Traditional Dining

Last night I got my first taste of the local cuisine, in a small village on the outskirts of Jeddah, called Dhabhan. I knew we were going to have fish from the Red Sea and that the restaurant was supposed to be very traditional, so what I was expecting was basically a simple restaurant with traditional Arabian decor, maybe low tables with pillows arranged around them, something to that effect anyway.  When we arrived though, instead of entering a restaurant, we were led by one of  several employees milling about the parking lot, through a garden with little fountains and as much greenery as the desert permits, to what seemed like a few dozen bungalows. He stopped at number 21 and opened the door. This was to be our own private dining area.



Inside, this bungalow-type structure was quite spacious and divided into two parts. On the left side of the door was a round table with red (probably fake) velvet covered chairs all around it. A heavy curtain, also red and of the same material, hung across the large window to ensure customer's privacy. It is very important that customers feel safe from prying eyes, since in these dining areas women remove their headscarves, as to be able to eat more freely.

On the left side of the door was a rectangular, low table with large, bright turquoise couches arranged around it, like in any living room. Drapes behind the couches were turquoise as well. The color combinations weren't very tasteful, but seemed fitting. There was also a grimy little bathroom in the back.  The room was a bit run down in general, some holes in the wall, probably the work of some careless electrician, and the furniture seemed a bit worn as well, but all this just added to the charm, in my opinion.

After settling in, we walked along a path through more bungalows, to a building which held the kitchen in the back, and had the fish on display in the front. There wasn't a great variety of fish, but they all looked (and smelled) extremely fresh lying there in the ice. A bored-looking employee followed us around the display, chucking everything we picked out into a bucket. We chose hamour, a type of fish that's very popular here, parrot- fish, which have lovely silver and blue scales, as well as crabs, calamari and shrimp, all from the Red Sea. As a side dish we ordered two platters of brown rice and returned to our little bungalow to wait.

Our final choices.

 When the food arrived on a huge tray on top of our waiter's head, it had to be placed on the "living room" table, as we were a party of  ten and didn't fit at the round table. We sat round the table on large cushions from the couches and it was quite comfortable. No silverware was brought to us,except for some plastic spoons, nor plates, so we had to eat bedouin-style, with our hands. I'm hardly a fan of fine dining and savoir vivre, so I enjoyed tearing  the flesh right off the fish with my hands immensely, it made the meal that much more delicious. Everything was incredible, from the fish, which didn't need anything, not even lemon or oil, to enhance the flavor, to the rice, which had just a hint of curry, to the shrimp and calamari, cooked in a way I've never tried before.

 Hamour, deep fried, Parrot-fish, grilled, crabs also grilled, shrimp and calamari in white sauce, brown rice, fried, khubz arabi (arabian pita bread)  and salad, consisting only of rocca leaves and fresh onions.

OK, I realize this looks absolutely revolting, and I was very hesitant to try it, but it was actually my favorite part of the meal. This is shrimp and calamari cooked in some sort of white sauce, with a lovely, creamy texture and a hint of spices I'm sure I've never even heard of.

Aaaand that's me, keepin' it classy and stuffing my face with hamour like there's no tomorrow...

Silver Sands

Yesterday was the last day of the weekend, so my family and I decided to spend the day at the beach. Not wanting to swim in our abayas, which is what local women do at public beaches, we opted for Silver Sands, one of several exclusively expat beach resorts, about a half hour away from the center of Jeddah.

The beach is located in part of a small gulf and is completely man-made, meaning that a wealthy local bought the land and created a beach resort from scratch. Silver Sands is pretty much what you'd expect from any beach club.  Palm trees and umbrellas provide much-needed shade, comfortable chaise lounges placed strategically under them, a concession area serves all sorts of tasty snacks and cold drinks, and the locker rooms, showers and restrooms are relatively clean, albeit sandy. There is even a tiny artificial island just a few meters out into the water. The island itself is bare, except for some palm trees and sand, but the rocks around it are home to dozens of menacing-looking crabs the size of my fist.  On the edge of the beach are a few bungalows, rented out by expats, and the owner's personal villa.

The water was a pleasant surprise. Coming from Greece, a country with some of the most gorgeous beaches and waters in the world, I have very high standards when it comes to these things, and, I must admit, I treated claims that the Red Sea is lovely with suspicion. However, I found the water wonderful, refreshing without being cold, practically clear, and clean.


There is quite a variety of activities to engage in at Silver Sands. There is a net for beach volley and goalposts for football, as well as a trampoline for children. Water sports are generally very popular in the Red Sea, so sailboats (Laser), jet skis and windsurf boards can all be rented right on the beach. It is also possible to hire an instructor for these activities and the best part is you can enjoy them all year round, since it's always summer!

