American by Accident and What the IRS May Have to Say About It

Guest post by I. J. Zemelman, EA, Taxes for Expats
 

Default Citizenship by Birth

Thanks to the US Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, any person born in the United States is automatically a US Citizen – despite the nationality of his/her parents or the length of time spent in the US. Conversely, children born outside of the United States can also receive automatic US Citizenship, provided at least one of the biological parents is a United States Citizen and had spent at least 5 years in the US or a US Territory prior to the birth of the child. The only exception to the laws of citizenship at birth is that of a child born to a foreign diplomat while serving official duty in the United States.

Taxation of Worldwide Income

Having default American Citizenship may seem like a great gift to offer a child with immigrants for parents; but if the child winds up living and working in another country as an adult and never enters the United States, an unfair tax burden will be placed on the individual: A requirement to file an annual US expat tax return and reporting his worldwide income. This requirement is imposed on every United States Citizen no matter where in the world he/she is living. Not only will the individual be responsible for personal income taxes in the United States, he/she will also be liable for any estate taxes which are owed by parents or other descendents if they passed with any tax liability.

How to Legally Avoid Filing a United States Tax Return

If an individual was born with a default US Citizen status and does not wish to live or work in the United States or be responsible for US taxes, the individual has an option to give up his/her United States Citizenship. This can be done in one of 2 ways: Relinquishment or Renunciation of citizenship.

Relinquishment of United States Citizenship

Relinquishment of United States Citizenship isn’t necessarily easy, but it’s an option for an individual who’s lived his/her life in another country and has taken patriotic steps as a citizen of that country such as having enrolled in foreign military, taken an oath of allegiance, or has otherwise accepted foreign citizenship. Upon turning 18 years of age, a default US Citizen who has lived his/her entire life in another country may voluntarily relinquish all the rights and liberties of United States Citizenship and, therefore, be free of all US Citizen responsibilities of filing US taxes.

In order for the relinquishment of citizenship to be formally recognized, an individual must have completed one or more foreign patriot acts including those which were previously mentioned) defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 349. If the individual had lived and worked in the United States for any portion of time, simply relinquishing his/her status will not be sufficient. If any money was earned by the individual living and working in the US as a Citizen, an exit tax will be assessed, and steps to renounce citizenship must be taken.

Renunciation of United States Citizenship

While a relinquishment of US Citizenship is limited to those who have spent their entire lives (or a considerable amount of time) living as a citizen of a foreign country, voluntary renunciation of US Citizenship can be performed by any United States Citizen as long as all tax liabilities are met. In order to satisfy United States tax liability, one must have met all of his/her obligations as a taxpayer for the previous 5 years. Additionally, a person renouncing his/her citizenship will be required to pay estate taxes on property or other valuables as if the items had been sold. This imposition is part of what’s known as an exit tax: The final taxes the IRS imposes onto its expatriating Citizens officially and permanently renouncing their citizenship.
 

If an individual had earned over a specific threshold in the 5 year period preceding expatriation, he/she may be subject to additional taxes as part of the exit tax. Additional penalties may be assessed on individuals who have not sufficiently proven and stated to the IRS that all tax obligations for the preceding 5-year period had been met. In order to ‘prove’ that an individual has met all tax obligations for the previous 5 years, he/she must complete a very detailed form and send it to the IRS with a final tax return. The information required on the form includes a certification under penalty of perjury that all taxes (income, gift, estate, etc) have been paid and there is no outstanding tax liability.

There are circumstances in which an expatriating US Citizen can avoid being charged an exit tax. If the individual had spent a period of 10 years or longer out of the 15 year period preceding expatriation living as a citizen in a foreign country and had not accrued any US tax liability for a period of 5 years or more, he/she may be able to expatriate without having to pay an exit tax, unless property or other valuable assets are held within the United States. Find out more about voluntarily renouncing US Citizenship.

