In my last post I talked about why we should let religious insult go, rather than fight back. This week I want to flip the pancake over, and I'm going to invite my trio of grandbabies to help me: Two more are on the way. Five little cousins, all within two and a half years. … Continue reading Too Tender to Tease: The Case for Holding Religious Insults Back
Too Big to Hurt: The Case for Letting Religious Insults Go
I have heard the word "sarcastic" used to describe my sense of humor. Au contraire, I say. Sarcastic is saying the opposite of what you mean, as in "Now that was smart," meaning, "That was so stupid that saying it was stupid is stupid itself." I, on the other hand, am irreverent. Irreverent is thinking … Continue reading Too Big to Hurt: The Case for Letting Religious Insults Go
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
Inside Out and Backwards
To understate the obvious (double whammy!) Arab and Western cultures have some...difficulties understanding each other. But don't worry--I can totally fix this. Yes, it's true that I'm completely untrained in anthropology or sociology, and have done zero structured research. Minor details. The important thing is that I'm fairly well acquainted with Hollywood and Riyadh, two cities of about … Continue reading Inside Out and Backwards
That Coffee Morning Jolt
Until I embarked on expat-wife-life, the term "coffee morning" would have conjured an image like this: Or maybe this: You know, the ladies-who-lunch crowd who have gotten the kids to school, gone to the gym, had their blow-outs, and still have some time to kill before lunch. It's morning, there's coffee, and by making enough of … Continue reading That Coffee Morning Jolt
Make New Friends, but Keep the Old
This is me and my friend Chris. We've known each other for close to 20 years, and have been taken for sisters time and time again. Back when we both had teenagers, my own daughter, seeing Chris bent over something, came up behind her and said, "Mom?" Chris has only sons, and was delighted to have … Continue reading Make New Friends, but Keep the Old
Margo Catts 