Holy Mackerel Salad
Just finished a bowl of this for supper.
Take a smoked mackerel filet.
Tear up some romaine or greeleaf lettuce.
Cut up two green onions, a couple of radishes, 1/2-c of carrots, and 1/2-c of celery.
Add 1T of dill relish and 2T of English or Dijon mustard.
Mix and consume.
Mmmmm….
Takes 10 minutes at the most.
Mmmm…Yogurt
When I was a kid growing up on the dry, dusty plains of the Texas Panhandle, in the 1960s and 1970s, yogurt seemed to me an element of counterculture and hippies…something found in an ashram as one contemplated free love (especially with that blonde sitting in the next row over in school). Now, as a grown man working in the dry, dusty basin of the Arabian Desert, yogurt has taken on a whole new identity – one which also involves love – the love of flavor!
Yogurt may be the most flexible food available. I guess, if you’re lactose intolerant, it might be a problem (there is Lactaid, though), but for the rest of us, yogurt is about as utilitarian as you can get. Even forgoing full-fat yogurt for its fat-free cousin does not result in any lessening of its utility. If anything, it improves it. Dips, dressings, cereal host…is there anything this food cannot do?
When I started back on Weight Watchers Online in December 2008, I started eating breakfast again. Although traditionally my weakest meal of the day (since I was a kid), breakfast is key to a well-balanced, healthy eating lifestyle – certainly if one is trying to drop a bunch of weight. I eat on the go, so cooking in the morning is not a good option. Stopping somewhere to pick up something in the morning is also not a good option due to the fat content found in most fast food. So, I settled on cereal. Whole grain cereal is an excellent choice in the morning – filling, a great source of fiber, and a good way to keep one’s blood sugar balanced throughout most of the morning. But, milk was a problem. I had no container particularly suited to going back and forth from apartment to work, nor was keeping it in the fridge at work a good option. So, I decided on yogurt – a tremendous source of calcium and good stomach flora.
Yogurt is available everywhere, in every form, throughout the Middle East. The stuff is a staple here, much more so than in the USA, where it has gained a foothold over the last several years. Never big on its flavor, I opted for yogurt with fruit at first. That lasted for a couple of months. But, after some study, I realized I got more bang for my buck if I used plain yogurt. I could add fruit if I wanted. Or, I could make a dressing or dip with it. Or, I could use it in various Indian dishes. The flexibility totally became real to me. Now, it’s one of the cheapest, most used food choices I buy each week at the grocery store.
Tonight, I made an awesome garlic, onion, and dill dip. A teaspoon of each, salt and pepper to taste, and some crudités – and what an excellent, minimum calorie, very healthy dinner! Pour it over a salad, and the dip becomes a salad dressing. I mix it with cinnamon and cereal or oatmeal each morning – awesome way to eat cereal or oatmeal. And, as I alluded to, I often mix it with some vegetables and curry to create some wonderful Indian dishes. Seriously, I can think of few foods more flexible.
Yogurt. It does a body good. Much more so than dust and heat. Not as dangerous as free love.
New Blue Jeans…
…bought some new blue jeans this week…four pair. My old ones had become tents on me…belt cinched up tightly and still sliding over my hips…seat hanging down to my knees…I looked like an old guy trying to be a skater.
I bought the first pair at a legit Levis Store in one of the major malls. They cost me SR367. That’s $97 per pair. Ouch!
Today, I went with a friend to a clothing souq and visited several stores that sell “Levis” and “Dockers” and just about any other name brand you could want. I bought 3 pair of “Levis” for SR100. That’s $8.89 per pair.
I’ll bet they’re real. Huh? They had the tags, so they HAVE to be real, right?!
min ayna anta
I pulled the car up to the gate at the compound, and the security guards wanted to look in the shunta (trunk, boot). So, I reached down and yanked on the release. Nothing. I tried it again. Empty pull. The car had just been in the shop, and I grumbled regarding the quality of serve. I turned off the engine and got out of the car to go back and unlock the truck manually.
As I did, I said, “The latch is not working.”
The security guard shook his head and replied, “mafi english (no English).”
“Ah.” I held up the key and conveyed that I would have to open it up myself.
He and his partner both nodded their heads, and he continued to speak to me in Arabic. I finally figured out he heard him ask me, in Arabic, if I spoke Arabic, and I answered back, “anaa atakallum shwaya (I speak a little).”
So, he started talking to me in Arabic, and I couldn’t figure it out. I realize, now, he was speaking regional Arabic, while I understand mostly Modern Standard Arabic (and there is a difference). Finally, he said, “Lebanon? Israel?”
“Ah…anaa min America (I am from America).”
“America!” He smiled at me and grabbed my hand to shake it. I smiled back and closed the trunk, and his partner stuck out his. I shook it and smiled at him, too. “Welcome! Welcome!”
I’ve been here for nearly three years longer than either of them; but, I did appreciate the sentiment.
* * * * *
I could tell his co-worker wanted to join in, but his English was limited. So, he mostly just smiled and watched the two of us. Finally, during a lull in the conversation, I turned to him and said, “min ayna anta (where are you from)?” He cracked up, and then responded, “Syria.”
My Nepalese friend and I returned to our conversation. A bit later he had to go do something work related, and I was sitting there quietly finishing my coffee. The Syrian gentleman came around the corner, smiled at me, and handed me a stick of chewing gum. I was a little surprised by the gesture, but I managed a return smile and a thank you. He nodded and returned to work. I finished my latte and left.
When I return to this store, now (which I do often), or even just walk past, I am greeted warmly by these two guys. Coffee, talk, and a stick of gum. Simple things. Profound effects.
207
Woohoo!
My official weigh-in today was at 207!
What is the significance, you ask? That is the lowest weight I got during my first Weight Watchers incarnation back in 2004! I shall soon lay that ghost to rest and trod upon new ground!
8 more pounds to reach my goal of being below 200 pounds by the time I turn 50!
Things I Miss
A couple of months ago solicited input on topics would like me to cover. One request was for me to discuss things I missed the most over here – other than people. That was an important caveat, too, because people are the #1 thing I do miss…particularly my family…especially my wife.
Honestly, though, Riyadh is a modern city, with most of things a modern city has. Five million people live here – people from countries too numerous to count, backgrounds too diverse to note, and economic levels too stratified to really appreciate. But, there is someone who caters to the needs and wants of all these folks when it comes to the basic needs, particularly eating. There are some things, however, which are much more difficult to find.
Chief on that list are movies. We can find movies – don’t get me wrong. DVDs, both legal and illegal, are available for a nominal fee. So, finding a film to watch, or TV show, is not all that difficult to do; although, it may be a circuitous route on which one must trod to acquire such. No, I am talking about going to a theater and seeing a moving on a large screen with good (hopefully) sound and a group of other movie fans. Illegal. Even if it wasn’t, the movies here would almost certainly be in Arabic, which I don’t yet understand enough of to be able to sit through a film without subtitles. I can go to one of the surrounding countries and see a film; but, if you think concessions have gotten expensive at theaters, try buying an airplane ticket to go see one.
Another item overlooked and taken for granted by so many people is casual fun. This is a common complaint, not only among the expatriates (of all backgrounds), but also by many of the Saudis themselves. Go to mall. If you have kids, go to an amusement park (but, not as a family, some guy might see another guy’s wife or daughter). Go out to eat. If you’re Arab…sandsit (where you stake out a spot in the sand, drink coffee, maybe picnic, and talk with friends and loved ones during the much cooler evening). Yep…that’s about it. Compounds and embassies host events, but they’re not things you can just decide to do on a whim.
The last one I’ll highlight today is convenience. I had a head start on this one, though. There is nothing convenient about living in a small town. There’s even less that is convenience when you live on a farm 4 1/2 miles from town. We were spoiled living in San Diego. If we wanted something, or wanted to do something, it was a matter of mere minutes (in most cases) to acquire it or do it. At our place in Oregon, often, it is much simpler and more efficient to order stuff by mail. The local stores may or may not have what we want; and, if we special order it, it takes as long as what it takes for us to simply order it from home. Now, take that and multiply the wait time by weeks. How many weeks? Who knows. And, some companies will not deliver to Saudi Arabia – and you can guarantee that the postage and handling will be nearly as expensive as what you bought…sometimes more. You can buy all the basics here. But, if you’re looking for something in particular, something special, it’s going to be pretty hard to acquire.
So, those are probably the big ones; although, I am sure I’ll think of something else later.
