The Top 14 Most Romantic Restaurants In Riyadh

Riyadh and Romance don't exactly go hand in hand do they? Despite its boring reputation, Riyadh has some surprisingly romantic restaurants where lovers can find a nice quiet spot. I've noticed that some of the best restaurants in Riyadh are also the most romantic. With the upcoming Valentine's Day next weekend, many couples are going to eat out in Riyadh. Here's my top list of romantic restaurants found in Riyadh for some tips on where to head for that special Valentine's Day romance!

1. The Globe, Cristal and Cigar Lounge Faisaliyah Tower
Probably the best views in town. Dine high above the city lights indulging on exquisite dishes made by some of the world's top chefs in a luxurious setting. Extra bonus the ladies can take abayas off. The Globe Summit event takes place this weekend for more details check here: http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/alfaisaliahhotel/i/downloads/The_Globe_Summit_Classes_and_Menus.pdf

2. Spazio, Kingdom Tower
The second best views in town. Great food and ambiance. Enjoy some sushi and a chance to walk on the Sky Bridge.

3. Mondo Intercontinental Hotel
One of the only places you will find a table next to a water source. Mondo has an outdoor seating area by the poolside. Fantastic food and romantic music.

4. Appetit Kitchen Tahlia Street
What could be more romantic than an evening out in Paris? Appetite Kitchen is as close to being in the real thing as you can get in the sand pit. Dimmed lights, cozy atmosphere, sophisticated music and best of all, candlelit dinner!

5. Cento Per Cento Olaya Street
Book your own beautifully decorated private room with a set 7 course menu for an all out evening.

6. Fairuz Garden King Fahad rd.
Beautiful design, dim lights, and you can book a table in advance which they especially decorate for you with rose pedals and candles. Choice of sitting outside with a view to the Kingdom tower.

7. Maya La Chocolaterie Ourouba rd.
The ultimate place for all chocolate lovers, the chocolaterie offers an extensive menu of pure indulgence in a warm atmosphere with soulful music playing in the background. This love clinic will get your endorphins running high!

8. L'Olimpo end of Tahlia Street, Dhabab rd.

This restaurant looks like it belongs somewhere in Italy, the decor inside is romantic with fountains and an overall very Italian feel. Choice of small outdoor seating area or private rooms.

9. Hediard Tahlia Street
Another option for outside family section dining. Prime location on the rooftop on Tahlia street.

10. Azurro Ritz Carlton
Another poolside restaurant, this Italian will make you feel like royalty with six star service and views to the spectacular inside pool area.

11. Lenotre Cafe Centria Mall
Lenotre has some of the best desserts in town, served in a fab setting on a terrace overlooking Olaya street and the Kingdom tower.

12. La Vela Centria Mall
Dine inside at the fabulously decorated La Vela or outside on their terrace with views to the Faisaliyah tower and down to Tahlia street. Candles, great ambiance and tasty desserts!

13. Amore Tahlia Street
The name says it all, this Italian has some of the best pizzas and pasta in town and great service in a modern setting.

14. Scalinis in Diplomatic Quarters. This Italian restaurant is located in the Fazari plaza area and female guests can remove their abayas. Nice decor, good food and one of the safest places to dine for those looking for muttawa-free areas.

What are your favorite romantic restaurants in Riyadh? What would you add to this list?

P.S. My husband wants to mention he does not agree with this post because he thinks I'm promoting Valentine's day :D

Oh Christmas Tree? Oh Christmas Tree!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
The sight of thee at Christmastide
Spreads hope and gladness far and wide
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree 
Thou tree most fair and lovely!

Saudi version:
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
thou tree most scarce and forbidden

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
where are thy branches hidden?

The sight of thee in Saudi-land
Spreads fear and loathing in the sand


O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
thou tree most scarce and forbidden


Christmas decorations such as trees in public are pretty much non-existent during the holiday season in Saudi-Arabia. Christmas is viewed as a Christian religious holiday and all items that celebrate it are supposed to be forbidden here. Christmas trees would be seen as religious symbols (which they are not really). Despite the lack of holiday spirit in the public sphere, many expats and even locals celebrate the holidays in the privacy of their homes.
The only Christmas tree that I know of on public display in Riyadh was in Hayat mall and it was not even decorated. It's pretty amazing how they pulled that one off without the Hai'a having a say. Maybe there were too many women with nail polish around on that day for the religious police to notice anything. My friend sent me this pic:

The only way I knew people got Christmas trees in Saudi was if they had shipped theirs in like my friend Nicole who managed to ship in a pretty large fake tree among her stuff from the States not so long ago.
That's why I had given up on the idea of ever having a tree here.

How I found my own fake tree was by pure accident. I was in an area in Riyadh which could be called a ghetto, looking around for some holiday decorations. We went there knowing they sell Christmas-sy decorations such as lights and those colorful frills people here use on Eid.


I entered one of the shops that sells all sorts of tawdry stuff and plastic crap. In Finnish I would call it a rihkama store. The place was packed with people and I saw an entire shelf full of what could not be mistaken for anything else than Christmas ornaments. I was shocked a little but happy to have found them. Out of the blue I asked the salesman if they happened to have Christmas trees for sale.

The look on his face was as if I had just asked him for drugs.

The salesman turned red and whispered back to me, yes we do have as if he was letting me in on a state secret. I remained calm but inside I was now very excited. I had not expected this at all! Christmas trees for sale in Saudi-Arabia? No way!

I excitedly asked what sizes they had since I didn't want to leave the store dragging a huge log behind me. He tried to show me the sizes with his hands while constantly eyeing the nearby Saudi customers with suspicion. He pretended to arrange some boxes around while doing it. I asked if the trees were decorated and did they have a stand. His nervous replies started to make me nervous too.

I told him I needed to see it before I could buy anything. The salesman hesitated but then motioned me to follow him. My heart was now beating faster as I realized my dream of having a cute little tree might come true after-all but at the same time I was nervous because the salesman was acting like we were about to commit a horrid crime.

It felt like he was a drug dealer about to show me his stash of cocaine.

The man walked to an aisle in the middle of the store fearfully glancing around, now visibly anxious and fidgety. He said "if any man with beard come, problem".

I nodded and said mafi mushkila. He kneeled down and removed the screws that had been loosely placed on the bottom of the corridor shelves. The front came off and revealed the long cardboard boxes hidden inside.

Now two Saudi women walked by. The salesman scrambled quickly closing the door and stood up while I pretended to browse through the cheap alarm clocks on top of the shelf. I wondered what my husband would say about the tree.

The women finally left and the salesman opened the door again. I could see three different sizes of boxes. He asked me which one I wanted. I told him I would have to see the actual tree before purchasing, but I wanted the smallest one. He opened one of the boxes and showed me the top of the tree which in all honesty looked really darn crappy, but beggars are not choosers.

"Will you take it ma'm?" I told him yes, I will take "it"!

The man pulled the box out of its hiding place. Suddenly the box fell apart and a portion of the tree was now showing.

My heart almost stopped.

The salesman panicked and started shouting in Hindi to his co-worker while trying to hide the branches with his arms. The co-worker flew to rescue with two large white plastic bags. With trembling hands they shoved the tree in the bag and placed another one on top covering all the green parts.

He told me he would take this "ahem" to the cashier to wait for me. Luckily it seemed as if the Saudi customers around the store were oblivious to our sneaky Christmas tree business and no bearded men were in sight.

With my heart still racing from the adrenaline rush this piece of green plastic had triggered, I tried to pick up some decorations for the tree. Strangely they were all out on display. I found colored pine cones, ball ornaments, frills and stars. One salesman even brought a big box of stars to me.

I wondered why it was acceptable to sell these ornaments but the actual tree was treated like the anti christ.

When I was done I apprehensively approached the cashier. I tried to wait for a moment when there was no queue but that was not going to happen on a busy evening like this. When my turn came I quickly handed him the basket full of tree decorations. He glanced around from the corner of his eyes and took the things directly into a plastic bag.

Next I wondered how I was supposed to tell him about "it". I said there was 'ahem ahem' something for me here. I tried to look for the white plastic bag and noticed it stashed behind his chair. The cashier did not understand my code language for hidden christmas tree so I had to point to the bag and say I think that was mine. "Oh OK ma'm". He did not even touch the bag.

At this point my husband suddenly rushed into the store. My first thought was he came to warn me about approaching muttawa but he wanted me to hurry up because the children were crying in the car. I pointed to the tree bag saying that's ours. He asked, "are you sure? Why is it there?" I told yes I'm very sure. So then my husband just threw it on his shoulder unknowing it was in fact a Christmas tree.

