A Saudi Christmas

Being a Christian ritual, the celebration of Christmas is absolutely forbidden in Saudi which means it is difficult to get anything like Christmas decorations and because they don't eat or sell pork you have to shop elsewhere.  That means Christmas decoration and gift shopping in Dubai and crossing a border to purchase any 'unavailable' consumable goods required for the Christmas table.  That was all done before I got there so when I arrived, the place already looked lovely and welcoming and the menu was planned.  It should be noted that although celebrations are not allowed in Saudi, what happens on the compound is the business of noone outside the compound.

We had done some of the prep the day before and I am happy to report that the cranberry stuffing that I made turned out beautifully although I was having my doubts at the sugar turning to toffee through the cooking process.  As it happens, the juices from the cranberries break this down and you are left with a tart, full flavoured stuffing.  YUM.  Apart from dressing the table and helping Brian to move furniture around that was my only true contribution to the day.  Bronwyn had everything in control in the kitchen and with the help of Josie, her house girl, things went to clock work and we were to enjoy a feast comprising 3 meats (including a handsome turkey), loads of vegetables, the afore mentioned stuffing and sauces.  Bronwyn's Christmas pudding was to die for and after a sliver each of that and pavlova, had had more than my belly really wanted to handle.  Curses for not stopping after the vegetables!  

 

From the festive table we adjourned outside to the courtyard area, under the warmth of outdoor heaters.  People slowly started to leave until there were just four of us left, making cold turkey sandwiches as we got peckish again later in the evening.

Not being able to get used to how dry it was and constantly being in air conditioning, I was tired so used the opportunity to sneak upstairs for an early-ish night.  And Josie had left almost almost no cleaning up to be done which was amazing... what a gem!

Boxing day started with breakfast and a not-so-early excursion to the Deira Souk where after walking up and down some laneways, looking at textiles, we actually found some Christmas decorations on a stand on the street - but they are not Christmas Decorations until a visitor calls them that.  We were lured in to the store by the vendor where there was soooo much more on display.  I could have looked for hours.  It was a bit like a smaller version of the haberdashery shop at Kuwaiti Souk.  Bronwyn bought some pashminas and I got two Christmas decorations to add to my international collection, and two bedouin masks (burka) heavily adorned with silver, chains and coins - which I just love.  I plan to get them framed and hung as a pair.

'Our' carpet vendor's store

Now, with 5 million people living in Riyadh, it is rare to just bang in to someone you know but it happened to me twice while I was there - well, not someone I knew specifically, but a friend of whoever I was with.  In to this small store we were in, walked the Harris's - the New Zealand Ambassador, his wife and children.  Of all the people, in all the tiny shops, it was a family that we had celebrated Christmas with the day before!  From there we all went to the very popular carpet shop of Mirzah Mohammed, with the finest selection of the most beautiful rugs I have ever seen.  Handpicked by the owners, and only the best brought back to Saudi, you are truly spoilt for choice.  I determined my selection by price.  Once we were looking in about the area of 'affordability' I looked until I found one I really loved. But as it approached prayer time, we left so that they could close up shop with a promise to return.  

The Globe

Leaving the souk, Bronwyn and I were 'Mutawa'ed' - my only time whilst in Riyadh and to be honest, I didn't even know it was happening!  I missed the moment completely.  Oh, I heard the "cover, cover, cover, cover, cover, cover" but didn't register that it was the Mutawa until too late and he had already swept past us.

To end a lovely couple of days, we were invited to have afternoon tea at the Globe, by Eric, friend of Brian and Bronwyn, and also a Christmas day guest.  Eric is GM of a hotel in Riyahd and fairly well connected it would seem.  We were given the royal treatment and had a magnificent afternoon tea, high up overlooking the Riyadh cityscape where I got some great photos.

Riyadh from The Globe

Change of scenery

Amidst all the madness that was the week leading up to an Antarctic Christmas, I was where they don't celebrate Christmas, in Saudi Arabia, discovering all that is Riyahd and the people that live there.  After two long flights (leaving Australia 6pm Monday and arriving in Saudi 7pm Tuesday 21st) and a 6 hour stopover in Singapore I finally arrived but my flight was so early that there was noone there to meet me.  Thanks to the wonderful Sinagpore Airlines employee that I got the attention of prior to Immigration and who escorted me through to the luggage hall where Justin's Dad, Brian met up with us.  Minor freak out over, we headed out of the airport and in to Riyahd, albeit it in a 3-tonne armoured vehicle.  A unique experience in itself. 

Brian and Bronwyn (Justin's Mum) had been invited out that evening, and the invitation had been extended to include me also.  I perfected a quick change, slapped on some make up and we were back out the door to Jim and Jenny Tanner's.  Jim is Head of the Brits in the Saudi National Guard.  We stayed for a couple of hours, chatted to some very interesting people and enjoyed some good food.  The Tanners were the perfect hosts and everyone looked to be having a great evening.  After the two hours though things were starting to get very hazy for me as the jetlag started to kick in so we called it a night and returned to the compound.

