JEDDAH: After the sweat and grind of the revision period, extended for many school pupils due to the floods which struck Jeddah only days before examinations began, the conclusion of the mid-term exams for some has finally allowed them a breather and the chance to make the most of the pleasant weather in the coastal city. Others still have one or two examinations left to write, but can't resist joining them after a day's hard revision. Schoolchildren and teenagers have been heading for the Corniche in their thousands as they discard scholarly obligations for a few days, and for many it gives the chance to them to let their hair down at last, or gain energy anew. “I always come here with my friends in the days after the exams have finished,” said 18-year-old Salim Khalid. “Time suddenly seems to slow down a bit and we can all take a breather and have some fun, just hanging out and chatting for three or four hours on the beach.”Ahmad Abbas and Ahmad Basudan said that after the “strain of exams” and the “pressure of revision” they are “entitled to a bit of time by the sea”. “It's a time to recharge the batteries and give your mind a bit of a cleanout. It's also a good place to come for a bit to gather your thoughts and recollect what you've learned before an exam the next day if you still have any.” Khaled Al-Muzamzami, 16, says the weather makes it irresistible. “It's fantastic at this time of year,” he says. “Very Parisien. To be honest, we don't have much of a chance to get any breathing space and simply enjoy ourselves other than here on the Corniche.” Faisal Madani and his friends spend most of their time sitting on the beach playing cards or going swimming in the sea. “It's the perfect place to come after a long hard day studying,” he said. “You're left completely exhausted, but as soon as you come and sit on the beach and take in the sea view, you forget it all.” Muhammad Al-Amoudi, 17, and his friends make an annual event of the post-exam trip down to the beach. “Our numbers are getting bigger every year,” he said. “We used to have one friend with a car who'd bring us all down here in one go, but now we have to enlist others to ferry us all from school. We finish the exam, all have breakfast together, and then head straight down here. It's the same every year.” According to 13-year-old Ziyad Abdul Rahman, exam time is the only opportunity he and his friends have to get to the beach together for any significant time. “Once the exams are over we have loads of free time on our hands,” he said. “After nine in the morning we're basically left up to our own devices, so we get together with friends from school or outside and come down to the beach for a change of scenery.”