I tried to act normal but couldn't help laughing at the situation and the very pale face of the cashier. My husband with the tree hanging on his shoulder asked what's in here anyways? Weren't you supposed to buy some candles? I told him "oh, nothing special, I will tell you later."

So we ran to the car parked close by with the Christmas tree on my husbands shoulder. He opened the back door and threw the bag in. We ran not because we had just purchased a black market Christmas tree but because of the crying babies, but admittedly it might have looked suspicious. I giggled about the experience for a long time and managed to keep the tree as a surprise for my husband.

The next day I set up the tree and decorations. Although very small, it didn't look too bad at all. My husband laughed when he saw it and realized that he had been running around the ghetto with a Christmas tree on his back!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

You fill my heart with music.
Reminding me on Christmas Day
To think of you and then be gay.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
You fill my heart with music.

The Secret Lake

Last weekend we visited one of my favorite spots in the desert, a place I like to call the "secret lake". Secret, because not so many people seem to know of its existence, which I think is for the better. Many popular picnic and camping spots have been ruined with litter by locals and expats alike. I last went to the lake in May when it still had deep water in it.

The lake grew sea weed and I even saw some fish in there. I was amazed by this tranquil place midst the harsh dry landscape. The area seems like the last place you would ever find water in!

Because the surrounding area is so dry, after the rains the water flushes down the dry hills into the valleys and they lead here to the lowest ground forming temporary lakes. There was so much water last spring that I thought it would never dry out.

I was wrong! In its place was a beautiful green meadow full of flowers though. Only one family was picnicking there. At the end of the lake there's a large green willows growing very tall reeds. A cacophony of birds and frogs can be heard there but mostly not seen.

The wind blows softly through the reeds, swishing them back and forth. It looks like waves in the ocean.The sound is so peaceful, so calming.

I could stare at it for hours and not get bored!

 Delicate like little snowflakes.

My friend Mandi who writes the blog Under the Abaya came with us and I'm so glad she enjoyed the trip despite the lack of water! After our little picnic we decided to climb up the hill to catch a better view of the lake.

 My husband watched the babies while Mandi and I made our way up the hill like nimble mountain gazelles (not).

A small sign of life peaking through from the rocks.

 It was very quiet and we were now the only people there.

 The sun was setting behind the hills and the light started to color the valley first a golden hew and then a beautiful pink color.

 The view from the top is beautiful!

Sunset behind the hills.

Mandi making her way down. Be careful of the loose rocks especially when coming down.

 This area is rich in fossils because it used to be the bottom of the ocean some 50 million years ago. I found this rock which I call the "caterpillar fossil".

The dried up river bed. We were in a hurry to leave the site shortly after sunset because it becomes very difficult to drive here in the dark.

The best chance to see this location with water in it is after heavy rains. It's raining today in Riyadh so there's a good chance water would accumulate here again if enough pours down from the skies! I'm letting my readers know about this location because I know you're all responsible, environmentally conscious people, right? And I take it nobody will leave trash there! If you see trash, take it away with you!

Directions:

Take Khurais Road toward the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ).Where Khurais Road splits, take the fork to the right on to the Makkah Highway East (Route 

40E)toward Salbouk. Drive to the second exit to the right for King Abdullah Street, going up the ramp toward the traffic lights. Stay in the left lane and reset your odometer to 0.0 km.

Turn left from the traffic light onto King Abdullah Street and drive straight to the large traffic circle. Go around it to the second exit where you turn right, down a road leads that leads to Wadi Hanifa area.

Drive downhill and shortly after you cross two bridges and bear to the left at the traffic lights at 1.7 km.

Cross a third bridge and you will see security gate to a large farm ahead of you. Pass it by turning left slightly downhill. Now you will see the walls of a palace on the left hand side and farm on the right. Keep going straight and pass the Wadi Hanifa park entrance on the left hand side.

The road will end in a t-junction where you will take a right, and then the road turns to the left shortly after.

Follow this wadi road and be careful because the road is in bad condition and has lots of potholes. Don't be discouraged by the scenery which is now pretty ugly! Shacks, garbage dumps and abandoned trucks and other vehicles spotted around everywhere.

Keep on this road and at 9.5 km bear to the right, do not go up the hill to the left. You will pass under the new Ring Road bridge and continue going straight. The road will become narrower and turn into a dirt track. 

