Migrate to Germany from Saudi Arabia: hHelios Review

If you live in Saudi Arabia and want to live and work, study or start a business in Germany, chances are you don't know where to start. Your next move might be to search for education/immigration consultants who can help you immigrate to Germany. In my case, I typed a long-tail keyword "immigration and education consultants Saudi Arabia to Germany." And bingo! I had a whole bunch of results and there at the top, there was this company called hHelios.

I checked them out. They had a good internet presence: a Linkedin profile, a Facebook profile, a Twitter handle, a phone number (Viber and WhatsApp-enabled), an email address, as well as Skype and live chat on their website. I ran another check for complaints but couldn't find anything (at that time). So far so good, they had won me. Now lets get into specifics and why you should read this before using their services.

Who is hHelios?

Website: http://hhelios.com/
Services: immigration, visa and career consulting.
Price of services: Free registration on their website. Pricing varies thereafter, depending on the service you require.
Owners: After a thorough research, I couldn't find who the owner was, but I did find that they listed Muhammad Oweis as the CEO of the company.
My rating: 2 out of 10


Is hHelios Worth Your Time and Money?

Good question. When you send your hard-earned money to consultants you expect them to guide you throughout the process. In this review, I am going to share my experience and explain why I wouldn't recommend hHelios.


Pros and Cons of hHelios

Pros

• Their website is user-friendly and it is very easy to find your way around.
• Initial contact is quick. I remember filling in the registration form on their website and got assigned an ID within 24 hours. 

Cons 

• Customer service can be very poor. I'm not sure who manages their main Skype account or who provides email support. They won't answer any queries.
• Some consultants are not helpful. They start out wanting to help then disappear on the client.
• It can be very frustrating trying to talk to anyone on the phone. They do have a number +49-89-21547450 listed on their website, but most often, calls won't go beyond the automatic call distributor.  

My Experience and Why I Won't Recommend them to Anyone

My first contact with hHelios was on August 19, 2015 when I filled in the free registration form. After receiving my hHelios ID, I waited to hear from the company then I finally contacted them via Skype on August 24, 2015. Someone finally responded on August 31, 2015 and asked for my email address. A consultant, whom I shall call Consultant #1, sent an email on September 1, 2015 to inform me that I was eligible for a German job seeker visa. I had a few questions and Consultant #1 was quick to answer them. By September 9, 2015, I paid the company to start online German classes. 

Fast-forward to 2016, I started having second thoughts about immigrating to Germany, so I thought I could visit the country for 7-10 days to make up my mind. Consultant #1 agreed it was a good idea and encouraged me, and on March 21, 2016 I sent payment via PayPal so that they could open my case. Consultant #2 contacted me via email on March 22, 2016 and reassured me that he was going to assist me throughout the process. 

On March 24, 2016 Consultant #2 sent me a list of required documents, which I forwarded on the same day. Within two days I was assigned an ID, and I asked to have a Skype call with the consultant. He was very professional and reassuring and promised to call back with a few days with instructions. Then after waiting for two weeks, I sent a follow-up email. He responded and said he couldn't reach me on my mobile (I do have network issues sometimes at home, so it's quite possible he tried to call). I sent another follow up email and a couple of chat messages on Skype, but got no response from Consultant #2. At this stage, I couldn't request a refund, as their refund policy states that:

Client reserves the right to claim for the refund of their package price within 14 days from the date of receipt of payment/first installment of payment." 

I informed Consultant #1 and within a couple of weeks, Consultant #3 called me. I had a few chat messages and each time he asked me to 'just wait'. He asked for my transcripts and certificates. We're talking about a visit visa here...but he said, please send these documents. I did but after he failed to get back to me as promised, I followed up on Skype. He reassured me that I didn't have to worry because they were taking care of my case. And it was already June 1, 2016. I had planned to travel on July 17, 2016--that was less than two months away.

I waited and after trying to call their number without success, I gave up. Then out of the blue Consultant #4 sent me an email and said my case was on hold due to missing documents and information. It was July 27, ten days after my planned visit! It took three consultants more than four months to tell that my file was incomplete! I asked Consultant #4 why the other consultants won't talk to me or inform me even when I sent follow up emails and messages. I requested for a cancellation. Not surprising, Consultant #4 never wrote again.   

