Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with hope and submission
I came across a well written article in the Guardian (Israel's onslaught on Gaza is a crime that cannot succeed) the following line highlights the perverse maths of Palestine:
"During the last seven years, 14 Israelis have been killed by mostly homemade rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, while more than 5,000 Palestinians were killed by Israel with some of the most advanced US-supplied armaments in the world."
I pray that God extinguishes the flames of war and reins in the dogs of war. The following verse of the Quran comes to mind and deserves reflection:
5:64 And the Jews say, "God's hand is shackled!" It is their own hands that are shackled; and rejected [by God] are they because of this their assertion. Nay, but wide are His hands stretched out: He dispenses [bounty] as He wills. But all that has been bestowed from on high upon thee [O Prophet] by thy Sustainer is bound to make many of them yet more stubborn in their overweening arrogance and in their denial of the truth. And so We have cast enmity and hatred among the followers of the Bible , [to last] until Resurrection Day; every time they light the fires of war, God extinguishes them ; and they labour hard to spread corruption on earth: and God does not -love the spreaders of corruption.
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Friday 26 December 2008
What is a WASP?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with gratitude and praise for Him
The Prophet Muhammad (S) made jokes with his Companions, but was careful never to tell lies when doing so and did not make this his natural disposition. In emulation of this Sunnah or practice and hopefully without falling into extremism in this arena I thought I would compile the various moments of mirth I have observed from time to time.
Listening to a programme on the BBC exploring cities that encourage immigration it was looking at one of the most successful cities in the world which happen to be in Canada. One of the experts on the programme illustrated the multi-ethnicity of the city by saying that the percentage of the WASPs was relatively low compared to the USA. I noted with mirth what the acronym stood for: White Anglo Saxon Protestants.
del.icio.us Tags: WASP - White Anglo Saxon Protestants,Canada v USA
Islamic studies in Jeddah
Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with gratitude and praise for Him
There are opportunities to listen to study Islam in Jeddah, but these are not as abundant as in other cities in the country and few well advertised opportunities exist in English. I have tried to list what I am aware of sources and places to learn in English and Arabic primarily. I have briefly touched upon Urdu. Where possible I have tried to clarify the location of places.
Minimising cost in dawah - Asterix opensource IVR
Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with gratitude and praise for Him
Many dawah organisations work on very tight budgets, perhaps even the money that comes from cookie and cake sales! Listening to the BBC I came across this very useful piece of opensource software for organisations who would like to set up an IVR (interactive Voice Response) system on the cheap. The software is being used by humanitarian organisations in Southern Africa. It is called Asterix and is available here.
What makes a good curriculum?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah : In the name of God, with gratitude and praise for Him
With the increasing use of the internet in education, what concerns me a lot are teachers who ask students to 'research' a particular topic on the internet. Initially it sounds quite impressive. But a few moments of thought and a few days of experience reveal two fundamental problems: time & security - this post dwells on the former.
With the increasing use of the internet in education, what concerns me a lot are teachers who ask students to 'research' a particular topic on the internet. Initially it sounds quite impressive. But a few moments of thought and a few days of experience reveal two fundamental problems: time & security - this post dwells on the former.
Friday 19 December 2008
Learning Arabic in Jeddah
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
Learning the host language of a land you have come to helps your integration into that community. Learning Arabic can be quite a challenge to people coming to the Middle East, especially the Gulf. There are various challenges and this article describes my Jeddah experience with this:
Learning the host language of a land you have come to helps your integration into that community. Learning Arabic can be quite a challenge to people coming to the Middle East, especially the Gulf. There are various challenges and this article describes my Jeddah experience with this:
Decline of the Islamic calendar
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
The two Islamic Eids usually witness a great deal of controversy over their precise dates. Proponents mainly in the West argue for the use astronomical calculations to determine the probability of visibility of the new crescent, which marks the beginning of the new month. The method chosen by the Saudi authorities is more simple and relies on the presence of witnesses whose testimony is accepted on oath by a judge. The process by which the Saudi authorities decide which sightings to accept or not is obscure. The lack of public scrutiny of this process only fuels the general suspicion that the process is subject to other factors.
Sunday 14 December 2008
The future of Muslims in the West
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Where the future of Muslims in the West lies is a difficult question to answer but an important one to consider and plan for. I was rustling through my notes when I came across this conversation. I had made a note of it while sitting in a hospital waiting room a few seats away from an elderly white couple in the United Kingdom.
Man: "I went to see a young doctor, he was more like a plumber."
Where the future of Muslims in the West lies is a difficult question to answer but an important one to consider and plan for. I was rustling through my notes when I came across this conversation. I had made a note of it while sitting in a hospital waiting room a few seats away from an elderly white couple in the United Kingdom.
Man: "I went to see a young doctor, he was more like a plumber."
Friday 12 December 2008
The Hajj Trade Fair?
Bismillah alhamdulillah.
Driving back on the long road from the shores of the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea I looked in amazement at the snaking convoy of cars that was stretching over 800 km. Cars laden with overhead luggage and coaches were passing one a second all the way from the outskirts of Riyadh to Makkah. Assuming an average of 5 passengers per vehicle in a period of 12 hours a million pilgrims had driven themselves away from Makkah. The press figures state that the total number of pilgrims this year were 3 million - a staggering figure. Somewhere between 30-60% of this 3 million are pilgrims from outside the Gulf area. This amazing gathering provides an opportunity for furthering links between the various parts of the Muslim world. One such link is trade.
Driving back on the long road from the shores of the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea I looked in amazement at the snaking convoy of cars that was stretching over 800 km. Cars laden with overhead luggage and coaches were passing one a second all the way from the outskirts of Riyadh to Makkah. Assuming an average of 5 passengers per vehicle in a period of 12 hours a million pilgrims had driven themselves away from Makkah. The press figures state that the total number of pilgrims this year were 3 million - a staggering figure. Somewhere between 30-60% of this 3 million are pilgrims from outside the Gulf area. This amazing gathering provides an opportunity for furthering links between the various parts of the Muslim world. One such link is trade.
Saturday 6 December 2008
Hijrah - yes or no?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
A verse in the Quran talks about emigrating or hijrah. Hijrah or emigration from non-Muslim lands to Muslim lands. This had been a topic of much conversation in Muslim circles around a decade ago especially in the West. The enthusiasm and zeal for this idea seems to have died down over the last few years as the reality of emigrating and its hardships has set in bolstered by counter arguments over the overall benefit of hijrah.
Hijrah is not as easy, palatable and in some circles not strictly relevant or a priority in the current climate. At times like this when the pendulum of discussion swings between 'yes' and 'no' the casual observer is lost in the complex mesh of argument and counter-argument. Is hijrah or emigrating an obligation, an obligation that cannot be met hence hence excused, or the opposite as hijrah can lead to worse consequences. The debate naturally occurs at a variety of levels from the scholastic to the common. At times like this contemplation of God's book is a vital source of strength:
A verse in the Quran talks about emigrating or hijrah. Hijrah or emigration from non-Muslim lands to Muslim lands. This had been a topic of much conversation in Muslim circles around a decade ago especially in the West. The enthusiasm and zeal for this idea seems to have died down over the last few years as the reality of emigrating and its hardships has set in bolstered by counter arguments over the overall benefit of hijrah.
Hijrah is not as easy, palatable and in some circles not strictly relevant or a priority in the current climate. At times like this when the pendulum of discussion swings between 'yes' and 'no' the casual observer is lost in the complex mesh of argument and counter-argument. Is hijrah or emigrating an obligation, an obligation that cannot be met hence hence excused, or the opposite as hijrah can lead to worse consequences. The debate naturally occurs at a variety of levels from the scholastic to the common. At times like this contemplation of God's book is a vital source of strength:
Lady Evelyn Cobbold - Muslim convert
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
I found this interesting story in the Saudi Gazette about an artistocratic Scottish lady convert in the late 1800's. She died as a Muslim at the age of 95 in 1963 having performed Hajj at the age of 65. She wrote a book called 'Pilgrimage to Makkah' which has been republished with the more attractive title "From Mayfair to Makkah" . She was buried at her Scottish Highlands estate in Wester Ross with an inscription of the Quran on her gravestone. The following quote describes her process of conversion:
I found this interesting story in the Saudi Gazette about an artistocratic Scottish lady convert in the late 1800's. She died as a Muslim at the age of 95 in 1963 having performed Hajj at the age of 65. She wrote a book called 'Pilgrimage to Makkah' which has been republished with the more attractive title "From Mayfair to Makkah" . She was buried at her Scottish Highlands estate in Wester Ross with an inscription of the Quran on her gravestone. The following quote describes her process of conversion:
Evelyn wrote in “Pilgrimage to Makkah” that she was often asked when and why she became a Muslim, but “I do not know the precise moment when the truth of Islam dawned on me. It seems that I have always been a Muslim.”
A perfect wife
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
A perfect wife
A life without strife
Height compatible though a bit less
Allowing me to impress
Not fat, not thin
Just trim
Beautiful without compare
A harness for my wandering stare
Faith like the Everest
Shrouded by hijabs black and thickest
A wit and education
Coupled with frequent prayers and supplication
A mother of many
A defender of my house and every penny
As for me
I am as you see
Judge me not by my height
And in weight I am not very light
Homework my bane
Washing, hoovering all a pain
Kids are bawling
Mother, mother they are calling
Content to ask for all
Aah, as for me, what I offer is very small
Prayers and supplication wanting
Manners and etiquette awaiting
Bent ribs are my despair
Bent beyond repair
To the distance I turn my gaze
Only to find a misty haze
To the face on my wall I stare
As I realise the cause of my despair.
Found this on a withered old paper. The spidery writing on the page reminded me of a poem I had written in 1994 called `Perfect Wife`, inspired by conversations of those in search of her.
A perfect wife
A life without strife
Height compatible though a bit less
Allowing me to impress
Not fat, not thin
Just trim
Beautiful without compare
A harness for my wandering stare
Faith like the Everest
Shrouded by hijabs black and thickest
A wit and education
Coupled with frequent prayers and supplication
A mother of many
A defender of my house and every penny
As for me
I am as you see
Judge me not by my height
And in weight I am not very light
Homework my bane
Washing, hoovering all a pain
Kids are bawling
Mother, mother they are calling
Content to ask for all
Aah, as for me, what I offer is very small
Prayers and supplication wanting
Manners and etiquette awaiting
Bent ribs are my despair
Bent beyond repair
To the distance I turn my gaze
Only to find a misty haze
To the face on my wall I stare
As I realise the cause of my despair.
Found this on a withered old paper. The spidery writing on the page reminded me of a poem I had written in 1994 called `Perfect Wife`, inspired by conversations of those in search of her.
Call to prayer
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Down I go in full flow, not fast not slow
Through the doors, into the outdoors
The call has come, for everyone
Past the puddle, I trundle
Date tree on my left, of dates bereft
Concrete street, under my feet
Passed Snow White, the clothes so bright
Cars hooting, as they pass driving
Bells ringing, cyclists whizzing
Right at the bins, full of tins
Guarded by cats, in this city of flats
Passed the meat shop, sad chickens awaiting the chop
Left at the chemist, passed the footballers I twist.
The green gates appear, as the world beings to disappear
The second call, reaches me at the wall
Through the simple door, onto the masjid floor
Hands rising, behind me the world is falling
I join my line, at the behest of the Sublime.
