Here is a most excellent example of a worker being taken advantage of with absolutely no recourse whatsoever. Tariq Al-Maeena has a big pair of "brass ones." On a fairly regular basis Mr. Al-Maeena publishes articles that shed light on issues in this country that need to be addressed. [It is too bad that Mr. Al-Maeena is not in charge of overseeing this country's traffic laws! I do believe he has what it takes, i.e., big brass ones, to make AND enforce changes.] I digress...
Today, Mr. Al-Maeena writes of the plight of Ahmed, a Bangladeshi who is currently working at a delicatessen whom he has conversed with and "learned a few things about the labor practices followed by some very ruthless Saudis." The short version of Ahmed's story is that he was working at a hotel when a Saudi businessman offered him a position at a much higher salary. The Saudi businessman had 100 labor visas [it all goes back to money - see, I told you] and convinced Ahmed to go through the proverbial hoop-jumping required, here, to leave his hotel employer and work for him.
Ahmed, who has a family to support, accepted the Saudi businessman's offer and went to work for him. For the first two days Ahmed worked in the office of his Saudi employer, but was then told he was needed to "work around the house" [red flags! red flags! red flags!] where he would be paid the same amount he was originally promised.
For the next six months Ahmed worked as a domestic helper for the Saudi, driving him and his family, cleaning the house, gardening and acting as a guard; he was not given a single dime - or halala - of his salary. [More red flags!] Ahmed's father passed away and his family was "in dire financial straits" so he asked his Saudi employer for his wages. His employer told him "that he would [pay him] as soon as he returned from Switzerland where he would be vacationing with his family" for two weeks. The employer and his family were gone for SIX weeks and not the two weeks he had said they would be gone, for. Ahmed was fed and provided with accommodation but received no money. Did the Saudi employer pay him upon his return from Switzerland? Of course not. Why? He couldn't. He "had spent a lot of money during his trip. Europe is very expensive, you know." When Ahmed complained his employer told him that if he was "unhappy and wanted to transfer to another sponsor" he would have to "pay him ten thousand riyals!" [$2,680.96] The employer threatened that if Ahmed couldn't come up with the money that he would turn Ahmed's passport over to the Passport Department for deportation.
Ahmed's plight worsens, because he "ran away" from his Saudi employer - leaving his passport behind - and is now working illegally at the delicatessen anticipating every day with fear that he will caught; he has learned that the Saudi man did in fact turn over his passport.
Mr. Al-Maeena asked Ahmed why he has not gone to the authorities, or Labor Court and Ahmed said, "I am just a poor Bangladeshi and he is a well-connected Saudi. The authorities would immediately arrest me and put me on the next available flight home." Ahmed is, of course, correct, that is exactly what would happen. Will he ever be able to collect his due wages from the Saudi man who managed to "openly flaunt labor laws and exploit" Ahmed "and get away with it?" What do you think? [The answer is no.]
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Laborer Beaten Unconscious!
Maids are not the only workers being beaten [and abused]. Reading this the first time made me go, "Oh, my. The poor man!" But the second time I read it, it was not so much empathy that I felt, but anger.
According to the article, a man had just finished loading a dump truck with sand - from my own personal observations, here, you can believe that he was loading that sand MANUALLY with a shovel and a wheelbarrow - power tools and equipment are NOT used in this country [there is a reason for this*] - and he was taking a break [probably one he is entitled to, by law - ha! - but never gets]. The supervisor started assaulting him for taking the break when Sudheesh Kalathil Parambil intervened and was beaten unconscious.
Were the paramedics called? Did the supervisor take the man he beat to get medical attention? No. "A good Samaritan" took the wounded man from "Khamis Mushayt in the Kingdom's southeast and had him dropped in the centrally located Al-Kharj, over 800km away." [800 kilometers is 497 miles! That's an entire day's car drive!!! This has got to be a typo.] A group of social workers found him in critical condition and took him to the hospital where he has been for five days.
What angered me about this, beside the fact that a supervisor beat one of his laborers to the state of unconsciousness, is that BOTH the name of the Egyptian supervisor AND the company involved have been withheld "out of legal concerns." WTF?!? What about the name of the man that was beaten? There were no concerns about publishing his name AND a photograph of him lying in a hospital bed!
Legal concerns, my ass. That is NOT what has prevented the name of the Egyptian supervisor and the company that employed all of these men from being published. The employer / company's name is never published. The victim and his or her photograph can be plastered on the front page of a newspaper, but NOT the perpetrator or employer. And, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why...
[*If laborers, here, were given power tools or power equipment they would complete their tasks much more quickly AND would necessitate a lot less manpower. The contractors who supply the work force of laborers would lose money because fewer men would be required. It all comes down to the mighty dollar, or in this country, riyal. That is why power tools and power equipment is not used - efficiency is NOT part of the equation!]
According to the article, a man had just finished loading a dump truck with sand - from my own personal observations, here, you can believe that he was loading that sand MANUALLY with a shovel and a wheelbarrow - power tools and equipment are NOT used in this country [there is a reason for this*] - and he was taking a break [probably one he is entitled to, by law - ha! - but never gets]. The supervisor started assaulting him for taking the break when Sudheesh Kalathil Parambil intervened and was beaten unconscious.
Were the paramedics called? Did the supervisor take the man he beat to get medical attention? No. "A good Samaritan" took the wounded man from "Khamis Mushayt in the Kingdom's southeast and had him dropped in the centrally located Al-Kharj, over 800km away." [800 kilometers is 497 miles! That's an entire day's car drive!!! This has got to be a typo.] A group of social workers found him in critical condition and took him to the hospital where he has been for five days.
What angered me about this, beside the fact that a supervisor beat one of his laborers to the state of unconsciousness, is that BOTH the name of the Egyptian supervisor AND the company involved have been withheld "out of legal concerns." WTF?!? What about the name of the man that was beaten? There were no concerns about publishing his name AND a photograph of him lying in a hospital bed!
Legal concerns, my ass. That is NOT what has prevented the name of the Egyptian supervisor and the company that employed all of these men from being published. The employer / company's name is never published. The victim and his or her photograph can be plastered on the front page of a newspaper, but NOT the perpetrator or employer. And, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why...
[*If laborers, here, were given power tools or power equipment they would complete their tasks much more quickly AND would necessitate a lot less manpower. The contractors who supply the work force of laborers would lose money because fewer men would be required. It all comes down to the mighty dollar, or in this country, riyal. That is why power tools and power equipment is not used - efficiency is NOT part of the equation!]
Friday, July 18, 2008
New Traffic Laws
Yeah. So, how are those new traffic laws working out, anyway? Good thing we have them. Yet, the roads here are no safer today than they were a week ago, before the new laws were implemented. A "weekend traffic rush" resulted in three traffic accidents Wednesday night wherein NINE people have died and thirteen others were injured.
Here are some statistics, according to this article:
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world. Some 5,000 die in traffic accidents annually. No less than 30,000 are injured and maimed.
Economic cost to the Kingdom due to road traffic accidents is SR21 billion per year ($5.6 billion) which is equivalent to 4.6% of the national revenue.
Some 80% of traffic fatalities in the Kingdom are below 40 years of age, and 30 percent of these victims are children. [The child victims would be reduced, substantially, if child safety seats were required. Heck, they'd be reduced substantially if the children were simply seat-belted in vehicles instead of allowed to use the front seat of the car as a play area! It is common to see several children in the front seat of the car - several - not just one or two - doing acrobats which undoubtedly cause both driver distraction and disruption!]
Total numbers of injuries and deaths in the past 25 years have been over half a million, which is equivalent to 3.5% of the total population of Saudi Arabia.
No joke. Years ago, when DH was first here as a contractor, he was waiting to go to work and one of the driver's was late picking him up [yes, the Company provides a driver for my DH to go to work off our compound]. DH asked the driver why he was so late and the driver said, "There was an accident. Traffic is stopped." DH said, "Was anyone hurt?" To which the driver responded, "Just some womens." Yeah. "Just some womens." Nothing to see here, folks. Move along...
The traffic police - or whatever governing body or authority is in charge - must get out there and STOP this carnage. The drivers on the roads here - all men - need to realize that it is not only their lives and their wives [plural!] and children lives that they are endangering, but they are putting the rest of us in peril, as well.
When - WHEN - are MEN here going to wake up and do something about the driving here? Adding some new laws or changing existing laws does absolutely nothing. Until someone in charge and with the ability to actually do something about this situation grows a big pair of "brass ones" the situation is only going to continue to get worse and worse and worse... Oh, well, perhaps this is one way of controlling the population. Survival of the fittest. Something like that...
Here are some statistics, according to this article:
Saudi Arabia has one of the highest traffic accident rates in the world. Some 5,000 die in traffic accidents annually. No less than 30,000 are injured and maimed.
Economic cost to the Kingdom due to road traffic accidents is SR21 billion per year ($5.6 billion) which is equivalent to 4.6% of the national revenue.
Some 80% of traffic fatalities in the Kingdom are below 40 years of age, and 30 percent of these victims are children. [The child victims would be reduced, substantially, if child safety seats were required. Heck, they'd be reduced substantially if the children were simply seat-belted in vehicles instead of allowed to use the front seat of the car as a play area! It is common to see several children in the front seat of the car - several - not just one or two - doing acrobats which undoubtedly cause both driver distraction and disruption!]
Total numbers of injuries and deaths in the past 25 years have been over half a million, which is equivalent to 3.5% of the total population of Saudi Arabia.
No joke. Years ago, when DH was first here as a contractor, he was waiting to go to work and one of the driver's was late picking him up [yes, the Company provides a driver for my DH to go to work off our compound]. DH asked the driver why he was so late and the driver said, "There was an accident. Traffic is stopped." DH said, "Was anyone hurt?" To which the driver responded, "Just some womens." Yeah. "Just some womens." Nothing to see here, folks. Move along...
The traffic police - or whatever governing body or authority is in charge - must get out there and STOP this carnage. The drivers on the roads here - all men - need to realize that it is not only their lives and their wives [plural!] and children lives that they are endangering, but they are putting the rest of us in peril, as well.
When - WHEN - are MEN here going to wake up and do something about the driving here? Adding some new laws or changing existing laws does absolutely nothing. Until someone in charge and with the ability to actually do something about this situation grows a big pair of "brass ones" the situation is only going to continue to get worse and worse and worse... Oh, well, perhaps this is one way of controlling the population. Survival of the fittest. Something like that...
And More on Marriage, Here
There was an article in yesterday's Arab News - which I was going to do a post on, and then didn't. So, today...
Unlike in the West, where there is "marriage" and it means "marriage" in the traditional sense between a man and a woman - except for in Massachusetts and California, here, one has a choice of different kinds of marriage: traditional marriage, misyar marriage, mesfar marriage, and now, wanasa marriage.
In layman terms, as I understand it, the traditional marriage, here, involves the man and woman signing some sort of contract that they will be man and wife - honestly, I do not know what terms and conditions go into a marriage contract or all of the specifics involved which lead up to the point that the contract is entered into, although this does state that the terms of such contracts are being "stepped up." A neighbor of mine - really, this blogger lives practically within walking distance of me although we have never met - is much more knowledgeable on traditional marriage than I, insofar as "traditional marriage" here, and this post of Nzingha's offers a picturesque description.
A misyar marriage is a marriage that allows a man and woman to have sex with no strings attached. There may be more to it than that, but basically, it is a temporary kind of union where the man does not have to be responsible for the woman. Legal prostitution. The mesfar marriage allows for women to have a temporary marriage so that they can have a husband who will accompany them if they opt to travel abroad. Or something like that. And, finally, the wanasa marriage is "devised for men, mostly old men who need company." Or, more to the point, the translation is "fun company."
The traditional marriage, in this part of the world, where a specific religion is predominantly and almost exclusively practiced, allows a man to have four wives. Four. According to this, there is a "growing trend within the Kingdom where a man takes a second wife for the sole purpose of making her nothing more than a maid or surrogate mother." Umm hmmm. Just a presumption on my part, but I'd venture to bet that there are not a lot of women who are going to be happy being considered an "indentured housemaid," no matter what religion you practice, in ANY marriage!
Unlike in the West, where there is "marriage" and it means "marriage" in the traditional sense between a man and a woman - except for in Massachusetts and California, here, one has a choice of different kinds of marriage: traditional marriage, misyar marriage, mesfar marriage, and now, wanasa marriage.
In layman terms, as I understand it, the traditional marriage, here, involves the man and woman signing some sort of contract that they will be man and wife - honestly, I do not know what terms and conditions go into a marriage contract or all of the specifics involved which lead up to the point that the contract is entered into, although this does state that the terms of such contracts are being "stepped up." A neighbor of mine - really, this blogger lives practically within walking distance of me although we have never met - is much more knowledgeable on traditional marriage than I, insofar as "traditional marriage" here, and this post of Nzingha's offers a picturesque description.
A misyar marriage is a marriage that allows a man and woman to have sex with no strings attached. There may be more to it than that, but basically, it is a temporary kind of union where the man does not have to be responsible for the woman. Legal prostitution. The mesfar marriage allows for women to have a temporary marriage so that they can have a husband who will accompany them if they opt to travel abroad. Or something like that. And, finally, the wanasa marriage is "devised for men, mostly old men who need company." Or, more to the point, the translation is "fun company."
The traditional marriage, in this part of the world, where a specific religion is predominantly and almost exclusively practiced, allows a man to have four wives. Four. According to this, there is a "growing trend within the Kingdom where a man takes a second wife for the sole purpose of making her nothing more than a maid or surrogate mother." Umm hmmm. Just a presumption on my part, but I'd venture to bet that there are not a lot of women who are going to be happy being considered an "indentured housemaid," no matter what religion you practice, in ANY marriage!
Women Should Stay Home
So say a group of Yemeni clerics, which they claim will "protect society from vice and sexual chaos." Yemen is only a short distance away. Get out the Atlas; it borders half of Saudi Arabia - to the south on the west side. The clerics warn "against opening the door for women, who will get out of their houses and mix with men." Good gosh, can't have that now! Women, if they are allowed out of their houses to mix with men "in places of work will lead to non-marital relations ... loss of decency, adultery and illegal children."
Is this the fault of the women? No. I think not. It, does, however, speak volumes about the men, though.
A women's union in Yemen has "slammed" the religious decree in a strongly worded statement accusing the clerics of defaming women. Ya, think?
Is this the fault of the women? No. I think not. It, does, however, speak volumes about the men, though.
A women's union in Yemen has "slammed" the religious decree in a strongly worded statement accusing the clerics of defaming women. Ya, think?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Abeya "Prison"
This has been in the news... I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it. I wear my abeya when I leave our compound to do occasional grocery shopping - which is about the ONLY shopping I do here [I had to wear it a week or two ago when I went downtown to try to get paint samples]. I don't consider it a "prison," but I certainly do not have a high regard for it, either, and refer to it as "the black garbage bag." It is a ridiculous article of clothing which women here are forced to wear due to constraints imposed upon them by a society of control seeking men whose lustful ogling demonstrably attests to their complete and utter lack of any self-restraint whatsoever.
Yesterday afternoon DH's friend Lee came over. He, along with three other buddies, had been to the "family" pool on our compound [we have a men only pool, a women only pool and a family pool where both men and women can go]. Lee said that there was a young Western girl there, sunbathing in her little Billabong bikini - which, by the way, is supposedly NOT allowed at the family pool - only at the women's pool, when a "local" middle-aged man came out of the men's changing room and couldn't keep his "lustful ogling" eyes to himself as he was walking and he wound up heels over head when his shins collided with a stationary bench. Lee said it was all he and his companions could do to keep from laughing hysterically at the spectacle the man created for himself - and the guy wasn't injured - just some minor scrapes from his bodily contact with the cement. Bet his pride was lowered a notch or two, and if it wasn't, it should have been. The moral, of course, is that he should have been keeping his eyes to himself and didn't; the sight of a young girl NOT draped in a hideous black garbage bag was just too much for him...
Yesterday afternoon DH's friend Lee came over. He, along with three other buddies, had been to the "family" pool on our compound [we have a men only pool, a women only pool and a family pool where both men and women can go]. Lee said that there was a young Western girl there, sunbathing in her little Billabong bikini - which, by the way, is supposedly NOT allowed at the family pool - only at the women's pool, when a "local" middle-aged man came out of the men's changing room and couldn't keep his "lustful ogling" eyes to himself as he was walking and he wound up heels over head when his shins collided with a stationary bench. Lee said it was all he and his companions could do to keep from laughing hysterically at the spectacle the man created for himself - and the guy wasn't injured - just some minor scrapes from his bodily contact with the cement. Bet his pride was lowered a notch or two, and if it wasn't, it should have been. The moral, of course, is that he should have been keeping his eyes to himself and didn't; the sight of a young girl NOT draped in a hideous black garbage bag was just too much for him...
Locally...
Six tons of chicken has been confiscated by municipality inspectors. How much is a ton? Isn't that 2000 pounds??? Six tons would be 12,000 pounds of chicken. That IS a LOT of chicken.
Lady, your seventeen year-old son IS to big to play in the children's play area at the mall. Actually, there is no mention of this woman's son's age. A woman at a mall in Riyadh went ballistic and starting assaulting security staff with her shoe when told that her son might be too tall for the play area. Then she "panicked" and ran from Security, leaving her son behind.
Can't "you" just leave people alone?!? Really. The fact that a "guest worker" here had a tatoo on his arm that said "Lady Hunter" is no reason to have him deported, is it? Yeah. In a logic-free zone [here!], I guess it is. A Filipino worker in his 30's was arrested by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice after a Saudi Electricity Company employee noticed the "tat" on the guy's arm. The Saudi Electricity Company worker "tailed him back to his residence" and informed the religious police. Whatever.
Lady, your seventeen year-old son IS to big to play in the children's play area at the mall. Actually, there is no mention of this woman's son's age. A woman at a mall in Riyadh went ballistic and starting assaulting security staff with her shoe when told that her son might be too tall for the play area. Then she "panicked" and ran from Security, leaving her son behind.
Can't "you" just leave people alone?!? Really. The fact that a "guest worker" here had a tatoo on his arm that said "Lady Hunter" is no reason to have him deported, is it? Yeah. In a logic-free zone [here!], I guess it is. A Filipino worker in his 30's was arrested by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice after a Saudi Electricity Company employee noticed the "tat" on the guy's arm. The Saudi Electricity Company worker "tailed him back to his residence" and informed the religious police. Whatever.
Maids Beat by Recruitment Agency
Damn. The maids here have it rough. One way or another they are going to get beat. But, this time it wasn't a maid's employer; it was her recruitment agency. Do some people truly believe that the only way to get someone to work is to resort to beating them? [Yes, I may want to beat Rev, for NOT working, but I have never laid a hand on him, and never will.]
A "citizen," Nawaf Nahid, who recruited a Nepalese maid, could not get her to work at his house so he took her back to the recruitment office. Apparently he did this "several times," and out of "curiosity" he "slipped into the room" where the maid had been taken and "found the interpreter speaking harshly and waiving a big stick in front of her." It is Mr. Nahid who has lodged a complaint against the recruitment agency.
The office staff at the agency says that "the Nepalese maids come from a different environment and fare poorly in Saudi Arabia because they don't attend any training or orientation courses." [No mention of the fact that the reason Nepalese maids are now being recruited is due to the fact that certain other countries are now mandating that their workers be paid specific minimum monthly amounts. Nepal has not yet instituted such a requirement.] The staff at the agency "admitted to using a cane to 'discipline' stubborn maids but claimed that they do not beat them harshly. They also alleged that some families torture and mistreat maids to the extent of sexually harassing them due to which maids refuse to work."
Yeah. The justification there, at the end, makes no sense whatsoever...
A "citizen," Nawaf Nahid, who recruited a Nepalese maid, could not get her to work at his house so he took her back to the recruitment office. Apparently he did this "several times," and out of "curiosity" he "slipped into the room" where the maid had been taken and "found the interpreter speaking harshly and waiving a big stick in front of her." It is Mr. Nahid who has lodged a complaint against the recruitment agency.
The office staff at the agency says that "the Nepalese maids come from a different environment and fare poorly in Saudi Arabia because they don't attend any training or orientation courses." [No mention of the fact that the reason Nepalese maids are now being recruited is due to the fact that certain other countries are now mandating that their workers be paid specific minimum monthly amounts. Nepal has not yet instituted such a requirement.] The staff at the agency "admitted to using a cane to 'discipline' stubborn maids but claimed that they do not beat them harshly. They also alleged that some families torture and mistreat maids to the extent of sexually harassing them due to which maids refuse to work."
Yeah. The justification there, at the end, makes no sense whatsoever...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
I Have Got to Watch My Mouth!
Does calling the neighborhood boys TITS* count? From now on, I will only mutter this under my breath and will never say it aloud again. A judge in Jeddah has sentenced a young Saudi man SR12,000 (about $3,200) for calling another man a "terrorist." I can assure you that DH would be none to please with me if what comes out of my mouth were to cost him this kind of money...
*Terrorists In Training
*Terrorists In Training
Oh My Gosh!
Will wonders never cease! Rev called at 7:35 this morning and said he was going to be here in ten or fifteen minutes. And, guess what? HE REALLY DID SHOW UP!!! And there is a guy actually working on the construction - RIGHT NOW - as I type this!!! I am soooo happy this morning. [Apparently it doesn't take much, does it...]
I asked Rev if he was going to get the paint today and he said, "No. Have no time." You know what? I'm fine with that. Just tell me. I would much, much, much rather have someone tell me that he can't do something than to have someone tell me that he is going to do something and then NOT do it. Rev said he will get the paint tomorrow and that they will paint on Friday. That is all I need to hear. I did however tell him that by Friday, it is THIS Friday, July 18th, and that I expect that it will ALL be done. Rev asked for money. I told him that I wasn't giving him any money until everything was completed, to which he responded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
[I wonder if DH called Rev last night and spoke to him without my knowing it. DH and I had a conversation yesterday afternoon and I told him that HE was going to have to call Rev and tell him that he HAS to get the work done for me and that from now on if he can't do something he needs to tell me and not just say "yeah, yeah, yeah" and NOT do it... I did tell DH that I wanted to hear him say this to Rev, and of course I didn't, but that doesn't mean that DH didn't call him and tell him - Rev, that is - that he needs to get his butt in gear one way or another because DW - that would be me - is bitching up a storm and that he - that would be DH - is forced to listen me - to which he responds, "Okay, Hun." Or, the equivalent of "Yeah, yeah, yeah."]
UPDATE: Can a four-legged Kid get laryngitis from continuous barking? The Baby is NOT at all happy that some construction work in the bedroom/closet is FINALLY taking place and has been barking non-stop since she was "locked" in her crate a couple of hours ago. It is not a distress "I am in trouble" bark, but instead a high-pitched sharp "arff arff arff" that is quite clearly communicating "I am NOT happy!" Sorry, Pretty Princess, but you are there until the worker leaves later today...
I asked Rev if he was going to get the paint today and he said, "No. Have no time." You know what? I'm fine with that. Just tell me. I would much, much, much rather have someone tell me that he can't do something than to have someone tell me that he is going to do something and then NOT do it. Rev said he will get the paint tomorrow and that they will paint on Friday. That is all I need to hear. I did however tell him that by Friday, it is THIS Friday, July 18th, and that I expect that it will ALL be done. Rev asked for money. I told him that I wasn't giving him any money until everything was completed, to which he responded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."[I wonder if DH called Rev last night and spoke to him without my knowing it. DH and I had a conversation yesterday afternoon and I told him that HE was going to have to call Rev and tell him that he HAS to get the work done for me and that from now on if he can't do something he needs to tell me and not just say "yeah, yeah, yeah" and NOT do it... I did tell DH that I wanted to hear him say this to Rev, and of course I didn't, but that doesn't mean that DH didn't call him and tell him - Rev, that is - that he needs to get his butt in gear one way or another because DW - that would be me - is bitching up a storm and that he - that would be DH - is forced to listen me - to which he responds, "Okay, Hun." Or, the equivalent of "Yeah, yeah, yeah."]
