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EDITORIAL

Travel and work are the twin themes of this, the third edi-tion of FOCUS. More light will fall on the former sincework may often play a less conspicuous role in the wild and

wicked world where ETs* live. They are by fate inveterate

travelers. Yet they do not flit from city to city via Holiday Inns

and Intercontinentals and then claim a special wisdom that

has escaped those who are given air-tickets in steerage, and who are still

inclined to think that it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.

Living on the brink of broke half the time has these virtues: it sharpens the

mind and the eye; it stimulates versatility and resourcefulness; it encour-

ages resilience to ordeal. What does not kill you makes you not only

stronger but wiser and more understanding, a lesson we might find in the

interview with our intrepid aviator, whose astronomic fuel bills, etc..

I myself vividly recall traveling by air for a good five thousand kilometers

only to find that I had been appointed to Africas equivalent of Dotheboys

Hall. What was that cockroach cemetery on my bungalow living-room

floor meant to signify? The wood-smoke-blackened kitchen walls? The dun-

geon classrooms? The maimed secretary on a twisted crutch? And later

on it all got worse. This was Malawi in Bandas day. One of Africas more

enlightened dictators, this self-styled immortal President only removed

about two hundred thousand of his compatriots from this vale of tears.

All ETs --- certainly of my generation --- have undergone such tribulations,

but they tend to sift out their more gruesome memories if they are asked

to reminisce. The author of A City on the Sea, i.e. super-civilized Barcelona,

could easily have written some grievous history of head-hunting on the

Xing or apocryphal tales of the merciless candir fish. So what about you?

Now I bet the girls think that we chauvinists round here have either forgot-

ten their exploits or omitted them out of jealousy. Not a bit of it! We are all

terribly proud of their winning both first and second places at the GCC-wide

public speaking competition in Dubai on 28-29 November. What a terrific

performance from all the girls who took part, and their teachers, of course.

J. Jeremy Beastall

The Caucasian Challenge...

Driving in a Different Direction4-6

Coping with Co-op

Jam Language8

Managing your Time 9

Branding Saudi Gas Stations 10

The Ford Factor 11

Collage as an Art Form 12

Flying Cars: Tony Helou 14-15

Up in the Air 17

My Grandmother 18

Poems 19

Paris A La Carte 20

A city by the Sea 21

Symbols of Saudi Arabia 22-23

End to an Honourable Journey 24-25

PSU Wins again in Dubai! 26

Journeys Real & Imagined

Reflections of a Travelling Filmmaker28-29

At the Crossroads in Shake City 30

Beyond our Control 31

Alternate Prespectives 32-33

Financial Fair Play Explained! 34

Kindle Suprise!!! 36

Renaissance Man 37

Windows 8: Hit or Miss? 38-39

Movies that Matter.... 40

....Future Films 41

Dreaming Free 42

The Art of Presuasion 43

Hajj 44-45

Never Say Never 46

Forza Motorsport - Release Event 47

Follow us on Facebook

Focus PSU

Contact for article submissions

[email protected]

DYLAN LONGLEY

EDITOR

NAWAF AL-SAUD

DESIGN

FAISAL SALAMAH

DESIGN

FARAH FAWZI

PRODUCTION

FOCUS December 2011 3


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The Caucasian Challenge....

Driving in a Different Direction

When planning a holiday these days, a popular method is to lookat a map of the world, choose some alternative destinations, dosome research online or in Lonely Planet, and book your flights andhotels. Using this method, you often know what to expect beforeyouve even left your house.

This summer, some friends and I decided to do something a little

different. We had heard about a rally through the Balkans and theCaucasus parts of the world that arent top holiday destinations and were immediately interested. The element that really grabbedour attention was that it was in aid of charity.

Seeing as the three of us are all teachers in Saudi Arabia, wenamed ourselves Team Arabian Knights. We met the other teamsin Memento Park (filled with statues and reminiscences of the Com-munist years in Hungary), Budapest, on 15 August.

The aim was to drive through ten countries, a distance of 6000 kms,and cross the finish line in Yerevan, Armenia, and, once there, tomake a donation to an orphanage.

There were twenty teams who participated. Countries representedwere the United Kingdom, the USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia,Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Serbia, and the Czech Republic.The first day saw us driving south from Budapest and stopping tofind answers to questions about Mohacs, the site of a massacre ofthe Huns by the Ottomans in the 15th century AD.

From here we drove through Croatia, and arrived in the evening inSarajevo (Bosnia). The final task for the day related to the assassi-nation of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, an event which sparkedWorld War I.

The first night party was held in a bar in the centre of Sarajevo, andthere the band who were touring with us (they were making a TVdocumentary about being the first band to play in some of theplaces we visited) played the first of several impromptu concerts. Itwas also here we found out we had Miss Hungary and her runner-up in one of the teams.

Day two saw us exit Bosnia, travel the length of Montenegro, endingup in Peje, Kosovo. Over the next few days, the rally went through

Albania, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, the Karabakh Republic, crossingthe finish line in Armenia.

Within the lifetime of current PSU students, the majority of the coun-tries the rally visited have been warzones, either for religious or po-litical reasons. At a place we stopped in Kosovo, the houses alongthe road had been built by Serbs to house Serbian muslims. Theexisting Christian community had been either forced from their

homes, or shot. At several places along the road were graveyardsfilled with locals, all of whom died in the 1990s.

In Karabakh (officially Ajerbaijan, but actually a disputed area nomans land - currently inhabited by Christians) we visited a oncethriving city of 150,000 people, which now is not even marked onthe map. Every building had been systematically destroyed by tankshells or mortars.

There was evidence of trucks having been used to block off streets,to offer some protection. These too had been destroyed. Whilst wewere there, a missile flew overhead, and exploded a kilometeraway.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the scenery. Travelling onroads cut out of the sides of mountains, with barely any traffic onthem, offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in the amazing ge-ography & geology of the region.

But it was not just the natural environment that was impressive. Thesigns of human endeavour the building of roads and tracks



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through the mountains, the construction of enormous dams boretestament to the tenacity of the human spirit. Even where theseroads had been bombed during the years of conflict, efforts hadbeen made to ensure that they were still passable.

6000 kms is a significant distance, and there is evidence of manydifferent ways of life. Budapest shows signs of the cosmopolitan,globalized lifestyle that many of us are familiar with, but by the timewe arrived in Georgia, we were immersed in a completely rural en-

vironment, where cows rule the road more because they take along time to move out of the way than for any official reason.

Armenia proudly counts itself as the country (it was not a countryat the time) that first adopted Christianity for the entire population,in 301AD. There are hundreds of churches, cathedrals and monas-teries littered around the countryside.

The fact that it borders Iran and Azerbaijan, both Muslim countries,yet it has good relations with the first but not with the second, shows

that there is more than just religious history linking this region to-gether.

The route also provided glimpses into different ecosystems. In Bu-dapest there was the hot, lush European summer. In Montenegro,whilst travelling through the mountains, the rain set in, and it was

as bleak and barren as the northern isles of Scotland. The beachesof the Black Sea were impressive holiday resorts, whilst the peaksof the mountains in Georgia were covered in snow, and one of thevillages we stayed in was a gateway for hikers to the glaciers thatspread into Russia.

Not all the teams made it to the end. One cars engine explodedwhilst en route from the UK to Budapest, forcing the team to buyanother vehicle in Germany. One vehicle rolled and was written off.Three other vehicles just died, at different stages of the rally. Butthere was only one participant who didnt make it to the end. Eventhose who found themselves without their own vehicle were offeredspace by other teams.

When we reached Yerevan, Team Arabian Knights collected thecomputers they had ordered for their orphanage, and set them up.

The orphans ranged from 6 to 17 years old, after which the ones



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who could went to university, and the ones who couldnt set out onthe rest of their lives.

Despite all the natural beauty that surrounded us, it was the humanspirit which was the most impressive and notable aspect of the trip.Whenever one of the teams had a problem, any other teams thatsaw them would stop to help, regardless of how long they maydelay themselves. Add to this the locals who would come out oftheir houses, or stop their cars, and there was no shortage of peo-ple willing to help.

When suffering from extreme food poisoning, one of the team mem-bers was taken to hospital and cared for by the owner and chef ofthe restaurant where it had been contracted. After a team rolledtheir vehicle, the police were genuinely helpful, historically inform-ative, and entertaining. A restaurant owner in Georgia, who spokeno English only Georgian and Russia came to sit with and talkto (actually, laugh with!) the team who were dining at his establishment.

