We can find the cause of American extremism only if we realize the calls for it are coming from inside the house.
Tag: Saudi Arabia
Dear Saudi Arabia, Please Help Me Understand
Why won't you let any refugees in? Please, help me. I want to understand. I want to think better of you than what I see. I sit in front of the television, crying. "This is Europe's defining moment," I hear a television announcer say. I shake my head. "Why?" I say. "Why is it just … Continue reading Dear Saudi Arabia, Please Help Me Understand
There’s No Place Like Home
As you may have noticed, summer is winding down. In Celsius, that's 44, 44, 44, 44, 45, 44.., and that little nip in the air means it's expat migration season. Time to pack the bags full of all the loot/necessities/contraband you've picked up in the home country, squeeze in a last dinner at your favorite … Continue reading There’s No Place Like Home
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
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
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
That Old Black Magic II: An End to Sorcery
I'm not in the habit of writing about the same topic twice (special exception for the Princess SoukâVolume III in the near future, I'm sure), but then this happened: Actually, the headline didn't inspire me by itself. I've seen plenty like it and already posted on the topic. Though I confess that the closing line … Continue reading That Old Black Magic II: An End to Sorcery
Some Things Are Puzzles
A lot of things about Saudi Arabia puzzle me. This sign, for instance. It puzzles me: I thought it might be advertising a new indoor playland (all the malls have themâoutdoor parks are rare, hot, and dirty). A friend thought it was a candy store. Those are childish illustrations, so surely SOMETHING for kids, right? … Continue reading Some Things Are Puzzles
Say Yes to the Dresses: Report from a Saudi Wedding
Consider the number of times you have told a child "No, you have to eat your dinner before you get dessert." Consider the metaphor you would use to describe the number. Fleas on a dog? Sand in the ocean? The old "If I had a nickel for every time I've said it, I'd be rich?" … Continue reading Say Yes to the Dresses: Report from a Saudi Wedding
Margo Catts 