The Singing Ringing Tree (DEFA): Cult TV Review

I had heard of this film through various 'Top 100 Kids Shows' and other such cheaply produced shows shows that were all the rage about a couple of decades ago. Y'know, the stuff where talking 'celebs' and vox pop tried to say funny or snarky stuff about the shows they were counting down. I know that the dwarf character scared many so I hoped I would get around to seeing it and forming my own opinion. Once again, browsing CEX in Tonbridge I came across the ‘Tales From Europe’ boxset for £5 which contained ‘The Singing Ringing Tree’ and ‘The Tinderbox,’ and so I bought it. Again, it sat on my pile of shame for about 4 years and I've only just got around to watching it due to no WiFi and the ongoing pandemic.

The sets are lavish and the artistry is show is excellent for a 1957 production.

The sets are lavish and the artistry is show is excellent for a 1957 production.

'The Singing Ringing Tree' is a 1957 fairytale of a young Prince who sets out to find the eponymous tree in order to win the love of a beautiful but conceited princess. He finds it in a fairytale garden which ruled by an evil dwarf. The dwarf and Prince strike a deal whereby the prince can have the tree on the condition that he wins the princess' love before nightfall; if he fails, he will turn into a bear. Things don't go to plan and the Prince is transformed. The Princess is taken to the Kingdom and she turns from an arrogant, conceited woman into one who is kind and considerate. Her outer beauty is matched by her inner beauty. The story is not one I know but is familiar with echoes of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (with the Stockholm Syndrome) and pretty much any fairy tale, fable or tale where true love conquers all. It’s all pure escapism.

The set are beautiful with vibrant colours and the costumes are lush and detailed. It looks like an expensive production and thus lavishness extends to the special effects, which may look laughable now but at the time I'm sure were impressive. The film has little dialogue so the German vocal track shouldn’t detract non-German speakers as it can be seen without any talking at all, or with an English narrator or a French vocal track. Looking at the story now with no nostalgia for it at all, I can say that I thought the story reminded me of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller series which also presented many European tales with a dark edge to them.

The DVD I purchased has few extras but did include an interview with the actress who played the Princess from 2003 which is insightful as we learn that this was her first role and she was still in school.
It also contains production and promotion stills which I have to say is really quite beautiful.

Overall, I thought that the film was wonderful and is well worth a look.

LINK- Jim Henson’s The Storyteller

LINK- The Secret Garden (BBC)- Cult TV Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Day of the Triffids (1981 BBC): Cult TV Series Review

Straight Outta Quarantine- 14 Days In Blighty

After leaving Saudi and repatriating, we headed down to Devon. Jeannie's parents live here and have done so for about 15 years and when we left the country this was put as our home address for our letters and correspondences. We obviously didn’t know about the impending pandemic when we left 10 months ago but we have fallen on our feet as I’m not gonna lie - it’s a pretty awesome location. The beach is 10 metres away, the hills are nearby and the views of the river are freakin' gorgeous.

The views in Shaldon are spectacular and having the beach nearby is a real boon.

The views in Shaldon are spectacular and having the beach nearby is a real boon.

The challenge was to survive 14 days in quarantine, 12 of which would include distance learning with Live Teaching sessions with our pupils as well as faculty and staff meeting on Saudi time, which is 2 hours ahead of GMT. Doing all this whilst keeping our own 2 daughters happy and busy with their learning whilst in a confined space was going to be a challenge. What could go wrong? So, 14 days after we landed and before it was cool to quarantine (and before the ever on the pulse Boris government said it was compulsory, when most countries had been doing for about 3 months) how'd it go?

Well, we had Jeannie's parents nearby but didn't want to infect them so staying with them, as we usually did, was not an option so we were living in an isolated cottage about 1 minute away from where they lived. This way the girls could see and speak to Nana and Grandpa but only from a distance in their large gated garden.

This is the gated garden where we spent much of our 14 days away from the public.

This is the gated garden where we spent much of our 14 days away from the public.

