A mouth watering post!

For a long time i have wanted to write a mouth watering post...nah, don't expect me to wallow over Sunny Leone and her biography or geography. All i want to talk here is FOOD! Plain..food. I discovered i was a foodie only yesterday...no, last year? Few years ago? After my marriage? Before my wedding? When i landed in a hostel? Before i was in the hostel? After i was born? Before i was born? Yes!!! Before i was born. Mommy used to say how much she loved to taste idlis and chilli chutney for the sake of her unborn daughter. 

And the daughter she bore hates idlis so much that she would murder anyone who came within a mile radius with a plate of idlis. And whoever invented upma has to be dusted with chilli powder and pepper powder and roasted alive in a tandoor! That thing called 'bread' is something i dread. So how to tickle the taste buds when you get a variety of food on your table? Here are some specials that you ought not to miss tasting in your life...

Macaroons of Tuticorin...the very thought of them make me drool. Made of delicate cashews and soft egg white, the delicacy just melts in your mouth. A sinful temptation that i indulge in which never ceases to amuse people around me. I say...just this last one and go on munching them, every piece being christened the 'last piece'! Try Ganesh bakery or Dhanalakshmi bakery of Tuticorin and dive into the goodie :)

Macaroons

Choco truffle of Cake walk, Chennai. Our family loves great food, especially great desserts. Born with a sweet tooth, we relish food. And man, there are so many many specials i would like to remember now. Cake walk Egmore produces the best choco truffle cake which just melts down your mouth in a soft chocolaty flavor that remains in your senses for almost a day..and it is pure fun to covet it from the fridge, digging into it at the middle of the night, unseen by anyone!

Choco truffle...

Muscoth Halwa from Mudalur... i bet you haven't heard of it. The delicacy has its roots from Ceylon, a rice flour halwa with flavour of coconut milk and taste of heaven. AJJ brand have popularised it, if you ever get hold of the pretty damsel in red and blue, just don't let her go. It is sinfully tasty! When it is shared with your cousins, God lives in halwa;)

Muscoth halwa

Fruit biscuits of Karachi bakery have joined the list recently, introduced by one of my uncles from Hyderabad. The crunchy biscuits dipped in vanilla scent, the dry fruits that you bite into and the cashews that have a hint of vanilla flavor...i am drooling now! Thanks to my uncle who had it couriered to me...i will die for it;)

Fruit biscuits

Baklava of Gulf! Anywhere you end up in the Gulf, if you haven't tasted baklava warm from the oven, it is a waste of life;) The multi layered sweet pumped up with roasted nuts and oozing ghee that glides down your tongue with aplomb on winter nights... and the best part is the display of this delicacy in sweet shops. One glance and you will fall for it- lock, stock and barrel.

baklavaaahhh!

Fried icecream of China town, Chennai...another to kill for dessert. The crisp warm outer layer of batter and when you sink your teeth into it, get ready for the chill ice cream that gushes out...then there is banana fritters with honey of Lydie's opposite Maya Jaal, Chennai, ilaneer payasam of dimora, Trichy, paaku ( arecanut) payasam of Shevaroys, Yercaud...the list just keeps growing...akin to the poor thin soul in a heavy body- me! What are you thinking? Just dig in...eat and be happy! For those who worry about their tummies, there is always tummy tuck pose for pictures and herbalife to tone down;) Who cares how many pounds you weigh anyway???

p.s.: As you all must now be wondering how much i weigh...i am a whopping 79 kgs of fun and frolic!

p.p.s.: Special dedication of this post to my cousins...we fight over the choco truffle and muscoth as if it were Helen of Troy!! Love you all guys and girls;)

p.p.p.s.: " I love to eat" and i wish you'd too, guys;)

Roads to Arabia- a night at the museum

Strangely, i was always of the opinion that India is the only country in the whole wide world with a rich history dating back to millions of years...Thanks to our history teachers who try to inculcate the apathy towards other nations which we see as countries with little or no history at all, beyond a century or two. Or may be i was always so dumb to think that apart from India, all other countries just emerged out of the Big Bang a bit late! I was in for a rude shock when i visited the National Museum, Riyadh, KSA. The three to four hours i spent there was probably the most educative and informative time of my early thirties...There i said it! All readers younger than thirty can now rejoice...cloud nine is in his/ her early thirties! Riyadh National Museum is a must see, if you ever get a chance to visit the country, which is simply ruled out, as there are no visit visas to the country. So, i would certainly love to share a few pictures and knowledge gained from the trip i had there.

Meteorite from the Empty Quarter, not the round one you see in front of, but the stone at the backdrop!

The famed desert rose, from the region of Ayn Dar and Abqaiq

Novices would think of a desert rose as a flower from a desert cactus, probably....but no. A desert rose is a rosette like formation of gypsum or barite crystals that form in arid, sandy conditions, usually the deserts. I have heard of Westerners who hunt for these roses driving in 4x4 through the rough desert terrain, simply to behold these beautiful natural crystals.

Neolithic stone spearheads found in Persian Gulf area

The next on display was tiny spearheads made of stone- Neolithic man did exist in the Arabian deserts. The sharpness and array of colors of stones is stunning.

Rock inscriptions of early cavemen in Arab Peninsula

 Equally stunning was the rock inscriptions of cave men found in Peninsular Arabia. The heiroglyphic found is akin to the Egyptian inscriptions. Interestingly, Arabic has descended from Mesopotamian Cuneiform script, as is evident from the following pictures-

Rock slabs showing gradual development of Cuneiform script

Rock inscription in Cuneifrom script

Rock carving depicting a woman worshiping a cow/ goat, early Phoenician Era

Sacrificial altar- where livestock were sacrificed

Most interesting fresco of the museum- prophet and the grape vine, probably depicting Jesus!

A mud strainer, 325 AD

Grinding stone and pedestal- please drop your ideas of patenting our " Ammi, aattukkal"!

Beautiful hand written Quran in old script

And what would be more interesting to learn than knowing how the Arab women dressed up in early times? Especially the jewellery...argh...the vanity in me! Kohl sticks were used so early as in 100 AD, copper needles were used to sew and the beads made of bones and rock gave way to intricately designed gold jewellery. The Neolithic jewellery comprised of roughly hung bones and rock as these-

Beads that adorned Neolithic women in Arab Peninsula

A bead made of colored polished stones

Jewellery of 300 AD, notice the jhumkas in gold, copper kohl stick

GOLD!!! Jewellery of Arab women used a few centuries back, look at the 'thayathu'!!!

Delicately carved gold chain, the figurine probably depicted the lady for whom it was designed for!

I came out of the museum worldly wise and a bit humbled by the Civilizations that thrived along the Persian Gulf which is rich in culture and heritage. So far as i know of Saudi Arabia, the land ranges from anything from unproductive deserts to fertile oases and equally fertile mountains down South, that boast of pomegranate gardens and grape vineyards. The people are usually aloof- probably because they look upon the visitors as people who snatch away their livelihoods. No fault of theirs, actually. Their history and culture is shrouded in mystery to the outside world, but as we get close to their culture and traditions, they appear a misinterpreted lot- a World still lies unexplored, people still closed and drawn, but the roads to Arabia are opening up for sure. A night at their museum taught me that!

Note: All pictures depicted above are from my personal treasure trove. Please don't copy!

Maid in Hell

She approached me in the park. Looking gaunt, almost ghostly,eyes rolling in the sockets to say she was alive- she was just a bag of bones. With a knowing smile, she looked at me playing with my kids, talking to them in Tamil. Ahhhh! Listening to Tamil in an alien land must have been sheer joy for her, she came near me, glanced furtively at the little ones playing near her and asked in a shrill voice- " Are you Srilankan Tamil?" May be my costume of collared shirt gave her that impression. I smiled and said- " No, i am from India, but Tamil anyway". The little one near her came to her and started shouting in Arabic, the kid needed water. She gave the kid some and by the time, the bigger guy from the pack stood near her, trying to overhear our small talk. We did not even have a conversation, she had just told me she was here for four years, had three children back home and as usual, salary overdue for two years. Worried by the menacing look of the big child, i moved aside, why land yourself in unnecessary trouble in an unknown country? The entire family came by her side now, talking louder and left off in a huff. I can never forget the pain and pleading in that maid's eyes....as she was herded in the back seat of a GMC.




