Today is Friday. Our Sunday equivalent in Saudi Arabia . I went strolling to explore a bit of the surrounding areas around where I am staying. I found a Chinese resto nearby selling fish soup for 8SR, also I was interested in getting a 19SR steamed fish. I was out hunting for ‘safe’ food for me to eat as I was recently diagnosed with gallstone. No meat, no oily food and no fatty food allowed. Their restaurants have separate entries for single people and for families with wives and children. Singles are basically referring to men. Women are not allowed to walk alone in the streets unaccompanied by their husbands.
I came out of Carrefour and felt it very eerie as the place is so desolate. Not a single soul in the mall…whew. I felt like I was in ghost town. Outside, the streets were equally desolate. I attempted to take a few photo shots using my handphone. I was warned by the Singapore consulate that taking photographs here is banned. For what strange reasons, I wasn’t told. So I treaded carefully and with extreme caution less I get caught. From what I heard, it is especially forbidden to take photographs of women. As if there is anything revealing about their black ninja suits.
An arab in his car parked by the side horned me. I ignored him. He horned 2 more times, I continued walking as if I didn’t notice him. He turned on his engine and started following me on the road while I walked nonchalantly by the sidewalk. He horned again and this time I looked at him with my solid black dark shades on and signaled him to leave me alone. I was wearing a t-shirt and long faded casual brown pants. I was wondering to myself what he wanted. He accelerated and disappeared ahead on the road. Whew. I thought he was going to be persistent and I was already planning my next move.
The Red sea was nice but not as beautiful as I imagined. There were floating seaweeds and across the sea, you can see the King’s palace on an island. This place is called Corniche. From where I was standing, just a 50 meter away were 3 white seagulls hovering around in circles. Every now and then, one of the birds will dive down into the water in its attempt to catch some fish or maybe simply to cool its head from the heat? It was almost sunset actually….i was just strolling romantically by myself along the shore when I saw the same familiar white car coming toward me. He parked it just a few meters away from where I was standing and was about to alight. I sensed danger. Instinctively, I started running away from the shore toward the city. I quickly crossed the double 6-lane highway amidst the running vehicles (very few though) and headed toward the direction where I came from earlier. I run fast as fast as I could. It wasn’t easy to hide as the streets were wide and the place so desolate that there are hardly any people by the roads and sidewalks. Occasional 1 or 2 passersby and that’s it. So any moving object is easy to spot. I stopped to catch my breath and hid behind one of the corner of the building. All buildings here looked the same. Soul-less 4-6 storey high white painted stucco and plain dull facades reminiscent of Mediterranean architecture.
I peeped through the sharp corner of the wall to check if he is following behind. Nothing. I was a bit relieved but knew I wasn’t safe yet. A friend of mine said that ‘the joy of the prize is in the hunt’. I felt like a chicken in a lion’s den. This is ridiculous and it almost seemed surreal to me that this is happening. I was being chased by an arab who thinks I am a woman just bec. I have smooth asian skin and don’t wear a beard. I don’t have to pinch myself to tell me that this is real. I know this is real and its happening. Now I can identify with how threatened women feels when confronted with idiotic man…no fun man, believe me. I tried to relax and started walking briskly toward the direction of small alleys. I don’t dare confront him as he is much bigger and this is his territory where my understanding of shariah law says it is not unlawful to kill an infidel. ( a non-muslim ). Lots of small god-forsaken alleys with abandoned rusting cars and dirt roads. Still everywhere all buildings look the same to me and I was getting a bit disoriented as to which direction leads back to the suite I was staying in. I passed through several more alleys and open parking spaces enclosed in chain-linked fence. Luckily it wasn’t totally locked up so that I needed to do a u-turn. There was a small hole in the fence and I just slipped through to get to the other side. Occasionally I saw a few black boys on the streets playing some games with their black mothers wearing the traditional abaya and baby-sitting. These are migrants from nearby Ethiopia or Somalia I guess. I walked slowly cutting through more alleys. At last I passed through a mosque, and discovered the reason for the desolated streets and shops. Its prayer time. Devout muslims parked their cars outside the mosque and one by one they walked in through the gates into the hall to pray. I said to myself that if he reappears again, I will go inside the mosque. I figured it seemed to be the only safe place as the streets are literally empty. Inside, I can hide myself amidst the hundreds of people praying. Although i will still look odd with my yellow t-shirt, pants and timberland costume contrasts with their white arab tunic and sandals. I am sure most muslims are good people. I was just unlucky to bump into this exceptional chap.
I need a disguise fast. Growing my beard may not be enough. Later my friend suggested I send him my body stat so he can send me a wig, high heels, ear rings and a bra, and then I can wear an abaya.
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