Protected: Ethereal Apparitions

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Baby Gear

Dear Readers,

Hopefully some of you will be able to help.

Thanks

=============================

Hi Jewaira,

I wonder if you could help me. I am having a baby in May and I am looking for a pushchair (a travel system: car seat & pushchair). I’ve looked in Centrepoint, Mothercare, Mamas n Papas, Prenatal…I don’t find anything I like and, what I like, is way too expensive. I like the Graco brand and I have been searching in the internet for other shops selling this type of pushchairs but no luck so far. I am not Kuwaiti and I really don’t know where should I go….Any advice?
Thanks for your help in advance.

Best Regards

Aisha

Offensive or Not?

There has been some debate on Flickr for a few days about a certain photo posted of a young girl and whether or not it is a crime to take photos of underage children and post them in suggestive groups and tolerate sexually demeaning comments. The photo is: Catholic Schoolgirl at Starbucks

More than Pretty Knickers

I never realized that a pair of knickers could adversely affect the environment.

More Than Pretty Knickers is a campaign to raise awareness about the textile industry and what it takes to make our clothing

Protected: Through the Clunky Keyhole VII-X

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Protected: Through the Clunky Keyhole V-VI

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Protected: Through the Clunky Keyhole III-IV

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When Asleep

Have you ever used the Internet while asleep?

The first recorded use of the Internet while asleep was reported recently in a medical journal. A 44 year old woman got out of bed, still sleeping, turned on her computer, logged in, and sent out emails inviting her friends to a party the following day. The next day she was surprised to find one of her friends calling to confirm the party.

(See here: Somnambulism in the Internet Age)

I may have had dreams thinking I was on the computer or writing someone but those were just dreams. I woke up to find I was still in bed.

Sometimes if I am working on something and I am tired, I might doze off at the keyboard. I have done some stupid things while tired and it is not recommended to use the Internet or indeed any other gadgets beyond a certain point in one’s level of alertness.

Protected: Through the Clunky Keyhole I-II

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Olfet

I smell

Basmati

rice

sitting here

TV on mute

gathering empty thoughts

bringing them together

to form

-

-

-

empty space.

=============

I smell chai haleeb

fragrant cardamom

infused

milk

and tea

simmered on a low fire

till

I can taste

Sri Lanka

in my living room.

==========

I smell

her perfume

in the elevator

and I recognize it

as

my own.

=======

But February Was

February

You’re too close to

March

And March

Was not

A happy time.

Dare

Actually it was not a dare but a challenge. Majid Al-Maliki said he could break the record set by American Dean Sheldon who held 21 live scorpions in his mouth for 10 seconds. This guy ate 22.

What is the most daring thing you have ever done?

A request for you

I know I have readers from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

To those readers, and any others who enjoy the music of that region, I would like to request you to share with me your favourite song; musical composition; a link to a video clip if possible; and why it is special to you. If it is from a film, then try to mention the title.

I am interested in learning about your music and your customs.

Yes, why?

Remember this one?

Women get back at men (Forwarded):

1. WHY DO MEN BECOME SMARTER DURING SEX? (Because they are plugged into a genius)

2. WHY DON’T WOMEN BLINK DURING SEX? (they don’t have enough time)

3. WHY DOES IT TAKE 1 MILLION SPERM TO FERTILIZE ONE EGG? (they don’t stop to ask directions)

4. WHY DO MEN SNORE WHEN THEY LIE ON THEIR BACKS? (because their balls fall over their butt-hole and they vapor lock) (You’re laughing, aren’t you?!?!)

5. WHY WERE MEN GIVEN LARGER BRAINS THAN DOGS? (so they won’t hump women’s legs at cocktails parties)

6. WHY DID GOD MAKE MEN BEFORE WOMEN? (you need a rough draft before you make a final copy)

7. HOW MANY MEN DOES IT TAKE TO PUT A TOILET SEAT DOWN? (don’t know….it never happened) ( C’mon guys, we laugh at your blonde jokes!)

8. WHY DID GOD PUT MEN ON EARTH? (because a vibrator can’t mow the lawn)

=================

A genuine non-original post

Traditional Kuwaiti Song & Dance

'Ardha in Kuwait City around 1950 Original photo uploaded by David C. Foster (http://www.flickr.com/photos/21734563@N04/ )

I’d been looking forward to attending the Monday night lecture at Dar Al-Athar al-Islamiyyah for a couple of weeks.  The lecture was titled “Battle” Song-Dance Forms of Arabia: Women’s Badawi and Men’s ‘Ardha and presented by Dr. Lisa Urkevich, a leading specialist in the music and artistic culture of the Arabian Peninsula. The lecture was accompanied by several demonstrations by the Ma’ayouf band of traditional Kuwaiti musicians and singers and two short demonstrations by some female dancers choreographed by Altaf Al-Ajeel.

