That's one ugly old ho

I can't believe Guy Richie threw aways his career for that.
Ew, I feel sick all over.
Well supposedly Madonna is commenting on stuff. I am supposed to care.
"Nuff said," as the Thing used to say.

I dodged a bullet

A few months ago I almost took a job in Myanmar (the country former known as Burma). In the end, I decided to stay in Kuwait. For a variety of reasons really. Now I am so happy I decided to stay. I went there a few years ago and thought it was an okay place. Now I know better. How so? Well today I finished watching the newest Rambo film. Let me tell you, I learned a thing or two about Burma. That is one scary-ass country. I mean it seemed nice when I visited but now it is full of madmen, who try to rape white women. And not just any white women; I'm talking Christian missionary white women. Fortunately John Rambo was able to save the day.
Actually I am now a little scared to even think of going to Southeast Asia. Thailand seems nice, but what if Rambo discovers something about it that scares me. Look what happened after he helped free Afghanistan from the Taliban? That country fell apart. I just hope he doesn't discover something about Kuwait.

Riots and Pork

There was a riot last night in Kuwait. I kid you not. The tribes are in revolt! Seriously. Kuwait still has tribes. Some kids asked me if we had tribes in America. I said "We used to, but we killed most of them." They were confused. I still don't understand the complete issue, but Kuwait is in full election mode. The parliament has stepped down and the Islamists and the tribes are trying to create a different type of Kuwait. I really think they are on the verge of screwing up a pretty good deal.
From what I understand, the Islamists want to enact shariah law in Kuwait and the tribes want to have job guarantees (which in Kuwait means you will be guaranteed your daily cups of tea when you come in that hour of work every day). Sounds like a pretty good deal. I wish I had to only work one hour a day. (And by work, I mean: drink tea.)
Then on top of everything else I went to a restaurant last night and they were cooking this funny looking meat besides my table. I really looked like piggly wiggly. And indeed it was. I was really shocked. I have never ever seen pork in public in Kuwait. I won't tell you where it was but I really was surprised. The waiter asked me if I wanted some. I said no thanks. It was like he was offering me a joint.
So the Islamists will have their work cut out for them if they do take over.

The Year of the Rat Reading 3: "Motoring with Muhammed"

When I think of travelling, I read. I usually like to read something about a place I want to visit. Last summer I visited Yemen, and bought a few books on the country before leaving. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to read but one. Well now I have read the second. This one is about a man who loses some journals when he is shipwrecked off the coast of Yemen. The initial section verified what we already knew about the French: they are crazy. The latter half verifies what we know about the Yemenis: they are kind and they chew lots of qat. (My next book on Yemen is actually about qat).
I am looking forward to going back to Yemen this summer. Not so much because I read this book, but because it was a really interesting country. You meet lots of neat people while there as well. My friend, Paul, who has been living there for over a year (lucky guy) will not be there when I visit this summer, but he is letting me use his apartment (actually room). This will save me a bit of money. Then I am saving money by being a returning student and saving a little more money by recommending the school to a friend. What I really want to do is take a year off and go and study a language. Maybe in a few years I will do that. Until then I will just keep reading.
The book was full of interesting stories. It reallly made me want to go into the mountains of Yemen but unfortunately things have gotten a little more dangerous since it was written. It also has changed my mind a bit about qat, the drug that Yemen is addicted to. I have no major problems with the chewing of it, actually, but Yemenis spend so much money on it, that it is destroying their economy. Imagine spending your entire paycheck on coffee and then you would understand what qat is doing to Yemen.
Well I really recommend the book. I won't tell you the ending.

Another "Typical White Person" for McCain?

