People Watching At The Grocery Store (Not The Commissary)

Last week, during my two hours off camp, we went to the real grocery store.  It's a store called Tamimi that is owned by Safeway.  I've mentioned it here before, but today I'll post some pictures of it. 

Notice that I say AT the grocery store, not IN the grocery store.  That's because I didn't go in.  Lawrence fell asleep in the car on the way, so I sat with him while Mike, Everett, and Catherine went in.  I was bored, so I started taking pictures from the car. 

Here's the outside of the store.  Notice the Safeway S logo in the middle.  It has covered parking.

A few interesting people were going in and out.  This lady is western because she does not have her hair covered.  

This lady is VERY BRAVE because she is not wearing an abaya.  The mutawa (religious police) are very aggressive about harassing women who are not wearing an abaya, even if they are, like this lady, appropriately covered.  They are now also starting to harrass women who are wearing an abaya but do not have their hair covered.  So she is really, really, gutsy.  

Saudis love western fast food.  We have all the chains, even the sit down restaurants like Chilis, Applebees, Fudruckers, and Johnny Rockets.  Near the Tamimi is Starbucks and Taco Bell.  They also have Krispy Kremes all over. 

 

  

 These are the buildings in Khobar that I could see from the car.

After we went to Tamimi, we drove to a bakery called Latif Pastry.  They sell Arab Bread with various stuff on it (i.e., bread with zataar (spices) on it, bread with vegetables on it, bread with yogurt on it).

 Latif Pastry is on the first floor of this building.

The store next to Latif.

 Again, I didn't get to go in, but here was my view from the car.

Driving away, we got a closer look at the store. 

This picture is just for perspective.  On the way back to camp, we passed the big mall and the Ikea.  The desert is the largest vast flat expanse you could imagine.  We all know how big Ikea is, right?  That little blue rectangle on the left is it.  And the footprint of the Mall of Dhahran is as big as the entire Southpark Mall complex (including the parking).  It's hard to even make out in this infinity of desert. 

And then we were home again.  So there's my two hours for the week.  Hooray, at least I got off camp!  Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of what it looks like around camp.  It's greener on camp, and that way you all can get a feel it.