#AseerSandinanHourGlass

Click on the image and be taken to Michael Bou Nacklie's post (fun read).

Remember that journalist I (rightly) relied on for some of the Jeddah Rain updates?

He, Michael Bou Nacklie, is working on a project to preserve a dwindling culture in Saudi Arabia. Check out the video below and the meaning behind it in his own words. You can join him in conserving a historical gem by investing in his project by going here.

About This Project:

Preamble: Everyday the Kingdom slowly shifts more and more towards a more modern and tech savvy lifestyle at the price of nearly 900 years of history. A shift which most likely will never be reversed.

The tribesmen of the southern Asir province, Hilly Tahama and on the Yemen border in southern Saudi Arabia are a unique society. Living in challenging mountain conditions, they are physically and culturally different in aspect from the majority of Saudis in other parts of the Kingdom. Eventually, as they adopt the lifestyle of the modern Saudi citizen, (and as the older generations reach their end) their unique character will be transformed and they will merge into the mainstream of society.

Why I need YOUR help: This project is near and dear to me. Ive been in the Kingdom for almost a decade. Saudi Arabia is a very misunderstood country, both within it's borders and outside. Projects like these help the world see Saudi as more than a country of hate and misogeny. Help me make this place seem more human and help me show the world just how colorful and vibrant life in one of the most inhospitable climates can be. One example of the different pulls the culture is facing was clearly visible the last time I was in the region. As I was returning from a shoot on location I saw a group of young men dressed in traditional Saudi garb (a thobe and a headscarf) were dancing around a car with music blaring. The thing that was different, was that they were dancing traditional Saudi/yemeni dances to a Michael Jackson single that had just come out.

What I want to do: Make as complete photographic record of the hill tribesmen of Aseer as can be made, collect their history and stories from tribal elders and produce a permanent record for posterity. Produce a collection of images and audio recordings which can be used to reflect the style and flavor of a region both for use inside and outside the Kingdom.

Read more here.

Facebook Users Connecting with Strangers in Jeddah

This is a work in progress, and it's mine, so please take care to not use any of the text without my permission.

SUGGESTIONS? Don't be shy! Email me.

I'm currently looking for literature to form a theory. It's due in four days, and I'm lost. I can't find the combination of the need for social capital and the initiative to connect with strangers. It's so common and useful, though. You'd think it'd be easier.

Introduction

Social networking sites have gained popularity at an exponential rate, with some sites being more widespread than others. Facebook is one of the more indispensable networks for some and has become as ubiquitous on the Internet as Google. The culture of the Middle East, specifically Saudi Arabia, gave the site an extended reason to be utilized. With norms such as segregation and impassivity towards publicity, Facebook became a locale of community with emphasis on casual socializing. Its privacy has been a matter of dispute globally due to rigid terms of use that require users to use their real identity. This has reflected in the emerged convention of requesting only real offline acquaintances as friends*, which was an uncommon practice on such websites until today.

     The matter of privacy also caused disagreement in Saudi Arabia since exclusivity is a steadfast concept, leading many to keep their identity concealed and treat the service with past general social network policies. This meant many users registered under false names and befriended those they never met or had any mutual connection with. Recently, many users of this nature changed their ways to coincide with the terms of use, but there are still a large number applying mentioned old habits. In Jeddah, the digitally connected population have intricate interconnections derived from strong bonds in and between families and institutions, leading to the declination of requests from unknown individuals. This paper aims to gain an understanding of those in Jeddah requesting the friendship of local strangers, why they do so, and how the approached individuals feel towards the gesture.

Jeddah's Wired Generation

This is a research project that I didn't pursue for my university course because of its complexity and size. The writing isn't very academic at all, which is why I scratched it; I'd rather it be more intimate than a formal research paper.

If you're interested in taking this research on, update me (for my curiosity) and do not use this text unless cited.

SUGGESTIONS? Don't be shy! Email me.

     Girls of Riyadh would seem to have nothing to do with Jeddah's youth and their interaction with the World Wide Web. After being distributed as a book in the Middle East, it was made clear one, in particular a girl of marital age, could get emotionally attached to something so relevant and familiar. Originally a set of emails that were mass-delivered chapter by chapter on a weekly basis, the sensitive topics covered represented average Generation Y* girls in Saudi Arabia facing adopted and inherited cultures. While these represented people were on the brink of higher education and adulthood, their younger siblings most probably shared a CRT monitor's warm glow and a modem's recent dial-up connection to turn to in times of leisure.

     Their culture was a whirl of change and world away from their parents' with dilemmas of adopted and inherited identities. The males pride themselves on not allowing anyone to utter their mother's name while girls are making names for themselves. Factors such as international pressure to adopt globalized commercial values and studying abroad plays a role and is understood using other regions, but what other influences have not been surfaced?