We had some vittles as Jeannie's dad got some for us but after several days we had to venture out to get more food as we couldn't order any food as the wait time was over a month. Jeannie’s parents are both in the vulnerable bracket and so we had to fend for ourselves. We only went out a couple of times to get food as there is no chance to get a delivery which makes me think, what are other people doing to get supplies? Jeannie and I took it in turns to do the shopping, wearing white masks and going out in off-peak times to avoid crowds. Devon had a very low number of Corona cases and we wanted to help keep it that way, not add to it as we could be asymptomatic carriers but not know it. It would be awful to unwittingly infecting people *shudder*. Also, we didn’t want to get Covid either so not dying was a good motivator.

People are very friendly here and many have been welcoming as they know me or recognise me from the constant holidays we've had here over the last 10 years or so, and from my in-laws who have a wide social network in the area.

On the way back from the shop, I saw my white whale, another Asian person like me. Well it was  two actually, a mum and her daughter. Asian people are like mythical creatures here in Shaldon, and in my 10 years or so of being here I have only seen a couple. The women’s shawls flapped a little in the wind like unicorn manes, sparkly and vibrantly coloured. My eyes met that of the mother in a moment of understanding and then…. mere moments later, they were gone.

We had a Mifi (mobile Wifi) with limited data as data was expensive, 7 GB was £25. To put it in context 1 hour of Netflix is about 1 GB. However, since we still had school for a week and a half, we didn't stream anything or watch Netflix or BBC iPlayer. However, I had the WiFi pass code for the in-laws house but couldn't get good access from the garden so I had to stand outside their front door, about 3 metres away to download the final season of She-Ra. I love the show and needed closure but wasn't gonna kill the Mifi credit on that.

Whilst playing in the in-laws' large garden we had a neighbouring young girl call over and start a conversation with my daughter. Coming from east London, where people avoid eye contact and talking to strangers at all costs, it felt weird seeing my 5 year old daughter having a full blown conversation with a random stranger. The girl lived over the garden wall and had her sister there too, and so they were discussing friends, teachers etc with my daughter, who was loving interacting with another human who was not family. It got even weirder when the girl’s parents came and actually started to chat to me about lockdown, boredom, BBQs and shopping. Who woulda thought it: A global pandemic is the great equaliser amongst the 'just about managing' classes.

Not having WiFi is a killer. I had to resort to barbarism like watching crusty old dvd like ‘Secret of my Success’ which were left in the granny flat where we frequently stayed when visiting the in-laws. The film is so 80s it's untold. For the uninitiated Michael J. Fox plays Brantley, a business studies student from Kansas who dreams big. He goes to New York and works his way from mail room to leading a multi-million dollar company because he's a Mary Sue (a film term where a character is awesome at something even thought they've had no prior training or practice, think Luke or Rey in Star Wars), and thus has incredible insight into everything just because. The film is so cheesy and the dialogue is hammy as hell but its enjoyable enough fare. In a bit of equity, Fox gets Don Juan'd by an older woman he's driving, who turns out to be his aunt, but good on her for getting hers. Many 80s films don't always portray women in the best light so good on this one. Also that song by Yello, “Oh Yeah” is played a couple of times which is always nice.

I finally got around to watching cult DVDs I'd acquired over the years but never really got around to like ‘Day of the Triffids’ the 1981 BBC 6 part serial or the ‘Singing Ringing Tree ‘ and ‘Tinder Box’ from the ‘Tales of Europe’ DVD set. Y'know , real cult stuff that you pick up from CEX on the High Street but don't think you'll ever get to actually watching but then a worldwide virus forces your hand. BTW the DVDs were great and I'm glad I watched them all, check out my reviews. Eat dirt prestige shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, and The Wire... You can wait in line!

Playing on a PlayStation when everyone is in bed in a granny flat is not an option. I've reverted to using my Switch on the go and am in the final stretch (editor note: 50 or so hours left) of Skyrim so that'll be another one off the list soon.

My girls have coped admirably with the 14 days in quarantine but I've seen the Disney DVDs of the ‘Princess and the Frog’, ‘Aladdin ‘ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ wayyyy to many times. I think the ‘Princess and the Frog’ is great and was not appreciated upon release, catchy tunes, excellent hand animation, whip-smart dialogue and an appreciation of New Orlean and Creole and Cajun culture. Marvellous! Come at me bro. However, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ are bona-fide classics, no doubt about it.

