My Surreal, True Scary Story Inside SaudiMy true scary story begins in the heart of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
I hadn't been in the country but a week, when I had to weed my way through the Saudi judicial system. During my time there, I encountered cultural behaviors that are unfathomable--cultural practices that are the 'norm'. Although many travel to the Middle East for work, my surreal experiences led to the true scary story of what can happen inside Saudi…but let's begin at the beginning... I had been working for several years as a nurse, and in the city in which I worked, to get a permanent job was next to impossible. What that meant, was always being on call. I never knew my schedule, and sometimes, I had to work many more hours than I wanted to. There was never a guarantee of enough work in the next pay period, and planning social events or scholarly activities was cumbersome. Somehow, though, those overtime hours piled up, and soon I found myself exhausted and fed up. For over seven years I waited--yes I said seven. I waited patiently for a permanent position in the field of my expertise-- but it was a specialty field, and only a handful of nurses held the full and part-time jobs in this unique program. This isn't a sad story-- I could have taken a job on one of the main units in the hospital--but I'm stubborn, and I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to work. So... I had to fill in the twelve-hour days and nights when I could, and eventually, the night shift seemed to be the shift where nurses in this field were needed the most. It wasn't long before I worked all nights--which was a sad,
true scary story As you can imagine, I became dissatisfied working like this, and sought out other opportunities. These opportunities came in the way of travel nursing positions, mostly in the USA. That was fine--but what it meant was a major move from home. I was all prepared to take a three-month travel nurse assignment in Texas, but one day as I flipped through a nursing magazine, I spotted an ad for nurses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Without even thinking, I picked up the phone and inquired about nursing positions. The next thing I knew, I was off to Saudi, and thus the beginning of my wild adventures, true scary stories, tales within Saudi and the subject matter for my first novel,
Surreal in Saudi
I felt I had a purpose to go--there was no explanation for what I felt, other than Divine intervention, but in my heart of hearts, I knew, in spite of any true scary story , I was meant to go. Lo and behold, the next thing I knew, I was on a plane to Riyadh. I signed a two-year work agreement with the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and settled into an apartment that was provided for us nurse expatriates. In Saudi Arabia, it is unsafe to live outside of compounds because the crime rate is high, and there are many who take offense to Westerners, even though we provide much needed services. For a while, I lived outside of the compounds, taking care of prominent Princesses--but I wouldn't recommend it. Too many scary stories--but because of my bravery--or stupidity--
I saw a world very few ever see…these true scary stories are in my book...but…let me continue with the beginning... The apartments on the hospital compound are for single women, and most have to share their living quarters with another person. When you first arrive, you do not have a say in who your roommate is--you are assigned. Normally this person has been in Saudi for a while, and she is supposed to "show you the ropes", so adjustment to life in Saudi isn't too hard. For most, your roommate is hospitable and gracious towards you--but there is the occasional true scary story of how some roommates sabotage others.
Barely in the country, one of the first things to happen was the arrest of my roommate--a woman I barely knew. Talk about a
true scary story!
I didn't know about her incarceration for several hours because, unlike in North America, the prisoner is not entitled to a phone call. Her boyfriend was also arrested--but his "crimes" were deemed menial, and after he was interrogated, he was set free. He called me as soon as he got the chance, and that is how I found out about my roommate's arrest. I was scared to death--petrified--and I didn't know who to turn to for help. I heard many rumors of true scary stories of maiming, stonings and decapitation. It's hard to believe that things like that happen in our day and age--but they do.
Desperate to help her, I had to go through what seemed like a myriad of obstacles before being able to reach the right people who could intervene and get the help this woman needed. It was scary--more than scary, and the details are chronicled in my book, Surreal in Saudi Remember--I was new to the country--didn't know a soul, and was desperate for help.
That was the introduction to my adventures in Saudi, and this horrific event was just the beginning of
other true scary stories…
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