Inspired by my daily journey from my flat to the local masjid or mosque in a suburb of Cairo (2004)
Down I go in full flow, not fast not slow
Through the doors, into the outdoors
The call has come, for everyone
Past the puddle, I trundle
Date tree on my left, of dates bereft
Concrete street, under my feet
Passed Snow White, the clothes so bright
Cars hooting, as they pass driving
Bells ringing, cyclists whizzing
Right at the bins, full of tins
Guarded by cats, in this city of flats
Passed the meat shop, sad chickens awaiting the chop
Left at the chemist, passed the footballers I twist.
The green gates appear, as the world beings to disappear
The second call, reaches me at the wall
Through the simple door, onto the masjid floor
Hands rising, behind me the world is falling
I join my line, at the behest of the Sublime.
Inspired by my daily journey from my flat to the local masjid or mosque in a suburb of Cairo (2004)
Arabic dreams
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Glittering world
Promises you hurl
False and broken
But covered and well spun
Like insects in dizzying pace
We rush to your embrace
To the source of your light
Its fiery embers lost to our sight
To a barren desert I run
To citadels of chaos and mayhem
Wonder you why?
What attracts my eye?
A drop of belief
Propels me to a reef
In this stormy ocean
Questing the eternal potion
There I know
Lies the elixir so
Covered in runes and reams
Of Arabic dreams
Keys to the hearts delight
If only you knew then you might
Join me in my journey
To The Subtle and His company
A poetic response to 'Why learn Arabic?' (2004)
Glittering world
Promises you hurl
False and broken
But covered and well spun
Like insects in dizzying pace
We rush to your embrace
To the source of your light
Its fiery embers lost to our sight
To a barren desert I run
To citadels of chaos and mayhem
Wonder you why?
What attracts my eye?
A drop of belief
Propels me to a reef
In this stormy ocean
Questing the eternal potion
There I know
Lies the elixir so
Covered in runes and reams
Of Arabic dreams
Keys to the hearts delight
If only you knew then you might
Join me in my journey
To The Subtle and His company
A poetic response to 'Why learn Arabic?' (2004)
Can you hear the sound?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
Metal birds soaring in the sky,
Featureless and droning on high,
As an afterthought they discharge their burden,
To the earth with death laden,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Past the buildings rising tall,
Onto brother and sister they hurtle,
Gifts wrapped in shiny metal,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Was it a scream or a cry in a blackened mall?
Their blood paints road and rail,
As bodies turn ghastly pale,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Drowned out by jaguars screaming their call,
Collateral is the name,
Warriors charging or children chanting, it`s all the same,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Perhaps a few words hidden and small,
In a maze of media, reports scatter,
Ten or a hundred does it matter?
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Silence! They command in every hall,
Tears and cries are solely theirs,
Multiplied into a world of nightmares,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Is there only silence as we reach the wall?
Voices drowned and downed,
Among scattered ashes on the ground.
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Is there any that will call?
Or lift a hand,
And make a stand?
On behalf of the silent ones (2005).
Metal birds soaring in the sky,
Featureless and droning on high,
As an afterthought they discharge their burden,
To the earth with death laden,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Past the buildings rising tall,
Onto brother and sister they hurtle,
Gifts wrapped in shiny metal,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Was it a scream or a cry in a blackened mall?
Their blood paints road and rail,
As bodies turn ghastly pale,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Drowned out by jaguars screaming their call,
Collateral is the name,
Warriors charging or children chanting, it`s all the same,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Perhaps a few words hidden and small,
In a maze of media, reports scatter,
Ten or a hundred does it matter?
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Silence! They command in every hall,
Tears and cries are solely theirs,
Multiplied into a world of nightmares,
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Is there only silence as we reach the wall?
Voices drowned and downed,
Among scattered ashes on the ground.
Can you hear the sound as they fall?
Is there any that will call?
Or lift a hand,
And make a stand?
On behalf of the silent ones (2005).
Tuesday 2 December 2008
Poem - Clocks on Walls
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Clocks tick quietly on walls,
Waiting as His decree falls,
Eyes shed tears,
Hearts beat between hopes and fears.
Minds running through a maze,
Seeking light through the haze,
Reflections we begin to see,
As we learn what is empathy.
To Our Lord Most High and Merciful,
Supplications rise hopeful,
For our blessed Prophet we first pray,
Now understanding comes like the first break of day.
In every face of life,
He stands a guide for a world with tests rife,
Was it not his son Ibrahim?
A source of tears on a face so pristine.
O Allah on your blessed Prophet`s face,
We ask Your blessings and peace to grace,
Yesterday patience was knowledge,
Today in the practical world for it we forage.
To our Lord, Most High,
We turn, never questioning `Why?`
Gratitude we learn through His design,
Through it the fortuitous see the divine.
To beautiful hearts praying to the Knower of the Unseen,
May the angels bless your efforts with their aameen,
From destiny to destiny we flee,
Our hearts tipped with hope of our Lord`s Mercy.
Inspired by by the struggle of a small one (2005).
Clocks tick quietly on walls,
Waiting as His decree falls,
Eyes shed tears,
Hearts beat between hopes and fears.
Minds running through a maze,
Seeking light through the haze,
Reflections we begin to see,
As we learn what is empathy.
To Our Lord Most High and Merciful,
Supplications rise hopeful,
For our blessed Prophet we first pray,
Now understanding comes like the first break of day.
In every face of life,
He stands a guide for a world with tests rife,
Was it not his son Ibrahim?
A source of tears on a face so pristine.
O Allah on your blessed Prophet`s face,
We ask Your blessings and peace to grace,
Yesterday patience was knowledge,
Today in the practical world for it we forage.
To our Lord, Most High,
We turn, never questioning `Why?`
Gratitude we learn through His design,
Through it the fortuitous see the divine.
To beautiful hearts praying to the Knower of the Unseen,
May the angels bless your efforts with their aameen,
From destiny to destiny we flee,
Our hearts tipped with hope of our Lord`s Mercy.
Inspired by by the struggle of a small one (2005).
Sunday 30 November 2008
Living and studying in Egypt
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
This is a rather long post, it is an archive version of some old Egypt posts that some may still find useful. They are dated 2004/5 so some changes are to be expected. I never got a chance to write about health, visas and attitudes.
A brief word on health: most pharmacists are doctors and the first point of call for people in Egypt. Sadly polypharmacy comes easily to doctors in Egypt. Avoid the government hospitals for any major problems (operations etc.) my experience was very poor. Two hospitals that I had a good and very good experience with respectively were with the American Hospital and Cleopatra. Note you need to have place a hefty deposit up-front usually around 10-20 thousand Egyptian pounds on admission. They do accept credit/debit cards.
An even briefer word on visas, renewal of visas is possible at the Home Ministry or known as the Mugammah, it is somewhere in the city centre, near the American University of Cairo and a stones throw from the British Airways office. There is a nice bookstore in the American University of Cairo and is worthwhile visiting at least once for dictionaries and modern Arabic literature.
A final addendum on attitude. Everyone seems to have a different experience in Egypt, but foreigners, once recognised as so, are usually targeted as fountains of money and exploitation is the general rule of thumb. The attitude problem is unfortunately accentuated when the foreigners are black, sadly reflecting quite a racist under current amongst the general public. Personally I came away with a very positive impression of Egypt and its people but on talking to many other fellow travellers found this was not the majority experience.
The following sections had been covered and have been included in this post further down
Taxi!
Soaring temperatures in the middle of July
Expenses in Egypt (Part 1) Money
Expenses in Egypt (Part 2) Study
Expenses in Egypt (Part 3) Types of Accommodation
Expenses in Egypt (Part 4) Infrastructure
Expenses in Egypt (Part 5) Rental and Equipment Prices
Expenses in Egypt (Part 6) Bawwabs and Fix-it men
Expenses in Egypt (Part 7) Safety Culture
Expenses in Egypt (Part 8) Transport & Communication
Expenses in Egypt (Part 9) Daily Living Expenses
This is a rather long post, it is an archive version of some old Egypt posts that some may still find useful. They are dated 2004/5 so some changes are to be expected. I never got a chance to write about health, visas and attitudes.
A brief word on health: most pharmacists are doctors and the first point of call for people in Egypt. Sadly polypharmacy comes easily to doctors in Egypt. Avoid the government hospitals for any major problems (operations etc.) my experience was very poor. Two hospitals that I had a good and very good experience with respectively were with the American Hospital and Cleopatra. Note you need to have place a hefty deposit up-front usually around 10-20 thousand Egyptian pounds on admission. They do accept credit/debit cards.
An even briefer word on visas, renewal of visas is possible at the Home Ministry or known as the Mugammah, it is somewhere in the city centre, near the American University of Cairo and a stones throw from the British Airways office. There is a nice bookstore in the American University of Cairo and is worthwhile visiting at least once for dictionaries and modern Arabic literature.
A final addendum on attitude. Everyone seems to have a different experience in Egypt, but foreigners, once recognised as so, are usually targeted as fountains of money and exploitation is the general rule of thumb. The attitude problem is unfortunately accentuated when the foreigners are black, sadly reflecting quite a racist under current amongst the general public. Personally I came away with a very positive impression of Egypt and its people but on talking to many other fellow travellers found this was not the majority experience.
The following sections had been covered and have been included in this post further down
Taxi!
Soaring temperatures in the middle of July
Expenses in Egypt (Part 1) Money
Expenses in Egypt (Part 2) Study
Expenses in Egypt (Part 3) Types of Accommodation
Expenses in Egypt (Part 4) Infrastructure
Expenses in Egypt (Part 5) Rental and Equipment Prices
Expenses in Egypt (Part 6) Bawwabs and Fix-it men
Expenses in Egypt (Part 7) Safety Culture
Expenses in Egypt (Part 8) Transport & Communication
Expenses in Egypt (Part 9) Daily Living Expenses
Wednesday 26 November 2008
Driving in Saudi Arabia - Roundabouts and gaps
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
According to the Wikipedia: "roundabouts are statistically safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections", they are supposed to have 40% fewer collisions, 80% fewer injuries and 90% fewer fatalities compared with intersections they replaced. It will not come as a surprise that roundabouts gained popularity post the 1960s when British traffic engineers assessed their safety compared to intersections.
Translating these findings traffic engineers in Saudi Arabia have introduced these ideas onto roads in Jeddah and other major cities. Whether the safety record of roundabouts in Saudi compare well to the safety of roundabouts in other countries is highly debatable.
The picture below shows a sign indicating to whom preference should be given. In English it clearly reads 'PRIORITY FOR CARS INSIDE THE ROUNDABOUT', though the Arabic version of the signs says priority is for cars which are بداخل 'in' or it could be understood as 'entering' the roundabout. This may be one of the reasons contributing to the confusion at roundabouts.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="286" caption="A possibly confusing sign in Arabic at a rondabout"]
[/caption]
A typical approach to a roundabout in Saudi is to speed up and play a game of brinkmanship. The usual approach speed for a roundabout is a minimum speed of 60 km/hr with the average being around 80 km/hr. Drivers entering the roundabout assume they have priority and zoom straight on.