UPDATE: Can a four-legged Kid get laryngitis from continuous barking? The Baby is NOT at all happy that some construction work in the bedroom/closet is FINALLY taking place and has been barking non-stop since she was "locked" in her crate a couple of hours ago. It is not a distress "I am in trouble" bark, but instead a high-pitched sharp "arff arff arff" that is quite clearly communicating "I am NOT happy!" Sorry, Pretty Princess, but you are there until the worker leaves later today...
Ending Maid Abuse
Empty rhetoric intended for no other purpose but to placate the Human Rights Watch [HRW]. Officials, here, are upset over a recent 133 page report issued by the US-based HRW and have dismissed it as being one-sided, saying the report is based on only "a few cases in which domestic helpers have suffered." [What is the definition of "few?" Merriam-Webster defines "few" as "not many persons or things." Effortlessly, I found NINE specific instances of maids being abused from my archives which one might argue only represents the "tip of the iceberg" - ONLY the maids who have been abused and their reports made public via the newspapers. Is NINE a few???]
The HRW report states that "Saudi families are abusing female migrant workers to the point of slavery and Riyadh needs to respond with sweeping labor and justice reforms." The head of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (RCCI) Recruitment Committee, Waleed Al-Soweidan, retorts that "There are more than a million domestic helpers, including maids, in the Kingdom and it is natural that there will be some problems and disputes here and there. In fact, migrant women in Saudi Arabia enjoy good working conditions and kind employers, and they are not treated like virtual slaves." Everyone is entitled to their own opinion...
A senior researcher in the Woman's Rights Division of HRW, Nisha Varia, agreed "that workers do get fair treatment in Saudi Arabia, but that the level of abuse is persistently high enough to raise concerns." To which, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission [HRC], Zuhair Al-Harity, said "that the facts cited in the report are true but that he felt it was exaggerating the severity of the problem." [A maid being abused and hospitalized and/or killed is "exaggerating the severity" of the problem??? Sure.] The HRW report said "there were thousands of abuse cases [just a "few," remember?] in Saudi Arabia" but Mr. Al-Harity says, "If that were the case, why would eight million workers be applying for jobs in the Kingdom?" [Answer: All of us eight million workers are here because Saudi Arabia pays us money to keep this country functioning.]
The HRW report "made it clear that no data exists to calculate accurately the number of women migrant domestic workers who experience violations of labor rights and other human rights." Indonesia's acting Labor Attache, Adi Dzulfuat, said "that the embassy receives thousands of complaints from Indonesian women working in Saudi Arabia every year. Complaints range from nonpayment of salaries and forcing maids to work all the time to physical abuse and rape. The Indonesian mission in Riyadh alone has been receiving 10 to 12 complaints from Indonesian workers, especially women worker, on a daily basis." [Just a "few."]
The HRW report asked the Saudi government to do more to punish Saudis who are found to have abused their domestic servants. [Not going to happen.] The undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour, Ahamd Al Zamil, says that "authorities have taken all necessary measures to prevent the mistreatment of housemaids," and he also warns "of taking stern action, including imprisonment, against those employers, who violate the maids' human rights. There are laws with provisions of stringent punishment in the Kingdom that will be applied in the cases of those employers who are found guilty of abusing their maids and depriving them of their basic rights." When? When is this going to happen? We have YET to see a single example of "stringent punishment," unless of course, by that you mean the "stringent punishment" which is inflicted upon some poor maid who didn't wash a pair of socks and was beaten senseless with a mop or broom.
Dr. Bandar Al Hajjar, chairman of the Saudi National Human Rights Society, speaking to Gulfnews, under the article's, sub-headline, "Regret," "admitted there are some abuses regarding [the] foreign domestic workforce," and said, "However, we cannot blame a single party alone for this. There are several parties, who should share responsibility for this. This is a delicate issue. The concerned laws to tackle this problem need to be updated every now and then." He admits that the society has received "complaints about the mistreatment of some housemaids," and says, "We take prompt action on such complaints and refer the cases to the concerned authorities, as well as to court, and ensure employers who have committed abuses are penalised [sic]." Passing the the blame from one person to another. What an ingenious method of brilliantly solving problems. This way NO ONE has to take responsibility...
The HRW Report "urged Saudi Arabia to implement labour, immigration and criminal justice reforms to protect the workers, saying employers often face no punishment for such abuses... and that rather than receiving justice, domestic workers, most of them migrants from Asia, are more likely to face counter-accusations of witchcraft, theft or adultery."
You just can't make this stuff up...
The HRW report states that "Saudi families are abusing female migrant workers to the point of slavery and Riyadh needs to respond with sweeping labor and justice reforms." The head of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (RCCI) Recruitment Committee, Waleed Al-Soweidan, retorts that "There are more than a million domestic helpers, including maids, in the Kingdom and it is natural that there will be some problems and disputes here and there. In fact, migrant women in Saudi Arabia enjoy good working conditions and kind employers, and they are not treated like virtual slaves." Everyone is entitled to their own opinion...
A senior researcher in the Woman's Rights Division of HRW, Nisha Varia, agreed "that workers do get fair treatment in Saudi Arabia, but that the level of abuse is persistently high enough to raise concerns." To which, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission [HRC], Zuhair Al-Harity, said "that the facts cited in the report are true but that he felt it was exaggerating the severity of the problem." [A maid being abused and hospitalized and/or killed is "exaggerating the severity" of the problem??? Sure.] The HRW report said "there were thousands of abuse cases [just a "few," remember?] in Saudi Arabia" but Mr. Al-Harity says, "If that were the case, why would eight million workers be applying for jobs in the Kingdom?" [Answer: All of us eight million workers are here because Saudi Arabia pays us money to keep this country functioning.]
The HRW report "made it clear that no data exists to calculate accurately the number of women migrant domestic workers who experience violations of labor rights and other human rights." Indonesia's acting Labor Attache, Adi Dzulfuat, said "that the embassy receives thousands of complaints from Indonesian women working in Saudi Arabia every year. Complaints range from nonpayment of salaries and forcing maids to work all the time to physical abuse and rape. The Indonesian mission in Riyadh alone has been receiving 10 to 12 complaints from Indonesian workers, especially women worker, on a daily basis." [Just a "few."]
The HRW report asked the Saudi government to do more to punish Saudis who are found to have abused their domestic servants. [Not going to happen.] The undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour, Ahamd Al Zamil, says that "authorities have taken all necessary measures to prevent the mistreatment of housemaids," and he also warns "of taking stern action, including imprisonment, against those employers, who violate the maids' human rights. There are laws with provisions of stringent punishment in the Kingdom that will be applied in the cases of those employers who are found guilty of abusing their maids and depriving them of their basic rights." When? When is this going to happen? We have YET to see a single example of "stringent punishment," unless of course, by that you mean the "stringent punishment" which is inflicted upon some poor maid who didn't wash a pair of socks and was beaten senseless with a mop or broom.
Dr. Bandar Al Hajjar, chairman of the Saudi National Human Rights Society, speaking to Gulfnews, under the article's, sub-headline, "Regret," "admitted there are some abuses regarding [the] foreign domestic workforce," and said, "However, we cannot blame a single party alone for this. There are several parties, who should share responsibility for this. This is a delicate issue. The concerned laws to tackle this problem need to be updated every now and then." He admits that the society has received "complaints about the mistreatment of some housemaids," and says, "We take prompt action on such complaints and refer the cases to the concerned authorities, as well as to court, and ensure employers who have committed abuses are penalised [sic]." Passing the the blame from one person to another. What an ingenious method of brilliantly solving problems. This way NO ONE has to take responsibility...
