Plushness

As I was dreaming of my lover telling me poetry, who by the way looked nothing like Nezar Qabani, I heard the noise of sirens. Yes, they must be the sirens of his heart, it has caught on fire—what a true romantic! The sirens soon sounded like a traffic jam, and naturally I thought yes, he’s in his car as he speaks to me.

Two minutes later, I was downstairs in my pink puppy PJs (courtesy of Um Sheba may God give her a long and healthy life) and mom’s abbaya, and hair that should say Viletta. In hand was my mother’s Toyota car keys and my Lexus car keys and damning our neighbors for buying the same brand cars as ours as I was sure it was their car that woke me up while they were still dreaming. And there they were, Nike the driver and the enthusiastic Chandra, the new staff addition who has been assigned the dog of all house work—car washing.

Nike, and the more experienced of the two was explaining to me that the car alarm of my mother’s car went off as soon as Chandra tried to open the door with the key. I guess it was the morning breeze that hit me and quickly I noticed that the key in question was in fact not my mother’s car key!

Sheba (with still foggy eye sight): Nike, hatha Lexus key
(Nike looks baffled, Chandra just confused)
Sheba (again): Hatha Mefta7 mal Lexus
(Still the same look from both)
Sheba (very calm still, and half still dreaming half awake): 3a6ny mefta7
(Chandra hands it to Nike, and Nike hands it to me – I guess they’ve installed a hierarchy)
Sheba: Shoof hatha mefta7 sayarti mu sayarat mama.
Nike: Oooh (speaking to Chandra now) hatha muftah mal Sheba sayarah mu mama!

I was back in bed instantly, but could not manage to go back to sleep because I realized that I paid approximately twice the price for my car for it to be misrecognized as its inferior wannabe.

‘Flan wild flan shaaf flana fil 7ajj & khe6abha?’ Of course first impressions are ‘yeah whatever’, but I have come to realize that it might be genuine, and thus, Hajj guides should use this point as a marketing tool.

It’s perfect! The girl gets to see the guy half naked. The guy gets to see the girl without make up and the mothers get to meet. Moreover, his mother/sisters get to interact with the girl to decipher if the girl is sweet and helpful or not.

1. Two years ago in Hajj, and while we were in Mecca doing our Tawaf ritual, I spotted a lady guiding her son towards me and nudging him to check me out! This was the incident preceding this one: in Mena in the tents we’re supposed to sleep in for 3 nights, the mother of the potential fellow asked me for Panadol, so I got her Panadol Ultra & Extra (il a7mar & il fethy o kan wakt-ha bess min lenden) and voila her admiration was found!

2. Catch-22 just reminded me of this other Hajj incident which was removed from my memory for good reason! During lunch in one of the middle Hajj days, we were all tired by then, my sister's friend joined our table, and she was asking me general questions, so then my aunt joins our table too, and out of the blue aunti N says 'la Sheba FREE ma tesla7 7ag ukhooch!' I was confused and extremely embarrassed. When we got back to Kuwait, i asked aunt N why did you say that?
Aunt N: 'ee ukhooha dayenkilish eshtabeen feeh?'
Me: 'ukhooha il dayen metzawej o 3inda e3yaal & ga3da tes2alni 7ag il thani'
Aunt N: 'laaaa? ma darait'
LOL!

I went to Mubarakia and i had to use the toilet, and this would make it the second time i find such disgrace.

The first time was in the mosque, yes the mosque right next to the gold souq. The whole entrance to the wothoo2 area and toilets was flooded with urine and water, estegfer Allah hatha beit Allah (this is a house of God i.e. a house of worship) and in Islam not olny should the place you pray in should be '6aher' or pure, but so should our bodies and clothes.

Today was the second time.

So whats the deal? How are the Ministers of Awqaf (do not know the name in English, but they're the governing ministry for all mosques and their management) getting away with this nijasa?!

Why hasn't anyone complained?

Too fat to go to jiyaam, kila min 3ain shagool!

tsk tsk tsk ya7sedoon il faqeer 3ala ke7l 3aina :p

1. Wore a nice dara3a and a real abaya. I hate the new version of the abaya with sleeves, & buttons no matter how nice they are, i prefer the old abaya (a7es akshakh).

2. Taking 7anoon's tip, i took rose water wetwipes in case of emergency.

3. As I finished my 1st raq3etain (i went late), i was secretly admiring the old lady, who did not look Kuwaiti, and looked elegant, then she smiled, i smiled chan etgoolee 'ilwa7ed yet3ab ma3a il sahar' i said 'e' chan etgoolee 'waza3taw zekatkum' chan agoolaha 'E al7amdila' chan etgool 'kunt bagoolek ta36eeni' (ME STUNNED, BUT acted fast) 'Ok as2alech'

4. I know there are plenty of cats in Kuwait, but why does every mosque have a collection of its own? I love them sara7a, i don't mind, but i am just wondering what keeps them there, who takes care of them?

