Let the world travels begin

Its' hard to know where to begin...our 16 day vacation was packed full of fun...I figure I'll just try to break it down into small chunks.  
We'll start with "getting out of dodge" and our time in Paris.


If you've been keeping up with my blog, you'd know that prior to this trip I had been living in Saudi for 5 months (the hubby 8)...so basically that means...I was WAY overdue for this trip!
After packing up the car, we headed out for our 4 hour drive to the airport.  We left around 9pm since our flight was leaving at 3am.  Yeah, I know...
Kids fell asleep in the car and the hubby and I stared out at empty desert and star studded skies.
Got to the airport, hubby dumped me, the kids and bags at the curb (and took off!  j/k) and went to park the car.  Bags, checked, on board the plane..and OFF goes the abaya!!!  whoo hoo!! no abaya for the next 16 days!  YES!!  (can you tell how much I like wearing that thing?)  So, we're all ready for take off and then...we wait.  We sit at the loading ramp for an hour waiting for ONE person!!!  (talk about pushing my low patience level into the red zone!)  Just thankful we had a few hours layover in Cairo and we wouldn't miss our connection...
And we're off!!!  Bring on the wine!  oh, yeah, we're on EgyptAir...no alcohol...sigh.


So, we arrive in Cairo and make a beeline for the nearest restaurant.  And yes, there we were, sipping wine at 8:30 in the morning...judge all you want.
Next flight is delayed as well, but we finally head off and make it to Paris safe and sound.  We find a guy to take us to the apartment...and then, as we're driving...it hits...I'm in PARIS!  What an incredible feeling!  And thank goodness for our driver...he was so helpful...he kindly called the apartment managers for us (since we speak no French, at all.) and got them to come let us in the building.  
Dumped our bags in the apartment (which was a very cute little one bedroom with a view of the Eiffel Tower from the kitchenette window) and marched right back out the door.  I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower!!  The walk was a bit longer than I'd thought, but still, there it was...in all it's glory.  Bigger than I pictured it would be, but just as stunning.  After snapping a few pix, it was time to find dinner.
We stopped in a local place and ordered a nice big bottle of Bordeaux wine.  Oh, yeah, we ordered food too...each dish was something that included some form of pork.  I was so happy.  :)  Back to the apartment to crash.


Day 2:
We woke to an absolutely beautiful day...I was worried that the next day might not be so nice, so we decided to get to the Eiffel Tower that morning.  Cooked a nice breakfast of eggs and bacon (and a couple of glasses of champagne) in the apartment and then set off again.
The lines weren't anywhere near as bad as I expected, but we opted to take the stairs instead of waiting in line for the lift.  (must have been hungover since our brains weren't functioning properly)
Panting like a pair of dogs (because of course the kids had no issues) we made it to the first level.  Walked around, shot a few photos and then back to the stairs.  By now I was really rethinking my workout routine (or lack thereof).  With shaking legs we arrived at the second level.  More photos.  We promised Sara, that for her birthday (which was the next day) we would take her to the top of the Eiffel Tower...so back to the stairs we went....  
NOT!!!  You think we're that crazy?  There's an elevator baby!  And that thing just went up and up and up.  We finally reached the summit and the view was incredible.  
Imagine this...you wake up each morning to go to your job.  You arrive at work and take two elevators to the top.  There you get behind a little bar...and serve champagne to silly tourists.  And I loved that man for being at work that day.  I just felt so cool, sipping champagne at the top of one of the most famous towers in the world.
Time to head back down...we took the lift back to the second level and then...yep, had to hoof it to the bottom.  When we hit solid ground, our legs (the ol' adults) were having shaking fits!  I kid you not.  If we stood still and didn't walk around our legs would just start violently shaking...yeah, weird.
We were ready to brave the metro and head off to the Arc de Triumph.  We stood in the underground for about 20 minutes trying to figure out which tickets to get.  Didn't help that the ticket person only spoke French.  Got the tickets and jumped on a train...girls loved it.  Got off right at the Arc.  By this time, the kids were starving (okay so were mommy and daddy)...so, I just snapped a few pix of the Arc.  Didn't even get close, but well, hungry kids don't make for good sightseeing.  
Popped into a little bistro, gave the girls my iPad, and the hubby and I had fun sipping wine and people watching.
From there we hopped back on the train and went to Montparnesse.  It's part of the 6th and 14th arrondissements.  The is a huge, ugly office building right near the train station that the locals view as a major eyesore.  (I tend to agree)  We stopped by the cemetery.  The kids weren't all that interested, but there are some very notable people buried there...former French presidents, prime minsters, actors, poets, etc.  Well, the hubby and I enjoyed walking around.  Just enjoyed walking around the town for a bit, girls rode a merry-go-round...totally happy now.  Then it was back to the apartment to get cleaned up for dinner.
There are no sushi restaurants anywhere near us in Saudi.  Therefore, our goal was to find some in France.  I know...not what people would come to France to eat, but we didn't care.  After a google search, we found a place.  Ended up being in a hotel (and therefore pricey).  Didn't have a selection of fun rolls like we get in the States, but we did get a large platter of sashimi.  I was a very happy girl.  



Day 3:
Today was my beautiful daughters 5th birthday.  When asked what she wanted Daddy to make her for her birthday breakfast, she said "French toast (ironic right?) with ice cream."  So, that's what she got.  :)  We promised her she could pick out another special treat later in the day.
Since this was our last full day in Paris, we had some serious sightseeing to do.  Jumped back on the metro and headed off to see Notre Dame.  It was a cloudy, cold day, but I didn't mind....(I kept reminding myself of just hot wicked hot it was going to be the next few months in Saudi) Notre Dame was stunning.  The line was a bit long to get in, but moved quickly, and then once inside everyone was asked to be silent since there was a mass being held.  We followed the wave of people through the church snapping pix as I went.  The girls enjoyed looking around and were very good at keeping quiet!  The wave dumped us back outside and next it was "to the Louve!" (if you've seen Euro Trip you get the quote).  
On our way there we discussed whether to actually go into the museum.  We decided against it.  Two little kids already getting squirrelly may not do too well in a museum full of priceless art.  Don't get me wrong, my kids are good girls, but we just didn't want to push them.  No fun trying to enjoy beautiful art while barking at your kids.  So, we took a bunch of pix posing around the glass pyramid (the girls loved that) and headed off for food.

After lunch, we took the train to Montmarte.  It's a picturesque little city on a hill that is 129 meters high.  (423 feet for you Westerners)  ;)  Sara got to pick out her special birthday treat and we took them to ride another merry-go-round.  Then we hiked up the steep streets to see the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur.  There were people everywhere, lounging on the steps watching a local street band play.  There was a guy with a soccer ball...who would balance the ball on his head, while climbing a light pole (which was on the very edge of a steep drop off).  Someone call Cirque du Soleil!  The girls were fascinated.  

We took a quick tour of the Basilica, but by now, we were exhausted.  Time to find dinner.  Hardest part is that almost every restaurant is closed until 7pm, but we managed to find one.  A quaint little place with a roaring fire inside...loved it.  We all tried escargot for the first time and Sara had two!  She loved them.  Afterwards it was back on the metro to the apartment for some rest.

Day 4:

Today we were to head to the Loire Valley...home for the next 9 days.  Managed to figure out the metro and train schedule and got on board the TGV fast train to Tours.  Our time in Paris was over...it was a bit too short and I know we didn't get to see everything we wanted, but, that just means we have to come back!  :)  We had a great time...now off to the chateau!

click on the images to make them larger....

