I enjoy recommending what I think are other good blogs which have an emphasis on Saudi Arabia and in fact, have written previous posts about blogs in Saudi Arabia. It is sad though that many blogs will start up in Saudi Arabia either by a Saudi or an expat and be highly informative, interesting and a pleasure to follow. Then as quickly as the blog appeared, it will fade away until it has basically disappeared. The initial posts may still be there but the blog itself will not have been active for months or in some cases maybe years. While I am sure the coming and going of blogs is not a new phenomena anywhere I do wonder what factors cause the Saudi blogs to come and go. Does the excitement of keeping a blog wear off? Does the blogger run out of things to say? Is the blog no longer an item which the blogger wishes to commit to? Does the blogger face pressure for writing about Saudi Arabia in some fashion such as from a family member, mahrem or employer?
To illustrate my point, the following blogs are ones which I had always enjoyed following until the posts got fewer and farther between until it seems they have finally stopped….
In the Making is/was a very candid blog written by Saudi national Aysha Alkusayer. I do know for a fact that Aysha is an incredibly busy woman and am attributing that to the reason why she has not posted since October 2008. I sincerely hope that at some point she will find the time again to resume her entertaining and thoughtful blog which provides the insights and perceptions of a very intelligent Saudi woman.
An Englishman in Saudi Arabia was about Margraves and his experiences and adventures. His colorful descriptions of his experiences would often make me laugh out loud while reading his posts. But he has not posted anything since September 2007. I am guessing that since he was an expat he may no longer even be in the Kingdom.
Saudi Bridget Jones was another candid blog written by a Saudi female who had newly returned (at that time) to the Kingdom. She shared her views and experiences since her return from abroad in an open manner which captured the reader’s interest. Sadly this blog has not had a post since January 2008 with her last post which simply states “I’m too busy with work.”
Saudi Stepford Wife was the adventures, experiences and musings of Daisy, a western woman married to a Saudi and living in Al Hassa. Her posts demonstrate repeatedly her fine talent of writing. Alas, there have been no postings since May 2008 at which time she announced she was going on a blogging break.
There are more blogs out there which held so much promise and interest that also went by the wayside. I’m disappointed that above cited blogs have not been active as I believe these bloggers also provided candid and realistic perspectives and images within the individual bloggers strata in Saudi society.
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I would offer the analytical point that the number of blogs cited makes any conclusions statistically impossible to create due to the very small sample size.
Notwithstanding such a point, I would welcome your own speculations, and I note that the blogs you reference are often composed by ladies.
This is interesting in light of our own very conservative social mores regarding ladies.
Might it be that there exists either (1) a greater interest by ladies in reading or writing blogs; (2) a greater level of free periods by ladies to compose such blogs; (3) a greater sense of creative forces that impel ladies in our nation to compose blogs; (4) a greater interest by ladies in composition of blogs, due to greater social constraints imposed on ladies generally?
How do the blogs from our society compare with blogs from similar nations? I am not interested here in comparisons with Western nations.
I miss all the blogs you posted, I have wondered many times what happened to Saudi Bridget Jones!
And I also miss ”In the Making” very much.
I too wonder what happened to these special women.
Carol, I’m so glad you post new things nearly every day. Your blog is one of my favorites although I don’t always comment. I really enjoy the topics and reading what your readers have to say. So don’t get any ideas about quitting on us.
You’re a good one to have around. Thanks for all you do to make this an interesting spot on the web!
I’m sure you’re aware of this, that keeping a blog (the drive to keep writing, to explore, to promote and whatnot) may seem trivial and easy at the beginning. Then reality seeps in and most wannabes are quickly eliminated as soon as it gets boring/tiresome/disappointingly non-gratifying in narcissistic terms.
That selection process brings down two-thirds of the Saudi blogosphere’s population.
Then with the remaining one-third, the third that disappoints us when they don’t ramble and write, the awesome writers you mentioned up there, their hiatus make the rest of us dangerously wonder, WHY NOT GET OFF THE WAGON TOO?!
Now I’m curious, A.Bedu, what is it that keeps YOU going? Please share, because I’m running out of steam…kinda.
