The Harlow Adventure |
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… a quick trip to Jeddah. Actually, Chuck went into work on Friday morning (our weekend) and Abby and I slept in. We woke up at 9:00am with a text message from Daddy. "We're going to Jeddah - leaving at 10. Be ready. Love you."
So that meant quick shower, get packed, get Abby up and around and hit the road. Jeddah is about a 3 hour drive through the desert, but it's really not that bad. We hadn't been to spend any time (or money) in a while, so it was nice to get out for a weekend. The city is more laid back than Yanbu. The malls are amazing, shopping is fantastic and they have tons of western shops and restaurants. We actually stayed at a hotel, Hotel Elaf, connected to the Red Sea Mall - one of the largest malls in the middle east. This mall has everything. Three stories of shopping and dining, not to mention an indoor "carnival" for kids. We love it and out of the many malls in Jeddah, this one is our favorite! We spent Friday afternoon doing a little shopping and letting Abby play in the carnival area, but more importantly, that evening we went to P.F. Changs, which had just opened in Jeddah. This is our favorite restaurant in Raleigh, Chuck and I have been going for years, and to have one here, well, it just makes us feel a bit more at home. So that was truly the reason for the trip. Yes, we have gained some weight since moving here, but that's irrelevant! In the area where P.F. Changs is, they have also opened a Texas Roadhouse, Cheesecake Factory, IHOP, Pizza Express and Shake Shack, so there are lots of choices. We only had lettuce wraps on the mind and the restaurant did not disappoint! I should note that yes, they do have the same set up in chain restaurants here as in the states, often with a bar and everything. They offer the same drink selections, just virgin drinks. For instance, I had a virgin mojito which wasn't bad. The food generally tastes the same. I can say the lettuce wraps and hot and sour soup (my favorites) were just like home. Malls here also stay open way later than in the states. So after dinner, Abby fell fast asleep. We laid her in her stroller and mommy and daddy shopped until well after midnight. I know, parents of the year, but we don't get to shop and enjoy much time together with all the traveling so it was nice. She was sleeping away and we hit the shops, even getting some good deals. We also went to the grocery store in the mall. Now, in Yanbu choices are limited, but with Jeddah being so much bigger, you have a larger selection. I was able to find French's fried onions (ok we're from the south - love these things and have NEVER seen them in Yanbu), fruit snacks, and Campbell's Soup. This was huge since we've never seen it in our local stores. I've been told that it used to be readily available here, but I've never personally seen it. All the soups we have are powder. Finally, we went to the ice-cream section. I'm so jealous and if I had some dry ice I would be hauling some things back! We have around 3 brands here, Baskin Robbins, London Dairy and a local brand. They're good, but Jeddah had Blue Bell, Bryers, Hershey and Ben and Jerry's. I would gain so much weight! Saturday I finally convinced Chuck to take me to IKEA. I've wanted to go since we moved in, but well, he had been avoiding it like the plague! Oh if only our car was bigger! I did get some storage options to help with clutter. Our house is not small, but it's certainly not big either and since the weather is starting to warm up, we spend a lot of time in the house, so toys can overtake living space at times! I also found new knives! This was like Christmas! We received a "soft packet" when we moved over a year ago with basics, but although the knives were new, they weren't great so to have new ones that cut a tomato rather than smashing is just wonderful. Hey, I live in Saudi Arabia and it's the little things that make me happy! The fun thing here is that you can't go far without seeing someone you know and on Saturday we met some friends for lunch at the mall. While we were there, we also ran into some other friends from Yanbu, who like us had gotten away for the weekend. Jeddah is really our quick weekend get-a-way when we need a break from Yanbu. It's still right on the Red Sea, it's busy, but a bit more developed. Women walk though the mall with abaya's unbuttoned, some without an abaya (although very few). The clothing is more colorful and stares are minimal. We really enjoyed our break and look forward to the next one!
