Love LBC, 24/7!

ARE YOU ONE of those OFWs who like to hoard goodies here abroad and send them home to your families in the Philippines? The type who could fill up two or more boxes with anything, from powdered milk, rubber shoes to sugar packets? Admittedly, I have never gotten to the habit of using the so-called "balikbayan boxes" simply because in my case, my immediate family is here with me in Saudi Arabia. But I have noticed lately that my "pasalubong powers" are a bit lackluster compared to my other relatives who come home to our province during vacation time. And that's when it clicked that I may have to level up my game and bring home more than just chocolates to my aunties and grannies. I am going to start collecting the goodies every salary day so that come vacation time, they would have more to relish from my more than five years of being an OFW. 

Good thing that LBC, our Hari ng Padala! is now actively serving our kababayans here in Riyadh and all over Saudi Arabia for all of our sea and air cargo needs...24/7! Its first branch in Riyadh opened in December 2011 and has now served 30,000 OFWs and growing. LBC's branches in Jeddah and Al Khobar are now offering box pick-ups, while its slowly making its presence in Jubail in partnership with a box service provider. 

As you can see, LBC is making it more accessible for OFWs all over the Kingdom to bring home the bacon! (Or in our case, turkey bacon from KSA :P) And when I said, "more accessible," it couldn't be any more true especially with what they call their 24/7 ACCESS POINTS. 

The 24/7 Access Points will allow you to make requests for box delivery/pick-up, information and follow-ups on the status of your balikbayan boxes (so there's no excuse at all!) and there are two ways on which you could do this: 

* 24/7 Hotline: For STC users and landline subscribers, you may call their toll-free hotline 

   anytime of the day. Jot down the number: 800-8-110332. 

   For Mobily, Zain, Friendi or other network users, you may call the following numbers:

   Riyadh: 0547212962; 0536130643

   Jeddah: 0508199437; 0543291624

   AlKhobar: 0508213741; 0543407283

   Jubail: 0567540222

* LBC Live Talk: This is an online service that will allow you to chat with an LBC 

   Associate through the web. Just visit http://www.lbcexpress.com or visit the LBC Facebook Fan 

   Page and send in your message/request.  

   

So there you have it! Christmas is coming up soon and it's right about time to stock up on some gifts and pasalubongs to our loved ones as early as now. Especially since LBC is extending their Any Box Size Acceptance Promo up to September 30, 2013! So what are you waiting for? I'm packing my box already! To my aunties and grannies, I'm going to surprise you this year! :) 

Visit the LBC Branch here in Riyadh at:

14-16 Abi Alabass cor. Al Murshidi St.

(near Pinoy Supermarket) Batha

Note: Personal drop-off of your box or drum to the LBC branch here in Riyadh will get you a 15SR discount. Personal drop-offs in Jeddah, Khobar and Jubail are only entitled to the 15SR discount every Friday and Saturday, 7PM-11PM only. 

This entry is sponsored by LBC. All opinion are the writer's own. 

Eyecandy

A City in Gridlock

We were stuck in a gridlock on the streets of Jeddah that day. Our meeting time in the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah was 6:00 pm and we were already half an hour late. Our friend made a wrong turn and we helplessly looked at the traffic all around us. It was moving at a rate of... zero per second. On those moments I start to wonder what's with Jeddah...

Shoegarfreeruby and I visited Jeddah exactly a year ago and I liked it in an instant; the roads are wide and smooth, the people are friendly and caring, the old seamlessly melding with the new, the city thrums with a steady, comfy pace that the go-getter city of Riyadh didn't have. Riyadh is a modern city that vibrates in a fast-paced stride, always running for progress when it comes to infrastructure and roads. Today, Jeddah is seemingly in the race too with tall towers built here and there (the layout of the city almost an afterthought) and most of its roads being re-constructed, fixed, and made. Thus the gridlock. I look at my watch and sigh.

We reached the consulate in Um Al-Qurra street after an hour on the road and parked in front the beige building just behind a police car. We see the Tent City beside the consulate. There is a vacant lot beside the consulate building. Was vacant... because it no longer is. This was the tent city months before. Now, the lot is filled with camping tents of all sizes, people milling about like they're in a place in Manila. It was hard to believe that the tent city is literally a tent city. After all, aren't tents made for summer picnics, treks and hiking in the mountains, or camping on a shore?

