OK... yes, I am old enough to be humming the words from the old Petula Clark song.... and I really don't think she had downtown Jubail in mind when she was singing it!
Friday... and it was Chris' one day off for the week and the shops don't open till 4 in the afternoon, so we thought we would drive into downtown Jubail and have a look around. Just one problem... so did everyone else! I actually thought that it would be hard to know if you were in Calcutta or Jubail when I got out of the car....If you removed all the Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos from Saudi Arabia.... the Kingdom would come to an untimely end... these guys sign up to come here and work, they stay without any form of leave for 2 years, then get to go back to their families for 2 - 3 months before returning for another 2 years. I find it hard to comprehend how difficult this must be for them as well as their wives and children back in their homeland... even though I do something similar, but in a very easier and comfortable way. The queues at the place that wires their money back home runs for about half a mile up the main street, so many of them spend hours of their one day off a week in the heat and dust waiting to send thier pay packet home....
And you may have noticed something missing from the photographs.... go on... take another look!
Its totally reassuring to know that if ever my Internet goes down that I can pop into town and check my emails at the local Internet cafe!
One thing marred the event and that was when we returned to the car ( a nice shiny brand new Mazda 6 that is 5 weeks old and I have only sat in it twice, kind of car) had been keyed across the rear boot and down the two passenger doors to the front wing... how sad... why would someone do something like that? 
And you may have noticed something missing from the photographs.... go on... take another look! Figured it out yet? No? I was the only female there!! (All other members of my sex must have more sense than to attempt a shopping trip in downtown Jubail on a Friday afternoon... but even though I was looked at, it wasn't uncomfortable, it was just curiosity on their part or perhaps sheer surprise)!!
Its totally reassuring to know that if ever my Internet goes down that I can pop into town and check my emails at the local Internet cafe! One thing marred the event and that was when we returned to the car ( a nice shiny brand new Mazda 6 that is 5 weeks old and I have only sat in it twice, kind of car) had been keyed across the rear boot and down the two passenger doors to the front wing... how sad... why would someone do something like that? 
wow...what a trip downtown...(now I've got that song stuck in MY head....aaahhhh...lol)
ReplyDeleteshame about the car :0(
welcome back !! - sorry i'm late =) i'm admniring your shots on your blog !
ReplyDeleteInteresting adventures you are having. You should write a book!
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your life over there - I lived abroad as a child and find it so interesting to get an inside view of the culture.
ReplyDeleteI have to be apart from DH for a couple of weeks every other month - I can't imagine how I would deal with it if he was away for 2 years.
I am SO sorry about your car - what a pointless, sad thing for someone to do.
...if you've got worries all the noise and the...now I'm humming it to myself LOL
ReplyDeleteThere are bits of London that look like that Annette - I know - I saw some today when Mum and I got lost going to Ally Pally cos the roadwork diversion signs weren't very good LOL
Toni :o)
Love the insight into your life abroad. Awful news about the card.
ReplyDeleteAnnette you are so good at blogging your travels! I have been a rather poor blogger of my own adventures in Oz, but we still admire the same things...sunsets and the locals! I take it the car is a hire one? As you didn't sound mad! (like I would have been) it's all a matter of jealousy; shame really. Juliex
ReplyDelete