DIGRESSION THREAD!!

Digression: To be in country where a lot of people have no respect toward human beings and time!

najaray wrote:

[img align=l]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-drAVlAy-u-4/TiMv65JMNVI/AAAAAAAAAKo/ruKHz-d6yxc/s144/IMG_20110706_203753.jpg[/url] i love my second car but i hate maintaining it

The same could be said about a second wife (!!!), my friend, so consider this a learning experience!

Aminstar2 wrote:

Digression: To be in country where a lot of people have no respect toward human beings and time!

Digression:  My experience with Aminstar has shown him to be an intelligent, reasonable person

Alliecat wrote:

DIGRESSION:  in Saudi Arabia, every second guy is named Mohammed.  Ever notice that in the UK, every second guy is named Simon?  Any idea why??  I mean, I understand why Saudi's name their sons Mohammed, but why name your son Simon ?!?

Don't know about Simon ... don't know any Simons??

I know 5 Marks ... I seem to meet one every half decade or so

Thank you, Alliecat! I see through your posts that you are wise, witty and experienced! I like reading your posts and I learn a lot from them.

Alliecat wrote:

Digression:  My experience with Aminstar has shown him to be an intelligent, reasonable person

Congrats Amin, she made your day!

i don't understand that some stats in usa start whith san like san diego san francisco san kozah and what start with san is mexican

i know that you will say we discover it so i may discover some body car hahahahahaha

najaray wrote:

i don't understand that some stats in usa start whith san like san diego san francisco san kozah and what start with san is mexican

The Japanese language uses a broad array of honorific suffixes for addressing or referring to people, for example - San, as in Toyota - San.
[courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics]

The fifth UK electrical patent was the vibrator. It was followed by the electric iron and the hoover. True dat.

The cities such as San diego, San Francisco, etc were named after Saints by the spanish.
San means Saint

gashead wrote:

The fifth UK electrical patent was the vibrator. It was followed by the electric iron and the hoover. True dat.

Wow.  And people consider the Brits to be under-sexed.  BRAVO!  (are you sure Edison didn't invent it? lol)

najaray wrote:

i know that you will say we discover it so i may discover some body car hahahahahaha

huh ?!?

okay.. here's something sure to stir some controversy ... something that's been on my mind for awhile.

IF .. Saudi women want to dress like they are from the middle ages (abeya, hijab, niqab, even gloves!) ...

THEN .. I think that wallking around with mobile cells glued to their ears (clearly 21st century!)is contradictory and should be haraam!

What do you think??

(and remember the old adage: you can't have your cake and eat it, too!!)

Aminstar2 wrote:

Thank you, Alliecat! I see through your posts that you are wise, witty and experienced! I like reading your posts and I learn a lot from them.

I hate cheap headphones.  My new replacements just got here for my warranty replacement, and it is so much nicer to have a set of good headphones in my ears again

Freshlikesushi wrote:

I hate cheap headphones.  My new replacements just got here for my warranty replacement, and it is so much nicer to have a set of good headphones in my ears again

well.. I don';t know about 'cheap'.. but I do know I like mine that I can adjust the volume

Once you buy a set of 100+$ headphones. you wont want anything else. promise

Alliecat, It is always hard to reply your posts as I have to think of something that is as clever!
Saudi, or Muslim Women dress like women dressed 14 centuries ago (not just middle ages), but the extremist Muslims added the gloves and the niqab. In Islam Women are supposed NOT to cover their faces, hands, and feet so they can be distinguishable. They can't even do Hajj covered that much.
Mobile cell is an evolution result of the modern technology of the 21st century, but being extremists, Saudi women, overuse it exactly like they over-cover.
The true adage here is: Saudi men have their cake, but Saudi women eat it!
Or: Saudi women have their cake, but Saudi men eat it!
What do you think?

i dont know why the american wherever they land they don't leave i thought it is united state of america not united empire of earth

My last week in office. Meeting some of my colleagues / friends for the last time.

najaray wrote:

i dont know why the american wherever they land they don't leave i thought it is united state of america not united empire of earth

Don't worry--I'll be leaving soon

Aminstar2 wrote:

Alliecat, It is always hard to reply your posts as I have to think of something that is as clever!
Saudi, or Muslim Women dress like women dressed 14 centuries ago (not just middle ages), but the extremist Muslims added the gloves and the niqab. In Islam Women are supposed NOT to cover their faces, hands, and feet so they can be distinguishable. They can't even do Hajj covered that much.
Mobile cell is an evolution result of the modern technology of the 21st century, but being extremists, Saudi women, overuse it exactly like they over-cover.
The true adage here is: Saudi men have their cake, but Saudi women eat it!
Or: Saudi women have their cake, but Saudi men eat it!
What do you think?

