The Eritrean Club/الإريتري في نادي الكويت.

Today I went to the Eritrean Club in Hawally for the second time. I am not a coffee drinker but I cannot resist ordering it when I am there. The Eritrean Club is the first African social hangout in Kuwait. It has been in operation for about 40 years and is still going strong. The club allows Eritreans and other East Africans a place to connect with each other and take a break from the daily hustle of Kuwait. There is space for people who want to play cards, watch television, eat, or just chat.
Zekarias and Yonas

I must say my first trip to East Africa (Ethiopia) was not pleasant. I experienced racism from the locals and was ridiculed because of my skin color and "ethnic" features. However I was welcomed with open arms by the Eritreans and treated with respect. My friends Yonas and Zekarias, members of the club, taught me much about Eritrean history and culture. As we drank coffee they told me of the various ethnic groups and social norms of Eritrea. One ethnic group in particular are the Rashaida, re a Bedouin people who come from a major tribe in mainland Arabia called Banu Abs. They are mainly Muslim of African and Arab origin The Rashaida have been expelled from Saudi Arabia. Most of the Rashaida live in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Many reside alongside Eritrea's coast.

Rashaida Family

Eritrea's struggle for independence is a sad but victorious one. For 30 years Eritrea fought for independence against Ethiopia (which was backed by America). The Ethiopian army finally collapsed and Eritrea took control on May 24, 1991. Independence was declared on May 24 1993. Even after Eritrea's independence, Ethiopia constantly violated Eritrean territory. In July 1997, Ethiopian troops forcibly evicted farmers from the Eritrean village of Badme. They also attacked Eritrean patrol units in Eritrean territory, provoking a border dispute that is ongoing to this day.
The Eritrean Club/Eritrean Elder

The Eritrean elder you see in the picture has been in Kuwait since the 60's and was a soldier in the Eritrean Liberation Front, which fought for Eritrean Independence. He is a very compassionate man whom Eritreans look at as a source of inspiration and father figure. I hope to interview him in the very near future.

The Eritrean club is a great place that I will continue to frequent and whenever you come to Kuwait I would encourage you to do the same.

Native American Slaughter

The worst holiday in America's history has arrived. It serves as a reminder of one of the worst atrocities committed by European conquerors upon arrival to their so called Newfoundland. Even as a child I have never understood thanksgiving. I would wonder what was I thankful for. If you are lucky to find a Native American in any metropolitan area be sure to say "Happy Thanksgiving." You will definitely get a response, just not the happy go lucky "and Thanksgiving to you too." While there were many atrocities committed during these festive times I will leave with one story from a Native Americans whose ancestor's were the victims of this thanksgiving feast:

In 1637 near present day Groton, Connecticut, over 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe had gathered for their annual Green Corn Festival which is our Thanksgiving celebration. In the predawn hours the sleeping Indians were surrounded by English and Dutch mercenaries who ordered them to come outside. Those who came out were shot or clubbed to death while the terrified women and children who huddled inside the longhouse were burned alive. The next day the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared "A Day Of Thanksgiving" because 700 unarmed men, women and children had been murdered.

Cheered by their "victory", the brave colonists and their Indian allies attacked village after village. Women and children over 14 were sold into slavery while the rest were murdered. Boats loaded with a many as 500 slaves regularly left the ports of New England. Bounties were paid for Indian scalps to encourage as many deaths as possible

Following an especially successful raid against the Pequot in what is now Stamford, Connecticut, the churches announced a second day of "thanksgiving" to celebrate victory over the heathen savages. During the feasting, the hacked off heads of Natives were kicked through the streets like soccer balls. Even the friendly Wampanoag did not escape the madness. Their chief was beheaded, and his head impaled on a pole in Plymouth, Massachusetts -- where it remained on display for 24 years.

The killings became more and more frenzied, with days of thanksgiving feasts being held after each successful massacre. George Washington finally suggested that only one day of Thanksgiving per year be set aside instead of celebrating each and every massacre. Later Abraham Lincoln decreed Thanksgiving Day to be a legal national holiday during the Civil War -- on the same day he ordered troops to march against the starving Sioux in Minnesota.

Reprinted from http://www.manataka.org/page269.html

Remember the Native Americans!

