ISALC: ESL 382: Computer Applications

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Culture Capsules: People, Places, and Processes Mohammed Al-Faris & Joy Tsai Please listen to our message.

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Jeddah Bride of Saudi Arabia
Mohammed S. Al-Faris

In my country Saudi Arabia (1), there are many beautiful cities, but the most beautiful city is called Jeddah. I have been there many times and I like it very much, so I decided to tell you about this beautiful city. It is in the western province of my country. Jeddah is the most famous and the oldest city in my country, so it is pronounced as “Jadda”. Jedda means grandmother, referring to mother Eve, the first woman in creation. This is according to the legend that she landed there and is buried in the graveyard in Jeddah. Her existence is also mentioned by the Prophet “Mohammed”.

History:
Jeddah began about 2,500 years ago as a tiny fishing settlement. The Othmans arrived in the16th century. The Othmans built walls around the city in order to protect it from the Portugese attacks. There were four gates set in the walls, Bab Madinah in the north wall, Bab Makkah in the east, Bab Sherif in the south, and a gate in the west facing the Red Sea. Jeddah remained under Othman rule for centuries. In 1915, Jeddah came under Saudi Arabia’s control, when the kingdom was under King Abdulaziz’s power.

Location:
Jeddah is located on the west side of Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea; it stretches 58 km longitudinally north and south, with an area of 74,762 sq. km, of which 63,847 sq. km are inhabited. Also, Jeddah has a special geographical location, making it a gateway to the holy cities: Makkah 264 miles/425 km from Jeddah, and Madinah 105 miles/170 km from Jeddah. So it’s the first station for millions of pilgrims coming for Umrah and Hajj to the Kingdom; for Umrah all during the year and for Hajj during Dhul Hijjah month. On Dhul Hijjah around two-million pilgrims arrive to Makkah for Hajj. Also during the month of Ramadan there are around one million pilgrims coming for Umrah.

Climate:
The weather in Jeddah is usually hot and humid. The usual temperature is 39 degrees C, however the weather in spring is very nice. The temperature in the winter reaches between 18 degrees C &endash; 20 degrees C, and any rains usually in the fall and in the winter.

Population:
Jeddah’s population is around 2.5 million. It has many non-citizen workers and foreign visitors, who come from different countries: Asia, Europe, and America. Their jobs range from business, medicine, art, to many differents kinds of jobs.

Life:
Life in Jeddah is different from many cities for many reasons. Firstly, Jeddah is an international city; it has many people coming from all over the world, who share their cultures. Secondly, people in Jeddah are very friendly. For example, when I went there the first time I got lots of help from people about how to go to the correct place. Thirdly, it has many historical buildings(2) with traditional designs, and it has lots of buildings near the beach.(3) Next, it has very nice beaches and a Corniche(4) where people spend a very good time and relax. Also, Jeddah has the biggest fountain(5) in the world, named King Fahad Fountain. This is a very grand view; I like this very much. Last but not least, Jeddah has an annual Jeddah Festival. During the festival, there are many games and activities held in the city. There are shopping sprees, water skiing competitions, art exhibitions, and music festivals. Not only that, the prices of the things that are sold there are reasonably cheap. There are many big malls in Jeddah where people go shopping and enjoy their time.

Now Jeddah is a tourist and also a trading capital for my country, and Jeddah is believed to be the "Bride of the Red Sea." If you are thinking you might visit my country, I recommend that you visit and enjoy your time in Jeddha. I hope you like it there.

The followings are my sources:

Images used with permission:
1) http://www.arab.net/saudi/saudi_contents.html
2) http://www.jeddah21.com/Pictures_fo_jeddah_city/Jeddah_Pics_old.htm
3) http://cgijeddah.tripod.com/general/0009m.jpg
4) http://www.angelfire.com/hi/hisham2000/jbpb01.html
5) http://www.community.webshots.com/photo/3982987/3983046BUKtpiHwqu

Websites:
- http://www.alnokhba.com/jed/jed_main.htm
- http://www.jeddah21.com/jeddah22/index_e.asp 

Kaohsiung is my favorite city in Taiwan. I would like to tell you some information about it. I have been there many times because it has very nice weather and beautiful scenery; so, I decided to tell you about this city.

Kaohsiung is the second largest city in Taiwan and it also is the largest commercial harbor(2). Right now this harbor ranks third in traffic the world. Kaohsiung is located in the southwest of Taiwan. It has a population of 1.44 million people. Kaohsiung has a subtropical climate, so it is always sunny and attracts many people to visit and live here.

Kaohsiung plays a very important part in Taiwan’s economic and industrial development. It is also the leading city in steel production, shipbuilding yards(2), petrochemical industries, and export processing zones(1). Because it has very convenient sea, land, and air transportation, Kaohsiung can easily trade with southern Taiwan and the Asian Pacific.

Not only is Kaoshiung an industrial city, but it is also a cultural and beautiful city. It stands for 5000 years of classical Chinese culture. There are many cultural attractions located in and around Kaoshiung. In the Lotus Lake area, part of Kaoshiung, there are the new Confucian Temple (3 )the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (3)and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions(3) Cheng Ching Lake(3) is the most famous place to visit in Kaoshiung because it is the biggest lake in Kaohsiung. There is a very beautiful and relaxing park around the lake. Fokuang-Shan Mountain(3) is yet another important attraction for both local and foreign people. Fokuang-Sham Mountain is the main center for the study of Buddhism. It is the largest shrine in Taiwan, with a sculpture of a 105-foot Buddha figurine, surrounded by 480 life-sized statues of Buddha. My family and I have visited these places many times. They are so beautiful and spiritually relaxing.

Kaohsiung is also a commercial center, so there are many skyrocketing buildings(2) five-star hotels, department stores and some foreign business corporations. For example, Xin Gong San Yue is the biggest shopping complex in Taiwan. Hai Sa and Hai Huang are the five-star hotels that are most frequently visited by foreign visitors. The skyscrapers contain mostly business and trading offices.

The food in Kaohsiung is very famous because it is very delicious. Especially enjoyable is the night market(3), where you can pick and choose from a variety of food with a rather inexpensive price. The most important of all is that the night market is open from 6pm to the middle of the night. It is very convenient when you feel hungry at midnight because it is just right down the street. I went to the night market on every visit when I was in Kaoshiung. I enjoyed it each time I was there because there are so many good foods, such as fried rice and noodles, and fun things to look at such as variety show and acrobatics.

Kaohsiung has more than 20 sister cities, and Portland is one of them. Every year, lots of activities about culture, arts, and sports are held in these sister cities. It helps attract many tourists from all over the world and thus promotes economic exchanges with foreign cities. This will in turn help to raise its international status.

If anyone would like to visit Asia, I would definitely recommend Taiwan, and Kaoshiung especially. The merchandise in Kaoshiung not only has reasonable prices, but decent quality and the latest styles as well.

Here are the website addresses that I got my information from:
1) http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/oir/Kaohsiun.htm
2) http://www.kcg.gov.tw/english/uspage.php?ar=23
3) http://taiwan.wcn.com.tw/en/kaohsiung/

There are many countries and cities in the world; each has differences and similarities. We would like to tell you about one city in east Asia and the other one in the middle east of Asia, Kaoshiung, Taiwan and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Kaoshiung and Jeddah are similar in many ways, for example history, location, climate, buildings, important places, diversity of culture, lots of people, and big malls for shopping.

There are also a few things that are different about our countries. Kaoshiung is in the north of Taiwan, but Jeddah is in the west of Saudi Arabia. There are many mountains in Kaoshiung, but no mountains in Jeddah.

On the other hand, there are many interesting similarities between Kaoshiung and Jeddah. First of all, the history in Kaoshiung stands for 5000 years of classical Chinese culture and also Jeddah is one of the most famous and oldest cities in the world. Second, both cities are near the sea. The climate is also very similar between Kaoshiung and the Jeddah because the weather is usually hot and humid, and not very cold in the winter. Next, the buildings in Kaoshiung are similar to Jeddah, because each city has old buildings with traditional designs and also has lots of modern buildings. Kaoshiung and Jeddah are very important cities in their countries because both of them are economic and trading centers. Therefore, there are many different cultures of people living, working and visiting there. This is very similar to the diversity of people in the United States. Finally, in Kaoshiung and Jeddah there are big malls and stores so people go shopping and spend their time there.

In conclusion, both Kaoshiung and Jeddah are very similar and are very good places to visit. If you would like to go to Taiwan or Saudi Arabia, we recommend you go to these two places. We hope you will enjoy your time there when you visit.

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