@Aafke – while I cannot comment on Saudi Bridget Jones, I do know that Aysha, from In the Making has been incredibly busy with her career, family and of course getting resettled back to life in the Kingdom.
@Susanne430 – thank you!!! To help me stick around, please be sure and give me feedback on what you wish to read about pertaining to Saudi!
@Hning – please no….do NOT run out of steam! I love your blog even if I do not comment as often as I’d like.
Me…I’ve always enjoyed writing which makes it much easier I think to keep going. In addition, I don’t think there can ever be a shortage of topics and issues pertaining to Saudi Arabia to discuss!
On the topic of Saudi Blogs, I just came upon this very neat blog the other day. It’s by a brilliant 17 year ol’ Saudi gal:
http://everydayweborrow.blogspot.com/
Thought I might share:D
To a certain extent what happens to Saudi blogs are the same thing that happens to other blogs.
Personally I know one of the bloggers you posted about and like anyone else she just got too busy and couldnt do it any more.
I know other Saudi bloggers who have quit one blog and moved to another. I know of one lady who stopped blogging because it was causing her too many problems with her family and risked getting them into trouble because of the direction some of her posts took that could be considered anti regime even though her family figured in the Saudi regime VERY highly.
There was also another young Saudi lady who got married and didnt want the blog to get into the way of her new married life.
Again, I think Saudi blogs come and go for the same reasons that they do here in the West, with the exception of some who stop blogging due to fears of repression by the state, which we know happens.
Luckily for me I can write randomly and with a profusion of drivel that requires absolutely no feedback from anyone…I like to write purely for lethargic purposes…feedback is bonus!!! lol
I find Andrew’s list of potential factors for blogging by women in Saudi comprehensive, and agree with Abu Sinan that probably many of the reasons for the expiration of a Saudi blog are the same as for any blog.
It is possible that there is a life cycle to a blog depending on the original purpose. Many seem inspired as a coping strategy for a new situation–moving to Saudi, or moving back to Saudi, or newly parenting in Saudi, and as the person adapts and the need to cope in this way resolves the motivation to blog fades.
Some who find writing easier and more enjoyable, or whose purpose was more long term will have an easier time sustaining themselves, even if the need for catharsis fades,
As in most endeavours positive feedback helps, and successful longer term blogs seem to welcome feedback, suggestions from readers, and the use of collaborators (eg guest posts).
Long may American Bedu, and other favourites, live!
Aysha updated very recently!
Thank you Carol for remembering me ^_^ I miss writing so much and I would so want to pursue it if not for being busin (1), and (2) for fearing that now that I have shifted countries and returned home, my writing if not thought out carefully, will turn into a venting spot. I am sure many news and search engine would enjoy all the venting stories, but the problem with it is that it does not go to the depth that I aspire for, depth of analyzing situations as an outsider and thinking them through…
One thing I’ve always admired about you, is how you mentioned having a pipeline for ideas. So everyday you have material that you can add to and publish, unless something urgent comes up..even then, you can tie it to a toic you had… This is marvellous, but as organized and easy as it sounds…hehe, it takes TALENT and EXPERIENCE…
I sooo want to committ, but will have to find a good theme to stick to. Please help me if you have suggestions..
PS Two further thoughts:
Depression or being too down to write seems to stalemate some blogs.
Post topic suggestion sent by email
Coolred, re: mountain out of a molehill…
You speak as if non-hijabi women never face any kind of oppression. But look at the women in Western society that are under constant, crushing pressure to starve themselves thin, be perfectly “beautiful”, have large perky boobs, and dress like prostitutes. No, I don’t live under a patriarcal society ~ I live under the oppression of a MATRIARCAL society where women terrorize, bully, harass, and torment other women that do not conform. On a daily basis, no less. And there is no escape! We get nothing in return for our lives ~ just endless demands that we be skinner, prettier, more fashionable… more, more, and more then what we are at the present moment. Exactly how free are we Western women anyway? I’ve yet to meet ONE non-hijabi Western woman living outside of a patriarchal society that is HAPPY and not full of self-hatred and angst about their looks, weight, and popularity.
