Sunday, June 30, 2013
Female Kuwaiti School Teacher Sentenced to 11 Years for Inciting Regime Change and Insulting Amir of Kuwait on Twitter
A teacher has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for insulting the Emir, inciting regime change and insulting a religious sect via Twitter, two sources close to the case said.Huda al-Ajmi, 37, is the first woman known to have been convicted for criticising the US-allied Gulf Arab state’s ruler, described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution.
Kuwait has penalised several Twitter users for slurs against the Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Sources said Ajmi received two consecutive five-year terms for insulting the Emir and one year for insulting a religious sect.
Ajmi has not yet been taken into custody and can appeal the sentences, sources said. It is rare for a woman to serve jail time for political crimes in Kuwait, which allows more freedom of speech than some other Gulf Arab states.
In April a Kuwaiti court gave an opposition politician five years in jail for insulting the emir, but an appeals court overturned the sentence.
Reuters
Kuwait has penalised several Twitter users for slurs against the Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Sources said Ajmi received two consecutive five-year terms for insulting the Emir and one year for insulting a religious sect.
Ajmi has not yet been taken into custody and can appeal the sentences, sources said. It is rare for a woman to serve jail time for political crimes in Kuwait, which allows more freedom of speech than some other Gulf Arab states.
In April a Kuwaiti court gave an opposition politician five years in jail for insulting the emir, but an appeals court overturned the sentence.
Reuters
Saturday, June 29, 2013
DJ Raven in the House at Organica, Jabriya
Sunday June 30th from 7-11PM playing funk, jazz and lounge music to accompany your delicious pizza, pasta or fish 'n' chips. Organica is next door to Royal Hayat Hospital in Jabriya.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Poignant but Strangely Liberating Thoughts on Suicide. Loneliness and Depression by Stephen Fry
There isn’t any point in denying that the outburst of sympathy and support that followed my confession to an attempt at self-slaughter last year (Richard Herring podcast) has touched me very deeply.
Some people, as some people always will, cannot understand that depression (or in my case cyclothymia, a form of bipolar disorder) is an illness and they are themselves perhaps the sufferers of a malady that one might call either an obsession with money, or a woeful lack of imagination.
“How can someone so well-off, well-known and successful have depression?” they ask. Alastair Campbell in a marvelous article, suggested changing the word “depression” to “cancer” or “diabetes” in order to reveal how, in its own way, sick a question, it is. Ill-natured, ill-informed, ill-willed or just plain ill, it’s hard to say.
But, most people, a surging, warm, caring majority, have been kind. Almost too kind. There’s something a little flustering and embarrassing when a taxi-driver shakes you by the hand, looks deep into your eyes and says “You look after yourself, mate, yes? Promise me?” And there’s something perhaps not too helpful to one’s mental health when it is the only subject people want to talk to you about, however kindly or for whatever reasons.
But I have nothing to complain about. I won’t go into the terrible details of the bottle of vodka, the mixture of pills and the closeness to permanent oblivion I came. You can imagine them and I don’t want to upset the poor TV producer and hotel staff who had to break down my door and find me in the unconscious state I was in, four broken ribs thanks to some sort of convulsive fit that must have overtaken me while I lay almost comatose, vomit dribbling from my mouth. You can picture the scene.
The episode, plus the relationship I now have with a magnificent psychiatrist, has made made my mental health better, I think, than it’s ever been. I used to think it utterly normal that I suffered from “suicidal ideation” on an almost daily basis. In other words, for as long as I can remember, the thought of ending my life came to me frequently and obsessively. But then it’s the thought behind the most famous speech in all history. To be, or not to be.
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action…
Take time to read it slowly to yourself or out loud. I don’t have Hamlet’s wit (or Shakespeare’s of course) but every logical or doubtful step from line to line expresses better how hard I thought about the advantages and cursed (as I thought) disadvantages against suicide. The speech, for the most part, stayed my hand. As it did Hamlet’s.
But medicine, much as some don’t like to hear it, can help. I am on a regime of four a day. One is an SNRI, the other a mood-stabilizer. I haven’t considered suicide in anything other than a puzzled intellectual way since this pharmaceutical regime “kicked in”.
But I can still be sad. Perhaps you might go to my tumblr page and see what Bertrand Russell wrote about his abiding passions (it’s the last section of the page). I can be sad for the same reason he was, though I do so much less about it than that great man did. But I can be sad for personal reasons because I am often forlorn, unhappy and lonely. These are qualities all humans suffer from and do not qualify (except in their worst extremes) as mental illnesses.
Lonely? I get invitation cards through the post almost every day. I shall be in the Royal Box at Wimbledon and I have serious and generous offers from friends asking me to join them in the South of France, Italy, Sicily, South Africa, British Columbia and America this summer. I have two months to start a book before I go off to Broadway for a run of Twelfth Night there.
I can read back that last sentence and see that, bipolar or not, if I’m under treatment and not actually depressed, what the fuck right do I have to be lonely, unhappy or forlorn? I don’t have the right. But there again I don’t have the right not to have those feelings. Feelings are not something to which one does or does not have rights.
In the end loneliness is the most terrible and contradictory of my problems. I hate having only myself to come home to. If I have a book to write, it’s fine. I’m up so early in the morning that even I pop out for an early supper I am happy to go straight to bed, eager to be up and writing at dawn the next day. But otherwise…
It’s not that I want a sexual partner, a long-term partner, someone to share a bed and a snuggle on the sofa with – although perhaps I do and in the past I have had and it has been joyful. But the fact is I value my privacy too. It’s a lose-lose matter. I don’t want to be alone, but I want to be left alone. Perhaps this is just a form of narcissism, vanity, overdemanding entitlement – give it whatever derogatory term you think it deserves. I don’t know the answer.
I suppose I just don’t like my own company very much. Which is odd, given how many times people very kindly tell me that they’d put me on their ideal dinner party guestlist. I do think I can usually be relied upon to be good company when I’m out and about and sitting round a table chatting, being silly, sharing jokes and stories and bringing shy people out of their shells.
But then I get home and I’m all alone again.
I don’t write this for sympathy. I don’t write it as part as my on going and undying commitment to the cause of mental health charities like Mind. I don’t quite know why I write it. I think I write it because it fascinates me.
And perhaps I am writing this for any of you out there who are lonely too. There’s not much we can do about it. I am luckier than many of you because I am lonely in a crowd of people who are mostly very nice to me and appear to be pleased to meet me. But I want you to know that you are not alone in your being alone.
Loneliness is not much written about (my spell-check wanted me to say that loveliness is not much written about – how wrong that is) but humankind is a social species and maybe it’s something we should think about more than we do. I cannot think of many plays or documentaries or novels about lonely people. Aah, look at them all, Paul McCartney enjoined us in Eleanor Rigby… where do they all come from?
The strange thing is, if you see me in the street and engage in conversation I will probably freeze into polite fear and smile inanely until I can get away to be on my lonely ownsome.
Make of that what you will.
Sx
LWDLIK - I say 'liberating' because somehow after reading this it seems okay to have depression, be lonely and think the unthinkable. And depression, like any disease, can be medicated/treated to help sufferers. Have a better day all :O)
Thanxx for sharing Lynne.
Monday, June 24, 2013
PechaKucha Night Number 9 at Al-Maidan Cultural Centre on 26 June, 2013
The first PechaKucha Night (PKN) was held at Dar Al Athar's Al-Maidan Cultural Centre in 2009 and it was a great success. This year, DAI has the privilege of hosting PKN#9 at the esteemed Amricani Cultural Centre on June 26 at 7:00 PM. The guest age-group ranges from Kuwait University students to well established Kuwaiti and foreign artists and creative talents of all ages.
PKN are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together and share their ideas. The event consists of several presentations following a strict PKN format, which includes 20 slides that run for 20 seconds each. This gives each presenter a total of 6 min and 40 seconds. Past presenters included Ghadah Alkandari, Farah Behbehani, and Farid Abdal. They are among 64 presenters that have already participated.
PKN is an international event that is hosted in many cities, including Dubai, Paris, and Tokyo – Tokyo being the host city. Two architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham run PKN. Through a vetting process cities are assigned organizer and Dr. Asseel is the current organizer of PKN Kuwait.
PKN#9 will feature the following presenters: Laila al-Hamad, Tara Norris, Rana Alomani, Liali & Lamees Nijem, Nada al-Ragom, Hussah al-Humaidhi, Ali al-Yousifi, and Faisal al-Nakib.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Run Q8 2013 10K - Registration
Conditions of Entry
By entering the race, you agree to abide by these Conditions of Entry and any race instructions given to you by the organizers and officials of the RUNQ8 2013 10K.
- For reasons of safety: Entries are not permissible from people on roller skates or bicycles.
- Entry Fee: All entry fees are non-refundable.
- Medical Condition: It is strongly recommended that you train for the run and prepare for the challenge. All participants are strongly advised to consult their doctor prior to undertaking any exercise program or running event. It is the responsibility of all participants to ensure they are medically fit to participate in the event.
- Race Memento: Only participants that complete the race will receive a race goody bag. Non-participants are not eligible for race mementos.