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… from our crazy holiday vacation! We left in mid-December and spent Christmas in Edinburgh and New Year's in London. The best part of the trip was that we were able to take my step-son and his fiancé with us! We had so much fun and completely enjoyed ourselves. We were able to stay right across from Edinburgh castle in Scotland and were in walking distance of everything! We went to the Christmas Market, Abby was able to see Santa, we went ice skating and even caught a play. It was cold, which I loved for Christmas, and even snowed a bit. The apartment we stayed in was reasonable and nice, and the lady next door even took the time to decorate the hall for Abby since it was the first time in nearly 2 years she had seen Christmas decorations and real trees! We had a wonderful dinner cooked by my step-son (culinary school really paid off!) and Abby, my future daughter-in-law and I even made a gingerbread house. For New Year's one week in London was fantastic. We went to the usual sites, Chuck, Abby and I scooted off to "Abbey Road" (couldn't resist) and dodged traffic to take a picture. We went to see Peppa Pig and Seussical the Musical with Abby, who LOVED the theater. Went on the London Eye and just relaxed and shopped and ate and well enjoyed a little bit of freedom. After the holiday, Abby and I returned to the states for 3 weeks since she was on school holiday and Chuck returned to Saudi. We had a bit of a whirlwind with family, but we did get to enjoy some time together. Abby saw Frozen twice, we had her 4th birthday party at Grandma and PopPop's, got to see our dog, Bingo and Mommy enjoyed driving and having a drink or two as well (although not at the same time of course)! It's funny but I've gotten so used to life here in Saudi that although it was VERY hard to return and leave my parents and friends, it is nice to be back to our "home." Living out of a suitcase for over a month is tiring and we've made our life here. We've been back nearly a week and Abby is back in school. We're already planning our next vacation in March for a week and then a big trip back to the States in June. While I was home, someone told me they didn't feel that Abby had a "base" or a "home." I have to say that statement really bothered me. In the traditional sense, no, we travel spending part of the year in Saudi and the other part in the States, but even at 4, I really feel that Abby understands we have 2 homes. When people ask her where she lives, she tells them, "Saudi Arabia and Pennsylvania, but I'm from North Carolina." We've tried to make her understand that wherever she is safe and loved, that is a home, not the walls or the roof, but where her family is, whether we're in a hotel in London, a house in Saudi, or my parents' home in the states. She was very sad to leave her grandma and PopPop this time. She's getting older and she understands more about the missing and saying goodbye part, but even through the tears, she told my mom, "We'll be back soon and I'll talk to you every day, Grandma!" When we got here though, she was fine, seeing her friends, her toys and of course her daddy. But in all reality, even if we lived in the US still, we would be in North Carolina and my parents in Pennsylvania. She would see them less than she does now, and we'd still Skype and talk and miss them terrible. All in all, it was a very good, busy and crazy vacation. I'm happy to be back with my hubby and settled for at least a couple months before we're off again. It's nice to finally understand, and even have Abby remind us, that wherever we are in this adventure, as long as we're together, we're "home." I've been very bad about updating the blog this summer - Abby and I spent 3 months in the states with my mom and dad while Chuck was in Saudi. We went to waterparks, Abby took swimming lessons, we made a trip to North Carolina and Virginia to see friends and family and we just enjoyed our "freedom" for a bit. I drove and dressed in western clothes, and yes, Mommy enjoyed some adult beverages. For the past 3 weeks we've been on a whirlwind vacation throughout Europe. We've been to Munich, Germany; Lofer, Austria; Venice and Pisa, Italy; and right now we're in Connelles, France getting ready to head to Madrid, Spain tomorrow for the last of our journey. It's been a wonderful break catching up with friends and family and just relaxing, but next week is back to reality. Abby starts preschool, I'm going to be teaching 2 classes at the college this semester and Chuck has about a month of catching up to do with his position. There are many many many new faces in Yanbu that I cannot wait to meet. They have built a new children's play area in the city. They are expanding the primary mall. Parsons is working on construction and renovation of an athletic center for employees and families, and the WACC (women's group) is having a larger home renovated for their use in the fall. There are plans for a bus for the women of Parsons as well. There is so much going on and I have to admit I'm a little anxious to get back to our "home" and friends. Our vacation has been amazing and we have seen sooooo many things, but reality is looming and we will soon be back in the land of sand for the final year of Chuck's original contract. Will be updated more consistently as our lives become more routine and regular once again! was amazing! We decided to take a quick weekend get away to Abu Dhabi