        

Moving to Saudi Tip: Home Decor

So I've recently been in touch with some people who will soon be moving my way.  I think one of the most important things I could say to bring are family photos.  For me here in Yanbu, it's hard to find places to print up photos.  Even harder to find frames.  Yes, there is Ikea in Jeddah, but it's 4 hours away!! 
I came up with a great way to make sure we were always surrounded by family.  I didn't want the girls to forget anyone.  I made 24 of these 12x12 scrap pages and then used that special velcro tape to stick them to the walls.  See, almost all the walls here are solid concrete. Good luck getting a nail in.  I also shipped over some canvas prints I had done and my hubby's parents sent this huge map.  We also used those wall appliques to decorate the girls room as well as their wooden name letters.  I brought some of my old teaching posters too.  Alphabets, maps, calendars...to put in the play room.     
So, just my little tip for keeping family close to your hearts and your eyes.  :)
...by the way, the scrap pages are great ideas for anyone, not just us here in Saudi.  ;)

Yanbu Flower Show 2012

March 1, 2012 marked the first day of the sixth Yanbu Flower Festival.  The festival was host to over 100 merchants offering gardening supplies, nursery equipment, flowers, and plants.  Approximately half a million people from all over the Kingdom visited the festival during it's ten day run.  
The main attraction was the 7,000 sq. meter carpet of flowers..  It was truly stunning.

photo courtesy of the landscape department

After viewing the carpet of flowers, we headed into the main area of the festival.  There were flowers everywhere (duh) along with all the merchant stalls.  The girls were so excited to see the flower "people."  :)  We met up with some friends and wandered around, checking out what we else we could find to add to our ever growing garden.

I was pretty stoked when we found a bunch of herbs that I didn't think I could get here (not fresh at least)  So now my garden includes fresh rosemary, sage, mint, and (we think) tarragon.  Yea!  

It was a lot of fun to see all the people and kids...the only downside were certain men (who I won't outright name) that kept asking ladies of our group to cover their heads.  (I've got my own method now...I just wear one of my many hats..I love hats and this seems to placate the men doing the asking) Everyone has different ways to deal with these situations and since there really isn't a set law (some say you absolutely don't have to cover, some just do to keep the peace, some say in certain parts of town you should) it's all up to the situation I guess.  Once we got them to let us be, we relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the night.  The kids played on the playground for a bit and then mommy and daddy bought a purple rose for each girl.  (they were very happy about that)  

We just couldn't understand one thing...this was a garden show right??  Where the hell did they hide the Beer Garden???  ;)

The festival had a small town USA feel to it and I'm glad we got the chance to check it out.  Looking forward to next years!

- click on the collage to make it bigger if you need to -

(the photos in this last collage were taken by the landscape department)

Snorkeling in the Red Sea

It's been a few months since we last headed out to Al Hassi beach.  The last time was just after Thanksgiving and I was still a newbie here in Yanbu.  A bunch of people went snorkeling then, but not me...I haven't gotten in any ocean/sea since a trip to St. Lucia in 2003.  (had a bad experience and I was pretty much done with snorkeling)
For this trip I thought...maybe.  Maybe I'll get in the water and give it a go.  I mean, we're talking the Red Sea here.  It is home to amazing species of fish and coral.  The water is clear and blue. (and in the summer, its a balmy 85 degrees!)  

Fun Facts:  "The sea is the habitat of over 1,000 invertebrate species, and 200 soft and hard corals. It is the world's northernmost tropical sea." (Wikipedia)

So, after standing there staring at it for a couple of hours, I got up the nerve and decided to go for it.  Asked our friends to keep on eye on the kiddos...because there was no way I was going in that water without my hubby by my side.  