I went back to Consultant #1 and complained and Consultant #5 called me a few days later. He offered a refund or a job seeker visa and gave me time to think about it. He called a second time but I was at a meeting so couldn't talk. He promised to call again, but after two weeks and hearing nothing from the company, I went back to Consultant #1 for advice. He promised to have his superior call me.

After two weeks his 'superior' did try to call twice, unfortunately, the silly network didn't permit the calls to go through--I only received two text messages that someone had tried to call on their company number. I tried returning the call, and over the next two weeks, the call would simply drop after the automatic call distributor. My spouse also tried from his office without success, then tried to call their Pakistan number. Someone did pick up the phone and when my spouse said he was calling from Saudi Arabia, the man excused himself and said he would call back shortly. My husband attempted to call again after about 15 minutes but no one answered the call.

So, here was I again back to Consultant #1 to complain. It was September 19, 2016. He promised to have someone call within two hours. Finally, someone called after two days. This time around, it was a charming lady, whom I shall call Consultant #6. I got the usual "we're very busy", "so many files", "colleague on vacation"...not that these might not be true, but when you've had to deal with consultants who suddenly stopped talking to you or gave you the impression that they were working on your case but wouldn't care to update you, weird things start crossing your mind. 

Consultant #6 promised to handle my case, even if I planned to travel in 2017--my case was already registered, I was informed. At this time, I felt I had endured enough to wait until July 2017 to receive the same treatment. Since their consultants didn't provide the services they were supposed to provide, I thought I was entitled to a refund. Consultant #6 agreed, but I was going to suffer a deduction of service charges and other third party charges. That sounded OK to me, except that I wanted to know what third party charges I would be required to be pay for. That email was sent on September 25, 2016 (seven days ago). I haven't heard from anyone from hHelios again. If I do, I shall certainly post an update.


Conclusion
My experience with hHelios was very poor. I think one of the most important things when you're dealing with immigration consultants is being able to receive updates during the process. When that isn't coming forth and a consultant keeps making promises that he can't keep, then a client starts sensing something else: you start wondering whether the company you're dealing with is legit or not. 

Have you ever dealt with hHelios too? How was your experience with their consultants. Join in the conversation below to tell us about it. 

Simple Steps to Learn Arabic Quickly and Boost Your Career Opportunities

People across the world learn Arabic for various reasons- work, family, friendship, or travel. I chose to learn Arabic due to my hobby to understand different languages (I know French and Mandarin) and most importantly, I had a plan to work there (now it’s been 3 years working in Saudi Arabia). I believe that for every expat job seeker, it is imperative to have a clear understanding of the foreign language to fit in the corporate culture of the country.
Here I’ll highlight a few important points to help those who share the similar dream of living and working in Arab countries.

Understand the Language Types

Arabic is an Afro-Asiatic language, which is spoken by millions in the Arab and other parts of the world. It is the official language of around 26 Middle Eastern & North African (MENA) countries. Before planning to learn the language, understand and decide which kind of Arabic is your requirement. The regional dialects and accents differ significantly, with each sub-dialect as per the country- Egyptian Arabic, Gulf Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Maghrebi Arabic, and Mesopotamian Arabic. 
When you are not sure about the region of your job, the safest option is to study Modern Arabic Standard, which is the classical or Qur’anic Arabic and mostly understood everywhere. It is widely used in literature, political speeches, television/radio, and formal writings. Standard Arabic is also used in the Qur’an. Moreover, it is the origin of all words used in different Arabic dialects.
Get an Idea about the Dialects
As said earlier, Arabic has several dialects. In every Arab country, you can see people using a certain dialect or in their daily life. Now the first question for a beginner would be, “Is this the right way to start learning Arabic with its dialects?” Learning a dialect includes earning vocabulary of a particular dictionary. Therefore, according to my experience, learning a dialect as the first step towards learning Arabic is a good idea.  

