Q&A Portion 10

Whew, it's been a long time since the last Question and Answer Portion. We have a handful of questions from our very lovely readers today which we'll try our best to answer. If you're going to ask us what's going on in Saudi Arabia right now, we can just say that it's pretty much normal. And we hope it stays this way. Anyway, let's all keep calm and move on...

1. Where is the biggest New Look in Riyadh?

The biggest branches are in Hayat Mall and Olaya Street. They have two floors and lots of selections! You can also visit other smaller branches in Granada Center and Riyadh Gallery. The Rollasoles we featured in our Facebook page came from New Look and they're located in the Accessories section, together with the wallets and tights, so go before designs and sizes are gone.

2. Which mall in Riyadh has both Centrepoint and City Max?

Riyadh Gallery! It even has Debenhams so that's three department stores in one mall. Have fun shopping! There are Citymax and Centrepoint branches near Sahara Mall too but you need to cross busy streets and intersections to get there.

3. I so LOVE the blog. You guys keep it up! Kudos to all of you! I was wondering if you guys know where to buy/find marzipan icing for fondant cakes? I'd like to practice making fondant cakes but don't have an idea where to get the marzipan icing. Thanks!

Thank you very much for the kind words. We hope you continue reading our blog. As for your icing needs, there's Baker's Rendezvous in Dabab St., just beside Mama Noura. For more baking tips in Riyadh, the beautiful and creative Ms. Nadia of Bake Fresh is probably the best resource person. She'll be offering classes soon so check her Facebook site as well. If you want to ask other bakers in Riyadh and learn more information, here's a link of home bakers in the city from Riyadh Yummy Yummy Guide.

4. Hi, do you know the name of the mobile store somewhere in Sulaiman street?

Unfortunately, we don't even know where Sulaiman St. is. What we do know is mobile stores are scattered all over Riyadh. You can start your search for gadgets in Batha (Electron Center) and Mursalat. For a more convenient shopping experience, Jarir Bookstore and HyperPanda have their own gadget corners and displays.

5. Do you know any Bed&Bath branches in Riyadh? The one in Sahara Mall has already closed.

We haven't seen another branch except the one in Sahara which you mentioned. There are other bed and bath essentials stores. Try Home Centre and IKEA.

6. Hi! I would just like to know if you have any infos regarding King Khalid University Hospital? Also about Taif Military Hospital? I would like to know which one is the best. Thank you.

Hi there! We don't usually give advice in which hospital is the best for you to work in because we don't have a lot of information about hospitals here and it's a huge decision for your career life so we don't want to meddle with that. However, we can just give you an overall view of the places where both hospitals are. The King Khaled University Hospital is the King Saud University's hospital, one of the biggest here in Riyadh. Taif Military Hospital... well, are you talking about the Al Hada Armed Forces Hospital? If yes, then the only difference we can tell you is that the hospital is in the agricultural province of Taif, about 7 hours away from Riyadh. Since both are hospitals under the Ministry of Health (MOH), they're probably one of the best hospitals (as compared to private ones). It's just a matter of the location where you will thrive best: the urban area where it's bustling and hot (Riyadh), or the rural area where it's laid back and somewhat cold (Taif)? No matter what hospital you choose, we're sure there are a lot of Filipinos there to help and guide you. (Of course we're partial to Riyadh because we're here. LOL!)

7. Hi! I love reading your blog. I would just like to know if you have any information about Al Hammadi Hospital in Riyadh? I have a job offer as a nurse there. Do you know any one who works there?

Again, we don't really want to play a big role in a life-changing decision such as your question. We can only give you what we know from our friends who have information about these hospitals. The Al Hammadi Hospital is one of the biggest and best private hospitals in Riyadh. We're not sure how they treat their employees though but there are many Filipinos working in Al Hammadi. Of course, the entry-level salary is not as competitive as the military hospitals.

8. Hi Pink Tarha! Very excellent blog, ladies. I literally spent my whole day yesterday reading through all of your entries. Really informative in a very COOL way! Btw, I just need to ask if you have any idea how much does it cost to have a kitten vaccinated? How much does it cost to get the kitty documented (travel docs, etc.). We are buying an 8 week-old cat with no vaccinations and papers yet. Thanks a bunch!

Wee, another cat lover like Eyecandy! A cat vaccine usually costs 80-100 riyals ($25) in pet shops. As for the documents, when your cat is vaccinated for the first time, the pet shop vet usually just gives you a card that serves as your cat's document. That's what we know so far. Eyecandy goes to the Pet Village in the old airport road but we heard that it closed recently. You can try Life and Nature Pet Center in King Abdul Aziz Road (0505444905) and Riyadh Veterinary Clinic near exit 7 (+966-1-456 - 8736). We don't have personal experiences on these shops though. Thank you very much for reading our blog and loving the entries. :)

So there you go. We apologize if it took us a few weeks to answer your questions. We'll be faster next time. Ask and you shall be answered! :)