After Boris gave his confusing message about people maybe being allowed to go out but 'being alert' there was a definite influx of people to the area and whilst many were social distancing, some were not. I had an incident at the beach whilst walking where a woman sneezed and said "I've been doing that a lot over the past couple of days" and her partner sneezed a short while later too and said, and I quote "Yeah, I've not been feeling great myself really". Now my thinking is, if I wasn't feeling well I would not go onto the beach and be around other people. Common sense ain't so common unfortunately.

The girls understood about the dangers of the virus and didn't want to pass on any bugs to anyone. They were very good at keeping the 2 metre social distance when we went for our walks, which were at off-peak times. My youngest talking about the trauma of having the virus (she was car sick on the way down to Devon so she didn't have the virus, at least to our knowledge) but informed several strangers that she had the virus and had vomited in the car. Thankfully they understood the true nature of her ailments and one even said, "I had the virus a lot when I was a little girl too".

So, overall the 14 days of quarantining weren’t so bad and now we have the freedom to get on with our lives by walking about, avoiding people and not enjoying the beach. I’m pleased to say that none of us seemed to have the Coronavirus but we may be asymptomatic carriers so we’ll keep ‘being alert’ for the meantime.

Enjoying ice-cream from the safety of the gated garden.

Enjoying ice-cream from the safety of the gated garden.

Day of the Triffids- Cult TV Series Review

The Day of the Triffids is a renown classic of sci-fi literature. I was aware of the book due to my father having read it back in the 70s when he was in school but didn't know much else. All I knew was it featured walking plants that could kill people. It didn't sound particularly appealing when I heard about it but as I got older I realised that I recognised the author, John Wyndham. He had written The Midwich Cuckoo' (which the Village of the Damned series of movies is based on) and The Chrysalis, which I had read.

It was whilst I was browsing my local CEx (Computer Exchange) in Tonbridge a couple of years ago that I came across the DVD of the 1981 BBC serial production. I have a penchant for cult TV series as you may know (check the other cult series I have reviewed in the links below if you want a quick catchup) so I  bought it  and it joined my 'pile of shame' where it sat until the pandemic and lack of WiFi gave me cause to finally visit the DVD. There were no excuses now not to view this series and I'm glad I did.

The story revolves around the eponymous plants, which are farmed for its use in the production of oil. The plants escape from a farm and kills people after a meteor shower renders most of the world blind. Society quickly crumbles as only a few people are left with their sight and it is in this scenario that our lead, Bill Masen, a Triffid Farmer/ biologist who was injured and had his eyes bandaged and so kept his sight, seeks to survive in this apocalyptic and dystopia world. The beginning is very 28 Days Later as Bill walks around the silent hospital and then the quiet streets of his city.

Now the premise is pretty standard sci-fi fare; something dreadful escapes the lab and changes the world into a preppers wet dream, but what makes this story interesting is the focus on the human angle. There is no deus ex machina that fixes the world and the protagonist gets beaten up trying to stop gangs from raping, pillaging and hunting the blind. It is quite unflinching in its portrayal of the downfall of society.

The actors are all relative unknowns, at least to me, however my wife was convinced that one of the small roles was played by a guy from Howard's Way, but they act with such earnestness and conviction that it doesn't matter. You empathise and feel for them as they are being hunted down by walking rhubarb. The special effects could have been silly or ridiculous but the fact that we rarely see the Triffids, and when we do the cinematography presents them at an interesting angle, means the production has aged well and can be appreciated as a period piece. The introduction credits are spooky sounding and quite eerie until a lady gets hit on the face with a quite-obvious foam stinger (see the video below at 37 seconds).

Having watched quite a few of these cult TV serials what I find holds up the most are the shows with an economy of design; it is the silences and the moments of tension that bring classic BBC productions much acclaim. Much like 'The Stone Tapes' and 'Children of the Stones', this series does not have much in the way of music but the uncomfortable silence lends the proceeding an air of ever present dread.

At 6 episodes, Day of the Triffids clocks in at just over 2 1/2 hours but it is time well spent. The series is a time capsule to show the fashion, hairstyles and Cold War fears of the 80s but, more importantly, it is a good example of what can be done when you create a human story within a sci-fi setting that is not demanding on production or special effects. This is a masterclass in the story being king.

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power- Season 5 Review

Over the past 2 years we've had 4 amazing seasons of She-Ra and the the Princesses of Power and now we finally have the concluding season. So does the finale stick the landing and the rebooted She-Ra series become one of the finest animated series  of recent times?