If you are an individual with dual citizenship and you have never taken steps to relinquish or renounce your US Citizenship, you may be interested in taking the time to make sure that you are current on your US expat tax obligations and take the steps to free yourself of future tax liability. If you are in debt to the IRS for not having filed previous years’ returns, Taxes for Expats can help get you on track and may be able to help you avoid paying excessive fees and back taxes.

I.J. Zemelman, EA is the founder of Taxesfor Expats. She may be reached at: +1-646-397-2887
Email: questions@taxesforexpats.com
Web site: www.taxesforexpats.com

Saudi Arabia: Arabic for Expats

You might be new in Saudi Arabia, and you are probably baffled by the complexity of the Arabic language. Never mind, most of us who came to Saudi Arabia for the first time faced the same situation. Before our departure to Saudi Arabia, we thought it wise to learn some words in Arabic, but when we arrived here, we found that what was spoken was completely different from what we had learnt in the books. 

You would find many English language institutes around, but it is hard to come by an Arabic language institute. In most cases, people usually hire private tutors to teach them Arabic. The charges range between 100-200 SAR per hour. Some online tutors charge lower than this (30 SAR per hour).

For those who wish to learn Arabic at institutes, I would recommend the following: Arabic Bayan institute for Jeddah residents and the Arab Institute for Arabic Language for Riyadh residents. There are probably others, but I wish to check them out before posting here.

• ARABIC BAYAN INSTITUTE, JEDDAH

With courtesy from Arabic Bayan Institute, Jeddah

This institute is a private educational institute that is run by a well known professor of linguistics. Its aim is to enhance linguistic performance in Arabic as well as the functional and creative writing skills of non-native Arabic speakers. They offer onsite and online classes. 

For inquiries, please contact:

Dr. Mutair Husain 
Mobile: 0506364725
Email: mutair.almalki@hotmail.com or support@albayan-arabic.org

• ARAB INSTITUTE FOR ARABIC LANGUAGE, RIYADH

This institute offers Arabic language courses for both native and non-native speakers of the Arabic language. They are currently offering discounts of up to 10% for new learners of the Arabic language (offer started on October 20, 2012). Below are the course programs:

1. General Program for Adults: 
- Course name: General Program for Adults 
- Course level: Beginner level 
- Course gender: Males 
- Course duration: 2 months - 8 weeks - 48 hours 
- Course days: Sun, Tues, Thurs. 
- Course hours: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm 
- Course start: 04th Nov. 2012 
- Course location: Diplomatic Quarter 
- Course fees: 2000 Saudi Riyals 

2. General Program for Adults: 
- Course name: General Program for Adults 
- Course level: Beginner level 
- Course gender: Females 
- Course duration: 2 months - 8 weeks - 48 hours 
- Course days: Sun, Tues, 
- Course hours: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm 
- Course start: 04th Nov. 2012 
- Course location: New Princess Nora University - Airport Road 
- Course fees: 2000 Saudi Riyals 

3. General Program for Adults: 
- Course name: General Program for Adults 
- Course level: Beginner level 
- Course gender: Males 
- Course duration: 2 months - 8 weeks - 48 hours 
- Course days: Sat - Mon - Wed 
- Course hours: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm 
- Course start: 04th Nov. 2012 
- Course location: Al Batha Area 
- Course fees: 1000 Saudi Riyals 

For any inquiries, please contact: 

Hussein Assaf 
Marketer and Coordinator 
Cell phone : 055 0013719       
Website : www.arabi.com.sa

Saudi Arabia: Bogus Docs "En Vogue"

Someone once took a look at the certified copy of my doctorate degree and said it was fake. This happened at the airport in my home country! In my home country! You complete seven years of study and some tired fellow at the airport says without blinking or straining a muscle that your degree is fake. Strange enough, no one has ever questioned the authenticity of my degree in Saudi Arabia, especially when I brandish my professional licence card.  