Generally, I'd say Silver Sands is a great weekend getaway, as it provides a relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere, the sea and constant light breeze being the perfect way to cool down after a week in the city. The only downside is the entrance fee, which came to about 20 Euros per person. And here I thought that spending  5 Euros at my local private beach back home (which,incidentally, provides almost the same things as Silver Sands) was extravagant. 

This post isn't just a review of Silver Sands beach, though. There was also an "incident" worth mentioning. While walking down the beach with my father, a man  hears us speaking and greets us in Greek. He strikes up conversation with my father, and soon, in typical greek fashion, he's offering us ouzo ( I honestly don't have a clue as  to how that got into the country), soft drinks and snacks, even taramosalata, which is a pinkish sort of greek spread. We are soon joined by my mother, a couple more Greek guys and the first man's girlfriend, who is, in her own words, "Saudi by nationality, international at heart". So at this point it's almost a party.  Our "host" has lived in Saudi for 30 years. And I'm wondering if I can get through 6 more months... Anyway, he talks about the Greek community in Jeddah, which was very large when he first came, whereas now, there are only about 400 Greeks in the city.
At some point his lady-friend asks if I'd like a ride on her jet-ski to see the gulf a bit. There was no way I was going to say no to that. The whole gulf seems to be laced with the country homes of the wealthy. I'd never seen such massive and incredibly luxurious houses. Some of them had what seemed like acres of lawn and palm trees, some had pools, and all of them, no exception, had their own private pier, where a boat or a couple of jet-skis would be docked. The strange thing is, there were hardly any people enjoying these houses. I guess oil sheikhs have more important things to do than chill at the beach...

Shopping Malls in Saudi

Saudi Arabia's religious leaders consider music a sin, there is a 3 decade ban on cinemas, also initiated by the powerful religious police, plus, alcoholic drinks are banned in Islam, Saudi being the only Muslim country where drinking results in a public lashing. Don't  forget to take into account that gender-mixing in public is a big no-no, as it can lead to arrest, and you'll realize why the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hardly the Kindom of Fun & Games. So, because of this situation, entertainment here mainly takes the form of (over)consumption. During weekends (weekends being Thursday and Friday), hordes of people, families, single men and groups of women, locals and expats, flood the malls and shop till they drop. Saudi Arabia is renowned for its massive shopping malls. Enormous and modern, with their designer stores and food courts including all the usual fast food joints, you could almost mistake them for malls anywhere in the world. Almost, because, after all, this is Saudi Arabia, where unique rules and customs apply. These are important things to watch out for while shopping in Saudi malls:

1) Singles' and Families' Sections / Shops

To avoid men fraternizing with women, all restaurants, coffee shops, etc, are separated into a singles' section and a families' section. All women who are unaccompanied by a male relative must be seated in the families' section. Vice versa, men who are not accompanied by a female relative, must sit in the singles' section. This division, although strict, is not always apparent. Some places have screens or walls, but others have only signs stating which side is which. It is prudent to look out for them, unless you want to find yourself in the awkward position I found myself in today, when I entered Starbucks through the singles' section and got plenty of stares for my trouble. Of course, I was also targeted, because, as a non-Muslim, I usually don't cover my hair. It was almost as embarrassing as walking into a men's room back home ( if I made that mistake here I'd probably be lynched or something). 

There is also a number of stores which don't allow entry to single men. These are usually womens' clothing or lingerie stores, and carry signs at the entrance: "FAMILIES ONLY" or "LADIES ONLY".

2) Beat Prayer Time

One of the 5 pillars of Islam is "Salat", the obligatory prayers which are performed 5 times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, lasting a half-hour each time. These prayers pretty much determine the rythm of the entire day. When it's time to pray, customers evacuate shops so they can lock up. All restaurants and coffee shops stop serving anything and the mullah's voice reverberates throughout the mall via speakers. However, if you have already been served before prayer time, you can continue sitting in the restaurant and finish your meal, no problem. The thing is, after the noon prayer, which usually starts around 12.00, most stores don't open again until 17.30. So between 10.00 when the mall opens for business and prayer time, you only get a couple of hours to squeeze in your shopping.  Shopping in the evening is a bit better, as long as you make sure to avoid the two prayers, which start around 17.45 and 19.15 each. Malls close at 23.00.

3) Fitting Rooms

There are none. Well, maybe not none, but most clothing stores don't have them. I assume it has something to do with obliterating the chances of a man getting an accidental view of female flesh. It's obviously very impractical, since to try on an article of clothing you must buy it, go to the mall's bathroom and put it on there. Changing clothes is a bit of a hassle on its own, considering you're wearing an abaya and regular clothes underneath. The good thing is that, upon returning something that didn't fit or you didn't like, you get your money back and don't have to search for something else to swap it for.

