Updates and announcements

1) The Autism Center's walk-a-thon is this Saturday. If you haven't signed up already, get off your lumpy butt and sign up. (For more information Call the center at 251-6192 or email at kwautism-AT-qualitynet-DOT-com.)

2) Nothing to do with the reminders but read today's Al-Qabas's editorial opening (in Arabic). It' s all I want to say about the salary hikes as well as the diwaniya's on public property issue. (Someday soon, I hope the paper will understand that the online edition needs to be presented in a reader friendly format; right now it just sort of exists online in a not very eye-friendly format.)

3) I'm still looking for a job, so if you have any tips, job leads, or words of encouragement (heck, even if you're gonna mock me) please do share.

4) I quit working out daily. I lost waaaaaaaaaay too much weight during the first two weeks of February, my clothes are falling off. Not so flattering. (Sorry dieting people, I have roadrunner speed metabolism.)

5) It's a two-day work week. The best kind. Enjoy.

Women who don't give a ...

"The most real a$$ $hit is women who don't give a !@#$"



Rafael Casal, "Barbie & Ken 101"

(Explicit language, viewer discretion advised.)

Why is it more powerful when a man says it?





If you've missed the earlier Def Poetry I've posted, watch it here.

Don't leave home without...

This post includes very important information that no one would want to miss...gather around children...



The contents of my purse:





Left to right:

1) my black cosmetics bag (contents & picture below)

2) my wallet (I use a men's wallet...much much much lighter and more convenient than any women's wallet...yes I bank at Kuwait Finance House *sigh*)

3) book "Made to Stick"

4) Car and house keys (keychain was once a cute dreamcatcher)

4) Tiny notebook and pen



The small black cosmetics bag that rocks my world holds:

• l'occitane hand cream

• sample size YSL Cinema perfume (during the summer it's usually a vial of white musk, the scent of clean)
  

• small size purell hand sanitizer (gets refilled because I can never find this size anymore)
  

• mac lipgloss
  

• bodyshop's lip and cheek stain
  

• tide to go stick

• Extra mint drops (I don't do gum. HATE IT! Most people look like camels when they chew gum)

• a pack of tissue

• Al-Qurashi's scented wipes. (incredible smell)

Notice that nothing I carry is melt-able. I've learned the hard way when an melted eyeliner made a mess in my sister's purse. (sorry again :/)

My friends joke that I have a mommy bag; but seriously, if you were stranded on a deserted tropical island, you'd want me and my purse with you.

It's amazing how I can manage to write fascinating as well as extremely informative posts...Sub7anAllah! Truly a gift granted by the Lord to a special few!

Two boys, a toy store and a national eid

A few days ago, I was at Soug Sharg with TimTim,4, and Jooj,2; as we walked out of the arcades past the toy store the boys begin to beg to go in "to look at the toys only..." (Earlier that day, the boys had National and Liberation Days celebrations at their school and daycare).

Being their evil aunt, I pulled Jooji away and tried to coax TimTim with a "remember when I took you to the big toy store for Eid...? We'll come back when it's Eid to buy toys...today isn't Eid...yallah TimTim."

"Imbella! Ilyoum il3eed ilwa6ani!!" he countered. (Today's the national eid!)

You can't argue with that (or the ginormous puppy eyes). Off we went into the toy store.

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Kuwait celebrates its independence, national day, on February 25th and it's liberation from Saddam's occupation on the 26th.

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If the great weather doesn't get you in a festive mood, this definitely will:

To Turkey with Jubilation

w0000t w00000t! Congratulations Turkish Hijabies for being able to attend Turkish Universities! It's what's in your head, not what's on it that should matter.

Turkey: Head Scarf Law Approved

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 23, 2008

President Abdullah Gul approved a change in the Constitution that lifts a ban against women’s head scarves at universities. Parliament passed the measure this month, and it has polarized Turkey. Mr. Gul, an observant Muslim whose wife and daughter wear the head coverings, said the amendments did not violate secularism, one of the founding principles of modern Turkey.

Rock on Gul! (Oh and the picture is of the President's wife Hayrunnisa)

"Ash-hadu": thoughts on 'losing my religion'

Growing up, with my mother's volunteer work, I grew up seeing a lot of people making their public declaration of faith, the shahada, announcing their conversion/reversion to Islam.

But one I witnessed whilst living abroad had a lasting impression on me and impacted--errr no.. never use impact as a verb ever!--a tremendous impact on my perspective on religion.

The convert was my age, about 21 at the time, a beautiful mid-western girl. I remember after the touching "conversion-ceremony" I was telling a friend that it's really unfair because I don't have a chance to convert. I've always wanted to convert! Her slate is wiped clean and she gets to claim her religion with certainty like few born-Muslim ever can.

My friend smiled, "so convert!" she said, "What's keeping you back?!".

After a little thought, I decided that although I had grown up Muslim, and was blessed to have had lived in a practicing home, I'm going to convert. I'm going to choose to be Muslim instead of be Muslim by default.

I convinced myself that had I not been Muslim already, that day would've been the day I made my declaration public.

After moving back to a Muslim-majority country that whole idea came to life in many different ways.

It's really given me a lot of perspective. My beliefs are my business, I came to them myself, not everyone has done the same and nor will they. And that's okay. Religion isn't about collective beliefs shared by a majority.

To me, every call to prayer, is an opportunity to choose to believe and pray. Everyday that I leave the house, I choose to cover. It's not something I decided years ago that I'm somehow stuck with today.

With that said, I'm far from the world's most devout Muslim, but my "Muslim" deeds are all done to fulfill the intention.

I've been able to separate thoughts into distinct religion and/or culture categories. Although, I still do a lot of "culture"; I don't do it in the name of religion anymore.

It's a liberating realization and it makes me think a million times before judging other people choices.




This post probably doesn't make any sense to anyone. Sense? Hello, have we been introduced?

Linkinstan: Live, Learn and get Luvs Edition

This week I learned:

a) that despite different backgrounds and living circumstances, Craig Harper, Unique Muslimah, and our very own Swair all share similar feelings about marriage.

b) that 14.3 million dollars, used to buy a vanity license plate, could have helped over 2,383 Egyptian couples get married. (I did the math, please be kind.)

c) that I love Regina Spektor. Great song. Genius video. Lyrics here.



d) الناس للناس والكل بالله (more on this later.)

To whom it may concern,

One of the reasons I blog is because I have found that writing a journal is very cathartic. Unfortunate to me, I'm more comfortable typing than writing by hand...but when I did journal on my laptop I wasn't comfortable sharing it (my sister borrows it a lot). In an effort to become a kinder, more generous sister: I created a blog.

I blog for myself. For no one in particular and for everyone. I have shared my blog with a few people but none of my family.

I chose to be anonymous because I share my frustrations about friends and family a lot. I'm very private in real life. Many times I share personal information or feelings I'm not comfortable fessing up to in real life. I'm not hiding behind an pseudonym, I'm shedding a sometimes constricting shell.

Having said that, I don't need to be anonymous. I don't have much to hide. I'm not a "bad" girl by any stretch of the imagination. I don't lead a double-life. I haven't written anything that I am ashamed of.


So when I get e-mails that say "I know who you are." I laugh them off...good for you*. I know who I am too. Then, when they assume I'm threatened by their emails, I get very confused. I have no idea why people think that would scare me. It doesn't. Absolute worst case scenario is I'll click the delete blog button and move on with my life and journal elsewhere.

If you have problems keeping your multiple personalities straight and imagined lives apart, I don't. I don't Jekyll or Hyde. Like Popeye, I am who I am. The same person. In the house and out. In Kuwait and abroad. Online and in real life. (But you knew that since you "know" me!)


Please don't project your flippin' insecurities on me.


Now, if my blog touches you in anyway, whether it makes you laugh (at/with me...doesn't really matter), feel good about yourself, amuses you, or tickles your fancy in anyway at all please don't hesitate to read along and join the conversation if you feel inclined to do so. (I have nothing against you personally. well, I'll forget soon enough.)


All I ask is that you respect my privacy.


*Hey smartypants...I'm easily identifiable on the blog anyway. I've gotten two "do you blog?" phone calls as well as a few emails. What can I say...my great personality shines through! (in case you're the dimwit I think you are...that was a joke)

Can you hear me now? Zing!

We're all at the maternity hospital with my sister. My sister in law, who has a six month old son, and me are in the room. A female relative in her early 40's, known for her crass nature, enters the room.

After greeting us all with kisses she settles in (and takes aim).

Relative to sister: Another boy! You'll have to try for a girl sometime soon. (Zing!)
Sister: Allah Kareem; the most important thing is that the baby's healthy al7amdilla.
Relative: No. You have to have a girl. You don't understand how different a daughter is.
(My sister gives me a look, I control my smiles.)

Relative then turns to sister in law: Your baby's how old now?
SIL: Six months.
Relative: Mashallah. You should get pregnant soon. (Zing!) It's better to have children close in age. And you have to have a girl. The house is full of boys, the need a baby girl.
SIL: Inshallah, I'd love a girl...but I don't know, I just went back to work...
Relative (interrupting): What are you waiting for?

I interrupt the conversation by offering some sticky sweet tiny caramel bar and coffee.
Relative (looks up at me): Have you gotten a job yet?
Me: Not yet. Allah Kareem.
Relative: You shouldn't have quit your job; it was a great job.
Me: It's all naseeb.
Relative: What do you have? You're not married. No children. And no job. (ZING!)

I don't respond. My sweet SIL starts talking about our cousin getting engaged diffusing the awkward situation.

The woman went from 0-60 in no time. She spent less than 10 minutes with us because her husband was waiting outside, yet managed to make everyone in the room feel bad in one way or another. That's what I call talent.

Welcome to the circus, Little Man!

Baby Foot
Originally uploaded by KamranM

My sister had her third son yesterday. I haven't seen him yet, since he was born in Al-Sabah's Maternity hospital and they don't allow "stranger" into the nursery. Other than that, the hospital isn't half as bad as the stories you hear.

Only the parents are allowed in the nursery apparently. My sister, who had a c-section yesterday morning, wasn't well enough to go see him, so I thought they'd at least let me go to take a picture for her. The nurse at the nursery wouldn't let me in and refused to take a picture herself (wasn't very compassionate of her).

I received a text message from my brother-in-law this morning. But was greeted by Timtim,4, with a "the doctor tore my Mommy's belly and pulled the baby out" as I walked into my parent's house later in the day. He also said that regardless of what his parents call the baby he's going to call him Bader.

Jooj, 2, who now became a middle-child, told me (at the top of his lungs) with a lot of conviction that baby was not a boy but a girl and he's gonna call her Mohammad. He's just beginning to understand gender and his confusion is cute.

Once she's discharged from the hospital, my sister's going to be moving back to my parent's home with her children and two maids (they're already there) for her 40 day nfas ("incubation period").

It's going to be loud, smelly and chaotic.

If anyone would like to join the circus this is your chance!

There's going to be 14 people including four children under the age of five living in my parents house sharing two television sets and one computer (the number does not include people working in the house).

Let's just say I'm glad I don't live in the same house (I live next door).

Tick Tock Tick...

(Tick Tock originally uploaded by Michael A. Blanchard, flickr)



Alternate title: Stop the !@#$ing ticking in my mind!


I'm having a 1/4 life crisis and today it's the school system's fault.

Since I was 3, I went to nursery school, every year of my life was spent working towards something bigger. There's a reason to go to school everyday.

Although not immediate, there was some sort of gratification that came intermittently and always came as expected.

While at university, every credit counted towards something greater, a college degree, every internship was applied to with the same reasoning, more experience for a better job.

Graduating college is an extremely anticlimactic experience.

The real world sucks.

I graduated college and soon after landed a "good" job. (It's in quotes because the place I worked was selective and prestigious, although it sucked BIG TIME.) Two years at the "good" job and I was going nowhere. So I quit the job (lots of factors including the nature of the job, health, a marriage proposal, and grad school came to play in making this decision). I don't regret quitting the job one bit.

But I can't get over feeling stuck. What am I working towards? And why? Where will I end up? Is that where I want to be?

I blame the school system for making me feel lost. For about 20 years I knew it all. Now, I'm clueless and stuck. The unknown blows.

On a brighter note, I leave you with an anime version of "it sucks to be me" from Avenue Q.

Why now? Why this?

(Majlis Al-Umma--Kuwait's National Assembly--originally uploaded by DDPN.net, flickr)



MP Ali Al-Rashed, who I like(d)..not really sure which way it goes now.., woke up one morning having made the decision to repeal the segregation in public and private universities law. Well, atleast amend it in someway. Great.

I don't believe in segregation. But I really don't care. It hasn't affected me either way. It's not my fight, I have a lot of others. In a nutshell, I don't think it's the source of or the answer to any of our problems.

Then the liberals get all up in arms about it. Great, they're going through a resurgence which has been great for the past few years and they need to keep momentum going. YAY! liberals!

Then the Islamists, who have been doing some heavy politicking for the past few months, come up with a retarded press release. Great! Freedom of speech. you say something stupid, we laugh at you.

Then the liberals act all insulted, "they called us sluts and prostitutes...die stupid Islamists...Public, be outraged," they demand. (I'm not. You call them terrorists and cavemen all the time...some perspective here please).

Yada..yada..yada...

The only question is ...why now? And in who's interest is this fight?

The reality of our parliament is that we have three blocs : "liberals", Islamists, and mercenaries and thieves. (Let me reassure you that they are pretty much all corrupt politicians that are dipping their toes into public funds but it's all relative.)

My worries are that while the "honest" Islamists and liberals are at it...the thieves are having a party with my money.

Seriously, I don't give a rat's ass about segregation, I'm more worried that by the time this fight is over the whole country's gonna be gone.

Why this? Why now?

I'm seriously looking for an answer. If you feel strongly one way or another please do share.

Only for today...

Ten tips from Pope John XXIII about how to live a better life, day to day: (via happiness project)

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.




A friend sent me a picture of this door. Friends make me happy. Doors made me happy.

The simple life

"Sleeping Beauty", a female cousin, 25, recently got engaged. Sleeping Beauty by our social standards is a catch. She's pretty, of esteemed "pedigree", has little interest in life outside the home, doesn't leave the house without her mother or older sister (early 30's). In my family, she's a 9. (The only thing keeping her from a 10 is that she doesn't attend all family functions.)

For the past few years, SB wanted nothing more than to get married. She went to any social function where your main job was to look pretty and smile.

Finally at the old age of 25, (I'm kidding but you should hear her talk about her "single-status" she's gotten engaged. (Great guy who I know.)

The truth is I've always been jealous of Sleeping Beauty. Although she's probably one of the few people on the planet who's life is more boring than mine is, I was always envious of her simple life.

There are no internal conflicts: she's never cared about school or having a career or doing something of substance. Any job that required no effort and provided average pay was fine.

She would've married any good guy who came along (which is why it was surprising to the family that she didn't get married earlier), without any hangups on his outlook on life, or where he wanted to be in 10 years.

She could sit perfectly still while the women around her talked about how depression is a result of a person's poor relationship with God and smile and nod.

Although I love her to the moon and back and am really happy for her, it hard for me not to be envious of her simple life and the calm she enjoys in her mind (I've asked, she confirmed).

--------------------------------------------

She's marrying a simple guy (I know him well) so no worries. Allah itamim 3laihum o'ihaneehum.

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It really is mating season that's why I've been heavy on the marriage posts.

In case you're feeling generous

In case you're feeling generous...


I wouldn't mind meeting

this:


or this:



this whole room (or just the storage bench if you're not feeling that generous)



and finally (I can't be a baglady without a bag)



Edited to add: After reading amu's post (he wants a motorcycle) I realized I need to work on my wants. (Maybe a MacBook Air..?)

Insomnia 101.

Day 9 of not sleeping well. I've cut caffeine and started working out. I haven't gotten more than 3 hours of sleep per night. I'm tired. and bored.


One of my friends has long believed that Allah changed my gender at the last minute. "You're such a guy!" She says I'm the closest anyone's ever gotten to being a man without looking like one.

She believed it so much that when someone once told her that you need "guy" friends in life to gain a new perspective she said, "I've got G for the male perspective."

I should be offended. But internets have confirmed.

Your Inner Gender is Male

You are rational, matter of fact, and quite dominant. You like to get things done, without any emotional messiness. You truly don't understand most women. And you definitely feel more comfortable around men. No doubt about it. You're a guy - at least on the inside.

What's Your Inner Gender?

and just for kicks.

Your Birthdate: September XX

You have the type of personality that people either love or hate. You're opinionated, dramatic, intense, and very outspoken. And some people can't get enough of you - they're totally addicted. Others, well, they wish you were a little more reserved. Your strength: Your flair Your weakness: If you think it, you say it Your power color: Scarlet red Your power symbol: Inverted triangle Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

(I don't know why I deleted my birth day. It's 2 a.m. and I haven't slept well in 9 days give me a break. I'm not in a very sharing mood.)

In which I sexually assault men

while my father's praying.

Someone asked me about my most embarrassing moment yesterday after I said that I don't get embarrassed easily.

Here it is:

About four years ago I was in Soug Sharg with my father. My father leaves me to go pray and asks me to meet him in front of a certain store in 20 minutes. So I walk around the mall, you know just passing time.

After 20 minutes are over I go to the store front and notice that my father's right behind me. My hands were really cold (they always are; warm hearts, cold hands ya know) so I try to find my father's warm hand, which he had in his dishdasha's deep pocket. Like I always do, I reach into his pocket to get his hand out.

As I'm talking to him about the watches, my father was stroking the back of my hand in a very very weird way. So I look up and it's not my father.

Not only am I holding a complete stranger's hand in the mall. But my hand is in his pocket!

Apparently the guy's been following me as I was shopping alone. And I had my hand in his pocket. He continues to mumble to me as I try to get my hand out of his pocket.

But you know with both my hand and his hand in there it took what seemed like forever!

My father arrives after I've gotten away from the guy, I told him about it and he laughed it off with a "Ya baba, how many times have I told you not to stick your hands in my pocket!"

This being Kuwait and all I still see the dude I practically groped every once in a while.

Please share your stories to make me feel better.

Bummer.

Remember the company I was hoping to join soon?
The job interviews that ended with "well in that case, we'd love to have you join our company! When can you join?!"
Apparently, the job went to someone else.

Bummer.

I had high hopes that I'd leave my professional hobo career and join the ranks of the employed. Oh well.

The problem is I'd stopped applying and interviewing and all that oh-so-fun stuff for sometime now. (well since he told me we'd be signing soon).

I guess I should've known better. Nothing is set in stone unless its written on paper. A CEO's word is worth nothing.

I need to job-hunt some more now. Oh the joy! (Did I mention already how bad I am at job searches..?)

Bummer.

Dr. Heba's gonna be in town!!!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!
Dr. Heba Raouf is gonna be in town soon!

I'm soooo excited!! She's going to be speaking at Hawalli Park (in the banquet hall) on Saturday. Her lecture is about "women's freedoms in Islam between reality and aspirations". It's at 9 p.m.

I'm uber-excited!

Did I mention already how enamored I am with this woman? She's such an inspiration! (This is who I want to be when I grow up.)

I can hardly contain myself!

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Oh. and I didn't work out today. But I did go to the Kuwait Fairgrounds and parked faaaaaaaaar away (does that count?!) I'm not gonna worry about it 'cause I've done well, very well, so far.

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FW:fw:FW:FW;fw:Quit sending me forwards

...or I'll have to hire a hitman! (hitperson?!)

On any given day, I check my email to find a total of 30 emails. You'd think I was popular or important or something like that.


This is the email I use for the more important things in life. It's on my resume, my professors have it, my more 'important' friends who actually use to communicate with me all have the address.

Unfortunately, on any given day only about 4 of the emails, if I'm lucky, were actually written by someone and intended to send them to me. The rest: forwards.

What is it with Arabs and forwards?!
Why is it that they feel obliged to send you meaningless jokes, urban legends (which have been debunked years ago), dua'as that come with the requisite "if you don't forward it to 15 people you do not love Allah and the Prophet." Since when did pestering people be the mark of Allah's love?!

So I came up with these rules that I share with my contacts at least once a year regarding forwards:

1) If I'm never gonna own it, I don't want to see it. Yes, that includes the amazing yacht, the cars of the future, the spaceship, and the bungalow in the tropical island.

2) If its a dua'a I know, or you received it as an email, I don't want it in my inbox.Chances are its been going around for a couple of years and I've seen it a couple of times already. Not wanting you to miss out on ajer? Memorize it, or write it down, and next time I see you tell me all about it.

3) If it's not your baby, I'm not interested. And if it is your baby, then please make sure I haven't seen the kid in at least two months--unless I've asked for them.

4) If it's something that is a "miracle", such as a tree trunk that spells out the word Mohammad, or a picture of Noah's arc, I'm not interested. I already believe. My inbox has no room for your miracles.

5) If you've seen it twice before, then I've probably seen it a couple of times as well, do NOT send it.

6) If it involves some sort of conspiracy theory, I don't want it crowding my love-letters (right). If it's about a church built with Muslim bones, how pepsi killed is destroying Al-Aqsa, or how the Free Masons are trying to prevent our fertile wombs from bearing God-fearing Muslim children with skinny jeans, do not send it!
I don't buy that crap and will often reply with facts. You don't want me bursting your bubble, I don't want to get annoyed.

7) If it's pictures of actresses/actors both Arab and foreign, with or without make-up, I'm not interested. Chances are if they're Arab, I won't know them and I'll think they're your sister or something. (Usually not a good thing.

8) If it's a chain letter, spare me.

9) If it's about this new discovery that praying actually neutralizes your body's negative energy...or some metaphysical crap like that, don't send it.
I'll continue to pray whether or not it does anything for me. And if I'm ever interested, trust me I'll eventually find it on the WWW. (or if you're dying to share send a link.)

10) If it says something like "you're my friend" or "today is friendship day, send this to your friends including the one who sent it"...yeah NO.
Clearly, if you were my friend, you'd write your own email. How about a "Hey! What's up?! I was thinking of you today and thought I'd drop you a line." That's much more appreciated than recycled feelings.

Get the general idea??!!

The truth is I almost never read them, I just delete them.

But seriously, what is it about Arabs and forwards?!!!

To be a stay-at-home-mom

My pre-teen sister wants to be a "stay at home mom" when she grows up.

In the car on the way back from a shopping trip, my mother asked her "what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I'm not sure...but I want to work for a few years then be a stay at home mom," she said.

I was surprised. We don't know any stay at home mothers. My sister has seen my mother work all her life.

Then she asks me "G, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I don't know."
"but you're already old, how do you not know?"
"I don't know and I'm not old."
"but you finished college, you should know by now."
"will you sit back in your seat and buckle up,"
"YoooMa!" (Mom!)
"stop yelling in my ear"
"YoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooMa! Shoofeeha!"
At which point my mom changes the subject.


