Traveling Notes for  Out-of-Sight in the Buraydah

More information about Saudi Arabia:

CIA World Fact Book: Saudi Arabia


Infoplease: Saudi Arabia


BBC News Country Profile: Saudi Arabia

Map of Saudi Arabia:


What are dates?                                                      



Dates are the fruit of the date palm. They are oval shaped, 3-7 cm long, and 2-3 cm diameter, and when unripe, range from bright red to bright yellow in colour, depending on variety. Dates have been a staple food  of the Middle East for thousands of years. The date palm is believed to have originated around the Persian Gulf and has been cultivated in ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 6000 BC.


Wikipedia article:  Dates



What’s a TCK?


I am what is known as a Third Culture kid, or TCK.  Our parents are American but they work overseas. We speak English and we go to international schools with American curriculum. We play sports, have theatre programs, and everything else just like home but we also learn other languages, go to school with kids from many different countries, and get to travel and see things that other kids do not. 


Another name for me is Global Nomad and I like that name better because that is what I really am.  I love America and am proud to be American but I love other places in the world as well.  Sometimes, I get homesick and want to be at home with people who talk and think like me. At other times, I really get a kick out of having experiences I know other teenagers only dream about.  Last year, for example, we went on a school trip to Tibet and hung out in a Buddhist monastery for a week.  I thought this would be dull but it turned to be amazing.


At the time I write this, there are about 300,000 of us currently overseas but there are many more who have returned home to America.  If you would like to know more about TCK’s, here are some websites:


TCK World


Global Nomads Virtual Village


Interaction International



What’s a shisha pipe?


Shisha is pure tobacco mixed with fruit flavours.  It is smoked through an instrument called a hookah, which was invented around 500 years ago in the Middle East.  A hookah has a hollow glass base which is filled with water topped with a

clay bowl in which sits the hot coals and tobacco and a hose

to smoke through. Smoking shisha is a social activity and the hookah is often passed around.  There are even cafes where

one can go and order different flavours of shisha and sit

and smoke.


My Arab friends say smoking shisha is not harmful because the tobacco has no additives, such as nicotine, and the water in the hookah takes away most of the harmful chemicals. However,

I checked this out and discovered that if you inhale it then it is harmful in the same way any smoking is – so  be careful!


Wikipedia:  Hookah (Shisha)


Why do Muslim women wear veils?



Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an, instructs Muslim men and women to dress in a 'modest' fashion. For men this instruction means pants and long-sleeved shirts. For women, there are a variety of headdresses worn in accordance with hijab (the principle of dressing modestly). Many of these garments cover the hair, ears and throat, but do not cover the face. The niqab and burqa are two kinds of veils that cover most of the face except for a slit or hole for the eyes.


The Saudi Arabian version of modest dress is composed of              

an abaya, or loose robe, hijab, or headcovering, and niqab,

or face veil.  The Saudi niqab usually leaves a long slot

open for the eyes with an extra piece of thin cloth than can

be lowered to cover them.