Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Wednesday, February 15th 2012
It took almost 2 hours to get there and it is only about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the hospital but luckily I was in a small bus. The Social Club at the hospital has organised the trips for anyone who wants to attend. If I haven't talked about the Social Club before, they offer up a whole lot of activities, and fitness classes and trips to keep us entertained. It's really affordable to do so as well. This trip cost me 30 SAR (about 7.75 CAD) for the round trip transportation which is pretty good if you ask me. The ride out was very entertaining. I wish I had been quicker with my camera as we drove. We passed many a truck filled with goats and sheep and many different living compounds including brand new housing and Bedouin camps. Wednesday night is like Friday night back home so there were also lots of roadside.....well everything (a souq for everyone whether you were looking for a carpet or gold or some fruit) being set up. It's just still so fascinating to me.
After 2 hours we arrived at the festival and we all set out to check it out. I was not really sure which way to go and what to check out first but I decided that the best thing to do would be to follow the music. I am so glad I did that too. There was always a lot of action where the music was.
Back to the sights and sounds and tastes of the festival. I wasn't really sure what anything was and not many people spoke English so I usually watched what other people did and then mimicked their actions and threw in some very broken and limited Arabic (the words I've learnt so far usually pertain to nursing stuff and it turns out it's difficult to ask someone when their last bowel movement was in everyday conversation). I managed to buy some very yummy deep fried dough balls that you dip in corn syrup....however I bought way more than I had planned. I learnt a little bit later how to ask for just 5 SAR worth rather than 10 SAR. They give you tastes of a lot of things before you buy as well which is always good.
I also found myself following what the kids were doing. I feel my limited time in the country allows me to see things like a kid. So I petted a donkey (and wanted to take a cart ride but I'm too big) and petted a camel (I still think they are cute no matter how bad they smell) and held a hunting falcon (so cute in their little helmets) and ate some candy (Saudis love their sweets) and just had a great time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Systems
Wednesday, February 15th 2012
People have been asking me what there is to do in Riyadh as a tourist. In all honestly, I would have to say not much so I have been looking for things to keep me occupied on my days off (which have been few and far between I might add). When I learnt about the Janadriyah Festival I knew I had to find a day/evening to head down and check it out and I am very glad I did.
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| Some of the desolate housing we drove past along the way. Hopefully no one lives here anymore. They are not in very good shape. We also drove past entire fields with rows of street lights, like housing is going to be built there and they put up street lights in preparation. |
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| The giant balloon marks the spot. |
The Janadriyah Festival is a yearly event that takes place just outside Riyadh. It is a great way to see the traditions and customs you will find in the different provinces of Saudi Arabia. The festival of course attracts a lot of expatriates but you are far more likely to find it full of Saudis out to experience and celebrate their culture.
The festival has been around for a long time and is said to have been once known as Rowdhat Souwais. It started as a camel race ( I missed them at this festival but will certainly attempt to get to some at some point while I'm here) but now is also a great place to experience the poetry, art, culture, intellect, theatre as well as history of the Saudi people.
The festival has been around for a long time and is said to have been once known as Rowdhat Souwais. It started as a camel race ( I missed them at this festival but will certainly attempt to get to some at some point while I'm here) but now is also a great place to experience the poetry, art, culture, intellect, theatre as well as history of the Saudi people.
It took almost 2 hours to get there and it is only about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the hospital but luckily I was in a small bus. The Social Club at the hospital has organised the trips for anyone who wants to attend. If I haven't talked about the Social Club before, they offer up a whole lot of activities, and fitness classes and trips to keep us entertained. It's really affordable to do so as well. This trip cost me 30 SAR (about 7.75 CAD) for the round trip transportation which is pretty good if you ask me. The ride out was very entertaining. I wish I had been quicker with my camera as we drove. We passed many a truck filled with goats and sheep and many different living compounds including brand new housing and Bedouin camps. Wednesday night is like Friday night back home so there were also lots of roadside.....well everything (a souq for everyone whether you were looking for a carpet or gold or some fruit) being set up. It's just still so fascinating to me.
After 2 hours we arrived at the festival and we all set out to check it out. I was not really sure which way to go and what to check out first but I decided that the best thing to do would be to follow the music. I am so glad I did that too. There was always a lot of action where the music was.
The first musical parade I came across. Just a little glimpse of what was to come. I found this group a bit later putting on a fun little play. It was all in Arabic but you could still get the idea and everyone watching seemed to really enjoy it.
Lots of security everywhere but through the uniforms you could find the music.....
.......and the dancers.
A look at some of the dancing. Not sure where in Saudi Arabia this particular dance came from but everyone was having a good time.
A little video of that music and dancing.
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| Helicopters and giant balloons filled the sky above the festival. |
I have never been to a public event like this in a Muslim country so I was not really sure what the rules were. I figured however if I just followed other black abayas (because that's what all women are wearing) I would safely be entering areas I was allowed to be. Several times I saw security guards (more correctly Saudi National Guards) stopping people from entering areas. I figured I would just play dumb and go in anyway and see if I was stopped. I never was. It occurred to me a bit later that they were actually stopping single men from entering because the venues were reserved for the enjoyment of women and families only. I assure you that is actually a really nice thing. If those men want to enter, they have to find a women to accompany them (not a random women, thier mom and wife or daughter). Makes me smile.
A little bit more dancing. As you can see a little different from the previous video. These men would be from a different province in Saudi Arabia. Sorry I'm still learning all those types of things so not sure what province or region. I hope to learn all those kinds of things as I spend more time here.
Back to the sights and sounds and tastes of the festival. I wasn't really sure what anything was and not many people spoke English so I usually watched what other people did and then mimicked their actions and threw in some very broken and limited Arabic (the words I've learnt so far usually pertain to nursing stuff and it turns out it's difficult to ask someone when their last bowel movement was in everyday conversation). I managed to buy some very yummy deep fried dough balls that you dip in corn syrup....however I bought way more than I had planned. I learnt a little bit later how to ask for just 5 SAR worth rather than 10 SAR. They give you tastes of a lot of things before you buy as well which is always good.
Does this look like Noah's Ark to you? It does to me. Honestly I'm not sure what it was symbolising. Unfortunately everything was written in Arabic and I couldn't find many people who spoke good enough English to explain it to me. It was one of the many sites in the area so I had to include the picture.
Not sure what this is either but once again I found it interesting. It is a permanent structure of the exhibition grounds where the festival is held.
Another permanent structure is this model of Antara's Rock. I hope to find out more about Antara and this rock as it seems important. Antara was born in Najd (Northern Saudi Arabia). The plaque states that Antara was tying up his horse beneath the rock when he met his beloved Abla. He sought to marry her even though he held the status of slave. In order to win allowance he had to face many challenges including getting a special camel from the northern Arabian Kingdom of al-No'man Ibn al-Munthir Ibn Ma' al-Sama'. His poems are well preserved including one that has been included in the Hanged Poems. The Hanged Poems or Mu'allaqat are seven long Arabic poems that come from before the time of Islam.
One of the musical instruments you can purchase at the markets.
Holding a hunting falcon. His helmet is really cute.
Camels!!!!! I love camels. In this case they were being used to draw water from a well. I just watched them. Also cute.
What festival is complete without a donkey? No festival I want to visit. Love him.
The atmosphere of the festival was so different than day to day Riyadh. People were so relaxed and although you still saw the cultural rules being followed (separate seats for men and women, women covered from head to toe, closing shops and markets for prayer time etc.) in general people were just so relaxed and having a good time. I have to say though, seeing a few hundred people praying in unison is a little unsettling. Something I'll just have to get over.
One of the random other parades of music and dancing I wandered past while at Janadriyah. Once again you will notice a totally different type of dress in this group.
I found this in a tent from the Department of Natural Resources (or something like that). Unfortunately the name of the government department hosting the exhibit was the only thing written in English so I'm not sure what it was about. All the little kids were really excited about it though so I took a picture.
A few from the top of one of the mock Saudi houses on site.
Inside a mock Saudi living room.
Some more of the entertainment. This group from what I could tell are not Saudi but Asian. The group really enjoyed the show they put on.
Yes that is me, hanging out with a tank. A nice solider took this picture for me. The Department of Defence had several exhibits set up, including one where you could shoot hand guns at targets.......well I couldn't but Saudi males (of any age could) could. BAE also had a tent set up.....and they gave us free stuff. If you're not sure who BAE is, they are among the world's largest military contractors. They do aircraft electronics and stuff like that.
It is safe to say the pretty much every Government department and the Ministry of everything had exhibits on site. I think there was some recruiting going on. One of the most popular exhibits seemed to be the Ministry of Prisons who had a gallery of inmates set up. I didn't go in (although I could have) because there was a big line.
Eventually I had to head back to meet my ride, but not before taking in a bit more dancing. It was around 2030 (8:30pm) and the crowd was a lot larger and very excited. People often say that Saudis are like vampires because they seem to come alive after dark. It really is true (proven by the malls that are open until 2230 every night).
This venue was open for everyone, so you can see the separation of men and women (women in black and men in white). At the venues where single men were not allowed (so reserved for women and families) men and women were allowed to freely inter-mingle.
I loved this atmosphere. In the video you can hear people cheering and see men dancing in the stands. It was a lot of fun to be around.
On my way out, I walked passed these guys. They were doing an interview for one of the local News outlets.
My last act of festival going was to buy the most amazing tasting pastry something or other from the booth right at the gate. It was sugary and sweet (like everything here) with a hint of cinnamon......kind of like an apple pie without the apple. So good!!!
And that is the Janadriyah Festival. A very good way to spend a few hours on a Wednesday night (that's like Friday in the Western world since the weekend here is Thursday/Friday). Certainly glad I made a visit. If I'm around next year I hope to make the camel races. By then hopefully my Arabic will be better and I can talk to the vendors a bit more. Much easier to shop when you know the language.
Julie
References: http://www.splendidarabia.com/location/riyadh/janadriyah/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanged_Poems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarah_ibn_Shaddadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Systems
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