Our Man in the Middle East

Next week I fly from London Heathrow to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It seems like only yesterday I was (emotionally) waving goodbye to Brazil, and now, with a mixture of nerves and excitement, I’m on the verge of a very different experience. Since I accepted the offer to work in Saudi for a year, the reaction from friends and family has been a mixture of laughter, surprise, concerned expletives, and encouraging comments like “you’re going to get stoned and have your balls cut off”. 

Yes, the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia couldn’t be more different from England or Brazil – my country of birth, and my country of preference. Why am I going? I’d be lying if I said the primary reason isn’t financial. However, I’ve always believed that change can do you good. Being thrust into a new culture and environment won’t be easy, but learning about it will surely be beneficial, especially if I can avoid being publicly flogged. It's time to say goodbye to the hedonism of Europe and South America and see how I fare in one of the strictest and most autocratic regimes in the world.

I want to use this blog to keep in contact with the friends and family that I miss and love, write down my random thoughts, life updates, share music, share photos, reminisce, look to the future and generally rant. I’m hoping it’ll be therapeutic for me to write, and entertaining for you to read, and if I can beat Oli’s http://beforetheblogs.com/ average hit count of 4 a day, I’ll be delighted. Wish me luck. Abraços