Outside the consulate, a line of Filipinos snakes its way in all directions. There were many people waiting for their turn at this hour. The temperature, the last time, we checked was around 40 degrees. We were marveling at the patience of these people when we heard a loud rap in one of our rented vehicle's windows. A man asked us what we want. We told him we're waiting for someone. I choked back my thought... "We want to help." But that didn't seem right. Seeing this first-hand; the number of people inside the tent city, the number of people in line to legalize their status, the number of people coming and going... I came to realize, we cannot help... enough.

Our contact, Mr. Kenji Solis of PEBA Inc. ushered us inside. The girls and I carried whatever we could from the groceries we bought at a hypermarket. Some men from the tent city and volunteers of PEBA came to help us. The energetic Jasmin, PEBA's volunteer and herself seeking to legalize her papers, directed where each box goes. A system where there was none materialized out of need. The packs of loaves, bottles of mineral water, and trays of eggs go to the Tent City. The huge packs of diapers, boxes of pastries, and sachets of coffee go to the shelter inside the consulate where a number of women and their children were housed.

We passed through the gates of the consulate and we feel the eyes of those in line on our backs. Uneasiness crept while we bypassed the long lines to enter. We climbed to the topmost floor and saw for ourselves what kind of life our distressed kabayans are currently leading. The top floor of the consulate is filled with women and children who Jasmin had lined up to receive the meager stuff we brought for them. Almost everyone lined up carrying their babies with them asking for a specific size of diaper, a piece of bread, and a sachet of coffee that can only serve one.

What are we doing here? That's one of the first things that entered my mind when the giving began. It didn't seem right to be here, to invade these people's privacy, to act like we know what they're going through, to pretend we understand how they arrived in these circumstances, and to radiate a positive energy assuring them that every thing will be all right. Being in the shelter, and also later on in the tent city, was a harsh snap into a reality that we didn't know.

Our kabayans sleep on thin mattresses lying beside each other. Some of them live outside the building into the terrace that has only sheets of canvas to protect them from the heat. When a sandstorm strikes, they go inside and huddle like sardines into the rooms already filled with people. Fans battle the heat of day but they can only produce relief in brief intervals, blowing air that is as hot as the wind outside. There are rooms allocated for the pregnant and the babies; the air-conditioning going on-off, on-off on certain hours. (And we, the privileged ones, already complain of the hot weather after a minute or two of walking under the sun.)

We had to duck low in entering the inner sanctum of the tent city. At the back is a kitchen where all donations are gathered and a group of kabayans lead and cook for the others. They're huddled in makeshift mats in the floor while a few chop and boil the day's supper. A table serve as a mini pharmacy where all donated medicines are stored. A man talks to us about the conditions of living in the tent city and what is the status of the illegal workers. The gist of it is... there are things being done, papers are being processed, but all eventually gets clogged in the agencies in-charge. There are so many of them but so little time.

I feel so present in the midst of this chaos but I also felt detached. I felt the suffering, saw it for myself, but a disconnection gnaws my inside. Yes, The Pink Tarha ladies are not in the shoes of our kababayans in the tent city. We do not know suffering in the kind they are experiencing right now. After this visit, we will all go back to Riyadh feeling far away, not only in distance, but also in mind. The faces and names of everyone we met creates a mishmash of hastily put directories in our brains, blurring as days go by. This is not our struggle, not our fight, but then again, we want to help in ways that we can. Remember what we most Filipinos are known for? Bayanihan.

Eyecandy remembers the time when we were lined up at the grocery. A fellow kababayan wondered and asked what all our trolleys of groceries were for? She answered, it's for the people of the Tent City. He replied, "Ano yung Tent City?" (What is the tent city?) It caught her off guard considering that this man obviously lived and worked in Jeddah and yet he was not aware that such a thing was going on within his community. But for whatever reason that this person was caught unaware, Eyecandy believes (and we share her belief) that this is what we should work towards to: awareness. Let us not let our fellow kababayans suffer under the heat of the sun and the mercy of a faulty bureaucratic process without at least making it known. Because it is only through our awareness of the issue that our humanity can be triggered. 

The Pink Tarha ladies may as well be just bloggers. Just fellow OFWs. But we are all first and foremost, people. Our humanity lies in our compassion for others and for those in need. While we acknowledge that we don't have any legal authority or influence to empirically change and alleviate the situation in the Tent City, we must more importantly recognize that it should not be a hindrance for us to help, in any way that we can. Be it in terms of donations of daily goods, medicines (which they badly need) and most importantly, our time. Yes, we may appear to be powerless in a problem such as this. And yes, we know that the best solution for them is to get these displaced OFWs back home. But if we believe that there is no power in the human connection, in having a heart that gives and shares, and in a prayer so deep and sincere, then what does that say about our humanity? What does that say about the Filipino spirit?