She-Ra started off with usual Heroes Journey fare but then very quickly escalated and grew into something much more epic, featuring time travel, alternate dimensions and pocket universes; heady stuff indeed.

At the end of season 4, Hordak had signalled Horde Prime and Etheria had been revealed to the Empire, losing the protection the previous She-Ra (Mara) had provided it by placing it in a pocket dimension. The sword was broken and Adora's ability to call on She-Ra was lost.

This season the princesses face all out war as Horde Prime looks to leach the powerful magic from the Heart of Etheria for himself, and achieve God-hood by destroying the universe and making everyone left in his image. With the majority of the rebels overwhelmed by the Prime clones, the remaining faction undertake guerrilla warfare, freeing small areas one at a time, whilst battling their friends who are under Prime control from microchips in the neck.

One of the shows biggest strengths is the attention it gives its characters, it has always allowed them a chance to develop arcs that are subtle and true and this holds in this concluding season too. Mermista, Scorpia and Perfuma all get a chance to shine as they undergo their own trials but the biggest character development is with Entrapta. She learns to appreciate and understand her friends as well as continuing her love of tech. She has some of the funniest and most touching moments and is MVP as she has to find a hack to prize the brainwashing microchips off of her friends and most of Etheria.

Married couple, Netossa and Spinarella are heavily featured as they join the rebellion too but their powers are given more credence and their true power is shown in all its might as they fight against each other as the Horde chip has control over one partner. It's all quite heavy stuff but dealt with the usual confidence and honesty that has made this show so popular amongst the LGBTQ+ community and those looking for wider representation in media.

The complex, maybe even toxic, relationship between Catra and Adora is explored as we gain more insight into Catra's motivations. We get to understand her abandonment and attachment issues and whilst not entirely sympathetic, we do start to understand why Catra is the way she is. The CatDora relationship comes to the fore, especially at the 2 part conclusion as they race to the Heart of Etheria against Horde Prime.

Horde Prime is the archtypal supervillian, his motivation is pure power. He is a malevolent gentleman, inviting Catra and Glimmer to dinner whilst serving her food and delicacies from long destroyed worlds. He seeks to rid the universe of emotions, which he sees as a weakness. He cannot be reasoned with and as he has been in power for so long and has succeeded in spreading the Horde Empire far and wide, doesn't need to explain his ideology except for the further acquisition of power.

With the players on both sides set, the various story threads all weave together to a stunning conclusion that will satisfy fans whilst raising the possibility of a movie or one off special. I won't spoil anything here but I felt extremely satisfied with how the series ended, honouring all the character arcs and motivations yet feeling like a real journey.

This season is well written with shades of dark and light incredibly well plotted with never a moment wasted. It doesn't lose its central message that friendship is awesome but can be hard work, whilst delivering gripping and emotional scenes, episode after episode.

I have loved this show and would recommend it for anyone with a passion for animation but also anyone who appreciates well rounded characters and tightly scripted stories.

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Nintendo: My One Constant in My Gaming Life

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power- A Retrospective Before the Final Season

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix is a modern reimagining of the classic ’80s Filmation series. She-Ra is a part of the He-Man universe and so holds a place in many fans’ hearts, and as expected this raised the profile of the 2018 reboot, especially online.

Even before the show aired there were many debates about whether the new takes on the characters were any good. Some arguments seemed to be reasonable, with some complaining about the more cartoony super deformed art style, or the redesign of She-Ra herself, but some seemed purposely argumentative and toxic like why there was wider LGBTQ and minority ethnic representation on the show. People accused it of being a show for SJW’s with the common refrain, ‘Go Woke, Go Broke’.

So, away from the Twitter frenzy and YouTube comments, what has the show been like and has it proved the detractors wrong over the past 2 years and 4 seasons?

Warning- Spoilers Ahead As I Discuss the Plot Points of All 4 Seasons.


The story itself is classic hero fare: Adora is a cadet in the Fright Zone and a part of the Horde, who are trying to wipe out the 'evil' Princesses. However, after a joy riding accident in the Whispering Woods with her friend Catra, Adora finds the Sword of Power and has visions of She-Ra and the First Ones.

