In the News this Week

"Women in Kuwait can now travel without prior consent from husbands."

Choosing to take the elevator in my college is agreeing to be stuck with up to 20 people in a narrow space-- not very appealing to the claustrophobic, and to indeed anyone in their right mind for that matter. A real sabbatical elevator: add to that a mandatory stop on every floor makes for a long, nerve-challenging trip. Imagine someone running late for an exam.
Last year, the administration decided to do something about it. One would think they would install faster lifts, or perhaps build additional ones-- but no. All they did was install small screens that are connected to the internet, displaying weather, newsclips, and random reviews of local restaurants. Way to go Administration!

On many days, these screens are our only connection to the outside world. So a few days ago I was surprised to read the above-mentioned news headline relating to Kuwait in those usually New York/US-centric displays. While this is probably a landmark in human rights field in Kuwait and the surrounding region- and a bragging right too when you have neighbors with chronic religion-driven, social diseases like the KSA, it is somewhat embarrassing elsewhere. "Wait, you mean before now women could not travel by themselves?". I didn't even know that this nonsense existed.

Kuwait grants women passports without spousal nod
By DIANA ELIAS (AP)
KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait's highest court granted women the right to obtain a passport without their husband's approval, the case's lawyer said Wednesday, in the latest stride for women's rights in this small oil-rich emirate. Unlike with highly conservative neighbors like Saudi Arabia, women in Kuwait can vote, serve in parliament and drive — and now can obtain their own passports. In many countries in the region, women cannot travel or obtain a passport without the consent of their male guardian. Attorney Adel Qurban, whose case the court was ruling on, said the landmark decision "freed" Kuwaiti women from the 1962 law requiring their husband's signature to obtain a passport. His client, Fatima al-Baghli, is one of thousands of women who have been petitioning courts for this right. The court found the article in the decades-old law "unconstitutional" because it goes against the principal of equal rights for men and women. "It undermines her free will and compromises her humanity," the court explained according to a copy of the decision provided by the lawyer. Activist Aisha al-Rsheid hailed Tuesday's ruling, but said females in this traditional male-dominated society were still a long way from the equality promised by the 1962 constitution. "We want to see women judges and prosecutors, we want women to give their citizenship to their children, and we want women to have the right to state-provided houses," just like men, she said. With its history as a trading community, Kuwait has long been more liberal than the Bedouin societies in the interior of the Arabian peninsula and its 1962 constitution provides for a parliament and equality of the sexes. Conservative elements in the country, however, have long promoted a stricter interpretation of Islam, especially regarding relations between men and women.

Bravo, Fatima Albaghli! Power on you for this class act. You inspire.


After finding the article online later on I was wondering what else was going on in the K-Dubbz. Google news had the usual boring returns about oil production, US military and what have you. But out of no where comes this:

1,800 Jewish maids in Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 20 : There are about 1,800 Jewish maids working in Kuwaiti households, reports Alam Alyawm daily quoting Interior Ministry sources.
The same sources said these maids are citizens of India, Bangladesh and Ethiopia. The sources also warned such maids practice black magic and may have allegiance to Israel.
They thoughts and opinions may also constitute a danger to Muslim families - either Kuwaiti or expatriate - and may have an ill effect on our children.
The sources added the origin of most of these maids is believed to be Falasha. (link)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is obscene. What kind of shit journalism is this? Who writes such illiterate shit? Who believes in "black magic" or house helpers working as spies for Israel -spying for what I wonder. and the rest of this nonsense? "Danger to our children?" Fuck you! Who do they think they are? So many questions. Arab Times and Alam Alyawm and similar trash need to be pulled out of circulation. Now this is a real embarrassment.

Bragging rights are sadly banished by condescending laughter and doubts in sanity.


Music




Kid Cudi
(But in reality it's Andrew Shim. Tell everyone I told you)

Pegg Frostitution

Nick Frost, Simon Pegg

the new yorker magazine

My two favorite actors are hitting the streets in America to film their latest movie. I can't begin to describe how I love watching any thing they make-- whether together or each on his own. Hot Fuzz (2007) was their second movie to hit the screens after Shaun of the Dead (2004), both of which were key in forming an international cult-following community. Prior to these movies, fans in the UK have already enjoyed a hit comedy TV show titled 'Spaced' which was aired in the span of 3 years since 1999.

