tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post5095018359746581772..comments2023-04-16T16:49:16.166+03:00Comments on Veeds of Arabia: 5 modest proposals for Saudi ArabiaVeeds of Arabiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-68635240720640079982011-06-30T08:36:10.701+03:002011-06-30T08:36:10.701+03:00I already have the upscale coffee table book on Ri...I already have the upscale coffee table book on Riyadh (by Tony Guise) as well as <i>Girls</i> (a very nice hardcover edition liberated from the New Whiteland, IN, public library).<br /><br />I'm now thinking of <i>very thin</i> but elegant books we could work on. In addition to <i>Sidewalks of Riyadh</i>, of course, we could have <i>Female-Friendly Outdoor Cafes of Riyadh</i>, <i>Knowledgeable Cab Drivers of Riyadh</i>, <i>Dog Parks of Riyadh</i> and <i>Riyadh: Public Transportation Projects Being Planned for a City of 5 Million</i>.Veeds of Arabiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-78397050549083984692011-06-30T06:19:26.823+03:002011-06-30T06:19:26.823+03:00Actually this was meant to be a companion piece fo...Actually this was meant to be a companion piece for Girls of Riyadh.<br />http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Riyadh-Novel-Rajaa-Alsanea/dp/1594201218<br /><br />I had envisioned something a little more upscale, maybe a big glossy coffee table book. I would have to figure out how to get it banned, though, if I wanted really astronomical sales.Dakotahttp://www.saudyssey.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-10492194239066505302011-06-30T00:52:59.350+03:002011-06-30T00:52:59.350+03:00I can see a whole new publishing industry as the b...I can see a whole new publishing industry as the brand is expanded a la <i>Idiots Guides</i> or <i>Chicken Soup for the....</i>"<br /><br />There'd be "Dumpsters of Jeddah," "Dumpsters of Al Khobar," and the uber-euphonious "Dumpsters of Dammam," followed by "Dumpsters of the Empty Quarter." Of course there needs to be an action figure for the swag store...Humpty Dumpster. <br /><br />Wait...wait...and then...<i>Chicken Soup for the Dumpster</i>Veeds of Arabiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-67370081906816423902011-06-30T00:11:20.298+03:002011-06-30T00:11:20.298+03:00The dumpsters of Riyadh are the gift that keeps on...The dumpsters of Riyadh are the gift that keeps on giving. If you want to see for yourself, I've prepared a small sample here:<br />http://saudyssey.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/dumpsters-of-riyadh/<br /><br />If this goes viral, I may start Saudi's first LOL-dumpsters blog.Dakotahttp://www.saudyssey.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-24935331243988029052011-06-27T07:10:55.663+03:002011-06-27T07:10:55.663+03:00So, you're thinking that the DumpsterMart is l...So, you're thinking that the DumpsterMart is like a country produce stand that has different fresh delicacies depending on the season? <br /><br />As a Designated Sidewalk Superintendent (DSS), one of my favorite sidewalk observations is to see a poor shmuck coming out of a <i>bakalla</i> or Kudu only to find his ill-parked Crown Victoria is blocked in by an even more ill-parked Toyota pickup. The proper etiquette in this case is for Abu Crown Vic to get in his vehicle and lay on the horn for 10 minutes until Abu Toyota meanders out to see what the heck the <i>mooshkela</i> is. It is considered very poor sportsmanship for Abu Crown Vic to inquire within any of the stores to find the offender. He would be given a yellow card and scornfully hooted out of the Riyadh Bad Parking Club and of course lose his privileges for creeping in front of three lanes of traffic at a red light to make a u-turn.Veeds of Arabiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-63038971482538549842011-06-26T23:55:59.273+03:002011-06-26T23:55:59.273+03:00After you get the cats out, mostly plant potting m...After you get the cats out, mostly plant potting materials, at least this time of year. I look forward to seeing how this changes with the seasons.<br /><br />You have missed a basic point about this remarkable land. Check the price on the nearest gas pump and then tell me how much sense it makes to walk on sidewalks when you can drive right up to stuff for literally pennies. You don't have to turn the lights out when you leave a room either. Or close the door when the air conditioner is on. For that matter, you probably don't even have to clean your plate before you can get dessert. Or is that desert?Dakotahttp://www.saudyssey.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-36285932591058742662011-06-26T09:11:51.774+03:002011-06-26T09:11:51.774+03:00What sort of treats does one find in a Saudi dumps...What sort of treats does one find in a Saudi dumpster at night?...since all the good stuff is generally carefully deposited on the sidewalks, or would be if there <i>were</i> sidewalks.Veeds of Arabiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-64416630138225427872011-06-26T01:21:58.444+03:002011-06-26T01:21:58.444+03:00My friends and I have been known to inhabit the ni...My friends and I have been known to inhabit the night, and we are hardly young. We find it ideal for dumpster diving, among other pursuits. The feral cats have been known to stray past our entrance, but they tend to dig where THEY want to dig and not where compost is wanted.Dakotahttp://www.saudyssey.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-15371656869453931982011-06-25T07:28:16.211+03:002011-06-25T07:28:16.211+03:00Composting...great idea. Maybe I can enlist the St...Composting...great idea. Maybe I can enlist the Stray Alley Cat Corps to collaborate on that project since they're the only critters (besides youthful drifters) who inhabit the night in Riyadh.Veeds of Arabiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609079024522754584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805502017218371077.post-8352285572601666232011-06-25T01:51:06.612+03:002011-06-25T01:51:06.612+03:00Ha, ha, very nice, but you've forgotten one th...Ha, ha, very nice, but you've forgotten one thing. All of these things require cooperation and collaboration. <br /><br />How about composting? You can do this without any assistance and can even do it in the dark of the night in case you haven't got enough Arabic to explain it yet. Just a thought.Dakotahttp://www.saudyssey.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com