To Squat or Not?

I remember we saw them once in northern Italy at a public toilets ground. I didn’t know they were called squat toilets or nile pans then. I just remember being surprised to see them in Europe as I always thought they were an Asian thing. In most public toilets now in Kuwait there are regular  Western style sit down toilets and there are also the squat hole in the ground type.

In Kuwait it is called “adab Arabi” but obviously it is not solely used by Arabs as many Asian countries do too and it  is the preferred more sanitary method.

Now the squat toilet has been introduced in a public shopping centre in the U.K

Ligafah

There is a word in Kuwaiti dialect that describes unnecessary nosiness: ligafah. In other words involving oneself in the business of others and more often than not, deserving the consequences.
Once, a Kuwaiti couple on a visit to Sri Lanka were walking along the road in a village. The Kuwaiti woman saw a crowd of people gathered and being the curious type, pulled her husband along to see what the commotion was about. The Kuwaiti couple were soon swept into the throngs of people and jostled about in the crowd until they reached the front row and there they found a most unpleasant surprise.
For there in the middle of the gathering was a naked holy man and all in the crowd were there to kiss his penis. Those who did not do the deed, were severely punished according to the storyteller.
The hapless couple feared for their lives and the husband pursed his lips and knelt reluctantly  to bestow a kiss upon the holy man’s sexual organ and scowled savagely at his wife the malgoofa as she followed suit.

He did not speak to her after that for two days he was so mad and he repeatedly reprimanded her for her unnecessary ligafah.

alone

alone

Visions of me

running

Along the sand bar

In the middle of the sea

The shore line

a safe distance away

And people appear as pawns

on a colourful chessboard.

I am reminded of Abraham

Eons ago,

How he stood in the middle of the school hallway

And declared heretically:

That the story of Moses parting the Red Sea

Could be scientifically explained

it was no miracle said he -

as the Religion teacher was having us believe.

I pause

The thoughtless running

Has sent spasms through my lungs.

Unused to such freedom,

Wondering if I should collapse

In the middle of the sea

Would anyone come for me?

Or would I be picked at

By little big fish,

Like the dead squid I found

Half eaten

Silky slimy back

A beautiful creation…

I pause and listen

To soft waves making music over

The rocky sea bed,

And the pain of living subsides a while.

I gaze upon the expanse of blue

Sea meeting sky

And try to find a way out

Or an explanation

Or anything to numb

This weeping invisible wound.

Ironical in my saddest moments

Where I wish to swallow a vial of

Potion more toxic than fear and insecurity,

All of life becomes vibrant

And my senses are finely tuned.

I pause:

Abraham discredits Moses

And Others nullify those who don’t seek their Creator openly.

Everyone wants to prove

That someone else is wrong.

Well I am tired of trying to prove

Myself

To anyone,

Including myself.

Love is a

treacherously

unattainable peak.

absurd

Absurd

In dreams

that you walk in

And lift your dishdasha

And wiggle your erect penis

In jest

Not noting the other

people in the room

–

Then I see my profile in red and

As I turned my eyes

to look at myself

The whites remind me

Of a frightened horse;

Behind the sanguine silhouette of my face

The blinds too are red.

–

The images flip

And there are

wild colourful pages

Comic books

And the sound of

music playing in the background

and

then I surface

back to consciousness.

your roses wilt even when well-watered for your gardener has a black thumb

you spew your venom
like vomit,

it seeps below my hardened
exterior

latches onto my trapped
senses

and i watch helplessly
desperately trying to keep my
eyes
on the empty road ahead.

you poison me
my daily due

imbued with
your toxic brew

i struggle to find meaning
in my senseless heroics:

understood only by
the ancient woman within me
who refuses to buckle;
by the naive girl
who apologizes for all
their transgressions
and by the tenacious mother
who drinks poison
rather than break free

Harassing Kuwaiti Policewomen

I wonder if it is early days yet to deploy policewomen in commercial complexes.

According to Al-Anba newspaper, certain commercial complexes were selected after studying the situations and the need, stating that female shoppers felt more comfortable approaching a policewoman to complain or seek assistance.

Recently some youths were arrested for harassment:

Policewomen harassed: Police have arrested 11 Kuwaiti youths for harassing female police officers who were on duty in commercial complexes, reports Al-Anba daily.
The youths have been referred to the Criminal Investigation Department. It has been reported the police women were on duty at the commercial malls for the first time. [link]

A strong warning was issued by the  Ministry of Interior towards those who sexually harassed or who verbally abused policewoman while on duty in commercial complexes. Those participating in harassment or abuse of policewoman on duty would be arrested and depending on the severity have their heads shaved or more. A strong warning was also issued at expatriates, a number of  whom were involved in harassment of policewoman on duty and consequently arrested. Offending expatriates can be deported by the Ministry of Interior.