There are three forks in the road before you reach the lake. From the first one you take a right and then shortly after a left. You pass by a gate to a farm on your right. Keep driving and the road is now very narrow and only doable with a 4x4. Keep on the left track. Just before the lake there is an abandoned farm on the left hand side. At 22 km which is the end of the road the lake will appear on the right. You can park the car anywhere but the best place is on either end of the lake where you can take a hike up the hills.

You can read Mandi's post from our trip here:
http://undertheabaya.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/a-great-week/

SAMSUNG Godfathers And Washing Machine Eating Mice

You've probably heard about the crappy customer service in Saudi-Arabia before. Disservice, un-service, no service..WHAT service? Sometimes I'm lost for words when describing these things. It makes my head hurt and I can feel how my brain cells are slowly dying from trying to handle the ultimate stupidity. I try not to think about it too much in fear of permanent brain damage.

Let me tell you that writing this post literally made me sweat in agony. Experiencing this in real life however was something else altogether. The customer service here can only really be understood by someone who has had the "privilege" to experience it.
Like those moments when you called the plumber to come "plumb" something, he comes and pours water on it and says "ma'm it's plumbed". 
To give you a better idea of how things work (or don't work) in the Magic Kingdom, read this encounter with SAMSUNG Riyadh customer services. 

28th October
Our a little bit over a year old Samsung washing machine breaks. An error message appears on the computer screen when the machine tries to start rinsing cycle. I inform husband. We suspect a problem with the drain or filter. Husband calls plumber and cleans filter.

29th October
Plumber arrives, checks drains. Pours water in them. "Kulu kweis. Mafi mushkila."
Husband calls Samsung maintenance service telling them our machine is broken. They promise to send "someone".

1st November
The first Samsung maintenance dude arrives. Cannot diagnose problem, finds no issues, machine appears to be working when he checks. Note he checks the machine with no laundry in it. DUH!
An hour after his "check-up" I run a cycle of laundry, it happens again, husband calls him to come back. Dude says he will come back Saturday and order the spare parts to fix the computer board. As if the problem is in the computer screen itself and not the actual machine. Silly me for thinking that when an error message appears, it means there's a problem somewhere else. The maintenance dude naturally knows what he is doing right. RIGHT?

8th November
After about 192 calls to Samsung that week the same dude finally comes and changes the computer board. They test it, now with laundry inside (which my husband insisted to put in) and it seems to work. Charged 700 SAR for all this.

9th November
I start doing laundry. The same freakin problem comes up and I scream a little bit inside. I am starting to have a huge pile of laundry by now. The laundry room has started to stink.
Husband calls Samsung and says the machine is broken again. "We will send someone" they say.

11th November
The someone comes after about 36 phone calls to Samsung asking when is mr. Someone coming.
He tries to check the machine, opens up the backdoor and takes some wire out. Diagnosis: The lock and the computer board has to be changed. 
Excuse me? Samsung dude #1 already fixed it and we paid for it.
Dude #2 says when dude #1 changed the computer board he should have also changed the lock because if he doesn't they're both going to break. 
OK so you're telling me he kind of un-fixed it? Like, as in BROKE it more?
Dude #2 leaves saying he has to now order the spare parts from somewhere (maybe somebody will hand carry them on foot from China?)

12th-13th November
Husband calls Samsung, nobody knows anything.
Laundry room has now started to seriously stink. Stink as in MOLD stink.  Plumber comes. Says the nasty smell is coming because we're not using the washing machine which normally would flush the drains. Pours water on drain, leaves.
Thank you Samsung for the lovely TOXIC home odors.

14th November
The same dude comes back again after a few days with a co-dude. They change the computer and the lock. Next he cannot locate the wire which he had removed the first time for reasons not understandable to people with logic. (try looking in your arse perhaps? ) After an hour searching an area of about 3 square meters they finally relocate the mysterious wire. Dude #2 puts the thing back in.

Machine does not work.

Another two hours goes by and either dude #2 or #3 can figure out what's actually wrong with the machine.
"Too much work, can't be done here" he says. "we need to take it to the workshop".
Husband says sure, take it. "Oh but we don't have a car big enough to transport things in."

Wait a second, WHAT? You're telling me you're a maintenance dude for SAMSUNG which mostly makes large home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators, and you drive around in what? A Morris Mini or a Toyota Corolla? Somebody tell me this is a joke right?
Nope.
They leave and say someone will call you tomorrow.

