Story on Washington TV Station about AFL dog transfers to the DC area!

Fox Channel 5 in Washington had a story, April 28, 2010, about the 20 dogs that AFL is tranferring to the new DC Animal Shelter. (Several of the facts they stated were inaccurate, but that's ok.)

Included in the lucky travellers was the dog I rescued 6+ months ago and very very sadly had to hand over (Desert Dog is persnickity and the big puppy was too much for her old bones!). Rocky Cuervo (aka "Enar") is featured in the middle of the story (the only brindle colored dog in the story), shown happily wagging his tail. I found him on the street in Salmiya at 2 am, sniffing around in garbage and sand. (He's on some of my previous posts.)

I am so glad that some of the animals have happy endings. Out of all adversity come blessings.

Keep up the good work, AFL!

Going Home

We went to see our family's house yesterday. We nostalgically drove by and saw a for sale sign out front. Its located in North West Washington, DC at Westmoreland Circle. I love the neighborhood and I especially love it at this time of the year when the azalia's are in full bloom in a multitude of bright colors against the green of the Spring.


My grandparents bought the house in 1942 for $9,000. My dad and aunt sold in approximately 20 years ago - in most of its original condition - for around $300,000. It is currently for sale for $897,000.

My Aunt Virginia got married in the back yard to a young man she loved her whole life. She still spoke of Kal close to her death in 1995. They were only married for a few years before he was killed in World War II in a tank. We still have photos of Aunt Virginia in her wedding gown; sitting beneath a tree on a cement bench that was still in the yard when the house was sold. On an opposite fence, my dad had painted a snake for my sister and I to find within the ivy, which remained there most of my life. Dad's sandcastings of fish and turtles hung on the back fence.

The entire house was renovated around 1990 by one of the new owners who most likely renovated and turned it over at a profit. The realtor stated that the house was built in 1924, but I don't believe that to be true. Even in the 40's, the area had only dirt roads and few houses.

You know - you remember things about your family home like smells and memories. Somehow, everything seems bigger from a child's perspective. Even if it had been in its original condition now, it still wouldn't have been the same. We spent every holiday in that house together as a family with people who are now passed on. It was our gathering place - the place where we all used to return to in good times and bad. My aunt and my father have both passed away. My niece is in college. My nephew might have gathered with us at the house if we still owned it, but he's growing up too and might not have wanted to be around.


Everything has changed.

The entire place was renovated, with the exception of the fireplace and some of the wood floors. Our old windows that creeked when opened were replaced by energy-efficient models. The round portal window at the end of the hall was gone; a square one with no place for a childs' imagination. The bedroom that I shared summers with my sister in my grandmother's antique twin beds was gone. The window we spent hours at dreaming of far away places (like Kuwait) from behind my aunt's sheer white curtains was gone. Gone was the attic that used to frighten us as children; replaced by vaulted ceilings on the 2nd floor. Gone was the creepy basement, replaced by a finished basement which no longer housed spiders and creepy things.

When we grew up, the house didn't have air conditioning. Hot, humid summers in DC were hard, especially when we had to sleep with fans on. To this day, my sister can't sleep without a fan. My aunt's bedroom, which had formerly been my grandparents', was changed. I had hoped that the claw-footed antique bathtub would still be there in the bathroom down the hall, but it was replaced by a modern tub and fixtures. There was a round, modern glass accent table in the middle of what used to be our family dining room; where my Aunt Virginia would put out the white lace and crystal for special occassions. It was all very Southern. My Aunt Virginia maintained the Southern traditions of my Southern grandmother, serving Southern foods with Southern manners. All those old traditions and some more recent ones from my childhood are gone. The bathroom balcony where my sister and used to jump off and sneak out of the house at night was gone. There was no more flowered wallpaper, no more textures of our memories. Nothing resembled what it used to be.

I met Shamlan for the first time in that house. His cousin brought him over and introduced him to my father and most of my family. I snuck out of the house to meet him late at night after everyone was asleep (and where I later got caught sneaking back in by my angry father). This house was where my dreams of going to the Middle East began. This was the house that built me.

My aunt's dogwood tree was replaced by a shrub. However the magnolia tree in the back yard had been spared and grown to perhaps upwards of 50 feet tall. The front door was replaced by a bay window. Our front porch where my sister and I spent hours with my dad and my aunt listening to family stories and watching the cars go by was replaced by a a shiny new door. The blue chairs that were there for decades no doubt sold somewhere - maybe at yard sales.

My sisters and I still dream about happy times in the house, but like they say, you can never go home. We now all congregate in Virginia at my younger sister's house which has become the gathering place of our family. She has become our "glue" holding all of our scattered pieces together at the new home.

Trip to DC - Miami - DC (so far!)

I left Kuwait on April 11th to go to Miami for a conference.