So the year is winding down. I have still way too much work to do. But I still find ways not to do it. Today I avoided it mostly, but that will come back to haunt me I am sure.
I must say I am tired. I woke up at 4:30 this morning. Wanted to go right back to sleep but instead I got up and went running. Ran for a mile. Still fat. I guess I am moving in the right direction though. Mostly I want to sleep.
Tonight, I am strangley busy. I don't know how that has happened. I am tutoring for a couple of hours after school and then I am going to have Korean food for dinner. Turns out there is a Korean restaurant in my neighborhood. Weird. I am going with another teacher. She is kind of cute, but I am not sure if I am into the whole dating scene at the moment.
Been reading a few of my friends' blogs, and I must say mine is so much more interesting. (And we know that my blog is about the most boring thing that you will ever read.) I don't know what they are going on and on about. Life has been pretty good lately. Mostly I want to take a nap.
Been reading a travel book. Travel books are so much more interesting than my travels. What am I missing on all of my trips? Maybe I should write something down.
The other news is the pastor disaster for Barack Obama and Hillary lying about her trip to Bosnia. I think she should have just impressed us with the fact that she went to Bosnia. She doesn't have to add getting shot at to the mix. We know the only woman in the Clinton administration who was getting shot at was Monica Lewinsky. I wonder if having a racist preacher is worst than lying all of the time. Only time will tell. Time seems to be running out for both Hillary and Obama. I am starting to think I will just be another "typical white person" for McCain.
Well I have been babbling enough.

Summer in Sana'a

Well nothing is final until it is final, but it is looking like I might have another month in Yemen to study Arabic. My dream is to just take a year off but if I do that there will be consequences. The biggest being that I might lose the Philosophy class that I love to teach. I am hoping to bring in a lot more Islamic philosophy next year. Surely a year of studying would be beneficial.
Well as I said my summer is coming along. I have finally gotten into contact with my friend in Sana'a. Unfortunately he will not be there this summer when I arrive. However, he has offered me the use of his room in the school's house. This is a real boon. I think it will be free. That means I will save quite a bit of money. It would be nicer if he were there though.
Then the school's director wrote to me to tell me that I would get a 10% discount this summer since I am a returning student. Another friend is also thinking of going so if she does then I will get a 10% commission on what she spends. More money for me.
Yemen is a nice place to be in the summer. The weather is lovely, the people are great (except for the noisy kids) and the experience is just amazing. So that is what my month towards the end of summer is looking like.
Masalama,
Jeff

A long time

Been away from the land of winking, blinking and blog for a while. A lot has happened since I left. First of all, America discovered that Barack Obama is black! Gasp. How in the heck did that happen? Now it looks like he is a sinking ship. I still hope he makes it to the nomination promised land, but I am not holding my breath.
What else has happened? Okay that is it. Nothing else has occured. Boy my life is boring.
Tonight the school is having a pageant to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace be up him). I also am about to start a four day holiday. Now that is pure sweetness.
Well I think I want to go home and relax before I continue to relax for the next four days.

Summer sorted out (well sort of)

Summer is hard on teachers. I know no one else wants to hear all about my long vacation, but I feel the urge to get this out.
So my summer starts on the 10th of June. I will leave for London on the 11th, where I will stay until the 16th. Then I will fly to Atlanta, where I will stay until the 6th of July. I will then fly back to London for two weeks (I am thinking of a side trip to Scotland or Ireland) and then I will be back in Kuwait on the 21st of July. Madness you say! The temperature will be about a 130 degrees. Well I won't be here too long. I am then going to fly to Sana'a, Yemen to do another Arabic course. It will be quite pleasant there. Then it will be back to Kuwait in late August for another year at my school. Should be a good summer.
Well hope to see you on my trip.

The Year of the Rat Reading 2: The Multiple Identities of the Middle East

Bernard Lewis gets a bad rap in the Middle East. He is a consensus historian so he is villified by the left. He is a good writer though, so screw the left. If you are at Berkeley, and you have your head up your ass, then don't read this book.
I don't know why people have made him such a villain. His views on the Middle East aren't really offensive. He just says things that make people mad, since they are true. I guess many people don't want to hear the truth.
This book looks at how the people of the Middle East have many different identities that have been created by their faith, languages and have they have governed themselves. It is a short little read, but still quite illuminating. For instance, in his analysis of minorities living under Islam, he rightly asserts that Christians and Jews had a much easier time under the dhimmi system, since they were protected by religion then, than they are under current governments, which are deemed somewhat less than fully legitimate.
So if you want to have a quick read, then this book might be your cup of chai.