Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Dow Deal
Tuesday, 29 May 2012: Cabinet decides probe panel over K-Dow row
KUWAIT: The Cabinet has decided to set up a probe panel to look into everything related to the controversial K-Down deal between Kuwait's state-owned Petrochemical Industry Company (PIC) and American Dow Chemicals….
Kuwait has a continuing policy of, “shut the barn door after all the horses have escaped”. Panels, committees, councils = Zero. Talk is cheap. Well, oops, not really: This deal back-out may have just cost 2.16 billionin fines (not to mention something like 5,000 jobs for Kuwaitis).
For those of us actually trying to bring business to Kuwait, it is extremely disheartening. How can you promote Kuwait to foreign organizations when the case studies against good business practices mount up every year? Disgraceful.
Alwatan Newspaper has a very good editorial today by Dr. Shamlan Al-Essa, titled, “Encroaching on the Jurisdictions of Other Authorities." I like his thinking a lot.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Back to Kuwait Again
I got back to Kuwait yesterday and alls I can say is 'YUK'! I went from green to brown. Ew. Virginia and San Antonio were all flowers and greenness and then - WABAM! I land in the middle of a sandstorm. I knew I was back when 3 old fat guys (with "I'm married and well-fed" bellies) tried to give me their numbers at the airport. Girls, that's the place to go if you wants to catch you a husband (as long as quality doesn't matter much to you).
My journey began at Dulles airport. I arrived 4 hours early. It was my sister's birthday and they had dinner reservations, so I opted to go early. Let me just say that the United counter people are NOT nice (and I was the ONLY person in line). It is just as easy to be kind and friendly than rude and bitchy. The plane was delayed by 2 hours. And... to make it even more of a lovely experience... somehow they must have left my bags on the rainy tarmac because both of them came back soaked through with water. Phuquers! Whyyyyy? Because they're pink? None of the military duffle bags were wet. Why my Barbie cases? Whyyyyy???
At Dulles, there was an overweight woman in front of me at the gate in a wheelchair. The porter dude was having a hard time pushing her and pulling her carry-on bag. I offered to help. He wheeled her into the plane and for the rest of the flight - and upon landing in Kuwait - she was walking about freely. I probably shouldn't judge - maybe she just couldn't make it through Dulles and all the long walks. Maybe her feet hurt or her back or whatever. But... to be wheeled ONTO the plane? That is a bit much when she seemed to be fine from that point on.
Some people take advantage (like the time I faked being pregnant at Heathrow to get a ride on the golf cart thingy to the Heathrow Hilton - which is about a 15 minute walk. ....Bygones. I'm pretty sure karma bit me in the ass later.)
...Cut to the Kuwait customs portion of our journey. She's in front of me going through the x-tray machine. She gets stopped and is obviously (sigh) a newbie. Now newbies, listen up.... there is a right and a wrong way to pack to come to Kuwait:
Place all of your toiletries and other items you might want "overlooked" (in plastic - 100% plastic with no metal tops if you get my drift) into a large cosmetics case. Smaller containers (like the travel-sized shampoo bottles you can buy at the drugstore) are better. Big sized bottles no gooood. Bundle: Do NOT strew items about your suitcase like you are packing to go work at the flea market for the day. That will make the customs agents want to check your bag - as happened to her. [If you pack say... a water bottle (which is 1/2 a litre, by the way) next to a shampoo bottle in your cosmetics case and then throw in some eye shadows and a few lipsticks, people will understand that better than perhaps a large bottle of "mouthwash" in the corner of your case under your Wonder Bra. (Men, unless you are trannies, I have very little advice for you. Sorry. I guess you could fake being a trannie... )]
Mo' advice: Do not hold direct eye contact with the customs agents. I usually turn to talk jibberish to the porter dudes. Think of the Queen. Think of your dad in his underwear. Think of something that will take your mind off your bags. Unless customs dude is waaaaaaaaaaaay bagorgeous - there is really no need to strike up a conversation.
Wheelchair Lady got stopped and they were going through every little item in her case, poor thing. Perhaps it was karma (again, je shouldn't judge, but I'm just sayin.....)
Anyhoooooooo
I miss my family. I know that my sister probably wanted to have the house back to theyselves and all things have a shelf-life (fish begins to smell after a few days... yada), but still.... I miss them a lot. I wish I was closer to my younger sister. She does so much for me (and everybody else), but the thing I miss most is just hanging with her and laughing. We did some of that in San Antonio with my older sister too. We don't get to hang out just the 3 of us very often. I guess the last time was a trip we took to California in 2005. Time flies when life gets in the way, doesn't it?
My nephew is graduating from high school next month. I'm going to try to get there (maybe just for 4 days). I've been in Kuwait since he was 2 years old; his whole life. Dayum. I often wonder what I've accomplished in all this time, but I would be wondering that anywhere. I'm blessed. I know that. With all the vacations we get here, I probably see them more often than I would if I was working in the States. But, it is the routine, everyday things like having dinner together or calling to share our day that I miss. (Or looking out the window and seeing paradise on Earth.) Alas, once you go expat, it is hard to go back. It's a gypsy thing. Maybe I'm just getting old and looking at things differently. Je ne sais pas, mon amis.