15th November
Big surprise! No news from Samsung! Husband gets upset and refers to Samsung customer service as "piece of crap". He calls them to schedule a pick up. Samsung Riyadh say next available appointment is following Monday. This is totally unacceptable after waiting two weeks already and especially after the unprofessional maintenance disservice. Husband demands to talk to manager. "No manager here sir". Husband asks to leave a message for the manager to call him on Saturday.
The smell of mold in the laundry room is getting stronger and stronger. Plumber arrives. Pours water in drains and also on the floors. Smell of mold the spreads to entire apartment.
Toddler is now down with a bad flu and vomiting all over the place.

17th November
Saturday rolls along.
Husband receives SMS from Samsung Saudi call center saying your appointment has been CANCELLED. Husband goes nuts. Is now referring to Samsung as "piece of s**t".
Calls Samsung, asking for maintenance manager. The employees at call center are all Saudi females with the same default replies:
"we don't have a maintenance manager, only a call center manager"
 "we can only reach the manager by email" 
"I will send the manager an email and he will get back to you"
So to reach these managers (all Saudis of course) who seem to enjoy the status similar to some sort of untouchable, unreachable mafia Godfathers, the call center ladies have to send emails. The Samsung Godfather then either gets back to you, or doesn't, depending on his mood or how busy he is with his other ahem, "businesses".

Later that day, the phone rings. Lo and behold, it's the SAMSUNG Godfather. He listens to my husbands complaints and promises to call back. The Godfather named Raed Al-Something NEVER calls back. He probably got busy smoking cigars or just didn't bother.
The toddler is very sick now, vomit and diarrhea is everywhere, no washing machine. Funtimes!

18th-21st November
Husband calls Samsung customer service call center everyday, over and over. Same monotonous replies from the call girls. No signs from Godfather.
Child is still sick.
Plumber arrives to "flush the drains". This time is met by crazy Finnish woman who tells him some facts about plumbing, drains, mold, moisture and health. After the Plumbing-101 quick course the plumber laughs in disbelief but does what the woman instructs him and opens the drain up. He tries to remove the mold and then pours Chlorox in the drains. The smell is gone.

21st November
Fed up and furious, husband goes to the Riyadh Samsung store maintenance manager Godfather in person on Wednesday morning. He is now referring to Samsung customer service as "piece of *#%#  s**t".
The Godfather, Mr. Raed Al-Hamaad is smoking in his office when husband enters. It is hard to see the Godfather from all the smoke in the room. He doesn't look up the entire time from the computer screen. I guess he was busy reading emails.

The same day around 2 pm someone calls saying he's on the way to pick the machine up. Really? Could this be it finally? Did the Godfather push some buttons?

The Samsung dude #4 asks for directions and husband explains the way to Diplomatic Quarters. The dude does not know where it is. The sucker gets lost and calls husband. They try to figure out where the dude #4 is but dude doesn't have a clue where he is. Husband spends the next hour on and off the phone trying to locate the hopeless case. He is Yemeni so his understanding of Arabic is not the problem.

It's 4 pm now and we do not know where he is nor does he know where he is. Husband asks the dude to stop somewhere and give the phone to someone around him. Dude does and then husband tells them this clueless dimwit needs to be sent into the DQ. Turns out he was right next to it.

A stubborn camel would've made it from the SAMSUNG store into DQ by this time.

Husband specifically instructs the sucker what to say at the gate and IF the security doesn't let him in, to STAY at the gate so husband can fetch him. It's now nearing 5pm and there's no sign of the dude, husband calls 15 times in a row before the dude picks up. He left. Went back to the store. AFTER 3 HOURS OF DRIVING AROUND YOU FINALLY FOUND IT AND THEN YOU LEFT? O-M-G.

Turns out the Godfather had not sent one of his official men but an Iqama-less random Yemeni dude to us. Husband is now referring to Samsung customer service as "%$#@ piece of *#%# s**t".

22nd November
Husband leaves to Samsung store to kill people but on the way there Mr Someone calls him says we are on the way. They actually come, make it inside the gate and have a big enough car to take the machine. "A few days", they say.
Newborn baby is now sick. Smell of mold still lingering in the house. Smelly laundry in the baskets and on the floors. Plumber says "you need a washing machine". You don't say??

24th November
Saturday rolls around again, husband calls and Samsung says tomorrow, inshallah. We've all heard that before. The next day it's still being fixed. Same thing the next day.

