As it turns out all of the pokes, prods, and other exams conducted on me in the States didn't quite cut it.... I get to do it all over again here in Saudi. We have 90 days from entering the kingdom to obtain our Iquama which is our residency permit. If we don't we can face a substantial fine for each day exceeding our 90 days. Not much of the process makes a lick of sense to me but I guess it is one of those things that we have to shake our heads at and move forward.
Read the little motto directly under the Tornado Mop print- "More Easily Clean Help Feel Happy" HAHAHA False advertisement big time!
So I had to laugh when I seen the size of the "specimen" cup. For my USA friends...We have it made with our lab cups in the states because this one was just about as wide as a Mini M & M tube or better yet about the size of a .50 cent piece!
So as Michael and I arrived at the hospital, I decided to get my camera ready... I had a hunch it was going to be interesting.
This is our local hospital, the GNP. I am not sure what that stands for but I will update this once I find out.
So we get in line to check in and I am intrigued by how the hospital is staffed. All receptionist were native Saudi women in their full black dress (burka and abaya). They were VERY softly spoken which made it difficult to answer any questions they had for me. The nurses were running around keeping very busy. They were all different nationalities, I am assuming primarily Filipino because a couple who worked with me told me they were from the Philippines. Unlike the native Saudi women they wore very pretty, white hair covers.
My inconspicuous picture of the Saudi receptionists.
Jace assisting me in taking an even more inconspicuous picture of the nurses.
We waited in the waiting room and I tend to get my fair share of stares any time we are in public. I can't say I blame them... I am thinking my pasty, neon, white skin sticks out like a sore thumb especially when wearing my black hair cover and abaya. I have striking similarities to the grim reaper.... no joke... kind of spooky.
So I am called back to talk to a doctor and he approves me to have the physical done. Then I go on to have some blood work done. We are helped by a woman with very broken English so that was a bit alarming for the sake of my vein. Mike just told her Iqama and she knew what to do (whew). She took me into a run down looking room and I sat down and hesitantly pulled up my sleeve.
Now, I am cool with things being not so tidy, after all I am a mother of five. However, I am not cool when the not so tidy is in a room where blood is drawn! She tightened up my belt-like arm band and briefly walked away so I glanced down to check it out only to find a HAIR wrapped in the clip of the belt. This was definitely not my hair as it was long and black. There were two other seats that were just filthy with dirt where people had been sitting to give blood etc. I had Mike be my undercover agent and take pictures of the nasty :o)
This was my arm band during the blood draw.
Nasty dirty chair number one...
Nasty dirty chair number two....
She came back in and I looked away waiting for the botched blood work to begin... Hey it would go with the setting right? I felt a slight poke AND..... that was it!!!!! This woman did the most AMAZING blood draw I've ever experienced! My spirit rejoiced as my vein was spared! She gave me a tiny circle bandaid and sent me off with yet another "specimen" cup... sigh.
Off we went to my next round of medical services.... The chest x-ray. Michael and I sat out in the hallway and he taught me some new funnies hahaa. It turns out that when a man needs the attention of another man but doesn't know his name he calls out to him calling him "Hammad". Sure enough a man comes along and looks into the room across the hall from us calling out "Hammad". I giggled thinking to myself, "Well what are the chances?" A few minutes later a man in the hall wanted the attention of a medical staff so he calls out, "Hammad". I couldn't help but laugh. I figured that perhaps it wasn't that they were making up a random name but rather than hammad meant something in Arabic like maybe "excuse me" or "sir"... So I've researched Hammad and it turns out that it is indeed only a name.
Because of this, I am inspired to start addressing random men back in the US as Richard. Now, who in the world can't appreciate a name like Richard hahaha.
Moving on... All went well with the x-ray so we headed out to run a few errands. We stopped by Sacco which is much like Ace Hardware back in the States. We had to pick up some night lights but decided to take a gander at what else Sacco had to offer us. I was floored to come across what I came across next.... A USA original... The one and the only.... THE.....
SHAKE WEIGHT!!!!!
As tempting as it was I had to resist purchasing such a revolutionary product. Michael and I made our way to the checkout line when we noticed the Tornado Mop. We needed a mop and the Tornado Mop looked like it could suit our needs. It had a cool name and it looked nice... Hmmm why not. We got the Tornado Mop home and we eagerly checked it out. As I read over the box, I thought to myself, "WOW, now THIS mop is a winner!" Take a look for yourself at the marketing MAGIC...
Who knew a woman in HEELS could handle the power of the Tornado Mop? Once again this product has me in awe.
So this is where I wrap up the day... I am totally funned-out from all of my undercover picture taking, specimen giving, Shake Weight modeling, and Tornado Mop reviewing. Much love to my readers and good night!
No comments:
Post a Comment