4) Toilet Paper

Same thing that applies to fitting rooms. Except here, I actually mean that there is literally none. Honestly, this might be the biggest culture shock I've had yet, because, although I had a general idea what to expect from Saudi Arabia, nobody thought to mention this particular, very important, er...custom. Apparently, the Saudi way is to use a shower nozzle attached to the wall, which shoots out a jet of water with surprising force. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how they do it without messing up their clothes. I assume this is what the locals do at home as well, and there is a very good chance that this way is more hygienic than using paper, but I don't think I'll be able to adopt this...technique.

So yeah, shopping in a Saudi mall can be the same as shopping in any other mall in the world. As long as you remember where to sit, plan your shopping around prayer times, know your sizes as best as possible to avoid unecessary trips to the bathroom and carry plenty of tissues when it's time to actually go!

Red Sea Mall, one of Jeddah's most popular malls.
*I do not own this photo*

Souk Photos

There are a few more photographs from my day at the souk than the ones I included in my previous post that I would like to share. So, here they are:

This young Saudi was really ticking me off, because he kept passing in front of my camera while I was trying to take a picture. This happened a few times, until at some point he turned slightly towards me and muttered "Speak Arabic??" as he walked by me. I guess he wanted to hit on me or something. Apparently foreign girls get this a lot. Anyhow, I caught his back accidentaly in this shot and it turned out to be one of my favorite pictures, so maybe I should even be grateful.

 These are prayer rugs, decorated with verses from the Quran. A local man was selling them along with books on Islam. When I asked if I could take a picture of his display he agreed willingly, but made sure to get out of the picture. Locals generally feel uncomfortable in front of a photographic lense, and may even show hostile behaviour towards a photographer, so it is crucial to be discreet.

 

A young woman shows her colorful sleeve under the abaya.

One of the souk's many small alleyways flanked by crumbling buildings.

I just love how shopkeepers display their merchandise.

 

A few Saudi men conversing, a pair walking hand in hand and, of course, one toe-picker!

 Spices everywhere!

 

Men like him will carry your shopping for you for as little as 5 SRs. That's about 1€.

 

I'm a bit embarassed to admit I don't have a clue as to what these buildings are exactly. Probably mosques. I was just impressed by their authentic Arabic architecture.

 That's Bassam, perhaps the friendliest, and certainly most persuasive, salesman I have ever met. The dude could sell ice to an Eskimo! He was nice enough to give me the pashmina I'm wearing in the picture for free as well :)

Souk Shopping

I finally ventured out of the compound to one of the places I was most eager to visit, Jeddah's Souk (open-air market). Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9.00 a bus departs from the compound, taking residents to the marketplace. It's the easiest way to get there if you don't have a car at your disposal, as there is no such thing as public transportation in Jeddah, except for taxi or limo service.

The souk was as traditional as I had hoped, with almost nothing to remind you of the Western world. It is actually said to be the last truly authentic souk in the Arab world. The setting, the people, the smells, everything made me feel as if I were right in the middle of the Middle East! The souk consists of several wide streets and more narrow alleyways. Its architecture is unique, as all buildings, ranging from crumbling to well preserved, retain their original Arabic style. Shopfronts open out onto the street, products on display, and salesmen praise their merchandise in loud, singsong voices, or call out "Hello!Welcome!", once they realize you are a foreigner. Literally anything can be purchased at the souk. Most popular merchandise are abayas (the traditional black garment women wear), spices, jewlery, prayer rugs, leather sandals, dates and colourful pashminas, but you could just as easily find electronics, beauty products (henna body paint seems to be very popular), even winter coats. The quality of most things is probably mediocre, but prices are more than reasonable, and by haggling you can usually get the shopkeeper to lower the price 5-10 SRs (Saudi Riyals).

Strolling through the souk, there was plenty of opportunity for people-watching. It was quite crowded, due to the presence of the remaining Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) pilgrims. Some men in traditional, mostly white, thobes walked down the street hand in hand, as a mark of respect to each other. Others sat in the streets smoking cigarettes, talking, and picking at their toes. It seems Saudi men have some sort of fixation with their feet. I noticed many of them rubbing their soles and between their toes, digging under their toenails and, twice, I even saw men clip their toenails on the sidewalk. It's every bit as appealing as it sounds...

Women are more discreet. They move in groups, chatting and shopping. Clad in black from head to foot, hijabs (black headscarves) and veils concealing their features, only their eyes give some clue as to their identity. I didn't see any women simply sitting around. Women who walk alone are usually beggars.

You will certainly see paupers at the souk. Elderly men, women of all ages and dusty children sidle up to you, palms outstretched for a few riyals. Show any sign of charity, smile even, and you will most likely be followed for a while. These beggars are virtually harmless though. Some men who are not exactly beggars, but certainly seem very poor, wheel cardboard boxes in steel trolleys, offering to carry your shopping bags for you, in exchange for a small amount of money.

All in all, I enjoyed the souk very much and look forward to going back again. If you ever find yourself in Jeddah make sure to check it out, it's definitely a unique and very authentic Middle Eastern experience!

Checking out the compound

 The first thing I did upon arriving was, as you've probably guessed from the title, look around the compound which will be my home for the next few months. For those of you who don't know, a compound is basically a cluster of houses enclosed by a wall. Employers in Saudi Arabia are obliged to provide accommodation to their expatriate staff (or an accommodation allowance) and compounds are the favored choice for this. There are many such developments in Saudi Arabia's main cities.

 Our compound is called "Sierra Village" and belongs to Arabian Homes. From the outside, you would think it's some type of military base.  Not only are the houses enclosed by a high wall, as I mentioned before, but there are also security guards and soldiers with machine guns at various points at the entrance.  The security guards walk around your car with a sort of bomb-tracking device performing a quick check as you are stopped in front of a bar. Once your car is confirmed to be bomb-free, the bar is lifted and you may pass. The military men mostly lean their chairs back and doze off behind the machine guns. I haven't seen one alert as yet. Security measures in compounds have always existed, but they multiplied and were upgraded after 9/11. In some compounds security is tight to the extent where visitors from ie. other compounds are denied entry.Thankfully ours is not one of them.

However forbidding the compound may seem externally, on the inside it's actually reminiscent of a holiday resort. There are about 600 villa-like homes, communicating by picturesque, banana tree adorned paths. Every few houses share a relatively large pool. The compound also accommodates sporting facilities, such as a number of tennis courts, an outdoor basketball course and two fully equipped gyms. There is a small park as well, in which 5x5 football games are held three times a week.  The compound's central point is the community centre. This includes the compound's reception, where information on every aspect of compound life, taxi service and more are provided, a coffee place/restaurant, a travel agency, a library, a bowling alley, a supermarket, a health clinic, an ATM and even a ballroom.

Life in compounds is generally very family oriented, safe and comfortable, even luxurious. Most importantly though, compounds provide expatriates with a familiar environment to live in which is much needed, as functioning in Saudi society requires adopting their customs and lifestyle, which are truly unique and certainly very foreign to the expatriate.

Getting there

Before I begin, you should know this: I don't like airplanes. It's not that I'm afraid, I just don't feel  very comfortable in them. I'm not entirely sure why that is. After all, I have done a lot of traveling by plane, in general. It might have something to do with that smell you get in airplanes, a combination of artificial breathing air and plastic meals. Or maybe the fact that I can never get any sleep, even during a red-eye flight. Or perhaps, the thought that airplanes are essentially huge metallic birds carrying humans through the sky at altitudes where if anything goes wrong everybody will surely plummet to their deaths. So yeah, planes are a source of discomfort for me. Usually. However, this particular flight was so smooth I forgot to be tense.
 

My family and I flew from Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens to Istanbul, and from there to Jeddah, using Turkish Airlines. It was my first time flying business class and I must say, it was really something else.  Istanbul's business lounge in which we sat during our layover was incredibly luxurious. It included not only a large buffet, a bar, free Wi-Fi, a small library and a pool table, but a piano and Mac PCs for passenger use, as well. The biggest perk of flying business though, are definitely the reclining seats. For the first time ever, I managed to sleep 3 consecutive hours on a flight, a proper deep sleep, none of that half-awake, still alert of my surroundings nonsense. We also had access to individual screens, on which we could have watched a variety of films, TV shows, cartoons etc. My only complaint is that the flight attendants seemed to have trouble understanding and responding in English. Either that, or they were very unprofessional. I requested a blanket and pillow upon entering the plane, as mine was the only seat lacking them (typical..). I received my blanket after take-off and after having asked twice more. I ended up sleeping without a pillow as I was too tired to bother. All in all, I think flying business class was worth its money (c.1.300 Euros per passenger), and I would certainly do it again if I had the opportunity.

When we finally reached Jeddah,  two things struck me : the first was the metamorphosis of my fellow female passengers, from modern women wearing designer jeans and blouses, to seemingly very religious Muslims concealing their faces and bodies in layers of black. The second thing, was the humidity, a kind of humidity that feels as if it's possible to slice through it with a knife. I was expecting both, but they still made an impression on me. 

Later, during the car ride from the airport to my new compound home, I got my first glimpse of Jeddah. I must say, it was a bit disappointing. Tired and disoriented, as I leaned my head against the window and looked out, the thought that crossed my mind was "this place is a dump". Streets covered in litter, grimy storefronts, ugly works of "art" in random places, construction site debris everywhere. And not a soul in sight, except for a few beggars. I was disappointed, certainly, but I'm sure that there's more to Jeddah than this. After all, I come from Athens, a city that at first glance seems extremely ugly, and quite dirty as well, but holds extreme beauty, if only one knows where to look for it.