The orphans were so grateful for their computers that they were allinvolved in a music and dance presentation to say thank you. Theboy in charge of cooking the food at a road-side caf used ahairdryer to help the wood burn faster so the meat could be cooked.

The woman staffing an information kiosk looked up the answers tosome of the challenges, so the team could get underway quicker.These are some of the small things that provided entertaining yetmemorable moments.

But there is the greater scheme of things too. The people of Kosovo,who were subjected to heavy ethnic cleansing by the Serbs, whoseem to be happy and relaxed, and incredibly helpful. The peopleof Mestia, Georgia who, despite carrying frowns from their years ofSoviet suppression and hardship of life, were so appreciative of aband coming and playing in their village that they asked them toplay for a second night, and brought along their children.

Many people were met, and many friends, both the lasting andFacebook vaieties, were made during the trip. Many places werevisited, and many sights seen. Everyone who took part will relishthe rally for the rest of their lives, and several will participate in oth-ers. Joining a rally is an excellent way of visiting countries, althoughdriving for 12 14 hours a day doesnt provide much opportunity

for exploring the places you spend each night at. It certainly teachespeople resourcefulness they maybe didnt know they had, and is agreat way of interacting with people from other countries.

Andrew Conder



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C o p i n g w i t h t h e C o - o p

Each year, in order to complete their undergraduate

degree, the students of Prince Sultan University

take one semester to go out into the workforce and

gain some valuable vocational experience with an

employer that has been matched to each students

major. The co-operative programme is designed to give PSU stu-

dents the edge over the competition and provide them with real

world life skills. Faisal Salamah talks about some of the important

things a co-op student needs to know.

When we start our Co-op we are usually have a set of expectations

synchronized from our experiences and from what we have learned

at school. We want to learn some hard skills, we want to be as-

signed some real responsibilities and simply we want to be recog-

nized for our efforts. These are the standard measurements that

many of us use to judge the Co-op. They are also the reason why

many of us may not feel satisfied about this period of vocational ex-

perience. Too often, students fail to see that the values they gain

from the Co-op are different from those in their minds.

The first thing you need to do in your Co-op is to redefine what is

valuable for your future career. You may never get the opportunity

to gain this kind of experience that adds vertically to your knowl-

edge again. However, as is life- you will probably be offered some-

thing different from your expectations. Somehow, it is often better

than what you hoped to have been offered, all you need to do is to

change the way you value things. For example, you may sit idle for

days dipping tea-bags and starring at people like a camel lost on a

highway. Apparently, this is not good! But think about it this way,

you are sitting at a position where you can observe issues and prob-

lems that even your boss is unable to see. Think about these prob-

lems and about how you might improve things and start building

your own vision about the business. It is highly unlikely that you will

have this blessing while you are officially employed after gradua-

tion.

You are in a special business environment where your errors are

forgiven, and your thoughts may not always count for your em-

ployer, so take it easy and invest in observing and building your

business cognition. Also, remember that many successful business-

men needed only a tiny thread to hold on to before they arrived at

their wealth and success. Thus, even if you couldnt see the full half

of the glass while indentured with your Co-op employer, just a few

extra drops might be all you need to see if you have the right atti-

tude for the real world.

Faisal Salamah

J A M L A N G U A G E

The current discussion in law, politics, sociology,

and anthropology and linguistics on the importance

of language reveals that this aspect of humanity is

important in at least six ways. Firstly, language is a

medium of communication. It mirrors ones identity

and is an integral part of culture. Hence in this discourse, linguistic

diversity becomes symbolic of cultural diversity, and the mainte-

nance or revitalization of language signals ongoing or renewed va-

lidity of the culture associated with that language.Secondly,

language is a means of expression and allows a person to partici-

pate in community activities.

Language is an integral part of the structure of culture; it in fact

constitutes its pillar and means of expression par excellence. Its

usage enriches the individual and enables him to take an active

part in the community and its activities. To deprive a man of such

participation amounts to depriving him of his identity.Thirdly, lan-

guages are also valuable as collective human accomplishments

and on-going manifestations of human creativity and originality as

it can also be a source of power, social mobility and opportunities.

Language is important to all of us. Learning and practicing it would

be much easier if both theoretical and practical paths are taken.

Many students learn English as a subject but often the repetition

and monotonyof every day activitiesareboring, especially to our fu-

ture Scientists and Engineers at PSU

I thought Sparx would be a funway to explore language and all the

enjoyment that is lying dormantbeneath it. More than a literary club

with some Drama (role playing) and Nano-fiction, JAM and debates

between the participants I hope itwill encourage good verbal sports-

manship and provide entertainment.

To elaborate: JAM (Just A Minute) is another version of extempore

speaking. It is a gameplayed between 10 players with 5 rounds. Be-

fore the topics are given, a brainteaser or a cryptoquoteis given to

the participants, the rule is simple, and whosoever gives the answer

first starts JAM. Players are to speak for minute on the given topic

for 1 minute without any mistakes, be it grammatical or any other

error, as such.If a playermakes a mistake, theother players

mustJAMthem and identify the mistake in front of the judges.If the

mistake is clarified he is awarded with 10 points if not 5points are

deducted from him account. In every round different topics are

given which are more amusing, funny, and interactive as well as

brain storming, challenging and arduous. The last and most awaited

round is Spit-Fire Round.In this round players have to continue

their topic in one completesentence without taking a pause or a

break, if he is out of breath he is given 2 seconds to take deep

breath and go on. Points are awarded for every single second. If

the player completes it in 1 minute he is awarded a bonus of 30

points.

Shahrouz Mirza



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Managing your timeBeing a student is a full-time job nowadays.

At least thats how it is in Saudi Arabia. Stu-

dents spend an average of 9-10 hours a day

in university with another 5 hours spent out-

side doing assignments and studying. There

is no doubt that the pressures of being a stu-

dent are high. Part of this stress includes the workload and meeting

deadlines, but students also have to meet the expectations of their

families. Whats more, they also need to fulfill their social obligations

as dictated by their culture and religion. The question then arises:

how does one achieve a balance?

The answer escapes many even though it is simple. It is Time Man-

agement. This is nothing complex or abstract. Neither is it only for

businessmen and other professionals. It is there for you and me to

apply to our lives.

Before we look into the whats of time management, let us get a

clearer picture of the whys. There is a lot of talk among students

about academic pressures, but does what we actually do justify our

grousing? I have been student in Saudi Arabia for eight years and

I have studied at PSU for four. This experience tells me that the an-

swer to the above question is a big NO! The problem begins with

procrastination, putting things off until tomorrow* --- whenever that

is. Why do we do this? We face many distractions daily, and we

dont really need reminding what most of them are.

Top place for distractions goes to the Internet. We can easily spend

3 or 4 hours a day on websites such as Facebook, or maybe Netlog,

while some may go to YouTube. These 3 or 4 hours, you will agree,

are the most unproductive of the day. Second place goes to social

izing with friends whether over the phone, in coffee shops, istirahas,

and even sheesha dives. These take perhaps 2 hours from our day.

And, because of this running around, we can add on another hour

stuck in the inevitable Riyadh traffic jams.

So how is Time Management a solution to all this? Let me say first

that TM does not mean removing from our lives the activities out-

lined above. TM is a way to prioritize and thus to deliver on what is

important first and then follow on to the next. One very simple

method is to get a daily planner and jot down the to-dos as yougo along in your day. At the same time you can have a date sheet.

Date sheets keep track of deadlines and dates of all major assign-

ments and tests. It has worked like a charm for me since the begin-

ning of this year. Having a list will help you to look objectively at

what you have to deliver and then to plan accordingly. Another so-

lution is to use what is called a Time Management Matrix. It allows

you to differentiate between the important and unimportant, and the

urgent and non-urgent. An example of the matrix is shown.

The solutions can be implemented through a step-by-step ap-

proach, or they can be all used in harmony, which will ensure that

you are not just effective but also efficient. Like many others no

doubt, I used to think I was rather good at TM. Then I saw the error

of my ways. As a result, I have also seen a great drop in my stress

levels, and I have achieved a balance between my social and my

academic life. So the sooner you start what I did, the better it will

be for you.