Hope and love.

If there's anything that was etched in my memory, it would have to be the children; their faces smiling and full of hope and dreams, their innocence being eaten slowly by their dire circumstances, by their parents' sacrifices and mistakes (whichever apply), by the action of the governments of two countries, and by the days swallowed whole by the unforgiving weather. If there's any thing more we pray for other than the resolution of each case and status, it would have to see these children in an environment where they are free to grow as healthy and happy as they can be.

We continuously pray not only for our kababayans, but also for everyone -- from Jeddah to Riyadh to other various cities and provinces -- affected in these new labor laws in various ways than one. May these cities of gridlock be alleviated soon. 

~ A Sundrenched + Eyecandy collaboration entry

* Donations can be given through Mr. Kenji Solis of PEBA Inc. You can contact him at kenjebz@gmail.com or via the PEBA Inc. Facebook page.

** We would like to thank Jollibee KSA, Mr. Julius Alfonso, and Ms. Jou Pabalate for their sponsorship and donations making this gift-giving possible.

*** Photos will be added soon.

How To Keep Your Cool When Your Flight Gets Cancelled

You've probably read it in our Facebook page that NAS Air canceled our flight from Jeddah to Riyadh, and we were mighty pissed about it. You have no idea how much we disliked NAS that night they called about the cancellation. Yes, we've probably cursed them a few times before remembering we were still about to fly them for the Riyadh to Jeddah flight. Whoops! So we held our tongues and thought it over. Others might have just shrugged off the cancellation but for us, it left us in quite an unusual predicament. 

You know that the three Pink Tarha ladies are officemates right? So all of us must be in Jeddah before  Thursday, make/attend the event on Friday, and get back to Riyadh in time for our work at 7:00 am on Saturday. Eyecandy and I (with our friend Jou of Destination Riyadh) flew on Wednesday morning to meet the Piatto team in the afternoon. Shoegarfreeruby stayed in the office and finished the work on Wednesday and flew around 10pm with our friend Jamila. So by Thursday, we were all in Jeddah. 

RUH-JED flight via Nas Air; the city of Jeddah below

Our supposed return flight was 10:00 pm on Friday night and we'll be arriving Riyadh around midnight. Sounds like a good plan eh? Yep, until Nas cancelled our return flight. The entire flight was cancelled on Tuesday evening. Yes, we know that they gave us a few days notice but here are the reasons why that cancellation didn't really sit well with us despite the heads up a few days earlier:

• There are no longer available flights on Friday night. Being the end of the weekend, visitors to Jeddah, of course, wanted to go back to Riyadh before the start of another workweek so Saudia, the major airline that handles domestic flights, is fully booked. We were ready to pay for another return airfare but there was no available seat left. Air Arabia doesn't have a scheduled flight on Friday. How convenient, right?! Of all the days and of all the flights they could've cancelled, it's ours. 
• There is an available flight via Nas Air at 9:30 on Friday morning. If we take that, or one of us takes it, then it wouldn't make any sense right? We/she would have missed the entire Pink Tarha Mornings, the reason why we're in Jeddah in the first place. If worst comes to worst, it became an option that one of us would have to go at that flight but well, it's just heartbreaking, really. We worked hard for this event and we wouldn't want to miss it. 
• The next available Nas flight is 12 noon of Saturday, which is also not an option since all or one of us must be in the office for Saturday. Unless we want to lose our jobs in the process of deflecting a scheduled editorial meeting on Saturday. We have to be in the office by 7:30 am and it's not like it's a Deal or No Deal scenario. It's just the only deal, the only right choice. 
• There's no way we're traveling 12 hours by bus or by taxi back to Riyadh. It's too long of a road trip. (The last time I did this lengthy travel was when I went to Bicol when I was in grade 2. Not sure if I'm fit for it anymore.) Add that to the fact that we’ve probably unlearned the art of commuting in our years living in Riyadh. (Arte much?! Haha!) 