The HRW Report "urged Saudi Arabia to implement labour, immigration and criminal justice reforms to protect the workers, saying employers often face no punishment for such abuses... and that rather than receiving justice, domestic workers, most of them migrants from Asia, are more likely to face counter-accusations of witchcraft, theft or adultery."
You just can't make this stuff up...
New Traffic Laws
I, personally, applaud the the new traffic laws that went into effect on Monday. It is one small step in a much needed overhaul of the driving that takes place on roads, here. However, making and implementing new laws are one thing, while actually enforcing the new laws is quite another. It would appear as though Saudi adopted a point system similar to what is used in the States. But the article, covering some of the changes that have been put into effect, is confusing; I suspect the new traffic rules and laws are just that - confusing - as well.
"To answer the growing problem of young Saudi men engaging in dangerous stunt-driving maneuvers - as well as the arbitrary nature by which this crime has been punished due to the lack of codified punishment - joy riding will now automatically result in up to one year in prison and/or a minimum SR1,000 fine." There is a rule for first-time offenders and second-time offenders and for third-time offenders. But what is "dangerous stunt-driving?" Is it when someone makes his own lane? [Break down areas on the sides of highways here aren't really break-down areas - they are extra highway lanes!] Is it when someone does the infamous "Saudi swing" across three or four lanes of traffic? How has "dangerous stunt-driving" been defined?
Incredibly enough, the new traffic law is not gender specific. But this does not necessarily mean that women are allowed to drive, either. According to Maj Gen Fahd Al Bishr, director general of Saudi Traffic Department, "There is no provision in the new traffic law, which came into force on Monday, that prevents women from driving vehicles. ...The new law speaks only about the driver of the vehicle, and there is no specification of either man or woman. As far as driving of women are concerned, we are not bothering about it. ...the issue of driving right for women has nothing to do with the Traffic Department." So, no department or governing body is ready to come right out and say either women can drive or women cannot drive. No one wants to shoulder that responsibility one way or another and each department and governing authority continues to pass the proverbial buck...
The new driving laws also impose penalties on violations "such as throwing garbage or cigarette butts on the streets, or using mobile phone while driving." Right. Same driving laws for everyone? Or are the new laws going to apply to mostly ex-pats? And, by including a littering provision, are all the street cleaners going to be put out of their jobs? This will cause the contractors employing these men to lose a great deal of income. I will be shocked and amazed if the littering provision is enforced. And no one is going to be able to pry mobile phones off of the ears of Saudi drivers. It will never happen...
I have serious doubts about the new and improved traffic rules and laws being enforced... It is great to say that "these are the rules," but if they are NOT going to be enforced - and only time will tell - then what, exactly, is the purpose of issuing new rules?
"To answer the growing problem of young Saudi men engaging in dangerous stunt-driving maneuvers - as well as the arbitrary nature by which this crime has been punished due to the lack of codified punishment - joy riding will now automatically result in up to one year in prison and/or a minimum SR1,000 fine." There is a rule for first-time offenders and second-time offenders and for third-time offenders. But what is "dangerous stunt-driving?" Is it when someone makes his own lane? [Break down areas on the sides of highways here aren't really break-down areas - they are extra highway lanes!] Is it when someone does the infamous "Saudi swing" across three or four lanes of traffic? How has "dangerous stunt-driving" been defined?
Incredibly enough, the new traffic law is not gender specific. But this does not necessarily mean that women are allowed to drive, either. According to Maj Gen Fahd Al Bishr, director general of Saudi Traffic Department, "There is no provision in the new traffic law, which came into force on Monday, that prevents women from driving vehicles. ...The new law speaks only about the driver of the vehicle, and there is no specification of either man or woman. As far as driving of women are concerned, we are not bothering about it. ...the issue of driving right for women has nothing to do with the Traffic Department." So, no department or governing body is ready to come right out and say either women can drive or women cannot drive. No one wants to shoulder that responsibility one way or another and each department and governing authority continues to pass the proverbial buck...
The new driving laws also impose penalties on violations "such as throwing garbage or cigarette butts on the streets, or using mobile phone while driving." Right. Same driving laws for everyone? Or are the new laws going to apply to mostly ex-pats? And, by including a littering provision, are all the street cleaners going to be put out of their jobs? This will cause the contractors employing these men to lose a great deal of income. I will be shocked and amazed if the littering provision is enforced. And no one is going to be able to pry mobile phones off of the ears of Saudi drivers. It will never happen...
I have serious doubts about the new and improved traffic rules and laws being enforced... It is great to say that "these are the rules," but if they are NOT going to be enforced - and only time will tell - then what, exactly, is the purpose of issuing new rules?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
They ARE All Liars!
Call me prejudiced. I don't care. Just find me ONE Filipino worker that doesn't lie. One. Just one. They will lie right to your face. They are NOT discriminate.
I'm so sick of Rev's crap right now my insides are boiling. Boiling!
He had an ultrasound appointment on Saturday - but he was supposed to call me to let me know when he and his guys were coming back to finish the work here. No call. [Big surprise, there!] I didn't even bother to call him on Saturday because I knew he was just going to give me a line of crap. If he opens his mouth - he's lying - just like a Democrat, I tell you!
I called Rev all day on Sunday - from our house phone and from DH's cell phone. No answer. Three rings - straight to voice mail. He knew it was me calling and he didn't want to have to deal with me. Whatever. Yesterday I was just too sick and tired of dealing with him to even bother. Just couldn't "stomach" it.
Following a commenter's advice [thanks L_Oman!] I called him this morning from a friend's cell phone. Ha! He answered on the second ring. Asshole. [And that's the nicest name I'm calling him right now.] I'm not totally heartless, the conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey, Rev. How are you feeling?
Rev: I have an appointment tomorrow.
Me: When are you going to finish the work, here?
Rev: I will bring another guy today.
Me: When?
Rev: I will call you. I have two phones. [And this has to do with the price of tea in China, how, exactly?]
Me: No, Rev. I need to know when you are coming.
Rev: Maybe today.
Me: What time?!?
Rev: Maybe three-thirty, something like that. [This means he has no intention whatsoever of showing up today.] We will do the work tomorrow.
Me: No. You just said you were coming today.
Rev: Yes. I will bring another guy. He can work tomorrow. [Yeah. Right. And pigs will fly, too...]
Me: So today you are coming - this afternoon - and you will tell "the guy" what needs done. And, tomorrow you will finish the closet and prepare the wall for painting.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Me: Why didn't the pool guy come yesterday.
Rev: He did not come on Saturday. Another guy "come."
Me: Yes. I know. But no one came yesterday. I need to give Kolrit [pool guy] a new key.
Rev: Yeah. He told me he come and there is a new lock. [Liar!]
Me: No. Kolrit did not come yesterday. I was home all day and the houseboy was here, too. He didn't ring the doorbell and when he can't get in, he comes to the door.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He could not get in.
Me: No. I'm telling you he did not come yesterday. Is he coming today?
Rev: I will call you back.
He calls me back - on my house phone, and not on the cell phone I was using, so I'm pretty sure he figured that because he didn't return the call on the cell phone that he wouldn't have to deal with me [sorry, Jack, but if you ever need Rev, he's not going to be answering your phone, either!].
Rev: Kolrit say he was there by nine o'clock yesterday.
Me: No. He was not. I was home all day.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He could not get in because the new lock.
Me: No. He could have come to the door like he always does when he can't get in and I would have let him in.
Rev: He was there at nine o'clock.
Me: No. The pool did not get cleaned yesterday. Is Kolrit coming today?
Rev: He will schedule to be there at nine o'clock tomorrow because he was there...
Me: Rev, I'm telling you he was not here and I was home all day and my houseboy was here, too.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
End of conversation. I've got to find a new guy. A new guy to do our maintenance work and to clean the pool. I am just sick and tired of dealing with someone that thinks he can just bullshit his way out of everything and do nothing.
