Wednesday, February 22, 2006

On Riyadh "nightlife"..

" "L" ! Everyone's here hurry up and get over"
I contemplated my dilemma.

Wednesday night... family's gathered downstairs in the usual weekend assembly at the big house, the chances of my slipping out with out too many questions asked were slim.

I gathered my outfit and shoes, tied them in a bag and threw them out the window down to the gardens below. I peered over to find my confused maid and driver staring up at me, I signaled for them to be quiet and for the driver to start the car. They smiled and obliged.

I shuffled downstairs lazily, and announced to my mom that I'd be going over to Tory's for the night.
"What will you be doing there?"
"The usual.. nothing exciting"

Someone engages her attention and I continue my slow shuffle until I get outside, grab my bag and run to the car.

"fain rooh alyoum madam?" my driver asks excitedly. Even for him, shuttling me around to my favorite places opened up a different world.

Disappointed at my directions, he drives me a few streets away. Once there, I find my Brit friend, her Hijazzi boyfriend, and my own waiting anxiously for me outside. I had to change, I couldn't go in my decoy soccer uniform shirt. They insist that we're late.
We get into Salman's car and he speeds off towards Al-Da2iry Al-Shar8y.

" "L", Whaaat are you wearing! You need to change before we get there!" Tory frowns back towards me.
"where?"
"just change here.. "

Lapses in judgment were plenty in those days.

I glance out into the dark night and fairly empty highway, get Salman up front and Moe next to me to promise they wont turn, and reach into my bag. After quickly stripping off my abaya and reaching for my glittery top, I took off my shirt and put the top on. All in the span of perhaps 1 minute. Three seconds later, our little car lights up three consecutive quick times and we turn to find a red GMC with the heart attack-inducing stamp flashing us.

Tory and I instantly dive down. Never did I understand the feeling of seeing one's life flash in front of them as I did that instant. For 20 minutes my mind ceased to function as our car sped off recklessly while Salman tried to lose our pursuers.

Finally I was pulled up and assured we've lost them. I hear their shrill laughter ring carelessly at our near discovery. I should've known I was in over my 15 year old empty head.

We arrived at the intended comp. (pre-bombing), and after ditching our Abayas and head scarves along with pretty much everything about Riyadh and its rules at the gate, we stroll up to the pool where we are greeted by our host. He welcomes us and points to his pride and joy-- a fully stocked bar. The stench of weed assaults us as a girl in stilettos bumps into me and blows in my face. Eclectic circles unfortunate enough to have ended up in this town mix and mingle. I spot a classmate with a drink in hand flirting with the DJ and knew that come Saturday morning she'd deny ever being here. Couples flaunted an almost mandatory R rated PDA as they sauntered in and out of the club house. I catch a glimpse of a tattooed shoulder and recognize Nora with the guy of the night. At 13, with a Lebanese mother and a syrian saudi father, she was a regular at these functions and a prime example of how fast one grows up in that town. Three of my male classmates swore to me that she solicits her nights for a mere 500 S.R.

What's amazing is that no one ever really gets to know anyone. The host hardly knows a quarter of the people there. In fact, the events were hardly planned that well.. with planning comes the danger of discovery, even with the high security at the gate and the protection of the famous/infamous individuals there. We were like vampires, alive at night.. sucking one another dry.

I feel my guy's arm at my waist drawing me over... time for our own showy display, for even here, we had to keep up appearances. In the end, the inside wasn't too different than the outside.

None of us really knew if we'd make it home safe on any night. Our blatant snub to the laws would come back to bite us eventually. What we did know is that if we spent one more night in front of a sattelite TV with same-gendered company we would lose what precious little was left of our minds.

| 14 CoMmEnTs| -- Posted by [[ On My Own ]]--|Permanent Link|

14 Comments:

Meesha,

Funny..
I never heard stories. I just suddenly found myself in the middle of it.

You should've.


Raffy,

Heh.. You? commentless?

By  Trevelyana, at 22 February, 2006 12:11  

and excuse the grammatical and spelling mistakes.
I can spot an "it's" and a few other glitches that are annoying the hell out of me but I can't be bothered to edit..

