Saudi Arabia’s Economic growth, not just from oil.

The mention of Saudi Arabia brings to people’s mind oil, oil mining and everything petroleum. Which really is not far fetched since that is the main income earner for the country, but there is more to the country that is 98% desert. Even in the presence of that much bare dry desert, the nation has molded itself into a strong economy that has its feet firmly grounded among other huge economies in the world. It has the largest crude oil production units, and in comparison to the rest of the world, it produces 16% of all of the world’s oil consumption.

The oil contributes to 45% of the GDP and earns 80% for the Government in revenues a quite impressive percentage. It is no wonder that on average, the public can afford to drive oil guzzlers and not feel the heat so to speak

In the recent past, the government has been in talks with investors as it plans to build even more economic cities. The catch in this is, unlike the norm where foreign investors have found the strict business regulations to be intrusive, in these cities, business friendly regulations will be practiced. This will include lenient dress code for workers in the cities, especially women. Saudi Arabia has strict dress code for women, something that has made investors to hold back from bringing in talent from outside. These cities will also have   modern infrastructure. This is not just a statement, to date, the country boasts of a smooth running road and communication infrastructure. With these prospects in mind, there is talk of outsourcing of 10,000 Bangladeshi workers, at reduced Visa requirements.

Building and art is an integral part of the Saudi’s, and even with evolving building styles, architecture still possess the traditional art rich in Arab  culture. To note, the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh is ranked 25^th of the tallest buildings in the world. It hosts a medley of stores and luxury shopping outlets including designer shops, like Marks and Spencer.

Mining contributes to the economy through the numbered mines, with gold deposits well distributed in the country; other base metals like aluminum are also mined, as well as carbon dioxide. The gas reserves, though not as expansive at the 5^th largest in the world.

For a country’s economy to grow, it requires a significant and reliable source of energy to support the industries. With the gas and oil, the country’s industries are growing to compete in the international markets. This is seen clearly as SABIC, the world’s biggest producer of plastics has grown to become an empire.

Food industries are also growing and able to sustain themselves, such as the milk and baby formula industries. A classic example is The Savola Group that manufactures edible oil and ghee, now the most successful multinational food groups that keeps on growing since its establishment in 1979. Even though the country imports 70% of its food, it is fully sufficient to supply eggs, milk and meat for its internal consumption.

Irrigation projects that flourish through a network of dams has seen the continued production of dates, fish, wheat, flowers for export and vegetables. As such, traditional cuisine can still be amicably prepared through local ingredients. Some of the popular cuisine, though differing from province to province includes Haneedh, Kabsa and Masoob.

Culture and Sports

Don’t let the garb fool you. Saudis enjoy dance, poetry and sports. In the annual Jenadriyah Heritage and Cultural Festival; the Ardha, a national dance is performed which is choreographed using swords and poetry.

 The Equestrian club also hosts a number of activities like the powerful show of horse power through the horse racing. Camel racing is also a popular sport. It would not suffice not to mention the desert races, where the rich kids can bring out their toys to play. Fast car racing is popular among the younger generation, and just to prove how luxury car models have a consumer base in the country; the case of the 22yr old Dhiaa Al-Essaa, son of Mohammed Al-Essa comes to mind, he owns a fleet for rare super cars. The annual sale of cars into the country stands at 1Million.

Other attractions include the Riyadh Zoo, The Kings Fountain in Jeddah, The Al Faisaliah Tower, the Aviation Museum as well as Al Tayebat, International City, but these are open to those on business visits and Muslims visiting citizens, otherwise tourist Visas into the Kingdom are yet to be introduced. All in all, the growth of this economy, though veiled, is significant and is expected to get better in coming days.

BESTIES

When my best friend Rose died, I had just turned 15 and not coping very well with teenagehood. My grief coping mechanisms didn’t work very well either. I studied like crazy for a term and then gave it up and decided I needed a boyfriend. Soon enough I was receiving mail every too weeks.

It was not easy to get another bestie after, and even though I tried, I never really opened up to other girls for fear of heartbreak.

But in my late Twenties my girlfriends became the best thing in my life, and a priority.

 I discovered how sitting to watch- the tooth fairy- or some other senseless movie just to keep the tears from rolling and ruining your night, can heal emotional wounds. That with several rows of cupcakes. The mad joy at discovering an old bottle of wine with faded labels at the price of a milk box.

The laughter, the scolding and the promises to never receive calls from fellas that never could fathom our real worth.

Or when you are both so broke you decide to make huge meals together and split the food, but splurge when payday come.

“We just take a bus and go to Naivasha”.

My youngest girl friend is 13 this year, the oldest is 97, but we speak the same language.

Esther, the adolescent will tell me;“If you are gonna tie a saree tomorrow you better have your breakfast tonight”

It’s Saturday night, not a school night so we are having a – Malcom in the Middle- Marathon. She came in feeling low because her younger sister lost their lunch money, but now is giggling beside me and I’m feeling thank ful.

meme courtesy of Adam Amos

Does apple cider vinegar help you lose weight?

That question has been the subject of many debates, with some arguing that weight loss is just a matter of perception. Others admit that diets must go hand in hand with healthy eating habits and exercise. Losing weight has become a full time occupation for some, and to some extent, it does ease the worry knowing there is a glimmer of hope.

 Many people have wondered, does apple cider vinegar help you loose weight, or is it just a marketing ploy? Well, certainly not a marketing ploy since it is quite easy to make home made ACV out of apple scraps. Basically the waste products including seeds, the core and peels and letting them ferment for a month or so. The result is hybrid vinegar that actually possesses qualities needed in vinegar containing the ‘mother ‘element which many brands in the market may not have after filtration.

In matters of weight loss, the ability to block starch and reduce absorption of calories into the body is one way the vinegar acts. By sprinkling vinegar on salads, the taste of the vegetables is improved. Vegetables are a great way to improve digestion and facilitate mineral absorption, and eating a bigger portion of salad is a sure way to reduce the portion of other serving portions.

A study carried out and published in 2009 journal on the topic does apple vinegar help you loose weight reported that daily consumption of vinegar for 12 weeks had the potential to help one loose weight.

Getting into the way it works, intake of vinegar suppresses one’s appetite, making you avoid snacking between meals, which is the highest perpetrator or weight gain. By waiting until the next meal time, the threat of extra weight is reduced.

By improving digestion and increasing the rate of metabolism, one that is struggling to loose weight can rest in the peaceful reality of less fat and water retention.In determining does apple vinegar help you loose weight? It is also imperative to consider the side benefits of vinegar which include the breaking down of cholesterol. High Cholesterol levels in the body lead to high.

 As well as aiding in weight loss, other beautiful aspects of this item are helping the body maintain healthy alkaline levels by balancing the PH. For general well being, using a little vinegar to set off cold and sore throat systems is the healthy way to branch off.Apple cider Vinegar contains potassium, acetic, lactic and malic acids, which are generally quite useful to the body. Thus said, make it a routine to drink a few table spoons regardless of whether you are trying to loose weight or not.

all the articles that I've written this year and didn't get paid for will appear here henceforth.

writing for fun

I’m considering changing careers; I work in a volatile environment. Writing for a living, is convenient, but it can break you. I should go back to writing for fun. It’s been 11 years since something I wrote first appeared in a newspaper. I guess I’ve proved to myself that writing about- Locksmiths in New Zealand- only takes a few minutes, but write five similar articles and your head gets fried. And asking for my money all the time sucks the joy out of writing. I recently wrote down in my work book: Accomplishments that only mean something to me and me alone. I went up to 11, and didn’t even finish the sentence. I realized kumbe all my dreams have come true. Everything I set out to do when I was 12 and feeling quite grown up. I remember that is when I decided to cut off any relationship that was not adding value to my life, and to my great surprise I scored 62% in Maths. You know my history with numbers, and the number of plum trees that lost fine branches to provide canes for my Math teacher to try and help me understand train stuff. Like, why a train leaving Mombasa at 6.00p.m traveling at 60 mph and another leaving Nairobi at the same time might meet at some point and at where they will meet, while my big concern would be; what if there was a collision? And did they inform the train driver that another train was heading his direction. Lives could be lost you know. So anyway, I also realized the accomplishments were not anything to boast about, but something to boost me. I’m often ambushed by feelings of low esteem, and before I can get up, I have at times considered looking up a counselor. But writing helps, it helps me remember my worth, and what I really want out of this life. I am at an advantage, having faith in God does really keep me up. In my search for self worth, self knowledge and an understanding of how I work, me and not somebody’s daughter, granddaughter, niece, or cousin, I get stronger. I realized early that I was different, as different as a hippie. From my need to look after vulnerable living things; I once hid a puppy under my grandmother’s bed, but it started barking when granny started to snore. She woke up and announced that me and the pup would sleep outside. She didn’t lock the door when I carried the puppy out, so I crept back and slept in the middle of the bed, and remained still until she started to snore again.

