Excuse Me? Say What?
From today’s Arab Times:
Drunkard creates nuisance: Police have arrested a Kuwaiti man for consuming alcohol and spreading panic in Adan Hospital, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
The well-built drunkard, who was visiting his brother in the hospital, caused nuisance and insulted policemen who rushed to the place, say sources.
It was found that the drunkard is wanted by law for insulting an employee on duty.
Don’t you find this write-up a bit strange?
OK, what does being “well-built” have to do with anything??? This is a news story!
6 October 2008 Back to Normal
The sound of early morning traffic humming by the house woke me early this morning, early enough to catch the sun coming up. The truth – as I see it – is that this is a very ho-hum, back to normal kind of morning. People are in the back-to-work mode, focused, not all that happy, after the glorious celebration of Eid, to be heading back to hum-drum normal. The sunrise was also sort of ho-hum, but there is a little wave action going on, and the temperature is only 79°F / 26°C and not expected to go over 98°F / 37°C.
I don’t mean to complain. It is a lovely sunrise. I might have had too much caffein this morning!
Sometimes, in the fall, I feel a little restless. Maybe the inner-Alaskan starts looking for a cave in which to hibernate!
Kuwait Adopts Islamic Jurisprudence?
From today’s Kuwait Times:
KUWAIT: MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabae said that several MPs plan to amend the second Article of the Kuwaiti Constitution and adopt Islamic jurisprudence as the main source of legislation in Kuwait. They will also push for amending other laws in accordance with the Islam as they feel that Islamic laws can effectively ward off crimes, theft, alcohol, drugs, adultery and sexual assaults.
Evening Twist
Tonight I was unaccountably organized, and realized I had exactly 21 1/2 minutes to spare before dinner was finished cooking (something it could do in the oven all by itself with no additional help from me) and . . . the light was going to that almost-sunset shade of somewhere-between=pink=and=blue that mesmerizes me.
While out the window on the other side of the house, an apocalyptic sun is setting:
I am telling you, sunrise in Kuwait is a piece of cake. Sunset – now there is a challenge. You still have time. I know there are possibilities. Show me a beautiful sunset in Kuwait. Don’t be intimidated by AbdulAziz – he LOVES photography and has been shooting for a long time. Find your own unique point of view.
As you can see, it is a challenge for me, too. I don’t like industrial looking sunsets, which seem to be fairly standard in Kuwait. There has to be a fabulous sunset possible. There must be!
Meanwhile, did you notice in the almost-purple shot above, there are no fishing boats on the horizon? This is how it looked just an hour and a half ago:
So many boats! And minutes later – they are all gone! For nights, their lights have been a necklace across the horizon, and now they are gone. How do they know? I can still see patches of twitchy water – how do they know?
By the way – look at that sea! Look at the color! Look at the blue sky! Wooo hoooo, October in Kuwait!
Two For One
Oh! I love October! I am so excited to get up in the mornings, go out on the balcony, all cool and fresh! The weather has been amazing, suddenly dry and not-so-hot, not-so-humid, and we can see all the way to the horizon. With the Eid – and fewer factories running, or whatever it is that puts all the junk in the air here – the sky is actually BLUE, not that hazy white we see most of the year.
It’s only 77°F / 25°C at 0800 this morning. I bet some Kuwaitis are shivering! 😉
Here is yesterday’s sunrise, actually taken as the sun broke over the horizon:
And here is today’s sunrise, actually taken a few minutes later (too lazy this morning!)
GOOOOOOOOD Morning, Kuwait! Hope ya’ll have a great day!
St. Francis and Animal Friends Bazaar
Good Morning, Kuwait! Today is the Feast of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals, and kindness to all living creatures. In his honor, we are posting an announcement for a bazaar benefitting the Animal Friends League in Kuwait. One-of-a-kind items, beautifully made, and many unique and high quality vendors will be there, all to help out Animal Friends.
Give to Everyone Who Begs From You
Months ago, I wrote a post about people asking for money in Kuwait, and when should you give and when should you not. It’s a problem that bothers all of us from time to time – when to be generous, and when are you throwing your money away?
Here, the instructions are clear – give to everyone who begs from you.
To me, that means keeping money on hand that I am comfortable will feed someone for a day – half a dinar to a dinar. Bread, beans, water . . .
When we lived in Tunis, my husband had his own beggqr – a man who came by the house from time to time. One time my husband followed him home, and when he came back, he said no matter how much we give this man, it will never be enough, he and his family live in a hovel. When the man came to us with a wound on his arm, my husband took him to the clinic and saw that he was cared for properly. The truth turned out to be that it benefited my husband, and our family, in the long run to be in a relationship with this beggar.
I’ve been taken by cons – the dripping medical bag, the fake leg gash – and I still believe it is better for us to error on the side of compassion.
Luke 6:27-38
27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.* Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
Running Red Lights (3)
I first blogged about this on April 14 and then again in July. I was on this road again yesterday, and oh look – nothing has changed, except the one remaining red light has become even dimmer in the 6 months. I have seen other lights changed – and cleaned (part of the problem here is the humidity and the sand gumming up the lights) but c’mon, this should be a part of nightly traffic maintenance! This is a disaster waiting to happen at a busy intersection:
Can you even see the red light? You have to know it is there, I think. It is the top right light. Now – can you see it?
Traffic department: These lights are at the intersection of the southern Gulf Road/ 7th Ring Road/ 209 and Highway 30. Please, clean up these lights and put in fresh bulbs!
AbdulAziz’s Sunset Entries: Great Q8 Sunset Challenge
Wow! The Kuwait Sunset Challenge is up and running, and our first entrant sets a very high standard! AbdulAziz has his own Flikr page with other gorgeous photographs; he takes his photography skills very seriously, as you will see.
Now for the impossible – the photos are all gorgeous. Which one is your favorite?
(This one was disqualified because it was shot in Lebanon)
(This one is disqualified because it was shot in Lebanon)
Thank you, AbdulAziz, for your beautiful entries! Anyone else who wants to send photos to me, you are welcome, please send them as attachments to your e-mail!
Great Kuwait Sunset Challenge
The votes are in – based solely on sheer volume, I am crowned Queen-of-the-Sunrise. It’s a question of location – I am presented with the perfect opportunity almost daily (not, like today, when it is haze from horizon to horizon) and I take it.
Sunsets, however, are another matter. I rarely see the sun go down and think “oh! I have to get a photo of that!”
For example:
How pathetic is that?
Here is my challenge to you, Kuwait bloggers. Find a Kuwait sunset. Shoot a photo. Post it on your blog and come back to tell us here that it has been posted. I want to see Kuwait sunset through your eyes. Make it speak!
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