The clock's ticking here, folks. The window of opportunity to fix the mess that has us leaving the country has closed. We've made our plans for the return trip, the dates are set, the flights booked, the house is packed up. On the plus side, the people moving into our villa are buying all the … Continue reading 5+5 = 10 Things to Do at Historical Diriyah
Category: Saudi Arabia
Experiences and observations from Saudi Arabia
Leaving Oz
At face value, you have to wonder why Dorothy wanted to leave Oz. Kansas was gray and windy and ugly; Oz was technicolor and gorgeous and magical. To top it off, by the time she got to the capitol the witch was dead and she was being treated like royalty. Why on earth did she … Continue reading Leaving Oz
The Nose Knows
Here's something I can't capture in the blog: People around here smell WONDERFUL. Fragrance is a big deal in Arabian culture, and there's a smell about the place that hits you the instant you step off the plane. (Or maybe when you get on the plane, depending on the ethnic makeup of your fellow travelers.) … Continue reading The Nose Knows
To Grandmother’s House We Go: Touring a Traditional Arabian Village
My new favorite painting: I did it myself. Well, if you want to get technical, I took the picture myself: Then ran it through the Waterlogue app. So with a liberal definition of the word "paint," you could say I painted it myself. I didn't get to the place where I took the picture by … Continue reading To Grandmother’s House We Go: Touring a Traditional Arabian Village
Letter from Inside Saudi Arabia: Why I Live Here
I've been away for the last couple of months, helping my daughter in the U.S. welcome a new baby.I know, right? Pretty cute. Or at least the adults all think so. But Weird Overseas Granny moved in two days after Weird Small Baby moved in, and two days after that, Big Brother did this with … Continue reading Letter from Inside Saudi Arabia: Why I Live Here
Finding Festive: Holidays in the Gulf
When it comes to celebrating the Christmas and New Year holidays in Saudi Arabia, an expat has two choices: Leave Stay and do something weird Last year we took Option 1 and went home, where we managed to get everybody in one spot for long enough to get a family picture. Out of about forty … Continue reading Finding Festive: Holidays in the Gulf
Saudi News Notes: Normal and True
Merry Christmas, y'all. I took the holiday off. And I meant to still be taking it. But then the news got the better of me, and I found myself at the mercy of a flowchart. Because, you see, this article appeared in today's edition of the Saudi Gazette: AND IT GETS BETTER. There is no … Continue reading Saudi News Notes: Normal and True
Party On: Riyadh’s Janadriyah Festival
My daughter will be having a baby in the U.S. in February, which is fantastic. I'm so excited to snuggle a little newborn girl and to play with her toddler brother. This guy: But nothing good comes for free. I'll be making a substantial sacrifice to go. See, if the baby were coming in, say, … Continue reading Party On: Riyadh’s Janadriyah Festival
The New Normal
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ergo, weird is also in the eye of the beholder. So I guess it's simply a matter of what you're used to being normal and what's different being weird. I'm confident that expats everywhere have moments where they catch themselves doing some formerly weird thing that's become normal and say, … Continue reading The New Normal
Decked Out: More from the Princess Souk
I went to the Second-Hand Souk this past week with my motto clearly in mind: NO MORE SILLY DRESSES I don't have mounds of them or anything, but you don't really need that many, do you? The sole use I've been able to come up with is princess night dinners, which are parties among my neighbors … Continue reading Decked Out: More from the Princess Souk
Margo Catts 