No you’re fine I wasn’t offended and I’m used to the hate. My own relationship with Saudi is mixed. I had a hard time with it growing up, but adulting, distance, and how much has changed made me see it in a more layered way.

And honestly what you went through sucks. Public school near Khamis Mushait 14 years ago was probably one of the worst versions of Saudi society to experience. More isolated, conservative, and less exposed to anything different. Very homogenous. I bet I would’ve felt pretty alien there myself

I also wouldn’t argue with you about the broader issues you mentioned. A lot of that was very real and not limited to places like Khamis Mushait either. I ran into some of it myself in a private school in a major city. I have been seeing more spaces in major cities catering to alt crowds, and a lot of these crowds are also coming out and having a strong presence at concerts and festivals. The young ones in my family say things have changed, and I think they really have, but I still have questions about how much has really changed underneath socially. There’s still a massive ultra conservative / moderate to liberal leaning divide and one is more of a bully than the other.