Israel, The International Terrorist

Being a student of history it was sad to learn of the occupation of Palestine by Israel Zionist. Recently Israel just allowed limited food aid into the Gaza. Israel says it closed the borders because of some militant factions firing homemade rockets being in its southern regions. While I do not want to get into how Palestininan resists Zionist colonization(a whole article in itself) the bigger issue at hand is how everyone in Gaza is being punished. With the approval of the US and the world community, Israel continues to violate international law by depriving a population (1.5 million) of food, clean drinking water, medicine, and gas among other basic necesities. The irony of this whole situation is that Jewish people are exactly like the Hitler Nazi regime that they love to despised. Even more ironic is the key articles created during the Geneva Convention that addressed the horrible treatment of Jews at the hands of the Nazis. The Jews are violating these articles! You would think that the Jews, one of the most persecuted people in history would be understanding enough not deny food and aid to hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza. But hey thats entitlement for ya! Did you know Israel is the only country that does not have its borders drawn on the map?
Andrea Becker from the Guardian writes:

Israel's blockade means the denial of a broad range of items - food, industrial, educational, medical - deemed "non-essential" for a population largely unable to be self-sufficient at the end of decades of occupation. It means that industrial, cooking and diesel fuel, normally scarce, are virtually absent now. There are no queues at petrol stations; they are simply shut. The lack of fuel in turn means that sewage and treatment stations cannot function properly, resulting in decreased potable water and tens of millions of litres of untreated or partly treated sewage being dumped into the sea every day. Electricity cuts - previously around eight hours a day, now up to 16 hours a day in many areas - affect all homes and hospitals. Those lucky enough to have generators struggle to find the fuel to make them work, or spare parts to repair them when they break from overuse. Even candles are running out.There can be no dispute that measures of collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are illegal under international humanitarian law. Fuel and food cannot be withheld or wielded as reward or punishment. But international law was tossed aside long ago.

Conditions in Gaza of have been unspeakable and so called democratic countries have not spoke out against the atrocities. Especially the US which enjoys a loving relationship with Israel. Most Americans support their country's relationship with Israel because it gives them another reason to despise Arabs and Islam in general (Remember The Delta Force Movies?). Americans would be amazed to know how much we benefit from Arab countries while at the same time while we have no idea what we sacrifice for Israel.

Arabs provide the following for us:

- (OPEC), which are all Arab or Muslim (with the exception of Venezuela), exchange their oil for petrodollars, which means non-producing countries must keep vast sums of dollars in reserve, thus bolstering the dollar and the US economy.

- The Gulf supplies the US with approximately one-third of its total oil requirements or some 2.5 million barrels per day.

- The 22 Arab League member countries import more goods and services from the US than any other region, especially vehicles, machinery, equipment, building materials, chemicals, medicines and aircraft. Saudi Arabia alone buys more than Israel and Egypt combined.

- US sales of goods and services to the GCC have totaled more than $20 billion annually and “create or sustain more than half-a-million jobs in the United States,” according to the American Business Council of the Gulf Countries.

- The GCC states invest billions of dollars annually in US acquisitions, property and bonds. Saudi Arabia alone invests an estimated 60 percent of its global investment in the US, according to Tanya C. Hsu, a senior analyst of Middle East political economy at the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy.

Now what do we get from Israel?

What about the American people? What are they obliged to sacrifice for the sake of maintaining America’s favored relation with Israel?

First on the list is the official figure of $3 billion each year, which American taxpayers donate to Israeli coffers whether they like it or not.

This is split up into $1.2 billion in economic aid and $1.8 billion in military aid, two-thirds of which must be spent on American-made military hardware and planes.

In reality, Israel receives much more than that because there are extra sums, which according to The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs “are buried in the budgets of governments departments such as the Defense Department.”

The US also gives Israel billions of dollars in loans and often writes off these amounts so that it can say with hand over heart honesty that Israel has never defaulted on a loan. It further guarantees loans to Israel to the tune of $2 billion annually.

By conservative estimates, by the end of a US citizen’s life he or she will have contributed $25,000 in taxes to support Israel, which for some signifies an entire year’s pay.

Since 1949, the US has given the Jewish state a whopping $140 billion or more. To put this in context, this represents almost one-and-a-half times the annual GDP of the United Arab Emirates, which in 2005 stood at $98.1 billion.

So whose a better friend? The information and facts are out there people! I find the truth is much more beneficial when one finds it out for themselves. The occupation of Palestine is wrong on so many levels. Many people will say that Israel is trying to live in peace with Palestinians but thats not the case:

Israeli Occupational Jargon

"When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do about it will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle." Raphael Eitan, Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces, New York Times, 14 April 1983.

