Let the Countdown Begin!!

So I thought the visa process was going to take longer than it did. Much to my surprise, it only took a week.  I will be in Saudi Arabia by Sept. 28th.  I'm looking forward to my new adventure, but I'm not looking forward to the 15 hour flight. There will be another teacher from Colorado accompanying me so it shouldn't be that bad. Other than jet lag and the 8 hour time difference, there are some things that I need to mentally prepare myself for as far as lifestyles and laws.

Here are some of the changes that I have read about or heard about from others

• People (men) like to drive fast. I've heard about high fatalities due to aggressive driving. Women aren't allowed to drive and often use a personal driver or a taxi. 
• There is prayer 3 times a day and everything shuts down at those times. This is no big deal to me since I'm use to things shutting down around lunch time in Taiwan. It's all a matter of planning in my eyes. Maybe I can use that time for personal reflection and meditation.
• It's against the law to import, manufacture, possess, or consume alcohol or illegal drugs. The consequences can be long jail sentences, heavy fines, public floggings, and/or deportation.  The penalty for drug trafficking is death and it doesn't matter if you are an American or any other foreigner.
• Here's a HARD one for me.  Photography. You have to have permission to take a person's photo and you should NEVER take a picture of a woman or a place where women congregate. You can't take pictures of anything that may portray the country in an unfavorable light.
• Saudi customs and officials broadly define what is contrary to Islam and therefore prohibited. Christmas decorations, fashion magazines, and "suggestive" videos may be confiscated and the owner subject to penalties  and fines.
• Public displays of non-Islamic religious articles, such as crosses and Bibles, is not permitted.
• Women must wear an abaya and men should dress conservatively. Men can't wear shorts in public or go without a shirt.
• Many places have segregation or gender specific areas. Men and women are not allowed to socialize in public. Women who are arrested for socializing with a man who is not a relative  may be charged with prostitution. If you are in a restaurant and you are a single man/female, then you must sit in the single seating area specific to your gender. You can not sit in the family area nor in the area of the opposite sex. 
• You can't drink the water there. I'm used to this as well because we couldn't drink the water in Taiwan.
• Here is one that I learned at a consultation. If you get married to a Saudi Arabian, then you must obtain his permission to leave the country.  If you get a divorce, then you must still obtain his permission to leave the country.  If you have children with him, you will need his permission to leave the country with your children. If you get a divorce, then he gets the children. If you get a divorce and get awarded custody of the children, then you still need to get permission to leave the country with them.

Although I've gotten pretty good at adjusting to different lifestyles, I'm pretty sure some of these changes will take some getting used to in the beginning.  I will be living in a compound so things will be pretty normal for me there because most of those laws don't apply.  The compound has a swimming pool. I will definitely spend the first few weeks getting my MTS and Lymphedema under control.   I was told to put my legs in the water for 20 minutes and then put my compression garments on immediately afterwards.  The pressure of the water and the compression hoses are supposed to increase circulation and decrease swelling.  I hope it works! For those of you concerned about passports, I WILL be able to keep my passport with me.  I will not have to hand it over.

My next few posts will be about my packing skills (LOL!), the flight, and my apartment/room at the compound. I hope you come along for the ride! Feel free to hit me up with questions about what I am doing or the area.