I companioned an Animal Friends League dog named Luke. It was such an easy process and I urge anyone who is travelling to the States to volunteer to take an animal with you. AFL needs the help right now as an animal shelter in the DC area has agreed to take 20 dogs. AFL meets you at the airport with the dog in the appropriate crate, does the paperwork, pays, and when you get to DC, someone is waiting for you and you just hand over the dog.

I had 3 days in DC and then flew down to Miami for the conference.

I really did intend to get down, get busy, and do serious business, but alas, it was not that kind of a conference. I thought it was going to be more rigid like some of the other conventions/conferences I've been to, but this one was way more of a social/networking gathering. Usually, there are speeches, forums/panel discussions, and workshops going on during the conventions, but the exhibit floor is still open and there is still a lot of floor traffic. At this one, the 625 registered participants left the exhibit floor and went to the other activities. That meant that we exhibitors were left to stare at each other for hours on end until break times when people would pass through again. Our booth was tiny; and thank God because there was no need for extravagance.

The cool thing was that the association served a continental buffet breakfast, a banquet, and daily cocktail receptions (open bar) with food. Honestly, we did the most business when people were passing throught with their cocktails and wanted to talk about Kuwait.

My colleague and I took shifts manning the booth; I got the morning shift because I stayed at the same hotel. I think I got the short end of the stick (I don't mind) because there weren't a lot of activities in the afternoon until the cocktail receptions. I got to go do stuff by myself in the afternoons.

I love Miami. It is so pretty. I also love Cuban men. Oh My God! Yummmmm. I stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown which was really nice. Everybody was so friendly.

The first day, I set up the booth. Not all of our stuff cleared customs (we had to send it back to Kuwait) so it took me all of 30 minutes! So, I took a shuttle to Dolphin Mall and went shopping at outlet stores.

I took a duck tour (an amphibious vehicle) that went around South Beach and toured homes of the rich and famous from the water. I had lunch on Espanola way (pictured on right): the best mojito I have ever had at the Mojito Lounge and also the best lobster bisque. It is a gorgeous place. The next day, I took a bus tour with some other lady friends I had made that went to Little Havana, Coral Gables, and Coconut Grove (my sister tells me that I'm geriatric! Don't care - I loved it.)

The final night of the conference, they had a dinner cruise which was awesome on a 3 level, 150' yacht that took us out for 4 hours around Biscayne Bay. We caught the sunset and saw dolphins! There was a band on the open-air top level of the yacht where most of the people were. The banquet hall and buffet were on the 2nd level and on the lower level, there were several large, opulent living room/salon areas. Awesome cruise. (I took the photo on the top of the post on the cruise.) My sister tells me that "booze cruises" are becoming more popular in business circles (probably because you don't have to drink/drive). I've been out of the States too long to know this, but I think its a great idea. There were 3 open bars on the top level and 2 where I was. I had a lot of fun. People were dancing, but it wasn't pretty, so I stayed in a quiet corner with a new friend I made.

So, then I flew back to DC on my birthday. My older sister arrived in the afternoon from San Antonio and we started drinking martinis and more mojitos (this trip is ALL about food, alcohol, and shopping - ok, in between business days!). I never giggle as much as I do when I am around my 2 sisters. I love it and we don't get together enough. We had a little birthday party and one of my oldest friends stopped by (she used to be my room mate in the early 90s). We had a big fajita/mojito (there is a theme!) dinner followed by rum cake (I told you so).

The next day, my sisters and I checked into the Four Seasons for a spa day (and more food/alcohol). We were giggling so much that people around us (servers, reception staff) were laughing with us (ok, maybe AT us!).

My older sister, Martha, could only stay a few days, so she left after the weekend. I have more business in DC (that got approved by our way-cool new Chairman/CEO) and I'll be in DC through the end of the month. I'm loving being with my family.

I have a week of work next week with meetings in DC and I'm really happy that it is all working out so well. Wooo hooooo. Serious shout out to my employers for letting me mix business with being with family.

The Friendly Skies: United Donates to AFL!

Thank you, United Airlines

for your kindness and support to

the Animal Friends League

for donation of transport of

Luke the saluki

to his new home in the US!

Any and all contributions to AFL help!

(this means YOU! if you are a company in Kuwait!)

As Ayesha says, "It might take a million little steps, but we'll get there."

Kuwait Information Guide, Published by the British Ladies Society

Foreigners! I found a great book you should own. IT IS EXCELLENT!

I can't believe I have been living here for so long and haven't purchased one of these. I knew about it, but I just never got around to it - until it was right in front of me.

The British Ladies Society publishes and (and God love 'em because its a PITA) updates a Kuwait Information Guide; which is much more comprehensive than any other I have seen in Kuwait. (One of my biggest gripes is that you can't obtain a comprehensive country guide on Kuwait - even from the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry. RRRRR! How are you supposed to promote trade?)

