Failacha & Mutlaa: 2008 Travel Destinations

I took 3 days off last week and it felt like a year. Well hey, fellow management here at work seem to think that I took a year. I guess that’s how you know you’re popular, right? Right? Maybe they just have more work (or think they do) and they don’t take time off (ergo the heart attacks, the marital problems, and the health issues that I won’t even get into). Jeez – LIVE ya nas!

Anyhoo, I’m back. I went to Failacha and Mutlaa. Those were my big travel destinations this holiday. Failacha was nice; however, I got a bad sunburn on my chest (upper chest, dingbats) and it still hurts. My nose also completely peeled off. White people need sunblock even when you don’t think that you do. Failacha seems to be the “real” place to celebrate the National/Liberation days; there were Kuwaiti musicians and lots of people waving flags from cars. Mutlaa was an evening/overnight thing, so no sunburn there. We were at Crazy Brigadeer’s camp (sometimes I can’t even remember his real name because I just call him “Crazy”). Decent people, good times. They have a camp guard who has only been in Kuwait for 7 months. His idea of cooking meat “well done” was to light it on fire. As a person who grew up with “barbecue issues” (being forced to eat raw chicken, marinated in wine, which was black on the outside), I KNOW how to barbecue. So, drunk as we were, The Romanian and I managed to feed everybody. Drunken shawwi is sooooooo goooooood. I hate going home smelling like campfire, however. That is just wrong.

OH! I pet a baby gerbil. Those guys know how much I love gerbil hunting, so they found me a baby gerbil. I fed him lettus and radishes and then let him go. No, I didn't barbecue him.

The rest of my holiday was spent furniture shopping. I went to the Complete Living store in the Avenues and love it. It is only slightly overpriced – not as bad as other stores like Bo Design (par example). They have interesting contemporary furnishings (I am so not into antiques – sorry). I also went to Midas. I had stopped going there years ago because of the yawn factor: all their stuff was getting pretty boring. This time, Midas blew me away! The One looks old compared to Midas’ inventory. By the way, The One frustrates me because they hardly ever have what you want in stock. I don’t know who their owners pissed off at Kuwait Customs, but it is obvious. Anyhoo, if you haven’t been to the Midas store in Dhajeej lately, you should check them out. Awesome.

It has been 5 years since I changed my furniture, so it is time. Plus, my mother is coming in April, so I want my place to look nice. I bought a lot of electronics from City Center (still haven’t managed to win a BMW).

Sidebar: Can I ask you something? Are BMWs and Range Rovers THE national cars of Lebanon? Just a question.

If you are ever looking for a good place to have your furniture made (including tables and hand-carved items), go to Rawda in Dhajeej (4342594). They are still inexpensive and do a great job. I’m having my entertainment stand made there.

Another sidebar: I saw The Man this past week. I think it was the first time that he acknowledged that I’m alive since March 23, 2007. He actually looked at me. I almost had a heart attack from shock. Had he taken the time to actually speak to me about what happened, he might not think of me as a non-human. There are always several perspectives to any story. I miss talking to him; he knows it, but is more stubborn than anyone I've ever met.