Thursday, May 10, 2012

Body piercing trend rises among Saudi women

By Al Arabiya
Several trends seen as imported from Western cultures have invaded Saudi Arabia and encouraged women to seek change through them. While clothes and accessories seem like the most traditional influences, piercing is the latest and most outrageous fashion among Saudi women.

Piercing the lips, tongue and navel are the most popular with Saudi women, reported the Saudi edition of al-Hayat newspaper.

According to the paper, Saudi girls differ on the piercing trend. Some do not think this trend makes the girl more beautiful and in fact argue that it makes her look ugly. Some go as far as considering a girl who pierces any part of her face unfeminine. Several men agree with this point of view and say that they never get attracted to girls with piercings.
Others argue that piercing adds to their beauty and makes them look different.

Piercing is a problem for parents, too, for while some categorically refuse to allow their girls to pierce their faces because it is an unfamiliar sight that is strange to society, others give in to the pressure which intensifies when the girls want to imitate their friends.

For psychological and family councilor Zahra al-Maabi, piercing does not add to a girl’s beauty, instead it affects it negatively.

“God endowed girls with the gift of femininity and when they pierce their lips or eyebrows they are destroying that,” she said.

Maabi added that girls resort to piercing out of a desire to imitate other cultures and also as a means of expressing their frustration at other things.

“Piercing becomes an outlet for those girls who want to grab the attention to make up for the lack of purpose they suffer from.”

According to psychologist Elwi Attarji, blind imitation is a main motive behind girls’ love for piercing, but there are other factors, too.

“Some girls want to defy their parents and assert their independence by going against social norms,” he said.

It is important, he added, to examine the social reasons that lead to the prevalence of such phenomenon.

“Eliminating the phenomenon is not the solution since only dealing with the roots of the problem and looking into the reasons behind it makes a way out possible.”

Source:

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/03/211856.html


Shaza al Madina by Kempinski


If you looking for excellent accommodation in Madinatul Munawwara a stones throw away from the Prophet's mosque , then Shaza al Madina by Kempinski is just the place for you.I spent the last few days at this luxurious hotel and I must say I was thrown aback by the level of service I received.We were welcomed to the hotel by a very happy and bubbly porter who ushered us in to the reception area. We were served refreshments and snacks as we waited to get through the check in process. I was really surprised when the front desk manager returned and gave us a free upgrade from the deluxe room that we had booked initially to a junior suite without extra charge. We were then escorted to our room. Upon arrival at the room we received a call from the front desk enquiring if the room matched our expectations and if we required anything extra.The room decor was exquisite with a mixture of east meets west. The beautiful lantern lampshades along with the bed linen and cushions added an oriental touch to the room. The suite boasted two television sets and three cordless telephones.The laundry service was excellent and the penne arabiata pasta that we ordered from Room service was simply delicious and made me feel as though I was in Italy having an authentic Italian meal.The restaurant that served breakfast was strategically designed to overlook the haram area and thus added to the sheer opulence and grandeur of the hotel in total. The huge buffet area simply added to the wow factor and made the morning breakfast experience a rather pleasant one where friendly staff and waiters were readily available to assist and serve guests.Almost everyday we received a courtesy call from the guest relation manager enquiring if we were satisfied with the service we received. He was also insistent in wanting our suggestions and input in improving service delivery. The check out process was quick and efficient and in true Kempinski style we were whisked away to the airport in a gorgeous black BMW....That's what I call service excellence accompanied by value for money. Will I be frequenting this hotel in the future....DEFINITELY YES....A big thumbs up to Majed, "Chef Jordan", Omar, Mr Shareef and the rest of the management team at Shaza al Madina for making my stay such a pleasant one.














Friday, May 4, 2012

ANOTHER HOCUS POCUS EMAIL BEING CIRCULATED

From a Chinese Professor . 
Keep a syringe or needle in your home to do this... It's amazing and an unconventional way of recovering from stroke, read it through it can help somebody one day.

This is amazing.
Please keep this very handy. Excellent tips.
Do take a minute to read this.
You'll never know, one's life may depend on you.

My father was paralysed and later died from the result of a stroke. I wish I knew about this first aid before.
When stroke strikes, the capillaries in the brain will gradually burst. (Irene Liu)
When a stroke occurs, stay calm.

