Tag Archives: customs

Reverse Culture Shock

Reverse Culture Shock {Also called “Reentry Shock”}  A few days ago, my cousin paid me a compliment. She said,”I think your years in the Middle East have caused you to lose touch with mainstream America.” I had been worried that I had … Continue reading

Posted in Islam, Life, Memoir, Saudi Arabia, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Ya Mamma, Ya Babba

Ya Mamma, Ya Babba When I read Bedu’s recent post, Saudi Arabia- Understanding Umm’s and Abu’s, I became inspired for this post. I suppose I should say it is a rant, but I am genuinely curious about how the following … Continue reading

Posted in Arabic Language, Family, Home Life, Rant, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Christ Stopped at Eboli– The Arab Connection

Christ Stopped at Eboli– The Arab Connection Italian language is a big part of my life these days. My study of it originated in Riyadh, in 1992, after I returned from my first trip to Italy, where I met distant … Continue reading

Posted in Art and Literature, Italian, Life, Politics, Saudi Arabia, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Cabin Fever in Riyadh

Cabin Fever in Riyadh 0R Living in Riyadh Before the Internet My daughters have near-native fluency in English, but sometimes they ask me about phrases they’ve never heard, like “cabin fever”.  Last week, one of them asked me about this … Continue reading

Posted in Family, Home Life, Islam, Life, Memoir, Saudi Arabia | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Walk on the Wild Side

 Before I went to Saudi Arabia in 1986 to work at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, I bought a small book of Arabic phrases. The language, with its strange guttural sounds not made in English, and its curvy script read … Continue reading

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