Cola

It appears I may have been too hasty in blaming my cooking for my ill health.  After twice experiencing a burning sensation in my stomach I have given up coke cola and substituted it for flavoured milk and yoghurt.  As a consequence I'm feeling much better.  My guess is the local cola has a very high level of phosphoric acid and I may have done some damage to my stomach lining.  The milk and yoghurt are alkaline which might just be reversing the process.  A long term likely replacement for the cola is sparkling apple juice which is known locally as Saudi Champagne!  The strawberry flavoured non alcoholic beer can stay on the shelf!

Boredom set in yesterday so I took the free compound bus to the nearby Carrefour supermarket in Khurais Road where I bought another £20 7" android colour tablet

It's the same tablet that I bought two weeks ago from another Carrefour supermarket.  However this is an XTouch whilst the first tablet is a Nikai.  They are EXACTLY the same tablet but with different splash screens and labelling.  I haggled them into providing a case.  The interesting part was the payment system.

After attracting the attention of a saleman (difficult - note there are no sales ladies) and confirming the price,  he went off to a computer terminal and printed a docket.  Then he signed and stamped the docket. I then had to go to go and queue at a cashier where I presented my docket.  He placed it into a machine which printed some further information on the docket before taking my cash.  The cashier then signed the docket and stamped all four copies before returning the docket to me along with my change.  I then had to walk around the supermarket until I found the "Collection Point" counter.  This was staffed by two men.  One took my docket and went off to get the tablet.  On his return he stamped all four copies and then gave the tablet and docket to his colleague.  He checked the docket and tablet before also stamping all four copies of the docket.  I was then given the tablet and the top copy of the docket.  At the supermarket exit I had to show the tablet to the security guard who then stamped my docket for the last time.

What a great way to create employment.  five people involved in selling me an item.  I assume they learned this off the USSR!  The only Saudi who was involved in this process was the cashier.  I've noticed Saudi's are prepared to be a cashier, checkout chick or receptionist, but the actual working involved in sales, storage and security is done by an expat.  One the sales front they are usually Filipino, Malay or Indonesian whilst the security guard is normally from Africa.

Of course the docket has now gone in the rubbish!

Saudi Arabia must almost be the fast food capital of the world.  I've never seen so many well patronised outlets.  MacDonald's must make the bulk of its profits from Saudi Arabia.

Baskin Robbins is an ice cream parlour and you find outlets everywhere.

At least this fish and chip outlet was open.  But I abstained!

Perhaps you don't know what H&M looks like when written in Arabic

Now look at the NEXT store and it might be clearer

Remember Arabic is written from right to left.  So can you now make out the word NEXT from the Arabic when reading it from right to left........  No... Neither could I! :-)

All these malls are now looking very similar

The usual childrens play area at one end and the food hall at the other.  The only think that gives the building a slightly Islamic feeling is the ceiling where the skylights are made in a mosaic glass pattern.  Damned photo was blurred!