I was contacted by a gentleman outside of Arabia who was interested in chatting with me (about Arabia, I presumed.) Some time later, the man needed reminding as to whom I was and I told him to check his 'sent mail' folder. ****: do you have a blog or something, i usually add people to whom i thought i............. ok
7:49 AM so we have spoken, good........... so where we were ?
me: no we've never spoken
if you look in your sent mail folder
****: ok, let me
me: you'll find that you have sent me one email
7:50 AM ****: LOL, yes i found it
but that request was really nice, :)
7:51 AM me: sure
...... ****: ok i found your blog, Saudi !!! OH ! ...............HAVE, A LOT OF MIXED FEELINGS :(
On what planet is that acceptable behavior? "I have a lot of mixed feelings about your country" You know what? If you send me an Email as peculiar as the one I received from this fellow, you're not allowed to have mixed feelings about anything. Those are reserved for well-mannered normal people. I am sick of these racist idiots.
Go and have mixed feelings about me and my country men. I hope you drown in them. (In your mixed feelings, or in my countrymen. Both experiences are equally unpleasant and will do.)
I am sorry I've been lazy with updates, but I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit depressed and uninspired. I thought about blogging about a perverted bastard who is manipulating vulnerable women, but that's not news, is it? So instead, I want to talk about something else. Anything else. Currently I'm not sure what I could say that would go on for more than a sentence, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. Any minute now. I wonder why bees in Europe are big and fuzzy? I am developing an irrational fear of cats. I think it's my other irrational fear (of rabies. Shut up. It's very dangerous, you know.) that is fueling this, more recent, fear of cats. The weird thing is, I used to have a cat. Never bothered me. I really need to get a flight to Jeddah but there are absolutely none and the airline people are all but shouting "AAHAAAHAA! JEDDAH? THIS WEEK? YOU'RE FUCKING JOKING. YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO CATCH A ROCKET SHIP TO THE MOON AND HAVE BONBONS UP THERE WITH... I DON'T KNOW... FUCKING BONO! HAHA NO WAAY LADY!" And they'd say it like that, all in caps. It's a bit of a medical emergency, you could say. So it would really be great if I could go. I guess I'm not going. That really is unfortunate. I don't understand why the airlines don't quadruple their flights to Jeddah during Ramadhan? (People flock to Jeddah because you can only get to Mecca through there, and Ramadhan is a holy month and people often go there to pray and things.) Some families go every Ramadhan. I don't understand why they can't pray in their houses and let people with medical emergencies get on with their lives? Does anyone want to lend me their private jet?
It is so ironic that the person who has always told me never to completely trust anyone ended up screwing me over unbelievably.
How do I know if it's made me bitter?
I met the most random person a couple of days ago. Pharrell Williams!
He has the most amazing skin I have ever seen.
He wears makeup, right? He has to. He looks like a wax figure.
Okay I've been playing around with this damn Mac and I can't figure out how to crop the photo, so you'll have to wait to see photographic evidence of the hotness that is Pharrell (I swear his complexion is unnatural.. )
A few days ago a man told me "Arabs are racists who have too much money for their own good."
Well, that's news to me.
I'd appreciate it if someone directed me to the people who give out the cheques for being arrogant and Arabic?
The Olympics are all over the place, and the media is hating on China like anything.
China must be so pissed. Can you imagine throwing a big party only to have your guests criticize everything you've ever done? Man I'd just kick everyone out.
And with so many skeletons in its closet, why did China even want to host the Olympics? That's just asking for trouble.
"For God's sake... They're only human beings! They won't devour you!" - My father, upon my hesitation to enter a room full of screaming, sweaty men marked (you guessed it): "NO WOMEN ALLOWED."
How dramatic are the Wahhabis? To this very second I do not understand the idea of separate areas for 'singles' (men) and 'families' (women are not officially allowed to go anywhere alone, they must be accompanied by a male guardian at all times. That law is, of course, flouted and largely ignored.)
It's a public place for God's sake. What are they afraid of? Public fornication? I want to go out have have some damn ice cream somewhere nice and airy. Not in some cramped little room that smells like feet. And what if I want to seduce the mens, anyway? That's my goddamn business. What is the purpose of this segregation? They will never trick anyone into thinking that the opposite sex does not exist. If they don't want to see any women they should stay at home and knit, or something. Ditto for the women who don't want to see any men. I don't see why I should suffer for this sickness.
