Licensed To Travel

Thanks to Adel that he has a driving license and we rented car and we are exploring some of the beauties of Dammam and beyond!

"Pasalubong"

Thanks  to some sale bonanza here in some malls in Khobar a few months ago that I have five pairs of new shoes for my pamangkins..the problem is BOC..OH my God baka pagdating ( balak ko sa balikbayan box) eh kulang kulang na..or if I will bring it on my flight - chances are BOC in NAIA might give them tax..BOC talaga sobrang lacoste!

There Is Always Hope

Just merely looking at the nature's way..there is always hope
just by breathing..there is always hope..
just by opening every morning..there is hope..

And thanks God by giving me those hopes..I hope others can see it too!

My Second Birthday In Dammam

My Birthday In Khobar

That No-Nonsense Talks

I  am looking for some good photos of mine for this year  and I have got this one. I do not know why I cannot upload some downloaded photos from google. A privacy issue maybe. It has been a while since I am not writing here. I do not know why I have stopped for a while. Writer's block? I think so or am I running out of ideas? Am I too busy at work? I guess not. I just want to stop. And wonder about everything. And now I am writing once again.

Life here in Saudi Arabia is quite good though boring sometimes. Thanks to the malls and restaurants that made our life somehow easier and nearer to our home. However before we can go to our favorite hang-outs here we must take a bus or taxi. We prefer taxi and we have learned a lot. I have learned a lot from honest talks to some drivers that I have been with. Most of the time I go to Khobar on a taxi. I always prefer a Bangladeshi driver for some reasons. They are good in English and should I say safe and honest. Other taxi driver are the opposites. I always greet him or ask the Bangla, as we called them, with " from Bangladesh" . And he responded yes. Then I will ask "Dhaka?" and he will say no and usually say Ustia a 2 or 3 hours ride from Dhaka  and most of the drivers are from them. I honestly enjoyed talking to them. They shared their life with me. Some information are shared and some opinions about the life here are also brought into discussion.

One time I have this very intelligent Bangla driver. We talked about the situation here. We talked about some work ethics here. We talked about shared experience with some "forces" that might be ruling the place. And he understood. He is very polite and offered me a ride once again after my photowalk in the corniche. But I forget since I went home night that time. He said he used to work in a firm or office for some years but opted to work as a driver since he can earn more. We talked about his dream of settling in their neighboring village where all he can see are the green places and rivers and all the calmness in life. A zen.

One time I have this Pakistani driver from Peshawar. Peshawar is like Mindanao in our country where some issues of security and war are just a way of life. Actually he said that Peshawar is not a safe place. And that time when I was about to go to Shatea Mall he called and nearly cried. That time his father died in Peshawar. All I can say is nothing to comfort him since I was about to go out of his taxi that time. In my mind all I can do is to pray for him and his family about that very sad news.

Another memorable one was the Indian driver whose so old maybe in his 60's and I discovered that he is a Catholic. He is driving for about thirty years in Dammam and he missed the good old Dammam where traffic is not a problem and buildings are so few. But now everytime is always traffic in every corner of the city.