- Use of Image: By entering the race you give permission for the free use of your name, voice or picture in any broadcast, telecast, advertising, promotion or other account of this event.
- Event Cancellation: In the event that the race is cancelled, due to unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, all participants shall be notified by email as soon as possible. The organizers shall not be liable in respect of any entry fees, costs and expenses you may incur as a result of such cancellation or postponement.
- Information: Your name will be added to the organizer's mailing list so that we can keep you informed about the other events and activities of the event organizers.
- Race Numbers: For safety reasons and primarily for identification by medical staff, the swapping, sale, resale or transfer of race numbers is strictly prohibited. Participants must complete their details and receive their race numbers prior to the event.
Disclaimer: I confirm that I have read, understood and accept all the Conditions of Entry. I confirm that I am in good physical health and taking part in the event entirely at my own risk. I acknowledge that the organizers shall not be liable for death, personal injury, loss or damage arising from my participation in or as a consequence of my participation in the RUNQ8 2013 10K, howsoever caused, except with regard to death or personal injury which is caused by the organizer's negligence.
By clicking register you agree to the terms and conditions mentioned above.
Early Bird Registration: 10KD (first 300 participants only)
Regular Registration: 12KD
Register
Another Stabbing at The Avenues
Kuwait Times: A teenager was hospitalized with mild injuries sustained during a fight reported at the Avenues Mall on Friday. According to the police report, the fight was triggered by one teenager flying into a rage by a stare perceived as provocative and hitting at the man with a sharp object that left the latter with a wound to the shoulder. Shoppers intervened to separate the two before security arrived and brought the situation under control. An ambulance was called to take the injured child to the hospital while his attacker was taken to the nearest police station for further action.
Mobile Bartender Arrested
Kuwait Times: A man was arrested in Wafra Friday after police found that he ran a stand near a highway where he offered alcoholic drinks. Ahmadi police were on an inspection drive when they grew suspicious of a man selling drinks on his cart. Officers searched the cart after smelling alcohol and were able to find bottles filled with homebrewed liquor hidden under a table. The Asian man was questioned afterwards and he admitted to selling cocktails prepared from alcohol and soda or energy drinks, and offering them for KD1 to KD1.5 per glass. The man was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
I Love Jon Stewart and Bassam Youssef - Bravo Guys!
If your regime is not strong enough to handle a joke, then you have no regime," Jon Stewart.
Egypt - Have you thought about traffic lights?
Well done Jon Stewart for visiting, awesome job Bassem Youssef for riding out the storms. Egypt should be very proud of you.
More here on how 'Comic Jon Stewart wows Egypt satirical show'
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/201362251233447164.html
Get Real People! The World of Photoshop
Female Celebrities
Brittany Murphy. Skin smoothed over, color corrected, and eyes brightened.
Penelope Cruz. Cleaned up hairline and smoothed skin.
Kristen Stewart. Closed her mouth, smoothed skin, and got rid of under-eye circles.
Jessica Alba. Waist made smaller, thighs/hips/knees trimmed, background modified, and wrinkles on clothes erased.
Madonna. Skin smoothed out (a lot), eyes intensified, contrast and saturation increased.
Eva Longoria.Highlights added, eyes lightened/brightened, skin smoothed out, waist trimmed, underarms edited.
Sharon Stone. Skin airbrushed, underarms smoothed out, bust augmented, eyebrows cleaned up. Voilà--she looks 10 years younger.
Rachel Weisz. Um...her legs look completely different. And her neck somehow got longer. Hmm.
Naomi Watts. Color lightened, eyes brightened, skin airbrushed, eyeshadow added, and freckles removed.
Nicollette Sheridan. Skin smoothed out, under-eye circles removed, eyes brightened.
Alicia Silverstone. Skin edited, lipstick darkened.
Magazine Covers
Katy Perry. Thighs trimmed, tummy smoothed out, breasts made rounder, sock removed, color corrected, and hand edited.
Faith Hill. Wrinkles erased, arm thinned out, waist trimmed, hunched back straightened, and underarm fat removed.
Nitro Magazine cover model. Legs/arms/waist trimmed, butt lifted, hair added for more volume, wrinkles erased.
Male Celebrities/Models
Matthew Macfayden. Pride and Prejudice anyone? Skin redness removed, under-eye circles and wrinkles softened, blemishes gone.
Thom York. Gotta love Radiohead. Nose straightened, right eye opened, lips made more symmetrical, ears trimmed.
George Clooney. Wrinkles softened, hair darkened.
Male model. Skin darkened, arms/waist/hips/legs trimmed, pants made smaller. Really?
Models
Tyra Banks. Stray hairs removed, hairline cleaned up, eyes lightened/whitened, under-eye circles erased.
