One Month On From Social Distancing In Saudi

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.

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

LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Be Prepared- Graphic Novel Review

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!

A Plague Tale: Innocence- Video Games As Art

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

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.

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- Hilda Comic Series Review

LINK- Lumberjanes Ongoing Series Review

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

Life in Coronavirus Lockdown Saudi

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.

Bog rolls as far as the eye can see…

+ 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 :)

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:

Check out 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- 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

LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Sea of Solitude- Video Games As Art

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

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.

Will there ever be a rainbow?

Will there ever be a rainbow?

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- 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- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

My Most Listened to Album...

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

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

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!

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?

Sunrise in the desert was beautiful.

Sunrise in the desert was beautiful.

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!

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- 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- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Katana Zero- Video Games As Art

Katana Zero is a super stylish pixel art hack and slash platformer. The game casts you as a bathrobe wearing modern day samurai who is given targets by his handler but the drugs that give you time manipulation powers may have side-effects that may be unravelling your mind… quelle suprise! It’s all gritty, dark stuff and the gameplay can often be brutal but with the thumping electro-pop music and almost instantaneous chance to try again, it is well worth the 7 to 8 hours of play. Check out screenshots from my play through!

The Further Adventures of Anjum of Arabia in Saudi...

I've been in Saudi for over 6 months now and there is some other stuff I've noticed about life here in Riyadh:

Most cars have dinks. There are a great mix of cars including predominantly GMC, Nissan, Hyundai and Kias, interspersed  with the occasional supercar and most have dink in, including the supercars! I've also see more Mustangs in the last 6 months than I've ever seen in my life.

The kids love sequins on their clothes, especially the ones where you can stroke it to change the colour or design. This is especially useful when you are teaching as the sequins help the children concentrate and are good for the environment too... said no one ever!

Saudi's love their sweets (*sigh* candy) and fizzy drinks (*sigh* soda) -diabetes and obesity will be in fashion here soon I'm sure as kids are generally quite big here and don't exercise much. They are often ferried from air-conned building to air-conned building. It is a major health concern, so much so that the Prince has issued a 'Sugar tax' very recently.

The old crusty looking tower block buildings in the old part of town hide flashy offices, dentists, cosmetic surgery places etc. Seriously, I thought  I was back in the Gascoigne Estate in Barking (the English version of 'the projects') as I had to walk up a crusty flight of stairs in some echoey room (no smell of urine though, which should have been a giveaway) only to find an oasis of dental calm. All marble and chic lighting. It is sorta like Chunking Mansions in Hong Kong, a huge tower block with hundreds of businesses that looks ghetto but actually is full of cool and thriving businesses and industry.

The toilets are often like something from Trainspotting as people use bum guns here and they are in use all the time due to the 5 daily prayers. The floors of toilets are often soaking wet but on the plus side my bottom is squeaky clean so pros and cons eh?

The mobile phone top up system is confusing, you have to go to pods in malls manned by people and actually pay that way. The queues are long and boring with a ticketed system. Or, you could get the app and DIY but initially it's confusing and all linked to your personal ID, the Iqama. This limits what you can look at and research, including in incognito mode so stay mainstream and clean you weirdos.

The airport is super efficient and the staff are the friendliest I've ever met at any airport, and I've been to over 30 in my travels.

Saudi's are ready for gigs, concerts and events but the etiquette at these events is still being worked on. So for example, if you are watching a boxing match and have awesome seats a few people will think nothing of standing in front of you and having a proper conversation about the meaning of life... I mean, sit the heck down! You've got prime seats, chill!

The cinema is a massive deal here. They will show movies in their original form but any kissing scenes or LGBTQ issues are sliced with some interesting and abrupt editing. I'd be interested to see how Quentin Tarantino movies would be edited here, they'd be short film after the cuts I reckon... Once Upon A Time In Hollywood would be under 5 mins!