Adora is captured by Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon and Bow and realises that the Horde are evil and that the Princesses aren't a guerilla force but actually just peaceful rulers of their respective lands. Adora undergoes a crisis of Horde faith and joins Glimmer in her aim to unite the Princess Alliance which once fought the Horde but ultimately failed and fell apart.

Adora is then trained by Lighthope, a First Ones Yoda-type hologram, in the ways of She-Ra but makes slow progress. The Princess Alliance get used to being friends as well as allies and hold strong against the continuous daily onslaught of Horde robots.

The first two seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power are bright and generally breezy but boy does season 3 crank things up a little. There are three main through-lines over the course of this season; Hordak's plan, which is suitably nefarious, involves portals and the Horde army travelling through space and time to take over Etheria; Adora and her Best Friend Squad deepen their bonds on a journey through the Crimson Waste to find more First Ones technology and learn what happened to Mara, the previous She-Ra, and Catra and Scorpia become closer as they search for the tech in the Crimson Wastes too.

The three storylines converge in dramatic fashion and, from episode 5, get pretty heady as the true area of development is character as we delve further into all our invested parties. We learn about Hordak's motivations, and even though he is the big bad in this series, it is hard not to feel a little sympathy for him. We see his friendship (maybe romance?) with Entrapta grow and so, what could have been a 2-dimensional bad guy, becomes more intriguing.

The storyline then goes to some pretty dark places, not Pulp Fiction level dark but for a 7+ kids show... pretty noir. Alternate realities, the darkest timeline and time and space being all wobbly wobbly feature in this series and actually play a huge part in the finale. We find out that Hordak's plan is to open a portal to bring Horde Prime and the intergalactic Horde army to Etheria, Adora finally gains some insight as to who she really is and where she came from and Catra goes full heel and sustained some cool but temporary evil looking scars to show how bad ass she really had become. It all reached a dizzying crescendo that culminated in the ultimate sacrifice from a figure that would change the structure of the Princesses Alliance forever and have grave implications for the Best Friends Squad moving forward.

The forth season kicks off as Glimmer has her coronation as Queen of Bright Moon. As she ascends the throne and has to deal with diplomatic concerns, Bow and Adora take the lead on missions. The excursions meet with initial success until a shape shifter, Double Trouble, enters the fold and adds some espionage into the unfolding drama. They' tap into the growing hostility between Glimmer and Adora and light the fuse to the powder keg, and we see the group splinter in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, Catra bonds with Double Trouble, falls out with Scorpia and realises that victory is not all its cracked up to be as she and Hordak take over most of Etheria.

I really enjoyed the 4th season as it looked at the military industrial complex in more detail, specifically the many levels of bureaucracy that underpin it- heady stuff for a 'tween cartoon'. Glimmer struggles with the duties required from being a Queen, co-ordinating the campaign whilst sending her friends and colleagues out into the thick of battle whilst struggling with the guilt that mounting casualties unsuccessful campaigns rack up. Catra struggles with gaining resources to take the Horde war machine forward whilst Hordak struggles to move forward with creating the ultimate weapon without his colleague and potential love interest, Entrapta. The varying story threads all weave together wonderfully reaching an exciting and intergalactic climax as a deus ex machina is pulled and the status quo is shifted yet again.

All in all, it all added up to another great season that is building to a final battle between Etheria and the Horde Prime Empire. That is what season 5 will focus on.

What I have really enjoy about She-Ra is that the storyline has been intriguing, however the strong characterisation and the journey that each character goes through has endeared them to you; you become invested, be they hero or villain. There are definite shades of grey; Hordak seeks acceptance from his superior, Catra has attachment issues, Entrapta finds it hard to make friends, Scorpia is in a toxic relationship with Catra and Kyle wants to be loved and respected. The show also goes deep into lore and it is genuinely exciting to see the battle between Adora/ She-Ra and Catra as they realise that they want different things in life yet their paths are inextricably and destructively linked.

As for the animation style, I always liked the design of the '80s show but I thought the new art style was great too. I am a big fan of Noelle Stevenson (the creator and lead writer of the show), who created the amazing Nimona and Lumberjanes graphic novels, and her art style felt modern and stylised like Steven Universe. I didn’t understand why there seemed to be a small contingent of very vocal people criticising the show when many other cartoons had a more simplistic style compared to what they were years ago, after all, Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball and Over the Garden Wall are all brilliant but less detailed and 'realistic' when compared to '80s fare such as He-Man, TMNT, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, MASK or GI Joe. However, what is inarguable and has been beyond dispute is that the storylines, dialogue and characterisation in the new She-Ra show have been much better than its predecessor. In a medium which has been uniformly hegemonic in portraying white characters and often sexualised females, the recent wave of real world representations in cartoons has been exciting and the fact that She-Ra has been backed up by engaging stories and well-rounded characters is a testament to what the series has achieved.

After 4 stunning seasons and a cliffhanger ending building to a final battle between Etheria and the Horde Prime Empire, I can say that it’s been a heck of a journey but it seems like a good a place as any to end on a high. I can’t wait for the fifth and final season and I would advise everyone to ignore the detractors and naysayers and check out the show, it is one of the finest animated series around and well worth a watch!

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Nintendo: My One Constant in My Gaming Life

Flying Home From Coronavirus

With the school year almost over here in Saudi and the lockdown in the country meaning most of the facilities are closed for the foreseeable future, we had a tough decision to make:

1) Stay here in the relative safety of the compound and hope the facilities open up for our kids, who were going nuts and struggling in the heat which is due to get to 50 degrees soon, or

2) Fly home back to England with the highest death rate in Europe and hunker down in isolation in a granny flat in the in-laws garden.

Decisions, decisions.... but we decided on the latter as the promise of cooler climes, a change of scenery and access to a large garden was too tempting to pass up, especially if the lockdown was to continue for several more weeks.

Our two girls were done with Saudi as they couldn't do anything that they wanted to do, rightly so in the time of a pandemic, but when you are surrounded by beige constantly it gets you a little down. Behaviour and mental health become big factors and they were becoming more prominent as the 8 long weeks had dragged on. Our littlest barely wore clothes, which is no bad thing granted, but she also wasn’t being stimulated or entertained as both Jeannie and I worked on our Distance Learning plans and had limited activities and resources to occupy our children and keep them engaged. We had reached a plateau.

So, we bit the bullet and booked flights home for May 8th 2020 on a Saudia flight to Heathrow. Our plan was to get to London, pick up the rental car and drive down to Devon where we had our home base.

Packing up was interesting as we are hoping to come back to school but are not sure if we'll be allowed to fly back in August or even if we'll have jobs as the international teaching scene is very volatile at the moment with worries about numbers dropping in enrolments due to the worldwide economic slowdown and the oil price crash, which is a big factor here in Saudi. We packed the essentials and valuable but left much of our belongings in Riyadh, hoping to return to finish our second year or failing that, to return our school laptops and collect our personal possessions before deciding what to do next.

A few days before going to the airport we had to fill in an online form to be allowed to break curfew to get to the airport, it was a long process as the website was janky and kicked me out several times. However to travel without the document meant you could be fined up to £200, 000 or face jail time, shizzle just got real indeed! When the King orders a lockdown here, he means business and there's no flip-flopping.

And so, with the travel documents in tow we went to the airport and what struck me was how quiet it all was. Now Riyadh is not a massive hub like Dubai or Kuala Lumpur but it is quite busy generally but today it looked desolate, like a shopping centre on a midweek afternoon. It was so quiet that we were able to park up outside the terminal, a rare situation indeed. So, with masks covering our faces, gloves on and a change of clothes for when we got to the other side we went in and got checked in and through security within 10 minutes, a new record for us.

In Departures what struck me was the sheer sense of desolation. All duty free shops were closed and there was the solitary coffee vendor selling just 3 options of coffee, all with no syrup... This was lean fare indeed.

Markers on the floor demarcate 2 metres.

Markers on the floor demarcate 2 metres.

Walking to the Departures gate the usual suspects of travelers, serious business people, the loved up couples, the weekenders, the solo backpacker and the pilgrims were nowhere to be seen. Instead we simply had families trying to make their way home, carrying a couple of suitcases and car seats. Everyone was wearing masks and many wore gloves. It felt strange as in the compound we had been sheltered from much of this but now here it was, front and centre... This pandemic is changing the world and re-moulding it, into what? We don't know and won't know for a while but hopefully some good will come out of this tragedy which has claimed so many lives.

