it smells different 

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Saudi Arabia- A morning stroll around the neighbourhood...



Overcoming the lazy gene..

Too much can be said about this sign... The cage thingy below is full of poisons too keep away snakes, scorpions, and naughty kids!

Sometimes I feel like this tree.

A Saudi style bus stop... Hadi, I'm sure you would appreciate it..hehe


On lucky days my eyes would chase the fiery eyes of their engines as they blazed over the sun baked desert. Yes, I'm an airplane fanatic! The airbase is a few runways across the fence.



Here's another, smaller, bus stop.. I used to sprint across to this stop whenever I missed the bus at the bigger bus stop. The cement was also more conducive to games of XO.



Some grafitti on the bench of the small bus stop. I've got to find this Hamzah guy!


The mosque up the road from us.



The crime scene is very fresh..

Saudi Arabia - Khobar, the city down the road..

Khobar Part 1 Friday Rituals:

When I used to live here, my dad and I would drive down to one of the Mosques in Khobar for friday prayers. After the prayer, we would buy some fresh fish and some oven baked bread (in one of those big, round clay ovens, where they stick the bread on the sides of the walls..yum yum!) Oh and I can't forget buying the newspaper by the gas station where they sell frog looking bbq'd chicken. Anyways, the day after I arrived it was friday!

The wide and insane roads of Khobar; everyone seems to think they are a Formula 1 racer. My dad, however, is an anomaly, his slow pace makes you feel like you're going backwards in time.

These Toyota trucks are like the Civics that plague Kitchener; they are everywhere!!
First the fish place..
Then the bread place.. the bread is really good and really cheap! Its about a dollar for each piece of bread.
Eating the bread while we wait for them to cook our fish.. man im getting hungry.
The drive home.. my dad thinking.. thinking. We forgot to buy the newspaper!
Khobar Part 2
The pics below are from a day trip with my Mom to Khobar a few days later..
Our first stop was the Arab Heritage Museum/Gallery.. we were the only ones there.. the head guy kept following us around.. like a hawk! He made me feel like a shoplifter..
I just liked the look of this house.. Zahra, do u see Al Mana Hospital looming in the background? That's where they drilled braces into our teeth!!!
I really like this picture
Ah.. I was in a picture-taking mood.. never seen a limo like that.
Rushing to Pattis France.... my mom is a champion speed walker!
Another over-priced place, or am I just cheap?

Canada- Departure



Leaving Canada.. flying into the sun. In air-to-air combat it's usually best to attack the enemy with the sun at your back and plump in your crosshairs..




Flying over Toronto.. can you see pooplar selling his hot dogs?




flying through a hermits paradise



Dishevelled and sick at heathrow.. mmmm bought some good duty free chocolate bars




Southern England.. do u see the train in the distance? Well.. i thought it was a train..



French coast.. i like the clouds!



Dubai Intl Airport.. resembles a mall more than an airport.. my mom is ready to do some damage! (As my dad says)


The confused nomad

Assalamu Alaykum (May Peace Be Upon You)

Greetings,

My name is Salim. I hope you are doing well. I remember a happy day a few chapters ago. I fell asleep in the back of a land cruiser during an endless safari trip. I will never forget waking up to find a chicken tied up, lying down .. its head inches from my face...quietly watching me... I will never forget those crazy eyes!! "Oh won't you lay another egg, just one more, just one more?" they would say. Chickens need a break too.. just dont look into their eyes! I'm sorry, I forget how your eggs taste. Maybe if people relaxed a little more we'd get more eggs.
Anyways, I am now on a quest to find something.. I'm not sure what it is though. After 10 years in Canada (land of tim hortons) I can finally count past 10 and ask for cheese in french. My accomplishments earned me a year long ticket out of Canada.
I will be tumbling through various parts of the Middle East in the next few months. If I am not lazy or losing a camel race I will try to upload some decent pictures.
I am now in Saudi Arabia.. in K.F.U.P.M. .. the place of my childhood.. the little oven that defrosted my demented mind. It's wondful!! I've already overdosed on the mango juice.. oh and the lovely shawarmas.. mmmmm.. it is simply magical..