It gets cold here. Now that might be surprising for some imagining unbearable heat, mirages and whatnot but apart from the fact that at night there is little to no cloud cover to keep the heat in, because science, Riyadh has seasons. Yup, from November to about March Riyadh feels like early British spring with temperatures being about 7 degrees during the day to about 3 degrees at night. It warms up during the day reaching the heady heights of about 17 degrees but this place does get cold so you need your North Face and Berghaus jackets.

Lynx Africa is not sold here. Lynx is rebranded as Axe in Saudi and I've looked for Africa high and low but, alas, to no avail. There are many other scents available here but they emphasise the woody smelling ones. When I went back to England at Christmas I bought 2 XL cans of it as it's been my smell since I was about 11. Jeannie says my scent is garlic and onions but I and Mr. Lynx Africa disagree.

The driving test centre is a pretty depressing place, as most are, but if you have a British or American driving license it's all plain sailing and fast-tracked and you may not even have to touch a car... Which is useful at the DVLA.

The banking system here is very tight. You need an Iqama (special personal ID card provided by the government when granted permission to enter the country) and lots of paperwork. It's a nuisance getting anything done as the queues are crazy long (think over an hour for basic banking needs and about 3 hours to get a credit card) but fraud and money laundering are much tougher so that's good!

LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Battle Circuit- Video Games As Art

Working through my play through of the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle I came across Battle Circuit , an arcade side-scrolling beat-em-up developed by Capcom. The game was released in arcade in 1997 and was the last of its type released in arcades as their popularity waned. In the game you play as one of 5 bounty hunters charged with getting rid of intergalactic rogues and villains. The game looks gorgeous, plays well and has witty banter-y dialogue, which I appreciated. It was one of the best games in the bundle and I appreciated its manga art style and bright colour palette. Check out some screenshots from my play through.

The Prince and the Dressmaker- Comic Review

The Prince and the Dressmaker is a fairy-tale like story about Prince Sabastian who likes to wear dresses on occasion and requires the quiet assistance of a talented seamstress to create wonderful haute couture for him. However, the Prince's parents are pressuring him to find a bride and settle down to carry the Royal lineage forward, unknowing of his secret. How long will his penchant for wearing dresses remain a secret and how long can his seamstress, the hardworking and career minded Frances, be able to support him in his secrecy?

I've been reading comics for a long time (about 33 years to be precise) but I've never really read a story like this. I am glad that the ever-dependable Jen Wang has created this comic as the central premise could have been problematic, what with portraying the Prince sympathetically without seeming false or trite, but the gender fluidity represented here is wonderfully represented and realised. I recently had a conversation with a transitioning friend of mine, who is transitions from a he to a she, and she said that sometimes she feels like a male and sometimes a female. It's difficult for her but it's not always binary for her and Wang gets to this in her story, gender is different from the sex you were born with and this nuance is carefully portrayed.

Aside from the carefully considered story and dialogue, the artwork is beautiful and the level of detail on the background scenes and dresses is astonishing. You can see that Wang clearly loved creating beautiful dresses for the Prince to wear and as Lady Crystalis, her true personality comes through.

Even though the topics covered are controversial and may be uncomfortable for some, I think the book is good to share with young people who are questioning their own gender or are just interested in it.

Forgotton Anne- Video Games As Art

For many years, gamers used to say “It looks like you’re controlling a cartoon” but that was for games like Aladdin or Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse on the Megadrive, which were beautifully crafted but by no means cartoons you controlled . Obviously, as the years have passed this has changed and there have been games that are literal cartoons that you control, like Cuphead, but Forgotten Anne is a true cinematic adventure. You play as Anne, an ‘enforcer’ who keeps order in the ‘Forgotton Lands’ where lost objects gain sentience. She is tasked with bringing down a rebellion but all is not as it seems as political intrigue comes into play.

The game is a short 5 to 6 hour experience but is beautifully animated with a cel animated aesthetic. The puzzles are light and generally easy but the journey is one well worth taking. Check out screenshots from my gameplay below.