Perhaps before you go and pick the speck of another culture’s eye you should focus on the plank in your own culture’s eye???
The same goes for everyone here that behaves as if Islamic hijabi women are automatically poor oppressed vicitms and would somehow be better off if they lived in a “non-patriarcal” society. Such as our own oppressive Matriarcal society!
Yes, indeed. There is a mountain being made out of the molehill of one girl ice skating in an abaya!
Er… wait a minute. This is a different post! Oops.
Yes, Saudi blogs. Ahem, aherm… I enjoy reading them too but there are not many out there! I wish more Saudis, and others in the Mid East, would activly blog!
I meant writing is strictly for “cathartic” purposes..not lethargic…lol. Ok Ive been known to put people to sleep…including myself…but still…sigh!!
coffeecatholic..whatever…I write from personal experience. I can only write from what I know…everyone else must do the same. Thats it.
Coffee Catholic–since Coolred already replied here, you might want to copy paste the rest of your comment to the ice skating thread. Your second comment was very appropriate and funny.
Coolred–on catharsis vs lethargy and soporifics– LOL
@Aysha – You will always be remembered and I am so glad to hear from you. Don’t give up on your writing. And if your blog is used for therapeutic venting, there is nothing wrong with that. You get it out of your system and your readers gain additional insights to the challenges you go through and may possibly be able to give you some sound advice on coping.
Also as you think of things you’d like to pursue in regards to your writing, make a note of it and then start writing more on the topic as your time permits!
Since you’ve been back, I’d love to hear a post about the weekly life of a professional woman, wife and mother!
Hugs, Carol
Chiara’s suggestion the a blog has a life of its own should be considered seriously by anyone who reads and writes one. A blog is like any activity that runs its course and often comes to a natural point of dissolution.
There should be no sense of failure or abandonment when a blogger reaches that point.
Many blogs probably should die a natural death, from no matter what country they originate. I think the most important consideration is that the blogger know exactly what he/she wants to accomplish, and work towards that end.
I like coolred’s comment, that “feedback is bonus,” unless one writes for the sole purpose of getting feedback, but most bloggers I read are in it for the personal growth and the equitable sharing of life experiences.
Long live American Bedu! She should be designated the Saudi Anchor Blog.
Keeping a blog or a website can be hard work. I have a number of my own sites (mostly about wild birds) and I have gotten behind in the last year. Paid work takes precedence.
“Why do so many Saudi blogs come and go?”
because unlike you, some people actually have a life
@Marahm – I like your comment about the term of a blog and thank you for the lovely compliment too!
@Jerry – which brings up a good point….can one make their blog or web site become a paying enterprise and if so, how? But I’d also ask would a blog or web site that is run for profit have the same attention and respect or would it have more?
@S – having a bad day today?
Exactly how free are we Western women anyway? I’ve yet to meet ONE non-hijabi Western woman living outside of a patriarchal society that is HAPPY and not full of self-hatred and angst about their looks, weight, and popularity.
Coffee Catholic, I can’t resist posting but I am a very, very happy western women who could given’t give a dam* about what models are doing!
About blogs … I’m so happy to read all these lovely blogs. As one who blogs only on holidays I can attest to the fact that they are hard work and time consuming. I do love to read them though and will Cheer On all those who can keep up the pace!
I’m happy to provide a bank-account number to anyone who wants to give me a financial incentive to keep on blogging!
Not sure what the reason is for these bloggers to disappear. But I think that I sometimes run out of things to say.
And the next thing i see is that someone else has blogged about something that I thought was a non-event or irrelevant.
I get surprised everyday by your daily efforts of updating this blog while still traveling and working.
Indeed blogging requires a lot of commitment.
@Carol,
I instantly loose respect for a blog when they start to try and make money out of it. When you put money into the situation then there will always be the perception, real or not, that what is said and covered on the blog will cater to whatever will make them more money.
If it is a business based blog anyway, that is one thing, but a blog covering important stories and issues must remain different or they become nothing more than a poor version of the biased mainstream media we already have.
Abu Sinan–agreed.
American Bedu–glad you liked the “natural life of a blog” hypothesis.
Aysha, I enjoyed your blog very much, and always thought your posts well written and very well thought out.
I do not think a blog always needs a ”theme”.
I do hope you will manage to update from time to time, and I’m glad you have found an interesting job!
Coffee catholic, I don’t know but if you have interviewed every non-hijabi woman in the west you seem to have overlooked me. And I happen to be perfectly happy with my cute cuddly body, my spectacular breasts, and I dress decently and am happy with that too.
Anyway, I am so gorgious I would make an abaya still look sexy.
I’m also quite popular, but only with intelligent people.
Marahm, you are right about ”natural life” . My blog went the other way around, I first meant to keep it up until I was healthy again, 3 or 4 months… But now I can’t stop, too many funny things to say and draw, and I love my blogbuddies too much!
@Coffee Catholic:
The alleged fashion- and diet-slavery of Western women seems to be a favorite weapon in the defense arsenal of certain people – “see, your women too have problems!” So childish, and completely imaginary, too.
CC, I can assure of you this: America is full of overweight, ugly, fashion-indifferent women who for some unfathomable reason lead happy, accomplished lives. Some of them even become Secretaries of State (Clinton, Rice), Attorneys General (Janet Reno..’nuff said) and Supreme Court Justices without the benefit of thin figures or perky breasts.
This week I’m working in Department of Justice and Supreme Court on assignment. In three days, I met no less than five women in directorial positions. Most of them were past fifty, unstylish and overweight. All were sporting wedding rings. All had powerful jobs.
The difference, darlin’, is this: in the US, you choose whether to work hard to stay thin, attractive and stylish. You can decide to stick with it. Or you can say “screw it” and focus on something else and grow into a flabby, makeup-free middle-aged woman with a family and a career if you like. Neither choice will hurt you terribly in the long run. Pressure to stay beautiful is completely self-imposed, which means it can be self-canceled, too.
But I don’t think women who live in societies that impose veiling have any choice on how they should look to the world.
I consider myself a happy person. Shoot, downright joyful at times! All that despite living in the wretched West.
AB: This list should include the venerable Religious Policeman, the most hilarious of all Saudi blogs. He stopped writing awhile ago and it is still a wonderful read.
muttawa.blogspot.com
ROCKS!
Carol, I was weeding out my Arab blog bookmarks yesterday and noticed just how many seem to have dried up and blown away. Some of them were really excellent and their passing is missed.
Blogging does take work and dedication. Hard work, actually. I think that the work is certainly worthy of remuneration, if one can find advertisers or sponsors.
Here I have to strongly disagree with Abu Sinan. His view is too cynical to apply across the board. Certainly, if a blog (or any other medium) is going easy on an advertiser, then one should read it with a grain of salt. There are those, however, who maintain their principles in writing but could still use an income stream.
I’d love to find advertisers or a sponsor—though I have a short list of unacceptable sponsors. I spend hours a day finding stories, thinking about stories, writing stories. If I were doing it for a company, I’d certainly draw a salary of some sort. As it is, I can manage to do it, though if expenses were to rise significantly, there might be a different answer to the problem.
They say that ‘everyone has his price’. Maybe so. If that is the case, my price is far, far higher than what advertising or sponsorship would bring in. My price has at least seven zeros after the first significant digit, in case you’re interested!
But then, I could just sell the blog and have myself hired. Then there’s no conflict whatsoever…
@John – I agree with you completely! I would dearly love to turn my daily efforts from my blog into something of profitable interest!
And it is a shame how so many Saudi blogs do come and go whether in English or Arabic. Therefore I think those that have been around a while such as yours, Saudi Jeans and others, need to be thanked and encouraged to keep up the hard work!
Best Regards, Carol
Hello Carol,
I didn’t think that when I was going to search for Saudi Blogs that I would find this post.
First, I want to thank you for the mention.
Since coming back and because I was starting a new phase in my carrier here in SA I became too busy and mostly very exhausted with work. I had no energy to write any more, but there are some other factors that I think its important for me to talk about about female blogging in SA.
