Done

I'm done with people.

All of you.

Silly Oman Question…

Does anyone know if there are ‘internal’ mobile numbers in Oman, that can not make and receive calls from abroad?

Incredible Really. Stupid Boy.

What does it take for people to learn?

T’s done it again.

I finally gave him a call this morning (since I’ve been avoiding all calls for the last week or so and finally feel like talking a little, especially to people who have been worried about me).

He didn’t answer.

He called me back just now. When I asked him how he was, he replied with, “Fine. I’m in the jail again.”

What the fuck? How the fuck is he talking on his phone?

“Nothing. They just threw me inside some hot place with all my things and haven’t told me anything yet. I’ve been here since morning.”

Huh? What did you do? How did they catch you? How long will you be there?

“Alcohol. I don’t know. It’s hot here and I don’t know where my car is.”

How did they catch you?

“They came and asked me what was wrong with me. I told them nothing was wrong, I was just parking my car and why did the watchman call the police?”

You were driving drunk? How many times have I told you not to do that?

“Anyway, I’ll text you when I’m outta here.”

No, no. Which police station? And you have no idea how long? I mean, a day, a month, a week, anything?

“No idea.”

T, take care of yourself. And please find some way to let me know you’re alright.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll talk to you later.”

FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. At least this time I know what happened. Usually when he gets locked up, he just vanishes off the face of the planet and we all rightfully assume he got caught again, until he submerges and let’s us know all is well.

So, once again, he’s in jail. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Don’t let me forget to mention that he’s got that real estate deposit check for me in his pocket – not that it’s that big a deal, at least not big enough for me to bother about it since he collected it for me; though I am officially broke.

Comparison... Morning Thoughts.

Whites in the West…

Killed countless Native Indians with disease in the past…

They are compensated by being given small parts of the city as ‘Reserves’, don’t pay the high taxes that the rest of us do, among a few other benefits they’re given along those lines.

Native Indians are not demanding more land, nor are they violently abusing the rest of the world for the suffering of their ancestors.

Hitler is responsible for the Holocaust.

If the Germans don’t wish to compensate the Jews, why are the Arab/Muslims being forced to do so? Why does the rest of the world still feel obligated to stand by Israel because of guilt for something that happened to their ancestors which had nothing to do with us?

These are no more than simple thoughts that I’ve not bothered to research. And I’ve just woken up, so I’m pretty sure that most of these things are mumbled thoughts. I think I was dreaming about these things or something. The first things on my mind today.

Sometimes...

I honestly believe I understand what it's like to be you, better than anyone else you know possibly could...

For that reason, I mean it. No matter where the past took us and no matter what the reasons and no matter what our parting words may have been... I hope you know that I have always been real with you when I told you, I would always be there when I'm needed.

The Good Pakistani & Drop Bombs on Israel Already

Aman is one of the guys that works with my father. He lives here on our land and often comes in to the house to chat with my family. We all like him a lot, and he’s become a family friend to make things short. Some nights (my parents sleep around 8pm) he comes in to use the internet in the living room, where he talks with his family back home in Pakistan through webcam – among other internet activities that all of us know about, and none of us really mind him doing.

Anyway, I just went to the kitchen to get me some coffee and make that baby kitty’s milk. I found him there. Thank God for Aman. I told him about my Paki-phone-stalker and he called the guy. He explained to him that if he persisted we would open a case because the number he was calling is in the Sheikhs name (my father’s mobile is a government line). The guy tried to excuse his multiple calls as a mistake before Aman made him shut the fuck up threatening the absolute worst.

I doubt this sick Paki will be calling here again – in fact, he hasn’t since Aman called him. Thank God for Aman. I’d have gone nuts if I had to take more ringing.

On to another topic – though I’m fully against violence, I’m starting to see Israel’s way in believing you must use violence to end it. I believe we need to drop a bomb on Israel once and for all to end the violence. And I believe any civilian life’s lost in the process would be minimal to the numbers that Israel has, does and will continue to collectively kill should they be allowed to continue, and thus are warranted. And these thoughts are inspired by the new information Taunted mentions and I linked here.


How's this for catching up? Three posts in just a few hours!

Ohh... And because this post covers two completely different topics, I might as well through in a third. SD has gone and done something good - if I weren't worried about blogger getting banned in general, let alone my own blog I would participate... I hope many other's do, and these little baby's are posted on random hosts across the web.

F*cking Paki Son of a Bitch

If you think I’m being racist, you can shut the fuck up. I’m referring to this ONE Pakistani who has called me more than 50 fucking times in the last 24hrs, only to hang up seconds after (or even before) I answer.

I’ve called him back. The first time I firmly told him to stop calling. The second time, was hours later when I decided maybe he didn’t understand English, so I had the maid call him. Out of her whole 10 minute conversation, as her voice became more and more aggressive I understood one word: Gandu.

Clearly, she wasn’t impressed either. When she hung up, she explained that he told her that he got my number from someone there and he loved me. What the FUCK? Prick. He didn’t stop calling. I turned off my phone for hours only to turn it on and have him calling again seconds later.

What the FUCK is it about some people repeatedly miss-calling Dubai mobiles from abroad? I’ve called Etisalat only to be informed I need to make a complaint with the police. Fuck that shit – Do YOU know what a hassle it is to file a complaint with them here? I’d rather contact the Pakistani authorities.

I ask Etisalat for their number – I’m told I need to ask the Pakistani Embassy for the correct department.

I called the damn embassy. They’re closed. FUCK. There’s FUCK ALL I can do about it, until morning at least. And since I called him back from my father’s number, he now has two numbers to dial repeatedly.

He has called three fucking times since I started typing this post, already. Fucking Paki! I hope you get anal-raped and end up choking to death on your own tongue.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had some missed-call stalker doing this. No! I’ve had them from India – once it was a little boy who I eventually made cry that he ran and told his daddy, who then called me to give me an earful, until I told him about Etisalat keeping records and problems I will make if he and his son don’t shove it. I believe by the end of that conversation the little twit lost his phone privlidges.

Another time it was some Pilipino lesbian. She’d actually wait for me to answer sometimes. And if I did, she’d tell me how much she loved me and wanted to meet me for ‘good sex’. This bitch was calling 24 hours – I mean I seriously wondered when the fuck she slept; at maximum only an hour would go by before she rang again. I was pregnant and VERY fucking irritable. I ended up changing my damn number because of her.

And now… Now it’s a FUCKING PAKI, whose number by the way, is +923348810945. Does anyone else in the UAE get this shit?

And do you think diverting all calls to the Police Headquarters force them to deal with this psychotic phone abuser, or would I get in shit?

Shoot me for my Absence…

So I’ve not been around. I’m also not answering calls unless (a certain someone) wakes me up and I answer before realizing it’s too late.

I’ve been sick. I’ve also been thinking a lot. And on top of it all… I have a new baby to take care of.



Every two hours (ad sometimes even more often) this little critter needs to be hand fed animal milk – through a syringe. A few days ago, the maid woke me up and handed it to me, explaining that her husband found it in the garden and she didn’t know what to do. She’s been abandoned by her mom, I’m guessing because her hind legs are warped and pretty much seem boneless. It must be a birth defect of some sort.

I’m scared to name him/her (because it’s too young to tell yet though I tend to think of her as a female), because I’m afraid it’ll die.

I’m sure this flu I’m suffering is so severe because it’s doubled with emotional issues. I let the boy back in my life (probably the reason I went silent – how can I explain this decision?), and a day or two later he left the country to attend some wedding. I haven’t talked to him much since – but I’m already wondering (hell, I didn’t stop) wondering if I’m fucking myself over again.

I’m pissed of at the sly side remarks some stupid bitch is making – and yes, I’ve been around, just not commenting often. Even more so I’m pissed by the implication that I make my friends treat others like shit just because I don’t care for a certain person. I’m really not that complicated and thus every new remark or action I see is confirming that initial blow that socked me so severely.

Let me explain something for friends, enemies and blog lurkers alike. I don’t like ass-kissers, including those who would like to kiss my ass. I don’t like two-faced little emotional bitches who don’t know when to let up. I don’t like it when someone tries to play others against me using amateur reverse-psychology.

I’m pretty fucking blunt. If I like you, I’ll say it. If I hate you – I’ll make that clear as well. If I say it’s over – it means I’m done talking about it and you should be too. Especially if you yourself SAID you were. Cunt. And no – not talking about it doesn’t mean making cheesy I’ve-fucked-myself-over-because-of-HER comments, while leaving my name out of it; surely so you can deny it if I should confront you. Fact – I AM NOT a witch. I have no secret fucking powers that will control your actions. I do NOT expect my friends to agree with me concerning the people I like or dislike. If you acted like a fucking bitch blindly it’s because YOU choose to and I had fuck all to do with it. If you were choosing to do so because you thought it’d impress me – thought you’d get a brown little nose in my ass, you were sadly mistaken. But congratulations for choosing a new ass to kiss, while convincing yourself that it’s not your intent after I disowned you and you found yourself pretty fucking alone around here. Perhaps they’ll not see through your compulsive lying, multiple personality fronts and you’ll actually be happy. Regardless hun, don’t even attempt to put your actions, your choices on my back. It just makes you look even worse.

And I was pretty fucking sure just about anyone who reads this blog understands that I don’t give a SHIT if you love those I hate.

Western Guy - Where’s that Damn Negative Now?

There’s nothing that bothers me more than people talking out of their asses and dismissing another person’s opinions as rubbish, without researching the same themselves. Over at Secret Arabian, I’ve been following a rather interesting debate.

What caught my eye in this initially was someone’s blatant denial that Jews run American Politics & Media. This is old news to most of us, who have bothered with our research, but some can’t grasp the idea that it’s true.

Feeling a little better today, I decided to do the research for Western Guy. I’m almost 100% sure that even with this evidence, he’ll deny the facts and still tell us we believe in rubbish, simply because selective hearing & understanding is the norm among these types; either this or he’ll suddenly go quiet. Western Guy, can you admit you’re wrong? Can you? Whether or not Western guy accepts it, it’s now all here, so the rest of you in denial about how much control the Jews actually have in America can shut the fuck up. Here is your evidence.

Bush's Daddy Comments on Iraqi Invasion:

CNN on Bush’s Daddy Comments

All Google Results because a lot of the pages I’m unable to open due to Etisalat’s proxy.


American Jewish Government:

Jews in Parliament? Says Bush himself, ’ For a hundred years, American Presidents have benefited from the good advice of the American Jewish Committee, and I am one. (Applause.) You have had a profound impact on American political life because you have worked tirelessly for noble goals.’ - President Bush in a speech at American Jewish Committee's Centennial Dinner.

Wikipedia on American Jewish Congress

And finally, Jews in America:

Now look at this: Russ Feingold and Herbert Kohl are the two Jewish senators from Wisconsin, where Jews constitute 0.5% of the population. We all know Joseph Lieberman, erstwhile vice-presidential candidate, is U.S. senator from Connecticut. But did you know that Carl Levin is senator from Michigan, which has only 107,000 Jews, constituting 1.1 % of that state’s population? Pennsylvania has elected the Republican Arlen Specter to the senate several times. He is the only Jewish Republican in the senate and comes from a state whose Jewish population is only 2.4%. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota is one of 42,000 Jews in a state with a population of 4,776,000 so that Jews are only 0.9% of Minnesotans and finally Ron Wyden, the Jewish senator from Oregon, represents 3,316,000 Oregonians of whom 0.9% or 30,500 are Jews.

Ten of the 100 U.S. Senators are Jewish. We are five times over-represented in the U.S. Senate because the non-Jewish population votes for Jews not because the candidates are Jewish but because the American population is generally not bigoted.

Likewise, there are 27 Jews in the House of Representatives, constituting 6.5% of the membership. Again we are 3 times overrepresented because religion is not a factor in American politics.

Right now, seven Jews are running for governor in this fall’s elections. In earlier years, Jews have been governors in Alaska, Idaho and Utah as well as in New York. There are of course also numerous Jews in state legislatures and in other political offices.’

Jewish Media:

A long ‘partial’ list of Jews in some of the biggest News resources including;

“ARIE FLEISCHER, Dubya's press secretary.

STEPHEN EMERSON, every media outlet's first choice as an expert on domestic terrorism.”

Another Partial List including;

’ DONALD NEWHOUSE, chairman of the board of directors, Associated Press.’


I am right. You are wrong. Deny it all you will - just do it someplace else, kay?

9am - Already Frustrated!? Only in Dubai!!

Before I start my bitching, I have to say Bravo! to an Indian expatriate who fought the illegitimate increase of his rent, took the problem to court and got a ruling in his favor the very same day. There’s a lesson here for the rest of us who are suffering at the hands of greedy building owners & real estate agents. There’s no need to give up before you start, simply because you’re a pessimistic thinker. Good things do happen in this country. Good things can happen for you too.

Now, it’s exactly 9.08am, and I’m pissed right the fuck off already. Yesterday, I finally had wireless installed in my house. One would think after the Etisalat technicians install everything and leave your house, installation would be complete, no?

No. Not according to the second Etisalat representative I called in complaint about this shitty service disconnecting every three fucking minutes. The first guy, he was your average, “Call-another-number-it’s-not-our-problem-Joe.” Pissed off when the second number didn’t answer and still suffering this damned connection problem an hour later, I called Etisalat again only to have a conversation that went in circles regarding what my problem was and whether or not Etisalat’s procedures were proficient enough.

I mean, the guy told me that my installation wasn’t complete. When I asked how it was possible that the technician left my house without completing the installation, I was informed that the physical installation was complete but the technician had to go back to his office and approve my line, which was in a ‘testing phase’. When I then enquired as to whether or not there was someone else who could do it, I was told that there was no one else there. Upon asking about the proficiency of this procedure, I was told that it is VERY proficient and I needed to wait until the following day to know whether or not the problem was with this connection, or simply the fact that it’s not yet been installed.

As I’m sure you’re already figuring it’s still fucked. Upon calling Etisalat this morning, I was told to disable my antivirus and that he would refresh from his side. If that didn’t solve the problem a technician would be sent – for his call I’m now impatiently waiting.

As if this isn’t frustrating enough, last week a very sentimental folder of poetry, photos, etc were deleted from my mom’s PC. A good friend of mine explained I need to get a document recovery system in order to retrieve it. This morning, I found one that seemed easy enough to deal with and decided to place an order. I don’t have a credit-card, but the company I choose allowed bank transfers – if ONLY Emirates bank allowed the same.

After more than an hour of changing the settings in my online account with Emirates Bank, and more than 4 phone calls, pushing numerous buttons at specified times just to get one after another of their useless customer service representatives who once again enjoyed repeating the same bullshit sentences that aren’t even slightly related to my problems, I finally got the damn configurations specified in my account in order to add a new beneficiary to my list. But that wasn’t before having to update my mobile numbers twice, and logging in and out of my online account more times than I can remember in order for the damn changes to register.