No matter where the victim is, do not move him/her. Because, if moved, the capillaries will burst.

Help the victim to sit up where he/she is to prevent him/her from falling over again and then the blood letting can begin .

If you have in your home an injection syringe that would be the best.

Otherwise, a sewing needle or a straight pin will do.

1. Place the needle/pin over fire to sterilize it and then use it to prick the tip of all ......10 fingers.
2. There are no specific acupuncture points, just prick about an mm from the fingernail.
3. Prick till blood comes out.
4. If blood does not start to drip, then squeeze with your fingers..
5. When all 10 digits are bleeding, wait a few minutes then the victim will regain consciousness.

6. If the victim's mouth is crooked , then pull on his ears until they are red.
7. Then prick each earlobe twice until two drops of blood comes from each earlobe..
After a few minutes the victim should regain consciousness.

Wait till the victim regains his normal state without any abnormal symptoms then take him to the hospital.
Otherwise, if he was taken in the ambulance in a hurry to the hospital, the bumpy trip will cause all the capillaries in his brain to burst.

If he could save his life, barely managing to walk, then it is by the grace of his ancestors.
'I learned about letting blood to save life from Chinese traditional doctor, Ha Bu Ting, who lives in Sun Juke..

Furthermore, I had practical experience with it. Therefore, I can say this method is 100% effective.
In 1979, I was teaching in Fung Gaap College in Tai Chung.

One afternoon, I was teaching a class when another teacher came running to my classroom and said,
'Ms Liu, come quick, our supervisor has had a stroke !'. I immediately went to the 3rd floor.
When I saw our supervisor, Mr. Chen Fu Tien, his colour was off, his speech was slurred , his mouth was crooked - all the symptoms of a stroke.

I immediately asked one of the practicum students to go to the pharmacy outside the school to buy a syringe, which I used to prick Mr. Chen's 10 fingers tips.

When all 10 fingers were bleeding (each with a pea-sized drop of blood), after a few minutes, Mr. Chen's face regained its colour and the spirit on his eyes returned,

But his mouth was still crooked . So I pulled on his ears to fill them with blood .
When his ears became red ,
I pricked his right earlobe twice to let out two drops of blood .
When both earlobes had two drops of blood each , a miracle happened .
Within 3-5 minutes the shape of his mouth returned to normal and his speech became clear.

We let him rest for a while and after a cup of hot tea , we helped him go down the stairs, drove him to Wei Wah Hospital . He rested one night and was released the next day to return to school to teach.. Everything worked normally.
There were no ill after effects.
On the other hand, the usual stroke victim usually suffers Irreparable bursting of the brain capillaries on the way to the hospital.
As a result, these victims never recover.' (Irene Liu)
Therefore, stroke is the second cause of death.
The lucky ones will stay alive but can remain paralysed for life.

It is such a horrible thing to happen in ones life..

If we can all remember this blood letting method and start the life saving process immediately, in a short time, the victim will be revived and regain 100% normality.

