Glassy Shimmer
This morning, it is once again only 81°F / 27°C at 0700 – it gets hot later in the day, but not so much humidity as before. Yesterday, after being outside only a short time, I felt like my skin had turned into cracked alligator hide – the dry heat just sucked all the moisture out. My eyes also felt gritty, even through it appeared fairly clear.
Another gorgeous morning, just a hint of that sulphery yellow haze on the horizon, sea flat as glass:
A fisherman is trying to snag something for the pot for tonight’s dinner:
Change in the Weather
At 0700 this morning, it is only 81°F / 27°C. What a change! No steamed up windows, the humidity is also down.
I love October in Kuwait, when the temperatures swing dramatically into the comfortable zone, and we can even start eating outside at night. We are yearning to go back to the Souk Mubarakiyya after church on Fridays, or on a relaxed Saturday night. Or Paul’s in the Fehaheel Al Kout Mall, out by the fountains. For six months, Kuwait is a delightful place to be. While my fellow Americans – or at least those not stationed in Kuwait or Iraq or Qatar – are slogging their way through the rain and wind and snow, we are basking in a sweet mostly-warm climate, our reward for the brutality of the summers here.
Although – there ARE people who love the heat! I even notice that I am not so uncomfortable in the summers as I once was. Unless it is humid, I don’t even break a sweat when I am out, or else it is so hot that it is just evaporating off me and I don’t even know it.
Yesterday, when I got up, it was too late to catch the sunrise, but what I did catch was lovely – a whole fleet of boats out fishing. Thanks to Enviro Girl telling me about the enhanced zoom capability on my camera, I was able to get some fairly clear shots, even at a distance:
Here, they’re hauling in something for dinner!
(Or maybe they are just hauling in the anchor. 🙂
If you want to see all the photos from the Souk Mubarakiyya, just do a search in the search box to the right and it will show you all the articles and photos I have taken there.
Kuwait Tsunami and Earthquake Warning
This is from Al Watan (thanks to Mrm for telling me what a good, reliable source they are!)
Expert warns of powerful earthquakes in Strait of Hormuz
Al Watan staff
KUWAIT: A leading Kuwaiti expert on earthquakes has warned that the Gulf region may face a devastating earthquake that could measure 7.0 on the Richter scale and cause a devastating tsunami.
Dr. Feryal BuRabee said the prospect of such an eventuality is great, particularly since repeated earthquakes have been reported in the Hormuz Straits.
Stressing that such a forecast must be taken seriously; the expert said the shallowness of the area where the earthquakes took place makes the possibility of repeat earthquake very likely.
“Though there were no huge losses from the 6.0 degree earthquake that took place on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, experts should realize that such a sequential order of earthquakes began since early August and still continues to date,” said BuRabee.
She recalled that an earthquake measuring 5.7, which is part of this sequential order of quakes, took place on Sept. 17.
BuRabee pointed out that an 8.3 earthquake that hit the Strait of Hormuz in 1945 caused a tsunami that destroyed a number of areas. The Kuwaiti expert called for the establishment of a regional early warning system that alarms the Gulf of any possible tsunamis. She stated that it would be difficult to accurately specify the date of such a high magnitude earthquake.
You can read the rest of the article by clicking Al Watan.
Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children
I received this e-mail this morning:
Hi there,
My organization, International Medical Corps, has the ability to save the lives
of malnourished children around the world and we just received some very
exciting news. We have been nominated to be one of the Top 25 in American
Express’ Projects, “Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children.” Our project was
chosen out of 1,190 projects and is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million
to help feed hungry children. Because your blog, here there and Everywhere, has
a loyal following, I thought this would be an issue you would want to share with
your readers. I’ve put together this microsite explaining everything.
http://internationalmedicalcorps.smnr.us/
If you could post about this on your blog it would really help to spread the
message and potentially could save many lives. At the minimum, please vote for
“Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children.” Please let me know either way.
Thanks.
Chessia
—
Chessia Kelley, International Medical Corps
ckelley@imcworldwide.org
http://imcworldwide.org
I googled the organization and it is legitimate. Here is what Wikipedia has to say:
International Medical Corps (known also as IMC) is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization established by volunteer doctors and nurses. The organization provides disaster relief, delivers health care to underserved regions, builds clinics, and trains local health care workers with the goal of creating self-reliant, self-sustaining medical services and infrastructure in places where that had previously been lacking.
IMC’s focuses include primary and secondary health care, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such as malaria, cholera, dysentery, and HIV/AIDS, supplemental food for malnourished children, clean water and hygiene education, mental health and psychosocial care, and microfinance programs that allow people to earn their own income.
