Pictures: The Road to Makkah

Culture 2 Comments

We have been to Makkah 3 or 4 times since we came back a little over two months ago, none were to go to the Grand Mosque yet, most were to give condolences to extended family members for the loss of a loved one, and most trips, I was sitting in the passenger seat while my lovely brother in-law drove, allowing me to take some happy snaps of the Jeddah-Makkah highway and surrounding scenery.

When you change your car’s oil at “Gulf express” they give you an air freshener with their logo on it, and the traveller’s prayer on the other side.

Young Afgani boys begging at the traffic light, turned their backs to me once they saw I have a camera, they kept playing hide and seek after that.

Back when I was still a little kid, driving past this place always gave me goosebumps, this is what sparked my interest in engineering.

And driving past camels always sparks the kids interest, “the camels, the camels”, and for the rest of the trip “we want to see the camels again” “where are the camels” “I didn’t see all the camels” etc… and it is hell if only one of them saw the camels and not the other.

The recent rains did make this road a bit greener, and we are bracing ourselves for some more rain today or tomorrow.

You can see the Makkah Clock Tower from almost anywhere in Makkah, and even before you enter it. Soon, I will take a better picture, but for now… this is all I have.

Saudi Arabia Why no Revolution on The 11th of March

Politics, Saudi 12 Comments

Maybe it was the Saudi inshallah. Who knows? You will get a thousand and one differed answers to that question, but the reality is, Saudi is not ready for a full blown revolution, and when and if it might be… well, there will be some American artillery worth $60 billion dollars to see that it won’t happen, either that or oil will rise to record highs that our neighboring countries and their neighbors will want to invade Saudi, as I said, who knows?

The fact of the matter is, no revolution happened on the 11th of March, and it won’t on the 20th of March either, if anyone wants to bet, I need the money at the moment, and will put down my paycheck on the table.

The 11th or Mars (March) according to some

And here is why it didn’t and won’t, according to me.

The “young online activist” are detached from reality. Most have no rapport with the average person, or constituency as my good friend calls it. Imagine MLK had his dream, but no following, those that poses a threat are already in jail, you know, like university professors who can influence a large body of students year after year, or religious leaders who know how to quote the holy book and prophetical sayings, but not in a favorable way depending on the season ;)

While some online activists are doing a good and admirable job, most are pushing for a western style freedom (whatever that is), due to being influenced by that which they have seen and read, hence the label “taghrebi” or or wanting to be westernized, a Saudi version of the american uncle Tom.

However, that is not what the average Saudi is exposed to, nor what he or she want, nor can the two relate.

I am not saying it is all good, and people are not feeling the pinch. Most in our vast and empty kingdom, including my self, do not own a home, nor do we own a piece of land, and almost all, if not all of the King’s newly created orders do not benefit me either directly nor indirectly, but they apparently affect a large segment of Saudi society.

I do hope though, that these shake ups actually make the wheels of change turn faster than a hamster spinning on a wheel and sipping on an energy drink.

While some think that twitter or Facebook actually help win a revolution, compare and contrast Libya and Egypt as your homework, they still actually have the power to fly or sink your whale… PEOPLE win revolutions not social networks, otherwise, a tweet, without doing something, is like asking your maid to get you a glass of water, complaining about the glass, and the water, and not doing anything about it… except complain… you know?

Sydney Sheraton Darling Harbour

Tourism 0 Comment

A few months ago we had the pleasure of staying at the Darling Harbour Sheraton Hotel in Sydney. When we checked in, we heard the most beautiful words you can hear when checking into a hotel, “Sir, we upgraded your room to a suite” I am not sure if the room was upgraded because our room was not available or because I am a starwood member, I asked no questions, only gave them a big smile.

The hotel is the largest hotel in Sydney, and one of the nicest hotels we stayed at in Australia.

The suite was very nice, clean, and spacious.

Suite Entrance

 

The Kingsize Bed

Spacious Bathroom

View from the window at night

View from the Window in the Morning

We loved this hotel, the rooms were around $250 AUD a night. The only thing separating it from the harbour is a little bridge.

A Woman Driving in Saudi

Saudi, Women 7 Comments

A relative of mine, who is like a big sister to me, recently came back from Canada, she is a doctor.

This week, she got a new driver from Kenya, to drive her to work, while she does have a driver’s license (and a private pilots license), in her country, he can’t use any of them.

