CLOSED SHOPS

Theft is not a big problem here in Saudi Arabia. Many shops have minimal security when they close for the day or for prayer times.  No doors, no locks, no alarms. Just big pieces of cloth over the inventory.

 

UNEXPECTED

There are still things that surprise me here in Saudi Arabia - things that are totally unexpected. One would think that nothing would surprise me any more at my age.

Many people would be surprised to learn that Saudi women 

like to wear bright colors and prints at home.

 Sorry I haven't been visiting blogs - I'm busy packing to leave by the end of this month. I'll no longer be living here in Saudi Arabia and will just return in the future for short visits. So I'll be discontinuing my regular blogging soon.  

I've really enjoyed making friends all over the world through blogging and would like to thank you for your interest and questions about the country I have called home for the past 15 years.  It's been quite an adventure!  Much love and best wishes to you all! 

TRADITIONAL STYLE SAUDI ACCESSORIES

These shiny gold jewelry fringes can be worn on veils, around the waist, or as necklaces

These cute necklace pendants are tiny niqabs

For little boys, the belted khanjar - traditional curved Saudi daggers

Sorry I haven't been visiting blogs - I'm busy packing to leave by the end of this month. I'll no longer be living here in Saudi Arabia and will just return in the future for short visits. So I'll be discontinuing my regular blogging soon.  

I've really enjoyed making friends all over the world through blogging and would like to thank you for your interest and questions about the country I have called home for the past 15 years.  It's been quite an adventure!  Much love and best wishes to you all! 

UNDER THE HOT SUN

Once the warmer months hit, I get a little leery of the fresh produce that is exposed to the hot sun for hours on end each day.  

Their prices are still cheaper than the clean air conditioned modern supermarkets though.

 

BEDOUIN STYLE ENTERTAINING

Many Saudi homes have a Bedouin room, used for entertaining and special occasions. This one was decorated for the Eid celebration marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.  

Sweet treats, tea and coffee are generally served to guests 

 

SLATED FOR DEMOLITION

Many slum areas of Jeddah have already been demolished and many more are scheduled to be torn down in the near future. The buildings are unsightly, in disrepair, and house mostly lower paid foreign workers. 

Despite the mess, I still manage to find beauty in these buildings

 

UNIQUE SAUDI HOME ARTWORK

The Batterjee House in Al Balad, the oldest sector of Jeddah, was the location of the very first US Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Its distinctive light blue wooden window coverings are called roshan, which make it one of the most photographed buildings in Jeddah. 

This is a custom painted wall mural in the entry of a beautiful home in Jeddah.  The roshan window coverings are a unique and practical architectural feature of this region.

This stylized painting romanticizes the camels as graceful and elegant creatures of the desert, evoking thoughts of ballet dancers - at least that's what I feel when I see it!  

As some of the old crumbling buildings in Jeddah are torn down, many of the unique architectural features are salvaged and repurposed as art.