Sports Videos collection at Al Faisal International School 2016-17

Well, here is another video presentation of some of the activities conducted at Al Faisal International School, Jeddah, K.S.A, during 2016-17 Sports Week. It's been almost a year since. We are going to have another sports week event for the current session soon.

Rain in Jeddah, a blessing of Almighty Allah

After almost a year, the rain came rushing, with thunder, lightening and showers of joy!! As a necessary treat, the schools of Jeddah had been ordered to close for a day. The late morning walk on the street in front of our building proved to be a dream walk. The cupful of gale and the dark clouds on the northern horizon announced the arrival of much anticipated rain.



I took a leap or two to the nearby park, and was mesmerized by the beautiful combination of such a romantic weather and the lush ground of the park, palm trees swaying as if in ecstasy. Soon it started to drizzle. For a moment the whole scenario transformed into a sort of paradise. The cool breeze created a kind of melody moving jollily through the canopy of the dancing palms.



Here and there a few families emerged and seemed to enjoy the pleasant change in the weather. The kids frolicked and frisked in the wind. My heart overflowed with such a joy, I wished I were a child and would have had a chance to run wild, bare footed. The scent of the craving soil when finally soaked with water enraptured my olfactory sense for a moment. It was a scene all drenched with sensual pleasure. The zephyr kissed my cheeks as the little droplets patted my shoulders.



The "romance" intensified with the wild music of rolling thunder, and the flashing streaks of lightening appeared to be never-ending snapshots of the moment. I wallowed in the mistiness of that moment and tried to lose myself into that momentary oblivion. Soon after the heavens poured down the blessing and washed away all that was dirty and mean. I relished myself to the brim, till I quenched my thirst for the rain.



Indeed it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life!

Morning Assembly by G7A boys at Al Faisal School 2017_11_01

Here is a random typical morning assembly conducted by the students of Al Faisal International School. Surely when these young guys will watch it as they grow up and be busy in their practical lives, they will miss this time. And it will give them an opportunity to re-live the ever fascinating school life again. I wish them all the best and a very happy present and future life.

Foggy weather on the way to Abha, Saudi Arabia, April 2016

It was a unique experience of my life to stand on the ledge of a ginormous mountain, wrapped in a thick blanket of white fog. It's true Natural Beauty is unparalleled and it manifests herself in remote areas of the world.



The fog, the rain and the craggy rocks; your own car and the company of you dear friends, all make it such a heart throbbing combination that you would not miss it at any cost. And, definitely it is one of the rare experiences of your life. The memory of such an experience stays in mind forever, you long for such an opportunity again.



We know life bestows such blessings very less often, as we all get busy in the rat race of our petty world. The world which is torn apart by "divided aims and sick hurry" to quote Alfred Lord Tennyson.

On the way to Abha Collection of videos

Here is a collection of videos which I captured on the way to Muzallif through Abha, some 500+ kilometer south of Jeddah. I was amazed by the scenic beauty of that area. In April when Jeddah was pretty hot and dry, this whole area had awesome weather with cool breeze and occasional thunderstorms. The roads snaking through treacherous terrain were well build, except for few patches where these were covered by landslide. In fact most roads were clear to drive through. 

Our Journey took almost 12 hours to reach our destination, Muzallif, Al Qarn. The torrential rain on the way provided a great chance to refresh the memories of my native land, where I used to have such storms quite often way back in 90's during my school age. 

On the way back at one point the pointed black stones on the road punctured the tire of my new Hyundai Elentra, and changing the tire in such a cold weather was not less than a challenge. Nonetheless, the experience was fantabulous (fantastic+fabulous). 

The sudden hailstorm in Abha, where we stayed for an hour or so in order to meet an old friend of ours, was equally terrifying as well as mesmerizing. I thought it would break the wind shield of my new car, which of course I would least want to happen. Anyhow I started reciting some verses for the Holy book of Quran, to safeguard against any imminent disaster of at the very least a mishap. Thanks to Almighty the storm subsided within a few minutes and I was pretty relaxed. 

The other obstacle on the journey back home was the thick fog that had engulfed the whole area. On top of it, it was pitch black at night, and the roads were quite unfamiliar and dangerous. Since I had only been behind the wheel for a short time, and in fact it was the first time ever had an experience of a long drive, I gave up driving and requested my friend (the man with white turban in the video) to take driver's seat. He had to drive very slowly and cautiously. 

