This Made My Day

This was an interesting back page bit of local gossip in the Green Truth (otherwise known as the Arab News which gets its nickname because of its green paper colour)

------


(November 2 2008, Dul Qaada 5, 1429 A.H.)

Flabbergasted Faithful see Fateful Fight

MAKKAH: A verbal dispute between an imam and a muezzin in a Makkah neighborhood landed both in police custody after they came to blows. The men began to argue shortly before the Maghrib (sunset) prayer on Saturday, delaying the congregation. Yielding under the pressure of waiting worshipers, the two men suspended their argument. However, the men began quarreling again as soon as the prayer was over. Their argument then progressed into a full-fledged fight with the men using their fists and "igals". A passing police patrol intervened, taking the pair to a local police station for questioning, Al-Madinah daily reported. (Page 24)

------

Just in case you're wondering, a muezzin is the guy who sings out the call to prayer or azan and an igal is the chord that holds the traditional head dress on.

It'd be like a priest and the choirmaster having a punch up before and after mass!

A Tarty Tarty Tarty Party

Well we're still stuck in Saudi because some weenie doesn't down at the Saudi Immigration and Passport office doesn't know how to do their job. So we're decided to make the best of it and spend the weeks we're here experiencing an almost terminal hangover. These photos are from an absolutely kicking birthday party last weekend. It was Ayumi's birthday and she decided to have a tarty party...only just learning what tarty meant and here's some of the results.

As a pretty funny side story, we went shopping in Rashid Mall in Khobar for some outfits, Ayumi particularly trying to find something for craig to wear. She pulled the little piece of nothing you can see him in off the rack in the underwear shop and the guy (they're all men working in these places, oversexed and desperate) said 'Ma'am would you like something smaller?' and nearly died when she said 'This isn't for me! This is for my husband!' I wish I'd had a camera hehe

This one's of the resident tarts and the great white ghost up the front. You'd think I would have gotten a tan here!



The Man and his chops




This is Raddy the coolest Saudi Guy in the world and soon to be owner of a small Rasta Bar in Jamaica with his ladies of the evening



Don't they look a charming lot. Brendan impersonating a cementing engineer. Steve being a tarty elvis, craig wearing the unfortunate outfit Ayumi picked for him and Dr Steve checking their mental health



Need I say more



I've got a whole lot more but I think I'm going to lose my luck with the available bandwidth soon so there you go.