Thursday 1 April 2010

Al Qatif Market...

Ping, Emy and I went off to Al Qatif market this morning, its about an hours drive away and one of those places that has been on my 'must see' lists!!

The first thing I came across was this market seller with all these little chicks in bright colours... and people were buying them and putting them into brown paper bags..


I am sure they use vegetable dyes... if that makes it any better...
one lady showed me her pink fluffy chick and let me hold it... but I refrained from asking what she planned to do with it... I have learned sometimes it is best not knowing!!

The perfume seller let me take a photograph of him and all his lavishly designed perfume bottles...

They are a little OTT but beautiful too...
and these gentleen didn't mind me taking their photograph either... the women would not allow it though so I have no shots of the basket sellers.
I thought as signs go... this was seemed very sensible!! LOL
We then drove to Half Moon Beach - the wind was blowing a gale and the sand was blowing about but the beach was stunning... on a nicer day it would have been lovely!!
Of course, no matter the weather, we are still obliged to dress in abayahs!! LOL
In the background you can see the cabana type structures that are all along the beach... in which the women can sit and not be seen but still enjoy a day at the seaside!!

19 comments:

  1. Oh my, those chicks are so pretty, but I doubt we'll see their like on these shores. Probably a good thing! :)

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  2. Yeah, like Dan, I think the chicks are pretty..but oh my.....
    That beach does look gorgeous, you're right. Am longing for some warm beach weather.

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  3. awww those chicks are so cute, the mind boggles at what happens to them.

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  4. oooohhhhhh I'm so scared for those pretty little chicks :-O

    Julie xxx

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  5. I'm seriously scared for the little chicks! Why on earth would they colour them? Shame the women wouldn't let you take photos I love to see the different cultural aspects of your life! The beach would have been lovely I'm sure but I don't think I could put up with the long black outfit all the time.

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  6. I don't even want to think what might happen to those cute little chicks.

    Oh that beach looks lovely - it has been lovely and sunny here today but sooooooooooooooo cold.

    Toni :o)

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  7. At first I thought they were fluffy toy chicks....until the close up of the pink one! The mind boggles!! Does that mean the pink ones are female and the blue ones are male? Then what are the green?!! No, don't answer that!! Thanks for capturing things otherwise not known to us Annette. Off to cook my beef....'pink' at that...I like it rare! LOL. TFS. ~Glen~

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  8. I'm glad you didn't ask about the chicks. The market looked fun and so different to what we know. Different cutlures are so interesting ...I should have thought that you would have to cover up ...a few years back a senior manager took a job in Dubai just after he married our manager. She told us that he had to remove her picture,in her wedding dress, and she then had to send one wearing a black roll neck jumper.

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  9. you live in a very interesting part of the world. the chicks are cute, but i am scared for them too ;)

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  10. Awww! They are so cute! But I agree, I don't want to know what their fate will be.

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  11. Hi Annette! I really enjoy seeing things and learning about Saudi, it's quite fascinating!

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  12. I wonder what on earth they do with the chicks? and such bright solours (can't be good for them) any way enjoy learning about another culture have a wonderful time love the perfume bottles lots of ideas there colours and textures lol

    Love Dawn xx

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  13. also wonder what they do with the chicks

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  14. Oh my....look at those cute chicks, you're right about asking what you they were going to do with them though :S

    Samm
    x

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  15. Seriously dinky little chicks for Easter! Thanks for sharing - the photos are all fab!

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  16. wow - what a dive into a different culture - on all levels.. their minds work so differently - i find it fascinating. Those perfume bottles are exquisite, all i can say again is wow!

    Paula x x x

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  17. Thanks for sharing this, really interesting. Love those bottles and the little coloured chicks although I worry how they got that colour and what becomes of them!
    Linbyx

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  18. hey
    i am Loai from Saudi arabia, Qatif.

    please guys,
    i m 100% sure that they will do nothing to the little chicks....
    i m from Qtif and i use to have some of these little chicks when i was a young..
    we use to feed them and play with them and even sleep with them sometimes....
    this is all.
    we will do nothing with them and by the way our religion is very tough when it comes to take care of the animals....

    Regards,

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