Kuwait This Week

Couple of random observations since my last post:

- Went for a haircut the other day and got to experience the practice of "candling". This is a Middle eastern barbershop technique where q-tips are dipped in hot wax and then inserted in your ears. The wax dries and the barber rips it off your ear removing any hair that was on the ear. You know it's been removed because the barber shows this to you. For any women I know who wax their legs, I feel your pain. They also do this to remove nostril hair but luckily my barber didn't offer that particular service. Like a lot of things in the Middle east, you don't have to ask for this. It's just assumed you want it.

-No one in Kuwait that I know has a cat as a pet. Yet there are tons of stray cats roaming the streets. They're all thin and pretty mangy looking but there seem to be more of them every day. Where do they come from?

- I was walking out of physio therapy today and they were bringing in a young girl who looked like she suffered from Muscular Dystrophy. On the one hand, I thought this is a good part of the world for people who suffer from conditions like this since nursing help (like most manpower) is relatively cheap. This girl had four nurses with her which was great. On the other hand, I realized that she was the first young person I've seen in a wheelchair since I came here. You really don't see anyone with any physical handicaps here except older people. I wonder why that is? perhaps it's because they don't need to go out since they can hire help to do a lot of the menial tasks. But it's strange that you don't see more of them.

It's eight o'clock at night and it's 115 degrees outside. All you North Americans can shut up about your heatwave now.