Saturday, July 21, 2007

The weekend

So, Thursday got here and had another day of meetings and such. These need to lessen and become more efficient if they ever plan to get work done. I need to spend time with my guys, not in meetings. Oh well, we will work on it. Since I have a conference call on Thursday afternoons at 3:30-4, I never get off on time. I got back to the hotel as everyone was leaving for Rydges, which is another hotel/bar combo. I told them I would follow suit shortly. I wasn't really in the mood to head out, but I took a shower and called a Ritz car to take me to the bar. So we got there and I usually make it a habit to get my driver's name and number so I can call him directly to pick me up, but since everyone was there I decided against it. (mistake!) I got to the 11th floor and started to go in the bar. The bouncer stopped me and told me I was not allowed in...I was a little taken aback, but he pointed at my shoes. I had on sandals with pants, golf shirt tucked in, etc. So apparently after 6 they won't let anyone in with sandals on. (It was about 6:15) I tried reasoning with him and tried to become his friend, but to no avail. So, now I had to get back to the Ritz. Oh wait, I didn't get my driver's number...so it was going to have to be a cab. Got downstairs, and the guys told me a cab would be over 30 minutes but they could have a Rydges car for me in 2. So I took that option. I thought it was going to be expensive, but it only ended up being about $8. Gotta love that exchange rate. (The one place in the world the dollar is still doing OK, however I get the feeling from the paper over here that might change soon!)


So I headed back to 23 and realized that I still had not ate dinner. It was Indonesian food night, and I just wasn't in the mood. Poor Freddy, the chef for the 23rd floor, didn't have to cook for anyone that night. They were dead. I talked to him before I did this, but I ordered Room Service to my table on 23. Had a good ole fashioned Hamburger and Fries. It was good. Nice change of pace. Got a movie from the 23 floor stash and headed to my room. It was kinda nice to have a low key evening.





Fri I got up and Nurse B called and wanted to know if I had anything planned. He is still in the phase of getting to know the city, and wanted to know if I wanted to drive around the city to places we are not familiar with. Friday mornings are great for this, everyone is at the Mosque, most stores are closed, so its a great time to explore. We even headed out of the city some and saw some camels. (They are like deer here, just running around and everywhere)

So I headed back to the hotel, got a workout in, and chilled out...Last night was another low key evening. Just hung out on 23 with Dr. M and his kids. It was actually an early night for me.

So, as a filler, I am going to give you some excerpts from a book that I am reading. (Hughes & Chesters, 2003)

This is NOT Qatar, but Saudi Arabia laws. You can get arrested, put in jail, flogged, deported, and in some cases face capital punishment for the following actions:

  • Men being in the company of Women who aren't close relatives
  • Women being with men other than close relatives are treated as prostitutes and will be deported immediately and be blacklisted from any Gulf Country
  • Women driving cars.
  • Indiscreet dress (Shorts and short sleeved shirts for men, and uncovered hair, short dresses, exposed arms and shoulders for women)
  • Practicing a religion other than Islam, carrying a Bible or wearing a cross.
  • Blasphemy
  • Homosexual acts
  • Drug dealing and possession

Some interesting things on Marriage and Divorce:

Usually Arabs get married around 20. It is encouraged to get married to a cousin or other family member to strengthen the family tribe. (And they make fun of WV!) Sometimes it is requested to marry another family to settle some disputes among families. Sometimes young couples can meet when a chaperone around, however in the more conservative states (i.e. Saudi) the marriage is arranged without any part of the female's body (including her face) having been seen by the groom. He must rely on reports of her looks from female family members. There are 3 elements in an Arab marriage. First, the groom must discuss and agree the dowry with the bride's father. Next actually comes the marriage contract, which is conducted by a legal or religious representative. The bride is asked if she agrees to marriage, then the groom is asked the same. The final step the groom joins hands with the bride's father, with two witnesses present the marriage becomes official. (notice that the bride and groom and not involved in this process together?) So, after they become officially married, the reception takes place. The men go party in one place, and the women another. This could go on for days. On the last night, the couple finally meet and head off for their honeymoon. A Muslim man can have up to 4 wives, however some Muslim women are putting clauses in their marriage contracts that they will be the only wife. (In Saudi, women don't usually work unless it is an acceptable job...health care or education. The women that work in health care as a Doctor or Nurse have difficulty in finding someone to marry, as men are reluctant to marry them because they have seen other men naked) So, moving on...A man can divorce his wife by saying " I divorce you" three times. He can change his mind and rescind the divorce if he did it in the heat of the moment, but only if the wife agrees. If a woman wants a divorce, she must go to court for the case to be heard, even if she has a concrete reason (unfaithfulness, abuse, crime, etc). The husband must maintain for his ex-wives and kids, but the custody of any boys is transferred to the father at the age of 10. A Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim, but a Muslim man does not have that restriction.

Nice and equal for both parties...eh? Most of the questions and email that I get from everyone are about the culture and the way they do things here. So every once in a while I will try to do this to enlighten everyone. I have a meeting with one of the educators this week for EMS. She is a Muslim girl who gives the 'Culture' lecture to all new staff. She is very open and very receptive to questions when we were setting up this meeting, so I should get a good amount of information out of it. I will let you know more later.

Cheers!

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