Florence and her magic carpet ride.....

Iranian and Afghani carpets are very attractive to me!  Tonight we spent nealry 2 hours learning the stories of the carpets of temptation. We searched the errors and originality, the tribal names and the places of origin. We counted and we peered....

The stories of each unique carpet were woven together with desire, the desire to have and remember. 

 This is the one- it is a prayer rug of silk and wool, yet a prayer rug is not meant to have silk within its  weaving. It is not usual- so the tree of life is where he would kneel; the trunk is for the head and hands would be placed on either side of the head- this is silk. She wove using leaves on the tree, circles of life. It is now being given a hanging part so I can put it on my wall when I collect it next week.

This one has images of camels- it is not old but is from Afghani refugees, living closer to a town than had once been possible and the women are incorporating more modern stories into their weaving, maybe losing some of the tribal motifs. And when they are gone? I will have my old carpets of tribal design.

Not my toes!

Florence feasts in Babel- a touch of heaven

I went to Babel!


Kuwait by night, in October, and the temperature is soft and gentle.... it reminds me of the tropical nights in FNQ- so long ago. The beating heat has gone and has been replaced by a warmth, a comfortable embrace.

Evenings are divine and never more so than when out for a night fuelled by pomegranate juice and cold water, and the best Lebanese food I have ever tasted. 

Good food, great company and am environment of imaginative architecture!


All this after a PL day of data and some excellent, intelligent learning opportunities from great teachers- first time for a while where I have learnt new things and been provoked into exploration.

I love the weekend
Take a look!

Florence has a Fling....

I am back in civilization. That is civilization with extreme noise and loud voices.


What has happened to me?The prices to exist here are astronomical. I think I need to head bush! The noise of slighty pissed humans is way more than I have heard for two months.....
I will revisit this

Easy trip over.... 45 minutes flight... very easy

BUT

Bahrain is very different from Kuwait. My hotel sits on the edge of a lagoon... on an island, looking across to the city. It is close to the airport but there is no noise. I gaze down on the pool and can watch humans running for their lives on the track around the lagoon.V
And I saw grass ... lots of it. There are frangiapanni trees outside my place.... well two stories down!
I am looking forward to heading off this morning later I laze around a bit.

I have inspected Bahrain! No... I have had a tiny glimpse and I do think there is a whole lot more than initially hits the eye.
First- it is beautifully organised and the road traffic is organised with no threat of collision- Kuwait is really a hit and miss every time you get out on that road. Going to work in the morning can be pretty hair raising! IN Bahrain, people follow the lines- bliss!

Not western but decidely beautiful

but here I have found The Avenues and Marina Mall and I am sure I could find whatever other malls are considered de rigeur in UAE.... that said the one I went to today was enjoyable as it had more western type clothes- not all hiding garments.....

The Gate of Bahrain - entrance to the ancient souk

Entering the souk

The souk was like the other ones- many many men and very few women. My cab driver said that on Fridays the Indian men always crowd the market- well it was overwhelming today- I was one of the very few white women in that market and I kept on running against waves of men. Not my best experience of the world....... however, I got to do just what I wanted cos when you are the Birthday girl you can get away with murder! It is a particular observation of being in these places- the space belongs to men and women insert themselves in ways where they remain hidden, in black garb with faces hidden, or just by not coming out into the spaces. It can feel extremely threatening .

Didnt find any pearls I liked- I found the settings to be cheap looking and a bit tacky for the prices they wanted... I love the natural shapes but in the pearls I inspected, the lustre was almost non existant so I decided to bide my time.

The US boys finishing brunch!

Back to my hotel - and as I later found out, the hotel where the USA military boys, fresh from action in Iraq , Afghanistan and whereever else USA has a military front , are brought here before they head back home...
With much respect to my USA friends- I am tired of seeing that flag wherever I go. It flutters wherever there could be a gathering.... no Canadian flag... just USA. It brings home a slap of reality to my existence. Kuwait is such a culture shock, it deadens your eyes/feelings and blocks reality. To come back into this slams it back in your face- there is an enormous amount of violence in this area but I never see it..but I sense it.... the duality of society is overt..... and leaves me in a space of confusion....

