October 26, 2005

Satellite TV in the Gulf

There are 2 options for expats wanting to watch their favorite television shows and programs in the Middle East. Either you pay to subscribe to a Satellite Pay-TV service of your choice or get Free-to-Air Satellite and watch shows for free. If you’re on a budget and would note necessarily need the channels you’re paying for with the packaged set, your best bet is to get someone to install a satellite dish system for you. Some apartments in Doha already have satellite dishes installed on their rooftops, provided by the owner of the building. If you don’t have it in yours, you could get someone to install the whole system along with the dish for about 600-700QR. With this, you get the dish, 3 LNBs (Hotbird, Nilesat, Arabsat – these are the only satellite available in most of the middle east), cable, and the receiver. You can go to Mergab Street near Al-Sadd (near Doha Clinic) to look for the shops that install this for you. What channels are free-to-air (you can watch them without paying for subscription)? Well, for those wanting English shows/programs, you get the Middle East channels One, MBC 2, MBC 4 (they show some old and new seasons of Gilmore Girls, Smallville, Las Vegas, Survivor, House Swap, Extreme Make Over, Oprah, Martha, Friends, etc. along with English movies). Of course, most would be repeats after a day of watching or two. For news channels, you have BBC News, CNN, and Euronews. You also get Arirang from Korea, Fashion TV, and other channels that show bits and pieces of English programming like Bahrain 55 and Alrai. However, some shops and installers sell a “special” receiver in which you can view some subscription-based programs by inputting their code through the remote of the receiver. You can get new codes, if they change, on the internet. With this, you can watch European channels like Multivision 1-6* (see below for more info on codes) showing Western movies. You also get Eurosports 1,2 and Classic. You get channels from SF DRS and TSR which shows blockbuster movies, classic movies, newer seasons of western series (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Smallville etc.). You have to select the right audio channel to hear the original English track. Some shows don’t have it so you have to settle for French, German or Swede. You also get BBC Prime but not the other BBC channels. If you’re the one who wants to pay for such, here is a rundown of paid TV services. You can visit their website for more details.

• Showtime – www.showtimearabia.comDepending on how much you really want to see some of the latest western TV series and shows, Showtime may be your answer. It might cause you an arm and a leg though! Their TOTAL PACKAGE would cost you QR2640 per year and their MOVIE PLUS for QR2388! However, it is fair to say that they have the best programming there is. They have E!, BBC Food, TV Land (24, Friends, CSI, Smallville, Alias, David Letterman, Nip/Tuck and even Desperate Housewives), Turner Classic Movies, Hallmark Channel, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network channel, etc.

• Orbit – www.orbit.net“The Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network is the world’s first fully digital, multi-channel, multi-lingual, pay television service”. Mid-priced subscription at QR150/month for their Mega Package. They have Super Movies, Cinema City, America Plus (Everwood, Nip/tuck, cold Case, Smallville, Dead Like Me, ER, Las Vegas, Carnivale), Orbit ESPN, Disney, History Channel,etc. They have Arabic channels like Al Riyadiyah, Cinema 1, Series, Fann, Alsafwa and Alyoum. They now have a Filipino package (PinoyPlus) with syndicated shows from GMA 7, Philippines!

• Art – www.adduniverse.comThis mostly caters to Asians (India, Pakistan, etc.) as they have exclusive channels for them and they have the cheapest packages too. They have the Firstnet, Art and Pehla bouquets. I’m not sure of what they have right now since I can’t access their site so you have to see for yourself on their website.

• The Filipino Channel (TFC)They provide 6 exclusive Filipino channels from ABS-CBN, a media network in the Philippines. They have News Channels, Movie Channels and general entertainment channels packaged together. It is quite expensive and even Filipinos are complaining that for 6 local channels, QR2200++/ year is not worth it. But if you really want to catch Filipino shows, this is your only option. * Codes: For more info on codes, you can visit this forum or view the codes here. For Multivision, usually it requires a firmware/software upgrade for your receiver so check out this forum and see if your receiver supports the upgrade.

Posted by xtian001 at 02:34 PM on October 26, 2005 | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 14, 2005

Living in Saudi and Concerns

I just wanted to expound on my thoughts on Saudi in relation to the previous article. It might have appeared that our stay in Saudi was all that bad. Honestly it’s the opposite, we’ve spent 4 wonderful years and had a lot of good memories there the best of which is conceiving and giving birth to my daughter in Saudi. So why leave? It’s for the simple reason that Saudi is not an open country and given the choice to live in an open free country, I think anyone in his/her right mind would choose the latter. There are just so many things that you can’t do in Saudi. You cannot practice your religion as Islam is the only religion. Although people esp. from Dammam and Khobar are lucky enough to attend mass or religious services inside Saudi Aramco which is situated in nearby Dhahran. But this too is a problem as you have to have a sponsor from Aramco to be able to get inside. So for most people, they end up not going to church. At worse some hold special services at home at their own risk.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS. Yeah what about it? Is there such a thing in Saudi? In a society where women are not allowed to work except in the medical field, where women are not allowed to drive and not allowed to wear the clothes they’d like to wear in public, you would definitely agree that women don’t have rights in Saudi. Yup, you read it right, all women have to wear an “abaya”(a black long dress with long sleeves that looks so much like a toga, all that’s missing is a cap) the whole time their out of the house. In some areas women are also required to cover their hair as it is customary in Islam that the hair of a woman should only be seen by her immediate family and her husband. As for Saudi women this extends to covering even the face which leaves the eyes as the only part of the face that should be seen. For the most conservative ones, you’re lucky if you’ll even get a glimpse of their eyes. So Beyonce and all the independent women out there, don’t you dare go to Saudi! But it can’t be all bad, after all women, including expats, always come first in queues even if everyone else has lined up before them. Ain’t that great!

