Masalama...

kinda means...go with peace.

This past weekend I attended a party...it was fabulous. Food....DJ....Dancing...the whole nine. That was the up side...the down side, was that it was a Masalama party. These are parties in which the person who the party is for is leaving The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I will go to another such party in February. Even though...as I've stated that most people are here for the money (not saying there aren't other benefits, but this is the main one). But, what makes your stay fun, and doable are the great people you meet along the way, and develop friendships with. This is one of my favorite things about living here. I'm meeting people who come here from all over the world. It makes for meeting a variety of interesting characters. However, at some point, you're going to be saying goodbye to some of your best friends, whom you've met here, hoping that one day your paths will cross again.

See...the thing is, we all have an expiration date. Once we've hit our date, either by their choosing or our own choosing, either way, eventually, you will be leaving the Magic Kingdom. It makes for mixed feelings when you're attending a Masalama.

Arab Rappers? Who Knew...

My first music genre of choice is, R & B, then Hip Hop, then, Pop (top 40), but I can appreciate a lot of music. I came across this video. Arab Rappers. Arab Hip HopFemale Arab Rappers? Who knew? Well...now I do. Check it out. Listen to the interviews... It's really interesting.

This Shout Out Is For Ali

So...I'm at a party last night...doing my thing...;-) when a good friend of mine shows up...with 2 young guys in tow. She was at another social gathering, and basically brought these 2 guys along for the ride. As her and I were walking outside so that we could talk and catch up (since the music was really loud inside the house)....this Saudi guy looks at me and says "you're the girl on YouTube". My 1st reaction was, "oh no". If some of you have kept up, you will know that there have been some who don't like my blog, and what I'm writing about....naturally, it has made me kinda defensive. So...when I hear someone I don't know, mention either my blog or my videos, my natural instinct is to put my guard up. Because it's like, they see me and know (or think they do) who I am...but I don't know who "they" are. When I made the videos and created my blog...I had no idea people outside of my friends and family would ever read this thing. Seriously. I only put the videos on YouTube because I needed an embed code to put the videos on the blog (there are space limitations to uploading videos directly to a blog). Personally...I NEVER read a blog before I stared mine, nor do I watch other peoples videos on YouTube. Who knew people were out there just reading random blogs, and scanning videos? I didn't and still to this day...I have very few blogs that I read. So...I'm like, no, no, no. But, he's like, "ohmigod. I love your videos!!! I even put a link to one of your videos on my Facebook status" Uh? What? Again, this reminds me of just how small this world is. Anyway...with those words, "You're that girl on YouTube" began a conversation that lasted for over an hour, with this guy telling me to make more videos, and giving me ideas to what to shoot next, who I can interview, festivals I should go to, etc.etc. It felt so good to have someone who is Saudi tell me, I love your videos, you're speaking the truth from your position, and you should do more.

He really got me thinking....he has inspired me to see how I can make my experience and my sharing of my experience, bigger and better. So...Ali...this shout out is for you. And....

Thank U!!!

Peace!

Saudi Arabia in January

This past few days, well, more like weeks, have been absolutely gorgeous. The weather in SA in January is perfect. It is sunny, with a slight cool breeze. The average temperature during the day is about 75F and in the evening it gets down to about the mid-50s. It actually gets kinda cold at night requiring a light jacket when you're out, and when you're in...you turn on the heat (at least I do). Another thing I like about his time of year is that it seems that the Geckos go somewhere....because I haven't seen them hardly at all. This allows me to enjoy my courtyard in peace. For the record...the geckos don't mess with you...but I'm still somewhat scared of them. LOL And, when one is in sight, I still can't relax. Hey!! I'm a city girl!! LOL...But, I'm getting used to them....and that's progress.

Incredibly Clear Days

On our way back from Bahrain on New Year's Day, as we crossed the causeway we couldn't help but notice how incredibly clear it was that day. We could see Al-Khobar from Bahrain. This isn't typical. What's typical is the "sand haze", which makes the sky a mixture of light blue and tan. If you're familiar with California...you can equate this with the smog haze that lingers over LA. You can tell the difference in these 2 untouched up photos, the one with the Saudi flag (the green one) which was taken on December 31st around 10:30AMish, you can see the haze, the one with the Bahrain flag (red and white) was taken on January 1st around 12:30PMish is crystal clear.

Today...is pretty much the same. So...I'm gonna share some photos in the slideshow below. Hope you enjoy.

Have a Great Day!!

My Bad!!

It just occurred to me while on my morning walk that I didn't mention my New Year's Eve or Wish Happy New Year to the Blogosphere. My Bad!! I've been a bad girl. ;-) LOL So...Happy New Year!!!

We brought in the New Year in Bahrain with a great group of friends, partying, and dancing right up until the new year rang in. We attended the Fire and Ice Gala at the Diplomat hotel, in Bahrain. I stayed on the dance floor quite a bit. Which I loved, loved, loved (did I mention I love to dance? hehehehehe). But...being that I started partying too early, when the clock struck Midnight, and after all the hugs, kisses, and well wishes. I was out da doe! I couldn't do any more. Once you start feeling woozy from the drinks...it's time to go, stop, or something (and something does not mean more drinks). And, since we had a room at the hotel, Rolle and I decided to call it a night and head towards our room. It was a fun evening. And, what's even better was that I wasn't hangin' over the next day. =)

For your viewing pleasure (lol)...I've created a slide show of a few pics from the evening.

Picture is worth a Thousand Words....

When we drive from Dhahran to Ras Tanura, it's a 20 - 30 minute drive up the highway. It's the same road, up until we have to turn off and head east towards Ras Tanura. During the 20 - 30 minutes stretch of highway, Ras Tanura is spelled 4 different ways. 4!! Check it out: