Interview with Faran Tahir: Pakistani-American Muslim in Hollywood

Best known for his role as Raza in Iron Man and Captain Robau in Star Trek, Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir talks exclusively to Anousha Vakani for Jeddah Blog about his career, his upcoming works and his recent acting workshop conducted right here in Jeddah.

Faran speaks to Jeddah Blog

Faran Tahir comes from a family of actors and writers, so we asked him what it was like growing up around artists and to what degree that influenced his decision to get into the acting field: “Your environment can of course have a significant influence on who you are, although no one in my family pushed me to pursue this as my career, on some level, I always knew that this is what I wanted to do.” His father, Naeem Tahir, an actor, scholar and dramatist also appeared in the immensely popular Pakistani movie Khuda Ke Liye. In a 2013 interview with Geek Mom, Faran Tahir explains that he loves stories; whether he’s reading them, attempting to write them or bringing them alive onscreen, as it has been a part of him and his family for decades.

Faran Tahir as Raza in Iron Man

Faran Tahir has appeared on stage, alongside drama and films. He has acted in episodes of Law and Order, The West Wing, Charmed and Grey’s Anatomy to name a few. His films include Picture Perfect, Elysium and Escape Plan. When asked which the better experience was, he replied, “To me, it depends what story we are trying to tell. Different stories require different mediums.” He adds that he doesn’t have a favourite role as, “The way I see it is that one should always give everything one has got to every role otherwise you are doing that character a disservice.”

As Captain Robau in Star Trek

The actor also admits that he is careful when choosing roles that may represent religion in a negative light, he goes on to say that while there are challenges to being a Pakistani Muslim in Hollywood, “There are times when one wants to not be labeled as anything but just ‘actor’. However, things are changing. There are better and more layered roles. Part of it is because we are increasing in numbers and because the market has become more global.”

Faran in “Escape Plan” with heavyweight icons of action Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger

We asked him about his latest venture Flight World War II opening in cinemas tomorrow, “It’s a science fiction movie. I play a pilot of a commercial airline. We take off from Washington DC for London and are hit by a freak lightening storm which throws us back in the past. The passengers and crew then discover that we are now flying over Nazi Germany during World War II. It is my job to bring the passengers and my crew home safely.”

The trailer for Flight World War II can be viewed below.

About other future projects, “I just did a CBS pilot for the series Super Girl. If that goes to series I might have a recurring role on that. I am starting a movie late summer called The 11th, and later this year, I will go play the title role of Othello in Shakespeare’s Othello.”

Jeddah was great. It has a wonderful artistic pulse. I would love to return if I am invited again.

Faran conducts acting workshops on and off, and he recently conducted a workshop in Jeddah on the invitation of the US consulate, “It is my way of connecting with other artists. It is important that we share our knowledge and experience. Jeddah was great. It has a wonderful artistic pulse. I would love to return if I am invited again.” Stay tuned for the release of Flight World War II on the 2^nd of June, which, judging by the trailer, is going to be a thrilling ride.

Revisiting That Jeddah Podcast: An Interview with Diana, co-host and blogger.

We’ve written about That Jeddah Podcast before – about why they’re awesome and why we ‘like’ them. We ‘like’ them for their randomness, their charming quirkiness and their cast of characters. This time Anousha Vakani speaks to Diana, co-host and blogger, about the inception of the podcast, the process of recording each episode and much more! 

How and when did you start the podcast? Where did you get the inspiration to start a podcast and how did you launch the idea?

I’m a fan of podcasts. I especially like informative ones like Stuff You Should Know and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk, and comedy ones like The Nerdist and (the now-defunct) The Exploding Sandwich.

In 2009, I recorded fake interviews with my friends in Jeddah, and later that year, posted them on my blog as a joke. Early 2010, perhaps also as a joke, Fayiz Melibary set up an iTunes account for a Jeddah Podcast, and this was what “forced” me to just go ahead, make it official and register it in the iTunes podcast directory.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to start a podcast in Saudi Arabia? Is it generally easy or difficult to set up and maintain?

Launching a podcast is extremely easy because of its nature. You record an episode, post it online whenever you like, for free, and subscribers can listen to it whenever and wherever they want.