27th November
Without asking if anybody is actually home, the Samsung dude calls in the middle of the day and informs they're on their way to bring the machine back. 
Machine arrives and the dude starts checking if it works. I tell him we need to put laundry in it and wait the entire cycle to see if it works because the problem arises when it's full of water and clothes.
He doesn't get it and keeps pressing on the buttons. I try to explain again, this time speaking veeryy sloooowly. Now he thinks I don't understand how a washing machine works and starts explaining the process in full detail. I give up trying to explain and hope for the best.

Out of interest I ask him what caused the problem in the machine. He tells me it was.....wait for it...a MOUSE that had chewed up the wires in the machine. EXCUSE ME? A mouse ate my washing machine?

You're telling me a mouse entered my house? A house that's full of cats? Wouldn't they kill the mouse before it passed by all the delicious foods awaiting in the kitchen cupboards and made its way to the irresistible wire it was craving to chew on? Would it not leave droppings and some signs of itself?

Has anyone ever heard of a washing machine eating MOUSE before? I thought so. Do mice even live in Saudi-Arabia?

I felt so sorry for him for not coming up with a better excuse. It might have been more convincing had he blamed at least a gerbil because I had gerbils as pets when I was a kid and boy do they know how to chew things up. But a mouse? Get real dude. So DUMB. It's like when a seven year old comes to his parents saying "a mouse chewed up my homework".

I have a pretty good idea who "chewed up" that wire, Shamsung!

Well at least the machine seems to be working now and I don't know what we would've done without our amazing friends and neighbors who helped us do the laundry during this whole anguishing ordeal.

What words would you use to describe this service?

P.S.  If you like this post and think Blue Abaya should win the best Saudi expat blog title, then PLEASE vote for me here: http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/566/blue-abaya
Thank you!

We Love You, Baba

Father's Day is celebrated in Scandinavia on the second Sunday of November which was this previous Sunday. Happy Father's day to my own father and to my amazing husband who gets to enjoy two Father's Days a year! But he deserves it! I want to dedicate this post to my dear husband and the father of my children.

Dear baba/isi,

On this Father's Day we want to thank you for everything you've done for us. You are the world's best dad! 

Thank you for being there for us from the moment you heard we were just a tiny little peanut growing in mommy's belly. Thank you for helping mommy during her pregnancy and especially for taking natural childbirth classes with her and becoming a certified labor coach to help us come to this world. We are very proud of you. Thank you for being there when we first opened our eyes and saw you and mommy for the first time. Thank you for protecting us from all the unnecessary interventions at the hospital and for giving us a peaceful and safe journey and first few days into this world.

Thank you daddy for all the times you rocked us to sleep in your arms, even though you were so tired yourself. Thank you for all the hours you spent walking around trying to help us sleep and for the lullabies you sang to us. Thank you for reciting Quran over us when we were sick or tired and easing our discoforts. Your voice is like magic to us. Thank you for letting mommy sleep in on weekend mornings and for the special times we spent together playing.

 Thank you baba for making me breakfast every morning and taking me to daycare. Thank you for all the fun times we spent at the park, sliding, climbing and exploring the places. Thank you for reading me a bedtime story every night, it is the best moment of the day when I get to lay my head on your shoulder and sleep. I will always remember those precious moments with my daddy. I love you baba you are my habibi.

 Thank you baba for never ever loosing your temper with us and always having so much patience with us even if we were driving you up the walls.

 Thank you isi for learning some Finnish language and for understanding how important our other roots and culture are. The best memories from summer are from our other home country with you at the summer house, thank you for taking us every year.

Thank you for all the kisses and hugs and love and affection you shower us with. They mean more than any gifts to us and make us the happiest and luckiest children in the world. When we are older we will take care of you. We love you always, daddy.


Love,
your habibis

How I Met My Saudi Prince

Exactly four years ago my shift at the Saudi hospital had started out like any other night. The allocated patients kept me busy and life seemed to be rolling on as usual. Little did I know that night would change my life for good.

I was thankful to have my friend "Katherine" working on the same shift, it was always a relief having another westerner and English speaking person to talk to during the night shift. We had again agreed to exchange our patients over to each other to enable a break in the middle of the shift.

The moment that would change my life happened very randomly. I was looking for Katherine to ask her which coffee she wanted from Starbuck's. It was my turn to fetch that night's caffeine dose and I was on my way down to the coffee shop. I saw her nurse presence light on in one room and decided to pop my head in quickly.

