So far, I've only posted about the interesting things I've been seeing and doing since I came to Saudi Arabia, but haven't talked about life on an everyday basis. Now that the novelty of living here has started to wear off, I think it's about time I covered this topic. Not that it's especially fascinating.
I spend most of my days in the compound, as there isn't much to do outside of it anyway, except go to a mall or the occasional restaurant. If you're not working or going to school here, it's incredibly easy to get bored, so I've tried to fill my days with as many activities as possible. Since I came here I have basically become that kid we all knew in elementary school, whose overbearing mom made him/her do about a billion extra-curricular activities, from basketball to Swahili workshops for kids. My "extra-curriculars" include Arabic, Spanish and tennis lessons, training in Tae Kwon Do three times a week and going to the gym. I also took a photography course a couple of months ago, and of course there's scuba diving at the weekends. All this keeps me relatively busy.
A typical day goes something like this: I wake up round 10.00 and go to the gym, do a light work-out for about an hour, then return home to study Arabic or Spanish. After that I just kill time until evening rolls around, which is when all the other activities take place.
I really enjoy doing all these different things. After all, when else will I have this sort of opportunity? The problem is, this routine becomes dull after a while. What's also incredibly frustrating, is not having anyone around my age to interact with. I've been here for 4 months or so, and I've barely met any young people. Most young expats leave the country the minute they graduate school, which is hardly surprising. That leaves me in the company of myself and my family. Both fine in moderation, but after a while it drives you up the wall.
Life in Jeddah is hardly the dream-lifestyle of an 18 year old. Even so, I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone and trying out a different way of life is always beneficial. If it's good it's wonderful, if it's bad it's experience.
I spend most of my days in the compound, as there isn't much to do outside of it anyway, except go to a mall or the occasional restaurant. If you're not working or going to school here, it's incredibly easy to get bored, so I've tried to fill my days with as many activities as possible. Since I came here I have basically become that kid we all knew in elementary school, whose overbearing mom made him/her do about a billion extra-curricular activities, from basketball to Swahili workshops for kids. My "extra-curriculars" include Arabic, Spanish and tennis lessons, training in Tae Kwon Do three times a week and going to the gym. I also took a photography course a couple of months ago, and of course there's scuba diving at the weekends. All this keeps me relatively busy.
A typical day goes something like this: I wake up round 10.00 and go to the gym, do a light work-out for about an hour, then return home to study Arabic or Spanish. After that I just kill time until evening rolls around, which is when all the other activities take place.
I really enjoy doing all these different things. After all, when else will I have this sort of opportunity? The problem is, this routine becomes dull after a while. What's also incredibly frustrating, is not having anyone around my age to interact with. I've been here for 4 months or so, and I've barely met any young people. Most young expats leave the country the minute they graduate school, which is hardly surprising. That leaves me in the company of myself and my family. Both fine in moderation, but after a while it drives you up the wall.
Life in Jeddah is hardly the dream-lifestyle of an 18 year old. Even so, I believe that stepping out of your comfort zone and trying out a different way of life is always beneficial. If it's good it's wonderful, if it's bad it's experience.
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