Microlighting in Jeddah

A group of my friends recently enjoyed microlighting along the Red Sea coastline. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go along, but they all had a fabulous time, soaring into the sky, feeling the wind against their faces, and soaking up the amazing views of the city of Jeddah and the Red Sea from up there.

Here is a short video called "Microlighting Over Jeddah" from their excursion. You can really get the feel for the experience itself by watching it. Because of the size of the group, the individual flights were shortened to about 10-13 minutes each.

Microlighting in Jeddah has been around for over a decade now. And guess what? Women are not barred from participating in this delightful adventure! This is one outdoor activity, though, that is definitely not for those with a fear of heights or a fear of flying.

Jeddah is the perfect place for ultralight aircraft because of several factors – the weather is consistently warm, the land is flat along the sea coastline and there are relatively low winds.

There are many companies that produce their own version of an ultralight aircraft, but basically it is like a hang glider with an engine similar to a lawn mower engine. Micrlight aircraft accommodate one or two persons, are inexpensive to own, and are mostly used for joyriding. The earliest versions of ultralight aircraft used to be called “flying clotheslines” because they were completely open.

Knowing the take-off weight is extremely important to have a successful flight, with careful consideration given to the weight of the aircraft itself and the one or two people who will be taking flight. The flying altitudes over Jeddah are about 500-700 feet.

Microlighting expeditions can be arranged in Jeddah through the Jeddah Aviation Club and take off is at the Western Region Aviation School, which is off of Al Malek Road, directly across the street from the Red Sea Mall’s Gate #2. The cost is about 200-250 SR per hour, with special negotiable deals for groups. But of course, with groups, the flying time is shorter in order to accommodate everyone. A trained and qualified pilot accompanies each flight.

Saudi Boys Allowed to Run Amok

I was shocked when I read an article in Arab News about high school boys here in Saudi Arabia who pull "pranks" every year when school is let out for the summer.  What really floored me was that the students who were interviewed apparently had no qualms about their full names being published in the newspaper in an article which confirms their participation in destructive and illegal activities.  It was as if they felt like their disgusting behavior was normal and that they were proud of coming up with a variety of ways to damage or ruin teachers' vehicles or to destroy school textbooks. 

Here are some excerpts from the article:

“My friends and I usually shred our school books into small pieces to celebrate the ending of the school year and finishing a certain subject.  This is a way to express the end of having to lock ourselves in our rooms to study and stress over school subjects.”
Mohammed Omar, a high school student at a private school in Jeddah

“We pour sugar in the car’s tank because this would cause the teacher to change the whole engine of the car or even damage its whole operating system.  We sometimes throw eggs on the car so it would damage the paint and make a hole on it. Another way is to pour vinegar on the glass and wait for 10 minutes and then throw rocks on it and it would completely break.”
Tariq Jihad, a high school student at a private school in Jeddah

And a quote from a public school supervisor had such a defeatist attitude that this behavior was apparently expected and impossible to stop, I just couldn't believe what I was reading:

“We expect the chaos and we prepare for it around this time of the year because we have been dealing with it for a really long time now and we know this will never change.  We tried telling the students many times that the only people who suffer are the cleaners because they have to pick up the pieces of paper that are scattered around the school yard.”
Khalid Al-Jehani, public school supervisor

Like everywhere, teachers in Saudi Arabia are undervalued and overworked. Knowing that some teachers are also being disrespected and abused by their students makes matters much worse. What these juvenile delinquents are being allowed to do should not be expected or tolerated as normal behavior that cannot be prevented.  The school system and the police force are enabling and condoning these thugs to continue to commit these crimes year after year without consequences.   WTF? 

I want to know what the parents of these hoodlums think about their sons' actions and confessions to these crimes. This is not typical "boys will be boys" behavior.  Where is the discipline? Why aren't the parents of these children/thugs teaching them to respect teachers and their property?

I find this situation to be deeply disturbing.  If Saudi Arabia doesn't wake up and smell the coffee, this new generation is headed for real trouble.

To read the Arab News article in its entirety, CLICK HERE. 

American Bedu: The True Story of an American Spy

My friend Carol Fleming (American Bedu) is the subject of a documentary film. Her story is one that needs to be told - she was an American spy for the CIA when she met and fell in love with a Saudi diplomat. They were only married for 7 short years when he succumbed to cancer while at the same time, she herself was battling breast cancer - a fight she continues to this day.

They are in need of funding for this project. Can you help?

To make a donation, CLICK HERE.

Good Karma on the Red Sea

SCORPION FISH - Photo Credit: MANSOUR FAIRAQ

Since I wrote about my snorkeling adventure out on the Red Sea last month, I have since been out snorkeling two more times.