Saudi Arabia hosts almost a million house maids from poverty stricken South Asian countries, usually from Phillipines, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia. Every posh household here boasts of Khaddammas- housemaids. These women leave their families back home in their countries, most of the times- little children and come to the Gulf to earn a living. News of alleged torture, sexual abuse and inhumane working conditions abound here. I must say a word about the Phillipines Embassy here. They act on the dot and try to find some justice in case of problems to their nationals working as maids here. But so sad, there is not even a whimper from the Indian Embassy even if a maid is killed. Just read in today's newspaper that a SriLankan Tamil housemaid was killed by her sponsor when she refused to work after completion of her contract period of two years. The passports of these maids usually remain with the sponsor who bring them to the Kingdom, they are seldom permitted to venture out of the high walled villas. 




LT Ariyawathi and X-ray of needles embedded in her 

hand

A Srilankan maid had been living like a slave in a house for Riyadh for almost 17 years ( see the link for Arab News published article) since arriving in the Kingdom. Some concerned neighbour had tipped off the Embassy and when the officials arrived, she was not even able to talk in her native tongue. She had forgot her language and acted like an automated robot! What a shame! Another case that got highlighted was of Srilankan maid LT Ariyawathie. The poor maid had 24 needles embedded all over her body. The sponsor was as usual let off, after the Doctors(?) claimed she had self- nailed her. How cruel? Why would someone insert 24 needles to escape a sponsor? Another maid jumped from the fifth floor of a building to escape from the sponsor. Remember dear friends, these are not isolated cases. 




Picture of Indonesian maid Sumiati

23 year old Indonesian maid Sumiati is still lucky to be alive, her scalp has been burnt with an iron, her face slashed with scissors and she is barely able to walk, even now undergoing multiple surgeries in the Kingdom. And the person who did all this to her, her employer's wife, accepted she did all these tortures because she could not stand her maid who was beautiful than her and she did this out of jealousy. Another Indonesian maid was not so lucky though, she was killed and thrown in a trash bin in Abha. Another Srilankan maid was crippled because she was left in the cold desert winter in an open shed tending to goats and sheep. She had come on a maid visa, not to look after goats. 




Migrant babies of Indonesian maids
raped or from consensual relationships
 in Government Shelter, Jakarta

As if these tortures are not enough, there are instances of rampant sexual abuse on these hapless maids. Last week an Indian maid was strangled and burnt in a remote desert area because she refused to get back to India as she was four months pregnant with the child of her employer. Saudi employer blamed was arrested ( click for link to Arab News article). But will the Indian Embassy that is long dormant and asleep would wake up,that is a million dollar question. Some maids chuck the unborn foetuses in aircraft toilets when fleeing the Gulf. (See the link for news article) There are many children who are left in state care in Indonesia, children of Indonesian maids born out of rape or consensual relationships by Saudi employers. Saudi Arabia has banned abortion and these women are left with no option but put the babies so born in such shelter for migrant babies in Indonesia.( see link for news article).




The pathetic look of the maid whom i encountered in the park often haunts my dreams, with her smile and shrill voice- " Are you Srilankan Tamil?". May be i should have listened to her instead of walking away. May be i should have helped her. May be i was too busy then to care. May be we talk more and act less. I write this post as a humble request to all those in power- please do not send women to work as maids to the Gulf. To all those poor women who want their children to get decent education and live a better life, please do not come here. And if at all you would like to work here, register with Government registered agencies, carry a mobile phone and always have the Embassy's numbers handy. Do talk with people back in your country as often as possible and do not be afraid to report any problem to respective Embassies. As for the Embassies of India and Srilanka, i do wish they follow the good work done by the Indonesian and Phillipine Embassies here. There are organisations in other countries ( SLEWA in Srilanka, OWWA in Phillipines)that are well-supported by the Governments that look after such issues. India sadly lacks any such organisation. I do sincerely hope the Indian Government takes these issues seriously and establishes one such association. Networking is more important, working as a maid, keep in touch with other maids nearby. I do not mean to say all employers are bad, there are bad apples everywhere. There were maids who were sobbing on flights back home, maids who genuinely are loved by the Arab families and miss them. I am happy for them. But i stand up to speak for the lesser lucky ones. As women- maids or otherwise, let us live dignified!

 

PI still

I am too busy to care, but want to do something. Jaago Re and BlogAdda.com are helping me do my bit for the society.

Letter from a wife to a "Gelf" Labourer Husband

Salamalaikum.

All of us are fine here. Yesterday night i was out shopping when you called. Amina is studying well. Rahman walked his first few steps last week. He now says Ummi and Nana. I have recorded his talk and small walks in my mobile video. I will show it when you come home next year on vacation.

