Essential Preparations for Riyadh

That's not all. You'll soon forget words like "Thank you" and "You're welcome"

Now, now, the queen taught us very well. Manners is something inherent in our culture, just ask the boys from manchester and liverpool.

Thats not true, Beezer. We do tend to be polite, even here in the sands, Queen or no Queen. You have to be fair in your statements?

Hells teeth Beezer you don't hear them much in the UK either. Excuse me, is another that will soon be dead as the Dodo.
I was in a checkout queue and was pushed in the back by a woman who wanted through. I turned and said rather loudly, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you as I'm a bit deaf". She went scarlet.
I have often heard parents telling their kids off for not being polite yet not setting an example themselves. Food for thought.

I always use 'Shokran'. When in Rome doesn't mean that you have to drop your own standards.

Thank you for reading my entry and have a nice day.

Afwan Dave

My experience with Saudi's is that they almost always say thank you. 

In fact, it was the first Arabic word I learned here, from a Saudi driver  

They often thank me after a class.

And I've heard apologies, too, when one is blocking an aisle at the supermarket, for example.

I'm sure some aren't polite but isn't that the same in every country?

I don't know, I find it very rare to find people who are appreciative or courteous.

I find such a big difference when going shopping here than when going back home.
Canada:
I walk into a shop.
Staff: "Hi, how are you today?"
Me: "Great, thanks. How about you?
Staff: "Great, thanks for asking. Let me know if I can help you with anything"

Where as here.
I walk into a shop.
Staff: Blah blah on the phone, or to other co-worker. Or I can never find an employee
Me: "Hey, how's it going"
Staff: *dumbstruck
Me: "Do you have x product"
Staff: "No"
Me: I walk out and see it on my way through the aisles.

Now wait a minute.  You're talking about CUSTOMER SERVICE here, which is practically non-existent here, unless the salesmen are expats lol  No argument there!  But as for common courtesy and politeness, I find it everywhere.

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Alliecat wrote:

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Exactly, next time you walk into a shop beezer, give them the 'Hi how are you today' just like you do in Canada, from my experience also it makes a big difference to how they treat you.

DesertDog wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Exactly, next time you walk into a shop beezer, give them the 'Hi how are you today' just like you do in Canada, from my experience also it makes a big difference to how they treat you.

Don't agree with me, doggie--it somehow makes me feel I must be wrong.

Alliecat wrote:

DesertDog wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Exactly, next time you walk into a shop beezer, give them the 'Hi how are you today' just like you do in Canada, from my experience also it makes a big difference to how they treat you.

Don't agree with me, doggie--it somehow makes me feel I must be wrong.

I take good care of my cats, they're my bestest friends at times so how can you be wrong?

DesertDog wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Exactly, next time you walk into a shop beezer, give them the 'Hi how are you today' just like you do in Canada, from my experience also it makes a big difference to how they treat you.

a case of miserable canadian?

surly not!

(see what i did there with the intentional typo?)

Was it Newton who postulated that "every action has an equal and opposite reaction?"

Does that mean an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth or a smile for a smile?

And Dave what have you got against the Italians, mate?

I think the Italians are after Dave's pizza recipe's

DesertDog wrote:

I think the Italians are after Dave's pizza recipe's

okay, that was pretty funny

Wait till Mr "Don" Berlusconi gets his hands on him

beezer wrote:

I don't know, I find it very rare to find people who are appreciative or courteous.

I find such a big difference when going shopping here than when going back home.
Canada:
I walk into a shop.
Staff: "Hi, how are you today?"
Me: "Great, thanks. How about you?
Staff: "Great, thanks for asking. Let me know if I can help you with anything"

Where as here.
I walk into a shop.
Staff: Blah blah on the phone, or to other co-worker. Or I can never find an employee
Me: "Hey, how's it going"
Staff: *dumbstruck
Me: "Do you have x product"
Staff: "No"
Me: I walk out and see it on my way through the aisles.

Hahaha...what a nice comparison...
Maybe they just dont understand you.. try to use some arabic..hahaha

Alliecat wrote:

DesertDog wrote:

Alliecat wrote:

Something I have learned in my life is that people respond to what you present.  When I smile and say hello, I always get a smile and a hello back, even from people who I don't know at my place of work who initially looked grumpy.  I'm always amazed and pleased at how their faces will suddenly light up with a big smile and a pleasant 'hello' !

Exactly, next time you walk into a shop beezer, give them the 'Hi how are you today' just like you do in Canada, from my experience also it makes a big difference to how they treat you.

Don't agree with me, doggie--it somehow makes me feel I must be wrong.

hahaha...you are cat and the other one is doggie...they are always in contrast..lol

just kidding...

musicman wrote:

Was it Newton who postulated that "every action has an equal and opposite reaction?"

Does that mean an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth or a smile for a smile?

And Dave what have you got against the Italians, mate?