Learning the alphabets and dictionary

For many people, the Arabic script looks daunting in the beginning. They prefer to rely on transliterations of the Arabic words instead of trying to learn them. However, this often creates problems in the later stage of the learning. Therefore, the best you can do is, follow a systematic process to learn the alphabets. Read books. Using an Arabic dictionary can help you a great deal in the process. 

Understanding the Arabic Dictionary

The next vital step is to know how to use the dictionary. In Arabic dictionary, words are mostly listed under three-letter roots. For example, if you are looking for a word “istiqbaal” in the dictionary, it should be checked under “q” as its root letters are q-b-l. Obviously, learning the trick requires some practice. However, it is not that difficult as it follows a set pattern that needs to be understood by you.  

The Other Tips for Beginners

I followed them strictly, and continuing with the rulebook!
• Learning words by using pictures is an easy way to learn and memorize the new words. 
• It is important to make this learning process a fun experience and not for the sole purpose of finding a job. Remember, if you are not enjoying Arabic language, you can never learn it.
• Make a proper plan and set a schedule for learning. If you think that, you can study anytime or only during your free hours, it will not give you the desired result.
• Choose a mentor who can guide you throughout the process. Of course, he should also have knowledge of the language to give you a proper feedback. 
• Learning any new language is not a child’s play. You can definitely try language classes for better results and learn quickly.
• Practice is always required at your end. It is important that you learn at home, practice some language test papers, and read books.
• Joining some Arabic speaking groups on various networking sites can also help you practice more with other Arabic learners. This also creates a great platform to share your doubts with other people.
Learning a new language is always a fun, especially when it relates to your career opportunities abroad.
All the best!

Author - Swati Srivastava is an avid writer with a keen interest on the extensive domain of job search and career counselling for job seekers in Saudi Arabia and the entire GCC region. Currently associated with Naukrigulf.com, her articles are published on several reputed career sites. Follow her @Twitter/LinkedIn/Google+.

Could "Hiring Based on Experience" Be the Solution to Fake Degrees in Saudi Arabia?

OK. Lets admit it. As expatriates, we each (personally) know at least a couple of folks who are working in Saudi Arabia with fake academic degrees. And they've been doing so for years without anyone at work noticing (in most cases). Have you ever asked yourself how they managed to keep their jobs for so long? Do you think their employers kept them for so long despite the fact that they weren't productive? 

I will cite a few examples based on the experience of persons whom I know (no names mentioned):

X and Y are desperate to get a job to feed their families. They have completed at least high school and can speak English better than most Saudis. So, they opt to work as teachers. Now the thing is, employers won't hire teachers who don't have at least a bachelor's degree. X and Y are stranded. They find someone who can get them a fake BA or BSc. Then they pay more to have a copy of their 'fake' certificates authenticated at the Saudi consulate in their home country. Bingo! The employer sees the authenticated copies and he's impressed. X and Y have just landed a job and are keen to keep it because that's how they get to feed their families.

A and B have worked for ten years with fake bachelor's degrees and no one has ever noticed. They feel they have achieved enough experience to pose as holders of master's degrees. That's about double the time required to complete undergraduate and graduate studies combined. They pay someone and get their master's degrees within a few months. They get lucky. A recruiter succeeds in making them land a position as lecturers at a Saudi university. Eureka! The Saudi government grants them visas and all the benefits that follow (housing, medical insurance, paid vacation, two-way ticket, education for two children, etc). 

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not an advocate of fake degree use, and I abhor the use of fake documents (in fact I possess an authentic degree that I spent three years short of a decade to obtain). I'm just saying that shouldn't employers offer jobs based on experience instead of insisting that the minimum requirement should be a "bachelor's" or "master's" degree? How do people with fake degrees sometimes outperform holders of authentic degrees, which employers are so much after? 

The implications of using fake degrees are serious. The Saudi government plans to introduce penalties against people found to be holding fake academic degrees and to deport them from the kingdom. According to one report, fake degree holders will be prosecuted, imprisoned, deported and banned from entering Saudi (more). Although the punishment is harsh, this still doesn't deter people from purchasing counterfeit certificates. I, however, still believe that if employers focus on experience/ skills instead of academic qualifications, many people won't find a reason to break their moral rules to purchase fake degrees. I agree that hiring employees based on experience might only work for some professions, and it will probably not work in the case of engineers or doctors. Thus, it is reasonable for the Saudi government to regulate such high-skilled professions and use the necessary measures to catch fraudsters.   