The bank loan interest is due by 15th. Send your salary before that. Your Vappa and Ummi are giving me a hard time as usual. Your sister now lives almost here, she never goes to her inlaws house. I am now in my my Ummi's home. I cannot live in your place any longer. Ummi takes good care of me and our children. Kamar Chacha and his wife have bought a new plot in the city. Your sister has bought some agricultural land in her inlaw's village. She always keeps talking about the same, it seems she spent 2 lakhs on it. When are we going to buy some land? I want to live in my own house. How long can i live struggling in my Ummi's house and your Vaapa's house? 

Heard from Mohamed Chacha's wife that he is coming on vacation. Send a parcel through him. I want 3 bottles egg shampoo ( the ones you sent last time were not good). Dont forget to buy a fish dollar gold chain for Amina. Buy 2 bangles for me. Don't buy anything for your sister. Last time you bought a gold chain just like me for her and you don't know how much she degraded your gift, saying it was light weight. Don't buy gold coin for your sister-in-law like last time. Your brother is in Gelf, he too can buy her that. Ummi wants zam zam water and two good burkhas. My Vaapa is suffering from joint pain, buy 5 botlles of axe oil. As usual, send us 10 Lux soaps, 2 bags of Tide powder. Also, i want 1 kg Tang powder for guests who visit us. Your sister has laced inskirts and i too want 2 like it, one black and one white. Send me 5 or 6 scent bottles to give to my sister's family and brother's family. You can give to your family when you come here. Amina likes the chocolates you sent last time. So, send some this time too. If Chacha can't bring so much luggage, you can always send us a cargo parcel like last time. Send your salary soon.

Salam,
Samira.

P.S. Dear brother-in-law, as usual i wrote the letter what sister dictated. How are you? How is your left hand now? Are you able to lift weights now? Please take your medicines properly. Here everything is as usual, lot of quarrels between your family and my sister. She is always the same. Don't worry, things will be alright soon. If you are sending a parcel, please send me a heart shaped dollar for the chain you brought me last time. Also, two three foreign sarees to wear when i goto college. What happened to the laptop computer you promised to buy for me? I always think of you. I miss you badly. Expecting the day of your arrival,

Your sister-in-law.

Non Resident Indians or Not Respected Indians?

It has happened to almost every NRI, but we remain obnoxious. It happens in every country we people set foot on, but we care less. And in Saudi Arabia, it is a nightmare if you get stuck at a security check point. At check points, we slow down, wind down the windows, lower volume of the player, switch on the lights deliberately, just to enable the Policemen to check us, no matter how many ever check points are put up. I had the a literal 'nightmare' when once on a long drive i was fast asleep. When the vehicle screeched to a halt abruptly, i opened my eyes to stare straight to the barrels of a machine gun. Trust me, it isnt funny. The check point was unexpected and to wake from a slumber and look directly into the machine gun was really scary. We were let off after our local ID and passport checks, luckily. My another Indian friend was not so lucky.

He is a manager in a corporate company going for a meeting in Jubail Industrial Area. Now in KSA, almost all oil installations come with tiered security, with umpteen number of gates. The Guards manning the gates are well trained,elite security group with all sophisticated weapons. My friend had gone for a meeting inside a plant with three more Indians, all his colleagues. Now the gentleman manning the gate was interested in playing with this group of expats- black skinned Indians. He asked their company car to be parked on side lanes and gestured for two of them to get down from the car. After a thorough check of them, including patting down, he asked them to get in the car and asked the other two to get out. The checked ones were asked to sit inside the car. When they tried to ask what the problem was, they were with proper ID cards, in company vehicle and with a valid permit to enter the plant, the answer from this man was- " My boss doesn't like you, you no good." When my friend explained he was the manager, he said again- ' You mudhir? No good, bad Mudhir'( mudhir here means manager!). Then again the two were sent inside and the other two asked to come out and stand. The set of victims was changed frequently and they were made to stand in pairs on either sides of the road with cars zooming past. All this, simply because the Guard wanted to pass some time ragging the Indians. The game went on for 45 minutes and with numerous insults like-' You no good, You bad man'. Finally he got bored ragging them and let them off.

In another incident another Indian Engineer was made to sit in crouching position on the side lane for an hour, for the only reason, the Guard did not like him! I wonder why they do this to Indians. You can see Europeans and Americans treated with utmost respect, and to treat a manager like this in the eyes of his juniors is nauseating. In a recent news issue, we all came across a group of Indian students being kept under radio-tagging in the US, simply because the university where they were enrolled was a fake one. Why victimise the students like this, Big Brother? They came to study after all.