IF POSSIBLE PLEASE FORWARD THIS AFTER READING . YOU NEVER KNOW IT MAY HELP SAVE A LIFE FROM STROKE




According to snopes the information contained in this e-mail, credulously spread around the internet, is both wrong and dangerous. Anyone believing and following its advice would almost certainly cause harm. Read the full analysis below as reported by snopes.com
"First let me dispense with the claims that are made - primarily that minute bleeding through finger or earlobe pricks will prevent permanent damage from a stroke.
There are actually several kinds of stroke. The term refers to the presentation of symptoms - stroke-like or sudden in appearance. The two main types of stroke are hemmorhagic and ischemic. Hemmorhagic strokes are caused by bleeding into the brain. Ischemic strokes are caused by lack of blood flow to a portion of the brain, and are further divided by the cause of the blockage. Ischemic strokes can also secondarily bleed from the damage to the brain tissue and its blood vessels.
There is no situation in which all of the capillaries in the brain burst - this is not part of a stroke. The closest thing to this that actually occurs is that an ischemic stroke may subsequently bleed, but there is no evidence or any plausible reason to think that any of the things mentioned in this e-mail would lead to or prevent secondary bleeding.
Further, pricking the fingers or earlobes would cause (thankfully) a negligible amount of bleeding and would not in any way affect the stroke victim's hemodynamics. And if it did,that would just worsen the stroke by decreasing brain perfusion and oxygen delivery.
Next, let's take a look at the specific recommendations of this e-mail to see how harmful they are. The recommendations begin with statement "when a stroke occurs," but it is not possible to say by observation alone when a stroke has occurred. All that you can tell from symptoms and examination is that a "stroke-like event" has occurred. Stroke-like symptoms can be caused by a seizure, a bleed, or a true ischemic stroke. There is no way to tell the difference without imaging. The management will depend upon an urgent X-ray - usually a CT scan.
The e-mailer then advises not to move the patient, but there is no reason not to move a stroke victim. Then is says to sit the patient up. If the patient has a bleed sitting up (to a degree) may be helpful. But if they have an ischemic stroke then sitting up with further impair blood flow and make the stroke worse. Again, there is no way to tell without a picture which kind of stroke a patient has, but most are ischemic so this advice is likely to cause harm by worsening the stroke.
The bleeding, as I mentioned above, is worthless but it does serve to delay getting the stroke victim to proper care. We have a saying in neurology, time = brain. There is a public health campaign to treat stroke like a "brain attack" and to get patients to emergency medical care as soon as possible. This kind of nonsensical misinformation works directly against these efforts by telling people to waste a considerable amount of time before doing anything useful.
The next statement is even worse - wait for the patient to regain consciousness (most stroke victims actually don't lose consciousness) and for the symptoms to resolve. Wow - that is exactly the opposite of what you should do. Do Not wait for the symptoms to resolve (which may not occur or may take hours), get the patient as quickly as possible to the nearest emergency room. A bumpy ride will not burst the capillaries, delaying emergency care will cost brain tissue.
Delaying treatment is even more of a bad idea these days because of the use of TPA - a clot-busting drug that can reverse some strokes. In order to use TPA a stroke victim must come to medical attention very quickly. The drug can only be given within three hours, so arrival at the ER within two is usually necessary. But any delay could lose the opportunity to treat with TPA.
What about the anecdotal evidence of success? Well, there is no compelling reason to believe anything contained in this e-mail. It has all the markings of urban legend SPAM. However, many strokes are actually what we call transient ischemic attacks, or TIA's. TIA's, by definition, completely resolve on their own within 24 hours, but most will resolve within 10-15 minutes. Therefore treating a TIA with any method will often correlate with a complete resolution of symptoms. This, of course, proves nothing."
Conclusion
The claims made in this e-mail are absurd from a physiological/medical point of view and the recommendations based upon them are actually dangerous and almost certain to cause harm, mainly by delaying appropriate diagnosis and care in the setting of a genuine medical emergency.


Monday, April 30, 2012

Saudi Musician- Abadi Al Johar

Saudi musician, Abadi Al-Johar, is known as the ‘King of Oud' for being the most accomplished oud player in the Gulf region.He is known for his own compositions and hits such as awazel and 3eyunak.
Oud in this case is not referring to incense but rather the musical instrument.  It’s name, oud, is derived from the Arabic meaning a thin piece of wood. In the Arab world, the oud is considered to be one of  the oldest musical instruments. In fact, it is the most central instrument in the Middle Eastern music tradition. Some others believe that it is the ancestor of the Pharaonic Egyptian Nefer, whereas, some others say that this instrument is the forebearer of the ancient Persian barbat. Beside this, oud is also known as the ancestor of the European lute.


Some of the defining features of this instrument are as follows:
  • Strings- this instrument consists of 11 strings. Among them, 10 strings are paired together, whereas, the lowest string remains single.
  • Peg box- from the neck of the oud, the peg box is bent back at a 45-90° angle.
  • Sound Holes- this instrument usually has 1-3 oval or circular shaped sound holes.
  • Body- the body of the oud has a staved and bowl-like back.