Bathing suit model. Suit color changed, fat from tummy/arms/thighs trimmed.
Model closeup. Under-eye circles removed, skin airbrushed, blemishes/freckles erased.
So don’t beat yourself up so much for not looking like the girls or guys in magazines. Photoshopped images create an impossible standard of beauty that just simply can’t be achieved by anyone.
With thanks to http://denisesalceda.com/youre-not-perfect-and-thats-okay/
Thursday, June 20, 2013
My Favourite Mob Boss Dies - James Gandolfini
The Sopranos actor, James Gandolfini, died of cardiac arrest aged 51 whilst on vacation in
Rome.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
EEK Magazine Bursting at the Seams with 'Pre-Owned' Goods For Sale
Sad news: This issue is probably - no - definitely the most loaded they've ever
had in terms of classifieds. More than half of these pages offer you
loads of mostly top-quality "pre-owned" goodies.
Their advice is to make sure you submit your sales items well in advance.
had in terms of classifieds. More than half of these pages offer you
loads of mostly top-quality "pre-owned" goodies.
Their advice is to make sure you submit your sales items well in advance.
Sordid Saga Ends as Defiant ‘Hawally Monster’ Hanged – Fellow Egyptian arsonist also executed for murders
KUWAIT TIMES: Two Egyptian men were hanged at the Central Jail in Sulaibiya yesterday, bringing the total number of people executed this year to five after Kuwait ended a six-year moratorium on executions in April. Convicted serial child rapist Hajjaj Mohammad Adel Al-Saadi – known as the “Hawally Monster” for his reign of terror in the governorate and beyond – and convicted killer Ahmad Abdulsalam Al-Baili were hanged after exhausting all appeals. Two Indians and a Pakistani were also supposed to be hanged yesterday, but their executions were postponed.
Earlier, the men were brought out one by one from a police van and made to stand before a panel of police officers and justice officials as the charges against them were read out loud. Baili was found guilty of killing an Asian couple – Mohammad Jamaluddin Abbas and Nandini Vijitha Sinha – by setting their home on fire in 2008. He also tried to kill an Egyptian couple – Amr Mohammad Jamaluddin and Fatima Sayed Ismael – the same way. They survived despite suffering injuries. Saadi was accused of raping 17 boys and girls aged between 6 and 12 after luring them onto rooftops, mostly in Hawally, in 2006 and 2007. He was found guilty on five counts. After an intense manhunt, Saadi was arrested in 2007 onboard a plane bound for Luxor, bringing his yearlong crime spree to an end.
While Baili silently shook his head or nodded at his alleged crimes, Saadi defiantly denied the litany of charges against him and repeatedly interrupted the proceedings by loudly reciting the shahadah (Muslim declaration of faith) and shouting religious slogans. He also complained that he had not been given any assistance from the Egyptian government. A cleric then spent some time with the condemned men. Sheikh Mohammad Ghadeer later told reporters that Saadi asked to pray four rak’ats, and his request was granted. Since his hands were bound, he prayed in a standing position. Baili also prayed in a similar fashion. Both men then recited the shahadah before they were led to the gallows.
Saadi continued to recite the shahadah on the top of his voice while hangmen trussed the two up and slipped nooses around their necks and hoods over their heads. “Paradise,” Saadi screamed as the trapdoors opened. Baili dropped to his death like a stone, but Saadi – a bodybuilder and trainer – writhed for a while. Medics declared both men dead around 10 minutes later.
Human rights organisations were aghast. “This new round of executions indicates that Kuwait is moving in exactly the wrong direction regarding the death penalty,” said Joe Stork of Human Rights Watch. “The government should cancel the executions immediately and reinstate the moratorium that had been in place since 2007,” he added. “All executions in Kuwait must stop immediately,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. The London-based watchdog had written to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to express dismay at the resumption of the death penalty this year, she said.
Judge Mohammad Rashed Al-Duaij, the head of the criminal execution and international cooperation department at the Ministry of Justice, said the death sentences were endorsed by HH the Amir, adding that 29 people remain on death row. In April, a Saudi, Pakistani and a bedoon who were convicted of murder were executed. Kuwait has executed 71 men and three foreign women since it introduced the death penalty in mid-1960. Most of those condemned have been convicted murderers or drug traffickers.
By Shakir Reshamwala
LWDLIK - Where are the human rights for the victims? Do they not deserve justice? I'm all for the death penalty why put these monsters in jail and pay for their upkeep for life. Ending their lives may help to put an end to the nightmares that those victims must have every night.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Our Mother's Country: Our Country
More than 25 countries deny women the right to transfer their nationality to their children. This 6.5-minute film describes what it means to be stateless in Jordan and Kuwait, and illustrates the advantages for children when laws are changed, as in Morocco.