It does not take rocket science to work out that the result is a mess of weaving cars, near misses and accidents. Though it may seem illogical the received wisdom of drivers in general is to be as aggressive as possible at roundabouts and to play a high stakes-hit brakes late policy. This usually results in some heart stopping moments but seems to add to the general thrill of driving in Saudi Arabia. The tactic of going slow and obeying the rules is generally counterproductive and more likely to results in an accident.
On the bright side roundabouts provide an outlet for artistic expression. Various roundabouts are adorned with giant geometrical structures or everyday objects. A sort of modern art. The word for roundabout is دوار dawwar though official signs use the word ميدان maidaan which is best translated as square. In keeping with Islamic norms statues are not found at such roundabouts, instead geometrical and other forms of valid Islamic artistic expression are given life, though some leave you wondering what exactly is going on. As in the picture below of a large roundabout on 'Malik Road', this is a large roundabout with what looks like a set of sails in the middle.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="244" caption="The sails of a ship on a roundabout"]
[/caption]
If your over 30 you may remember a cartoon called Wacky Races, well driving in Saudi Arabia is quite a bit like that. The concept of lanes as discussed in the previous post does not exist. The golden rule is testosterone driven and involves trying to take advatnage of any gap no matter how small or dangerous that lies ahead. Here is one common undertaking manoeuvre special as demonstrated by the driver of a white Humvee.
A white Humvee notices a small gap to squeeze through on the inside lane
The Humvee decides to increase the efficiency of lane usage as both cars share the inner lane
The black four wheel drive is forced aside as the Humvee pulls past
Given this general attitude when driving and the knowledge that side impacts pose greater danger to occupants than rear and front collisions, it is a reasonable policy to use the car as a defensive sheild. Imagine you are a Formula 1 driver and make sure you have plugged all gaps sufficiently well when driving, if not do not be surprised if someone is trying to squeeze through.
According to the Wikipedia: "roundabouts are statistically safer than both traffic circles and traditional intersections", they are supposed to have 40% fewer collisions, 80% fewer injuries and 90% fewer fatalities compared with intersections they replaced. It will not come as a surprise that roundabouts gained popularity post the 1960s when British traffic engineers assessed their safety compared to intersections.
Translating these findings traffic engineers in Saudi Arabia have introduced these ideas onto roads in Jeddah and other major cities. Whether the safety record of roundabouts in Saudi compare well to the safety of roundabouts in other countries is highly debatable.
The picture below shows a sign indicating to whom preference should be given. In English it clearly reads 'PRIORITY FOR CARS INSIDE THE ROUNDABOUT', though the Arabic version of the signs says priority is for cars which are بداخل 'in' or it could be understood as 'entering' the roundabout. This may be one of the reasons contributing to the confusion at roundabouts.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="286" caption="A possibly confusing sign in Arabic at a rondabout"]
[/caption]A typical approach to a roundabout in Saudi is to speed up and play a game of brinkmanship. The usual approach speed for a roundabout is a minimum speed of 60 km/hr with the average being around 80 km/hr. Drivers entering the roundabout assume they have priority and zoom straight on.
It does not take rocket science to work out that the result is a mess of weaving cars, near misses and accidents. Though it may seem illogical the received wisdom of drivers in general is to be as aggressive as possible at roundabouts and to play a high stakes-hit brakes late policy. This usually results in some heart stopping moments but seems to add to the general thrill of driving in Saudi Arabia. The tactic of going slow and obeying the rules is generally counterproductive and more likely to results in an accident.
On the bright side roundabouts provide an outlet for artistic expression. Various roundabouts are adorned with giant geometrical structures or everyday objects. A sort of modern art. The word for roundabout is دوار dawwar though official signs use the word ميدان maidaan which is best translated as square. In keeping with Islamic norms statues are not found at such roundabouts, instead geometrical and other forms of valid Islamic artistic expression are given life, though some leave you wondering what exactly is going on. As in the picture below of a large roundabout on 'Malik Road', this is a large roundabout with what looks like a set of sails in the middle.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="244" caption="The sails of a ship on a roundabout"]
[/caption]If your over 30 you may remember a cartoon called Wacky Races, well driving in Saudi Arabia is quite a bit like that. The concept of lanes as discussed in the previous post does not exist. The golden rule is testosterone driven and involves trying to take advatnage of any gap no matter how small or dangerous that lies ahead. Here is one common undertaking manoeuvre special as demonstrated by the driver of a white Humvee.
A white Humvee notices a small gap to squeeze through on the inside lane
The Humvee decides to increase the efficiency of lane usage as both cars share the inner lane
The black four wheel drive is forced aside as the Humvee pulls past
Given this general attitude when driving and the knowledge that side impacts pose greater danger to occupants than rear and front collisions, it is a reasonable policy to use the car as a defensive sheild. Imagine you are a Formula 1 driver and make sure you have plugged all gaps sufficiently well when driving, if not do not be surprised if someone is trying to squeeze through.
Wednesday 19 November 2008
Driving in Saudi Arabia - Lanes
Within the first few hours once the new comer to Saudi Arabia has circumnavigated the various barriers to entering the country S/he will usually be greeted with a friend, company car or a taxi to ferry him from the airport to their residence. This is where the literal ‘crash’ course in driving begins. The fast journey with the weaving through queues of cars and skipping into the lane the exists between lanes is the visitors first impression. As the days pass and precariously weave themselves together into a greater tapestry a deeper understanding of driving in Saudi Arabia begins to dawn. I thought I would pen down all the various observations that have come to mind as the months have melded together.
The first thing one has to realise when driving is that the various lane markings that may or may not appear on various road surfaces are an after thought and should not be followed strictly. Strictly following a lane increases your chances of having a collision. The faulty assumption is that the other drivers on the road follow the lane markings. The key to driving on the various roads is to keep one’s peripheral vision trained on the bonnet of the car on your side and its proximity to your door. Keep this distance a constant and watch out for rapid manouvres especially near slowing traffic. Perhaps it is the slowing traffic though I am not sure this is the only factor, certain drivers are clearly mesmerised by the road ahead and think they are driving a snake rather than a car and attempt to slither through the traffic.
In general ignore the lane markings and aim to keep the distance between your car and the one next to it constant. On big roads this is easiest to do on the outside or fast lane. On roads within the city it is best to stick to the middle of the road. The advantage of doing this is soon realised within a few days of driving around. Usually in countries where driving rules are better followed feeder roads joining a main road have a give way sign and cars slow down or stop and wait for the main road to be clear before joining. Here it is quite common practice for cars to swing onto the main road with little regard for what is coming down the main road. It is is assumed that the inside lane (furthest away from the other side) is always empty. Sticking like a good driver to the slow inside lane will increase your chances dramatically of being hit sooner or later by a car.
The outside lane, is also a bit of a headache within the cities. Most of the large cities have a one way system, with the occasional ‘U’ turns which allow cars to change lanes. When cars wish to change their direction they use these U turns to turn around, unfortunately nobody seems to have realised that the cars entering the U turn are in the outside or fast lane of the large roads. As you are merrily driving down you may suddenly notice that the large queue of cars in front of you are actually stationery and not moving. Be prepared to hit the brakes though not too sharply as drivers tend not to observe the car in front that carefully.
One of the often used ‘cheat sheet’ methods at a ‘U’ turn is to come on the middle lane upto the ‘U’ past the long queue of cars trying to turn and then take a left into the ‘U’ turn, watch out out for this maneouvre when driving in the middle lane.
On smaller roads where the roads are not one way, the going and coming lanes are further blurred and it is not an uncommon sight to see a car venturing down the ‘wrong’ side of the road. The best policy in these situations is to slow down rather than choose the wrong lane and allow the approaching car to whizz around you. Most drivers in these parts tend to think they can whizz around any barriers like a fly zooming around someone’s head, unfortunately when both drivers heading in opposite directions have this mentality it tends to lead to mid-road collisions.
Other lanes that you may not realise but do exist especially on the various highways are the service lane on the inside and the patch of desert on the outside. Both are used quite often as traffic density increases especially on the way to popular destinations such as Makkah. If you happen to look in the rear view mirror and see a cloud of dust coming up on the outside lane, that is usually someone driving faster than everyone in the outer lane but along the desert track. Other places where an extra lane is squeezed out is the small gap between the outside lane and the crash barrier on the Jeddah-Makkah highway. It is a daily sight to find people flashing away at the car in front and overtaking squeezing through gap between the cars in the outside lane and the crash barrier. In such conditions miscalculations are not infrequent and it is best to avoid this outer lane when traffic is moving at high speed, in particular on the Jeddah Makkah highway.
Next post, God willing, will be on the art of round abouts.
Lane markings
The first thing one has to realise when driving is that the various lane markings that may or may not appear on various road surfaces are an after thought and should not be followed strictly. Strictly following a lane increases your chances of having a collision. The faulty assumption is that the other drivers on the road follow the lane markings. The key to driving on the various roads is to keep one’s peripheral vision trained on the bonnet of the car on your side and its proximity to your door. Keep this distance a constant and watch out for rapid manouvres especially near slowing traffic. Perhaps it is the slowing traffic though I am not sure this is the only factor, certain drivers are clearly mesmerised by the road ahead and think they are driving a snake rather than a car and attempt to slither through the traffic.In general ignore the lane markings and aim to keep the distance between your car and the one next to it constant. On big roads this is easiest to do on the outside or fast lane. On roads within the city it is best to stick to the middle of the road. The advantage of doing this is soon realised within a few days of driving around. Usually in countries where driving rules are better followed feeder roads joining a main road have a give way sign and cars slow down or stop and wait for the main road to be clear before joining. Here it is quite common practice for cars to swing onto the main road with little regard for what is coming down the main road. It is is assumed that the inside lane (furthest away from the other side) is always empty. Sticking like a good driver to the slow inside lane will increase your chances dramatically of being hit sooner or later by a car.
The outside lane, is also a bit of a headache within the cities. Most of the large cities have a one way system, with the occasional ‘U’ turns which allow cars to change lanes. When cars wish to change their direction they use these U turns to turn around, unfortunately nobody seems to have realised that the cars entering the U turn are in the outside or fast lane of the large roads. As you are merrily driving down you may suddenly notice that the large queue of cars in front of you are actually stationery and not moving. Be prepared to hit the brakes though not too sharply as drivers tend not to observe the car in front that carefully.
One of the often used ‘cheat sheet’ methods at a ‘U’ turn is to come on the middle lane upto the ‘U’ past the long queue of cars trying to turn and then take a left into the ‘U’ turn, watch out out for this maneouvre when driving in the middle lane.
On smaller roads where the roads are not one way, the going and coming lanes are further blurred and it is not an uncommon sight to see a car venturing down the ‘wrong’ side of the road. The best policy in these situations is to slow down rather than choose the wrong lane and allow the approaching car to whizz around you. Most drivers in these parts tend to think they can whizz around any barriers like a fly zooming around someone’s head, unfortunately when both drivers heading in opposite directions have this mentality it tends to lead to mid-road collisions.
Other lanes that you may not realise but do exist especially on the various highways are the service lane on the inside and the patch of desert on the outside. Both are used quite often as traffic density increases especially on the way to popular destinations such as Makkah. If you happen to look in the rear view mirror and see a cloud of dust coming up on the outside lane, that is usually someone driving faster than everyone in the outer lane but along the desert track. Other places where an extra lane is squeezed out is the small gap between the outside lane and the crash barrier on the Jeddah-Makkah highway. It is a daily sight to find people flashing away at the car in front and overtaking squeezing through gap between the cars in the outside lane and the crash barrier. In such conditions miscalculations are not infrequent and it is best to avoid this outer lane when traffic is moving at high speed, in particular on the Jeddah Makkah highway.