Rev's standard answer to everything is, "yeah, yeah, yeah." That just isn't cutting it anymore.
Rev asked me sometime ago if he could build a little shed at the end of our driveway to store his tools. I said that it was fine by me. Fat fucking chance now, Rev. You can store your tools up your ass. I just want the work you started finished. And now, I'll need to find a new pool guy so that I can have someone I can depend on. Rev and his guys are NOT cutting it anymore.
Perhaps one might think I am being too hasty in calling all Filipinos liars, but they are. It is common knowledge and general consensus, here. Our third houseboy - who we sponsored - who I treated far too well - stole pillowcases and books from us - and then lied about it. Well, if it wasn't him, then who was he letting into the house to steal from us, then??? The houseboy - who was a Filipino - tried to tell me I misplaced the pillowcases - two pillowcases each from TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF SHEETS?!? I don't think so. Pillowcases are a bit different than losing socks in the laundry. And I can see losing ONE pillowcase, but NOT FOUR! This happened over a course of time... I'd notice spots in my bookcases where books should have been - at least be smart enough to space the books so there isn't an opening - or if you really want to borrow one, just ask - but he wasn't smart enough to do that. Shortly after I discovered that TWO sets of pillowcases - FOUR PILLOWCASES in all - were missing, some jewelry went missing. That was the last straw. My tennis bracelet and a pair of earrings. It was when I found them in a baggie in the bathroom closet next to the plunger that the guy was fired two days before he was scheduled to stay with the Kids while we went on vacation. If I couldn't trust him with books, pillowcases and my jewelry, how was I going to trust him with my Kids! I'm pretty sure he thought he could get away with close to murder and that I wouldn't do a thing about it. He was wrong. He did other stuff, too - like try to charge me for overtime when he was a salaried "houseboy," and he when we had some wood delivered - he double charged me for a sheet of plywood - told me a price - and I gave him the money - then when he gave me the receipt a couple days later - I discovered he'd charged me twice! Asshole.
Okay. I'm done ranting for the moment...
Is Rev going to show up with his worker at "maybe three-thirty, something like that" today? Fat chance!
I'm so sick of Rev's crap right now my insides are boiling. Boiling!
He had an ultrasound appointment on Saturday - but he was supposed to call me to let me know when he and his guys were coming back to finish the work here. No call. [Big surprise, there!] I didn't even bother to call him on Saturday because I knew he was just going to give me a line of crap. If he opens his mouth - he's lying - just like a Democrat, I tell you!
I called Rev all day on Sunday - from our house phone and from DH's cell phone. No answer. Three rings - straight to voice mail. He knew it was me calling and he didn't want to have to deal with me. Whatever. Yesterday I was just too sick and tired of dealing with him to even bother. Just couldn't "stomach" it.
Following a commenter's advice [thanks L_Oman!] I called him this morning from a friend's cell phone. Ha! He answered on the second ring. Asshole. [And that's the nicest name I'm calling him right now.] I'm not totally heartless, the conversation went something like this:
Me: Hey, Rev. How are you feeling?
Rev: I have an appointment tomorrow.
Me: When are you going to finish the work, here?
Rev: I will bring another guy today.
Me: When?
Rev: I will call you. I have two phones. [And this has to do with the price of tea in China, how, exactly?]
Me: No, Rev. I need to know when you are coming.
Rev: Maybe today.
Me: What time?!?
Rev: Maybe three-thirty, something like that. [This means he has no intention whatsoever of showing up today.] We will do the work tomorrow.
Me: No. You just said you were coming today.
Rev: Yes. I will bring another guy. He can work tomorrow. [Yeah. Right. And pigs will fly, too...]
Me: So today you are coming - this afternoon - and you will tell "the guy" what needs done. And, tomorrow you will finish the closet and prepare the wall for painting.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Me: Why didn't the pool guy come yesterday.
Rev: He did not come on Saturday. Another guy "come."
Me: Yes. I know. But no one came yesterday. I need to give Kolrit [pool guy] a new key.
Rev: Yeah. He told me he come and there is a new lock. [Liar!]
Me: No. Kolrit did not come yesterday. I was home all day and the houseboy was here, too. He didn't ring the doorbell and when he can't get in, he comes to the door.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He could not get in.
Me: No. I'm telling you he did not come yesterday. Is he coming today?
Rev: I will call you back.
He calls me back - on my house phone, and not on the cell phone I was using, so I'm pretty sure he figured that because he didn't return the call on the cell phone that he wouldn't have to deal with me [sorry, Jack, but if you ever need Rev, he's not going to be answering your phone, either!].
Rev: Kolrit say he was there by nine o'clock yesterday.
Me: No. He was not. I was home all day.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He could not get in because the new lock.
Me: No. He could have come to the door like he always does when he can't get in and I would have let him in.
Rev: He was there at nine o'clock.
Me: No. The pool did not get cleaned yesterday. Is Kolrit coming today?
Rev: He will schedule to be there at nine o'clock tomorrow because he was there...
Me: Rev, I'm telling you he was not here and I was home all day and my houseboy was here, too.
Rev: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
End of conversation. I've got to find a new guy. A new guy to do our maintenance work and to clean the pool. I am just sick and tired of dealing with someone that thinks he can just bullshit his way out of everything and do nothing.
Rev's standard answer to everything is, "yeah, yeah, yeah." That just isn't cutting it anymore.
Rev asked me sometime ago if he could build a little shed at the end of our driveway to store his tools. I said that it was fine by me. Fat fucking chance now, Rev. You can store your tools up your ass. I just want the work you started finished. And now, I'll need to find a new pool guy so that I can have someone I can depend on. Rev and his guys are NOT cutting it anymore.
Perhaps one might think I am being too hasty in calling all Filipinos liars, but they are. It is common knowledge and general consensus, here. Our third houseboy - who we sponsored - who I treated far too well - stole pillowcases and books from us - and then lied about it. Well, if it wasn't him, then who was he letting into the house to steal from us, then??? The houseboy - who was a Filipino - tried to tell me I misplaced the pillowcases - two pillowcases each from TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF SHEETS?!? I don't think so. Pillowcases are a bit different than losing socks in the laundry. And I can see losing ONE pillowcase, but NOT FOUR! This happened over a course of time... I'd notice spots in my bookcases where books should have been - at least be smart enough to space the books so there isn't an opening - or if you really want to borrow one, just ask - but he wasn't smart enough to do that. Shortly after I discovered that TWO sets of pillowcases - FOUR PILLOWCASES in all - were missing, some jewelry went missing. That was the last straw. My tennis bracelet and a pair of earrings. It was when I found them in a baggie in the bathroom closet next to the plunger that the guy was fired two days before he was scheduled to stay with the Kids while we went on vacation. If I couldn't trust him with books, pillowcases and my jewelry, how was I going to trust him with my Kids! I'm pretty sure he thought he could get away with close to murder and that I wouldn't do a thing about it. He was wrong. He did other stuff, too - like try to charge me for overtime when he was a salaried "houseboy," and he when we had some wood delivered - he double charged me for a sheet of plywood - told me a price - and I gave him the money - then when he gave me the receipt a couple days later - I discovered he'd charged me twice! Asshole.
Okay. I'm done ranting for the moment...
Is Rev going to show up with his worker at "maybe three-thirty, something like that" today? Fat chance!
Unfreakingbelievable!
Even the internet, here, HAS to frustrate me! Good fucking grief, can't "you" make anything simple for us?!? Just let us shop on the internet. "You" don't want us to shop in your malls - we get harassed if we are not cloaked in a ridiculous black garbage bag - I get harassed because I don't cover my hair - there are no changing rooms to try clothing on and the return polices, different at each and every store, are so rigid that "you" have made it all but IMPOSSIBLE to shop here. I refuse. But now, "you" are blocking Victoria's Secret, because "you" consider it to be the equivalent of hardp0rec0rn [spelled purposely like that because any other way would cause MY site to be blocked!]. And, "you" are blocking a plethora of other sites, as well.