People would do anything to have money. Certainly, I am not informing you. You should be scared that there is a fair number of professionals (even in the medical field) who possess bogus degrees. I'm saying so because I have met a couple of so-called "internists" who didn't know what to do with a patient in some situations, and they would wisely work their way out by asking a junior colleague his/her opinion about how to manage the patient.  

Now, how do some specialists who claim they are members of the Royal College of Physicians of London get their MRCP? How are they able to work in polyclinics and in some big hospitals when they are not registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS), and hence do not have the licence to practice medicine in Saudi Arabia? Ever heard of the black market where people buy fake degrees? I mean even in health care?! I heard about this for the first time from a brilliant young Egyptian general practitioner, who happened to be practicing without licence. From what I collected, some specialists, who thought it was the easiest path to obtain their postgraduate degrees, bought their degrees, including the MRCP, from the black market. They succeed to get jobs as specialists and even when nurses and "colleagues" notice that they have serious problems in handling patients, no one (not even the administration) says anything until the concerned specialist finally gets caught up (in a lawsuit). Some probably never get caught. Maybe  they are good after all but are too lazy to sit for an exam?

Fake degrees...you got them even in educational institutions. I bet some university students wouldn't find it funny that some of their so-called lecturers have not even completed high school, let alone have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in English or literature. I remember once I was helping an acquaintance prepare his CV. He had a Bachelor's degree in English (that was what he said), and when I asked him what his minor was, he blabbled over the phone for a good 2 minutes before asking me to hold on so that he could check it. Hum...you don't go to university and forget your minor just like that, huh?

What shall we say then? If people are able to do the job without the appropriate qualification, is it worth running a background check on every candidate who applies for a job? Are institutions willing to invest in running background checks on potential candidates? Which is better then? Qualification or skill? 

Al Naseem, Jeddah: Summer Camp for the Young

Good news for parents living around Al Naseem. Zahra Summer Camp has opened its doors to kids in kindergarten, including those who are preparing to start school this coming academic year. I have personally paid them a visit. The place is neat and well organised, with lots of games for the kids to have fun while learning.


You can call them on 0538552039 or 0582187954 for more information, or you can decide to pay them a visit too. They are open on week days from 3 PM to 8 PM and would be open throughout the Ramadan.

Djeddah : Evénement Pour Femmes

Bonne nouvelle pour toutes mes dames à Djeddah. Ceci est l'événement que vous attendiez pour pimenter votre week-end. Desi Entertainers organise un événement pour les dames uniquement. Cet événement est dédié à toutes les mères et sœurs qui résident dans la ville de Djeddah.


Desi Entertainers encourage les femmes de toutes nationalités qui sont prêtes à présenter leur travail ou à montrer leur talent de participer à l'événement. Si vous avez un talent dans une des ces catégories : le maquillage, la manucure, la cuisine, la coupe de cheveux, le dessin, l'art floral, la peinture sur verre, jouer de la guitare, la décoration intérieur, la mode, la conception de bijoux, le croquis, la photographie, la calligraphie, la décoration de table, l'art de mehndi, l'art de tatouage, le piano, etc, vous êtes la bienvenue à joindre les autres dames.


L'événement est prévu avoir lieu le 31 mai 2012. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter Desi Entertainer à l'adresse suivante :


-desientertainers@gmail.com 
-0535079171 

Jeddah: All-Ladies Event

All my ladies in Jeddah, this is one event you have been waiting for to spice up your weekend. Desi Entertainers is organising an all-ladies event right here in the city. This event is dedicated to all the mothers and sisters who reside in Jeddah.

Desi Entertainers encourages women of all nationalities who are willing to showcase their work or talent to participate in the event. If you have a talent in any of the following: makeup, nail art, cooking, hair cutting, drawing, flower art, glass painting, guitar playing, interior design, fashion design, jewelry design, sketching, photography, calligraphy, table decoration, mehendi art, tatoo art, piano playing,etc, you are welcome to join the ladies.

