What about Me?!

Cashmere has not so subtly informed me that this blog is full of pictures of Kamir, Bandit, and Riko, but her presence has not been recorded. I guess she's more technologically-savvy than I thought. My response that she usually runs from the camera was not a sufficient explanation for the lack of her pictures. So, here goes... Here she is under the bed. She's gained 20 pounds in the five years since she left the shelter, yet somehow still fits under the bed. Posing for a change. Like all dogs, Cash loves a good nap.

Woman Crashes when Teaching Dog to Drive

From the Associated Press: Mon Aug 28, 8:13 AM ET A woman in Hohhot, the capital of north China's Inner Mongolia region, crashed her car while giving her dog a driving lesson, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday. No injuries were reported although both vehicles were slightly damaged, it said. The woman, identified only be her surname, Li, said her dog "was fond of crouching on the steering wheel and often watched her drive," according to Xinhua. "She thought she would let the dog 'have a try' while she operated the accelerator and brake," the report said. "They did not make it far before crashing into an oncoming car." Xinhua did not say what kind of dog or vehicles were involved but Li paid for repairs. Kamir enjoyed the car too, but I knew when to stop. He had no thumbs; how would he grip the steering wheel?

Is it Ego or Inequality?

I often accompany my boss on official meetings and the press is usually there when we arrive. I've gotten used to seeing my profile in the pictures that run in the papers, and really did not think much of never being identified by name. I work in a relatively small community and those who pay attention to what my boss does know and recognize me. I've actually enjoyed the quasi-anonymity. In the past week, however, someone on my staff, a new arrival to the office, accompanied my boss on a meeting. His picture made the papers as did his name and MY title. And it got me wondering: my boss is usually accompanied by someone to take notes when he goes on meetings, and if the person is a man, he's named. It's only the women who are not acknowledged. Is this an intentional oversight? Or am I just delusional?

Welcoming Riko

Kamir's loss was devastating and Cashmere convinced me that the house was a little too quiet with the pitter-patter of four instead of eight feet. So, we drove out into the desert to a shelter run by the Animal Friends League of Kuwait. After "interviewing" dozens of dogs, we came home with Riko, formerly known as Ringo. (I like the Beatles as much as everyone else, but I could not deal with the name.) Riko, who also answers to Ri-Ri B, is part German Shepherd part desert dog. He was born in May 2005 and until he joined us, had spent his whole life in the shelter. His first week in the house he was very curious, watching TV, taking things off of shelves, and "tasting" anything that crossed his path. I lost a rebate check, a house slipper, and a bottle of lotion.

He has really calmed down after that introductory exploratory stage. He has commandeered my bed and spends most of his time there. He only leaves it to bark at the phone, eat (he has a really light appetite), and go for a walk. Mostly, he's quite mellow and just wants to have his tummy scratched. Cash enjoys his company and when not trying to dominate him, curls up next to him for very long naps.

In Memory of Kamir

Kamir Brown, constant companion, guardian, and rascal, died Monday, June 5, 2006 in Kuwait. He was 15 ½ years old. He is survived by his sister Cashmere, a doting family, and lots of friends. He was buried at Al Thurya Farm in Abdaly, Kuwait where he spent many weekends doing his favorite things: sniffing and peeing.

Kamir was born in October 1990 in Conakry, Guinea in West Africa. He spent the first two years of his life in Guinea where he made the transition from wild street dog to spoiled house dog. After Guinea, he spent two years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he developed a taste for injera (traditional Ethiopian bread) and learned that it is best to stay far away from ostriches and hyenas. He returned to the states in 1995, where he spent the next eight years of his life living a typical suburban existence where he enjoyed walks in the park, doggie cafes, and obedience/socialization school. He moved to Tunisia in 2003 where he discovered that the ruins of Carthage were ideal places to leave his mark and made clear that the he preferred city streets to Mediterranean beaches. He spent the last two years of his life in Kuwait and enjoyed the hot summers which must have been good for his arthritis. He is deeply missed. Woofs of Wisdom from Kamir: Vegetables are a good thing. (He was fond of broccoli, especially cream of broccoli soup.)

Most of life’s problems can be solved with a good nap, a car ride, or the companionship of good friends.

The best thing about weekends is waffles.

If you can’t actually exercise, at least thinking

about it is a good start. Always make time for a treat.

In Loving Memory

Bandit January 2, 1992 - March 27, 2006

We recently lost a very good friend, a devoted companion, a true member of the family. Bandit, after a sudden and devastating illness, died March 27, 2006. We all miss him.

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Bandit joined the family in July 1992, a few weeks after my father died. My sister, niece, and I adopted him because we were worried about our mother being home alone. The day we got Bandit, we actually went to the kennel to adopt a dog we had previously seen. He was gone and Bandit barked and barked and barked, making sure he got our attention. After 5 minutes with him, we were in love and signed the papers to take him home. By the time we finished the adoption process, it was too late to take him home before picking up our mother from work. The entire drive to her office, Bandit was on the floor of the car, shaking in fear. While we waited for Mommie to exit, he stayed quiet. The moment she walked out of the building, he stuck his head out of the window and barked. And barked and barked and barked. Mommie froze. From a distance we could see she was not pleased. She walked slowly to the car and like Bandit had been on the ride to the office, was silent for the ride home.

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Bandit got off to a rocky start. Mommie complained that he smelled, called him dog until I named him, and had him in the dog house, literally and figuratively, because he chewed on her shoes, the door, and anything else he could find. My sister and I were on stand-by for months to rescue Bandit because Mommie repeatedly threatened to get rid of him. Slowly and steadily, however, he worked his way into her heart. He earned his keep when his barking alerted her to a tea kettle that was starting to smoke and burn. That instance Bandit saved both his and Mommie's life.