Doesnt that sound inhuman and insulting? And what do these poor Indians who take up jobs and studies abroad look like to Big Brother and to Saudi Arabia? But the happiest part is, these NRIs are given a Hero's welcome when back in India. They are well respected, well taken care of and revered. All this hoopla comes at the price of our self respect? Our freedom? Yes, of course. But we don't bother! To us, the dollars and riyals are dearer than self respect...

Sexual harassment of expat women in Saudi Arabia

I was shocked this could happen in Saudi Arabia, a country where sexual overtures are clamped down with iron fists. I had heard incidents like this happen in malls in Riyadh and Jeddah to fellow Indian women. When one such incident happened to one of my closest friends, when accompanied by her husband in a mall in Khobar, i could not just digest it. Indian men behaving bad in Indian roads and shopping malls, that i have seen many, but bringing such bugging to Saudi Arabia, it is something beyond imagination. My hatred just keeps burgeoning on those Indian expat men who bring their dirty baggage to Saudi malls.
 And i learnt my lesson, the veil doesnt protect women from sexual harassment, its just the adverse.

Women in Saudi Arabia are required to cover up with the burkha, irrespective of their religion and country. Westerners usually cover their body with black abayas and Indian women usually drape their salwar dupattas over their heads. It is indeed a complex issue, Saudi Arabia practises gender segregation everywhere except in hospitals. I am not going to deal in detail about the abaya here, but its about an incident that took place in Lulu Hypermarket Khobar last wednesday. My friend always does her week end shopping in Lulu Khobar on Wednesday evenings, to avoid the hectic rush on week ends- Thursdays and Fridays.

She entered the vegetables section with her two children with her husband tagging behind. He insisted on selecting some vegetables by himself, to save some time and scurried to the other side of display. Left with her two children, she started picking tomatoes when she felt someone prodding her back and when she turned swiftly there was an Indian expat, a male around forties standing with a foolish grin. If it were in India, he would have returned home with a broken tooth atleast, but oh dear, this was Saudi Arabia. Gritting her teeth she hurried to her husband who was standing on the other side and promptly complained to him. He went around and stood a few minutes plainly staring at the offender who now was wary and slowly shifted to the other section. They noted he purchased nothing, simply loitering around the shopping area. This prodding the back always goes on in shopping malls around the country. Especially the Asian women are being targeted by expat men. These maniacs are careful not to lay their fingers on native women, but the same fear must be there when confronting Asians too! The Muttawas always move around these malls and how it goes unnoticed by them is confusing.

Most Asian women just have learnt to live with it, leave alone complain to Religious Police which is a long gruelling process and out of shame and ignorance of the rules regarding this. In other cases, they feel sorry for these men who live alone for years together in solitary confinement. But dears, this is no excuse for prodding unknown abaya clad women in the crowded malls! This menace is growing by leaps and bounds and i am sincerely in the dark as to whom to complain to or what legally can be done in a case like this. Or should Indian women in Saudi Arabia simply grit their teeth and learn to "adjust" with these sexual offenders? Is it not high time something is done to curb this sexual harassment?

Saudi Arabia- Is it beautiful?

Everyone back home ask me this question when they see me- Is Saudi Arabia beautiful? Or some, "Other than the desert, what is there in Saudi Arabia?" For both these questions, here is my answer- See these pictures-

Stone village Dhee Ayn, built of only black stone and wood

Splendid view of Dhee Ayn or Marble Village

Dhee Ayn is a small abandoned village resting on a large white hillock. The contrast of black stone houses built on white marble- like hillock and the striking green plantations at its foot make it almost surreal. The moment i lay my eyes on it, i fell in love with this wonderful place. Dhee Ayn is a Heritage Village lying about half an hour drive from Al Baha in the Baha Province, South West Saudi Arabia. The road from Baha to Al Mikhwa is an architectural marvel with a total of 23 tunnels and countless escarpments. The entire drive is breathtaking, the beauty of Baha Mountains, mist floating and cool mountain air breezing by. Then come the watch towers, Baha is called the Land of 1001 Watch Towers, that were built to safeguard the tribes from enemies. Many of them are in ruins now, but stand as a testament to simple lives of these tribal people.

