Everytime I get the chance to speak in detail with my beloved mother-in-law, Moudy, I learn more fascinating aspects of life in Saudi Arabia forty plus years back. If you are just new to my blog and unfamiliar with Moudy, you should read this post first which introduces her. Recently based on questions from readers posed from a second post, Moudy described what it was like as a young girl growing up Bedu.
Moudy had a happy childhood which started just outside of Najran. She lived on a desert bedu farm with her mother, siblings and extended family. According to Moudy, her mother was a “typical Bedu mother.” She was very loving as well as very self-sufficient. She made all the clothes for Moudy and her siblings. Moudy’s typical dress was a traditional ankle length “Bedu” thobe with buttons and embroidary of a style which was unique to Najran province. Moudy would also wear her long hair in two braids one on either side of her face and no hijjab.
Her favorite pasttimes was when she was able to get together with some of the neighbor girls who were 
around her same age and they would play a game she called “Five Stones” which is similar to the hopscotch played by young girls all over the world today. One of her most memorable and favorite possessions as a young girl was a cotton doll made by her mother and which Moudy christianed “Bintee” (little girl). She described how she carried Bintee everywhere with her and slept with her at night.
Living on a desert farm meant that Moudy had some small chores she was expected to fulfill. Her family raised goats and she was responsible for feeding the baby goats. She enjoyed tossing the feed to them while calling out “Skalh Skalh, tallee tallee.” (little goat, little goat, come, come) The family relied on the goats for their milk and butter. Moudy’s mother would milk the female adult goats and was always careful to boil the milk carefully before anyone drank it. She also made butter with the goat milk. At periodic times Moudy would accompany her mother to a nearby souk (market) where they would sell goat’s milk and butter.
Moudy never attended any type of school until she was eight years old and by that time she was living in Makkah. For one year she attended a small school for girls where she studied the Quran. No other subjects were studied or offered. She would walk to and from her home to this small school with three other girls who were her same age.
Moudy led a simple life and a happy secure life. Her beginnings have formed her into a beautiful traditional yet open minded Saudi woman. She always sees the best in everyone. Her face is rarely without a joyful and peaceful smile. And while her age will remain a secret, her voice continues to sound like a spirited young woman.
Filed under: culture, friendship, gender, relationships, religion, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, Saudi Living, travel, Uncategorized Tagged: | culture, customs, desert, heritage, home, KSA, Relationship, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, travel, women
very nice write up sister – our children too play the same game (five stones)
village life at India too is similar – tribal life is the best life to cherish
thanks for giving an insight about the life at saudi – when we too have a similar life style, how we both countrymen are different?
Your mother in law sounds like my mother who grew up on a farm in Highland County Maryland. She was always outside, feeding chickens, riding horses, playing, doing chores … they made a deck of cards (card-playing was a no-no) and hid them in the barn.
She still draws, paints and has a Beatrix Potter – Tasha Tudor approach in a lot of her art. She took that theme when I was a little girl and painted my bedroom wall with a woodland scene..
I sort of did the same thing for my daughter, but made a tree in one corner of the room, where her bed came out from the wall, the foot of it toward the center of the room, and took willow branches creating limbs of the tree, birds and bunnies on the wall, as though atop the branches and on the grassy ground – along with Winnie the Pooh, and the 100 acre wood bunch …
I’m sure your Moudy has lots of fond stories and times there. There’s something very good about a “country life”
Lovely detail about Moudy’s childhood.
Beautiful story, Carol. Made me miss my own granny’s stories about her childhood. I think I’m gonna go visit her this week
Chiara, Saudi Jawa – glad you both enjoyed! And Saudi Jawa – I hope you have a wonderful visit with your Granny!
Such a nice story about your MIL – please thank her for sharing these intimate details of her youth with us.
‘Her beginnings have formed her into a beautiful traditional yet open minded Saudi woman. She always sees the best in everyone. Her face is rarely without a joyful and peaceful smile’
How about Moudy as the role model and representative for Saudi Arabia?
I agree with Lynn (probably for the first time.LOL)!
So Moudy wore no hijab– that is interesting. When did she start wearing it? What does she think of it?
I hope you will post more of her experiences.
I will certainly pass on your comment, Lynn, to my dear MIL. I have no doubt she will be touched.
As I understand Marahm, she started wearing the hijjab just before her marriage (but remember, she married very young too)
@ American Bedu – at what age your MIL got married
whats the normal age of marriage, as on date
my mother got married when she was 15
in hindu religion too, the married woman would be covering her head and face (partly) with her saree – it is similar to hijjab
now boy would normally get married when he would be 27-30 years of age and girl 23 to 26
Srinivas – she was 14 which was pretty typical for that particular time.
However in Saudi Arabia the marriageable age of both boy and girl still varies greatly. I would venture to say that the average age is for both to be in their early to mid 20′s.
Well curiousity surprised this cat (still alive though)
), average age for Saudi women 21.7; for Saudi men 25.6.
American Bedu is correct (not surprising
The surprising part: An interview on LBC with Dr. Ahmad Al-Mub’i, a Saudi Marriage Officiant: It Is Allowed to Marry a Girl at the Age of One, If Sex Is postponed.
The difference between age of contracting the marriage and sexual consummation is not surprising either; nor is the Islamic example of the Prophet and Aisha. The extreme example of a 1 yr old, the secular rationale (convenience for a travelling father with no wives to take care of his multiple daughters) and the fact that it hasn’t been raised here on the “child brides thread” are.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8d4_1214302019 Article with subtitled video.
Will copy the link there for those who may be interested.
Carol, I took the time to read your linked post about Moudy. I will always remember the line about, “when her baby cried, she cried too”!!! That is sooooo precious and real, what else would a 15 year old girl do? My baby’s sad, so I am too. LOL
My mother has a similar story, and hers was MUCH later than Moudy’s, so it still happens. As tough as bedouin life is, it is sad to see it changing. Sometimes the changes aren’t good. I hope I don’t step on too many toes, but it reminds me of how the Native Americans changed after “civilization”. Good things, for sure, but many NOT good things.
Thank you for sharing. You should tell MOUDY that many of us would recommend her for Saudi role model of the year.
PS My mama has the tattoos.
Mariam,
Please, I’d love for you to also tell us more about your mother and her history! I do agree with you that based on what my MIL has told me and speaking with others that the traditional bedu life is indeed changing. In fact a while back I did write a short post on the subject. I’ll have to find that link and post it.
found the link: http://americanbedu.com/2008/04/06/the-new-bedu/
I love everything you write about Moudy!
I am honored to share the comments with her!
What you wrote about Moudy, to a degree, reminded me of my own grandma. Although she lived in Qaseem, and wasn’t really a bedu since she lived in the city, a lot of similarities exist between them. Thanks or sharing.
You’re welcome Nani.
[...] filling mix, she’ll regal me with tales of Saudi Arabia in the olden days and what it was like growing up as a Bedu girl. Once her filling mix has been prepared, she will then allow me to help her with the rolling out of [...]