Maybe it's just jetlag and the raging cold that I think I caught on the plane.
My journey began at Dulles airport. I arrived 4 hours early. It was my sister's birthday and they had dinner reservations, so I opted to go early. Let me just say that the United counter people are NOT nice (and I was the ONLY person in line). It is just as easy to be kind and friendly than rude and bitchy. The plane was delayed by 2 hours. And... to make it even more of a lovely experience... somehow they must have left my bags on the rainy tarmac because both of them came back soaked through with water. Phuquers! Whyyyyy? Because they're pink? None of the military duffle bags were wet. Why my Barbie cases? Whyyyyy???
At Dulles, there was an overweight woman in front of me at the gate in a wheelchair. The porter dude was having a hard time pushing her and pulling her carry-on bag. I offered to help. He wheeled her into the plane and for the rest of the flight - and upon landing in Kuwait - she was walking about freely. I probably shouldn't judge - maybe she just couldn't make it through Dulles and all the long walks. Maybe her feet hurt or her back or whatever. But... to be wheeled ONTO the plane? That is a bit much when she seemed to be fine from that point on.
Some people take advantage (like the time I faked being pregnant at Heathrow to get a ride on the golf cart thingy to the Heathrow Hilton - which is about a 15 minute walk. ....Bygones. I'm pretty sure karma bit me in the ass later.)
...Cut to the Kuwait customs portion of our journey. She's in front of me going through the x-tray machine. She gets stopped and is obviously (sigh) a newbie. Now newbies, listen up.... there is a right and a wrong way to pack to come to Kuwait:
Place all of your toiletries and other items you might want "overlooked" (in plastic - 100% plastic with no metal tops if you get my drift) into a large cosmetics case. Smaller containers (like the travel-sized shampoo bottles you can buy at the drugstore) are better. Big sized bottles no gooood. Bundle: Do NOT strew items about your suitcase like you are packing to go work at the flea market for the day. That will make the customs agents want to check your bag - as happened to her. [If you pack say... a water bottle (which is 1/2 a litre, by the way) next to a shampoo bottle in your cosmetics case and then throw in some eye shadows and a few lipsticks, people will understand that better than perhaps a large bottle of "mouthwash" in the corner of your case under your Wonder Bra. (Men, unless you are trannies, I have very little advice for you. Sorry. I guess you could fake being a trannie... )]
Mo' advice: Do not hold direct eye contact with the customs agents. I usually turn to talk jibberish to the porter dudes. Think of the Queen. Think of your dad in his underwear. Think of something that will take your mind off your bags. Unless customs dude is waaaaaaaaaaaay bagorgeous - there is really no need to strike up a conversation.
Wheelchair Lady got stopped and they were going through every little item in her case, poor thing. Perhaps it was karma (again, je shouldn't judge, but I'm just sayin.....)
Anyhoooooooo
I miss my family. I know that my sister probably wanted to have the house back to theyselves and all things have a shelf-life (fish begins to smell after a few days... yada), but still.... I miss them a lot. I wish I was closer to my younger sister. She does so much for me (and everybody else), but the thing I miss most is just hanging with her and laughing. We did some of that in San Antonio with my older sister too. We don't get to hang out just the 3 of us very often. I guess the last time was a trip we took to California in 2005. Time flies when life gets in the way, doesn't it?
My nephew is graduating from high school next month. I'm going to try to get there (maybe just for 4 days). I've been in Kuwait since he was 2 years old; his whole life. Dayum. I often wonder what I've accomplished in all this time, but I would be wondering that anywhere. I'm blessed. I know that. With all the vacations we get here, I probably see them more often than I would if I was working in the States. But, it is the routine, everyday things like having dinner together or calling to share our day that I miss. (Or looking out the window and seeing paradise on Earth.) Alas, once you go expat, it is hard to go back. It's a gypsy thing. Maybe I'm just getting old and looking at things differently. Je ne sais pas, mon amis.
Maybe it's just jetlag and the raging cold that I think I caught on the plane.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The day I'm returning to Kuwait
So I'm at my mom's house on Lake Thoreau, looking out at the water through her front window. A pontoon boat is floating by. It has an enormous American flag flying off the back, a fat white, shirtless guy at the helm and it is trailing what appears to be a dinghy. But why? It is a pontoon boat. It doesn't need a dinghy. The lake isn't that big and it isn't as if they are going to go down in a big storm. Then, I notice the big dog at the end of the pontoon boat, wearing a life jacket, staring at the dinghy. It is only then that I realize that there is another dog - a bulldog - also wearing a life jacket, being pulled in the dinghy. He appears to be lovin life with his head over the side, staring at the world floating by. The larger dog is the life guard/spotter.
