owlolive

Everything that matters to me (and maybe you as well)

Archive for the tag “Kuwait”

14 Feb 2013

Running In Heels: A Feature Series on Women In Kuwait

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So about a week ago I had an idea. I thought that I really wanted to do something on this blog to celebrate Kuwait in February–our happiest and most jubilant month of the year. And then I had an even better idea. I wanted to do something to celebrate Kuwait all year round. And, immediately, the idea was crystal clear to me: this had to be about women. The way that I knew I could best celebrate Kuwait in all her flickering glory was by celebrating her women. (C’mon! Even Kuwait is a woman! This idea is without fail.)

I decided that I absolutely needed to talk about and give mad props to all the hundreds of thousands–probably even millions (hello! Half the population!)–of women in Kuwait who are, by all means, kicking heads and taking names. At the very least, I could try my best to pretty much just thank as many of them for being made of 90% awesome (10% vital organs, cause they are humans, after all).

I could never call myself an all and out feminist if I didn’t take the time to bring that virtue back around to the only place I’ve ever called home: Kuwait. So many women in Kuwait (both Kuwaiti and otherwise) need to be celebrated for striving to break barriers (and actually breaking them!) which have previously stood in the way of other women, and are now making way for future ladies to continue this important work in our society.

Women in Kuwait need to be celebrated for, essentially, running in heels. Not only running, but also winning, and crossing that finish line every single time.

Now, I know that many important, wonderful women don’t prefer to wear heels at all (I, the lanky white girl, being one of them). To me, wearing a heel is about as comfortable as sticking my foot in a sharp, metal vice. I hardly ever, ever do it. The point is that many of these women are willing to wear this punishment footwear (according to me), and that they are actively running the whole freaking world anyway (Somewhere in East Hollywood Beyonce is extremely happy with us).

But, it really doesn’t matter if these righteous women are kicking butt in heels, flats, or scuba flippers. It doesn’t really matter what their favorite mode of footwear is. That’s why God gave us free will and Vogue magazine. Really, at the end of the day, feminism is much less about what you put on your feet than what you put in your head.

So, I present to you Running In Heels: a new feature series on the many women in Kuwait who are worthy of our appreciation. Women you may know, women you should know, and women you’ll definitely be hearing more about in the future. All beautiful, vibrant, game-changing women who have caught my attention and that I think definitely deserve yours as well.

All my love!

Posted in Beautiful, Kuwait, Running In Heels and tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment
11 Feb 2013
4 Comments

The Blogosphere Marketplace (Of A Different Kind)

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So, yesterday, as some of you may or may not have noticed I got into something of a heated debate with fellow blogger Jacqui of Couch Avenue concerning the post I made about the complete and unquestionable racism which some Kuwaitis display by thinking that they, somehow, are superior to others due to their racial, a9eel lineage.

Or, rather, we debated my right, as an explicitly non-Kuwaiti blogger, to point out this racism (which we both agree on).

I was honestly very deeply disturbed (and a little hurt) by the words that were used against me, basically telling me that I should censor my thoughts and my experiences and my complete right to share them for the sole reason of the fact that I am not Kuwaiti. I was told that ‘if I didn’t like Kuwait’ (something that I have never said or even hinted at) that I should leave. That I will, no matter what, never really belong in Kuwait and that I am, regardless of how much care and devotion I put into Kuwait or even the blogosphere, but a mere visitor. I’ve always been very careful to verify my words as much as I can with some kind of prior evidence, to show that I’m not speaking from a place of hate or ignorance but a place of concern and foresight. Unfortunately, for Jacqui, despite my best efforts to prove the contrary, I still “know nothing.” All the while Jacqui, with all due respect, does not know me well at all and has no idea what I “know” and don’t “know.” But I’m assuming that wasn’t really her point behind that argument: my guess is she said that as a way of polarizing me and other non-Kuwaitis. As a way of saying that no matter how valid your points may be, expat, you and your voice simply don’t matter as much when it comes to the real issues in Kuwait. (Jacqui is always more than welcome to correct me and my assumption.)

Of course, I don’t believe or agree with any of the things that were said to me because I know that I have never had a malicious intent in any of the blog posts that I’ve made about Kuwait or anything else. I know that plenty of Kuwaiti people support and recognize everyone’s right and responsibility–expat or citizen–to comment, discuss, criticize and help weed out the bad so that we can all focus on making Kuwait good (and I really thank those of you who have reached out to me to say so). This post isn’t really about my discussion with Jacqui–it really isn’t. I’m only using it as an example of something else and something I actually want to see more of (kinda).

Y’see as disturbed as I was by Jacqui’s comments, I also have to say that I was really quite refreshed by them as well. And I mean that genuinely and without a shred of my regular, italicized sarcasm (I swear!).

