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ummimraan
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 13
Location: Abu Dhabi
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 Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 9:52 pm Post subject: Riyadh DQ |
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| Can anyone tell me what life is like in the DQ? I am interested in finding out how to get around, get the kids from school, do shopping, go to the masjid, find schools for the kids etc... There really isn't a lot of information on the web. |
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bdbarnett1
Joined: 27 Apr 2003
Posts: 178
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 4:05 am Post subject: Re: Riyadh DQ |
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| ummimraan wrote: |
| Can anyone tell me what life is like in the DQ? I am interested in finding out how to get around, get the kids from school, do shopping, go to the masjid, find schools for the kids etc... There really isn't a lot of information on the web. |
Not a lot there in the way of schools, but lots to do after school. Last I heard, it was nice and cool there, and even a little creamy.
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Queen of Sheba
Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 397
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: Riyadh DQ |
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| ummimraan wrote: |
| Can anyone tell me what life is like in the DQ? I am interested in finding out how to get around, get the kids from school, do shopping, go to the masjid, find schools for the kids etc... There really isn't a lot of information on the web. |
Its life as usual in Riyadh and on the DQ. Getting around is easy, there are lots of taxis in the area, and all of Riyadh that go whereever you want and can even speak enough English to make sense of where you need to go. There is a grocery store, several fast food restaurants and a post office on the DQ. Banks, pharamaices and even a clinic exist on the DQ. Its a small city actually. There are kindergarten, elementary and high schools on the DQ and many in Riyadh for kids, both English medium and Arabic. They usually have a bus service that runs to the DQ, when a parent requests. There are several masjids on the DQ, and thousands all around Riyadh.
I hope that helps, especially since the previous post was extremely useless and a little weird. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| that go whereever you want and can even speak enough English to make sense of where you need to go. |
Things must have improved since the times when taxi drivers only spoke Bengali or Urdu, and not Arabic or English. I picked one up at the driving school who had obviously just got his licence. He knew two destinations, Riyadh and Airport.
There was one restaurant in Riyadh where the only language the staff spoke was Pashtun. You'd have thought the boss might have realized why he had so few customers. |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 1670
Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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While only very few of the South Asian taxi drivers speak/understand [broken] English, most of them speak enough Arabic to converse with an Arab, let alone to be able to understand just a few words from someone.
But the problem maybe that white people have difficulty pronouncing Arabic letters and words, and even if they can say a few words, someone who is not an Arab might not understand them. And I have seen that in action with my American/British friends. |
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Queen of Sheba
Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 397
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| I have had very few problems communicating effectively with taxi drivers, and I think you are all exaggerating, as usual. I think the problem has less to do with the white man's accent and more to do with the fact that some white people expect too much, as usual. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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Yea, silly me, expecting waiters in Saudi to speak something other than Pashto, or Riyadh taxi drivers to know where Olaya Street is.
Talk about expecting too much; I'll be expecting She Baa to post some sense next. |
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ummimraan
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 13
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info.
I am glad that my Arabic is pretty good. I am sure I will need it.
Thanks |
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ummimraan
Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 13
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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BTW,
How much does it cost to get some domestic help? With 4 kids I will need it. Are there any Arab speaking nannies or maids??
Just wonderin' |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 6:01 am Post subject: |
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Lots of domestic help around - including Arabic speakers. Your problem will be finding one who is LEGAL.
Not sure about Riyadh but the rate in Jeddah was about 1000 SR a month - live in. |
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Queen of Sheba
Joined: 07 May 2006
Posts: 397
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Stephen Jones wrote: |
Yea, silly me, expecting waiters in Saudi to speak something other than Pashto, or Riyadh taxi drivers to know where Olaya Street is.
Talk about expecting too much; I'll be expecting She Baa to post some sense next. |
Yes you are right, it makes perfect sense to assume that Indians, Bengalis, Afghanis, Pakistanis, and Saudis should speak English in Saudi Arabia. I suppose it makes sense that Saudis and the rest of the aforementioned crowd should go to England and speak with the fish and chips dude in Arabic. I am glad you clarified that, otherwise I would have taken you for an ESL colonial imperialist. |
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The_Prodiigy
Joined: 01 Apr 2006
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Queen of Sheba needs help. |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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When taking a taxi from Jeddah to the airport, where the Bengali is a taxi driver, this how the dialogue will happen:
007: Sadik, Ana wadi Rouh Al-Matar (airport)
Taxi driver: Yes, Ma Fi Mushkillah,
007: Kam Ewadi Al-Matar (how much?)
Driver: 30 Riyals
007: No, Katheer (too much)
Driver: Anta Goul (you say), how much ?
007: Ana aatick 20 Riyals (I give you 20 R)
Driver: 25 riyals,
007: La (no), 20 riyals!
Driver: OK, Mafi Mushkillah (no problem)
007: Yallah ala Al-matar (to the airport)
Driver: Sadik, Sawi Hizam (put the seat belt).
007: Ana Mani Sadik (I am not sadik), Ana Bash Muhandiss (I am an engineer), Anta Fih Mushkillah!! 
The above language, is the common broken 'Arabic' used mainly to communicate with Bangalis, Indians, Pakistani, Philipino in daily life, you need to learn it through trial-and-error, and not through books or cooks.
And if you take a maid or a nanny from above nationalities, it will be a disaster for your children if you want them to learn proper Arabic!!! |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Queen of Sheba needs help. |
As far as understanding English goes certainly.
Dear She Baa, Pashto is not the same as Arabic. The waiters I referred to did not speak Arabic, or English, or Urdu or Bengali or Farsi or French or German or Italian or any other language that myself and my Egyptian and Syrian companions had some knowledge of.
In general the sub-continental taxi drivers are more likely to speak English than Arabic, not only because they may well have picked up some English at home, but because most of their customers are expats (how many male Saudis do you know without a car, or how many female Saudis do you see flagging down a taxi at the side of the road). Even now, when the number of new taxi drivers is declining, it is still common to get a Bengali taxi driver who speaks little Arabic or English, and has no idea where anywhere in the town is. This is because he has just started the job and the majority of his customers are fellow nationals.
My experience of the labour camps around Jubail is that there are more Saudi taxi drivers carrying third world expats than third world expat taxi drivers taking Saudis.
In shops the language depends on the area you live in. The expat shop assistants will speak mainly Arabic if most of their customers are poor Saudis, and more likely many will speak English if they live in a middle class area where there are westerners and saudis that speak English.
As more and more supermarkets are being staffed by Saudis who also speak basic English the situation is changing. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| How's your Arabic, Stephen? |
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