I meet a lot of people through this blog. Many are moving to Kuwait or coming her for the first time. Many are business people; All want to know more. (Most of the blogs are outdated, unfortunately.) What I have found is that travel guides on Kuwait are published by people who bop into the country, try to learn as much as they can, bop out, and start writing as if it is reality. It isn't. Unless you have lived here, you really don't know (and the same could be said for anywhere else in the world). The longer you live here, the better.

Brits tend to stick around Kuwait longer than Americans (over the 15-year mark). Americans are bossy and arrogant and can't understand why things don't bend to our rules. (C'mon - we do too!) (Yes, yes, I admit to being a "brass American".) We also have good weather at home and pay less tax. It rains a lot in the UK and there are a lot of cold, white people who flock to places like Kuwait with sun. Brits are also better brewers than Americans are (you know its true). They can adapt. This is my Desert Girl hypothesis.

So, having said that, the British Ladies Society are the ideal people to write a guide on Kuwait. I enjoy their pithy writing style too: "Its censorship of movies often makes a night at the cinema an exercise in guesswork as you try to piece together a chopped-up plot." "You'll find that Kuwait is the land of harmess stares, wherever you go." Pith! We like.

If you know me, I always recommend that newcomers obtain 2 books: Kuwait Pocket Guide and the Kuwait Top List. For my first year in Kuwait, I kept the KPG in my handbag! The Kuwait Information Guide has just moved up to my new favorite. It provides EVERYTHING you need to know in an in-your-face manner (which is, bien sur, true Desert Girl fashion). I can't believe I haven't been recommending this book all along. It probably would have saved friends a lot of time and effort.

The book is 105 pages and contains a yellow pages section listing businesses, and maps of Kuwait including various areas with places of interest. For information on how to buy one, see their website. The cost is a minimal 5 KD or free if you become a BLS member (and you don't need to be Briddish!)

I am very interested in joining, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to get to their meetings as they are held in the mornings (sadness). I may just join to promote their work as they are a wonderful group of people and I believe in what they do (like the charity event last night in support of Animal Friends league).

Kuwait Information Guide table of contents.

Way to go, British ladies! You ROCK!

The British Ladies Society, Phone (965) 9780-6950, e-mail: info@theblskuwait.com, http://www.theblskuwait.com/

Facebook

Those of you who are my friend on FB know that I love FB. I comment about everything. And now - you get to see me comment here!

I got this stupid, superficial Facebook quiz from a pal yesterday. I couldn't tell if someone created it as a spoof on Kuwaiti society or not (maybe you can tell me?). (If you even attempt to answer this first questionnaire, I immediately know which type of Kuwaiti you are: superficial.)

It irked me so I created my own:

Facebook spoofs: I frickin HATE Farmville! (I know, CK, you are addicted and you can't help it.) I don't care if someone's cute little whatever needs more powertools on their farm. OFF to the butcher!

Wedding Faked for Sex

Today's Arab Times had an interesting story:

"Police have arrested a Kuwaiti man for cheating an unidentified young woman, reports Al-Anba daily.

According to reports the man wanted to have 'fun' (also known as "sex") with the woman and he to fulfill his wish said he wants to marry her. (DG Note: first, that is written completely wrong and the punctuation is incorrect, but hey, we get the point.)

He then allegedly took her to a marriage officer in Ahmadi and married her in front of a marriage officer. However, a few days later when the girl asked to see the marriage contract, she was shocked when she discovered the marriage officer was a fake person. (DG: Again, that is F-ed up writing!!! What the F is a "fake person" - a plastic blow-up doll? A robot? A droid?)

Police are looking for the marriage officer."

I have some questions. Otay, where is the girl's family in all this (especially if she is gone for a few days on her "honeymoon" in somebody's borrowed F flat)? Doesn't she know she has to have witnesses? Where are your fake friends? Girlfriend, you get a dowry and a dress and a party and all kinds of cool stuff. One word: CHABKA! If you're gonna give it up ("fun"), make it worthwhile - even for a fake marriage! Men try to pull that stuff on us foreign women all the time - at least get educated about your fake wedding! (My girlfriend got a new set of tires and a refrigerator. GO FOR IT. Aim high, baybeeee.)

2010 Health Club Prices & Info

Now & Then : Health clubs in Kuwait & Membership charges

Thanks to DA of ChillNite for posting the following updated health club information.

Happy Easter!

I LOVE Easter (don't let my sick sense of humor fool you). It reminds me of my mother and my sister and going to church on P Street. It is funny how little glimses of life stay with you. My sister and I had matching kelly green Easter coats and I always associate that color with Easter. My mom was outstanding at Easter arrangement: she would hide candy all over the place and say that the Easter bunny brought it. Dayam - I wish I was there with her today.