 The oud makes a unique sound due to its short neck which has no frets.
The most common string combination is five pairs of strings tuned in unison and a single bass string, although up to thirteen strings may be found. Strings are generally made of nylon or gut, and are plucked with a plectrum known as a risha (Arabic for feather). Modern strings are made of steel wound over nylon. The instrument has a warm timbre, low tessatura, and is often intricately decorated.
 Here is a short clip of Abadi Al-Johar playing the oud at a concert in Dubai:


Source:
http://www.erratum.org/datas/MUSICOLOGY/The%20Oud%20-%20The%20King%20of%20Arabic%20Instruments.pdf

http://www.arabinstruments.com/112730/The-Oud-instrument

Saturday, April 28, 2012

National Museum

The largest, and without doubt, the most important museum in the Kingdom is the National Museum of Antiquities. Situated as one of the cornerstones of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Centre in the Murabba Park, its impressive curved frontage looks out onto a babbling spring that trickles over boulders of basalt which were transported from the north of the country.

The museum was designed by the Canadian firm Moriyama & Teshima Architects with Büro Happold Engineers. The Canadian firm LORD Cultural Resources Planning & Management and the Royal Ontario Museum provided exhibit design services for the 30,000 square-metre project. It features eight galleries which tell the story of Sa’udi Arabia from the earliest of times up to the present day.

The first gallery, called Man and the Universe, presents the creation of the universe and the Earth, the formation of mineral and rock, and the environmental conditions that led to the Kingdom’s accumulation of its vast mineral wealth including the formation and accumulation of oil over millions of years.

The Arabian Kingdoms is the theme of the second hall which examines the different civilizations that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula and the growth of trade in the region. Archaeological objects depicting the development of calligraphy are also shown.


Hall number three is devoted to the pre-Islamic era which lasted from around 400 B.C until the revelation of the Prophet Mohammad. The exhibit includes replicas of the pre historic cities of Makkah, Jarash, Yathrib, Khaibar, Najraan, Khadrama, and Dawmat Aljandal.
Following on from this, the fourth gallery displays the life and mission of the Prophet Mohammad (saw) from the day of his birth until his journey to Madinah – the event that marks the beginning of the Hijrah calendar. It shows his family tree in both Arabic and English, and his biography from the time of his childhood. A large ceramic painting depicts the main events of the Prophet’s life, beginning with his migration from Makkah. Also shown is the way in which the Quraish tribe rebuilt the Ka’abah after its destruction by floods.
Gallery five – Islam and the Arabian Peninsular – concerns the period from the Prophet Mohammed (saw)'s arrival in Madinah until the establishment of the first Sa’udi State: the early era of Islam and the rule of the Caliphs, and the collection, recording, and preservation of the Holy Qur’an.
Also shown is a history of Arabic calligraphy with samples of different types of Arabic script dating from the second Hijrah century .


The first and second Saudi states are the subject of the next gallery, which goes into some depth about the history of Dir’iyyah and the allegiance between Imam Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab and the Al Sa’ud. A large three-dimensional replica of the city recreates its streets, mosques, markets and farms. There is also a replica of the new capital of Riyadh during the second Sa’udi state that shows the original walls, streets, buildings and old weaponry of the time.
Unification is the theme of the large circular seventh gallery showing how Abdul Aziz re-captured the city of Riyadh on January 15, 1902 and then went on to unify the regions of Najd, al-Hassa, Asir, Hail, al-Hijjaz and Jazaan. A documentary film demonstrates the discovery of oil in the Kingdom, the subsequent process of development, and its role in the lives of the people of the Arabian Peninsula.


The final hall represents the history of the Two Holy Mosques and the Hajj through the centuries. There are various exhibits that include ancient and recent tools, the fabric covering of the Holy Ka’abah, and some brass and antique artifacts belonging to the Holy Mosque. In addition there is a curtain and a door of the Holy Ka’abah.

You will be hard pressed to do the museum full justice in just one visit, but it should certainly be on everybody’s itinerary when they visit Riyadh.

Enter from King Faisal Street where you see the landmark Water Tower. Pass the Deputy Ministry of Antiquities on your right and find car parking in one of the limited available spaces around the park – either near the Murabba Palace, or outside on the perimeter road of the park itself.
The museum is closed all day Saturday and also on Friday mornings. Families can visit on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings (4.30pm to 9pm) whilst men can visit between 9am and 12 noon on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as on Tuesday evenings. Cost of entry is SR15.