Got my mask and snorkel on.  Stood in the water.  Carefully put my face in the water.  Stopped breathing.  Okay, so not a great start.  Gathered myself, started breathing again, and went under.  Gripping my hubby's hand we sent off.  My breathing was crazy and I had to force myself to calm down.  At the first sign of fish my heart started pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.  My eyes were bugged out searching for any sign of jelly fish (they are the reason for the abject terror I experience with the ocean)   

We pressed on and I slowly got control over myself...I even let go of Matt's hand!  yea me!  (and the fact that he was having a hell of a time trying to swim with me tugging on him)  Once I calmed down, I started to notice just how beautiful my little underwater world was.  And I realized for the first time that I was having no problem whatsoever floating in the water...way to go Red Sea and your wickedly salty water!  I'm not one who can float on water...I sink.  But out there...it was so cool!  I didn't have to do anything...just hover above the coral and watch all the little fishies swimming around.  The water was so clear you could see all around you.  It was amazing.

We kept swimming and I started to get nervous again...I knew we were heading to the drop off.  (yes, just like Nemo)  And just like Nemo I knew to be scared.  Big fishies lived out there...I wasn't ready to see them...not yet.  We got close and you could see the color of the water change...it went from light blue to dark blue.  I just couldn't go any further...I had a fist full of hubby's swim trunks...it was time to turn around.  Not only that, but it was really windy out and the water was making me bob around like crazy...not good when you're prone to seasickness.  I let go and headed back to land.

On the way back I spotted a killer clam shell (empty of course).  I promised the girls I would find a shell for them.  Well, I found it, Matt had to get it.  Took him a few tries to dive down...the salt just wanted to keep him at the surface.  But here is what we brought back:

you can see the size of it compared to the brick...just needs a good cleaning.  :)

I got back to land and tried to walk onto shore.  My legs buckled.  I felt like Ariel trying to walk on legs for the first time.  I was queasy and light headed, so I just sat in the water and waited for my body to adjust from mermaid to human again.  

Will I go back??  You bet.  I'm hooked now.  Not to mention I need to get an underwater camera so I can snap some killer shots of all the gorgeous fish and coral.  I borrowed these photos from our friend that was with us and had his own camera.  And next time I'll be braver and poke my head past the drop off...if only to snap a few shots of the big fish...just don't expect me to go swimming out to touch any butt's.  (It's a Nemo joke)  I'll happily stay on the edge and view the vast sea from there.  Who knows, maybe I'll get more brave as time goes on.  For now...I'm just going to ride the high of getting out there and taking advantage of one of the very best things about living in Saudi Arabia...having the Red Sea as my playground.

                                       

click the pictures to open the whole slideshow

The Meat Counter

I've mentioned before that shopping here can be interesting.  Well, nothing shocked me more than when I was at the market and stopped to get some ground meat...and saw THIS staring at me....

It took every ounce of self control to not squeal out loud.  (I really didn't want to freak out my girls.)  Now, I've eaten camel here and its actually very good, but seriously, I don't want to SEE it LOOKING at me!!!  ick ick ick  

Sara said "Is that a camel head mommy?" 

I replied "yep."  

She says "How did it get there?  How did they get it off it's body?  It's not real is it?"

I said "Oh look!  Cookies!"  

A few weeks later I found this behind the counter:

Luckily my girls didn't even see this.  I didn't want to have to explain the goat as well as the camel.  Oh, and the guys behind the counter got a real kick out of me taking pictures and making icky faces.  Thinking the crazy American lady needs to get a life...

Yeah, I think I'll stick to some more vegetarian dishes for the next few weeks. shudder

Sandstorm in Riyadh

There are many times I feel like Saudi reminds me a lot of Vegas...in regards to the weather that is.  ;)  Two days ago we had some wicked winds.  (Vegas is known for its strong winds as well)  The difference between here and Vegas is that there is A LOT more sand here.  (and unfortunately it gets much hotter...sigh)  
Our home is situated where the wind whips through pretty good, but there isn't as much sand about.  Don't get me wrong, we have a nice coating of sand over everything in our yard and a couple of windows flew open wide enough to deposit sand all over the girl's bathroom.  Our friends have homes in areas that are a bit less developed and therefore more sand tends to fly around.  (lets just say hanging your clothes out to dry here can be a bit risky!)  
I knew the sandstorms here were pretty bad that day, but it was nothing compared to what Riyadh saw.
Check out the photos below...I don't know who took the pix.  They were emailed to my hubby at work.  As much as I love taking photos, I sure wouldn't have wanted to be front and center for this!
(boy am I thankful we're not living in the capital city!)

