Today is the first day of the new school year for most of the Kingdom’s children. And as thousands of young men and women enter their final year with aspirations of graduating, thousands of others, graduates of past years, languished idly this past summer with diminishing hopes of ever finding meaningful employment.
Summer is over, and the holidays are fast fading into distant memories. But do you ever wonder what had been going on in the region while you were off on your holidays. Events of importance that you may have missed? Well, apart from the violent Mideast scene that has resulted in a lot of empty rhetoric and hollow chest thumping, there have been a few other items noteworthy of mention.
Most of you may have experienced the sweltering heat at the airport terminal on your way out for the holidays. This has been the third year in a row that those cooling units have failed on schedule. Insider information is that more committees are being formed to look into the matter. The solution may eventually take place in the next decade. While they are at it, could they also look into the alarming levels of carbon monoxide in the underground parking lots?
The local biscuit factory was once again struck by an employee strike for non-payment of wages. This was a repeat of last year, and I wonder whether it is coincidence or what that it falls just at the start of the summer holidays. Could it just be that the factory executives and their families are putting these workers salaries to other good uses such as holidays abroad?
There was a massive campaign by the Traffic Department at the beginning of summer to educate motorists on roundabout laws. Pamphlets and signs were either issued or posted to alert drivers on the proper ways of approaching roundabouts. Most of that campaign was unfortunately in vain, as most Jeddah motorists were vacationing elsewhere. Those visiting the city from small towns and villages across the Kingdom were getting the proper education. I often wonder if those villages do have such massive roundabouts?
An unusually high number of food poisoning cases this past summer were reported, and had certainly kept the Health Ministry busy in issuing closure orders to food establishments. Where were the periodic inspections prior to such events, I wonder? Once again, it seems to be a typical case of reaction rather than action.
STC, the local phone monolith, issued bold statements on the state of Internet connectivity. We were supposed to have high speed DSL service beginning late July or early August. Even the subscription fees were listed. It is early September, and I am still waiting. But perhaps, they may have meant ‘late July or early August’ for next year!
The Commerce Ministry was busy this past summer declaring a list of unsuitable goods. You all remember it was Pokemon last year. Well, for this year it was peanut butter from Britain, olive oil from Spain, and a bunch of medicine from Germany. But why such actions when most of us are away? Go figure.
Aahh yes, it has certainly been a busy summer for declarations and non-actions. Now if only some of those edicts can come to reality in this coming season? Welcome back.
— Tariq A. Al-Maeena ([email protected])