Clean nursery beds

Boarding school had its moments. Like evening prep when the school neighbour would come home drenched in wine and demand from his wife:

-Mother of xy, why are the cabbage nursery beds unswept?-
His wife: -Now father of xy, it is which stories you are starting at night?-
The man would reply in great wisdom
-No, noo. Take a broom and sweep the paths, and between the seedlings. It is not good for them to look like that. I want them to look like a peeled yam-

The wife would get out, carrying a paraffin lamp (hold it for me), which would go out when she stepped out of the house. We would hear her sweeping around the nursery beds. We didn't laugh, we giggled.
I'd bet we were glad it was not our family next to the school.

In my first years of school I lived with a family next to my school teacher. He was unforgiving. When I failed in Maths, he would find a reason for my lack of high IQ.

- mm?  

     How do you expect to catch anything in class if you were all beating drums the entire night?-
They were a happy, funny family and they liked to sing spiritual songs, and to beat a drum on some nights.

I'm looking at my vegetable garden and thinking it needs a sweeping.

Pumpkin Bargains in plot 65

Our aunt (Tata) and general mother always had pumpkins in the farm. So we viewed them with derision and none of us would be caught with yellow in their teeth. Until she got clever for us, agituhigira, and started making pumpkin chapati and a new world order came up in plot 65.

She had one regular pumpkin client.
This client , a man, would buy a pumpkin each week. He came in around 6.30 after sunset eand it would go this way:

-Aaa, but you have sold expensive mother of Munyeki-
-Eeee, and the way I have sold well for you, I have made the price well well-
-But this one is small, just sell 40 shillings-
There is no problem, but it is to give I've given you

Mama would say after,
-Just give him, how often does a man go grocery shopping?-
And tata would say
-Eeh, that is to spoil him, you will see him here everyday-

We thought it was funny because the pumpkin Would cost 120,150 shillings if the market people were asking. But it is like when you lend a friend some money, not much, like 100 shillings, you let them pay you back to keep doors open if they would like to come back again. So with the pumpkin dealing, both knew they were preserving each other's honor. The man would have his stew, and he would feel empowered to woth his purchasing power. Tata would not feel like she had turned into redcross.

I like pumkin soup, but each time I buy a slice from the shop I feel quite ripped off.

Makes me meditate with much feeling the song,
By the rivers of babylon

Saddles

“We can go to Texas right now”
 “Where is your horse,” I ask him and he takes a long puff at his cigarette.
 “You just have to agree to come with me, I can take a loan and get us a horse.”
"You look nice.” I say to him.

He is dressed in cowboy fittings head to toe; I’m expecting to see a horse nearby. But this is Eastlando and I am not sure where a horse would graze among these tires and hardware shops. He reminds me instantly of  something my uncle and I would watch on TV- Walker Texas Ranger, but the cowboy standing in front of me looked more like the new Sherriff in another movie that makes me laugh.

‘If you agree to what I’m saying, cow girl, we shall go right now.” He again says and I remember, oh, I am wearing that hat which has lead to many conversations lately.

At times I laugh when I think of how a dress, shoe, nice bag can be the determinant of who is gonna walk home with you.
 I must say, I prefer friendships based on substance, not that, since That girl has a nice dress, she is more noticeable, thus more acceptable and can be included.

As I settle in into middle age, friendship is taking on a new deeper meaning. I find that I treasure old friendships that have taken many hits over time yet survived intact, and can only tolerate new acquaintances if they can ease in into my friendship rules.
Though I'm actually not very sure what the rules are but looking around, the friends I have seem to have some characteristics that run across the whole bunch of us.