Wednesday night was peaceful here we had a family outing to the Mall. We took a cab to the Drahran Mall where we arrived just in time for prayer time around 4.15pm as we waited to wander around SACO World looking at light bulbs, bone china, chain saws, outdoor and indoor furniture, blinds, bedding, cutlery, you name it, it was here. Jay for some reason, we couldn’t quite understand, selected a cart and proceeded to fill it with about 20 assorted lightbulbs he just had to have. This cart was then pushed sedately, hurled, and sped throughout the entire store, like a racing car with Jay hanging off the back of it on one foot. To his credit, he did make an outstanding selection – a cross section of what was on offer – from chandelier fixtures, red and blue colored bulbs, halogen, all manner of wattage, hand picked of course. It took 10 mins of cajoling at the check out to persuade him that we didn’t need to buy them all. During this time, every emotion a four year old can muster surfaced, including some really persuasive “play” acting (which only a mother who has witnessed it time and again, can pick – for everyone else it was the real McCoy.) After the stage show, we walked across a 4 lane high way to get to IKEA. I carried Jay in my long Abaya and we made it across between light signals.
IKEA is no different here than in Houston, with the obvious exception of the clientele. I spied skin tight jeans and 4 inch sparkling heels peaking out from one Abaya, along with very heavy make up – think Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, especially the eyebrows! And then a head scarf over the head. Between us girls, I do have to wonder about the men in their white “nightshirts” and red and white head attire and open toed sandals. I guess it keeps them cool. But note, white is the color of mourning here, not black. Anyway, come 6.25pm or thereabouts, as we’re thinking of checking out, and Jay has fallen asleep in the cart with his new buddy “Rufuss” a 10 foot red faux soft velvet snake and a similar but much smaller soccer ball, we experience the following: Arabic announcement followed by a very clear crisp British Radio voiceover : “Attention shoppers, prayer time will commence in 10 minutes, during which time the store will be closed. If you want to leave the shop please do so within the next 10 minutes. We will re-open the store after 25 minutes. There is a mosque situated on the first floor.” We decided to stay, and continue to acquaint ourselves with the goods IKEA has to offer. In particular we needed oven mitts, which we couldn’t find, or else they don’t stock them because everyone has fireproof hands. We did buy a cactus for 15R which is about $4 (basically we divide by 4, actually 3.75 but that is beyond me, no matter where I in the world I live!). After about 20 minutes the staff were advised to return to the shop floor, in particular the check out staff. The plastic link chain was taken down so you could access the check out arena and we proceeded in an orderly manner to the check out.
Now please understand that we don’t particularly enjoy being locked down against our wills and we will do our utmost to avoid this in the future. There are some shops where 25 minutes would be a living hell for me – computer shops, stereo shops, car part shops to name a few. Getting locked in a lingerie shop here would be like being let loose in a lingerie shop on lower Westheimer @ Montrose, think Priscilla Queen of the Desert, or an adult sex shop and you’ll be right on track. Forget, Victoria’s Secret or Soma – that would be the lingerie your great grand mother would wear and I’m glad I brought my selection with me! You see, only your imagination limits you as to what women actually wear under their black garments.
Oh we had kitchen doors installed. They fit perfectly at the top and have a 2 inch gap at the bottom and the handles are 2 inches off line from each other – and they obviously weren’t drinking when they were installed. Apparently they are sending the painter over to paint them today – according to the one who is to pay them, they have to re-hang them and get it right or take them away and not get paid at all, before we even consider painting. An absolutely appalling job on par with the TNT guys building Jay’s bed which we had to rebuild from scratch. The only part they got right was the four plastic feet on the bottom of the four posts, and given that they had 3 sets of plastic coverings to choose from, Rex ungraciously suggested that, that selection was “pot luck”. His language deteriorated from there, and after about an hour he was then ranting and raving about the inability of the Bulgarians to produce a decent product and why they are the bottom of the food chain in manufacturing. In my innocence, I reminded him that IKEA is Swedish and was told that they design and the Bulgarians manufacture because it’s less expensive to do it there, and is it any wonder because the quality is so **** @@@@ &&&&&!! And if if I looked at the cardboard box I’d clearly see that it was all made in Bulgaria. I offered him a non-alcoholic beer which seemed to calm him down. Jay told him that he was going to ask Santa Claus to bring him a new gun with plastic bullets and a raptor airplane and more toys, and a play house for the back yard. Finally after 2.5hrs, inclusive of Jay’s help with screws and desire to climb all over the bunk before it was constructed, which necessitated a time out shut in another room for 3 minutes, but actually 45 seconds because he let himself out, it was all done. Jay slept like a baby and it will take a force 5 hurricane to destroy the bed. (I presume we’ll be able to take it all apart when its time to move?”
Quick update, the doors have been replaced. The new blinds are under contract and will arrive next week. 8 windows all new blinds and installation for about $500, we thought that was good value. Hamed at Al Joli seems to be under control on that front.
I’m still waiting for a cool change, this is the forecast:
Current Local Time in Dammam : 05:28 | Mon, July 25, 2011
| Saturday's forecast for Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia |