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CNN World: Modern Day Slavery in the Gulf 

A Real American Bedouin

Erga Rehns was born in Palestine in 1935.  She was raised in New York, lived in Portugal, and lived among the Bedouins in the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan.  This post contains two videos from 2007 that were posted by Al Jazeera about her life in the desert.

Feeling the need to return to her roots and a simpler life, Erga had lived for seven years in the Wadi Rum desert when this record of her bedouin lifestyle was first presented.   She outlived two husbands prior to her move to Jordan and in the video shares a story about receiving a marriage offer from a Bedouin man when she was 70 years old.

Posted by Susie of Arabia at 3:05 PM 9 comments: Links to this post Labels: Arab, bedouin, camel, desert, lifestyle


Suck it up and Deal With it!

Rant over... 


The Art of Silk Painting in Jeddah

This morning I attempted something new – the art of silk painting!

I enrolled in a private class here in Jeddah given by a lovely lady named Q.

Q has been doing silk painting since she was a teen.

I opted to draw my fish design freehand.

There were floral guides available that the other women used.

We learned a bit about the history of silk painting, tools and materials required, and then each of us made a hands on project that we took home with us, along with supplies provided by Q.
There were five students altogether and we had a great time.  The two hour class turned into three!
If you are interested in signing up for Q’s classes, check out her Facebook page.   These classes are for women only.
Posted by Susie of Arabia at 3:04 PM 6 comments: Links to this post Labels: activities, art, culture, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, silk painting, textiles, women


Fakieh Aquarium

Fakieh Aquarium - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from Susie Khalil

Fakieh Aquarium is Jeddah's latest family entertainment facility and the first of its kind within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  It is absolutely beautiful, kept immaculately clean, and promises to be an outing for the family that is educational as well as fun.

The aquarium opened in January to overwhelming crowds.  Located near Sari Street on Jeddah's Corniche, which runs north and south along the Red Sea coastline, the aquarium will eventually be home to more than 7000 different types of marine life, from sharks to dolphins to seals and  jellyfish.   The first thing one sees when approaching the facility from the north is the gorgeous colorful tile mosaic depicting underwater sea life on the side of the building.

The viewing tanks are large and spectacular, furnished with mangroves and coral reefs native to the area.  The walk through tunnel tank is particularly outstanding.  It reminded me very much of the many times I have been snorkeling in the Red Sea.  I even saw some species that I’ve never seen while snorkeling.  Sadly many Saudis, in particular females, are never taught how to swim so they have never been able to snorkel and experience the wondrous beauty of the Red Sea.  Fakieh Aquarium gives them the opportunity to see the amazing sea life firsthand that had previously been outside their realm of possibilities.

We also took in the Dolphin Show while we were there.  It is performed four times daily.   For a school day, there was a fairly good crowd at the 1pm showing.   A restaurant on site is still under construction and will hopefully open in the near future. Admission tickets cost 50 riyals per person, and the Dolphin Show is another 50 riyals.  Children under 2 are admitted for free.  For one person, the price isn’t bad, but for large families, a trip to the aquarium can seem rather costly.  Occasionally a discounted rate of 30 riyals is offered on Fridays through Fakieh Aquarium's Facebook page.  Hours of operation are from 11am to 11pm Saturday through Thursday.  Friday hours are 1:30pm to 11pm.

I was a little miffed at the products for sale in the aquarium’s gift shop.  Most of them were just toys that can be bought anywhere else and didn’t really pertain at all to sea life.  I was particularly surprised to see the pillows bearing the image of a scantily clad Betty Boop on sale in the aquarium gift shop.  Seriously?

Overall Fakieh Aquarium is impressive and I must commend them for a job well done.  The sea creatures appear well cared for, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the facility itself is gorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the above slideshow of my visit.  To see more photos taken by other visitors to the aquarium, please CLICK HERE.

Enjoy this Saudi Gazette article:  Explore the wonders of the sea world at Fakieh Aquarium

Watery Wednesday

Posted by Susie of Arabia at 8:00 AM 6 comments: Links to this post Labels: activities, aquarium, Corniche, education, entertainment, family, fish, Jeddah, photos, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia