Lonely in Riyadh - why do expats cheat?

A Canadian women blogs about infidelity within the expat community in Riyadh – why it happens, and the peculiar mix of ‘macho culture’ and “loneliness” that can make a ‘bad idea’ seem like a ‘good one’. She writes:

“There are a lot of security contractors out here, and when a group of macho guys gets together for a party... let's just say they are not painting their nails and giggling about Gossip Girl all night”

And;

“You know how Catholic students are always famous for being oversexed and repressed? Riyadh is Catholic school on a grand scale.”

She also suggests that, in regard to her husband, she’s writing from experience.

JEDDAH DAILY PHOTO JOURNAL posts a good example of Saudi ‘old-style seating’ explaining:

“The old-style seating arrangements in Saudi Arabia consist of upholstered cushions which are placed on the floor and lined up along the walls and the center of the room is left completely open. Cushions are also placed standing up along the wall and oftentimes there are extra cushions (the red ones in this photo) to lean one’s elbow on.”

A cartoon by ‘Dark side of the spoon’ on 7iber provides a humorous look at what people in Jordan really do on facebook…

PALDORDINA pours scorn on the ‘uncontrollable urge’ to blog about ‘New Year’, writing that ‘the world is still getting uglier’. To make her point, she list the top 10 things that ‘didn’t happen’ in 2010:

Here is my list of top 10 things that didn’t happen in 2010:

1. A peace treaty that fairly puts an end to a 62-year long diaspora and suffering of Palestinian refugees
2. A global solution to poverty, illiteracy, and hunger
3. An end to the unsurprisingly continuous and convenient war on terrorism
4. Finding Bin Ladin and Nemo
5. An Arab country amongst the First World Countries
6. A breakthrough by an Arab Scientist in science and technology
7. Ending the siege on Gaza
8. Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup
9. Elissa getting married, and
10. You getting any freaking younger.

JARAAD seeks help with his ‘procrastination problem’, and starts reading through a book called ‘getting things done’. He emphasizes the following passage:

“In karate there is an image that’s used to define the position of perfect readiness: “mind like water.” Imagine throwing a pebble into a still pond. How does the water respond? The answer is, totally appropriately to the force and mass of the input; then it returns to calm. It doesn’toverreact or underreact.”

A bystander at a local mall wins one million dinars… and 360DEWAN wonders just what there’re going to do with it..