The queue for the London flight was crazy long and social distancing frequently went out of the window.

The queue for the London flight was crazy long and social distancing frequently went out of the window.

When it was time to join the queue for the flight I was surprised by how many people came out of the woodwork, the flight to London was pretty packed after all! People had social distanced but when it was the time to go, boy did they come together, funneling through the security checks (again). The close proximity to others continued for the duration of the journey as the plane is by design narrow and confined so there is no way you have have the designated two or so metres apart. However, to Saudia's credit, they gave everyone a pack of hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and tissues and sprayed the cabin with some insecticide. The food was packaged cheese and turkey ham sandwiches and a small bottle of orange juice, not great but enough to suffice for the 6 and a half hour journey. With masks constantly on our faces and copious amounts of antibac applied regularly we got closer to home.

The goody bag from Saudia was useful and practical to keep the virus at bay. Photo courtesy of Andy ‘Bowling King’ Thiel.

The goody bag from Saudia was useful and practical to keep the virus at bay. Photo courtesy of Andy ‘Bowling King’ Thiel.

All in all, it was a good a journey as could be expected but once the plane landed and the seat-belt sign went off, people went feral as always, rushing to get their bags and bunching together, impatient to get off. Bang went the social distancing that had been so rigidly followed...

Upon arriving at Heathrow terminal what stood out was how almost everyone was wearing a mask, but once we left the airport and stated our long journey to Devon, I saw few people wearing them. We picked up our rental car and Jeannie drove the whole way, we did the journey in just under 3 hours, it usually takes about 4 and a half hours, the traffic was non-existent!

Once we entered Devon it felt wonderful to be back, the fresh air, the verdant green grass and gorgeous vespertine river; it was good to be home! We got out of our clothes, had a shower and donned our masks to greet the family from afar and enter quarantine fo two weeks.

Shaldon really is stunning… the colours children, the colours!

Shaldon really is stunning… the colours children, the colours!

This is where I would probably end my story usually but a comedy of errors occurred the next day as we sought to return our rental car to Exeter and I feel the need to share it with you all as it was a comedy of errors.

Jeannie was going to drive the rental car and I would take my mother-in-laws cool Honda Jazz to pick Jeannie up after the drop-off. The Jazz hadn't been run in a while, due to my mother-in-law being quarantined as she is considered highly vulnerable, but the journey wasn't long so what could go wrong, right?

"It's not been run in a while so turn off the radio and other electronics" my mother-in-law warned me before I set off and I duly heeded her warning, making sure that just the essentials were running.

I put the location into Google Maps on my phone, which was freshly charged and showed 100%. Now I've had my Huawei P10 Lite for about 3 years, and over the past couple of weeks it's cut off randomly, saying it was out of power but the journey was only 20 mins or so, surely it could survive that… right?

So off we went, following each other when a giant delivery van came between us and I lost sight of Jeannie’s rental. No worries as I had my Huawei showing Google Maps, but then my mobile did the whole 'battery low' and shut down. Luckily, I caught sight of Jeannie's silver Kia and followed. "What luck" I thought as I got closer. We approached a roundabout and I followed the Kia to the 3rd exit, only for a car to beep me from behind as I exited the A road to gosh knows where. It was Jeannie… I had followed the wrong silver Kia and Jeannie had got off an exit earlier. I was on the adjacent road to where I wanted to be!

So, I was driving down an A road, going in the wrong direction with no idea where I was going apart from the general direction of Exeter.

I drove for about 15 mins until there was a suitable place to park and gather my thoughts. I turned off the engine to look through the glove compartment to see if there was an actual sat nav and there was! Oh mercy of mercies, thank you Jeebers I thought! However, when I turned the ignition nothing happened. The words my mother-in-laws had uttered echoed in my ears.

The car had packed up.

Bugger!

So there I was, stuck in the car park of a roadside diner which was closed, with a car that wouldn't work but the electrics would, and a phone that was dead. I surveyed my surrounding and saw a Texaco on the other side of a dual carriageway and knew that they'd have phone chargers. Maybe my phone would work if plugged in, retro style?

So, feeling like a right scally, I crossed the dual carriageways and bought a micro USB-C cable, a cable of which I have about 10 at home. Wire in tow I went back to the car, plugged it in, phoned an exasperated Jeannie and told her what had happened.