By  Trevelyana, at 22 February, 2006 12:17  

sammy,

We didn't realize how serious it was. Honestly that wasn't the worst night, there were so many nights where we'd just end up running after guards yell "hay2a" and hear about those who got caught the next weekend.
After I left, Tory and Salman got picked up at Burger King where they stopped for some fries.. irony.
Salman got sentenced to god knows how many whips that he gets in weekly increments. Tory was taken to the station. A month later she was picked up again at a party and sent back to the UK. Her whole family had to follow, they had been living in Riyadh ever since she was born.
So ya.. I KNOW I'm lucky.

There's no one here. Just us. I don't want to post this in the saudi blog land.

By  Trevelyana, at 24 February, 2006 15:04  

Hey
Interesting indeed. Im new here, so Im not sure whether that was a memory or a recent situation. But even in those few words, it gives a very descriptive - and desolate - view of life from the eyes of a Saudi teen. Well done, you write extremely well.

I can say that its not just Saudi Arabia that the situation is like that - an underworld of the youth, if you will. I have cousins in another country thats very strict about such things, and its the same, the secret parties, the drugs, alcohol, partners, etc...its blatantly obvious that the more the government tries to stop these things, the more it happens. You'd think maybe they'd realise it too.

By  illogicist, at 24 February, 2006 17:51  

illogicist,

Welcome, and thank you.. for the recommendation as well. Your friend, who by the way types extreeemely fast heh, and his ideas were very exciting. I'm very flattered.

.. and, It was about 4 years ago.
As for the life of a teen in Saudi.. it's no-existent. There's absolutely no outlet for creativity nor youth.

The sad thing is that these places were also frequented by a lot of older people. I'm not a fan of blending oppressed youth with deprived middle aged men.

I hold no hope for the government realizing anything after hearing about the Shura council's ban on women driving today.

By  Trevelyana, at 24 February, 2006 22:00  

You are lucky to not have got caught. But, having grown up in the gulf, I know- it is all about luck...

I know people who have gotten away with murder, and other who have been "caught" for the dumbest things- myself included..

Oh well, such is life in the Arabian Gulf.

By  confused arab chick, at 03 March, 2006 01:38  

What would've happened IF you have gotten caught? Several lashes?
I'm curious how the system works there. And would a "wasta" work in this case?

Isn't it liberating doing things out in the exposed open, but then again underground parties does have an adventurous attractive feel to it.

By  N.A., at 03 March, 2006 03:55  

Confused:
Oh ya. It's the little things that get you.
Dame Fortune must've been smiling on me those years.


NA:
I honestly don't know. There doesn't seem to be a consistent system of "punishment". For the men it's usually lashes. For the women, sometimes it's just a late night at the station.. sometimes they take on the whole family.

and Ya, it's all about the chase.

By  Trevelyana, at 03 March, 2006 09:41  

Leen! Lucky is the key word in that post!

That was thrilling/depressing... def. thought provoking

By  Sedna, at 03 March, 2006 15:17  

wow... loved the story... and your writing style amazes me!

By  Anonymous, at 03 March, 2006 18:30  

Sed-
Dame Fortune!


Daydreamer-
Thank you sweets.


JS-
I miss it.
I know BMW by heart.. TEEE GEEE I F!

By  Trevelyana, at 04 March, 2006 21:23  

you guys MN JED enjoyed you're higschool years ! :(

last new years eve there was a party similar to that my freinds were going to.
But of course i weren't allowed to go..

mara 7aseet ur story fits as a movie

By  Bissa, at 05 March, 2006 07:21  

I would've enjoyed it more if I would've been more mature..
But ya.. good times.

By  Trevelyana, at 05 March, 2006 21:47  

For all the use I'll have for it now.

I do have a crazy Hay2a phobia though. Encountering random GMCs out here makes my heart jump sometimes. Sheesh.. emotional scarring!

By  Trevelyana, at 10 March, 2006 02:11  

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