We were out of school on yesterday due to it being the
third day of the mourning period for King Abdullah, may God give him rest. So,
I took the opportunity to catch up with friends at home in The States, do some
cleaning, work on my blog a little bit as I’m trying something new, and simply
rest. Yet, I was presently surprised by a knock on my door. I was informed by
my neighbors that breakfast was ready in my honor as an early birthday
celebration. It was yummy!
On this evening, I attended a Town Hall Meeting hosted by
the U.S. Consulate General Dhahran. I must admit, the meeting was very
informative and something I’m glad that I attended. You would be surprised to
know what rights you do and don’t’ have while living in another country. For instance,
if you go to jail while living in Saudi, the U.S. Embassy will be notified.
They will come visit you and ascertain the exact charges as to why you are
being held in custody. However, they will not get you out. You will be provided
with an attorney, they will contact your family, and will come visit you every
four to six months. Yes, you read that correctly, every four to six months! Isn’t
it great being an American!?
Furthermore, I was quite surprised by the number of
individuals present in the audience that didn’t look like me nor the typical fair
skinned American. Well, let’s be truthful here, I didn’t expect any at all to
look like me, but there were a few. There were also a quite large number of
Indians and Arabs who also possessed an American passport. They hold double
citizenship in their country and the USA. Isn’t that something? As the saying goes,
you are never too old to learn. I wonder…..what do my fellow Americans
think about this?
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