This morning’s gray sky has turned yellow and is heading to orange. Not because of the sun, but because of the dust. Last night a king-hell wind started blowing out here and, though it has quieted some, it is whipping up dust from all across the desert and covering every animate and inanimate thing in the city. So – the air quality today is in the negative numbers. I woke up in the middle of the night – what with the wind making such a racket – and I could smell the dust seeping into the apartment.

Speaking of my apartment, there’s some renovations going on. My apartment is on the roof of this building in Salwa. There are two one bedrooms up here. And the roof deck was nice and spacious where the tenants could gather, cook out on the grill or just sit and look out over the water (or sun yourself and talk with errant birds). Well, that’s gone now. The landlord has decided to build apartments in that space. They are actually putting an apartment outside my apartment (both apartments). I now climb over a construction site just to get in and out of my place. The crazy part is that each of the new apartments are as big as my bedroom! Tops 20 x 13 feet wall to wall. You either have a bed or a couch, but not both. Not sure the space set aside is big enough for a toilet and a shower. But – knowing how housing is for the servant class out here – I’m guessing he can probably fit an entire family into this space. Greed knows no bounds…

On the other side of the spectrum, one of the big mega-malls in town has added a Dean & DeLuca and Kiehls to their constantly growing stable of stores. Ah, a little slice of New York! Pay no attention to the downward spiral of your finances! Buy $20 cheeses. And yet each day local Kuwaitis look to the government to pay all their losses from the Market. Funny story – I heard the government was close to cancelling all private debt a few months ago. Before the vote was taken, word was spread through the diwaniyas (coffee klatches, late night men talking) and all the Kuwaitis went out and maxed-out all their credit cards. When the government found out, they promptly ditched that plan. It is always spoiled at the top.

Watched a bootleg (good quality) of the movie “W.” last night. A very odd film to watch. Well made, well acted, but… uninteresting. The whole movie was anti-climactic. It was neither dramatic nor funny nor revelatory. It just sort of sat there and happened. It may have a lot to do with the lead character being a naïve dullard. Frankly, the road from privileged, half-wit party boy to privileged, half-wit Christian is a short one.

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