Whether or not the process of maintaining a podcast is difficult really depends on the producers. I encourage Jeddawis to podcast, it’s an easy enough platform to use if you’re looking to express yourself.

If you can commit to learning how to do it, and you have a general topic you like to discuss with friends, I say go for it. That Jeddah Podcast ultimately wants to be a one-stop-shop place for people to find podcasts that cater to the Jeddah community. Contact us, maybe we can help you.

Who are your listeners and what feedback do you get from them?

When TJP first started out, I thought it would only attract my friends as listeners, mainly because it features them. In the past couple of years, though, it has attracted the attention of many other English-speaking Saudis and expats within the Kingdom, including other cities like Riyadh and Dammam. We also have listeners from abroad, some of them Saudis who want to get updates about home, some of them non-Saudis who just want to get an idea of what it’s like living in Saudi Arabia.

It’s one of the most awesome things about having a podcast, being able to connect with these people with whom I have something in common – a hometown.

Generally, the feedback is good. We get requests on topics they’d want us to cover, or we get asked questions about places in Jeddah, common practices, recommendations. We’re not “experts” on Jeddah, but it’s nice to be treated like one.

What process do you go through to record one episode?

Outside Saudi Arabia, a podcast is the lowest-maintenance project you can start, but in Jeddah, there are challenges. Some of the things I’ve had to do were: schedule guests and co-hosts to record with me, find a quiet venue to record in, learn some technical things about podcasting (sound editing, feeds, some HTML/CSS), write or brainstorm topics for each episode, and promote the podcast on social media platforms. It takes lots of time and hard work, like most anything, really.

But then also, the beauty of having a podcast is that it doesn’t have to be “conventional radio,” if that makes sense. Every now and then, I’d record a “rogue” unscheduled episode, where I just show up with a mic/recorder at a hangout with friends and record what’s being said. No need for formality.

How do you decide on topics? What topics do you think come up again and again? And what topics do you avoid?

As a general rule, we stay away from the topics of government and religion. We pick topics we know well. When in doubt, I always just think: “would I listen to this episode?” We like sci-fi, pop culture, fitness, the internet, music, the sciences, languages, literature; these things interest us, and we try to stay within the bounds of our interests. Otherwise, they come off as pretentious. Nobody wants that.

We always seem to come back to topics about Jeddah, which is a good thing. There are many episodes about our culture here, what it’s like to live here, what places we go to, what we do at certain social situations.

You were mentioned on BBC a few months ago, what was that like?

That was a nice spike in our traffic. I wish I could say it propelled us to celebrity status.

Do you think you are contributing to some sort of change in Saudi Arabia or in the way the rest of the world might view Saudi and its people? 

That’s huge. The quick answer is “no”. We’re not political. We like information, and we like entertainment, and that’s what we have to offer.

We’re implementing some (good) changes, or additions, to the podcast as we speak. We are going to introduce more team members, more podcasts and more segments. If this contributes some good to the society, hey, how about that.

20 Tips for a Green Jeddah

Things are looking greener for Jeddah as an increasing number of green enthusiasts and environmental initiatives have sprung up in the city, and it has become much easier to Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. Anousha Vakani speaks to a couple of such enthusiasts who agree that while the environmental situation in Jeddah leaves much to be desired, we have come a very long way in the last decade.

Sahar Radwan, a volunteer at Mawakeb Al-Ajr and a member of the Taif Orphans Association, explains that the pick-up truck from Trewind for the recyclables collected on their venue is now needed everyday as opposed to just once a month when they began six years ago. She talks about the increasing awareness among the people of Jeddah, and says, “people are very interested in the idea of recycling and reusing things. It’s a new culture for them but they are very enthusiastic about the fact that there is a place where they can send recyclable or reusable items.” However, Sahar admits that there is a transportation issue as the recycling situation in Jeddah is not yet big enough for recyclables to be picked up from individual areas. Instead, households must drop off their recyclables to Mawakeb Al-Ajr’s venue in Khalidiyah. Due to this, Sahar admits that other than many schools and companies, most families that drop off recyclables live close by in the Khalidiyah or Rawdah Districts.

Jeddah has seen the appearance of public recycling bins which can be found in many schools, colleges, hospitals and even supermarkets such as Hyperpanda, Wall Street Institute and United Doctors Hospital. Recycling bins have also been seen lined on a couple of streets.

@Huda_Alamoudi

Mona Othman co-founder of Naqa’a Enterprise, which provides sustainability solutions to companies, has also noticed a significant improvement in the environmental awareness levels between today and five years ago. Naqa’a Enterprise has worked with companies such as Nestlé and Abdul Lateef Jameel Co. Ltd. as well as Dar El Hekma College and Friends of Jeddah Parks.

Mona believes that the awareness of proper waste disposal will lead to a much better future for the environment. She goes on to add that currently they are contacted “mostly by international companies with young people who have either studied abroad or grown up there with environmental awareness, or due to pressure from international branches.”

Local companies are, however, slowly entering the green scene. One such company is The Loft, a creative hub based in Jeddah. Co-founder Ruba Sidani mentions that The Loft uses a very minimum amount of paper in the office but does end up with a good amount of plastic water bottles. After a little research they came across Mawakeb Al-Ajr and now send recyclable items to their venue in the Khalidiyah District.

Ruba explains that The Loft team is very enthusiastic about water and energy saving and the reuse of resources. She asserts, “We felt that especially in Saudi the topic of recycling is not of any significance, so we thought we would start in the office and once it kicks off we would move on to a campaign to try to spread awareness and to encourage people to separate their waste and recycle. We hope this catches on because it is for a much greater good, better for Saudi and better for the world.” The Loft has recently collaborated with Ateeq on a promo video of the Trochet project.

The Trochet project is the brainchild of Diana Rayyan, and another green campaign that Jeddah can be proud of. Trochet (trash + crochet) aims to reuse, through crochet, plastic and other recyclable items in the creation of hand-made products. They have even managed to design and create a bean bag made of crocheted strips of plastic. Recycling bins will soon be placed for the collection of plastic bags for Trochet.

The people of Jeddah are strongly urged to do their bit to help paint Jeddah in the vibrant green that it deserves. Jeddah Blog has compiled twenty tips for a greener Jeddah to help you start off:

mobilecommons.com

 

Twenty Tips For a Green Jeddah !

• Aim for shorter showers, reduce the flow of your shower head and don’t keep the water running while brushing your teeth.

• Turn off the lights when you leave the room, especially if you’ll be gone for more than a minute.

• Recycle technology; old laptops and cellphones can be sold to local shops who will usually offer a good deal as most parts are reusable.

• Participate in Earth Day 2013, follow green blogs and local environmentalists to stay up to date and participate in events taking place in Jeddah on Earth Day. Take a look at activities from Earth Day 2011.

• Raise awareness by inviting environmentalists to give talks at your school, college, workplace orevent. Companies and groups such as Naqa’a Enterprise, Al-Nabta and Faseelah hold environmental awareness lectures.

• Educate children at home by encouraging them to reuse and recycle wherever possible. Start them off at a young age by looking for green activities to do with your toddlers, such as recycled material in an arts and crafts project.

• Make an effort to improve air quality and reduce traffic by carpooling whenever you can.

• Reduce the amount of plastic bags you bring home from the grocery store. Ask the bagger to place as many items as possible into a single bag. Better yet, take your own reusable bags to bring home your groceries in.

• Switch off the hot water boiler in summers. Tap water in the summertime is usually hot enough for showers and household chores.

• Buy your groceries in bulk and reduce the amount of containers that have to be recycled.

• The greener the product, the better. Look for environmental friendly products the next time you go shopping. Take a look at Destination Jeddah’s Green Living section for updates on green products.

• Unplug cellphone and laptop chargers when not in use

• Separate your trash immediately into paper, plastic, metal and glass. Consider colour coding your waste baskets to make it easier and more fun for the family. Take a look at Trewind’s How You Can Help section for details on this.

3mireland.ie

• Bring the separated recyclable items to your nearest collection point such as Hyper Panda, Mawakeb Alajer, Wall Street Institute and United Doctors Hospital. Contact Trewind for more information on collection points.

• Volunteer at local green activities, such as the Trochet project by Ateeq and several projects by YIG Jeddah, Mawakeb Alajer and Friends of Jeddah Parks.