I slept like a baby and after starting the day with an email to Justin, was collected by Idris, an embasssy driver, and taken to pick up Louise, a long time resident of Riyadh and close friend of The Chambers'.  She had offered to act as tour guide which I can't thank her enough for - who wouldn't know that the places she took me existed or that as a 'tourist' you could go there.  It's hard to know what you can and can't do as a woman... but I did learn straight up that you can't drive and you must wear an abaya in public.  

Louise and I headed first to the Kuwaiti Souk where we spent a long time in the most wonderful Aladdin's cave of Haberdashery shops!  The place was a crafter's dream.  Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, room by room, every imaginable item you could think of was crammed in to this shop.  I could have walked out of there absolutely weighed down by all things beautiful but took the approach of if I didn't know there and then what I would do with it, then I wouldn't buy it.  It staved off all purchases, knowing I already have boxes of things I bought for that 'maybe one day' use.

We also visited a couple of abaya shops at the souk where I found one that I liked and purchased.  I know I was only there for a week but decided that if I had to wear one, it might as well be one that I felt good wearing.  And hey, it doesn't matter what you wear underneath so no staring in to the depths of the wardrobe for hours contemplating the day's attire.  We didn't wear the hijab (head scarf) to cover our heads, but we did have them draped around our necks in case we encountered the Mutawa, Religious Police, who would insist we 'cover, cover, cover, cover'.  (The Mutawa's role is 'the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice'.)

Fabrics, Royal Mall, Riyahd

From the souk we headed over to the Royal Mall where the locals go to buy fabrics for the over-the-top ornate dresses that they wear to Saudi weddings.  And yes, they do get to be seen as the men and women separate after the ceremony and therefore the Abaya's are checked at the door, so to speak.  The range of colours, designs, fabrics and decoration was quite mind blowing.  The woman clearly go to a lot of trouble when it comes to dressing for an important occasion.

From there we headed back to Louise's part of town and her hair salon.  It is open from 12pm-10pm and as soon as that roller door goes up, the local women are queueing up for their little piece of pampering.  Due to the wearing of the abaya, it is important to the women to keep the things that can be seen beautiful... eye brows and nails, and to have only the best in bags and shoes.  We had a hair wash and blow dry - those girls know what they are doing - and then we were back on the street and straight on to the chicken shop, purveyors of excellent chicken and rice.  We took that back to Louise's apartment and enjoyed a tasty lunch followed by tea and mini cupcakes - beautifully decorated and equally as yummy.  

Home Compound

Louise went to work (2-10pm) and I was delivered to the NZ Embassy to drive home with Bronwyn and Brian.   We had a quiet-ish night at home with fellow Embassy employee, Vernice and her husband Graeme, who also live on the compound - which is well cared for and security strong.  (I'm talking vehicle checks, razor wire and machine guns.)

My education in Saudi has begun.

Time for a little baking

Here we go again... same ole, same ole.  It’s Friday the 17th and preparations for Christmas are well under way, well by the social committee anyway.  Maybe not in the kitchen just yet. What Christmas means to most commercial operations is either a day or two off due to high operating costs and increased wages, oh and of course the fact that many mums and dads (wait staff) will be producing semi ridged smiles and expending precious goodwill that may better be concentrated  on loved ones gathered around the Christmas tree. Christmas can also mean getting up really early, grabbing a few coffees in between slicing smoked salmon, poaching eggs or rolling out pastry ready for Danishes then feeling your way through a foggy and confusing day of good wishes and warm fuzzies from colleagues,  then high expectations and time critical demands from the consumers. 

I’ve been placed in a rather unique position of having to cater to 73 plus expeditioners (consumers) who, on the flip side, are also the loved ones to whom I’ll stand side by side with whilst gorging on the excesses of the Christmas spirit.  Either way I’ll win right?  So let’s just take it easy and do the menu planning next week.......Hey the social committee needs a draft of the menu so they can get it approved and printed off... and they sorta need it now.?
Well Tony and I merged grey matter and scribbled down in chefs’ hand ( very similar to Doctors handwriting) a simplistic menu of running salads, seafood buffet, old school roasts with accompaniments, dessert table (Christmas pudding included) and a cheese board.

I’ll be able to update the blog with the exact menu after Christmas.  Things can change for any reason down here.

With the first version of the menu now making it’s way around our local intranet I felt a sense of calm and even a little energy.  Baking!!
I love finding time to bake extra goodies for the crew. It gives me a feeling of pride and satisfaction knowing people will soon discover tasty sweet morsels arranged on various platters dotted around the dining room. When I was a little kid I remembered coming home from school and opening the lid on our two toned brown Tupperware cookie container... looking in all I could see was darkness (this thing could act like the TARDIS sometimes).  I knew the jar was empty yesterday, was it still today?  I’d throw my arm up in the air, pull the sleeve up past my elbow and dive down inside. Just as a shag comes popping up from the oceans depths .......so too would my hand. Yes!!  It’s loaded!!  What have I scored?  Fudge.  Hmmmm, I’d have removed that lid at least 3 more times before my sister got home.  Then I was the self-appointed guardian of the jar.  I loved my mother’s baking ,who doesn’t?

