US Embassy New Warden Message 2009-8 Swine Flu
Subject: Warden Notice 2009 8
Please circulate the following message without additions or omissions immediately to all American citizens within your area of responsibility.
Begin Text.
Warden Message
Kuwait
May 4, 2009
This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens to the latest information regarding human cases of 2009-H1N1 influenza, sometimes referred to as swine flu. The Kuwait Ministry of Health, Ports and Frontiers Division, is distributing three-part health surveillance cards to travelers arriving from countries that have reported cases of the H1N1 influenza. Within 72 hours of arrival, travelers are required to report to a designated Ministry of Health clinic to receive a check-up. Currently, some Ministry of Health clinics are requiring travelers to return for a second check-up within seven days of arrival. Failure to meet these requirements could result in a fine or imprisonment. The clinics are listed in Arabic on the back of the health surveillance card. With this card, most taxi drivers or hotel staff should be able to direct travelers to the nearest center. The ministry also has a website at http://www.moh.gov.kw/ that lists, in Arabic, the centers locations and contact infor
mation. One part of the health surveillance card will be kept by the traveler. Currently Kuwaiti authorities are not requiring travelers to turn in their copy of the card. Travelers transiting Kuwait or planning to be in Kuwait less than 72 hours should ask airport authorities for guidance upon arrival.
The Embassy reminds U.S. citizens that most cases of influenza are not 2009-H1N1 Influenza. Any questions or concerns about influenza or other illnesses should be directed to a medical professional. Although the Embassy cannot provide medical advice or provide medical services to the public, a list of hospitals can be found on our website at http://kuwait.usembassy.gov/.
For further information about 2009-H1N1 Influenza, including steps you can take to stay healthy, please consult the Department of State information at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_pandemic.html, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/, the U.S. Government pandemic influenza website at http://www.pandemicflu.gov, and the World Health Organization website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html. For additional travel safety information, please consult the State Department’s website at http://www.travel.state.gov.
U.S. citizens may also call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the United States for the latest travel information. The Office of Overseas Citizens Services can be reached from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday, by calling 1-888-407-4747 from within the U.S. and Canada, or by calling (202) 501-4444 from other countries.
Americans living or traveling in Kuwait are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Kuwait. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located on Masjed Al-Aqsa St, Bayan Area, telephone: 2259-1581, 2259-1583 or 2259-1248, Fax: 2259-1438, Email: KuwaitACS@state.gov
End Text.
Sex Ban in Kuwait?
Taking a page from Lysistrata, an ancient play by Aristophanes, the Kenyan women have called for a week-long ban on sex to rid their country of political infighting.
It gave me such a giggle. Can you imagine Kuwait women, at the critical moment, saying “Darling, can you do something for Kuwait?” LOL.
From BBC News; you can read the entire article here:
Women’s activist groups in Kenya have slapped their partners with a week-long sex ban in protest over the infighting plaguing the national unity government.
The Women’s Development Organisation coalition said they would also pay prostitutes to join their strike.
The campaigners are asking the wives of the Kenyan president and the prime minister to join in the embargo.
They say they want to avoid a repeat of the violence which convulsed the country after the late-2007 elections.
Relations between Kenya’s coalition partners, led by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, have become increasingly acrimonious.
Now the dispute has moved to the nation’s bedrooms.
Lead from the front
Patricia Nyaundi, executive director of the Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida), one of the organisations in the campaign, said they hoped the seven-day sex ban would force the squabbling rivals to make up.
She said the campaign would start from her bedroom and that emissaries had been sent to the two leaders’ wives, Ida Odinga and Lucy Kibaki, urging them to join in and lead from the front.
“Even commercial sex workers should join in the campaign which is so vital to the country,” Mrs Nyaundi told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.
“Great decisions are made during pillow talk, so we are asking the two ladies at that intimate moment to ask their husbands: ‘Darling can you do something for Kenya?'”
We’ve Got Weather!
The Qatteri Cat is going a little wild, there is this weird sound, tap tapping irregularly – his eyes are wide, his ears on high alert – what is this? oh, just wait until he gets to Seattle. He will find out what RAIN really is!
We’ve got weather!
There’s no drama this time, no thunder, no lightning, not even much wind to speak of, but for maybe five full minutes (Whew! That is hugely ‘torrential!’) we’ve had RAIN, serious rain.