• Khayra Bundakji, an environmental enthusiast and student at Effat University tweeted a useful and simple green tip; invest in reusable cups and take them to cafes instead of using their disposable ones. If you have your coffee (or tea) on the go, invest in a thermal coffee cup and have your daily drink in your own reusable cup, saving hundreds of paper and plastic cups per month. These reusable cups can be found in places such as Lifestyle, Home Centre, Ikea and most grocery stores.

• Instead of giving kids money to buy bottled water from school, invest in a reusable water thermos for them to take to school.

• If you have large windows at home, open the curtains and let in the natural light for as long as possible before switching the lights on.

• Set your air conditioner on a timer instead of keeping it on all night.

• Donate old clothes, toys, books and furniture to local charity groups such as YIG Jeddah or second-hand shops such as Mawakeb Alajer. Organizing a yard sale in your compound or neighbourhood can help you to get rid of items no longer needed as well as make you a little extra cash. Items can also be sold online at Expatriates.com or Jeddah Yard Sale on Facebook.

Green Bookmarks

Naqa’a Environmental Enterprise

GREENation Saudi Arabia

Green Jeddah

Destination Jeddah

Mawakeb Alajer

Ateeq

YIG Jeddah

Trewind

Faseelah

Saudi Environmental Society

Friends of Jeddah Parks

Green Prophet

Liyano Design and Production

Jeddah Yard Sale

Green Crafts for Kids

A Tribute to the Father of Urdu

Rohail A. Khan – Event Sponsor

Rohail A. Khan, senior banker and finance director, has been living in Saudi Arabia since 1993 and is developing communities through literature, culture and philanthropy. As chief guest of the memorial service of the Father of Urdu, Rohail Khan reports the success and conclusions of the event for Jeddah Blog.

For the first time in Saudi Arabia, a grand event was organized in the memory of Baba-e-Urdu (Father of Urdu), Dr. Moulvi Abdul Haq, to commemorate his 140th birthday and to propagate his message. Jeddah has rarely witnessed such extraordinary enthusiasm and exemplary love for Urdu.

Who was Baba-e-Urdu?

Baba-e-Urdu (1872-1961) was an acclaimed Urdu educator, writer, critic, linguist, lexicographer, editor, compiler, translator, etymologist, biographer and grammarian. He authored more than 20 books on these areas. Having realized the slow demise of the Persian language, Moulvi Abdul Haq devoted his entire life to making Urdu the primary language of the sub-continent and to placing it head-to-head with English and Arabic. He founded and managed Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu, an organization dedicated to the promotion of Urdu language and literature, for 50 years pre-partition. During his migration in 1947, he carried 15,000 rare Urdu books from Delhi to Karachi. He was the moving spirit behind the establishment of the Osmania University in Hyderabad, Deccan, where Urdu is still one of the mediums of instruction. The world’s largest Urdu Translation Centre was established where rare Urdu books and Deccani manuscripts were translated and published. He was also instrumental in setting up the world’s first Islamia College for Women, Lahore in 1939, and Pakistan’s first Urdu College in Karachi (1949). He was the creator of the world’s largest Urdu-English Dictionary (1930) and in 1959 initiated the grand project of compiling a Modern Urdu Dictionary in 22 volumes. This project was completed three years ago under the Urdu Dictionary Board, Pakistan.

The Memorial Event

The memorial event was held at Lasani Restaurant on the evening of 21st November, 2012. The successful event had been organized by the Aalmi Urdu Markaz and welcomed more than 275 guests from all walks of life. Men, women and especially youngsters hailing from assorted nationalities all gathered together to commemorate Baba-e-Urdu’s 140th birthday. Multi-cultural community leaders, social workers, businessmen and literary figures added to the light of the event. The audience were treated to a four-hour literary discussions and poetic recitations and warmly applauded the proceedings.

A very diverse audience commemorating the 140th birthday of the Father of Urdu.

The event took off with a short video containing a speech by Baba-e-Urdu and his life story with rare pictures, before the poetry recitals and literary discussions.

On stage from left: V.P. of Aalmi Urdu Markaz, Rohail A. Khan, Hon. Tahseem ul-Haq, President of Aalmi Urdu Markaz and poet Anwar Ansari with the Executive Team from Aalmi Urdu Markaz.