Now, I already transfer money almost monthly online as I’m still paying off my car. But that amount is a little more than the Dhs134 the software would cost me. Can you imagine my frustration as I type in all the details and click ‘transfer’ only for an error message to appear telling me the minimum amount to transfer must be AED200 and to change the amount before proceeding?

Since there’s no further information about this on their website, I make another dreaded call to Emirates bank. First, I get some dumb twit who keeps telling me how much the transfer is going to cost me regardless of the amount I want to send. Finally, I blow up on her and ask her if she hears my complaint at all! I don’t GIVE A SHIT about the cost of the transfer! I just want to make it! Fuck. She puts me on hold forever, before coming back and telling me to change my limit amounts, keep fiddling with them for a while and if that doesn’t work to go to their bank – which there’s no way in hell I’m doing. Each and every change I might remind you, means logging in and out the damn account again & retyping the transfer details before you find out the fucking this hasn’t registered.

Of course, it doesn’t help one bit, since minimum amounts and limits are exact opposites. I call back the fucking bank and demand the manager. Again I find myself on the verge of probably ending up in jail for cussing out a customer service rep on the other end of the line for repeatedly asking me if she could help before transferring me.

I finally get the fucking manager and after yet another frustrating conversation and numerous minutes on hold, I’m told he must check with the back office because this is a new system restriction. Ahh, but as usual, Emirates Bank systems are down. I don’t think I’ve ever called this fucking bank and NOT learned that their systems were down for maintenance. With all that fucking maintenance, you’d think the fucking things would WORK in the customers favor, no?

No he couldn’t transfer the money for my by phone. It’s an ENTIRE system restriction. There’s NO fucking solution, except wait for him to get back to me.

9am and I’m already PISSED right the FUCK off. Someone shoot me. Or them.

The Real Story

First I have to emphasize that there is no words to describe the shock that hits you as you’re sitting at your desk in your office, drinking your morning coffee and skimming through the papers before you get busy, only to find such atrocious accusations made against you. I don’t remember feeling shame, and embarrassment like this any other time in my life, despite the anonymity granted to me in the wording. What should have been published in both papers, if anything at all…

~*~

UAE Courts Become Means of Harassment
By Staff Reporter
UAE

A teenager is being harassed by attempted prosecution throughout UAE courts by a man whose marriage proposal she rejected. The Canadian teenager, known only as A.L. initially met the accuser A.A. when she was asked by a friend known as E.W., to volunteer any free time from her fulltime job to help manage and organize an aspiring marketing company which was based in R.A.K. but seeking to infiltrate the Dubai market. A.L. agreed to help, but never signed any official contract, nor did she verbally offer any commitment to the task. Over time, A.A., the owner of said company became possessive of A.L. calling her at all hours of the night, purchasing jewelry for her and appearing uninvited at gatherings where A.L. was.

After multiple refusals of gifts and when A.L. refused the marriage proposal offered by A.A., his obsessive behavior became almost hysterical. At one point he confided in A.L. that he was a former assassin with international ties, and even provided a photograph of himself along side a number of well known terrorists. He explained he was currently residing in the UAE because he had recently been diagnosed with Cancer and could no longer lead the life he once held.

A.L. finally decided to sever all ties shortly after hearing this confession, when A.A. again appeared unexpectedly in a restaurant and invited himself to join the very table where A.L. was having an intimate dinner with a male friend. A.L. was very careful about how she went about severing ties, due to her extensive fear or this man. She informed A.A. personally that she would no longer help with his company and she requested that he simply leave her alone. Initially, A.A. showed no reaction. A.L. transferred any ‘company’ materials that were in her possession to E.W. who was still volunteering work for A.A., and asked that E.W. return everything to A.A. and inform her once this was done.

On the day that E.W. returned materials to A.A., A.A. calmly spoke a number of threats to E.W. directed towards A.L., for abandoning him. Included in these threats was that A.A. would open a fictitious prostitution case against A.L. in R.A.K. to insure A.L. would suffer, as well as a singular death threat made in language that only A.L. would understand, as only A.L. had been privileged to information on A.A.’s former life.

Upon learning about these threats A.L. went to the police with the intention of filing a complaint and getting a restraining order (if they existed here), to assure her of some sort of protection. The officers convinced A.L. that she must open a case against A.A. despite A.L.’s adamant will not to offend this man. At the persistence of the police Captain A.L. obliged, only to learn that the case was rejected by prosecution weeks after the fact, when A.L. was served papers for a case filed against her for theft, by A.A. in R.A.K. Upon enquiry, A.L. was informed that the case was rejected after the prosecution called A.A. in for questioning and decided witnesses testimonies were false, without contacting A.L. or any of the witnesses to A.A.’s threats.

~*~

The case that was opened against me in R.A.K. was based purely on a forged contract stating I had taken 25 sales contracts in addition to undertaking legal responsibility for all contracts that were issued to other people involved with the company. My signature had been forged on photocopied ‘evidence’. And there was no convincing the judge of the forgery.

In fact, there were more than 200 contracts between myself and other people involved. But none of A.A.’s sales representatives were able to sell a single one, due to discrepancies between English & Arabic translations and the lacking clarity of the contract details. I had returned almost a hundred of them through E.W. on the day A.A. made his initial threats towards me.

When the case was opened against me in R.A.K., I was considered the primary accused due to this one forged document and A.A.’s assurance that I was the ‘guilty’ one. He was requesting a harsher punishment, for me than the others. In addition to me, there were two other girls being accused of assisting my theft, E.W. and Z.D. (that friend of mine I’ve mentioned is in Egypt). Also accused alongside was a male called K.S. In total, that makes four of us and not three as Al Bayan stated. We can only assume the girls were dragged into this for their initial statements given concerning A.A.’s threats and the guy K.S. because he severed all ties with A.A. and his company around the same time.

At the time of publishing in both newspapers, the cases had already been taking place for a number of months.

A.A.’s company did not go bankrupt due to any misconduct, but rather A.A.’s company was never actually established in R.A.K., had been ‘run’ on borrowed money from his sponsor which he failed to pay back. In addition, A.A. failed to pay his lawyer fees, and ended up changing lawyers three or four times during the whole ordeal (which his lawyers cursed him about during the hearings on more than one occasion).

Even though the case itself was this shoddy, the R.A.K. court was such a mess the judge was ready to declare us all guilty and issue our sentences when he was cut off, not by a lawyer, or a translator even, but rather by Z.D.’s boyfriend, who had driven her there on this day. This man, who had not been to a single hearing prior, but knew of the events about as immediately as they happened, argued with the judge for the greater part of an hour before convincing the him to review the hearing files from the beginning before giving his verdict.

For that day, F. became our hero. He literally saved our lives, doing more than any of our lawyers, any embassy, or any rationality could accomplish with nothing more than stubborn adamancy.

The case was finally thrown out, but A.A. didn’t give up. He attempted to appeal the case, calling on only myself in R.A.K. but didn’t succeed. In addition, he attempted to open numerous cases against me in Dubai, and even sought after Abu Dhabi courts where he attempted to open a similar case against me only in the amount of 1 million dirhams. The case in Abu Dhabi was going to go through, when at the last moment the courts realized they had no jurisdiction since neither the company or my residence or anything to do with it happened in Abu Dhabi.

I ended up visiting the human rights department in Dubai police numerous times, even after my marriage and while fully pregnant to put an end to this man’s perpetual harassment of me. At one point, he blatantly bribed my husband and I, in front of the Human Rights officials, stating that he would cease opening cases if we agreed to pay an enormous lump sum to him in cash. We refused, and UAE law had no clause that would put an end to this. Nothing stopped him – until that initial company sponsor and a couple of his lawyers (and it was rumored a bank as well, but I can’t be sure now) filed their own cases him for non-payment of fees and he evidently skipped the country. I’ve not heard from him since.

This ladies and gentlemen, is the truth about those wonderful ‘reports’ given in the local media. If you don’t believe me, I’ve got all the court papers, including copies of transcription of the hearings and any one of you are welcome to come on by and take a peek – though Arabic literacy is a must, since there’s no English.

And you all wonder why I’m fucked in the head! This is ONE story. And I have me a whole collection.

**Again, forgive the atrocious use of language and/or typing. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. The explanation may come later – if I can be bothered to type it out.

I Know Better than You– UAE News Reporting

Before I start with this, please forgive the horrific grammar that’s bound to end up here today. I did not sleep well last night, as I was dealing with the boy’s messages and once again found myself fighting the incredible urge to let him back in.

A few times, I’ve mentioned in my blog and while commenting on other people’s blogs the criminal cases I faced in R.A.K. alongside my not-so-pretty-view of the UAE News Papers.

The other day, while going through some old files, I came across some very relevant things concerning both of these topics. I’d mentioned once before that I failed to locate both the Gulf News & Al Bayan reports online. Below, you’ll find very shitty photographs of the original papers. Luckily, my mother files everything.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you Gulf News and their fictitious take on my story, dated April 25, 2001:

Since this is probably very hard to read due to photograph quality, here is what this article says:

~*~

Suit against saleswoman

By Nasouh Nazzal

Ras Al Khaimah

An advertising executive here has filed a case against a sales woman in his firm, charging her with taking contract forms worth Dh780, 000 to sell but not returning them after failing to do so.

The executive said his company had intended printing a tour guide and had drawn up hundreds of subscription/contract forms to send out to various companies.

The Canadian woman, known only as A.L., allegedly took 100 of these documents and offered to approach companies.

After some time the executive asked A.L. to return the forms but in turn she filed a case of sexual harassment against him at Dubai court, which ruled in his favor.

The Sharia Court here is expected to review the case against the saleswoman soon.

~*~

And the following, also fictitious take is from Al Bayan, a leading Arabic newspaper:

And due to picture quality and language abilities, here’s a rough translation of the article in English:

~*~

A company has made a case against employees for not being loyal to their employer. The company name S.H. that deals with advertising and media had come up with a project to print a tourist guides and had appointed several representatives to promote the idea and sign contracts with interested people. There are three people, two females and one male who had received 100 contracts worth $7000 each, which were not returned to the company. Due to their misconduct the company had to go bankrupt. From their side, the representatives returned 42 contracts out of 100. If the rest of the contracts are returned the case will be dropped.

~*~

Since I’m A.L. as mentioned in Gulf News, I know the truth about this. I know how much of this information is based on reality and how much of it was made up by my accuser who contacted the papers and requested them to print these in the first place.

Before I tell the truth about these cases, how many of you think you can guess what the actual story was based on what’s told here, in these two stunning takes? Come on, have a go at tearing apart the accusations and statements in these and let me know what you’d believe and what you wouldn’t. And try not to take into consideration what I’ve said in the past. Lets see how gullible you all are.

**I’ll define the reality and show you just how fantastic the media here is (as if the two completely different versions told in two different papers on the same day wasn’t enough), through my next post.

After at least a few of you have had a go at this.

Paintballing Crap Drivers on UAE Streets

I’ve long since decided the best way for someone like me to deal with the ever increasing crap drivers on our roads is to keep a paintball gun handy. I’d love nothing more than to shoot up the numerous bastards who piss me off, and know that I’m leaving a mark I’ll be able to identify the next time I cross their paths.

Actually, I once half-heartedly enquired about where I could buy such a gun here, but I got sidetracked, as I most often do. Perhaps if I knew the punishment in the UAE would be similar to this one handed out in Ohio recently, I’d have more motivation to actually make this little fantasy of mine come true?

I’m all for shooting up the shitty drivers with multi colored paintballs. It’d beat UAE’s ‘naming & shaming’ calls, as other drivers would know on spot who the dickheads are; at least the dickheads as defined by Tainted.

I’ve a couple of questions for UAE residents.

1) Do you know where I can get my hands on a paintball gun?

2) What do you think the criminal punishment would be if I did go shooting up cars that pissed me off?

3) Would you join me if I were to make this a campaign?

4) And finally, would you find a paint-splotched car a significant warning for you as another driver to stay away from the offender?

You are a…

Poor-Sport

And they say I should grow up or I will be miserable. I'm smiling. Are you?

Who is Astonished?

Astonishing – 7Days

The only people, who should be astonished by Bush’s recent claims, are the American public; those that refuse to see the propaganda/terror campaign he’s aimed against his own people since he was placed in office; those who have access and desire to watch international media concerning recent events and are forced to see it now.

This claim doesn’t surprise me at all. Bush is well aware of how uneducated his public is on international matters. Bush is confident that the Zionist run media in his country will perfectly exaggerate his claim, taking a blatant lie and turning it into fact that will go down in every American published history book. This claim will gain American support; greater public approval of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

This O American ladies and gentlemen, is the very propaganda you’re being fed daily. This is the very propaganda you’ve been fed since this man started opening his mouth and speaking to you. And if you still choose to believe in him, let me remind you that he himself recently admitted to ‘making things up’ during international talks. Should this news surprise you now, should you still believe the lies of an admitted liar, you are an idiot. And that’s all there is to it.

I can not help but wonder…

What are we teaching our children?

Last night, I dropped my parents off at the airport. They’re headed back home to Canada for three or four months. While I drove, my mother explained to me that my sister was impatiently awaiting her arrival, because my 15-year-old niece had finally agreed to accompany her to visit with my mom, her grandmother. My niece has spent the greater part of last year as a juvenile delinquent. She’s run away from home, quit school, and taken to drugs and most likely even sex, as she’s run off with a 19-year-old known drug dealer; her boyfriend. My niece has evaded her mother and even ignored police requests that she return home, ever since. My sister, her mother is a good woman; a good mother, who also has twins at the age of two to raise now.

The last time I saw my niece was just a year or two ago. She’d come here to vacation. During her stay, she constantly reminded me of the promise I’d made her years ago that I quit smoking; she even brought the paper she’d made me sign, when she was just a little thing, saying I would quit. Her biggest interest in life while she was here was getting on the quads and screaming through the desert dunes. My brother, who is also back home now, currently describes her as a druggie. Whose fault is this?

My mom went on to tell me that she intended to visit with my niece and nephew to my other sister, but that my father wouldn’t be joining her as he didn’t want to deal with the stress of seeing their parents. You see, for the last three years, these children both under the age of eight, have been playing musical houses, between their drug-addicted, alcoholic father, my hypochondriac, cheating, completely insane sister, and one careless social-home or government allotted home after another. At present, they’re both with their father. These children are almost certain to grow into something dangerous to both themselves and society. And none of it is their fault.

My thoughts for the children go beyond the current wars; go beyond the terror that Iraq, Afghanistan, Mumbai, Occupied Palestine and Lebanon are facing on a daily basis. My thoughts for the children reach those who are aware of these events and those who aren’t. And I’ve been stuck in these thoughts for the last few days.

Since my son is currently with me, I’ve watched him closely for the last few days as these thoughts festered in my mind. He’s just three and I couldn’t even start to guess where he’s headed in the future. But I’ll tell you, I’m scared. Perhaps I’m just paranoid. Perhaps he’s just a boy and all boys are in love with guns and violence. Perhaps I should have shouted louder or made a bigger fuss when my ex-husband first bought him a toy gun, or first allowed him to watch a violent movie. Perhaps, there was nothing I could do. But my son is in love with violence and he’s just three-years-old; too young to even know what violence really is.

These days, I’m thinking about the children; what they’re exposed to wherever they are, what we’re teaching them whoever we are, and what we should or could be doing to protect their future.

Photo’s taken from Gulf News

Tagged By Destitute Rebel

Make sure you’re really comfortable in your chair, got your coffee and cigarettes (if you’re a smoker) because this tag from Destitute Rebel is a long one.

Best, Worst, Last, First, Today, Tomorrow, Favorites, Currently, and True & False

BEST:
1. Male friend: Salem
2. Female friend: Zorana
3. Vacation: Serbia – though it was the hell on earth; the most depressing place in the world with the rudest, most inconsiderate people I’d ever met – I held my best friends hand while her baby was born on Feb. 12, 2005 making it the best vacation ever.

WORST:
1. Time of day: After a heavy lunch, when I feel lazy and unable to move.
2. Day of the week: Never really thought about it.
3. Color crayon: White. You can’t see it when you color.

LAST:
1. Person you talked to that goes/went to your school: Either Tareq or Emma. (I can’t remember which, I have a shitty memory when it comes to time.)
2. Talked to on the phone: My father’s business associate.
3. Text: The ex fiancée.
4. Person who Instant Messaged: BabyK? I think.

TODAY:
1. What are you doing now: Playing tag. Replying to emails. Drinking coffee. Smoking. Still waking up.
2. Wearing: Pajamas

TOMORROW:
1. Is: not here yet.
2. Got any plans: nope.
3. Goal: huh? A goal for the day? Does anyone do that?
4. Dislikes about tomorrow: it never comes when someone’s meant to follow through with something tomorrow.

FAVORITE:
1. Number: Don’t have one.
2. Song: Depends on my mood really.
3. Color: Also depends on my mood & what the color is to be applied to.

CURRENTLY:
1. Missing Someone: Yes. A few people actually.
2. Mood: Indecisive. I believe I’m in a number of moods all put together.
3. Wanting: Nothing that I can think of, but many things that are probably hiding under my sleepy thoughts.

TRUE/FALSE:
I am a cuddler: True.
I am a morning person: Depends really, again on my mood.
I am a perfectionist: Sometimes true, sometimes false.
I am an only child: False.
I am currently in my pajamas: True.
I am currently pregnant: False.
I am currently suffering from a broken heart: True. (But that’s nothing new)
I am left handed: False.
I am addicted to Blogging: Define addicted.
I am online 24/7: False.
I am very shy around the opposite gender: False.
I can be paranoid at times: True.
I currently have a crush on someone: False.
I currently regret something that I have done: True. Lots of things.
I enjoy country music: False.
I enjoy smoothies: False.
I enjoy talking on the phone: True. But it depends on to whom!
I have a hard time paying attention at school/work: False.
I have a hidden talent: If it’s hidden, how do I know?
I have a lot to learn: True. Don’t we all?
I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal: False.

ANGER
1. Are you currently mad at someone?
Yes. A few people.
2. Which of your friends has the worst temper?
Me.
3. Have you ever thrown something at anyone?
Many times. Nokia mobiles are the most resistant when it comes to getting smashed up. Knives are hard to aim. And food just makes a big mess.
4. Ever had something thrown at you?
Yup. Hot coffee will burn your face, but will not stop you from throwing something back.
5. When you’re mad do you prefer to stare angrily or yell and scream?
Depends on the situation, really. I suppose I don’t prefer either. I’d rather not get mad at all.


EXCITEMENT
1. Has anyone ever thrown you a surprise party for you?
Not that I remember. I could be wrong though, my memory sucks.
2. Are you easily excited?
No.
3. What are you most excited about?
Friend’s accomplishments.
4. If you won a million dollars what would be your first thought?
How much tax will the Canadian government try to take?
5. If you could have anything right now what would it be?
A degree.

SELF-DISCOVERY
1. Name:
I prefer ‘Tainted’ around here.
2. Where were you born?
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
3. What’s your main goal in life?
Contentment.
4. How do you want to die?
Forgiven

OPINIONS
1. Sex before marriage?
In a perfect world, with perfect people, it wouldn’t happen.
2. Gay Marriage?
No.
3. Lower the Drinking age?
No.
4. Recycling?
Yes.

DREAMS
1. What was your latest dream?
Being Haunted
2. Have any of your dreams come true?
Many of them.
3. What was the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
Most of my dreams are pretty realistic. I don’t think I’ve ever had one that I’d consider ‘weird’, but then you’d have to define weird.

1. Straight, Gay, Bi?
For me? Strait. For you? Doesn’t make a difference to me.
2. Do you have a bf/gf?
Nope.
3. Do you have a crush?
Nope.

How many beds did you lay in yesterday?
One
What color shirt are you wearing?
Not wearing a shirt.
Name one thing that you do everyday?
Breathe
What color are your walls?
Bluish/Grey
How much cash do you have on you right now?
None. My wallet’s in the other room.
I can’t wait till…?
I’m done answering these questions.
When was the last time you saw your dad?
11 or 12 years ago.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Cucumbers, Carrots, Beetroots, & Mushrooms with Ranch dip.
What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from someone?
My mother’s cat t-shirt, to sleep in.
What website(s) do you visit the most during the day?
Blogspot. Gmail.
Does anything hurt on your body right now?
My heart.

HAVE YOU EVER:
1. Have you ever failed a class?
No.
2. Have you ever sung in front of a crowd?
Probably as a child, or while intoxicated.
3. Have you ever not taken a shower for 3 days?
I’ve been camping, have you?
4. Have you ever slept with a night light?
No. But I’ve slept with the bedroom door open and the bathroom light peeking in.
5. Have you ever danced in the rain?
Who hasn’t?
6. Have you ever lied?
If I said ‘No’ wouldn’t that make me the biggest liar of us all?
7. Have you ever had contacts?
No.
8. Have you ever tripped over something stupid?
Not that I remember.

PICK ONE:
1. Samosa, Pakora, Kebab: Pakora, because I don’t know what it is.
2. Bollywood, Lollywood, Hollywood: Lollywood, because I love the way it sounds.
3. Love marriage, Arranged marriage: Arranged marriage. It’s easier.
4. Honeymoon, no moon: I am the moon.
5. How many kids would u like 1,2, 3+: The one I have is enough, thanks.
6. Kulfi, Ice cream: Kulfi, because I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure it’s better than Ice Cream.
7. Shah ruk khan, Orlando Bloom: Shah Bloom
8. Meenar-e-Pakistan, Eiffel Tower: I’ll sell you them both for a good price.
9. Lahore, Khi, Islmbad: Khi, because I’ve never heard of it.

Thank God! That’s finally done! How many of you actually read through it? For the sake of shits and giggles, I’m going to tag a few people. Some I’m sure will play with me, some I’m sure will not, and others I’m just not sure about at all:

Tagged:
I’m sure will play with me (please don’t make me a liar and play, kay guys?):
Herlock Sholmes
Taunted
Abu Dhabi Events

People I’m not sure whether they’ll play or not:
Harsha
Black Feline
Extinct Dodo

People I’m pretty sure won’t play (but would like to tag anyway):
Samurai Sam
MD

You all have fun now…

News Inspired Thoughts

Perhaps it’s time to send Saddam back & allow him his former post in Iraq?

How can you NOT admire a president that admits to making things up during international talks?

Democracy is just what the pedophiles, rapists & murderers need. I’d be proud to live in that world.

The world is not a pretty place just now.

I’ve been a little preoccupied today. My parents arrived back, but are only to stay for the night before taking off again for the next four months. My son is suffering some nasty cold that I’m hoping will relent soon. Me ex is attempting to get back on my good side, but it’s only ending in more arguments (from his side, as I simply ignore him). And, I’m generally just a little tired, not to mention depressed thanks to current international events.

May tomorrow be a better day for us all.

Lebanese Civilians Petition

Please go to http://julywar.epetitions.net and sign the Save the Lebanese Civilians Petition and forward this invitation to your friends.
Lebanese civilians have been under the constant attack of the state of Israel for several days. The State of Israel, in disregard to international law and the Geneva Convention, is launching a maritime and air siege targeting the entire population of the country. Innocent civilians are being collectively punished in Lebanon by the state of Israel in deliberate acts of terrorism as described in Article 33 of the Geneva Convention.

This page has been copied in whole from UAE Community Blog. If you haven't already, please do sign the petition and note that you need to confirm your signature through email for legal purposes.

Clarification MD: Now Public

Well, MD, since you decided to ignore the email I sent you this morning, and instead reply here, let’s make my real issue with you clear here and to everyone else as well:


Click for bigger image.
And now you all know my name too!

Notice the time stamp, please & thank you very much.

Now to reply to some (not all because I can’t be assed to repeat myself) of your comments, here:

’if we can take praise so well, i'm sure we can take the negative realities with a pinch of salt.’

Presentation is the issue MD, presentation & place. Not the ‘negative realities’ that you and I and everyone else know so well. Did you miss the part in that post where I mentioned I thought this sort of post was better left in his personal blog? Did you see me mention anywhere that he should delete the thing all together? I don’t believe a blog where people will come from far and wide for information on the UAE is the place for such dark humor. Ok, you got it. I didn’t. Ahmed didn’t. I’ll bet your ass a hell of a lot more people are going to look at this as an insult, another dent in UAE’s ever deteriorating image and nothing more.

’i have seen more offensive posts but people suddenly seem to take it in good humour. and this photo would have gone unnoticed, if it wasn't 'glorified' like this.’

You’ve seen more offensive posts in the UAE Community blog? You’ve seen one where people openly stated they thought it was distasteful? I’ve seen some pretty shitty things too; S&M, Faces of Death, Simulated Rape Scenes, Animal Torture, but none of it in a forum meant to represent the UAE. And let’s be honest, there’s no other online UAE community like this and if representing the UAE wasn’t the intention… explain the name & theme?

so i guess u're not the only one who is shocked. it's amazing how just disagreeing with u means im 'two-faced'? i loved how a7med and samawel handled the argument on their blog and if i remember, u did commend them on it. maybe u should return and reflect on that. i am still the same and i haven't changed overnight. if u think u've misjudged me, then maybe u never knew me.

I think the email already answered this one for you. I know you in person. Though as you just pointed out, not well enough. The two-faced comment is a conclusion from my personal interaction with you, combined with these comments. Ahmed & Samawel had a disagreement concerning an opinion. My problem with you is YOU and not your opinion.

yes. coming from me; because my opinion is MINE...and the fact that SD supports it, doesn't make it 'wrong' and doesn't make me her follower. i refuse to be caught in these blogger politics. whether SD agrees or disagrees with woke...i dont care.

Yeah, I can see how you misunderstood this comment. I copied and pasted too much of your previous comment. The comment I was referring to (and couldn’t believe came out of your mouth) was meant to be, ‘i don't know why it's always about being pro or anti-SD.’ and not the whole little paragraph.

You see MD, I specifically remember a time (hell, 80% of all our conversations combined), where you were pushing the ‘SD & Sam ass kissing this and worshipping that, and blah, blah, blah, blah.’ Even when my problem had to do with say, Shaper or Emirati… You yourself assumed because the argument took place on her blog, or because you believe they get along, it was her I wanted to rant about! You brought her into the discussions; not me!

This darling is the definition of two-faced.

Canadian for Emirati Passport Trade Proposition - Any Takers?

Years back, I found myself in the midst of some pretty serious, though false criminal accusations made against me in Ras Al Khaimah Court. Even more, my accuser was at that time what Canadian Consulate officials and I believed to be a very powerful and dangerous man.

I will not dwell into any possible gullibility in believing the man was an assassin prior to his residence in the Emirates, for a number of reasons. I can not stress enough that the evidence to support this was strong enough for the Canadian Counsel to issue me a personal security letter (based not on the possible outcome of the cases, but the threat this man openly made on my life) that should allow me to carry my passport at all times despite the UAE law at the time, permitting my company to hold it. They suggested I leave the UAE immediately and insinuated a possibility of placing me in a witness protection program. To start with, I will never know the truth about who he is or what he may or may not have been capable of. Furthermore, it’s been years since and the threat he once spoke has found its way into the back of my heart and nestled itself in a cocoon of indifference.

In other words, should this man one day make true of his threats, I will not be surprised. Simultaneously and in complete contradiction should I not meet such a fate at his hands, I will also not be surprised. I simply no longer care.

But at that time I was nothing more than a western teenager, living a real life Middle Eastern nightmare. The events that took place in the courtroom which was really no more than an office with an old, cheap, grey school-desk and some plastic chairs; where the judges drank tea and conducted personal conversations by phone during witness testimonies and strangers continually walked in and out of the room sharing some current news or asking some irrelevant question of any of the many men who were meant to be preoccupied with the case at hand; the case where I was being charged with theft of more than 100,000Dhs worth in business contracts, are purely indescribable. Through the black veil I and even all non-Muslim women who were somehow connected to this case was forced to wear, our lips were demanded sealed, because in that courtroom women were not permitted to speak until it was time to give testimony – and even then, nothing a woman said should stray from answering the questions asked. I cried, I sobbed, I listened and interpreted as much as I was able of the Arabic lies being told by both my accuser and even the translator, and I watched as the Canadian Counsel did nothing but observe before slowly vanishing.

As the case proceeded from one trial date to the next and the future of my hand came closer and closer to amputation; my following years more and more certain to be spent behind bars in RAK, I watched as the Canadian government slowly stepped further and further away from me, the RAK and even the case.

We’d contacted the Embassy during the beginning of this nightmare. At this time they offered full support. For anyone who believes that a Western Embassy, thus a western citizen has any pull, what-so-ever in the outcome of these sorts of cases I defy you and say I know better and you will not be able to argue with what I have seen and experienced first hand.

The Canadian Embassy looked over my case; they handed me the letter and suggested I flee the UAE. They handed me a list of private UAE based lawyers, recognized by the Canadian government and promised to help in any additional way they could for the duration of the case.

When I questioned what ways they could help, I learned the simply truth that many of you seem to be ignorant of. Their help could and would only be purely moral. The Counsel would stand by my side during the hearings. And even that, they failed miserably at. The Canadian government official appeared for the first two hearings before vanishing completely.

When I requested financial support to hire one of the many ‘prestigious’ and outrageously expensive lawyers they recommended, I was informed that there was no way the government would help me, despite the taxes I should pay them based on my overseas salary. When I requested they help us find a competent translator to accompany us to the hearings, I was again let down; despite the fact that the Counsel could comprehend less Arabic than I, though the Arabic speaking females who were present during these hearings defined and made clear precise lies, or mistakes made during translation.

I finally won this case, but it was done without the slightest bit of help from the Canadian government. I won and it was a bloody miracle that took place, even after the judge had started to verbalize his guilty judgment.

Yesterday, I found this letter in 7Days and wasn’t the least bit surprised.