Via http://monakareem.blogspot.com/
The Fabulous Honda Alghanim Launch Event Summary
Was a great evening! Sadly my pics were horrible :O( So was very happy to be sent this. And to my lucky LWDLIK/Honda Alghanim Event competition winner - hope you enjoyed it too.
We really need Alghanim to acquire more brands because they really know how to hold an event. Bravo!
I Want to Beam Like the Sun Too - Russell Brand Power
I actually get it! :OD
Unlike the interviewer from the look on his face and from the tone of his voice.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Diary of a 10 Year Old Attending Dasman Diabetes Institute's Children's Summer Camp for Overweight Kids
Was impressed with the sound of the Dasmanite Overweight Children's Summer Camp and seeing as my babygirl's weight has risen to 51KG and she wasn't following any healthy regime or advice I was giving her - it was time for drastic measures. I thought best to check her overall health with a blood test for diabetes and to see if there are any hormonal problems causing her weight gain. Results will be ready any day.
First question I had was; Is this for kids with diabetes only? Answer: No. But this is part of a campaign to avoid childhood diabetes. And health and fitness are paramount.
I had sent her off to school everyday with a healthy snack which came back, most days, uneaten and the remnants of Oreo cookies or a Kit Kat wrapper in her snack box (which she had 'borrowed' or begged from a friend). So, obviously, my attempts failed miserably. Time to look for an alternative solution.
So I've enrolled her in the Dasmanite Children's Summer Camp it sounds like just what we need. A lovely, light, welcoming building (on the Gulf Road next to the British Embassy) that has free underground parking for its visitors (always a big plus). Their staff are very helpful with trained professionals to oversee the summer camp. The gym is brand new with lots of shiny, new equipment and a stunning 4th floor view of the beautiful beach area. The kid's programme will entail exercise, swimming, hip-hop, zumba, kickboxing, learning about nutrition, cooking classes and fun stuff. My daughter loved the place when we went to look around. She's very excited and looking forward to her first day on Sunday.
I thought I'd share with you her progress and details of her time at Dasman Diabetes Institute. Will update daily.
Day 1.
Weigh in 51KG. Fell in love with the staff. Learned about nutrition and how to make a delicious, healthy smoothie. Danced, zumba-ed and ran 5 circuits of the running track. Had a healthy snack on brown bread (must ask for recipe or place it was bought as she loved it). Got a Dasmanite t-shirt :O) Great first day.
Day 2.
Spent breakfast telling me how unhealthy junk food is and writing down why it's so bad for you. She forgot to eat her breakfast as she was so engrossed in writing, this is a first. Enjoyed hip-hop exercise class, learning and making an easy yummy parfait with low fat yoghurt, berries, honey and cornflakes. Loved it so much she made herself one for dinner. Another yummy sandwich on brown wholegrain bread from Think Café (I just need to find out where it is now). Kids learned about and did a simple stress test to measure regular heartbeat and heartbeat after exercise.
Day 3.
Made fruit kebobs with an almond custard dip. Worked out with hip-hop and kickboxing. Learned CPR and tried it out on dummies. A delicious salad and an omelette sandwich from Think Café. I think I'd like to join too.
Day 4.
Made monkey tails; wholemeal bread Philadelphia, shredded carrots and black raisins sliced into strips and toothpicked together. Had fun in zumba class, learned to merengue dance and did some kick boxing. A choice of delicious, healthy brown bread sandwiches from Think Café. Found out where it is, Think Cafe map [link].
Day 5.
Made a mango and strawberry smoothie. Listened to guest speaker, Laila, talk about healthy living and the importance of exercise. Swam in the pool and played water volley ball. Brown bread sandwich with labneh, olives and zaater from Think Café.
Weekend - Swam and made mummy buy brown pasta, healthy popcorn. Stuck to the promise to give up nasty fizzy drinks.
Day 6.
In training for the sports day and so far her team won the practice :O) Yay! Tomorrow's the big day. Come on orange team.
Day 7.
Yay! Victory! Orange team won the sports day. A fun obstacle course, balancing, a relay race and the grand finale 10 laps around the running circuit. Then came home and swam all afternoon. Feeling very energized from all the exercise.
Day 8.
Made delicious stuffed dates with peanut butter, pistachio powder and a walnut. Learned lots of facts about calcium which is found in milk, yoghurt and dairy products. Calcium is good for the bones. Had lotsa of fun in the obstacle course competition between team 1 & 2. Team 2 lost but will be back! The losers had to run 10 extra laps.
Day 9.
Selection of nuts and dried apricots for a healthy snack. Learned about more healthy snacks ie. popcorn, fruit, nuts are all much better than sweets. Belly danced and hip-hopped the morning away. As promised team 2 came back to win in the obstacle course with a vengeance :O) Losers had to crawl under the legs of the winners.
Day 10.
Swam. Made popcorn and learned about all the great healthy stuff that can be added instead of sugar and butter like cranberries and nuts.
Weekend
Chalet - swam lots, remembered and spread the healthy eating info.
Day 11. Made a mixed salad with lettuce, baby tomatoes, corn, chick peas and walnuts and balsamic, honey mustard, olive oil dressing. Yum! Learned about energy drinks and how very bad they are for you.
Day 12.
Blue/yellow team for sports day and they won. Yay! Definitely competition pushes all the kids to excel.
Day 13.
Morning exercise, made a delicious turkey sandwich, learned about drastic surgeries for weight loss and learned the Heimlich maneuver for a choking person. More exercise.
Day 14.
Talent show for the kids. And Miss Kookie won! My babygirl sang her heart out and won. She loves to sing.
Day 15.
Workout followed by swimming. Learned about calories. Graduation ceremony. Sad farewells to all. Received an award for being The Dasmanite Diva - for excellence in the art of entertaining (singing, dancing and acting).
She LOVED her time at Dasmanites. She adored all her instructors, trainers, nutritionists and all the kids there.
Please, please DDI consider having after school workout sessions for the kids or weekends. We'll be the first to sign up.
And here they all are (photo below) paying very close attention, learning lots about nutrition, exercise and how to make healthier choices.
There will be a second camp starting soon please call 22242999 ext 4907 or 2074.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Sheer Panic and Reports of Illegal Arrests and Unwarranted Detainments Among Expats in Kuwait - Embassy Opens Hotline for Worried Expats.
ARAB TIMES
KUWAIT CITY, June 11: The Philippine Embassy together with the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) has created a special task force to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the wake of the massive crackdown by Kuwaiti authorities on illegal residents in the country, disclosed Philippine Charge d’Affaires Atty Raul H Dado on Tuesday to the Arab Times. The Philippine Embassy created the special task force after receiving reports from Filipinos being allegedly forcibly taken by authorities despite having legal residence status.
“We have created this special task force to address specifically the concerns of OFWs amid the ongoing crackdown and to allay their fears with all the circulating stories of arrests and detention of some Filipinos,” pointed out Dado after his meeting with the members of the special task force. He outlined that the task force will monitor the situation of Filipinos round the clock and will be ready to respond should anyone needs help. “We advise all Filipinos in Kuwait to contact the embassy hotline 55952909 or 65184433 in case of an emergency,” he urged.
Philippine Labour Attache David Des Dicang who was also present during the meeting explained that the task force has assigned point persons who will be in charge of every governorate that will cover areas under it. “We’re all on standby and ready to respond should anyone needs help,” stated Dicang.
With the ongoing crackdown on illegal residents, the Philippine Embassy urged its nationals to always bring with them their civil IDs and other legal documents and respect the labour law and traffic rules. “We have been reminding all our nationals to respect the laws of the host country, however, if you believe that your rights have been violated as a legal resident then please do not hesitate to contact the embassy so we can inform the concerned authorities immediately,” he stated. He added that they have been closely coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities on the matter and have requested for the clear guidelines on the recent crackdown.
“We will be meeting again this week with Ministry of Interior officials hopefully to get some clear guidelines so we can cascade them to our nationals. I call on the Filipinos not to panic. The embassy is here to help you as long as it is within the bounds of the law,” stressed Dado
Among those who went to the embassy on Tuesday to report their traumatic experience during the recent crackdown in Salmiya were a 53-year-old mother and her 14-year-old daughter. “Guys in blue uniform kicked and destroyed our door and they forcibly entered our house at around 4:30 in the morning on June 10. We were all shocked as we are all sleeping. We were four in the house, two ladies, my daughter and I. They asked for our Civil IDs and we gave them but when he saw the Civil ID of my daughter who is under visa 22 and my dependent, the police wanted to take her out of the house,” Noreen, not her real name, narrated. She explained to the man in blue uniform that her daughter is a student but he did not listen and tried to drag her daughter out of the house. “If you take her, I’ll go with you. I will not leave her without me, over my dead body,” she told the man in blue uniform.
Alyssa, not her real name, who is still recovering from her traumatic experience, told the Arab Times that when the police tried to drag her, she sat on the floor but he still kept on dragging her. “So my mom and I finally decided to go down with the guy but the car that the guy was supposed to go with already left and he even scolded us for the delay,” she stated.