Chief Guest, Rohail Khan, shared his thoughts on Baba-e-Urdu with the organizers and participants, and offered practical suggestions to promote and protect Urdu.

“Architect and saviour of Urdu language and literature, Baba-e-Urdu, Dr. Moulvi Abdul Haq’s lifetime services to protect and promote Urdu are spread over 75 years. He proved a Prophet of Urdu and his message must be adequately propagated for the benefit of current and future generations. Le us not forget that Urdu, 4th largest language, is spoken by over 100 million people across 5 continents.”

7 Steps to Promote Urdu

Rohail A. Khan suggested seven projects to promote Urdu:

1. Renew the Anjuman-e-Taraqqi-e-Urdu and propagate its mission across the globe by supporting tertiary local and international Urdu-serving institutions.
2. Promote the importance of Urdu as a means to enhance our knowledge about Islam.
3. Build the brand of Urdu world-wide through the proactive use of social media.
4. Studying Baba-e-Urdu’s works and achievements and spreading his message by establishing Urdu faculties and research chairs at Ivy League Universities for the award of doctorate degrees on Urdu.
5. Launch new Urdu periodicals, Urdu dictionaries and encyclopaedia.
6. Identify and promote upcoming Urdu writers and poets.
7. Launch “Urdu Academy International” as a global think-tank to incubate new ideas and projects to promote and protect Urdu.

The first goal is to launch the cause of making Urdu one of the official languages of Facebook. Rohail Khan can be reached at rohailkhan00@gmail.com and on Facebook.

– compiled by Anousha Vakani

Trochet: Turning Trash into Crafty Crochet

Jeddah is teeming with an incredible amount of creative talent, and it is always interesting to see that creativity turn into a larger community building effort. Earlier this month Anousha Vakani met with two very inspiring ladies, Diana Rayyan and Ishrat Khawja, who make up part of Jeddah’s creative brigade that has used art as a path to a better Jeddah.

Trash + Crochet = Trochet

Two years ago Diana Rayyan, the brains behind this initiative in Jeddah, was inspired by an awareness lecture that focused on the ill-effects of plastic on the environment. Initially, she did her bit by spreading the word on what she knew about plastics and the environment but was convinced that more could and should be done.

A Trochet work in progress.

After researching all possibilities she decided to launch a project that recycled plastic bags through crochet. She took it one step further and turned it into a charity initiative. The idea is to teach needy women how to crochet, to introduce them to the idea of recycling plastic and other materials through this art and to encourage them to earn an income in this way.

Diana explains that in the beginning people were (and some still are) sceptical that a product that is spun from what is essentially trash could be successful, many of them insisting that “trash is trash.” If anything, such an attitude only heightens the need for awareness and environmental projects in this society.

Ladies hard at work, but having a blast at the two-day pilot workshop.

The Trochet (trash + crochet) project was launched through the organization Ateeq which operates under the slogan of ‘mind to hand’. I found this slogan more than appropriate as Diana explained how Ishrat, “the creative guru”, eagerly agreed to translate Diana’s vision to substance through her crochet skills.

Ishrat Khawja is a blogger and crochet designer under her own brand Fruitful Fusion. She has been blogging about the challenges that come with crocheting with strips of plastic, and describes the pilot workshop that took place at the Rawaj Center, a part of Majid Society.The pilot workshop was a success in many ways, but as Ishrat explains, the community building aspect stood out most as “women from different backgrounds are brought together by a common language – the language being crochet terms”.

Diana agrees that the social aspect of this project is the most “spiritual”. She adds that “people have to remember that it’s not always about the end result, it is about the process.” It amazed her that pilot workshop was more of a “dialogue than a monologue” with the women enthusiastically throwing in their own thoughts and ideas.

Awareness ribbons made entirely out of recycled material; plastic bags and metal clothes hangers.

What amazed me most, however, was the amount of productivity that can be rolled into one project. Not only is this an incredible integration of art and the environment but its impact on society is far-reaching, with an increase in earning opportunities for needy women and an increased awareness of very pressing environmental issues.

The Trochet project is currently in need of volunteers to help and support the needy women, to teach crochet and to come up with suitable Trochet designs. Volunteers are also invited to come in and help with whatever they can, including the preparation of Trochet materials and packaging, because as they put it,“there is always something to do!”

