Spiderman- Video Games As Art

Not long to go until we see the golden condor once again in action.

Sunny Side Up- Graphic Novel Review

April 26, 2020

Sunny Side Up is the story of Sunny Lewin, a young girl who is packed off to Florida to stay with her grandpa for the summer during the 70s. Sounds great right? Disneyland, Sea World, the Everglades, Miami! Unfortunately, her grandpa lives in a retirement village and everyone is old... Except one boy who she befriends.
As the two young whippersnappers hit it off over a love of comics, earning money by collecting stray cats and golf balls we get more of an insight into Sunny's life and the familial strife that led to her staying with her grandpa.

The graphic novel is charmingly drawn and there is a lot of observation comedy noted as Sunny adapts to life in 70s Florida. However the book does deal with quite heavy stuff, like what an impact her brothers substance abuse and addiction has on her mental health. For a young child's graphic novel this is quite dark but I'm sure that this is a reality for many of them and I'm glad that this graphic novel deals with it in a sensitive way. There isn't a nice neat ending but that's fine as sometimes there isn't a conclusion to addiction, it's always there and this graphic novel has the maturity to treat it as such.

It is a great read and my daughter and I read it together and loved it.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

Low Riders In Space- Graphic Novel Review

April 21, 2020

Whilst browsing through my school’s library I saw the spine for Low Riders In Space and the first thing that drew me in was the unique hand drawn font and art style. Picking the book from the shelf the cover impressed me, it was an assault on the eyes but in the best possible way. It reminded me of the drawings I used to do in ball pen in my books whilst being bored in lessons back at school but this is about a million times better.

The story is very simple, Lupe Impala (a dog, I think, El Chavo Flapjack (an octopus), and Elirio Malaria (a mosquito) enjoy working with cars and dream of having their own garage. However, they cannot afford to realise this but when a competition to build the best car is announced with a huge cash prize, the team come together to create a mean hip and hop, dip and drop, go low and slow machine. Will they realise their dreams and create a winning machine that could be their way to a better life? You need to read it to find out!

I read this with my 5 year old daughter and we both loved it. The fantastic artwork and colours by Raul the Third, and the humour by Cathy Camper drew us both in. The theme of teamwork, friendship and dreaming big is a universal one and this story shows that by aiming for the stars, you can often achieve it with a little help from your friends. It is a celebration of Latino culture and the love of the culture and language emanates through the pages.

This is an excellent graphic novel and I look forward to reading the next two in the series.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

The Babysitters Club Graphic Novels # 1 to 4- Graphic Novel Series Review

April 19, 2020

The Baby-Sitters Club is the insanely popular series of novels written by Ann M. Martin. I never read the series as it was aimed at girls primarily but I was aware of the books as my sister was a fan of this and Sweet Valley High back in the 90s. However, when I saw that Raina Telgemeier, one of my favourite comic artists, had adapted the books I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to jump in and read the series with my daughter during this lockdown. So, how is it?

The Baby-Sitters Club is about a group of friends who decide to create a babysitting service in their town. The stories follow the creation, teething problems and evolution of the club as it grows and new members join. It’s all very wholesome stuff but does deal with some real world issues like divorce, fitting in and friendships.

The stories are simple and engaging enough but the real draw is Raina’s illustrations which just pop off the page. The look and characterisation of each of the girls is strong and seeing how they interact is great as it sounds very real and lifelike.

There are 8 graphic novels in the series but only the first 4 are illustrated by Raina. If you have a young child in your life who likes gentle tween drama then this is the series for you.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review

Shadow of the Tomb Raider- Video Games As Art

April 17, 2020

With the Coronavirus putting pretty much most of the world in some form of lockdown, I’ve finally been able to work through my video game pile of shame. In this time I’ve finished A Plagues Tale: Innocence, Knights and Bikes and Panzer Dragoon. Next on the list to work through was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the final part of the rebooted series which started with Tomb Raider (the 2013 one- in no way confusing with the original Tomb Raider from the mid-90’s) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), both of which I played and completed.

Shadow is a very pretty game and a rip-roaring adventure to boot but its po-faced seriousness grated on me after a while. However, it was a well spent 25 hours or so and a fitting conclusion to the ‘origins’ of Lara Croft… well, until the next reboot. Check out the screenshots from my playthrough.

Panzer Dragoon- Video Games As Art

April 14, 2020

I never played the original Panzer Dragoon when it originally came out on the Sega Saturn back in 1995 but its unique art style and 360 degree shooting mechanic always appealed to me. The only experience I had with the series was with Orta on the original Xbox.

Now, 25 years after its release a remake has found its way on the Nintendo Switch and I was there for it on day 1. I purchased it straight away for about 20 GBP and even though I completed the game in just over an hour, it was well worth the money. I hope they release Zwei, Saga and Orta as I would buy them day 1 too. Don’t sleep on this one guys, it’s great!

