Our First Day Out - HyperPanda in Al Nakheel Mall, Buraidah

It's Friday!!! and it's family day here in Saudi Arabia.

Today marked our first week (7th day). My daughter and I started dressing up at 315pm since the driver will pick us up at 4pm. We will go to HyperPanda at Al Nakheel to get some grocery stuffs and hopefully stroll around the place.

My daughter and I in our abayas

Dressing up has never been so exciting. In the Philippines, we used to go to grocery stores in slippers, shorts and shirt. Here, we need to alot time in putting up our cover ups. Abaya is easy to wear but the Tarha (head dress) needs art in putting. Thanks to my nurse Analiza who taught me the right way in putting up the Tarha.

My daughter is growing up so fast and I am so glad that she is as open minded as I am in embracing the Arabic culture. I never heard her complain and in fact she showed interest in what she was doing. I asked her if she wanted her face covered because young girls less than 16 may not cover their faces but she wanted to and besides she looked like a grown up already.
I was amazed when I asked her if she is ok and if she likes what she is wearing. She said " mafi mushkila" (no problem) that she like what she is wearing and covering her face is not an imposition it's her choice to be completely covered. Truly she is a grown up.

We arrived at a very nice grocery store. Al Nakheel is an upscale store similar to Shopwise in the Philippines. Only women, couples and families are allowed inside. Single men are not allowed unless they are with a family or with a couple. Kuya Manny, also working in the Hospital's Engineering/Maintenance Department together with my husband went with us.

People who live on the other part of the world often have misbeliefs about Saudi Arabia. Sometimes what one reads creates some fear among others. Now that I am here, I can say that there are a lot of misconceptions.

My Husband(L) and Kuya Manny(R)

I am in Al Qassim, the most strict province in KSA (so they say) and yet apart from being completely covered face down, I have not seen yet men being separated from women. Maybe because single men are not allowed to enter. So inside, all the women and the families mingle. Women and families are being given priority (being a woman is an advantage) I have never felt more secure while shopping. Here, I can leave my bag in the cart and check on stuffs without being paranoid that someone might take my bag (no one wants their hand to be cut off!).

I can even let my daughter off my site to check some stuffs that she wanted which we rarely do in the Philippines.

My daughter checking the yogurt section

Some of the prices were amazingly cheap compared in peso and since I'm a first timer I still have the habit of converting it.
Kuya Manny told me not to convert and just get what I need. He was right it is indeed time to buy stuffs that we rarely buy in the Philippines(either because it is not available or too expensive to include in the budget). Would you believe a half kilo of French Feta Cheese only cost 5 SAR? That's only 55PHP!!!

I got some good bargains and filled up my cart with what I think are wise buys ( Ok! Ok! I did buy some unnecessary things). I will make another post on the good stuffs that I bought.

As we go through some racks, some nurses saw us. Who says that  you cant be recognized in abaya? I can identify each one of them by looking in their eyes and the sound of their voices. One of the nurses said, "grabe dockie ang dami nyong binili"  looking at our overflowing cart. I said " its ok I think its just enough to feed 3 people for two weeks, hehehe "

I paid 733SAR for all the stuffs I bought and I felt its just the same as when I do groceries in the Philippines.

Now our kitchen is stuffed to last for 2 weeks or so.