An order for awareness ribbons, packed and ready to be delivered.

If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more details, email Diana or Ishrat at trochet@ateeq.me or fruitfulfusion@hotmail.co.uk, follow them on twitter at Ateeq and Fruitful Fusion and on Facebook at Ateeq and Fruitful Fusion.

A review of ‘Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia’

Many of us heard via social media about the play Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia being performed at the Effat University. Our very own Anousha Vakani was lucky to win tickets and attend the performance. She pens down her thoughts and reviews Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia exclusively for Jeddah Blog.

Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia – a satirical look at the lives of Saudi women.

When I first heard about Maisah Sobaihi’s solo performance Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia over a year ago, I was just as surprised as everyone else to hear that such live entertainment exists here for, and most importantly BY women. I was looking forward to attending the October 2012 performance and luckily enough none of my expectations were disappointed as the play was every bit as witty and poignant as previous reviews and promos promised.

Also worth mentioning is that I happened to win one out of three giveaway tickets from Alaa Balkhy’s blog, so a shout-out of appreciation is due to Alaa Balkhy, her blog and her designs at Fyunka for being the cherry on top of a wonderful evening.

October 2012 introduced the first ever Arabic performance of Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia. However, as I don’t speak Arabic, I attended the English performance at Effat University on the 9^th of October. The English performance was peppered with just the right amount of Arabic words and phrases to add to the hilarity and Arab flavour of the play.

Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia is a satirical performance based on the private lives of Saudi women. As if pulling off a show that dances with almost dangerous grace around such a theme isn’t an extraordinary feat on its own, Maisah Sobaihi also plays the role of writer, director and sole actor of her performance. This one-woman show is the perfect blend between a play and stand-up comedy, and Ms. Sobaihi switches with fluid ease from playing the different characters and narrating the scenes unfolding before her audience.

Maisah Sobaihi captivating on stage.

The curtain rises to the sound of music and a striking first impression as the stage is divided into three sets, each designed as per the classic Arabian tastes of colour and lavishness. Dressed in red and black, Maisah Sobaihi begins her performance with an introduction on how she “fell in love in Saudi Arabia” against all odds. Right from the very beginning Ms. Sobaihi is engaged in a conversation with her audience; an audience that relates to her story and to the stories of Maryam and Laylah.

She introduces the character of Maryam as a wife and mother of two who finds out through the grapevine that her husband has taken a second wife. Ms. Sobaihi then takes over the plush seats of the central set and as Maryam, has a rather comic conversation with her husband who hints at an interest in taking a second wife. She initially laughs off his ridiculous reasoning of being overcome with a sense of social responsibility towards the single and divorced women of Saudi society. She retorts that if he has indeed been “struck by the cupid of social responsibility” there are a number of projects he can undertake instead, cleaning up the litter on the Corniche being only one of her many spirited suggestions.

A superb performance by Ms. Sobaihi.

Maryam’s husband then has an official wedding and Ms. Sobaihi attends it as Maryam’s spy but due to the characteristically loud music of Saudi weddings can’t understand whether wife number two is “a teacher or a preacher.”

In keeping with the light-hearted mood of the play, Maryam’s outbursts of rage combined with her incredible wit are comical for the most part, but a hush resonates in the audience as her husband’s betrayal becomes more apparent and they watch her heart break on stage.

Laylah, who is introduced in-between Maryam’s story and Ms. Sobaihi’s riveting commentary on the social issues unfolding before us, is also a mother but a divorcee of seven years. Laylah is a loud and lovable personality, and while she has a job and comes off as generally independent, she admits to being lonely. When Laylah takes the stage she is casually lounging on a chair smoking hookah and trying to convince Ms. Sobaihi to dive into a Misyar marriage. The audience is drawn into a hilarious one-sided banter as Laylah counters every one of Ms. Sobaihi’s arguments against Misyar marriages.

Ms. Sobaihi then moves to the center of the stage to comment on the conversation that has just taken place. She explains that after her divorce, her friends and family tried to convince her to remarry, but she remained convinced that ‘you can’t hurry love’.  At this point she breaks out into a song and invites the audience to join in.

