source: http://insidedisillusion.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/to-purdah-or-not-to-purdah/
So for the benefits of those above mentioned and also in the sake of saving time, I will do my best to log a typical day... minus the mundanities and with some added comments and also links that better explains different aspects of local culture than I can provide here.
5am - Waken up by the first adhan or prayer call. I was quite memerized when I heard my first adhan. (Ok it was a little creepy at first if you have no idea what it is... just a soft wailing from a distance) After realizing that it was the sunrise prayer call, I was quite moved by it and the devotion and discipline it upholds. Here is a link to an episode from the Frankincense Trail, in which you can listen to the beautiful adhans sung in Jeddah.
The Frankincense Trail Episode 2: Saudi Arabia - The Adhans of Jeddah
7am - My daily stroll to work, as I pass by the tennis court and the swimming pool (purely for aesthetics puposes this time of the year), across the compound (occasionally being chased by the compound cats) and through the tunnel the separates the single female housing and the rest of the hospital. To protect our virtue and honours, naturally.
The compound is surrounded by barbwired fence, and patrolled by soldiers with shotguns. Security has been greatly reinforced following 911 and the 2003 Riyadh compound bombings.
730am to 5pm - The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) is a 850-bed, tertiary medical and research facility, as well as the national referral centre for oncology, organ transplantation, cardiac surgery, and genetic diseases.
While it is an internationally renowned organization and a leader in promoting advanced health care training and professional standards in KSA, many expatriates have expressed frustration with the disparity in practice standards here and across the various internationally trained staff. I am fortunate to be working in a small and well managed unit where we are shielded from many personnel and management issues that a larger department often encounter.
source: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1928780,00.html
KFSH&RC is also known as one of the more open workplaces in terms of gender segregation. Asides from living and dining areas, males and females work side-by-side across all levels of the hospital operation. I have found it to be a very friendly and open working environment.
To be continued...
