Tuesday 10 April 2007

An Englishman in England

How do you recognise expats on holiday from their life in Saudi Arabia? When they're asked what they'd like to drink at a restaurant they say "wine that goes with pork". They get overly excited and take pictures like this.

delicious pork, you are sadly missed

Maybe we are easily pleased... but it was delicious.

You’ll also see them having one last rushed mournful beer when waiting for their flight to Riyadh at the Irish pub in Dubai airport. I was amused to see that I had the company of many men in Saudi national dress doing the same thing. Hypocrites? Hardly. Just people like you and I.
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7 comments:

  1. Saudi Stepford Wife-Daisy10 April 2007 at 10:13:00 GMT+3

    Thank you for pointing out the distinction, just because one is Saudi doesn't automatically make him Mr.SuperMuslim.

    My friends and I enjoy your blog because of your sense of humor, it makes for good reading. Keep it up and thanks for not Saudibashing and keeping an open mind about Saudi culture.

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  2. Aaron11 April 2007 at 12:00:00 GMT+3

    Hi Margrave,

    I just wanted to say I found your blog last night and spent an enjoyable couple of hours reading it. You have a nice wry humor.

    While I am living in Dubai I have made a number of business trips to the Kingdom so can identify with your experiences.

    Keep up the good work and great blog title by the way ;-)

    Cheers

    Aaron aka An Englishman in Dubai
    http://an-englishman-in-dubai.blogspot.com/

    PS I can't resist ordering pork dishes when I go back to the UK either

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  3. Lori11 April 2007 at 17:36:00 GMT+3

    Welcome back! We always OD on pork when we're out - scanning menus in whatever language they may be for anything that sounds or looks like bacon, pork chop or ham! By the end of repat, I'm happy to get back home of for no other reason that I'll not glutton myself on pork! Still...when I walk past Swiss cheese, something in my cried out Ham! Ham! GIVE ME HAM!

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  4. Rana Jarbou18 April 2007 at 09:37:00 GMT+3

    For some odd reason, the only rule that Saudi Muslims take very seriously is the "no pork" rule! I guess they don't find it difficult to resist!

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  5. Shahryar18 April 2007 at 21:32:00 GMT+3

    Just discovered your blog today.

    Brill! English humour at its best.

    Hope you publish this blog on paper after you return home - potential best-seller!

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  6. Anonymous10 November 2007 at 09:45:00 GMT+3

    LOL, no, they are not the hypocrites, but the 'pigs' are, if your familiar with Animal Farm by George Orwell, *hint hint*.

    I enjoy a nice cold beer as much as the 'bloke' drinkin one right now in a UK pub, too bad we gotta go to other countries to trully enjoy it though.

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  7. Anonymous21 June 2010 at 00:15:00 GMT+3

    Stumbled upon your blog and didn't realize that I missed my dinner. Hope Al Nafoura can give me some shawarmas! As a single married Indian in Riyadh who has lived in England and Wales this assignment has been one of the most drab. Your blog post brought a smile. Keep it up.

    BTW, the pic in this post did not get through the Saudi firewall. The filename of the pic has a word that is banned!

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