Abaya Shopping

Greetings all. Our first real outing occurred yesterday afternoon. A hotel driver was asked to take us to the souk, or market, to buy my first abaya. Though it was not far, it took nearly 45 minutes for the Indian driver to maneuver through the traffic where at each intersection cars running through the lights blocked the traffic which had just received the green light. Much honking ensued. Many people (men) stared. Once we finally got to the abaya shop, the Pakistani owner, whose English was sparse, was thrilled to hear that David had been born in Karachi. He was friendly and outgoing, pulling out several abayas for me to try on. Logan chose one he liked. Hayden chose another. In the end, I chose one which both boys liked. It is all black, of course, except for the two rows of silvery blue decorations along the bottom and sleeves. (As requested, we will soon post photographs.) The Marriott van driver also came into the shop to help us negotiate. Eventually, the owner sold us the one I liked for 100 Saudi Riyals (SR), down from 250 because David knows a bit about Pakistan, though we heard later that others in our KAUST group paid only 80. After our purchase, the shop owner really wanted us to join him for drinks of Pepsi, but we decided to head back. Maybe next time ...

Wearing the abaya is actually kind of nice, as I feel more appropriate and less stared at. Some very devout women wear a veil which covers their eyes and face. In the hotel I do not need to wear the abaya, but I do need to wear slacks below the knees and modest tops. I do not need to wear a head scarf or veil, even out of the hotel.

We heard from some colleagues about a new Lebanese restaurant that just opened up near the hotel, so we headed there for lunch - just as everything closed for the call to prayers. We came back to the hotel and waited 30 minutes before heading out again. This time the owners, all male members of a Lebanese family, welcomed us into their restaurant and put before us the MOST amazing spread of roast lamb, tabouleh, hummous, pita, and garlicky yogurt we have ever seen. It was delicious - and only about $20 for all four of us. Then we went to the supermarket and discovered many familiar products packaged like at home but with Arabic writing on one side. We also discovered about fifteen different types of dates. In general the people we encounter are either indifferent or, if South Asian, quite friendly. It was very hot and we were exhausted after the half-mile walk back to the hotel because of the heat.

Logan already has a playdate this afternoon with a five year old boy named Adam, whose mother is from Sri Lanka and father is from England. He has also met two other nearly five year olds, Charlotte and Tasha.

Tomorrow, Friday, is like our Sunday, a holy day, so we are all heading to the beach. KAUST School meetings start on Saturday and we get to visit the campus on Monday. Should be a good week. Hope the boys can stay busy. Sure wish we had our Ticket to Ride game! I am not sure that the glitzy Saudi malls would sell games such as that.

Love to all,

Jennifer