So... yes, we were quite caught in a dilemma. Should one of us go back early and miss the event? Should one of us not come just in case there would be further delays and we all miss the meeting on Saturday? Should we re-schedule the event and blame Nas for it? Should we go on that friggin' 12-hour bus trip and ride with the wind SAPTCO? Should we just think it through and look at it the way we have always looked at things in Saudi Arabia? Silver linings and good vibes. 

The Nas Air plane from the KKIA boarding area; and E's coffee while waiting

This is how we kept our cool, and how you should keep yours when caught in the same predicament: 

1. Think of other alternatives. When the airline customer service called me regarding the cancellation, I was packing my clothes and getting ready for a beauty sleep (chos) before the flight on Wednesday morning. I sat dumbfounded for a minute after the customer rep nonchalantly said “hello, your flight from Jeddah to Riyadh was canceled… you have 3 options, 1. Rebook your flight (ME thinking: "The available flights are useless with the schedule that we have!"), 2. Put your fare in our system as credit for future flights with NAS (Me shouting on my head: "Naaah, I don’t think so!") 3. Refund! (ME fuming inside: "And wait for 21 days?!?")” but I recovered enough of my senses to do the logical thing to do: go online and search for alternative flights in other airlines. Unfortunately for us, there were none. 

2. Tell your friends. I would have liked to have more options to suggest to my friends when I tell them about the cancellation but it's getting late and I have to tell them already. It proved to be a good thing because more minds working for a solution is better than having my mind burst with worry, doubt, and anxiety. Considering them made decisions easier and faster. Albeit, they didn’t know what to do at first too. Haha! 

3. Breathe for a moment when you get stumped. There's no easy answer to every thing. It doesn't come fast enough so when we couldn't come to a conclusion, we decided to let the matter rest for a minute again and worry about it in a few hours or so. I actually slept through it. A surprising move from the OC me who doesn't let go until I get enough answers. But for this one, I just let it go. We weren't the cause of this problem and I know that an answer will come, if not immediately, then in the morning. 

4. Pray. You know the saying that God doesn't give you anything you can't handle? Well, believe it. We believed it. 

5. Mind your attitude. Don't let tempers flare. So okay, we all thought of things to complain about Nas but well, after a few hours of landing in Jeddah, we thought it's useless to feel ill will towards them. Of course, we would pitch in "kasalanan kasi ng Nas 'to eh," whenever we encounter tight spots (like rushing to the bus station like there's no tomorrow) but it became an inside joke already which leads to... 

6. Laugh. Because really, laughter is the best medicine. And Eyecandy is considered our nurse when it comes to laughing our asses off. Our problems seem to vanish when we laugh together. Or okay, when we eat too. Haha. 

Counting hours inside the SAPTCO bus. It's 4:00am and we were nearing Riyadh.

7. For goodness' sake, go on the 12-hour bus trip with your friends! Because it proved to be a fun trip. Tiring, yes, but as Eyecandy said, it's one test of friendship and I think we survived with flying colors (because we slept most of the time… no time to bicker and complain, hehe, kidding!). The bus trip was better than we expected. Don't tell Nas but we think the Saptco bus has even bigger and wider interiors than theirs. Hehe. (hashtag bitter hahaha) 

The Pink Tarha ladies are not the reklamador (whiny complainants) types. We're patient and understanding, more than the average Jane (honest!). I mean, The Pink Tarha, a blog of positive vibes, wouldn't exist if we don't have enough patience and understanding but sometimes, our emotions get the better of us. Whatever the reason Nas canceled our flight that night, we don't care anymore (as long as we get our refund back! Please?!). Every thing that happened has a reason. Maybe the plane has a defect and riding it would have been disastrous or maybe someone rented it and well poor us, we couldn't do just that. :P

You might be thinking why we even flew Nas in the first place... well, it's not really just the airfare (they're almost the same as Saudia's) but the time schedule and the experience. We want to write about our experience with them... and well, we got our article right here. This is our experience with Nas. It might not be your experience but it is ours. You are free to share your experience with Nas in the comment section below. 

The sky above the deserts of Arabia

We still wish Nas Air the best and we bear no ill feelings toward them. We are too blessed to be stressed. Besides, the flight to Jeddah was uneventful and the crew was all right. We hope they wouldn't, or any airline for that matter, cancel any other flight to avoid giving their customers undue stress and problems. We are thankful that we arrived in Riyadh safe and sound. 