Obsession.
I personally watched Hot Fuzz about 7 times, Shaun of the Dead 11 times, and Spaced in its entirety 2 times. I could not get enough of them and can almost recite the lines which couldn't be the case with any other movie or show. Their comedy is just too original and genuine to be categorized with average-acting, so-called 'comedians' of the likes of Jack Black or Will Ferrel.
Currently they are in the process of filming a new movie 'Paul' due to hit the silver screens some time in 2009. Coming as the third sequel of the 'Blood and Icecream Triology', it tells the story of two comic-geeks who take a road-trip across America to reach a comic convention in California. Filming will take place in many locations in the States and New York is a definite stop (typically) so guess who will be lurking around filming locations. Also the team is planned to launch a promotional tour after filming is done-- so that's another opportunity to have a plain white t-shirt graced with their signatures.
Last time they were here last July to promote the release of 'Spaced' on DVD, I couldn't attend the event because I had yet another exam to prepare for. What's fucking new. I guess that's a privilege of living in a real city like NYC, unlike, say, Richmond or K-Dubbz unfortunately.

For now though, I know what I will be doing Sunday night after bloating myself with an unhealthy futoor consisting mainly of delivery pizza or a microwaved ready-meal: Watch Hot Fuzz for the 9th time or so. Knocking myself out.

***

Favorite scene in Shaun of the Dead (one of so many)

"It's on Random!"
"Kill the Queen!"
the synchronized assault.. everything. Absolute brilliance.

Hunger

This picture from a chain email came like a slap on the face. It's so easy to get hung over the trivia in our lives-- finances, careers, relationships, spirituality, appearances etc, ignoring things that should matter more. Only two days ago, 3 of us spent almost $150 on a dinner in some mediocre Turkish restaurant. A couple of months ago a hefty $500 was spent for a few sushi rolls in Buddha Bar-- and they were not even worth a fraction of their price. Just to think of how much food would that have gotten to those who really are in need. For that, I really feel ashamed of myself.

Something to do?
Donate a meal with a click of a mouse.

Who stole my foreskin?*

My whole class got a last-minute invitation to attend a boy-circumcision ceremony in brooklyn from a jewish guy in class. Of course I can't make it because there's an early class as usual, but seriously isn't that just odd? What if I go, I wonder what would be a proper thing to say. "congratulations?".. "good riddance".. "masel tov"?.. "nice weather today"?

What a weird 4000 year-old practice. I wonder how many days i had been sore and crying when I was 8 days old.

Music

Mylo - Drop the pressure [*****fucker]

*inspired by the 'foreskin monster' episode from Freak Show.

Moment to Reflect

To most people the beginning of April marks the infinitely lame and outdated occasion of Fools' day, but to me, it's the birthday anniversary for two completely different and unrelated friends. First of whom is an old high school friend. There was a time in the past when we used to hang out often and he once gave me this special gift. See, I was once in need for a certain kind of books, so when he knew about it not only did he get them for me but also wrote very thoughtful messages on the title pages. I still have the books somewhere back home and they are things that I'm gonna treasure. Unfortunately, each one followed his path in life and only in this year did I chose to ignore his birthday and not call or send the usual text message. I wish I could say it was someone's fault but it simply is not. I hate how this has to happen.. different people same shit every time.