Next post, God willing, will be on the art of round abouts.
Monday 10 November 2008
Knowledge v Experience
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
"Knowledge is knowing how things work, experience is knowing how things don't work."
"Knowledge is knowing how things work, experience is knowing how things don't work."
Sunday 9 November 2008
Poem - Kings
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Like the smile of a man dying and old
Teeth brazen and bold
Pompous fountain relating stories
Reliving an age gone of past glories
The rest of the building stands by
Humbled by the blackness slowly rising high
Lost in the shards of infinity
Our hearts in their vicinity
A dull beat against the cold
Our hearts stained and rusted since old
Lamps draped in black gowns
Mortar boards and two towns
The mythology self fulfilling
The masses ever following
Devoid of schism a panacea they paint
The truth reduced to a tapestry faint
But never shall the twain
Abide with each other in refrain
Live and let live their call
But far short of Him they fall
O sweet Granada and Spain
Do you witness this tragedy and pain?
Little do we learn
From history and its return.
A poem after visiting King's College, Cambridge (1989)
Like the smile of a man dying and old
Teeth brazen and bold
Pompous fountain relating stories
Reliving an age gone of past glories
The rest of the building stands by
Humbled by the blackness slowly rising high
Lost in the shards of infinity
Our hearts in their vicinity
A dull beat against the cold
Our hearts stained and rusted since old
Lamps draped in black gowns
Mortar boards and two towns
The mythology self fulfilling
The masses ever following
Devoid of schism a panacea they paint
The truth reduced to a tapestry faint
But never shall the twain
Abide with each other in refrain
Live and let live their call
But far short of Him they fall
O sweet Granada and Spain
Do you witness this tragedy and pain?
Little do we learn
From history and its return.
A poem after visiting King's College, Cambridge (1989)
Saturday 8 November 2008
Poem - Trinity College
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Distant echoes of a hammer beating
An eye blinks watching
The staccato of heels clicking
On cobbles pathetic silently mourning
Graceful towers rising
Hands of a clock ticking
A fountain flowing
Hearts leaning and yearning
Behind veils of ignorance hiding
If they knew tears streaming
They would have been weeping
Footsteps silent I am leaving
The fountain falters and restarts waiting
A short poem after visiting Trinity College, Cambridge (1989)
Distant echoes of a hammer beating
An eye blinks watching
The staccato of heels clicking
On cobbles pathetic silently mourning
Graceful towers rising
Hands of a clock ticking
A fountain flowing
Hearts leaning and yearning
Behind veils of ignorance hiding
If they knew tears streaming
They would have been weeping
Footsteps silent I am leaving
The fountain falters and restarts waiting
A short poem after visiting Trinity College, Cambridge (1989)
Wednesday 5 November 2008
Poem - Desire
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Desire directs that wondrous eye
To every bright sight low or high
Ploughing through a heart in toil
Soul rent and ripped apart in turmoil
Screaming voices shout
Straining as their ropes pull taut
Footsteps falter
Minds mulling upon an altar
Columns close to collapse shudder
As hands strain at the rudder
Ego and hero embrace in enthrall
Continuous in motion till the final fall
Desire directs that wondrous eye
To every bright sight low or high
Ploughing through a heart in toil
Soul rent and ripped apart in turmoil
Screaming voices shout
Straining as their ropes pull taut
Footsteps falter
Minds mulling upon an altar
Columns close to collapse shudder
As hands strain at the rudder
Ego and hero embrace in enthrall
Continuous in motion till the final fall
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Poem - Obama or McCain?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Obama or McCain?
The choice is really plain
The world waits on hold
Hoping for a favourable poll
Not only in the US of A
Will they spend the whole day
Glued to net and screen
Awaiting the play's final scene
Perhaps the world will witness
Messiah Obama's promise
Or McCain with cheeks round
With side kick palin' around
But past the tears
That every looser fears
The world stands in hope
For breadth of vision and scope
But what tomorrow brings
A sage voice in warning rings
Temper with reality not emotion
For titans turn not in mid-motion
To the real One we implore
Bring him to the fore
Whose harm is less
To those under the titan's duress
Obama or McCain?
The choice is really plain
The world waits on hold
Hoping for a favourable poll
Not only in the US of A
Will they spend the whole day
Glued to net and screen
Awaiting the play's final scene
Perhaps the world will witness
Messiah Obama's promise
Or McCain with cheeks round
With side kick palin' around
But past the tears
That every looser fears
The world stands in hope
For breadth of vision and scope
But what tomorrow brings
A sage voice in warning rings
Temper with reality not emotion
For titans turn not in mid-motion
To the real One we implore
Bring him to the fore
Whose harm is less
To those under the titan's duress
Poem - Cadaver (51D)
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Your body an enigma
With scalpel and knife
I shall slit thee without rife
Innards captured no more a dogma
Full of hope and glory
To your pages I seek
Flesh bound in fibres sleek
Timeless melodies I play
With a sharpened bow of steel
Silent notes arise
Lamenting in anguish it cries
As muscles I peel
Figure once hidden from prying eyes
Now open, in front of me it lies
Like hands that cast aside a reddened veil
Rivers of blood run dry
Streams and lakes parched
Winding pathways sheathed
Upon which messengers ride
On fiery steeds with lightning at their side
Now no hoof beats pound
The shudders of life, shattered
Left a silent noise
A warning to prying eyes
Your body an enigma
With scalpel and knife
I shall slit thee without rife
Innards captured no more a dogma
Full of hope and glory
To your pages I seek
Flesh bound in fibres sleek
Timeless melodies I play
With a sharpened bow of steel
Silent notes arise
Lamenting in anguish it cries
As muscles I peel
Figure once hidden from prying eyes
Now open, in front of me it lies
Like hands that cast aside a reddened veil
Rivers of blood run dry
Streams and lakes parched
Winding pathways sheathed
Upon which messengers ride
On fiery steeds with lightning at their side
Now no hoof beats pound
The shudders of life, shattered
Left a silent noise
A warning to prying eyes
Saturday 1 November 2008
Quranic Pearls: Intercession & even - connection?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Reading verse 85 from the fourth surah (Al-Nisaa' - Women.) I was puzzled by the words in red:
مَّن يَشْفَع شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقِيتًا (4:85 )
85. Whoever recommends and helps a good cause becomes a partner therein: And whoever recommends and helps an evil cause, shares in its burden: And Allah hath power over all things. [Yusuf Ali]The above is Yusuf Ali's rendition of this verse. A literal translation will probably show what I found puzzling:
Whoever intercedes (yashfa') an intercession (shafaa'ah) of good there is for him a portion from it, and whoever intercedes (yashfa') an intercession (shafaa'ah) of evil there is for him a portion from it. And Allah is over everything capable.
What I found puzzling was the use of the verb يشفع yashfa' (to intercede) and its related noun شفاعة shafaa'ah (intercession). My brain paused at this point and tried to work out what was meant by intercession here. The commentaries of Sayyid Tantawi and Fath al-Qadeer combined to offer a very nice linguistic explanation of this word. The verb yashfa' is derived from the noun شفع shaf' or even, as opposed to odd. It may leave you wondering what the connection between even and intercession is?Every even number can be thought of as a paired number. This is the key to the link, the pairing number can be thought of as aiding or helping the odd number to become even. Hence the meaning of intercession: 'the act of mediation through speech to help someone achieve something beneficial or save him from something harmful, whether in this world or the next'.
It brings to my mind the picture of someone pairing with someone to help them carry out their deed - good or bad to greater effect. The imagery of the Quran never ceases to amaze me:
ربنا زدنا علما O our Lord increase us in knowledge.
Wednesday 29 October 2008
36 'C'-crets of successful teamwork
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
Ever wanted to stop that routine job you are doing and start a business? Or start a group to do something useful in life, parent-teachers association, charity club etc. Perhaps the wages are not good, the lifestyle not what you want, the freedom to live according to your schedule rather than be at the beck and call of others, an impulse to help others. Whatever the reason is or isn't, the next step is to think about how you would do it. Solo, partnership, limited company etc. The list of possibilities can be confusing and the two that seem intuitive to most people are either going solo or doing it together with others. It is the second that I wish to share my 36 'C'-crets about.
Not really a mnemonic fan but finding them sometimes useful I wondered if I could put enough words beginning with the letter 'C' to describe what are the key ingredients to a successful partnership. I don't think these are just applicable to partnerships in business but any endeavour in which people work together in teams. As my source of inspiration I have drawn upon the world's greatest example of teamwork, the life and times of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his 'co-workers', the Companions.
Ever wanted to stop that routine job you are doing and start a business? Or start a group to do something useful in life, parent-teachers association, charity club etc. Perhaps the wages are not good, the lifestyle not what you want, the freedom to live according to your schedule rather than be at the beck and call of others, an impulse to help others. Whatever the reason is or isn't, the next step is to think about how you would do it. Solo, partnership, limited company etc. The list of possibilities can be confusing and the two that seem intuitive to most people are either going solo or doing it together with others. It is the second that I wish to share my 36 'C'-crets about.
Not really a mnemonic fan but finding them sometimes useful I wondered if I could put enough words beginning with the letter 'C' to describe what are the key ingredients to a successful partnership. I don't think these are just applicable to partnerships in business but any endeavour in which people work together in teams. As my source of inspiration I have drawn upon the world's greatest example of teamwork, the life and times of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his 'co-workers', the Companions.
