The Certified Riyadhizen Checklist

Hello 2014, Riyadhizens! It's a bit silent in our blog yeah? Don't fret, I just came back to Riyadh and hopefully, I get to churn and weave more entries than I ever did in the 5 years of The Pink Tarha's existence. Wait, did someone say 5 YEARS?! Oh my goodness! What an online existence! We will celebrate it, just wait for a bit. It ain't happening until January 24... so just mark your calendars for now. But I tell you, we have something up our tarhas sleeves for our anniversary week! Yipeee!

Before celebrating our fifth anniversary (I can't believe it's the fifth! O.O), I'd like to elaborate on the term "RIYADHIZEN". We've been using it for the longest time and we haven't exactly explained what it is. Well, simply put, a Riyadhizen is a person living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. You think it's more complicated than that? Na-ah! Whether you're a local or a foreigner as long as you're here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, then... congratulations, you are a Riyadhizen! Eyecandy came up with the word after finding out that Riyadhi and Riyadhites are already frequently used. You see, there is always a need for originality. So Riyadh + citizen = RIYADHIZEN! :P

Now we understand that each and everyone of us has his/her own experience and life stories in Riyadh. As for me, I've been here in the desert for 6 years (6 years!!! Wut! Where did all those years go?!) while Shoegarfreeruby has been working here for more than a decade now (I will refrain from using exclamation points). Eyecandy and Sampaguita Pride practically grew up here. So, what's your story?

I prepared a list of things that will make you a "Certified Riyadhizen" in our eyes. It doesn't matter that much if you've done, plan on doing, or doesn't want to do all the items in the list but it would be awesome if you've ticked them all wouldn't it? We've compiled some of our experiences in living in Riyadh and all the other stuff we still want to do and decided to share them with you. (Yes, bored much!) You are free to do them, you are free to ignore them. We don't exactly give out a certificate that say you are a certified Riyadhizen so yeah... up to you! I'm pretty sure you've done or experienced some of the items below.

Here goes in no particular order the things you can do as a (or because you are a) Riyadhizen:

• Eat shawarma with lots of garlic sauce (if you can request it)
• Eat kabsa with your hands.
• Drink Suntop with a zaatar croissant.
• Eat Kwality ice cream from the bakala on a cold, winter morning.
• Know who Captain Majid is.
• Drink 3 cups of ghawa/khawa.
• Try the different kinds of dates and determine your favorite.
• Take a picture with a camel (because everyone back home expects you to).
• Ride an ATV in the red sand dunes.
• Attend a Saudi wedding without dropping your jaw at the grandness of it all.
• Pick a place beside a road and have a picnic with your family and friends. Like, anywhere!
• Make use of Kiri, the soft cheese in triangular packs, in 3 kinds of sandwiches.
• Visit the Skybridge and shout "I'm at the top of the world" somewhere in the middle.
• Use an overpass in King Fahd Road.
• Teach a cab driver your native language (or let them teach you the directions in theirs).
• Brave the traffic during the Saudi National Day (and get home without ever blowing your top).
• Cheer for Al Hilal (get to know the team first).
• Go shopping until 2:00 am during Ramadan.
• Have suhoor in a restaurant as 4:00 am.
• Smile at a muttawa.
• Ride the train from Riyadh to Dammam and vice-versa.
• Take a photo of yourself in the traditional garb in Diriyah or the Ushaiger Village.
• Collect at least 3 gums as change in your neighborhood bakala.
• Build a castle using the desert's sand.
• Dance under the 'once in a blue moon' rain in Riyadh.
• Donate blood in one of the government hospitals.
• Travel to one place outside Riyadh... that is not Al Khobar, Dammam, or Jeddah.
• Give your officemate a compliment. 
• Go on a 30-day fast... not during Ramadan.
• Have breakfast in IKEA. Just breakfast... no going around the whole store. No buys either.
• Learn a foreign language. 
• Go to Janadriyah 2014.
• Finish a book inside Jarir Bookstore (sit in one of their chairs).
• Run a marathon.
• Attend a coffee morning... while drinking coffee for good measure.
• Marvel at the duplication of words (shweya shweya, sura sura, khamsa khamsa, etc.).
• Learn diving... in Riyadh.
• Attend a Pink Tarha event.
• Take a day off and spend it with yourself.
• Walk/jog/stroll around Prince Sultan University or King Fahd Medical City.
• Navigate Batha like a pro.
• Find a beautiful abaya in Souk Taibah or Dirah Souk.
• Haggle in Haraj souk until the vendor actually gives you the item for free!
• Survive a sale season... meaning you don't get to buy any thing.
• Learn how to cook curry.
• Get lost in finding a store or a restaurant (told you, look at the maps after our entries!).
• Jot down the variations of "barber shop" you'll see.
• Draw the Riyadh skyline.
• Add one item in this list.

If you've done all these, then good for you! Because I personally haven't and I would like to meet someone who already did. Haha! Again, we don't discriminate; if you haven't done all or any of the following, then fine. You are still a certified Riyadhizen in our eyes. Not as experienced though. Hahaha! Kidding! We love you still! Not kidding! 

Onwards to 2014 shall we? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ~ Sundrenched

The Top 5 Pink Tarha Experiences Of 2013

The year 2013 is coming to an end and here comes another dilemma: what to write for the all-important year-end entry? My brain is not properly functioning right now because of the booze and lechon (cholesterol mehhhn) I consumed during the holiday so I had to resort to Google for year-ender ideas. Of course there's always the new year resolutions but we Pink Tarhas are really not known for keeping up with ours so how can we advice you to do so? Then there's the best entries of the year but we've done that. Year-ender/opened messages? We've done that too! We even wrote individual entries. While we did that for the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, the messages are still applicable now so you may want to read them again here: Sampaguita Pride, Shoegarfreeruby, Eyecandy, and Sundrenched.