In engineering mechanics, reaction will be opposite of the force of action...
meaning it one has positive value but the other one has the negative value...so it is the opposite...

so smile for pout...lol

peace!!!

wont work with humans, sadly, Newton was dealing with inanimate objects, I guess?

It's not a language barrier and it's not just customer service.

It's overall, I find people to be....I can't think of the word. But like, closed door. OK, some may be polite and respectable. But don't tell me you haven't been waiting in line and had someone push you back, or had some guy walk in screaming his order and then going "bsura" (meaning quickly) to the guy behind the cashier. Or how about how a lot of ppl find it hard to say "sir, mr, boss" or simply saying excuse me, or looking at the name tag. But automatically you become "Mohammed"

I think that's very rude.

Hmmmmmmmm....lemme think of mine

I had to think bit harder

Allie is quite right here(As usual:mad:)
They r nice if we behave nicely to them.We need to observe the culture and custom here,if we would entirely understand the mechanism so u wont find it weird.

We always nice to customer service ourselves so they have no option except reciprocating in same manner or sometime better than us.We need to know that they are not dealing with easy customers most of times(specially Saudis)

Due to having large nos of Expats here,window shopping is quite a common culture here and it might make them bit uncomfortable when they r just looking around and u r asked for the assistance and tell them"Oh no,we just browsing" 

we also find lots of Arab women even Asian Muslim women or even their husbands,who usually presume the assistance as a over friendly gesture of CRs...Which may or may not be true all the time   

So they are reserved and don't offer their services until not asked

If u ask me(even if u dont,i would mention )I am immensely pleasant if costumer service is nice or even they response me humbly but if they arent ..I turn into worst customer they have ever ever ever encountered

Essentials Part 2:

I have been invited by the boys to karaoke. Now some say (mostly my wife) that I have a very sexy voice, especially on the phone, however I know this translates poorly at karaoke. I sing out of tune, I can't hold a note and I am beind or ahead of the music. Some say why do it? To which I respond? Once you have downed a few heiny's, there is no better feeling than belting out a ballad.....Nothing else matters, Metallica, comes to mind.....

FYI: I am an amature bass player so I love pretending to be the front man from time to time.

beezer wrote:

It's not a language barrier and it's not just customer service.

It's overall, I find people to be....I can't think of the word. But like, closed door. OK, some may be polite and respectable. But don't tell me you haven't been waiting in line and had someone push you back, or had some guy walk in screaming his order and then going "bsura" (meaning quickly) to the guy behind the cashier. Or how about how a lot of ppl find it hard to say "sir, mr, boss" or simply saying excuse me, or looking at the name tag. But automatically you become "Mohammed"

I think that's very rude.

These things have never happened to me--but again, as I've said repeatedly, I don't spend a lot of time shopping.

One time, however, I was a Euromarche and it was prayer time so nobody at the register.  A woman was waiting with her cart at a checkout, but she wasn't right up in it, rather had left a couple meters but was clearly lined up.  I qued behind her.  When the prayer was over, a Saudi guy came pushing past us to be the first one at the cashier.  I stepped forward, smiled at him, said "excuse me," and pointed at the woman and, behind her, my cart.

He seemed embarrassed, said something softly in Arabic which I took to be an apology, and assumed his place as third in line.

I think sometimes people here are just so intent on what they're doing that they're oblivious. 

I've also had guys behind me in line with just a couple loaves of bread who have asked me (via gestures and smiles) if they could get ahead of me when I've had a half-full cart.  I always agree.  They smile and thank me, and I smile back. 

Anyway, these have been my experiences.

oh, and PS:  nobody has ever called me Mohammed

that sounds like a very fair assessment, mohammed

Saq-81 wrote:

that sounds like a very fair assessment, mohammed

smart ass

Alliecat wrote:

beezer wrote:

Or how about how a lot of ppl find it hard to say "sir, mr, boss" or simply saying excuse me, or looking at the name tag. But automatically you become "Mohammed"

I think that's very rude.

oh, and PS:  nobody has ever called me Mohammed

nobody will for sure...there is no chance...coz u are a girl...

how do you know, S of T?

Chk this link out:

hasher.net/Riyadh/Riyadh

Part 3:

My family and I have been invited to a bbq this evening with some friends. BBQ to be held in the backyard, menu to include prawn skewers, lemon baby octupus, lamb and chicken.

Must wash down with a few beers!!!!!! Giddy up!!!!

You are gonna eat poor Paul? Thats sad... Who will predict the next WC Champs?

That's over the top, no need to eat Paul with all the other good food on offer - shame on you!

Gambling is Haram, therefore eating Paul is Halal.

Their career was deliciously short lived!

who is betting on paul?

Well no one now.

Ok! who is Paul?

Paul is the octopus who was 'picking' all the winning teams during the worldcup!

They say he also wrote the Gospel....and sang folk music in the 70s with Peter and Mary