They are always on the move. The life of a diplomat and his family is like a modern-day vagabond. But this transferable job gives them an opportunity to make friends and experience various cultures. This is what Nuris Abdul Wahab, the wife of Indonesian Head of Chancery, has been experiencing while spending time in different countries with her diplomat husband. Nuris is in Saudi Arabia for the last three years and now preparing to go home with a bagful of memories about the rich Saudi culture and tradition. “I befriended a number of people from Senegal and Canada, where my husband served before coming to Saudi Arabia,” said Nuris. However, she made best friends in Riyadh from Bangladesh, India and Kazakhstan. A mother of three, Nuris said she learnt Arabic from her Saudi friends. Since she arrived in the Kingdom in 2005 Nuris has been serving as a coordinator of Oriental Ladies Group (OLG), a social outfit formed in 1986 by a group of diplomats wives belonging to nine Asian countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka. The group members hold meetings every month at residences of various members. The basic aim of such gatherings is to know each other's cultures and plan charity work or trips to landmarks in and around Riyadh. “We will visit Riyadh Zoo this month (April). A trip to Al-Maria Dairy Plant in Al-Kharj is planned in May and Rose Nursery in June,” Nuris said. The group already schedules its programs well in advance in consultation with authorities concerned. OLG members will be on holidays for three months from July. A charity bazaar is planned for November. In December, the group will elect its new office-bearers. OLG is currently headed by the wife of an Indian diplomat, while a Kyrgyz diplomat's wife holds the position of secretary and Indonesian diplomate's wife a treasurer. In the monthly meeting held by group members at Indonesian's Ambassador's residence in Diplomatic Quarter, the Indonesian women demonstrated the skills of batik, their country's traditional artwork of painting on the dress materials and headscarves. Nuris said OLG charity work includes reaching out to the poor and the needy people in member countries while sponsoring the education of cash-strapped students. The proceeds from OLG's charity bazaar held at Indonesian Embassy last year was sent to the victims of tsunami in that country. She said during the meeting OLG decided that the funds raised during this year's charity bazaar at Indian Embassy will go for the education of economically backward students. The proceeds of OLG's charity bazaar of SR16,000 and SR9,000 last year were also sent to flood victims in Bangladesh and for education of poor students in Kyrgyzstan. The OLG members want to make use of their spare time by engaging in various social and charity activities. Diplomats' wives would want to keep in touch even after they left Saudi Arabia. Nuris said she has been receiving phone calls and SMS message from her friends living in various other countries. “After parting from each other I wish I could visit my friends in their home countries, at least some of the closest one's in Bangladesh, India and Kazakhstan,” she said. __