    

Saudi Grad Party

I was lucky enough to get invited to a local Saudi girls' college grad party.  My friend is a teacher at the college here and she asked me to be her guest.  I was stoked...not everyone gets invited to Saudi get togethers.

Now, in case you're not up to par yet on Saudi parties...let me fill you in a bit:

Men and women do not mix.  Period.  Even at wedding receptions.  Women have their party and men have theirs.  No man will ever see these ladies uncovered...aside from their immediate family (fathers, brothers, sons, husbands)  You are also not allowed to take any photos of the ladies (unless you have permission and usually you don't.)  You'll see them taking photos of each other, but, well, they are all Saudi...me, not so much.    

Parties are a big deal here (you know, cause there is just so much to do) and most of the time they go all out.
  
I walked in to the room of the party and saw beautiful decorations.  Her theme was Tiffany's and she even had a three tired cake styled like Tiffany's boxes.  Pretty lights hung from the ceiling and light drapery along the walls.  But the highlight was seeing the ladies.

Now, these women walk around all day covered head to toe in flowing black cloth...perhaps, you'll glimpse their eyes.  So, when they have the chance to shed the black...well, they want to look their best...even if it is just for other women.  These girls had on a variety of fancy dresses of all different styles.  The 80's fashion scene seemed a pretty popular choice, including the haircuts.  I was told that high heels are something a bit new here (at least in Yanbu) and the girls did look a little wobbly on 3 and 4 inch platforms!  Hair and makeup were done to perfection.  (and consistently throughout the night hair and makeup were checked for said perfection.) 
A bonus of spending the majority of your life covered is that you end up with the most beautiful skin.  Most of the ladies had skin many women will shell out big bucks to achieve..and even then, they can't get close to the Saudi ladies.  (so, yeah, I was totally envious)


The invitation said to arrive around 9pm.  We thought we were late....getting there nearer to 9:30.  At 11pm ladies were still trickling in to the party.  There were chocolates on the table, some sweet-fruity drinks, and Arabian coffee.  The best part was watching the girls dancing.  (okay, yes, I got up too..but just for one song...dancing...not my thing)  It's nothing like you would see in the States.  Nothing like it...at...all.  I think the style of dancing seen in most clubs in the States would be considered extremely lewd here (and possibly banned).  These girls dance with a beautiful grace (okay, not all of them were perfect dancers, but the majority certainly were) It's similar to belly dancing, but softer...hips moving, little dips, arms and hands moving along with their bodies...all to Arabic music.  It was really fun to watch.  They did play a couple of American dance songs, but the rest were Middle Eastern.  At one point, the graduate left and came back making a grand entrance wearing her college robes and took pictures with friends and danced a few songs...proud of her accomplishment in school.


Later, a few of the girls had to leave early.  I know you shouldn't stare, but I couldn't help but watch as these girls (whom I just sat and watched dance and talk with friends) put the black back on.  
There they were in fancy dresses with hair and makeup done so pretty...and then...they were gone.  All I saw before me were eyes peering out under a mass of billowy black fabric.  So surreal.  


Around 12:30am I was pretty pooped.  (yeah, I know...old fart and all)  However, they hadn't even brought out the food yet!  Saudi's could hang in Vegas with no problem at all (of course, they never would, but that's not the point) There was a nice buffet of food laid out and I know that after dinner, there would be more dancing.  Parties usually go into the wee hours of the morning.  Maybe I'll stick around the next time.  ;)


They told me it was okay to snap a few pix of the decorations...just had my iPhone, but they turned out okay.  :)