Arriving in Style: Journey of Two Med Students It is quite interesting to explore the adventures of two medical students at Alfaisal University. One of them, Mohammad AlSadoon, came all the way from his house to the Alfaisal by foot! Another interesting feat was accomplished by Abdul-Mohsen Al -Qasabi, just days before Al-Sadoon’s adventure, this time though, through cycling. Med Times managed to get a hold of these two unique and inspiring students for exclusive interviews. Maybe we take our method of transportation for granted!
Mohammed AlAl-Saadoon (Walking Dude)
How did you get this idea and who supported you? The idea came up to me when my colleague Abdul-Mohsen AlQasabi came from his house with his bicycle. So I figured; why not? It could be an exciting adventure. My biggest motivation came from my mother, who was the last person I expected would motivate me in this reckless act then my friends and family who supported me and the ones who did not which I took as a challenge. What were the difficulties you faced? While on the road, was taking the first taxi you saw and going back home an option for you? I walked early in the morning at 4:30 a.m. so I was the only person on streets and that was strange. Then the fluctuating weather of our beloved Riyadh kicked in. It was dusty and then rained but I persisted as it wasn’t too hard. Another difficulty was walking beside the fast cars on the highway! Not to mention the policeman who made me walk an extra one kilometer by forcing me to get down from Al-Khaleej bridge! During that time, my motto was “No taxi; forward forward, house house, room room, zenga zenga!” Being a medical student, would you like to add anything about your experience? From this journey I concluded that it is important for a medical student to blow off some steam and plus we also need to have an interesting story to tell people beside what happens in the hospitals. Any lessons learnt from this journey? First, when you’re walking towards your goal, you’ll reach it eventually as long as you’re still walking. Your goal may seem to be standing still but it is coming closer to you step by step. Second, when you walk 25 kilometers you'll appreciate two very important blessings; first, the invention of cars and second, the blessing of your feet and the fact that you can walk all this way while others cannot take a single step. Third, taking a lot of time resting will increase the time of the journey but it will make it far more fun and easy. In our life, we have to stop every now and then to check if we’re heading in the right direction. Interviewed by Adeeb Sebai
AbdulAbdul-Mohsen AlAl-Qasabi (Bicycle Guy)
What motivated you to accomplish this journey? At first I was wondered how it would be like to ride a bicycle for a long distance in Riyadh? This eventually led me to performing this trip. What obstacles did you meet through your way? The hot afternoon sun on the way back around 1pm was extremely difficult alongside the increased number of cars when comparing it to the cool breeze and virtually no traffic when I went to the university at 4am. How dangerous is it to ride a bicycle in Riyadh, were there are lots of reckless drivers? I thought it was going to be a near-death experience based on the warnings and prayers I got before I actually went through it, but it actually was not that big of a deal. It's true that when I was going back I nearly got hit by a car! But that was due to the narrow sidewalk in that area and an unfortunate personal mistake, but nothing happened. How much time did it take you to reach AU? When I went to the university, it took me an hour and fifteen minutes. On the way back it took me an hour and a half, which is only a bit longer than the time it takes by car, keeping in mind that the distance between my house and the university is 17 kilometers. How helpful was your journey? How did you feel when you finally reached your destination? It was pretty relaxing on my way to the university. I really enjoyed the cold breeze hitting my face in the morning. It felt good and refreshing because of doing something new that breaks the everyday life routine. Would you advise other students to do the same thing? Why or why not? Yes, especially to those who live near the university; mainly because it's healthier and faster. As for those who live far, I advise it on a weekly basis at first if they like riding bikes and only when the weather is cool, then they can decide whether they like it or not. Interviewed by Mohammed AlHamed