The man who took them out waited for another police car to pass by. “When another police car arrived, I showed him our civil IDs and they decided to let us go. Due to the trauma, I failed to get the number of the police patrol car but we can clearly recognise their faces when we see them. I’ve been here in Kuwait since 1991 and this is the first time that I was traumatised,” stated Noreen.
Meanwhile, Randy, not his real name, also went to the embassy on Tuesday after he was allegedly forcibly taken inside his house during the random house-to-house checking in Hawally at around 1:00 am on June 10. “They opened the door by force and destroyed it. They took my civil ID and my mobile phone. Six of us were cramped at the back of the police car and they took us to the Mishref police station,” he recounted.
After authorities checked on the computer system that he has a valid residence, they still detained him and released him after eight hours and he got back his civil ID and mobile phone. He added that during their detention, the police asked them to group together and they allegedly placed some gallons and other paraphernalia at the centre before taking photo of those who were detained. “Today, I was very surprised to see my face on that group photo splashed on the crime page of the local newspapers as one of the illegal residents arrested during the raid in Hawally,” he lamented. He complained that his rights were violated as he has a valid residence and he is not a criminal. “I don’t even drink because I have hypertension, how can I be one of those accused of doing illegal activities? When in fact those paraphernalia were just placed there for the photo and it’s published in the papers,” he lamented.
The news item along with the group photo went viral on various social networking sites on Tuesday prompting his family, friends and colleagues to call him up. “My wife who is in Spain called me up crying because she saw my photo on Facebook. You can’t just imagine the damage and the trauma it has done to me and my family,” he pointed out. He asked the embassy to help him clear his name after the publication of that photo. “I have decided just to go home and leave Kuwait for good after this unfortunate and traumatic experience,” he said.
By: Michelle Fe Santiago Arab Times Staff
LWDLIK - These are very worrying times for many. I had my husband call one top official yesterday and ask about the rumours and stories - as I had friends frantically calling me. That official claims that these violations are not happening (???). So either we have rogue cops or management are not overseeing this problem properly or a lot of expats telling lies.
Please Abdulfattah ensure that these stories are investigated fully. This does not look good at all. Sad days indeed.
KUWAIT CITY, June 11: The Philippine Embassy together with the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) has created a special task force to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the wake of the massive crackdown by Kuwaiti authorities on illegal residents in the country, disclosed Philippine Charge d’Affaires Atty Raul H Dado on Tuesday to the Arab Times. The Philippine Embassy created the special task force after receiving reports from Filipinos being allegedly forcibly taken by authorities despite having legal residence status.
“We have created this special task force to address specifically the concerns of OFWs amid the ongoing crackdown and to allay their fears with all the circulating stories of arrests and detention of some Filipinos,” pointed out Dado after his meeting with the members of the special task force. He outlined that the task force will monitor the situation of Filipinos round the clock and will be ready to respond should anyone needs help. “We advise all Filipinos in Kuwait to contact the embassy hotline 55952909 or 65184433 in case of an emergency,” he urged.
Philippine Labour Attache David Des Dicang who was also present during the meeting explained that the task force has assigned point persons who will be in charge of every governorate that will cover areas under it. “We’re all on standby and ready to respond should anyone needs help,” stated Dicang.
With the ongoing crackdown on illegal residents, the Philippine Embassy urged its nationals to always bring with them their civil IDs and other legal documents and respect the labour law and traffic rules. “We have been reminding all our nationals to respect the laws of the host country, however, if you believe that your rights have been violated as a legal resident then please do not hesitate to contact the embassy so we can inform the concerned authorities immediately,” he stated. He added that they have been closely coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities on the matter and have requested for the clear guidelines on the recent crackdown.
“We will be meeting again this week with Ministry of Interior officials hopefully to get some clear guidelines so we can cascade them to our nationals. I call on the Filipinos not to panic. The embassy is here to help you as long as it is within the bounds of the law,” stressed Dado
Among those who went to the embassy on Tuesday to report their traumatic experience during the recent crackdown in Salmiya were a 53-year-old mother and her 14-year-old daughter. “Guys in blue uniform kicked and destroyed our door and they forcibly entered our house at around 4:30 in the morning on June 10. We were all shocked as we are all sleeping. We were four in the house, two ladies, my daughter and I. They asked for our Civil IDs and we gave them but when he saw the Civil ID of my daughter who is under visa 22 and my dependent, the police wanted to take her out of the house,” Noreen, not her real name, narrated. She explained to the man in blue uniform that her daughter is a student but he did not listen and tried to drag her daughter out of the house. “If you take her, I’ll go with you. I will not leave her without me, over my dead body,” she told the man in blue uniform.
