Well.....ummm.....Second Post! Yeah! ;)

 Well, I am def enjoying being here! I've learned so much already since being here, and my perspective has changed so much! in a good, GREAT , way ;) ;)
   ....I'm loving the country and culture ;) last night, we met some muslim friends at the park at 7;30 ......to have dinner ;) and left about 10:30? ;) they said they eat dinner at 10 or 11 pm! ;) (thankfully, we ate before we left for the park! ;)   )

            ...yeah, things are just different here......I used to think "culture" didn't influence anyone much, ie, how you act and what you believe just depends on the individual's decision......

 But here, I see how many diff ideas we have .....I thought, of course, everyone thinks like an American/Canadian;)/Westerner....... But they're raised with , i don't know, just different customs, and priorities.....

          An expat friend said, if you've ever watched any Jane Austen era movies, you know exactly what the culture is like here, ie, getting married is the most important thing in your life (maybe?) [and of course, it IS very important!] .......and who you marry determines social status....

 ......And (I think I understand this right ;) ) ......you aren't independent from your family unit ....comments about someone that I would think would be rude or hurtful back home, ("You'll get 'large' if you keep baking" !) don't seem offensive here....because another friend explained that, those comments don't define who you are.

         Your social status is very connected with who/what your family is.......

And I think that's a pretty good thing! My/Our mindset of being successful in the West, being the best, is usually pretty selfish....and if someone says something like the above, to one of us, it can be depressing, because, "Ok, everybody thinks of me as a "big" person....That's who I am....."

 Here, if your family has a good and honorable reputation, you do, as well, because you're connected to that family, as long as you haven't dishonored them......

 So you personally protect YOUR FAMILY'S honor at any cost......if you do something people look down on, (I'm pretty sure) your family's honor is ruined unless something is done to remedy your wrong......(.?)

 .....anyway.....it's all very interesting!

.....Hopefully I'll start Arabic soon ;) Needa learn the alphabet first! ;)


Well, here are some random pix.....
 Myabe I'll just explain why I took each.....? ;)
 

            ...I maybe should've gotten a pic of this tiny waiting room......but J. and I were at the police station for my month's tourist visa ext., ......the funny thing about this is, we and another woman were the only ones in the room - and she was a maid waiting for the lady she works for....
so no one had this ticket [unless.....maybe it was for the (separate) guys' lobby, as well]

      ....And apparently, even if you get a ticket number, people can push in front of you in line - women, at least.......because they're women. [heh-HA!! *grin grin grin*]
 That's just a diff part of their culture, too - it's not rude - if you need to be served quickly, or ask a quick question, you just barge right in......and maybe the person you need help from, will ignore you till they're done with the first.

 .....But we've found the lesson repeated several times - if you wait in line without going up and telling them what you need, you may be in the wrong office, and vainly wait half an hour! ;-)

J. was saying to some friends tonight, "[......"The Livin' Food Lover's" =D ] future children will prob watch [Arabian] soap operas....."
 I couldn't figure out what she meant ......
But at the police station, they had one of those soaps on......of course, couldn't understand or hear a word.....
 But I was hunched over laughing, trying not to be conspicuous.....

The guy was so dramatic! He was in a suit......
           .........walking by the kids' playground with a friend......
           ........He fell in love instantly with a woman wacthing a boy at the park .....on and on with the drama...

       I couldn't stop laughing; and J. thought THAT was hilarious ;-)

 

      ....THIS was funny, cuz i read it [upside down] as,
 "Oink and Win!" ......

The view of desert mountains/ dunes as wwe pull out of the grocery store =D
  [And hey, I'd never seen much more than the flat state that I'm from......so these are mountains to me! =D
 I don't know what to expect!]

.......In the local mall/ store....
The only thing I don't get is the baggage deposit? like.....well....no idea, actually =)

......THIS has a short story - I had to run to the restroom, which was over by the KFC(! =D) they have in the mall.....
 Getting back to the shopping area, all these lanes had small chains to lock them closed.....
 .....I was about to climb over - but it's rude for ankles to even show here! Much less my knees! =D Caught myself just in time!
 Could've gone under hands and knees.....and still looked like a crazy American =D

 Love this wall ad! looks like a cross between Village Inn logo and Carlos O'Kelly's =D

Aisle of Chocolate (plus the other side!0 =D

        Smallest bananas ever...... =D

 Tonzz of a-gahlic.......=D

Last but not least, the Aisle Solely Ded. To Potato Chips (which, btw, can be a meal here - with their pita-like [delish] bread......plus a spread of ghee [that's butter with all the milk solids removed - just pure fat/oil]
  .......If I remembered all ingred., it's that pita bread, ghee, and finally, crushed potato ships .....and you put the pita in the bag of chips and munch away! =D )






.......and you gotta love the Frying Oil Aisly, too!













And The Giant Tubs of Frying Oil Aisle!! =D

 (ps, all take out food is fried!) =D =D
So of course, fried food is DEAD;-)..... I mean, it's not LIVE FOOD!
 Hopefully not - but possibly - I will change my ID to "The Oil Lover' (?) by the time I leave?

    ..........=D =D Jk =D