It's Me ! ... Singing ! ... In Arabic !

I don't usually post videos (especially not of me singing!), so when I posted this one on my social media accounts a couple days ago, I was really shocked and surprised at the overwhelming reception it got. In less than two days on Twitter alone, my little video of me singing a snippet of a popular love song in Arabic was "trending" and was viewed more than 50 thousand times! I certainly didn't expect that.

And then this morning, someone messaged me that my video had been on Saudi TV!!!

I first learned this song more than 40 years ago shortly after I met my husband in Arizona. The original hit song was composed and sung by beloved Saudi singer, the late Talal Maddah. The lyrics come from a poem written by Prince Badr ibn Abdulmohsin Al Saud, one of the most famous poets of Saudi Arabia. The name of the song is "Zaman As Samt," which means "Time of Silence." To hear the song in its entirety sung  by Talal Maddah (with English translation), CLICK HERE.  

For those of you interested in what the lyrics of the song actually mean, such beautiful haunting poetry often doesn't translate well from Arabic to English.  So just the lines that I sing here say something like this -

My lover, oh, my lover
I have engraved your name on my voice
I have engraved it on the wall of time
On the color of the tranquil sky, on the valley
On my death and on my birth
On the color of the tranquil sky
My lover, oh, my lover
I shall spend my life waiting for you
Do not deprive me of your presence
For my life is yours
And so it departs

FYI - I've only ever posted one other video of myself in all these years, and that one was of me explaining why I wasn't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, back before women finally achieved that right in June 2018.

Linking to -  OUR WORLD TUESDAY   and  My Corner of the World 

Saudi Arabia Graphics

Saudi Arabian National Day is tomorrow, and this first sign in a shop window is in reference to the holiday.  Many shops are having big sales to celebrate. 

This photo is at an open air mall here in Jeddah and is signage indicating a female changing room.

On a pole on a road divider are celebratory signs for Saudi National Day

This last photo display also references Saudi Arabian National Day. Saudi Arabia celebrates its 90th birthday on September 23rd.  

This post links to - 

OUR WORLD TUESDAY 

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD 

SIGNS

 

September 23rd is Saudi National Day!

On September 23, 2020, Saudi Arabia celebrates its 90th birthday!  For many years there were only two official holidays here in Saudi Arabia - and both of them were religion based.  It was only a few short years ago when September 23rd was officially recognized in the Kingdom as Saudi Arabian National Day, as it was on this day in 1932 when the country was unified by King Abdulaziz.  Think of it as the 4th of July of Saudi Arabia.  

The unification means that all the nomadic tribes  and regions finally stopped fighting with each other and came together under one umbrella - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  With each passing year that I have spent here, National Day has of course become more commercialized and with more and more festivities.  

Since the Saudi flag is green and white, these colors are seen everywhere in decorations, clothing, accessories, and foods. There are usually big fireworks displays in cities across the country, but I'm not sure if that will the case this year because of the virus.  Shops are decorated with balloons, flags, and streamers - and many businesses offer big sales.   

 

Girls' Formal Dress Shop

The store windows of this little girls' dress shop caught my eye.  I liked the colors and the fanciful Asian theme.  These dresses might be worn for holidays or weddings or other more formal events.  

There is no shortage of shops like these here in Jeddah and the competition is steep.  There are always more formal events to attend and little girls here generally have quite an array of formal attire.  

 

Jeddah - Working in the Heat

A fresh watermelon street vendor finds a little respite from the hot sun by finding a bit of shade while waiting for customers.  A cement worker stands out in the heat in a place with no shade.  I don't know how they do it. By the time I take the elevator down from our apartment and walk to our nearby car, I am already dripping with sweat.  

 THIS POST LINKS TO - TIMELESS THURSDAYS

Life After Covid, Slowly Returning to Normal

My husband and I resumed walking laps at the mall a month ago for exercise. Boy, it feels good to be moving again after months of being couch potatoes.  But it's amazing how exhausting it is for us!  

It's still quite hot and humid here and that contributes to our low stamina.  We go in the mornings after breakfast before the mall gets more crowded and we never go on the weekends.  It's encouraging to see little signs of life slowly resuming back to normal.  

 

Jeddah"s High End Designers #JDP

Prada. Chanel. Gucci. And many more.  Most world renowned high end designers have outlets in Saudi Arabia.  Many Saudi women - and Saudi men too - are extremely fashion forward.  

 This post links to - SKYWATCH