With the frills and glitters of gold bares the soul of reality that there are people who begs to survives. The gold souk (gold market) in old town Jeddah (Balad).
beggar with cellphone?
why take the baby?
Tag: jeddah
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Eid Mubarak: Visiting Jeddah Gold Souk
Eid Mubarak (blessed Eid) celebrating the end of Ramadan, people went to buy gifts for their love ones, usually in the form of gold jewelries or with electronic gadgets, sweets and chocolates, employees receive a month bonus, others are lucky to have even more!
enjoying the display
gold and calculator? can’t afford!We decided to visit the Gold Souk (market of gold) in old town Jeddah just to know if we can afford the soaring prices under the soaring hot weather of Jeddah.
Surprisingly the price of gold went down from SR 220 per gram to Sr 150-160 per gram. Available in 18-21-24 K different designs.Unfortunately, at this time I can’t afford to buy any jewellery for myself, so I just took a lot of pictures for you to see.
Even silver and precious stones are not affordable on my budget. 😦
Oh! by the way, fake jewelries are also available in small stores, an exact copies of the original jewelries .
Oh well, I had fun looking and appreciating the craftsmanship so ladies I leave you with this quote:
” It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” -Mahatma Gandhi
HAPPY EID EVERYONE!!!
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Photoblog: Art under the bridge
Art under the bridge along Medina road and Thalia St.
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Ramadan: Iftar Buffet at Red Sea Grill resto
Ramadan is almost over and I haven’t invited my staff yet to an Iftar (sunset meal), so yesterday we went to Red Sea Grill (seafood restaurant) at thalia st.
We came early to find a good place unfortunately all tables are too small for a party of six, anyhow this is the nearest place to our clinic so we decided to stay.
Taking my camera out..getting ready to take the pictures of the food available on buffet table, took few shots when the supervisor told me, I can’t take anymore, Alright I forgot this is Jeddah! Everyone has camera but you have no freedom to take pictures anytime specially in public.
Oh well, let’s just review the event:
Ambience: fair enough, clean but small. the outside decor is refreshing than the inside
Cost: SR 90 per person
Food and beverages: All drinks (soda,juice,tea and coffee) included. The foods are alright but it didn’t conform to its name GRILL SEAFOOD. Surprisingly all menu were sautee or fried.
Salad and sweets : reasonable but not of my standard. I don’t find it satisfying by eyes or my taste.
Staff: neat and friendly
My rate?? hmmm not impressed, I don’t like fatty foods, I prefer Grilled (main reason why I came) but I didn’t find any.
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Photoblog: Jeddah Fish market
A friday soaring hot morning in Jeddah Fish Market will surely make your day, fish monger are all smiling and willingly pose with their fish on hand. Some of our kababayan (overseas Filipino workers) also wave their hand and willingly smile. Even the fish (tilapia) jumps with joy, spinning and caught me offhanded ;-).
let’s go!!
colourful fishes
shrimps
on the floor
sharks teeth
baby shark
tilapia
tilapia jumping
trying to get out
spinning tilapia
aquarium of tilapia
too crowded
fishing in the aquarium
lobster
enjoying the fish scenery
smile
opps take care you might cut your finger
fish cleaners
small fish
big fish
medium fish
watermelon on the street
dates
tomato
kababayan
a pale of fish
vegetable on the streets
fresh dates and tomato
mangoes
chillis
available filipino togo,suka at paris
front of fish market
old fish boat
vendor
fish net
watermelon vendor -
Internations interview, an excerpt
Photograph by Rel David Just to share some of the highlights of my interview as an expatriates in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, I am not sure when it will come out or will it ever be published! Probably never 🙂
However, some questions never occur in my mind, so i decided to share a few, maybe you will also be interested to ask yourself and wonder …why ?
Tell us about your new life in Saudi Arabia differs from that back home. Did you have trouble getting used to the new circumstances? Did you experience culture shock?
I was hired 1987, I came alone without my family, It was the most difficult and complicated time of my life, not only culture shock but family shock as well. Being away from my family was an ordeal to take. My husband and my first son came one year after another. I only have two years experienced in my profession and a newly mom as well. Looking back, I am so grateful that i came, this is where I grew up professionally and be successful in my career.
I thought for a while that wearing black is only for those in mourning, so i refused to wear black “abaya” i tailored made a blue abaya instead.
After the Gulf war, rules getting more stricter , expatriates women were asked to cover their hair as well. So, not only I have to wear the black abaya but also wear a black head cover (Tarha). But now a days, a lot of fashionable abaya are available in the stores, different styles and colours, I would say, I feel safe wearing it in public and enjoy the fashion.
Every expat knows that expat life comes with some hilarious anecdotes and funny experiences. Care to share one with us?
Oh well, most unforgettable was always the first..so the first time we met our employers’ wife, She keeps repeating..Hi am Mrs_______ Dr. _____ wife. Shaking her hand as I nod my head repeatedly as a sign of acknowledgement. We did it three times, she probably thought I don’t understand English. 🙂
I got the lesson, ” nod your head and talk at the same time”,.. gesture with new acquaintance certainly doesn’t work!
Which three tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life in Saudi Arabia?
Don’t take a lot of luggage, rather take a lot of sense of humour, trust me, you need it!
If you signed a two years contract, be ready to save and get out of the Kingdom as fast as you can!
How would you summarise your expat life in Saudi Arabia in a single, catchy sentence?
INCREDIBLE 25 years of HARD work and perseverance!
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Meeting Gagan – 65 West 55th Street: A novel
At age 53, I like to read autobiography of famous people who in their search for success has been an inspiration to many including myself. I was not into non-fiction or love story.
