One thing I learned about living in Saudi is that food plays a central role in everyone’s life here. Every week I collect so many chocolates and candies from students as sweet as the goodies they give me. It is common for my colleagues to knock on my office door with fresh baked goods. Saudis…
Tag: saudi arabia
Dahlia Sees a Camel
I know I am so late posting about this, but Dahlia saw a camel for the first time! She was underwhelmed, and I am pretty sure I was more excited than she was.
Self-care
One summer my in-laws took an istahara during Eid. At the time, I was incredibly pregnant, fat, uncomfortable in every position, and chronically sweaty from the 110+ degrees days. I’m sure they just invited me as an extension to my husband’s invitation, but still they were very nice to do so because I imagine I…
Choklava
The other day while walking around the mall with my husband, he got a craving for something sweet. While standing in line and waiting for him to buy some desserts, I happened to spy something I’ve never seen before- chocolate baklava. I’m usually not a huge fan of sweet foods like baklava, but I do…
My Obsession
When I lived in Qassim, it was just one giant food fest all the time. While I got to try lots of new, interesting snacks, one stood out to me more than the others: Rollanti Ronce Rocky Road. I’ll admit, it’s a bit ugly to look at, (so much so that when I took it…
Nofa Resort: A Horse Lover’s Haven
Any horse lovers out there? (And by out there I mean Riyadh, of course!) If so, Nofa Resort is definitely the place for you. Located in Tibrak, Riyadh, Nofa resort offers an esquatrian club, golf resort, and wildlife park. The resort recently opened the wildlife park to the public, so you can take a safari…
Coffee Hour
One of my favorite things about my job is the people I work with. We are all very diverse, and come from multiple countries and backgrounds. Once a week we gather for something called “coffee hour.” The organizer brings “ghawah,” or Arabic coffee, and everyone else brings something to eat with the coffee. While we…
Hidden Talents
Riyadh’s bespoke community really has some hidden gems. With a growing number of festivals and events, you can find a lot of small businesses selling gorgeous handmade goods popping up. It is becoming increasingly common for these shops to advertise their goods through snapchat and instagram. Buyers can text a whatsapp number to place…
Dahlia
Whenever I see someone I haven’t seen in a while, I’m always greeted with a “I noticed you’ve stopped blogging.” And, in my awkward state, I always groan “yeahhhhh” awkwardly in reply. Not totally because they are right and I have stopped blogging, but mostly because I am surprised anyone at all reads my blog….
Barefoot on a summer night
It can only be described as the perfect evening as I am sitting around with my loved ones, laughing and enjoying ourselves the same as we did in old times, before everyone got busy and wrapped up in their own lives. Everyone is so jovial, content just to be in each other’s company. I’d forgotten I…
What no one tells you about being an expat
When I was still new a co-worker invited me to an event under the notion that I wasn’t Muslim. As soon as she realized I was Muslim she basically gave me the ultimatum of taking my hijab off (not that eloquently- she told me to ask my husband if I could take it off, as if its his decision) or not coming at all. Clearly I chose the latter.
Perpetual Summer
One thing I really love about Saudi Arabia is the lack of winter. It is comforting to know it will never snow here. I prefer the scorching heat to the freezing temperatures I faced back home. It’s nice to be able to enjoy a park in the winter months. Salaam, KC
Kendra in KSA 