Burdizzo said:
Since you have spent time overseas, can you tell me how many Saudi high schools have a table promoting National Bikini Day?
Ah... you're getting into a grey area there...
Things have changed significantly during the past 10-15 years. The religious police are history but make no mistake, that doesn't mean that Christianity and all its trappings are legal out in public. Of course having lived in Waco, I realize there are some significantly different versions of Christianity out there too.
During my era and in my neighborhood in Saudi Arabia, we had separate swimming pools for men and women. The Saudis consider you to be an adult at the age of 12, or if you're really tall like me and look 12, you have to follow the adult rules - they're not checking ID and also, they don't care about your excuses - rules are rules.
Last weekend, my brother and I were recounting some of the hi-jinks we used to get up to while pushing the limits of the Saudi swimming pool rules. Most notably, we discovered that if you were on the high-dive in the Men's pool at the same time a girl was on the high-dive in the Women's pool, you could see each other over the wall and carry on a conversation - which led to us getting yelled at by the Indian lifeguards and getting verbal warnings.
My mother told us (last weekend) that it worried her so much as a mother that my brother and I could not come into the Women's pool and we had to run loose on our own recognizance in the Men's pool. Never bothered us one bit. We loved the freedom of being able to go to the Men's pool with our male friends any time we wanted.
But as far as bikinis in Saudi Arabia. I'll just say that last year when I went to Saudi and Dubai for vacation, Dubai wasn't the only place I saw a significant amount of cheek. I'll leave that topic right there because Saudis generally leave you alone unless you flaunt breaking their rules and then they have to do something about it.
Also, while I'm on the topic of what is acceptable with respect to religion in Saudi Arabia, you can practice in your own home but once you try evangelizing to Saudis, you're getting deported.
That happened to one of my close friends in 6th Grade after his mother got caught evangelizing. Nowadays, he's done quite well as a photographer in Hollywood and globally.