On the other hand, the Russia friend has always been up on my whereabouts. I remember when the fatal shootings happened in Virginia Tech last year when I was in virginia still, he was one of the first to send a text message and even call when I hadn't had the time to respond-- All the way from some random central Asian country where he was vacationing. It's worth mentioning that even though he knew I was in the states, I only mentioned Virginia once or twice in our sparse e-mail exchanges. Now that's what a genuine friend would be. Anyway, so yesterday I sent him a very brief e-mail just wishing him a happy birthday and he replays a day later and BAM! comes the shocker. He's gotten married! I never met his girlfriend before but I saw her pictures and she looked really pretty. I mentioned to him my last summer's futile attempt to join the herds and how it just didn't work out for more reasons than I care to analyze.. It was a 'hit or miss' situation and lucky for me and everyone it was a miss. It's really funny when he's almost done with his studies, already starting a family and is very prepared for the "rest of his life", while I'm still leading a day-to-day cartoon life living off of junk with barely any commitments-- trying to figure out things in this life; stranded in the most random of places on earth.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and honestly I don't know where am I going. Not being sure of what you want doesn't make planning to get it an easy job. Recent school screw-ups, losing some people and having faith in general shaken all combined is a quite tough challenge. I long for what they call a "moment of clarity" if such thing exists..

Music

Matt Kearney - Undeniable

Tension

Protests were held on Saturday across US cities and other places worldwide to mark the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war. Here in New York people made a human-chain along 14th St (where I live) spanning Manhattan from far east to far west. Walking amidst protester, on my way to the library, left me with an uneasy feeling as many were agitated and angry shouts could be heard all around. Tension was in the air. Most if not all of these protesters seem convinced that the best solution is to pull all the US forces out of Iraq and leave all the mess behind. Suffice to say, this action will lead to nothing but more trouble in Iraq and the region as a whole which will eventually -and inevitably- have dire consequences on global economy level that will hit each one of these protesters in the crotch. They're protesting as if the economy is not already crippled and gas prices are soaring-- They apparently want to see more of that.

Nobody can demand US and british troops withdrawal before a government capable of maintaining stability is set up in Iraq, otherwise demanding anything else is irresponsible, mindless gibberish.

To top off my feeling of unease, I locked eyes with a fat protesting woman walking in the opposite direction. She had a full grown mustache. I blushed.

Music

Nina Simone - Sinnerman

المساجد والدواوين المخالفة
-ishraaykom?


That's funny. What I read there reminded me of once when I was home in Kuwait years ago. I was up late at night through the dawn, which rarely happens when I'm home rather than out. I heard the fajer athan coming from afar so I washed up and prayed, then went to bed feeling good that at least something positive came out of staying so late. Some time later, in the trance between being awake and asleep, I heard the athan again. "Shit- I must've heard the 'first athan'". So, still feeling the peace from the faithful state, I go wash up again, unfold my prayer rug and pray again. "Ok, maybe a little inconvenient, but the double-shot of faith has to be worth it". Time to sleep till noon.

Alllaaaaaho Akbaaaro Allllaaaaho Akbaaar !!!
...When suddenly...

No way! It's not even 10 minutes yet and here comes the athan for a third time in less than half an hour. At that point, I lost all of what's left of the religious sensation-state of mind. "Yalla 3ad! mayshoof shar inshala.. I'm out of here". Zzzzzzzz.

I miss kuwait!

Weekend

A new instructor at work is giving me hell. Nothing i do is ever good enough so I end up piling hours and hours of work as if my schedule can handle it. The only comfort is in knowing this is not personal as others are suffering her obsessive supervision, but this doesn't change the fact the weekends are no longer a time for rest. It will be long before my next break where I should be laying on a sunny beach lined with coconut trees, far away from this cement jungle.

Another weekend down the drain.

Music
Santa Esmeralda - Don't let me be misunderstood (Kill Bill Remix)

***

08

I had a very low-key beginning for this year. Signs indicate this is gonna be yet a shittier year on all levels namely personal and academic. On new year's eve close to midnight I was stuck in traffic on the Gulf Road with biggie, so we had one of the local music channels (Marina FM or 99.7) waiting for the countdown to begin. There was a stupid song playing when I took a look on my cell phone's display and it was almost 10 minutes past 12! What? They didn't even bother doing a countdown which was plain ridiculous -- I turned to my friend, exclaimed with a curse, he laughed, and that's how 2008 began.

Next evening I was back in New York to start classes the very following day. This city has serious issues with its weather -- the highest temperature was 4 degrees FAHRENHEIT on that wednesday. I fell sick with the flu 2 days later in spite of taking a flu vaccine not too long earlier. When I started feeling better a few days later, I headed downtown and then to SoHo for shopping to cheer myself up, and ended up spending half a grand on crap that I will probably never wear for school. I was taking advantage of the winter sales season but in reality I was just being patronized by brands known for their heinous sweat shops in Asia and elsewhere. Sad reality.