... God, I am going to miss this place. You don't see this kind of entertainment from my window in Rumaithiya. No sireee.
... God, I am going to miss this place. You don't see this kind of entertainment from my window in Rumaithiya. No sireee.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
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Friday, May 11, 2012
On the River Walk in San Antonio
I'm down here for the GSA convention with Stella. It is baGORGEOUS. Everything is green and we're right on the river walk. My older sister lives here, so my younger sister flew down with me (she in the front of the plane and me in the back - not that it was a tremendous difference because it was such a small plane). We're all hangin together; them drinking wine (as usual) and me with my tequila. Go figure - they get sloshed and I don't, as much as I try.
Why is it that my sisters are of the belief that "adults don't do tequila shots in the morning?" Emmm.... I don't get that and I certainly don't adhere to the philosophy. "Hair of the dog that bit you" usually helps me immensely. Like just this morning, when I had the DT shakes.... one good throw-down of Jose and bada BING: all gone.
Oh, back to my fassssscinating stories (do all my stories revolve around alcohol these days??? Apparently so. Je ne giveashit pas.)
There were several couples of Middle-Eastern people on the plane. I guess the guys are either students or down here training at one of the air force bases. I struck up a conversation in Arabic with a very nice young Saudi couple (in Arabic) while I waited for my gy-normous Pepto-pink suitcase (it embarrasses the bejezus out of my sister). A lot of the older cowboys turned around to stare - not at the Saudi couple, but more likely trying to figure me out. How is it that I'm speaking Arabic? Imagine that.
Stella is at the hotel and I haven't seen her yet. I think we're going to meet for happy hour this evening. Her daughters are meeting her here for the weekend also. (Yes, we ARE here to do business. Really. Honest.)
This trip is so much fun already.
Today, we had lunch at a restaurant on the River Walk called "Boudro's". Awesome place. They make their own guacamole at your table (which is hard when it is packed with fat people and ducks). I was about to order a margarita... but I just couldn't do it and be in the sun. I love the River Walk. It is so pretty. There are flowers and the river is full of duck couples with leeetle baby ducklings. (Why does my mind immediately head towards duck pate? So wrong.) There are live oak trees hanging over the water and everything is so green.
I just can't get used to any form of humidity after living so long in Kuwait in dry heat. Down here, my hair looks like the before shot of some make-over show. It is awful. I don't have any choice than to let it go natural, but what a mess. I'm getting another Copola keratin treatment at Arden as soon as I get to DC. Enough of this crap.
The beds at the Westin are great and I've been sleeping really well - except for last night when I had a bad dream (okay it wasn't scary or so bad, but the feeling was bad) about The Man last night. I never dream about him. However - I can always hear him thinking of me and he has been doing a lot of that lately. (Yep, that's right - I hear you. Why do you have to go all telepathy when it is so much easier just to pick up a phone than to send me an ESP message. I hear you and you can stop sending me the messages. but I'm angry as phuck at you for what you did, so you owe me in a huge way. You're talking to other people about how guilty you feel - and she agrees with me, I'm sure - when you should be expending your energy on saying it to ME. And guess what: There IS no such thing as "I'll make it up to you." I'm NOT that girl. Stay OUT of my extremely-comfortable-Westin-5-star-bed sleep!)
So then, after the convention, it is going to be back to DC where I will spend a few more days in the company of my moms (crabs!!! Yummm), and shopping - just to ensure that I leave the states with like zero fils left in my KFH bank account.
So far, only 3 pairs of shoes. One pair doesn't count, however, as they are flip-flops (chanclettas) which everybody knows are just "foot covering" in the WWW of shoes.
Ok, it is 2:00. Time to get off here and start drinking again, Texas-style. Wooo hooo.
Why is it that my sisters are of the belief that "adults don't do tequila shots in the morning?" Emmm.... I don't get that and I certainly don't adhere to the philosophy. "Hair of the dog that bit you" usually helps me immensely. Like just this morning, when I had the DT shakes.... one good throw-down of Jose and bada BING: all gone.
Oh, back to my fassssscinating stories (do all my stories revolve around alcohol these days??? Apparently so. Je ne giveashit pas.)
There were several couples of Middle-Eastern people on the plane. I guess the guys are either students or down here training at one of the air force bases. I struck up a conversation in Arabic with a very nice young Saudi couple (in Arabic) while I waited for my gy-normous Pepto-pink suitcase (it embarrasses the bejezus out of my sister). A lot of the older cowboys turned around to stare - not at the Saudi couple, but more likely trying to figure me out. How is it that I'm speaking Arabic? Imagine that.
Stella is at the hotel and I haven't seen her yet. I think we're going to meet for happy hour this evening. Her daughters are meeting her here for the weekend also. (Yes, we ARE here to do business. Really. Honest.)
This trip is so much fun already.