At a sharp curve, we see a faint white backdrop of a hillock rising against a tiny village. We turn left and there it is, standing in all its majesty, the marble village. It was a settlement that has been abandoned 30 to 40 years ago, but built without mortar, using the available black flake stones and wood. The timber is still good, the doors and windows are of traditional Hijaz style, each house has a first floor and granary to store grains. The most striking feature of this place is the greenery, thanks to a perennial stream flowing from the hillock. The plantation has banana, date palms, corn and my favorite Thazham poo( fragrant screwpine). I never thought i could see thazhampoo in Saudi Arabia! We tried walking along the tiny stream trying to find out where the water originated, but couldnt find the water source. The settlement is almost in shambles now, they charge a nominal fee to visit the place, but i wonder how they will care for it and retain the rambling structure. Many locals have absolutely no idea about the village or were not so keen on sharing information about the village to us, tourists. Tourism in Saudi Arabia is mostly limited to Hajj and Umrah to the Two Holy Cities. For the other expats, i think mere hearsay is the only option left to explore places.

Another view from Dhee Ayn

I do sincerely wish tourism is taken mcuh seriously here, showcasing one's culture and architecture is the most fitting justice we can do to our ancestors. Thankfully, expats who visit places here, always leave their footprints online and this treasure trove can be explored if we are genuinely interested in knowing about Saudi Arabia and its culture, that is shrouded in mystery. Saudi Arabia is not confined to the Empty Quarter Desert or the suffocating concrete forests of Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam. There are quaint towns to be seen, raw nature to be explored and its secrets to be unearthed!

Expats or Hawala Giants?

I came across an article recently by Saad Al Dossary in Arab News which was down right racist and pathetic. It throws a poor light on Expats as a whole portraying them as plunderers of Saudi wealth. It is quite natural for Saudis to think Expats rob them of their jobs, but there are many questions that remain unanswered. Here are the excerpts from the article-

"
FOREIGNERS working in the Kingdom transferred a total of SR90 billion to their home countries last year.

If we divide this figure by seven million (the approximate number of expatriates in the Kingdom), then the average transfer per person per month is SR1,072.
This amount may be correct as far as foreigners who abide by the Kingdom’s rules and regulations are concerned. However, those who reside in the Kingdom illegally transfer amounts several times higher than this. This is possible for them in the absence of stringent monitoring of both their revenues and transfers.
There are also foreigners who work in specialist sectors such as the engineering, medical, banking, technical and IT sectors. They earn large salaries. Is there any logic in thinking that such workers send remittances amounting to only SR1,072 per month?
I do not know where this figure has come from? What advantage is there in anybody circulating such incorrect figures? Do they wish to play down our fears? Are we going to believe that this figure is true, as we know the actual figure is much higher than this?
If we assume that 1 million foreigners, out of the total 7 million, are working in the aforesaid specialist categories and earning large salaries, then each one might be transferring at least SR10,000 per month to their countries. That means that they send a total remittance of SR120 billion per annum, which is a 30 percent increase in the total remittance. Then, what about the remittances of the remaining 6 million foreigners?
Just imagine a situation in which our jobless young men and women were to receive these salaries instead of foreigners who transfer their earnings to their home countries."

I felt sorry for the writer of this article, people like him spread nothing but hatred. On average, the Asian Expats occupy middle order to low order jobs here. From administrator to sweepers, Indians occupy all lowly positions, marred by Kafeel ( sponsor) system here. The passports of all wokers are retained with the employer and his permission is needed to leave the country. As a result, many lowly paid workers and labourers find life a misery, on an average an Indian labourer spends almost 20 years in this country, visiting his homeland once in two years or three years on a leave of one month. These people lose their family lives, cannot visit home even for sudden deaths of near and dear. Looking back, the current state of the Gulf today is the blood and sweat and lives of these poor Indian and other Asian Expats who are paid a meagre 300 to 3000 SAR a month. Dressed in orange cover alls, they brave the sand and the chills, the heat and the sweat, cleaning the streets with distant memories of their loved ones.