Twin Peaks is 30 Today!

April 8, 2020

30 years ago today, Twin Peaks premiered on ABC on American network television and changed the face of the medium forever. At the time it was must watch television but, being only 9 years old, I didn’t catch it until I went to university in 1999.

David Lynch's visuals are very haunting without the sound but when you lay in Angelo Badalamenti's unforgettable score and the sound effect mix something magical, almost operatic happens. The sound and images truly complement one another, so much so that several images have been seared into my consciousness; the swinging traffic lights, the dark trees swaying in the breeze, the beautiful waterfall and the hues of brown that permeate the show. There is a poetry and synergy between the images and music that I haven't seen in any other TV series since.

The show itself moved at a leisurely pace, especially when compared to many modern shows, but it was never a slow show, there was always a sense of something lurking just beneath the surface; it could be something terrible, exciting or indeed magical - whatever it was it was never something boring... There was a wonderful dream-logic reality which meant that anything could happen at any point of the show. You want a backwards talking dwarf? Check. You want a unicorn? Check. You want a mysterious giant? Check. How many other shows could do that yet still make a sort of sense?

This unnerving other-worldliness of the series was hinted at in the pilot with the red room shown briefly, but it was really cemented in episode 2 when we meet the sinister backwards talking dwarf in a room of red curtains and chevron flooring.... All this added to the unnerving peculiarity of what could have become just another also-ran police procedural. However after the scene with the empty bottle in the forest and Buddhist philosophising you know you are watching something that is unique and special, how many other shows features FBI Agents trying to work out a murder's identity by trying to break a bottle with a stone?

Throughout the course of the entire show light and dark contrasted heavily, often within one episode, for example the cliffhanger of season 1 when Cooper is shot and the oldest waiter in the world serves him (slowly) whilst he is bleeding to death on the floor, Cooper waits patiently and politely for the waiter's return.

This weirdness continued with the introduction of the giant, a figure famous across nearly all cultures. The duality between the giant and the dwarf made you consider dualities further and adds to the light / dark dynamic... Were humans just the playthings of creatures and being from another realm?

When the killer was revealed in episode 14 the question of personal responsibility and whether we are responsible for our own actions Is asked. Is our life predetermined? Are we merely puppets in a greater play or do we have to accept personal responsibility for our actions, even when we may have no control over them?

The series undoubtedly dipped after the reveal of the murderer of Laura Palmer, with the introduction of the pine weasel and Benjamin Horne's spiritual epiphany, but after a few episodes it found its feet again with the introduction of antagonist Windom Earle, further lore reveals with the Black and White lodge and a look at Agent Dale Cooper's past.

The original series reaches a crescendo with episode 29, when David Lynch returned to helm the arthouse horror final episode which ended with the possession of Agent Cooper, apparently lost in the Black Lodge with Bob possessing the body of Cooper and repeating "How's Annie?"

There was a high level of expectation and hype surrounding the series after the 25 year wait. However the new series defied expectation and forged its own path, free from most of the shackles of its past and as a result, was the finest mixture of art and television I have ever seen.

Twin Peaks: The Return was a sublime limited series. Each episode was like a mini movie with gorgeously framed shots and haunting imagery that would stay with you long after the episode had ended. The story meanwhile moved at a deliberate, some would say, glacial pace, especially for those who didn't like the Dougie Jones portions of the story, yet the story was multilayered and open to interpretation. Even now I am still working through theories and ideas in my head and, through Facebook groups, building and developing my understanding of the world Lynch and Frost created.

A couple of years on from The Return and 30 since the original, the series still haunts my dreams and I hope that this mercurial series is remembered for the masterpiece it truly is. It’s cultural impact was huge as it encouraged a darker look at Americana and conspiracy theories on television (look at X Files, Millenium, Carnivale, American Gothic etc) and even in video games it influenced Zelda in the Gameboy classic Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

There are very few shows that have such long tail and profound impact on pop culture as a whole but Twin Peaks is to television what Star Wars was to film and on it’s 30th anniversary it is to be lauded and celebrated.

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review

One Month On From Social Distancing In Saudi

April 7, 2020

So, it's been precisely a month since our school closed and we have transferred to Distance Learning. Like a lot of the world, we've had to transition from recommended reduced socialisation to pretty much full-on lockdown. This has been a challenge as we have our kids at home with us whilst we continue to plan, mark and host office hours via Google Meet Up. It's been an interesting past few weeks for sure and in that time I've realised some interesting things:

It’s hammock time! Can’t touch this… or anyone in fact due to Corona Social Distancing.

- let me preface this early; I love my kids, I really do, but boy are they annoying and weird. They wake up extra early, demand a lot of attention and don't settle down to sleep at night… y’know, typical kid behaviour! Now I know that some people will be upset with me for saying my kids are annoying but to be honest, all kids are annoying. I love kids, otherwise I wouldn't be a teacher, but they need stimulation and socialisation and when they can't have either they play up, it's just a fact.

- Again, let me preface this early ; I love my wife, I really do, but she is annoying and weird too. Obviously, we've lived together since we've been married, which is about 9 years, but we've had our own space daily what with going to work, hanging out with friends etc but when it's so intense 24/7 for 4 weeks + it's going to get annoying no matter who you're with. Of course my wife wouldn't say that same about me because my mum says I'm perfect and my mum isn't a liar.

- Distance Learning is hard. For those not in the know, Distance Learning is providing lessons and plans for the children and parents to access at home via the internet. This sounds great in principle as it means the children are not missing out on their learning, it gives parents something to do with their little ones during the looong days and as teachers, we can provide feedback and support. What's not to like?
Well, the amount of work schools are providing is swamping most parents. A lot of the concepts taught are going way over the kids' head as our video tutorials are supposed to be brief and on point, about 5 to 10 minutes, but when you are teaching a session on something as complex as weather, climate and natural disasters and you have very limited time, explaining the concepts and tasks becomes extremely difficult. Factor in that the Distance Learning timetable has meant that the amount of lessons are squeezed and you’ve got some incredibly dense lessons as you’re trying to throw in all the specific learning objectives for the unit. It’s a logistical nightmare and I worry that parents think I’m a crazy teacher who overplans to the hilt.

Also, throw in the fact that we are expected to do assessments and reports based on the work and it's a heady cocktail of work and confusion. Now don't get me wrong, I've seen some of my pupils thrive and continue to produce the high calibre work they did in school whilst others have grown as this is the kind of learning they like and I can see a marked improvement in their output, however there are others, who were very capable in class, who have produced very little at home due to distractions and other factors I’m sure. I've also had some of my Year 3 (grade 2) pupils produce work that is amazing, in fact it's so impressive that their handwriting has completely changed and their spelling is MENSA level. So either they've undergone a Flowers for Algernon style transformation and tapped into their higher consciousness and unleashed their full potential or they've been *heavily* supported by their parents.

- I've never spent so much time in the garden in my life. What with the country pretty much on lockdown, compound facilities closed (including the spa, pool and parks) and movement prohibited for most of the day, we've had to find our own forms of entertainment. The streaming services are fine but we feel guilty if we give our kids too much screen time. So, we've purchased a hammock, paddling pool, a barbecue, and lots of other paraphernalia for the garden and we are loving it as we are topping up vitamin D. On the down side, it is going to be Summer soon and temperatures hit about 40 degrees centigrade so there is only a small window of time. After that, we’ll be housebound.

- I'm devouring news feeds like no-ones business. I check the daily infection and death toll on the BBC, watch the Daily Show's take on the previous day's events and then balance it out by reading the right winged Spiked articles that talk about individualism and freedom but don't offer any solutions to this ongoing pandemic.

- People are creative and resourceful when there are restrictions placed on them. Historically, during times of hardship and economic crises, economy of design due to costs and other restrictions (in this case, availability of resources, access to space and other people) has led to a flourishing of creativity. The videos, memes, songs etc created during the past few weeks shows that necessity to entertain and fight boredom is indeed the mother of invention.

- Access to the Internet is not a luxury as many avocado and Millenial-hating boomers would state but a necessity; it is an essential utility. Okay it's no gas, electricity or water but imagine being stuck at home without being able to Facetime, WhatsApp or phone friends and family. Unthinkable for many. But even more essentially, imagine not being able to use the Amazon Prime or Netflix streaming services, download new games, listen to podcasts or Audible books. It like the worst case scenario of when you go caravaning or camping and there's no board games, books etc available so you have to resort to charades and other forms of savagery.

- People are weird. We see the best of people as they rise up to support each other and create an idea of the big society. Essential and key workers have risked infection to ensure that people are cared for and services continue. It's all very stirring stuff, but then we also have people who hoard bog roll and hand sanitisers so swings and roundabouts eh?

So, with one month down and no end in sight I wonder what awaits the world. I’m an optimist though and think things’ll calm down soon enough. Let’s wait and see eh?

LINK- Life in Coronavirus Lockdown Saudi

LINK- Life in the Times of the Coronavirus

LINK- Bahrain II: The Revenge

LINK- The Further Adventures of Anjum of Arabia in Saudi

LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

Be Prepared- Graphic Novel Review

April 6, 2020

I am a big fan of Vera Brosgol's two other graphic novels and when I saw her latest book, Be Prepared, in my school's library I was very excited to see what she would come up with next.