Today, we had lunch at a restaurant on the River Walk called "Boudro's". Awesome place. They make their own guacamole at your table (which is hard when it is packed with fat people and ducks). I was about to order a margarita... but I just couldn't do it and be in the sun. I love the River Walk. It is so pretty. There are flowers and the river is full of duck couples with leeetle baby ducklings. (Why does my mind immediately head towards duck pate? So wrong.) There are live oak trees hanging over the water and everything is so green.
I just can't get used to any form of humidity after living so long in Kuwait in dry heat. Down here, my hair looks like the before shot of some make-over show. It is awful. I don't have any choice than to let it go natural, but what a mess. I'm getting another Copola keratin treatment at Arden as soon as I get to DC. Enough of this crap.
The beds at the Westin are great and I've been sleeping really well - except for last night when I had a bad dream (okay it wasn't scary or so bad, but the feeling was bad) about The Man last night. I never dream about him. However - I can always hear him thinking of me and he has been doing a lot of that lately. (Yep, that's right - I hear you. Why do you have to go all telepathy when it is so much easier just to pick up a phone than to send me an ESP message. I hear you and you can stop sending me the messages. but I'm angry as phuck at you for what you did, so you owe me in a huge way. You're talking to other people about how guilty you feel - and she agrees with me, I'm sure - when you should be expending your energy on saying it to ME. And guess what: There IS no such thing as "I'll make it up to you." I'm NOT that girl. Stay OUT of my extremely-comfortable-Westin-5-star-bed sleep!)
So then, after the convention, it is going to be back to DC where I will spend a few more days in the company of my moms (crabs!!! Yummm), and shopping - just to ensure that I leave the states with like zero fils left in my KFH bank account.
So far, only 3 pairs of shoes. One pair doesn't count, however, as they are flip-flops (chanclettas) which everybody knows are just "foot covering" in the WWW of shoes.
Ok, it is 2:00. Time to get off here and start drinking again, Texas-style. Wooo hooo.
Thursday, May 03, 2012
en.v: Promoting Social Activism & Youth Engagement in Kuwait
A reader asked me to post this, so here goes. It sounds like an interesting group and I'm all about promoting efforts that I believe in - especially if it is for the betterment of Kuwait, my second home. (Call it my "give back" after previous posts in reference general drunkenness and debauchery. ROCK ON!) On a more serious note, I find it little sad that grass-roots groups like this working for the betterment of their own country, can get grants through the US Department of State and not their own governments. More should be done to that end. (Perhaps I'm wrong and there are grant initiatives going on in Kuwait that I'm not aware of - if you know, write to me.)Voice for Success: Promoting Social Activism & Youth Engagement in Kuwait
Through the Voice for Success program, en.v has been developing short videos and articles illustrating initiatives that contribute to the social development of Kuwait. en.v then promotes this content on its online news portal as well as through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube amongst others. Let us begin our journey with Faisal Al Fuhaid, founder of EQUAIT, who in his video report tells us about how and why he decided to get involved in the fight against bullying and discrimination in Kuwaiti schools. PhD Candidate Dalal Al Abdulrazzak also tells us an insightful story about the devastating consequences of practices like shrimp trawling and over-fishing on Kuwait’s marine life. Eighteen-year-old Hiba Arshad is the founder of I AM Challenge Kuwait – an initiative in which young people commit themselves to wearing the same T-Shirt for a whole year! Through their volunteering efforts, Abdullah al Khonaini and Mohammad Al Mulla of Sout Al Kuwait educate the general public about their constitutional rights and the role of civic participation in protecting them. In a series of Voice for Success Articles, we feature Shamlan Al Bahar, a young Kuwaiti social entrepreneur who has dedicated his professional career to the promotion of youth entrepreneurship. Fajer Qasem, creator of the Goodwill Calendar and the Green Habits Campaign, is also a model citizen that tirelessly attempts to promote greater awareness and activism amongst her fellow Kuwaitis.
Show your support for these inspiring young activists by sharing their achievements with your network of friends and family!
Want further inspiration? Check out all of the videos and articles created to date for the Voice for Success program at: www.voiceforsuccess.envearth.com
About Voice for Success
Voice for Success is a program initiated by en.v in collaboration with The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). It aims to promote social activism in Kuwait by giving promising young activists greater visibility through targeted media platforms and campaigns throughout the course of 2011 and 2012.The main objectives of the program are to raise awareness about the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our time and encourage creativity, innovation and greater civic participation amongst the younger generations.
About en.v
en.v (a subsidiary of El Boutique Creative Group www.elboutique.com) is an initiative dedicated to social responsibility in the Arab world. en.v’s primary objective is to seek out public sector bodies, private sector and civil society organizations in the region, document their efforts, and create interactivity between them towards developing a more thought-conscious society. Using formats that are appealing to the masses, en.v strives to develop mediums that entities can utilize as platforms for communicating their social efforts and engaging their respective stakeholder communities.