The city's soul (or lack thereof) seems to have crept into me. Since my return I haven't gone out with somebody as the 8am-5pm schedule still persists and I have final exams in these first few weeks already. Perhaps that's a bad excuse for not making serious efforts socially but then again I like to think I grew out of that phase -- I never claimed to be a better person than what I am anyway. Supposedly I'm meeting a bunch of my old friends in Miami or DC during an upcoming holiday (M.L. King Day). Speaking of which; funny thing is that we never had this day off back when I was in Virginia. So much for the capital state of "confederacy". During my last days there last year, the state assembly refused to issue an official apology to the African-American community for the state's disgraceful role in human trafficking back in the day, and instead expressed "regret"-- suffice to say this angered the black communities nation-wide and it was one of those moments when shutting up could've done more good. (News). Bravo, Virginia. Racism deep within is the cherry atop your shit pie.

Fact: There is actually a city in the middle of that sorry excuse for a state that's called Lynchburg. LYNCH-burg! The city of Lynch!!! I kid you not. Lynch, for those who do not know, is the name popular in US in older times for the noose by which black people were hanged for no reason most of the time but the color of their skin. (Google Map). Imagine being black and having to live in such horrid town.

Fuck it. I'm out of there already.


Anyway, after spending Luther's day away for a little, I'll have something else to be looking very much forward to. Justice (pronounced Jus-teece), one of my current favorite bands, will visit the city in March on their worldwide tour. Their music is pure cocaine in the club/dance genre which is the new 'it' since 2007. They are the new-age Daft Punk. I highly recommend their album"Cross" (available in stores, youtube and torrent). I still can't believe they're actually coming to NY.

if mohammed can't go to the mountain...

They come from Paris by the way, like Daft Punk, Modjo, Tahiti 80, and a few others of my #1s.

Music

Justice - Waters of Nazareth


Justice - Newjack

Maybe DJ Uruj, since she seems to be the talk of blogtown these days, can add some of their tracks to her playlist. I think every post on Kuwait Blogs should have her name dropped randomly somewhere in each post. That'd be so cool. Urooj!

WTF?

I was browsing amazon when an ad on the side caught my attention. I click on it and what do I see? My nemesis. A new version for 2008 is out and it's probably the 100th so far. I made it clear in the past how I abhor this sorry excuse for a game, but that's not the issue today. The manufacturers didn't even bother keeping the game's name (Winning Eleven) but rather kept the tag line, and only today did I actually take notice of it. My eyes popped.

NB: The original cover didn't have the man-evolution drawing. I added it for demonstration purposes.

What on earth does soccer have to do with the evolution theory? let alone supporting it. Evolution hasn't been proven to be false, in fact evidences supporting it are stronger and more significant than to simply be ignored. However, plastering this subliminal message of support on a product which is mainly directed to and consumed by the immature in mind is a cheap propaganda shot. Of greater concern is the children simply because this message will be seeded in their subconscious when they can't really understand the differences between the numerous theories explaining life origins. The name itself is sketchy; just try saying it out loud: "Pro-Evolution Soccer!" See? Sounds absurd. "Pro-evolution" and "soccer" just happen to be two of my least favorite terms and what do you get when putting them together?

It's just as if there should be more reasons to hate this game.

Music

Chumbawamba - Tubthumping
(In the tradition of W-11 circa 1998)

Guy from Coco Beach

I ordered a bunch of Sherlock Holmes DVDs from an online store a while ago. There is barely any time for me to sit back an relax amidst the daily drill-- Classes from 8am-5pm daily, mandatory weekend sessions, nightly study group at the school's library. Basically, I reached the point where I have no life anymore. That's why in the little free time I have from week to week I like to do something really special to enjoy this little time because I deserve it. I go to New Jersey sometimes, but when all what I'm capable of doing is staying at home because I have no energy to do anything else, a good DVD becomes a good option; and that's why I order things like Sherlock Holmes.
It's so good to see these stories in motion after having read so many of them back in my childhood times. Dr Watson reading the mail and Holmes smoking his pipe in front of the cozy fire, in their old house in Baker street. Now that I see it, they seem more like a couple than just associates. Anyway, I remember most if not all of the stories begin with a visitor who shows in the study, asking for 'advice'.