Be Prepared is a graphic novel based upon the authors true experiences of moving to America when she was 5 and going to a Russian Summer Camp.

As a Russian immigrant, the girl in the story, Vera, doesn't know where she fits in with her American peers. Her family is poor, as her single mother is going to college to become an accountant as the father left and doesn't contribute financially at all, and the Russian traditions, food and language make it an awkward situation for the formative years of 9 year old girl.

There are some truly heartbreaking moments, such as when her friends leave in the middle of the night during her birthday sleepover, and when she pretends to have a very expensive doll and receives a new set of clothes for this non-existent doll.

So, when an opportunity presents itself for Vera to attend a an Orthodox Russian Church Summer camp and be surrounded by her cultural brethren she jumps at the chance. However, not all goes to plan as she struggles to fit in, get on and get out into the woods. Over the course of the story Vera grows in confidence, becomes true to herself and starts to make better decisions in who to befriend.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. Brosgol’s illustrations are stunning, full of character and the green and grey, almost monochromatic palette, adds to the atmosphere of the story. The story is universal and my daughters enjoyed me reading it to them, however I did skip some brief segments that contained some bullying, menstruation and training bra talk as she is only 5 years old. It didn't detract from the story at all but if you are sensitive to portrayals of these be aware that they do occur in this story.

Overall, this is an excellent graphic novel and well worth a read!

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

A Plague Tale: Innocence- Video Games As Art

March 29, 2020

We live in interesting times, what with the Coronavirus and lockdown of over a quarter of the worlds population. So, what to do? Why, play a video game to take me to another world and think of something else! So, A Plague Tale: Innocence is about a plague that is running rampant and destroying society, just the pick me up I need in these scary times.

The game is visually stunning and storyline intriguing. I like the stealth-based gameplay and the characterisation is great too. This game is well worth a play and at about 10 hours, doesn’t take up all your time.

The Nameless City Trilogy- Graphic Novel Series Review

March 26, 2020

I have just finished reading The Nameless City trilogy, a historic fantasy tale set in some unknown far Eastern country. The series is by Faith Erin Hicks, a very dependable graphic novel artists who’s previous work includes Friends wIth Boys and Brain Camp, both great graphic novels. When I heard that Hicks was creating a trilogy I was excited as she has made good graphic novels but with a bigger story arc she had the potential to create something truly epic. However, does it live up to this potential?

The story revolves around the eponymous Nameless City, a place that has been invaded so many times before that it actually has too many names rather than none. An abandoned general’s son, Kaidu, enters the city for the first time to train to be part of the current invading army and reconnect with the father he never knew. Whilst there he befriends a feisty local acrobatic girl, Rat and over the course of the series they overcome the many obstacles that threaten to destroy the city they love.

In the first book, The Nameless City, they hear of a plot to assassinate the current Emperor of All Blades and so they race against time to save him and Kaidu’s father, who is an advisor and has a peace plan to unite the differing factions who all lay claims on the city.

In the second book, The Stone Heart, Kaidu and Rat realise that the socio-political situation in the city is tense and, when there is a coup, a recipe book for a weapon could change the winds of war and this leads to a tense game of cat and mouse as Kaidu and Rat fight to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

In the final graphic novel, The Divided Earth, the young and ambitious son of the Emperor takes control of the Nameless City and threatens to use the horrible weapon to become the sole ruler of the city. Rat and Kaidu try to unite the warring factions to come together and create a peace plan to move forward and end the cycle of bloodshed.

The trilogy is epic and moves at a cracking pace.

At about 700 or so pages this trilogy is an epic in every sense of the word. The art-style is reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender and like that show the world-building is excellent and deep with lore to spare. Due to the long history of the city, there seems to be deeper layers of history and mythology hinted at throughout, but this is all revealed by the conclusion. The autumnal colours used by Jordie Bellaire lend the whole comic a warm glow that brings the world to life. The characterisation of the main protagonists and antagonists is excellent as the motivations and backstory lend them believability and you can empathise with their situations. The storyline throughout is intriguing and there are enough mysteries and cliff-hangers to keep you coming back for more.

This is a great series and well worth a read. I loved it and would heartily recommend it to everyone.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Life in the Times of the Coronavirus

Life in Coronavirus Lockdown Saudi

March 20, 2020

So, schools have shut in Saudi as they have in many other parts of the world due to the spread of the Coronavirus. Over here, any place where people could hang out and possibly pass on the virus, such as cinemas, malls and even mosques have been ordered to close to slow the spread of this pandemic. Social distancing just got real, however being British it's an inherent part of my identity to keep people at bay and maintain a stiff upper lip so I've taken to avoiding people like a duck to water. I kid of course...

