Only in Saudi...

In the absence of any real major family news, thought we'd share some little gems from life in Saudi.
Petrol & Diesel Price
While the rest of the world is dealing with supply cuts, rising prices and searching for alternate fuels or methods of transportation. In the land of sand and sun and of course OIL .... We have just experienced, wait for it (and if you're waiting for it in your own country, you might be waiting a very very very very long time !), we just got a 33% price reduction for petrol & diesel ! Petrol per liter now costs 60 Halala and diesel per liter costs 25 Halala. Now you're asking what on earth is a Halala and what value does that convert to ? A Halala is to Riyal as Cents are to Rand/Pound/Dollar etc. The conversion .... 1 Halala = 1.64 South African Cents !!! Now would be a good time for you to fall off your chair in disbelief ! Yes, we ARE paying less than ZAR 1,00 per liter of petrol and less than 45c per liter of diesel !
Beer at school or while driving
In most countries around the world it would be a no-no to be drinking beer while driving, walking through a store and most especially walking through the gate at school or on your way to classes. Not in Saudi ! While walking the girls to their classrooms on Wednesday morning, Andre and I noticed a high-school student walking past the office holding a Holston Beer. It was open, it had been sipped and he was walking to class enjoying it.
Now before everyone starts with "But you said there was no alcohol in Saudi!" Wow how are they for lenient on rules ! This is NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER !!! You see these guys like the taste of beer, they just don't like the alcohol content. So its not an issue seeing a child walking around drinking beer because in fact it's not really a beer in the true sense hehehe. No that's what they drive across the causeway to have any chance they can, Bahrain - The Land of Milk and Honey - when you live in Saudi that is heheheh.
Learning/Teaching a new Language
As most of you know, I work at an American Curriculum school in Saudi. Up until now, all the time I have been working at the school, there have only ever been two South African families, ours being the one. Recently, The Brummers, sadly, left Saudi (although we're holding thumbs they find a way to come back sometime soon), leaving us as the only SA family in the school. Then even more recently, we had a young South African gentleman join our school. This grade six boy seemed friendly, well-behaved, a good, hard-working student. UNTIL ......
I received a phone call at the end of the school day, from my principal. "Could you please come to my office, I need a word translated." So off I went. It seems our nice new addition had been giving some Afrikaans lessons in his free time. And so it was my "pleasure" to have to translate, a phrase which according to these boys, they didn't understand, to my principal. I was prepared for many a word, in fact that week one of our seventh graders - who had been taking these impromptu Afrikaans lesson, used the word VOETSAK in front of me. But my face just about fell on the floor as my principal, in his very American accent asked my to translate "MA-SE-POES". Tell me how you'd have done that ??!?!?!! Mmmmm that was another interesting day in Saudi !

Anyway, less than a month to go of our school year. Andre back home from his travels for a bit. Sharks are on top of the SA Teams Super 14 log :)
Our weekend is done ! Enjoy yours everybody ! Remember to spoil that special Mom in your heart on Sunday ! 'Til the next installment of News from the Bosch Home .... Cheerio !