Valentine's Weekend

(Photo:  American Bedu Blog, KSA)

This past weekend, I was at the family's having lunch on Valentine's Day.  Clean/Dirty was there.  Just seeing him makes me unhappy.  He's so fake and such a user.  Fake smile.  Fake laugh.  Fake OTT sincerity.  Empty words.    I wish he wasn't around for lunch (yeah ok - it IS his house, but still - go away).  Everybody gets quiet when he walks in the room, as if they are taking sides with me and then suddenly get busted.  We don't laugh as much when he's there.  Yeah,  just go away and nurse his hangover or his latest bimbo-internet-soft-porn-girlfriend.  Ick.

His birthday was last week.  I have no reason to give him the time of day;  a gift would be far far from anything I would do for him.  I did, however, bring his dad a little gift last week - just because; I wasn't even thinking in terms of Dirty's birthday; didn't care, didn't remember.  Dirty sent me an SMS the next day saying, "Where is MY gift?  It was my birthday!"  So I retaliated with, "Valentine's day is this coming Friday. Where is MY gift?"  He's always trying to get something for nothing.  We're not even together!  He doesn't even like me - say nothing about respecting me!

So, at lunch this week, Valentine's Day, he went out of his way to tell me that it is not religiously correct for him to practice the day.  Oh really?  So the same logic must apply to his birthday in that case, n'est pas?  BAM.  'I'm sorry, but I must respect your religious beliefs so a birthday or any other gift is out of the question.' A-hole.  He uses religion when it suits his purposes.  I guess dating and drinking is ok, right?  Oh and having webcam sex with someone you think is a girl, but later turns out to be a guy is ok too, right?  I pray for you, bless your God-fearing heart!

He was being OTT nice to me (thinking that I would bring his birthday gift when I go to the US this week). Not.  He asked me again about helping him get his visa to the States. (He must have done something really bad or come off as arrogant as he is during his first interview because they said, "Try again next time."  HA!)

... and then his sister told me that she thinks he wants to go to the States because he has a girlfriend there; most likely met over the internet and he wants to go and test the water "try before  you buy" before moving forward with her.  And HE wants me to help him?  F that!  Get internet Barbie to help you.  Yeh.  He's got a lot of balls to pull that with me.  Again - trying to get something for nothing.

I finally met one of his older sisters at lunch on Friday.  She's very very pretty (Mashallah).  I think she might have been a little surprised that I know so much about Islam.  Fascinating.  I guess no one talked about me to her.  Her jaw dropped when I went to leave and put on my abaya and shayla (Bedouin family, Bedouin neighborhood; I respect the family.  The head gear comes off on the highway on the way back from the house.)  Like the mom told me, "He is lucky to have met you.  He may meet someone else (I think they were referring to an American or Western girl), but someone else may not have respected us as much and worn tight jeans or something."

Anyhoo...  Good luck, buddy.  I pray for you. (Lyrics - love that song!)

 (Look what happens at the end:  #17 is my house number in Kuwait! HA!)

Other than that little episode, I had a fan-tabulous weekend with friends.  I can't remember when I've had so much fun.  I returned from Dubai on Thursday, changed clothes, and went to the desert.  Hmood's girlfriend is such a sweet person and gave me a teddy bear, a rose, and a gift (yep - romantic gifts - all from a girl.  And that was it for Valentine's Day.  Maybe next year... sniffle).    Friday night was with the Messila Gang; a lot of dancing and laughing.  Yesterday, back to the camp and had a brief romantic moment with someone I didn't expect to feel romantic about (no, not my goat, Paco!)  Dude makes me laugh all the time.  That's the best place to be:  laughing and happy.  Love shouldn't make you feel like crap, but like you are giggling your way on an orbit around the Earth.  Yuppers.

So, I leave for the States again this week to see my American fam.  I needed a sanity break.  Dubai wasn't meant to be a pleasure trip cause I had work to do, but it turned out to be very relaxing, hangin with Stella and walking around Dubai Marina.  (I was good and I didn't buy shoes this time....)

I met some really nice people in the airport on the way home.  That's another story.  God sends you angels all the time if  you take a minute to notice the signs.