Then who earns the lump sum pay? Other Arabs- Egyptians, Syrians, Lebanese and Europeans. These are the lucky lot who land in plump posts, mostly managerial and it is indeed ironical they are paid three times the salary paid to an Asian in the same job! Saudization drive is going on full swing here, atleast 5% of work force must be Saudis here, that is implemented, but there is no pay parity again. I can understand the locals being paid well, again three times the standard rate paid for Asians, for this is their nation where many of them remain unemployed, armed with degrees. In general, Saudi employers prefer Asians over Saudis as they can pay less for the same position if they employ an Asian. Everybody benefits from this, so what is wrong if expats send home the money? They have families to maintain back home, children studying, parents to be taken care of. Of course they benefit from no taxation on pay received here, but has anyone thought of what they lose? Their youth, their family lives, their happiness, the smiles of their little ones, the first 'ba, ba' from their little ones' mouth. Is this a fair bargain? I still dont know...

Portraying these poor men who pick up trash being thrown on streets and maids who clean their homes as Hawala mafias is in very bad taste. Step motherly treatment meted out to Asian expats is something that has to change here. Instead of blaming the Asian expats, it would be better to replace all top positions occupied by other Arabs, Egyptians and Europeans by qualified Saudis. Why blame low paid sweepers and maids as people who snatch away Saudi jobs?

Life of Indian Expat Women in KSA

Life in Saudi Arabia for an Indian expat can be a  confusing blend of Eastern and Western lifestyle. When i arrived here three years back, i had little or almost no knowledge of lifestyle here, except the fact that i was supposed to wear an abaya when going out. Indians here are a closed community to the native Arabs and its true the other way too. In all the three years spent here, i have not uttered more than a friendly 'Salam' to the native women whom i saw in washrooms. People live as separate islands here,according to nationality. Indians mostly occupy cheaper apartments than their Western counter parts who live happily in guarded Compounds. A villa in a compound can cost anything above 60,000 SAR, whereas a flat can come as low as 15,000 SAR per year in our city. Dreading the high costs, Indians mostly settle in such flats.

Life for the womenfolk can be gruelling, a day ideally starts at 4 am for one of my flat mate. She has three school going children who leave home by 7 am and her husband leaves by the same time with packed lunch after finishing his breakfast. Zeenath is someone who is a real bee, buzzing with activity any time you goto her home, washing, cleaning or cooking. She sleeps by 10 am and wakes up by 2 pm when the children arrive. Her house is spotlessly clean, and i envy her and her children who help maintain orderliness. My house is always a planned mess, especially with my two little ones who keep throwing used tissues and misplacing everything. Most women are like Zeenath here, their entire clock revolves around the man of the house and the children. Women have nothing else to do, rather than cleaning and cooking. I have not come across any maids in Indian households here, except Geetha. She is a successful entrepreneur here, she is a beautician who earns more by mere word of mouth and patronage of other Indian women who generally dont goto Saudi salons.

CONFESSIONS OF A NRI SHOPAHOLIC

 One word that i detest the most now is- Shopaholic. Born an ardent shopaholic i loved to buy anything under the sun. Even if not buying, i loved to stay on for hours standing and staring at shop windows. The disease got worse once i came to Saudi Arabia- The Shopper's Paradise. Every NRI suffers from a particular syndrome- MULTIPLY BY INDIAN CURRENCY. This happens whenever a NRI goes shopping. We love to get our pay packets in Saudi Riyals and when it comes to buying things, our brains become instant calculators doing all arithmetic, usually multiplied by Indian rupee.


I always make it a point not to look at Indian vegetables in supermarkets here, for they are the killers of our monthly budgets...Last week end the inevitable happened again, we were herded to LuLu Hypermarket here. Happy to see all greeny green vegetables, vanity took over. Gone was the chant " Only Saudi vegetables", in came a new hyper interest to buy something 'New'. What bowled me over was the Indian Chat stall that was pulling me like a force towards it. If i went by my heart, i would have ended up shelling a fortune eating a Pani Puri. Dazzled by the look of something shiny, i walked forward. There it was! A marvel, loads and loads of onions! All shiny and inviting. I could not resist buying them that begged to be taken in my bags. Bought one kilo for 8 Saudi Riyals, and now it was the turn of banana pindi( banana stem). Carefully weighing it, temptation gave way and i picked one solid piece. Then came two sugarcanes, a tender coconut and fresh sundakkai. Happy with my buy, i put everything for a bill.