Wok N Roll Jabriya and Elements Spa at Royal Hyatt

Slapperella very kindly invited me for an early birthday present to a massage at the Elements Spa at the Royale Hyatt Hospital. I have posted before about how much I like the RH services - both as a hospital and as a Pampering Palace. The women's hospital is managed by Banyan Tree Resorts and everything is Thai-tranquil. Very relaxing.

I had a hot stone massage. Slaps went in for the stretchy kind of Thai massage that I had once and then decided that some of my parts were just not meant to go in that direction (she's a lot more flexible - or so I hear!) tee hee.

My massage was 2 hours long and was a mixture of deep tissue, some stretching, and hot stones. It wasn't the traditional hot stone that I'm used to, but I still liked it a lot. The young lady who gave me the massage was quite petite and small and didn't look nearly as tough as she turned out to be. She was so soft spoken that I could barely hear her and she probably thought (not unjustifiably) that I was one of those loud Americans. 'Whaaaat? I can't heeeeeear you!' LOL.

The massage rooms at Elements are nish. Dark wood, green linens, marble. They start off by washing your feet as you relax in a chair (my robe was too small/tight in the girl-places and so it was kinda hard to concentrate on me feets) and sip on lemon grass tea. Quite nice.

Thai Lady found a place on my back "ooooh, very much tension!" and proceeded to kneed the bejezus out of it for what seemed like 45 minutes. Wait... didn't this start out by her saying, "If you want me to stop anytime, just tell me." No means No, Thai Lady! It huuuuurt, but eventually the kinks were out and we were on to the stretching. Now, it is a very odd feeling to be neked alone in a room with a woman sitting on your butt (at least - for some of us). It is not a way that I would usually go, but hey, it was all about the massage. There was some accompanied stretching (Britany money-shot style) which was also slightly unnerving, but hey whatever. She seemed to think it was all very normal. After all, it is an ob-gyn facility so they are probably used to all that. Okey dokey.

I hope I don't seem like a whiney, ungrateful biotch. I have to watch myself because I tend to push the boundaries of "perspective" verses downright complaining. It was a great massage and I am really grateful to my dear friend for doing that for me.

But now I will complain....

So after the massage, we walked across the RH entrance to Wok N Roll. It is a somewhat-new (7 months) Japanese restaurant. I wasn't sure if it was the same place, but I had heard that there was a great new place in Jabriya that some of the staff from the Crowne Plaza had moved to. Turned out, it was one in the same. I think The Romanian first told me about it. Her friend owns it or something like that. If I was still talking to her, I would tell her to tell him how terrible the service is and that he should fire his manager NOW. (People need jobs right now and they should be given to people who actually want to do a good job.)

It is a beautiful restaurant - similar to Maki in decor. They've got pretty cabinas with sliding doors. Everything is done with slate tiles. Way cool. We loved the food and there is a huge selection. My friend from the CP, Abdul Qader, has moved to Wok N Roll as a chef. We had a nice conversation with him (before he left and we had a chance to tell him what happened next). As I sat down, I thought that I might be able to write a restaurant review about it since I don't believe anyone else had yet - and there is a REASON for that as it turned out....

The service was so bad that their customers were walking out before they finished their food - it was just that crappy. They had (I counted) 6 servers in a small restaurant; and not one of them was paying any attention at all to the customers. Our entrees arrived before the appetizers. They brought the wrong order. The 2 female servers stood behind the prep bar the entire time, talking about the customers loud enough for (you guessed it) the customers to hear them! When the busboys did appear to finally clear anything at all off tables (we did it ourselves, moving the food onto the empty tables next to us), they shouted across the restaurant at each other; while customers sat staring in disbelief. The "manager" bullied the waiters (who were all standing in a corner of the room) to do something, when he did the same as them. So much for "lead by example". When we complainted to the "manager", he never said a word - just walked away. We asked for our check; they brought us someone elses and then never apologized. I had asked for the phone number of the owner and a take-away menu; never got either. "Manager" just walked into the kitchen and never returned.

Wok N Roll: As Slaps said, "Possibly the worst service we've ever had anywhere." I wrote to the owner - let's see if I get any response.

YOU are invited to an Event to help AFL!!!!

GENERAL AUDIENCE: OPEN FOR MEN TO ATTEND !

British Ladies Society Event
in support of Animal Friends League

Where: Movenpick at Bidaa
When: Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm - 10pm


Ayeshah Al-Humaidhi will be the guest speaker at the dinner at the Moevenpick Al Bidaa.

She will talk about just how much they have achieved in the last 5 years & where they will go from here. As well as the fantastic work that they do with companion animals at Animal Friends. She will also cover the amazing work that they do through KsPath, (Kuwait Society for the Protection of Animals & Their Habitat), with Wildlife Conservation, the treatment & conditions of Farm Animals here in Kuwait, Stray Cats & Dogs & Marine Conservation.