(aka Jiyam)

And here is my experience:

1. Spiritually I felt good.
2. The mosque I went to prayed 10 rak3at, which took me by surprise, i’ve always been to the mosques that do 8 rak3at. I guess its 'masyed mutqa3deen'
3. I didn’t see a single munaqaba, nor a single guy wearing a short dishdasha, which made me wonder if they consider Qiyam al-Lail bed3a or that they would only go to mosques which pray for the Mujahedeeeeeen!
4. Thank god the Imam was Kuwaiti, cuz I didn’t have to hear bad prayers against alnasarah and alyahood, nor good things about mujahedeen!
5. The lady next to me was 55ish, obese, praying on a chair, and at one point I sat down because I felt faint (she smelt of fried garlic & onions & VIM), which takes me to my next point,
6. Why do some mosque goers not shower and/or wear fresh clothes when they go to the mosque? I thought the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) advised us to not eat garlic/onions on the day we go to the mosque, so don’t they get that this is serious?
7. There were 2 girls who took off their head gear as soon as the prayer finished. Not nice at all.
8. The 2 ladies praying in front of me kept backing up, I almost lost my head during prayers. Allah 7efathni :)

Attention, men! 4 signs that she's into you By Matt ChristensenYou’re at a bar. You notice a woman. She notices you. You move closer, drink in hand. She tosses her hair and crosses her legs. Does it mean anything? You bet. Is it a good sign? Could be. More than 70% of communication between humans is non-verbal, meaning you can learn a lot, and save yourself from potential embarrassment, just by watching a potential love interest. Check out these things you can tell about a woman before she even says word one.

Clue #1: She’s all decked outWhat you can tell: According to Patti Wood, body language expert and professional speaker, a woman’s appearance can translate into how much attention she needs, and is willing to give. “When a woman takes care of herself, men assume she’ll be able to take care of them,” she says. That’s the upside. “But if her appearance is perfectly flawless, that is the standard she’ll measure you by,” explains Kevin Hogan, Ph.D., and author of Irresistible Attraction: Secrets of Personal Magnetism. Are you up for the challenge? Because she may well be one high-maintenance woman. <-- TRUE

Clue #2: She licks her lipsWhat you can tell: “There is a certain kind of lip-licking that means she’s interested,” says Wood. “Look for a slow movement of just the upper part of the tongue across the lips. A woman has to make an effort to do that, so it’s very come-hither.” John South, from Charleston, WV, has used the lip-licking theory to his advantage. “There was a woman at a bar who looked at me and then licked her lips,” he explains. “So, I went over to her and asked her if she needed some ChapStick. She knew I caught her, and she was a little embarrassed, but she told me she was glad I came over.” <-- NEVER NOTICED, BUT IT SOUNDS LAME

Clue #3: She tosses her hairWhat you can tell: “Any kind of preening is a woman’s attempt to get noticed,” Wood explains. One particularly good sign: “If she flips her hair back with her wrist exposed, she’s opening herself up to you.” In fact, any exaggerated hair toss (as opposed to a quick sweep of the bangs to get them out of the way), is a positive thing. Chase Massingill, of Queens, NY, says the hair toss has been a good indicator that a woman is interested in him. “One night at a party, I noticed this beautiful woman looking at me, then she looked away and flipped her hair back,” he explains. “I went to talk to her and later found out from one of her friends that she’d been eyeing me all night.” <-- HMM I PLAY WITH MY HAIR ALL THE TIME :/

Clue #4: Her feet face youWhat you can tell: “Where the feet go, the heart follows,” explains Wood. “If a woman is into you, the bottom portion of her body will face you. If her lower body is turned away, chances are it’s not shyness, it’s a lack of interest.” Most women have been taught to be polite, so they may turn to face you with their upper bodies, observes Wood. “But the lower body is what separates attraction from civility. Even when she’s talking to other guys, if her feet are pointed toward you, she’s interested. It’s a very good indicator.” Now that you know how to decode body language, get out there and use this info to approach the women who are interested in you… and not bother with those who aren’t. <-- VERY TRUE

The understanding of Islam which our parents and grandparents had was from their schooling/kuttab, or their parents. And because word of mouth or tradition were the main methods for spreading knowledge, if something said was against the person’s sensibility, they would not be eager to spread it.

