A Saudi Life

Chapter One

Mar 31, 2008 Novel

Its a new new year and I’m back to school transferring to my first year in secondary school. Its been a hard last year, Saddams Armies invaded Kuwait and all hell broke loss. Saudi Arabia has been in a state of war for the first time in its history since its unification in 1932. Life has been weird and crazy the last year with schools closed most of the times and people moving all around the country trying to move away from the range of the scud missiles Sadam unleashed on us, recruitment camps for volunteers 16 years or old were established under the pressure and demand of population to play a part in defending the country, the patriotic fever has reached its ultimest level in the country. Thousands of Kuwaiti refugees moved to Saudi including the rolling family. This also coincided with the deployment of the US forces in Saudi as the major part of the international coalition to protect Saudi and liberate Kuwait, which didn’t go smoothly with many Saudis who saw it either as a symbol of weakness depending on others or saw it as an invasion of infidels to the holy lands. But little did the Saudi government have an option in the matter, Saudi forces were small compared to irags one million man force and with little to no real combat experience compared to Iraqs 7 year war experience with Iran, plus Iraq was massing an assault on the Saudi Kuwaiti boarders, at least that’s what the US and their satellite photos claimed, if you ask some till this day they would tell you those photos were brushed and the iraqi forces were building defenses and not an assault, but that’s the past and what happened happened.

Oh ya I forgot, let me introduce my self. My name is Faisal AlKhalidy from Saudi Arabia, born and raised in Riyadh city but my family originally descends from the Qassim region just north of Riyadh city. I’m 16 years old and starting my first year in secondary school I guess its called high school in the USA. My father is Naseer AlKhalidy an accountant for the Ministry of Defense, my mother is Haia AlMishary a house wife and a great mother. I have three brothers and one sister. I’m the oldest in the family. We live in one of Riyadh modern middle class neighborhoods in the north its called AlOliya. I love it here it’s a bit more modern then the rest of Riyadh with more of a western style. Our house is decent and average to a middle class family. Its about 650 square meters with a small guardin, a room for the chufer, 5 bedrooms, mens guest living room, women guest living room, family living room, dinning room, kitchen, and 6 bathrooms.

Man I miss summer vacation, waking up so early is no fun, “Mom close those curtness the light is annoying” I shout out as my mother enters my room and opens the curtness to let the sun light in and wake me up. “Its 6 am and the drive to school takes half an hour so get out of bed and get ready it’s a school day not a vacation anymore.” she says that as she turn the AC off and exits my room and continues her morning routine of waking me and my brothers and sister up. 6 am, man I got used to sleeping in till 12 pm if I wanted. I start to lazily move out of bed, man its cold that AC works great at night. I finally get out of bed and head to the bathroom. I look into the mirror and man do I look horrible, I got so used at staying up late during summer that I didn’t sleep till 2 am last night. I brush my teeth and wash up and then perform wodu, woudu is a retoal washing that muslims need to perform before praying, start out with washing the hands, followed by the mouth then the nose, the face, arms. hair and ears and finally the feet. I didn’t wake up to perform the fajer (sunrise) prayer today so better late then never. I exit the bathroom and there on my desk I find a hot glass of milk, guess the maid brought it in while I was washing up. My mom has gotten us used to having a glass of milk every morning just before school. I’ll just let it cool down a bit while I pray and change into my school clothes. Its nice to have your own room, I feel sorry for Ali and Saad, my youngest two brothers, they have to share a room together and do they fight a lot. Ya I got my own room with a bathroom, Fahad the oldest of my brothers has his own room but shares the bathroom with Ali and Saad, Nora my sister has her own bedroom with a bathroom because shes the only girl even though shes the youngest. Of-course my mom and dad have their own room as well. I finish praying and head to the closet where I get my clothes for school out. Well nothing special for school, we were what we usually wear everyday here in Saudi a thob and a somaq. A thob is like a shirt that is body length usually white specially during summer and a somag is a cloth that we wear on our heads. Its traditional Saudi cloths, we also usually wear an uqal to hold the somaq to our heads but its baned in school as some students used it as a weapon, an oqal is like a thick circular rope and can be painful if you hit someone with it. After I get my clothes on I check my bag, got a notebook and pencils, hope we get our books today. I drink my milk and exit my room. In the family living room I find my mom relaxing and having a cup of coffee, my dad is still asleep he won’t wake up for another hour. I head to my mom kiss her forehead and sit down beside her as we wait for the rest of my brothers and sister to come down.

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Episode 21: Listener Questions and Updates

Mar 31, 2008 Show

In this episode I cover some questions I received by email: 

can you explain why Saudi Arabia does not nurture their human resources especially women? 

Recently there has been talk of letting women drive?

How does such a strict society cope with men hanging out of cars waving their phone number written on a piece of cardboard at women in cars? 

I know that there is a lot of tension between the Saudis and Iran.  Do the Saudis view the Iranians as part of the broader Muslim community as a partner in opposition to Israel and the United States, or as a completely heretical, foreign group?

What awareness, if any, do the Saudis have of the political dialog within the west.  Are people in your country familiar with western leaders such as George Galloway who often take their side in disputes with the west?

 

 Episode 21: Listener Questions and Updates [30:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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My Recommendations

Mar 30, 2008 Announcements & Updates

Today I added a new section to the site under “My Recommendations”, now what this does is redirect you to an aStore page I created on Amazon.com where I will be adding my recommendations in the world of Books, Movies, and Audio. The selection would cover the aspects that I cover on the blog and podcast. In the future I will be posting reviews here of different books, movies, or audio I recently enjoyed. I will also start a section for materials that I believe are lies. 

If you have something you think i might enjoy or just something you need me to comment on just send me a copy and I’ll take a look at it.

Finally a disclosure, by using the aStore your shopping at Amazon.com and I get a percentage of all sales, just so you know.

Popularity: 73% [?]

Live Show?

Mar 30, 2008 Announcements & Updates

I mentioned this before and with the relaunch of the site I figured I revisit the topic.

A Saudi Life is a pre recorded show and I have been wondering if there is interest in having a live show where I would be able to get live calls by the net or phone. Would this be interesting?

If you like the idea let me know and suggest a day and time keeping in mind that at the moment and till about August I am in the USA and the time zone is EST.

So email me or leave a comment.

Popularity: 71% [?]

Old Shows added to site

Mar 28, 2008 Announcements & Updates

I just added all the old shows to the site today, I dated the posts according to the date the show was published. With all the old shows up on the site we are getting closer to a new show and the completion of the website. Keep your eyes open.

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A Saudi Life is Coming Back!

Mar 27, 2008 Announcements & Updates

The site update is in progress, we will be back online and in full force very soon.

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Episode 20: Listeners Questions.

Mar 12, 2008 Show

A Saudi Life is back with listeners questions.

 

 Episode 20: Listeners Questions. [22:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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