The event is scheduled to take place on May 31, 2012. For more information, feel free to contact on:

-desientertainers@gmail.com
-0535079171

Jeddah: Taking the French Proficiency Test

Are you planning to take the TEF or Test d'Evaluation du Français? Have you searched far and wide for a tutor or the TEF practice book? You are not alone. Many candidates have faced similar problems when they were either looking for a tutor or the TEF practice book.

From the French Consulate, Jeddah.

There are a few tutors around town who charge up to 200 SAR per hour. You wouldn't pay that unless you don't understand anything in the French language and you really need to sit for the test. 
Another difficulty that some future candidates face is to buy the TEF practice book. Those who wish to practice on their own find that they cannot purchase the book at the big bookstores of Jeddah as they do not sell them, and most of the merchants who sell them on websites such as Amazon do not ship to Saudi Arabia. 
Fortunately for these candidates, the book is sold at a small bookstore called Bakshwain located at Sitteen Street (between Galnatha and Tahlia Street), contact number 026732417. 
Candidates can also contact the French Consulate in Jeddah for more information on where to take lessons or register for the test.

Djeddah : Test d'Evaluation de Français

Envisagez-vous de passer le TEF ou le Test d'Evaluation de Français? Avez-vous cherché le livre du TEF ou un professeur particulier? Vous n'êtes pas seul. Beaucoup de candidats ont été confrontés à des problèmes similaires quand ils recherchaient un professeur particulier ou le livre du TEF.

Affiche du consulat français à Djeddah.

Il y a quelques professeurs qui demandent jusqu'à 200 riyals saoudiens l'heure. Vous ne voudriez pas payer ce montant à moins que vous ne comprenez rien à la langue de Molière et vous avez vraiment besoin de prendre le TEF. Une autre difficulté que rencontrent certains futurs candidats c'est d'acheter le livre du TEF. Ceux qui souhaitent étudier eux-mêmes constatent qu'ils ne peuvent pas acheter le livre dans les grands librairies de Djeddah parce que celles-ci ne les vendent pas, et la plupart des marchands qui les vendent sur ​​les sites tels que Amazon n'expédient pas en Arabie Saoudite. Heureusement pour ces candidats, le livre est vendu dans une petite librairie appelée Bakshwain située à Shariah Sitteen (entre Shariah Galnatha et Shariah Tahlia), numéro de contact 026732417. Les candidats peuvent également contacter le consulat français à Djeddah pour plus d'informations concernant les cours ou l'inscription.

Saudi Arabia: Only for My People!

I have the habit of visiting free classified ad websites in Saudi Arabia, and to be honest, I am shocked by the degree of discrimination shown by some people on these websites. Not by the website owners themselves. Oh no! By the people who post the ads.

Normally, one would expect an employer to post a job offer and request for particular nationals because they can only obtain or have work visas for workers from this country. But what has nationality got to do with buying a car, renting a house, buying a piece of furniture or jewellery?

This is my story:

It was 1 a.m, but I couldn't sleep. Everyone else was asleep. I was so bored and nothing on TV was captivating. I turned on the PC and decided to browse. I saw a nice looking kitchen cabinet and decided I would contact the seller the next day to ask about the price. Then, I saw a nice jewellery set, and I also wrote down the number. The next day, I called the seller of the Kitchen cabinet. Ring, ring, ring...

"Allo." A deep male voice said.
"Good morning," I said.
"Min?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I am calling regarding the ad you placed yesterday. I wish to purchase your cabinet," I responded.
"Inti Pakistani?" came the deep voice.
"La. Tatkalam engilizee yaa ustaaz?" I was getting impatient now because he asked me whether I was Pakistani.
"Maleesh. Ena abgha Pakistani baas." Then the line went dead. The guy had dropped the call after telling me he wanted only a Pakistani buyer. "Mean you!" I screamed, but stopped when I realised I was in my office.