Also a quick tip for this summer: carry a bottle of water with you. The temperature is rising in the desert and you need something to cool you off? Water it is! (Keep it chilled if possible.) We met a lot of hotheaded people so they definitely need some cold water to pour on their heads to drink. :P

Breathe, people, breathe! Keep calm and carry lang! ;) ~ Sundrenched

The Pink Tarha Mornings in Jeddah, KSA

Over the weekend, this happened… 

Register here please, for a kit and a tea.

We're ready!

A different Piatto branch, a different set-up

How awesome is this option to have gelato for breakfast?! Haha!

Good morning!

It's on the little details.

The bag that contains the kit, the souvenir and the magazines.

The dining table 

The Pink Tarha, together with our sponsors, brought The Pink Tarha Mornings to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. You might be wondering why a Riyadh-focused blog would bring an event in another city that has little to do with it. Precisely our point. Jeddah needs a Pink Tarha-like blog. Or more blogs! And you know us, we love sharing! ;)

Again, why bring The Pink Tarha Mornings to Jeddah? WHY NOT? We were given a chance to do it… who are we to decline such an opportunity to meet good people in the Red Sea city? And met them we did! THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who attended TPTM-Jeddah! We are so humbled by your presence. Some of you don't even know The Pink Tarha but you made time for us (a Friday morning at that!) to grace our event. We hope to meet you again soon. 

Have coffee! :)

What is it with us not wanting to sit in front?! Haha.

Eyecandy discussing blog writing and mobile photography

Kuya Larry discussing his idea for his future blog. ;)

Our Jeddah participants are active and so game! Thanks, y'all! :)

Thanks for coming!!! :D

It was a very interesting workshop because most of our participants were men! So cool. We didn't expect that but we're glad they weren't put off by the "girly-ness" of the event - from our kits to our souvenir bags. Haha.

The idea for this out-of-town workshop is not just a simple whim that we had. We thought it through and bless Piatto Restaurant, the official venue of The Pink Tarha Mornings - Riyadh, because they have a branch in Jeddah! (Does that mean we're looking at you now, Al Khobar?! Haha!) 

Always welcoming The Pink Tarha.

Refreshing resto; with good interiors and nice ambiance

The management and staff of Piatto has always been supportive of our endeavors and we couldn't have been more honored to have them in our event. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PIATTO! The manager, Mr. Adil Bubere, and the staff of Piatto Restaurant in Jeddah were all nice and very efficient. Thank you, guys! And my goodness, the food are all delicious! (Try their very much improved pizza and their wild chicken mushroom risotto! You won't regret it!) 

This workshop's kit

The souvenirs from Camel Corner

We were also blessed to have Camel Corner, the home of KSA souvenirs and gifts, in this leg of The Pink Tarha Mornings series. They gave us souvenirs - keychains, magnets, figurines, and coasters - to give away to our participants. Camel Corner is one store that doesn't stop amazing us; it continuously comes up with products and stuff that bears witness to our lives in the Kingdom. I would love to have a pink stuffed camel! *wink* Haha. THANK YOU, CAMEL CORNER! 

Mr. Kenji Solis of PEBA Inc.

As we said in the website of The Pink Tarha Mornings - Jeddah, this event is also being done to raise donations for the distressed OFWs in the Tent City in Jeddah. (Read about the Tent City here. An article coming up asap.) We asked assistance and help from the good people of the Pinoy Expats/OFWs Blog Awards (PEBA Inc.) led by their hardworking founder, Mr. Kenji Solis. PEBA, if you remember, was the first award-giving body that gave us a trophy for being the second best OFW/expat blog in the world (at least in their side of the cyber-world). We believe in PEBA's cause and we know they have always the OFWs' best interest in their hearts. THANK YOU, PEBA INC.! Also, thanks for Sir Kenji for discussing Adsense... we learned a lot!

We would like to thank JOLLIBEE KSA (esp. to Mr. Billy Junn Tabares, marketing manager) for sponsoring the groceries which we gave to the people in the shelter inside the Philippine consulate in Jeddah. And to generous individuals who supported this cause: Mr. JULIUS ALFONSO and Ms. JOHARAH PABALATE for sponsoring the stuff we gave to the Tent City. Jou, our good friend and official photog of The Pink Tarha (naks, may ganon?! Hehe!), who is also the editorial manager of Destination Riyadh, was responsible for the copies of Destination Jeddah and Destination Riyadh. Thank you, Rumman Company, publisher of both magazines, for the free copies we gave to our participants. 

More details on the Tent City on an article we will publish in the blog soon.