"There was no such thing as Palestinians, they never existed." Golda Maier Israeli Prime Minister June 15, 1969

"Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." - Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001, to Shimon Peres, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio. (Certainly the FBI's cover-up of the Israeli spy ring/phone tap scandal suggests that Mr. Sharon may not have been joking.)

"We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population." Israel Koenig, "The Koenig Memorandum"

"We will have a world government whether you like it or not. The only question is whether that government will be achieved by conquest or consent." (Jewish Banker Paul Warburg, February 17, 1950, as he testified before the U.S. Senate).

"There is a huge gap between us (Jews) and our enemies ­not just in ability but in morality, culture, sanctity of life, and conscience. They are our neighbors here, but it seems as if at a distance of a few hundred meters away, there are people who do not belong to our continent, to our world, but actually belong to a different galaxy." Israeli president Moshe Katsav. The Jerusalem Post, May 10, 2001.

Sad thing is there is much more....truth is out there people

Paz

Identity Crisis

Both Puffy and Jamie have both put their "I's wishin" bid to become the first James Bond. My initial reaction was these two cats are desperate as hell to play a role not meant for African-Americans to prove what? I have no doubt that Jamie could play the roll better than most but why not reprise some of Sidney Potier's role, or better yet start our own traditional series. I know there no white actors lining up to be the first to play Shaft. We have enough black writers to come up with an originial story line unique to us.

Foxx said "I was in London and I had to give an award to Daniel Craig? and I went up and said, ‘Bond. Black Bond.’ And everybody just lost it… Black Bond would be cool.” Foxx is really buggin out.

Our children see us shucking and jiving and they too feel the need to validate themselves through the achievement of others. This is why one of the reasons why education is down the tube in low income areas. In many our children look to other races for motivation...

Newser

Newser is a cool application that allows you to read the the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources. Newser reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. You can choose the the type of news you want to read and the amount of columns you want. Its a great application and has help me in not having to go to a thousand different news websites to view various perspectives. Check it out.

Al-Qaeda has a point

Much as I hate to agree with Osama Bin Laden's # 2 Ayman al-Zawahri recent statement of President Elect Obama, he does make a point. Ayman said: "America has put on a new face, but its heart full of hate, mind drowning in greed, and spirit which spreads evil, murder, repression and despotism continue to be the same as always." Ayman also likens Obama to other house slaves like Condolezza Rice and Colin Powell.

If Obama continues the status quo then he would affirmed Ayman's statement. Its up to him change things but the Clinton family reunion cabinet is getting a little out of hand. I think Mr. Obama's cabinet should reflect his campaign goals, not more Clintonism. Because Clintonism is a dangerous concept, just look at Rwanda, the Kosovo atrocities which were supposed to justify the bombing of Yugoslavia, and the Ron Brown and Betty Curie deaths just to name a few.

Speaking of Bin Laden, I think that he has been dead for at least three years now. The information is out there people. Just got to look it up. When that info hits the fan I wonder what people will do.

Sidebar: Did you know that Condolezza Rice has more doctorates then the current present presidential cabinet combined? Yet instead of addressing her as doctor, she is affectionately known as "condi".


Dr. Rice should have consulted Lady Day, who always said "You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation.
-- Billie Holiday

Garbage Man

The garbage in Kuwait is a big problem. Took this pic as I was walking around the city and you can see images like this everywhere. I have seen garbage trucks but it loves to bypass these dumpsters. I cannot really blame them though. This country is much to small to have a trash problem.

Tagging Up

The two tags on this wall are hilarious. Needless to say Kuwaitis listen to hip hop. Maybe whoever tagged Pac and cornball 50 cent thought the two had beef. I am sure without Pac, 50 and his exaggerated shot count would not exist.

Genocide in Namibia

While I am well aware of the colonial practices of America and European countries against the whole world, Africa in particular. Learning about the 1st genocide of the 20th century amazed me nonetheless. Taking place during 1904-1908.. The Germans who had already colonized much of Namibia at this time wanted more of the fertile land that belonged to the Herero people.

The following is taken from: http://www.socialistaction.org/news/199904/namibia.html

Adolph Hitler acquired most of his racist idea from Eugen Fischer, a prominent German scientist, who went to Namibia in 1904 and made a study of the mixed ethnic children of German men and Herero women. The book, "Human Heredity of Race Hygiene," attempted to show that these children were mentally and physically inferior to German children. Hitler, while writing "Mein Kampf" in prison years later, read the book.By the time Hitler came to power, Fischer was chancellor at the University of Berlin and taught select Nazi physicians in medical school. One of his pupils was the later notorious Josef Mengele, a doctor at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

This "scientific" racist study concerned the first genocide of the 20th century, that of the Herero people.