About MEPI
The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a unique program designed to engage directly with and invest in the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). MEPI works to create vibrant partnerships with citizens to foster the development of pluralistic, participatory, and prosperous societies throughout the MENA region. MEPI partners with local, regional and international non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and governments. More information about MEPI can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov.
To Learn More:
Visit:
Join en.v online:www.envearth.com
Join the en.v Facebook Fan Page:
Follow us on Twitter:www.twitter.com/env_initiative
Watch us on Youtube:
For more information please contact:
The en.v Initiative
Tel: +965 2252- 4614
Fax: +965 2252-4615
Email: env@envearth.com
Web: www.envearth.com
SHIFT: Kuwaiti Film Night - May 8/9 Garnata Cinema
For info/Tickets, write to collagekuwait@yahoo.com
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
The Hangover: Dubai Version
I had the BEST weekend in Dubai! Oh.My.God. Special K invited me as a birthday present - knowing full well that I would compliment him on the blog (oh yes you did. Uh huh. Did so.). What a nice thing to do! And our hostess in Dubai, Cheesecake Girl, was amazingly hospitable too, so shout out girlfraaaaaynd!
I really haven't enjoyed previous trips to Dubai - not even worthy of blogposting. I guess because we werent' hanging with people who lived there. This time, it was so much fun.
People, anytime I come to work early, looking good, it means I'm overcompensating for something I've done baaaaaad over the weekend. Just to let you know. I feel like crap, but I've got to show them (powers that be) that I can make it through the work day without being shattered. Mostly, nobody cares but me. I figure if you've got a raging hangover, or even slightly still inebriated, you fit right in with the level of consciousness over here. Just sayin.
We flew down by FlyDubai - which is a great airline, once you get seated on the plane. Before then, however, it is a frickin goat rodeo. It was almost a riot scene to board the plane and in this country of foreign domestic workers flying low-cost carriers such as this, there is no such thing as personal space. BACK OFF! Like everything else around here - it's like no one is in control.
I'm pretty sure I had bodily fluids on me from the bump-and-grind that dude did up against me trying(supposedly) to get onto the flight. I usually randomly shout out in crowds (even at work), "Don't touch me!" as a joke, but not this time. I loved how protective Special K was, "Hey! If you touch her again I'm going to phuckin HIT you, you understand me??" He got more perturbed than I did (Why the F can't I have a boyfriend like that? Instead, I get the kind who get a kick out of the voyeurism of it instead of reacting. Be a man and DO something, chicken shit!) Special K is Kuwaiti and he's all like, "They wouldn't do that to you if you were an Arab woman. What makes them think...." LOVE IT!!!! If only Stealth had been there too they both would have jumped on him and beat the crap out of him - right there in the line. (Stealth goes off even for stupid stuff like restaurants who forget to bring the pickles. Tee hee.)
Anyways, once we got on the plane and paid for our sandwiches and 5 drinks, we were good to go.
We got there kinda late and by the time we hit the pub/restaurant, all we could do was order G&T and french fries. (It was a trend - fried food and alcohol).
So then, naptime for a few hours, followed by (you guessed it) more tequila shots and Chinese food. Then, off to Hedkandi rave on the beach at Barasti. Holy snap! I was wearing inappropriate footwear (did anybody mention that it was going to be on a beach?) and it was so hot that my jeans were sticking to parts they shouldn't. My hair... I don't know what happened there. Ok, but I had the BEST time. Special K probably couldn't tell because I sat on the beach drinking fat frogs (WTF WAS THAT???) and staring, but seriously, at that point, it was all I could do.
Most of the guys were average looking at best, but OMG the women (I should say "girls" because they all looked about 12) were stunningly beautiful. I think this is where models/strippers/dance instructors go to party. Holy snap. One girl - I swear - was not human. She looked like an avitar.
Are you thinking that I'm too old for all this? yeah, I am too. But wow.
I made it back to Kuwait. (I'm not going to write about the "incident" that got us there because that would seem ungracious, but let me just say, Special K, that the phucked up things in life are the ones that you remember later and laugh about - like today - ROFL!!) The whole plane was asleep/recovering except for one obnoxious American woman loudly speaking in babytalk and singing Barny-style to her 2 year old. SHUT UUUUUUUP! Nobody cares that your kid is The Most Precious In The World. We're trying to sleep! (This woman put localfolk to shame. People were staring - and not in a good way.)
I look at the photos on my camera and phone and oooohh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiii when did I take that? I am CRACKING myself up looking at the videos. It is like the scene at the end of "The Hangover"when they find the camera and can't remember what's on it. That's US this weekend in Dubai. Ridiculously fun.
Do-over? ;)
I really haven't enjoyed previous trips to Dubai - not even worthy of blogposting. I guess because we werent' hanging with people who lived there. This time, it was so much fun.
People, anytime I come to work early, looking good, it means I'm overcompensating for something I've done baaaaaad over the weekend. Just to let you know. I feel like crap, but I've got to show them (powers that be) that I can make it through the work day without being shattered. Mostly, nobody cares but me. I figure if you've got a raging hangover, or even slightly still inebriated, you fit right in with the level of consciousness over here. Just sayin.