I know my friends and family in Seattle are laughing their bottoms off, that I think this is serious rain. In a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water, this is a serious rain, the best rain we have had all winter. You can see the road is entirely wet, not just little plop-lets, and the wheels of the bus are (going round and round, yes 😉 ) throwing up some spray. Ten minutes later, it is still raining. You’d have to live here to know how sweet that sound is.
Garbage Truck
While we are on the subject of waste; a friend forwarded this to me and I really like it:
Garbage Truck
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car drove out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital! This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.
Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on… Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.
So…Love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! The seeds you plant today, determine the harvest you reap tomorrow.
A short prayer:
Lord, please pour out your holy spirit upon us that we will have the nine fruit of the spirit in us and specially the patients towards everyone in this world that we will not carry anyone’s garbage in us.
Municipal waste, Industrial waste and Medical waste
We wonder why some days we have trouble breathing, some days we wake up with headaches, and we wonder about that thin line of bilious yellow haze that moves in off the sea and smells like sulpher and makes us choke and our eyes water.
From today’s Arab Times; you can read the entire interview by clicking here
Toxic, hazardous gases being emitted into the air; Waste dumping tied to health problems
Toxic and hazardous gases are being emitted into the air because of the uncontrolled and illegal dumping of waste. The emitted toxic gases are causing a lot of health problems along with the polluted dust coming from outside of Kuwait. These health problems include asthma, vomiting, coughing, allergies among other diseases, states Mohammad Al Sarawi, an environment expert.
Mohammad Al-Sarawi was speaking to the Arab Times on the current environmental problems that are affecting Kuwait, the limitations faced by Kuwait Environmental Authority, the implications of the second Gulf Conference on Environment & Sustainability — including the current eco-friendly projects being adopted.
Q: As an environmentalist what would you say are the major environmental problems that Kuwait suffers from today?
A: There are three types of pollutants that are causing environmental problems in Kuwait. They are municipal waste, industrial waste and medical waste.
Firstly considering the municipal waste, we have at least 3000 tons of municipal waste dumped into the desert directly without any recycling or treatment. The garbage is collected from the residential areas in Kuwait. Municipal waste is mainly dumped in illegal landfills. Illegal from an international and conventional point of view. The illegal landfills where the waste is dumped are not monitored and don’t come under any form of control. These places have to be monitored well to limit the pollution that such waste is pumping into the air and affecting the surrounding areas.
From the 1940s until today there has not been recycling of municipal waste. Kuwait is failing to meet the international standards when it comes to the recycling of municipal waste and other kinds of waste. The waste is dumped in more than one landfill. We get some of our natural resources from the desert and using them as dumping grounds can affect procurement of important resources. We produce so much waste that we are running short of places to dispose them of.
There are 16 old landfills in Kuwait and now all of them are closed because of saturation. We have only 3 active landfills left, one in Jahra, one in Mina Abdullah, and one in Sulaibiya. Dumping of waste continues in the remaining landfills. Environmental problems come mainly from closed landfills which surround urban areas. These closed landfills emit a very strong stench. They also emanate methane gas (CH4), which mixes in the atmosphere and is very dangerous. There is a high chance that this toxic gas can spread into urban areas and people could inhale it. This gas diffuses very easily and rapidly in the air and has a very foul smell.
Scattered Clouds on St. Patrick’s Day
Top O’ the Mornin’ to you, Kuwait, and be sure to wear green today or risk a pinch!
Weather Underground tells us we will have “scattered clouds” today:
At just exactly the right moment, I was able to catch a tiny glimpse of sunrise this morning, breaking through the “scattered clouds.” I don’t know how things look where you are, but I think I heard a brief scattered shower.
Sure and it’s an Irish day we’re having, storm clouds and a little rain to keep Kuwait green. (Insh’allah!)
Irish Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day
Here is a really bad joke people used to tell about the Irish people:
Q How do the Irish people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
A With a seven course meal
Q What do they serve?
A A six-pack and a potato
The Irish were stereotyped as being poor (only having potatoes to eat) and drunkards, who loved their beer.
Here are some recipes for foods the Irish really eat:
IRISH SODA BREAD
from all recipes.com
SUBMITTED BY: Arlene Costello/Agnes Walters PHOTO BY: MommyFromSeattle
“This recipe was given to me by my mother, Agnes Walters. It is made with sour cream and always comes out moist and keeps for several days.”
