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Book Details:
Book Title: Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure by Doreen M. Cumberford
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18 +), 288 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: White Heather Press
Release date: April, 2020
Content Rating: G. There are no offensive scenes or language
Book Description:
Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure is what
Doreen Cumberford, a Scottish author, calls her learnoire! It is a
combination of her story and the stories of other expats learned while
living in Saudi Arabia for 15 years as expat employees or spouses. The
book takes the reader through the four stages of culture shock: arrival,
honeymoon, frustration and adjustment stages to final acceptance
followed by the return journey back to their home country – mostly the
USA. From Saudi weddings, to falconry, to the inability of women to
drive at that time, the book seeks to familiarize us with the Saudi
culture, lifestyle, and deep traditions of hospitality, generosity and
tolerance from an insider’s perspective. There are also chapters on the
experiences of 9/11 in the terrorists’ home country and the “Terror
Years” of internal terror tactics from inside Saudi Arabia designed to
drive the expats out of the country and destroy the Saudi government.
Full of examples, stories and compelling honesty the author describes
their most challenging journey and many of the lessons learned in the
process together. Designed to provide useful insights and inspiration to
anyone considering living abroad, Life in the Camel Lane shines the
light on the subject of building a new identity and home while abroad,
and the difficulties of the journey home.
Guest Post
Misplaced in Mexico
With global warming and a pandemic bearing down on us, we have all been all required to find
and navigate our own personal detours in life.
and navigate our own personal detours in life.
One of my most interesting detours was literally being stuck in Mexico when the borders closed
on March 18th. Our plan had been to remain in Mexico until mid-April, but suddenly we emerged
from a blissful and extremely idyllic vacation in Cancun and transitioned back to reality while the
virus was creating havoc with our future.
on March 18th. Our plan had been to remain in Mexico until mid-April, but suddenly we emerged
from a blissful and extremely idyllic vacation in Cancun and transitioned back to reality while the
virus was creating havoc with our future.
Arriving back in San Miguel de Allende, which was to be our destination for another four weeks,
we had to quickly rent a house and a car. We called a family zoom meeting and our daughters
explained about Covid in more detail, how every state, city and neighborhood needed to bend the
curve, that we were in the elderly and therefore the vulnerable category and how protecting hospital
beds by staying well was the name of the game. Our daughters were both convinced that we were
risking our lives by staying in Mexico, where, according to them, the authorities would never take
the steps necessary to protect vulnerable expats. How wrong they were.
we had to quickly rent a house and a car. We called a family zoom meeting and our daughters
explained about Covid in more detail, how every state, city and neighborhood needed to bend the
curve, that we were in the elderly and therefore the vulnerable category and how protecting hospital
beds by staying well was the name of the game. Our daughters were both convinced that we were
risking our lives by staying in Mexico, where, according to them, the authorities would never take
the steps necessary to protect vulnerable expats. How wrong they were.
I remember thinking “but I just bought groceries” shortly followed by “I didn’t bring enough clothes
to get through a pandemic”.
to get through a pandemic”.
Those thoughts suddenly triggered floods of memories.
Like living in Saudi after 9/11, we had no clue what the future held, if and when we would ever see
our loved ones again and if planes would ever fly again.
our loved ones again and if planes would ever fly again.
I talk in the Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the Adventure, about the sudden transition from feeling
safe, very safe – and comfortable, very comfortable to suddenly having moments of sheer terror
and fright – just like during Covid-19.
safe, very safe – and comfortable, very comfortable to suddenly having moments of sheer terror
and fright – just like during Covid-19.
Watching fear and panic arise in oneself is not fun, but I did learn that it never unfolds all at once.
All of life is like an origami puzzle, bits fall into place in time.
Sometimes the feelings escape like steam through small irritations, sometimes it flames out by lashing
out at the ones I love, sometimes it just simmers in the background like an irritating app that uses
up all the computer energy.
All of life is like an origami puzzle, bits fall into place in time.
Sometimes the feelings escape like steam through small irritations, sometimes it flames out by lashing
out at the ones I love, sometimes it just simmers in the background like an irritating app that uses
up all the computer energy.
It’s the small moments, like slivers of light shining into a cave where I became aware that this this
was going to be a triathlon-type experience not a 5K, nor a marathon but a triathlon.
It reminded me of SARS which was first reported in Asia in February of 2003.
was going to be a triathlon-type experience not a 5K, nor a marathon but a triathlon.
It reminded me of SARS which was first reported in Asia in February of 2003.
