The first Saudi made series has hit the market, and we can only hope it will be a success. "Almost" shows the lives of young Saudi men and women in the city of Riyadh, and I believe Jeddah. The scenes were shot at well-known locations, I even recognized one in this trailer as the shopping center in Riyadh called 'Akaria.' This is exciting because it was mad by amateur actors and directors, in Saudi Arabia, a country where public displays of personal life is often frowned upon. Movie making and directing is also a new field of study in the country, and its great to see people getting involved in creative activities. Check out the trailer and see if you can go to their first airing on Thursday in Riyadh, at the comedy event sponsored by Smile KSA. Otherwise, it may be available on you tube in the near future. I will keep you updated. Please let us know what you think about this exciting and courageous endeavor!
Raid Qusti, editor of Arab News, reminisces in an article back in 2003, "Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia," that Prince Khaled Al Faisal, founder of the Arab Thought Foundation said; "Saudi Arabia is probably the only country in the world where the government is pushing for reforms and the people are pulling back." Now, 6 years later, we are still talking about women's rights in Saudi Arabia, and how traditions often hold it from developing quicker. Do you think much progress has been made since the time this article was printed? Is it enough, or is there more progress that needs to be made? As young Saudi women, this issue is felt most by you, and your opinions should count the most. Let us know what you think about women's rights in Saudi Arabia on your web sights, and feel free to comment here too.
Not too long ago, people in the Middle East ate fresh vegetables, fruits, dates, meat, some bread, and seeds and grains. Now, due to travel and trade, rice has come to us from Asia, sweets have come to us from Europe, and fast food has arrived from America. So, our food culture and choices have changed dramatically, especially over the last 100 years. Right here in Riyadh, over the past 5 years I have seen more American food chains open up than not. We have one or more locations each of Johnny Rocket's, Chili's, Applebee's and Krispy Kremes. Then there are countless numbers of McDonald's, Burger King, and of course their Arabic versions, Herfy and Kudu. What do we do with all these unhealthy food choices? How do we cope with our busy lives and hungry stomachs? If you don't have time to cook, or if you crave something special - where do you run for a fast meal? How do we enjoy these foods without going overboard and forgetting our healthier traditional food choices? Maybe we should boycott them all together, after all they are not helping us advance our culture in any positive way? When we are really starved for a fast meal, I personally think we should stick to the locally owned falafel and shawarma shops instead, and support a local owner as well as eat healthier and more traditionally. What are your thoughts on this ladies of 8R? Thanks to Ms. Dana and Ms. Leema for this article and topic idea!
Cherie Blair, the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife "speaks out about the veil." Mrs. Blair said the Islamic full face covering, or the 'niqab' fails to acknowledge "the woman's right to be a person." This is our article for the week thanks to the efforts of Miss Hala and Miss Noreen. Ladies of 8R, tell us if you think this is an accurate statement, and if you think the niqab can be an obstacle to communication. You are Muslim women, and you can best comment on the topic, so what is your opinion?
They are mixing genders in the lower levels of education in Saudi Arabia for the fist time. Coeducation in Saudi Arabia is new and has only been implemented at KAUST, and this was after much debate and consideration. The Saudi government is pushing for educational reform, but are Saudis ready for it? What do you think ladies of 8R, let us know your opinions by commenting below, and or posting a new blog entry on your web page. Share you thoughts with us!