Because, the reality is that the Kuwaiti blogosphere would be so much better off if it nurtured a marketplace of ideas and opinions which are freely exposed and shared without any barriers or preconceived notions of what bloggers “can” and “should” talk about. Where we can speak our minds freely about any topic we choose and discuss how, in the end, we all may see it differently or from different perspectives. I want the blogosphere to be a place where we don’t have to stoop to passive aggressiveness where we mention things vaguely and ironically, or where we even start to discuss specific blogger’s antics with everyone except the specific blogger. These things have happened to me personally in the short time that I’ve been a blogger and I was basically just told “Oh, that’s just bloggers.”

But nope. Sorry. I don’t accept that. Because I respect the Kuwaiti blogosphere and I respect its members even the ones that, in many cases, I am diametrically opposed to. And making the blogosphere seem like a society of specific ‘clubs’ and fake niceties is not respect.

What Jacqui did was respect.

By publicly and directly coming to me and voicing her opinions about me, my blog, and everything else that entails, on a certain level, she respected me as a fellow blogger who shares her blogosphere as she does mine. Even when I am completely and utterly against almost everything she stated against me and at me (like the insults of calling me an inferior brained joke, for one), I still respect Jacqui.

I respect her because, unlike a few unfortunate others (who, by the way, I truly have nothing against and still happily greet when I see them and follow them on all the social networks), she came up to me and said “Owlolive, I think you’re wrong” and, in doing so, she gave me the opportunity to say “no, Jacqui, I think you’re wrong.” And in that way we can actually share different ideas and opinions, and engage in a dialog that will help the blogosphere generally and this blog specifically grow and become more diverse in its content and points of reference. We don’t need to cloister ourselves in ‘groups’ and breed this passive aggressive poison in which every passing “dear” is filled with Mean Girls type hostility. We don’t need to start ‘blogger wars’ and purposefully set out to say hurtful things to one another instead of calmly and directly speaking our minds. I have never started such a ‘blogger war’ with any of my fellow bloggers nor am I planning to ever do so.

I hope Jacqui and every other person who ever decides to comment on the blog (both here or elsewhere) knows that even when they tell me things like, “Owlolive, I think you’re wrong,” that I will always fight for their right to say that both on Owlolive.com and anywhere else (however, they have about zero right to insult me personally and baselessly). I will celebrate the right of people to disagree with me and criticize me directly and explicitly because that’s how my blog and the Kuwaiti blogosphere along with it grows. That’s how any society and culture and pretty much every human construct since the beginning of time has ever grown.

That’s how we breed a marketplace of different ideas and how we get to truth and understanding between one another as a blogging community and as a group of people who are, at the end of the day, just trying to do our best to make Kuwait better.

All my love!

Posted in Blogosphere, Kuwait, Musings and tagged , , , , ,
09 Feb 2013
19 Comments

And Now, A Crazy, Racist Dose of Bloodline “Purity”

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Story time: So a few days ago I was having a casual lunch with a friend of mine and, as does sometimes happen, she invited one of her own friends to drop by and join us. I didn’t mind because, you know, I like people (and new people too? Variety!). My friend’s friend arrived, we talked, we ate hamburgers, we enjoyed each other’s casual company. Then, as nonchalant as ever, my friends friend nibbles on a few french fries, fiddles with her phone, and casually shares a funny little anecdote that goes something like this:

“Oh, my mom is so excited cause she just got back these lab test results which prove that our family lineage is totally pure-bred.“

She had said this in Arabic, of course, and for ‘pure-bred’ she used the ever dignified, somewhat widespread and unequivocally racist word: A9eelen (أصيلين). YUP. That’s right. Racism: alive and well and scientifically proven! Thank you, humanity, for reaffirming my faith in you.

Now, this was not the first time that I was exposed to this very disturbing side of Kuwaiti social culture. A friend of mine has actually suffered due to this brand of racist ‘blood’ elitism. I’ve heard this term flung around in a number of occasions between my Kuwaiti friends (or more like acquaintances, I don’t closely associate myself with racists and none of my good Kuwaiti friends are anything like that). But, for crying out loud, sometimes the level of human crazy charts a new high on the Richter scale. And in regards to this bug-nutty, koo-koo ‘a9eel’ crap this is the latest Richter scale reading:

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

How ancient and delusional do you have to be to actually invest in this kind of idea? Like, to actually wake up every morning, go about your day, deal with different people and, in the midst of all that, be like, “That’s riiiiight! My blooood! My blood’s the purest blood! So glad I have this blood and not that gross NOT PURE BLOOD. It makes me a way better human being!”