Proceeds from the evening will go towards their effort to rebuild this amazing facility.


There will also be great raffle prizes so why not come along with some friends for a great evening and support a very worthy cause.


The prices are for BLS Members: 6.500kd
Non-Members: 8.500kd


Please e mail events@theblskuwait.com to reserve your place.
BLS Website: http://www.theblskuwait.com/

Desert Girl Special Announcement:
I have heard that there will be simultaneous translation telecast from Briddish to American.

AFL - 10 days after the shelter fire

From the AFL Newsletter

It has been over a week since the night in which a devastating fire killed 40 animals and destroyed the Animal Friends Shelter. It has been a sad and emotional week for everyone involved. As dark as our future has seemed, a beam of light has begun to emerge from the end of this tunnel. For the last 9 days, the outpouring of support, the messages of condolences and the offers of help has been inspiring. The media coverage of our disaster has been widespread and extremely effective. Our story has appeared in newspapers, blogs, radio and TV. Thank you to everyone who has been spreading the word and gathering support. This public support for Animal Friends is heartwarming, and we hope it will continue not just for the next few days or weeks, but well beyond this crisis. Indeed, it is our goal that the growing support for Animal Friends will continue for years and years to come.

Here is an update of what we have all achieved so far…

Fundraising

We have received many generous donations over the last week and they all add up to KD 28,456.696!!

Your generosity has been amazing. But we need more help to rebuild the shelter…KD 21,543.304 to be exact. We will also be approaching large companies this week about sponsorship opportunities, so if you work for one of these big businesses, or own one, please contact Olivia at olivia@animalfriendskuwait.org or call 9737 7867. We hope that during the reconsruction process, with the permission of our donors, we will also be able to not only rebuild what we had but will also be able to make it bigger and better than it was before. If you have already donated money and do not want it to be used for expansion, please let us know. We want you to be comfortable with how your donation is spent.

Our Animals
Thus far we have held four fostering sessions at the Royal Animal Hospital.
Already, 29 dogs, 16 cats and 2 bunnies have found loving foster homes.

We still have 15 dogs that need to be fostered. We will be holding another fostering session on Sunday, April 4 from 10am to 12pm and again from 4pm to 6pm at the Royal Animal Hospital.

Volunteers
The sheer number of volunteers that have turned up to help with care of the animals as well as demolition has been tremendous. Agility sent out a team of about 10 peeople that have been working for an entire week. We certainly owe them a debt of gratitude. Individuals have showed up both in Wafra and RAH prepared to do anything. Men have turned up with a tool box and shovel asking how they can help. The show of support has brought tears to our eyes at times so thank you to all of you that have put aside time to help. We still need volunteers both at RAH and Wafra. If you are interested in volunteering at RAH, please call Lynda at 66724485 so she can schedule you in. Please do call first because we actually have run into the problem of having too many volunteers there at once. In Wafra we still need people to walk the dogs that are here as well as to help us save as many of our belongings as possible and prepare the building for renovations. We still have plenty of clean-up to do around the shelter and we are trying to erect a second corral for the donkeys. We need strong men and women to help us dig holes and get the fence up. If you are able, please plan to come on Friday, Saturday, or both.

The Shelter
Most of the salvage work is nearing completion. We have been able to save many of the interior doors and fittings. Volunteer groups have demolished the ceiling, removed all doors and windows including frames and removed, washed and stored most loose items.

The remainder of the demolition will start early next week and repairs of the main steel structure of the building has already started. We feel hopeful that things are moving along in a timely manner and we will have an operable shelter in the next few months.

We also need help with donations of construction items and materials. If you own a building supplies business or know someone that does, here are some of the things we will need…

• 40 2 ton split reverse AC Units that can be switched to heat
• 2,500m2 Insulation
• Electrical Wiring and Supplies including Conduit
• Electrical installation
• Industrial lighting
• 4 Large chest freezers
• 4 large refrigerators
• Fire retardant foam to cover insulation
• 4,000m2 bricks
• Mortar
• Kitchens including cabinets
• Kitchen taps
• Toilets
• Sinks
• Tile
• Kirby
• Metal girders, beams, trusses
• Steel
• 50 Small bathroom ventilation fans
• Epoxy based industrial paint
• Industrial shelving
• Galvanized steel gates
• 2 Industrial washing machines
• 2 Industrial dryers
• Plumbing supplies
• Windows
• Aluminum doors

We will try our best to stay in touch on a regular basis. We truly appreciate your support and generosity and hope you will all be part of Rebuilding AFL.

Congratulations Lulu!!!!

WOW!

I just found out (because I haven't been keeping up with friends as much as I should) that one of my dear friends (and fellow former blogger), Lu2 (aka "Mediagirl" or "Big Curls") got married.