I can not understand why the sheer incompetence of the Canadian government, the utter greed they prove through tax laws, the failure to reach most expectations of any Canadian national, and the indifference the Canadian government shows to its citizens who are unjustly suffering while abroad and at home, hasn’t reached the ears and hearts of those who direly seek to immigrate there and obtain Canadian nationalities.

The American government is in the process of retrieving its citizens who are currently stuck in the cross fire in Lebanon. The UAE has already retrieved its citizens and multiple other governments are in the process of either planning or initiating the evacuation of their citizens from the highly popular tourist destination during its peak tourism season, that’s suddenly become a daylight hell on earth.

Once again, I’m disgusted by the nationality I carry due to my sheer disappointment in my government. Once again, I’d rather support everything and anything UAE related than Canadian. At least, the UAE makes every effort to support and help their citizens in every imaginable way, as every government should consider their first responsibility.

For the first time, I feel myself envious of the UAE nationality. Are there any Emirati’s who would be interested in trading passports? You can have the nationality sought after by more than half the planet! It’s prestigious, I swear! And I’ll take the security the UAE government offers its Nationals in exchange. Sound’s like a fair deal to me!

For all of you who are considering immigration to Canada, I’d like to suggest you choose Australia or even America before dumping yourself and your loved ones into the hands of this government. The American government might be a lot of bullies & bastards, but at least they’re evacuating their own citizens from the war zone they condone!

Good, Sad & Simply Sh-itty News.

The good news is, that Lebanese friend I mentioned being ’lost’ to me, somewhere in South Lebanon is safely in the UAE now.

The sad news is, she’s tired and won’t be getting any rest anytime soon. Some of her family members have expired passports and aren’t able to leave until/unless they’re renewed, despite efforts to make them a visit-visa here. They’re living in the same area the majority of Hezbolla is currently at (forgive me, I’ve forgotten the city name), and she tells me as of today, the latest explosions were less than a street away from her family’s house.

May God everyone who is currently being terrorized, worldwide.

The shitty news is that friend of mine that I had helping me with those real-estate issues, who was supposed to accompany me to the police station today to file the complaint, decided to be the better man and let God deal with thieves rather than allow me to go through the process of fighting them.

He went to the real estate office, took the check for 1300Dhs, gave them my receipts and only told me about it when it was too late for me to object. Now, I have no basis to complain. On paper, I’ve accepted.

I want to be pissed off at him, and I’m sure he’d argue that I am pissed off at him thanks to the phone conversation we shared about this. But the truth is he’s done so much for me lately I can see him not wanting to bother with something like this and can understand where he’s coming from.


So that's it. That's my news for the moment.

THE UAE COMMUNITY BLOG: Better Example of the UAE Public than the Real Thing! Move Over Ruling Family, SD’s Coming!

This post has been reposted in UAE Community blog after Woke, seemingly took into consideration disapproving comments made by myself & Ahmed. Woke’s now added a nice little notice explaining his case:

I had removed this post earlier as per negative feedbacks from a few people (If 2 can be classied as few) whom I thought were active members and contributors of UAE Community. Good to know that atleast some people do have a sense of humour and awareness of issues in the UAE.

In which, there is a link with a wonderful word of approval from UAE’s Self-Appointed-Blogging-Queen:

Woke: I found the image very funny, and entirely appropriate for UAE community blog. It was a satirical take on a very real issue: the lack of proper accommodation for bachelors here.

(I managed to see it on Bloglines, which archives some stuff that's been deleted).

It greatly disturbs me that people (who may not even be members) are frightening UAE Community members into self-censoring funny and relevant material.

Should anyone ever post anything really inappropriate (eg sexual content, or "royal gossip") we would either fully delete it. For something borderline (eg an entry where a few words were a bit risky/obscene) we would unpublish it and ask them to amend it a bit. But none of this applies to your post.

I would be very happy if you could repost it there.

I’m going to have to tackle this issue in two parts. The first issue concerning the original post, which pretty much equates the UAE’s high-scale marketing campaigns for luxury residences & highly publicized accommodation problems for the common man (two completely separate issues), to the false advertisement of the trash bin that the UAE realtors really have to offer in general. And there’s a pretty picture of a trash bin, incase you want an actual visual of what the UAE realtors really have hidden behind the complete trickery, deceitful, immoral, should-probably-be-illegal, marketing veils they produce.

Not only did I miss any intended humor in this post (I’m assuming it’s that famous British comedy that only they seem to laugh at; like some sort of adolescent inside joke), but I also found the post disrespectful, insulting, misleading, and pretty-much pointless in nature.

Upon opening the comments, I found that Ahmed has similar sentiments to this. Now, let me inform you all that despite implications made by SD, Ahmed is not only a member of the UAE Community, he’s a UAE National. If you fail to see how a post of this nature can be insulting to a UAE National, there is surely something wrong with you; perhaps, it’s your moralistic western upbringing?

I myself am not a member of the UAE Community, but that’s only due to me requesting that I be removed for reasons pretty-much made clear in this incident as well as a few others I’ve seen in the past. I'm also not a national citizen, though I'll bet your ass I've been here longer than most of these bitching expatriates and I will be here long after they all pack up their shit and go back to the hole of a country they abandoned, in order to take advantage of at least ONE of the many things the UAE offers them that they can't get back home, because I happen to have a national son.

The administration of the UAE Community Blog is an anti-UAE, trash promoting, insult to the real UAE Community and society as a whole. And only those of like-mindedness and in absolute agreement to these trash opinions shall have any relevance or respect in the great world of UAE blogging.

I commented on Woke’s post, something along the lines that I agree with Ahmed; this type of post is better left in his personal blog and not the community one, based on the opinionated, insulting nature of it. I’m assuming, after which he deleted the same. I find it amusing that SD should consider sharing my opinion (and even Ahmed's combined with it) an attempt to scare other people from voicing there’s.

BOO! Woke, if I somehow managed to scare you, I apologize, but at the same time I feel obliged to inform you that you my friend are a pussy; in less vulgar words; a wimp, a sissy, a cry-baby.

Now, I would like to believe that the purpose of the UAE community blog is more than just trash talking the UAE, while pointing out how horrible this place is and promoting one hate blog after another and I’d like see it as a place for general information as given by real people, with real stories; say a mini reflection of all that the UAE has to offer, I really would. But that’s getting harder and harder to do.

You see, between my personal experience as linked above, the promotion of hate blogs and complete disregard for the opinions of UAE Nationals as shown here, the shameless biases regarding who should be allowed to cross-post their personal blogs with jokes or humor(?) & how often, in light of Woke’s latest post (one of many he’s posted that link back to his blog for no obvious purpose other than self-promotion) and the approval by SD in contradiction to this policy(?) she made just a short while back concerning frequency of such posts and the recent revamp of posting and commenting regulations as shown here, I’m beginning to think the UAE Community Queen should have in fact created her court of humble worshipers & followers someplace in China, sometime prior to the fall of the Great Wall, where she’d really get the fame and reputation she deserves.

But then, that’s just me. What do my opinions matter? I’m not an active member of the UAE Community, nor can I comment on any of the posts now, (if you're not a blog member neither can you; so all you interested tourists or just geographically curious from abroad, needn't attempt asking questions there). I should just shut the fuck* up, shouldn’t I?

*You all didn’t actually think I’d get through this complete rant, without using my favorite word at least once, did you?

HAIL SD & THE UAE COMMUNITY! A perfect reflection of the only REAL problem the UAE society faces that isn't in the process of rectification by government officials.

God I Hate this Man

George W. Bush "believes the Israelis have the right to protect themselves,"(…)

As American’s were defending themselves in Afghanistan & Iraq and will most likely defend themselves (and Israel) soon enough in Iran and Syria too, it’s just dandy that more than sixty people (most of which innocent civilians) have already been killed and more will certainly die in the defense of two Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped and eight Israeli soldiers who were killed in that raid.

Let’s count; 10 Israeli soldiers, who were extensively trained for war for more than 60 innocent civilians (and counting), who have nothing to do with war.

Sure equates to ’defense’ in my opinion.

Now might be an appropriate time I mention that one of my best friends is currently ‘on vacation’ with her family in South Lebanon. And I haven’t been able to reach her. I know of many who are waiting for their loved ones to return to the UAE in apprehension just now.

It’s disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. And it’s getting harder and harder for me to ignore.

Perhaps it’s time the Middle East got together and started defending itself against the world’s most notorious terrorist, his whole regime, and closest allies in the same manner that they’re defending themselves over here?

Bush is a born again Christian, he must believe in the divine fairness of ‘an eye for an eye’. So, let’s add up the defense strategies he used against Iraq, Afghanistan & the ones he’s condoning in Palestine & Lebanon, get our shit together and make our way to American and soil and defend the ourselves against these invasions. And while we’re there, let’s not forget the defense techniques used towards suspected terrorists in those Secret American Prisons, and use the same laws & guidelines to define & detain suspects in our interests.

I’m nothing more than a little western woman who’s watching all of this from a distance and I almost feel that any terror that falls on the American government in response to its continued support of Israel’s atrocities alongside its own defense techniques is pretty-much warranted and quite possibly the only way to put an end to the world’s biggest bully. I believe a reaction is coming.

How much do you want to bet that extremists are currently plotting their defense strategy against America as I speak? How much do you want to bet, the next hit on American soil will be far more catastrophic than 9/11?

Bush is condoning terror all around the world. He’s inviting terror to the American public. He’s once again fueling the violent fires in the Middle East while inviting extremists to expand the war field from here to there. If anyone deserves to be blown up, if anyone deserves to have their entire life shattered, it’s this man. I’m pretty sure that there are other’s who feel more passionately about this and I'm pretty sure that they also believe any innocent lives lost along the way will be a small price to pay in retaliation to all those lost and who are bound to be lost under his hand, over here.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. How much do you want to bet Bush himself taught his children this simple, clichéd moral only to ignore it himself? Three wrongs may very well be the conception of WWIII. Am I the only one who sees this coming?

Are you Condoning Israel or Palestine? And does it Matter?

Years back, while I was in my last trimester of pregnancy, I found myself in a number of heated online debates concerning the Israel/Palestine conflict.

Watching people point fingers at who was to blame (as violence was escalating at that time as it is now), and my being ignorant to the history, I spent a number of weeks researching from as many possible sources as I could find. I buried my face in online history sites and current newspaper articles on top of it all. The Israel/Palestine conflict became an obsession for me.

As I dug deeper and deeper into the horrific mess of violence, pointless bloodshed, and sheer biases that surround this topic by anyone involved in it, or even those who just want to analyze and debate, I became sick; both psychologically and physically. I stated to dream in vivid images of terrorized children, both Israeli & Palestinian. I would wake in the middle of the night almost hyperventilating, unable to conceive the thought that anyone; Muslim, Jew, or Atheist could condone the senseless killings that have been taking place since long before I was born and will most likely continue until long after I’ve passed away. Yet, everywhere I looked, someone was cheering on the Israeli’s or Palestinians, someone was defending rights to take more and more lives for whatever reasons.

Not many people bother to take the time to even glance at the history of this tragic situation. Far too many want to spit opinions, take sides and debate a topic they know little or nothing about, other than recent events shown in the media. And debating with someone who is stubbornly blinded by hate and media propaganda makes for nothing more than mental torture for anyone who bothers. Unfortunately, by the time I got there I was too emotionally attached to the topic and too determined to convince everyone and anyone to at least do some proper research before they entered a debate.

As the violence escalated and more horrific images soaked our local newspapers and televisions, I started to vomit on sight of them. I suppose the hormonal reactions in my very pregnant body combined with my utter disgust and the truly unjust nature of the whole situation caused such a nasty immediate reaction. I’ve never been one to be put off by images no matter how violent, but this was something different.

Whether it was more the pregnancy or my new found obsession or a combination of the two didn’t matter, I was killing myself and doing my unborn child no good. Eventually, I stopped buying the papers and I refused to watch the news. I ran from any mention of this topic. I withdrew myself from any sort of debate. And until the recent violence in Beirut, I’ve kept my back turned to the whole situation. I’ve since forgotten a lot of the historical facts I once knew by heart. I know what I believed then and I still hold the same opinion, though I no longer retain the facts that molded it.

I didn’t want to blog about this topic. But today, I came across a number of blogs that defended, analyzed or that were simply based on one aspect or another of the violence that’s once again on the rise in this region. The closest to my own opinion was written by Shaykhspeara Sha'ira, and can be found here.

I have no ancestors of Arab or Israeli decent. I am a Muslim. But being Muslim isn’t an excuse to take an uneducated biased stance on any situation; let alone one that is so passionately engraved in the hearts of so many people. No matter where you’re from or what your opinion is, respect the people that are innocently dying and will continue to die without labeling them a Christian, Jew, Muslim or whatever term you’ve found yourself coining the enemies of your stance, with. Respect the fact that lives are being shattered, beyond the comprehension of any of you, who only know the reality as seen through a photograph, a television broadcasting, or a piece of literature. And respect the fact that no matter how strong you stand in your opinion, no matter how loud you shout them out, people aren’t going to agree with you and chances are, you will not change anything; history has already proven this.

And remember that this is not the only place on the planet that is suffering the senseless terror that you are currently seeing in the media.

My heart goes out to all the innocent who are slaughtered and the families of those left behind who still suffer the loss of their loved ones and live surrounded by the perpetual threat of violence.

Wikipedia: Israel/Palestine Timeline

Hey Sam!

Samurai Sam!

You're not going to like this.

The Love We Made

Sometimes, words just don't say enough.

Decisions, Decisions…

Last week, one of my mom’s cats needed to go to the vet. My mother’s Sri Lankan housemaid (a woman I hate from the core of my being because of the shit she’s caused me and my son in the past, though am forcing myself to be kind to because we have to live in the same house – my mother thinks she’s her sister and not the maid), asked me if she could take my car because my mother’s car, that the maid drives as if it were her own while my mom’s on vacation, is having some sort of mechanical problems that cause it to stall.

I told her the keys were inside and let her go. I didn’t think much of it, despite my utter hate for the woman. I don’t really hold a grudge; even if she is the reason my mother kicked me & my son out last year just after I won the divorce; even if she does get paid to do nothing; even if my mother favors the woman more than her own damn family. (Notice the lies I tell myself, when I say I’m not holding a grudge?)

Anyway, she came back a short while later with the cat and all was normal. Now, I didn’t attempt to leave my house until last night, when I went to get them journal entries bound. The first thing I noticed was the dashboard on my car was cracked and the cabinet thingy wasn’t sitting properly in it. It’s not too obvious so I assumed maybe the sun had caused it to crack or something; until I tried to reverse the car.

I didn’t want to move initially and only jerked into movement when I pressed my foot pretty hard on the gas. I kept driving out of the yard anyway, thinking maybe it was just the wet sand under the tires (as my car had recently been washed and there isn’t a driveway here). I drove for about 30 seconds before realizing something was seriously wrong with the damn car. Whenever I braked, it would shutter and I could feel something banging against the tire. I came back to the house and asked one of the workers who lives here to contact the government garage (as my car is registered by the Sheikh), to see if they can’t take it and repair whatever the problem is quickly, without renewing the expired registration. To renew it means I have to pay speeding fines that I can’t afford right now.