According to most experts, however, the Hereros numbered 80,000 at the time the rebellion began; in 1911 only 15,130 were still alive. ... In 1904 there were believed to have been about 20,000 Hottentots in the colony; seven years later that number had been reduced to 9781. The Herero were then put in concentration camps and worked as slaves.

You can watch the video here: http://tvshack.net/documentaries/Namibia___Genocide_and_the_second_Reich/

Mosques'

So far I have been to about 6 mosque. All of have been wonderful and the architectural excellence is evident upon walking in the masjid. The biggest mosque in Kuwait is the Grand Mosque. I was a little late getting there so I could only take a couple of external pics.

The Grand Mosque can hold up to 10,000 people and during Ramadan (Holy Month of Prayer), up 170,000 people go their to pray. Will get some inside pics soon as I can.

This mosque is in Hawalli, the city I live in.

This mosque is located next to the AL Murbarakiya market place which is in downtown Kuwait. From the outside it looked small but it could accomodate at least 200 people.

Whips

As I walked in downtown Kuwait I stumbled upon a used car lot. The cars in the lot were only of those I dreamed of. The people who owned the car lot were real cool because they allowed me and others to to everything but open the door of the cars. If this is a used car lot I would be amazed to see an official dealerhsip out here. The most impressive car I saw there besides the Audi R8 was the new jag. Enjoy the pics .



The new jag is amazing. Gone is the traditional drive shaft, being replaced with a dial that controls the driving! In fact when the driver sits, the button on the center console pulses red. Press it and, as the V8 starts right up. You can also shift manually with gears on the steering wheel

Grub

The grub scene in Kuwait is pretty cool because of the many cultures co-existing here. The restaurant I went was an Iranian located in the Mubarkiaya market in downtown Kuwait. The food was slamming. I ordered the beef kabob and a salad. The beef was real tender the bread was amazing. The only complaint I had were the flies everywhere hating on my food.

There are pretty big on burgers here for some reason. I have never been been to Johnny Rockets at home but I heard their burgers were good.

As soon as I saw the Popeye's on Beirut street I knew there were some black people somewhere..Lol The food was typical Popeye's with the exception of the biscuits which tasted like scones. Needless to say, I tore my 3 piece up. Good ole' pepsi and coca-cola are the dominant drinks here. They have got Kuwait on lock down. Almost every cashier conversation ends with the same line: Coke or pepsi. The people have yet to realize that coke kills.

The KFC is typical US prototype with drastic changes. No biscuit or potato wedges! Replacement? Dinner rolls and BK fries. However, they have this chicken sandwich that is off the hook. It looks likes the crunchy chicken zinger sandwiches back home but with chipotle sauce with an extra filet.

I don't know how Hardees was able to expand out here cause their food is garbage.

Who would of thought it?

Being a part of history has never felt this good. It’s hard to even post anything. The only thing I regret is not being able to be back home to celebrate. President Obama has a long journey ahead of him but I am confident he is up to the task. The only thing true that McCain said was “the people have spoken.”
Out here in Kuwait people are happy however some wanted McCain because they felt they would be better protected. Why? I have no idea. So many stones were thrown President Obama’s way but he shook them off with dignity. I would love to see the faces of some old black people right now. I saw one on the web and it was the kind of smile I have never seen on an elder’s face. Finally is what the smile read!

Theroot.com posted the following "post election don'ts" for white people:

1. Don't personally congratulate all your black friends.

Black people are not a sports team, and Obama did not win the Super Bowl.

2. Don't declare that you "never thought you'd see the day."

You never thought you'd see the day?

3. Don't start crossing the street in order to walk next to a black person.

President Obama is glad you support racial reconciliation, but he takes a hard line against jaywalking.

4. Don't name drop "Dr. King."

If you absolutely must make some comment about how this is a victory for civil rights, pick a marginally less obvious figurehead.

5. Don't use the phrase "white people" in any way that suggests it doesn't include you.

Contrary to popular belief, having voted for Obama does not make you even "semi-down." Sorry if there was any confusion there.

Traffic in Kuwait

I took these on the bridge by my apartment and seeing this type of traffic has made it all the more easier to hop on the bus or walk around town. This traffic is mild nonetheless. That truck is making its way no matter what!

