Playin' with My Friends

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Playin' with friends in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

It’s just a brief entry today. We arrived safely in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia yesterday, crossing the causeway from Bahrain in an Embassy convoy of SUVs with very thick windows that don’t roll down. We had a briefing at the Consulate, an interview with a newspaper, and then some downtime at the hotel.

Saudi Arabia feels different from Bahrain. Where we are staying now seems to have a better infrastructure and more money. There are Mercedes and Harley-Davidsons everywhere. The women here are all veiled, which we didn’t see in Bahrain. One woman we met today even had Harley wings on the back of her abaya, the cloak-like garment that women wear over their clothes.

Music in public is not allowed here. You certainly won’t find buskers on the street, or nightclubs with music. But just because there is no public music does not mean that there aren’t musicians and people who love music here. On Sunday morning, we went to a local shop called Desert Designs, where the shop owner is a big music lover. He closed the shop and had several of his musician friends come over and we all played together. It was a treat. And his shop was fantastic! I made quite a few souvenir purchases.

Tonight, we are playing a concert at the Consulate for the staff and guests there. Then, at 6 am we leave for Riyadh.

Liz tells me our interview with Folk Salad on KWGS FM 89.5 is being broadcast tonight at 7:00 Central Daylight Time. Tune in.