What an interesting time to live in Saudi. In the less than two years we've lived here, we've personally witnessed and experienced the major transformations the country is going through: from the not-so-good such as the Saudization (depends on your point of view) and the imposition of expat levies, to the wonderful such as the lifting of the ban on cinemas and the much-anticipated women driving. MOVIE DATES ARE BACK, BABY! One of my and my husband's favorite bonding activities in Manila is watching movies. That's why we felt so anxious when we learned Von would be posted in Riyadh, where there are no cinemas. Gah! But last April, the government finally lifted its 35-year ban on cinemas. Whereas before, Saudis and expats usually would have to drive to Bahrain during the weekend, Saudis can now enjoy watching movies in the cinema with the opening of two major theatres in Riyadh. "Black Panther" had the honor of being the first Hollywood film to be screened in Riyadh after 35 years. Unfortunately, we were in the Philippines for our vacation then so we weren't able to catch it. Nevertheless, when Avengers Infinity War came out, we finally experienced watching a movie in Riyadh in the beautiful AMC Cinema Theatre located in the King Abdullah Financial District. A few observations:
Overall, our first cinema experience was great. Since the lifting of the ban, another cinema, VoX Cinemas has also opened. We have yet to try their iMax cinema. Can't wait for more cinemas to open within the city for more options on screening times and movies. #SaudiWomenCanDrive September 26 last year, King Salman issued the royal decree to lift the driving ban on women. On June 24 this year, Saudi women were finally allowed to hit the road. Initially, the issuance of licenses were opened only to Saudi nationals and working women (or those with sponsored visas). A great source of annoyance for me as I fall into the category of expat dependents and their registration system has not been designed yet to accommodate us. The first time I went to the muroor (similar to our LTO), the chief of police told me to come back in a few days' time when they have fixed the system. (I was so depressed that night, Von took me to TGIFriday's to stress-eat, hehe.) But after a couple of weeks of chilling, last July 30, the same day as Mira's 1st birthday, I got an exciting gift as well. Finally, I received my Saudi license! So many words to describe how I felt when I finally received my license: Relief. Freedom. Convenience. Empowerment. All the wonderful things I can think of. Left: With Madame Jo Alonto, spouse of Ambassador Alonto, as we got our driver's licenses; Right: No escape. That's me taking the driver's license test. My diplomatic status did not exempt me from taking the test. Hehe. In the five years that I drove in Pinas, I only parallel parked about two times, so I was a bit nervous doing it here. But hey, I passed! Happy that now I can relieve my husband from having to fetch Elise from school during his lunch break. Happy that I will be sharing in his stress. Happy that on days when he's on travel or business trip, the girls and I don't have to confine ourselves in the house. Happy to be doing *some* things on my own now, like grocery-shopping, which I used to do before in Manila. I absolutely love driving and happy to be back to my old self. As for the Saudi way of driving, oh my. Let me just say I'm thankful I learned how to be a defensive driver in Manila! Can't wait to explore the country more, especially during wintertime when I can bring the kids to the parks even while the husband is at work. This issue on Saudi women being allowed to drive remains highly political thus I would like to refrain from posting any more comments on this. For now, let me say I am grateful to the Kingdom, and to those who paved the way, for making this happen. >wink< * * * Read: My other articles about our diplomatic life here in Riyadh: Gorgeous and Modern: Princess Nourah University Pinoy Fiesta in the Kingdom Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey Also, do check out our Saudi Arabia Gallery for more pictures from around the country. Thank you!
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Hello, we're back and we have loads of stories to tell! The past three months were crazy hectic - some good, some not so much. To recap the highlights: * We went on a two-week vacation to the Philippines. * We celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary at Plantation Bay, Mactan, Cebu. * Baby Mira is finally baptized. * I was diagnosed with Acute Vestibular Neuritis on my left ear and spent a good amount of time at the hospital. * The Embassy welcomed Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano (and tons of other hectic activities). * Elise started with (summer) school - yey! * Started planning baby Mira's first birthday - yey again! So yeah, given all those happenings, I didn't have the chance to update our blog since January. Please bear with me as I'm excited and eager to share all our stories. :) * * * Let me begin by telling you about my recent tour of the gorgeous Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. During SFA Cayetano's visit, the Embassy spouses handled the parallel program for the SFA's wife, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, who visited with him. One of the activities included a tour of the Princess Nourah University, arranged by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Being a women's university, not everyone is able to visit this university, our spouses included, so I was thankful to have joined this tour. This University is magnificent and the tour a definite eye-opener. We only had a couple of hours for the tour so our visit was limited only to the Central Library, Medical Sciences Building, and the University Gymnasium. Such a shame that we were only able to visit these three buildings as Princess Nourah spans 800 HECTARES! (In comparison, the total land area of my Alma Mater UP Diliman is 493 hectares so picture double UP.) I read somewhere that Princess Nourah is the largest women's university in the world. First stop, the Central Libray - what can I say, it's a researcher's dream! Upon entering the building, one is greeted with this stunning lobby. No words to describe it, just this: I thought it was a simple tour of a beautiful library, but truly the most impressive part about the tour was the demo on the automated book circulation. From any floor of the 8-storey library, a student can just summon a book with some computer clicks - and voila! And returning it is just as high-tech - with the conveyor belts and all. Throughout the demo, I can't help but compare the library to the "door warehouse" in Monsters, Inc. This library is only one of three libraries in the world with this system. The library can also hold 5 million books and currently has 2 million. Everyone from our group was utterly impressed.
In the University Gymnasium, we saw their Olympic-size swimming pool and indoor track. Interestingly, the lady who conducted the tour of the gymnasium was probably no more around 5'3", and introduced herself as the team captain of their women's basketball team. We even saw them as they were practicing. Honestly, I was amazed to see Saudi women dressed in sporty clothes playing basketball. I would have never pictured them this sporty. While traveling between the buildings, I can't help but admire the sheer size of the university and the beautiful Arabian architecture. Princess Nourah also has an 11-kilometer, driverless monorail inside the campus - whut?! (And there I was, reminiscing my UP Ikot/Toki days.) Due to the limited schedule, we were not able to visit the monorail stations, but I'm sure it must be impressive as well. Driving around the university, I couldn't help but feel jealous that these facilities are available to Saudis only. To make my pangs of jealousy worse, I learned that studying here is free as well. I long for the day when Filipino students can have access to ultra-modern facilities like Hanako and the fully automated Library, among others.
That being said, I still think Filipino students kick ass and are top-notch and can compete in any arena outside the country despite what we are given. Just imagine the possibilities when we have all these at the tip of our fingers! * * * Read: My other articles about our diplomatic life here in Riyadh: Beyond Malls: Exploring Riyadh... with Kids! Pinoy Fiesta in the Kingdom Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey Also, do check out our Saudi Arabia Gallery for more pictures of Princess Nourah University and from around Riyadh. Thanks! Hey everyone, we're back from a month-long hiatus. The month of May was an exceptionally busy time for us, albeit full of adventures and (good) drama. :) Last May 3, the Supreme Court of the Philippines released the results of the 2016 Bar Examinations. By God's grace, my husband Von was one of the 3,747 candidates who passed the Bar examinations. YEY! Learning the good news Learning the news of your passing is always a story to tell, just ask any lawyer. While waiting for the release of the results of the 2011 Bar Exams, I shut myself inside our bedroom, turned off my phone, and waited for my mom and Ate to bring me the good or bad news. As lunchtime approached, I knew the result would be out any minute soon and I began to feel sick. As in physically sick. I felt hot, my feet and hands became all sweaty and clammy. I could hear them talking in hushed tones outside the room, but I could not make out what they were saying. I panicked, thinking, "OMG, they were talking between themselves but they could not tell me what's going on, so I must have failed!!!" A few minutes later, my Ate opened the door and gave me that knowing look, and called me slowly, "Attorney…". I completely lost it and I began to cry, with my mom hugging me. As for Von, it was agreed that I would break the news to him. Since KSA time is delayed by 5 hours from Philippine time, we anticipated that the results would have been out by the time we wake up at 7AM. The morning of May 3, I woke up at 5:30AM and found myself tossing and turning in bed. I tried going back to sleep, but it was futile. Von, on the other hand, was still sleeping soundly (I could not imagine how!). So I just stood up, took all his mobile phones and put them on silent mode, and moved to the living room to monitor the results. When the results were finally released around 6:30AM (11:30 PH time), before I could even access the Supreme Court website, a friend already congratulated me and told me Von had passed. I contained my excitement until I could see the official list. It wasn't until another friend who works at the Supreme Court verified with the official list that I believed that Von had really passed. OVERJOYED might be an understatement. I CRIED! I cried alone in our living room, thinking of all the sacrifices Von made studying for the Bar. I cried for his success, for his parents' success, for our family's success. I tried to compose myself so I can deliver the news to him with a deadpan look, but it was useless. When I went to the bedroom, he and Elise were already awake. One look at me and he knew he made it. Well, he didn't cry, I already did that for him, haha. It was such a happy, happy day for our family. Oath-Taking Ceremony Due to the high number of passers this year, the Oath-taking Ceremony was moved from its usual location, PICC, to the SM Mall of Asia Arena to accommodate more guests. Unlike my oath-taking in 2012 when the oath-takers were allowed to bring only one guest, the oath-takers this year were given two guest passes which we gave to my in-laws. When I took my oath, my mom was my only guest and she beamed with so much pride seeing me on that occasion, I knew my in-laws would enjoy the occasion just as much. Besides, kids under seven were not allowed inside the arena so I also had no choice but to take care of Elise, haha. Signing of the Roll of Attorneys The signing of the Roll of Attorneys is the final act conferring one's official status as a full-fledged lawyer. With 3,700+ passers this year, we were concerned that Von's signing would be scheduled beyond our two-week vacation. Good thing it wasn't the case. On May 25, with the whole baranggay in tow (me, Elise, Von's parents, uncle, sister and nephew, hehe), we watched Von sign the Roll of Attorneys. What an amazing feeling. I could not be any more proud of my husband. In between the the oath-taking and signing ceremonies, we attended and held different Thanksgiving celebrations, met up with some friends, ran personal errands, visited our relatives in Bulacan and Cavite, all the while nursing our jetlags. To add to that, I also made a quick run to the Emergency Room and the delivery room at Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City, to my former OB, due to some bleeding which freaked the hell out of me given that I am 27 weeks on the way. T'was such a hectic (sometimes, stressful) schedule, we only had one free day to relax in Tagaytay and a day tour at Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas. But it's the good kind of hectic and stress and we had no complaints. :)
Finally, the deal with Von's Bar exams is done and over with. A huge sigh of relief for everyone, really. As Von had said in his thanksgiving post on Facebook, it took him 14 long years to get this, and while there were detours along the road, we are just truly and utterly thankful now. Now on the next big family event: the birth of Baby #2! |