As I peaked in, Katherine was chatting inside with the patient and his relative. The Euro Cup football match was playing loudly on TV. She excitedly motioned me to enter the room further so curiously I did, at the same time asking what her Starbucks order was going to be.

As I glanced at the patient sitting there on his bed, something strange happened. As if time had stopped, like a missing piece had fallen into its place. A handsome young man looked back at me, equally baffled by the moment. For just a few seconds our eyes met and then both of us shyly looked away. I greeted the men with salaams and smiled. They replied back politely, not even looking at me for long but eyeing the floor or the TV. I had learned by now this was a sign of respect, not disrespect as my own culture would tell me. They did not want to make me feel awkward.

I felt a rush of blood going to my head, I was blushing now. Oh how I hated when that happened! I wanted to leave, but then I felt a certain curiosity of this man who I thought was probably one of the most handsome men I had ever laid eyes on. He had a certain sparkle in his eyes that intrigued me and his smile seemed to light up the room. I didn't want to leave anymore.

I lingered for a moment, asking about the game on TV. The truth is I knew nothing about football, the only thing I cared about was the Italian football team, for other reasons than their skills. He made a joke about the Italians and we all laughed. I told him I was rooting for Italy and more jokes were thrown around. Secretly I was thinking to myself how the patient actually reminded me of an Italian football player with his long black hair brushed up in a ponytail and his smiling dark chocolate eyes.

When I couldn't think of any more excuses to stay in the room I left to fetch the coffee. I kept thinking about the patient and wanted to ask Katherine about him. I felt drawn to go talk to him more. Later that night my chance came when Katherine and I swapped patients for her break.

Katherine had informed her patients she was leaving for an hour and meanwhile nurse "Layla from Finland" would be taking over. As she was leaving she teased me, "he will call you for sure, something tells me he wants to see you again. When you walked into the room it was like something made a "click" sound! I swear I could hear it!"

About five minutes after she left, the call bell rang. Room 42. It's him! I was nervous to enter and felt my heart racing. The young man asked if he could get a pain killer. Sure, I said and left to check his files. When I returned he thanked me for the medicine and shyly asked a few questions about me.

I was amazed how it felt so easy to talk to him, his English was perfect and I forgot he was even Saudi. It was as if we already knew each other somehow. It became apparent that we had actually lived in the same area in the U.S as kids. What a coincidence! We talked about Finland and at some point I mentioned how we have so many moose there but I couldn't remember how to say the plural. What was it, perhaps mooses? He laughed and told me it must be meese! To this day I remember that silly joke and how it made us both laugh so hard.  His smile filled my heart with joy.

Thinking back to that day and where I was in my life I realize how fortunate I was meeting this remarkable man. From that night shift, it has been a long, sometimes extremely hard but rewarding journey to where we are now. We have had to overcome so many obstacles on the way. No one believed in us in the beginning, except us.

Never in a million years did I think something like this would happen to me when I landed on Saudi soil. When I left Finland for Saudi people used to taunt me, you will find a Saudi Prince there, fall in love and stay forever! I told them, in your dreams only! I guess sometimes fairy tales do come true.

The Saudi Son-In-Laws Guide To Surviving The Sauna Test

Sauna..for most people the sauna might sound like a luxury, a special treat or something very exotic. For us Finns the sauna is a part of normal everyday life. It's a necessity, not a luxury. For the five million inhabitants of Finland, there are over 2 million saunas! That makes for almost a sauna per household ratio.

Saunas are everywhere, even inside the smallest city apartments, at health clubs, pools, summer cottages, hotel rooms..There are electric saunas, smoke saunas, barrel saunas, sauna boats, balcony saunas, smart saunas, anything you can imagine, but the favorite sauna for the Finns is the traditional wood-heated fireplace sauna where water is thrown on the rocks to create a soft steam into the sauna.

The traditional Finnish sauna has a specific way it needs to be heated and there are some rather peculiar traditions and practices involved, especially weird and fascinating or even scary for a first time sauna-goer. Finns take pride in their saunas and foreigners will without exception be invited for a sauna session. The Finnish FIL's have a reputation of "testing" the foreign spouses of their daughters in the sauna to see how "manly" they are. This is of course done tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless it's best to be prepared!

Here's a Finnish sauna guide for all the foreign son-in-laws out there!