The reach which media has today was not available- so no one would hold a microphone and preach endlessly about how evil the West is, and even if they did, their reach would be minimal. Mass media has helped evil spread.

1. What kinda undies do you wear?
2. What is their size?
3. What color are they?
4. What kinda milk were you fed as a child?
5. What were your grades in first grade?
6. When did you lose your first tooth?

I’ve been watching a new Tv series called ‘My Name is Earl’ about Earl, who has low morality and then one day he discovers karma, and vows to make up for all the bad he has done in his life so that he has a better life. Earl makes a list and in every episode they show us how he turns his bad into good deeds. It is the finniest show i have seen in years.

So, its my turn and here is part one of my list:

I used to steal biscuits from the Popey’s kiosk in my school.
I beat up a boy with a learning disability on my bus (I feel so bad about it L )
I used to pull my nanny’s hair & she wouldn’t stop me L

God this is depressing

I came across this very interesting article on men's fertility and thought i would share it. The article first explains how sperm is made and where. Then it questions whether men fertility is shrinking uhh declining:

Could environmental factors be affecting male fertility today? Many more environmental factors that can affect male fertility exist today than 50 years ago. The factors include:
endocrine disrupters
toxic pollutants
sexually transmitted infections
zinc deficiency
alcoholism
smoking
anabolic steroid use
ionising radiation.

Endocrine disrupters are chemicals present in the environment that, by virtue of their ability to adversely affect the endocrine (hormonal) system, cause health consequences. Several industrial pollutants can affect fertility, as can smoking and alcohol use. Some of these toxins can cause reproductive disorders, neurological disease, immune system disorders and cancer.
Pollutants that may cause fertility problems:
Potential toxin
Source
Thalates
Plastics industry
Alkylphenols
Industrial and domestic detergents
Bisphenol A
Lacquers to coat foods Dental treatments
Organochlorine pesticides (Lindane, DDT, etc)
Lindane used on cereals, soft fruits, cabbage
Dioxins
Paper production Transformer disposal
Vinclozolin
Fungicide used on foods
Phytoestrogens
Soya products

How can I preserve my fertility?
Adopt a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Don't smoke or use recreational drugs.
Don't drink alcohol, or keep alcohol consumption within recommended limits.
Try to avoid exposure to industrial and occupational hazards by following safety procedures and wearing protective clothing when provided. Your employer has a legal responsibility to provide information on occupational health risks and to ensure employees have a safe and healthy working environment.
Avoid exposure to sexually transmitted diseases by adopting safer sexual practices, such as using condoms and reducing your number of partners.

Existing evidence does not suggest that wearing boxer shorts or immersing the testicles in cold water will improve semen quality.

An interesting research study from the Netherlands showed that wearing tight leather trousers and tight plastic underwear together affected sperm motility, but neither had an effect alone.

Some evidence suggests that stress reduces semen quality, probably due to hormonal changes in the body that result from stress. The causes of stress in modern life are legion and concerns over fertility or failure to conceive are very important causes of stress. If you are concerned that you have a fertility problem, it is sensible to seek advice from your family doctor. The chance of conception in a healthy, young couple is about 20 per cent per month, so a delay of three to six months before conceiving is not unusual. It is reasonable to request an initial assessment after six months of regular unprotected intercourse without conception.

for complete article:
click here

Gulf Investment House (GIH)

OSOUL again

Industrial Investments Co (IIC)

GRAND

OSOUL

So i've lost money on KSE, and i hope Sheikh Salem Al-Ali gives us a warning next time he thinks of applying for a governmental job. Oh, and please refer to my stock recommendation of 24 Sept: ALOLA, GULFINVEST, & GRAND

I've tried to make someone jealous but it didn't work. Just as well, i don't think i could've pulled it off, but it made me think, am i that trustable, or am i being taken for granted?

None of my clothes fit me.

Ramadan food gets better & better.

Work is good.

I'm so disappointed! I so overestimated the whole plot. It now just seems like the big man had a whim, and did not think it through too well,, well i guess thats very much inline with everything else in this country.

Allah ya7fethech ya Kuwait

It is no coincidence that Mohammed Abdulqader Al-Jassim (editor in Chief of Al-Watan daily newspaper) joins Al-Hurra, and leaves Al-Watan to write freely to expose the ins & outs of Kuwaiti politics (the catalyst), while Jassim Al-Kharafi changes sides (from pro government to opposing it), and then Sheikh Salem Al-Ali comes out with a press release exclusive to Al-Qabas stating his discontent with the paralysis that the country has been in, and the totalitarian rule which is shaping the era of the Sheikhs in power.