We flew down by FlyDubai - which is a great airline, once you get seated on the plane. Before then, however, it is a frickin goat rodeo. It was almost a riot scene to board the plane and in this country of foreign domestic workers flying low-cost carriers such as this, there is no such thing as personal space. BACK OFF! Like everything else around here - it's like no one is in control.
I'm pretty sure I had bodily fluids on me from the bump-and-grind that dude did up against me trying(supposedly) to get onto the flight. I usually randomly shout out in crowds (even at work), "Don't touch me!" as a joke, but not this time. I loved how protective Special K was, "Hey! If you touch her again I'm going to phuckin HIT you, you understand me??" He got more perturbed than I did (Why the F can't I have a boyfriend like that? Instead, I get the kind who get a kick out of the voyeurism of it instead of reacting. Be a man and DO something, chicken shit!) Special K is Kuwaiti and he's all like, "They wouldn't do that to you if you were an Arab woman. What makes them think...." LOVE IT!!!! If only Stealth had been there too they both would have jumped on him and beat the crap out of him - right there in the line. (Stealth goes off even for stupid stuff like restaurants who forget to bring the pickles. Tee hee.)
Anyways, once we got on the plane and paid for our sandwiches and 5 drinks, we were good to go.
We got there kinda late and by the time we hit the pub/restaurant, all we could do was order G&T and french fries. (It was a trend - fried food and alcohol).
Cheesecake Girl has a baGORGEOUS apartment overlooking Dubai Marina. It is so pretty and she made me feel like she's lived there forever (although it has only been a few months). She seems to know everywhere and everybody. Ya know, I meet people through the blog who become really really good friends and I've got to say that she is such a dear person to me. I just love her - and so do my friends.
 |
| Cheesecake Girl's Proper Kitchen Cabinet |
Friday morning, tequila shots for breakfast and then on to brunch at Double Decker (in a Rotana Hotel near Dubai Mall I think); where you can get all you can eat buffet AND drinks for one low price (13kd - which is around 1/4 the cost of a bottle of Johnny in Kuwait). Game on. My friend, Kaz, who I have known for over 3 decades HAD to have crispy bacon with his drinks, so it became a matter of crispy bacon and gin, crispy bacon and vodka, crispy bacon and (what the F were those shots? Midori and Baileys?), crispy bacon and (oh! they DO have tequila) tequila shots, crispy bacon and .... dayum... I don't remember anymore... oh yeah!!! Dancing!!! At 4pm, the live band starts outside. For some reason, there was a table of furries there (you know - fetish people who wear furry animal costumes) and they started a conga line. They moved the tables away on inside and everybody started dancing. That's right; the ugly drunk dance. Yo! Then some guy kissed me because it "was my birthday" and Kaz's lovely girlfriend got me some flowers and a cake and everybody sang happy birthday (this birthday does not END!!! Woo hoo.) Cheesecake Girl dropped her drink and it broke at one point and the entire place erupted in cheers and jubulence. I couldn't stop laughing. That place was SO MUCH FUN!!! Awesome. The food was really good too. The buffet is mostly to British palates, but that's cool; there was a whole wall of pork. Amazing.
Most of the guys were average looking at best, but OMG the women (I should say "girls" because they all looked about 12) were stunningly beautiful. I think this is where models/strippers/dance instructors go to party. Holy snap. One girl - I swear - was not human. She looked like an avitar.
Are you thinking that I'm too old for all this? yeah, I am too. But wow.
I made it back to Kuwait. (I'm not going to write about the "incident" that got us there because that would seem ungracious, but let me just say, Special K, that the phucked up things in life are the ones that you remember later and laugh about - like today - ROFL!!) The whole plane was asleep/recovering except for one obnoxious American woman loudly speaking in babytalk and singing Barny-style to her 2 year old. SHUT UUUUUUUP! Nobody cares that your kid is The Most Precious In The World. We're trying to sleep! (This woman put localfolk to shame. People were staring - and not in a good way.)
I look at the photos on my camera and phone and oooohh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiii when did I take that? I am CRACKING myself up looking at the videos. It is like the scene at the end of "The Hangover"when they find the camera and can't remember what's on it. That's US this weekend in Dubai. Ridiculously fun.
Do-over? ;)
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Greed and Waste: 4-year-old Al-Manshar Mall Being Demolished
Al-manshar mall in Fahaheel is only 4 years old. It is a lovely little place with small souvenir shops, restaurants, etc, across the street from Kout Mall. All the shop owners have been asked to vacate by June so that the mall can be demolished for the creation of yet ANOTHER mall with higher rents.
What a waste.
Instead of tearing lovely malls down, why not get creative and try to re-work what you have? Malls throughout Kuwait have lots of foot traffic with very little being sold. Al-Manshar at least has places where you can buy gift items from Kuwait (or about Kuwait).
