On Alfadalah, on rage.

I love it when Kuwaiti liberals get indignant and start throwing around words like FREE SPEECH! This is the thing; Khaled Alfadalah's situation is not merely about free speech. (Well not in the FREE SPEECH! sense, atleast not to me.)




There's a few things that are feeding our rage:
1) It seems that money-laundering is okay to do but not okay to talk about. (good post on money-laundering here.)
2) Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad is the first Prime Minister to think of himself as a private citizen and sue political activists. Hereby, breaking with Kuwait's political tradition of free speech. (see MP Ahmad Alsa'adoun/Sheikh Ahmad AlFahad for most slandered in Kuwait, not a single lawsuit brought up by them.)
3) Alfadalah didn't really slander him.
4) His sentence was unusually harsh for a slander case (3 months, KD 150)
5) Apparently, the Prime Minister's counsel Emad Alsaif's argument was based on the fact that the Prime Minister was going to be Amir.
6) The liberals haven't had a guy of theirs be "harmed" by the government in almost twenty years. (Correct me if I'm wrong but not since Alnaibari/Aljouan's assassination attempts.
7) Khaled's arrest came the day after Mohammad Aljassem's release from prison. This all seems like a witch-hunt.

I think Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad miscalculated when he chose Khaled:
1) His history, unlike that of Aljassem, is squeaky clean. Few people doubt his intentions.
2) The liberals have been pretty compliant with the Prime Minister, why start a fight on more fronts?
3) He gained street cred with both the Popular Block (Alsha3bi) and bedou for standing up against with Albarrak and Agaila rallies.
4) He's from a good well-connected family. Solid middle-class, not seen as over-privileged. He's a "one of us" to a large number of Kuwaitis.
5) He has a young family.
6) He's well-spoken, media savvy, sincere and very well mannered.

I've written about Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad: here, here, and here. Writing about him gets kind of old.

To the Six Entitled Boy-Men Smokers-

picture source

Dear Six Guys who lit up after their meal at Lorenzino-Salhiya,

I understand that at one point smoking was considered cool. Perhaps you were 16 when you started and hey all the cool people smoked, right? We've all done things we're not proud of. It's a tough habit to break. It's soothing. It's too hot outside. You just finished your meal and there's nothing greater than a cigarette after a nice meal. You need to smoke. I understand all that.

But you see, we are inside a building. The ceiling is low and it's a narrow restaurant, which means that there's no way for the smoke to dissipate. It lingers in the air and settles in my sad sorry asthmatic lungs. But you couldn't have known that.

Nope, you were too busy enjoying your oral fixation. Too busy to notice me, at the table right behind you, gasping for breath, coughing for a good five minutes and finally leaving the restaurant to stand outside for some fresh air.

It's sad all around, really. You, burning your money away on cigarettes. And well you, again, burning my money away at restaurants where your blatant disregard for those around you means a stop at the Amiri Hospital for me before the night is over.

You might think my anger is unwarranted. But see I think of air as a shared resource. I believe in such a thing as common courtesy. Like say, not contaminating a shared wel. You blowing smoke in the air I breath, would be like me spitting in your drinks. Disgusting, right? Exactly! I do not spit in your drinks. Not when I really feel like it, not when there's no where else to spit, not when I feel like I absolutely must. Nor do I defecate or urinate on your possessions. My, what self restraint I have!

You might want to try it sometime. Respecting others. It can be fun. In the meantime, I hope every time you smoke indoors, someone urinates from his balcony and hits your head. I hope every waiter spits in your food. I hope you never find parking. I hope you get the worst case of the runs that keeps you at home, where you can smoke your organs away without making the rest of us smell like ashtrays.

I hope you die,
G

Wait your turn, do not pick your nose and other important lessons.

The other day, talking with a group of women about Kuwait's issues at a friend's house, a lady, late 20's to early 30's, impeccable blond highlights, extremely well-dressed, distinct last name, starts speaking:

"The problem is with us, it's our attitude..."

"...I mean, who would wait for their turn at the doctor if the doctor was a relative like their sister or such? I won't."

I nearly choked on my tea; I interrupt.

"I wait for my turn, always. To me, it's purely a matter of manners and class,"
"Only if I was dying would I even consider taking someone else's turn at the doctor!"

Not wanting to insult the lady, I stopped talking. But, I was shocked that someone would say that out loud. To me that's like saying, I never flush the toilet after I use it, or I pick my nose and taste it, I kick babies in the head for fun.

There are certain things that should never be said in public. I don't wait my turn at the doctor because I know someone is definitely high on that list.

There are no words....

to express my outrage!!

Things like this make me stabby.

Ministers' Al-Sabeeh (Education) and Al-Humoud (new porfolio: i dunno what) have not been confirmed by our glorious Parliament because they do not wear hijab.

What kind of demented power struggle is this? Where do they think they are? Really

This is soo retarded...there are no words.

Also, i'm taking it out on the keyboard which is not good.

Can you hear me now? "Kuwaitis are materialistic"

Upon leaving a friend's fancy baby reception (istiqbal) at a hospital; my friend, M, makes a comment about how the Kuwaiti society has become materialistic and "shinsawi? ba3ad...".

She said, there's really nothing to do about it and you have to play along.

Although that sentiment is not new, I find that the people who make such statements are often justifying their excessive behavior*.

Putting a stop to the "let's top that" attitude takes some effort and gumption.

A long conversation followed about society, materialism, and our role in it but these are my thoughts:

We create our own realities, live our own lives.

"We" are not "chithee". You are.

(1) We choose our social circles.
Although we don't choose our family, we do have some say in our social circles. If it bothers you so much, or you're trying to get out of it, don't be around people who are self-obsessed and materialistic. (I'm not saying its easy...I'm saying its possible.)

(2) We choose to care.
Very few people actually deeply care about what we do, wear, etc. They need a topic to discuss. People won't care that you didn't have a fancy baby reception at a hospital, they don't want to worry about inconveniencing their selves by having to visit you at home. Some might talk because they have nothing better to do.

The problem is that regardless of how strong or mild the social pressure is, we don't want to have to deal with it. We don't want to stand up for what we believe for a single second.


Isn't that why we end up with a crazy hospital bill (that has little to do with the medical care we received)? To have other people come in dressed to the nines only hours after having a life-altering experience, choosing to spend that precious time away from our babies and partners?

Isn't that why we buy cars that take up a big chunk of our monthly income? To prove that we have money to other people. God forbid we actually live within or below our means. That would mean we're middle class .

And I truly apologize for this statement but if your parents are rich and you have a crazy expensive car that you can't buy on your own, then you're a mooch.

Today's lesson: Quit complaining. This is a mess of our own making. Let's work on fixing it.

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*She recently bought a car worth around KD 25,000. She makes around KD 600 per month. Her car note's around KD 250. And complains about being penniless before the end of the month.

Faisal Al-Hajji: BITE ME!

This is NOT okay.

Al-Qabas (May 6,2009)
«
المسيلة» ضاحية سالم الصباح
قال وزير الدولة لشؤون مجلس الوزراء فيصل الحجي ان سمو أمير البلاد، تقديراً للدور المهم والجهود المخلصة التي قام بها المغفور له الشيخ سالم الصباح في مختلف المجالات والميادين في خدمة الوطن والمواطنين من مختلف المواقع التي تقلدها طيلة فترة عمله، أمر بتسمية منطقة «المسيلة» باسم ضاحية سالم الصباح.

(Almessila to be renamed "Salem Al-Sabah" Area)

One more area renamed after a Shaikh. I have no problems with our Shyookh, but renaming areas seems like something invaders do and YOU ARE NOT INVADING US.

It's hostile, it's eradicating and rewriting history. Sure, our areas have some pretty crazy names (Mahboola?!)...but this is our history (somehow) and we want to keep it!

I barely recognize the names in my country anymore!


There's going to be more roads, areas, highways, schools, hospitals built in the next five years (atleast we hope!). Why can't you wait till something actually needs a name to name it?!

Guess what! you can lead a horse to water....
I'm still calling Om AlHaiman, Om AlHaiman and '3arb (West) Mishref is always gonna be West Mishref to me.

And when someone tells me to go to Sabah Al-Nasser or Jaber Al-Ali I say...where the !@#$ is that..??!!!

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? IT'S NOT ABOUT HONORING THE PEOPLE...(I'm soo flipping pissed I could bite Faisal Al-Hajji)


I'm sick of not recognizing my country anymore. I'm sick of this crap you're pulling...


I'm outraged.

No! She! Didn't!

I wrote my previous post not to show how horrible the girls I'm around are or how much more enlightened I am, the purpose of the post was to shed light on how common discriminatory comments have become.

Many people seemed disgusted with the girls comments, although I'm convinced we've all said things along those lines because unfortunately our superior attitude is ubiquitous.

Case in point:

Today, an acquaintance married into a candidate's family called to convince tell me to vote for a certain rich candidate. I'm amused by this dude's decision to run for parliament, but I haven't really given him much thought.

Her argument:
1) 6abee3i ra7 ta36eena! (Ohwa minkum o'feekum)
"Wallah, I'm not sure yet; I've yet to hear him speak or hear anything about him. Bes inshallah..." she then explains how many ways we're related...(we're not.)

2) He's a young man, we need fresh blood.
"3ala 3aini o'rasi, bes our district is full of young people; so I"ll have to see."

3) Kafi inna wild _____, o'shayef 5air. Ya3ni shab3an moo min hel hailag illee dasheen 3ala 6ima3
"Hahahaaha", I thought she was joking then realized she's serious, "7abeebti...i got to go...but if you have information about events send me a message."


I hung up and almost hurled.


He can plaster the district from Doha to Qadsiya with his posters but with that kinda rhetoric
he's definitely not getting my vote!


Today's lesson: Rich people would never embezzle money or enter into shady deals to become richer. That's for haileg*.


*haileg=riffraff

Can you hear me now? Equality and Bedou

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NOTE: I included tribe's names in the post. It's not meant to offend or belittle anyone. It just reads more authentic with then when I wrote it without. Tribes names were not changed. No bedou/7athar, Sunna or Shi3a were harmed in writing in this post.

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Last night, I was at a friend's monthly girl diwaniya. Meeting new people is a lot of fun.

Minor problem, several girls were saying things that made me extremely uncomfortable:


On elections:
"Mako wayed i3yal 3awayil nazleen bilinti5abat, a'3labhum..." she then makes a squirming face and a belittling hand gesture. (translation: there aren't that many candidates from large families i.e."Sunni, non-bedou, rich people" running)


On the freak storm:
"Bricks from our neighbor's house fell onto their covered garage and damaged their cars," upon expressing our sympathies, she adds, "3adi, 3awazim." (translation:it's okay they're from _a certain tribe_.)


On family:
I asked a girl who her mother is (she started it!) and she says "Al-Ajmi, bes moo bedou wallah." It turns out her uncle was a co-worker of mine and I know his family well; they are bedou.

The same girl turns to a girl sitting between us (who, like me, happens to have a tribal last name) and asks her about her mother, upon hearing the last name (a common but unfamiliar name) she goes, "Ee ya3ni zaineen." (translation: "yeah they're okay.") (awkward.)

We say a lot when we think we're in a safe setting.

Equality, my bunions.

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Upon getting ready to leave, I pulled out my folded abaya and hijab and unraveled them while talking to one of the girls. She gasped, "you wear hijab?!" The other six girls sitting around chimed in, "I didn't expect that." "I didn't imagine...you don't look like the type!"

What was that about? I'm taking it as a compliment that my hair wasn't flat.

There's a hijab-wearing type?

I live two streets down from mint chocolate chip. Yum.

Our neighborhood's gone insane. We need a color intervention.


A few blocks down from my house our neighbors are painting their house a very bright green color. For some reason it reminds me of "mint chocolate chip", my favorite ice-cream flavor. Yummy in the tummy, not so much on the street.

Across the street from us, a Spanish style house's exterior is being painted grey...like concrete only uglier. But why? 5alti you have such good taste why would u do that..?!(They also have my dream car(s)..Allah ihaneeehum.)


Two streets away from us, there's a blue house. A blue house that shimmers. Ding dong, Madonna called, she wants her 80's eyeshadow back. And I can't make this crap up, they have a matching car parked outside at all times (I'm not kidding, its an older Mercedes Benz).


Anyway I'm convinced the two freshly painted houses are painted with primers only and a top coat will happen soon. My father disagrees, he thinks the ugly is the topcoat.

No matter which way I choose exit my area, I get the urge to poke my eyes out. Lord grant me patience (and an ipod and eternal bliss..).

We need us some color Po'lice. "Sir step away from the house and put your paintbrush down. You have the right to paint your house with non-nasty colors, any bright color you use will be held against you in the court of public opinion. If you cannot afford to buy eye-pleasing colors your neighbors will buy some for you." (wai3 ilmala8a..ur still reading..?! u deserve eternal bliss for putting up with my crap.)


I kid. Everyone's entitled to having a hideous colored house if that's what they really want. At the rate real estate prices in Kuwait are increasing, if I were ever to be lucky enough to own a house in Kuwait I'd paint it all the colors of the spectrum just 'cause I can.

(A house across the street from my parents is going for a little under $2 million, it hasn't been lived in for 15 years or more. So you're paying over one million dollars for a heap of trash.)

So no I don't see any rainbow colored houses in the near future.



Hey look what I found!



"Colourful House In Sandringham Road London E8" (courtesy Calistobreeze, flickr).

The shiny invades Kuwait

I’m not really sure when or how it happened as it slowly crept upon us.

But if you're not staying up nights over this already you should be...(Kimora Lee Simmons, I blame you for destroying the Kuwaiti aesthetic.)

"Strass" (Rhinestones) have invaded Kuwait... I’ve been cooped up inside for sometime now so I’ve been out of the ‘loop’…a couple of days ago I decided to drive around the ‘loop’ just to blow off some steam and clear my mind…and I spotted it all over Kuwait.

What? Is shiny the new black?! Am I missing out on something here?!

I’m very confused…first it showed up on hijabs and that was cute and all… for the first 10 minutes. Then it just got tacky! But anyhow on a hijab it does give a certain éclat to a girl’s face, as a Lebanese-wannabe acquaintance of mine would say.

Then it showed up on cell phones which was deeply disturbing because my eyes are very sensitive to light and these shine-bombs were very…well…shiny.

Shiny and cheap…I mean you’re calling attention to your cell phone because…? it’s special…how? Not to mention it quite impractical as it scratches your face when you’re using the cell. Nonetheless, I figured let them be… to each their own right..?

But now I see it on cars and that’s just beyond disgusting (once again this is my personal opinion…Please don’t comment or send me emails saying “well I think it’s cute”).

I mean seriously!…I was driving on Gulf Road and I see a pink Hummer (as if regular Hummers weren’t ugly enough) with the Hummer logo on the back spelled out with rhinestones…(If I’ve ever seen a confused car…that was it!) Pink Hummer owner, you should be ashamed!

Then I noticed the trend …many many cars along Gulf Road had those tacky 2-D discoball-descendants somewhere on the car and many had blinged up their carmaker’s logos. UGH! How ugly! How very 70’s!

Now listen up Kuwait…

If you’re a guy there are only two good reasons for your car to be blingy:

1) You’re a rapper (which you’re not…even if you’re black and you think you can rap…you are not and you can’t).

2) You’re gay.

Kuwaiti girls you also get two reasons:

1) You have ridiculously bad taste.

2) You’re an idiot who would do anything other Kuwaitis do.

Why do I care?

I don’t.

I really could care less what people did to their cars.

But this is a problem...if it was one car I’d let it go, but a whole fleet of cars…we have to do something about this because:

a) it’s a hebba (“trend”) and you know how those can get out of hand around here...(think: would you like it if your neighbor's house was plastered with strass).

b) more importantly, its a national pandemic…and it’s really pathetic.

At this point I won’t be surprised if Kuwait’s official emblem was pimped out with shiny little crystals as well. (Make that image go away!)

Today’s lesson: Blinged up Kuwaitis need a life! And no you’re not cute!