***

During each level of education (i.e., elementary, middle and secondary) there were the friends who you see everyday and then there is this special friend who you hang out the most. I don't know how to describe it, it's the Mario-Luigi kinda thing. I'm still in touch with those 3 and even managed to have the ones from middle and high schools meet in Washington since they both happen to study in the states. They didn't click really, but that's aside of the point. Fast forward to present. I have started going to my current university here in NY for three months, and literally everyone in the class have been extra friendly and so it was easy to make good friends which was great. And then I met this guy and it's funny because I first didn't think he spoke english well but turns out he was born and raised in the States, but he didn't speak so clear so I misheard his hometown as 'Coco Beach' instead of somewhere else. His appearance reminded me of Yokuzuna from WWF; fat and sumo-like, but he had a cheerful character. I got used to hanging out with him most of the time-- study groups, sushi, and New Jersey in some weekends. At some point he even suggested we should look together for an apartment for next year; and that was the best suggestion at the time coz I've been growing bored of my area. He was becoming the 'Luigi' of his time.
Two weeks ago, he wouldn't come to class and missed some quizzes. When I call no one picks up, and then a couple of days later he calls saying he's been in Nevada and California interviewing in other universities since he doesn't really like it here. We met once more with another friend in Jersey last weekend, and that was the last time we saw him. He didn't come to class during the week, and our phone calls and text messages remain unanswered. Then I learn from school that he has (or has been) dropped out of school even though nothing can be possibly confirmed about other schools until December. I worried that he might have died or something, but then I get a response for one of the older text messages that wasn't relevant to that time so at least he's ok. However, still to this day I haven't heard back again from him.

My typical self tells me to let him screw himself as I've become very intolerant of emotionally unstable persons. On the other hand, there still lies the possibility that something bad has actually happened to him and he hasn't just decided to leave the city and cut off every relationship with the friends that he had made (which is the best explanation that I have arrived to). For all I know, he might by lying in his bath tub in a pool of his blood-- and his phone subscribes to an american cellular network, need I say more?*
*Actually I do need to say more, since not many of the readers are familiar with American cellular operators of the likes of T-mobile. They have the worst services. A missed call can reach your phone 24 hours late. An sms can be lost in the realm of radio frequencies and never reache its destination. Your bill might be doubled at the whims of some archaic computers in fucking Minnesota that use operating systems from 1997.
Anyway, back to the guy from coco beach. What surprised me is how depressed I got on the day I knew from school that he had dropped out because I didn't realize I became emotionally attached to him in the same fashion I usually do to older friends. I thought this was a defect in my character that I have fixed after my experience in Virginia. Note how I mentioned all the K-12 schools plus New York but skipped Virginia. That period of my life was a mistake that simply did not happen. I'm laughing at the previous sentence as I type..

Anyway, If sherlock holmes happen to live down the block I'll be more than willing to make a visit and ask for advice regarding what has happened. I need to know whether to miss him or delete his memory and move on?
.."The Case of the Guy from Coco Beach".

***

There's one more thing to add. The reason why I had the time to post on blogger and before that indulge myself on the weekend is that an exam I was supposed to have on Wednesday was canceled because the professor who teaches it got ill and needed to be hospitalized. I can easily assume that as the answer to the prayers of many frustrated students.

What a world we live in..

Music

Gary Jules - Mad World.mp3

Religious Insecurity

A couple of days back while walking back home from dinner I noticed the Empire State building all lit in green, and I assumed it's for St Patrick's day. I didn't give it another thought. Today in school a lebanese guy mentioned that the green lights were to mark Eid, a fact that I confirmed with a quick search in a news search machine. I was very surprised.

Read FOX article here.

