Party on Red Sea!

Hey friends,

Sorry for the drought in my writing. I was out al day Friday for this awesome party on the boat and came back home by 2am. I was so dead tired I did not even have the energy to write about it on Saturday. So here I am!

The event was for a charity for the school opened for in one fo the poorest areas of Jeddah. The singer Mr. Amir Jamal, who was going to be performing for the last time here in Jeddah, had quit his job as a chartered accountant and is going back to Pakistan where he will be pursuing his career in singing and music. As it is, he has has garnered three major awards already.

The Venue: Al Ahlam Beach, Obhur.

Obhur is the place to be if you want to have a great time on the beaches. There are private as well as public beaches. The day was Friday, so everyone had gathered here on the beach, picknicking and barbecuing.

About 250 people had come aboard on the awesome boat. There were three levels. The seating area and the small stage were on the first level; the food was on the second level and a small seating area on the third level, which provided the best views was where everyone wanted to be.


We set sail exactly at 6pm and for about 45 minutes sailed out into the Red Sea. On both sides were private villas and beach huts that people were staying at. Some of the houses looked right out of some Miami beach. Many of the guys were fooling around on the jet skis, trying to splash water on the women and young women on our boat. I also saw some women, completely clad in their black abayas driving the jet skis! So, if they can drive jet skis and airplanes, why not cars? However, the way these guys were trying to show off their skills and bug us made me realize that guys like these can go completely crazy if they see women driving on the roads.

Once we were out in the open sea, with nothing on either sides of the boat, it was just a spectacular experience. I did not even feel like I was in Saudi Arabia-- I could have very well been in the Mediterranean Sea. Watching the sun-set was an experience in itself. Food was served, and my friend and I managed to get the good seats and table on the third level. Soon, we were far out into the Red Sea, with total isolation. We were in the middle of nowhere!

By 8pm, the show had started and Mr. Jamal sung some songs. I was not familiar with anyone of his songs, except for one, and I was only waiting to hear that. As it is, he saved the best song for the last. However, the atmosphere in that room was electrifying. Loud music, people clapping, the singer weaving his way through the audience I could see how much fun everyone was having, so much so, few people were even up and about from their seats swaying to the music!

The boat docked at 930pm, and some of the younger kids were being testy now. The boat in itelf was a lot of fun to be on. We all made our way back home, and spent some more time talking over all sorts of topics. By the time my evening ended, it was 2am and I was dead sleepy. All in all, it was a great evening, all for a worthy cause, where everyone had a nice time. To all those people who say Jeddah is boring, I would let this experience testify against their misconception!

Sailor-for-a-day,
Mansur