You'd think we're walking around in bikinis. They have us in head to toe black. If anyone finds Abayas seductive, they should seek psychological help immediately. They all need to get out more. And lighten the hell up!
I cannot believe how shallow these women are. Barack Obama does not care about your religious views, and he certainly does not care that you choose to wear a headscarf. It baffles me how slow some people are. And how inconsiderate. What would the Republicans do with a picture of Barack Obama addressing a bunch of women wearing hijabs? Even worse, a bunch of volunteers wearing hijabs? Fucking sauté him, that's what.
You know, that's what I hate most about people. Fake outrage and "fighting" for non-causes. You wanna be a good Muslim? Tell the media about what's happening in Somalia. In fact, tell everyone Somalia is being mean to you because you wear a headscarf. Go crazy. Draw some attention to people who actually need it. I have no problem with that kind of cause. Saving lives and ending poverty. But to go around claiming a man who is a minority himself, discriminates against you based on some bullshit excuse, is well, bullshitty. (I made that word up. Clever!) I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing a hijab, and I certainly don't think Barack Obama sees anything wrong with it, but most of America does. So if you really care about Obama becoming president, shut your pie-hole and go sit in the back if you have to. It won't make you no Rosa Parks either, missy. Petty people with their petty causes. Drives me crazy. Another one for the Denmark archives (which is still goin' strong, by the way. WOHOO!)
I've been thinking, you know the crazy religious people? The ones who have joined the cult that can legally shout in the streets and harrass poor unknowing citizens? The high-up folks who announce that the Shia in Lebanon are kuffar? (Which, by the way, is my new favorite word. Kaffir. It's so dramatic and final-sounding. Sexy!) Back to what I was saying. These crazy religious people, are they really religious? I mean, do they believe God aproves of their antics? They do realize they just a political tool, I'm sure. So if they know this, do they still think what they're doing is what Islam asks of them? Now bear with me, if they don't believe what they're doing is based on Islam, does this mean they don't believe in Islam? I realize we can't generalize, but tell me what you think. I really would love to survvey them, but obviously, I can't. This is the next best thing. What do you think?
I know this happened ages ago, but I can't stop thinking about him. And pitying him. Does anyone think we'll ever see him on TV again? Maybe on Larry King? A tell-all book, perhaps?
A while ago I had a nightmare about fish in the toilet that bite your butt if you're not careful, spreading gross fish venom all through your bloodstream, slowly killing you. I have very disturbing dreams.
Anyway. I've been obsessed with Sheikh Muhammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum of Dubai for about a month now. He's so nice to everyone. And look at what he's done with Dubai.
Why can't that be us? It's frustrating.
My mother said the other day that when she was in her teens they used to tease Emaratis and laugh at them and call them garawa (villagers) and Bedouins.
Guess who the fuck's laughing now?
And I am very, very angry. Because they have security and good healthcare and no poverty and sexy turbans and phenomenal technology. And their own theme music! Oh, and they have a hot piece of sheikh:Click to enlarge
We have people getting away with rape, and people living in poverty, and orphans living among cockroaches, and this:
How's that for theme music, bitches?
It is very sad when people refer to AlFaisaliyah and AlMamlaka :
As the height of technology in Saudi Arabia. And the worst part is, they brag about them.
In Dubai, I wear whatever I want and no-one has ever said or done anything to me. In Riyadh I am in my black abaya and I get verbally harassed by ill-disciplined teenage boys and Muttawas, and apparently, the law does not protect me from this harassment. In Dubai, people drink, but I have never seen a drunk person there. In Riyadh, I found an empty bottle of liquor outside my little sister's school.
And I hate people who say "oh, but we have Islaaaaam. We practice Islam! We're much better off." Practice Islam? Where? Show me where we practice Islam and I will die happy.
We are a nation of contradictions, and it seems as though we are proud. Or in denial. Pick your poison.
I pass by this building almost everyday on my way back from college. Any guesses as to what that scribble on the wall means? (Taqwa I expect you to get this right, ya ba66a.) (Taken on 4/11/2007)
Random picture I took at the book fair. It is not a coincidence that the people who happened to be there when I took the shot are all men. There were about 20 women, tops the day I went. The man in the picture overhead is a writer, Hamad Al-Jasser. They named all the aisles after famous Saudi writers. Isn't that cute? (6/3/2008)
This was taken at one of my favorite places in the world. Literally where I spent most of my childhood. (16/11/2007)
I took this while I was walking into our house. I happened to look up, and the clouds made a beautiful pattern. It's sad to think of all the other patterns I missed because I rarely take the time to go outside and look at nature and shit. (23/11/2007)
Doodles on a desk at college. I told you this was gonna be random. (28/10/2007)
Take a close look at this one...
It's a chick! I was at a traffic light when I noticed these kids playing with a baby chick. So sweet. And incredibly random. (28/11/2007)
I was looking at this police car and it didn't make me feel any safer. In fact, it made me feel uneasy. The police force in Riyadh (and the fire department) are barely trained and ill equipped to handle anything. (28/3/2007)
I took these this afternoon. I just thought they make Riyadh look pretty. (29/3/2008)
So I promised a rundown of the Q&A with the president of King Saud University, and I think I'd better deliver before I forget the juicy details.
He got a lot of questions about summer programs (which we don't have.)
Now this really pisses me off, because EVERY YEAR we are asked to sign up for the summer program at the secretary's office, and every fucking year they only get a handful of signatures, and they scratch the whole plan, because it's stupid to open the whole school for the summer just for a handful of students in every department. And I am happy to say, for once, KSU chooses not to do something stupid.
I am beginning to think these people asking for the summer term generally enjoy complaining about things that don't necessarily bother them. Either that or they are the handful of people that sign up, and who happen to be unbelievably loud and obnoxious.
Of course the prez said they'll "look into it", which I hope is code for "Either sign your damn name or shut the fuck up. Now go sit down. Jeez."
A good question was one about the weird 12 PM rule we have at the girl's university. Basically girls cannot leave the university before 12 PM. I really have given up trying to understand this rule, (imposed on us by the Muttawas.) Don't even try. There is not an explanation. They just like toying with us. His answer was "we'll try and make it so that all your classes end after 12." Which, I have to admit was the only bullshit answer of the event. You take a job as the president of our university, and I must say, you seem like a smart guy. You know this rule is complete nonsense. Isn't it your job to defend us, to at least represent us fairly and publicly oppose this rule, instead of giving in to the mutts? There are many rules made by the Muttawas that King Saud University completely ignores. Such as the fifteen minute prayer-time break that I certainly have never gotten. We can ignore ridiculous rules when we want to, Mr.Prez. Why the hell not this one?
One girl made a very passionate comment about how students with certain connections get things done easier, and that some teachers are mean and conceited. She raises good points, but suffice it to say I am not impressed by easy applause lines. Mr.AlOthman was outraged, of course. He does not approve of this behaviour and he assured us that it would be dealt with, and I believe him.
My favorite was a pharmaceutical student who talked about how after graduating he has to wait six months for the place where he's supposed to sign up for training to open and can't the University do something about that? He went on about other stuff, but I liked his questions most because they're real problems. Mr.Prez said he really can't do anything about that because it wasn't to do with the University... and I daydreamed a little here, I must say. Anyway it was a good answer.
A man in a wheelchair asked why they wouldn't let him into medical school (he's doing engineering.) The gist of what the President (politely) said is that we must all pursue careers where we are guaranteed a job, and that the guy's medical condition may not allow him to go into medicine, but they will certainly allow him to be an exceptional engineer. All we need is hard work, and blabla... And that got me thinking. I have never seen a doctor in a wheel chair. Not even on TV. Does anyone know more about this?
I like the prez of our university. He's pretty cool. He adressed us all on Sunday and we got to ask questions and everything. It was great.
Am I a complete loser for reading David Sedaris?:
Guilty pleasure: Pride and Prejudice. ".. the most determined flirt that ever made her family ridiculous." Classic. Makes me laugh like anything.
I miss playing in the sand.
I miss playing in the mud.
I don't undertand the early settlers? Why did they move into the middle of the desert? I mean, it's fine now, with airconditioning and bottled water, but at the time... What the hell were they thinking? Maybe they were some weird suicide cult that wanted to die of thirst and hunger but failed miserably? It's so weird.
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Take a close look at this one... 
It's a chick! I was at a traffic light when I noticed these kids playing with a baby chick. So sweet. And .jpg)
I was looking at this police car and it didn't make me feel any safer. In fact, it made me feel uneasy. The police force in Riyadh (and the fire department) are barely trained and ill equipped to handle anything. (28/3/2007).jpg)
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I took these this afternoon. I just thought they make Riyadh look pretty. (29/3/2008)