mission

I thought 'The Kingdom' was an absolutely awesome film....and once again from what i've been told, kinda holds true to the real thing

kittycat1

Hi Lionheart,

Thanks for the reply, I did know most of that anyway, I've had a good chat with out Saudi sales chap who gave me his ideas on the market, and we actually do a sexy line already which sells out as soon as it goes instore. At the moment its a bit american trash and I'm trying to make it a bit more erm shall we say sophisticated, however I dont want to make it all Agent Provocatuer if the market isnt ready for that- as much as people think knickers and bras are pretty standard theres a lot you can do with it and I am just a bit concerned that I may make the product too upmarket for the customer. I know its price driven and there is a certain embarrassment to buying lingerie so have lots of chalenges to get over. My boss is pretty much letting me do whatever I want but it always helps to have a clear image of who your customer is and what other brands they buy.

Anyway I shall continue trying to dig up some information and if anyone has any helpful comments they would be appreciated.

So how can you vouch for the sexy lingerie- sounds like a story to tell?

KC
xxx

MataHari

lol...do I tell them what I had to try on today....think 'apron'

Ellie and Jason

well tbh - i have to say i havnt been treated badly in the slightest - ok so i cant drive i have to wear an abaya - but thats pretty much where it stops - in this part of SA anyways - so far whilst being out i have had nothing but respect from other people - men and women - saudi and other muslims - whilst waiting for the bus a security guard came out of the mall and gave me a chair to sit on - the muslim male taxi driver has helped iwth my kids and shopping given me heaps of advice and has looked after me no end - muslim saudi women have talked to me at a park at a hospital where the kids were playing - albeit only the odd word of english but it was better than my arabic! the saudi men who drive the bus have been fantatsic - waiting for me to load my kids and shopping on and even dropping me closer to my villa and entertaining the kids at the front of the bus for the journey - when my dh and ds went to hair dressers - ok so i couldnt go in but the staff were fab - when making my hubby a cup of tea they came out to bring me one and played with the kids giving them snacks and treats.

so they have different rules, laws, religion and culture here - but it isnt indicative of the whole story. there is a far bigger picture that isnt so black and white.

ellie
xxx

kittycat1

LOL oh god I'm sorry- one I inherited I'm afraid- my collections don't kick in until Autumn! it could be worse though! I know as I've had to try them on!

xxx

edinburger

Well said! It is amazing the amount of people who have developed strong opinions on Saudi that have never even stepped foot in the place. I have had a great time since I've been here and found the Saudi's, in large, a very hospitable lot. Also the social life here is incredible......never had a quiet weekend since I got here. Re: the driving.....why anyone would want to drive in Saudi is beyond me anyway!

MataHari

lol...no need to be sorry...we had a bit of a laugh about it all!

Ellie and Jason

well thank you!!! and as for the driving!!!! oh yes!!!! my hubby wants to drive and i keep telling him NO WAY!!!!!!!! LOL!xxxxxx

Mariah_Saudi

well i have been living in Jeddah for 8 years and i have not been as pampered as i have since i came here i definately do not feel like a 2nd class citizen. ok so women can't drive here, come on i wouldn't want to drive here anyways it is crazy, i love being driven around by a driver, i do not have to worry about finding a parking spot or go start the car in that heat and get my butt burned
Men here are super polite have you tried crossing the street here? i am still amazed that despite the crazy driving they manage to stop and let me cross.
you think it is women being opressed I feel like women actually have a better life here, it is nice to be protected wether by yr husband, dad or brother.
ok so for the down points here after 8 years are the hassle of the exit entry visa ( I do miss making last minute travel plans) it is not as easy making friends when you are off compound. but there is also the benefit here that it is really a family oriented life and if you feel that women are oppressed here you are wrong i think that the single men here are oppressed single men are treated like 2nd class in my opinion. i am allowed to go out shopping on my own and they can't.

Alexa

Although I absolutely loved my time in Saudi, and miss it very much, Saudi is not for everybody.
Women are NOT protected...no way...try to go to Mickey D's and by a burger, not from the drive thru...try to walk around with your hair uncovered ( Riyadh).Say hi to a male friend outside your compound and have the Hayya ( Muttawa) spot you...have a coffee with a non related male, try to get a hotel room...etc,etc, etc....All that never bothered me (except a few days after the compound bombings ,when I went to buy a burger...and got hassled by the "Protectors of virtue", lol, that was fun...in a sick kind of way....I actually gave them the bird, took my abaya off and sped off...luckily they were too stunned to follow me..)
(no, I was not scantily clad..although for their taste I might have been )
And let us not forget, if , god forbid, something horrible is going to happen to you (rape for example), YOU will be blamed and prosecuted...not the man who did it to you. Unless of course, you have about 3 to 4 witnesses who saw him doing it...and they have to be of "sound" character....lol

Anyhow, it is not right to describe Saudi as something it is not. The people asking for advice need to know what they are getting into.

Nic1

Took my dogs to Saudi and now can't get the bloody things out - so agree with him on that

N

Blue Cat

ok so I have never been but comments like this would certainly put me off

Nic1

I agree BC, I don't want to wait outside a shop while my husband goes in, nor do I want to catch a bus, gave that up when I left school. I want to be able to drive my car where I like, when I like. The driving wouldn't put me off, not a huge amount worse than UAE and Qatar imo. It annoyed me intensely that the vast majority of drivers (99.9%) couldn't actually drive as well as me, and my children were constantly embarrassed as I told them to slow down, stop texting while going round a roundabout, not go drive down the dual carriageway in the wrong direction, not reverse back up the dual carriageway because he has missed the required turn . . .

It is not a normal lifestyle for anyone - ex-pats, Saudi women or Saudi men - the latter I feel as sorry for as I do the women - any group of people who flip-flop surf and do that swerving about thing on a busy highway as entertainement has to have a lot going wrong in their lives.

Having said that I met some amazing people out there (none of them Brits or Western ex-pats if I'm honest) and found it an interesting experience. Going back for a visit in February - not overly excited but children desperate to go back and see their friends . . .

If onnly they would give my dogs their exit visas . . . bukra inshallah!

N

Blue Cat

I just don't know how anyone can say they enjoy that sort of lifestyle. Children are being raised to look at their Mother's as being inferior.

Why can't you get the dogs out?

Nic1

Finding someone who knows what to do is impossible, so we've now had a chap sitting at the Min of Ag equivalent for a week trying to get export permits for them. Hoping for some good news today - but I've been saying for about 8 weeks now 'the boys will arrive this week' . . . Ho hum.

They'll have died of old age before I can get them out at this rate! Not sure if it's becuase there's four of them or because people just leave them behind so they're not used to having to do the paperwork.

Still, I can always see them when we visit in February . . .

N