2009-02-15

Celebrating Valentine’s, Saudi Style

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to spend the Valentine’s Day alone. In Jeddah. A beautiful city by the Red Sea.

Worked till almost midnight, picked up a value meal from McDonald’s on the way back to my apartment.

People do the most romantic things on the Valentine’s Day.

One of my Saudi friends went home early – to cook a romantic meal for his wife. He painstakingly created a lovely little card during the day, and was so-o-o looking forward to the evening.

Then there is this other Saudi friend. Affluent and Western educated. He went home last evening and his wife was nagging him because it was ‘that day’ of the year. Since there was nothing romantic visible in the horizon, she at least wanted a present.

She wanted something really nice.

So he though for a while and promised her that he would go out and get her something that she would like very much.

When he was narrating this, I was imagining the Cartier’s and Prada’s. Jeddah’s high street is a discount warfare these days. Discounts up to 50% at Armani and up to 70% at some other boutiques... any man could easily go bankrupt with such attractions, easily.
And he went out and bought her a Vacuum Cleaner.

He says she was talking about buying one, last week.

6 comments:

  1. This guy takes the cake of the top 10 Valentine's No-No's! :)

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  2. Well maybe he thought she could use it to find all the diamonds she lost at the back of the couch?

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  3. Haha. I found that adorable. But I probably would have felt differently if I was on the receiving end of the 'gift' :P

    Valentines Day is overrated. Is there such a thing as a cross between a romantic and a cynic? Cuz if there is, I'm it :/

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  4. LOL!
    You spent Valentines here too (Saudi)?!
    This country's so gravely unromantic, it's just sad...

    ...and things are always on sale! =)

    Well atleast someone thinks it's beautiful! While I think the beaches here stinks...literally =/

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  5. Sabby, yeah. :(

    Well, I get to go with my local friends to the posh area where the rich kids play with their jet-skiis and yachts. Actually I see women in bikinis in the open... That area in Obhur is rather nice; also want dive in the Red Sea - there are some wonderful spots – of course not as nice as Sri Lanka!

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