I met Lulu through blogshere (as I have met many people): blessings.

Lu2 came to Kuwait several years ago and it wasn't her place. I think Kuwait made her miserable. (I remember that the very first time I met her, we were at a cafe and she sat down and cried. Lu, honey, it was probably your sign!) I just checked out her photo album and she looks content and gorgeous and happy. MASHALLAH.

As she told me back then, she came to Kuwait to become more centered and more spiritual. I think it was probably just a stepping stone on her Journey. Next, Jordan, where she started wearing hejab, and now she's living with her hubby in California. From what I hear (and strongly admire), Lulu's mother is a child of the world and I see how the same has happened to Lulu. They both hail from a line of strong, independant women who LIVE life.

Congratulations, Lulu, on your marriage and your new life. I know your other friends here in Kuwait wish you the same. I couldnt' be happier for you!

Animal Shelter vs Pet Shop: Factoids

The Man's kids have been going to walk the dogs at the RAH pretty regularly. AFL has needed dog-walkers to help with the animals moved up from their shelter. I'm very proud of these kids, who were previously afraid of dogs, but wanted to do something good. I stopped by yesterday to play with some doggies and to see how the Man-Children were doing.

Just the week before the fire, they called John to rescue a mother dog they had been feeding (Dusty now "Veronica") and her 5 puppies. It was a success. From what I've heard from his son, even The Man has chipped in and has walked Dusty, who is tagged as "aggressive" because she is very protective of her pups. After being beaten by people in their neighborhood, damn right she's aggressive. I would be too. I still can't believe The Man walked her. That's great. (Hmmm.... he never liked being bitten before, and yet he risked it for that bitch.)

So anyhoooo, I had a chat with some of the AFL volunteers as they waited for people going to adopt animals. I learned some things that I didn't know; like how there needs to be some public education hereabouts on the difference between a pet shop and a shelter. Why? Because people go to AFL to adopt cats or dogs and ask the animal's gender. Why? Because they want to breed them to sell them at places like the Friday market; creating even more creatures that AFL needs to rescue later. Or, folks go in and ask why AFL doesn't have Siamese or Persian cats. One guy last night even had the nerve to say, "Why do you just have these street cats?" Duuuuh.

Firstoff, AFL spays and neuters all their animals before they re-home them. That means, dumbasses, that they can't make babies. Get it? It doesn't matter if the dog is a male or a female: they won't procreate. Get it. So.... You can't sell puppies as products.

Next, AFL rescues STREET ANIMALS. That's what they do. They help all animals.

Something else I have learned about the Friday market is that there is a guy (or several guys) who sell puppies out of their vans. If anyone can catch a photo of a license plate, send it to me and I'll forward it to the appropriate people.

What many people in Kuwait don't know is that there is a high rate of distemper here; meaning that if you buy a puppy out of a van or from the Friday market and the seller does not have vet papers showing that the dog has been vaccinated at an early age (8 weeks), then you might take it home and it might die right away. You have no recourse. Also, if the animal does not have registration papers, then it is NOT a purebred. "Yes yes. Pure German..." And, a puppy should not be taken away from its mother earlier than 8 weeks to make sure that it is healthy. It should not be weaned off the mother until around that age.

The other news is that I hope, I hope, I pray, I hope, that my friend, Maria, has found her dog, Spike. Someone found a dog resembling Spike in Mishref several months ago, when Spike went missing in Kabd (previous post). They surrendered the dog to AFL and sent a notification also to PAWS. PAWS posted the notification on their website. AFL posted the dog's photo on their site (re-named "Macho"). Maria's kids have been tourmented by his loss and I hope (and please pray with me) that it is indeed the same dog and that they can be re-united. I can't think of anything worse than losing my dog here (if I had kids, that would be worse).

Pulmonologist?

Question to youse people:

Do you know any good pulmonologist (better if its a pediatric pulmonologist) in kuwait who is working in a private hospital and can speak in english?

Why the HECK doesn't Kuwait have a referral service that is 1) advertised and 2) in English?

Animal Friends League Meeting - Shelter Rebuild Efforts

Friday I went to the AFL Rebuild the Shelter meeting at the Movenpick at Bidaa. I was hoping to see more people, but it was still a good turnout. The Movenpick management kindly provided the meeting room for free.

I get a lot of innocent (non-pervy) questions from people commenting about, "How do I meet a westerner...waaaaaaa" Dudes - VOLUNTEER. You meet so many nice people! The entire meeting was full of blondes on Friday. It was like a buffet of white chicks. C'mon people: Even if you don't like animals, you can still go down and do manly construction work at the shelter. If you walk in with a refrigerator or an AC unit, you'll be a hero!

How many of you are dismantling your camps this week? Do you have old stuff that you need to throw away? Send it to the shelter.

Moving house and want to donate? Send stuff to the shelter.