It is owned by the same people who own the 360 Mall; another pretty mall that lots of people don't frequent - unless it is to go to the restaurants or coffee shops. Perhaps it is time to change the business model....
I would love to see a Mubarakia-style mall in Al-Manshar; traditional which would draw people. Lots of expats live in Fintas/Fahaheel/Mahboula - why not cater to that market?
So sad that Kuwait is obsessed with making money (and obviously - NOT with planning).
Please tell me that at the very least the building materials will be recycled.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Furio
Ok so my mom has been trying to figure out who Stealth reminds her of. Then she remembered: Furio Giunta from the Sopranos. (Giggles). Furio was the hitman from Sicily who fell in love with Tony's wife, Carmella.
Maybe the hair.... Definitely not the nose.
Maybe the hair.... Definitely not the nose.
( Federico Castelluccio aka "Furio")
Seeing things differently now that my mom is around
I've been having a great time since my mom got here. She's only here on a short visit; never wants to stay more than 2 weeks so she can get back to her lovely home on the lake. I can understand that. I don't like being away from my own space very long. But... I wish she was staying a lot longer. I love having her around. I don't realize how much I miss her until she's right next to me (although I spend a lot of time missing her anyways).
I also like having her around to see things through her perspective. I try to include her in things that involve my friends. I want her to get to know them - and them her. It is important for others to know where you come from; who your people are; who they have come to know without knowing the whole picture of who you really are. I love that she has chosen to be friends with the people in my Kuwaiti life who I love.
And I love how I see the same picture in a different light.
On the positive side, she reinforces my belief in my dear friends and knows - as I do - that they are here to support me and care for me should I ever need them.
But with positive comes negative, doesn't it? It isn't always good and sometimes people who you believe are there to support you sometimes disappoint.... When my mother first came to visit me - about 18 months after I moved here - she was invited to my Kuwaiti friends' family homes. We were busy constantly with invitations; We spent a long time with Kuwaiti friends' families, and the kids, wives, husbands - the entire extended family. For those friends who didn't have large homes/families, there were endless invitations out to dinner. My mother was revered for being a mother; and that is a huge form of respect to me. She noted that during those days, she was respected as an older person while out in public; people smiled and were courteous. (Now people push past her as if she's too slow). Those days have passed. It is a different Kuwait.
Old Friends: Kuwaiti friends who I have known for years and years are suddenly too busy to invite my mother for a meal while she is here. Invitations to my dinners in my home in her honor are ignored or bypassed as if it was an everyday occurrence. People who I know, know better. I want to know what is happening to customs? It makes me sad. Is everything casual? Does anyone know what "ayeb" means anymore? I maintain friendships. I treasure them. I take it seriously. Respect my family and you respect me.
New Friends: Tonight I had dinner at the invitation of Special K and his family with our friends at his home in South Surra. His mother cooked. His dad and mom spoke to my mother at length. I felt truly respected because they respected my mother so much. Special K has been out of the country for 16 years and is Kuwaiti (maybe he remained "old Kuwaiti" while the pulse of the country's customs changed while he was away.) The total length of time for the dinner was about 3 hours; and that 3 hours meant so much to me because it was true Kuwaiti hospitality as I remember it; as I know it should be. (Thanks, K, and your whole family. You know how much I adore all of you. You are dear, dear friends and thank you for making my mother happy.)
As my mom says, people change and life goes on. Maybe your newer friends are better friends. Maybe friendships do have an expiration date and God lets you know when it is time to move on.
I also like having her around to see things through her perspective. I try to include her in things that involve my friends. I want her to get to know them - and them her. It is important for others to know where you come from; who your people are; who they have come to know without knowing the whole picture of who you really are. I love that she has chosen to be friends with the people in my Kuwaiti life who I love.
And I love how I see the same picture in a different light.
On the positive side, she reinforces my belief in my dear friends and knows - as I do - that they are here to support me and care for me should I ever need them.
But with positive comes negative, doesn't it? It isn't always good and sometimes people who you believe are there to support you sometimes disappoint.... When my mother first came to visit me - about 18 months after I moved here - she was invited to my Kuwaiti friends' family homes. We were busy constantly with invitations; We spent a long time with Kuwaiti friends' families, and the kids, wives, husbands - the entire extended family. For those friends who didn't have large homes/families, there were endless invitations out to dinner. My mother was revered for being a mother; and that is a huge form of respect to me. She noted that during those days, she was respected as an older person while out in public; people smiled and were courteous. (Now people push past her as if she's too slow). Those days have passed. It is a different Kuwait.
Old Friends: Kuwaiti friends who I have known for years and years are suddenly too busy to invite my mother for a meal while she is here. Invitations to my dinners in my home in her honor are ignored or bypassed as if it was an everyday occurrence. People who I know, know better. I want to know what is happening to customs? It makes me sad. Is everything casual? Does anyone know what "ayeb" means anymore? I maintain friendships. I treasure them. I take it seriously. Respect my family and you respect me.