NO PORK! Obviously being the center of Islam, pork is definitely banned in Saudi, even if it’s only for personal consumption. At the airport your baggage will be checked for it just like any other contraband. Luckily it will only get confiscated. You will never find it in any of the stores if you really are that “hungry” for pork, there are ways to get it if you are willing to spend you hard-earned Riyals for it. Or go to next-door Bahrain!

NO ALCOHOL. This was not really a major concern while we were in Saudi as neither one of us really drink. But in comparison to an offense related to the possession or peddling of pork, this one is considered to be more serious. Anyone who is caught possessing alcohol will definitely have to face the consequences; being jailed with accompanying lashing of the back and at worse deportation and being blacklisted from Saudi forever. Just to give you an idea how serious the Saudi authorities are regarding alcohol, you won’t find any store selling isopropyl alcohol, even mouthwash and wipes don’t have them.

THE MALLS. The malls in Saudi are merely for shopping. There are no cinemas to speak of and as we all know cinemas are an integral part of a mall. So people just visit the malls for a stroll and to shop esp. when there’s a sale.

SALAH. Salah is what they refer to as prayer time. In Saudi you will find a mosque in every corner at the top of which you’ll find a minaret that has megaphones around it which serve as a PA (Public Address) system. In Islam, believers pray 5 times in one day and when it’s “salah” the “imam” or the priests in each mosque start to sing to call people to pray. The singing goes on for about 10 minutes. For those who hear it for the first time esp. at around 4 or 5 in the morning, it could feel a bit creepy. Imagine the sounds coming form all the mosques simultaneously. For some, going back to sleep becomes a problem after having been woken up by the singing, but for most people it’s just a matter of getting used to. Salah in itself is not a problem. If you think of it, it’s actually good that they pray many times a day and that they’re being reminded to pray. The bad part is that during prayer time, all the stores, businesses and offices have to close. It’s just a complete hassle when you have to rush your shopping because it’s prayer time. That’s why most people just go out after the last prayer which is around 7 or 8 in the evening just to avoid being caught in the middle of it.

NO PDA. Public Display of Affection is a definite “no,no” in Saudi. Couples even married ones are not even allowed to hold hands . There was this one incident in the market when Tian was reprimanded by one Saudi guy for holding my arm, telling him that we were in an Arab nation and we’re not supposed to blah...blah… blah. Another one is not being able to kiss your loved one (husband or wife) goodbye when you’re being sent off to the airport. That was why back then, Tian and I would say our goodbyes even before we leave the house. I guess I could go on and on but I’m sure after reading what I’ve enumerated, you do see why we chose to leave Saudi.

 

Posted by mavisrueda at 09:43 AM on October 14, 2005 | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 27, 2005

Life in Jeddah and Saudi in general

I have a reader who was asking about life as a woman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia  and lifestyle in general, as her husband is being offered a job there. Here was my reponse:
 
Women in Saudi (Jeddah):
Generally, as you've found out, women can not drive and can not work in Saudi. Although you may try applying for a teaching role in expat schools as they are a bit linient. Most of women who work in Saudi are either nurses, doctors, dentists and related to the medical field. So if you're not into the medical field, there's little chance you'll really get work so you have to accept that.you also need to buy and wear an Abaya, the black dress that they wear, everytime you go out. Better to also buy the thing that they put on their head to cover your hair (they're linient about the covering the face) just to be sure so when a Mutawa (religious police) accosts you, you have at least something to show.

Going out by yourself is an option but it might require sometime before you get the guts to do so. First, you have to take a taxi as you can not drive. Unless you really know the driver, I wouldn't suggest it. I myself have been harassed (although that was at 2 in the morning). But I know a couple who were able to find a good taxi driver so they just call him up when the wife needs a ride. And if you do get out by yourself, get used to being stared at. The expat community in Jeddah is not as big as the community in Dhahran/Khobar so local men are "excited" to see expats. It's not that bad though.

Without kids, no outside life, no nightlife, restricted movement (no driving), life would really be a bore for a woman. After visiting all the places that you could visit, you'd find yourself doing mostly nothing. My wife was really complaing when we didn't have a baby yet. But if you have 2 kids, then it's good that you have your day to spend with them, right? I'm sure they're a handful already.

Accomodation is relatively cheap in comparison to Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar. Almost everything is cheap in Saudi I guess.. .from cars, to food, to electronics (cheaper in Dubai though). for 50-60K SR/year, you can live in a pretty decent enclosed villa with swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, etc...Or if you're on a budget, you can get a decent flat/apartment in a building for about 18-30K per month. Don't worry about groceries as it is CHEAP! except for western/imported items. You'd probably be spending about 3-6K SR per month on food and groceries.

School. I'm not too sure about the cost in Saudi as I wasn't yet concerned too much before. In Bahrain, British schools would ask for about 3-4K SR per term (3 terms a year), American schools about 6-10K per year. In Qatar, it's almost the same except much higher for American schools at about 12-15K per term.

So saving is relative on how your lifestyle is going to be....At least this gives you an idea right? But amongst the Middle East countries, if you really want to save a lot of money, Saudi is the place to be.

Posted by xtian001 at 07:10 AM on September 27, 2005 | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)