Sunday, May 23, 2010

Things I Heart about Saudi

I am very easily amused, in almost a childish way, and hope that my comments don't offend anyone reading this!! I think that in order to survive here, you have to have a sense of humor regarding the everyday situations that you face, otherwise you would go mad. For example: in the Arabic language there is no letter "p". It's pronounced as a "b" which I find very funny. During orientation IV pump is now IV bump, patient is batient. I realize this may not be funny to most people, but I have now taken to telling my friends that I'll meet them at the bool for a swim. Endless entertainment.

As a woman I am required to wear an abaya out in public- which is uncomfortable and hot. They're not breathable- don't let anyone tell you otherwise. My only comfort is that often I wear my swimsuit or short shorts underneath. Its humorous to think that I'm dressed more provocatively underneath my abaya than I would be if I wasn't required to wear it in public! I recently purchased a hijab which is the facial cover that many women in Saudi Arabia wear. Western women usually refer to it as a ninja for its resemblance and ability to desire its wearer to strike karate like moves. My hijab has become quite the conversation piece when skyping with my peeps back home!!


I love that rarely will you find coins here. If you are at a store and they need to give you change back, often you are handed a pack of gum.....or back of gum instead!

I especially heart parking in Saudi Arabia. The attached pics demonstrate amazing skills that would make any driver instructor faint of heart!!

Friday, May 14, 2010

VIP Nursing

So I am still in part of a lengthy hospital orientation. Of all the nursing jobs I've had over the years (and there have been many) this is by far the longest, most complete orientation I have ever received. This is because of the huge differences in the Saudi culture, and the wide range of background, education, and cultures of the nurses. A couple days ago we got to tour our nursing units, and meet with the nurse that has been assigned as our preceptor. I am going to be working on the VIP floor, which looks after all the royals, and other wealthy Saudi's. It is a mix of post-partum, newborn, peds, and adult. I have never worked with peds patients, so am a little nervous about it. I'm sure I'll be feeling more confident after my orientation is complete.

Touring my floor was really unlike any nursing floor I have seen in Canada or the US. There are gold plated elevators and furniture that looks like it was borrowed from Queen Elizabeth's Palace. Sometimes they book out the adjacent room, and use 1 as the patient's room, and the other as a sitting area. Its all pretty different than what I'm used to. One of the rooms I visited had at least $15000 worth of flowers. I've never seen flower arrangements like this before. I'm sure I will have lots of stories to tell!!

My preceptor invited me to a going away party for a fellow Canadian. It was really great to meet the other girls on my floor, and to get out and socialize. We went to a restaurant at a nice hotal here, and the food was delicious. All that was missing was a nice glass of wine! Last night I went to a British compound party with a group of girls. Had a great time!! A massive sandstorm rolled in just as we were leaving, and we had a terrifying drive home. It was near whiteout (sandout) conditions, and cars were driving all over the road. Luckily our driver was great and got us home safely. More updates to come../.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Honeymoon Phase

Yesterday during orientation we were given a lecture about the phases of culture shock, and it was very apparent that I am in Phase I the Honeymoon Phase; when everything is new, exciting, and you're just taking it all in. So far, I have felt like I'm dealing well with uprooting my life and moving across the world to the Middle East (of all places). I have chalked this up to my amazing coping skills, but now know that this will probably not last. At some point in the next few weeks these things that have not yet bothered me will likely become somewhat frustrating. I'm secretly hoping that I stay in the Honeymoon Phase for the rest of my time here!!

Last night I went out shopping with the girls to one of the many local malls. You must be very concious of the prayer times here when out running errands, as stores will close down and you may be forced to wait outside until they reopen. The last 2 prayers of the day are quite close together, so it could become an inconvience if you don't structure your time around them. After a few hours of shopping we hailed a cab to head back to the compound and ended up with this Yemeni cab driver who was doing his best to flirt with us (even though he spoke zero English). We dropped one of the girls off, and were heading to the other side of the compound when he plowed through the security gait. He was so busy looking at us in the rear view mirror that he wasn't paying attention. The security guards were pissed, and took his driver's licence and made a few calls. We sat in the back laughing, and trying to figure out what the heck happened. The driving here is really something else!! So far my time in Saudi has been pretty eventful!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

My first week in Saudi Arabia

Well, I have officially been here for a week, and I have a lot of observations. It is hot, and I'm afraid I will melt when the summer temperatures hit. There is also a lot of sand, and many shiny buildings. I have heard that in order to get over jet-lag you need one day for every hour of time change. Coming from Seattle I changed 10 time zones, so should be feeling back on track in 3 more days. Last night was the 1st night I slept most of the way thru- so was pretty stoked this morning!!


Currently, I am in hospital orientation. The hospital is beautiful, there is an entire marble wing, and I fear someone will end of with a head injury from slipping on the floor. Its really interesting and inspiring to be in orientation with such a broad group of nurses from so many different countries. All of us coming to Saudi with individual backgrounds, and for varied reasons. I have yet to visit the floor that I will be working on, so don't have much to report on that front.

I am living in a compound attached to the hospital. There are several different complexes, mine is about a 15 min walk in. Not really looking forward to this when the temperature is 50C. Maybe I'll build a tolerance to it? Maybe I'll require IV hydration at the start of every shift- we will see!! It kindof feels like a camp for adults here- if the adults were only female, and living in a rundown 80's complex. I had to take a step back when I got to my apartment- not that I was used to living in the lap of luxury, but its interesting here. The great thing is that the rent is free, the ladies are friendly, and there are 2 pools within a 2 minute walk of my place!!


So is it safe you may ask? I have felt completely safe- have left the compound to go to the grocery store, mall and IKEA (yes, they have IKEA). We take cabs when off the compound, as Saudi Arabia can be a very dangerous place to be a pedestrian. Do I have to cover my face? On our housing compound we may wear whatever we like. On the hospital property we must dress conservatively (long sleeves, pants) or wear an abaya. Off the compound you must wear an abaya, and carry a scarf incase the religious police tell you to cover your hair. I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting these fine men, but will be prepared (scarf in purse) if need be. The abaya is hot, but you can wear whatever you would like underneath which is a plus. I also spilt salsa on my lap on Cinco de Mayo (must have been that virgin daiquiri) and my abaya saved the day!

Anyways, this post is getting rather long. The moral of this story is that I am alive and well. So very thankful that I decided to do this. Am having an amazing time, and have met some really great gals in orientation!! Here are a few random pictures from my 1st week: