Crazy pretty adorable women

It's so difficult to talk about our life in KSA once out of KSA. Starting with describing the kind of friends we have there, they are just so different from the ones we have back home! 

So I thought I'd make a list of the kind of people you're bound to encounter as an expat in KSA:

• the everything-tastes-better-at-home: usually from a rich gastronomic culture (Italy, Latin America, ... France!), she often reminds you of all the wonderful dishes she eats back home, and if she cooks anything from her home country, she'll be sure to state that "it doesn't taste as good as the real thing".


• the groovy grandma: in spite of her age, she is the friend you dream of having, the best shopping buddy you could think of, a great salsa dancer and a wonderful life mentor.


• the cordon bleu: occasionally "everything-tastes-better-at-home", she's the one you want to be invited for dinner at! And also the one you don't want to have to cook for! She could potentially teach you so much about cooking (or that's what your husband keeps telling you!) if only you could be as keen on cooking as you are on eating...


• the paranoid: "terror threat", "Al-Qaida", "Islamists" are words that should never be pronounced in front of the paranoid, unless you want to be reminded - for the umpteenth time - of the terrorist attacks that have occurred in KSA over the last 20 years (with their share of morbid details).


• the young mum who's just dropped her job: the title says it all, she's usually got a stunningly handsome boy / pretty girl to take care of, but struggles in finding her place in her new role.


• the we-can't-do-anything-here-anyway: she's decided that living in Saudi Arabia was a nightmare, so she's just going to live one. Since you don't want to be part of her nightmare, you should just avoid her.


• the overbooked social butterfly: she's as busy as a full-time worker living in a metropolis, so you have to make an appointment to see her. You might also want to attend trendy events (i.e. charities, bingos, breakfasts) to come across her.


• the globetrotter: she's got plenty of amazing anecdotes about her experiences around the world, including some civil wars and emergency evacuations... Therefore the globetrotter is not to meet the paranoid under any circumstances, since the consequences could be disastrous!


• the energetic friend who is always ready to go out and organises activities and outings: she's the one you want to have in your crew!

We're probably all a mix of several of the above, but more important than the category we may fall into is probably our ability to make the best out of this crazy melting-pot! I love the friends I've made in Saudi Arabia, and I love the fact that in other circumstances, I would never have gotten to know such beautiful people.

We may not be as glamorous as them... but we're twice as charming!