If your school friends live in the same compound you do, then it's perfect. Personally, my friends in school don't live in my compound. Also, since it's not a very big compound, there aren't many kids my age, so I don't go out much. My little brother however, who is in the 6th grade, has tons of friends in the compound. He's always out playing soccer, basketball, tennis, and just playing in general with them. And he also has his school friends who come over (they're actually here right now, what a coincidence lol), and they all go out and play in the compound, sometimes just them, sometimes with my brother's compound friends as well.
Generally they dont let most saudis into the compounds due to the western culture and influence such as the movie theatre, parties and celebrations of non-muslim holidays, may be presence of alcohol and free-mixing, and having to put up with non-muslim culture and habits.
It's better to live along-side the mainstream society of KSA of u want to learn the language and assimilate, if ur gonna be stuck in a foreigners compound, u may as well have stayed in America or Canada or where ever you are coming from. in Makkah and Madeenah there are no such compounds, cuz non-muslims are not permitted in these two cities anyways.
There's training required which they provide before u r involved in any da3wah activities.
Whether you have to stay in the compound or if you are allowed out depends on the company sponsoring you, but alot of people choose to live outside at their own expense.
Wa Alaykum Salam,
So sister, if one wishes, when they get the housing allowance they can rent a different place out, which is not a compound, but rather a place with Muslims and natives of the land there?
Also the da'wah centers, someone mentioned they are always looking for volounteers what type of stuff do they need volounteers for?
Salam Bro,
There are Islamic centers that work among non-muslims, they are intrested in conducting all kind of programms for non-muslims, lectures, seminars, workshops, teaching Arabic, weekely lessons for NEWLY converts ( as one brother was telling me that becuse we dont care for the new converts and their issues many of them are converting back to their original religion, heart breaking I know) you name it..they have the money and they need ideas and peaple to implement it.
:salamext:
Here is a blog, which is authored by a white Canadian revert, who recently made Hijrah to KSA, the land of the Haramayn, with his family (he mentioned that he is married to a black sister):
http://canadianmuhaajir.wordpress.com/
I particularly enjoyed reading these two entries:
Meeting a Prince!
Why Make Hijrah to Saudi Arabia?
I hope you find the above blog useful, if you do not know of it already. It may help to give you an idea of what to expect.
"I particularly like the 'How not to get shot in saudi..' lol."
Haha, that reminds me of something.. I'm a photographer, right? Usually, I take my camera wherever I go, even if it's just to the supermarket or something. When I first got here, I took my camera out and started taking pictures from the car. My dad positively freaked out lol. He was like "are you crazy, you can't take pictures here!!". I just figured he was being over protective. Reading that makes me realize that he could have a point...
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