High Tea and High Times at the Riyadh Globe

A couple of weeks ago I ‘celebrated’ my 39th birthday. I say celebrated but it was a weird one to be honest. My lovely wife had signed us both up for the school staff talent show a few weeks ago. She put us in for the Bollywood dancing, just to buck the stereotype, but then got shy after a couple of sessions and bailed leaving me in the group. I felt guilty as the numbers in the group were low so I stayed and on my birthday I performed on a proper stage to a paying audience of 750 school parents, pupils and peers in the evening. It was a great experience and I had a lot of fun but it wasn’t what I would have planned to do on my birthday. When the show had finished it was quite late-ish so I went home and went to bed. So yeah, a weird but memorable birthday for sure.

The cakes and snacks on offer were wonderful.

I think my wife was feeling guilty as later on that week she WhatApped our friends and arranged a fancy high tea at the Al Faisaliah Tower in Riyadh. For people not in the know, which I’m guessing is pretty much everyone as it’s not that famous a building outside of Riyadh, the tower is a giant pyramid with a globe stuck in near the top. It’s a beautiful but unconventional looking building, but what it promises is an unrivaled 360 degree view of the city and a perfect place to view the sunset whilst eating delicious food. So, what’s not to like, eh?

Well, after navigating the nightmarish roadworks that had blocked off most of the access points to the area we arrived at the front of the tower. A valet offered to park the Kia next to the latest, shiniest BMWs, Bentleys and Bugattis and I knew then that these were my people and I’d fit riiiiight in…

Entering the tower with my helium filled Elmo birthday balloon, we stepped onto the red carpet and I felt every bit the star my mother thinks I am. Maybe they’d heard about my amazing turn at the Staff Talent Show? We went through the x-ray tunnel and metal detector and my balloon was confiscated. Elmo is a code red apparently, or maybe they don’t want people to get high off the helium.

We then entered a cylindrical lift that felt like something out of a James Bond villains lair, all glass and chrome. A dapper concierge swiped his special card to allow the lift to move. We then met another concierge half way up and he swiped his special card to allow us further up into the building, into the plush lounge area. I thought that at the next stop I’d have to give a stool sample, shed some blood or sacrifice a lamb to be allowed in but luckily that was not required as we were finally there.

The panoramic view was instantly amazing. The sun shone on the Kingdom Tower which stood right in front of us; a bottle opener shaped building created by an architect with a ‘dry’ sense of humour! The other towering skyscrapers loomed large and the Mondrian-like grid road system was clear for all to see. The view was breathtaking and well worth the price of the 35 quid admission.

As we settled into our chairs, the waiting staff filed our glasses with fizzy water and loaded the table with serving towers laden with a selection of cakes, scones, chocolates, blinis (that’s small pancakes with fancy toppings) and savoury amuse-bouches (that’s small fancy food that tastes delicious). I was impressed as the food was scrumpdiddlyumptious but there were no cucumber, egg and cress or salmon paste finger sandwiches in sight. Worse still you had to go make your own tea! Well, that’s just not cricket is it? In all fairness they did have a tea caddy area with proper posh tea in their own linen-type teabags and a hot water urn but it felt weird making my own tea at a high tea.

However, this was more than made up by the fact that they had an international buffet going on. There was food from Japan; sushi, China; spring rolls, India; samosas and Germany; some savoury pastries and cookies. There was also a pimp chocolate fountain with a variety of foods and fruits you could skewer. So all in all, a very good variety of food that catered for all needs… except for those who like vegetables. It was a very beige tea, which I don’t mind on occasion, but for those wanting a rainbow plate of food jog on son…

So, as the sun set over the 3 or so hours we were there, my friends and I enjoyed the magnificent sunset and ate our fill. There were lots of laughs and lively discussions about work and life in Riyadh. My daughters loved the whole thing and ate their fill of chocolate covered fruit and marshmallow. The staff were very sweet and attentive and my daughters danced, ate and made friends with some of the other kids there.

The time whizzed by and by 6pm we bid a fond adieu to the place and made our way back downstairs, collecting the Elmo balloon on the way.

