Haj, Eid Kabeer, New Year & the question of Execution

Tell me then, how does it all fit into the big picture?
First we have Haj - the pilgrimage and pillar of Islam that is the duty of every Muslim if they are able - a time to pray, be humble and cleanse our spiritual selves.
Then there is Eid Kabeer, a time of sacrifice and a time of utmost trust and thanksgiving.
Additionally this year, it falls together with the birth of the year 2007, a time of putting the past year to sleep and facing the future (supposedly) with hope.

Then, there is the pending execution of Saddam Hussain - where does that fit? I had a big argument (no winners) with an English man about the right to take another human life. My argument was that with my religious faith this was acceptable as if any error was made then recompense would be made in the 'hereafter' and that one needs faith to believe this.

I was told in no uncertain terms by the English man that this was totally unacceptable - was that to do with his lack of faith and lack of religion? I think so.

But with all that's going on with the intervention of the Americans, etc - will the execution of Saddam Hussain appease the majority of Iraqis and lead to peaceful co-existence in that very troubled land? Or, is imposed democracy always doomed to failure?

Whilst you ponder this - I wish everyone PEACE & PROSPERITY whether you celebrate Eid Al Adha or New Year, the Winter Solstice or another religious festival - we share this planet for the time being, let's do so in the belief that community from local to global is the best hope for our future.

Blessings be upon you all - Gulf Pearl xxx

So we want to rely less on the foreigner? Well do we really?

Yes I am a cynic. Everytime I drive up Sheikh Zayed Road and round DIC, the Lakes, Jebel Ali the road system changes - it's scarey like some sort of celestial chess game where the pieces (roads, exits, junctions and accesses) get moved by unseen and unknown hands.

And then there's all the building, hundreds of properties for homes, businesses and the mandatory retail outlets - who is going to reside, work and carry out commerce in all of these hundreds of vacant buildings, homes, offices, shops and malls? Cross the entire UAE national population off the list with no unemployment and no doubt the various expatriates residing in the Emirates will take up the slack. No continued reliance there then. And if it was only left to nationals the whole country would grind to a standstill. Where is th e sense and sustainability because I am finding it hard to reconcile all the plans with all the 'spin' problem is I'm just a simple Emirati girl...............

More ridiculous high rise developments - but why?

Who gives a shit about new developments, more malls and retail, over-kill on cafe culture and buildings so tall that anyone would be mad to live so high unless they don't care about safety.

What about spending some of that money on setting up a decent state education system, improving medical facilities and bringing some decent universities to the country.

What's next - state of the art toilets where you can have a virtual piss whilst you do your virtual grocery shopping simultaneously via eye-scanning technology which you have delivered by the company along with your new abaya which was designed from your synthesised thought process you sent along airwaves between e-technologised buildings and made from using the measurements of your body imprint on the mattress which is connected to a warp speed internet cable straight to the tailor shop.

Gated communities, high-rises that ressemble giant male genitalia, smart systems that sort your trash only to have it mixed up by the collectors, miles of boring same same retail and capuccinos that are nothing lilke those available in Italy - IT'S SO FXXX@@!! BORING - let's think up some value driven propositions that help the environment, conserve our shrinking natural resources, let's encourage academia and celebrate innovation - real, competitive achievements that mean something - anyone of the calibre to really turn things around running for a position on the Fed Nat Council ?- doubt it.

Christmas - whose celebration is that anyway?

What I want to know is this - has the Christmas consumerism become such a HUGE money spinner for the UAE, or are we suffering from the pressures of an expatriate community that overwhelms our country every year in the months leading up to a 1 day celebration.

Should we consider the huge development of Christmas celebrations from the 'Mall Experiences' to dinners, carols in the hotels and tree lighting ceremonies, shows, gifts and the overtly in-your-face seasonal celebration as nothing more than a huge PR campaign to drive up sales, increase consumjer spending and nothing more.

Or is it something that the Emirates needs to consider in terms of how the 'carpet bombing' approach of Christmas affects the cultural and religious sensibilities of our country? Has Christmas become an excuse to party and celebrate at a very shallow level within the UAE or should we be concerned that there could be some negative impacts to Islamic society.

I am interested in what everyone has to say. Will we be seeing Christmas trees in everyone's homes in the next 5-10 years 'because they look pretty'? Should we therefore get a PR machine up and running to develop the same enthusiasm for Ramadan (more than Sheesha please) to encourage non-Muslims to 'get into the swing' of our religiouis festivals?

Sunshine's been kissing me all over

I don't want to moan in this post. I woke up this morning, looked at the sky and the sun and thought - this is my favourite time of year. When I was younger I used to go camping to places that don't exist anymore - the beach was my favourite place - now I have to put up with the garden but that's not so bad.
Here's what I did - I went and laid in the garden and let the heat from the sun kiss me all over, my head, my neck, my throat, my shoulders. It glided along my arms to the tips of my fingers, and as it caressed my stomach and thighs I really felt like I could melt because it was so perfect. I lay out for ages, looking through the leaves of all the plants and trees and dug my toes into the soil - actually I was heading down the road towards wishful thinking and if I could have been hugged by a fine looking, tight and toned guy then I probably would have been in heaven. Damn - if only....!
So, tomorrow I'll see how it feels to let the sun's warmth kiss me all down my back to the soles of my feet.........any nice guys out there that I can dream about?

You lazy old bags - look after your own children

TOO MANY MAIDS!! Great grandmother never had to cover her body, she wore a kandoura, sarwal with fancy ankle embroidery, the traditional burqa (why do foreigners think it's made of metal?) and a shayla and SHE NEVER HAD A MAID, well until she got old and it became the 'in-thing'.
Now, the women of the family rely too much on maids - but not in this branch of the familoy tree. Our maid does some housework and cooking but no washing and looking after babies because that's the mother's job.
What pisses me off? Well, sick baby at thye clinic, mother on mopbile phone (Emmirati I am sad to say) whle maid holds sick bab y and carries it to doctor.
How about Emirati mothers walking round the mall, on the phone and chewing gum (that's so sleazy) and maid (dressed in a nightdress and nasty sandals) carries or pushes baby/kids around behind the mother. Kids badly behaved and mother ignoring.
Or how about in Kensignton Gardens on holiday - dads with bloodshot eyes from too many late nights living it up in London, mothers sitting outside talking and 100s of filipino maids in the playground shovelling ice-cream down the throats of Emirati kids who are too fat to play on the equipment.
That's what pisses me off. I think we have got too many maids doikng too m any things and a lot of our women have become lazy cows.

Feedback to me.

So, what's a good age to get married? It depends on where you are from I think. I am getting a bit worried because some of my friends and family (females) are heading towards their mid to late 20s and no melcha yet. One of them got divorced 20 years ago and only ever got a couple of offers from really old men to marry her so she could look after their kids. She didn't, she finished her education, brought up and educated her own kids an now they are married and she is alone.

I think she is so cool, she has travelled the world, built a house and her daughters are wonderful, but I wish she couldd have the love of a good man. She's financially independent and says she only would want love, not to put up with problems. She's religious and kind - she deserves to be fulfilled but there's nobody there.

Then there's some of my friends who are scared they will end up alone cos 'suitable' men go for younger women. My uncle married someone 15 years yuounger - I tell you she looked scared to death at the wedding and I got in trouble for raising that up.

But foreign women (not usually Arabs) get married and have families later in life - why can't it be same here. I keep looking at some of these Emarati couples and they guy is like 19, howe can he take that responsibility and the woman she wants to get the latest gadgets, mobile, designer bag, fancy abaya, makeup go to the salon and buy clothes. He wants fancy car, mobile, go out with his friends for driving and sitting in the coffee shops or something worse. They don't interact.

Some of my family are mixed and they go out all together, the wife goes with her husband to lots of places and they have lots of friends that they mix with as a couple and family - I like that.

So, tell me - if an Emirati women gets to late 20s is that a probloem for her marriage chance? If a western woman isn't married byu then is it a problem? How about for Asian and Far Eastern Women - do they face the same problems - is it a cultural phenomen? My mum married at 18, and then her and my dad got divorced. She never remarried, but my dad did to a foreigner - my family is like multicultural.