The items that AFL needs for rebuilding can be found HERE. Donate!

Before the rebuild can happen, the tear-down needs to take place. That means they need some good, strong men (you can be weak too and fake it - not a problem).

Ayesha seems overwhelmed and I don't blame her. Poor girl probably hasn't had any sleep at all and I am praying for her. She let the volunteer coordinator, Olivia, do most of the talking. At one point, even Olivia almost started crying. The of the few things Ayesha did say was, "If you know me, you know that my greatest fear is a fire at the shelter." She must just be wrecked. If anyone out there is a grief counselor, write to Ayesha . Even the strong need good support and I think she is grieving badly.

Another thing she said is that she and the other volunteers feel awful when people ask about specific pets that they have brought in, are they ok or did they die? That would be so hard to have to go through every day. [I found Rocky (from previous posts) and his new name is "Enar" . He's fine and happy.] AFL has placed the names of the surviving pets on their website - all others have perished. It is hard to know which pet is which because when you bring them in as I did with Rocky, they immediately change the animal's name. The Man brought in Dusty who is now "Veronica". Why change the names?

The cause of the fire has been determined to be an electrical surge from the main line. Ayesha pleads with any home owner or company to have a building surge supressor (transient voltage arrestor) installed outside of the home/office for this very reason. Buildings in Kuwait are not required to have such equipment for building codes. (Most of us in Kuwait have friends who have had their home appliances ruined in Kuwait by power surges/voltage spikes.)

The new shelter will have a sprinkler system and surge suppressor installed.

AFL has repeatedly made their gratitude clear: to people who have come forward offering support; to their volunteers; to the phone calls and letters; and to the firemen in Wafra who, although some were afraid of dogs, put on their breathing gear, went into the fire, and opened all the cage doors to let the animals out to safety. Good for you, guys!!!! I just loooooooove firemen!

If you are a US organization and would like to make donations to receive a tax deduction, check HERE.

Pass it along.

Note: I have heard from friends on facebook and through comments here on the blog about people who are "animal lovers" and would "do anything for the animals" - and then have done nothing to assist in this effort. Know what? I don't want to hear from hypocrits. If you love animals, help in this effort. Put your money where your mouth is. There are only 2 rescue organizations in Kuwait: AFL and PAWS. There is an astonishing amount of animal cruelty and neglect in this little country; Some of it so bad it would make most people cry to hear about. Both PAWS and AFL work towards the same goals; however, some seem to believe that there are teams and you must side with one or the other; either you are for them or against them. It's not a contest!!! I find that disgusting and personally offensive. Strength of character is revealed through adversity. You don't have to sit on an opposite side of the fence pointing blame while doing nothing.

AFL Volunteer Meeting - Open to Public

There will be an Animal Friends League volunteers meeting at the Movenpick, Bidaa on Friday, 26 March from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

It is an open meeting for anyone to attend to see how they can assist in the shelter rebuild efforts.

Please help.

4 years since my dad passed away

On March 29, 2006, I was in the middle of a terrible argument with The Man. I rarely cry. Even more rare that I would cry during an argument. I'm not a girlie girl; I enjoy the "challenge". On that day, at that time, I was sobbing and crying my eyes out on my sofa. It wasn't the most horrible argument. It wasn't so awful. I suddenly had a premonition and turned to him and said, 'Your uncle is sick. Which one? He is really sick.... I think he may pass away. You need to talk to him.' It was totally random; out of nowhere. He said that none of his uncles was sick - everyone was fine. We finished arguing. I stopped crying. He went home. And he thought about it; No one was sick.

That was the exact time and day that my father died. I didn't know it at the time. Neither did my family.

My Dad was a lonely old guy at the end of his life - and quite stubborn. If my sister (who lived 5 minutes away) didn't go to visit him often enough (by his estimate), he would stop answering the phone and wouldn't return her messages until she got in her car and went over there to visit him.

That day was one of them. He was (for an American term) "playing possum". She just thought that he was doing the same thing he always did; until she and her husband went there to see him and saw the newspapers at the doorstep. My dad was a routine guy. He put his coffee on, went to the bathroom, and got the newspaper - every morning. He would never miss a paper. There were several on his doorstep.

So now, it is year 4 since he died. I still stop and think to myself, 'Shoot! It has been a long time since I've talked to Dad. I'd better call him!' and go to pick up the phone.

When I went to Animal Friends League today and played with the puppies and helped them out (a little), I thought about my dad and how I am sure he was right there with me. He loved all creatures, but especially dogs. He befriended the ugliest and smelliest of them and adored them like princes and princesses.