Much of the content of the lecture, in addition to the photos and videos shared can be found in Dr. Lisa Urkevich’s study here:  ‘Ardah: A Kuwaiti Presentation of a Saudi Genre

It is a very interesting paper and I am only sorry that there is not much more out there on this traditional regional art form in the form of studies and in depth studies. There is one study cited in the references of the above paper by Ghannam Al-Daigan (Ghannam Dikan) from 1995. I bookmarked whatever I found on My Delicious links for future reference. I was also referred to Dr. Saleh Hamdan although to my knowledge he is an expert on Western style classical  music.

The ‘ardha is a traditional war or sword dance that was traditionally practiced amongst tribes of the Arabian Peninsula before going to war. The ‘ardha dance supposedly came out of Nejd in Saudi Arabia and as members of tribes spread out near the present day Gulf states, the traditional war dance became less aggressive and reflected the merchant/ fishing/ pearl diving lifestyle that the local people led.

The ‘ardha now is mainly practiced at important functions and celebrations and sometimes when receiving heads of state. Here are two links of the Saudi King Abdullah performing the ‘ardha with President Putin and President Bush not so long ago:

Vladmir Putin preforming the Ardha sword dance in Saudi Arabia

George Bush performing the Ardha sword dance in Saudi Arabia

The lecturer had hardly finished speaking when we heard the band coming through the rear section of the theatre. They were excited to start. They did a couple of demonstrations of different kinds of ‘ardhas once they appeared on stage and Dr. Lisa informed us that the first ‘ardha was written and composed especially for February 2009 and the occasion of our National Day and Liberation Day. The compositions are mainly nationalistic and patriotic themes.

Once the men left, the speaker discussed the Badawi dance performed by women at weddings and special occasions. She likened the females dancing to mares in terms of posture (with their chest high and out and their behinds raised like a horse as they “galloped” sideways, one hand raised from one end of the dance floor to another. Although these dances in the dessert used to be performed in large groups, indoor dance floors rarely accommodate more than a few dancers at once (there is a serious risk of crashing into each other if there are too many on at the same time).

By the time the speaker got around to discussing the women and the Badawi, she had lightened up and the audience was somewhat responsive, laughing at her little anecdotes. (personally I think Ma’ayouf’s band and their infectious enthusiasm wore off on the audience before they finished their first performance too).

Dr. Lisa discussed the importance of the hand movements when  a young girl dances Badawi. She said that a “come hither” or beckoning motion meant that she was available and ready to be betrothed. There were other movements such as ones that resembled rattling a saber , another depicting a welcoming gesture to the crowds, and one that showed she was just having fun and not looking for a groom.

How much of the hand movements is true I would not know . Perhaps others can comment on that.

She told the story of one young woman at a wedding she attended whose mother kept dancing with her. Dr. Lisa assumed that the young woman wanted to be on her own to enhance her prospects. I believe that to be incorrect. What I do know to be true of some Bedu families is that a mother will always dance before her daughter (encouraging her ) so that those in the audience know whose daughter she is and will know who to ask if they are interested in making any marriage propositions for a male in their family.

Unfortunately she did not show any photos of  women dancing, except for a drawing of a woman and a photo of a beautiful  white Arabian horse shaking its mane as it galloped.

Before the girls came on stage the audience was told that they felt a bit anxious about performing as it was not a troupe as stated on the programme but a special performance by a group of young ladies who wanted to give us an idea of the Badawi dance. One lovely girl in bright pink with long black hair danced and there were four others behind her in long green thobes, wearing burqas on their faces and long gold hamas on their heads. Their dancing was very modest and understandably so. If you want to see really feminine mind blowing Badawi you must go to a wedding where all female surroundings encourage women to feel free and at ease. We were asked not to take any photos out of respect for the women and their families. (I have added some old clips on my VOPOD of dances performed by students in the Ministry of Education National Day celebrations to get some idea of Kuwaiti dancing – nothing else is available for the public)

According to Dr. Lisa’s analysis, the words to the Badawi songs (recorded in this instance and sung by males) were quite aggressive and the dancing is equally so in comparison to other traditional Kuwaiti dances. She also added that although there were no wars to dance for now, at such weddings women were fighting their own mini-battles through their outfits, their make-up, their walk, their demeanor, and their attitude. It was all very important in the way they displayed themselves to other women.

As Dr. Lisa ended her lecture, the Ma’ayouf band made a second entrance. This time it was not an ‘ardha but one of the musicians entered from the back playing a mizmaar

Mizmaar

When the troupe of around 40 men finally filed onto stage, there was a lot of singing and a lot of heavy drumming.

An example of the dancing

Towards the end, Sulaiman Ma’ayouf , the band leader, motioned for a band member to include some members of the audience to join them on stage for some dancing. Now that was the really fun part. The audience enjoyed it and as I mentioned previously, the band has an infectious enthusiasm. They love what they do and their smiles and laughter are a clear reflection of the joy they feel during their performances. I must say the men from the audience did pretty well and then two ladies got on stage and there was a lot of energy and very positive vibes in that small auditorium. We all loved it. It was interesting how the lecture on war dances or sword dances ended with  joyful booty shaking.

*NOTE: All the photos of Ma’ayouf’s band above (1-4) are from Al-Dar newspaper and NOT from last night’s performance. I just included them to give an idea of the group and what they were doing.

There has never been a time when I attended the Dar events and found them to be empty. The small auditorium is always packed. Dar members are now given priority since so many people want to attend these free cultural events.

Although I came away happy, I was also pensive for two reasons:

Why do we still not have adequate theatre facilities and auditoriums where people can enjoy such cultural events? There is a thirst for the kinds of cultural activities provided by the Dar and people will gladly pay to attend.

The second reason I mentioned earlier: are there no resources readily available to us on our own culture and folkloric traditions? Why does a researcher like Dr. Lisa find more interest in our culture than we do? It is sad.

In any case, I am very grateful that I had the chance to attend and to acquire more resources. Perhaps Dr.Lisa’s involvement as the Director of the Arabian Heritage Project at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) will encourage others in the field to understand the importance of archiving and sponsoring studies to perpetuate these art forms before they disappear completely.

Some more interesting photos:

al-ardha 1 ;

al-arhdha 2;

al-ardha3

al-ardha4

al-ardha 5

Ma’ayouf

Cornucopia

Sometimes there is too much to say and so much to share.

I did something unusual very early this morning. I turned on the TV to a channel I rarely watch: Fnoon. I saw an interview with Kuwaiti actor Khaled Ameen and was pleasantly surprised by the beard .  It looked  good on him.

He has an attractive smile and an endearing expression in his dark brown eyes.

Onwards. If you enjoy propaganda, then here is an interesting new form in the video A Guy Like Putin. I wonder is it sexy for a male leader but sexist if it was a song about a female leader?

Something to ponder.

Now, for something useful and pleasurable, I present you with the discreet Vibra-Finger. Keep your gums refreshed and clean:

Link

This morning I also came across an interesting post from The American Dream is Dead with some  scanned photos from 1953 issue of the National Geographic with photos of Makkah. (From America to Mecca on Airborne Pilgrimmage with Map and 60 Illustrations 47 in Natural Colors – Abdul Ghafur Shaikh). Amazing changes:

What else?

Last night, I was taken aback by a late night live show on Scope TV channel with former MP Talal Al-Saeed. The  callers were quite vocal against Islamist members of parliament as were all the tele-messages on the ticker.  Many callers referred to a woman called Al-Barg or Barg by whom they were  impressed which I did not see.  They called for all Kuwaitis to shout Allahu Akbar on the roofs of their houses tonight  at ten like during the Invasion in 1990 to protest.

In the end, no excessive naughtiness in the cornucopia except for a mention of a hot kiss between Omar Sharif and Layla Fawzi  an Egyptian film I did not finish watching called For the Sake of a Woman (Min Ajl Imra’a – 1959).

I have a kitty

I have a kitty who chases bees

and does somersaults

in the air

high on cat nip

landing on my partially

lush

half-dry lawn

.

.

I have a kitty

that speaks with butterflies

hovering over

my bed of flowers;

his lips quiver

in a mutated meowr

as he calls to them

luring them

before

he pounces with a kind of

joyful frustration

onto my flowers

and I scold him

like a child

for the damage

he has done.

.

.

I have a kitty that is gentle

pretending to bite me

when we play

but never clamping down

hard;

feigning a fight

with retracted claws

in a protective manner

telling me

I am one of the pack

so I won’t feel left out

when he plays with the others

.

.

I have a kitty

who runs to greet

me

every time I come

home

with a loud meow

and a warm smile

(or at least it looks like a smile)

and who says cats

are not loyal?

Noodles

We made love for hours. No exaggeration. Literal unstoppable. We were famished for each other.

He was now hungry. I was hungry too, but not for food. He had only whetted my appetite for more of the same; unlocked the door to Lust. He was hungry, but for food. And I had not come prepared. I cursed Lust for blinding me to the innate male needs. I opened the cupboards. I found a pack of instant noodles. I certainly am fond of noodles, especially now. They remind me of that time. I believe subconsciously I am lusting after him when I eye noodles. But when I brought him the bowl of mass colourless curly wurls, he looked on with disgust. He didn’t even know what I had brought him. He took one or two bites with great hesitation. I salivated again. For him. Still hungry. I set the bowl aside. I made him forget food.

That is how it was.

Ranjanee

Ranjanee, her Sri Lankan maid, stole from her. Blatantly. Ranjanee admitted it and without remorse. She said it defiantly.

So they took her to the Sri Lankan embassy and left here there, thinking: “They will talk some sense into her.”

But she wasn’t happy.

More than anything though, she wanted Ranjanee back. She was miserable without her yesterday. She would put up with her nagging, her talking back, her rude behaviour whenever she asked her to do something. She would go to the Sri Lankan embassy tomorrow and bring her back home.

And next Thursday, she would have her cook some fish and muhammar* for the lunch gathering.

* (sweet yellow rice)

Protected: And they called it puppy love

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