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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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 Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:43 am Post subject: Re: Any tips on how one can prepare for the big move... |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
| lizziebennet wrote: |
| So far I have bought 3 abayas, started reading culture shock Saudi Arabia and had 1 arabic lesson. |
While the boys play...  I'll give you rather my standard advice as to what I found that I needed. I always took sheets and my pillow because I am picky - most people can find something acceptable there. For the kitchen, I had a rubbermaid (sheet) cake holder (don't know if they even have them any more, but you know the size I mean) and in it I put all my favorite kitchen gadgets and basics. Most of the things I carried about are still in my kitchen now.
It wasn't clear if you are teaching or accompanying your teacher husband. As to shoes, I agree with Grendal. Bring walker/runners, one pair of dress shoes, and both casual and work style sandals. I wore sandals all year for teaching.
Favorite cosmetics... OTC medications if you are choosy. If you are the type that buys whatever is on sale, you will likely find it in KSA. Check to make sure any of your prescription meds are available there... most are.
VS |
Good high count cotton sheets are available, but good luck with a decent pillow. I also brought my own sheets and pillows. Cannot live without down! |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 1670
Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:02 am Post subject: |
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Sealy and Serta have outlets in the big cities, so you can get your pillows there.
But the best place for pillows are medical equipment stores and a store called "BackComfort". There you can find anatomically correct pillows, you know, the ones with a valley running on top lengthwise, where the head goes, and are thicker at the front for the neck. You can also get pillows (mattresses) made from memory foam. And then there is IKEA.
Nearly everything is available in SA. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:29 am Post subject: Re: Any tips on how one can prepare for the big move... |
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| desultude wrote: |
| Good high count cotton sheets are available, but good luck with a decent pillow. I also brought my own sheets and pillows. Cannot live without down! |
For me it is knit sheets... t-shirt cotton for the warm weather and flannel for the cooler. 
BTW... if you are going to take sheets... I always took king sized and not fitted because you never know what size the mattresses will be.
VS |
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leez
Joined: 05 Jun 2009
Posts: 115
Location: wait until next week...yes, of course the embassy is closed on monday!
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:00 am Post subject: |
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Dear John,
This is exactly what I was looking for; thanks much. And it's good to know that I can carry a script with me for filling.
Cheers,
Leezer
xo |
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Mia Xanthi
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 955
Location: why is my heart still in the Middle East while the rest of me isn't?
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:37 am Post subject: |
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Good quality sheets are hard to find in KSA, and they will cost you dearly.
MAC is available at any urban mall.
Shoes will wear out quickly on the hot pavement. If you have some that you really like, you might want to bring two pairs.
As for the OTC stuff, everything is available without prescription, and I mean EVERYTHING, except for narcotics and tranquilizers.
You won't find anything for Christmas or the holidays in KSA. You can bring things like Christmas cards and decorations in your suitcase, and chances are that no one will even look at them. This is probably the only thing that is truly difficult to find in KSA.
One note about shopping in KSA: you will find very high-end items, and very low-end items, but little in between. For clothes, it's either designer stuff or stuff that falls apart after one wash. |
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meyanga
Joined: 02 Mar 2008
Posts: 103
Location: Malaysia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:20 am Post subject: |
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As far as cosmetics go do they sell M.A.C in saudi? If not I guess I'll pick up what I need in duty free as the year goes on (while I am doing visa runs for the business visa)... Although I am not sure if we are even allowed wearing make up at work from the sounds of some of the previous posts.
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Of course you can wear make up!
I posted a lot here for advice before I came out and I was very grateful for all the help I got, it really did make a big difference. However, I must say, that for anyone coming to JEDDAH, life is far less complicated, much more liberal and much more normal than I was led to believe.
For example, my husband has long dreadlocks - we were told to expect stares and even comments - this has never happened, actually no-one gives him a second glance. Many trendy young guys here have long or medium length hair.
The 'suffocating humidity' of Jeddah mentioned by VS in another thread is simply not true - the winter months are perfect, really lovely. Summer of course is hot, but not unbearable. We still go to the beach every weekend.
It is also worth mentioning that for famiies, life in Jeddah is great. Much easier, more stress free and less expensive than in the west. We have two young kids who are really happy here and have settled in well. There are lots of good nurseries and lots of activities for them.
Moving to Jeddah has not been any harder than moving to any other countries I have worked in. Actually after all my reading and research, I had built up so much in my head that when I arrived there was much less of a culture shock than I'd expected!
KSA is not another planet!