I might not ever have kids of my own. Today I spent the day with one I am very proud of: a 10 year old Kuwaiti boy - The Man's son, Abdullah - who wanted to do something to help the animals. He worked really hard; surprisingly hard; cleaning/moving things and then helping to walk the dogs and play with ("socialize") the extremely exhuberant puppies. I hope that I can pass along to someone younger than I am just a tiny amount of what my parents have always taught me: compassion for all living creatures and especially those in need. I think that Abdullah got a taste of it and I am hoping that it will be contageous. Maybe he can pass it along to some of his young relatives.

I miss you, Dad. I hope that your Heaven is full of all the creatures who you have loved and have loved you. I know you are with me and that you will never really go away.

Animal Friends League Shelter Fire

Copied from Mark's blog and I believe it is from AFL:

There has been a second much more devastating fire at Animal Friends. This fire was in the main building and 39 animals perished. Several more are struggling to hold on.

Two fire investigations have shown that the fires were caused by a surge of electricity from the main lines. After the first fire, an inspection of the shelter elecrical system was conducted and smoke detectors and fire extinguishers were puchased and donated enmasse. Despite these precautions, a massive surge occured to the now weakened main electrical lines. All staff were sleeping nearby when the fire started. The fire was not discovered until aerosol cans near the source of the fire began to explode. At this point, the fire was fully involved and too dangerous for anyone but the fire department to fight. Our shelter staff acted herroically to save as many animals as possible, and the fire rescue team also showed great courage as they entered the building to release the dogs from their firey prisons while the fire was still burning. Despite these acts of bravery, at least ten animals died in the fire and many were so badly injured that the arriving shelter staff had to work frantically and desperately to triage them and provide euthanasia where necessary. Thus far, the fire has cost the lives of 8 dogs and 31 cats.
One whole section of the shelter is completely destroyed the entire building will require extensive repairs from smoke and fire damage. Animal Friends and the animals we care for have never needed your help more. Animal Friends simply will not survive without help from all of you. Below is a list of things we need in order of priority.

1. CASH! The rebuilding is going to cost KD50,000. Please donate what you can, hold small fundraisers and get as many people involved as possible. Checks should be made payable to: Ayeshah Waleed Al-Humaidhi and below is our bank information for a direct transfer. If you need further information please call 97377867 or e-mail info@animalfriendskuwait.org.
Bank Name: Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East (BKME)Branch: South SurraName: Ayeshah Waleed Al-HumaidhiAddress Line 1: P.O.Box 71, Safat 13001Address Line 2: KuwaitAccount: 42043311SWIFT: BKMEKWKW

2. Foster Homes. We have no shelter and currently have the animals housed at the Royal Animal Hospital and in outdoor enclosures at the shelter. These are obviously temporary fixes. The construction is going to take about 3 months and we are appealing to all of you to house an animal until it can be adopted or returned to the rebuilt shelter. If you are able to foster an animal please call 66187301 or e-mail anna_mitchell@shaw.ca.

3. Volunteers. We need help with clean-up and helping care for the animals. We need to salvage anything and everything we can from the building before the demolition starts. This weekend, Friday-Saturday (26-27) are going to be huge clean-up days. Your help would be hugely appreciated. The map will be uploaded to the website shortly.

4. In Kind Donations. We will be putting together an extensive list of items we need in the next few days and will send it out to the list as well as post to our website.

Thank you in advance for your help and support and we hope to rise out of the ashes bigger and better.

----

I went there today to aid in the clean up. I brought The Man's 10-year-old son, Abdullah, who was AMAZING at cleaning, playing with the puppies, and walking some of the older dogs. There is so much more work to be done there. There is heavy soot throughout the entire shelter; on the walls, on the tile floors, on everything everywhere. Bring rubber gloves and old towels.

If you can get out there this weekend: GO!

If you can help at Royal Animal Hospital with some of the animals temporarily housed there, please help.

Another Fire at the AFL Shelter

There was another big fire at the AFL shelter last night. DAMN contractors in Kuwait!!!! AFL had an electrician look at the wiring after the first fire - he said it was fine - and a second fire started last night which was larger; this time, killing animals. That is all the info that I have now.

AFL is asking for volunteers who can assist in the clean up (and rebuild) of the shelter.
I just heard about this and I will keep you posted - and I hope you will do the same as you receive more information.

Please contact Animal Friends League at

Ayesha Al-Humaidi and John Peeveler

Address: P.O.Box 26122 Safat 13122, Kuwait

Telephone: 965.6700.1622

Fax: 965.2523.4179

Website: http://www.animalfriendskuwait.org/

Donations can be made to AFL at:

Bank Name: Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East (BKME),

Branch: South Surra,

Name: Ayeshah Waleed Al-Humaidhi,

Address Line 1: P.O.Box 71, Safat 13001,

Address Line 2: Kuwait.

Account: 42043311,

SWIFT: BKMEKWKW.

Also check Mark's post on same.

AFL may not be answering their posted phone numbers for the next few days. You can contact Olivia at 97377867 fo find out how you can help.