Nothing gets to me like an obnoxious pre-teen who has life all figured out. Except maybe an obnoxious teen who asks "Why aren't you married?!" "When are you getting married?" "Who are you gonna marry?"

I need to find a better time to ask her what she thinks being a SAHM means. How do I do it in a way that doesn't boomerang into questions about my life.

There's nothing worse than trying to justify your choices to a 13 year old.

There's only one thing in the world that I hate more than pre-teens: teens. (The next couple of years are gonna be a hormone fest in our house!)

Linkistan: the First Edition

Images that spoke to me from today's PostSecret. (Click the link at your "own risk" some nudity and strong images, people's secrets aren't always pleasant.)





Who gave secularists the right to decide what women do with their hair?
Turks protest plan to end scarf ban. I wonder if Kuwaiti women who choose not to cover feel any pressure to do so.


Maybe in 2020 Kuwait'll be able to follow Ireland's lead; the amount of plastic bag litter is insane. "Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags"

And how much would you pay for a special license plate number? A filthy rich Abu Dhabi local pays $6.8 million for the number 5. (Allah ihanee o'yarziga.)(link courtesy of hendon)


And a great poem to top it all off (Tamim Barghouti, "Fil Quds")




Now I'm off to fly kites with my nephew.


(photo: Timtim flying a kite in Mina Abdullah a few weekends ago.)

"I don't want to be forgotten in jail"

Fouad Al-Farhan, a 32 year old Saudi blogger, was detained on December 10,2007 "for violating rules not related to state security," according to the Saudi government.

The father of two was told by a source that there was an official order out for his arrest. In light of these events, Al-Farhan wrote a letter to his friends.

According to the letter, Al-Farhan was being detained for spearheading an online propaganda campaign supporting a few political prisoners who were charged under the guise of "terrorism".

The source, according to the letter, asked Al-Farhan to write an apology letter. "An apology for what?," Al-Farhan wrote, "for saying the government lied when it accused reformers of supporting terrorism?"

The worst case scenario would be that he spends three days in prison, the official told him according to the letter.

The blogger asked his friends to publish the letter if he is gone for over 3 days. He's been detained for 53 days, as of today.

"I don’t want to be forgotten in jail,” he told his friends.

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This is not a domestic Saudi issue as it has happened here as well. This is an issue for all of us, at least those of us who consider the internet a sounding board for their thoughts.

This is it...this is the new frontier and we have to earn our right to use it; to make it our home.

I starting reading his blog after he was detained, read (in Arabic) some of my favorite posts of his here and here.

(Shame on you Saudi government for painting people you dislike with the "terrorist" brush. Who do you think you are George W. Bush?)

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This situation reminds me of a famous quote by pastor Martin Niemoller:

In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me -
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

I gotta get moving

It's February! Awhile back I decided that during this year I'm going to pick a month to exercise every single day no excuses.

I chose the shortest one: February (I didn't realize it was a leap year...dang it!). Now it's here. And I have to exercise.

On the bright side, February's a great month weather-wise in Kuwait so I could exercise outside. YAY me!

This is gonna be great I tell you, great!!(Now I'm off to exercise.)

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(Insert spiffy transition...I got nothing)

On March 1, 2008 (a Saturday) the Kuwait Center for Autism is marking the Arab Autism Day with a walk-athon. The walk-athon kicks off at 9:30 a.m. from the Swimming Pools complex to the Green Island.

They have booths set up for registration evenings only (5:30-9:30 p.m.) at Marina Mall starting tomorrow till the 22nd, at Soug Sharg from February 24-26 , and at the Avenues Mall on the 27th. For more information Call the center at 251-6192 or email at kwautism-AT-qualitynet-DOT-om.

It's a good cause and hopefully the weather will still be nice. More people, more more press coverage, more money, more awareness...and then maybe someday we'll stop hearing people say "he was so beautiful when he was two that people gave him the evil eye and he became autistic." Seriously.

(This time, I'm off to exercise for real.)

(photo "Don't Exercise Too Hard!" courtesy legolam, flickr)