This also comes after the congress (US parliament) passed a law "honoring" the month of Ramadan, basically recognizing its holiness to the muslim population in the US and worldwide. This recognition hasn't even been given to any jewish holiday as of yet, as a bitter contributor to a Chicago newspaper notes. But regardless, this decision should have a positive effect -significant or otherwise- on muslim populations.

Read article from MuslimNews here.

Now, this should be ther perfect preface to the following news item. Kuwaiti Municipality voted against allowing a worship place for a muslim minority known as Bahra/Bohra (wikipedia). This is contradictory to the state's constitution which clearly emphasizes on the freedom of worship and expression in one of its basic and fundamental articles. This is not the first time such incident takes place. A few years back a Sikh temple was shut down without offering an alternative licensed location for Sikhs to worship.

Read article from Kuwait Times here .

From the article:

Islamist MPs and clerics urging the government not to approve the Bohra mosque because all members of the Bohra community in the country are not nationals.
Islamist MP Khudair Al-Enezi on Monday called for rejecting the government request because Bohras are not Kuwaitis and residents of Ardhiya were opposed to the idea.

What can one say to respond to such ill logic? Not being a "national" doesn't mean you are not entitled to practice your religion. Does this idiot of a man -Khudair Al-Enezi- accept to be denied from worshipping if he visits another country which "follows another religion"* only because he's not a "natioanl"? ma agol ila malat 3alaik w 3ala ily wa9elak mokan inta mo kafwa.

*this assumption is just for the sake of argument. Saying "x state has a religion" is just as absurd as saying "a state had a bad hair day this morning". Complete rubbish. Religions are made solely for human consumption.

Kuwait has a serious management problem. Tolerance and acceptance of others are approaching alarming, new lows.

These two stories show, with regards to one tiny aspect, what it means to be a third-world country.

Silver

A couple of weeks ago I was in a clothing store in Union Square trying on some sweaters for the winter. I can't wear my track jackets and hoodies for school anymore since a "professional environment" must be maintained there. Anyway, I set my mind on one black sweater, so when I was taking it off in the dressing room I noticed some fibers stuck in my hair. Trying to brush them away, one of them wouldn't go and decided it was its duty to stick in there like a jewish mother. To my surprise, it turned out to be a bloody gray hair. My eyes popped and for the following few minutes I tried to brush it away harder and harder trying to prove it's just a silly polyester fiber. It was one of those original denial moments. Alas, it was a real hair.
Did it come out because of school? I doubt it because it's been only about one month into it. This didn't really sadden me as much as I thought it would, but it really took me by surprise. I never thought this would occur so soon. And even though such event is something that I would normally share with my close ones, I didn't; as if it's something to be ashamed by. I still don't have a particular feeling about it. And I know it's normal; some of my friends back in high school had salt'n pepper hair even back then. Yet, whenever I look in the mirror it sticks out like someone giving me the finger.

So now what? I'll probably be using a walking cane by time I'm 30.

Music
Boston - Amanda.mp3

B&W

Friday, Sept. 14
-Lost my wallet
-Sick with flu
-Throbbing headache all day long
-Flunked a quiz (60%)
-Frustrated with classes
-Sick of how everywhere in Manhattan smells of urine
-Where does all the money in my bank account go????!!?

Wednesday, Sept. 19
-Someone found the wallet
-100% cured (emergen-C packs and pomegranate juice)
-a faculty member complimented my track jacket (compare to having a headache.)
-Flunked another quiz (doesn't feel as bad though)
-Feeling less frustrated with classes
-Got introduced to Newport a.k.a. Heaven.

..The difference a few days can make! A few days ago, I was ready to either harm or be harmed. I thank g-d so much for everything.