I mean, really? You look down upon people who you SOMEHOW believe are less ‘pure’ than you? You believe in a “master lineage”? I’m sorry, but if that’s not the hackiest, vaguest premise for any kind of social racism I don’t know what is. And, gosh, don’t you know that modern racists have learned to cloak their racism behind creative language about “social backgrounds” and “values”? Catch up please.

You know, a part of me feels uncomfortable for trying to make jokes about this kind of behavior because, clearly, this is a messed up and truly dangerous social attitude for anyone to have. Obviously, these kinds of perspectives (which are really not infrequent at all in Kuwait) need to be stopped and not catered to whatsoever. But I honestly just cannot wrap my head around the sheer absurdity of believing in something like racial, bloodline ‘purity.’ This is some seriously old-timey nonsense garbage right here.

I mean, if you believe in and publicly support this insane idea of racial purity you are, essentially, separating yourself from the rest of freaking humanity. Because when it comes to you actually being a sane, happy, truly productive member of society I’m pretty sure that “Don’t Be A Racist Tool” is like the 2nd most important personal quality you need to have after, like, “Don’t Be A Weasel.”

Also, what are you doing with science? Science is way too busy for you. You do not get to use science for your racist reassurance woes. I mean, honestly, someone using cutting edge, scientific technology to try to prove something as anciently offensive and backwards as the ‘purity’ of their racial lineage is the biggest insult to ALL OF HUMAN SCIENCE. That’s like using NASA’s latest solar satellite to prove that the Earth is actually flat. No. You do not get to talk to science anymore. Go to the naughty corner!

So, just to get this ‘a9eel’ business totally straight, here’s the basic gist of what the people who truly believe in this stuff are actually like: They look down upon certain people (in various degrees) because they believe that these poor, lowly individuals have some racially, blood-infused inferiority which makes them not worth as much. BUT! They’re not really all that sure of what this inferiority even is SO THEY HAVE TO USE A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS to figure that out for them. And, of course, they have to use those same scientists to prove that they themselves are, indeed, not of this lowly, stinky, and VERY VAGUELY ‘UN-PURE’ lineage. Basically, they’re the most half-assed and weirdly disturbing kind of racist. The kind that doesn’t even really know what they’re racist against, but chooses to be racist anyway.

Sigh.

All my love!

Posted in Kuwait, Musings, SAY WHAAA...! and tagged , , , , ,
25 Dec 2012
2 Comments

On Murdering and Remembering: Making It Really Count for Dr. Jaber

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Over the past (let’s say) 5 years, there’s been an alarmingly rising number of innocent murders committed in Kuwait. Sectarian fights. Bloody brawls. Revenge killings. Accidents. Mass murders. And, now, stabbings.

And yet after each “big” murder tragedy, we continue to do the same exact thing: We gape in horror and surprise, we angrily scream and shout, and, of course, we pretend to wonder why. Every single time someone murders an innocent person (or even a whole group of people) everyone is just so freaking surprised again and again and again. We have the same discussion, the same arguments, and the same ‘juicy horror story’ rumor mill.

Same old, same old.

We say, ‘Oh! This is the culprit!‘ The ‘culprit’ is always one or more of the following scapegoats: Lack of security. Or western media. Or online, social networks. Or an unstable, broken family. Or godlessness. Or homosexuality. Or video games. Or ethnic ‘genetics.’ Or hormones. Or ‘defenseless’ women/children/minorities. Or mental disorders. Or medication. Or drugs. Or, really, anything on the freaking planet.

We get caught up in the hyper-theatrics of “the event” all while blissfully and conveniently avoiding the glaringly obvious. That being the reality of the fact that these kinds of heinous, murderous crimes are being committed against innocent people simply because many individuals in Kuwait think they can just do whatever the hell they want.

That’s right, you guys. To an overwhelming number of people in Kuwait, the law and the peace and perhaps even the sanctity of human life doesn’t mean jack if it stands in the way of them doing whatever the hell they want to do. This is the brutal truth.

Because Kuwait is not a land of poverty; nor a land of racial violence and unrest; nor a land of totalitarian crackdown.

Kuwait is a democratic, diverse, economically and socially fruitful land of plenty. There is literally no sociologically relevant reason for these kinds of law-flouting murders (or near-murders) to occur besides the fact that people just think they can blatantly do whatever the hell they want no matter what.

Like many of you, I can honestly say I spent the better part of this weekend pouring over a number of different ‘news stories’ surrounding the tragic murder of Dr. Jaber Yousef in The Avenues mall last Friday. And I’m pretty sure I did everything that you guys probably did: scrambled to piece together all the different bits of news information, tried to figure out the “why” of what happened, and, finally, attempted to come up with a way to effectively make sure this kind of thing has as small a chance as possible of happening again.