My feelings towards Saudi women are so conflicting.  Just last night I had the most wonderful, fun conversation--lots of laughter--with two fully covered Saudi girls next to me here in the wifi lounge at our hotel in Dubai.  They're so strong and smart that I just want to rip the covering off them so they are FREE!  Ironically, they find the opposite--covering--to provide that freedom.  I find myself thinking they've been brainwashed since birth--but maybe I've been brainwashed since birth! guess this is just something I'll never really understand.

A THANKYOU digression:  Thanks for moving this thread, Julien

Alliecat wrote:

najaray wrote:

i dont know why the american wherever they land they don't leave i thought it is united state of america not united empire of earth

Don't worry--I'll be leaving soon

Alliecat wrote:

najaray wrote:

i dont know why the american wherever they land they don't leave i thought it is united state of america not united empire of earth

Don't worry--I'll be leaving soon

You may leave KSA, but KSA will not leave you

ghanshyampdave wrote:

You may leave KSA, but KSA will not leave you

This is very true.   I'll never regret having come here and will always remember the things I've learned

Aminstar2 wrote:

Saudi, or Muslim Women dress like women dressed 14 centuries ago (not just middle ages), but the extremist Muslims added the gloves and the niqab. In Islam Women are supposed NOT to cover their faces, hands, and feet so they can be distinguishable. They can't even do Hajj covered that much.

Where is the 'Like' button in EB? Ok, I got it: @Amin.

Alliecat wrote:

Aminstar2 wrote:

Alliecat, It is always hard to reply your posts as I have to think of something that is as clever!
Saudi, or Muslim Women dress like women dressed 14 centuries ago (not just middle ages), but the extremist Muslims added the gloves and the niqab. In Islam Women are supposed NOT to cover their faces, hands, and feet so they can be distinguishable. They can't even do Hajj covered that much.
Mobile cell is an evolution result of the modern technology of the 21st century, but being extremists, Saudi women, overuse it exactly like they over-cover.
The true adage here is: Saudi men have their cake, but Saudi women eat it!
Or: Saudi women have their cake, but Saudi men eat it!
What do you think?

My feelings towards Saudi women are so conflicting.  Just last night I had the most wonderful, fun conversation--lots of laughter--with two fully covered Saudi girls next to me here in the wifi lounge at our hotel in Dubai.  They're so strong and smart that I just want to rip the covering off them so they are FREE!  Ironically, they find the opposite--covering--to provide that freedom.  I find myself thinking they've been brainwashed since birth--but maybe I've been brainwashed since birth! guess this is just something I'll never really understand.

OOh so true

Alliecat wrote:

My feelings towards Saudi women are so conflicting.  Just last night I had the most wonderful, fun conversation--lots of laughter--with two fully covered Saudi girls next to me here in the wifi lounge at our hotel in Dubai.  They're so strong and smart that I just want to rip the covering off them so they are FREE!  Ironically, they find the opposite--covering--to provide that freedom.  I find myself thinking they've been brainwashed since birth--but maybe I've been brainwashed since birth! guess this is just something I'll never really understand.

Since the two fully covered Saudi girls you met were so strong and smart, it doesn't seem that they have been brainwashed. On the contrary they seem to have dressed that way out of satisfaction as they could have dressed less modestly in Dubai as there were no Mutawes to control their behaviors, but they preferred to keep dressing that way in public as that is the way they have been brought up. While you might see some women here who would dress less modestly than fully covered as soon as they have a chance and where/when they are not watched by Mutawes or their male family members. People here have to do some certain things because they have to by law and traditions, while -as you said- in the west you have the right to choose.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Where is the 'Like' button in EB? Ok, I got it: @Amin.

I agree with you! There must be a "Like" button!

Alliecat wrote:

What do you think??

"IF .. Saudi women want to dress like they are from the middle ages" ... I'm sure their selection in their outfit/attire for both men and women is distinctively representing them as Saudis in 21st century, the statement it self is false, their selection to carry out the tradition doesn't mean its outdated..   