EXPLORING THE RED SEA - Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

A couple of weeks ago before sunrise my husband and I went out on a boat with our niece’s husband Mohammed and his brother Sultan, so I consider them family, even though in this culture, we are not. The first two spots that we anchored at were fishing spots. We all tried our luck but the fish just didn’t seem to be biting that day.

AMAZING COLORS OF THE RED SEA - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

The third place we went to was a coral reef where I could go snorkeling. The reef was absolutely enormous. While Adnan stayed on the boat hoping to catch some fish, I went into the nice cool turquoise waters to snorkel with Mohammed and Sultan.

CORAL and CLOWNFISH - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

I watched in amazement through my goggles as Sultan swam several meters down to the sea floor and brought up a gigantic sea turtle, just like Crush in Finding Nemo! It was so cool to see him rising to the surface, almost as if in a dance with this splendid creature. Adnan helped him get the sea turtle on to the boat, and then we continued snorkeling. After a while the waves started getting really strong, so I told the guys that I was going to back to the boat, but they still wanted to keep on exploring the sea.

CLOWNFISH SCHOOL IS IN SESSION - Photo Credit: TRINA EPSOM

The shell of the sea turtle had to be about 3 feet long by about 2.5 feet wide. Adnan had set up some big coolers around him to contain him on the boat. I watched the turtle in wonder for a while as Adnan continued in his vain attempt to catch some fish. When I asked what we were going to do with the turtle, Adnan told me that he thought the guys might be planning to kill it for its meat. I was devastated upon hearing this and set about trying to talk Adnan into letting him go.

GIANT SEA TURTLE - Photo Credit:  SUSIE OF ARABIA

Almost two hours had passed and Adnan and I were becoming concerned because we could not see the two brothers snorkeling in the sea. We didn’t have binoculars with us and there was no apparent response at all when we honked the horn of the boat several times. Adnan still hadn’t caught any fish, and I was feeling rather anxious about the possible fate of the huge sea turtle we had board with us. At last Adnan lifted the gentle giant up and tossed him back into the sea. No more than five minutes later, we finally caught a glimpse of the two snorkelers. They had gone around the entire massive reef!

RED SEA SPOTTED STINGRAY - Photo Credit:  MANSOUR FAIRAQ

Feeling much more at ease now that we knew the brothers were all right, Adnan dropped his line back into the sea and within seconds pulled up a nice plump more-than-a-foot-long fish - his first catch of the day! We were astonished when he caught another identical fish as soon as he put his line back into the sea again. All I could say to Adnan was “Good Karma!” The guys were fine when they learned that the turtle was safely back in his watery home, and I got to drive the boat most of the way back to our starting point, which is rather ironic since as a woman I’m not allowed to drive a car here in Saudi Arabia…

CLAM CLOSE-UP - Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

Most of the photos in this post were taken on the third snorkeling trip I went on a week ago. They were taken by two scuba divers in the group – and seeing their beautiful photos has really got me thinking about taking scuba lessons ... hmmmm.

TONS OF FISH!  Photo Credit:  TRINA EPSOM

Click on any photo in this post for an enlarged view.

An Old Church in Jeddah?

I’ve been down in the old part of Jeddah many times, but last week when my husband and I drove down there to go to the fish market, I discovered something new. We were driving along busy Hail Street, passing by a lonely lot, overgrown with weeds and surrounded by office buildings.

Click on image to enlarge

The only structure on the lot was a sad little crumbling building in ruin, amidst the weeds, trash, and broken bottles. Adnan pointed it out to me and said that it was the remains of an old Anglican church. I had read about this church before but had never seen it or noticed it before.

Click on image to enlarge

It stands in the Baghdadiyah District of Jeddah not far from Al-Balad, near Hail and Hamzah Shahatah Streets. Just south of the abandoned unkempt lot where the church is situated is a body of water called Arba’een Lake, where the Jaffali Mosque is located.

Click on image to enlarge

The history of this building is murky, but it is believed to be less than 100 years old, built when Britain supported the Sharif of Mecca in the revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the hopes of achieving Arab independence and creating a Pan-Arab state.  What is clear is that there are many versions as to the history of this building and doubts about whether or not it was ever actually used as a church.

Click on image to enlarge

I’ve read that this church was actually built outside the big walls that encompassed the then small fishing village of Jeddah. The presence of an Anglican church in Saudi Arabia may seem ironic in a land that strictly prohibits the practice of any other religion besides Islam. But there is ample evidence that centuries ago Christians and even Jews used to live peacefully side by side in this country.