Now lets try the second vendor. Maybe this one might be nice, and by the way, who wouldn't want to sell off her 18 karat gold-plated jewellery set as soon as possible? Ring, ring...
"Allo," said a nice gentle voice on the other end of the receiver.
"Allo. Good morning Ma'am. I am calling because I saw your ad yesterday. I would like to buy your jewellery set please,"  I said.
"Oh, that's good. I live at Aziziyah District. Are you far from here?" she asked.
"No, my home is about 10 minutes drive from Aziziyah," I replied, quite confident that I was getting somewhere.
Then came the chilling moment when she said, "Are you from Kerala?"
"No, I am not. I just wish to buy your jewellery set," I responded.
"You are not from Kerala?" she said.
"No," I repeated.
"मैं केरल से ही बेचते हैं," she said. I didn't understand a word of whatever she said.
"What? Could you say that in English please?" I calmly said, trying not to sound irritated.
"I'm sorry Ma'am, I don't speak English. Sorry. Bye" That was it. She had dropped the call. "Bad you!" I screamed. What was that? I was angry. Yeah, I was really mad. I had never ever heard of anyone wanting to sell only to a particular group of people--not even in my own country where we have over 200 tribes.

I have come across typical ads that said something like, "Two-bedroom house for immediate rent. Reason: We are going out on final exit. Please only people from Hyderabad should contact."

Kidding me? Why not just transport the apartment from Saudi Arabia to their country or village where only people of their tribe would live in it? Is it just me, or do you think that there is really something wrong with expats in this country? Does this happen in Western countries as well?

NB: I am just relating what happened to me and expressing my views in this post. My aim is not to target a particular group of people, and I believe that we all learn to tolerate each other in this multicultural world.

The Entertainer Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Ever heard of the Entertainer KSA? No? Neither did I, until I met it on a sunny Thursday earlier this month. It came well wrapped in a package, and I couldn't wait to unwrap it. As I was unveiling the still-to-discover Entertainer KSA, I was wondering what was waiting for me inside. The first thing that greeted me was the orange smiley face on the front cover. My next thought was "Oh boy! You are surely going to be interesting!" 


Now what is the Entertainer about? For those of you who are hearing about it for the first time, the Entertainer is a book that offers 2 for 1 incentives at many fine dining restaurants, casual dining restaurants, informal dining, cafes, attractions, spas, beauty salons and fitness centres. There are over 500 buy one get one free vouchers in the book, just the perfect bargain for a family to enjoy and save money at the same time. 


As I went though the book, I discovered much more than I thought. I was delighted to see that my favourite eateries were listed. More so, there were well-known restaurants (including those at first class hotels and resorts), cafes, take-aways and fitness clubs where you could use the vouchers to gain discount. My next questions were, "So how does this work? How do I benefit from the discounts?" That was when I noticed that in my excitement, I had forgotten to read the Intro and the Rules of Use pages. Aha! First, I had to register the book on the Entertainer website. That was done. I had become an Essential Member, and I was entitled to exclusive member benefits and offers. Now getting ready for the journey with my new 21x15 cm companion. Ready to go down that road with us? Good. See you in a future post.

Arabie Saoudite : La Radiographie du Thorax

En 2002, si vous aviez demandé un étudiant de troisième année des études médicales quelles étaient les meilleures conditions pour effectuer une radiographie du thorax, il vous aurait dit que l'une des conditions était de l'exécuter avec le patient torse nu. Dans mon pays, les techniciens demandent toujours aux patients d'enlever leurs vêtements avant de procéder avec l'examen parce qu'ils avaient été formés que les vêtements pouvaient interférer avec les rayons X.


