Listing Details
| ID: | 905 |
| Title: | Susie's Big Adventure |
| URL: | http://susiesbigadventure.blogspot.com/ |
| Category: | Home & Garden: Relocating |
| Description: | Documenting an American woman's move to her husband's native Saudi Arabia. |
| Dust, Dust, and More Dust - Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:41:00 +0000 |
For the past week or so, Jeddah has experienced high winds which in turn have created horrible dust storms. These dust storms do a lot more than make your mouth feel gritty and spew a layer of fine dust all over everything. Here in Jeddah, it can mean schools and shops closing, increased traffic accidents, and trees being uprooted and turned into missiles. The roads of Jeddah are dangerous enough on a normal day, but add poor visibility into the mix, and it’s a recipe for disaster. The blowing dust has also wreaked havoc on my allergies – and I’m sure many others in Jeddah are suffering from this same problem.  Thunderstorms were also predicted which can cause severe flooding problems in some areas of the city. Luckily the rain that has fallen so far has not caused any serious problems.  For more information: Jeddah Daily Photo Journal February 2009 post about Dust Storms Jeddah Photo Blog's January 2012 post about Jeddah's Dust Storm, with many photos Arab News article "Life disrupted as massive dust storm envelops Jeddah"  |
| A New Dawn of Progress - Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:55:00 +0000 |
| One of the things that I have had a very difficult time with since moving to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been the extreme gender segregation that Saudis live by. Things like men and women working together or simply socializing at public functions - that are considered ordinary behavior in the West - have been forbidden because of the hard-hitting enforcement of this issue applied by KSA's religious police force. The ever-present religious police, which have the long official name of "The Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" (CPVPV), is also known as Haia. What I have personally seen and experienced of the gender segregation here has been so exaggerated, unnatural, and unnecessary - and I can only shake my head in disbelief. In Islam, a man and a woman who are not married/blood-related to each other are not supposed to be “secluded” together - but in Saudi Arabia, this religious law has for years been taken a step further to include pretty much all normal open social contact between men and women, even in the most public of places and circumstances. That's why I'm feeling encouraged by a recent action taken by The King of Saudi Arabia as he recently replaced the head of the religious police with a more moderate choice. Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh, who holds a degree in Islamic Studies, is the new minister of the Haia. He replaces Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Humayen, whose reign since his appointment in 2009 as the morality police chief, has been much criticized and plagued with controversy.  But not only has KSA’s beloved King appointed this fresh face to clean up the tarnished image of the CPVPV, he has also given the new appointee implicit instructions as to his expectations and desires, paving the way for what should be a kinder, gentler Saudi Arabia. Told to show leniency and respect to both Saudi citizens and foreigners, Sheikh Al-Sheikh said “King Abdullah stressed the tolerant and moderate nature of Islam” and asked him “to spread the correct understanding of Islam among people.” In one of his first official acts as the new Minister of the CPVPV, Al-Sheikh dismissed the volunteer members of the Haia, who at times have garnered undesirable attention for their aggressiveness, misbehavior, and improper abuses of authority. According to Arab News, “The sheikh is of the view that hardline approach in the issue of ikhtilat (mixing in public places or in the presence of others in a dignified manner) is unjustified.”The forward thinker is also against marriages of underage little girls and agrees that female salesclerks should be manning women’s lingerie shops, not men – issues that have caused controversy and have cropped up in the news for many years. The implications of this new appointment appear to be ushering in a new dawn for the Saudi Arabian people. To some, it may not seem very significant, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a major development and a very welcome and much-needed step in Saudi Arabia’s evolution toward social modernization in the 21st century. For more information about this topic: Arab News article “Abdullatif Al-Asheikh is new Haia chief” Arab News article “King tells new Haia chief to be lenient with people” Digital Journal article “Saudi King replaces head of morality police with moderate” Al-Arab Online article "Sheikh Abdullatif seeks to reduce violations of Saudi religious police" Saudi Gazette article “Hai’a no longer needs volunteers: Al-Sheikh” Wikipedia article on KSA’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Saudi Arabia)  |
| An Evening at Il Villaggio Restaurant - Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000 |
 A few nights ago my husband and I had the privilege of attending a special event at Jeddah's Il Villaggio Restaurant which was celebrating its 5th Annual International Day of Italian Cuisines. About fifty invited guests feasted on this year's official specially selected dish, Ossobuco in Gremolata alla Milanese, made of tender veal shanks and traditionally served with risotto. The evening's menu also included Sprout Salad with fennel, orange, olives, lettuce, and almonds, and for dessert a delicious Grapefruit Sorbet with cinnamon fragrance.  Prior to the meal, Executive Chef Vincenzo Raschella began the evening with a live cooking demonstration on how to prepare the Ossobuco dish and gave tips about the ease of growing your own sprouts. He was assisted by Sous Chef Raffaele Cuomo. Il Villaggio Restaurant is housed in a beautiful building on Al Andalus Street, in a bustling part of Jeddah which is home to many consulates, businesses, and other restaurants. The ceiling in the main entrance area is a gorgeous stained glass dome.  Inside there is a lovely courtyard open above to the twinkling stars and the deep cerulean sky where we served a choice of luscious fruit juices. There is also a lovely little shop where one can purchase special Italian ingredients.  My husband and I enjoyed meeting many of the invited guests which included dignitaries from the Italian Consulate, representatives from news sources, as well as other expatriates and Saudis. I would like to thank the management for including us at this very special event and the finely trained service staff at Il Villaggio Restaurant, who were ultra-attentive and ever-present without being obtrusive.  Stay abreast of what's happening atIl Villaggio Restaurant of Jeddah: LIKE their Facebook page. For an in depth interview with Chef Vincenzo Baschella, including his recipe for Ossobuco in Gremolata alla Milanese, check outthis Arab News article written by Amjad Parkar.  |