Meyanga (a happy expat in Jeddah)  |
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rigel
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 308
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:05 am Post subject: |
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| meyanga wrote: |
...
Moving to Jeddah has not been any harder than moving to any other countries I have worked in. Actually after all my reading and research, I had built up so much in my head that when I arrived there was much less of a culture shock than I'd expected!
KSA is not another planet! |
For a guy like me, it'd be another planet, at least based on what I've read about the KSA. Speaking of other planets, I envision the KSA to be like what a moon base or Mars base would be like. |
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lizziebennet
Joined: 24 May 2009
Posts: 355
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:18 am Post subject: Post deleted |
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Post deleted
Last edited by lizziebennet on Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 861
Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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Mrs. lizziebennet wrote:
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| It will be so wierd living 10 or 15 minutes away from huge malls, supermarkets (even Carrefour) and so many international restaurants but not being able to go there... |
1.) Even if the mall was a 5 min. walk from your house you'd have a hard time in the heat and dust storms.
2.) Travel in Saudia is preferable in air conditioned vehicles plus it gives you added concealment.
3.) We travelled 20 mins. to our fav. plaza and didn't really mind it much. We got to see the country and historic buildings along the way.
4.) You will be able to go there in groups of women or with your husband.
Regards
Grendal |
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meyanga
Joined: 02 Mar 2008
Posts: 103
Location: Malaysia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It will be so wierd living 10 or 15 minutes away from huge malls, supermarkets (even Carrefour) and so many international restaurants but not being able to go there... |
Why would you not be able to go there?
meyanga  |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| meyanga wrote: |
| The 'suffocating humidity' of Jeddah mentioned by VS in another thread is simply not true - the winter months are perfect, really lovely. Summer of course is hot, but not unbearable. We still go to the beach every weekend. |
Of course the winter months are pleasant... but the approx 8 months of extreme heat can be suffocating with the addition of high humidity that one always has on water, as so many of my friends whined and complained. I suspect that this is something that depends on your personal tolerance. Friends from Florida or Texas thought it was fine... friends from cooler or dryer climes thought it was ghastly.
VS |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| My question is 'What can my husband and I do to better prepare ourselves for the big move to Saudi'. |
The first thing I would say is don't worry too much about what to pack. As others have said, just about everything is available in KSA (at least in the bigger cities). It's hard for us to give you advice here: inevitably over time you'll find that you can't get certain things in KSA and will need to bring them from home, but what these things are varies from person to person. If you enjoy reading anything other than 'light fiction' it's a good idea to bring books with you as the selection is very limited, even in Riyadh. Of course, there's always Amazon and the online booksellers who dlever to KSA.
Rather than focussing too much on packing, the most important preparation is psychological. unless you're in a very hot country now, be prepared to be schocked by the heat. I arrived in KSA for the fist time in September, and was traumatised by the heat for a good few weeks. My colleagues' comments about how "Oh, this is nothing - you should have been here in July' were not helpful!
Also, be prepared to be patient and to adapt to a concept of time very different from your own - things do get done, just in their own time, not yours! |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Cleopatra wrote: |
| Rather than focussing too much on packing, the most important preparation is psychological. unless you're in a very hot country now, be prepared to be schocked by the heat. I arrived in KSA for the fist time in September, and was traumatised by the heat for a good few weeks. My colleagues' comments about how "Oh, this is nothing - you should have been here in July' were not helpful! |
Nothing quite prepares you for the exit from the airport... so often one arrives in the middle of the night. To give yourself a hint... turn your oven on and let it get up to a nice high temperature. Then lean down and open the oven door.
It was like trying to explain real cold to my students. I would tell them go a supermarket and ask them to get into the freezer. Once in there... think... this is considered a warm winter day in (dec to mar) where Ms VS grew up.
To be honest, even after years of living there, it was always a shock to leave the airport coming back from summer leave. It is just that one acclimates faster every year.
VS |
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lizziebennet
Joined: 24 May 2009
Posts: 355
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: Post deleted |
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Post deleted
Last edited by lizziebennet on Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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desultude
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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| trapezius wrote: |
Sealy and Serta have outlets in the big cities, so you can get your pillows there.
But the best place for pillows are medical equipment stores and a store called "BackComfort". There you can find anatomically correct pillows, you know, the ones with a valley running on top lengthwise, where the head goes, and are thicker at the front for the neck. You can also get pillows (mattresses) made from memory foam. And then there is IKEA.
Nearly everything is available in SA. |
I want down pillows- which I expect IKEA (yuck) has. I found that I could get most of what I wanted in the Kingdom or Bahrain (except booze and pork!). |
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