Forgotten Soldier: Nokia E90

Since Iphone hysteria has taken the world by storm. There have been many forgotten phones that are still at forefront of celluar technology such as the Treo series and many Nokia series. Mainly the E series. The Nokia E90, of which I am a proud owner is still one great phone which list features to long to mention. A detailed spec list can be found here: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e90-1857.php I picked the phone up second hand from a local store at a Mastourah(small shopping center). It was cool to find one in mint condition and with both English and Arabic characters.

Most of the pictures posted will be taken from the E90 as I do not want to continuously carry my camera around. The E90 is just a smart phone. Web surfing and watching movies on the 800 x 352 screen is great. The GPS is pretty good too. At times it could lag when you want to get a fixed location though. So I just open Googlemaps which is just as good minus the lag time.

As a Cnet review put it: The Nokia E90 Communicator is a workhorse. The brainpower behind the smartphone is provided by Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 3rd Edition and comes packed with a host of applications for the business user. There's full support for viewing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents thanks to the Quickoffice suite. The E90 also features the Nokia Team Suite, which we saw debut on the Nokia E65, and lets you create "teams" and define members, conference call numbers, conference call PINs, and Web pages and thats just the beginning.

Anyway more pics and E90 plugs to come.

paz

Kuwait Driving

I can walk for days on end. Since being in Kuwait, The Kuwait driving scene is on that Mad Max level. "Survival of whoever" I planned to go to the DMV here and see what's required to obtain a license because many of the people here cannot drive. Everybody is on the offensive. And we all now that defense win's championships, or in this case save lives. While I do not want to complain, constructively evaluate I must. Kuwait is muslim country and as a muslim, Islamic values should be translated into to everyday life. On the road that is clearly not the case. Its as if Islamic values are thrown out the door when driving. Thats not cool. Now I am far from a saint, but I do believe that the multitude of disrespect and lack of driving skills make for disaster. From the oldest to the youngest, there is not compassion on these roads.

One-third of all deaths in Kuwait are driving-related and the country has one of the highest road accident rates in the world. Based on Al-Watan Daily"Kuwait ranks third in the number of deaths caused due to road accidents and statistics show that an average of 124 accidents take place every day in the country. Damn. In 2005, 57,000 traffic accidents were reported, out of which 30 percent were reported in Capital Governorate, followed by Hawalli with 25 percent. As many as 455 people died in road accidents in 2005. These stats are to large for such a small area.

Go Seabiscuit. Many of the drivers here are like those racing horses with blinds on the sides of their eyes. Everybody just looks straight. Being bold and self has not saved a soul yet. Rear and side view mirrors might as well be takes off the cars as they are not used. Its tough to understand the rationale behind the driving. I could not imagine driving like that on the way to the mosque.

While accidents cannot be avoided altogether, using the Islamic and basic moral principles will reduce the number of deaths and accidents. I have heard many horror stories which deter me from buying a car. As of ride now I ride the bus(A whole blog in itself). One Filipino man told me a Kuwaiti rear ended him and the police told him if he didn't come to this country, this would not of happen! That kind of elitist thinking is ignorant and idioitic to say the least. Expats have made major contributions to Kuwait yet many are treated like slaves. Its like an American getting frusturated with a Mexican due to a language barrier. But that American has no problem providing low wages and no healthcare for his compadre.

These sad pictures should be deterrent enough though.

Paz

1st Blog!

Peace people, I am new at this so be patient! However since arriving in Kuwait blogging has been on my mind daily. Too many thoughts in my cranium about the world and this country to not be shared. I also hope to dispel any myths about Middle Eastern countries that my friends and family may have. Anyway Kuwait has been cool thus far. The weather can be blistering though and I am in no need of a tan. What I enjoy so far is the melting pot of cultures that I can immersed myself in. There are people from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India (one of the more dominant groups), The Phillipines, Turkey (their food is the best), Jordan, Iran, UK, US, and a plethora of other countries I probably leaving out.

My journey to Kuwait is for both spiritual and monetary reasons. Actually the difference in salary that I would be making back home would not be much different. Being so close to Mecca, Saudia Arabia is exciting. Hearing the adhan (call to prayer) is wonderful Although I had a brief stint in an African Muslim country, I was much younger and could not appreciate the religion of Islam as much. With that being said I hope that people will be entertained, enlighten, s culturally immersed, and excited about traveling abroad.

Paz

Yao