Throwback Thursday: Saudi Surprise

When Mamdouh and I first got married, we took a short trip to Egypt. It was the first time we had visited, so we wanted to see and do everything. We booked a boat cruise on the Nile River. Mamdouh was excited because the boat we were on had the Saudi flag.

Exciting news

Asalaamalaikum everyone!   Hope your summer is going well. I know this hasn’t been the best summer we’ve ever experienced with the Coronavirus and whatnot. I personally have been trying to keep myself busy with a side project, studying for my classes, and, of course, parenting. Even  so, it has been a very boring and…

Jeddah Aquarium

Having a toddler that is obsessed with “Baby Shark,”we never pass up a chance to visit an aquarium. So naturally we had to visit the Fakieh Aquarium in Jeddah when we visited. If you have ever been to Jeddah, you know the weather can be a bit miserable. Yes, it is as hot as Riyadh,…

Columbus Zoo

While my blog is primarily dedicated to my life here in the MENA region, specifically Saudi Arabia where I live, I do frequently travel. I don’t always post about my travels outside KSA because I don’t want to detract away from the main focus of my blog, but this one is too freaking cool not…

chocoffee

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…

Candid in Bahrain

If I am being totally honest, things haven’t been *great* since I gave birth to Dahlia. I feel like I am always tired, my air never looks good, I’m obviously a lot fatter, and did I mention I am ALWAYS TIRED?  All of these things compounded mean that I am feeling a lot more comfortable behind…

Bird Paradise Bahrain

On my last vacation to Bahrain, I stumbled upon a new favorite place- Alazizia Birds Kingdom. Many of the places I have visited in the MENA region that have animals haven’t really taken good care of the animals (with the exception of NOFA), so I was a bit skeptical about going to the Bird Kingdom…

Istaraha

There are not a lot of recreational activities in Saudi Arabia. Gender segregation is enforced very strictly not only by the government but by the people that reside here as well. One fun weekend activity would be to have an Istaraha party. An Istaraha is a small house with a giant walled in yard. Most…

Vlog: Staycation in Riyadh

Last week was the students break at university. My friend didn’t have classes, so she came to Riyadh to visit me. I still had some work to do so I couldn’t spend my vacation abroad; however, I did manage to have a great time here in Riyadh. Check part one to see how we spent…

On our first full day in Egypt, we did what almost any tourist would do- we went to see the pyramids.Our hotel paired us up with the best taxi driver I’ve ever had in my life, and we set off. He was very friendly and knowledgeable of all the sites in Cairo as well as the history,…

Taken at Dubai Miracle Garden

Dubai Miracle Garden is the worlds biggest natural flower garden. It contains over 45 MILLION living plants. I have to admit, all those flowers make it the most colorful and the most fragrant place I have ever been. I felt like I was in Wonderland!