Ziyad Ali

* Eds note: Connoisseurs of the art of procrastination (= putting off till tomor-

row) may wish to go one better with perendination = putting off till the day

after tomorrow

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Gas stations are simply a regular stop for any driver, who thereby

becomes a potential customer for other products and services be-

yond the sale of gas. But the majority of stations in Saudi Arabia

offer few, if any, additional services. Many marketing opportunities

are missed, and many people cannot enjoy a quick meal or short

shop. In my opinion, individual ownership of gas stations has been

one of the most significant reasons why this is so.

Let us take a look at the UAE. There we find that three gas station

brand names exist: ADNOC, ENOC, and EMARAT. All three arewell-known corporate names that provide professional petroleum

service to customers. The main reason behind the success of these

companies is their having developed very strict guidelines when it

comes to branding and investing in gas stations. As a result, they

have benefited from increased income and expansion.

If we take the example of EMARAT, we will find that the stations

offer fuel, yes, but also a minimarket, a bakers shop, a fast-food

concession, a caf, tire and engine services, an ATM, credit card

payment, an air-conditioned mosque, and clean toilets. All this is

under one roof. It does not matter whether you are inside the city

of Dubai or 100 kilometers out in the desert. The same service and

quality are available in every EMARAT outlet.

Now here is the importance of gas station branding. It involves the

engagement of employees with their workplace and of customers

with their favourite stop. Gas station companies need to build a

brand image which both employees and customers can be happy

with.

In the Saudi market, we very much miss the brand experience. We

find local gas stations, often dirty, and with different owners on

premises that comprise disorganized minimarkets and so-called

maintenance services. This chaos does not endear any gas station

either to its local clients or its visitors.

However, there is some good news in the air. One local company

is aiming at a re-branding approach for its chain. This is SASCO, avery old petrol service company in Saudi that has started launching

new stations with a new identity inside the city of Riyadh. All serv-

ices are under one roof, including a branded minimarket called

Palm. I believe this is a very healthy development, and it will en-

courage other competitors such as Al-Drees with 346 gas stations

to improve their own marketing.

Local companies have to realise that the branding process is not

just about a nice-looking gas station in a chain. Branding can pro-

vide many more benefits for owner companies: better management

of production and distribution, lower marketing costs, laying of the

groundwork for future extensions, maintenance of a consistent

brand image, and quicker identification and integration of any inno-

vations. One might also mention package offerings on media spaceand advertising for external companies inside the gas stations,

which increase the ability to handle partner brand names such as

those of coffee shops, fast-food restaurants, banks and motels.

If SASCOs approach spreads to other large chains, such as Al-

Drees, SARAWAT, OHOD, and NAFAT, then we in Saudi shall have

better-looking cities and highways. We shall also have far more

contented gas station employees and, of course, far more happy

drivers.

Tawfiq Hathloul

BRANDING SAUDI GAS STATIONS



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T H E F O R D F A C T O RThe individual that I admire most is a man who started his global

success with virtually nothing is Henry Ford. It is difficult to think of

another man who has carried the torch of business further than

Henry Ford, a man who started off as a farmer much like his father.

While Ford is mostly known for the creation of the assembly line

that revolutionized the motor industry, he is also credited for the use

of conveyer belts on cars, mass economic growth, applying more

than two million citizens with jobs and the creation of the model T.

the model T was one of Fords lifelong dreams, a production vehicle

that was reasonably priced, reliable, efficient, easy to operate,

maintain, and handle on rough roads which led to its immediate

success. What is more interesting than Fords remarkable achieve-

ments is that he dropped out of school in order to aid his father in

expanding their family farm. In addition, Ford did not have any en-

gineering nor business skills when he was living at hes fathers farm

but it was his ambition and motivation that led him to be one of the

worlds leading visionaries that created an empire from the ground

up. Henry Ford is the ideal individual who has carved his own path

by sheer ambition.

Of all the automobiles that have been designed and built in the

world, there is one that stands out as most significant above them

all, and that is Fords model T. The model T introduced mass pro-

duction and single-handedly modernized the world from horseback

transportation, to one where we have machines that are run by

gasoline engines. All this was accomplished by using the moving

assembly line, Henry Ford was able to build the cars in about one

tenth the time it took to build other vehicles by hand made before

the model T. the cars were simple, rugged, cheap and as Henry

Ford use to say you can have any color you want as long as its

black. Ford cleverly paid his employees five dollars a day which

was substantial at the time; he also reduced the working hours from

nine to eight hours a day. By doing so, he was able to have not two

but three production shifts working and that enabled his company

to build produce cars around the clock. As a business pupil, what I

admire about Henry Ford is that his mass production was taking

place at a time of economic difficulty and deprivation in the United

States, which he used to his advantage. The result of that was peo-

ple came from all over the country seeking jobs at the Detroit auto

factories and of course their choice was Ford due to the increase

in daily salary and decrease in working hours. Finally after nineteen

years of production, from 1908 1928 Henry Ford had built almost

fifteen and a half million model Ts. They were by far the most pop-

ular and plentiful vehicle on the road. Astonishingly, Ford jump

started his empire with none of his own money; he raised his capital

from friends, which is referred to nowadays as OPM (other peoples

money) he explained that it was for initial working capital purposes.

He then executed striking deals with his suppliers that enabled him

to purchase parts on credit. Moreover, this motivated him to sell

parts quickly at a profit, so that he could repay his suppliers.

Ford improved the lives of many individuals from all races; he paid

his employees a more than fair salary, improved the economy and

gave back to the community. Many people believe that Henry Ford

invented the first gasoline engine, which is not true. Instead what

Ford did is take other peoples ideas and make it better Others

made cars. Henry Ford made better cars. And he sold them for less

money. Others built car factories. Henry Ford built the biggest fac-

tory of its time. And he made the whole factory a moving production

line. After years of reinventing profits into his business and making

them more beneficial, the Ford motor company became an indus-

trial empire and its founder became forever immortalized as one of

the leading business legends.

Mustafa A. Al-Mashhadi



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Collage is an artistic expression created by arranging and gluing

newspaper clippings, colored paper, magazine images, photo-

graphs and other found objects on to a paper board or canvas

surface. The technique only recently became popularized in the

early 20th century. However, the origins of collage can be traced

back hundreds of years.

The art of pasting papers to a support was called papier coll, the

French term for pasted paper. The word collage derives its name

from the French verb coller, to glue. This term, collage, was coined

by two famous French artists, Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso

in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became a

unique part of modern art. In 1912, these cubist pasting and gluing

experiments of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso broke up

space and shapes and often used torn, cut, and pasted papers

as primary components of their designs. Newspaper headlines

and typography were used for their texture and graphic impact,

but were not intended to be read. To this day, two-dimensional

paper collages are still a popular means of expression.

Collage holds a permanent place in the lists of major media, along

with drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. While it is often

used alone, collage is also combined with other media (painting,

drawing, and printmaking) in various forms of individual commu-

nication. Collage is used to explore ideas, advocate concepts, and

develop possible directions in which to work.

As a long-time artist, I have always been interested in collage asan extension of my drawing and painting. In the past 30 years, I

have created hundreds of collages. I first began by experimenting

with mixed media collage, combining acrylic paint, oil pastel, col-

ored chalk, ink, as well as colored paper, magazine images, pho-

tographs,

and other found objects.

Recently in the last few years, I have focused exclusively on using

images from magazines and newspapers. The process of cutting

and pasting is a spontaneous, yet at the same time, paradoxically,

a carefully planned endeavor. When choosing the images and de-

ciding how to arrange them, I often experiment by manipulating

the golden mean. This is basically means dividing the space into

a proportionately pleasing composition while considering the ele-

ments of design such as space, texture, color, line, and shape.

The theme or subject matter varies from whimsical to somber.

The process is often a subjective intuitive one. I am constantly

experimenting with the elements of design to see how they might

fit together. The possibilities are endless. Its a great way to spend

my free time.

The process of creating is whats most important to me; therefore,

I leave it to the public and art critics to judge the final outcome.

Carl Schraefel

Collage as an Art Form



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@ibrahimAlsghayr



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From Lebanon

to London,

Par is to

Beirut,

From Riyadh

to Ral ly Car

Racing,

Tony Helou

Lives in Top

Gear, We put

the brakes on him

to f ind out whats

Happening inside

The Helmet of

a speed Legend.

FOCUS: So Tony, Tell me about your car.

TONY: I own a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 Ralliart. Its a sedan

four-wheel drive car.

Specs: 6 speed manual transmission, 2.0 Turbo engine. The car

has around 360 bhp with just an exhaust change.

FOCUS: What got you started with rally car driving?

TONY: My father and his cousins used to take me to watch rallies

in Lebanon from the age of 4. Ive been in love with it since then. In

2005, I participated in my first rally and been doing so since.

FOCUS: How does competitive racing differ from recreational driv-

ing?

TONY: The two are completely different. First of all, competitive rac-

ing is much safer. It is held within professionaly organized events

where safety is the main issue. Recreational driving is unsafe es-

pecially when other cars are around. Second, competitve racing

pushes the driver to his limits in a safe and controlled manner,

whereas recreational driving (if fast) can be hazardous to the driver

himself and other cars on the road.

FOCUS: What does a driver need to begin? (car, helmet, suit etc-

setup costs)

TONY:At first, the driver needs to hold an FIA license (Federation

Internationale de lAutomobile). Then, in order to participate, both

driver and co-driver should wear FIA homologuated suits, under-

wear, gloves, shoes, balaclavas, and helmets. The car should also

be homologuated (suspension, brakes, tires, fuel cell, seats, har-

nesses, roll cage, etc) according the which group it competes under.

FOCUS: How much does it cost to enter and compete?

TONY:A full season in Lebanon (3 rallies and 3 hill climbs) will cost

around USD 40,000 as running cost. This excludes the price of buy-

ing / renting a rally car. The administrative fees cost around USD

3,000 a year. Car prices can reach EUR 400,000 for S2000 cars

and EUR 150,000 for PWRC cars.

FOCUS: How do you fund your competitions?

TONY: I try and get as many sponsors as possible to fund my races.

I cover the remaining cost most of the time. It can get pretty expen-

sive

FOCUS: What do you look for in a sponsor and what does a spon-

sor look for in a driver?

TONY: I look for sponsors that are ready to invest in rallying since

it provides great exposure for them. On the other hand, sponsors

look for drivers that can reach top 7-10 in a rally in addition to the

amount of exposure they get out of it.

FOCUS: What benefits can a company get from sponsoring a team/

individual for a race or a season?

TONY: Sponsors get a lot of benefits especially these days since

there are many methods of exposure.

Sponsor logo on all sides of the car, helmet, suit

Facebook page related to my Rally facebook page.

Free advertising on Streetkings.com

Newspaper and magazine interviews.

Live TV coverage

Launching event before each race.

Any idea the sponsor might propose.

FOCUS: What is the most dangerous aspect of rally car competition

driving?

TONY: The most dangerous aspect of rally driving is knowing your

limits during night stages. Mountain roads can be extremely tricky.

Accidents do occur but physical injuries are unlikely to happen due

to the safety measures.

FOCUS: Best experience in a race?

TONY: 4th in the 2009 Cedars rally

FOCUS: Worst experience?

TONY: Flipping my car 4 times in a valley during practice.

FOCUS: Stories about other drivers or events that will get a laugh...

TONY:A handfull of drivers had accidents during rallies because

of old ladies throwing soap and water to clean their front yards and

balconies

FOCUS: Dream Garage- Your ultimate car/ car collection...

TONY: Ferrari F40 (ultimate car)

Jaguar e-type

AC Cobra

G55 amg

Mc Laren F1 (road car)



16/48


17/48

Mr. Ian Rennie does much more than simply direct the affairs of theEnglish department at PSU. In his spare time he is also an acrobaticdaredevil of the skies.

FOCUS managed to catch him with one foot on the ground just longenough to get some answers to the crucial questions...

FOCUS: Flying... Whats the attraction?

IAN:An interesting question, I think it relates to being in a differentdimension and facing challenges different to everyday life, with dif-ferent variations. There are numerous aspects to flying also, withweather conditions and locations heavily factoring into your deci-sions for how to approach each situation, for example acrobaticsrequires a vastly different approach to sea flying or mountain flying.

FOCUS: Your youngest memory associated with Flying?

IAN: I was four years old and I can remember standing on the bal-cony of my parents house and I heard a loud engine noise coming

from somewhere. Suddenly, an old bi-plane of tiger moth vintagepopped out from between two houses. He was wearing the tradi-tional leather flying cap, goggles and jacket and he turned his headand looked at me before roaring off. This was after the SecondWorld War when pilots could virtually go where they wanted, whenthey wanted.

FOCUS:A striking visual image indeed- how then did the fascina-tion with piloting planes develop?

IAN: I have two main interests bird watching and flying. The firststarted at around the age of ten and the two seem to fit hand inglove. Natural flight and artificial flight had a hold on me and grad-ually until I got my pilots licence I fostered each of them.

FOCUS: Who has had the strongest influence on your aeronauticalendeavours?

IAN: Well, in fact there were two people, both instructors and com-pletely opposing characters. One, who was close to 70 at the timeof my training you would not trust an inch on the ground. He wassomething of a con-artist but in the air he was as straightforwardand honest as can be. The received wisdom was that in the air youmust be honest with yourself. Theres no use in trying to kid anyonethat youre better than you are up there- it could well be fatal evenif you are a less than honest person on the ground.

The second influential character was a young man from a new clubI went to check out. He made a point of quizzing me about my back-ground. This fellow, in contrast to the first gentleman, had total in-tegrity on land and in the air. From him I learned the importance ofthoroughness in all aspects of aviation- to check and recheck every-thing. The instruments you use are designed to keep you aloft, soif they malfunction and youre not aware of it, you could find yourselfin a lot of trouble.

FOCUS: What is your advice to people who have similar passions,but prefer recreational flying to a career in the industry?

IAN: Keep to recreational flying. After hanging around a lot of air-ports and meeting a lot of pilots, many of them have told me theywish they had done something else for their career. For this reason

a number of pilots fly light aircraft recreationally to experience theenjoyment of what it was that attracted them to flying in the firstplace.

FOCUS: Do you have a particular model of plane or planes thatyou admire?

IAN:Any general aviation pilot admires the Cessna aircraft becauseit is so safe and its difficult to make a mistake when flying one. TheGrob is a model that will bite you if you make an error but it givesfair warning. A story I read once retold the adventure of a pilot whowas instructed to ferry a plane between two airfields. He had beenvery busy and was tired when he embarked on the trip. As a resulthe fell asleep for two hours. When he woke up, the Cessna had

kept its bearings and was 1,000 feet higher than its original altitude.Far from falling out of the sky, the plane barely moved from its di-rection!

FOCUS: What are the most important things to remember when incontrol of a plane?

IAN: An instructor once said to me Never put an aircraft whereyour mind hasnt been. You must be aware of where you are soyou dont intrude on others airspace and if you make a mistakethen the best thing to do is admit to it.

FOCUS: Tell me about some of the more memorable adventuresyou have experienced involving aircraft- any tales of derring do?

Well there are a few; however, well have to leave some for thememoirs. The only time Ive ever been really scared while flyingwas during an acrobatics turn. I was inverted on a loop the loop ma-noeuvre when some liquid splashed on to my face. It hadnt comefrom me and so my only thought was that it must be gasoline fromthe fuel tank, which caused some degree of consternation. Initially,I made straight for the ground from an altitude of 5,000 feet but afterchecking all instruments I decided I wasnt in any danger of turninginto a fireball right then and there. As it turns out, the compass hous-ing had sprung a leak and showered me in methylated spirits. I feltthat I recovered from the shock quite well and continued with myroutine.

FOCUS: Words of encouragement for novices?

IAN: People interested in flying should go for it get to the nearestflying club and start training. It will develop ones perspective andabilities.

FOCUS:Any maxims that have stuck with you over the years fromyour instructors?

IAN: Its better to be down here wishing you were up there, than upthere wishing you were down here.

FOCUS:Any final thoughts about this passion of yours?

Longevity seems to be a common trait in flying there are a greatmany pilots who are well advanced in years. I have heard another

amusing adage that complements this fact There are old pilots andbold pilots but no old bold pilots. If you can combine that with thesensible advice not to take an aircraft where your mind has notbeen then you may fly and live to a ripe old age.

U P I N T H E A I R



18/48

My Grandmother

There's nothing harder than saying goodbye to people we love.

They leave an empty place in our hearts. I'm living a moment like

this right now. This Friday, my grandmother is going back to Sudan.

It's a long story, started years earlier

After their marriage in Sudan, my parents emigrated from our vil-

lage, Al Sair, in the north of Sudan to Saudi Arabia, where my broth-ers and I were born and grew up. Al Sair is a very beautiful place:

the green lands all over the village, the cows and sheep around,

and the Nile through the village. I've never been there but I've seen

a lot of photos that made me think that people would fight for the

sake of staying in such a place.

We've stayed in Saudi Arabia for a very long time. We've been in

this beautiful country for more than twenty five years. I've had the

best welcome, the best treatment and the best education. But I've

always looked forward to meeting my relatives who I had never

seen: my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.

One day about six months ago, my father came home and told us

he was going to bring our grandmother from Sudan and he was

working on the visa. I felt very happy with this news because I al-

ways wanted to see her. She saw me only once when I was a baby,

and I didnt remember her at all. A lot of thoughts came to my mind:

What would she look like? Would she recognize me? Could she

speak Arabic well? Because in our village, they speak a Nubian lan-

guage, which I can't speak. How could I speak it if I've never been

there? I was excited and nervous at the same time.

We all started cleaning the house and brought new furniture. We

didn't sleep the night before her arrival, because the plane was sup-

posed to arrive at midnight. My father went by car to the airport to

bring her while we were waiting at home. The airport was so far

away that my father had to drive about a hundred kilometers. He

came back with her in the morning which was the most wonderful

morning we have ever had

My eighty-year-old grandmother entered the house and the tears

were falling from her eyes with great happiness. She spent a few

minutes with each one of us hugging us and giving us hundreds of

kisses. She told us that she felt very happy that she had finally met

us before it was "too late" She was short, thin and bent, but the

way she walked and moved showed something different; She was

agile and strong. She was wearing a white headscarf and coloured,

rose-printed Sudanese thobe. I also noticed the colour of her skin.

My father is darker than me, and my mother is lighter, but my grand-

mothers skin had exactly the same colour as mine We carried

her bags inside and my mother told her to rest because the journey

was tiring. We were tired, too, because we were awake for too long.

But she didnt want to rest She wanted to stay with us.

In the evening, she opened her bags. She brought some pistachio,

nuts and biscuits that cannot be found anywhere in Saudi Arabia.

She also brought some Sudanese clothes and some incense and

perfumes. Then she raised her hands and started saying prayers

in Nubian, and crying at the same time. I've never seen a person

as emotional as her. She praised the elegant, kind and polite treat-

ment of Saudi people. She also told us about her last visit to us

about twenty years before It was like a piece of Sudan coming to

us.

The next day visitors started coming from different places, Riyadh,

Jeddah and Dammam. Some of them met her in Sudan a long time

ago. The funny thing was that she recognized most of them, after

all of these years! I couldn't believe how aware she was.

As an old person who had a lot of experience in her life, she told

me and my brothers a lot of things about our ancestral culture and

traditions such as weddings, what people wear in special occasions

and stories about our relatives. I listened to her with full attention,

because at first, I was afraid that she would be disappointed in my

ignorance of these things. But the good thing was that she accepted

that we were living in a foreign land, although it bothered her a little

bit.

Every time I got back from college, I saw that bright and warm smile

on my grandmother's face, and she said that I must be tired and I

should rest. More than once, she pretended that she wanted to

shake my hand, but actually she was holding some money and

when I shook her hand she left it in my palm. She embarrassed me,

but she was really kind and loving. She was also diligent and active,

never thought about her age. She did a lot of hard work without any

help, and no one could stop her. I saw her once pulling a big twisted

carpet in the courtyard outside!

One day I got so sick that I was throwing up all the time and my

limbs were numb. She held my leg and pressed it with an amazing

strength, like a young man's, and told me that it would help the

blood stream. Then she gave me a drink she had made herself. I

didn't know what she put in it, but I knew that it tasted terrible. The

effect was quick, and I stopped throwing up and my limbs became

normal immediately. It was like magic. She told me not to use drugs

because there's always a natural remedy.

Although she was happy to be with us, she was homesick, because

in Sudan, culture and social life are not the same as in Saudi Arabia.

There, she is used to going to farms, neighbors and parties, but

here she couldn't do whatever she liked. So she decided to go to

Mecca to perform Omra with my uncle, and refresh her spirit. They

went in my uncle's car and spent five days there, and it was a great

experience for her.

Three months passed like three days, and the time for my grand-

mother's return has come. I feel very sad that she is going to leave

us, but very happy to be reunited with my country and my family.

Those ninety days were the most wonderful days in my life. There

was a dark side in my soul and she li t it for me with her love, hope,

faith and optimism in life. I will miss her warm hug, her beautiful

smile, her kind words and great love I hope we can surprise her

and visit her next summer vacation. Although I dont want to say it,

goodbye grandmother.

Essam Sayed Ali Ahmad



19/48

through the mirror (27 looking to 17)

you can trek to the furthest border

but don't you ever cut the corners

and don't you ever do to me what i done to you

scale a waterfall

make the mountains crawl

but don't you never do to me what i done to you

make their ashes laugh

make her tears roll back

but don't you never do to me what i done to you

even if they push your teeth out

don't you ever let lies leave your mouth

and don't you ever do to me what i done to you

graze in fields of glass

walk the ocean's paths

but dont you ever do to me what i done to you

if you ever slip, don't fall down

and even if you fall keep crawlin'

and don't you ever ever never

no dont you never ever never

and dont you ever do to me what i done to you

Daniel Oliver

Some Theoretical Findings from a Galaxy Concordance

The objects of astronomy present a macrohierarchy, including entities like galaxy clusters,

galaxies, stars, planets, and subsidiary bodies,

and bear in mind our modern picture of the universe dates back to only the nineteen-twenties

when Hubble demonstrated there was more than one galaxy,

but now it seems, (and soon it may be orthodoxy) that from any chosen view-point, that every

other galaxy is going away from you,

in addition to a new theory about the origin of our Solar System that suggests that the Sun has

not been flung out into the void at random,

but rather that is in a special place in our Galaxy, and that it would

be incorrect to draw inferences from insular studies of our stellar neighbourhood

as the Solar System orbits the centre of the Galaxy (by the latest recks) at a distance of thirty

thousand light years thats 10 kiloparsecs

thats why some scientists believe the Sun, like other stars, may be part of a binary system and

have a twin somewhere out there in the dark

and a shortcut to it might be if a spaceship could go into one black hole and come out of an-

other on the other side of the Galaxy, like a mole,

and, talking of black holes, they may well be more than the number of visible stars, which, in

our galaxy, are about a hundred thousand million in total,

but, back to the question in hand, biologists would tend to say, No, probably, here is no ad-

vanced intelligent life within OUR Galaxy.

Yousuf Hindess

walk the Line*for small-army son of rule-of-the-spear*

i awe at no Mountain& if One standsin my Way, i'ma climb Itor turn It to Sand

cuz i walk a straight Line& ill stride 'cross the Seaor cut It in half

if It try to drag me

i walk a straight Linethat dont go left or righteven if the Sun blindsor i'm swallowed by Night

my Line go straightno, i'll never turn backeven if Lava creepsor Claws tear my back

Daniel Oliver

ruwais

*in loving memory of bukhari rice*

furry bikes w/horns, misled

painted beards: orange, & red

kisses on the cheeks of men

gnitirw backwards with a pen

concrete villages, scarce wind

oases, pilgrims permanent

when shops close the sinners hide

beauty's a secret to sunlight

boys in replicas are clad

don't mind them, they're just shabaab

fragrances design the air

at green, dont pause or horns will blare

the moon spawns poetry and names

gnarld limbs shake as they pray

ruwais

Daniel Oliver

musick&tv

i dont lisn 2 rap

cuz rap talx 'bout killn blax

&i'm blak

i dont 2n n2 newz

cuz newz crewz say how muslmz r bad

&im not bad

Daniel Oliver



20/48

When you return from the long vacation, does your English teacher usually give you that

most tedious of assignments: What did you do last summer? Mine used to, and it sim-

ply spoiled the fun of reminiscing about the whole experience. But since I am older and

wiser now, and the assignment is optional this year, I will tell you about my summer vacation in the

land of republicanism, the beaux-arts, and frog-eating *.

This was the first time that I had visited France, and I was struck by how beautiful the country is.

The first stop for any typical Saudi visitor is the Champs Elyses. Here there are a great number of

gourmet restaurants with great service --- actually, that seems to mean being rude to foreigners and

overcharging them French style.

The question you might well have been asking yourself in Paris is this: Did I go anywhere of partic-

ular interest, or did I just loaf around as I do in Dubai?

Well, my friends and I went to two notable places, the Louvre and Versailles. The Louvre is Franc-

es most famous museum, filled with paintings of beautiful people and statues of naked ones. You

will, for example, be able to see art from Ancient Greece, and from Europe in the Middle Ages and

the Renaissance. It is all really awe-inspiring except for the creepy baby paintings that will scare

you for keeps.

We also got to see the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, and it is every bit as awesome as I had

imagined. (My theory about her mysterious smile is that she is trying to hide her bad

teeth --- a common misfortune in those days.)

The next stop was Versailles, the palace of Louis XIV. It has golden thrones, a corridor filled

with mirrors, and paintings on the walls that show Louis just being stylish or simply wasting

his enemies on the battlefield. Never since Rameses II has a king loved himself so passioa-

tely. You can understand why, eventually, the 18th-century peasants got round to re-

volting and to guillotining royal heads.

Anyway, my trip ended with going to the best chocolate store ever, La Maison du Cho-

colat. This chocolaterie is so amazing that no Parisian wants to tell you about it when

you ask for directions. In fact, I was told the wrong way to go. But if you explore the

Champs Elyses as closely as I did, you will find this magical place.

And my overall impression of my French trip? France is a place which sometimes

welcomes its guests and which, at others, can really be snooty and snotty

and snub them. That is Frances dual personality. At least it has one, I suppose.

* Eds note: = batrachophagy, if you like the big word for this ghastly habit;and they

do malacophagy!

Mohammed Al-Lehbi

PARISALACAR

TE



21/48

Barcelona is a beautiful little city on the Mediterranean Sea and a

long way from from the towering skyline of metropolitan New York

where I was born and grew up. In fact the two places seem to be

almost opposites: New York with its capitalof-theworld attitude

and Barcelona with its our-little-corner-of-the-world attitude.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a small nation that is officially

part of Spain. There are only 6 or 7 million Catalans, which by New

York standards is very small-time. Yet Barcelona has given theworld some amazing gifts. I lived in Barcelona for over 20 years and

although I am not a native, I feel like a New Yorker and a

Barcelonin in equal measure/Barcelona is my city too.

The first and most extraodinary thing about Barcelona is the city it-

self. It is full of magnificent buildings and architecture. Gaudi is the

citys most famous architect and is responsible for several of

Barcelonass iconic buildings and spaces. His wavy lined LaPedr-

era and the reptilian roof toppped Casa Batalho on Barcelonas

main stree,t Paseo de Gracia, are must-sees for all who visit the

city. Park Guell with its mosaics and serpentine benches offers a

tremendous view of the city. In addition to Gaudis work, this city

boasts of many other fascinating buildings such as the Palau de laMusic, an Art Deco theater, the undulating roof of Mercat de Santa

Caterina, a neighborhood food market or the Santa Maria del Mar,

a gothic cathedral. I had never been interested in architecture until

I came to the city and here I learned to see buildings in terms of

line, form and structure.

People actually live in these buildings. They spend a good part of

their lives in the plazas terraces and balconies throughout the city.

There are always people in the streets going about their business.

In fact a recent poll in the El Periodico newspaper showed that

about 30% of the Barcelonins walk to work every day. Even more

people use the public transportation systems of subways, buses,

trams and trains that crisscross the city. This means that you see

people everywhere you go and that local shops, restaurants and

cafes are more popular than generic shopping malls found all over

the world. I loved travelling around the city and seeing people and

now thanks to mobile telephones, I often overheard snippets of their

private lives too. Barcelona is not a good city for private cars as it

often takes 30 minutes or more just to find a place to park.

People love to go out in Barcelona. There are outdoor cafes, clubs,

pubs, restaurants, theaters, discos, cinemas and festivals for all

sorts of people and budgets. In recent years elegant restaurants

with celebrity chefs have become very popular. In these restaurants

dinner can easily cost 150 Euros or more. On every street there are

family run restaurants with 10 euro Menu del Dia lunch specials.

These lunches are usually traditional Catalan foods such as lentils,

baked fish or tripe. Thursday is Paella day. Of course there are all

kinds of international restaurants too. In recent years scwharma has

become very popular with young people. Tapas are also popular

with everyone but the Basques from Northeastern Spain are better

known for tapas than the Catalans. In the United States meals are

quick and practical events especially during the week but in Spain

meals are celebrations and can take 2 hours or more. Good food

and good company is the Spanish way of life. Nearly all offices,

stores and businesses close from 2 5 pm for lunch so that people

can enjoy their main meal of the day,

Football Club Barcelona or Bara is the pride of this city. The worlds

greatest players such as Maradona, Ronaldo, and Messi haveplayed for this team. There is a special excitement in the city on the

days of a big game, I could hear the neighbors cheer for a Barca

goal and moan in despair whenever Barca missed a shot. Sports

bars would be packed with fans watching large screen TVs. If

Barca won an important match, hundreds of people would drive

around the city honking and waving flags. If Barca lost there would

be silence and recriminations. When the club elects a president,

the event takes on the proportion of a parliamentary election with

millions of Euros spent on electoral campaigns and televised de-

bates. Bara is the current European and Spanish football champi-

ons. Barca is one of the very best clubs in the world and this is a

source of tremendous pride for the entire city which is why Barca is

more than a football club.

Barcelona is a bilingual city. Some people speak Catalan. Some

people speak Spanish. Newspapers are published daily in each lan-

guage. Computer translation allow one newspaper to publish the

same edition in both languages. Although the city is divided almost

evenly among Catalan and Spanish speakers, Catalan is the offi-

cially the first language of the city. All public information is presented

in Catalan. Public television is exclusively in Catalan. Street signs

are in Catalan and even the names on private businesses must be

in Catalan. Some people choose to live their lives in Catalan. Oth-

ers speak Spanish. Some people speak both. Most foreigners

speak Spanish because there is an unwritten social rule in the coun-

try. Whatever language you meet someone in is the language you

always use to speak to that person. Since most foreigners do not

know Catalan when they arrive they end up speaking Spanish to

everyone.

My years in Barcelona were very happy years and, with no disre-

spect to my first love, New York City, I would have to say that I have

fallen in love with Barcelona too. Yet tourists ride through the streets

without ever knowing the soul and the beauty of the place. I am

happy to say that Barcelonas beauty and charm is an important

part of my life and something I will always remember with a sweet

sensation of love and admiration. Barcelona is city by the sea that

does not care if it is the largest or the best but just likes to be what

it is.

Robert Cavallo

A City by the Sea



22/48

Symbols of Saudi ArabiaWay before I was born, my grandfather found pleasure in

collecting national symbols. He found a special interest in

the various Saudi currencies of the current kingdom be-

cause they represent a particular time and place most

acutely. He passed his passion along with his collection

to my father, who took care of it and added his own touch,

and thats how it eventually came into my possession.

Browsing through them, it is noticeable that unlike the Ot-

toman Empire currencies (Gold coins), the Saudi currency

began as metal coins in 1933. Thirty years later, the first

paper-based currency was introduced by King Abdul-Aziz

the founder of the country (in 1952 A.D.). That becamethe precedent and thereafter a tradition for each king to

introduce his own currency, and later on, even the value

distribution per bill was increased.

The new paper currency was initially not very popular in

King Abdul-Azizs time compared with the more valuable

gold coins of the Ottoman era. It did however; finally find

favour during King Sauds reign. King Faisal came after

him but no major changes were made to the currency in

the period of his rule.

King Khalid had a significant impact on the currencys de-

sign in the late 1970s. He was the first monarch to intro-

duce pictures to the design, but rather than adding his

own portrait, as nice gesture, he had King Faisals and

King Abdul-Azizs pictures added.

In the 1980s King Fahd added the 20 SR, 200 SR and

500 SR denominations to the currency.

Most aspects of the modern Saudi legal tender have re-

mained the same since the 1990s, however, King Abdul-

lah has had some of the images on the present currency

updated and has refreshed the look and size of the one

Riyal note.

Ibrahim Yamani

King Abdul-Aziz in 1952 A.D. introduced the first Saudi paper bill, it was origi-nally for Hajj visitors, which is why there are six languages apparent on the bill.