Je me souviens que j'avais 19 ans quand j'ai eu à faire mon premier examen radiologique (ayant atteint une certaine âge mûr). Quand j'étais une gamine, ca m'importais peu parce que je n'avais rien à cacher à cette âge. Le-dit jour quand je suis arrivée à la clinique, je n'étais pas très à l'aise que le technicien était un homme et quand il m'a demandé d'enlever mon haut je n'étais pas du tout contente. Deux choses m'avaient traversé l'esprit. Premièrement, j'avais intérêt à faire cet examen parce que j'avais peur que j'avais une infection pulmonaire grave (tuberculose). Deuxièmement, je n'avais pas à trop m'inquiéter car le technicien ne me connaissait pas et d'autant plus je ne le reverais jamais.


J'ai fait mon deuxième examen radiologique (étant adulte) en Arabie Saoudite. Je venais d'arriver et le phénomène de ségrégation sexuelle n'était pas encore inscrit dans mon cerveau. Lorsque je suis entrée dans la salle d'examen, je pensais que je devais enlever mon foulard et mon abaya. J'étais si impatiente d'en finir avec cet examen que je me suis mis a l'oeuvre. Le pauvre technicien a paniqué et il m'a mis dans le même état aussi. J'étais là, debout, perplexe et je me demandais ce que j'avais fait pour effrayer le pauvre homme de cette façon. Tout ce qu'il pouvait dire c'était "Astaghful Allah! Astagful Allah! Non, madame, pas enlever, pas retirer." Vous pouvez pariez comme j'étais soulagée quand j'ai compris la cause de sa panique. Bien sûr, j'étais aussi soulagée que je n'avais pas besoin de faire cet examen torse nu.


Dans les rares hôpitaux que j'ai visitée, j'ai remarquée que le plus souvent les femmes gardent leurs vêtements pendant l'examen. Apparement, cela ne semblait pas gener qu'elles soient trop habillées. J'ai vu un seul cas où le technicien avait demandé la patiente de se déshabiller et de porter une blouse de malade avant l'examen. La garde malade était restée derrière les rideaux pour aider son patient à porter la blouse. Je n'ai jamais cessé de me demander si la radiographie pulmonaire fait dans les cas où les patients étaient habillés étaient de très bonne qualité. Si ce n'était pas le cas est-ce que l'on fera quelque chose à ce sujet ?

Saudi Arabia: Chest X-ray

In 2002, if you asked any third year medical student what were the best conditions to perform a chest X-ray he would tell you that one of them was to perform it with the patient bare-chested. In my country, technologists always asked patients to take off their clothes before proceeding with the examination because they had been trained that clothing might interfere with X-ray images.


I remember I was 19 when I had my first chest X-ray as a grown up. When I was a kid, it didn't matter because I had nothing to hide at that time. On that day when I arrived at the clinic, I wasn't very comfortable that the technologist was male, and when he asked me to take off my top, I wasn't very happy about it. I had two things in my mind. First, I had to get that exam done because I was scared to hell that I had picked up a serious chest infection (tuberculosis). Second, I convinced myself that I didn't have to worry because he didn't know me and more so he would never see me again. 


I had my second X-ray (as an adult) in Saudi Arabia. I had just arrived and the sexual segregation thing had not yet registered in my mind. When I got into the examination room, I thought I had to take off my scarf and abaya. I was so anxious to get over with the examination that I immediately started to do just that. The poor technologist panicked and he got me in the same state too. There I was, standing perplexed and wondering what I had done to scare the poor man this way. All he could say was "Astaghful Allah! Astagful Allah! No madam, no remove, no remove." You bet how relieved I was when I understood the cause of his panic. Of course, I was also relieved that I didn't have to do that exam bare-chested.


At the few hospitals that I have been to, I noticed that most often women were asked to keep their clothes on when performing a chest X-ray. It didn't matter whether they had too many clothes on or not. I have seen only one case where the patient was asked to take off her clothes and wear a hospital gown before the exam. However, her relative stayed behind the curtains to help her get into a hospital gown. I have never stopped asking myself whether chest X-rays done in cases where the patients were overdressed were of really good quality. Would something be done about this if it really was the case? 

