RIYADH — Riyadh lives up to its name – that is, it is indeed a garden in the desert. In a weekend recently, a part of the city blossomed with the young and old, men, women and children — residents from all over the city some even as far away as Dammam — who came together to celebrate the colors of spring. The day was full of activities — the men enjoyed the kites flying sport as their families watched on, cheering them to fly higher — the young ones played cricket, while others had fun with basketball and other ball games. Shah Faisal Kakar, head of chancery (HOC) at the Pakistan Embassy here, attended with his family. He was full of appreciation for the organizers of this event. The young ones were busy on the bouncing castle and the women were busy honing and flaunting their painting and art skills. The art teacher of course was none other than Asma Tariq — the noted artist and painter in the city and one of the organizers of this event. Asma expressed her joy at the excitement and mastery demonstrated by the ladies in their art and painting works. The ladies enjoyed the most part of it. They found fun in decorating their palms with henna, while some roamed around and visited the many stalls displaying a lot of eye-catching items ranging from jewelry, boutique, and fashion items — to even traditional varieties of chai (tea). The photo booth was a great hit as a many families made a beeline to the booth. The families could be seen patiently waiting for their turn for the memorable pictures. The positive part of this event was that it brought together different nationalities, who proudly displayed their own culture via their props and dresses. Pakistani truck art was also displayed in the photo booth which was appreciated by all nationalities. Madiha Noman, a fashion designer and one of the principal organizers, extended help and assistance at the photo booth. She was very upbeat about the way this event received such an amazing response from the various communities in the city. Sound of chatter and laughter could be heard even from a distance as the ladies were found busy exchanging pleasantries with each other. An excitement was noticed wherein families were found happily receiving free Umrah tickets and other miscellaneous prizes from the stalls. Naghma Rehan, an active team member, was very happy at the success of this event. "Such an event brings the families together and closer and helps create for them a home away from home," Naghma said. The top entertaining item of this event was performances from an array of multinational musical artists. The performances from each one of them proved stellar and spell-bounding and were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all. Shahana Choudhry, one of the principal singers and also a team member, was very excited at the way all the segments of this event went by. "It was a colorful event and I saw everyone was smiling and enjoying. I am very happy at the event's success," Shahana said. Madiha Malik, a team member and a noted graphic designer, said that such an event actually helps empower women folks. "This event created a family atmosphere where people socialized and made new friends. It opened many doors for women who always wanted to do something and were looking for creative platforms," Madiha said. Almas Mumtaz, one of the organizers and a noted educationist, was also very happy with the way the event had evolved. "Spring festival was organized by a bunch of creative people and I am very glad that I was part of that team," Almas said. Haroon Tayyab and Waqar Anwar, male members of the organizing team, were all praise for the lady member organizers for putting up such a great event. They both said this event would be remembered and cherished by many. Asma and Madiha N. took the opportunity to express their thanks and gratitude to all for their hard work and cooperation in hosting this memorable event and making it's a great success.