What do you think? Should people be hired based on their skills/ experience or qualifications? Will hiring people based on their experience/ skills decrease the use of fake academic degrees?

Jeddah: Master Class in Film-Making

Arabian Jewel presents, for the first time in Jeddah, a highly interactive documentary genre master class. This cultural initiative is meant for aspiring documentary film-makers and community members who are interested in film-making. The class is open to all, and it will commence at the end of February 2015 (specific date will be announced later). Participants will be taught by legendary film / documentary makers, actors, and authors, who together have about 50 years experience in the film-making industry. Students will have the opportunity to have their work reviewed by these experts and enhance their skills. 




According to Arabian jewel, the directors are well-known experts in this field and they genuinely feel that they will be able to empower talented individuals across local and expat communities.

You can visit them on Facebook for more information. To register, please click here. 

Jeddah Reads Campaign

In Jeddah, children often start school without the spoken language they need to thrive in education. If ignored, this gap in achievement will continue beyond education and into adulthood. In addition, many young adults are not encouraged to read and hold book discussions. Do you know of any public library in Jeddah (excluding university libraries) that aims to get Jeddah youth reading and thriving?

Jeddah Reads campaign is striving to achieve this goal. They wish to promote reading habits and encourage young persons to read and discuss books. A long term goal of their campaign is to encourage cafes, coffee shops and other public environments to include books of various genres in their shops. Consequently, the public would be encouraged to read more and organize literature-related events in the future, etc. 

Before launching their campaign, Jeddah Reads found that while the population of Jeddah was interested in reading, Jeddah and Saudis in general were not very open to a reading environment. More over, bookstores are not up to the task of providing books of diverse genres.  

Because reading can change everything, visit Jeddah Reads on Facebook, like their page, and share the love of reading! You can also connect with Jeddah Reads on Twitter or follow them @jeddahreads on Instagram.

Saudi Arabia: When is it Time to Leave?

Most of us, expats, are in Saudi because we wish to make more money. Very few are here for purely religious reasons. (True or false?) While this is the best place for a Muslim to live, what can this country offer us? Our bank accounts are monitored (what? I read that our incomes should be proportionate with our monthly salaries), we're not supposed to have extra jobs, or even send substantial amounts of money to our home countries. What irks some expats

most is that you cannot buy an apartment or a piece of land and call it yours.  

Some Muslims are planning to leave Saudi Arabia for other countries: for the West! Why the West when we know how Muslims feel about westerners? Why the West when we know that the standard of living in those countries is much higher that in the Kingdom? Below are the responses of some expats (quote unquote):

• I felt that I was persecuted. I published a paper and I was verbally abused for telling the truth. What can we gain when in the academic setting a researcher is threatened for publishing his data--results that he did not falsify? How do we expect research to move forward? 
• The educational system is not good. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is employed to teach our kids. Some teachers are not even qualified to teach, yet employers hire them without running a background check.
• You can never be too sure that you'll leave the hospital alive when you're ill. Some specialists are far from being who they claim to be. I've heard of Egyptian doctors who buy the MRCP from the black market and brandish it around to avail of high salaries. Blimey!
• We get paid according to the colour of our passports. I thought everyone was equal in this country. I was so disappointed when I observed the contrary.  

Is there anything that irks you in Saudi? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. As a matter of fact, there are always pros and cons about life anywhere. To be fair, I had written a post a few years ago about a woman's advantages of living in Saudi.

Jeddah: Treasure Island Eid Festival

While I was looking for something fun to do this weekend with my family, I fell across the advert below and couldn't help spreading the word.

Are you bored from same Eid routine in KSA? Having the same places to go with nothing new? Same traffic difficulties and rush. Great News!!!!! Its not going to happen this Eid because Our FESTIVAL will not let you be bored thats our promise.