I came into the house and asked the bitch if she’d hit something and failed to tell me about it. Naturally, she denied it. I’m sure the woman is now scared shitless of pissing me off after the last scene, but little does she know I wouldn’t have cared in the least if she’d banged up the car. Anyway, I kept quiet, even though I was sure then that she had hit or run over something; I had no proof.

Today, I had a friend of mine take it to another garage. There is no way the government workshop will return it in a day’s time and I miss my son so it’s worth whatever it’ll cost. He called me to ask me what I hit, saying that something was banged into the left side. The bitch ran something over. She then thought I wouldn’t notice. And on top of all that, she lied when I asked her.

Now, I care because she fucking lied about it and I was supposed to pick up my son today and it’s too late now. Had I known before (when she actually banged it up), I’d have had it fixed in time to get him. It’s scary enough for me to have my son in the car on these roads, let alone in a car that’s fucked. There’s no way I’m driving him all the way along Emirates road in a car that almost feels as though the tire is going to fall off at any given moment.

The only thing that’s left for me to consider, is whether or not I freak out on the bitch. She’ll deny it. My mother will believe her. And I’ll end up out on the streets again, I’m sure. But I’m pissed right the fuck off and almost feel like waking her up at this moment and slapping the shit out of her. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a fucking liar. And there’s NO way my car managed to run itself over something between her taking it and last night, all by itself; unless I’m truly insane and sometimes do I wonder.

But no. I won’t do it. I want to. But I won’t. Either way, I’ll get nothing out of it. And I won’t have my baby with me anytime sooner, will I? Bitch.

Red tape: Red anger

Exactly a year ago last month, I moved into my flat in a new building in Ajman. The building itself is owned by a prick (I would soon learn) and managed by a bunch of monkeys (I should have known). But at that time I was too distraught to care about the details, and needed a home.

It wasn’t long after I moved in that light bulbs started exploding on a weekly basis, or pipes would burst almost as frequently. There wasn’t a day that my kitchen floor wasn’t covered in water, because the pipes were leaking somewhere in the wall and I couldn’t find the source of the problem. And all of this was on top of Ajman’s electricity & sewage problems, that meant at times I’d be stuck in the middle of the day on the sixth floor of the building, sweltering in the heat of my house, knowing the only way out was to walk down six flights of stairs that also stored big buckets for the tenants trash. At other times, I’d come home after they drained the sewage and my house would smell much like a public bathroom that hasn’t been washed down or had a toilet flushed in any less than a year.

Being in the building was a nightmare. Dealing with the pricks on the other end was something on top of a nightmare. Sometime during the first two months, my toilet overflowed. No, overflowed is an understatement; it started spitting up waste that I’m sure come from other apartments as well as my own. At the time, I had my three-year-old son and my housemaid with me. There was only one bathroom. I was working in Dubai, but traffic meant I had to leave my house at or before 6am and I wouldn’t reach home before 7pm.

I called the building management about the problem, since I’d paid them a fee for maintenance, and they informed me that they could only send someone to my house between 7am and 5 or 6 (I can’t remember) pm. This didn’t work for me. There is no way I was going to let some sexually deprived man into my apartment, while my housemaid was virtually there alone. And missing a day of work would mean a day I didn’t get paid, thus meaning I’d end up paying the same maintenance fee twice. I argued with the real-estate company for a full day explaining, insisting that they either send someone to my house at 7.30 in the evening or allow me to hire someone from outside and have them pay the bill.

They refused. On the second day, I asked them to give me the owner’s phone number. They refused.

The sales man for the apartment had liked me from the start. I called him up and asked. He gave me the mobile number, under the promise that I would not tell a soul where I got it from.

I called the guy, Mohammed something… He didn’t answer immediately, but called me back an hour or so later. I introduced myself and before I could say anything he responded with, “I know who you are and I know your problem.” He continued with, “I will not help you unless you tell me where you got my phone number from.”

“I don’t see how this is relevant.” I responded, “You are the owner of this building. I have rented a service from you. It’s now been two days that I don’t have working toilet.”

He continued pressing about where I got his number, as if he were a Shiekh and I had somehow invaded his private circle, and I continued refusing to explain based not only on my promise to the sales guy but also the sheer conceit in this man’s tone. Soon, he simply hung up on my face.

I was pissed right off. I have never met a person so arrogant, so incredibly rude, and so condescending in my entire life. But I’ll be fucked if I’m going to let some prick get the best of me; especially if I’m putting money into this mans bank account. I left my office and headed to my lawyers. I had them call him. You can bet your ass he arranged for a plumber to be at my house that evening at 7.30pm.

Since, I’d dealt with all plumbing or electrical problems on my own. I can’t be bothered with the stress dealing with these people causes.

Three months before my contract expired, the building management sent me a note asking me to sign whether or not I’d be staying and informing me of a rent increase if I did stay. Three months before I left, I had no idea what I’d be doing. In fact, I knew nothing up until the last couple of days I was in that house. I’m sure many of you read it in this blog. None-the-less, they kept harassing me almost daily. I refused to sign, they refused to leave the letter with me, only to return the next day or week and ask the same thing over again. They called me every-single-day, five or six times until I answered and each time, I still told them I didn’t know and thus couldn’t answer them. They insisted on trying back, even though I told them I would inform them when I knew what I was doing.

Finally, I flipped at the calls and told them to stop harassing me. I told them it didn’t matter how many times they called, I won’t know till I bloody well know. So they needn’t waste their time or increase their damn phone bills with these pointless, harassing calls.

They then left me alone. And when I knew for certain that I was leaving, I informed them. It’s funny because it seemed like the whole building was moving out in that same week. I remember one guy telling me in the elevator that he also wanted to go, but stupidly paid for two years in advance. He told me the owner of the building was a prick; which meant to me that it wasn’t just my experience with him, the guy is a prick through and through.

When leaving I inquired about the 1500dhs security deposit I’d given them. I was told it’d take a week to process and informed I needed the receipts. It’s a good thing I kept them, but when I looked at them last week I realized a few things. For starters they were printed on two different companies’ letterheads. I remembered the day I first looked at the apartment and how they told me that if I wanted them to hold it over the weekend (until I could arrange the cheques), I needed to give the majority of the deposit to the salesman at the building because the office was already closing for the day. I refused without a receipt, so they had us drive the sales man to some other office where he issued one.

That done, I thought all was well. I went and finalized everything after the weekend and got a second receipt for the remaining of the deposit.

The second thing I noticed about the receipts was that on one of the deposit ones, the larger one, the man had written, “This amount is non-refundable,” in Arabic. On inquiring, I was told I wouldn’t get that money back. I called the real-estate two days ago, and swore up and down that if they didn’t refund me my full amount I would take them to court over it. I’m sick and tired of people taking advantage of others, in such ways in this country. I’m fed up of people literally stealing money from me without an ounce of shame.

The guy promised me I’d get it all, before I closed the phone.

Today, T went to pick it up. While at the office, he called me and put the very same manager I had talked to two days ago on the phone. The guy told me that I was only getting 1300Dhs, as they’d deducted 200Dhs for maintenance. I flipped. I don’t give a shit if it is just 200Dhs. I don’t care what excuses they have. I refuse his ‘offer’ and told him that one way or another, the company would pay for it. He can take it out of his own fucking pocket, seeing how he’s the one who promised it to me just two days ago, and take it from the owner whenever the guy shows up.

I asked T not to leave with the cheque until it was made out in the full amount. I simply refuse to pay this fee. The guy argued that the owner will only be there at 1pm, so we needed to wait. I argued that I’m tired of waiting and I will take these fuckers to court. I will pay more for lawyers and I will endure a messy legal battle for a measly 200Dhs.

When companies are already getting away with daylight robbery through rent increases, maintenance fees that are literally useless and your average person, like me, is starting to feel the real consequences of the rising expenses in the UAE, enough is enough of this shit.

I’m thinking it’s a good fucking thing I’m not working or expected to be a professional under any circumstances these days. When someone is seriously willing to go to the fucking courts in this place for 200Dhs, I’d say they’ve about reached their capacity for stress-induced frustration.

**By the way, 200Dhs works out to about $54 USD.

Two Years Too Long

So I spent the majority of last night and most of this morning going over my journals. I took all the entries concerning him out and copied them into a word document. It was time I saw with my own eyes what this relationship has been. 'Love is blinding', they say. While reading some of it, I saw that truth. In other parts, I thought they were just pessimistic.

When he and I met, I was in the process of divorcing my husband. Please don’t give me any bullshit for this, as my husband had divorced me three times verbally already, only he denied it in the court.

Anyway, I was feeling like shit. I had taken to abusing my Xanax prescription, was drinking heavily and the last thing on my mind was meeting another man. I woke some time in the middle of this mess and went to the salon. I didn’t iron my clothing, hardly brushed my hair, and didn’t bother putting on makeup. I had to do my nails. I’m Tainted and it’s the one thing I can’t stand in a state of imperfection, no matter what I’m going through I must have nice nails.

After the salon, I had to see my lawyers. I parked my car as near to the building entrance as I could, and walked along the street in Deira towards the office.

“Mar7aba,” I heard the voice from behind but ignored it and kept on walking. Within moments he was beside me, repeating himself.

Not at all impressed, nor thinking much about it, other than being too tired to deal with another desperate man who thinks I’m a prostitute, I stopped. I turned towards his car and looked at him directly in the face and said, “3aib akhoy. 3aib alaikh!”

For those that don’t understand Arabic, he said ‘Hi’ repeatedly and in response I said, “Rude brother. You’re rude!”

He continued to follow me until I entered the building and I ignored him. I had no interest at all in this man. To me, he was just another of Dubai’s desperate men looking for some whore to fuck on the nasty streets of Deira.

He followed me into my lawyer’s office (which was located on the second floor, and I have no idea how he knew that was the office I went to as I entered the elevator while he was still in his car). Where I was sitting in the reception, he couldn’t see me. I heard him ask the receptionist for some other office's location, thank her and leave. I didn't think I'd see the guy again. What kind of crazy person would follow a girl he didn't know into a lawyers office, in this country?

I left my lawyers office two hours later. When I got to my car and turned it on I was shocked to see him pull up beside me. He had waited for me, the whole time. After 20 minutes or so, he convinced me to give him my number, telling me that I was the one acting 3aib, because he'd waited so long and I still refused to talk to him. He even made me to give it to him twice to make sure I’d given him the right one. I told him that whatever he did, not to call me that day because I wasn’t feeling alright. God the boy was persistent.

I reached the house and slept only to be woken up by him calling. I started screaming obscenities at him, asking him if he was stupid and couldn't understand what the words, "Don't call me today," meant. I closed the phone on his face.

He called me every day for more than a week and each time I treated him just as badly. I really didn’t want the guy. When I realized this wasn’t repelling him, I tried to make myself look like trash. I told him all sorts of obscenities about myself, things no normal person would say. When he explained he used to work in CID, I asked him if my drug file was still there. I tried everything to make myself look like a shitty girl he would have no use for. but he wouldn’t leave me alone.

After a month or so, I got used to his calls that would come every night at 10pm. Two days passed and he hadn’t called. I started to worry. That’s what people with anxiety disorders do. I sent him a message that said, “Did you die?”

He called me back laughing. He asked if I wished he was dead and told me they'd just changed his shifts at work, and he didn't have the chance to call. I explained that I just thought it weird that he hadn’t called after being so stubborn about it all, and started to seriously wonder if something had happened to him. That’s the night he won my intoxicated, drunken, completely shattered heart.

I played no more games (that I can remember), to try and get rid of him. I resigned to the idea that there was no way he'd leave me alone no matter how hard I tried.

I remember only bits and pieces of the months that followed. And none of it is in my journals because I was too fucking high on the combination of prescription meds, alcohol and anything else I could get my hands on, to bother with a computer. During all of it, every memory I have of being homeless and living in my best friend’s house, losing myself completely, and not caring about a thing in the world, he was there. He was taking care of me.

There was a night when I was completely wasted and at another friends house in Sharjah. She decided that I shouldn’t drive home and called him to get me. He was there in minutes, putting me in his car. That night, I looked at him in the face and drunkenly said, “What do you want from me? You want to fuck?,” I remember none of this now, but I believed him later when he told me, “If you want to fuck, now is the perfect time for you. I’m so fucked up I’ll never remember it anyway.” I said.

He didn’t touch me.

I remember the small car accident he had that night while I was in the car. I remember him calling the police to come. I remember nothing but sitting in the car with him talking, while the police filled out the forms. I remember how he returned me to my best friend’s house and how I fell asleep in his arms on the couch. She remembers waking up late that night and finding him awake. She remembers him telling her, “She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?”

There are nights like those, and there are nights like the one I made him take me to the sea only to leave him in the car and walk strait into the water without looking back. He didn’t know how to swim and I walked in fully dressed, completely broken feeling that God only allowed me to fuck myself up like this because he wanted me in hell; believing that no one in the world cared about me so I shouldn’t either.

I lay in the ocean, willing God to allow me to drown; telling God I was drunk and it was dark and it would be so easy for him to take me, if that’s what He wanted. I floated and begged for the pain to go away. I forgot all about the boy.

It was sometime later when I gave up on that too, thinking God himself didn’t want me. I made myself back to the shore and fell on the sand in a broken mess. I’d lost my shayla to the sea and my soul to this world. Within in minutes the boy was running to me in his underwear. He picked me up and apologized because he didn’t know how to swim. He told me he was just about to call rescue, believing I had drowned somewhere in the black sea. He carried me to the car and pulled a towel out of the back and wrapped me in it before placing me inside. He took me to my mom’s empty house, as my parents were on vacation, and he held me until I slept and then woke up again. He thought I was so messed up that night, I would die in my sleep from the amount of drugs in my body and no one would know because I was all alone and none of the people who work on my parents land, knew I was there.

It’s the sacrifices he made at the beginning of our relationship that make it so fucking hard for me to let go. It’s not that I’m a masochist. It’s not that I enjoy being tortured. It’s that I know he took care of me when no one else would bother (not even me) with such a fucked up chick. It’s that I know he never abused me then. It’s that I feel so damn indebt to him for those first few months. But it seems, it was only those first few months that he was like that.

It wasn’t long before I was all settled in at my mom’s house. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with him. It wasn’t long before I cut the meds and the alcohol out of my life. And it wasn’t long before the rollercoaster of this relationship actually started. These are some of the entries I came across last night:

~*~

02/09/04
Title: The Blessing…
He’s strong in his faith, kind with his hand and word. He’s strait when I am crooked, and always there with a show of support. His hands are like magic, and I fit perfectly into the shape of his slender body. And he rocks me, like I would rock my baby. He smells like nothing I’ve ever known, and he takes wonderful care of his hygiene. He’s handsome and pretty at the same time, and even his little baby-tooth has character. He’s just 23. But when he smiles, his eyes become lined with animated wrinkles that seem to make them twinkle. His jokes are always funny, and he’s all too often cute. But he’s still as masculine as I need him to be so that I can feel secure. He’s a fantastic listener, who offers solid advice when it’s needed.