I have to say that my wife outdid herself by arranging this. Now I have to think of a way to repay her on her birthday. Maybe I’ll book her in for a standup session at the local comedy bar and then take her for a fancy Indian meal after… I’ve got a few months to figure out how to make her birthday as memorable as mine was with a sucker punch of an event first and then a sweetener.

LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Kingdom Hearts III ReMind Review by Avas Riaz

I’ve just finished the Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC and my thoughts on this DLC are that it wasn’t what I expected it to be or experience but it was amazingly perfect in every way.

Going through the side part of the final boss using other characters like Aqua, Roxas, Riku and Kairi is incredible. I mostly used Sora throughout the Re:mind chapter, the Data boss battles and when returning to the garden of assemblage in Radiant Aarden as they are really tough opponents, far tougher than in Kingdom Hearts 2 Final-mix. The most annoying Data boss Battle in the DLC is Luxord but I don't want to give too much details on this boss as while it was a frustrating battle, as most boss data battles are (including Xemnas, Terra'hnort, Ansem, Marluxia, and Xion) they are cool.

On my first time using the new weapon, Oathkeeper, it was really fun and its 2nd form dual really took me back to Kingdom Hearts 2 Sora's forms.

Finally the Secret Episode super secret boss battle is so much harder that I did not expect to win so easily. Losing and getting the bad ending got me down but practice (or research) helpe me beat it and practice makes perfect!

Well, that's my review of the DLC of Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind and I rate it 5 stars or 9.5/10

Warriors of Fate- Video Games As Art

So, ploughing through the Capcom Beat’em Up Collection I came across Warriors of Fate, a title I was unfamiliar with. Warriors of Fate is based on the historic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms which was written in the 14th century but set nearly 2000 years ago.

The game is typical Capcom beat’em up fare but it does have a few novel ideas such as the introduction of a war horse which provides elevation and a sort of shield status and up to three players can play at once, but with my wife not being a gamer I played solo like a saddo. It’s a good looking game with some anime style art but not extraordinary by any means.

Celebrating Video Games As Art

I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember and being 39 years old, that’s a long time! I’ve been saying for years that video games are an art form. In the same way that not all music, films or books are ‘high art’, not all video game are high art but they are art.

Over the years I’ve created quite a portfolio of video game captures from my gameplay and today marks my 50th game. To celebrate I’ve put 50 of my favourite images that I’ve created into a gallery. Sit back and enjoy!

MirrorMask- Cult Film Review

The fairytale-like story of an adolescent girl living a life as a circus performer and railing against her family does not seem like a film a 38 year old man would typically like, but if I said that the film was written by frequent collaborators Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean? It might make more sense and even pique your interest. This team worked on the seminal 'The Sandman' series together and Gaiman has also written American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust and much more. This is quite a pedigree and so, as expected, MirrorMask does not disappoint, coming across like a modern version of Labyrinth, even down to the Jim Henson Company producing the puppets that frequently the film.

The film is about young Helena, very ably played by Stephanie Leonidas, who is an aspiring artist with an active imagination. Her family run the family circus and are part of a carny community but this is transient and lacks the consistency that Helena thinks she wants. When she rebels it sends her mother into a coma and Helena enters a mirror world where the Dark Queen, an evil version of her mother, keeps the White Queen, her coma'd mother, in a deep sleeps. Can Helena find a way to rescue her mother and discover some personal truths? Of course she can but the journey is intriguing and on accession, Dr. Who-esque scary.

The actors are all very good and the special effects suit the dreamy style of the film well. I know some people have criticised the over-reliance on green screen but with an obviously limited budget, the film does a commendable job of bringing McKean's art and drawings to life. The story is intriguing enough and the singular art style make this film a worthwhile watch but it does feel like an incoherent journey, actions happen and you have no idea of it is good or bad and the bloom effect starts to grate after a while. Don't get me wrong I liked the film just fine but didn't love it. It's no Labyrinth, but then... what is?