On her first day going with the new driver to the hospital to start work, the driver, once hitting heavy traffic, started crying, when she asked him what was wrong, he said he doesn’t know how to drive with all these cars around him, so she asked him to park the car, then she sat in the driver’s seat, and drove herself to work.

She said no one looked twice at her, she even honked at cars that were cutting her off, in Jeddah that happens every 5-10 minutes. AND at the turn before the hospital she even saw a police officer looking at her, he probably put one and one together and understood that she was a doctor, this mysterious question is still unanswered.

For those who know Jeddah, she drove from alrehaily to tahlia street, a good +20km drive. Funny thing is the supposed driver kept telling her that she was doing very well.

The story doesn’t end there, she gave the driver taxi money to go back home. A few hours later she gets a call from home saying the driver has tied a rope around his neck, and is holding a knife in his hand and rolling around in the sand in some empty land in front of her house saying he is going to kill himself. At this time she was wondering what kind of mentally unstable person did she get.

Apparently he thought he was going to be sent back to Kenya, and he really needed this job which he only took because he has a sick mother in Kenya that needs money for medical treatments.

A true story for #WomenDay, isn’t it? I know it isn’t, but it is a true story nonetheless.

For a good women empowerment stories checkout this site.

Music – Another Wind (Nujabes Tribute)

Music 0 Comment

Do not read this or start the video unless you are in a cool contemplative mood :)

Another Wind (Nujabes Tribute)

sometimes i wish that everything i saw was what it seemed
but somehow it feels like everything is but a dream
not knowing who you are can be frightening to some degree
so i let the wind carry me to who i oughta be
as i fly to the open arms of some
i am thrown out by the hearts of other ones
but this is life and not everything has a happy ending
this ending can be changed if we just become a bit more lending

so feel free to open your arms to another
be it a friend, family member or a lover
cause love spreads like fire touching all in its path
leaving a few more smiles and happiness as the aftermath

so dont be afraid to let the wind pick up and carry you
cause you’ll be surprised at all the people who you can go through
leaving traces of yourself, memories that can never be erased
these memories will create new ones leaving only happiness in your place
so let this wind move round feel and hear all the sounds
this world is spread so far and wide that you will know no bounds
you will reach for the sky and you’ll grab it and you’ll hold
thinking what can i do to make sure that i never let this go

the breeze feels nice as i lay on a cloud in the sky
floating over people watching cars pass by
the bird above my head keeps singing me a song
as i watch the neighborhood kids exchange laughs and get along
not one cloud in the sky is the same as another
but i gotta say they compliment each other
living life so freely, isnt this how its suppose to be?
wishing they could see what i see, cause i believe i hold the key

the key which opens up the door to no more sorrow
i share my thoughts hoping people borrow
we need a change if we want a tomorrow
people eat way more than what they can swallow
try to be a bit more optimistic
life is good even when it is simplistic
you don’t need the things that youll throw out later
but the things that youll always remember

im here now offering a solution
not for pollution but the peoples retribution
time is gonna get us all in the end
so why fight when we could be makin new friends?

look at your reflection in this polluted water
you don’t see yourself but the future of your daughter
our mistakes are gonna start a bad trend
where our kids will be hurt by them again and again
but i know, people can begin to see with their hearts
cause when we were born we were all blind from the start
pure and untampered a baby is born
let us not make them a future where their dreams will be torn

the wind continues to show me new skies
ive learned so much it could bring a tear to me eye
open your mind and youre a poet before you know it
i step in his shoes just to find out they dont fit
but i think i can understand just a bit more
as to why different people open up different doors
as i watch and learn and take notes in my journal
this reflection i see becomes a bit more eternal

the sun sets and brings an end to this day
i slowly fall asleep and begin to fade away
brought into another dream a new world or so it seems
the reflection of the moon still looks beautiful in this never-ending stream
i begin to walk in a direction i do not know
hoping to find new things to expand on the old
the wind picks me up and i go along for the ride
touching out to all the different people i slowly pass by

Riyadh Book Fair Fights 2011

Books 3 Comments

For a very unhealthy book sellers/authors/readers market, they sure get passionate about book titles and fictional stories. I imagine Oprah’s book club would have a hard time meeting regularly in Riyadh.

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© Qusay 2012