Treasure Island festival. To be held on Durrat Al Uroos from 2nd day of Eid till 11th day of Eid. Tickets available now. Book your tickets as this event has limited tickets. Daily gifts and luckydraw with a treasure hunt. Special surprise gifts for first 50 passes. Jet ski, banana boat, desert bikes, Segmented Shopping Arcade and a night to remember with most of National and International Artists. Have the best day with your family and friends at the best ambiance imaginable. Contact 0563235353 to get your tickets.

Join us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/events/1559193150974115/?ref=22

In the poster, the organizers stated that the activities will run from the 2nd to the 11th of Shawwal. This corresponds to July 29 to August 7, 2014. Hope it's not to let to grab a ticket. Have fun!
 

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: 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.

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: Sewage in the Streets?

It was a cool day. We didn't always get temperatures like this in Jeddah; at least not before 5 p.m. I felt like taking a walk with my son. After walking for 5 minutes, I got a bad smell. Right there across the street, there was a small stream rich in sewage. I had to carry my son to cross this little stream. Another 5 minutes and we came across another "poop-rich" stream. There we went again! Carrying and skipping. When we came across the fourth stream, that was it. I decided to go back home. It was horrible. You couldn't walk for 10 minutes without having to come across an over-flooded sewage tank. I thought this only happened in my neighbourhood until when I went to visit some folks in Bawadi District. Oh my! Same case scenario. 


It is a pity that in a neighbourhood with well-constructed buildings and roads, you frequently come across sewage flowing in the streets. It is not only a problem for pedestrians; even drivers do try to avoid getting into sewage  running across the street. Once my in-law was trying to avoid a pool of sewage, and I was like, "Oh come on! Does it really matter? The car stays outside anyway." He said, "No way. I can't let my tires get into people's poop." 


Naturally, people were worried when Jeddah was flooded by the rains in 2009. They were very worried that the giant sewage lake that was close to Jeddah may flood the city. But what about sewage seeping out at our doorsteps on normal uneventful days? One would wonder why some buildings have sewage seeping out of their tanks onto the street for about one week and nobody is doing anything. This was what I noticed during the last holidays in the month of August. There were so many sewage streams in my neighbourhood and people were just going about their normal activities. Was it because everybody was busy with the festivities? Or was it because the stench didn't bother people so much anymore? Come to think of it, how could anyone stand the stench from sewage?...Can you? I can't.

Ramadan: Why Are Saudis so Badly in Need of Maids?

It was a couple of days before the beginning of Ramadan. I was at my hairdresser. Her phone kept on ringing and I was surprised that each time she looked at it she sighed and decided to ignore the call. This roused my curiosity and after her phone rang for the nth time, I decided to ask her why she wasn't answering her calls.


"These Saudi madams can be very boring at times," she replied. "They just keep calling every minute because they need a maid. I told them to wait until I get back to them when I find someone interested in the job." 


From what I understood, she was helping some Saudi ladies hire maids for their households. Most of them had maids, but needed one more to help with the work during the month of Ramadan. In their despair to get maids before the Ramadan, they were putting so much pressure on her.


Anyone who has been invited before by their Saudi friends to share iftar must have noticed the variety of dishes that are prepared. The dishes are appetising and the meal is usually served in courses. Even a chef would need a couple of hands to help him/her prepare the meals during this period.  


The one question that lingers in my mind is why these ladies need maids so badly during this period? Muslims in other countries celebrate Ramadan, and the housewives deal with the work during this period without having to hire extra hands. Do Saudi muslims celebrate in a particularly different way? 
  

Goodbye Saudi Arabia

We all have a reason why we are here in Saudi Arabia. Did you come to look for better opportunities? Are you here because you are an adventurer? Did you come here for religious reasons? I could continue because there are a million reasons why people leave their home countries to work or live abroad.

Whatever be the reason behind your decision to come to Saudi Arabia, you wouldn't want to leave unprepared. Unfortunately, it is sooo easy to say 'Goodbye Saudi Arabia'. At this very moment, a few expats are preparing to go home unexpectedly. They didn't commit any crime. On the contrary, they were hardworking employees who were looking forward to going home for the holidays, then come back to Saudi to continue their duties. They were buying presents which they were planning to take back home to please their family members. While they were shopping, they didn't have the slightest hint that some HR guy was busy preparing a letter to announce the termination of their contracts. Just a click and there went the mail!