This morning I decided I wanted to take advantage of a 20% off sale - that I got notice of via an e-mail - and order a couple of bathing suits from Bluefly - which I won't link to because NONE of the suits I want are available - so I decided I'd see what a couple of other stores have...
I went to Everything But Water and I can view the bathing suits they have...
But when I go to Swim N Sport - which I cannot even link to - I get blocked!
Someone give me just one good fucking reason why a store that sells bathing suits has to be blocked! Just ONE!!! When I click on Swim N Sport Websense [the most totally fucking useless program in the entire world!!!] says "Lingerie and Swimsuit" is filtered. Thank "you" very much for nothing!!!
This morning I decided I wanted to take advantage of a 20% off sale - that I got notice of via an e-mail - and order a couple of bathing suits from Bluefly - which I won't link to because NONE of the suits I want are available - so I decided I'd see what a couple of other stores have...
I went to Everything But Water and I can view the bathing suits they have...
But when I go to Swim N Sport - which I cannot even link to - I get blocked!
Someone give me just one good fucking reason why a store that sells bathing suits has to be blocked! Just ONE!!! When I click on Swim N Sport Websense [the most totally fucking useless program in the entire world!!!] says "Lingerie and Swimsuit" is filtered. Thank "you" very much for nothing!!!Regard of Women in This Country - Or, More Appropriately, Lack Thereof
As if it isn't difficult enough being a Western woman in this country, I seriously doubt that I would be able to cope at all if I was a "local." Jokingly, when we made the decision to come here, my Dad said, "You'll have to wear a burka and walk behind your DH. You won't be able to talk unless you are spoken to first." Funny, Dad. Very, very funny. Ask DH how well that worked for him... There was a myriad of other jokes and much bantering with regard to how I was going to be able to fit into such a rigid society. At one time there was a betting pool amongst a group of friends as to how long it would be before I got in some serious trouble because I am NOT one to keep my mouth tightly shut when I should. I've shown them! Of course, fear of being imprisoned or lashed or worse has played a big factor in my keeping my mouth shut.
It is no secret that women can't drive, here. It is the ONLY country in the world where women are not allowed behind the wheel of a car, although there are reports, with increasing regularity, of women that are driving. There are a lot of things that women can't do. Just yesterday I posted about a woman who not only got caught driving, but may also face charges of being "unveiled in public." Women in this country are not allowed to make decisions about their own health care. A man must do that for them. Women have to have a man listed on documents pertaining to running or owning businesses. And, women are not allowed to travel without a man as a guardian. "You are entering the twilight zone..."
The Passport Department, here, "will soon post an online document that will allow women to travel alone. The document will have to be filled out and cleared by the woman's "mahram" (her guardian under Saudi law). The presentation of this document at the point of embarkation will be enough for women to travel alone." There appear to be quite a few glitches that will have to be worked out before the system is actually implemented. One of which is "who will be the mahram when the woman comes of age and marries, is divorced and then marries again." WTF?!? No. They are serious... "Under existing law, in order to travel alone whether for medical treatement, education or leisure, a Saudi woman - whatever her age - needs to present an approval document from her guardian that must be issued months in advance by the Passport Department."
There are some details of womens experiences of not being allowed to travel, of their husbands withholding permission, and of airport personnel enforcing the laws in the article.
The men here take the issue of how they regard their women quite seriously. And the article says, "...the government was trying to reform what that the refusal comes from within society. Men want to hold on to the power to control women's lives and this would become difficult if the women were given the right to move or travel alone." Yeah. That it would.
It is no secret that women can't drive, here. It is the ONLY country in the world where women are not allowed behind the wheel of a car, although there are reports, with increasing regularity, of women that are driving. There are a lot of things that women can't do. Just yesterday I posted about a woman who not only got caught driving, but may also face charges of being "unveiled in public." Women in this country are not allowed to make decisions about their own health care. A man must do that for them. Women have to have a man listed on documents pertaining to running or owning businesses. And, women are not allowed to travel without a man as a guardian. "You are entering the twilight zone..."
The Passport Department, here, "will soon post an online document that will allow women to travel alone. The document will have to be filled out and cleared by the woman's "mahram" (her guardian under Saudi law). The presentation of this document at the point of embarkation will be enough for women to travel alone." There appear to be quite a few glitches that will have to be worked out before the system is actually implemented. One of which is "who will be the mahram when the woman comes of age and marries, is divorced and then marries again." WTF?!? No. They are serious... "Under existing law, in order to travel alone whether for medical treatement, education or leisure, a Saudi woman - whatever her age - needs to present an approval document from her guardian that must be issued months in advance by the Passport Department."
There are some details of womens experiences of not being allowed to travel, of their husbands withholding permission, and of airport personnel enforcing the laws in the article.
The men here take the issue of how they regard their women quite seriously. And the article says, "...the government was trying to reform what that the refusal comes from within society. Men want to hold on to the power to control women's lives and this would become difficult if the women were given the right to move or travel alone." Yeah. That it would.
Locally...
For a change, no need to play "guess the nationality." They are both listed. What is the sentence for rape, here, in the Sandbox? Looks like Jordan just gives jail time and no lashes; here, you get both! This Saudi and Kuwaiti ought to consider themselves lucky that they didn't get caught for rape in this country. The woman - the VICTIM - is very lucky. Here, she'd be sentenced for being raped with a six month jail sentence and 90 lashes.
Good grief. Forget the punishment for raping a woman. Just chasing her with a laser-pointer will get you sentence of 120 lashes! Sure it may seem a bit extreme, but the up side is that I bet these two young men will never, ever use a laser pointer again.
A report of a drug boat being ambushed... Care to guess the nationality? Just like newspapers in the States. If a Democrat does something there is no mention of his or her party affiliation, but if it is a Republican, then his or her party affiliation is in the headline. Here, if a "local" does something, there is no mention of his or, occasionally, her nationality, but if it is an ex-pat it is reported.
See? In this report of liquor being seized in Jeddah, we are told that an African and an Egyptian are involved. [The "guess the nationality" game is pretty easy to play...]
Good grief. Forget the punishment for raping a woman. Just chasing her with a laser-pointer will get you sentence of 120 lashes! Sure it may seem a bit extreme, but the up side is that I bet these two young men will never, ever use a laser pointer again.
A report of a drug boat being ambushed... Care to guess the nationality? Just like newspapers in the States. If a Democrat does something there is no mention of his or her party affiliation, but if it is a Republican, then his or her party affiliation is in the headline. Here, if a "local" does something, there is no mention of his or, occasionally, her nationality, but if it is an ex-pat it is reported.
See? In this report of liquor being seized in Jeddah, we are told that an African and an Egyptian are involved. [The "guess the nationality" game is pretty easy to play...]
Monday, July 14, 2008
Eight Weeks and Forty Pounds!
I may as well face the facts. Not only am I NOT going to get my bedroom and closet done before I leave for vacation, but there is also NO WAY I'm going to be able to drop the extra "baggage" I've accumulated in the five-plus years I've been in the Sandbox. The extra "baggage" didn't happen right away. I wasn't happy enough. Now that I'm happy, I'm carrying around so much more than when I was unhappy, is it any wonder that my knee is fucked up? No. Have I admitted that that is probably part of my problem? Nah. Couldn't possibly be, right?
Starting today, I am either going to have to quit eating anything that tastes good, or I am going to have to go on Beyonce's maple syrup lemon juice water diet. Neither sounds at all appealing. But, supposedly Beyonce lost 22 pounds in two weeks! [I'm not a Beyonce fan - I hate that she has a label of clothing designed to make little girls look like hookers, I refuse to spend any money on her Dereon line of clothing because I don't agree with the life style it promotes - but then I won't buy BabyPhat for the exact same reason and I think BabyPhat is much, much worse! And, I wouldn't know any of Beyonce's music if it came on the radio, but I do so appreciate the fact that she made it fashionable for women to have "curves," and not have to have teeny tiny little cheeks for butts!]