And, for whatever reason, I have to say this particular murder struck a different chord with me. I mean, let’s leave aside the fact that this was a young, bright, ambitious man who, like many people my age, held lots of promise and future potential. Let’s forget the fact that he was killed in an illustrious mall, filled with bustling eye witnesses at every corner, and which I personally happen to frequent quite often. Let’s forget the fact that he was murdered in cold blood over something that almost anyone with a car has fought over at some point in their lives: a freaking parking spot. Let’s forget all these personal albeit thin connections I (and many of you) may have with this murder case.

Because the one thing that really stuck out to me about the murder of Dr. Jaber Yousef is the fact that, through the immense social media coverage it recieved, you begin to realize just how unisolated this kind of case really is.

And its not just stabbings per se. It’s a woman setting a tented wedding party on fire (killing 57 and injuring 90). It’s camp attacks in the dead of the night. It’s police officers raping and killing racial minorities. Its people who think they own the road and, through their recklessness, inadvertently killing more people in accidents than organized crime.

Call it homicide; manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter; murder; whatever. At the end of the day its all needless, innocent death caused by individuals who, for the most part, thought they had the right and the privilege to act on what they personally wanted/felt regardless of anything else and for pretty much no substantial reason.

It’s as if people in Kuwait have gotten so used to reading these kinds of headlines with their morning breakfast omelet every few days that they can barely afford to muster up a bit of shock and awe before turning the page and forgetting all about ‘the event’ in a week or so.

But, hey, no point in overdoing it now, right? I mean, let’s be realistic here. A group of crazed guys ambushing and bloodily murdering another guy over something as petty and meaningless as a freaking parking spot–in a place as popular and crowded as The Avenues no less–is certainly not something you hear about every day. Right?

Wrong.

This has definitely happened before. It’s already happened again. A quick skimming of the comments section in this 248AM post will go to show just how prevalent and how likely it is to continue to happen.

And I’m not saying this as a way of discounting any of the other facets that may very well contribute to a person’s choice to kill someone, even if inadvertently. There is a good chance that western media and video games share a part in the way that these innocent souls were unfortunately lost.

I know there is no quick, easy, all-inclusive answer we’re all just waiting to implement here. I know that there has to be a root change in the way that people in Kuwait regard order, authority, and social responsibility. I don’t pretend to have an answer, nor a drawn out 5-year plan, nor any solid thoughts of how to rid Kuwait of this deadly pattern of national indifference towards crime.

I know this is making me sound like such a hopeless pessimist–and I’m not–but I think we all need to realize how quickly we forget the tendency Kuwait actually has for these kinds of mindlessly brutal tragedies.

I’m well aware of the fact that media glorified violence, bad parenting skills, horrible role models, and/or a hyper-masculinized social culture that is inspired by age-old notions of tribalism and sacred blood bonds has something to do with this. But the fact remains the same.

Every day in Kuwait people think they can override law and order and, in many cases, arrogantly (even if unintentionally) kill another human. We need to stop forgetting these deaths and please stop pretending like this kind of tragic incident is a unique case we can just blame on the Internet or security or video games.

Because the life and death of Dr. Jaber should count for more than that.

It should count as a constant reminder and as a lasting lesson of the fact that, if we forget and let our social responsibility falter once again, we’ve only got ourselves to blame.

All my love!

Posted in Kuwait, Musings, News, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , ,
20 Nov 2012

Congratulations, Kuwait: Not Only Are You Fat, You’re Also an Environmental Hazard

Okay, forget the world’s mass dependance on oil. Forget the insane levels of toxic, industrial waste we pump into the air. Forget the fact that the Arctic is pretty much melting at the speed of light now. Forget all that.

Because now that Kuwait is in the news (once, twice, thrice) for its damn near suicidal eating habits with very little signs of slowing that train down (Cheesecake Factory, what hath you wrought?), I’m thinking its time to try a different awareness approach.

That’s right: I’m going totally rogue and playing the environmental card.

Because, as it turns out, the real problem that the environment faces today is fat people. Yup, our ever expanding hindquarters are going to make a mess of this planet very soon if we don’t change things. How wonderful is that news? So on top of having your mother’s (your nutritionist/your annoying ‘healthy’ friend/your conscience) voice nagging in your ears to opt for the flavor-less ‘Guilt-Free Menu,’ you can now enjoy the added pleasure of knowing that you are actively destroying the Earth. Mmm! Appetizing!

And don’t think that just because you’re not a member of the morbidly obese that this doesn’t apply to you. Because it does. It applies to everyone–myself excluded included.

You see, the total weight of ALL of the world’s population comes up to something near a cool 316 MILLON TONS. Of this unfathomable number, about 17 million tons are due to people being overweight and about 3.9 million tons are due to obese people. Those are freaking tons, you guys. Quantified in MILLIONS. I don’t even know how I can begin to envision these numbers in real-time. Seriously, just trying is starting to give me heartburn.

Now, on a global scale, the average body weight clocks in at about 137 pounds (62 kg) which is an admittedly okay number for us to work with. But if we’re going to be looking at Kuwait specifically then we have issues.

Considering that 61% of all the world’s weight comes from Asia (not surprising since its the largest continent land-wise) and that 13% of the world’s obese weight is also Asian, Kuwait’s consistently high-ranking position on this list of fatty-fatness is nothing short of unbelievable. With nearly 70% of all men ranking among the overweight (according to CNN) in a country which is sizably smaller than most cities, Kuwait is easily winning the coveted position of numero uno as Asia’s fattest country. On a global scale, Kuwait’s obesity quota is perhaps only bested by Ronald McDonald’s homeland–America–which brings in an enormous 34% of the world’s obese weight.

So you’re probably wondering what all this guilt-tripping has to do with the environment. Well, as it turns out, when it comes to environmental sustainability “its not how many mouths there is to feed, its how much flesh there is on the planet.” Because the more you weigh, the more calories you end up using when you move around, and the more calories you use the more of the world’s natural energy resources get used up as well and so, by the transitive property, your weight directly influences things like the freaking ozone.

And on top of the fact that our larger bodies require us to use more natural energy, they also lead to our sedentary lifestyles IN WHICH EVERY HOUSEHOLD HAS LIKE A DOZEN CARS. Which–guess what–leads our weight to committing even more environmental crimes because, if you didn’t already know this, cars have a very big appetite for gas.

So kudos, guys–we’ve totally nailed the ‘two birds, one stone’ concept with this weight deal.

But, hey, don’t get me wrong here. This is not some holier-than-thou attempt to guilt-trip you all into joining a gym (although, you know, do that). Cause the fact of the matter is that, according to the experts, “actually, we’re all getting fatter.” Every last one of us.

I just think that if there is one thing we can ALL take out of this criticism–if “We’re all fat!” is even a criticism–its this: instead of mentally berating everyone who is above 62 kg and calling them a fatty-fat, Earth destroyer, we should all make a better effort towards understanding the larger consequences and the impact of our choices. From how we transport ourselves from Point A to Point B, to the choices we make while waiting in line at KFC (and, hey, that rhymed!). Because, without that deep-rooted, global awareness, we’re always going to find ourselves hovering in the ‘Top 10 List of Global Fatsos’ no matter how many gyms we join, or diets we go on, or stomachs we staple.

Or, you know, we could all just move to Japan instead.

All my love!

Posted in Kuwait, Musings, News and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
10 Nov 2012

A Reason To Celebrate: A Golden Jubilee of History, Pride, and Constitution

This post is going to be short and sweet. This post is dedicated to a simple yet powerful concept. A concept that, in so many ways, defines the historical achievement and the national pride that keeps Kuwait, despite every challenge and obstacle, the precious pearl of the Gulf. This is of course the guarding armor of Kuwait’s serenity: the constitution which, as of today, is exactly 50 years old.

Now, I’ve read the Kuwaiti constitution a few times and I have to say this right off the bat. The Kuwaiti constitution’s level of humane awareness; gender and racial quality; and the sanctity of the right to express and embrace any idea or lifestyle every individual may choose is in all honesty a thing of beauty.

Its no wonder that people fight for it; cherish it; and carry it with them through every high and every low. The constitution is, in many ways, the glue that holds us together–both resident and citizen–as a civilized, cohesive, and co-operative unit. The constitution was created for the sole purpose of insuring that no matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, Kuwait is a home for you.

And, if you ask me, there is no degree of celebratory parades, fireworks, and decorations that can serve to honor such a precious, life-affirming document as this one.

So congratulations, Kuwait! Congratulations on 50 years of a truly historic, proud, and completely worthy constitution.

All my love!

Posted in Beautiful, Kuwait, News and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
07 Nov 2012
3 Comments

Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib: Keeping Everyone Honest

You guys know my feelings about making sure consumers get their money’s worth of services and products. I’ve always believed that sharing a more honest and open network of customer service experience is key to not only informing people about where to get the best products and services, but also to raise competitiveness among the businesses, entrepreneurs, and service providers themselves.

For a while, bloggers were (still are?) one of the most sought after sources of opinion on products and service in Kuwait. And you can bet that this arrangement has its problems. While bloggers definitely should act as voices that people can trust to give them information about local business, some bloggers can unfortunately compromise their real opinions for a number of reasons (some of which are actually very understandable) and, unfortunately, its the actual consumer who ultimately gets screwed on the deal.

