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Published: April 23rd 2009
Origins of Arab hospitality
Everywhere I went during the business week I was offered Arab(spiced) coffee and datesWhen I first landed in the Dammam airport three weeks ago, I thought I had prepared myself for the cultural shift I was sure to experience.
But the immediate effect of seeing a host of men and women at the airport in clothing dating back 3000 yrs was startling.
It seems hard for westerners such as me to accept that other cultures have been able to hold on to their traditions over millenniums, in spite of what the rest of the world does.
And yet, there is ample evidence of Saudi’s move into the modern world.
The contrast between the traditional, ancient culture and the development of modernity can be confusing to the outsider.
Take for instance on any day in Dhahran, you will see men dressed in the Saudi traditional Thobes and headdress driving huge Toyota and Chevy SUV’s down the road with an IPod to their ear.
Or women fully covered in abaaya(long black robes) and veil texting on the street corner.
On one day, while traveling on the highway between sites, my cab passed a Saudi Man dressed fully in his robes while puttering
Arab bakery
We were told by a European Expat we bumped into in this bakery that it was the best bakery in the region. Alas, Ted and I had spent all our money on trinkets! on the shoulder of the highway in a moped—with his robes waving violently behind him.
The Paradox of Saudi is nowhere more clear than in the difference between urban and rural life.
The Saudi’s have literally changed the geography of the urban landscape with extensive watering and irrigation of the city landscape to create beautifully landscaped parks and modern buildings—yet immediately outside the city limits is a harsh land of desert, discarded tires, and decades of roadside trash.
Driving to a work shop to the south of Dhahran, the taxi was stopped by a herd of 25-30 camels being driven across the road by a solitary Bedouin camel shepherd.
10 minutes later I would be in a beautifully landscaped city with all the modern amenities.
Another paradox is in the quiet, soft nature of public interactions and the vibrant, expressive interactions in smaller private gatherings.
There are expected behaviors for both public and private settings.
Weekends in Dhahran—(Wednesday night) the Dhahran theatre square is bustling with citizens gathering in the cool of the night - women and teens in their Abaaya’s, and teen-age boys
Abaaya
A very common site everywhere around town not yet dressing in Thobes. (Note_ picture is from Encyclopedia--it is forbidden to photograph women)
The young women have put on their “weekend-best” abaaya and veils—displaying only their eyes to the public.
Yet, like all teens, they have found a way to set themselves apart and be distinctive.
Their black abaaya’s are decorated elaborately with all sorts of gold, silver, and black sequined trim.
This is definitely “dress-up” time for a night out in Dhahran.
However, during this social evening, the girls and boys remain apart from each other, and the night ends rather early in comparison to western standards -by 10:00 pm.
More paradox? The slow, quiet meditative walking style of the Saudi’s (influenced by their clothing?) Vs. the frenetic, impatient driving style (already alluded to in a past blog—I will try not to go there…)
For you golf enthusiasts--who "Fear" the dreaded sand trap--what if your fairway and [putting greens were all of sand?
How's that for paradox--
Or how about the way important business is put on hold for either religious of social responsibilities.
Class instruction is stopped abruptly for prayer. It is
One big trap
The round green thing in Tom's hand is a patch of stro turf you carry around with you. You then place your ball on it and swing! also stopped for latecomers as they are warmly greeted by each participant individually.
I was talking to a security guard at a large complex, and almost in the middle of a sentence, he stopped, took his shoes off, rolled out his prayer rug in the lobby behind his desk, and began to pray.
And then, there is the shopping—the great sign of the modern-day consumer culture. In Saudi Arabia, shopping is a chief past-time, not just for the women.
I caught the bus to go to Khobar Rashid mall. It is a modern, three story mall that can rival any of the malls in America. I happened to be the only male on the bus of over 40 women and children.
It dawned on me then that the men can drive to the mall, but the women must take public transportation.
All the women were dressed in their abaaya—even the American and European. This to avoid the Mutaween - the Saudi Moral Police.
I witnessed the work of the Mutaween while at dinner in Khobar.
The restaurant was a little slow in pulling down the window shades
No, this is not a sand trap-its the fairway
It matters how you place the ball on the astro turf patch, as Tom has just discovered. during prayer time, and the Mutaween were right there, firmly tapping on the restaurant windows to let the owners know the error they were committing.
All shops must stop serving the public during prayer time.
The Mall was a mixture of modern western fashion stores and stores that sold the traditional Saudi garments.
It was filled with Saudi’s seeming to have much fun as families.
Today, my friend and fellow Saudi blogger Ted went into Khobar with a few of his co-workers.
We went into the traditional “Souks” of the Saudi market place.
It was an area large area of narrow streets lined with shops, shoppers, and automobiles.
I now have a new appreciation for the childhood safety instructions to “Look both ways” when crossing streets.
It was crazy with traffic (but I said I would not go there).
Three weeks into my visit in Saudi, and I am beginning to understand that, like any society and culture, in Saudi Arabia there is a mix of the beautiful and not so beautiful—of the divine and the human.
Of the quiet side of our
edward scissorhands in my courtyard
Much landscape artistry everywhere--a simple rounded bush will not do. nature and the stirring, restless side.
Taken as it is a wonderful, mysterious land that I can learn much from.
(TO SEE MORE PHOTOS PLEASE GO TO PG 2 AT THE END OF THIS PG. )
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Ron Mattson
non-member comment
Thanks again, Bob!
Thanks again for sharing your trip with us, Bob!! Just wondering: What is the background on the fossil in the foreground of the picture labled: "Museum"??? Is that some ancient artifact or mummified remains found in the region? (Tee-Hee!)