Review: A valuable insight into life and travel in Arabia
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2012
Having lived for two years in Bahrain and visited some of the other neighbouring Arabian countries, I was intrigued to read this account of living and travelling in Arabia.  At first, I could really connect with the examples and experiences related to by the author. The loudspeakers used in the minarets to bring the worthy to prayer, the fasting at Ramadan, the strange licensing of alcohol to expats, excursions to the desert, the nuances of knowing what to say and do at customers ... it touches on many of these same experiences I had.In this, I  enjoyed the book since it bought back both those pleasant and sometimes unpleasant memories. I particularly liked the introduction to the book where the author quite brilliantly captures the idiosyncrasies of an Indian expat speaking English to two newly arrived English/American expats. The way he briefly explains how Americans and Brits are seen by many in the Arab world is both witty and perceptive.However, some of the other chapters did not tickle my funny bone quite so much. Sometimes I felt I was reading a diary entry that had been slightly embossed so that it was fit for consumption in a book. Almost like an increasing trend I see of people writing books out of collections of blogs they have written. Yes, the humour is still there, but sometimes I feel the author goes too far in spelling it out for us. One example: the author comments on one advantage of returning to Canada (for the kids) being that they can play ice-hockey there, adding it's not a popular sport in Saudi Arabia ... and then adding it is non-existent since there is not much ice there. Really?Without doubt, the book has some very useful insights into life in the Middle East. For those new to the Middle East, you will learn how they keep a different calendar to us in the West - due to the Gregorian Calendar not being put into effect until as late as 579 AD in the West.  Similarly, the chapter "Hello, Hello" reveals how Arabs greet themselves in the morning  - quite differently to ourselves in the West where we are clearly more blunt in our approach.And so it continues with tales of how to get a driving licence in the Middle East, to camping in the desert, to experiences of a beauty content, to a day at a conference. Each time the author gives useful insights into live in Arabia, and always with an element of wit. Yet for me, the humour is not quite sharp enough. One man's humour, is another man's poison, I guess, although the author never really varies too far of the track of being at least mildly amusing.In summary, the book should appeal to anyone who has lived in the Middle East, or is about to go there. It will give you insights into life there that no travel guide will pick up on. Simone captures certain nuances of Arabic culture and behaviour, and those of the the expats living there, that I have not found in several other books I have read about this region of the world.  For this it has to be commended.