Jeddah Lovely Green Roshan

This is one of my favorite examples of "roshan" - the beautiful wooden latticed window coverings that are distinctive of this region.  Providing privacy and air flow, roshan are featured on most of the older buildings of Al Balad, the oldest part of the city of Jeddah. 

Our World - Jeddah After the Rain

These gentlemen brought chairs while they wait for work after a rare rain in Jeddah.  Tradesmen wait in certain areas to get job for the day.

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Jeddah Al Balad Gold Shop

One of the many shops in Al Balad that sell gold - at the Gold Souk in Jeddah.

Jeddah Supermarket Nut Section

I think this nut and bulk section at Manuel Supermarket in Jeddah is just beautifully presented.  Customers can buy as little or as much as they wish.  

Jeddah Beautiful Door in Al Balad

One of the beautiful doors of Al Balad - it's on a really old building in the oldest part of the city.  Notice the imperfect hand-carved details above the door.  Below is a shot taken further away showing the building's unassuming facade.

SkyWatch - Jeddah Scenes from Al Balad

One of my favorite things to do here in Jeddah is to take a visit down to the oldest section of the city called Al Balad.  It's a fascinating place with old crumbling buildings and many souks where just about anything your heart desires is for sale.

It also is a photographer's dream.  The interesting characters on the streets, the clothing, the buildings and shops. I literally take hundreds of photos every time I visit Al Balad.

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Merry Christmas from Saudi Arabia!

Happy Holidays from me to you!

Holiday Shopping in Jeddah!

My, my, how things have changed here in Saudi Arabia! I can't believe we can now find "ugly holiday sweaters" at the mall.

Ok, some of them might be cute but I'm still lumping them all together under "ugly holiday sweaters" - it just has the right ring to it.

If I ever felt cold enough here in Jeddah, I might even consider buying one, just for kicks - but it's December and we still have the AC on 24/7.

Seeing all these holiday items really made me smile.  Happy Holidays, everyone!

Our World - Christmas in Jeddah

I went to another holiday party at a friend's home, the same friend who had the Halloween party I went to.  She really goes all out for the holidays, and it's all so beautifully decorated.

And OMG the spread she made was absolutely amazing!  It was spectacular.  I tried a little of everything and didn't even have room to have seconds of the dishes I especially loved.

It's nice having a little bit of home all the way over here over the holidays.

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Jeddah Home Holiday Decor

Just sharing some pretty holiday decor I loved at some friends' place - where I went for a holiday celebration recently.

The last photo was taken at a private holiday bazaar where holiday items could be purchased.

Jeddah - Two Perspectives

I love going down to the oldest part of Jeddah called Al Balad. In many ways, it's like taking a walk back in time.  I will often take different shots of the same scene - one landscape and one vertical.  And then I sometimes have a hard time deciding which one I like best.  Which one do you like best?

Saudi Teacup Sets

I just adore the petite teacup sets one can find almost everywhere here in Jeddah.  These sets are always used when entertaining guests in one's home here in Saudi Arabia. 

These sets can be found in home furnishings shops, discount stores, department stores, and grocery stores. They come in many colors, designs and styles. 

SkyWatch - Jeddah Rainy Season

It doesn't rain often here in Jeddah, but when it rains, it pours.  The winter months are when the rainy season is, although the first few years I lived here, it didn't rain at all - ever! Jeddah is not equipped to handle rain - there is no drainage system in place, so the water just sits, sometimes for days.  In past years, people have died when it rained.  Tunnels fill with water and people drive into them in their cars and drown.  Others step into the standing water and get electrocuted by fallen wires.

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Jeddah Progress - Mannequins with Heads!

If you've read my blog for a while, you know that I have highlighted the existence of headless mannequins in Saudi Arabia for quite some time.  Well, times are changin'!!!

Women are driving! Movie theaters have arrived! Women are working in all sectors! The country has opened up for tourism! And mannequins in Saudi Arabia have been reunited with their heads now!

The rapid changes happening have been most welcome and almost mind boggling.  I never quite understood many of the restrictions before, although I tried to make sense of it all.  All this amazing change is rather a relief actually... big sigh!

Jeddah's Blue Glass Skyscrapers

Like all big cities, Jeddah has a lot of modern skyscrapers with cool architectural designs.  Blue reflective glass is a very common choice for the windows here. 

The curves, the lines, the shapes - I'm just mesmerized by these tall and graceful architectural giants of this city. 

By the way, all these photos in today's post were taken from a moving vehicle, snapping away as we zoomed along!

OurWorld - Saudi Patriotic Businesses

I'm not really sure about the origins of these quilt-like design graphics that I've been noticing displayed on buildings around town here in Jeddah.  I think they look especially cool on the curved building above.

The graphics are all similar in design, so my guess is that some government agency offered these to businesses to display, but I really don't know.  They seem to be some sort of patriotic display, with the Saudi flag featured prominently.  I do think the graphics are attractive and eye catching.  

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Saudi Pride

Saudi pride is evident every where around the city of Jeddah - in malls, in public spaces, in businesses, on buildings and billboards.  The love that people have for this country is very strong and very sincere.  This post shows just two examples.

Jeddah Abaya Shop

Jeddah Worldwide Chains and Brands

From France, L'Occitane, which sells fragrances and personal body care products, and Atelier Cologne, another fragrance distributor.

Debenham's is a British department store chain.

Dune is another British retailer dealing in footwear and accessories.

Cortefiel is a Spanish fashion retailer.

Swarovski crystal is well known around the world and is based in Austria.

Applebee's is a large American chain restaurant based out of California.

Women's clothing is offered by Germany company Steilmann, formerly a textile giant.

Tim Hortons restaurants specialize in coffee and doughnuts and is headquartered in Canada.