Then, just to chance it I tried the engine once more and it sprung to life. It seemed like my luck was turning around and boy was I thankful. After that it all went smoothly and I picked up Jeannie from the rental place. So all’s well that ends well.

On the way back to our beachside cottage I got to a thinking; I've had the privilege and opportunity to travel by air many times but I wonder how much longer the jet set lifestyle, budget weekend fares to Europe and summer holidays to the Med. will continue. When the world does start up again things are going to change and they should do as life as it stood wasn’t sustainable for us or for the planet.

To quote something I read once but can't for the life of me attribute or credit:
Humanity thrives on forward momentum, on the sense that we are improving: becoming better, smarter, deeper and more understanding and knowledgeable as a species. We must look forward and walk the path of hope, trusting that it sustains us when the darkness comes... As it inevitably will. It may have been a difficult year for many but let's walk forward in hope...

And at least 2 metres apart… Avoiding the flat earthers and MAGA diehards….

LINK- One Month on From Social Distancing in Saudi

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

Spiderman- Video Games As Art

As the lockdown continues my video game pile of shame is slowly whittling down. I’ve just finished Spiderman on the PlayStation. At about 20 or so hours, the game is not crazy long if you critical path it but there are lots of side missions a la Assassins Creed, where icons splooge all over the screen.

The game picks up eight years after Peter Parker gains his power and throws you in the deep end as the Kingpin is taken to prison and a new gang is trying to take over his turf. The game is beautiful and the storyline is intriguing. Check out the pictures from my playthrough.

She-Ra Season 5 Trailer Drops

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix is a modern reimagining of the classic ’80s Filmation series. She-Ra is a part of the He-Man universe and so holds a place in many fans’ hearts, and as expected this led to many debates about whether the new take on the character was any good.

After 4 stunning seasons and a cliffhanger ending where the varying story threads all weaved together to build to a final battle between Etheria and the Horde Prime Empire, the answer is most definitely yes!

The fifth and final season will air on 15th May and I for one can’t wait! It’s been a heck of a journey but it seems like a good a place as any to end on a high. So, check out the new trailer and wait with bated breath for a tub thumping finale!

Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 Delayed Due to Coronavirus

*Update- MCOG series 4 has started to stream on RTS (Swiss Channel) in French and the link is here. I have seen the whole of season 4 (English subbed) and here is my review with no spoilers)

As a huge MCOG fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final season but news on its release has been quiet. I know that it was projected for release in late 2020, however a curious forum member from the les cites dor blog emailed the company and got a response:

Here is the email:
Hello,
I already wrote to you to have more information on the development of the Mysterious Cities of Gold season 3.
And with the COVID-19 period, I ask you if the broadcast of season 4 will still be broadcast, as expected at the end of 2020 or later. If unfortunately yes, when? Thank you in advance and I congratulate you for your excellent work compared to the two previous seasons.
Sincerely,
Hugo

Here was the response the email:

Hello,
Thank you for your email and your interest in the Cities of Gold series.
To answer your question, we are well in manufacturing / production of the last season ... but of course the sanitary situation and the confinement do not make production and respecting the schedule easy ... It is therefore still difficult to know if we will be able to deliver all episodes on time for broadcast at the end of the year, even if that remains our goal.
Sincerely,
Blue Spirit

20-22 rue des Bons Enfants 75001 Paris
www.spirit-prod.com

So, it seems that season 4 is in production but its release might be delayed due to the Coronavirus so we may be looking at a 2021 release. Please do remember that this is the internet and so the source of this information may not be correct but I do believe it is true as it seems to be in line with what Blue Spirit had said about the MCOG release timeline

LINK- lescitesdor forum page

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 Review

LINK- Watch MCOG Season 3 on SBS On Demand Australia

LINK- MCOG Series 2 Review

LINK- MCOG Nostalgia

LINK- MCOG Gold Condor for Sale

LINK- MCOG Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

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

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

Sunny Side Up- Graphic Novel Review

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.

Low Riders In Space- Graphic Novel Review

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- 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

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

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- 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

Shadow of the Tomb Raider- Video Games As Art

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

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!

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- Secret History of Twin Peaks: Book Review

LINK- Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier Book Review

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