APRIL FOOL, SCHOOL, SKY & KIDDOS

MAN IN WHEELCHAIR DARTING IN & OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC, SELLING WATER BOTTLES. I FEARED FOR HIS LIFE.

AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN JEDDAH

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN JEDDAH

PRESCHOOL KIDS ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

LINKING TO - CITY DAILY PHOTO

SKYWATCH

TIMELESS THURSDAYS

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

ROYALTY LOYALTY IN SAUDI ARABIA

SAUDI ARABIA'S VISION 2030

ROYALTY LOYALTY ON DISPLAY BY BUSINESS

TRIBUTE TO RULERS ON SAUDI SCHOOL

LINKING TO - TUESDAY'S TREASURES

 

BEAUTIFUL DOORS of Saudi Arabia

OLD CARVED WOODEN DOOR AT TAYEBAT MUSEUM IN JEDDAH

ONE OF THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED DOORS IN JEDDAH AT AL FALAH SCHOOL IN AL BALAD

FARASAN ISLANDS - HISTORIC FARASAN MOSQUE

A big thank you to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit his Instagram page  @NajranTours

https://www.instagram.com/najrantours/

https://www.facebook.com/najran.tours

School Uniforms

Pink girls' uniforms hang from the ceiling on display for shoppers.  Most public and private schools here in Saudi Arabia require children to wear uniforms.  

 

Jeddah Security

Schools, government buildings, and residential compounds in Saud Arabia all have high security measures in place.  Many appear to be fortresses, with 24 hour armed guards, barriers and gates, tall surrounding cement walls topped with barbed wire coils, visitor IDs required, and camera surveillance. 

CDP Theme Day - Jeddah Pre-School

Before this whole coronavirus pandemic affected the whole world, I was fortunate to attend the International Day event at Bear Hugs Preschool here in Jeddah.  Bear Hugs has been in operation in the Al Hamra District of Jeddah since 2003 and has a very diverse international staff as well as students.

The staff and students obviously put a lot of effort and thought into making this event the roaring success that it was.  Each class had adopted a country to learn about, and the students dressed up in costumes representing each country.

In the school's lovely outdoor courtyard area, each class had prepared a space showing facts, traditions, and clothing from each country represented.

The adorable students were rightfully proud of what they had learned.  Dozens of moms attended the standing room only event.  The festivities were kicked off with a parade of the preschoolers (ages 2-6) wearing their costumes and waving flags as they made their way through the packed courtyard.

The parade was followed by a show with the students singing and performing for the beaming moms in the audience.  I was very impressed with the upbeat and happy school, its administrators, teachers, and students.  It was a lovely morning and I'm very happy to have been invited to see the school and attend this fun colorful celebration.

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day  for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "School."  Be sure  to visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.

Our World - Traditional Arts School

The Jameel House of Traditional Arts was started in 2015 in the old part of Jeddah called Al Balad with the purpose of keeping the oldest artisan skills alive and preserving the cultural heritage of the region.   The courses and classes focus on, among other things, geometry designs (the main element of Islamic design),  coloring motifs, natural dyes, methods and materials, woodworking, ceramics, gypsum carving, veneer, mangur, and other artistic skills and crafts. 

Students can sign up for the one year course which encompasses every skill the facility offers, or they can sign up for individual classes which focus on one skill at a time.  Modern technology is applied in coordination with ancient techniques to help students learn these skills in order to create beautiful works of art based on classic designs and traditions.   

The Jameel House website

Location - in the heart of Al Balad, behind Al-Ma'amar Mosque off Al-Dahab Street. 

For more information - EMAIL - jhtaj@artjameel.org

Follow On Instagram - @Renye.art

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Our World: Door of Oldest School in City

This beautiful old green door is from the oldest boy's school in Jeddah.  Located in Al Balad, the oldest sector of the city, it is the school that my husband attended when he was a boy growing up in the area.  I believe the school is still operational, although many of the inhabitants have moved away to newer areas of the city.  The Quran stresses the importance of education.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Jeddah: Waad Academy

This is a model of the brand new Waad Academy in Jeddah, It just opened this past fall and consists of separate facilities for girl and boy students in grades K2 through 8.  I think the design is genius and quite impressive.  This state of the art school hopes to address many of the problem areas of the Saudi education system, combining heart, mind, and body to the learning process.   For more information about the Waad Academy in Jeddah, CLICK HERE. 

 

Jeddah: Boys' School

This is a typical boys' school here in Jeddah.  I believe there are two buildings like this which make up the school plus a large open covered outdoor area.  Many of the country's school are old and in disrepair.  Many girls' schools are old converted villas which were not originally intended to be schools.

School Sign Gets Spelling Wrong

Sorry about my extended absence.  I recently returned to Jeddah after spending the summer in the US where I was busy purchasing a home, among other things.  Hopefully I am back for a while.  Did you miss me?

Here is another misspelled sign here in Jeddah, this time on a school advertising "Since and Math" on the bottom line on the sign above the entrance. Oops!

Geometric Ceiling

Geometric shapes are very typical design patterns here in Saudi Arabia.  This is the ceiling of a theater of Effat University, a female institution for higher learning in Jeddah.  I love how the cut outs and the lights make a pattern on the walls below it. 

Jeddah: After School

This is the scene across the street from a boys school here in Jeddah shortly after dismissal.  School boys hanging out after school, grabbing a cold drink and shooting the breeze with friends.  The school day lasts from about 7am-12noon here.  Culturally, girls would not be allowed to hang out like this.

Saudi Arabia: Female Dress Code

I saw this notice regarding women's dress code inside an international school facility in Jeddah. 

Pretty Window

This window is in a girls' school in Jeddah.  This design is a recurring theme in the school .  I rather like it.

Our World: Red Sea Octopus Mosaic

This outdoor mosaic - one of dozens - graces the outer wall of King Abdulaziz University, Girls College, here in Jeddah.  The mosaics were made by students years ago.  Some have fallen into disrepair but many have withstood the test of time.  This one I found particularly interesting because of the 3-D octopus design.  Many of the mosaics follow a nautical theme, while others chose other themes like geometric, religious, floral, or people.  I'll be posting a few more of my favorites in upcoming posts, so stay tuned!




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

KAUST Entrance

Rows of palm trees adorn the main entry road which leads to KAUST, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology.  To learn more about this amazing institution of higher learning, CLICK HERE. 

Glass Sculpture at KAUST

This beautiful stained glass sculpture is one of the first things one sees upon entering the campus of KAUST, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, about an hour's drive north of Jeddah. 

SkyWatch: KAUST Mosque Minarets

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a public research university located about an hour's drive north of Jeddah in the seaport village of Thuwal.  Opened in 2009, KAUST offers graduate and post graduate degrees in many of the science fields such as biology, environment, and computers.  The minarets in this photo are part of the King Abdullah Grand Mosque on the KAUST grounds.

To visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

School Wall Mural

I have seen more and more Saudi public schools lately with bright and beautiful murals painted on the schools' walls.