It's been almost two months since we moved here to Riyadh and what can I say? It's been mostly good, so far... 1. The abaya. When Von told me the first time that he was being considered for posting in Riyadh, my initial reaction was: oh s***, I have to wear an abaya (think Harry Potter robes EVERYWHERE you go). As it turned out, the abaya has been the least of my concerns, so far. I like that I don't spend time anymore worrying about what I'm going to wear outside (except when we are going to the DQ -the Diplomatic Quarters area-where women are free to remove their abayas or during Filipino gatherings). Mostly, the lack of attention is refreshing. I don't miss at all the leers and stares from some perverts back at home when I dress sexy and even when I don't. The wearing of the head cover or “hijab” doesn't bother me too, since it is not mandatory for non-Muslim women. Nevertheless, I carry one with me all the time in case I encounter the "muttawa" or the religious police who are strict with these things, or if I just want to blend in the crowd. 2. Lack of mobility. My biggest complaint so far. Since this is Von's first posting, we did not avail yet of the free shipment of household items and vehicle via container van which diplomats are entitled to since we don't have that much stuff yet we want to ship. That meant leaving our beloved family car, Pokie, behind, too. Since we're also fairly new to the Kingdom, applying for a car loan has proven difficult since most banks require at least three months residency. We also can't afford to buy a second-hand car which requires full payment. So we're left to our own devices, since public commute is difficult here. Good thing Von's officemates in the Embassy have been nothing but helpful in lending us their cars or driving us around during the first two weeks when we were getting settled in (looking for a house, processing our residency documents, buying basic household furniture, etc.). We have not experienced riding a cab, but we have used Uber on many occasions and we have not had any issues so far. I'm hoping that once we are able to buy a car, we can go around more and take Elise to parks, to Gymboree, and to other places of interest around Riyadh. 3. Women are not allowed to drive. Still struggling to deal with this one, especially since I'm such a travelbug. Back in Pinas, I had all the freedom to drive to the mall or to the supermarket whenever Von was busy with work or out of town. I could easily drive to Tagaytay or Bulacan when I'm itching for some lakwatsa. Here, I have to rely on Von ALL.THE.TIME---which drives me absolutely nuts, since he is also busy with work at the Embassy. There have been rumors online that the government will soon allow women to drive but I'm not counting on it. I'd probably be scared to drive here, too, because of the fast pace of driving here. 4. The segregation. Unrelated people of different genders are prohibited from mixing, so in most restaurants and establishments, and even in some malls, there are dedicated sections or schedules for single men and for families/women. So far, it's been a non-issue for us since we are a family, except that one time when we wanted to eat inside a restaurant which didn't have a family section, so Von bought food to-go and we ate inside the car. The booths at the family sections of restaurants are also covered with curtains, which I found claustrophobia-inducing in the beginning, although I don't mind them now. But it's only been two months and I expect to encounter more instances of segregation. Let's see. 5. Life begins at night. Surprisingly, a big adjustment for us! Von and I are not particularly party-people, so unless we're scheduled to meet friends for dinner or watch a movie, we'd be usually at home by 8 watching movies or playing Wii. Here, we go to our doctor's appointment at 8PM, go to the supermarket at 9PM, and leave the mall at 11PM! Upon arriving, we learned that life in Riyadh starts late due to the observance of prayer times until the evening, and also due to the sweltering heat during summer. We were so surprised when we visited a big mall for the first time and almost all the shops were still closed – at 2PM – on a Friday afternoon! (BTW, the weekend here starts on Friday). I can't imagine a mall in Pinas which would open its doors that late, haha. This is a pretty big adjustment especially for Von since some of our errands run late well into midnight, and he's still expected to report for work the next day at 8AM.
Those are my observations for now. It's been pretty good, but I won't deny, it's definitely challenging. I told Von the other night that it's a good thing we've been married for four years now. For a newbie couple, I just couldn't see it happening. The first year is challenging enough, and I can't imagine the added stress of relocating and all the adjustments it entails. Still, I can see the charm in this city. I'm excited to explore Riyadh more, meet more new friends, and enjoy our life here for the next six years, inshallah (“God-willing”). * * * Read: The Day I Visited a Palace
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