Moving Back to Saudi Arabia

Photo of Al Hada mountains in Al Taif

I talked about growing up in the US. Today I would like to talk about moving back to Saudi Arabia. When we moved back, I had a vague idea of what it was like from memories when I was probably too young to remember, photos, and my parents’ descriptions.

The flight to Saudi Arabia was a small adventure for me as a kid. We took multiple flights to reach Jeddah.

When we arrived at the airport in Jeddah, we were greeted by our aunts and uncles and some friends who used to live in the US too. I only knew three uncles who had visited us in the US. We got in multiple cars, I got in the car with our family friends with one of my brothers I remember they offered us boxes of milk and I was shocked; is this what milk tastes in Saudi Arabia? I loved milk! It’s funny how milk can taste different from country to country. We did find a brand of fresh milk that tasted similar to the milk we knew. We gathered at one my uncles house where so many uncles and aunts and cousins were waiting. I’m sure many tears were shed but I don’t remember that part. I just remember the excitement in the air and the joy. My dad’s family had a wedding to attend, my mom’s side of the family took us up to Taif to see my grandmother. I’m sure that was a tear filled joyous reunion. We probably had slept a lot on the airplane so we weren’t sleepy we stayed up all night with two of my cousins. We finished an entire box of cucumbers! Cucumbers in Saudi Arabia are small with small barely visible seeds. Delicious!

I don’t know how long we stayed in Taif getting acquainted with family before we got on one more plane and went to the Eastern Province; Dhahran. Our final destination, our new home. The university (Where my dad was a faculty member) has furnished housing for faculty. Our house had a big yard fenced with tall green bushes. We had a magnificent tree in the middle. I shared a room with my sister that over looked our front yard and that tree.

The first year was a jumble of emotions. It was hard adjusting to a new to us culture. Yes, we did have a big connection with the Muslim community in the US but life was different in Saudi Arabia. Not better or worse just different. I made new friends, but I missed my friends in the US. I kept in touch with some via mail. Something I wish the newer generations would appreciate.

My siblings and I weren’t fluent in Arabic, my school almost didn’t accept me because my Arabic was so bad. I even spelled my dad’s name wrong! To help us we had a lot of extra Arabic classes. Back then it was a burden to me. I missed out on all the fun classes; art, home economics, PE, computer, even English class! We had extra classes on the weekend in Arabic and Science. I remember my science teacher drawing a diagram of the heart on my hand while explaining it to me. I can imagine how hard it was, learning the Circulatory System let alone in a new language. I am grateful now for all the people who put in so much work to help us succeed. What a difference a year made for us! We also had the help and support of my mom and my aunt, who moved in with us for a year to help my mom tutor 5 kids! We were a handful and my aunt was a lot of help. When I look back and realize that I studied by myself the next year and only needed help studying history, I realize what an amazing job my parents, aunt and teachers did! I will always be in debt to them!

After one year we moved to a bigger house to fit our large family. We welcomed one more sibling a couple of months after we moved back to Saudi arabia which made us a family of 8 mashallah! In case you’re wondering, yes, my mom is a superhuman mashallah. But, that is a post of its own.

When we moved to our new house, I made a new friend. How did we meet? At the bus stop in the morning waiting for our school buses. She was reading a book, that’s what started the conversation. This friend whom I’ve been friends with since the sixth grade. We have lost touch and reconnected but I will always consider her a friend. We have a very special friendship and our parents called us sisters.

I think one of the most significant differences for me after we moved was the month of Ramadan. Yes, we did have a special connection to the Muslim community in the US. We were all one big family. We went to the mosque and had breakfast together and prayed together. But in Saudi Arabia it was different because the entire country celebrated this month. Almost everyone is fasting. (I actually had a college professor from the UK who was Christian and fasted out of respect, she was a wonderful person for so many reasons.) The atmosphere changes during the month of Ramadan. I can’t really explain it, but everything seems better. There is a warmth and peacefulness about this month. You can hear the canons (an old tradition that would tell people it was time to breakfast before we had microphones. This tradition ha stopped years ago but was still happening when we first moved) You can hear the prayers of taraweeh from multiple mosques in the area. Certain foods would appear at the supermarkets and restaurants such as sambuusa and kunafa (Find my recipe here.) Neighbors would share plates of yummy savory dishes and desserts. School hours and work hours would shift slightly to allow people to get some sleep after night prayers and suhoor. At school we had a Ramadan Evening, where we would perform for our mom’s songs, prayers, poetry.

Of course, the preparations for Eid were always exciting. Especially since we would go to Taif and spend it with my grandparents (may God have mercy on their souls) and aunts, uncles and cousins! Ramadan at my grandparents’  house was always extra special with so many relatives to share it with. My mom sometimes would do her Eid baking at my grandfather’s house and the smell of all the yummy sweets would fill the house while all the helping hands worked with my mother. Eid night was always exciting preparing for Eid morning. Waking up early and having breakfast with so many people. Getting all dressed up and receiving gifts and money from the adults. Eating and playing games with all the cousins. My siblings and cousins actually started a tradition of throwing a Eid party and playing games. My sister is the one who started the tradition of a piñata. One Eid my brother and I planned a scavenger hunt. We had so much fun together. Now you know how my own traditions started. After lunch we usually went to visit my mom’s side of the family at my grandmother’s house. How I would love to go back in time and spend one more Eid with her.

Summers were so much more fun now that we were back because beside living in KFUPM faculty housing which was a such a blessing. (I will talk about that next week inshallah) We also spent summer break with relatives. Either we went to Taif where the majority lived, and others joined us there, or, they came to visit us in Dharan. I have so many fond memories of spending summers in Taif. Between my paternal grandfather’s house and my maternal grandmother’s. We would spend it with so many cousins.  I have one cousin on my dad’s side who was closest to my sister and I’s age. We were inseparable. Sometimes we would spend the night at her house where they lived in a compound for a Military hospital where my uncle worked. It is such a beautiful place to live and we enjoyed the cool weather of Al Hada (Al-Hada Mountain is one of Al-Sarawat Mountains in the city of Taif West of Saudi Arabia.) Since it has a natural mountain terrain the compound was built on different levels with lots of stairs to go up and down. They had a recreation center where we could go swimming, play bowling, and even get a haircut. We could even go to the supermarket and buy snacks and rent a movie to watch together.

I am so grateful for all the wonderful childhood memories I have growing up; between living in KFUPM and spending my summers in Taif.

I will talk about growing up in KFUPM next week inshallah.