Arabian Nights

"All passengers going to Bahrain from flight number GF 0273 are requested to proceed towards Gate No. 1 for boarding". Airlines lady was announcing it. I was going towards Gate No. 1, somewhat like 'hypnotysed'.

It was like "Dream Come true" for me, first Onsite Trip, first trip outside India. Two times in past "onsite" trip had given me hit-and-miss . Not this time, anymore. I was totally frustrated specially when Singapore trip was cancelled. All preparation was over, and suddenly one morning, shocking news came that project itself is cancelled. It was so rude to me that I was finding very difficult to sustain the shock. Though it is common in service industry, I was new for it. Then, after I came from vacation in January, this Saudi opportunity came. At that time, I told to myself : Till you land in Saudi, don't tell anybody that you are going onsite. People may misunderstood you, but this time don't make fun of yourself, not this time. But fortunately after few hiccups initially other things went fine this time.

And, finally the Day came. I got almost no time for preparation. On Thursday I got Tickets confirmed and on saturday morning I have to leave for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was two stage journey, first Bangalore - Bahrain and then Bahrain - Jeddah. As, this was my first international journey, there was always some anxiety, some fear, some curiosity in my mind. And another thing was, I was going alone, my other colleaggue was coming next day. If he would have been with me, then atleast some company would have been there.

But, fortunately everything went fine. Plus, on Jeddah airport there was one nice surprise. One marathi person, Pawar was in queue ahead of me for immigration. He is garment Exporter for Oxemberg, and is regular visitor to Gulf countries. He told many things about city, food, culture here. I left him at his hotel in Al-Balad and went ahead towards my hotel Holiday-Inn, located in Al-Thaghar.

Taxi driver was from Pakistan (actually most of the taxi drivers here are from Pakistan, other are from either Bangladesh or Srilanka. You will hardly find any Arab taxi driver), he was also telling about culture here. He was living here for more than 15 years, but his family was in Pakistan only. He told that earlier his "kafeel" (Employer or master in Arabik) used to give him 3 months vacation per year, but now he hardly gives a month vacation per year.

In Saudi Arabia, you can't own business, you have to make 50% partnership with local person. (In general none of taxi drivers has nice opinion about Arabs, but still for their "Roji-roti" they have to live here.) He said, it(Saudi Arabia) is like Golden Prison, you will get good salary(enough for living and sending money back home) plus there are no taxes. But, prison is prison.There are lot of restrictions, neither you can't easily go back home nor you can bring your family here hassle-free. Law here is very strict, specifically for ladies, they should always were "Burkha", they can't drive, they can go outside only if they are accompanied with relative man. There is punishment if unrelated man and woman are found together in public. Ans so on.....

I was landed in such country. Forunately, Jeddah has lot of cosmopolitian society, so rules are bit realxed (Unlike Riyadh, capital of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where you will find Muttawa, religious police patroling on roads. I read news in New paper that in Riyadh this Muttawa caught one professor found with his girl studen in hotel). I have to adjust myself to these conditions, specially food. Being vegetarian here is really punishing. Even in Five Star hotel like Holiday Inn I have to struggle to find vegetarian dishes. Let's see what lies ahead in "Arabian Nights".....