One of the things I looked forward to the most during our move here was hunting for a new home. Despite the cramped space, we loved our small one-bedroom rented condominium unit in Quezon City. It had a lot of great memories and we could see that Elise felt sad leaving it. Weeks after we had left the Philippines, she kept asking us when are we going back to our "blue house". Upon learning that we were moving to Riyadh, I researched like crazy regarding housing options in the city. I learned that expats usually live inside compounds which offer more freedom for women. One, compounds are guarded so it's safe to go outside your house even without male companions. Two, the muttawa, or the religious police, cannot go inside these compounds so women can remove their abayas even when outside, and gender segregation is not practiced. Three, some compounds also offer shuttle services to malls or supermarkets which is a huge relief since women can't drive. Some bigger compounds are also self-sustaining, like there are schools inside, groceries, gyms, restaurants, etc, so you don't have to go outside. They also hold events and socials for their residents, since Riyadh basically lacks a nightlife. I got quite excited with the prospect that we will be living inside one of these compounds, I even bookmarked some compounds we can check upon our arrival.
Unfortunately, I had to let my fantasies go. Haha. While living inside a compound or DQ may seem like a neat idea, the high rental fees are just not practical. So off we go looking for a condo unit or house outside the compound life. Upon our arrival, the Embassy provided for our accommodations for two weeks while we waited for our iqama, or residence card, since one cannot enter into a lease contract without an iqama. Looking for a house in Riyadh is a lot more difficult than in Manila, as expected. I've lived in 9 different places in Manila for the last 12 years, and I'm no newbie at house-hunting or moving around. Still, I wasn't ready for the challenges posed by house-hunting abroad. For starters, there was the language barrier. It was very difficult to ask questions or haggle regarding rental fees with someone who doesn't have any idea what you're talking about (same goes for us). We had to ask an interpreter from the Embassy to accompany us during every ocular visit, just so we're not totally at a loss when dealing with the locals. (Plus, they're a lot nicer to you and more open to giving discounts when you can speak their language.)
As for the houses themselves, I find Arab architecture generally pretty, with the straight lines, geometric shapes, and hard edges found in houses and buildings, combined with intricate, almost lace-like, designs and patterns on their walls, windows, even their doors. I was surprised, however, with the layout and features of typical Saudi houses. I was looking forward to renting a house with big, open, airy windows, but most houses we saw had tiny windows, some with no views at all. I was initially disappointed. But then I learned that big windows in Saudi houses are not common because 1) they value privacy and women should avoid to be seen; 2) big window equals heat which can be excruciating during summer; and 3) there is dust everywhere! Fair enough, I stopped daydreaming about the big, airy windows. I was also surprised to see rooms separated by doors. Like there is a door separating the living room from the dining room, dining room from the kitchen, etc. I was hoping for more of an open space, since I'm a bit claustrophobic. Again, I learned that the closed spaces are designed for segregation. Like if you have male and female guests visiting, you may entertain the male guests inside the living room, and the female guests inside the dining area. In some cases, there is even a separate entrance for the living and dining area just so the males and females can altogether avoid seeing each other. I was blown away by these details. Location-wise, we tried to look for a house near the Filipino International schools since we expect to stay here for the next six years. The schools are mostly located in the Olaya and Sulimaniyah areas, which are quite far from Safarat, where the DQ is located. These areas are also located in the Riyadh City center, so the rental fees for housing units here are much higher than what we would have preferred. Ultimately, we decided to let this consideration go and just worry about moving later, or maybe just hiring a driver, once Elise starts schooling. With all these numerous considerations, we were concerned that we could not find an acceptable house to rent. Finally, our hearts settled down to a one-storey apartment unit in Irqah, a town in west Riyadh, and only 10-15 minutes away from the DQ. It's quite far from the city center, at least 15-20 minutes drive away, but oh well, something's gotta give. (I find it amusing whenever I say now that a place is "far" when it's 20 minutes away. Back in Pinas, Von drove everyday from QC to the DFA Main Office in Pasay! That's two hours of driving everyday, one-way! Oh my.) The house is a good compromise between my fantasies and reality. It has medium-sized windows, but with metal bars and a view of the high concrete wall surrounding the house. Fine with me. At least I can still remove my abaya inside our backyard, hehe. I just had to give up my dream of going outside, taking a walk, or bringing Elise to the nearby park by myself, since it's not considered generally safe. Anyway, the DQ is just a few minutes away and we can always go to the parks there. As for the layout, it's not as closed as the other units we saw. We just keep the doors open all the time just to avoid feeling cramped in. The next challenge is to furnish our house, one piece at a time, because the house is completely bare! No ACs, not even a kitchen sink! Anyway, so that's our first experience at international house-hunting. Challenging, but also exciting. Elise looks like she's having a grand time so far being able to run around the house, something she wasn't able to do inside our last house in QC. I can't wait to give birth to baby #2 and for another tiny voice and laughter to fill our new home.
* * * Read: Other articles about our foreign service life here in Riyadh: Welcome to the Kingdom The Start of our Diplomatic Journey The Day I Visited a Palace
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