| Caution | In balanced measure to avoid being reckless but not too much to avoid being timid. |
| Challenge | All the team members, let everyone feel they can hold the others to account and give them the space to do so. The so called 360 degree feedback. |
| Chance | Exploiting chances when they arise. |
| Clarity | Of what is expected. Why are you doing this? What are the main aims? Money, quality of life, altruism, Allah? |
| Class | A touch of class - your USP (Unique Selling Point) |
| Cognizance | Of the idea, preferably through your own experience in such a field. |
| Co-location | For an idea to take off face to face interaction between team members is best. |
| Combative | spirit to fight and struggle against the barriers that inevitably occur. |
| Combustion | Money that needs to be burned before the business is self supporting. You need to keep your business, self, family going through the initial lean times. Somewhere around 2 years. |
| Comfort | Of knowing you have the support of those near and dear. If your wife is dead against the idea – think again. |
| Commitment | 100% - No backing out. Burn your boat, no going back. Have a do-or-die mentality. |
| Communication | Channels between team members should be open and it should be regular. No going off and doing your own thing |
| Companions | Want for your brother what you want for yourself. Think about your team members and they will think of you. |
| Compatibility | Are the team members compatible? Choose carefully when you start, you might be great in limited situations but when the going gets tough you’ll really find out who you are dealing with. Acid tests: do business with a guy, travel with him, be his neighbour. This was the advice given by the second Caliph Umar. |
| Competition | Knowing the competition inside out, but not overstepping the boundaries. |
| Complete | Transparency 100% transparency required in business dealings with the team members especially where money is involved. |
| Compliant | Is the idea halaal (legal)? |
| Compos Mentis et Valetudo | Sound of health and mind, business is very stressful, best done if your fit and well. |
| Comprehension | Thorough comprehension of the task involved and its requirements. |
| Concentration | No multiple ideas. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid principle), start simple and build up. |
| Confession | In your own weaknesses. |
| Confidence | In your idea and your own willingness to succeed |
| Confidential | Don't tell the world until you are ready. |
| Conscience | of Allah’s laws and the rights of fellow man. |
| Consensus | Don’t ram rod your ideas on others, get them on board and listen. In your meetings ask yourself ‘Am I listening or am I waiting to speak?’ |
| Consistency | Of effort of work. Remember the last 20% of effort will take 80% of your time. |
| Contingency | Planning, what to do if things go wrong. |
| Control | Believing that the locus of control i.e. the ability to change starts with you and is not in someone else’s hands. What a friend of mine called tawakkul juice. |
| Conviction | Of Allah's help. |
| Cooperation | Obvious but true! |
| Cordiality | Partners fall out, the best get back together and become stronger. |
| Courage | In leaping into the unknown |
| Courtesy | To all those around you - co-worker, competitors and customers. Good manners can win the world. |
| Co-vision | No pulling in different directions. |
| Crafty | Ready to change or add ideas depending on opportunities. |
| Cultivation | of new ideas, talent and the next generation. |
المشاكل في تعليم اللغة
كما يعلم الطالب تعلم اللغة أمر مستمر وبوصول الطالب إلى الجامعة لقد حصّل بدون تعب وشعور على وفير من الكلمات. ومن المشاكل الرئيسية التي يواجهها الطالب في تعلم اللغة الجديدة هو معرفة الكلمات الجديدة فهما ونطقا. لقد طلعت في الشبكة العالمية على ملخص للرسالة يركز على هذه المشكلة ويقدم بعد الاقتراحات المفيدة لتعليم الكلمات الجديدة.
من الجميل في هذه الرسالة أن من تعلم ألفي كلمة فقط سيمكّن من معرفة حاولي ثمانين بالمائة من الكلمات في ما يقرأ. والكلمة في الرسالة تشبه ما تكون من المصدر ومشتقاته. لكن للأسف المتبقي من الكلمات العشرون بالمائة مفتاح لفهم الجملة. وللتمكن من تخمين معنى الكلمات المتبقية يحتاج الطالب أكثر. يحتاج معرفة خمسا وتسعين بالمائة من الكلمات في الجملة.
وللحصول على تلك القدرة يحتاج الى حفظ أكثر من ثلاثة آلاف كلمة - بمعنى الكلمة سبق. أتمنى أن يكون ما سبق مناسبا للغة العربية. نعم هذه الرسالة طويلة المحتوي لكنها مهمة لمن يهتم بهذا المجال خاصة لمن يحاول أن يصل إلى درجة الطلاقة في اللسان تساوي درجة الخريج بنسبة معرفة الكلمات وهو 20000 كلمة
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Poem: Teachers
Bismillah, alhamdulillah:
Teachers
How quickly time flows
Racing along class rows
Red ink lace
Black in its embrace
Pupil cacophonies echo
Parents in constant woe
Try their best with scion
As hours roll on and on
‘Unrecognised are we!’
Voices echo in unity
Perhaps you shall know
As buds bloom and grow
Once stems into trunks turn
Shall you remember and yearn
But who is left beyond the pause
To listen to the dying applause?
Teachers
How quickly time flows
Racing along class rows
Red ink lace
Black in its embrace
Pupil cacophonies echo
Parents in constant woe
Try their best with scion
As hours roll on and on
‘Unrecognised are we!’
Voices echo in unity
Perhaps you shall know
As buds bloom and grow
Once stems into trunks turn
Shall you remember and yearn
But who is left beyond the pause
To listen to the dying applause?
The little boy in the mosque
Bismillah, alhamdulillah
I see him running,
Hands in the air waving,
Through the double glazed door,
Heedless and rushing like the day before.
His small head looks up at the racks,
Eyeing a gap between shoes and backpacks,
To the highest rack his hands can rise,
He places his slippers in a gap caught by his dancing eyes,
Once again through a second set of doors,
Quickly he dashes the patter of feet as he goes,
Joining a line he stands,
Just as His Lord commands,
Hands he folds on his tummy then his chest,
He wonders as they slide up and down which spot is best,
Then as if he hears a voice reminding,
He raises them to his ears rewinding to the beginning.
I see him running,
Hands in the air waving,
Through the double glazed door,
Heedless and rushing like the day before.
His small head looks up at the racks,
Eyeing a gap between shoes and backpacks,
To the highest rack his hands can rise,
He places his slippers in a gap caught by his dancing eyes,
Once again through a second set of doors,
Quickly he dashes the patter of feet as he goes,
Joining a line he stands,
Just as His Lord commands,
Hands he folds on his tummy then his chest,
He wonders as they slide up and down which spot is best,
Then as if he hears a voice reminding,
He raises them to his ears rewinding to the beginning.
Saturday 25 October 2008
Visa run - UAE to Oman Hatta border
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
As the rules currently stand in the UAE British passport holders can enter the country quite easily. They get a free visit visa which lasts for 60 days. If you would like to stay beyond this period then you have the option of getting a long term residency visa which lasts 3 years. You are qualified to get one if you find a job or purchase accommodation.
Like most other countries in the Middle East they still require being free from medical diseases such as HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. A criminal record check pass is also mandatory. The medical requirements are an unfortunate fact for may who have contracted this virus through no fault of their own. This does not apply to visitors, which always strikes as me as a very unusual health policy as its probably visitors who spread such viruses. If you wish to stay for longer than 60 days without the hassle of getting a residency visa you have one further option.
That is to do a 'visa run'. This involves leaving the country and going to the nearest foreign country and then re-entering the UAE. Obviously there is a cost to this exercise especially if you have quite a few people in your family. There has been some indication that this loop hole is going to be plugged but as far as I am currently aware this is still in operation. The Dubai government has good web portals where you should be able to get information, but sometimes finding the relevant information can be quite a task. So where can you go?
The closest foreign country and the cheapest one to get to is Oman, via the Hatta border. Below I have listed the notes I managed to jot down as I went on my 'visa run'. The information is based on a visa run done in late 2007. Hopefully someone will find it useful especially if they are doing the run for the first time. Though I must say there are plenty of fellow travelers most of whom speak English and you can usually work out what needs to be done without knowing everything before getting there:
21.15 Left Sharjah in our hire car. We had investigated getting insurance for the car before we left from Sharjah, but it was terribly expensive. we thought we would it give it a go at the border post.
21.25 Took Emirates high way heading to Abu Dhabi.
21.35 Turn off for Hatta porly sign posted exit was on the right but turns 270 degrees clockwise to join highway to Hatta then Oman E77. It reads: Hatta 82 kilometers Oman 90 kilometers. Dragonmart (Chinese market) and International city on the right.
21.59 It is Thurday night road relatively quiet three cars per kilometer. Two lane road. Street lights present. Fair number of roundabouts and u-turns.
22.02 Past some local shops.
22.04 Hatta 50 kilometers.
22.05 Bump in middle of road. Resmo restaurant and cafeteria. Street lights not working.
22.07 Driver of second car feeling sleepy.
22.09 Stopped at roadside restaurant but no tea avalable.
22.10 People jogging on the highway wearing shorts and white t-shirts!
2211 Place selling lots of pots and pans very big ones - they hav a small cafe selling tea. It is called Madaam. Nice carpets and cheap pans and pots. 65 Dirhams for nice big kettle - cost 150 in Jeddah airport. Extensive parade of shops furrher in Hatta 47 kilometeres
22.32 Wilayah Mahda. Street lights continued and speed cameras have changed.
22.36 Beginning to loose reception to Radio Sharjah.
22.40 Shell petrol station. Warning sign for camels.
22.42 Oman mobile network picked up.
22.43 Rocky landscape begins.
22.42 Entered Masfout, lots of carpet shops.
22.46 Diesel advertised. Hills getting taller.
22.48 Stadium in the middle of no where, 10 kilometers to Hatta.
22.51 Sign for service station. Shrubs and trees increasing in number.
22.53 Hatta sign posted right Oman straight at roundabout, Emirates co-op on right. First sign for Masqat.
22.56 Road becomes hilly.
22.57 Checkpost 300 metres.
23.00 Arrived at Hatta pasport section.
2319 We arrive at a portacabin office. Need to get out of car. It's the first UAE checkpoint, passports are stamped with an exit stamp. We drive on in our UAE hired number plate car. Road continues through no man's land about 1 kilometer. First building on the right, easy to miss, insurance company and petrol station. It looks shut and as its the dead of night we decide to forget about getting car insurance and take a chance. If we need it we will come back but we can argue we are not really entering Oman. Small snack shop, last chance for food. I note a long queue of lorries, right lane for lorries and left lane for passenger vehicles.
Omani security guard waves us forward past the truck queue. A sign reads 30 percent tinted glasses are not allowed to enter Oman. Next stop is customs.
We switch lights off at customs and the officer gives a cursory check, peers into the boot. He then gives us a piece of paper and tells us to hand it over at the the exit point. We carry on the road, there is no sign of life. The single lane becomes two lanes and street lights appear.
23:50 We come to an open area with a white building in the middle. Road passing on the right and left and a big car park in front of the building. Some cars are parking while others head straight on to the side of the building where they stop and are handing over documents to a man sitting at a roadside window booth. The border post is called Wajaja.
The building is quite impressive and looks clean from the outside. We enter through a double sliding door into an air conditioned hall. The air conditioning is not as good as it ought to be but is acceptable. Its probably much warmer in the middle of the day. It is quiet at the moment. There is a cash machine for Oman Arab Bank on the right hand corner as we enter and some 4 marble plinths acting as benches with a few indoor plants. Toilets wise they have male and female toilets and there is a ramp for disabled or wheelchair access into and out of the building. My wife reassures me the toilets are not in good shape, avoid them if you can. There are no food kiosks, machines or drink dispensers. It's a nice place for kids to run around, though there are lots of strangers around, it feels pretty safe.
We line up at booth 1. The sign above reads 'Arrival visa, tasheerat al-qadimeen / cashier'. There are windows on either side but only one is open at the moment. A sign on the counter says we accept Visa. I searched for the paper which I was given when we arrived by the guard at customs. I panic as I thought I had lost it but alhamdulillah I found it. The paper had our car number plate and the country of origin written on it. One of my children asks, 'Why is this taking so long?' I reply blankly, 'It's a border'.
The queue is typically Middle Eastern, it is broad rather than long. We get to the front, I tell him the number of passports we have. They are charging 60 AED per passport and accept UAE dirhams. The guy takes our money and punches something into his computer and gives us some forms. We came armed with extra pens and quickly distributed the form filling chores and tried to fill everything as quickly as possible. We then slide back into the queue and patiently edge our passports in front of the officer, the clock ticks on.
00:55 am He eventually takes our passports, he asks us whether we would like to go back or enter Oman. He's obviously aware of the visa runners, we say 'Go back'. We get two stamps, one square the other round.
01:04 He takes the passports to the officers sitting at the window booth dealing with cars entering Oman.
01:12 We get our passports back.
