I'm very excited about Tuesday. Do you see it? There's a HUGE turndown. Partly cloudy (or "mostly sunny"--not sure of the difference) and right around 70 for THREE DAYS. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, eh? Having none of the seasonal markers has made it a challenge to feel the Christmas mood. And … Continue reading Christmas Crafting, Saudi Style
Category: Saudi Arabia
An All-American Thanksgiving
I'll be having a different sort of Thanksgiving this year. The restaurant in our compound, which typically does a themed buffet on Thursday nights ("Italian night!" "Indian night!" or the perennial dude favorite, "Carvery night!"), is giving a nod to the Americans by doing a Thanksgiving dinner this week. Butterball turkeys are thawing as we … Continue reading An All-American Thanksgiving
Getting to the Bottom of Things
I'm exploring a theory--plumbing the depths, in fact--but I'm keeping my hopes for that Nobel Prize in economics in check. Pinched back, you might say. Here's the poop: I believe I've found a way to divide the world into first world, developing/emerging world, and third world that is completely void of controversy. What relief! A … Continue reading Getting to the Bottom of Things
Wading in a Winter Wonderland
We have rain! So I broke out the Christmas music and started a fire. I must admit the technology isn't perfect. Enjoying the season this way doesn't allow me to sit by the fire AND watch a movie, unless I unhitch the iPad and put the fire on the coffee table. But it's all worth … Continue reading Wading in a Winter Wonderland
To Mourn with Those Who Mourn
Americans were universally astonished when we told them we were moving to Saudi Arabia. Moving to any foreign country is something Americans don't tend to do, and even international travel is unusual. According to State Department statistics, only about a third of American citizens have a passport. But in an expat community in the Middle … Continue reading To Mourn with Those Who Mourn
An Ignition Key to the Kingdom
This is my current favorite picture of my twin grandson and daughter (you should be able to sort out which one is which): So many captions! So many word balloons! I can imagine a lifetime dynamic starting here, with Brother blithely going about his business and Sister a nano-second away from dope-slapping him on the … Continue reading An Ignition Key to the Kingdom
Adventure Among the Ruins
Despite what my earlier posts might indicate, I didn't come to Saudi-Almighty-Arabia to go to Chili's, or Applebee's (pft-pft kiss-fingers cross-yourself), or Tamimi (Safeway), or Saco (True Value), or even IKEA. No, I came for an Exotic Adventure. Well, if you're going to get technical about it, I came because I'm married to guy with … Continue reading Adventure Among the Ruins
Lost in the Lingua Franca
I'm not sure what to do. I'm having a little trouble with household chores as well. Getting a mite cryptic with the pictures, don't you think? I'm trying to figure out what's going on during the glasses-with-the-nose-piece and the flower cycles. (The tornado is a spin, obviously.) And on some settings, the washer stops, half-filled, … Continue reading Lost in the Lingua Franca
Rookie Mistake, Part II: Getting It Right
Read any guidebook, magazine article, or travel post and you'll get the same tips about Paris: Don't go in August unless you want to wander an empty city. Greet shopkeepers when you enter their places of business. Keep your voice down. Dress well. In Madrid, don't go looking for dinner before 9:00. In London, don't … Continue reading Rookie Mistake, Part II: Getting It Right
Rookie Mistake
You know the one about the frog in a pot? How if you put a frog in cold water, then turn up the heat, the frog won't jump out before it's too late? Yeah, that one. Turns out it's true. Diagram explanation: Hyper-Panda (the pot): Panda is a retail chain around the Kingdom with various … Continue reading Rookie Mistake
Margo Catts 