Oh and also, as if all that was not enough to cheer me up, I return home today after a long day out to find a check in the mailbox from a sloppy storage company with which I had business this summer. I don't know why in hell would they send me a check with all that money but what am I complaining? They have the 'awesomest' customer service :)

Art: hermet@flickr

Music
Moby - Extreme Ways.mp3
youtube

Ethics Problem

In a book about professional ethics, I came across a letter sent by a cancer patient expressing her frustration with the behavior of her oncologist. Here is the body of the letter:

I am writing this letter as a way to finally be heard by you.... At the time of our first meeting, when I told you I was glad to meet you and you countered my honest greeting with a sarcastic remark, "I know you are not glad to meet me," you made it perfectly clear that you saw yourself as the "bad guy" and that chemotherapy was going to be a "bad experience." In hindsight, I realize that the relationship you were offering, from the beginning, was never meant to be that of a supportive ally which I so desperately needed during this difficult, stress-filled treatment. Even the setting in which the chemotherapy was administered could never have been conducive to a calm, peaceful reaction....

I am very angry for letting myself be intimidated by you. But I'm also angry and hurt by your impersonal, detached, and at times very rude treatment of me. I came to you anticipating truly professional, innovative, state-of-the-art care.... Care does not start and stop with the prescribing of drugs.... In addition to your medical opinion, I needed you to support me and encourage me through a very frightening journey. And you were not there for me.

Due to a severe lack of sleep, continuing bladder inflammation problems, poor communication, and other physical and emotional effects of chemo, I gradually became exhausted and unable to cope with life in general, let alone chemo or cancer. You, as my primary physician doing chemotherapy, had a responsibility to remain informed about the results of the various examinations and procedures I was subjected to by doctors you referred me to. You also had a responsibility to communicate to me the impact their findings had on my treatment plan. Instead, I was left with the incredible hassle of trying to get in touch with them myself and relate their findings to my chemotherapy needs. This greatly added to the stress I was under.

At our last visit, after talking with me for less than five minutes, you diagnosed me as severely depressed, referred me to a psychiatrist and suggested that Prozac might help. Then you turned your back on me while I was crying and walked out the door.

source

This letter stroke more than one cord. Everyone knows a cancer patient somehow and it's not fair to accuse anyone of not caring about them, but this letter gives a perspective to how one particular patient feels about her treatment. She hasn't restricted herself from expressing the anger and the pain she feels and this simply a crude reminder of the unfortunate reality for anyone with this disease.
Now, how this relates to me is as follows:

1. I have an uncle who has lymphoma (lymph cancer), and sadly his treatment couldn't be administered in Kuwait so he had to do it in the States. It took him well over 4 months to do arrangements with the ministry of health, and from what I gathered they gave him hard times until he was approved. This comes when others get less trouble in being approved for illnesses that can be easily taken care of in any of MoH's facilities.
2. With relation to physicians' behavior: An old relative of mine (75-85 y/o) has been suffering some ailments and subsequent treatment which left him weaker than he used to be. Once during a regular visit to the doctor with his eldest son, the doctor (in the Mubarak hospital in Jabriya) was directing his speech to the son in the presence of the father when he said (Shakla 3inda 6 ashher ley 1 sina mo akthar, "I don't think he's gonna make it for longer than 6 months to one year at max"). The family spent the following 3 days trying to comfort the father even though he didn't seem much concerned. The apathetic fashion with which this statement was delivered (especially while ignoring the presence of the patient) angered the son very much to the extent he filed a complaint against the doctor.
3. With relation to cancer and ethics: I've been a big admirer of CAN campaign (Cancer Awareness N(?)etwork), until I knew from a very trusted source that the campaign's idea was originally that of a renowned psychologist who happens to be my source's relative. The idea was part of a research, and when he submitted the research around the time when a new board of Kuwait University was about to be named, an ex-president of Kuwait University plagiarized the whole research and stamped it with her name. This president has been known for advocating creative research and academic integrity aside from being a prominent face in feminine achievements in the society-- Ironically she is now also praised for promoting cancer awareness in addition to her other fantastic achievements.

Viva la kuwait.

p.s.:

فريحة الأحمد: كيف نبني مجتمعا ودولة بسواعد البويات؟!

WHAT? is she for real???!! who is this shaikha farii7a and why is she so jaded about lesbians? are there no other problems to be concerned about at these times? No one single piece of news gives hope in anything be it sports health education or economy.. بلاوي زرقــــة .. and all what she is so interested in is female homosexuality? ٍSome people need to immediately get out of their pink bubbles (no pun intended) down to the street and see how low have we gone.. Gosh.