01:14 Walked to the exiting Oman window booth and gave passports in - guy took them & said i need qaseemat khurooj ie a vehicle exit fee receipt 20 AED (2 omani). He points to a cabin situated further down the road, I walk over slowly until I arrive at the cabin which is 600m deeper in Omani territory. I give them the money and I get my qaseemat and walk back.
01:21 My vehicle 'exit fee receipt' is stamped. He writes on the card the number of people in the car, it must tally with the passengers so make sure it is right. He gets our number wrong and I show him the passports and he agrees and amends the number. We make our way back, the car park has an exit on both sides, one leading to Oman the other heading back. We meet the customs guard, I notice I have misplaced the customs document that we got when we came in. I think I left it with the guy at the border office post. The officer says we don't need it.
01:44 The customs officer takes our vehicle exit receipt and gives the stub back. we carry on back to the UAE across no-man's land to the welcome sight of the UAE border post. I look at the trip meter which we had reset when we set off, it reads: 115 km.
01:51 Back at customs he just waives us on. We stop at another portacabin a mirror image of the one we just left. I hand in the passports as the family stays in the car, he peers out and makes sure the number in the car match the number of passports. We get a new 60 day visa, he enquires why we are entering, I say for a visit. As the hush of the night gathers we exchange notes on wages in the Middle East.
02:01 Our passports are stamped and we get one final bit of paper.
02:04 We edge forward another 20 metres and hand the paper to a sentry standing with the barrier lowered and watching in puzzlement as the kids who have now got out of the car are ducking underneath and running on to meet our relative who had been waiting on the other side for our return. As i come to the barrier I note on the other side of the road two ladies driving a four wheel drive car seem to be doing the same visa run, they are alone and seem quite well practiced. I make a mental note that it seems very secure at this border point. We give our final piece of paper to the sentry and we have re-enter the UAE, alhamdulillah (thank God).
As the rules currently stand in the UAE British passport holders can enter the country quite easily. They get a free visit visa which lasts for 60 days. If you would like to stay beyond this period then you have the option of getting a long term residency visa which lasts 3 years. You are qualified to get one if you find a job or purchase accommodation.
Like most other countries in the Middle East they still require being free from medical diseases such as HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C. A criminal record check pass is also mandatory. The medical requirements are an unfortunate fact for may who have contracted this virus through no fault of their own. This does not apply to visitors, which always strikes as me as a very unusual health policy as its probably visitors who spread such viruses. If you wish to stay for longer than 60 days without the hassle of getting a residency visa you have one further option.
That is to do a 'visa run'. This involves leaving the country and going to the nearest foreign country and then re-entering the UAE. Obviously there is a cost to this exercise especially if you have quite a few people in your family. There has been some indication that this loop hole is going to be plugged but as far as I am currently aware this is still in operation. The Dubai government has good web portals where you should be able to get information, but sometimes finding the relevant information can be quite a task. So where can you go?
The closest foreign country and the cheapest one to get to is Oman, via the Hatta border. Below I have listed the notes I managed to jot down as I went on my 'visa run'. The information is based on a visa run done in late 2007. Hopefully someone will find it useful especially if they are doing the run for the first time. Though I must say there are plenty of fellow travelers most of whom speak English and you can usually work out what needs to be done without knowing everything before getting there:
21.15 Left Sharjah in our hire car. We had investigated getting insurance for the car before we left from Sharjah, but it was terribly expensive. we thought we would it give it a go at the border post.
21.25 Took Emirates high way heading to Abu Dhabi.
21.35 Turn off for Hatta porly sign posted exit was on the right but turns 270 degrees clockwise to join highway to Hatta then Oman E77. It reads: Hatta 82 kilometers Oman 90 kilometers. Dragonmart (Chinese market) and International city on the right.
21.59 It is Thurday night road relatively quiet three cars per kilometer. Two lane road. Street lights present. Fair number of roundabouts and u-turns.
22.02 Past some local shops.
22.04 Hatta 50 kilometers.
22.05 Bump in middle of road. Resmo restaurant and cafeteria. Street lights not working.
22.07 Driver of second car feeling sleepy.
22.09 Stopped at roadside restaurant but no tea avalable.
22.10 People jogging on the highway wearing shorts and white t-shirts!
2211 Place selling lots of pots and pans very big ones - they hav a small cafe selling tea. It is called Madaam. Nice carpets and cheap pans and pots. 65 Dirhams for nice big kettle - cost 150 in Jeddah airport. Extensive parade of shops furrher in Hatta 47 kilometeres
22.32 Wilayah Mahda. Street lights continued and speed cameras have changed.
22.36 Beginning to loose reception to Radio Sharjah.
22.40 Shell petrol station. Warning sign for camels.
22.42 Oman mobile network picked up.
22.43 Rocky landscape begins.
22.42 Entered Masfout, lots of carpet shops.
22.46 Diesel advertised. Hills getting taller.
22.48 Stadium in the middle of no where, 10 kilometers to Hatta.
22.51 Sign for service station. Shrubs and trees increasing in number.
22.53 Hatta sign posted right Oman straight at roundabout, Emirates co-op on right. First sign for Masqat.
22.56 Road becomes hilly.
22.57 Checkpost 300 metres.
23.00 Arrived at Hatta pasport section.
2319 We arrive at a portacabin office. Need to get out of car. It's the first UAE checkpoint, passports are stamped with an exit stamp. We drive on in our UAE hired number plate car. Road continues through no man's land about 1 kilometer. First building on the right, easy to miss, insurance company and petrol station. It looks shut and as its the dead of night we decide to forget about getting car insurance and take a chance. If we need it we will come back but we can argue we are not really entering Oman. Small snack shop, last chance for food. I note a long queue of lorries, right lane for lorries and left lane for passenger vehicles.
Omani security guard waves us forward past the truck queue. A sign reads 30 percent tinted glasses are not allowed to enter Oman. Next stop is customs.
We switch lights off at customs and the officer gives a cursory check, peers into the boot. He then gives us a piece of paper and tells us to hand it over at the the exit point. We carry on the road, there is no sign of life. The single lane becomes two lanes and street lights appear.
23:50 We come to an open area with a white building in the middle. Road passing on the right and left and a big car park in front of the building. Some cars are parking while others head straight on to the side of the building where they stop and are handing over documents to a man sitting at a roadside window booth. The border post is called Wajaja.
The building is quite impressive and looks clean from the outside. We enter through a double sliding door into an air conditioned hall. The air conditioning is not as good as it ought to be but is acceptable. Its probably much warmer in the middle of the day. It is quiet at the moment. There is a cash machine for Oman Arab Bank on the right hand corner as we enter and some 4 marble plinths acting as benches with a few indoor plants. Toilets wise they have male and female toilets and there is a ramp for disabled or wheelchair access into and out of the building. My wife reassures me the toilets are not in good shape, avoid them if you can. There are no food kiosks, machines or drink dispensers. It's a nice place for kids to run around, though there are lots of strangers around, it feels pretty safe.
We line up at booth 1. The sign above reads 'Arrival visa, tasheerat al-qadimeen / cashier'. There are windows on either side but only one is open at the moment. A sign on the counter says we accept Visa. I searched for the paper which I was given when we arrived by the guard at customs. I panic as I thought I had lost it but alhamdulillah I found it. The paper had our car number plate and the country of origin written on it. One of my children asks, 'Why is this taking so long?' I reply blankly, 'It's a border'.
The queue is typically Middle Eastern, it is broad rather than long. We get to the front, I tell him the number of passports we have. They are charging 60 AED per passport and accept UAE dirhams. The guy takes our money and punches something into his computer and gives us some forms. We came armed with extra pens and quickly distributed the form filling chores and tried to fill everything as quickly as possible. We then slide back into the queue and patiently edge our passports in front of the officer, the clock ticks on.
00:55 am He eventually takes our passports, he asks us whether we would like to go back or enter Oman. He's obviously aware of the visa runners, we say 'Go back'. We get two stamps, one square the other round.
01:04 He takes the passports to the officers sitting at the window booth dealing with cars entering Oman.
01:12 We get our passports back.
01:14 Walked to the exiting Oman window booth and gave passports in - guy took them & said i need qaseemat khurooj ie a vehicle exit fee receipt 20 AED (2 omani). He points to a cabin situated further down the road, I walk over slowly until I arrive at the cabin which is 600m deeper in Omani territory. I give them the money and I get my qaseemat and walk back.
01:21 My vehicle 'exit fee receipt' is stamped. He writes on the card the number of people in the car, it must tally with the passengers so make sure it is right. He gets our number wrong and I show him the passports and he agrees and amends the number. We make our way back, the car park has an exit on both sides, one leading to Oman the other heading back. We meet the customs guard, I notice I have misplaced the customs document that we got when we came in. I think I left it with the guy at the border office post. The officer says we don't need it.
01:44 The customs officer takes our vehicle exit receipt and gives the stub back. we carry on back to the UAE across no-man's land to the welcome sight of the UAE border post. I look at the trip meter which we had reset when we set off, it reads: 115 km.
01:51 Back at customs he just waives us on. We stop at another portacabin a mirror image of the one we just left. I hand in the passports as the family stays in the car, he peers out and makes sure the number in the car match the number of passports. We get a new 60 day visa, he enquires why we are entering, I say for a visit. As the hush of the night gathers we exchange notes on wages in the Middle East.
02:01 Our passports are stamped and we get one final bit of paper.
02:04 We edge forward another 20 metres and hand the paper to a sentry standing with the barrier lowered and watching in puzzlement as the kids who have now got out of the car are ducking underneath and running on to meet our relative who had been waiting on the other side for our return. As i come to the barrier I note on the other side of the road two ladies driving a four wheel drive car seem to be doing the same visa run, they are alone and seem quite well practiced. I make a mental note that it seems very secure at this border point. We give our final piece of paper to the sentry and we have re-enter the UAE, alhamdulillah (thank God).
Tuesday 21 October 2008
How do you install a water tank in Jeddah?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah.
We needed a water tank as the old one was leaking. These tanks sit perched at the highest possible point on a building and are quite large. The smallest capacity is 1000 litres costing 750 Riyals at that volume. Other more expensive varieties exist which claim to keep the water cool and can start at 4000 Riyals.
Being quite large you can't carry them through the door and up onto the roof via the roof access. The word crane had been mentioned and I sat waiting for the delivery of the tank. I was very surprised to find that it arrived in a small pickup with no crane in sight. On inquiring two men brandished their coiled ropes and said don't worry they would sort it out. The pictures tell the rest of the story. As with programs for children this one goes with a danger warning - do not do this at home!
First: One worker climbs onto the edge of the wall on the flat roof and assesses the situation from the third floor.
Second he squats calmly on the edge and lowers two ropes down.
Third the ropes are tied around the water tank, with a third steering rope.
Fourth, he is joined by his colleague, equally happy to sit perched on the edge of the roof oblivious of the potential danger.
Fifth, with a gravity defying deftness they stand up and begin to haul up the water tank.
Sixth, job done.
Welcome to Jeddah.
We needed a water tank as the old one was leaking. These tanks sit perched at the highest possible point on a building and are quite large. The smallest capacity is 1000 litres costing 750 Riyals at that volume. Other more expensive varieties exist which claim to keep the water cool and can start at 4000 Riyals.