Apricot Slice

Well there was nothing holding me back. Armed with a 2006 edition of the Edmonds recipe book, (mini cooks bible... in N.Z anyway), memories of my childhood delicacies and a fully equipped kitchen I set about creating a pantry full of icing and coconut topped treats.

Ginger Crunch

A little baking on Saturday and a lot on Sunday left most of my stock containers in need of a topping up.  Ginger crunch, hedgehog (fudge), jam slice, lemon and apricot slice, coconut brownie, caramel slice ,  Anzac biscuits and toffee apples.  I thought this would last me a week (my mother probably thought the same back then).  As it turned out we had a visit from the Indians on Monday, including their construction workers, and a Chinese delegation made an appearance on Tuesday.  By Wednesday my goodies were all gone.
It still felt nice making them.

Here we go again... same ole, same ole.  It’s Friday the 17th and preparations for Christmas are well under way, well by the social committee anyway.  Maybe not in the kitchen just yet. What Christmas means to most commercial operations is either a day or two off due to high operating costs and increased wages, oh and of course the fact that many mums and dads (wait staff) will be producing semi ridged smiles and expending precious goodwill that may better be concentrated  on loved ones gathered around the Christmas tree. Christmas can also mean getting up really early, grabbing a few coffees in between slicing smoked salmon, poaching eggs or rolling out pastry ready for Danishes then feeling your way through a foggy and confusing day of good wishes and warm fuzzies from colleagues,  then high expectations and time critical demands from the consumers.

I’ve been placed in a rather unique position of having to cater to 73 plus expeditioners (consumers) who, on the flip side, are also the loved ones to whom I’ll stand side by side with whilst gorging on the excesses of the Christmas spirit.  Either way I’ll win right?  So let’s just take it easy and do the menu planning next week.......

Hey the social committee needs a draft of the menu so they can get it approved and printed off... and they sorta need it now.?
Well Tony and I merged grey matter and scribbled down in chefs’ hand ( very similar to Doctors handwriting) a simplistic menu of running salads, seafood buffet, old school roasts with accompaniments, dessert table (Christmas pudding included) and a cheese board.

I’ll be able to update the blog with the exact menu after Christmas.  Things can change for any reason down here.

With the first version of the menu now making it’s way around our local intranet I felt a sense of calm and even a little energy.  Baking!!
I love finding time to bake extra goodies for the crew. It gives me a feeling of pride and satisfaction knowing people will soon discover tasty sweet morsels arranged on various platters dotted around the dining room. When I was a little kid I remembered coming home from school and opening the lid on our two toned brown Tupperware cookie container... looking in all I could see was darkness (this thing could act like the TARDIS sometimes).  I knew the jar was empty yesterday, was it still today?  I’d throw my arm up in the air, pull the  sleeve up past my elbow and dive down inside. Just as a shag comes popping up from the oceans depths .......so too would my hand. Yes!!  It’s loaded!!  What have I scored?  Fudge.  Hmmmm, I’d have removed that lid at least 3 more times before my sister got home.  Then I was the self-appointed guardian of the jar.  I loved my mother’s baking ,who doesn’t?

Well there was nothing holding me back. Armed with a 2006 edition of the Edmonds recipe book, (mini cooks bible... in N.Z anyway), memories of my childhood delicacies and a fully equipped kitchen I set about creating a pantry full of icing and coconut topped treats.

A little baking on Saturday and a lot on Sunday left most of my stock containers in need of a topping up.  Ginger crunch, hedgehog (fudge), jam slice, lemon and apricot slice, coconut brownie, caramel slice ,  Anzac biscuits and toffee apples.  I thought this would last me a week (my mother probably thought the same back then).  As it turned out we had a visit from the Indians on Monday, including their construction workers, and a Chinese delegation made an appearance on Tuesday.  By Wednesday my goodies were all gone.

It still felt nice making them.

Photos to follow.

A short but sweet update

Yesterday was the first day since Justin arrived on base that we didn't get to talk on the phone.  He was just too busy.  Not just with the everyday cooking but plans are afoot for a big Christmas day that the boys need to start working on now.  And for his two days off Justin is doing field training which means heading out on Quad bikes and sleeping in bivvy shelters under the stars and of course, eating dehydrated food, yum - and probably not a lot of sleep since there is only about two hours of darkness per night.  

Justin is also getting the opportunity to be flown by helicopter over to the Chinese base on Friday.  I don't know a lot of the details but a small group have been invited.  The base is Zhong Shan, established in 1989.


Details of Justin's visit  to the base will be published as they come to hand.

In the meantime, here is a photo of Justin and the 2009/10 chef, Kim, discussing the handover in the dining room on base. Kim was on the departing vessel last Saturday, returning to Australia.