I only need to lose five pounds a week to get down to my "pre-happiness" weight... And, I think that could be possible if I just don't allow myself to eat anything that I like. No more Hostess Cupcakes [they are one or two of my daily staples!], no more grape slush [my own concoction - the ONLY thing to drink while laying on a float in the pool], no more bacon [the only meat I eat at this point], no more frozen pancakes... If it tastes good, I will just have to muster up some willpower and NOT let it touch my lips! What's the old saying, "A minute on the lips, forever on the hips." Something like that.
Breakfast today: Water. Lunch today: Water. Dinner tonight: A lettuce leaf and water. Good grief. There is just no way...
UPDATE: The maple syrup lemon juice water is out! A Blogging Goddess has pointed out the danger of lemons and their juice. I just can't risk it. If this isn't warning enough, I don't know what is...
Starting today, I am either going to have to quit eating anything that tastes good, or I am going to have to go on Beyonce's maple syrup lemon juice water diet. Neither sounds at all appealing. But, supposedly Beyonce lost 22 pounds in two weeks! [I'm not a Beyonce fan - I hate that she has a label of clothing designed to make little girls look like hookers, I refuse to spend any money on her Dereon line of clothing because I don't agree with the life style it promotes - but then I won't buy BabyPhat for the exact same reason and I think BabyPhat is much, much worse! And, I wouldn't know any of Beyonce's music if it came on the radio, but I do so appreciate the fact that she made it fashionable for women to have "curves," and not have to have teeny tiny little cheeks for butts!]
I only need to lose five pounds a week to get down to my "pre-happiness" weight... And, I think that could be possible if I just don't allow myself to eat anything that I like. No more Hostess Cupcakes [they are one or two of my daily staples!], no more grape slush [my own concoction - the ONLY thing to drink while laying on a float in the pool], no more bacon [the only meat I eat at this point], no more frozen pancakes... If it tastes good, I will just have to muster up some willpower and NOT let it touch my lips! What's the old saying, "A minute on the lips, forever on the hips." Something like that.
Breakfast today: Water. Lunch today: Water. Dinner tonight: A lettuce leaf and water. Good grief. There is just no way...
UPDATE: The maple syrup lemon juice water is out! A Blogging Goddess has pointed out the danger of lemons and their juice. I just can't risk it. If this isn't warning enough, I don't know what is...
The Bedroom and Closet Are Not Any Closer to Being Done - I Am Close to Becoming Unglued!
My grandiose plan to redo the bedroom in a matter of days... Ha! I started at the very end of June. We are about half-way through July. Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - is going as planned. The bedroom is in total chaos. The living room is not even usable because the couches are covered with clothes on hangers that are going to be permanently wrinkled at this point from being laid on top of each other. There are stacks of shoes creating a maze at one end of our house that is almost dangerous to try to navigate through. No one should be expected to live like this! It is just so frustrating. Rev promised to call on Saturday after his ultrasound. No call. I started calling him yesterday morning and left a half dozen voice-mail messages on his cell phone throughout the day. No return call. All I want to know is when he is going to finish the work he started. And if he isn't going to finish it, then I need to find someone else to get in here and get it done. If Rev doesn't call me this morning, then I am going to get in the truck and drive through our little neighborhoods and find a house that is being renovated and ask them to come and finish the work that has been started. It needs to be finished THIS WEEK! I am just not patient enough to wait and can't stand living in such a mess...
More on Marriage, Here
Another more thorough and thought-out response to Maha Aheel's article and my post about Saudi women marrying non-Saudi men, here. [Scroll down to the middle of the page.] The writer, a man, Salah Al-Qahtani, has some valid questions and makes some interesting points. He says that one of the reasons a Saudi woman would marry a non-Saudi man is because "She is looking for a man who will build a family with her, not a brigade of wives."
The whole marriage issue, here, is just so different than what I, as a Westerner, am accustomed to...
A couple more articles - they are just quickies - are here. One reports that because a relative [cousin?] was rejected by the bride, he - the relative - threatened to kill anyone who married her. The bridegroom felt threatened enough to invite the police to his wedding.
The other reports that a jilted woman wants to complain to the police about a man who broke her heart. [Honey, this is just part of life. Woman-up, quit 'chur crying and deal!] Apparently she is seeing a psychologist, and the psychologist's recommendation is that she not fall in love with a man via e-mail or mobile phone. Good advice. The same psychologist says that another girl complained to him that her boyfriend hit her and broke her phone when she broached the issue of marriage. [Honey, if he is hitting you before you are married - he is going to beat you senseless for not ironing his gutra properly after you are married - run, do not walk, RUN away from him, and do NOT look back!] According to the psychologist, "Only 20 percent of summer mobile and e-mail love stories end in marriage, but 80 percent of these marriages end in divorce in the first four years..." and he warns "young couples against such hasty alliances."
The whole marriage issue, here, is just so different than what I, as a Westerner, am accustomed to...
A couple more articles - they are just quickies - are here. One reports that because a relative [cousin?] was rejected by the bride, he - the relative - threatened to kill anyone who married her. The bridegroom felt threatened enough to invite the police to his wedding.
The other reports that a jilted woman wants to complain to the police about a man who broke her heart. [Honey, this is just part of life. Woman-up, quit 'chur crying and deal!] Apparently she is seeing a psychologist, and the psychologist's recommendation is that she not fall in love with a man via e-mail or mobile phone. Good advice. The same psychologist says that another girl complained to him that her boyfriend hit her and broke her phone when she broached the issue of marriage. [Honey, if he is hitting you before you are married - he is going to beat you senseless for not ironing his gutra properly after you are married - run, do not walk, RUN away from him, and do NOT look back!] According to the psychologist, "Only 20 percent of summer mobile and e-mail love stories end in marriage, but 80 percent of these marriages end in divorce in the first four years..." and he warns "young couples against such hasty alliances."
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The New Door and New Gates
When was it that I called maintenance to come so they could fix the back door and the outside gates? A month and a half ago... The back door was replaced later that week, so I can't complain about that. And whoever it was that made the decision to put some added reinforcement over the screen was truly thinking ahead, and I am appreciative of that. The Boy bangs his paw on the door to either be let out or to come in - you can hear it - and if he doesn't do that then when he gets to the door you can see him standing there - his head comes up over the screen. The Baby, who is not nearly as tall as her big brother, has to get our attention by jumping up so we can either see her or hear her jumping - paws hitting a screen make a distinctive sound. Paws with nails, as they slide down the screen, can also do damage to a screen... That has been remedied... The chicken wire that was used to strengthen the screen was a really good idea!
Yesterday at seven-thirty the doorbell rang and there they were - a truck full of maintenance guys - to replace our gates. They were here working diligently replacing the gates until mid-afternoon. We now have two new aluminum gates which are quite attractive - compared to the old wooden gates that were falling apart and could not stand up to the heat, the sun and the salt-water used to spray them down to clean them occasionally. The locks, however, are going to present a minor problem. Only because I am frantic about the Kids being outside and a gate getting opened. There are no latches that can be locked and unlocked from the inside with a simple twist of a knob - instead, a key must be used. And since yesterday afternoon I have had to run outside and double-checked to make sure the gates are locked each time one of the Kids has wanted to go out to do business... DH is going to have to do something to fix this for me.
Yesterday at seven-thirty the doorbell rang and there they were - a truck full of maintenance guys - to replace our gates. They were here working diligently replacing the gates until mid-afternoon. We now have two new aluminum gates which are quite attractive - compared to the old wooden gates that were falling apart and could not stand up to the heat, the sun and the salt-water used to spray them down to clean them occasionally. The locks, however, are going to present a minor problem. Only because I am frantic about the Kids being outside and a gate getting opened. There are no latches that can be locked and unlocked from the inside with a simple twist of a knob - instead, a key must be used. And since yesterday afternoon I have had to run outside and double-checked to make sure the gates are locked each time one of the Kids has wanted to go out to do business... DH is going to have to do something to fix this for me.
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