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Since then, Bandit has been Mommie's constant companion. He's traveled the world visiting me in Ethiopia, Tunisia, and Kuwait. He's seen both coasts of the U.S. and many of the states in between. He's recognized at the bank, the post office, the gym, and countless other places. He's made many people smile. And the memory of his antics -- constant barking, digging, and "speaking"-- will continue to make us smile in appreciation of his short time with us.

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We miss and love you, Bandit boy.

Kamir and Cashmere send licks.

Beauty Is Skin Deep

There's an old expression, recently reinvigorated by Judge Judy, that "beauty fades, dumb is forever." The number of commercials that I see on satellite for fade creams simply reinforces this. I can understand seeking treatment for discoloring scars, but I just don't get the need or the desire to lighten one's skin. I scream every time I see the Fair & Lovely commercial in which the young woman gets her dream job on TV after she bleaches her skin. I'm even more irked by a commercial on CNN International in which a former Miss World or some other silly title-holder and current UN special rep for something (and also an African woman) touts fade cream. And most troubling, I was at a bazaar recently and a woman came up to me to hawk cream that could make my skin "white and beautiful." I was so shocked that I was absolutely speechless. And I was frightened by the "pink nipple cream." When people of color are the majority on this planet, why is there such a desire to lighten skin? What about the health ramifications? Most of the products contain mercury and other harmful ingredients and the damage they cause is irreversible.

Take a Cab Instead

What is the deal about parking in Kuwait? We all know there is a shortage of parking spaces wherever you go, but why is it that some idiot always decides to make the situation worse by taking up two or more spaces? I don't support it, but I can understand if someone who drives a Hummer, Escalade or some other land yacht has problems "docking" the vehicle between two narrow lines, but there is no excuse for a Mini to straddle spaces. A few days ago, my mother and I took advantage of the beautiful weather to drive out to Al Kut mall. The last time I tried to go, I abandoned my quest because the lines into the parking lot were too long. Friday, the lot was crowded as cars snaked in and out of the lanes in search of the perfect spot. I don't mind the hunt, but it was infuriating to see car after car after car taking up more than one space. What is the reason for such obnoxious behavior? Is it poor driving skills?(It's a rhetorical question, but I had to ask.) I tend to think that it is utter selfishness, the whole me-first attitude that propels drivers to cut you off on the expressway and stop a lane of traffic as they try to make a u-turn from a non-turning lane. The Government recently cracked down on the issuance of driver's licenses. It's going to take a lot more than forbidding some low wage worker from South Asia from driving to improve the traffic situation. Don't even get me started on the thousands of small childern on restrained by car seats or seat belts. I recently saw a mother driving, talking on her mobile, and holding an infant in her lap. God forbid her airbag deploy because the child would have been instantly killed.

Lost & Found; Karma Revisited

The missing puppy has been found. After five agonizing days of wondering where he was and how he was being treated, a colleague alerted me that he thought he saw my dog on the grounds of Bayan Palace (for my U.S. readers, the palace is a compound used by the Government for visitors, like Blair house, and is also the site for some security elements). We dashed out of the office and spent 30 minutes walking and cruising the perimeter of the palace while I yelled at the top of my voice, "Kamir, come here bubble!" I asked the gardeners if they had seen a dog and had another colleague call the palace guards to see if they had seen a dog and to seek permission for me to search the grounds. And then, suddenly, he appeared at the fence. He was dirty, thirsty, and stinky, but otherwise in good condition. I still can't figure out how he got onto the grounds and find it interesting that of all the places he could have gone, he went to a royal abode. All of us -- my mother, myself, the wanderer, and the two other dogs -- finally got a good night's sleep. I'm deeply grateful to all my co-workers who began searching for him the minute they heard he was missing, and especially appreciative of good friends who gave up their weekends to console me and help me look for my beloved beast. The International Veterinary Hospital was also supportive as were the volunteers from PAWS who had lots of good ideas on where to look and who made follow-up phone calls. While part of me hoped to find Kamir at the Friday Market, I am greatly relieved that he was not there. While most of the dogs and cats I saw there appeared to be well fed and relatively healthy, it was heart-breaking to see so many beautiful animals tied to poles by short tethers, startled by bratty kids shooting off firecrackers, and menaced by even brattier kids who found it amusing to yell at and scare the dogs while their parents watched in indifference. I'd like nothing better than to put a permanent end to the sale of domestic animals this way. Some of the puppies were too young to have been away from their mothers and it sickened me to see some of the dogs transported in the trunks of cars. We need to prove our humanity by better treating our animals. Related to the recovery of my four-legged friend is revisiting the Karma issue. Previously I pondered the issue and its affect on relationships. Once again, I'm thinking about Karma, but in a new way. Many of my friends here told me they were convinced Kamir would return safely because I'm a nice person and my behavior would be rewarded. While it's a great thing to hear, I have a lot of deep, dark thoughts and questioned whether I would be favorably rewarded. I guess I was, because Kamir is back. But also, yesterday, the date of his return, I wore a ring that my father used to wear on his pinky finger. (It fits my middle finger.) When I put it on yesterday, I told my mother I was wearing it because it always brought me luck. And voila, Kamir appeared. So was it fate, intervention from my father, or some other mysterious force? I don't know and I don't think I'll dwell on it. I'll just be thankful for his safe return, the generous help and support of so many, and the fact that Kamir is now afraid to go outside.

More on the Missing Puppy

He is reddish brown with a white face and white stomach. He weighs 27 kilos and is missing several teeth. He has a burgundy collar which a purple tag that says "charmer." Other tags are proof of his vaccinations and a number to call if he is lost. He has a microchip. If you see him, please leave a message on this blog or call 962-0791. Thanks!