~*~

01/10/04
Title: The blank
Why is it that in every relationship there seems to be a period where the couple just can’t seem to get along?! There’s nothing severely wrong, and no huge arguments or disagreements have occurred, but there’s a blank in communication. There’s stubbornness in his voice and ice in his words. Where does it come from and why? And is this a temporary thing, or is it permanent?! Should I be backing out, or attempting conversation?!?

Conversation leads to more hurt it seems. And my mind keeps telling me, this guy wants to leave me but doesn’t know how. He’s trying to make me leave him. But when I ask him, as expected, he denies. So what the hell is going on?!? It’s not the first time I’ve been through this sort of blank in a relationship. Most of the time, it goes with time. It’s just a phase. But this is a little different. There’s something just not the same about it.

Sometimes, I wish I was psychic.

~*~

08/10/04
Of Love & Rage
I
Loved
You
You inconsiderate piece of shit
you made me a fucking fool
a tool
used and discarded
for someone else to abuse.
I could tear your toes-nails off
the finger ones
too
even though I know your game
I’ll never hurt you
my fucking love
was true.
You stupid fucking asshole
I’d have split the earth
in two
risked my entire life
to spend one minute with you.
You inconsiderate piece of shit
so easy to let go
still acting so very kind
(your true colors will not show)
fucking gigolo!
You stupid fucking asshole
broke my fragile heart
torn into my soul
shredded then ripped it apart.
You inconsiderate piece of shit
playing games
causing me pain
driving me insane
because
I
Loved
You

and still do

~*~

You see how quickly things seemed to change? They’ve been a complete fucking rollercoaster ever since. But I love him. And I know different than anyone who says love doesn’t exist.

There is so much more I wanted to say. But I opened a bottle tonight and don’t think I’m in the right mind to go there.

I took all the entries of all my journals and made an A5 sized book. I went to kinkos tonight and had them bind two copies; one for him and one for me. He knows I keep online journals, there’s even one entry there that’s a photo of him, taken while he slept after I drew all over his face. We were madly in love at times. We were one another’s worst enemies at other times. I’m sure he’s hurting as much as I am now. I’m also sure that I’m just another stupid fucking girl, who is now drunk and thinking and speaking more through emotions than anything else.

I titled the book “Two Years Too Long” and ended it with this letter:

~*~

After spending the last day taking all the entries out of my journals that had anything to do with you; after examining every-single up and every-single down we had, I don’t think there’s much left to say.
I know there are many things that happened between us both good and bad that aren’t here as I never wrote them down. I know the night you saved me from the bar & sea isn’t here. I know you taking care of me during the first months, also isn’t here, but this is the majority of what our relationship was like through my eyes. I’m sure you’ll have a different version of how our story actually was, but as far as I can see it’s been one-sided right from the start. I never wanted to believe it. I really didn’t, because I really loved you more than life itself; even through all the anger. And we did have some amazing moments together.
No amount of effort can repair the damage this relationship has caused me, even if you think it can repair you. No action will ever make me believe that things will change. Together, our pattern always has been and always will be destroying each other and you will always pull away when I think I need you the most. You will always let me down. You will always destroy me; whether you intended to do it or not, I’m not sure, but this is the pattern of our love.
We’ve shared a hundred apologies, a hundred vows that we’ll talk our problems through and try our hardest to work things out and we’ve never succeeded. A hundred times, you’ve told me you ‘finally’ understand what I’m feeling and a hundred times I’ve believed you, only for you to crush me all over again.
You were right when you said we never will succeed. I love you. Maybe I always will, but it’s a curse for me and not a blessing.

~*~

I called his best friend tonight and cheerfully denied any chance that I would go back to the boy. HL&H is right in her last comments. I can’t keep allowing this to happen. I asked him if I could give him this 167 page book and if he'd take it to the boy. He agreed to take it Saturday.

For now, I’m just going to keep drinking; until I can’t drink anymore.

Post Fifa Tainted Fairytale?

I don’t know if I’m prophetic or he’s just too damn predictable.

Not even 24 hours after the World Cup finale, the boy misses me. Yesterday, at four-thirty in the afternoon, he decided to send me a message saying, “I just wanted to say hi. I hope you and your son are well.”

I ignored him. He thought it right to send the same message again last night at ten-thirty; maybe I didn’t see it the first time? I ignored him again. An hour later my phone starts ringing. It’s his best friend. I don’t answer the first time, but he keeps on calling, so eventually I give in and pick up the phone.

The first thing I said was, “I don’t wish to talk to him. Please ask him to stop calling and messaging me. I will not answer.” He spent a whole of 15 minutes trying to tell me about the boy, and how he missed me and wanted to know how I was doing. In response to every sentence I cut him off without letting him complete, explaining that the guy only misses me because there’s no fucking game at the moment and it’s too late. I told him I don’t want him back and that any love I had for him in the past is now dead. I explained that I’m enjoying my life; my ability to do what I want without having to answer to anyone, to have a drink whenever I please without getting guilt-trip. I’m enjoying not cooking for the boy, not doing his damn laundry, not pampering his every need. I explained that I deserve and will find a better man. Eventually, the call got disconnected (thank you sincerely, Etisalat). I turned my mobiles off.

I was lying.

I am in love with this guy, perhaps I always will be. And it kills me, because I know if I let myself, I will take him back and he’ll just destroy me again. During the whole two years that he and I were together, he defiantly got more out of this relationship; in any sense. Maybe I’m a masochist? Maybe I need a man who will treat like shit, abandon me when I need him most, ignore my girlish emotions in total, take what he wants leaving little for me?

My mom doesn’t like him because she remembers how he forgot my birthday a few years back. My father considers him a ‘taker’ because he never really seemed to give, which is weird for any Arab. Most of the people who know him & I, (at least from my side), say he doesn’t appreciate me enough, doesn’t deserve me. T. from this entry on prisons in the UAE, knows the boy well and he hates him, for how he treats me alongside the fact that when the boy and I are together I’m not allowed to talk to T, or any other guy for that matter.

But all of them believe he’s a descent person at heart. And I know that’s the truth about him.

Twenty minutes later I turned on the mobiles again. There were about six missed call notifications from his best friend and finally a message saying, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but love never dies.”

I replied apologizing and making it pretty clear that I don’t want to talk to or about the boy anymore. And I really don’t, I guess. I’m miserable without him but I know it’ll just be worse eventually, if I take him back again. I don’t trust myself to talk to him anymore at all; not even a message.

Boys are horrible things.

Girls are worse.

Because a part of me believes I will take him back. He just needs to suffer a little more for making me suffer so, and he needs to prove himself with totally that he’s not going to pull this shit again. I don’t know how he’ll accomplish that, though. He’s crawled back and ‘proved’ himself so many times before; perhaps he’s exhausted all his options? Maybe he can’t or won’t, and that’ll be the end of it. It’s a sick sense of punishment I guess.

Yeah I’m still bitter about it. He did walk out on me as we were in the process of moving in together. He did leave me stranded after I quit my job without having another after he convinced me to depend on him; that he’d take care of me. It was only two weeks from my apartment expiry date when he left, leaving me with no options excepting moving back into the zoo I’m at now. He truly fucked me over, and maybe it was too far this time?

I knew he’d be back after the World Cup. And that just pisses me off even more.

Maybe I haven’t got a damn clue what I’m thinking or feeling about any of this, or him?

Pretty Speedy, Aren’t Ya?

Pretty Speedy, Aren’t Ya?

It wasn’t long ago that I was driving from Ajman to Abu Dhabi and back, daily. For those that don’t know, roundtrip it’s approximately 430kms (give or take a few). Sometime nearing the end of my 7-hour-a-day-everyday driving saga, I found myself stopped in the middle of the Abu Dhabi highway heading towards Dubai by an actual police roadblock. The roadblock remained there for three consecutive days.

The first night, I smiled at the officer, opened my trunk as he’d asked and showed him my license and registration before taking off again. As soon as I’d left I called my mom, because I was utterly shocked by the experience; a police roadblock? In the UAE? I must be hallucinating, because in the decade that I’ve been here this is the first! She'd never even heard of such a thing here before. On the second night I asked the officer what the reason for the road block was, and he replied with a huge smile on his face, in one word, “Safety”. On the third, after all the road-check procedures were finished I looked at the police man and said, “So I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He chuckled and I left. Seems as though the officers packed up their cones and portable flashing-lights, got into their 4x4’s and left themselves, because I didn’t see them again.

Possibly just two days later, I remember reading a short note in the papers about a kidnapping for ransom of some diplomat’s child being busted up by police, as the kidnappers attempted to transport the victim from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. I have no idea if the two incidents were related, but I imagine they were.

Since we arrived here, we’ve wondered why the police don’t pullover the people who break traffic laws in front of their eyes, or do random checks with roadblocks for things like license validation. The nature of their work seemed incredibly laid back while on the roads. They have never been anything to fear, even as you illegally weave in and out of traffic with them as your witnesses.

I am not exaggerating when I say in the UAE, you can flash a police car that is driving the speed limit on the road and he will casually move over so that you can speed by. I suppose it’s part of the national driving culture that so many foreigners can’t grasp; the idea that flashing isn’t a bullying insult but rather an indication that there’s someone coming up faster behind you and you’re blocking their way. And honestly, it’s a hell of a lot more dangerous for you to be an arrogant ass, refusing to change lanes, forcing them to speed by you on the right often by weaving in and out of slower driving traffic. So you know, if you’re one of those arrogant fucks that considers flashing a personal insult, so disgustingly rude that you will not move, I think you’re a prick and hope you find someone stuck to the ass of your car every time you leave your house.

Anyway, I was pleased this morning to find this report in 7Days. I’m not sure how accurate it is when it comes to the numbers, but it’s about fucking time the coppers started pulling people over and issuing tickets on the spot. It just leaves me with a few questions, most important of which is:

What are the actual speed limit on these roads? It’s not what the road signs tell you (want to bet?), a Sheikh (head of road and traffic authority at that time), told my father years ago that the legal speed limit is 30km over the posted amount anywhere in the city. A few years ago, they reduced that to 20km before singling out and canceling the lenience in total on the Jumierah beach road alone. Right now, on Abu Dhabi highway the legal speed limit is 160km, though the road signs will tell you anything from 80km/h to 120km/hour.

For those of you who can’t access the archives for Gulf News, I’ve cut a part of the article that was published on 12/24/05, six months after the limits were increased, out here:



There was another article that I’ve failed to find online (I can only assume it was only published in hardcopy), but it was published sometime last year where head of traffic authority said something along the lines of, “Sheikh Zayed and Emirates roads are the most dangerous in the city because the speed limit on these roads is 140km/h."

Well, I’ll be damned! All the signs say 100km/h to 120km/h!

I am an official speedster; or rather, was an official speedster. If you were driving an average of 7 hours a day everyday for more than six months strait, knowing that every minute on the roads is a minute you could be working or sleeping, you’d become one too. As such, I can tell you what the speed limits are on any road in and any place on that road, due to the personal experience of being flashed by radars above certain limits. Hell I can even tell you which radar boxes are in fact empty, without a camera to flash your suddenly-breaking-almost-causing-the-guy-that’s-flashed-you-five-times-for-driving-the-
limit-that’s-posted-in-the-left-lane-to-smash-into-your-inconsiderate-ass.

On Sheikh Zayed road, from Garhoud Bridge to Dusit Dubai, the speed limit is 120km/h, where the signs say it’s 100km/h. Heading out from there towards Internet City, the limit is 140km/h, though the sign says 120km/h. It stays at 140km/h, until you reach the white line of the road, telling you you’re in Abu Dhabi, where the signs say 120km/h but it’s actually 160km/h as you can verify for yourselves with the article above.

So, what are the limits the coppers are calling speeding? Someone care to guess? Any of you get a ticket and want to share that experience? My bet is it’ll be something like the ticket I got for exceeding the legal tint amount, while I entered Internet City.

Take into consideration the next time you’re driving the posted limit on Sheikh Zayed road and someone driving 20km/h faster than you, flashes you from behind and you curse their ignorance of the law and arrogantly refuse to budge, they’re also cursing your ignorance of local speed limits; because hell, you’re both right!

Soooo….

Whadda ya all think?

And be nice… it took me ALL day to do this… the skin was HOT PINK when I got it!!

Human Trafficking: American Secret?

Can someone please tell me why the US Department of State has left out American Regional Law Enforcement Statistics on their Trafficking in Persons Report in Maps (With Regional Law Enforcement Statistics) , but instead, published a blurb at the bottom of the page titled ‘US Government Domestic Anti-Trafficking Efforts’.

In 2005 the US made 116 human trafficking prosecutions. 45 of them resulted in convictions. Now, it took me a few minutes to dissect this confusing jumble of words and find any relevant numerical figures in order to compare with other international regions. It’s possible that my IQ doesn’t reach the American Government’s expectancy for viewers of this page, so please do have a look yourself and let me know if I missed something, but I found it confusing that the figures were sometimes written in digits and sometimes in words, and they were hidden between other figures that weren’t really relevant to the information given on other regions. On top of all that, my eyes kept getting pulled to the likes of rather amusing sentences like these:

“These statistics represent federal investigations; law enforcement in states and localities also make significant, indispensable contributions to the fight against trafficking in persons.”

Because the brains of Mensa can’t conclude for themselves whether or not the figures make significant, indispensable contributions to the fight? Come on! You’re just patting your own back now, aren’t ya?

“In 2005, state law enforcement agencies convicted over 26,000 “johns” for trying to buy sex services.”

In light of

“In FY 2005 HHS certified 230 foreign victims of human trafficking from a remarkably diverse array of countries (…)”

How many ‘johns’ does that make per trafficked person?

Imagine my horror after hurting my miniature brain doing this, only to find relevant figures for one year, in comparison to all the other regions which show a three year history!

Can someone please offer an explanation as to, why this is so?

Stop Barking Little Bitch & Bite!

I am now going to generalize and equate the entire UAE society as barking dogs; and nothing more. And if you find this insulting, fuck off, because there’s defiantly a similarity. Anyone who knows anything about dogs should also understand the comparison to bitching people; the loudest most annoying fucking dog, usually barks at ‘ghosts’ in the night rather than a real problem and rarely bites but instead pulls his fucking tail between his legs and cowers into a corner when confronted. Where as the truly threatened dog challenges a real opponent with a silent stare before letting out a growl and taking a hunk out of whatever’s threatening him. And about the only time a dog won’t necessarily act as I’ve specified, is when he’s suffered unspeakable amounts of physical abuse in the past, rendering him a coward through-and-through.

I suppose just living in the UAE, is about as traumatic as severe, physical abuse to some of you, huh? Turned you all into fucking cowards? You critics make me sick.