We came back home happy, blissful that the week end shopping was complete. Today morning, i opened the pindi bag to find it billed for 8 riyals- imagine one small piece of banana pindi that we get in Indian markets for Rs 2 or 3 was about Rs 100. The shock grew to remorse when i calculated the Indian currency for the onions- again Rs 100, sugarcane- Rs 120 per a hand long piece and tender coconut Rs 120 a single piece. I wonder if the tender coconut would ever taste sweet or the sugarcane sweeter. Leave alone vegetables, buying anything from grocery to consumables, i find expenses MULTIPLIED BY 12, funny, how our US counterparts do that when multiplying by 45 or 49. A dinner for two at a medium restaurant costs SAR 160 ( thats Rs 1840!) What i find better here is window shopping for jewels, just loitering around the gold souks here, occasionally buying too, as there is no making charges and no wastage on gold here. That is the only shopping that keeps me happy even if multiplied!!!

YUMMY SAUDI CHAMPAGNE

I know, the topic would raise many eyebrows, leave alone the spirits;) Saudi Champagne is non-alcoholic beverage that can be refreshing, taken any time.  

Yesterday's dinner was at Shezan Restaurant in Dammam Corniche( a corniche is the beach!). Almost all restaurants here serve Saudi Champagne as a starter. Sipping the fizzing champagne was almost heaven to me, after a long walk through the beach. It is very easy to make, here i share the recipe-



1 apple- cored and thinly sliced longitudinally ( unpeeled)

1 orange- thinly sliced longitudinally ( unpeeled)

A few mint sprigs

1 litre chilled apple juice

1/2 a litre perrier water or sparkling water



Drop the apple slices, orange slices and mint in a pitcher.

Add the apple juice and mix it. Leave it to stand closed for about 15 minutes.

At serving time, add the sparkling water and ice cubes.

Voila, your Saudi non alcoholic champagne is ready!

There is another version, where Indian expats use 7up and soda instead, that too tastes yummy! Especially the apples, after draining the champagnes;)

Try it on a hot summer day and enjoy!

IS IT CARELESSNESS OR CALLOUSNESS?

Picture of Fida Harris, who died in a locked school van

MANY INCIDENTS HAVE MADE ME WONDER IF THE MODERN DAY PARENTS ARE CARELESS OR CALLOUS...I cannot forget how we were brought up, an atmosphere of utmost care, parents, grandparents, siblings, Uncles, Aunts and extended family tending to us. We fall once, the Mother arrives first, then the father, grandparents....and ensues an hour of crying and soothing. I don't remember a day when i was not crying and being soothed by my parents. Modern day parents make me wonder if we were brought up more dependent on our parents. Children these days are more responsible by themselves and are more independent, a welcome phenomena, but i wonder is there more to it?

One incident that shocked me to hell happened here few months back. I still remember the pathetic child's name- Fida Harris. The sleeping UKG girl of IIS, Dammam was locked up in a school van irresponsibly by the driver, left in front of the school under the scorching desert sun for 5 hours. When the van was opened for afternoon trip, it was too late, the child had died...I am at a loss of words right now-



Looking at the cute little one, i am reminded of  my daughter in the same class in the same school, travelling by the same vans. It seems the driver was attending a phone call when he forgot to look inside the van after the children got down and just locked up by remote and left off. Can you imagine the last moments of that poor child??? Only reason, she was carelessly locked up and the little one did not know to open the lock from inside the van. Another episode was in a shopping mall in Dammam, where the lift was out of order and despite a board that it was out of service, a toddler who had roamed away from his parents, fell down to death. One more episode in Jeddah was where a 5 month old baby was left behind in a car a full night, that died. The mother had thought the child was with the maid and the maid had thought it was with the mother. Our own countrymen are no better- we boast of the extreme Indian care and love and affection. But we come across many incidents where children fall in open tube wells, open water tanks, and the recent murder for extortion cases of Muskan and Hrithik. I must say i was real happy when the murderer of the children Muskan and Hrithik was shot dead in an encounter by police.

Muskan, 11 and Hrithik 8 yrs old. Muskan was raped and drowned, Hrithik was drowned

How gruesome human race has become and how vulnerable our little ones are, leaves little to be imagined. Our indifferent attitudes, carelessness and irresponsibility towards our younger ones must be the most heinous crime, worse than a preplanned murder. I would not term all these cases as carelessness but all these were CALLOUS. Many people who have seen me take care of my kids, including my motherinlaw, say i am making my children more dependent on me. But i would rather love to be a clucking mother hen, than leave my children in someone else's careless hands.

IF OUR LITTLE ONES ARE NOT SAFE IN OUR OWN HANDS, WHERE ON EARTH WOULD THEY BE SAFE?