Monday, May 24, 2010

Top ten things to do on a compound

I get the impression that what goes on the inside of a compound seems quite mysterious to outsiders, so I've put together a little list of common activites.

1. swim or sunbathe or tend your requisite sunburns.
2. have bbq's or attend bbq's
3. walk in circles around the compound and try to spot which residents have nicer furniture than you. On your walk, you run down your mental tally of what gossip you have heard about what people living at what houses. You also get extra points if you see anyone naked in the windows.
4. if you have young kids, you spend time with your young kids and with other people who have young kids.
5. if you're an empty nester, you play bridge, tennis, squash, go on the shopping bus, go to the ceramic cafe, tend your garden, and chit chat quite a lot about those activities and everyone else on the compound.
6. if you're a single man, you watch a hell of a lot of movies, DVD's, and spend quality time with your Wii or Playstation.
7. take lessons in some kind of hobby that will likely never be useful in your day to day life
8. you cook alone in your house, staring blankly at the clock, while you fantasize about owning an Ironman suit. Ok maybe that one is just me.
9. go to compound parties that will be good if you have a good rec director, and bad if you don't
10. you spend an unreasonable amount of time trolling the internet in your pajamas

6 comments:

Raed said...

very refreshing to hear the Canadian humor used on Riyadh, i liked the one with the dolphin mother.

keep the good work, Toronto vs. Riyadh, books can be filled easily.

Have a good stay, from -30 to +50, good u were not an iron stick lol

Anonymous said...

I loved the last one, particularly!

Paramedic in UAE said...

My friend and I are from the U.S. and looking for a western compound in Riyadh for around 120,000 SAR. Any advise or suggestions? I sent you an email also.
Thanks - Mike

Orchidthief said...

Hi Raed & barelynoticeable. Thanks for the compliments, I do indeed plan to keep posting while I am here.

Mike, I am planning to post a long info thingy on compounds soon, so check back in the future for it. For the amount you are budgeting, you will not be able to afford a two bedroom apartment in most of the luxury compounds. I really don't have a firm grasp of the rates, so you'll have to check with individual compounds, but places like Yamama and Sedar Village may be options for you.

RandomThoughtParticles said...

A rocketman suit... Hmmm. I never would have guessed!

upal knight said...

um yeah hi, i joined this blog thingy soley because it returned the only result for bridge-riyadh. does anyone need a fourth to play please? i average player would give a right arm to find three + to play. i'm an architect mid-forties, working on kafd, north londoner bruv, trained gonville & caius cambridge, child of the er, sixties, num seen ?