65 West 55th Street
by: Gagan SuriUntil one day, I have a new patient named Gagan Suri, after few sessions of dental treatment, during those times that we were waiting for his x-ray results, he mentioned about a book “65 West 55th Street”in which he himself authored it. I was baffled, an international investment banker have written a book?
I asked, Whats the story about? banking and finance?
Oh! a story of two people, an Indian and Pakistani who in spite of their differences managed to be together.
a LOVE story? (i wonder!)
He chuckled with his boyish smile, I’ll send you the book, read and let me know what you think of it.
Is it your story? ( I am now puzzled and interested) His reply was just a smile!
Friday is my off day at work and every morning, my friends and I used to go walking along the sea side for an hour or two depending on how hot the weather is… but this Friday is different, I am in bed, reading the book and I can’t just put it down. My friends kept calling and I told them: Sorry guys, I am just starting and will not get up until i finish reading. What book is that anyway, that you find it more important than us? my best friend shouted on line. Ok, don’t be grumpy! I’ll pass it on to you when I’m done with it, bye!
Message from the author:
“Love goes beyond boundaries. To those who go against convention and dare to love someone of a different religion, culture or country, believe in yourself, and stay firm in your belief. All forces against you will gradually wither away, and what will remain is true love.”
Indeed! A beautiful and absorbing story of love, faith and belief, simply written with compelling emotions that I found myself in love, laughing and crying , every moment I continued reading each chapter. The spontaneity of the characters, strength and weaknesses were clearly felt and I was moved by their love to each other, with every struggles, family interventions, medical conditions, religion differences, they stood together, using their weaknesses as a strength to move forward.
Message from me:
Congratulations Gagan! This book is beyond what “Karan and Zeina” had to endured, thank you for sharing, it is always easy to fall in love but to keep it forever is hard. The journey continues and I do hope love will always prevail.
Gagan Suri, the author
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Weekly photo challenge: the world through your eyes
” A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away” – Eudora Welty
Since i started blogging and have a camera of my own, these are the places I have been to.. From Philippines to Saudi Arabia to Jordan, Atlanta,Boston,Seattle and to Switzerland.
Seattle, Washington USA 
Madain Saleh Saudi Arabia 
Luzern Switzerland 
Jeddah Saudi Arabia 
katanghawan island,Philippines 
Mayon Volcano, Philippines 
Virac catanduanes Philippines 
horse driven carriage in Petra Jordan 
Bouveret Switzerland 
Medieval town of Gruyere’s,Switzerland 
Bouveret ,Switzerland 
boston usa 
world of coca cola, Atlanta USA 
Luzern Switzerland 
Petra Jordan 
dead sea Jordan 
Zermat Switzerland 
Brig Switzerland -
Weekly Photo Challenge: Curves
En route to Taif – a city in the mecca province of Saudi Arabia, at an elevation of 1,879 m (6,165 ft) on the slopes of Sarawat mountain. A family of baboons were at the end of the curves, people enjoyed feeding them as well.
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My lady Gym Instructor: Mauricia T. Garcia
Six years in Gold Gym (Jeddah branch) ohhhh don’t get me that look, yes, I haven’t got any muscles yet but at least I maintained my body built, not too fat and not too skinny. I would say, at age 53, I’m still on a medium scale and in excellent health. My usual workout routine was to go to gym three times a week , the place is about 30 minutes car ride from my clinic.
When my son went to college, I decided to transferred to another gym (E-spa) five minutes walk from our clinic, so i have the chance to go everyday, and this is where i met Reem ,as everyone fondly called her, my lady fitness instructor. Her real name is : MAURICIA T. GARCIA.46 yrs of age from Alcala, Pangasinan, Philippines.
She recently came back from holiday when i did the interview and photo shoots. As anyone (including me, with my two hands up!) an additional fats goes with the holiday 🙂
Tell us about your life in Saudi Arabia, how it differs back home?
The first time I came to KSA, I was so surprised about the way of life here until such time that I adjusted myself to it. There’s a communication barrier because of Language differences.
How did you manage the differences?
I enrolled in the Islamic center just to learn how to speak, write and read Arabic. And with the help of Dictionary , I slowly learned it and helps me a lot in my work especially in swimming lesson.
How many years you been working in the gym?
I started working way back 1996, quite a long years!
Do you think you were fully prepared when you started?
Though, I have a bachelor degree in Education (BSE) and a certified teacher, nothing really prepares you when you are in a foreign country. My first employer was not really good and it hurt me badly but I took it as a challenge to learn and know them better.
With your 17 years experience, any advice for the future expats before they embark on their new life in Saudi Arabia?
First,you need to know the lifestyle, culture and traditions, secondly you should know your rights and privileges as an expat and thirdly, to be ready at all times if ever problems occur. You must have all the important documents and know where and to whom to run in case of emergency.
How about when in it comes to health fitness? any tips?
Balance is the key! well-balanced diet and balance exercise is a must. So as not to injure yourself, you should know what exercises your body needs. I gave classes according to what level my students are.
Yes ladies! I agree with Reem, I have tried to get rid of the two kilos I gained from holiday to no avail. But let me tell you at age 53, i think I’m pretty much toned and firmed. Thank you for the daily dose of exercise routine she is giving me and diet???? Full diet of course, a lot of vegetables and fruits, no red meat (only on cheat day) and plenty of water.
So there you go, I am looking forward to video some of our work outs so we can share it to you also.!
E-spa is located along Thalia Rd. It has Gym, cafeteria,salon,and spa, all in one stop for you beautiful ladies!
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Dr. Myriam- The Dental Aesthetic Clinic 
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