My guess is, such a clever strategy was well thought off, and is a perfect solution (not reaction) to the political favouritism which the Prime Minister has been experimenting with; the economic and financial gains which he is reaping; the continuous undermining of Kuwait’s wealth and goodwill by continuous political barters with (Islamic) opposition factions within the Parliament who have their own agenda’s to fulfil.

Moreover, parliamentary barters and outright royal favouritism have included serious cover-ups of drugs and murder scandals on both sides, and serious corruption within all levels of the government and its institutions.

The less favoured but more qualified remainder of the royal family have been excluded from power and status. The influence of the merchant families of Kuwait has been diluted or replaced with roaring MPs. And now the old elite, which traditionally turn to the Crown Prince or the Emir for help, have joined hands with the Big Man, Sheikh Salem Al-Ali, who has been showing up more often on our media screens. Please note that the Emir has also been more media visible as a reminder that he is still here to lead Kuwait.

Of course without the support of the people and Uncle Sam, none of this could happen. It now seems that the Prime Minister’s push for Women’s rights was also an effort to proof that he is still in control.

So if the USA is supporting Sheikh Salem Al-Ali, why are they doing it? What external gain would they have? I would imagine foreign investments would be on the Agenda, Kuwait has been a good political ally, but now it is time to make it a good economic ally too?

As always, her deepest thoughts came while driving. She had experienced a year long identity crisis without recognizing what it was, and her almost sudden self realization, marked by feelings and thoughts of her childhood, made her conscious of the crisis she was coming out off..

Little Leila took off her ring, ran to the terrace, and threw it down four floors and to the street. Her nanny tried to stop her, but Lulu had made sure that Esperance, will not see her take of her ring.

She did it in protest. She didn’t like wearing it. She didn’t like being left behind with her nanny while her elder siblings had their freedom to play. She didn’t like her mother sitting with her friends in the café downstairs.

She was 3 years old, but did not understand why she was being treated differently. She liked her nanny, but Lulu was bored, and she felt Esperance’s boredom.

I'm so in the Ramadan mood this year. I've already worn 2 dara3az.
And yes, i've been inspired by 6ash ma 6ash & by a beduin aquaintance of mine to go back & learn about the basics and enjoy them.

So this was how my first day went:

• Arrived at work 2 hours late.
• Couldn't concentrate cuz i was hungry & sleepless.
• Managed to finish all my work for the day (almost).
• Went home & watched the Fajer al-Se3eed series on Dubai Tv.
• Got bored and went to make pizza (dough made in the morning from scratch) with fresh mozzerella & fatayer with colby cheese & sausage.
• Futoor was a mess but fun, our family outgrew our dinning room masha'Allah. Food was really good.
• Dessert was 3adi, cream filled basboosa & a creamy caramelly pudding (no chocolate = insult).
• I wore a new Korean style dara3a (dress). Dad said i looked pregnant :( Mom said 'raj3eeha' brothers just didn't like it. I LOVED IT & I'M KEEPING IT.
• Watched Tv.
• Napped.
• Wore another dara3ah & went to Grandma's Allah yer7amha to abarek fil shahar to my uncles & aunts.
• Sent them all industrial size cling film & aluminium foil, all appreciated it ye7lailhum. Oh i did that because very few companies sell food grade packing material so now i know that for a year they're using hygenic & non-toxic stuff. DANA, Made in Bahrain.
• Went to visit my great cousin.
  

o Salamatkum

Plushness has opened with a new look, with special thanks to the very talented Georythm!

http://georhythm.blogspot.com

http://kambalbonemer.blogspot.com



Note: The pic on the left has no resemblance to me
& if you cannot read the fine print, mu meshkelty!

1. Why do the elderly flock to the slot machines?

2. Many Kuwaiti women are turning into serious gamblers. Shesalfa?

Imbarak 3elaikum il shahar

If all of us really did give 2.5% of all that we owned to the needy, annually, would there be any poverty left?

And how does one prioritize her/his Zakat (or money allocated for charity)? Does it go to the dieing children of Africa? Or the 70 year old icecream man who's supporting 4 families? Or Salmiyah Middle school for girls, who have 30 cases of extreme poverty?

And how did the teachers learn of these cases? The children, yes, preteen Kuwaiti girls, could not concentrate in class from hunger! The counselor and the principal and another teacher formed a committee to visit the houses of these children so that they can asses the level of poverty, and hence the girls are given free food from the school's canteen (maqsaf). Every year, the teachers of this school come to our company to get free items which they sell in a bake sale (yom maftoo7) and that is what pays for the girl's free meals, among other things which the school needs.