Dressing for the Weather
Thank God for the sun beating in our place for a goodly part of the day. The cold has seeped in so deeply that I have to wear heavy slippers, and I am still wearing my heavy fleece robe. Here is what it looks like at seven on a Saturday morning:
Beautiful golden sunrise – but make that a beautiful COLD golden sunrise:
Here’s the problem. I get all bundled up to stay warm inside, then when I am outside, the weather is gently toasty and I am overdressed! I strip off a layer of jacket and scarf and I am OK – unless I am sitting in the shade, in which case the jacket comes in handy again. Today we will be moving around a lot, so I may find myself a little overheated. 🙂
Things are not going to get better in the next few days – take a look:
Dress warmly, Kuwait, and get out there and enjoy this fabulous weather!
25 Reasons to Drink Green Tea
I am a great believer that one way to stay well is to stay away from clinics and hospitals, where bad germs lurk, just waiting for the next victim. I am always looking for natural remedies, and science is finding that many times, old natural remedies work for a reason. Like chicken soup when you have a cold, like the benefits of drinking green tea.
I don’t know that green tea works in every way this article says it does, but there are enough benefits, and enough scientific research showing that it improves bodily functions, that I regularly imbibe.
Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.
It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.
And if you’re not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you’re definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.
Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:
1. Green Tea and Cancer
Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer.
The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E.
This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-cancer.html
2. Green Tea and Heart Disease
Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol.
Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-and-heart-disease.html
3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging
Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals.
What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.
4. Green Tea and Weight Loss
Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally.
It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day.
That translates to 7 pounds in one year.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-weight-loss.html
5. Green Tea and Skin
Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging.
Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-skin.html
6. Green Tea and Arthritis
Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-and-arthritis.html
7. Green Tea and Bones
The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea.
It helps keep your bones strong.
If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.
8. Green Tea and Cholesterol
Green tea can help lower cholesterol level.
It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-and-cholesterol.html
9. Green Tea and Obesity
Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells.
If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you’ll be obese.
10. Green Tea and Diabetes
Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.
http://www.finegreentea.com/diabetes-and-green-tea.html
11. Green Tea and Alzheimer’s
Green tea helps boost your memory.
And although there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer’s.
12. Green Tea and Parkinson’s
Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson’s. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson’s.
13. Green Tea and Liver Disease
Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-liver.html
14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure
Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure.
Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-and-high-blood-pressure.html
15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning
Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.
16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar
Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.
17. Green Tea and Immunity
Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.
18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu
Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu.
Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.
19. Green Tea and Asthma
Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.
20. Green Tea and Ear Infection
Green tea helps with ear infection problem.
For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.
21. Green Tea and Herpes
Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes.
First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.
22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay
Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases.
It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-tooth-decay.html
23. Green Tea and Stress
L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.
24. Green Tea and Allergies
EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies.
So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.
http://www.finegreentea.com/green-tea-allergy.html
25. Green Tea and HIV
Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells.
What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.
Rape, Abduction and Sorcery
I’ve always loved reading the newspaper, but even more so in other countries, where things are seen differently. These two items are from the Arab Times
11 out of 30 youths held in rape of 2 Asian women
KUWAIT CITY : Police have arrested 11 Bedoun youths out of the thirty who had kidnapped two Asian women near a commercial complex in Jahra and sexually assaulted them for four days in a camp in Mutla’a area.
It was reported that the two victims managed to escape after the four-day ordeal and reported the incident to a night patrol team who informed the Jahra police.
The police then raided the camp and arrested the eleven suspects and referred them to North Jahra Police Station. A case was registered.
Sorceress held: Police have arrested an unidentified Iraqi sorceress and referred her to the concerned authorities, reports Al-Dar daily.
The arrest came following a complaint filed by an unidentified Kuwaiti man who told police the woman had cheated by selling him a magic charm for KD 230. He also told police he had been wearing the charm for three months and failed to get what he aspired for.
Acting on this information police set a trap for the sorceress and caught her in the act while selling a charm worth KD 300 to a police agent. Armed with a search and arrest warrant, police then raided the apartment and confiscated various kinds of tools used by the suspect in black magic.
During interrogations she admitted to the charge and said her clientele includes well-known personalities and female university students. She also said she has until now ‘earned’ KD 85,000 from her ‘work’.
It has also been reported many people, particularly those who believe in her power, intervened in vain to secure her release.
By Mezyad Al-Saeedi
Special to the Arab Times
First, I cannot imagine the horror of being abducted, held in a remote location, and raped by up to 30 different men. The worst fear, of course, is whether you will live through it. Some victims don’t. Wouldn’t you think the names of these young rapists would be published so that women could be protected from marrying them? Imagine, being married to a man who rapes women . . . it would be a little bit of hell on earth.
Secondly – the first guy spent over $800 on a charm and then waited three months for it to work. In the interest of full disclosure, I sure would like to know what the charm was supposed to do? The police officer who entrapped the sorceress was going to pay over $1000 for her magic. That she claims she has earned 85,000 KD per year – that is around $325,000, that’s some serious income for some sorcery.
They are very good at obtaining confessions in Kuwait.
I can’t remember the last time I heard of someone being arrested for sorcery in my home town. There are similar sorts, people who con the elderly, people who prey on the deepest fears and hopes of others, but rarely are they accused of anything but fraud and theft.
Kuwait Airport Radar Malfunction
Airport radar malfunction
Published Date: January 08, 2009
From the Kuwait Times
KUWAIT: The radar at Kuwait International Airport malfunctioned on Tuesday, but this did not affect air traffic in any way, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation yesterday.
The directorate’s Acting Director of Aviation Equipment Department Sami Al-Hulaibi said the malfunction occurred at 11:30 pm.
All necessary procedures were taken and the emergency standby radar was used, he added, noting that technicians, in cooperation with the manufacturer of the radar, were working to fix the device so that it may render service once again. — KUNA
11:30 pm is like one of the busiest times at Kuwait Airport. Many of the long international flights are taking off, crowds are coming in from India and the far east, and the radar is malfunctioning?? I wonder how long it took before the back-up radar was in place? Will they let us know when the front-line system is operational again?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Good morning, Kuwait!
It wasn’t supposed to be this cold this morning! I think it must have been another freezing night last night, but between extra blankets and the Qatteri Cat, we slept just fine. We were in Al Ghanim last night, and saw a big sale going on – space heaters! Everyone was out buying heat.
It is going to be another glorious day in Kuwait! Dress warmly, get out there and enjoy your Friday!
We watched Valkyrie and my husband said it stayed very close to the historical events. It wasn’t very exciting, or moving, to me. I think I might’ve changed the ending. 😉 The funniest moment in the film was where AdventureMan said “I think that coughing is coming from someone in the audience, not from the film” and from time to time, we saw a head pop up in the lower left hand corner.
Struggle-to-Get-Up Sunrise
I can tell it is warmer – barely. It is 48F/8C and not a few degrees less, like before. It is still pretty chill, especially if a wind blows. Qatteri Cat and AdventureMan and I have piled on the blankets, but oh, it is a struggle to get up on these cold winter mornings.
Looks like the sun is having the same problem.
In spite of the slow start, it is going to be much warmer today, so be sure to have a lighter weight sweater under those heavy coats with which you will start the day.
Have a great day, Kuwait, and a great weekend, too! 🙂
Do You Have Reservations?
AdventureMan and I read a lot, and there is a standing joke between us – there are times, like reading a detective novel set in China, when one of us just gets a craving for Chinese food. Or it could be reading James Lee Burke and we have to have some Jambalaya or shrimp. The day we went to the Arabic Early Bird, AdventureMan had been reading the latest Odd Thomas book and needed a breakfast fry-up.
So Friday, after church, when I told him I really needed to go to Tang Chow because a minor character in a book I am currently reading ate Peking duck and Tang Chow is the only place I know in Kuwait that serves Peking Duck without needing advance warning. We usually go to China Queen, but for Peking Duck – only Tang Chow will do.
So we walk in and there is not one single other customer there. The hostess says “do you have a reservation?”
The rational part of me figures some people have called ahead and requested specific tables and she is trying to ask if we are one of those. The irrepressible part of me just laughs to hear such a question when the restaurant is absolutely EMPTY!
We eat around 7 most nights, it’s cultural and also we don’t like to go to bed on full stomachs, we like to have some time between dinner and bedtime. We make jokes about “the American seating” and “the Kuwaiti seating,” like if you are on a ship, and there are separate dining times for the children and the parents. We eat with the children, and as we are leaving, we watch the culturally-late-diners streaming in as we are streaming out.
There are times when it is a special event, and all the tables are reserved. AdventureMan figured out that we can sometimes wheedle a table saying “We are American! We will be gone before they ever show up for their reservation! I promise!” and they will give us the table, and sure enough, we are gone before the reservers ever show up.
It’s still funny to hear that question when the entire restuarant is full of empty seats, like they are going to turn us away if we don’t have reservations.
Qurain Cultural Festival Events Postponed
From today’s Kuwait Times:
KUWAIT: Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters Bader Al-Refai announced yesterday the postponement of concerts of the 15th Al-Qurain cultural festival in solidarity with the people of Gaza who are subjected to brutal Israeli aggression.
Al-Rifai, who heads the Higher Organizing Committee of the festival said in a press statement that the festival celebrated here few days ago the Palestinian Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009.
He added that the tragic situation faced by the Palestinian people in Gaza is the reason for the postponement of activities including the final musical concert that was scheduled to be held on January 14 which would honor artist Abdel Mohsen al-Muhanna. He said the postponement was a common desire of the Council, al-Muhanna and the Kuwait National Music Band. – KUNA
Qurain Cultural Festival – AARRGH
Doesn’t this look like fun? This Qurain Cultural Festival Event was held at the Souk Sharq, so accessible, for shoppers. I would have been there in a heartbeat – had I known.
Qurain Cultural Festival highlights national heritage: Official
Kuwaiti Writers Association celebrates poet AlÙ€Fayez”s legacy
Compiled by
Al Watan Daily
KUWAIT: As part of the 15th AlÙ€Qurain Cultural Festival, the Kuwaiti artistic group Mayouf AlÙ€Majli for folklore art performed at Souk Sharq before shoppers.
Qurain Cultural Festival Vice Chairman Mohammed AlÙ€Asousi in comments to AlÙ€Watan stated that the inclusion of such items into the festivals was of particular importance and highlighted the significance of local art and folklore. He added that such folklore was also represented outside the country as the Qurain Cultural Festival organizers were keen on having such national folklore represented in regional festival activities.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait Writers Association recalled the poetic artistry of late poet Mohammed AlÙ€Fayez, as a part of activities of the Qurain Cultural Festival, in an evening organized by The National Council of Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL).
Writer Abdullah AlÙ€Khalaf noted the late poet, 1938Ù€1991, was a remarkable example of Kuwaiti poets, known for his high quality and rich writings. He noted the many writings and poems and diwans of the poet, including the one published posthumously by his daughter.
He added that AlÙ€Fayez started by writing short stories, under the nickname of “Zeseif,” which featured later in his writings of “The memories of a sailor,” which was a an epic story, written in a poetic form and narrating a standard example of Kuwaiti life in the days of pearl diving.
AlÙ€Khalaf said that AlÙ€Fayez was a pioneer in writing on that topic of hardships of older days in the Arab World, saying that he published this work in the newspapers in the year 1964, and it was printed later as one diwan.
Last updated on Tuesday 6/1/2009
Blue Skies, Old Ruins
Running about Kuwait, we stopped just to appreciate these ruins. You drive past them all the time, and it gets so you don’t even notice them. Today, the sky is SO blue, and the ruins are so beautiful, and who knows how long they will even be there?
I wish I could have seen this place in all its elegant splendor. You can see it must have been graceful. It looks like a lot of thought went into its construction. I wonder what it was – anyone know? It is near the Diabetes Clinic, near the British Embassy, near Dasman Circle.
I wanted you to see the beautiful arches and the elegant details against the brilliant blue sky before I show you the entire building, in context, with all the cars parked nearby, the towers in the background – it all somehow diminishes the building in context:
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