Some of the bills King Saud had commissioned (1961 A.D.) were too bigand were later reformatted to a more convenient size.



23/48

Some of King Abdullahs bank notes ( 2007 A.D.)

Currency during King Faisals reign in 1968 A.D.

King Khalid currency 5 SR bill had King Faisals picture, it had a spelling mistake -Khassah Riyal instead of Khamsah Riyal (edited later) and other bills ( 1976 A.D.)

These were special editions during King Fahds reign, designed for the 100th anniversary of the start ofunification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (20 SR, and 200 SR ), and the rest of his bills (1984 A.D.).



24/48

On the morning of the 22nd of October, 2011 I woke up to a phone call from a friend asking me if I had seen or heardthe terrible news. Like a bad dream I couldn't wake up from, this sad revelation came as quite a shock to me. I feltthat our nation had lost a part of its identity, a part of its soul. The whole region was mourning the loss of the CrownPrince, Sultan bin Abdulaziz. He was a great figurehead for the country and influenced its politics and defence systemsas well as the lives of many people in many positive ways. It has been said that he devoted his life to help others inneed and this legacy lives on through the work he has done for many communities in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan was born in Riyadh on the 30th of December, 1929. He held many important positions in the Kingdomduring his political career. His first major role was in 1943 when he was appointed as Head of the Royal Guard by hisfather, King Abdulaziz. After that he was given the post of the governor of Riyadh in 1947. During King Saud's reign, heheld the position of Minister of Agriculture and helped set up a project for settling the nomadic tribes of the Kingdom.

When he was appointed as Minister of Transportation in the 1960s, he oversaw the construction of the Riyadh-Dammamrailway. However, perhaps his most important role was in 1962 when he was appointed as the Minister of Defence and

Aviation and Inspector General. Since that time he helped to establish the modern Saudi Arabian armed forces, includingthe land, naval and air defence forces. After the accession of King Fahd to the throne in 1982, he became SecondDeputy Prime Minister. When King Fahd passed away in 2005, he was subsequently appointed Crown Prince andDeputy Prime Minister.

He was frequently referred to as "Sultan al Khair" because of his charitable deeds. In a popular (possibly ap-ocryphal) tale, it was said that his father gave him twice as much pocket money as his other sons. The reasonfor this favouritism, according to the story was due to the fact that he spent all his allowance on those aroundhim. As with his later life, he devoted much of it to helping people in need, establishing many health institutions,such as the Prince Sultan Humanitarian City on the outskirts of Riyadh in 1995. This provides social services

and health care for the elderly and rehabilitation programs for the disabled. He also had a hand in openingup several medical centres for disabled children across the Kingdom. For this and numerous other duties hewas awarded the Medal of Honour for Humanitarian services in 2007.

Prince Sultan also had a great interest in the preserving the indigenous wildlife of the Kingdom. He establ-ished the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development in 1986 to protect the nation'sendangered species.

I had the good fortune to have met Prince Sultan on more than one occasion. My impression of the manwas that he always had a warm, welcoming demeanour and an easy and comforting smile that neverleft his face. He was the kind of person that in spite of being pulled in many directions, with innumerabledemands on his time, never forgot those he met; and for this reason alone it could be said that he wastruly one of a kind.

So we mourn the passing of Sultan, our prince of hearts. His absence will leave a gap in the characterand history of Saudi Arabia and a reputation that no other will be able to match. Although most of us neverhad a chance to get to know the man, his good deeds and acts of compassion have left behind him a pos-itive legacy, an example to ordinary folk and those who wield power that generosity of spirit, action and wordwill leave warm memories and feelings for those who have been touched by a gesture of kindness.

Nawaf Al-Saud

End to an Honourable Journey


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For the second year running, PSU won first place in a GCC-wide

public speaking competition. Not only that, PSU took second place

too and became the first university ever to win the trophy twice or

to retain it.

This year it was two girls from PSU-CW who did PSU proud at the

11th Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition or-

ganized by the Emirates Environmental Group at Dubai Knowledge

Village on 28-29 November. Athough Alsughayer, from the Depart-

ment of Interior Design, was the overall competition winner, winning

both her topic, Development with destruction is it possible?, and

the right to take the trophy back for a year. In second place, by just

one point, was Haneen Al-Ghamdi, from the Department of Law,

who won her topic of GCC countries- 25 years from now and came

in as the competitions runner up.

Both girls put in marvelous performances which drew applause and

commendations from the audience. The pair were ably supported

by their teams who had put in several months of preparation and

practice prior to travelling. As the final results were announced, the

PSU entourage shrieked in jubilation thrilled that their hard work

was rewarded with PSUs best ever showing. Even arch-rivals Al-

Yamama University sang along in celebration, proud that a fellow

Saudi university had claimed victory.

So the Womens College have maintained and extended PSUs un-

surpassed record of always winning some position in the EEG com-

petition and once again a group of young undergraduates have

gained invaluable experience researching an environmental topic

and presenting their findings and their opinions to their peers.

Well done to our two girls teams from PSU-CW!!

Overall Winners of the Inter College Environmental Public

Speaking Competition were:

Winner: Prince Sultan University (Department of Interior Design),

KSA

1st Runner Up: Prince Sultan University (Department of Law), KSA

2nd Runner Up:Al Yamamah University (Business College), KSA

Yousuf Hindess

PSU wins again in Dubai!



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I recently found myself at 33,000 feet somewhere over Australiasgiant red centre reflecting on the ease with which we move vast dis-tances in short periods. I was heading to France for the internationalpremiere of a film I began working on almost a decade earlier. Thefilm is based on my experiences in the rain forests of Papua NewGuinea where travelling only a few kilometres is a major undertak-ing and often takes days. Life in the remote region of Lak in South-ern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea was often difficult. The placeis hot, stinking hot, even thinking makes you sweat profusely andmoving results in a constant stream of perspiration. There is nopower in the Lak district, no roads, the water supply and food is dugout of the ground or speared as it runs by. I was often forced to walkfor several days though the bush just to reach a dirt road that onlythe most foolhardy four-wheel drivers would venture down. I even-tually spent two years shooting a film about the lives of the Lak peo-ple and the strange events that occurred in this remote communityin 2001. A decade later I found myself travelling at 900 kilometresper hour to the other side of the earth about to descend on one ofthe greatest cities in the world, Paris France.

I spent eight days in Paris wandering and exploring the city in be-tween screening my film at the Jean Rouch Festival International,watching other films and talking to audiences. There is much to ad-mire about the French and their beautiful city. Every bridge acrossthe Seine is a work of art, every building is a statement about itstime and place and every artwork is monumental in its scope andvision. The cafs are serviced by waiters who perform their job asa profession; they deliver food, recommend wine and serve humourand wit between light hearted conversation about their sporting he-roes and national treasures. By comparison, in my country (NewZealand), a bridge gets you over water, buildings are for housingthings, artwork is framed and hung on a wall, and waiters are peo-ple looking for another job.

Between films at the festival the local ralisateurs (directors) wouldtalk in passionate tones about their likes and dislikes, and themeaning behind the images. I spent several fascinating eveningviewing and discussing films with other filmmakers. The festival, thecity and the experience of stepping outside of my normal life pro-vided a great opportunity to reflect on what it is that makes a greatdocumentary film. All too often filmmakers think that its enough fora documentary to put across information and to tell the story of aplace, person or event. In my opinion, its not enough. Films shouldalso be emotional journeys that push the boundaries of what weknow as filmmakers and audience members. The cinematography,sound design, and editing should reflect and compliment the subjectand contribute to the film in meaningful way. Just as the French turnevery building and occupation into an art form, documentary filmsshould be artistic in their rendering of the real.

After an amazing week in Paris I was lucky enough to have the op-portunity to visit Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was myfirst visit to an Islamic country and an unforgettable experience. Asa documentary film maker Saudi was a visual and aural feast. Theaesthetics of Arabian architecture captured my imagination and my

camera lens. Just as the call to prayer announced through loudspeakers from every Mosque and every tower pervaded the auralenvironment. The ways in which Islamic practices are integratedinto the language, dress and daily routines of all Saudi Arabianswas a fascinating insight into a living and vibrant culture. I only re-gret that my time there was too short.