International Medical Corps is a founding member of the ONE Campaign and a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Sunrise 17 Sep 08
Such a change from yesterday! Still a little hazy, off in the distance, but beautiful silvery-gold shimmer on the water, and the temperature still hasn’t broken 100°F – the weather is shifting, you need only the eyes to see!
Thanks be to God for a beautiful day in Kuwait!
Big Blur Sunrise
By the grace of God, I have been up since 5 this morning. Once I stopped jet-lagging, it was no longer so easy to get up and exercise. I have been hating myself, knowing I really NEED this, but not enough to actually do it.
So I prayed. And there I was this morning, wooo hoooo, wide awake at 5. I got up and went to the pool, which was CHILLY, and I exercised. I had a note from my niece, Little Diamond giving me lots of encouragement yesterday – thanks, Little Diamond, I think it worked!
I was waiting for the sun to come up, to take a photo, but all I have is this big grey-yellow blur. Whatever is in the sky – dust? sand? – the sun cannot break through it. At 0600, however, it is still only 88°F / 31°C, and comfortable.
Whatever is in the air is worse now than it was an hour ago. Yesterday, my left eye felt like it had a piece of sandpaper in it; people tell me they get that all same thing all the time, or headaches. Thank God, I don’t have a headache, and today my left eye feels better but my right eye feels a little gritty. What is this???
I have a million projects lined up today, and time to do them! I love it when I get up early; the day has more hours, I get more done!
Hang in there, my fasting friends. Today is supposed to be a little cooler than it has been – only 105° F / 41°C – not the scorching temperatures of earlier in the week, and apparently not the humidity, either.
Dusty Sun
Here is what the sun looks like on a dusty morning in Kuwait. I can’t call it a sunrise; it is too high in the sky, up for too long, but it just broke through:
Isn’t that a sad little sun?
Good morning, Kuwait! 🙂
Sunrise Meditation
Good morning, Kuwait!
I had to go out on the balcony this morning to take the sunrise photo; my windows are so streaked with dust and humidity that I can’t find a place clean enough to shoot through! I got a delightful surprise – the morning was comfortable! For a brief time, as brief as it may be, there is no humidity, and the temperatures are falling. “Falling” in this case means maybe down in the 80’s F., LOL, but comfortable!
Actually . . . it was lovely!
You can see, we have that suspicious dark layer hanging over the horizon, hmmm. . . . .looks suspiciously like pollution. Anyone having trouble breathing?
The verses for today’s meditation are from the Psalm for today, Psalm 62:
Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.
Have a great day, Kuwait.
Girgian Surprise
The doorbell rang.
No one rings my doorbell. The doorman always calls to let me know if a visitor has arrived.
“Who’s there?” I called out.
“It’s GIRGIAN!” a chorus of voices rang out.
Girgian is a children’s holiday, a little like Hallowe’en, about half way through the month of Ramadan, when costumed children come and ring your bell and are given sweets, sometimes money. If you are really lucky, they sing a song. My understanding is that normally the children go around to their families, like aunts and uncles and cousins, and to close neighbors.
I had had a full day, and I had more to do. I had come home and showered because I was no hot, and then – I had gotten into my lightest nightie so I could continue working in comfort. What to do???
Thank God, there was an abaya hanging in my hallway, and I grabbed it and flung it on as I headed to the door. In come eight gorgeous little Kuwaitis, all English speaking, all dressed top to bottom in gorgeous finery, bright thobes and prayer caps, beautifully hand woven bisht with gilt trim, dresses with embroidery and lace and gilt skirts, golden headdresses – oh! They were gorgeous!
No one has ever come for Gergian before. I didn’t have anything prepared. Thank God AdventureMan has a sweet tooth, and thank God, they were polite and appeared delighted with handsfull of Oreo cookies and marshmallows, which were all I had.
Some days, you just never know when a blessing will appear. Those darling children made my day.
These are not the children who came to my house, but I found this on YouTube, posted, thanks be to God, by fellow Kuwait blogger Chikapappi! Thank you, Chicki!
This is what Girgian costumed children in Kuwait look like, and how cool, they are singing!
Rapists Arrested
From today’s Arab Times:
2 wanted Bedouns involved in ‘rape’ case held
Kuwait : Personnel from the Law Enforcement Department have arrested two Bedouns who had been sentenced in absentia for life imprisonment with hard labor for their involvement in kidnapping and raping an unidentified expatriate woman, reports Al-Anba daily.
The daily did not give more details.
I don’t know how the system works here, but it is a great step forward when rapists are arrested and jailed. These two have already been convicted, so we can hope they will be off the streets for a while.
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