Bwahahahahahaha!

C's company approached him about a possible job opportunity in Saudi Arabia.

Seriously, folks, Saudi Arabia...actually, probably living on an island (maybe Bahrain? we never got that far in the negotiations) and driving across the bridge into Saudi Arabia for work.

Now granted, we do not have a Jewish last name and my husband does not look particularly "Jewish" (he always points to his kinky/curly hair as being a Jewish trait and I always remind him lots of non-Jews have curly hair). And he isn't a practicing Jew. So I guess the company didn't realize what they were asking. (Although I know there are Jews living in S.A.) But when they mentioned this in passing with a promise to talk more later, he mentioned to them that he would have two strikes against him there...being an American, and being a Jew. It will be interesting to see if they bring it up again.

I was positively shocked that he was even considering it...he did not rule it out immediately (but then, that isn't his personality to do so). On the one hand, it would be interesting. We love to travel and we wouldn't mind living overseas again. I think I could adapt to wearing an abaya and not being allowed to drive (I almost never drove in Holland). But we would be living in a compound and free travel throughout the region probably wouldn't be wise. And I'd rather live someplace where I don't have to worry quite so much about getting taken hostage and beheaded.

Granted, S.A. is a very safe place for most Saudis to live. The violent crime rate is very low (probably because they don't mess around much with human rights concerns when it comes to punishing criminals). However, I think most Americans would feel very much at risk there even though the actual likelihood of dying in a terrorist attack, even in the Middle East, is probably statistically less for me than the risk of being grabbed at gun point in the parking lot of my grocery store. But there, you would feel like you are walking around with a target on your head and here, I'm not really much more of a target than anyone else. And an American Jew...with two targets...well, there are probably some there, but I doubt many of them have wives and children along for the ride. And then there is the whole issue of the adoptions...can you imagine trying to get a homestudy done of our new home in Bahrain? Bwahahahaha!

After he told me about it, I busted out laughing because I cannot even imagine telling my mom I'm moving to Saudi Arabia. I mean, really. Can. Not. Imagine. When my oldest brother did his residency in Chicago, living and working in a less-than-desirable area of town, she had trouble sleeping and worried about him the whole time he was there. If I moved to S.A., she'd have to be medicated.

Saudi Arabia. For real. What will they come up with next?