This is why I’m so happy to share with all of you these customer service surveying outlets that put the consumers themselves in charge of informing everyone about what and where people in Kuwait should spend their hard-earned money on. Because as much as I love the blogosphere and want to see it grow as both a forum for public opinion and a source of information, I truly believe that the best place to go when looking towards bettering businesses and services are the public, unidentified masses. The hoy-paloy; the every man (OR WOMAN!); the average consumer who has nothing to gain but the service itself.

And these magical outlets of customer service bliss (too much?) are Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib (‘Ask a Consumer’ in Arabic).

Service Hero is an online-based surveyor of customer service and experience. Its goal is to, basically, take the information which the people who participate in these quick online surveys provide about the businesses in question back to the service providers themsleves and let them know where and how they should improve in order to make the consumer happier. Its a service which is set up to provide the average person with the power to not only reach out to your favorite business but also directly influence the growth of their own experience on a consumer level.

Es’al Emjarib is a Kuwaiti iPhone app which has been getting a lot of buzz lately and for good reason. Its really the first app of its kind that does what it does so freaking well. It virtually brings together every single service provider that Kuwait has to offer (banks/shops/restaurants/gyms/telecom companies/whatever) and allows you to rate them and provide your own commentary on the service which will then be publicly shared on the app for everyone else to see and learn from. I’ve tried this app out myself and, honestly, the design is super fresh, the interface is easy to navigate, and the feedback is so very helpful.

So be sure to check out both Service Hero and Es’al Emjarib if you’re looking to either get some helpful info on a particular service or if you’d like to share your honest experience with everyone in Kuwait and help praise the businesses who deserve it and criticize the ones who don’t.

All my love!

[Update: Turns out that Service Hero is providing their helpful survey service from October till the end of December. So be sure to give them any feedback you may have before time runs out!]

Posted in Blogosphere, Kuwait, Musings and tagged , , , , , ,
03 Nov 2012
1 Comment

Pretty (and Awesomely Charitable) Little Things – PLT’s Dolls and Textiles Edition

So you guys know I’m nothing if not an absolute sucker for fashionable things with a cause. Seriously, with the amount of fashion expos and the ‘designer bug’ that almost every other person in Kuwait has (which, don’t get me wrong, can be a beyond beautiful thing), its always nice to see someone not only make a totally unique and beautifully executed contribution to fashion and art in Kuwait, but also have a charitable, worthy cause behind it too.

Now, I know you guys probably don’t need me to tell you this but one of the hottest tickets in all of Kuwait’s current fashion expos are the Pretty Little Things expos which the brilliantly inspired Noaf Hussein puts on every few months to showcase the stunning, one-of-a-kind designs of both local and international artists. Please allow me to take a fan-moment to rave about the level of gorgeous detail and diligence that Noaf Hussein devotes to making every single PLT event look like a unique, Khaleeji cross between Alice in Wonderland, Amelie Poulain, and Marie Antoinette. And I’ve only gleaned all of this by religiously stalking her Instagram page (because, as luck would have it, I’ve been outside Kuwait for almost every single PLT event so far) so I can’t imagine how beautiful the real experience must be like.

So, yes, even if these super decadent PLT soirees didn’t have a charitable angle to them, they’d still be absolutely to die for. But they do. Which only enhances their awesomeness by ten-fold. Y’see, aside from bringing the super fab to Kuwait, PLT also uses a portion of the proceeds they make during the expos to help build houses for Kuwait’s orphans. They’ve already started work on the first house and are looking to collect more proceeds to build a second home with this Dolls and Textiles event and other upcoming PLT installments.

For the Dolls and Textiles edition, PLT chose the historically unique venue to take place at Al-Sadu House (local historic landmark of the art of Kuwaiti hand-weaving) to inspire the theme of the event. By dressing fabric dolls–Kuwait’s culturally aboriginal toy of choice–in the signature creations of a number of local designers (including Razan Alazzouni, Lama Taher, and Yousef Al-Ibrahim to name a few), PLT brings together all that is both culturally and historically celebrated in Kuwait’s fashion scene.

Now, as far as the line-up of brands that are going to showcase at the Dolls and Textiles event goes, here is the list as I have received it from Ms. Noaf (so I did not write this).

