This weekend I learned,
* camel milk tastes like milk
* rancid camel milk tastes like puke
* me + lamb + coal grill = <3
* actually, me + coal grill = magic (corn, tea, chai 7aleeb...)
* that based on the realizations above, I'd be okay living 100 years ago in the desert.
* in fact, I would have made a great Bedouin lady
* that jumping on a trampoline (for the second time in my adult life, first time being a few weeks ago) is the kind of fun that shouldn't be reserved for kids --no wonder adults walk around cranky.
* if you put a bucket full of toads close enough to a grill, a toad will inevitably jump into the grill and umm...well you know...provide grilled frog legs for dinner
29 November 2008
26 November 2008
"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve."
-George Bernard Shaw
Dear Kuwait,
You dodged a bullet. Now, it seems like you need to work on your self-esteem. We deserve better than those currently seated in Parliament. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.
XOXO,
G.
-George Bernard Shaw
Dear Kuwait,
You dodged a bullet. Now, it seems like you need to work on your self-esteem. We deserve better than those currently seated in Parliament. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.
XOXO,
G.
25 November 2008
Look Baba Sabah! NO HANDS!!! (Take II)
(This is a repost. Originally posted March 18, 2008. Yup, we're at it again. Welcome to Kuwait. Updates in violet.)
The Kuwaiti cabinet resigned. (At the time of this posting, the Amir hasn't accepted resignations yet.)
Chances are the parliament will be dissolved soon. (Or will it?)
Interesting time to be in Kuwait; one of the few times I'm glad I'm here and not living somewhere else. (Although this time I'm more angry than excited.)
This is like being on top of a roller-coaster ride and having that anxious feeling about going down full-speed.
Can't get off now.
Hold on tight.
It's gonna be a fun ride.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! (I think I'm about to throw-up.)
The Kuwaiti cabinet resigned. (At the time of this posting, the Amir hasn't accepted resignations yet.)
Chances are the parliament will be dissolved soon. (Or will it?)
Interesting time to be in Kuwait; one of the few times I'm glad I'm here and not living somewhere else. (Although this time I'm more angry than excited.)
This is like being on top of a roller-coaster ride and having that anxious feeling about going down full-speed.
Can't get off now.
Hold on tight.
It's gonna be a fun ride.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! (I think I'm about to throw-up.)
23 November 2008
16 November 2008
Enter at your own risk
I'm coming extremely close to old-maid-territory here where:
I fawn over other people's children.
And take pictures of my cats:
I fawn over other people's children.
And take pictures of my cats:
12 November 2008
66 years from now...
Two days ago, I was showing an American visitor around Kuwait and we ended up at the National Museum of Kuwait. If you haven't been there, definitely make a point to go it's a lot of fun.
In the museum's heritage building, where you walk around "old Kuwait" (1940's pre-oil) with the different stores, then you enter a home, then the hall turns into an exhibition display of items, clothing and other things.
I've always been interested in history but have found ours less than exciting, walking through the museum, Kuwait's relative youth really sunk in. I mean, there are people alive who remember this pretty well. My parents, both born in the late 50's, came only 10 years after oil was discovered!
This realization struck a chord in me. I mean, I've known all along that we're young and don't really have a wealth of political experience/tradition either but, we're really really really young!
Things that piqued my interested at the museum:
Shoes:
At the Kharraz (the Cobbler)'s shop, where a mannequin of a cobbler was making shoes with his tools around him, we noticed that the men's footwear was made of comfortable leather like the ones seen here. The womens' shoes on the other hand, the gubgab, were made of wood. A wooden bottom, and a tiny leather strap on top.
If ever we need evidence that shoes are a tool of the patriarchy all around the world. Whether it's foot binding or having to wear extremely uncomfortable shoes, it's all meant to keep women barefoot and pregnant.
As we walked along to the photography exhibition that had pictures from 1942, I noticed that all the women in the pictures were barefoot. Some of the men wore shoes but none of the ladies did. (Of course, in my mind, they all refused to wear these ridiculous shoes as an act of protest not because they were too poor to buy them.)
Documents/documentation:
On display where several official handwritten documents of pearl divers, licenses and such, with photos and fingerprints on them. It's amazing how juvenile they seem today.
One of the placards by a display of old cameras mentioned that there weren't any cameras around so Kuwaitis would have to go get their official pictures taken at the British Consulate. Unfortunately, not all placards had Arabic and English explanations on them and often the Arabic explanation was more informative, which was an inconvenience to my non-Arabic speaking guest.
On corporal punishment:
In the kitab, the Qura'an school where young boys learned basic Arabic through Qura'an and arithmetic, there was a boy standing in a corner with his hands raised above his head as punishment for doing something wrong. I loved that they added that in there!
Trade routes/wealth:
Looking at a trade route map on the wall, from India and Eastern Africa to Kuwait and back, I couldn't help but contemplate the relationship between wealth, slavery (economic or literal), and sophistication.
To think that less than 70 years ago, women my age would've been illiterate, barefoot, and probably had several children was quite breathtaking. To think that from my grandmother's time we've gone from basic literacy to PhD's and being fluent in not one but two languages. From having slaves at home, to well....
We've come a loooooooong way.
Or have we?
I wonder what the next 66 years will bring.
In the museum's heritage building, where you walk around "old Kuwait" (1940's pre-oil) with the different stores, then you enter a home, then the hall turns into an exhibition display of items, clothing and other things.
I've always been interested in history but have found ours less than exciting, walking through the museum, Kuwait's relative youth really sunk in. I mean, there are people alive who remember this pretty well. My parents, both born in the late 50's, came only 10 years after oil was discovered!
This realization struck a chord in me. I mean, I've known all along that we're young and don't really have a wealth of political experience/tradition either but, we're really really really young!
Things that piqued my interested at the museum:
Shoes:
At the Kharraz (the Cobbler)'s shop, where a mannequin of a cobbler was making shoes with his tools around him, we noticed that the men's footwear was made of comfortable leather like the ones seen here. The womens' shoes on the other hand, the gubgab, were made of wood. A wooden bottom, and a tiny leather strap on top.
If ever we need evidence that shoes are a tool of the patriarchy all around the world. Whether it's foot binding or having to wear extremely uncomfortable shoes, it's all meant to keep women barefoot and pregnant.
As we walked along to the photography exhibition that had pictures from 1942, I noticed that all the women in the pictures were barefoot. Some of the men wore shoes but none of the ladies did. (Of course, in my mind, they all refused to wear these ridiculous shoes as an act of protest not because they were too poor to buy them.)
Documents/documentation:
On display where several official handwritten documents of pearl divers, licenses and such, with photos and fingerprints on them. It's amazing how juvenile they seem today.
One of the placards by a display of old cameras mentioned that there weren't any cameras around so Kuwaitis would have to go get their official pictures taken at the British Consulate. Unfortunately, not all placards had Arabic and English explanations on them and often the Arabic explanation was more informative, which was an inconvenience to my non-Arabic speaking guest.
On corporal punishment:
In the kitab, the Qura'an school where young boys learned basic Arabic through Qura'an and arithmetic, there was a boy standing in a corner with his hands raised above his head as punishment for doing something wrong. I loved that they added that in there!
Trade routes/wealth:
Looking at a trade route map on the wall, from India and Eastern Africa to Kuwait and back, I couldn't help but contemplate the relationship between wealth, slavery (economic or literal), and sophistication.
To think that less than 70 years ago, women my age would've been illiterate, barefoot, and probably had several children was quite breathtaking. To think that from my grandmother's time we've gone from basic literacy to PhD's and being fluent in not one but two languages. From having slaves at home, to well....
We've come a loooooooong way.
Or have we?
I wonder what the next 66 years will bring.
11 November 2008
09 November 2008
Subject: Annual email
I was clearing out an old email inbox a few days ago. My old self is hilarious! Between the laughs and the tears in that inbox, I came across this...four years later, the items are still relevant.
--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: XXXXXX
To: XXXXXXX
Subject: Annual email
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 02:26:24 +0000
--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: XXXXXX
To: XXXXXXX
Subject: Annual email
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 02:26:24 +0000
Asalam 3laikum,
It's that time of year again when I feel a need to send out this mean email. This is something I end up having to do annually. It seems like people get carried away with emails and forwards, completely forgetting that some of us actually need that miniscule free storage space we're given --& no I'm not paying for extra because you can't control yourself.
Anyway, here are some guidelines to go by if you're wondering if you should send me something...(No offense anyone)
- Don't send me pictures of babies if they're not yours...and if I've seen yours in the past two days don't sent me their pictures!!! (no matter how cute you think they are)
- on't send me pictures of yachts/cars/houses I will never own or see...I really don't care...if ever the day comes when I'm shopping for these items, I'll call you...
- Don't fwd me cartoons. Exception: they're so funny they killed you! In that case you'd be dead and I'd be happy with lots of storage space in my email account.
- Don't send me petitions/ chain letters...unless you personally know the person who's going to die because I didn't forward a stupid letter to someone who's never going to read it!!
- Don't fwd any self-discovery quizzes! I'm a cat; a Lisa Simpson; born in the year of the unicorn! NOTE: if you're really finding stuff about yourself from these quizzes, FIND YOURSELF A THERAPIST!
- If it contains anything cutesy don't send it!!
- If you've seen it before...DON'T SEND IT...chances are I've seen it a couple of times too!
Basically, don't fwd anything you find amusing --unless I'm really really really missing something if i don't read it-- chances are, after missing a really important email because of your fwd, I WONT!!
I hope no offense is taken by this email--bes 7aram 3laikum tarra wallah shayabt min il fwds il bay5a.
I'm sending this email to every account in my address book; so if you got it by mistake i.e. you're not implied by the email..then my deepest heartfelt apologies!!
05 November 2008
Letter to Obama.
Dear Mr. Obama,
Hi*giggle*.I am an international citizen who has been following your every move for the better part of eight months. I have been captivated by your story, speeches and stands.
You showed the world, that Disney movies aren't completely whack. The underdog does win sometimes. You gave us--wait for it-- HOPE.
So, on behalf of my fellow sandbox dwellers, I'd like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart--a heart that you have won over effectively.
Mr. President(-elect), now that you have my heart, I beg of you, please to be gentle with it.
Hopeful in Kuwait,
G.
P.S. You have a beautiful family.
P.P.S. To Palin, I would like to quote a very wise woman, Judge Judy:"Madame, You are a marginal person!"
02 November 2008
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