Being quite large you can't carry them through the door and up onto the roof via the roof access. The word crane had been mentioned and I sat waiting for the delivery of the tank. I was very surprised to find that it arrived in a small pickup with no crane in sight. On inquiring two men brandished their coiled ropes and said don't worry they would sort it out. The pictures tell the rest of the story. As with programs for children this one goes with a danger warning - do not do this at home!
First: One worker climbs onto the edge of the wall on the flat roof and assesses the situation from the third floor.
Second he squats calmly on the edge and lowers two ropes down.
Third the ropes are tied around the water tank, with a third steering rope.
Fourth, he is joined by his colleague, equally happy to sit perched on the edge of the roof oblivious of the potential danger.
Fifth, with a gravity defying deftness they stand up and begin to haul up the water tank.
Sixth, job done.
Welcome to Jeddah.
Monday 20 October 2008
Arabic - How many words do I need?
Bismillah alhamdulillah.
Language learning is a continuous process and without realising it by the time a student reaches university they have a very wide ranging vocabulary. One of the major problems that learners of a new language face is vocabulary acquisition, getting new words into their receptive and expressive memories. There is an interesting PhD Research proposal which looks at this problem and offers some interesting ideas and vocabulary acquisition strategies.
The good news is that by just knowing 2000 word families a person will understand 80% of the words he reads. The bad news is that the 20% of words that remain are the key to understanding the meaning. Also guessing the meaning of the new words from context is not possible when you only know 80% of the words. The silver lining to the cloud is that if you understand 95% of the words then you can have a much better chance of successfully guessing the meaning of the remaining words. You can achieve this by having a vocabulary of 3000 word families. Though a guess it is probably not a bad estimate that this applies equally to knowledge of Arabic roots.
Though quite long it is a valuable read for anyone interested in the topic or struggling to learn those elusive 20,000 word families that will give university level proficiency in a target language!
Language learning is a continuous process and without realising it by the time a student reaches university they have a very wide ranging vocabulary. One of the major problems that learners of a new language face is vocabulary acquisition, getting new words into their receptive and expressive memories. There is an interesting PhD Research proposal which looks at this problem and offers some interesting ideas and vocabulary acquisition strategies.
The good news is that by just knowing 2000 word families a person will understand 80% of the words he reads. The bad news is that the 20% of words that remain are the key to understanding the meaning. Also guessing the meaning of the new words from context is not possible when you only know 80% of the words. The silver lining to the cloud is that if you understand 95% of the words then you can have a much better chance of successfully guessing the meaning of the remaining words. You can achieve this by having a vocabulary of 3000 word families. Though a guess it is probably not a bad estimate that this applies equally to knowledge of Arabic roots.
Though quite long it is a valuable read for anyone interested in the topic or struggling to learn those elusive 20,000 word families that will give university level proficiency in a target language!
Saturday 5 July 2008
Observations from a British nurse
"It's amazing that patients accept treatment from people who don't speak their language. We would never accept that in the UK" "Saudi Arabia is a high context culture in contrast to the UK which is a low context culture..."
"...here the context of a situation is part of the communication..."
"...people here see, more than they hear'
Thursday 3 July 2008
Driving licence - Jeddah style
Bismillah, alhamdulillah:
With my international driving licence wearing away I decided it was time to grit my teeth and take the trip to get my licence. The international licence had come in handy as it allowed me to hire a car for the first few months. But the international licence does not last forever so I started by trying to work out the requirements to apply for a Saudi Arabian driving licence:
Medical form: These are presumably present at the licensing office. Most large companies have a department or at least a person dedicated to helping foreigners negotiate the various official requirements. The form is issued by the General Traffic Department ( Ar. idaarat al-aamah lil muroor). The medical exam is quite cursory and the signing doctor confirms your blood group, eyesight and whether or not you are disabled in any way that will impair driving. No mention of heart attacks, epilepsy, stroke or diabetes is mentioned. Don't forget to get the piece of paper suitably stamped, nothing like a good old round gleaming stamp.
Photocopies galore: I count the papers carefully making sure I have everything:
1. Identity card (known as your iqaamah or hawiyyah)
2. A copy of my current licence (European and N American licenses qualify),
3. A copy of my passport
4. A copy of the visa entry page in my passport
Letter of Introduction: A letter known as a 'Letter of Introduction' (Ar. kitaab ta'reef), this paper is essentially a letter from your employer confirming your are employed with your company. It should be on an official letter head addressed to the Traffic Department.
Eight photos, yes 8, two less than the total number of fingers that most people usually have. What happens with the eight copies of the photos is unclear but rest assured make sure if you come to live in this part of the world always carry a ready stash of photos in your wallet. Tip: Photos are cheaper than in the West, most studios will give you a digital copy of your photo which you can carry on a USB stick, it will save you some time when you ask for more copies. Carry two sizes a small and a normal passport sized one to cover most situations.
The fee, it is a very reasonable 75 Saudi Riyals for a five year licence. Just in case you could flash your Visa card take a deep breath. Fees must be made via an ATM machine directly to the government, so far so good. But one slight problem, it seems only certain banks are linked into this system. Most foreigners tend to have a fair degree of doubt about the efficiency and reliability of local banks. They tend to opt for banks that are familiar to them back home but come unstuck when they need to pay the various government fees. Local banks such Al-Rajhi are fully linked to the payment system. Where foreigners do not have accounts with such banks they usually find someone who does and pay them in cash and request a payment on their behalf. The ATM spits out a receipt which has the payment receipt, reference and your iqaamah or ID number.
Cash: You also need to carry 75 Riyals in cash to pay for the translation of your licence. This is separate to the 75 riyal fee above.
Having counted all my papers I made my way to the assisting department, a day was set for me to be taken to the licensing office and we were off:
08:45: Left place of work. We weaved across Jeddah via Madeenah Road, then Tahliah, then Makaronah, right at Ameer Maajid (aka sab'een road), left at Garnata street and then right at Arbaeen street. A U turn about half-way down and a right just after Manarat school. Roughly 1 km down the road we turn right and park the traffic office lies on our left.
09:10: The outside of the traffic department was a sea of people and make shift cabins where people were seeking help to fill in their forms. Photocopiers powered by petrol generators dotted the pavement and customer support staff were hawking the streets looking for people who looked a bit lost and tried to guide them to their shop. Walking quickly behind my guide I avoided their queries and we were soon through the gates entering into a building probably built in the late 60's or 70's. Soon we were through the front door and into a chaotic mass of people. The first thing that struck me which was unexpected was the presence of large easily read signs. They were written four different languages (Arabic, English, Fillipino, and one Indian language) were clearly numbered and easily read. I was looking around for a sign that would give some helpful instructions but could not find one. My guide asked me to join a queue while he waited for my arrival at the front.
Counter 1: the queue moved quickly, a man stood inside with a cup of cold coffee in a polysterene cup carefully placed on the inside ledge keeping him company. He was the 'have you got all the papers' man he would quickly glance at the papers and make sure all the paperwork was in order. He gave my papers a quick look and then with a flourish that he probably maintains for the first 2 hours of work he stamped my form. Forms in hand we moved to the next stop.
Counter 2: Eyesight test, I walk into a room a man sits with a long cane behind an empty desk. I sit down on the only other chair in the room and look at a mirror which reflects an eye chart from the wall opposite. Armed with his cane he looks rather sinister and blows a puff of smoke into the air. The cane is manouvered onto a letter - I repeat the letters and three letters later I have bagged another stamp and signature and move on. As I leave the eyesight testing counter I spot a room where blood tests are being performed on an industrial scale, blood groups are done locally I take a mental note.
Counter 3: The translation booth, I give my 75 riyals and hand over the card part of my licence. A few minutes of standing and the licence is translated. I dispense with paper part deciding making things complicated would slow things down - nobody blinks an eye and we soon move on.
Counter 4. A ticker tape system stands on the right and a dull red sign hanging overhead with numbers changing regularly. I instinctively head towards the ticket dispenser and take a ticket. My guide has decided to ignore the system and makes his way pushing through the people at the counter with my papers. He waves my papers at the officer standing on the other side hoping to avoid the queuing system. I sit down waiting to see what would happen. To my surprise he is politely rebuffed and asked to get a ticket number. I wave the ticket in my hand and let him know I have a ticket, he joins me and we sit down on the provided chairs. A moment to pen some of my observations down.
Soon our number appears and we submit our papers and use the ATM paid 75 riyals to submit the payment. We pay at the cashier pick up a receipt and the first stage comes to an end. My licence will be ready sometime later the agent tells me and he will pick it up and bring it back to my workplace. I look at my watch and to my surprise it is only 09:23.
As we leave without my new Saudi licence I wonder when I will get it, I am told by the guide about 2 days. As we return it turns out he is a second hand car sales man. After discussing what type of car I was looking for he just happens to have a car waiting outside the car park which he can show me. I have a quick look at the car and nearly faint at the strong smell of smoke that permeates the fabric of the car. I thank him and say sorry the car is not one I would be looking for. I am not too sure whether this disappointed him or not but the 2 days stretched themselves into 2 weeks, no clear explanation was given but I eventually acquired my credit card sized licence. I don't complain as I am suely becoming acclimatised to the slower pace of life in this part of the world.
With my international driving licence wearing away I decided it was time to grit my teeth and take the trip to get my licence. The international licence had come in handy as it allowed me to hire a car for the first few months. But the international licence does not last forever so I started by trying to work out the requirements to apply for a Saudi Arabian driving licence:Medical form: These are presumably present at the licensing office. Most large companies have a department or at least a person dedicated to helping foreigners negotiate the various official requirements. The form is issued by the General Traffic Department ( Ar. idaarat al-aamah lil muroor). The medical exam is quite cursory and the signing doctor confirms your blood group, eyesight and whether or not you are disabled in any way that will impair driving. No mention of heart attacks, epilepsy, stroke or diabetes is mentioned. Don't forget to get the piece of paper suitably stamped, nothing like a good old round gleaming stamp.
Photocopies galore: I count the papers carefully making sure I have everything:
1. Identity card (known as your iqaamah or hawiyyah)
2. A copy of my current licence (European and N American licenses qualify),
3. A copy of my passport
4. A copy of the visa entry page in my passport
Letter of Introduction: A letter known as a 'Letter of Introduction' (Ar. kitaab ta'reef), this paper is essentially a letter from your employer confirming your are employed with your company. It should be on an official letter head addressed to the Traffic Department.
Eight photos, yes 8, two less than the total number of fingers that most people usually have. What happens with the eight copies of the photos is unclear but rest assured make sure if you come to live in this part of the world always carry a ready stash of photos in your wallet. Tip: Photos are cheaper than in the West, most studios will give you a digital copy of your photo which you can carry on a USB stick, it will save you some time when you ask for more copies. Carry two sizes a small and a normal passport sized one to cover most situations.
The fee, it is a very reasonable 75 Saudi Riyals for a five year licence. Just in case you could flash your Visa card take a deep breath. Fees must be made via an ATM machine directly to the government, so far so good. But one slight problem, it seems only certain banks are linked into this system. Most foreigners tend to have a fair degree of doubt about the efficiency and reliability of local banks. They tend to opt for banks that are familiar to them back home but come unstuck when they need to pay the various government fees. Local banks such Al-Rajhi are fully linked to the payment system. Where foreigners do not have accounts with such banks they usually find someone who does and pay them in cash and request a payment on their behalf. The ATM spits out a receipt which has the payment receipt, reference and your iqaamah or ID number.
