A "Bazaar" Day of Fun!

TWO WEEKS AGO, I joined my mum and my two aunts to go to a "Christmas Bazaar" in one of the compounds here in Riyadh. For security purposes, I won't be able to name the place publicly, but let's just say that it is a very spacious, very open compound, wherein you would feel as if you weren't in Saudi Arabia at all. For me, it was a slice of "freedom." Even if I had to wake up as early as 6 am on a Friday morning to get to it. See entrance to this place is exclusive, and the security check is hard core. Gotta get there early.

The person who invited us to the bazaar is a friend of ours and I believe their compound holds this every year, with the proceeds of the entrance fee going to a charity. I wasn't sure what to expect or if I'd buy anything at all...I just came to spend the day with my family. But I ended up going home feeling wildly amused with myself. Towards the end of this write-up, you''ll know why.

When we got in, we were greeted by the numerous stalls lined up across the wide parking space. There were trinkets, jewelries, clothes, decor, furniture, books and lots of food! Most of the items were Chritmas-related -- as you know, we ARE in Saudi Arabia, and finding decent Christmas accents in commercial centers is a hoot -- so, my mum and my aunts went off to scavenge their way to some good finds. Meanwhile, my uncle and I, along with my second cousin, strolled along. Apart from the stalls, there was a jumbo-bouncy-castle thing where the kids could play, right in the middle of the grassed area. That's where all the kids went crazy for. On the side, there was a Seattle's Best booth which saved me from my groggy disposition. Not that hearing shrieking kids woke me up, no, not at all.

As the sun's rays grew stronger and with the help of caffeine, I began to mingle and small talk my way in and out of booths. I found some really funny greeting cards made in the UK, 3 for 10SR -- which was all I could afford with the money I had at the time. However, my mom and aunts found these items more to their liking:

Candy canes, snowflakes and snowman trimmings.

Santa hats, mittens and organic dog treats (upper left).

Now these are unique items, and they look like they can be family heirlooms!

I believe this is Santa's cousin, who is selling the merchandise.

I was pretty much food-tripping with my uncle, trying out grilled "Bratwursts" for the first time (they're huge, German sausages), homemade cupcakes from an Irish recipe, plus some regular Indian food -- the ones where you dip bread in curry sauce. Sorry, no pictures of that, we were too excited to eat it! :P

As I finished my hearty morning meal, I noticed a bunch of kids lining up by the Harley Davidson booth (they were selling apparel+accessories) and apparently, a bunch of biker boys were taking the kids for a ride around the parking lot for 5SR each. Something in me just clicked and I decided that I wanna have a go at it! So, there I was lined up with a bunch of eight-year-old-somethings, waiting for my turn. And what could make this imagery more ridiculous is that I had my mom right there beside me waiting in line -- coz I needed someone to take a picture of me while on the bike. Meanwhile, all these tweens were just on their own! Hahahaha! But at the time, I didn't care. I wanted an adventure!

So here I am:

A nice capture don't you think?

We rode in and out of the parking lot and since I was much older than the kids who usually ride it, the guy I was with went a little faster than usual. Which was great! It was a sunny, winter morning, and the breeze was flowing through my hair. Ahhh! It was such an exhilarating experience! Most especially because the week leading to that Friday has been very stressful for me, and venturing on that wild abandonment kinda brought me back to life, so to speak.

Call me "mababaw" or whatever, but the thing you should know about me is that I also don't know how to ride a bike. Much less a motorbike like a Harley Davidson. So for me to have experienced this, is kind of a big deal already. :)

We left the place at around noon, after watching a traditional Scottish dance performance. (Yes, t'was also my first time to see men in 'kilts').

On our way home, I can't help but feel like it was a one-day vacation away from the realities of my day-to-day life in Riyadh. I was full with all the food we tasted from different countries. The view was awesome, everyone appeared 'normal' - in normal clothes, and sometimes, not so normal (i.e. kilts). My aunts got some great Christmas stuff, AND I got to ride a Harley! :)

I guess one of the Pink Tarha mottos CAN really do me some good these days: "Do something new everyday." Feel free to use it yourself one of these days!

Cheers!

-EC-