Source:

http://www.simbacom.com/riyadh-ksa/museums/national.html

For more pictures kindly view 
https://www.facebook.com/sumayya.mehtar/media_set?set=a.10150905572587782.517992.739292781&type=3


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Amazing Camel Souq

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Whilst at the women's day function with best friend Mr. F, brother Faris informed me that he would be visiting the camel souq with Paul and Mo on Friday afternoon immediately after the midday prayers. As mom had just arrived in the Kingdom a few days ago I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for mom to experience Saudi culture first hand. Brother Faris agreed to mom and I hopping along with them. Immediately after the midday prayers on Friday, Mom and I made our way to the bus stop. Brother Faris was on time to pick us up and we made our way happily to the camel souq.The souq is located on the Dammam Road, heading east out of Riyadh.A huge area of around five kilometers square is home to the largest collection of camels in the Middle East and is a market that has probably stood the test of time with very little changes over the last few hundred years.


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As soon as we arrived at the souq, we instantly fell in love with the baby camels. The souq is guaranteed to bring out the 'aaaahhh' factor in almost anyone.Brother Faris frequents the camel souq quite often and hence he was well acquainted with many of the camel owners. There was a group of Saudi gentlemen who reside in the city but visit the souq on a weekly basis to spend time with their camels. They invited us to join their gathering. They offered us Arabic coffee (qahwa) and dates. One of the gentleman asked his Bangladeshi employee to milk one of the female camels. He wanted us to taste camel milk and then went on to explain the benefits of camel milk.Camel milk is supposedly more nutritious than cow milk. According to the Huffington Post, camel milk has been utilized medicinally for centuries by nomadic people. It is apparently the closest to a human mother's milk and contains 10 times more iron and   three times more vitamin C than cow's milk. At the beginning of 2011, a group of Arab researchers announced that they have made a scientific breakthrough by developing a medical formula for treating cancer using camel's milk and urine. I was quite surprised that camel milk is quite frothy and thick. From a distance it looks like thick fresh cream. If you ever travel through the desert and pass by Bedouin people,make sure you do try the camel milk that they will offer you. Camel milk is also available in most Saudi supermarkets.Most camels within the Kingdom are female. They are reared for their milk in dairy herds.The male camel is usually reared for camel racing and those that are not strong enough to race any more are usually culled. Many camels found at the enclosures within the souq are also kept as pets by Saudis.The normal life span of a camel is 40 years, though a working camel retires from active duty at 25.

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Whilst wandering throughout the souq I realized that camels come in various different shades. We seen white camels, black camels and of course the usual tan coloured camels. Mom and I could not get over their sheer beauty. Their faces were so adorable along with their striking eyes. Camels are graced with a double layer of eyelashes to prevent dust and sand from making its way into their eyes.Thick bushy eyebrows shield a camel’s eyes from the desert sun; and when the camel places its foot on the ground its broad, flat, leathery pads with two toes on each foot prevent it from sinking into the sand.
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Camels are also extremely sensitive animals. We witnessed a female camel running behind a van.Inside the van there was a small newly born baby camel. The owner was moving the baby camel to another enclosure temporarily. The mother camel was however distressed and as we witnessed her running down the road we sympathized for her and felt her pain. Branding marks or 'wusum' is often applied to the neck, legs or rump of the camel which shows ownership of the animal.As we made our way throughout the souq by foot, we eventually stumbled upon a souvenir shop that contained many bedouin type arts and crafts. After browsing through the shop and buying a few items we then headed to the desert where Brother Faris arranged a camel ride for all of us.The weather was ideal. It was cloudy and overcast with slight drizzles in between. Mo and Paul were such fun company. They kept mom and I entertained throughout the day. It was certainly an afternoon and an experience that I will cherish forever.

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How do I get to the camel souq?

Continue along the Dammam Road for approximately 10 kms, whence you will see endless camel enclosures on your left. Come off at the next exit, following signs for Thumamah, and the camel souq is on the left hand side of the road. 



Another way to reach the camel souq is from the airport. Take the eastbound road signposted Private Aviation and drive as far as you can go - past the end of the airport runway, right through the check point, across the junction and when you meet the junction at Janadriyah, turn right - past the BAE Systems Salwa compound and continue straight for  the next 20km. The souq will appear on your right hand side.