Just as the true definition of the word ‘bitch’ and in every sense of that fucking word, you scream about injustices as loud as you possibly can. You draw extreme amounts of attention to yourself. You inspire pity, sympathy, and even outright shock in people about the injustices you face. You inspire fear, and hate for the UAE, while you psychologically and emotionally disturb anyone within ears-reach of your cries. But you are too fucking lazy, scared, stupid, pessimistic, (you can fill in your own self-degrading labels now), or you’d simply much rather discriminate those who do attempt to do something, while doing fuck all about the problems yourself!

And no; I’m not just talking about the bitching, blogging, UAE expatriate community alone, though you all can make a great fucking example of it. Two days ago, I posted in my blog a request for all UAE bloggers to at least attempt to put something right, rather than just bitch about it. Someone kindly thought to cross post this in the UAE community blog.

What were the responses like, from all these so-called-UAE-concerned bloggers? A total of 6 people mentioned that they’d sent an email to support this cause. And one person, showed their cowering-dog personality:



You want to argue that maybe no one, or at least no one concerned saw this request? UAE based bloggers take up anywhere from 80% to 95% of those visitors. As proof for you fucking skeptics, for the last 100 visitors (because that’s all my stat counter shows):



On my blog, I get on average 132 visitors everyday, who refresh or reload my page an average of 419 times (All that refreshing, they must be looking at something, no?). And pay special attention to Thursday; the day I posted the request:



I don’t have access to the stats for the UAE community blog but I’ll bet your ass they’ve got FAR more visitors on a daily basis than I do. Why the fuck else do you think on Thursday my unique visitors ranked so much higher than my average? And I shan't forget, there have been 12 new posts in the UAE community blog since then. Sure it makes sense that only SIX people decided to take part in this; or at least inform others that they had. You're all pussies; perfectly representing the majority of the population here!

This whole society is so caught up in concentrating on our differences; whether they are personal, opinionative, racial, religious, social-status, gender, or whatever the fuck they might differentiate in, that we can’t come together for a good fucking cause, to even attempt to improve the whole damn place for our own sakes! The UAE society is a bunch of lazy, incompetent, attention seeking, pessimistic whores, without the nerve to stand up for themselves alone when they’re mistreated let alone find the initiative to get together and make a statement as a group!

Ever heard the saying, “If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem”? It’s the truth about YOU and the UAE society. Most of the shitty things that happen here, that you ever-so-dearly love to bark ever-so-loudly about, only happen because you allow them to. So now allow me to be the first to thank you for making the lives of the few of us who have the will and initiative to actually change something for the better, all that harder to do. And finally, in BabyK’s most-recent, favorite closing words, Fuck You.

International Conformity: Money Worship

I remember having a conversation once where I was told, “The world has a new common religion and it is the worship of money”. At the time, I pondered the generalization for a few moments and agreed with the sentiment without really thinking it through in depth.

Today, after coming across this article in 7Days, I’m forced to rethink that statement. The article itself highlights a UK based company located in the UAE, where 120 white-collar employees have taken to striking, claiming their employer withholds their passports (which is against the UAE law), forces them to work longer than the legal 8-hour-work-day shifts, and deducts multiple days worth in cash from their salaries for failing to meet daily sales targets or taking a single day sick leave. I am not all too familiar with labor law in the UK, but I’m pretty sure should this company be located in its own country, it would not consider the possibilities of such ‘motivational’ standards, as it’d be considered illegal.

A few years back, I was offered a job as an administrative assistant, in a Canadian based government company that is tied tightly to the Canadian consulate in Bur Dubai where it’s located in the very next office of the same building. I turned down the job because the package they offered me, if I recall it correctly, was 1500Dhs ($543.387 CAD at that time) per month, for a 5 ½ day working week.

On Canada’s Ministry of Labor site, you’ll find that minimum wages as of February 2004 in Ontario (as wages vary slightly from province to province), started from $6.60 CAD an hour, reaching up to $71.50 CAD an hour, depending on the industry.

Applying a little math to the salary I was offered by dividing the monthly amount by an estimated four weeks and then the weekly amount by the 44 hour work week expected of me, shows that I was being offered exactly 8.52Dhs an hour, which worked out to approximately $3.086 CAD. Exchange rate calculations are thanks to ONADA.com.

This is less than half of what the minimum wage amount was in the lowest paid industry in Canada at that time. In the off chance that my memory is playing tricks on me about the exact package they offered, I can assure you that there was no way the package was double the amount I have specified here and no less than a 5 ½ day work week. I clearly remember how horrified my entire family was at the hypocrisy the Canadian government showed us, once again.

Examples of Western or European based companies operating in the UAE that abandon the labor laws of their own countries for the more profitable labor laws in the UAE are widespread; McDonalds, Pepsi, Starbucks are just a few major examples where average employees are paid far less than they would be should they be working in the same company but out of the company’s homeland instead of here.

The logic behind this is understandable; the aim of any company is to minimize its costs while increasing profit. But logic or the fact that no local laws are being broken does not mean these policies are in any way moralistic, humanitarian based, nor do the managers of such companies show any sort of integrity or ethics. McDonalds for example, still uses Styrofoam boxes for their sandwiches in the UAE, though the overwhelming evidence of the detrimental effects Styrofoam has on the environment meant a ban on the same in Canada, years ago. Any company, from any country will go as far as it possibly legally (and often times illegally) can, to increase their profits. Knowing that these attributes have little to do with any company’s sole mission, it’s very hard to criticize.

But what happens when these companies are owned by foreign governments? 7Days recently ran this article, highlighting the plight of an Indian Embassy employee who feels he’s been short changed by approximately 70,000Dhs ($18,995 USD), in receiving his end-of-service dues because the Embassy has chosen to function under the Indian Ministry of External Affairs guidelines instead of local labor law.

A quotation from the same article teaches us that most Embassies follow UAE’s labor law, which explains my job offer with the Canadian government’s office.

“But following the laws of the home nation is not the practice of many other nations’ embassies, which follow UAE labour law. An official from the Pakistani embassy told 7DAYS that UAE labour laws are applicable to those employees who are locally recruited, as Pillai was.”

The point? Corporations based in ‘civilized’ countries, and even the very governments of such countries will gladly point a sticky finger at the UAE, while simultaneously are more than happy to take advantage of the very laws (or lack there of) they ridicule, so long as they can save or make a few extra bucks.

Looks to me like we all have a lot more in common than most of you would like to admit; hypocrisy and money worship are at the first two things that come to mind.

~*~

On a related note, I once wrote about the Asian workforce in the UAE and their comparison to ‘slavery’ that is so often uttered by narrow-minded critics near and far. There I asked what remittances amounts were like, being sent back to these countries from the UAE. No one dared respond; today, I found my answer while researching post, and I can guess why.

Figures in the UAE state that expatriate remittances toped 51.5 billion dirhams (approximately $13.98 billion USD) last year, of which remittances to Asia accounts for 64% of the total. Asian expatriate workers in the UAE, last year alone strengthened their own economies by $8.94 billion US dollars. That’s a hell of a lot of money being sent from a country that so ’horrendously abuses it’s laborers who come here by force as the economic conditions in their own country are so impoverish they’ve no other choice. Perhaps the UAE is actually doing far more good for the future of Asians and their countries than we care to admit or see?

Kuwaiti Blogger on Gender Advertising

This fascinating post about ‘Gender Advertising by a Kuwaiti blogger I stumbled across today got me thinking. This was initially meant to be a comment on his blog, but I decided to place it here for two reasons; one, it’s a fascinating topic and I’d love to hear all of your thoughts on this; and two, I didn’t want to flood his blog with such a long comment.

There are a number of biological differences between males & females that influence the way we all perceive the world and thus the way we present ourselves to the world. The generalizations that you speak of here are far form inaccurate and anyone stepping out of these generalizations is most usually considered ‘strange’, by society in general and most probably even those who object to this post (though they fail to see it, because they’re stuck on a single opinionated comment or two you made).

Evidence of this natural human behavior is shown in every clothing store you enter that doesn’t carry a full line of unisex wardrobes. Have you ever seen one that does, anywhere on the planet?

Men and women advertise themselves differently because they are different. Whether or not I agree with the motivations for each as you’ve mentioned here is something else all together. I believe we separate ourselves from one another and advertise, in order to attract the opposite sex (or potential lover in the cases of those who are same-sex orientated), believing what we see in ourselves is what the potential lover desires in us. We all crave love & acceptance in one way or another and appearance does play a major part in receiving that. It may seem that we’re advertising our gender when in fact what we’re advertising is our sexuality; because the majority of any society is strait.

Many gay men pluck their eyebrows and accentuate feminine features with their learned walk, bright choice of colors, or immaculate dress sense, and some even apply makeup, while lesbians often carry themselves in a more masculine manner, tend to dress themselves down and don’t necessarily wear makeup. Yes, I am aware that this is a generalization and not all same sex orientated people fit in here, but then I’ve not even mentioned bisexual or those who are simply confused about their sexual orientation. The point; you want a man, you advertise yourself more femininely. You want a woman, you advertise a more masculine, because we’re conditioned to know that opposites attract.

Have you ever noticed that a person, who truly doesn’t love themselves, tends not to take care of their appearance, regardless of sex? If you then consider those who do and how much time and effort they put into decorating themselves for the sake of advertising in comparison, is it not logic that the general assumption is that beauty in one’s eye would be the same as beauty in another’s? I’m not saying that this is a correct assumption, but a vastly assumed one.

How disappointing and often unbelievable it is for us to learn that someone we know doesn’t appreciate the same music, same food, same television show, piece of art, or even opinion that we hold dearly to our own heart, consider beautiful, and almost perfected in every way!

‘Unbelievable’ being the key word here, because most of us believe what we want to believe, perceiving only the things we subconsciously choose to perceive, and can not conceive that others won’t agree with us. Thus the reason frustration and anger ends many debates; human’s inability to agree to disagree with one another. And even when we pretend we do, we’re all really thinking, “Something’s wrong with that guys thought-process!” or “Why can’t she see it my way no matter how hard I try to explain?”

Just as you mentioned you could go on forever in your post, I seem to have gone on forever here. It'll be interesting to see what UAE bloggers think about gender advertizing and the motivation behind it.

You all SHOULD actually read the linked post to understand where this is coming from. Trust me, it's well worth it.

And by the Way…

…you paranoid piece of SHIT. I know it’s you.

How can you possibly keep your mouth shut and continue you’re charade when everything I do seems to fill your heart with more disdain and your thoughts with venomous intent?

Australian Verdicts: Superb!

What a pity this is going to be for all my Asian readers who assure themselves that I only point fingers at underdeveloped, third-world countries and no where else, other than the good old US of A.

And yes, I’m feeling much better today about the state of the UAE then I was yesterday.

While browsing 7Days this morning, I came across two very interesting articles out of Australia. The first one of which on the recent events aired live on the internet, filmed from the popular trash television show Big Brother. For those that don’t know Big Brother is reality show where a group of strangers live locked in a house under twenty-four hour surveillance.

The event itself was described by 7Days, “(…)a male housemate apparently held a female contestant on a bed while a second man performed what local media have described as a "Turkey slap" with his penis.”

Never having viewed the show and not wanting to subject myself to witnessing such crude, violent, utterly disgraceful behavior, I can only picture the scene in my mind for a moment before feeling the urge to vomit. This act was not done in public, but aired live, internationally via internet. The apologies these sorry excuses for men offered will do little to relieve the humiliation this woman, who or whatever she was, will suffer; not only at being the victim of such a disgusting act, but also the shame of knowing the whole damn world knows what happened to her and who exactly she is.

As if that’s not disgraceful enough, “Police have said they will not press charges over the matter (...)”

I’m only left to wonder if a man of any nationality were to grab a woman in public (or broadcasted on some local site though a webcam) here and hold her down while his friend slapped his penis across her face, what the consequences would be. My gut feelings tell me they’d be a little more justified in the eyes of women everywhere. Whether the charges pressed were by the government or the victim herself, in the UAE a man would NEVER get away with this.

The second Australian winner published in 7Days tells the story of a 22 year old woman named Natasha Ryan, who ran away from home in 1998. She had been reported missing and full fledged police investigation was put into play which ended with a convicted Australian serial killer being pegged for her murder. She was recently found hiding in her boyfriend, Scott Black’s house.

What is her punishment for failing to halt the massive investigation at the governments cost; for allowing a man (who pleads innocent to all charges) take the additional wrap for her murder; and allowing her family to mourn her death? Now this is certainly justice!

“Black _ already serving a 12-month sentence for lying to police about Ryan’s whereabouts _ was fined 3,000 Australian dollars (US$2,232) and ordered to pay police A$16,740 (US$12,444) for the cost of their investigation into Ryan’s disappearance. Ryan was fined A$1,000 (US$743), but did not have a conviction recorded against her because Magistrate Annette Hennessy said she had been a child for most of the duration of the crime.”

The runaway herself was fined a total of seven-hundred forty-three American dollars and will have no criminal record, while her boyfriend spends a total twelve months in prison and pays the state fourteen-thousand six-hundred seventy-six American dollars.

If you Google the girls name, the first thing that will pop up is this article published in 2003, showing that Ryan was discovered alive even as the now convicted serial killer was being tried for her murder, pleading innocent, three years ago; and he was STILL found guilty. While Ryan herself, becomes something of celebrity, with a nice little hunk of media-frenzy pocket-cash.

This is a competent criminal justice system if I ever heard of one. She was a minor for the duration of her crimes; thus the leniency of her punishment. That’s right! People under the age of 18 or 19 (or whatever the hell ‘minor’ is defined as in Australia) can’t tell the difference between right and wrong. You’re all morons, is pretty much what your law is teaching you.

Let us not mention the fact that at the time of her disappearance, had her boyfriend been fucking her (and please don’t even attempt to tell me he wasn’t), it would have been considered Statutory Rape, since she was under the age of consent (which seems to be defined as anywhere from 16-years-old to 18-years-old, across Australia). But that’s ok now, because she’s not a minor anymore so why bother mentioning a few other laws that may or may not have been broken or even investigated because they happened in the past?

Forget the crimes where someone should have been punished because it was in the past, and highlight that very same past when it suits the criminal’s interests.

It’s absolutely brilliant!

I don’t know about you, but thinking about these two stories alone is enough for me to thank God, I’m in the UAE for multiple reasons. The justice system here, though still has a few kinks that need to be worked out, comes second to the UAE society in general. There’s still more sanity here than there is in so many ‘civilized’ countries.

I wonder how many men would slap a woman across the face with his penis here as if it were common enough to have a local slang word for it: TURKEY SLAP. I wonder how many 14-year-old girls would run away to their boyfriend’s house, convincing an entire country that foul play was involved, forcing her friends and family to mourn her death, only to turn up years later and become a fucking celebrity.

And finally, I wonder, the accuracy of Ryan’s murderer’s guilty verdict concerning simultaneously tried accusations.