Now, there are many pros and cons to life in Corona lockdown Saudi and I've listed them below in no particular order but just as and when the thoughts came to me, like a stream of consciousness, similar to Trump's reassuring second address to the nation:

+ Food, water and medical supplies are plentiful. Being Saudi, the country has enough in the bank to ensure that supplies do not run low and that people do not horde loads of the essentials. Don't get me wrong, there was a run on water, pasta and rice on the first day but more arrived the next day and everyone calmed down after the initial worry about shortages. Also this is a land plentiful in bog roll as with bum guns installed everywhere, the need is not so great.

+ Our distance learning means children are learning from home and, whilst not ideal, it is providing them with learning opportunities and keeping the families (mostly) happy.

- Setting up the distance learning was very difficult and challenging as we had to look through our objectives for the remainder of the year and provide streamlined lessons that children could access and do independently at home. Considering that most are EAL (English As An Additional Language) this was difficult. But we are over the worst of it and now have got into a flow.

+ There has been a mixed reaction from parents regarding distance learning; some have admired what we have done as teachers in that we have created a cohesive sequence of lessons that meets the curriculum needs and provided personalised video tutorials, whilst others think that we are just dossing doing not much, getting rich off their tuition fees. I have pointed out on a couple of occasions that it wasn't us who decided to close the school but the King, Ministry of Health and most governments around the world.

- the amount of screen time I have in a day is way worse than I've ever had in my life. I know it can't be helped but as a teacher I don't like sitting in front of a screen for 6 to 7 hours a day, marking learning and providing feedback. As a parent I don't like my daughters seeing me in front of electronica all the time, I think it sets a bad precedent for them. It can't be helped but I don't like it.

+ and - As school is closed my daughters are no longer attending, obviously, but we have a very busy schedule filled with grade level planning meetings, responding to the work our class children are uploading to the online digital profile page, office hours etc This is a tough balancing act to follow and as my wife and I are both teachers it is a juggling act. Luckily we have created a rota system with a couple of other parents to take care of the kids, communal rearing is a thing and whilst it doesn't follow social distancing rules it is the only way we can cope with our work whilst providing our children with the education and socialisation they need. (Edit: people are no longer allowed to go into each others’ houses or meet communally, so communal rearing has ended :( )

- Things are shutting all the time with no notice. Yesterday, all our Compound's parks were closed as were all the restaurants. This makes sense to encourage social distancing, but as the temperature keeps rising the only bit of solace we have are the pools, which remain open and are quite busy at the time of writing. It will only be a matter of time before they close though. (Edit: they closed today… :S)

+ and - Living in the compound, I feel pretty safe as no visitors are allowed in now and so it's just the community that live here. Most people left when there was rumour of a lockdown and grounding of flights last week so our compound, which was about 1/5 occupied is even more of a ghost town. This does mean no queuing at the local shop and also I can ride my bike in the middle of the road without fear of being hit by a 20 kph car.

- The bowling alley closed. This was a key part of my week as I ate my Whopper and chilled with my mates. Alas, no more! I think with the lockdown this is what hurts the most as I got my highest score, 153, only a week or so ago.

+ I now have time to do the things I've wanted to do, catch up on box sets, finish my backlog of games, read loads of books, write that novel I've been thinking about... Okay, it's all true except the last one. I haven't got the patience for a novel, a fortune cookie message maybe, or a haiku.

Just chilling with my pile of graphic novels from the school library, and yes, I do sit casually on the floor to read them :)

+ and - Family time. I love my family and spending more time with them is awesome, however... It is A LOT of time and we are all getting a bit cabin fever-y. Too much of a good thing y'know. Do you think I may have saved myself from my wife with that last line?

+ Food shopping is still allowed and as long as you wear the polythene gloves provided, pretty safe... Well as safe as you can be wearing loose fitting wafer thin gloves whilst being surrounded by hundred of other people. I now feel like the Queen of England, the only difference between us being that I paid my taxes and I am not exempt from inheritance tax *zing*.

- Packing fruit into polythene bags whilst wearing these polythene gloves is very difficult and shopping took a lot longer as I tried to place fruit and vegetables into said bags.

Plythene bag + Polythene Gloves = Major Headache

+ I'm going for long walks around the compound as the gym (ahem, sauna and spa) is closed so purchased some Sketcher Gogo Max 5 Walking Trainers, apart from my DCs they are possibly the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn.

- However, the Sketchers look like this and there is a possibility that I may die wearing these bad boys:

If the Corona doesn't kill me the embarrassment of wearing trainers designed for octogenarian Floridians might.