As the night deepened, drowsiness stated taking over the driver. Those were the most horrifying moments of the journey when Night, Fog and Doziness seemed have been conspiring against us. We kept moving at a slow speed. I and my other fellow passenger (We were three altogether) kept on talking loudly and tried to engaged the driver to avoid any accident. When my friend diving the car reached the end of his tether and it seemed he couldn't keep himself awake, I took his place and asked him to take a little nap at the back seat. 

After some time the fog started to give way and the roads straightened up, I picked up the speed and covered a considerable distance. Probable after an hour or so I started feeling the attack of sleepiness. The other two had gone to sleep. Soon I found a Masjid by the roadside and and pulled over to fresh  up. I awoke up the other sleepers too and handed over the responsibility of driving to my other colleague. By now had taken sufficient rest and was fresh again. He continued the remaining journey for five to six hours and we returned home safely early in the morning.

Here is the link to the Hailstorm Video!

Hailstorm in Abha, Saudi Arabia, 2016_04_01

Folklore: A reward for simplicity

Well, in my childhood my mother used to tell me folktales she had heard from her parents. Some of these tales were so gripping, they got etched onto my memory forever. I thought it to be a good idea to share some of them with the world. I believe every folktale is an outcome of centuries of wisdom. They tend to highlight some higher moral aspect of life.

Here is one of my favorite folktales:

Long long ago in a small village there lived a young boy with his elderly mother. He wouldn't do any job, so with the passage of time, it became really hard for the family to make both ends meet. One day the youth went to his mother and said, ' Mother, I am going out for a job to earn some living. Give me your blessings and a piece of advice.'

His mother blessed him and said, ' Whatever you get as reward for your hard work, just keep it on your palm and bring it home.'

The young lad toiled and labored the whole day and in the evening got a penny as a reward. Keeping his mother's advice in his mind, he kept that penny onto his palm, and started walking back home. On the way, he jumped over a narrow stream of dirty water and dropped the penny into it. 

When he reached home, he told everything to his mother, and asked for advice for the next day. Thinking he would get a penny as a reward again, his mother advised him to put anything he would earn into his pocket.

The next day, the young boy worked hard in the fields of a farmer, and got a lump of butter as a reward for his labor. Sticking to his mother's advice, he stuck the lump into the front pocket of his shirt, and hurried back home. By the time he reached home, the whole lump of butter had melted and dirtied his clothes.

The next morning his mother advised him to hold anything he'd get in his hands securely to get it home. He worked hard the whole day, and by dusk got a cat as a reward for his work. Insisting to follow his mother's advice, he held the cat in his hands and stared walking back home. On the way the cat got wild and angry. It scratched the poor boy's hands and scurried back to his master's home. 

Seeing his son in such a bloody condition and anticipating he might get another cat, the mother advised him to get a rope along, and tie anything he'd get the next day and drag it back to home. 

The next day the farmer, for whom the simple boy worked had his bull slaughtered. Generously he gave the boy a big piece of beef. Not willing to relent, the boy tied the piece of beef with a sturdy string and dragged it all the way back home, making it unworthy of eating. 

The next morning his mother asked him to carry anything he earns on his shoulder. The poor mother thought he would get a piece of beef again. 

After the whole day labor, the farmer rewarded the boy with a healthy spare donkey. Ignoring the instructions of everybody around and yet keeping faith in his mother's advice, he knelt down and managed to hold the beast on his shoulders. Slowly and steadily, he trudged through the streets of the town carrying the flabbergasted animal on his shoulders. 

The King of the country had announced that whoever made his pretty princess smile or laugh, he would marry the princess off to him. 

By sheer coincidence, the princess was just sitting sadly by her window. When she had a glimpse of the this hilarious sight of the young boy carrying a donkey on his shoulders, she burst into laughter. The King overwhelmed by the joy of his daughter's happiness, sent his men running after the boy. 

In a few minutes the boy was in the royal palace being groomed and readied to be the Prince Charming for the princess. Very soon he called his mother to the palace, and like in every fairy tale, they all lived happily ever after.