Anyway, I decided to pick the top 5 Pink Tarha experiences we've had for 2013. I was reading a magazine a while ago and I stumbled upon this phrase, "People who spend money on experience instead of new things are happier over all." I couldn't help but agree. The Pink Tarha ladies have a lot of experiences in 2013 that we will never exchange for any gadget or any amount of clothes and shoes (well, we might have to ask Shoegarfreeruby again about this, hehe). Here are the best of what we had in 2013: 

1. TRAVELING TO MALDIVES 

Hands down the best travel experience we've had this year is going to the Maldives. It's a dream travel come true. First, because it's the first time our group of friends went on a trip together all at the same time to the same place. Second, because it's Maldives!!! C'mon, if you have one country in your bucket list, it would have to be this paradise. There were countless friends who approached and asked us about our trip to Maldives and they can't help but be inspired to save up and go there too. The fact that the islands of Maldives is said to be sinking might also double your efforts to go… hurry! 

We miss you, Maldives!

Other must travel destinations: SRI LANKA and THAILAND 

2. THE PINK TARHA MORNINGS GOES TO JEDDAH 

When we staged the Pink Tarha Mornings in Jeddah, one thing became very apparent: Men Loves The Pink Tarha. Okay, let me explain that (for the fear of a tough conservative might be reading this and misinterpret it). Unlike the TPTM Riyadh, the one in Jeddah was co-ed because Jeddah is more relaxed on their gender mixing rules (we're not abusing it though) and most of our participants were men (thanks to the PEBA officers who have been supportive since the beginning) and we love how active and eager they were. It actually inspired me to write an entry on why men should read The Pink Tarha. Another experience we value during our Jeddah tour is the chance to go to the Tent City and meet wonderful people who, despite of their hard circumstances, were still hopeful. We feel grateful for the opportunity to reach out and help in our own little ways. 

A memorable Pink Tarha Morning!

Realization and Lesson: A City in Gridlock

3. ATTENDING EVENTS IN RIYADH 

When we started this blog, we hardly get invites from events. It wasn't only because the blog was just a newbie; it was because events are rare, almost non-existent. But 2013 saw the boom of these events in the city, be it in fashion, beauty, bazaars, newly-opened restaurants, and coffee mornings. And we love attending these events because we get to meet interesting people and get to know their products and services. In a way, we saw how the event landscape in Riyadh has opened up to more people and has changed throughout the months. In turn, these are shaping Riyadh to be a cosmopolitan city with its traditions and values intact. To be a part of this burgeoning trend is priceless. 

More Riyadh events please!

Events We Love: GAP Be Bright, New Look AW2013, Creative Japan Fashion Flair, Best Of Britain Fashion Show, Riyadh Fashion Days

4. EATING WELL 

The restaurant scene in Riyadh leaves more to be desired. There are many world cuisines that are not yet represented but we're willing to wait. After all, some of the most interesting restaurants are already here; they're just waiting to be discovered. Take for example the hamburger that is being lined up for hours, the bubble tea that I drank day after day after day (it's already embarrassing), the most-talked about bread store, the restaurant that serves mostly chicken dishes, the Japanese restaurant that takes the cuisine up a notch, the steak house that renovated itself, the psychedelic Chinese restaurant that owns a building, etc etc! Readers often ask if we eat in these restos for free. Why, wouldn't it be AWESOME?! But no, we pay for our food just like you do most of the time and that's quite awesome too because we enjoy the food and the companionship of the friends we're with without thinking of the consequences. Of course, we do get invited by restaurants once in a blue moon and that's a pretty awesome blogger perk too. 

Yummy Riyadh!

Foodies Liked: Burger Boutique, Saison Du Pain, Garden Barbecue at the AlKhozama

5. MEETING YOU 

The experience of meeting readers all over Riyadh is priceless! Sometimes, we don't even meet you personally. Most of you just comment and message and we're still very much grateful. Sometimes, friends of friends bring up The Pink Tarha in conversations and meet ups. It's funny and awesome how we're all connected in more ways than one. I remember when I got back from Maldives and it was the first time my brother saw me, his first words weren't "How was your Maldives trip?" His first question was "Can I have one of your Pink Tarha mugs?" I asked him why and he said that his friend's wife reads the blog and he plans on giving the mug as a birthday gift. Haha! Or how the doctor of Shoegarfreruby's aunt actually asked her, "Do you know The Pink Tarha? They're Filipinos and they blog." Or how we just recently received an appreciation email from a reader just before the new year ushers in! Here's an excerpt of her email to us:

Hi there girls! I just want to let you know that I am an avid reader of your blog. Since I first set foot on Saudi, I searched for an informative blog and found The Pink Tarha. I just want to commend everyone of you because you have helped a lot of people especially fellow Filipinos who are trying to adopt to the Saudi lifestyle. I first came across your blog in 2011 and have been following everything until now. I also recommend your blog to visitors and first-timers, and to almost everyone that I know of. I know how appreciation works a long way. And in this simple way, I hope I have extended it to all of you. Well, gusto ko lang malaman nyo na marami kayong natutulungan at napapasaya. Keep up the good work! God bless you all.  

Lovelots, Joyce Ann

Thank you, Joyce Ann! This is a nice gift for the new year. What a morale booster! What an inspiring message. :)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU DEAR READERS FOR EVERY THING! You don't know how much you make us go 'awwww' every time you send us your comments and feedback. We will continue writing to the best of our abilities. We will continue to help, guide, and inspire! YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!!! WE LOVE YOU!!! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Cheers to a more fabulous 2014, Riyadhizens!!! - Sundrenched