I am not a really big fan of exploiting children to make money .. and the trend these days seems to be moving towards that .. you will see that there are more kids running around the place asking for money .. making mashakeek on the side of the road or even selling stuff at petrol stations … The Petrol Pump Sales Kids (PPSKs) are the ones that I have been supporting lately … I dont support them in the same way that one would support a football club .. but what i mean is that i have been buying some of the stuff that the PPSKs are selling ..

These particular PPSKs are not omani .. and although they seem to work exclusively at shell petrol pumps .. i find it difficult to believe that they are part of the whole “shell oman ambiance  program- SOAP” … where they hire them to make these petrol pumps more useful and entertaining places … ya3ni in the same way that they now try to have McD’s at every major one …  although the existence of  the PPSKs at these stations enhance the SOAP of these places … for some reason i think these guys are related .. they are probably Palestinian (a guess) but they are the only people i know that would probably do these things…

my first encounter was with a young  boy in the sarooj shell station …  at first .. i waved him off without looking at what he was selling .. but then i had a better look .. PPSK was selling those car accessories you would hang on your rear view mirror … a Koranic verse of a du3a2 … engraved on a piece of leather and looks good to be honest … i like having it my car as it reminds to read the du3a2 before i head out …

OM: aish 3andak? du3a2 el safar? (do you have the travel du3a2?)

PPSK: kullo b’ Rial o nu9 (everything 1.5 rials)

OM: 6ayeb .. 3andak du3a2 elsafar?

PPSK: shoo ha’6 .. du3a2 elsafar?

The poor kid he doesnt even know what he is selling..

OM: 3a6eeni ashoof .. (give em here)

I find what i want and give him the cash ..

My second encounter was at the athaiba station .. also a shell .. also has a McD’s… the difference is that this time .. it was a young girl .. she also didnt know what she was selling ..

I bought from her too .. I really hate it when kids are used in this way

on a separate note … i came across some smart tunnel people the other day … i doubt they live in the tunnel but they are definitely making good use of it .. they even have a technique .. they stand around the entrance first  and agree the the sequence of who will go in first .. maybe they have a rotation going .. once its decided they go for it ! … its much better than crossing the main road .. have a look a the pics ..

TP1: You go first ..

TP2: No No No you go first ..

TP1: but its your tun today

TP2 to TP3: what about you? why are you not saying anything?

TP3: do we really have to take the tunnel?

TP1: maybe you should go first ..

TP2: yeah .. you should go first ..

TP3: last time i went first i didnt have any fun ..

TP2: okay okay i will go first

TP1 to himself: suckaaa

TP3 to himself: thank god !

I have a few posts in the pipe line .. !

I remember a twitter discussion about doing a short video ..

check this qatari one out .. compared to RDN’s original

The other day, I was asked by a visiting colleague to take him to the Christian Cemetery .. i had never been there before so i thought it would be an interesting thing to do .. The Cemetery is in the Ras Al Hamra area (PDO) on the right side of the road if you are going to the Club from the Shell Gas Pump… you turn right and follow the road i think there is a sign that says private road or something ..

As i drove up that road .. the first thing i noticed was that there were at least SIX OIG cleaner dudes sitting under the tree at the entrance .. each of was equipped with some kind of cleaning/gardening tool .. it would seem that they were waiting for their ride .. and that they have probably finished the cleaning/gardening duty for the cemetery … its funny that OIG has that responsibility and i wonder who is paying them to keep that place so nice and tidy..

I walked around and had a look some of  the tomb stones.. the whole experience was so different to visiting a Muslim cemetery that it was almost like a picnic … the place is like a park .. so clean .. so green .. so organized .. with pathways and trees.. i took pictures of what i thought were the most interesting Stones … the place is a great reminder of many different things and events of the past .. i leave you with the pics ..

I have blogged about this subject before … and since I have come across the people that I described many times again … can it be possible that these guys have allocated areas where they solicit? They have some kind of higher committee that allocates them to specific areas and makes sure that they don’t compete … a territory for everyone … in Beggar HQ or BHQ there would be a wall with a map of all the active locations and the Beggars or Bs that are on shift and on location … targets would have to be set for each location and time slot … kids would have higher targets as they would naturally be able to collect more … and the more you bring in the more you can take home with you …

I still remember that video that went around of these Bs in Kuwait that would go to work in their Lexus … men would dress up as women and beg at the souq … and when the shift is over they would walk to their top model luxury car and drive home … what a life … a life of cheating and lies… or is it smart?

Many of us give to those who ask for money, out of being good people, out of wanting to help others, and out of our constant strive to be good human beings and give back to society … we are Wal Hamdulilah much more fortunate than many and we have an obligation to give back … but where does one draw the line? How can we differentiate between the con Bs and the real Bs that really need it? This joke is probably the best way to describe the situation:

Ahmed and Hamid are both beggars at several motorway services in England.
Ahmed drives a Mercedes, lives in a mortgage free house and has a lot of money to spend. Hamid only brings in 2 to 3 pounds a day. Hamid asks Ahmed how he manages to bring home a suitcase full of £10 notes every day. Ahmed says, “Look at your sign. It says, “I have no work, a wife and six kids to support.” Britons who see that do not feel as if they have
accomplished anything by giving you money. You will still have no job and a large family. Now look at my sign.” So Hamid looks up and Ahmed’s sign reads:

“I only need another £10 to move back to Pakistan”

More Bs are springing up and they are becoming more crafty and demanding … this is the truth … very few of those who as for money are among the unfortunate … most of these people are not worthy of our generosity and we must be very careful and very selective on who to give our money to … we might give with the best intentions … but must make sure that what we give doesn’t go into the wring hands … I hope that thu this post we can come up with a screening process that can benefit all of us … I am not sure how many people still read my blog but hopefully we can come to define 5 questions that help us decide whether to give or not to give .. which is the real question …

I want to share two stories that will help:

Story 1: A friend, lets call him Sneagol, has recently managed to get own parking space at the building that he works… he also managed to get his job title labeled in front of the parking space … since then he has been attracting Bs… they come up to his office ask for him and on three occasions play the following routine:

Bs: Do you remember me?          (ma tit-thakarni?)

Sl: I am sorry, but I don’t           (at-thakarak min wain?)

Bs: We met at the airport             (min el ma6aar)

Sl: really?                                   (ay ma6aar?)

Bs: Yes, don’t you remember?     (ma tit-thakarni?)

Sl: No… when did we meet          (ma at-thakar ya5y )

Bs: Don’t you go to the airport?   (inta .. ma troo7 elma6aar?)

Sl: you remember me?               (inta tit-thakarni?)

Bs: from the airport, yes?           (ma tit-thakarni?)

Sl: What do you want?                (roo7 ya sheik)

Bs: can you spare 200?               (mi7tag 200 rial)

200 RIALS!!! Ask for 5 or 10 … when he gave him 10 Rials the Bs got upset and asked for 50 at least … he was asked to leave .. this happened THREE TIMES !!

Story 2: while sitting at a local coffee shop with sheesha and tea, a kid shows up … sits on our table and starts asking for money …

OM: how much have managed to collect today …       (kam jama3t elyoum?)

KBs: Five Rials so far … five more and I can go home ( 5 ba8i 5)

OM: your target is 10 Rials a day                               (lazim 10 fil youm?)

KBs: Give me 5, no?                                                (3a6eeni 5 la.. yalla la)

OM: I’ll give you a shawarma                                    (mashi filoos,tuba shawarma?)

KBs: ok give it                                                         ( aiwa 3a6eeni)

OM: Here take it ..                                                   (n’dok)

He goes takes and goes around .. he comes back two minutes later .. and offers to give back the shawarma he had opened ..

KBs: 7alal 3alaik .. ma areed elshawarma

That’s when I lost it …

While i share this video .. i would like to comment on the whole “Oman TV Sux” campaign this year .. no one that i know ever admits to watching Oman TV .. people probably only watch it during Ramadhan … and that is why they feel the need to comment during this time … all round the year no one really cares about Oman TV or Omant TV2 .. yes there is another channel .. and yes its is as bad as the first one .. but we also have a private tv channel .. majan tv .. it also sux ..  maybe Omanis were not supposed to be in broadcasting ?

This is another “just for fun” post ..

I guess it could be a more “correct” statement

i love the  look ..

I heard the other day that the correct term to use is Ramadhan Mubarak and not Ramadhan Kareem … so RM not RK … RM not RK … RM not RK … why? Come to think of it … I always found it a bit weird when people told each other RK … its more of statement about Ramadhan than a way congratulate or greet each other on the commencement of this special month … so to start this post I would like to say … mbarak 3alaikum elshahar (RM) …

I will also assume at this point that I have some readers that are Arab and I will take a minute to explain the difference between the two terms … you might have all herd the term Eid Mubarak before? So Ramadhan Mubarak is … same same … is the sense that it means the same thing … may you have a blessed Ramadhan or Eid … Ramdhan Kareem on the other hand means that Ramadhan is generous … does that make sense?

So Ramadhan is back and some of have been blessed to be part of it once more …as for those who have left us, we pray and we hope that they are in a better place … may this Ramadhan help all of grow and become better people/ blogger/ tweeter etc..… this is probably the last Ramadhan with semi-functional weather… the next few Ramadhan will be test us with hotter weather and longer days… they will probably present us with even more traps that we can fall into …

So by now everyone is ready … Mr. Western Expat has stocked up his liquor cabin … the ones that were on holiday and just came back and did manage to stock up are probably not happy teddy bears … but as many expats blatantly claim that they do not understand what Ramadhan is all about … they get into the spirit or the month in terms preparation much earlier than we do … and some take these preparation very seriously … my fellow blogger AIO has gone so far as to compile a list of to dos in order to get ready for Ramdhan … As for us locals (arabs) most are still not ready for Ramadhan … still doing some last minute shopping … still getting things together … last minute as usual …

Last year I blogged about some of the common traps of Ramadhan (three of them) … this year I would like to continue with that and talk about some other traps :

Trap Number Four: Food Shopping While Fasting (FSWF)

Take it from me and NEVER go to the supermarket while your hungry … FSWF is probably one the easiest traps to fall into … you will end up buying the whole of lulu … especially with all the “Ramadhan Offers” … all the stuff that you don’t need and don’t eat will end up in that trolley … its funny how hunger can take over one’s sense of reasonability …

Trap Number Five: Over Dosing on TV (OD-TV)

This trap is specifically applicable to GAM (Group Arab Muslims)

Side note: for GNM (Group Non Muslims) Ramadhan is the time that all the arab channels on TV launch their exclusive TV series for the month .. these include the usually Syrian historic series, the “drama queen mama” khaleeji series, the Egyptian funny series, the Egyptian “yusra” series, the khaleeji comedy, the khaleeji animation, and the endless cooking shows and the usual talk shows ramadhan edition … the amount of TV produced in that single month is enough for the whole year ..

Don’t get sucked into OD-TV … its too easy … resist it  … if you are going to watch …then just watch one of them … OD-TV is the most distracting and probably destructive thing about Ramadan … it almost qualifies as a conspiracy concocted by the evil humans (the real evil non humans are locked away for the month) or are the humans only executing the plans of the real evil doers that create all these distractions before they get sent away for the month? Commercializing Ramadan and distracting the people taking the focus away from the real purpose behind Ramadan … ok so basically just don’t watch too much TV …

Trap Number Six: Over Eating Before Sleeping (OEBS)

This is probably the most common trap … I don’t know if it applies to all the people that get to witness Ramadan … I mean, the eating habits of the whole country changes … do the Default Fasters also pig out? Do they also feel that they need to eat more and conserve more food? Coz the people that fast over do it … I have even heard of people that end up in Hospital Emergency because they’ve ruptured their stomachs …

So today … I have failed to control my eating … hopefully I will get to jump over that hole tomorrow !

Happy Fasting … as for those who don’t fast … I think you should try it … just to see what its all about …

This is just a short post to mark my first year of blogging .

A year has passed since my first post and now more than 100 posts later I find that this blog has turned out to be about abbreviations and dialog … While I look back at most my posts AnD has been the common theme … nothing else pops out and hit me in the face … I have managed to write mostly about nothing and at the same time get people to read and comment … and some more established more serious more respected blogs have given me link backs and references on their blogs … and that my friends is the greatest achievement of my first year in blogging … and for that I say thank you …

So what did I take with me from this? For one … I realized that coining a phrase and hoping that it will catch on is not as easy as I had hoped it to be … I was hoping that the term BO would catch on and replace BS .. but that never worked out … I was also hoping that by blogging about Dr. Ninja he would eventually get married … but that didn’t work either …50Bz Man did what he could do for what he had … OIFC are still crap and I got stopped a gain for a tinted front window … I never went back to Farooj after I blogged about the Chicken Leg… those Egyptians are probably still there …

I still give Q-Jumpers a really hard time while the 3mani Kuwaiti dishdasha is not longer illegal … I also have not been back to subway since I blogged about the sandwich artist … I still get my bread from bread talk and THANK GOD I have not see tight wearing bicycle man again … McDees continue to try to cheat me out of my fries and Obama is now president!

The Security Guard never gave me a hard time again, so I know he was just showing off the first time around and I am dreading the time when I will have to call my insurance broker again for GCC insurance cover … the traffic situation has gotten better (maybe coz its summer) and I continue to protect my lane as if own it … and while omantel continues to provide us with innovative telecommunication services, I am more than happy to go get myself a spicy samboosa …

So what can you expect from this blog in its second year? Probably more of the same … more AnD … and more about nothing … hopefully this year I wont pick up anyone that will burst out crying in my car … finnaly, the puppy will always have a fee and the indian cow story cracks me up everytime i read it …