A Little Faith & UAE Blogger Request

Normally, I wouldn’t even bother commenting on this news item because well, I know half the UAE’s bloggers are going to do it. But, in this article in 7Days explaining no pedestrian crossings being planned for the most deadly road in the UAE where it’s estimated that in 2005 one pedestrian was killed every four days attempting to cross, mentions public outcry might be force the municipality to reconsider.

That’s where the faith comes in and this is my outcry. Instead of just complaining, I have sent the following email to the Dubai Municipality this morning, at transport@dm.gov.ae . And, I’d like to request that you too send a personal email to Dubai Municipality Road and Transport Authority, supporting the same cause. Hopefully, public outcry will be heard.

~*~

Re: Pedestrian Crossing’s Needed on Sheikh Zayed Rd

To Whom it May Concern,

It has been brought to the public’s attention that at present there are no plans to build pedestrian crossings on Sheikh Zayed Road. As a motorist here, that’s been driving on Dubai’s roads for more than 5 years this is my personal plea that you reconsider this and promptly construct numerous pedestrian crossings on this deadly road.

As mentioned in a 7Days article published today, UAE’s law states that it is illegal for pedestrians to cross here, and you are in the process of fencing the central reservation as a means of prevention. Yet, history has proven that should a motorist who is driving within the speed limits on this very road hit and injure a pedestrian who is in the process of breaking this law, the driver is deemed at fault which often ends in him/her having to pay large sums of blood money, along with other consequences.

Unfortunately, many people are crossing this road out of necessity, as there is no other way and both sides are developed or developing residential and business areas. Any motorist in the UAE can verify a fence does not deter pedestrians from attempting to cross. If the law fails to punish those who are breaking it, while punishing drivers for acting within their legal rights, it is only reasonable that efficient crossings are available to insure a minimum number of offences.

Building these crossings should be a top priority to Dubai Municipality to help reduce the numbers of road deaths in the UAE and increase overall safety of both motorists and pedestrians here.

Thank you for you time and consideration.

~*~

If you can’t find anything nice to say…

…don’t say anything at all.

My mama used to tell us that. I’m sure your mama told you something similar or the same thing as well. Most of the time, I ignore her advice.

Today is one of those days where I’m really left speechless. The local section in Gulf News was depressing; articles on Dallas Austin’s guilty judgment and then getting pardoned, an adulteress murdering her bastard newborn getting just 2 years in prison, a gambling murderer getting 25 for beating a companion to death. There was an article on how immigrants come here for temporary purposes only as clarified by the officials to the UN, and a reminder about Dubai’s depleting water resources that has been repeated so many times over the years only to fall on the same deaf ears and have nothing done about it.

Finally, getting the chance to take a deeper look into some of my favorite blogs today (and even some of my not-so-favorite), I find that Desert Idleness is calling in quits, to both the UAE and blogging (so it seems) and with reasons and logic not a soul could debate or argue, and Dani’s, pointed out a dark reality on the growing rates of the suicidal nature of youth in the Emirates. And nothing at all has changed in those not-so-favorite ones.

I’m sure half my readers believe that I’m completely blinded to some of the atrocities that take place here, but that’s not the case at all. I see them, I hear them, I feel them and I’m damn well torn by them just like the rest of you. I defend the UAE when and where I can because I truly believe it’s a brilliant country and too many people ravish it without second thought or consideration for all its positive aspects. But today, I’m left almost speechless due to my severe disappointment in just about everything here.

An argument I had on an earlier post made me realize once again, my personal place in the society of the UAE and how small and virtually stuck here (I am not here for temporary residence) I really am in retrospect. I’m not going to bother commenting on any of the things I’ve come across today or mentioned. I’m sure my opinions on some of them differ greatly than the majority of my readers, but I just don’t have it in me right now.

Today, is an ugly day.

Expat Interviews

I didn't dub it an Un-Tainted Interview, but it certainly is a compliment and I’ll smile about it.

Pssst... Thanks for asking me to do this.

Things All Anonymous American System Lovers Should Know

I love the comprehensive population of the world. The intelligence level of the modern man must be declining because I swear, ten years ago, I didn’t have to repeat myself so many times for it to get through a few thick skulls.

You all know how much I love Anonymous comments; you should also know what I think about the American system. Now, let me give you a perfect example of why, bias’, racism, sexism, and any other ‘ism’ you can think of is no more than a product of a huge percentage of one group projecting the same fucking thing. Here’s a perfect example for you (on both anonymous commentators and the American public);

Exactly 5 posts prior to this, you’ll find one titled Child Sex in India. To get to this post, you must scroll down my page passing a post about nothing, a post about what a bitch I am and anonymous comments, and a post about the Sharjah Animal Souq before reaching the one on India where some anonymous fuck decided to teach us all what we need to know. Surely, while scrolling down your eyes must catch a word or two and perhaps when landing on my page to begin with, your eyes should fall on the ‘about me’ box, situation at the top right hand corner of your screen, including a photo of my blonde head and information about my Canadian nationality.

Should this not be enough to let a person know, who they’re commenting on?

Guess not:



From where:



Shocking isn’t it? An American (or wannabe, waiting for that green card), in America giving us all in the Middle East this useful information and backing it with all the evidence and factual information one could ask for! And s/he even let us know that they’re supporters of the American system! What a surprise! The same guys who voted in Bush twice in a row, supporting their own system! It’s absurd that we in the Middle East should even think to support a system that we live by, isn’t it!?

Well I’ve got a few things all you American System Lovers should know:

Because of oil you are where you are not because of human intellectuality.

Because of American envy of oil, your country invaded a number countries illegally, most recently Iraq breaking international laws and in direct rebellion of the United Nations. American intelligence confirmed WMD’s while the American public bought into this story only to be proved wrong; something most people in the Middle East could have told you before any American blood spilled on Iraqi soil.

No culture, moral values, still a settled nomadic group

Alcoholics, drug addicts, rising cases of STD’s, broken families, decline of social values, completely chaotic society, single mothers, homes for the elders, taxation, general lack of education (India is in Asia, not the Middle East smartass), a shitty medical system

And I can write in incomplete sentences without explanation too. But because I fear your IQ won’t allow you the insight that this is my description of the American society for you, as I’m sure you’re little spill there was your personal insight on the Middle Eastern society, here I’ve gone and explained that for you. (And honey, my description is based on my hands-on knowledge, spending half my life in the west and all).

No Human rights, Woman rights nor child rights

Single Parenting, racism (is New Orleans getting the attention they need after Katrina, yet?), sex-education in grade school, drug-education on the streets, crack cocaine induced still born children, prostitution, group homes for rebellious teens, and law suites to laugh about (watch as your neighbor slips in the rain and sues your ass because the sidewalk was in front of your house where he shattered his hip in a drunken rage). Nice values.

Still ruled by age old rulers. you are denied the self rule. Cannot determine who write policies for you

Ruled by our favorite puppet, Bush. Need I say more? And because you, the society brought him in; or were the votes rigged? Was it really the American public that wanted to go to war with Iraq; pointlessly killing countless of its own citizens? Is it really the American public that wants such a medical system that forces pensioners into Canada to buy their meds at reasonable prices? Can you proudly admit to voting in Bush?

I support US and truly believe they should take over entire middle-east directly (All Ready proxy) and teach you what world and human values are about.

I support intelligent speakers basing their words on more than arrogant, uneducated, tyrant-like, completely contradictory (you stand for America, but doesn’t America stand for freedom; which would mean the Middle East is free to take care of itself?) opinions spoken way too loud irregardless of the speakers race, or whereabouts.

And just who are you for me to give a shit what you think or who you support? Anonymous. Clearly, you must be capable of comprehending about as much about what I think of Anonymous posters, as you seem to comprehend about the rest of the world.

**And by the way, for someone living in the World’s Super Power, I suggest you take that society for all it’s worth and get yourself educated on the English language in public schooling or something; or have you already done that and learned all you can from that spectacular educational system your government would have you believe your tax dollars are paying for?

Blank

Today, I’ve got nothing to say.

I'm a Bitch... Learn Something New Now.

I’ve been accused of a lot of things, to my face, over the phone and even on the net. Sure, I’m a bitch.

That’s about the only thing you and I have in common.

I know I’m a cold-hearted-bitch that has sharp views and doesn’t give a shit what you think of her; especially when you are anonymous and there’s no way (except searching the fucking stats, as if you were worth that effort) to decipher if you’re one, two, three or four mother-fuckers all talking out of their asses. (That’s a skill you know, you should be proud.) Clearly, you’re in denial about what you are; whereas I am not.

Let me make this clear, I will not respect an anonymous comment as being relevant in any sense, even if you’ve just proved the fucking evolution theory with solid facts and want to share your findings. Anonymous are nothing more than spineless little twits that can’t stand up for whatever the fuck they’d like to spit out. Something else we don’t share.

I leave anonymous commenting as an option because it’s not my place to force a fucking spine into all you little pussies. Your mama should have taught you that and I’ve got my own child to raise, thanks.

And don’t give me the shit about how you don’t have a blog and thus don’t have a user handle, it’s an excuse. You DO NOT have to blog to have a fucking account here dip shit and it doesn’t take much to link a fucking email address to that account either. And if that’s too much trouble, look at this this:



Notice the ‘other’ option there? If you click on it, something amazing happens!



That’s right you twat! It gives you a chance to name yourself and link a webpage. You can even leave the webpage blank if you must.

I suppose you’d have to be a fucking genius to figure this shit out, huh? Save your anonymous criticism for someone who might take what you have to say as relevant. Put your fucking back into your nasty stabs at me or don’t bother at all you fucking pussies.

And to that last commenter (if in fact you are more than one), if you hadn’t already used the same sorry excuse for an accusation in a private email to me, it’d be a little harder for me to guess who you are. And you will be back. You and I both know it. (But prove me wrong by not commenting on this, will ya?) You can’t seem to fuck off now; no matter how quiet you stay, no matter how long you keep your mouth shut, can you?

UAE Old News Resurfacing

Picture this: A huge three-lane roundabout with elegantly landscaped “Welcome to Sharjah” flowers in the grass, decorating its sloping side. Just behind this roundabout, there lies your exit; a two lane road, the right side of which is adorned with the Sharjah vegetable & plant market and the left which is now the fish market. Go back five or six years in time and you’ll find the fish market was once the Sharjah Animal Market.

My family and I drove into this market and parked our cars almost a decade ago. There, there were no buildings or proper shops. Each animal outlet was no more than some flimsy sheet-wood boxing off each pet salesman’s merchandise. The first thing you notice is the stench of the entire area. Animal feces and death seem to smoother your senses in the hot desert air. Covering your mouth and nose with whatever is handy; you will walk to the stands nearest to the road and shock your sight with one ghastly scene after another.

In all of the shops you’ll find only bird cages, each of which homed by different species both exotic and not. In one of the cages you’ll see what seem to be six or seven litters of kittens, all too young to eat solid foods, piled on top of one another without a milking mother in sight. At the bottom of this pile of hardly living kittens that barely even seem to struggle due to weakness, you’ll find the source of that stench. Dead kittens of all colors and types make a cold stiff mattress out of the base of the cage. No one thinks to remove of burry the corpses.

In another cage, you’ll find budgies & finches. Some chirping softly, some without an eye or leg, many of which pecking at each other; most lying as lifeless corpses at the bottom of the cage. You’ll see that their water dishes have long since evaporated dry, and no one is rushing to refill the same under the scorching sun and sweltering humidity. There is no bird feed.

In the back of one of the shops you’ll find a falcon. Its eyes are swollen, just about as badly as its bleeding feet, and its covered head seems limp enough to fall from its body. My father being a falconer knows that this bird is suffering a deadly contagious bird disease called, New Castles, and warns us not to choose from any of the living birds in or around this shop as they’re all doomed for the same tragic fate in a matter of time.

You will find dogs in their own feces, with eyes almost sad enough to make a dog-hater like myself, want to save them from their tortured misery by bringing them home. You will find monkeys, so sick or outraged you want to shoot the shop owners on spot. You will not find a single cage in the place without a corpse, without some diseased animal, with food or water.

Opposite the makeshift shacks nearest the road you’ll find the farm animals. Chickens, sheep & cows. You will find the slaughter house, covered from wall to wall in animal blood that no one considered cleaning. You will not forget this hell on earth for animals; even a decade later.

My mother left that day with a number of exotic birds, taking only those who looked healthy enough to nourish back to life. It wasn’t a month before they all died due to some illness or another. I left that day with a kitten. She was a beautiful desert cat with a severe attitude problem. She lived on to use her full nine lives, being hit by cars, cut up in the fan belt of another while she was sleeping, and even chocking herself to second from death by getting her neck caught up in the wires of a curtain, only to die almost 6 years later from a deadly spider bite.

Today I opened this letter on the Sharjah Animal Souq. The souq has now been moved to a more modern building with air conditioners and legal regulations have been made insuring safer keeping of all animals. I haven’t been there in a number of years now, but the last I saw it, it was heaven compared to my first experience with Sharjah Animal Souq. Animals had feed and water and kittens and dogs weren’t half as packed in as they once had been. You didn’t see corpses of dead animals in every cage. And a large percentage of the birds were living, seemingly healthy.

My heart bleeds for tortured animals. Just as it does for the plight of your abused construction worker, or unjust sentencing of criminals. But seriously, those of you who are bitching need to see just how far along this fucking country has come in such a short period of time, and appreciate the miracles don’t happen overnight. Anyone who hasn’t been here more than say, five years hasn’t seen anything in terms of abuse; be it animal or human, red-tape bureaucracy, or unjust sentencing. Things are changing, rapidly. About the only valid thing you have to bitch about is the traffic, and to put it blunt if all you UAE haters would get the fuck out of the country you hated so much, the rest of us wouldn’t have to suffer the additional crap you bring with you.

Child Sex in India

One, and Two more reasons why people shouldn’t be complaining about the life they have in the UAE, irregardless of their position, nationality, working conditions, etc.

There is nothing that outrages me more than sexual child abuse. In these cases, Indian families are being forced to let their young daughters or sisters suffer the unimaginable at the hands of strangers for a little money.

When the economy of any society forces its public to relinquish moral values at the cost of less than a dollar and the government fails to do anything but watch as the population increases and corruption runs rampant and citizens are forced to move abroad for the sake of saving their own from similar states; something is very wrong and the problem has nothing to do with the UAE.

In the United Arab Emirates, we gripe about the traffic, about the inequality based on race, about the verdicts handed down to criminals. We gripe about whether or not our maids should be allowed in our swimming pools, about nationalization laws, about how truly tough life is here. But let me ask you this, how many UAE residents could consider forcing their ten-year-old daughters into prostitution? How many feel the strings of poverty are pulled so tight that they have no other option; even with delayed salary payments? How many of you can’t logically see that the reason you’re here is because the UAE government has done more for you and your family than your own damn government can/or will? And how many of you are still ungrateful about it?

Side note:

I’ve moved in. It was a nightmare as we all could have guessed. But it was done. I should be around more regularly by tomorrow. I don’t work, I have little else to do but unpack and take care of my mom’s cats.