Unbirthday in Riyadh

I'm told that birthdays in Saudi culture are not celebrated, if even recognized at all. If true, this custom is more curious to me than most but in any case when in Rome (or Riyadh)... So I low-keyed my own with a stealth "celebration" in the guise of a dinner out with my new friend Ali. At his suggestion we went to a popular Arabic restaurant that offered an eclectic menu of traditional Arabic foods complemented by dishes you could order at Jimmy Tsang's (were it still open for business). We sat in high backed white cushioned chairs rather than on the floor in traditional mode - which Ali  (a cool young Jordanian engineer) had concluded was too much of a cultural transition for me. He was also very concerned (unnecessarily as it turns out) about my reaction to the food.We ordered a salad plate (humus, eggplant, stuffed grape leaves and greens), Arabic grill (beef, veal and chicken shish-kabob) and fried rice and fresh pita bread - in copious amounts, all of which we shared. Best meal out in several years - including a pre-departure visit to Joe's Crab Shack (South Side) which was memorable!

Ali has also taken on the responsibility of educating me about Saudi cutural do's and taboos. I came close to violating one by offering to clink glasses of fruit drink on his side, cappucino, on mine but was informed that doing so publicly is haram. Any guesses why?

On another cultural front: Christmas lights and decorations are evident in the compound! In fact the manager of the mini-mart, a non-Muslim Indian, features a fully decorated but artificial tree at the entrance and the maintenance shed (Filipino staff) displays a string of green (but no red) lights and Santa in his sleigh... What a wonderful world!