This was really bad news and it was one that was hard to accept. How will these expats announce this to their loved ones who are relying on them financially? How is life going to be like starting all over again when jobs don't come easy these days, even for nationals? 

It takes just a little to get you walking through that door. It might come unexpectedly and one thing I have learnt in this country is to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and accept the path that is reserved for you by God. My situation is not any better. I might be leaving unexpectedly in less than 2 weeks. May God help us.

Are Saudi Women Lazy?

WordWeb Pro defines the word lazy as, "Disinclined to work or exertion". Sometimes I ask myself whether qualifying someone or a group or persons as being "lazy" is not a subjective issue.  Maybe each society has a definition for a "lazy woman". One society might consider a woman who is incapable of properly doing household work as being lazy. Others might generalise this to include both her performance or attitude at her workplace vis-à-vis her work and the way she manages her household. So a woman who is very active at work, but not good at taking care of her household might be considered by some as lazy, as opposed to some who might say the contrary and give an explanation for the woman's incapacity to perform her duties as a housewife. So what do you call women who are fabulous at handling both? Superwomen?


Saudis are generally known to be lazy, either at work or at home. I have never met an expat who said the opposite. Not even my Saudi acquaintances dared say the opposite, except for one who said she was always busy at home, even though she had 2 maids who did all the housework. I have also met a few Saudi women who claimed they didn't know how to cook, and it wasn't their fault because they have always had maids who did the job. Who did the laundry? Their maids. Who took the children to school? Their drivers and/or maids or in some cases their husbands. So what did they do in 24 hours? Many things. What kind of things? If the answer was not "studying", then it was "shopping or meeting friends at cafes or women's clubs". One article recently published, blamed Saudi women for the high divorce rates in the Kingdom. They said women spent more time with their friends and went shopping for beauty products instead of spending time taking care of their homes and families.   


I come from a tribe where the women are known to be the laziest in the whole country, in addition to being champions in divorcing. In my country, a woman is supposed to be all-round. No one cares whether you are a working housewife or not. If you are too tired to do both, quit your job and take care of your home and let your husband be the breadwinner.


Here in Saudi Arabia, I work an average 18 hours a day, and I am proud to run my household. I do have a maid who stays with my son when I am at work, but basic things like cooking and shopping for groceries should be done by me. Normal. I believe each woman should be proud to cook for her husband. In my hometown, I would be called a lazy person because I do not know how to farm and easily get tired whenever I try this activity. Basically, I would be considered as a woman who can't even till the soil to provide food for her family but would rather sit in an office and claim that she is a housewife. 


So what do you think? Am I lazy? Don't you think expats, and maybe a few open-minded Saudi men, judge Saudi women a lot? Don't you think these women only need a change of attitude because they use their energy to do the wrong things instead of concentrating on their household and marriages? By the way, what does it really mean to be a lazy person?

Saudi Arabia: General Misconception

Click to enlarge.

They were speaking in Arabic, but I did a transliteration since I can't write Arabic. This is what happened:


A Saudi man saw an African lady in front of a newspaper rack. She had a newspaper in her hand, which she was scanning. He was polite. He greeted her and asked her if she was a shagala (maid). She was angry, but she didn't show it. She thought of asking him whether every black woman on the street was a shagala, but then she knew it was pointless to say anything. This was not the first time that someone asked her that question. Usually when anyone asked her her nationality and she responded, the next question that followed was, "Inti shagala?" or "Are you a maid?"


She turned around and looked at him. He looked like he didn't mean any harm. After all, it is a generally belief that nearly all black women here are maids. She looked away and said, "No, I am a doctor." He was so embarrassed that his face turned red. He rapidly apologised, then went into the store nearby at the speed of light.


Why? It is life. Not that being a maid is an insult, but it is a pity that people do not know how to ask questions. It is only in Saudi Arabia that I witnessed people asking questions like, "Are you a maid?" instead of "What is your profession?" Sometimes it is, "Are you a muslim?" instead of "What is your religion?" or "Is Egypt in Asia?" instead of "Where is Egypt?"


If you are new to scenarios like this, then welcome to the club.