Dr Saleh Al Aujairi, a pioneer of astronomy in Kuwait
Natural phenomena, wonders of heavens fascinated him
This is the first in a series of articles on Dr Saleh Mohammed Al Aujairi (1921), the first Kuwaiti astronomer.
— Editor
mathematics and astronomy.
The knowledge as he could obtain from books, Saleh added a quick mind and stinging wits.
Perhaps because of his strong fantasy in his early childhood he was terrified of natural phenomena.
The blinding flash of lightning across the stormy sky, followed by the deafening crash of thunder; the ominous night with its strange, screeching sounds echoing from far and near; the wail of the wind sounding like a moaning, all that made a ghastly impression on his vivid mind.
In spite of his parents were striving to convince him that they were all normal seasonal reoccurrences and there was nothing evil or terrible about them. Saleh had to be convinced in his own way to feel reassured.
Saleh Mohammed Al Aujairi, as most children of his time, was born in frugal family surrounding.
His father, Mohammed Saleh, was a government employee, a hard working and gentle soul, very fond of learning.
In 1922 he opened a private school to teach children, but after ten years, when his wife died he had to close it down
Saleh got his first education in the school of his father, and then he continued with a private teacher.
He was 12 years old when his mother died (1933) and suddenly he found himself in charge of his four younger brothers, because his father was too busy in his job to look after them. The loss of his mother was a great shock to Saleh; grief combined to his new responsibility was driving him over the edge of his endurance, causing his attitude to change almost overnight.
Lidia Qattan
While his mother was alive, his life was a carefree experience; her demise turned his world into flat-sober reality he was compelled to cope with.
Vexed by tormenting thoughts, his old fears of childhood returned to torment him.
He became gloomy and increasingly restless. Dark, tumultuous thoughts were rumbling and bellowing in his mind, evoking depressing feelings from which he was trying to escape.
When in 1936 the education department was founded and the school curriculum was completely revised, in 1937 Saleh entered the Mubarakia School where he was taught Arabic, math, jurisprudence, the principle of the English language, and accountancy. Of all the subjects, math was his favorite.
From early school days he could solve problems and carry out calculations with a speed that amazed his teachers and fellow students; he also loved Arabic literature and was quite fond of poetry.
Incidentally it was soon after he entered the Mubarakia that he regained his old cheerfulness and optimism and emerged from his crisis brighter than ever, through the liberating power of self expression that turned grief into humor.
The metamorphosis from a diligent well disciplined young fellow into a hilarious practical joker was startling.
Saleh became so notorious for his jokes and stinging wits, that many of them are still remembered by the students and teachers of his days.
His popularity evoked the interest of an Art teacher, who offered him a part in a school play.
In 1938 Saleh made his debut on stage; he was so natural in his acting that he was made a permanent member of the acting group, in which the female role was often assigned to him.
For Saleh acting was a new experience that distracted him from his perturbing thoughts; it engaged his restless spirit in a more creative and rewarding activity that gave him satisfaction and a new purpose.
Acting nurtured his intuitive power and kindled latent potentials for expressing his creative imagination.
From school plays, Saleh graduated to the public stage, which at the time consisted of improvised light drama, quite suited to his quick mentality.
On stage Saleh could be himself entirely, playing roles that embodied the basis of common human nature, molded into a true experience.
Those were popular plays to which the people eagerly attended because they were full of candid humor and humanity.
Though the setting was a crude affair- a simple platform with a naked bulb hanging overhead to light the place, and there was no script for actors to follow, each performance was a hit.
Drama was a novelty in town, whose witty remarks on daily issues, not only made people roaring with laughter, it also prone them to think.
The plot of the play was simple but it was brought forth in a fit of outstanding creativity, as each actor improvised his dialogue harmoniously correlated to his companion’s dialogue to lend substance and meaning to the whole play.
Art is born of enthusiasm and flourishes according to public reaction.
There were very few entertainments in Kuwait in those frugal days; folklore music and dances were the only distraction for people to enjoy.
When the first stage works appeared, people flocked to see them , not only because of the novelty, but mainly because they could relate to the plot, which was so well adapted to their natural perceptions that they could easily be moved and entertained .
Actors in the frugal old days, when drama had not yet developed into an art, did not need to search far and wide for their material; they chose their subject-matter from all around them: in the life of the day soaring towards new objectives.
As in all changing conditions of life, the more alert individuals were quick to take the lead, while those lagging behind were left to puzzle and wonder, or criticize and condemn what they could not understand.
The concrete, tangible presentation of a reality is always more easily appreciated than the abstract one; the plays of those days were living example of a society on the verge of transition, whose humanity, when enacted in a play, became at once an inspiring and delightful experience.
Actors then were not performing merely to amuse people. Their play was like a ship freighted with a spiritual cargo, it rested on the ability and ingenuity of each actor to enhance the value of the whole performance.
The pioneers were so gifted and natural that their popularity testified to their success.
To be continued