I finally managed to escape from Jouf, on Saturday 11th August. I'd been told to be at the airport at 9.30, so I took all the leftover food to the animals and filled as many containers as I could find with water for them, and then Reggie came in the bus to take me to the airport. Once Reggie had driven away, I discovered my flight was actually much later than I'd been told, and I had 4 hours to hang around in the airport by myself. Fortunately I had my Kindle, and that day's edition of The Spectator came over on the Wifi. I learned lots about the world. I sat in the "ladies'" section of the departures lounge, which was barely separate from the men's but for once did have all the same luxuries (or lack of them) as the men's, and didn't have the usual feeling of "we must hide the women and put them upstairs or round the back so no one knows they're there" but instead was separated from the men by nothing more than a glass wall. Perhaps because of this, plenty of men sat in the women's section. Admittedly they weren't single men, they were all clearly with their families.

During Ramadan, people go on Omrah, which is basically Hajj but with only half the points, so it's a sort of second-best. A lot of people in Jouf airport that day were on their way to Jeddah to start their Omrah - I could tell because of the white robes the men wear. I'm all for pilgrimage and wearing special clothes for it, but in Saudi, where the slightest glimpse of my wrist can apparently provoke sexual arousal of a magnitude to shake the foundations of the religion and the state, I find it strange that men going on Omrah walk around with their arms and shoulders exposed, and often a lot of their chests as well. I happened to look up as one man was adjusting his robe, and he might as well have just come out of the shower with a towel round his waist and nothing more. There were, comparatively, some pretty naked men around. Are women thought to be incapable of having sexual thoughts? Or do women's sexual thoughts register so low on the list of threats to peace and piety that they're not worth attempting to avoid?

My first evening back in Riyadh, Christina and I were collected by 2 friends of hers and we went to a steak house nearby for Iftar. And it was incredible. But more astounding than the food itself (which was, I must say, pretty astounding) was how free I felt walking around without a hijab, in the company of 2 men, in public, openly talking to them, and not having to ask for permission or hope I wasn't spotted. And without a niqab. I HAVE A FACE IN RIYADH. Given how restricted I felt when I first arrived in Riyadh 2 months ago, it was interesting how free I felt coming back here after spending a month in Jouf. I got a little bit over-excited and hyperactive, in fact. Just imagine how crazy I'll go when I leave the country and can walk around in public without an abaya.

A couple of evenings later Christina and I were invited to a drinks party on the DQ (Diplomatic Quarter - an area of Riyadh which Saudis aren't allowed into except under very special circumstances, where all the embassies and residences are, and quite a few expats as well; you have to show ID on the way in, but you can take your abaya off once you're in). There were only about 20 people there, but they were all interesting and entertaining, and mostly diplomats or at least working at one of the embassies - mostly the US one. My favourite moment went like this: "Hi Rosy, nice to meet you. Are you a diplomat?"

A few nights later we went to a steak night at the American Embassy, and getting through their security was not entirely different from getting on a plane, but the steak was worth it. As was the bar serving LEGAL ALCOHOL. Oh me oh my. After the steak night I traded in Christina for Mia (Christina went to Jeddah and then Egypt for her holiday, Mia came up to Riyadh from Al Kharj for the week) and Mia and I started the week the way we intended to carry on - surrounded by charming men. We were invited to a pool party on the BAE Systems compound (which was harder to get onto than the American Embassy), and had been told beforehand that the general rule with these things is that there are relatively few men but plenty of girls, although they tend to be trashy girls. So we expected to blend into the background and just enjoy being by a pool. We arrived to find 14 men and no other girls. Only half the guys actually spoke to us, but we couldn't have asked for better company and had a pretty awesome time.

Since then, we have done little other than laze around next to pools on friends' compounds, and locate restaurants where the family section makes you feel like a valued customer just as much as the men are, rather than shameful customers that you'd rather not admit to having in your fine chauvinistic establishment. We've done quite well and found a few, including one incredible gourmet place which I'm not sure even has a singles' section. The "coconut peeling station" in one of the supermarkets entertained me, for two reasons: firstly, that it existed. Maybe I've just never been to anywhere that sells enough coconuts to have a coconut peeling station, but I'd never seen one before. Secondly, that it had two windows - one for men, one for women. You wouldn't want the poor sensitive men to have to watch a woman's coconut getting peeled, would you.

I'm attempting (half-heartedly) to become a date connoisseur. I bought a bag of one kind of dates, and another bag the same size of a different kind, at twice the price. I prefer the more expensive ones. Hmm.

Still no word from the company on exactly when they'll be moving me on again, or even where to - I'm assuming it'll be Ha'il as per the rumour, but my fingers are still crossed hard for a project in Riyadh. I have a lot of friends here now, I don't want to go and live in a little back water which I've heard bad things about, but my plan is to give it a go, try to enjoy it, and only request a transfer if I'm still not enjoying it after a few months.