Best thing ever was the G and T... and a banana split for desert !

Rising up out of the leaves at dark

Am I seeing things,  in the background?????

Florence Finds a BFF

Spur of the moment thought to eat out down on Beirut Street, just past the POlice Station- a  fabulous Indian restaurant.... and I wanted to show you photos but my ICloud has disappeared somewhere and my phone is uncooperative so I will just say -the decor was outstanding - everything one has come to expect in a top INdian restaurant.
Lee and I walked down there, not far away as sometimes you just dont want to cook, food has run out and domesticity is not your thing.
Ate lots!

Just as we were coming out, we spotted some lonely mannequins in new jarmie designs and thought to make friends. Then along comes a true blue Kuwaiti- spotted us, and like  a true gentleman offered his services( nicely)- what a great smile! Made my evening...

and today Kuwait..... tonight, Bahrain!!!!! A taste of the Middle East

Y

Florence finds the Hoons... and hearing Bedouins and eating Turkish Icecream

Yes indeed! There are hoons in Kuwait! You don't believe me?  I must add a few qualifiers here though - our Kuwaiti Hoons
a) do not live in places of social disadvantage
b) are not economically disadvantaged
c) could buy the whole tyre factory should it be necessary

Yes you guessed- to be a hoon in Kuwait , you must drive a Lambourghini or Ferrari or one of those flat, wide little cars with doors that rise up not out
AND
you must be cool and know how to scream that engine!

Now that I have that out of the way...

One more thing and that is just to make a very broad comment on the duality within this society- it is often overt but the dual nature sometimes subverts so that we might not be so aware of actually what is happening- an interesting, confusing epiphany  this was. I will leave it at that.

And off to the Souk again. This time it was the Souq Al-Mubarakiya , the oldest of the souqs and one which has been around for a long time- it was in existence as a market before oil became Kuwait.
There is much to see. I loved the Turkish ice cream man!
We met with an Iranian carpet business man and studied in detail, the fabulous carpets he had. One gorgeous silk carpet has my name on it but not until I work here for a bit longer - 750 KD( x4 for AUD)
It was exquisite. Another Iranian tribal weave had a silk section woven in and was only 135KD - that is one that tempts me.


As you wallk around th emarkets, the heavy scent of incense is pervasive and beautiful. In the market you can buy the wood and the burner... and create your own little bit of heaven. 

Our musical interlude was completely unexpected and uninterpreted- who were they? What were they singing of? I suspect it was a Bedouin song and a recreation. the drums were old old rhythmn makers and the voices were chants of what I cannot say... but it enticed a huge audience...


Each day is something new
and different
Each day I learn something else
It is a place of curiousity and sharp surprises, some of which bludgeon the thoughts.
I learn of new ways and thinking everday.
I am lucky.
Today I rest- the first day where I will do nothing- no gym, no shopping, no outside activities... 

The Fleecing of Florence- should she not learn the skill of bartering

You should see the souk! Huge is not the word.... well it is and it always lends itself to some level of  OTT thinking but this place is huge!

And it sells everything.

Our driver set us down and it began.... a two - three hour wander . I spied a few tasty little numbers that might suit my magical nightlife in Hobart. Here is one of the beauties that were just made for me!
Materials, mats, carpets and rugs...... some of it very cheap..... My favourites were the old old gramophones.. They seemed like relics of the British colonial past... when Brittania ruled Kuwait. There were actually a few of the old colonial artefacts scattered throughout but , I had no wish to own them  so gazing was  all that happened.
Chandeliers sparkled...

 And plastic fountains, flowers and shrines....

 Fabulous couches.... made for an arabian night

 Thw old colonial past reared its ugly head with the gramophones and boxes of british memories...

 My good friends and moi....

 the sparkle and glitter

 ana outside view

 and another special number... made for me... yes?

We will return .This time, armed with the knowledge of just what is there... if anyone wishes for some  little item please place requests- I have two years to fulfil them!!!!!