I see blogging as a way to express freely what I have to say and that is not the case for a SA female blogger. YOU ARE expected to limit your self even when you are blogging..
I had comments and emails like.. why aren’t I writing in Arabic ? am I ashamed of who I am? .. why am I westernised? why don’t you talk about how it was being a Muslim abroad or a Saudi abroad and how difficult not living in SA.. why and why? I even got ridiculous emails from males to meet up romantically since I am “such an open minded female”.. which just for the sake of saying it “that doesn’t mean I am easy ” ( sorry Carol)..
I wanted to express without these limitation or these red lines that even if I am NOT talking in politics or religion I am talking about culture and even that there are red lines.. there are things that I should just not talk about even if they are true..and somehow I don’t want to blog that way..
If I am westernized as they said, there are my personal reasons for that. It doesn’t mean I am not a Saudi I am just a different face of a Saudi Woman. Why do I have to be placed in one way or no way. I lived a certain life that added to me in so many ways. I have both cultures in me east and west and I am proud of it because it made me open to accept different people for what ever and who ever they are. I am not the only one like me in SA there are so many but they didn’t choose to blog about it. I don’t want to be placed in category or in a box because I never lived that way I always expressed myself the way I am that was always encouraged by my family and the people who know me closely.. so I stopped blogging..
I sit and still watch all the struggles that other Saudi bloggers are going through and I don’t want to add to my frustrations in something that was suppose to be about ranting about my frustrations.
I have deleted Saudi Bridget Jones and no logger read the email account attached with it .. I don’t think that I will blog in that manner again..
Thank you again for the mention…
Sincerely,
Saudi Bridget Jones..
@Saudi Bridget:
Welcome and thank you for your detailed and sincere comment. I do understand the challenges you face as a Saudi female blogger and one who had chosen to blog in English. I do want to say that you have a gift for writing and express yourself well. Many, including me, miss your blog, but ultimately want what is best for you.
Regards, Carol
I don’t know about Saudi blogging, cause I’m UK, Yemeni but when I started my blog, it wasn’t just writing you see.
It had a vision, long term, plus, it’s a passion and love writing, creating courses, sharing my business experience.
Also, regarding purpose, it also has a profitable interest not just money, but also business partnership, building joint ventures with other bloggers, and it’s exciting.
I have two blogs at moment. One on twitwall and one on blogger, plus, another one being built on wordpress, and I work full time to running a business, and studying as well.
So, it has to have a purpose, a passion that is greater than just blogging to write. Rather it has a purpose, something deep inside a person.
Because if it doesn’t, then life gets in way because people let it.
But we’ll never know. Maybe it’s something else, life, personal issues, and what not.
But for me, blogging isn’t just about having blog. It’s my way in sharing, and creating an audience, networking, business and has helped greately to network globally.
Made a lot of friends this way too.
I don’t find it easy to keep up with posting in a regular basis. Also, I believe some of these bloggers lack the technical aspects here, maintaining the domain availability and taking a backups of their website.
These can be a shoe stopper and frustrating sometimes in case of losing them! I guess!
Welcome Ibrahim and thank you for sharing your view!
The blogger may become busy with other interests or may not be interested in this topic anymore. After one leaves Saudi Arabia, it it quite natural that the blogger may not post anymore as Carol says.
But what I find interesting is that there are so many popular blogs about Saudi Arabia from foreign women married to Saudi men. I once did a check to see if there are any blogs by foreign women married to South Asian men or vice versa – I could find none!
This is despite the fact that there are lots of foreigners who get married to South Asians. So what is it about foreigners married to Saudis that makes them write blogs? Why don’t we have similar blogs from foreigners married to South Asians, or Chinese for that matter?
I’m just speculating Daisy but I think it is because the culture and traditions that go along with marrying a Saudi are just so unlike any other. If the couple is in Saudi, the foreign wife’s life has changed dramatically. Whereas a foreign woman who has married an Asian, while there would be some differences, even if she is in his country there will still be many aspects of life similar to her.