  1. Hettabretz, flying in from Italy with the most divine leather and fur creations. Their creations are around the world in stores like Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Loewe in Madrid, Fortnum & Mason in London, and Neiman Marcus Dallas, among others. Hettabretz has been worn by Hollywood royalty like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor and has collaborated with Prada, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Ralph Lauren, to name a few.
  2. Trickponi showroom, based in Saudi Arabia which represents regional favorites Fyunka and L’Atelier Nawbar, as well as New York-based brands Shosh, Shui Chen, Giles & Brother, among others.
  3. Maians, a Barcelona-based brand of men and women’s shoes. The original Spanish plimsoll.
  4. Greet Touch Hydroponics, a Kuwait-based supplier of all you need to grow your own indoor herbs and vegetables without messy soil.
  5. Jars, a houseware and home decor shop that produces its own line of hand-painted bowls, boxes, trays and containers.
  6. Maze, a dazzling line of furniture and home accessories designed by Bibi Al Ghanim.
  7. Ivy, a line of leather handbags, hand-crafted in Lebanon.
  8. Lina Jewelry, a line of crochet metal  jewelry dipped in precious metals.
  9. Oleana, a Kuwait-based baby and maternity store that sells the latest and most stylish essentials.
  10. So Lulu, a line of handmade jewelry by Lubna Al Naqeeb using semi-precious stones.
  11. Amna Alsalem, the Kuwaiti clothing label that caused pulses to race at its launch in the Missoni mere months ago.

Clearly, if you’ve read this far you’re in no need of convincing to attend this very exciting shin-dig. As with everything that Noaf Hussein plans you can definitely expect an event in the truest sense of the word.

So be sure to stop by the Pretty Little Things “Dolls and Textiles” extravaganza at Al-Sadu House (on the Gulf Road, across from Seif Palace) today from 3 to 10 PM, and on Monday and Tuesday at the same time as well (here! A helpful poster!). Indulge in the decadently unique and whimsy vibe, help a truly good cause, and, if you can, try to channel some of that overwhelming awesomeness to me and my poor, non-attending, Canada-bound soul.

All my love! (I totally and shamelessly stole that picture of those fresh-to-death dolls up there from Noaf’s Instagram page @PLTQ8 right here)

Posted in Beautiful, Fashion, Kuwait, Musings and tagged , , , , , ,
19 Oct 2012
5 Comments

Kuwait Stands Up (and Possibly Marches) For It’s Dignity

Yesterday, during one of my many daily Twitter scans, the color orange seemed to catch my eye a whole lot more than usual. A huge handful of the people on my timeline had either changed their Twitter avatar to a full orange color swatch or had included an orange block alongside their own personal picture.

And, as is the usual way, I immediately got very curious.

I quickly started digging (the sophisticated term for ‘mild Twitter stalking’) and found that a majority of the people who had included this block of orange in their avatar were also partaking in a hastag that goes by the name of ‘#مسيرة_كرامة_وطن‘ which translates into March for National Dignity.

I then did some further digging (so, Twitter plus Google) and found out the following: basically, the Kuwaiti people have been getting a little short-changed when it comes to something as puny and insignificant as their constitutional rights. So, you know, nothing major. According to what I’ve read (so I’m not explicitly saying this for myself), the government could potentially pass a law that has the power to alter the election procedures of the Kuwaiti parliament vote from 4 representatives per district to a single representative which the Kuwaiti people will elect come campaigning season. Basically, this law changes the face of the Kuwaiti constitution’s statement and insistence upon the fact that the people would all be sufficiently represented in parliament. In that respect, many Kuwaitis think that one representative per district is not nearly enough to fully speak for them and that it violates one of their time-honoured constitutional election rights. In a number of ways the Kuwaiti people find that this law would give the Kuwaiti government the power to tell the Kuwaiti people who have a constitutional right to elect whomever they collectively see fit into parliament, “thanks, but no.”

As you can probably imagine, this did not go over too well. Naturally, the Kuwaiti people were insulted by the suggestion of such a blatant disregard and nullification of their right to help shape the way in which Kuwait fundamentally grows and progresses. Many Kuwaiti people are not willing to even so much as entertain the idea of a law which ultimately strips them of this integral, national responsibility. In order to show their out-crying dismay over this decision, many of them took to the Erada Square (ساحة الإرادة) this past Monday to stage a protest demonstration.

Many of the men who participated in this demonstration and who have openly voiced their rejection of this governmental decision were arrested and a good handful of them are still detained. I’ve heard ramblings on Twitter and other places as well that have reported that there are also arrest warrants out for people who have supported the demonstrators opinion through their own personal tweets on their own Twitter accounts. But, again, these could be nothing more than social ramblings so don’t take my word for it.