for my birthday. We looked at Dubai, but there is so much to see and do, there was no chance of us getting through it in a weekend, and the price was quite high compared to its sister city, so we opted for Abu Dhabi. WOW! Let me start by saying whatever could have gone wrong on this trip did, but that's what made it fun and memorable, we learned to laugh a lot! The night before we left, I went to check in and somehow from booking to ticketing Abby's name was incorrect. She was Abby Allow and instead of Harlow. We spent nearly 5 hours between phone calls and going to the ticket office to try and fix it. In the end the answer was, "Well drive the 3 hours to Jeddah in the morning and see if they will let her on the plane." So we purchased fully refundable tickets on another airline (our flight was completely booked) and hoped for the best. When we got there, they did let Abby on the original flight, so we now have tickets to the next vacation paid for and waiting! From the minute we got off the airplane, it was so different than Yanbu. As a woman, you did not have to wear an abaya, there were no family sections in restaurants and the duty free shop had buy 3 get 1 free on wine! Abu Dhabi is very clean and neat. My take on Yanbu is that it is still growing and changing and you see deserted buildings around, but in the UAE, they are growing so although there was a lot of construction, it just looked cleaner and neater than Yanbu. Also, women can drive in Abu Dhabi. It was almost strange to see a woman driving, or running and biking along the Corniche for that matter. The city truly made me forget I was still in the Middle East. It's very modern and although it certainly has its traditions and many are very loyal to their Muslim culture and faith, it has become a modern and westernized city that mixes the new and the old brilliantly. The architecture was breathtaking. The buildings, bridges and tunnels are all truly artwork. Every tunnel had elaborate designs on it laid out in tile, and the buildings were amazing. From walkways connecting 40-50 story buildings, to a building covered in the Mercedes symbol to a glass canopy covering an outside walkway, it was just a beautiful city. Not to mention the marina with the walkways and mall along the water or the Corniche with the beaches and parks where families could enjoy the outdoors. We stayed at the Eastern Mangrove Hotel, which is a new hotel just outside of the downtown. It was very nice with 2 restaurants, a lounge and spa. Well, Chuck had upgraded us to a suite with a small swimming pool, but when we got to our room, we had a suite but no swimming pool. When he called the front desk, the attendants were very helpful and were trying to rebook us in the correct room, but the manager refused. So, we did the math and realized the extra we paid for with the suite evened out to breakfasts and internet costs (they weren't included in the standard room) so we just laughed and moved on. At least we had 2 rooms for some privacy, 2 balconies and 2 bathrooms, which was nice. The view of the city from our room was gorgeous as well. The hotel is situated just to the side of the Mangroves in the city, which is a protected wildlife preserve. In the mornings, we could see schools of fish in the inlet, birds and other animals wandering along the banks. Very peaceful and relaxing! We visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which was gorgeous. There are few words to describe the beauty of this mosque. From the carved columns with gold detail to the many chandeliers that hang from the intricately carved and decorated domes, the mosque is one stop for any visitor to the city. Women do have to wear and abaya there, but they have them to borrow before entering. I brought my own, with my hijab as you must cover your hair as well. Abby was ok to wear whatever she wished. Chuck had to have long pants on and sleeves, but they also provide a throbe for men if necessary. The tour guides there were fantastic. Abby is still 3 and was a little bored, so our guide played along with her and explained that he was Aladdin and that this was his castle. That Jasmine was sleeping in her room and Raj and Abu were roaming around the grounds somewhere. We were able to enjoy the tour and she was happy! That evening we went to dinner at the Emirates Palace, THE hotel to see in Abu Dhabi. It was crazy, from the entrance to the lobby to the cafe in the middle of the hotel. No expense had been spared on this structure. We had my birthday dinner at the sea food restaurant in the hotel. It was beautiful. We sat outside for dinner, there was a bit of a breeze and it was so relaxing. The food was good, but insanely expensive! I drank wine, Chuck had a beer, Abby had her juice, we felt a bit normal and so relaxed. After dinner we walked to the cafe in the lobby. You can order a cappuccino with gold leaf, and I had to try it. It was so delicious! Abby had her green tea and several chocolates that the water just seemed to keep bringing. Then out of nowhere, a group of men and the cafe manager bring a small chocolate cake out and the piano player in the middle of the lobby starts playing happy birthday! I had several strangers singing happy birthday to me as I enjoyed chocolate cake and cappuccino with gold. Truly a birthday to remember! We have decided on our next trip we will certainly be staying at the Palace. It was amazing and something you should experience if you get the chance! The second day of our trip was very quiet. Chuck had booked me a 3 hour spa session (can you say Heaven) and he and Abby enjoyed the pool. It was soooooo nice to have a break. See, before moving to Yanbu, I worked full time and Abby was in day care, now I work about 4 hours a week, but the rest of the time we are together. I'm not comfortable with baby sitters here yet, so we are together 24/7. It was nice to have a little me time for a change. I love my daughter dearly, but as any mother can tell you, no matter how much you love them, you both need a break from time to time. That evening we went on a desert safari. WHAT FUN! The guide picked us up at our hotel and we headed out into the desert about 40 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi. We did a sand dune ride, which my daughter loved. Mommy and daddy were a little worried, I swear a couple times we were on 1 or 2 wheels instead of 4, but my daredevil was in the back yelling, "Faster!" We then went to a camel farm where you could ride the camel. Abby and I tried, but our saddle was falling off and the camel was not happy. Chuck caught Abby was I landed on my bum, laughing the whole way. Hey, it was an experience and we tried it. Somewhere out there are several strangers who were on the safari with us that have a picture of me lying in the sand next to the camel. If anyone reads this could you forward me a copy. Chuck was too busy laughing to get a good action shot! :) We then went to a traditional camp and had a bbq. The food was delicious, beef, lamb and chicken. Traditional hummus (which is soooo good here), fruit and of course rice; Abby ate and ate. After dinner, we sat on the stars and they brought out the shisha pipes. Chuck and I both gave it a try and it's an experience. They soak the tobacco in apple juice, so it's not like smoking a cigarette or a cigar. Very nice and relaxing and we can say we tried it once! The last morning we headed to the Marina Mall before we left. They have a rotating tower with restaurant there that has views all over the city. I'm not good with heights but I braved it and we enjoyed a nice lunch before heading to the airport. I have to say it was very hard to leave. I love Yanbu, I truly do enjoy our life here. We have friends that are amazing and more like family. Our house is nice and we have a garden that we've worked hard on that is very relaxing to enjoy. The beaches are close and I love that our family spends so much time together here. But, it's nice to feel "normal" as well. To go without the abaya, to wear western clothes, to hear music in public and to eat in an open restaurant; there are so many little things you miss. But all in all, I look at it as it's an experience. Yanbu is not our permanent home, and while we're here we make the best of it. Without it, we wouldn't be able to see all these wonderful sights and enjoy the time as a family. However, if Chuck gets the opportunity - I think Abu Dahbi would make a wonderful next assignment! :) Disney World. That's right, the whole world at our fingertips and we take our first family vacation to the USA! Hey four months in Kingdom and mommy and Abby needed a break and some family time :) In late February to March, our family took a three week whirlwind adventure home. Abby and I flew to my parents' house in PA for a week, while Chuck went to Omaha to visit his oldest daughter. We then met up with my middle step daughter, Shelby in Disney World and spent a whole week enjoying the happiest place on earth. The last week, Chuck, Abby and I traveled to our "home", Raleigh, NC to visit family and friends. It was so much fun and I couldn't have asked for a better vacation! When we arrived in Pennsylvania, it was snowing. Poor Abby had on 4 layers of clothes and was still shivering under 2 blankets on the ride home. What a shock from the 90+DEG weather we're used to. She had a blast playing in the snow though! And for me, it was so good to drive and shop without interruption! My mom spoiled us as well, as we had prime rib and bacon, sausage, ribs, ham and well almost every pork product you could imagine. Abby ate at least 4 packages of Goldfish Crackers in the first week. It's the little things you miss most. Disney World! AHHHHH! I hadn't been in, well, a very long time and for Abby it was her first visit. We had so much fun! Abby was a princess every day - when people would ask her name, she would answer with a princess name, Cinderella, Repunzle, Snow White, Aurora. She was in heaven. We rode the rides and saw the sites. Met almost every character we could and had a wonderful family vacation full of memories. On the last day, Abby finally became a princess and was transformed at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She chose Sleeping Beauty and was so cute. Even had a magical moment, getting her transformation done in the window of the boutique. She had lunch with princesses, went to a sing along and campfire with Chip and Dale, rode Dumbo, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Ariel and Nemo. She visited all the countries at Epcot and loved Beauty and the Beast on stage at Hollywood Studios. She met the Disney Jr. characters and saw a live muppet show. The best part for mommy and daddy was seeing the look on her face as she experienced everything for the first time. That look of wonder is well worth the 27 hour trip to the USA. The final week of our vacation was spent in Raleigh, NC with our family