Our friend Jou behind the lens.

To our friend, MS. JAMILA MAE FERNANDEZ, who didn't need to come but she did anyway for the sake of simply being our friend (such an awesome friend!)… THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ganda! Your presence made this event more meaningful to us. We would have been bored without your sunshine. Haha! To Sampaguita Pride who can't be with us because she's currently pursuing a career in the Philippines, we miss you, girl! We wish you could have been with us on this day.

To our families and friends who believe in us and encourage us to achieve greater heights in our personal and social lives… THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU! 

Despite the fact that Nas Air cancelled our flight back to Riyadh (needless to say, we are never flying via Nas Air again… or okay, maybe not any time soon), that we met a few rude people in our stroll in Jeddah (long story!), and that we had to endure a 12-hour bus ride (which was better than we expected, really)… we are grateful beyond belief for all these blessings. We found greater happiness in making this event possible and successful and having the support of the best people in the world. We are surrounded by pure awesomeness! TYL. ~ Sundrenched

You can check out a few photos of the event in our Instagram: thepinktarha.

The Pink Tarha Mornings is Coming to Jeddah

In September 2012, we started a series of events we call "The Pink Tarha Mornings." We hold the event at night. Kidding, of course we hold it on mornings, specifically on Thursday mornings. I know it kind of ruin the weekend so we make sure that the event is worthy of waking up early.

We had a successful run for two workshops in Riyadh. You can check out the first and second Pink Tarha Mornings here and here. So having staged simple yet informative workshops for ladies in Riyadh, we thought of leveling up this year. E said, "why not start with a bang?" And with a bang she means going for a dream... taking The Pink Tarha Mornings in JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia!

Why Jeddah? It's the second largest city in Saudi Arabia next to Riyadh. It's also one of the first few places in Saudi Arabia that is a pleasant place to visit (and different from Riyadh). There are a lot of Filipinos in Jeddah and some of them, we knew from the blogging world. They've been really supportive when we opened up the idea to them. Also, our restaurant sponsor, PIATTO, has a branch in Jeddah! Yey! 

We are inviting you to attend the first Pink Tarha Mornings in JEDDAH... happening on JUNE 7, 2013 from 9:00AM to 12:00NN at the Piatto Restaurant in Etoile Center, King Abdulaziz Road. This workshop is held in cooperation with PEBA Inc., the first award-giving body to give The Pink Tarha an award in 2009. You will find all the details in this  site: TPTMjeddah.tumblr.com.

Or simple on this banner we made for The Pink Tarha Facebook page.

Click photo for a bigger version.

Don't forget to sign up in this FORM.

Shoegarfreeruby and I have been to Jeddah last year and I wrote a series on it here. It's time we bring the whole Pink Tarha team yeah? I thought so too. We can't wait to see Jeddah again! We can't wait to see you! :) ~ Sundrenched

The Jeddah Weekend (3 of 3)

And we're down to our last day in Jeddah! (Yes, yes... it took me quite a while to post this. It's been weeks since DAY 1 and DAY 2. So sorry!)

As you've probably seen in our Facebook page, this is the day we went to a beach resort. But first, if you still have time in the morning, a perfect way to spend it is to see Jeddah's historical district in Balad. Lucky for us, it's just a stone throw away from our hotel so we always pass by this area and take shots while we're in the taxi. However, we should've really got down and roamed around to see the old houses up close. A friend once mentioned that it's actually closed off and there were guards but they're probably more lenient on women in roaming around and taking photographs of the area. 

The gate to the historical quarter

Welcome!

Old buildings and houses

The mosque in the area

A look from the other side of the street

Know more about Jeddah's Historical District here. 

The Jeddah Weekend (2 of 3)

The first thing I did when we woke up on a glorious Thursday morning in Jeddah is to look in our window to see the lagoon. I've been itching to do this the moment we arrived in our room at the Red Sea Palace Hotel but of course, I couldn't see anything at 9 in the evening, or all of the evening for that matter. The view is not that breathtaking but it's enough to make me happy. We don't have this in Riyadh. We may have wadis (rivers) but they're dry for the most part of the year and they're far from the city center. I took photos of our view immediately.

A panoramic shot via iPhone

A peaceful lagoon

8:00AM Starting The Day Right

After preparing for a full day ahead, we went down to the hotel brassierie (Al Bouhaira Restaurant) for a quick breakfast. We chose a spot near the glass walls overlooking a pocket garden. There were lots of bread in the buffet but few viands. I enjoyed the freshly cooked omelet.