Right now, there seems to be another, much more expansive and well-organized march that should be taking place if and when this governmental decision to alter the election procedures does get the green light. This march goes by the definitive name of March for National Dignity (مسيرة كرامة وطن). You can find out more about the march and its organization over at the official blog right here. An overwhelming number of people in Kuwait seem to be displaying these orange avatars as a show of support and standing up for the fair, equal, and most importantly, constitutional right of the Kuwaiti people to have an active hand in shaping their own future for the better. Although I’m not exactly sure why the color orange was chosen or what it seems to be symbolic of, so I’d appreciate it if someone could possibly shed some light there.

In my opinion, I think this movement is totally and absolutely vital to the overall development of Kuwait on pretty much every single level. I am not a Kuwaiti, so I don’t personally have a hand in shaping the political structure nor is there really any direct interest between me and the governmental system, but I will always stand in support of the rights of the people to have their say. The rights of the people to utilize the constitutional laws that were specifically placed in order to protect and honor them. The rights of the Kuwaiti people to give Kuwait, a country which has honestly given them innumerably endless bounties, the respect and the dignity that it deserves.

All my love!

UPDATE: Please allow me to be completely clear on a few issues. I DO NOT support the hyper-Islamist perspective of some high profile people who are following this movement. I DO NOT support sectarianism and tribalism in Kuwait which some people in this movement may stand for. I DO NOT support the scathing criticism of His Highness the Amir in any way, shape, or form.

The only thing that I DO support is the constitutional right of the Kuwaiti people to have a say as to how the future of Kuwait goes through fair elections.

That is it. Hope this makes things clearer on where I ACTUALLY stand. Please do not confuse my love and loyalty to Kuwait, the Amir, and the peaceful unity of all those who inhibit this gracious land.

Posted in Kuwait, News and tagged , , , , , , , ,
09 Oct 2012
3 Comments

S.P.E.A.K Stands Up For Mental Healthcare (and for My Bipolar Friend)

A few years ago, I discovered something about a friend of mine: I found out she was suffering from a bipolar mental disorder. We were taking an introduction to psychology course together in university and so the subject of mental healthcare in Kuwait naturally came up which also naturally led to her admitting to her own personal ordeals with the system and with having to grapple with a bipolar disorder in Kuwait.

She shared with me her frightening bouts of suicidal notions that were, for the most part, completely beyond her control. She shared with me the endless battle she faces with her psychiatrist as they try to find the right “cocktail” medication to help her keep relatively stable. She shared with me the extreme difficulties she faces with completing her degree while under the influence of these heavy, mixed, and irregular bipolar episodes.

She also shared with me how almost all of her extended family members, friends, and even her professors tended to brush off any cries for help, and simply decided to treat her legitimately medical illness as a non-excusable dramatization which they were just forced to tolerate.

She let me know about the endlessly long and ultimately fruitless road she and her parents had to go through in order to try and secure real, useful medical support through the Ministry of Health (she’s Kuwaiti). Due to a very lacking governmental support system when it comes to mental healthcare, my friend and her family were forced to go it alone and look elsewhere for medical guidance and support.

I’m honestly beyond baffled by the maze of half eaten cookies people in Kuwait have to follow in order to get legitimate mental health treatment (never mind affording it). In Kuwait, mental patients (and their families) have to navigate a completely uncoordinated system all on their own when the reality is that they’re the ones least capable of doing so.

Identifying the illness, knowing what kind of treatments to try, finding a psychiatrist, a therapist, and whatever other treatment methods you’re going to try, then paying for most of it yourself: these are all things that, for the most part, my friend and her parents had to figure out and provide completely by themselves. I can’t imagine any other serious medical patient having to go through such an ordeal without hardly any form of outside assistance.

The reason I bring up this whole story is because tomorrow, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. So if there’s ever a time to talk about how Kuwait needs to be more aware and educated about what mental health truly means its now.

Thankfully the S.P.E.A.K organization (Standing for Psychological Education and Awareness in Kuwait) was created for the sole purpose of doing just that. Creating an open forum for people to both ask and answer questions about the realities of both living with and treating mental illnesses is something which is very necessary to enhancing Kuwait’s social and medical environment. Removing the stigma and building truly compassionate care and support around this issue is an increasingly vital change that Kuwait needs to make if it hopes to make any kind of progress both on the medical and the societal fronts.

This year the S.P.E.A.K organization is holding a CSR (corporate social responsibility) event in Salwa Al-Sabah Hall both on October 10th and 11th. The event will feature experts form Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as Kuwaiti mental health experts. It is both open to professionals and the general public in the hopes of creating a conducive learning environment for everyone.

If you can, please be sure to stop by at this event and learn more about what true mental healthcare is supposed to look like, listen to people’s experiences, and help make Kuwait both more aware and better equipped to provide the compassionate care that this medical issue deeply requires.

All my love!

Posted in Beautiful, Kuwait, News and tagged , , , , ,

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