and friends. SO MUCH FUN! We visited everyone we possibly could. We spent time with Chuck's family and saw our lovely doggie, Bingo, who by the way has been eating very well! My step son, CJ and his fiance Becca came to stay with us, along with some wonderful friends from Chuck's Navy days. We ate ALOT, and drank some :) Chuck and I even had 2 date nights with our favorite babysitters. Something we used to do on a regular basis, but it's a little difficult in Saudi. We went dancing and shopping, I visited my work and saw some friends. I was even driving in a car, by myself for the first time in months. (Like I said it's the little things) :) After three weeks, it was hard to leave, but I also learned that I missed Yanbu and our friends here. Despite all the changes and frustrations, not to mention the adjustments and differences, I do like Yanbu. Abby and I are still adjusting, and yes it was very hard to return and leave all our family and friends again, but this is our life now. We are learning more and more to be flexible and appreciate all the blessings we have. There is so much our family has to be thankful for and if nothing else, this adventure has made us appreciate what we have in the USA, from material things to our freedoms to the conveniences of home, and yes even Walmart. :) I wouldn't trade one minute of this experience, and after 6 months I am still glad we took the leap! To Yanbu, sort of. :)
We've been very busy getting ready for Christmas here. We were lucky enough to have a friend lend us a tree and Abby and I spent a day making popcorn garland for it. We have worked on some salt dough ornaments and other decorations to A new friend here also gave us some porceline handmade ornaments that have been added and I was able to find some lights, so the tree looks pretty good if I must say so :) We were also able to go to a Christmas party at the Cove, which is a compound for westerners in Yanbu. Santa even made an appearnace so Abby was super excited! They had wonderful food and a band - so felt a little more like home for a few hours. Last weekend we took a shopping trip to Jeddah. Jeddah is about a 2-3 hour drive from Yanbu through the desert and is one of Saudi Arabia's largest cities. The city has about 3 million people living there and is more westernized than Yanbu. There are more American restaurants, such as Chilis, Applebees, Fudruckers, KFC and we even found the Cheesecake Factory and Hardees! We stayed at the Jeddah Hilton and really only shopped at 1 mall, The Red Sea Mall. 3 stories of pure shopping bliss!! Prices are somewhat higher in Jeddah, but the mall has alot of high end stores as well (Pierre Cardan, Tiffany's, Burberry, Coach etc.) We spent some money, but we had expected to. Chuck bought me a new Guess purse along with some bling bling to match. I also hit up a couple clothing stores and bought 3 new outfits, but surprisingly no shoes, which is unusual for me! We also were able to knock out alot of Santa's shopping duties for Abby as there were toy stores galore! The mall also boasts an amusement park which took up about 3 hours of our time 1 evening but she had a blast! Some tips, however, if traveling to Jeddah. TRAFFIC is CRAZY! and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. New York has nothing on this town! We actually parked our car and took taxis to and from the shopping centers. We did venture to downtown Jeddah one evening. At the end of a 20 minute cab ride I was literally on the floor board holding onto Abby, eyes closed and praying. Signs, lanes and stop lights are only suggestions, and I have to say, no one really heeds them. At one point, cars were on the sidewalk with horns blasting. Not for the faint of heart! Stay at a hotel close to where you want to travel. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to and from one place to another and always be aware of prayer times. Try and duck in a restaurant or coffee shop during prayer times since they will keep serving throughout the prayer. Be ready to spend and I mean spend. Shopping is more than double what most things cost in Yanbu, and about double what you might pay in the US. The makeup I typically wear in the US runs roughly $30 USD / bottle. In Jeddah they were asking around $55 USD. Also be ready for some late nights. The stores really get going around 8:00pm after the last prayer. You have never seen so much black! Oh and if you experience an arrest, it's nothing like the US. While we were there 2 men were in an altercation and one was arrested. The police put him in a vehicle, no restraints and didn't even lock the vehicle! The man was getting in and out of the vehicle and continued to yell. In the US he would have been down on the ground and restrained for sure! All in all though, the city is gorgeous! We stayed right on the Red Sea and had a beautiful view of the beach. Loved the area and the archeticture is amazing. Really breathtaking! If you have a chance have to go to the automall as well closest I've ever been to a lamborghini. :) Oh and one last thing. Have to say the salon at the Hilton was great! I got a very good hair cut and they gave Abby a manicure and pedicure while waiting. She was in heaven! Time to get ready for Ho Ho! Presents are hid throughout the house and we're awaiting his arrival in just 2 short days. Have to work out a menu for Christmas Eve Dinner. Prime Rib and Ham are out so we may be onto Chicken or Fish :) Merry Christmas everyone!!! |