Apart from love, marriage and conventionality, Ms. Sobaihi touches lightly on other issues including transportation. She portrays the dependency of Saudi women on their drivers as she calls Mohammad at three in the morning overcome by a sweet-tooth craving for chocolates from Danube.

She also talks about the Saudi obsession with gossip, retorting through Maryam that in this society people go out of their way to “make sure you know exactly what you don’t want to know.”

The stories of Maryam and Laylah take pretty predictable turns but the combination of Ms. Sobaihi’s flawless acting and commentary make for an overall touching and perceptive performance. Right before curtain fall, Ms. Sobaihi returns to the topic of the love of her own life and brings in a surprise which makes for a perfectly appropriate ending.

Head Over Heels in Saudi Arabia is a comical insight and a very artistic representation of social issues pertaining to Saudi society and a definite must-watch. If you happened to miss it this October stay tuned to Maisah Sobaihi’s official website, Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on upcoming performances.

Our readers talk about Saudi National Day

Our guest contributor Anousha Vakani is enthusiastic about Saudi National Day. She takes a great initiative and gets several of our readers aboard by inviting them to answer questions about what the day means to them, and generally what they like about the KSA experience in general. Don’t stop celebrating, but do take a moment to look at what our readers have to say. Your feedback is never too late, so put in your two cents in the form of comments under the post or mail them to us (you can find contact details here), and we’ll be happy to work them into the post. A very happy Saudi National Day to all of you!

What does Saudi National Day mean to you? How do you celebrate?

Saudi national day means a lot to me, I used to be a student in Manarat, a very cultural school. We used to have a proper celebration that entailed face painting, select students performing a cultural dance, and best of all Arab food along with a little lesson on the history of our lovely nation. Furthermore, classes were cancelled for the whole day. 🙂 – Saman Asad

To me Saudi National Day is a special day that reminds me, where ever I am in the world, that the country I consider home is still proudly independent. On this day a rush of excitement floods the streets of KSA and paints a smile on all of our faces. – Zaynab Tariq

I celebrate it by staying at home and purchasing a Saudi flag…– Raed

When green is hung up everywhere, I can’t help but think of all the eco-friendly attempts that I have made and seen. It’s a chance to remember how young Saudi Arabia is and how many possibilities there is for its future. I think of this article in particular
I celebrate by doing all my shopping the day before and staying securely at home! You won’t see me stuck in that traffic 😛 – Khayra B.

Saudi National Day is a celebration of the unification of Saudi Arabia: a country where the two Holy Mosques stand. It is a celebration of peace and prosperity and spiritual unity for the Muslim Ummah as a whole. I usually celebrate with friends and family!– Sundus

We celebrate by praying for the prosperity of the country… May Allah keep His blessings on Saudi Arabia, always… Ameen. – Naureen

I don’t celebrate, and seeing the way people celebrate here dancing till after midnight in the streets of Jeddah with the flag saddens me. I believe that is not a proper way of showing respect to the forming of this country. – Israa Al-Qassas

I usually celebrate it by buying flags or badges which I pin to my shirt and carry around with me. I also dedicate my status to the day. – Yumna

Foundation basis of Saudi was laid on this day! I decorate my house, my car and put Saudi National anthem and go on streets to party with friends carrying Saudi flags in our hands 🙂 – Saad

What changes have you seen in KSA recently? What changes do you hope to see in the future?

The drainage system being FINALLY built, which is a VERY good step Alhamdulillah! The bridges and underpasses that have been made, which make getting to places much easier and faster. The thing I feel like they need to do most is to make the Jeddah airport better as it lacks a lot of things and it’s essential as people all over the world come to Jeddah. And it’s not even like they don’t have the money to build it. They do, so I advise them to start working on it. – Aisha Salman

I have seen a population boom in Jeddah and also seen how women have started to work in public places. I also see how women are opening up small business such as caterers and aerobic instructors. I also have seen a boom in women working in the commerce industry. One thing I would like to see change in is the transport in KSA; public transport should be available to all and safety traffic laws need to be implemented and strictly adhered to, to prevent unnecessary loss of lives.– Nawal Ismail

Changes I’ve seen so far are: new malls/buildings and a bunch of bridges dotted all over the place (That take like forever to complete)! Changes I’d like to see are: A better, more organized driving system and an overall cleaner environment – Uthman Omar