Breakfast is ready!

Where's the fried rice?! Diet ateh?

Freshly-fried omelet

Our first agenda for the day is to buy abayas. We know, you might be wondering... "Bakit sa Jeddah pa? Ang dami naman sa Riyadh!" (Why buy in Jeddah? There are many in Riyadh!) It piqued my curiosity too when I first heard Filipinas going to Jeddah whose main purpose in going there is to buy abayas. They said that Jeddah's abayas are cheaper and their designs and styles are different from the other parts of Saudi Arabia. Since they're less conservative and more tolerant, their abaya designs and styles are quirky and fun: more embellishments, colors, and drapes. Of course, black is still the overall color.

Free wifi at the lobby while deciding where to go next

9:30AM Abaya Hunting in Bawadi Souk

We were supposed to be driven around by a Filipino taxi driver that was suggested to us but he claimed over the phone that we can just go to the nearby Balad Commercial Center and be done with it. I had to disagree because I know Eyecandy, who was in Jeddah two weeks before we did, said that the popular abaya souk was quite a drive from the center. R and I decided to hail a cab outside the hotel and asked the driver to take us to "Badawi souk", as E mentioned. He eyed us curiously and asked, "Badu souk?!" "No, Badawi souk!," we chimed in. Our driver is a Yemeni who has a friendly face and mild demeanor. He proceeded in telling us, in his halting English, that the abayas in the nearby Badu souk is not worth it. If we want, he'll take us to Bawadi souk a few kilometers away from Balad. And that's when it hit us that it was indeed "Bawadi" instead of "Badawi." Haha.

Hey, we have this mini bus in Riyadh too! 

On the way to Bawadi, our driver (Maher) got to talking. He asked where we came from and when he heard "Riyadh," he immediately tsk tsked and said "Riyadh mushkila, Riyadh mushkila!" over and over. Without even an explanation, we already understood his thoughts and sentiments. Anyway, he was nice enough to slow down at roundabouts so we can see and take photos of Jeddah's famous street installations.

Larger than life bicycle

Is this science-related? Hehe.

These sculptures make Jeddah one of the biggest open-air art galleries in the world. Their roundabout pieces are bigger than those in Al-Khobar.

Morning is not the best time to visit Bawadi. The street sellers who sell their abayas at cheaper prices were not yet around. Only the air-conditioned stores were open and their abayas are priced like the ones in Riyadh. But since we're already there and there were few people around (which makes shopping easier), we can't back away now can't we? 

An area of the Bawadi center

Lots of abaya on window displays

We chose to pick abayas with unique designs instead. We're very particular with the fabric. We want the thick kind that doesn't need to be ironed. Interestingly, I went for the still conservative almost all-black type knowing that I (and my friends whom I'm buying these for) will be wearing them in Riyadh. The quirk I mostly got was from the stones and beads and the newest style that hugs the waist slightly. I got a onesie (like a dress that doesn't need to be buttoned or zipped) that has a glittery design on the chest and I got my mom an abaya embellished with little rosettes. R bought a few more than I did.

Oh what to choose?!

Embroidery galore!

For The PINK Tarha! :P

12:00NN Eating The Famous Chicken

Maher waited for us and took us back to the center after an hour or so. He egged us to go and try Al-Baik, the infamous broasted chicken of Jeddah. R and I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to eat the chicken hot off the broiler in the comfort of our hotel room. He took us to the Balad branch.

Finally!

After getting our lunch of crispy, hot Al-Baik chicken, we went back to the hotel for lunch. After packing the black robes away, we took our seats near the window and ate!

What a perfect location to have lunch!

Yuuuuum!

The aroma coming off our order of Al-Baik was heavenly; it covered the entire room in minutes. Al-Baik has a distinct taste that is coming from the red orange tint in the chicken meat. The skin is crispy and it went well with the fries and bun. I love it piping hot! Okay, I know I'll probably be heckled (please don't throw stones at me) if I say that I didn't find Al-Baik outrageously delicious. It is delicious, yes, but I can live in Riyadh without it (come to think of it, we're living in Riyadh without it). There are many broasted chicken in Riyadh that are quite good too. But anyway, we enjoyed our Al-Baik meal and saved some for dinner. R and I were contemplating if we ought to bring back Al-Baik for our families and friends in Riyadh.