Cash: You also need to carry 75 Riyals in cash to pay for the translation of your licence. This is separate to the 75 riyal fee above.
Having counted all my papers I made my way to the assisting department, a day was set for me to be taken to the licensing office and we were off:
08:45: Left place of work. We weaved across Jeddah via Madeenah Road, then Tahliah, then Makaronah, right at Ameer Maajid (aka sab'een road), left at Garnata street and then right at Arbaeen street. A U turn about half-way down and a right just after Manarat school. Roughly 1 km down the road we turn right and park the traffic office lies on our left.
09:10: The outside of the traffic department was a sea of people and make shift cabins where people were seeking help to fill in their forms. Photocopiers powered by petrol generators dotted the pavement and customer support staff were hawking the streets looking for people who looked a bit lost and tried to guide them to their shop. Walking quickly behind my guide I avoided their queries and we were soon through the gates entering into a building probably built in the late 60's or 70's. Soon we were through the front door and into a chaotic mass of people. The first thing that struck me which was unexpected was the presence of large easily read signs. They were written four different languages (Arabic, English, Fillipino, and one Indian language) were clearly numbered and easily read. I was looking around for a sign that would give some helpful instructions but could not find one. My guide asked me to join a queue while he waited for my arrival at the front.
Counter 1: the queue moved quickly, a man stood inside with a cup of cold coffee in a polysterene cup carefully placed on the inside ledge keeping him company. He was the 'have you got all the papers' man he would quickly glance at the papers and make sure all the paperwork was in order. He gave my papers a quick look and then with a flourish that he probably maintains for the first 2 hours of work he stamped my form. Forms in hand we moved to the next stop.
Counter 2: Eyesight test, I walk into a room a man sits with a long cane behind an empty desk. I sit down on the only other chair in the room and look at a mirror which reflects an eye chart from the wall opposite. Armed with his cane he looks rather sinister and blows a puff of smoke into the air. The cane is manouvered onto a letter - I repeat the letters and three letters later I have bagged another stamp and signature and move on. As I leave the eyesight testing counter I spot a room where blood tests are being performed on an industrial scale, blood groups are done locally I take a mental note.
Counter 3: The translation booth, I give my 75 riyals and hand over the card part of my licence. A few minutes of standing and the licence is translated. I dispense with paper part deciding making things complicated would slow things down - nobody blinks an eye and we soon move on.
Counter 4. A ticker tape system stands on the right and a dull red sign hanging overhead with numbers changing regularly. I instinctively head towards the ticket dispenser and take a ticket. My guide has decided to ignore the system and makes his way pushing through the people at the counter with my papers. He waves my papers at the officer standing on the other side hoping to avoid the queuing system. I sit down waiting to see what would happen. To my surprise he is politely rebuffed and asked to get a ticket number. I wave the ticket in my hand and let him know I have a ticket, he joins me and we sit down on the provided chairs. A moment to pen some of my observations down.
Soon our number appears and we submit our papers and use the ATM paid 75 riyals to submit the payment. We pay at the cashier pick up a receipt and the first stage comes to an end. My licence will be ready sometime later the agent tells me and he will pick it up and bring it back to my workplace. I look at my watch and to my surprise it is only 09:23.
As we leave without my new Saudi licence I wonder when I will get it, I am told by the guide about 2 days. As we return it turns out he is a second hand car sales man. After discussing what type of car I was looking for he just happens to have a car waiting outside the car park which he can show me. I have a quick look at the car and nearly faint at the strong smell of smoke that permeates the fabric of the car. I thank him and say sorry the car is not one I would be looking for. I am not too sure whether this disappointed him or not but the 2 days stretched themselves into 2 weeks, no clear explanation was given but I eventually acquired my credit card sized licence. I don't complain as I am suely becoming acclimatised to the slower pace of life in this part of the world.
Thursday 26 June 2008
Do you know your collar-ankle length?
Bismillah, alhamdulillah: Some useful tips on thawb buying. A thawb (Arabic: ثوب, ṯawb), dishdasha (دشداشة, dišdāšä), kandura (كندورة, kandūrä) or khameez (قميص, qamīṣ) is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe. Chest sizes are mentioned with letter sizes: M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL. A medium chest size corresponds to a thin person, the L to a the average 70 Kg man, XL for someone who is slightly overweight and so on.The other challenge is to get the right length of the thawb. Thawbs come with an extra number which corresponds to you collar-ankle length. Simply work out the collar-length in inches and remove two inches to work out which thawb is suitable. A few example conversions are given below:
| Thawb Length Size | Collar - ankle length | Suitable Height |
| 60 | 58 | 5' 10'' |
| 62 | 60 | 6' 0'' |
Friday 30 May 2008
The back door of ideas
Bismillah, alhamdulillah. In a recent shopping trip to a book store in Sharjah in the UAE I came across this book in the English section. The book was called "Palmistry Made Easy" by a J S Bright, the author of a previous book called "dictionary of Palmistry" and a practicing palmist - the fancy word for a fortuneteller.I was only mildly surprised to find such a book in a well known store in conservative Sharjah. In a smilar vein books and articles on Feng Shui occur from time to time in the English press in even more strict Saudi Arabia. What twenty years ago was unthinkable has transformed itself into the common.
Saudi Arabia usually presents an air of impenetrability when seen from the outside but seen from the inside the picture is quite different. It has become quite porous and increasingly vulnerable to the storm of ideas that is happening in the world outside. The promotion and ready take up of English as a language especially by the young has provided a fertile ground for many ideas. Many, such as palmistry, represent an anti-thesis to the core principles of Islam. Speaking about fortunetellers the Prophet Muhammad (S) said:
"عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً"
Whoever came to a fortuneteller and asked him about something then his prayer will not be accepted for forty days. (Muslim)
Anyone who actually believes that a fortuneteller has the independent ability to know the future has committed major shirk, which takes a person out of Islam. Going to such a person for fun without believing in him/her results in a person's reward for prayer being cancelled for almost 6 weeks.
Thursday 6 March 2008
What is that?
A quick trip to our local cheap market called Souq Al-Shati in the north of Jeddah for some head scarves for the 
kids. As we stand at one stall negotiating a price for a pack of head scarves my attention falls on this pack of liquids.
As I watch my wife negotiating away I start dreaming about a nice jelly dish. How nice of the vendor to have pre-made jelly for parents to take home as a simple treat for the kids.
'Excuse me what is this?' I inquire just making sure that it was jelly before agreeing to buy it.
'That's ...' he pauses for a moment and then continues in Urdu, 'not for you, it's for black people.'
My dreams about jelly vanish into thin air, 'It's what?' the rise in my voice goes unnoticed and my wife is still busy with the head scarves but her attention has shifted to the neatly arranged box of liquids.
'African people use it to lighten their skin.' he continues folding the open head scarves in a matter of fact way oblivious to my concern.
I recall a story of a man who ran a shop in London and was arrested by the Health and Safety officers for selling illegal products to lighten the colour of skin. The man was taken to court and the judge found him guilty and charged him over a hundred thousand pounds. His lawyer was about to appeal for leniency when he found his client the guilty business man was already leaving his chair. A cheque for the amount lay on the table. The lawyer ran to his client and said, if you give me a moment I can try and appeal for leniency.
The business man shrugged his shoulders telling him not to worry he was making much much more than this. Skin care products was one of the most lucrative items possible. Especially the ones full of illegal and very potent steroid creams. Steroid creams in the long term are known to damage skin by thinning it irreversibly. But the combination of money and vanity are symbiotic.
kids. As we stand at one stall negotiating a price for a pack of head scarves my attention falls on this pack of liquids.As I watch my wife negotiating away I start dreaming about a nice jelly dish. How nice of the vendor to have pre-made jelly for parents to take home as a simple treat for the kids.
'Excuse me what is this?' I inquire just making sure that it was jelly before agreeing to buy it.
'That's ...' he pauses for a moment and then continues in Urdu, 'not for you, it's for black people.'
My dreams about jelly vanish into thin air, 'It's what?' the rise in my voice goes unnoticed and my wife is still busy with the head scarves but her attention has shifted to the neatly arranged box of liquids.
'African people use it to lighten their skin.' he continues folding the open head scarves in a matter of fact way oblivious to my concern.
I recall a story of a man who ran a shop in London and was arrested by the Health and Safety officers for selling illegal products to lighten the colour of skin. The man was taken to court and the judge found him guilty and charged him over a hundred thousand pounds. His lawyer was about to appeal for leniency when he found his client the guilty business man was already leaving his chair. A cheque for the amount lay on the table. The lawyer ran to his client and said, if you give me a moment I can try and appeal for leniency.
The business man shrugged his shoulders telling him not to worry he was making much much more than this. Skin care products was one of the most lucrative items possible. Especially the ones full of illegal and very potent steroid creams. Steroid creams in the long term are known to damage skin by thinning it irreversibly. But the combination of money and vanity are symbiotic.
Fidgeting
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The young man had been fidgeting quite a lot during the Maghrib prayer. He had managed to remove his watch from his pocket and strapped it on, checked the time and bent down to straighten his socks to mention a few of his movements. As the imam concluded the prayer, I hesitated, should I try and say something? Could I overcome the language barrier? Would a few words put this young man off praying in the masjid again? The questions revolved around in my brain when I extended my hand in salaam.
I first asked if he spoke English. He looked at me blankly the smell of a recently smoked cigarette wafted over me as he exhaled with his face turned towards mine. I paused and then launched into my faltering Arabic, hoping the young man's classical Arabic was up to scratch.
A man builds a beautiful house. Once it is complete he enters it and begins to destroy it, he wrecks the door then the windows and then the walls. What do you think of this man - sensible or crazy?
He smiled shaking his hand in the air indicating the man had lost his mind.
You are like a man building a house, you came all the way to the masjid, made wadu, stood in front of Allah, then when you entered into your house, the prayer, you began to wreck it by your excessive movements. I stopped.
His teeth broke through his lips as his smile widened, his right hand met mine in a strong handshake, "Jazakallahu khairan (may God reward you)".
The young man had been fidgeting quite a lot during the Maghrib prayer. He had managed to remove his watch from his pocket and strapped it on, checked the time and bent down to straighten his socks to mention a few of his movements. As the imam concluded the prayer, I hesitated, should I try and say something? Could I overcome the language barrier? Would a few words put this young man off praying in the masjid again? The questions revolved around in my brain when I extended my hand in salaam.
I first asked if he spoke English. He looked at me blankly the smell of a recently smoked cigarette wafted over me as he exhaled with his face turned towards mine. I paused and then launched into my faltering Arabic, hoping the young man's classical Arabic was up to scratch.
A man builds a beautiful house. Once it is complete he enters it and begins to destroy it, he wrecks the door then the windows and then the walls. What do you think of this man - sensible or crazy?
He smiled shaking his hand in the air indicating the man had lost his mind.
You are like a man building a house, you came all the way to the masjid, made wadu, stood in front of Allah, then when you entered into your house, the prayer, you began to wreck it by your excessive movements. I stopped.
His teeth broke through his lips as his smile widened, his right hand met mine in a strong handshake, "Jazakallahu khairan (may God reward you)".
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