Day 1

My first day in Saudi Arabia was amazing. Battling jet lag, I went with Lubna's family to the Thursday Market in the city of Qateef. Lubna's father explained to me that Qateef used to be full of palm tree farms, but like much of the country, the land given way to the rapid construction one would expect to see in a developing country. Qateef was also once the capital of the eastern region of the country. It is now primarily Shia'a.

As a woman, I was required to wear an abiya, or black robe, and I made the decision to wear hijab, or head covering. Apparently with it on, I look Palestinian. Cool.

The market was like nothing I have ever seen. Much like Saudi Arabia as a whole, the market was a blend of old and new. Spongebob shirts sat next to stands with traditional fans and baby cribs. Nisan pickup trucks drove down aisles filled with nuts and spices. The Shia'a women were completely covered from head to toe, and a few of them still became upset when I took a picture of them. The funniest thing was that Lubna's family had also never been to the market, and so we all looked like tourists taking pictures and telling each other to stay together. One lady trying to sell us a basket said in Arabic, "Buy this basket. You only take pictures and you don't buy."

Following Qateef we went to Dareen, a city along the coast, where there were a ton of fishing boats and nets. There was also an ancient fort that was in ruins across the street from the water.

Lastly, we found ourselves in the city of Taroot. Here there was an area call Old Town, where 50 or so houses and buildings were from the original city. The remains of another old castle stood here,  as well as a beautiful mosque.

On the ride there and back I was introduced to Saudi driving. It was crazy, completely unlike American driving. Everyone was in a hurry, horns were used more than breaks, and the lines on the road separating lanes were more like suggestions. If you ever find yourself behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia (not talking to the ladies here, because that's illegal), good luck.

Eating lunch at Lubna's house afterwards also brought a surprise: camel. Yeah, they eat camel here. Although I found the taste to be decent, almost like beef, the meat was tough. Lubna's family, however, told me not to count that as my first camel meat experience because their cook had never made it before that day. So... maybe I'll have something different to say about it later?

Finally, I met a ton of Lubna's friends that tonight. We drank some tea and smoked some hookah, and they giggled (in a nice way!) about my attempts to learn Arabic. As we were sitting in the basement Bring It On came on TV and we all laughed about how old the movie was and how we loved it as kids. What I wasn't expecting, however, was the Saudi censorship. At the end of the movie, when Kristen Dunst is supposed to kiss whatever guy, the scene was edited out! Completely gone! Ahhhh!! It threw me for a loop. No kissing in Saudi Arabia, folks. Just not at all.

All in all, I was completely overwhelmed and I loved every second of it. More to come later!