Alyssa, not her real name, who is still recovering from her traumatic experience, told the Arab Times that when the police tried to drag her, she sat on the floor but he still kept on dragging her. “So my mom and I finally decided to go down with the guy but the car that the guy was supposed to go with already left and he even scolded us for the delay,” she stated.
The man who took them out waited for another police car to pass by. “When another police car arrived, I showed him our civil IDs and they decided to let us go. Due to the trauma, I failed to get the number of the police patrol car but we can clearly recognise their faces when we see them. I’ve been here in Kuwait since 1991 and this is the first time that I was traumatised,” stated Noreen.
Meanwhile, Randy, not his real name, also went to the embassy on Tuesday after he was allegedly forcibly taken inside his house during the random house-to-house checking in Hawally at around 1:00 am on June 10. “They opened the door by force and destroyed it. They took my civil ID and my mobile phone. Six of us were cramped at the back of the police car and they took us to the Mishref police station,” he recounted.
After authorities checked on the computer system that he has a valid residence, they still detained him and released him after eight hours and he got back his civil ID and mobile phone. He added that during their detention, the police asked them to group together and they allegedly placed some gallons and other paraphernalia at the centre before taking photo of those who were detained. “Today, I was very surprised to see my face on that group photo splashed on the crime page of the local newspapers as one of the illegal residents arrested during the raid in Hawally,” he lamented. He complained that his rights were violated as he has a valid residence and he is not a criminal. “I don’t even drink because I have hypertension, how can I be one of those accused of doing illegal activities? When in fact those paraphernalia were just placed there for the photo and it’s published in the papers,” he lamented.
The news item along with the group photo went viral on various social networking sites on Tuesday prompting his family, friends and colleagues to call him up. “My wife who is in Spain called me up crying because she saw my photo on Facebook. You can’t just imagine the damage and the trauma it has done to me and my family,” he pointed out. He asked the embassy to help him clear his name after the publication of that photo. “I have decided just to go home and leave Kuwait for good after this unfortunate and traumatic experience,” he said.
By: Michelle Fe Santiago Arab Times Staff
LWDLIK - These are very worrying times for many. I had my husband call one top official yesterday and ask about the rumours and stories - as I had friends frantically calling me. That official claims that these violations are not happening (???). So either we have rogue cops or management are not overseeing this problem properly or a lot of expats telling lies.
Please Abdulfattah ensure that these stories are investigated fully. This does not look good at all. Sad days indeed.
More Amazing Video from the Utterly Fantastical "Seussical the Musical'
Big thank you Tim Wadell. An amazing show! I'm still bowled over by the sheer brilliance from all at www.stagedinkuwait.com.
If anyone out there would like to try their hand at acting (singing, stage production), and unleash the dormant Jim Carey or Helen Mirren in them, please contact SIK on their website. They will be having a summer break now but watch out for the next auditions and the next fantabulous show.
Kids' Drama Workshop at Bayt Lothan
Bayt Lothan is pleased to announce The Summer Carnival, a 4-week drama workshop for young children and teenagers, conducted by the Helen O’Grady International Speech & Drama Academy.
The self-development program designed by the acclaimed Helen O’Grady Academy will be made available to 3 different age groups: 3-5 years, 6-9 years, & 10-13 years.
There is a specialized curriculum tailored for each... level, all sharing the same core features: developmental drama activities aimed at increasing the confidence, self-esteem and verbal skills of all students. These activities combine physical motion with ad-libbing, a form of spontaneous, unstructured speech.
The classes aim to enable students to develop effective social interaction, ongoing confidence, self-esteem, verbal communications skills, while encouraging enthusiasm and a positive approach to life.
Hour-long sessions will be held 3 times a week for the duration of a month, culminating in a performance by all students at the end of the fourth week.
To register or further enquiries, please contact Bayt Lothan at [25755877 - 25755866].
The self-development program designed by the acclaimed Helen O’Grady Academy will be made available to 3 different age groups: 3-5 years, 6-9 years, & 10-13 years.
There is a specialized curriculum tailored for each... level, all sharing the same core features: developmental drama activities aimed at increasing the confidence, self-esteem and verbal skills of all students. These activities combine physical motion with ad-libbing, a form of spontaneous, unstructured speech.
The classes aim to enable students to develop effective social interaction, ongoing confidence, self-esteem, verbal communications skills, while encouraging enthusiasm and a positive approach to life.
Hour-long sessions will be held 3 times a week for the duration of a month, culminating in a performance by all students at the end of the fourth week.
To register or further enquiries, please contact Bayt Lothan at [25755877 - 25755866].
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