The biggest change that I personally think has had the most impact of society is an increase in female employment. Women who are receiving no income can finally earn for themselves and support their children. A change I would like to see in the future would be the opportunity for women to drive as some women either have no male support or cannot afford drivers. Women need more independence. – Zaynab Tariq

Bigger highways, malls, improved traffic (far better when I first came), rules are a little less extreme and lastly more events to keep women busy. I would like to see more available activities for the youth which should be widely available, more public parks and an end to the family only rule in malls. – Raed

My favorite change is Saudi women working in malls while acting and dressing professionally. I got so excited I made a list
I hope the same amount of awareness and initiative is used towards helping the environment. It’s no secret how much smoke gets in the air, how much water & energy is used, and how much litter is thrown around daily. – Khayra B

Women have greater freedom in KSA in terms of work opportunities recently. The election of a woman to the Shoura Council is another recent change. I hope now that the social stigma associated with a working woman will be lifted. – Sundus

Saudi Arabia is a slow paced society, and I like slow changes! In future, I see women driving. – Saad

I feel that over the years, KSA has become less conservative and open minded especially concerning woman and their rights. I hope this will continue and maybe in the future the law that bans woman from driving will be lifted. – Yumna

The change I’ve seen with the population is that it has adopted globalization yet has managed to keep its roots alive. – Meral Khan

People have become more welcoming and open minded towards women’s rights… hope to see this exponentially increase in the future – Danish Ali

What do you love most about living in KSA?

The low crime rate, the roads, not too many power downs even in poor places.– Aisha Salman

The Islamic environment that is difficult to find elsewhere. The freedom of wearing my hijab and preform my prayers without any inappropriate comments or stares. – Israa Al Q

The best things about Jeddah are: living so close to Makkah; wearing hijab is normal; masajid everywhere; work schedules altered to accommodate the Islamic calendar; people from all over the planet; in spite of being one of the oldest human settlements on Earth, today’s Jeddah is mostly very new. Also, great shopping, BTW. – Anne Osman

 Cheap gas, great food. – Danish Ali

I actually love the freedom there, this may sound paradoxical but honestly women that are hijabi or conservative have a lot of freedom, because there are many things that are dedicated to women only, you will never find that anywhere in the world! – Saman Asad

I just love the normality of segregation and being able to fully cover without being looked at in a strange way. I also love watching all the shops close while the Adhaan for salaah is being called, Allahu Akbar, only in Saudi Arabia, w’alhamdulilah. – Ruqayyah

The infrastructure and the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. – Hassaan Pervez

People from all over the world and how humble and friendly they are. –Raed

Security.– Wakas

It’s easy to partake in productive activities. Once you know where to go and who to team up with, there are so many initiatives and groups working towards improving Jeddah even further. – Khayra B

Dining, corniche, malls, shopping. – FA

Peace and calm. – Mohammad Rafay

I am treated as a princess! But seriously: I do not have to drive, drop children to school or get groceries. I have a maid, a driver, and the extended family system means my parents are always close by. What more do I want?– Sundus

Calm and quiet environment – Naureen

The coffee– Sak A

What do you miss most while you’re away?

The people I meet in KSA. The emotional attachment you develop to the country as well as the people is far too strong to overcome. I’ve lived in London for a few years of my life but have never felt the same way about London as I feel for Jeddah. My heart always is and will always be in KSA.– Zaynab Tariq

I miss spending Ramadan in Saudi. – Abeer Khan

Aside from the holy sites, I’ll definitely miss Al Baik (lol), my compound which spoiled me and each and every person whom I have met.– Raed

What I miss most about Saudi is hearing the adhaan at salaah time, not just one adhaan but about 5 different ones from all the local mosques, all calling the same thing at the same time. Sub7anaAllah. – Ruqayyah

The freedom to be a practicing Muslim and cheap petrol. – Wakas

Calm and privacy – FA

Ramadan!– Mohammad Rafay

The vibe you get from Jeddah, the bubbly ‘life’s good’ feeling, oh and Al – Baik/Munch/Baskin-Robins – Uthman Omar

Triple F = Friends, Food and Festivals – Saad