After almost a month back in New Zealand, I have had a little timeto reflect on my travels and experiences. The opportunity to travelto both Paris and Riyadh afforded me the chance to step outside ofmy routines and everyday practices and gave me the opportunityto experience, see and explore different cultures and ways of beingin the world. It also provided the chance to reflect on my own prac-tices as a filmmaker. Saudi especially reignited my passion for ex-ploration and discovery. As a filmmaker I have the opportunity to do

the same for audiences. To take the viewer on a journey to bothnew physical spaces but also new emotional and intellectual places.Good films take the viewer in new directions with content, craft andsound,on a journey of discovery, beyond the everyday toward theunexplored and uncharted.

Ironically, in the next twelve months my film about an isolated rainforest people of Papua New Guinea who rarely have the opportunityto move outside of their region will afford me several more oppor-tunities for international travel. I hope one day to be able to takesome of the Lak people with me. The experience would no doubtchange them immensely in many ways, but perhaps also, providethem with perspective and the reflective space to confirm their ownpractices and see their own lives anew.

Dr Paul Wolffram teaches Film Production at Victoria University ofWellington, New Zealand. His most recent film StoriTumbuan: An-cestors Tales tells the story of the Lak people of Papua NewGuinea and the dark history of their region that continues to hauntthe people and the place.

A preview can seen at: http://storitumbuna.wordpress.com/trailer/

Journeys Real and Imagined

Reflections of a travelling filmmaker

http://storitumbuna.wordpress.com/trailer/http://storitumbuna.wordpress.com/trailer/


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On the 4th of September 2010 Christchurch awoke to a 7.1 magni-

tude earthquake centred west of the city. It either damaged or de-

molished a number of modern and heritage buildings in the central

city; miraculously, despite injuries being reported, no-one was killed.

A few months later, on February 2nd at 12.51 pm, another smaller

earthquake, technically considered an aftershock, struck in the mid-

dle of the working day. Although registering 6.3 on the Richter scale,

the location and nature of the event was powerful, reducing a sig-

nificant portion of the central business district (CBD) to smouldering

ruins. 181 people lost their lives. Thousands of aftershocks have

pummelled the city since the original incident and some residents

have fled to other parts of the country in search of sanctuary.

In August 2011, as part of my annual return visit home, I spent a

day touring the city with my parents, who remain in Christchurch,

as the citizens of my hometown respond to the campaign to rebuild

the damaged urban centre.

The change to the city is at first not obvious. The CBD is currently

off limits as demolition and stabilisation projects are underway.

Thus, a direct view of the devastation to my childhood home was

somewhat lessened. What did, however, become apparent was a

very personal level of loss in the following hours. Missing houses

are like pulled teeth that create gaps in an otherwise normal smile.

The evidence of condemnation is there, in the form of cyclone

fences, cordoning off swathes of urban streets and shipping con-

tainers stacked two high, protecting commuters from rock falls on

main roads across the esplanade in one of the most scenic areas

of the citys landscape. The streets are a patchwork of tar seal cov-

ering the scars where the rippling effect of successive shockwaves

has torn gaping holes and left a crisscross of trenches over the en-

tire transport network. Homes, rendered uninhabitable teeter at the

edge of the Eastern cliffs while a recently constructed apartment

block overlooking the estuary and Brighton Spit lists drunkenly,

abandoned and awaiting demolition.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the new era curfew is the im-

pact on the nightlife and youth culture enjoyed by the sizeable stu-

dent population. Classes have been disrupted from primary to

tertiary level across town, with pupils taking shifts at local schools

from morning to afternoon and afternoon to evening. University lec-

tures are held in tents on the sports paddock and many more are

cancelled or postponed. The evening time sees the sun dip below

the Southern Alps and life seems to freeze; people retire to their

homes. A jaunt to the famous Dux De Lux in the Arts Centre to see

locals shake it out to guitar bands and DJs is but a fond memory.

Despite all this, some flowers are blossoming through the liquefac-

tion (mud and silt) that is forced out of the destabilised ground with

each new tectonic shudder. In the Eastern light-industrial zone of

Woolston, formerly a no-mans-land after the 5pm clock punch, a

new breed of entrepreneur has taken the initiative to build afresh.

The risks of such enterprises abound as questions about the future

direction of Christchurchs identity arise and much uncertainty is ap-

parent. Payouts by the Earthquake Commission to repair and re-

build properties are mostly keeping pace with peoples needs but

at the back of their minds all hide a fear that another big one could

be just around the corner. Alasdair Cassels, an engineer, manufac-

turer and investor, has kicked off the cultural renaissance with the

opening of the Brewery Bar. The final of the World Cup rugby match

between New Zealand and France drew a crowd of more than 500

to the outdoor courtyard where a giant screen had been erected for

patrons. Alasdair, seated in the cafe, casual demeanour and flat

white coffee alongside, discusses plans for the adjacent block of

buildings where a number of new businesses will open. This will

create a vibrant retail village and bring a heart back to at least one

community. Blair, a colleague, explains that the whole project is in

full swing, recent aftershocks, sagging masonry and other disrup-

tions notwithstanding.

The whole city has suffered a huge blow says Alasdair, whose own

family home is directly in the danger zone and has had to be evac-

uated after a boulder the size of a mini narrowly missed ploughing

through the living room. ...but here we have an opening to start

something new and everyone is 100% behind it. While we sit dis-cussing the various opportunities, not one but two aftershocks rattle

through the building. The customers fall silent for a few moments,

breathe in, hold for a beat and then play the guessing game la

mode: 3.8? ...no that was a 4.5, for sure. I feel a little like an out-

sider as the Kiwi streak of black humour, typical here, widens to a

mile. Plans for more community centred nightlife hotspots are surely

on the books then? Let us hope that by the time I get back for my

next visit, theyll be enjoying some of the dividends from their in-

vestment in Christchurchs future. And some much needed peace

and quiet to calm the frayed nerves.

As I climb into the calm blue sky aboard my flight and head north to

Wellington, (another city famous for its shaky nature), I exhale

deeply... relieved not because I have survived the trip but that be-cause old city is being regenerated under the watchful eye of people

with integrity and imagination- the resilient folk back home imbued

with the mainlander spirit are at the wheel and steering the good

ship in a new direction on a journey of rejuvenation.

Dylan Longley

At the Crossroads in Shake City



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Brett Longley is a senior Policy Ad-

viser for the Ministry of the Environ-

ment in Wellington, New Zealand.

An avid surfer, mountaineer and

trekker through some of the gnarliest

breaks, highest peaks and most re-

mote parts of the world, Brett has had

a lifelong love of the art of photogra-

phy. From the school of Ansel Adams

in the rugged and beautiful Yosemite

Valley to the tough streets of Chicago

and New York here is a collection of

some of his lens-bending composi-

tions.

With a keen eye for detail and charac-

ter, a wry sense of humour and a deep

understanding of viewers intellect, the

following images were shot in Septem-

ber of 2011 including some portraits

from the commemoration of the tenthanniversary of the September 11th

World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in

New York. In assembling these pic-

tures the Focus team hope you enjoy

the spirit of adventure, captured here.

Alternate Perspectives


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Financial Fair Play Explained!

Last June marked thebeginning of FinancialFair Play, the fruit ofMichel Platinis Uefapresidency, a new set ofrules that will revolution-ize how football oper-ates. Financial Fair Play

has been designed tocrack down on debt-laden clubs.

Starting from this seasonthe 660 top division clubs from 53 European countries will begin a3-year transition toward breaking even. These rules were born ofPlatinis desire to a see a level playing field for all the clubs underthe Uefa.

Uefas general secretary claims to have secured unanimous agree-ment across Europe for the new rules. As an initial compromise,clubs will be able to record maximum losses of 45 million in totalover the following three years. 40 million of said losses could besubsidized by an owner but only if they invest the money perma-

nently in return for shares. If owners are unable to subsidize debts,the maximum loss is 5m.

From 2014 to 2017, the overall permitted loss will fall to 30m foreach three-year block monitored by Uefa. After that, Uefa hopeclubs will be genuinely breaking even.

If a club fails to meet said criteria based on information from the2011-12 and 2012-13 accounts, action can be taken to ban that clubfrom Uefa competitions (i.e. Europa league or Champions league).The first exclusion order could be issued during the 2013-14 seasonand its served at the 2014-15 season.

The task of ensuring the rules are correctly applied falls to the newly

focus- 03rd edition

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