2:00PM Mall of Arabia

After a bit of rest, we called Maher again and asked him to take us to Mall of Arabia for the only store we came here for: Forever 21. Hahaha. The design of the mall is beautiful and the interior is spacious and airy. We immediately went to Forever 21 and got lost in all the cute, affordable clothes. Excuse us for a while...

Mall of Arabia!!!

Love the wide, airy space great for events

Levels of stores

An indecisive me among accessories in Forever 21.

The only sale sign we saw is from H&M

With our plastic bags of clothes from Forever 21, we roamed Mall of Arabia and found this gem of a bakery cafe on the upper floor. It's called Chapter. The display of cakes and large macaroons is beguiling. We settled for slices of red velvet cake and rainbow cake.

Macaroons from Chapter Bakeshop

Huuge macaroons

Love our colorful slices

Then we saw the entertainment center from above and it was so much fun watching the kids ride the rides that R and I were afraid of trying. Haha.

A water ride inside the mall? Amazing!

We settled for a quick snack at the Tonino Lamborghini Cafe. There is a branch of this cafe in Panorama Mall in Riyadh and we haven't tried it. We were just enticed with the location of this cafe. It's perfect for an afternoon coffee. We can see the roads outside and the soft afternoon sun rays flooded the clean floors. I went for a dark chocolate frappe while R ordered a latte. We added a plate of pasta with white sauce and took bites of our cakes after.

Great location!

Wonder if the service here is fast. :)

The view from where we're sitting.

Perfect for sipping on a hot afternoon

Cheesy and creamy merienda

6:00PM Corniche Road In A Flash

Maher came back for us around 6 in the evening. On our way back to the hotel, he chose to pass at the corniche road so we can see that area. We passed by a few known Jeddah spots like the floating mosque and the dazzling hotel lane by the Red Sea but we didn't stop and took photos. We just enjoyed the scenery and it was really fun seeing families gathered at the shore having picnics. So laidback!

We stopped on the side of the road to take photos of the King's Fountain. It was too far from where we were at but that's okay. This fountain is best admired from afar anyways. It's the biggest seawater fountain in the world.

Jeddah's pride

8:00PM Too Early for Curfew

Deep inside I know that we're too early to be back at the hotel. I mean, we shop until the wee hours of the morning during Ramadan for goodness' sake! So what are we doing holed in our hotel room at 8pm?! Haha. Well, good thing, our blogging friend Mr. Kenji of Thoughtskoto saved us. He and his wife, Sheila, called to say that Mr. NJ of DesertAquaForce, another friend from the blogging world, will come to pick us up for dinner. And thank goodness, he did!

10:00PM Crossing The Border

He and his friend, Mr. Jun, drove us to On The Border, a Mexican-themed restaurant that is not found in Riyadh. Kenji, his beautiful wfe Sheila and their adorable kids Hevyn and Galei, followed after a few minutes. The Solis family gave us a lovely bag with some cosmetic products and perfume (thank you very, very much!). I ordered salmon; the first time in years that I picked fish over meat in a steakhouse. R went for the tacos. 

Hand me some watermelon margaritas!

Salmon+mashed potatoes+beans

I first personally met them in the Philippine Expat Blog Awards 2009 ceremony in Manila where The Pink Tarha won our first award (ahhh memories...). They were friendly and kind people. It's a pleasure to be seeing them in their turf this time. I admire these men's passion for their family, career, and advocacies. We talked about PEBA, OFW issues, and the differences among Al-Khobar, Jeddah, and Riyadh. The Thoughtskoto family, as they're fondly called, lived in Al-Khobar for a few years before settling in Jeddah. NJ is based in Al-Laith and he told us he's a little bit scared every time he had to go to Riyadh for some business matters. We're not surprised that they have reservations about Riyadh (heck, all expats do, haha!) but we promise that when they'll be in the city, we'll show them what makes Riyadh nice on its own (wow, ambassadresses to Riyadh lang ang peg ng Pink Tarha ladies?! Lol.)

Photo from Kenji

We decided to go home around 12 midnight... but not without Mr. NJ's nice surprise. He gave us a huge white styro box that weighs a ton (ah, kilos pala, hehe). We had an idea what's inside because we know the nature of his work but I was still surprised when I opened it at home (more on this on the third entry). Thank you very much to the Solis family and Mr. NJ Abad for the lovely evening in Jeddah.

Our third and last day in Jeddah is up next! :)


Sundrenched