If you are a foreign guy (even more so if you're Arab or Saudi) married to a Finnish woman, be prepared for the ultimate acid test when you land on Finnish soil. The FIL's will surely have their fingers itching to get you into the sauna to test out your manhood and compatibility with your Finnish spouse.

Do not sweat! Here is a step by step guide to survive your first sauna ordeal. By following these instructions you will prove yourself worthy of his Finnish daughter.

After landing in Finland you will immediately be taken from the airport to the summer cottage for survival camp.
Be warned that there will be no running water, plumbing or even electricity in some cases.

Upon arrival act calm and ask where the outhouse is (you might need this information sooner than later).
Remember to make polite remarks on how the grass and garden looks so well groomed and how the cottage seems so inviting (even if you feel like running back into the car and heading to the nearest hotel).

Most likely next you will be asked to heat up the sauna. You must understand that sauna is a sacred place to Finns. Finns used to give birth in sauna. DO NOT at any point, under any circumstances attempt to make fun of the sauna traditions. That will be your last joke.

To heat the sauna, you will need wood. Go and chop some up, carry it inside and place into a neat pile.

This would not be the best moment to be lighting a fireplace for the first time. You will need to know at least the basics on how to get the fire going without getting smoke into the sauna. There is something called a smoke sauna, but that is too hardcore for you.

After you have got the fire going in the stove (kiuas)without burning up the whole sauna, you must fetch the water. Take the buckets and fill some with rain water and others with lake/sea water. Put rain water only in the "löyly" bowl to prevent the stove stones from going bad.

Remember to keep checking the temperature of the sauna, you are aiming for 70-80C, not 100C. Heating up to 150C will NOT impress your FIL. That will burn down the sauna. You will need to add wood about every half hour.

Next you will assemble the vihta. This is a 'whisk' or 'whip' made of birch tree branches. Its used to beat yourself with while sitting in the sauna. You need to gather branches from a certain kind of birch and tie it up in a bunch. If you are lucky your FIL might assist you in this. Sometimes families have ready-made dried ones you just need to soak in water to use.

When using the vihta, start by beating your back and arms, then move to your legs. Be sure to hit yourself quite hard so that the skin becomes very red. You will be surprised how nice it feels.This means your blood is now circulating really well! Do not use the vihta like a camel whip! That will cause the leaves to fly all around the sauna.
If your FIL is impressed by your self-beating skills, he may ask you to beat his back for him. This is a great honor. Do not beat him too hard even if tempted.

You might be asked would you like a men's sauna or a family sauna. Men's sauna means you bathe with the men of the family, naked. Family sauna means you bathe with your wife and children, also naked. Don't freak out about the nudity, it's a perfectly natural thing and Finns won't look "there". Easiest for you would be family sauna, but if you do end up with the men, you can always use a towel to cover when you go outside for a cooling and swim.

In the sauna you will start by throwing water on the stove (kiuas). The steam this creates is called "löyly". It is considered polite to praise the sauna and the excellence of the löyly. Try to stand the heat for at least 5 minutes then go cool off. The Finns will be throwing lots of löyly so be prepared not to chicken out too soon.

If you are next to a water source, you will need to go for a swim (even if the water is only 15c). That is seen as manly and give you high points in the eyes of your FIL (and maybe your wife). Extra points come from a spectacular jump accompanied by a magnificent roar.

If you don't at least dip yourself in the water (not just the tip of your toes but entire body), you will fail the sauna test. Thank your lucky stars you didn't come in the winter time when you would be required to roll around in the snow or dip into the frozen lake! The cold water stimulates the blood circulation and afterward you will feel like a hero because of the endorphines running through the body.

After the cold shock some people like to hang around outside chatting, having a drink and enjoying the scenery. Then the sauna bathing continues like this in cycles of hot and cold. Do at least three cycles to prove your stamina.

Don't worry if everyone sits quiet as a mouse on the benches. Mostly Finns will just sit quietly without feeling awkward. Sauna is not a place for debates or lively conversation, but rather self reflecting and silence. The children in Finland are taught "In the sauna you must be as quiet as in the church". Finns don't know how to small talk either.

When you're finished wash yourself with birch tree soap. Mix hot and cold water from the large barrels in your washing basin. Rinse off with rain water.

After the sauna cool off with a drink and eat some delicious sausage (makkara) cooked on the sauna stove served with hot mustard. Remember to once more praise the löyly to your hosts!

Hopefully your FIL will approve your sauna performance and you will be accepted into the family! Good luck!