Jeddah: Reading Club for Kids

Have you ever had a little argument with your kid over the pronunciation of a word? Imagine telling your kid that "fantasy" is pronounced /fæn.tə.si/ and he/she says, "Noooooooo, my teacher says it is /fa:nta.zi/." And so goes on the argument until you give up because kids hardly get tired. Maybe this is just my opinion, but I noticed that kids believe so much that their teachers know better.


What happens when your child attends an international school that has teachers from every corner of the globe? You got Americans, Canadians, Britons, Indians, Filipinos, Egyptians, Nigerians, Ghanians, Cameroonians, etc. It is not surprising when some non-native English speaking parents worry when their kid(s) speak(s) English like another non-native whose country of origin is different from theirs. Not that being a non-native English speaker is bad (I'm one, by the way), but the general tendency is for parents to want their kids to express themselves like native English speakers. In Jeddah, for example, I have seen little clubs spring up with the main objective of teaching kids to speak like native English speakers (particularly with an American accent). The latest one is the American International Reading Club for Kids that accepts boys and girls aged 8-11 years for a monthly fee of 150 SAR, books not included.


The reading club administrator, Taqwah Summers, opened this club (which will effectively begin its activities on February 2, 2012) after the multiple requests of some parents. The club is located in Rawdah District 6 and opening times for girls are Thursdays from 10.00 am -11:30 am, and for boys Thursdays from 2.00 pm-3.30 pm. For more information, parents can contact the club administrator on 0501027905 or via e-mail: Taqwahsummers@gmail.com

Djeddah : Les Eaux d'Egoux dans les Rues

Il faisait frais. Nous n'avons pas toujours les températures de ce genre à Jeddah- en tout cas pas avant 17 heures. Je suis sortie faire une promenade avec mon fils. Après une marche de 5 minutes, j'ai sentie une mauvaise odeur. Juste là à travers la rue, il y avait un petit ruisseau riche en excréments. J'ai dû porter mon fils pour traverser ce petit ruisseau. Après 5 minutes encore nous sommes tombés sur les eaux d'égout. Et hop ! Encore une fois ! Je le porte et je saute. Lorsque nous avons rencontré le quatrième ruisseau, j'en avais marre. Je me suis décidé de rentrer à la maison. C'était horrible. On ne pouvait pas marcher pendant 10 minutes sans traverser un ruisseau d'excréments. Je pensais que cela n'arrivait que dans mon quartier jusqu'au jour où je suis allée rendre visite à quelques amis à Bawadi. Scénario identique.


C'est dommage que dans un quartier avec des bâtiments et les routes bien construits, vous allez souvent tomber sur de la "merde" qui coule dans les rues. Ce n'est pas seulement un problème pour les piétons, même les conducteurs essaient d'éviter ces ruisseaux malsains qui coulent dans les rues. Je me souvient quand mon beau-frère essayait d'éviter un ruisseau d'excréments. J'étais perplexe et je cria, "Bon sang! Est ce que c'est necessaire de faire ca? La voiture reste dehors de toutes les façons." Il dit : "Jamais. Je ne peux pas laisser mes pneus nager dans la merde des gens."


Naturellement, les gens étaient inquiets lorsque les rues de Djeddah était inondées par les eaux de pluies en 2009. Ils étaient très inquiets que le lac d'égout géant qui était proche de Jeddah pouvait inonder la ville. Mais qu'en est-il des eaux d'égout devant nos portes un jour normal sans incident ? On pourrait se demander pourquoi les eaux d'égout s'échappent et coulent devant certains bâtiments pendant environ une semaine et personne ne fait rien. Pendant les dernières vacances au mois d'août, j'avais remarquée qu'il y avait des nombreux ruisseaux d'excréments dans mon quartier. Était-ce parce que tout le monde était occupé avec les festivités ? Ou était-ce parce que l'odeur ne genait plus les gens ? En passant, comment est-ce qu'une personne peut-elle supporter la puanteur des eaux  d'égout ... Pouvez-vous le faire ? Je ne peux pas.