories and we all sang the same song “Saudi spoiled us”.

However, I sat on my bed and thought about it all long and hard. I have two homes now, one back home with my family and this one with my new family of friends. I have made peace with it all and realized no matter where God takes me or where the road goes, wherever I am, THAT will be my home.

Once again, I JUST CAN’T DO IT ON MY OWN ANYMORE J