PREP TIME
10 Min
COOK TIME
1 Hr
READY IN
1 Hr 10 Min
Original recipe yield 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 cup raisins
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream and raisins and mix until just combined. Distribute batter evenly between the two pans.
3. Bake loaves at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.
COLCANNON (Irish Potato Salad)
FROM FoodNetwork.com
Recipe courtesy Jason Priestley
Show: Paula’s PartyEpisode: Primetime Cuties Party
• Cook Time
• 25 min
• Level
• Easy
• Yield
• 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients
• 5 russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 large leek-halved and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 head napa cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2/3 cups chopped green onion tops
Directions
Cut and steam the potatoes until tender. Return to the still hot pot and add 1/4 cup butter, milk, kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoons pepper. Mash together.
Melt the remaining butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and leeks. Saute until they begin to soften. Add the kale and toss until soft and wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and toss until tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and the remaining pepper.
Mix the cabbage and mashed potatoes together well. Sprinkle with the green onion slices before serving.
CROCKPOT IRISH STEW
from about.com
By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com
Let your crockpot do the work on this hearty Irish stew made with lamb and vegetables. This recipe may easily be converted to oven or stove-top methods.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours,
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds boneless lamb cubed, browned, and drained
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch slices
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (optional – see Note)
• 10 ounces frozen peas
Preparation:
Sprinkle browned lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Place lamb in the crockpot along with water, bay leaf, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tapioca. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, adding peas to the stew during the last hour.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Note: If you do not wish a thickened gravy, omit the tapioca.
This was one of the very few dessert recipes I could find that did not use whiskey, Guiness or Bailey’s, LOL. I have had this, and it is delicious!
BANOFFEE (IRISH DESSERT)
From Recipe Gold MIne.com
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 bananas, sliced
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and ginger until well blended. Press mixture into a 9- inch pie plate. Cool in refrigerator.
Pour sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with very hot water. Bake at 425 degrees F for 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth. Let cool for 15 minutes. Pour toffee into pie crust. Allow to cool.
Slice bananas over toffee.
Whip 2 cups of cream and spoon it on top of bananas.
Refrigerate before serving.
This one is funny; I think the only thing that makes it “Irish” is the green food coloring used in the glaze, but I include it because I think a green cake would be a hoot, and it is very very easy to make:
EMERALD ISLE CAKE
From recipe gold mine.com
Posted by Elaine at recipegoldmine.com 2004/2/26 16:27
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
In a bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk, beating until smooth. Spread in a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until tests done.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or Irish whiskey
2 drops green food coloring
Slivered almonds, sliced
Combine the sugar and liquid, beating until smooth and fairly thin. Add coloring and spread on the warm cake. Sprinkle with almonds.
My Friend Shin Yuu . . .
LLOOOLLLL! He wants to send us money because our economy is getting better? Mr. Shin Yuu, please send your donation directly to the US Treasury! They need all the help they can get!
Attn:
My name is MR.SHIN YUU,a contractor from Japan.The statistics shows that the Economy of your country is getting better and will be more profitable in few years to come. I am interested to invest in your country through you. I am in HONG KONG NOW with the Sum of Sixteen Million,five Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($16,500.000.00) that I would like to invest in your country if possible?
I made this money through a contract awarded to me by the ministry during the relocation of OSAKA AIRPORT,and I am not safe if I go back to Japan because I did not finish the contract. I hope you can understand my situation and assist me to invest this money properly as this is my only hope.
Please kindly get back to me as soon as possible.
Best regards,
MR. SHIN YUU
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Actually, I hate that phrase, but today it fits. I looked out the window and laughed – there is a tanker, floating above the horizon. At first, I almost thought it was a balloon. Look! See for yourself:
The day is so clear, I can see the tin roofs on Failaika Island with my bare eye. It isn’t much, but it is the clearest day in a long time:
In today’s Kuwait Times, Dr. Saleh al-Ajeeri tells us that the chances of rainfall are going away because the winds are changing, and that the temperatures are going to fall again. It’s hard for me to believe, on a day like today, warm and sunny and not a cloud in the sky, it’s hard to believe it is going to be cold. Dr. Al-Ajeeri says “The winter season is still going on and the cold will return during a season locally known as the ‘Scorpion’s Cold'” and that we can’t count on higher temperatures until the end of February.
SCORPION’S COLD?? OK, my Kuwaiti friends, I have never heard of that before. Can anyone explain to me what this is? And what it it called in Arabic?
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