22 April 2013

Things to do when he is not around....



wander around, searching for something beautiful (aka go shopping)!

Right, so to be honest, I am not much of a shopper.  For one, I am extremely stingy (as any good Midwesterner is) and for another, I try to limit the amount of crap that I accumulate and the destruction that I reek upon the Earth.  Thank goodness for this, though, because it is pretty hard to just go on a spontaneous shopping spree in Saudi Arabia.  Women are not allowed to drive here, so, if I want to go anywhere, I must either find a male friend to chauffeur me around, or I have to rent a driver.  Not very cost effective and not very convenient either.  Luckily, though, there are several buses each week from my university town to various locations within Jeddah including the hospital (not really a place I am keen on spending an afternoon) and the mall.  So, the other day when I was feeling extremely stir-crazy, I hopped on the bus and headed to Mall of Arabia.  

The thing about shopping that I do find so enjoyable, is just the hapless wandering around.  I think this is most fun in the winding streets of Europe or at some outdoor bazar, just walking around from shop to shop, admiring the pretty things and trying to find something really special or unique.  And, I am of the suspicion that this is where men sometimes get frustrated (hence why this post is included in this series).    When a man is going to buy something, he is on a mission.  Get in, get out and be done with it.  But I think that that defeats the whole purpose of shopping which is the quest or the slow refinement of personal style or might I even say, goods appreciation?  Something like art appreciation?  You don't just go to an art gallery and race around, find the one you like and hit the road?  You have to concentrate and relax and just let you mind fantasize a bit.

So, my fellow ladies, I hope you too can find some time to just wander around and see what treasures the world has to offer.

3 comments:

  1. Shopping is impossible in the United States, I can't imagine shopping in Jeddah at the market

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  2. How interesting for you to live in Saudi Arabia. When I lived in Dubai many years ago now, I often visited my friends who lived in Bahrain. On weekends you could see muslim couples and groups of friends drive across the The King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain, the women would then throw off their burkas in the car on arrival, get out wining and dining all night in their spectacular bling bling shoes and extremely sassy clothes that were hidden under the burkas. And then back in the car and get covered up again before returning home crossing the gulf. A world full of contrasts, weird and fascinating. Have you had the chance to visit Bahrain yet? It's a way from Jeddah, but worth visiting if you ever have the opportunity.

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    1. Yes I have been to Bahrain and yes I have seen the opulent outfits underneath the abayas! I do indeed live in a weird world.

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