Having lived in Japan for a while, during the sarin gas attacks in Tokyo and several earthquakes,
we were pretty clued into what SARS was and why we should care.
We thought that Covid-19 would pass quickly – just like SARS seemed to, however I did not reckon
on the independent mindset of the US over the comprehension of public health and what it means
to a nation.
we were pretty clued into what SARS was and why we should care.
We thought that Covid-19 would pass quickly – just like SARS seemed to, however I did not reckon
on the independent mindset of the US over the comprehension of public health and what it means
to a nation.
There were on the other hand were gifts. We finally departed Mexico on July 4th and were welcomed
back to America by thousands of fireworks all across the front range.
back to America by thousands of fireworks all across the front range.
In Mexico we learned about how to deal and dance with Covid-19. We learned about masks,
social distancing, detergent pads on the floor of every mum and pop store,
contact tracing by signing in everywhere we went, gigantic balloon-type spraying machines at all the
major intersections, even roadblock inspection stations checking for masks and temperature
on the five highways coming into San Miguel.
social distancing, detergent pads on the floor of every mum and pop store,
contact tracing by signing in everywhere we went, gigantic balloon-type spraying machines at all the
major intersections, even roadblock inspection stations checking for masks and temperature
on the five highways coming into San Miguel.
During our isolation, we enjoyed rooftop living with cacophonous birds, and we learned about the beauty of the Mexican culture along the way. Daily walks around the golf course we lived on were part and parcel of the experience, so every day we enjoyed color, greenery and some wild life.
Zoom became the thing. Quizzes with my family in Scotland and my pet and housesitting friends from the Galapagos became weekly dates we all looked forward to. I learned about geology, cooking, natural history and whacky facts that arise in quizzes – those were delightful and stimulating.
Most of all I appreciate the gift of life, of being able to continue to write and tell the stories of cross-cultural living while I am now firmly placed back in Denver. For today’s place and today’s space I am grateful.
About the Author
Doreen Cumberford is a Scottish expat author who has been global
traveler for more than four decades. In her 20s Doreen left her home in
Scotland and drove down to London to become a member of Her Majesty’s
Diplomatic Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Her first
posting was as the youngest and most junior British Embassy staffer in
Cameroon, West Africa. Later she moved back to London and took a
position with an American oil-field construction company based in Dubai,
the United Arab Emirates. After moving to America, living in Louisiana
then California, two extremely different cultures in the USofA, Doreen
and family moved overseas to Japan then spent the following 15 years in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With 13 major moves under her belt, she
understands the value of moving, building a new life and handling
inter-cultural hurdles. One constant has been her ability to explore
through the lens of adventure. Her stories are full of multi-cultural
intelligence, messy multilingual communications and multi-global
perspectives. Doreen is currently based on Denver, Colorado although
spends most of the year living adventurously in the Housesitting Lane,
which takes her around the globe. Currently she is doing her best to
install Spanish in her brain which previously had French and smatterings
of Japanese and Arabic. She is passionate about cultural intelligence,
global heartedness and life on the road. Featured in the Anthology:
Empowering Women, and a co-author in 2018 of Arriving Well: Stories
About Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering Home After Living Abroad.
2020 sees the publication of Life in the Camel Lane: Embrace the
Adventure. Honest, compassionate, full of wisdom and inspiration, Life
in the Camel Lane comprises stories mostly from women and men who lived
in Saudi Arabia from 1950s onward. This memoir contains expert advice
sage wisdom and stories that all globally mobile families can use to
navigate their international journey. The principles in this book will
also encourage anyone who is embracing a more adventurous life, or
considering taking the leap to move overseas.
Tour Schedule:
Aug 24 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
Aug 24 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Aug 25 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 25 - Over Coffee Conversations – book review / giveaway
Aug 26 – Splashes of Joy – book review / guest post / author interview / giveaway
Aug 26 - DZA's blog – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 27 – Dreamidge – book review / author interview
Aug 27 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book review
Aug 28 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Aug 31 – Reading is My Passion – book review
Aug 31 - Books for Books – book review
Sep 1 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sep 1 - Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 1 - Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 2 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Sep 2 - Alexis Marie Chute Blog – book review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sep 3 - So Fine Print – book review / author interview / giveaway
Sep 4 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 4 - Books and Zebras @jypsylynn – book review
Sept 4 - Olio by Marilyn - book spotlight / author interview
Sept 4 - Olio by Marilyn - book review / giveaway
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