I had been on an official trip to Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar) and UAE (Dubai) and to Oman (Muscat) on the way returning back. This trip was on behalf of my employer - Wipro Ltd and it was between 25th of March 2007 and 12th April 2007. I wrote my travelogue in 5 parts and it is now available for your reading.
Here goes the travelogue Part II....
Seeing that I didnt get any bad response for the first part of the travelloque, chose to write something more. Whatever am writing are specific and unique to Saudi. I dont think this will b a case in other countries (or thats what i heard)
My current beard style has paid off.. While i boarded the flight in Blr, the lady near me told that thought am an Arab, particularly due to my beard.. Yesterday also, in a hotel, one person told me "Aassalamu Aalaikum" seeing at me. My next plan is to get the wardrobe of the arab and the head cloth / ring, just as i had the costume of turban when i was in punjab. Expect the photo soon.
As i told u already, during prayer time (you can heard loud speaker voice during this time), shops are to be closed.. That time, you are not supposed to walk anywhere in the road, should sit in the tables in the roads. there are some religion police called mattawa (spelling wrong), who will travel in the roads in this time and question people who dont prayer.. But fortunately in the city am in this much control is not there except that shops will b closed.
One big bad news for people who live on liquid diet. there are no liquor shops in saudi, its totally banned, but not cigarettes. So, i heard that ppl go to baharin in weekends for drinking.. those days the roads to baharain will be very much busy with traffic. baharain earns a lot in this way. if you are caught drunken travelling, heavy fine is levied.
in all the big restaurants in saudi, there is the practise of having two entrances - one family entrance and the other singles entrance. Yesterday, i went into the family entrance and wanted to order something veg. he asked me whether am a family, when i told no, he adviced me to come through other entrance. family entrance is only for ppl who come with family, that means with ladies. so, those coming as only gents are not allowed in this way. the family entrance places are completely covered, even the windows are painted so that no one can see inside.
ladies are not allowed to drive cars in saudi.. and a male can take a lady in the car only if she is his wife... i saw cloth shops with all modern dresses for ladies. i was just wondering who uses all these dresses when they cant boast it off in public.
the toilet flush is designed in a different way.. normally, in india, some water will stay in the closet and when we flush, it will move to the sink and little water will stay in the toilet closet. but here its different, i guess this is the case of all gulf countires, will update u when i go to dubai. there is one inlet and one outlet inside the toilet ceramic.. when v press the flush tap, the inlet will pump water and teh outlet will suck water. so all the bad water will be sucked and good water pumped in..
there is a sea shore near our office, its not beach, but shore and park nearby.. some boys were playing volley ball, thought of soliciting and joining them, but even for shouting help, i dont knw how 2 shout, so choose to keep quiet
learnt 2 words in arabic - "shukran" - thank you, "Moya" - water.
thats it as of now, will write later.
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