on my last nerve

Yesterday was a pretty good day, even though we had to take Naief to ER at 2 in the morning with a 39.2 temp. He had been running a high temp since 6, and after piggybacking Advil and Voltarin suppositories with no luck in stopping the fever, we ran him over to the government hospital, down the street. The place was packed, and the pediatrics ER was the worst. All the beds were full and kids were so sick that I wanted to turn the other way and run. After waiting about 30 mins, he was seen by a dr. and we were told he had a bad ear infection. He was given a suppository; we were instructed to give him a shower there and wait 30 mins to see if the fever was coming down. Trying to calm him down to take the suppository and then to get his clothes off to give him a shower.... and then waiting until 4 to see if the fever would break... we didn't get home until 4:30.

He slept until 11 and then got up, feeling fine or so we thought. No fever and he was running around like crazy, and then said he wanted to go to the air show. Begging actually.... so, what did we decide to do? Take him. He had a really good time. Loved watching all the planes, but near the end, he started getting a fever again, so we decided to let him have a crying fit when he couldn't ride the kiddie airplanes or bounce in the bouncy house, and take him home.

So... what happens next? We head over to get on one of the buses to go back to the parking area, and the place is probably 300 deep in ppl standing in line to get on a bus. Naief is sick and crying, had refused to wear socks w/ his crocs, so mommy takes off her socks to put on him, which leads to another crying fit... and we're stuck in a gawwwwd awful long line with all the little Arab beauties walking past us with high heels, fancy headscarves and fancy clothes - walking to the front of the line, that we can't see, and never coming back. So obviously they're either getting on a bus or getting in line up there. Time is ticking, more and more ppl (the beautiful ones) are going in droves to the front, the line is not moving and I'm getting pissed.

Security guys are walking towards our part of the line, counting ppl. As they go past, I tell Hashim that it's pretty good that all these ppl are going to the front and getting on the buses while we're waiting here... so as the little security guys come back our way, he starts talking to them in Arabic about it. What do they do? Make every excuse and obviously start saying how these ppl aren't being allowed and are having to come back, and then little ole me chimes in how that isn't happening and that none of these ppl have come back and we know they're getting on the buses. It wasn't but a second until the lady behind me starts in, the guys in front of us and the other guys beside us. I then tell him how our son is sick and the line isn't moving and why can't we get on a bus. He looks at Naief and motions for us to go the front.

I can only imagine what the ppl around us were saying, and I don't blame them. I would have been pissed too... but, they didn't have kids and Naief was sick, so I felt like we should have been given special treatment, since all these other women were being given special treatment for whatever reason. So... we go the front and immediately one of the headmasters tells us to go back... I guess looking Western and not being all dressed up made a difference. I then tell him that the security guy told us we could get on the bus and he then asks which one and I point to the back. I stand there, pointing... looking at him and hubby talking to him in Arabic.... frustrated, he lets us through. :)))) ehheheh

At the bus, an American (which I didn't know until she opened her mouth) with her family and husband immediately starts going on about all the ppl cutting in line and how she's been standing in line forever and that at least 1,000 ppl have cut in line. I immediately told her that we cut in line because our son is sick and and that, yeah, there were tons of ppl cutting in line. She snarled at me pretty much and said, "I DIDN'T MEAN YOU!" Everyone starts then... her daughter saying something like it wasn't 1,000 ppl, and she seemed almost defeated and said that it was a good bus load with her husband chiming in that it was prob more than a bus load. I understood her anger completely, but only wished that I hadn't been one to cut in line... but .... you know, sometimes we should (as foreigners here) do the same crap. Being polite and not standing up gets nowhere sometimes...

I get soooo sick of it, really. Ppl thinking that they can do whatever they want, and the thing is, they get away with it... that's why it's truly sickening, and probably why it keeps happening. No one stands up to it. No one says anything. Everything's "inshallah".... people are so afraid of pissing someone off.

Same thing today.... with ppl coming in to the studio to record. Supposed to start at 9 and finish at 1. Back to back recordings. But... does that mean anything to anyone?!!!!! No. Do they give a damn? No. Do they think about other ppl and their schedules and the fact that it's a Saturday - the weekend - and we've made the studio available to them, but it's our freakin weekend?????!!!! No. Instead, first lady comes at 9:45. If she wanted 10, why didn't she schedule at 10?! The woman scheduled at 10 had to wait a good 40 mins. before starting. Good thing hers only took 10 mins to record! Oh but wait.

The guy that was supposed to come at 11 didn't come until 11:40, and the ppl supposed to come at 12 called to say they couldn't come until 1:30, even though we couldn't do 1:30 and suggested 3... they didn't want 3. They had to have the work done by 3, so they had to come at 1:30.... well, tell me this... why didn't you keep your 12 o'clock slot, like originally planned if it was so urgent??? That would have given significant time to get the work to the client by 3!! And are they finished? No.

Nothing is ever on time here. No one knows what it means to be on time. Is this from getting things handed to them, wanting for nothing, and being pampered and hovered over all of their childhood and adult life, thus far? Is is because no one has the balls to say anything to anybody for fear of having their names tarnished or for fear of losing business? I don't know.. maybe it's me. Maybe it's because of the way I was brainwashed in the American culture and taught something far different... one FB friend said that it's because of the Industrial Era and how it was passed down to us, but didn't affect Arabia and how ppl here do things differently. They see relationships as more important and, therefore, business is put on a back burner. Ppl like to have things more flexible... talk about family life, how things are going... and then get to the business. Well, I guess that's one way of doing things... but I see it as rude. Ppl take others for granted and have no respect. I just can't imagine having a meeting scheduled at 10 and showing up at 1o:45 and then shooting the shit for another 10 to 15 mins, and then start the meeting... am I missing something here?

Not only that... but I truly get sick of ppl coming over to the house, unannounced and staying for hours upon hours. You know.. there is such a thing as quality time with your spouse... you know, that alone time that you don't get when you have a child. That alone time you sorta look forward to.... in the evenings.

aaahhhhh... now I feel better. ;)

Btw, the airshow was incredible! The American planes/pilots were the best, by far. One, in an F16, I think, came racing towards our area and broke the sound barrier right before he got to us.... looked like some type of time warp was happening behind his plane and the sound... oh man... unbelievable. I found myself in awe watching him race through the air. The B2 Bomber... the sound of that thing, left everything vibrating well after he was gone. Truly something. The French were really good as well and the Saudi planes at the end were also really good. A few of their stunts left me breathless.... that flying so close to each other that you'd think they'd crash kind of feeling....