Click on image to enlarge

In the 1980s, a 4th Century church was unearthed in the city of Jubail. This other church is believed to be one of the oldest known churches in the entire region. You can see photos of the Jubail Church and read a bit more about it by CLICKING HERE.

Click on image to enlarge

Like many of the old historic buildings in the old part of Jeddah, this old church does not appear to be protected and is certainly not being preserved. I easily walked up to it and could have probably gone inside, but I did not. From archaeological and historical viewpoints, preservation of this site should be made a priority, but that is not likely to happen.

Click on image to enlarge

NOTE: There are questions as to whether or not this building was ever used as a "church."  For more information about the discrepancies, please read the comments below.
Also, please do not use this post to argue about religion or politics. I have posted about this church because I find it interesting and I find a certain beauty in the decaying old buildings of Jeddah. 

Let's Be Reasonable!

One of the most ridiculous and unfair “rules” of most retail businesses here in Saudi Arabia is their “return policies.” Some businesses have absolutely NO return policy whatsoever! You buy a product - and if it doesn’t work, or if it doesn’t fit, or if you just changed your mind – well, TOO BAD! There are some businesses that have a return/exchange policy. However, most of the companies that DO have a return policy have a measly three day time frame in which to return or exchange the product.

Now let me put this in the proper perspective for you so you don’t think that I’m on one of my unreasonable rants again. First of all, women in Saudi Arabia are NOT allowed to drive. Let me stress to you how difficult it is for many women in Saudi Arabia to get around due to the transportation issue. This means that she has to get her husband or father to take her shopping in the first place. Or if she’s lucky enough to have a driver, the driver must take her, or she can pay to take a taxi to and from shopping. So she gets the product home and for whatever reason she needs to return it - she has only THREE days maximum to get back to the store (if that is their policy) to return the item, again involving her husband or father or the driver or a taxi. On top of that, the traffic is horrendous, plus store hours aren’t anything like what you might be used to in other parts of the world. Businesses have odd and limited operating hours because they are required to close for the five daily prayer times.

But that’s not all!

There are virtually no female dressing rooms in which to try on women’s clothing inside shops that cater to women. The religious police have banned female changing rooms for a variety of ridiculous reasons, including that it’s sinful for women to be in a state of undress outside the home, or that lecherous, perverted male sale clerks might sexually assault women in the dressing rooms, etc.

At some malls, women purchase the item, and then go into the ladies restroom to try on the clothing. If it doesn’t fit and she wants to try a different size, she must go back to the store, go through an exchange process for a different size and repeat the scenario in the mall’s restrooms, trying on the clothing again. But of course, when you go back to the shop, it may be closed for prayer times, in which case you would have to wait around to make the exchange. But some women are not able to try on the clothing in the restroom before they leave the mall, so these women have to wait until they return home to try on the clothing. If the item doesn’t fit, she must make another trip back to the store to exchange or return it, bothering hubby again or taking another taxi ride and timing the trip so the shop will not be closed for prayers.

I guess I’ve just been spoiled all my life by clothing stores in America that have changing rooms where I can take items that strike my fancy and try them on without any hassle. I’ve also been spoiled by being able to drive myself to and from the malls when the urge strikes me and not have to bother my husband - who hates to shop and hates to drive - to take me. I’ve also been accustomed to stores in the US which are generally open from 9am til 9pm or longer. And I’ve also been spoiled by the liberal return policies of most businesses in America that normally allow at least a 30 to 60 day grace period in which to return an item that I was able to try on there at the store before I bought it, but then later decided I wasn’t really that crazy about in the first place.

Businesses in Saudi Arabia are ripping off their customers, especially their female customers, by their lack of a reasonable return or exchange policy. I, for one, dislike shopping for clothing in Saudi Arabia specifically because of these reasons.

As a side note, however, I must express my delight and approval of the new Saudi law requiring lingerie shops to employ female salesclerks, so no longer are Saudi women forced to purchase their undergarments and sexy lingerie from male salesclerks. That is definitely a step in the right direction!

Now if we could just get these stores to change their unfair business practices of unreasonable return policies…

"Susie Says" Jeddah Blog Interview

I am so pleased to share with you THIS LINK which is an interview I did with JEDDAH BLOG. In this interview you can learn more about my life in KSA and my feelings about living here, see photos of me and my family, and see a few of my watercolor paintings (one of my passions). I'd like to thank JEDDAH BLOG for this introduction to their readers and the opportunity to express myself through their thoughtful questions.

JEDDAH BLOG focuses on events, organizations, people, businesses, and services in and around Jeddah. They are a wealth of information if you want to know more about what's going on in Jeddah. Please check out JEDDAH BLOG!

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO MY INTERVIEW ON JEDDAH BLOG.