"THEN .. I think that wallking around with mobile cells glued to their ears (clearly 21st century!)is contradictory and should be haraam!" you've managed to mix between the culture and the religion, as aminstar mostly generously explained most parts of the outfit is not required religiously, but is of cultural basis... but for the sake of the argument lets say it is , are they required not to use transportation also ? or to ride camels and live in tents?
As long as it doesn't conflict with the religious teaching < if he or she is a practicing Muslim> it is actually not Haram! I am not aware Islam is or was at any point against technology or advancement ..

but to move the discussion further who is free, anyway? personal freedom is and will always be bound by the society rules ..

I know that covering is cultural.  It HAS to be.  Otherwise the other Muslims in other Islamic countries aren't practicing Islam correctly.  Women tell me they cover because the men are such animals if they don't.  But really, isn't it a chicken/egg scenario?   Are men animals because women DON'T cover.. or is it because they cover that men act like animals?

There seems to be an expectation here that unrelated men aren't to be trusted. Women don't trust men--men don't trust *other* men!

But I've never encountered anything bad.  Saudi guys have always been complete gentlemen to me (or, with the flirts, certainly no worse than Western guys, which I don't find insulting but, rather, laughable!).

my latest digression:  Wilson!  you didn't say you miss me

Alliecat wrote:

I know that covering is cultural.  It HAS to be.  Otherwise the other Muslims in other Islamic countries aren't practicing Islam correctly.  Women tell me they cover because the men are such animals if they don't.  But really, isn't it a chicken/egg scenario?   Are men animals because women DON'T cover.. or is it because they cover that men act like animals?

There seems to be an expectation here that unrelated men aren't to be trusted. Women don't trust men--men don't trust *other* men!

Though there are baselines set by religion, it's more of a cultural thing. Also it's a matter of maturity status (cultural, social whatever). I guess you are still there in Emirates. Do share with us: Do people (locals & expats) gaze at you like you were an alien?

I like Emirati (esp females): confident looking, open minded and culture loving.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

I guess you are still there in Emirates. Do share with us: Do people (locals & expats) gaze at you like you were an alien?

Still here--killing time before my flight. 

To answer your question, nobody looks at me because this is such an amazingly diverse place!!!  There's everybody here!

But you know what?  The heartbreaking reality is still that this place is thriving on the backs of the labor of 3rd world peoples.

This is another area in which I am conflicted   Should I be happy they have jobs?  Or should I be sad that they are separated from their families, sweating for minimum pay to build a great country that's not their own?

There is SO much construction... so many skyscrapers that NYC or London seem like impoverished cousins!  But I notice at around 5 or 6 PM, buses filled with dark skinned men in overalls, going home after the day's work.  The side of the bus will say 'BLAH BLAH Construction' company.  The men will be sitting shoulder to shoulder, looking out the window.. staring at the hotel shuttle I'm on .. trying/hoping to make eye contact with any woman.  There's a quiet desperation.  It's just so sad to me.

Has anyone seen very OLD hilarious 'Improve Your English' commercials?

Let me search on Youtube and paste the links:

Ok here you go: 

1- youtube.com/watch?v=gmOTpIVxji8

2- youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=cUEkOVdUjHc
[Warning: You may NOT like it.]

3- This one is DAMN crazy: youtube.com/watch?v=YSkgWYXJxJU&feature=related

x

Alliecat wrote:

Are men animals because women DON'T cover.. or is it because they cover that men act like animals?

SOME men stare at uncovered women and behave like animals and that's what makes SOME women cover for THAT reason, While since women looking is appealing to men in general,  that makes SOME women get covered to avoid the men *animal* behavior toward them. But in Saudi, since women have to cover that much, which is too much, SOME men find seeing an uncovered arm, leg, hair, or face appealing. Saudi: the country of extremes, the country where Islam emerged, but unfortunately, not properly applied.

want to hear something funny? One day, not too long ago, while I was in Europe, I suddenly realized NOBODY was looking at me

It was only then that I realized how I have gotten used to being *looked* at here in KSA!

BUT...

if people want to look at me, SO WHAT?  Should I be afraid? Should I HIDE?  Hell no .. I look them straight in the eye.

Who has the 'power' then, if that's what this is all about?  I'd say it's me.