New Friends: Tonight I had dinner at the invitation of Special K and his family with our friends at his home in South Surra. His mother cooked. His dad and mom spoke to my mother at length. I felt truly respected because they respected my mother so much. Special K has been out of the country for 16 years and is Kuwaiti (maybe he remained "old Kuwaiti" while the pulse of the country's customs changed while he was away.) The total length of time for the dinner was about 3 hours; and that 3 hours meant so much to me because it was true Kuwaiti hospitality as I remember it; as I know it should be. (Thanks, K, and your whole family. You know how much I adore all of you. You are dear, dear friends and thank you for making my mother happy.)
As my mom says, people change and life goes on. Maybe your newer friends are better friends. Maybe friendships do have an expiration date and God lets you know when it is time to move on.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Send Emilio a letter from Kuwait
I thought this was interesting and I have never received this kind of request before, so I'm posting it. I hope some of you will send him letters/stamps as well. :)...
"Good morning how are you? My name is Emilio, I am a Spanish boy and I live in a town near to Madrid . I am a very interested person in knowing things so different as the culture, the way of life of the inhabitants of our planet, the fauna, the flora, and the landscapes of all the countries of the world etc. in summary, I am a person that enjoys traveling, learning and respecting people's diversity from all over the world. I would love to travel and meet in person all the aspects above mentioned, but unfortunately as this is very expensive and my purchasing power is quite small, so I devised a way to travel with the imagination in every corner of our planet.
A few years ago I started a collection of used stamps because trough them, you can see pictures about fauna, flora, monuments, landscapes etc. from all the countries. As every day is more and more difficult to get stamps, some years ago I started a new collection in order to get traditional letters addressed to me in which my goal was to get at least 1 letter from each country in the world. This modest goal is feasible to reach in the most part of countries, but unfortunately it’s impossible to achieve in other various territories for several reasons, either because they are countries at war, either because they are countries with extreme poverty or because for whatever reason the postal system is not functioning properly.
For all this I would ask you one small favour: Would you be so kind as to send me a letter by traditional mail from Kuwait ? I understand perfectly that you think that your blog is not the appropriate place to ask this, and even, is very probably that you ignore my letter, but I would call your attention to the difficulty involved in getting a letter from that country, and also I don’t know anyone neither where to write in Kuwait in order to increase my collection. a letter for me is like a little souvenir, like if I have had visited that territory with my imagination and at same time, the arrival of the letters from a country is a sign of peace and normality and an original way to promote a country in the world.
My postal address is the following one: Emilio Fernandez Esteban Avenida Juan de la Cierva, 44 28902 Getafe (Madrid ) Spain If you wish, you can visit my blog www.cartasenmibuzon.blogspot.com where you can see the pictures of all the letters that I have received from whole World.
Finally I would like to thank the attention given to this letter, and whether you can help me or not, I send my best wishes for peace, health and happiness for you, your family and all your dear beings. Yours Sincerely Emilio Fernandez"
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
American Business Council Golf Tournament - May 4
Under the Patronage of The Honorable Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller, ABCK invites you to participate in its 11th Annual Golf tournament, scheduled on Friday, May 4th at the Sahara Club. It is a 4-man 18 Hole Texas Scramble Competition (no handicap). Below are the registration details to sign-up individually or as a team of 4 players. Please note that we have limited numbers for player enrollment, therefore your registration will be based on first-come-first served. Sign-up Registration via return email to americanbusinesscouncil@gmail.
March 14 - Last R&R Flight into Dallas Ft. Worth
“Welcome Home” Program Ends after almost 9 years
Since 2004 volunteers gathered to welcome home soldiers at DFW. March 14 marked the last of those incoming flights for Dallas (from Kuwait) and the end of the line for volunteers, some whom never missed a single week and never asked for anything in return. They just wanted to make a difference.
There were in excess of 3,000 people there including several Tuskegee Airmen, and Congressman Sam Johnson a former POW of 7 years, the Sergeant Major of the Army (of which there have only been 14). The Commanding General for Ft. Hood was there as were numerous other General Officers.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Spoof on Work in Kuwaiti Public Sector
This is yet another short clip from one of my new favorite Kuwaiti comedy groups, Shenoya3nitv on YouTube. Part of what I love about Kuwaitis is their ability to laugh at themselves; self-deprecating humor at it's best, poking fun at Government workers in Kuwait...
Commentary does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the blog holder (or maybe it does...).
... and another thing.....
Why is it that Kuwaitis never take their sunglasses off indoors? When you go to the mall, everybody is wearing their sunglasses - even into the dark hours. My friend, Butterfly and her husband, walked around the mall for hours with their sunglasses on - on purpose - to fit in. Nobody notices of course but they got a giggle out of it (yeah yeah, cheap thrills in Kuwait). It's like that 1980's song, Sunglasses at Night. Dudes. (I know, I know... geezing.)
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