So yeah, lockdown is a little strange and whilst living in this compound bubble it has been interesting to see how the world has responded but these are exciting and interesting times. Time for some real talk: I think people are actually starting to realise what the 'essential' services are and it is often the lower paid or under-appreciated parts of society; the shop workers, cleaners, nurses, doctors, care workers, teachers, delivery drivers and many more. However, much like how the 2008 economic crisis showed the great disparity between the banking system and much of society, people thought there would be real change in the world, however these thoughts are fleeting as a new meme, trend or manufactured outrage of a hot topics takes hold. Maybe there'll be a mea culpa about man-made global warming as the data should conclusively prove the effects we are having in destroying the world, but we know how this works folks; it ain't gonna happen easily if at all.

This is a chance for people to come together and help each other in a potentially devastating worldwide crisis and we will see the best and worst of humanity. Let’s try to be the best we can be folks.

LINK- Bahrain II: The Revenge

LINK- The Further Adventures of Anjum of Arabia in Saudi

LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

LINK- Bahrain II: The Revenge

Sea of Solitude- Video Games As Art

March 14, 2020

Sea of Solitude is an artistically impressive but poorly scripted and voice acted adventure game in which you play the role of a young girl called Kay. She journeys through a strange landscape that changes to black as feeling of loneliness, hopelessness, anger and worthlessness threaten to overwhelm her and she becomes a monster. To atone for her past selfish ways, she tries to right past wrongs by solving simple platforming puzzles. The game is similar to Rime, and much like that game, lacks the heart and soul of similar titles like Journey, Abzu or Ico. Saying that however, it is worth a play to enjoy the stunning art and at 6 hours or so, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Life in the Times of Corona-Virus

March 9, 2020

The date is 8th March 2020 as I write this and the world is going slightly crazy with the spread of the Corona Virus. There are 110, 000 known cases of people infected with it and just under 4000 deaths. This is all very alarming to some but for others it’s all hype and like the previous incarnations like SARS, H1N1, Bird Flue, Swine Flu and the myriad other, possible world ending pandemics; much a flu about nothing.

My feeling on all this is pretty relaxed. I haven’t felt the need to buy tonnes of bog roll as no-one gets diarrhoea from the virus, well, at least to my knowledge. And even if it did give you the poops, I live in a land where there are bum guns as far as the eye can see so it’s no real problem with hosing down and drip drying. However, what we have stocked up on is water; really essential as we do live in a desert her in Riyadh, pulses like chick peas, grains like rice and atta flour and other food that last ages and stores well like couscous, cans of vegetables, cheese and Bugles… they are amazing, especially the sour cream and chive flavour. I’m not fearing a Walking Dead/ Bird Box/ Mad Max scenario but living about 400 km from the nearest port, the supply might be disrupted due to people panic buying or just problems within the food chain.

Hearing about the craziness going around the world is strange as here in Saudi we hear information but through a filtered lens. People might object and I understand why, but this time it’s quite nice not getting too hyped about the supposed upcoming apocalypse.

Schools have closed across the country but my school has been very pro-active and we have moved to an online learning platform. As the message from the government here came at 9:43pm the night before school started, we teachers have had to work crazy hard to get things done but got it done we have. When planning we have had to modify the learning outcomes so that everyone can access the learning at home with minimal resources or things found around the home. When we got to school on the first day of the closure we edited and altered the plans we had so the children would understand it and be able to complete the task with little teacher support. The children then uploaded their work to Seesaw, a digital portfolio, and we provided feedback, support and corrections to move the learning forward. It’s been a weird couple of days and very tiring as we have put these systems in place as well as keep our own daughters happy and entertained but it’s starting to come together. I’m not going to lie, sitting in front of a screen for 5 to 6 hours planning like crazy and responding to work is not ideal but in this scenario, it’s the best we can do by our students and parent community.

I don’t know what is going to happen, I mean who does? But I’m hoping people keep their heads and just clean their hands. Keep calm and carry on… just not on a cruise though, that’s like a petri-dish of germs and death wish waiting to happen.

LINK- The Further Adventures of Anjum of Arabia in Saudi

LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

LINK- The Further Adventures of Anjum of Arabia in Saudi

My Most Listened to Album...

March 8, 2020

For people who know me or my interests, they might think that my most played album was something by Jean Michel Jarre, or The Three Colours Red soundtrack by Zbigniew Preisner, or the Mysterious Cities of Gold soundtrack or the Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis but actually, it is Mike Oldfield's 16th album which is inspired by Arthur C Clarke's sci-fi book ‘Songs of Distant Earth’…. surprised?

The album was released in 1994 and it helped me during my years of insomnia in my teen years and has been my go to album to help me sleep ever since, however this is not a slight against it, far from! As the album is a complete soundscape, each song lending itself to the larger tapestry of the story being told and for me is the perfect way to reach of nod.

It starts off with Apollo 9’s reading of Genesis 1:1 and builds into the beautiful 'Let There Be Light', an early highlight that sounds majestic and full of hope as it ascends. The arpeggios are beautiful and create a soft through-line as the music builds.

Then, with ‘Supernova’ the volume decreases and it has an echoey atmosphere that sounds like a sonic harp before crashing to a powerful release with an intergalactic choir.

’Magellan’ and ‘First Landing’ has a train-like pulse, which is joined by Oldfield’s acoustic guitar with some sonic noodling.

’Oceania’ is a slower, more meditative piece with a steady slow beat but faster rhythmic piano arpeggio.

’Only Time Will Tell’ marks the moment in the album where you go on a intergalactic journey as Oldfield creates a wonderful soundscape that immerses you. There are lots more processed vocals and robot like voices but they all blend well into each other, the standout tracks being ‘Hibernaculum’ and ‘Tubular World.’

The album ends on a note of hope with ‘A New Beginning’, a song sung in throaty chants that sounds beautifully and seems like a fitting end to the powerful journey you've been on.

This album is a stunning concept album with a mix of spacey synths, noodling guitar solos and strange vocals. It is a particular favourite of mine of Oldfields ouvre and up until ‘The Songs of the Spheres,’ his best most modern work in my opinion.

Sayonara Wild Hearts- Video Games As Art

February 28, 2020

Simigo has a pretty flawless record in my opinion, making interesting and boundary pushing games such as Year Walk, Device 6 and The Sailors Dream on iOS. So when they said they were making a new multi-platform console game, citing inspirations like Akira, Charli XCX and Sailor Moon, I gotta say that I was intrigued and my curiosity was piqued.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is a concept album video game based on modern interpretations of classical pieces as well as original pop music, set against a game where you run, drive and dance your way through the stunningly artistically neon hot pink and vibrant purple world.

It's a hypnotically euphoric, synaesthetic experience but more than that, it has an emotional core all through it. The music and visuals combine in spectacular fashion to make something visually and sonically unique, much like Rez but also with elements of peak Sega arcade with influences including Outrun, After Burner and Super Hang-On. Sayonara Wild Hearts is stunning in motion and the screen shots I captured in my playthrough don't do the game justice. The game is 'over' in about an hour but what an hour of pure joy. I believe I was grinning from ear to ear during the entire time. Seriously, play the game as it is so deserving of your time and money. This is one of my favourite games of 2019.

Bahrain II: The Revenge

February 23, 2020

It had been a crazy few weeks at school here in Riyadh. Since we’d come back from the Christmas holidays we hadn’t had a break. Last week we had an off timetable week at school, which was really tough on Jeannie and I, as we had to organise lots of ‘hand-on’ activities for our ‘Week Without Walls’. It was great fun but exhausting and when paired with having to complete progress reports too, well, we thought we deserved a break. Luckily, we had a long weekend penned on our calendar and so for our 3 day weekend we decided to go back to Bahrain for some sun, sand (beachside) and Shirley Temples.

We were adamant that this time we would enjoy ourselves and not worry about the money and so this time we decided to drive there instead of flying, that way we wouldn't be spending £600 or so on flights for just 3 days and the spirit of Greta Thunberg wouldn't be haunting me.

Rightly so making us answerable for the future generations. Well done Greta!

The problem was that our car was a bit on a banger and there was no guarantee that it would make the 900km or so round trip. The dehydrated urine-like colour of our car was indicative of its quality and worth but we wanted a break out of Saudi and so we had to trust in the Gods that we would make it in one piece. And thus started our first leg of the 473 km journey across Arabia towards Bahrain.

We departed at 5:30am on the Friday morning, the start of the Islamic weekend, to beat the traffic we knew would build up. We knew that the journey would take about 5 hours in total and once out of Riyadh it would be one motorway all the way there, easy right?

Well, it didn't start too well. After just 45 minutes on the road, Leela did a vomit of quaranic proportions. I mean we had to stop at a drive-through McDonald's carpark, strip her off completely, throw the clothes in the bin, wipe her down with a pack of wipes, clean the vom off the car seat as best we could, place a towel on the car seat for Leela to sit on for the rest of the journey and redress her again. Bless her, she was a trooper and seemed to feel a lot better after that but the car stank of bile for the rest of the 5 hours so we drove with the windows down for the rest of the journey.

To brighten the mood we decide to play some music but the only thing we had in the car was the Disney Christmas CD. As we committed sacrilege by playing the Christmas CD, we drove through the beautiful Arabian desert. We passed camels, random towns, oasises (oasi-ed?) as Goofy sung in his dulcet tones about his jingle bells. I can honestly say that it was one of the most surreal experiences in my life and I remember thinking, the Lord wouldn't smite us would he?

As we drove on, we went past some burnt out cars and a deserted half built hotel with a rusty old ferris wheel in the middle of the desert which wouldn't look out of place in a horror film. Also we encountered a plague of locusts. I know many people may think that I'm exaggerating but I have video and photographic evidence of these events… the camera never lies… except when it uses filters, photoshop or other image editing software.

When we got to Bahrain we were so happy that we had made it- I said a quick dua in thanks for our safe if harrowing journey. Oh, to be in a place where road signs were followed and traffic lights were not a suggestion but enforced by law. Bliss!

We got to the hotel and had a wonderful day frolicking by the beach and sipping on our drinks. By 6:30pm we were all knackered and went to bed super early. It had been an eventful day and I think we were all glad that we had made it to the end of it. I went to bed watching Bird Box as I needed something light to end my day on.

The next day, Jeannie suggested we visit a local Hindu temple which was famed for its beauty. Anyone who knows my wife knows that she likes all things Indian, except me, her British-Pakistani hubby, so this was a must for her. So kids in tow, we got in a cab ready to culture it up. We were initially taken to the wrong temple but after some Google mapping and translating we arrived at the right place. We walked through some narrow streets that contained shops that reminded me of Green Street, East Ham but it was much cleaner, so like Southall but better.

When we found the temple it was undergoing some major renovations and whilst we were waiting to go in Leela had that look on her face that told Jeannie and I that there was a present in her nappy. Jeannie took her to the toilets and I chilled with Jasmine, passing the time by answering questions like "Why is God blue?" (she saw a giant photo of him and he was blue), "Why does he have an elephant head?" (Ganesh statue nearby) and "I like the praying in Saudi and God is in the sky but why is Jesus a baby?" So very interesting questions that would take a while to unpack but as Jeannie and Leela were taking a while unpack we did... To be honest I think I'd have preferred to be cleaning up Leela! These are difficult questions to answer without brainwashing a child into a certain doctrine or closing her down with my views and opinions.

After some time, Jeannie appeared looking shell-shocked and with a large suspicious stain on her top. "We have to go, Leela did a massive leaky poo and it went everywhere including my top. We can't go into the temple like this" she informed me. And so, our temple visit was cut short due to a number 2; Leela was really on form this holiday. As we walked back to the cab rank we bought garlands of jasmine to cover the pooey smell and some vittles for our forthcoming return trip.

The rest of the day was spent by the side of the pool in the hotel complex, eating pizza and ordering drinks. It’s a tough life!

That night we decided to go to the fancy on the river seafood restaurant. It did an all you can eat £30 buffet and had crab, mussels, calamari and a smorgasbord of fish cooked to order. We had a great time as a load of our teacher colleagues met up and the kids were running around, having the time of their lives.

At 8pm the kids were getting tired so we decided to leave and it was at this point that Leela projectile vomited near the fancy water fountain near the entrance of the restaurant. The staff were super kind and efficient as they mopped up and checked after our daughter. We got her to bed and she had a fitful sleep sleeping between Jeannie and I.

On the morning of our departure and 473km journey back to the Kingdom, we all ate a very light breakfasts and girded our loins for what promised to be an interesting journey, but y’know what? It actually went smoothly. The girls slept most of the way, there wasn't much traffic and the drivers weren’t too bad.

On the border I was quickly let through as for once racial profiling worked FOR me and I wasn't 'randomly selected' by my Muslim brethren. The only squeaky bum moment we had on the journey back was when the petrol was running low and I thought we'd have to depend on the kindness of strangers but might end up in a Wolf Creek type situation but luckily we found a petrol station just as the needle hit the last notch before empty.

Oh, we also found the most random McDonald's ever. It was about 250 km out from Riyadh and there were no cities or towns nearby. My immediate thoughts were why build it here, that's a heck of a commute for the workers there and is the breakfast still on? It was and I had a nice chat to the staff who seemed happy to talk to anyone, even though I only wanted to use the toilet and was being polite.

Seriously, this Maccies was miles from anywhere!

We also encountered the swarm of locusts again but they were much diminished and there were only a few of them flying around aimlessly, looking for food to plunder. I should have told them about the Maccies down the road...

So, we got home safe and sound and settled down for the afternoon. To de-stress and recover from the 5 hour drive I went to relax in the sauna, that same sauna that Jeannie had bought me a subscription to after our first Bahrain trip. Whilst in there I got reflecting.

Overall this was a successful trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. The misadventures will become the stuff of legend in our family I’m sure and adds to the crazy tapestry of our life. Our wonderful champagne coloured car had served us well and for that we were grateful.

We are hoping to go back to Bahrain again soon and hope third time’s the charm!

LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months