HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Photos from HX – More!
Posted on December 30, 2012
Greetings to all. 30 more pics from my trip home. Heading back to the desert next weekend.
Happy New Year to all.
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Galtee Mountains, Limerick/Tipperary/Cork border
Galtee Mountains
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Fog engulfed Galtee Mor (highest peak)
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Bridge @ Bruff village
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Bruff Waterfall
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Ballygrennan Castle, Bruff
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Bruff Waterfall (again)
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Mrs Cow!
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Mary Howard’s Pub, famous Bruff watering hole
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Bruff village
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Bruff Church
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Birds feeding
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Mr Crow!
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Meany’s horse
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My daughter & pal running by Ash Point, Lough Gur
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Knockfennell, Lough Gur, shot from the opposite Knockadoon hill
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Knockadoon, looking west
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Lough Gur
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Lough Gur
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Lough Gur
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Lough Gur
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Lough Gur birds
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Lough Gur swans
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Lough Gur, wild goose (I think!)
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LG & goose (again)
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Grange Church, from across the lake with Garret Island in middle
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Moonrise @ Lough Gur (it’s a marvelous place for a moondance!)
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Wren Boys (girls) at my house on St Stephen’s Day evening – old Irish custom
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Bruff Village
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Grange Stone Circle, Winter solstice evening, 21 December 2012
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Chat next year. Take care all.
MB
Christmas Photos from HX
Posted on December 25, 2012
Greetings all. A few photos of the past few days around the HX homeland. Cheers all!
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Caherguillamore – Solstice Morning 21st December 2012 (x4)
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Solstice late afternoon – Grange Stone Circle
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Caherguillamore – early morning
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Ditto
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Grange – Entrance to O’ Sullivans/Lough Gur on the Old Rd
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Early morning – Grange Stone Circle
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Caherguillamore – early morning
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Carol singing for ‘Cliona’s Foundation’ at Limerick Milk Market (LMM)
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Three swans over Lough Gur – Christmas Eve morning
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Sunday morning commemoration of 1920 shooting of 5 IRA fighters – Grange Church Graveyard
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Grange graveyard – Grave monument
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Grange Graveyard – Raising the flag
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Sky behind MB’s house on Christmas eve
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Meanus Church – Christmas morning
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Have a good one!
MB
Happy Christmas
Posted on December 13, 2012
…there is a God, there always has been. I see him here, in the eyes of the people in this [hospital] corridor of desperation.
This is the real house of God, this is where those who have lost God will find Him…
there is a God, there has to be, and now I will pray,
I will pray that He will forgive that I have neglected Him all of these years,
forgive that I have betrayed, lied, and sinned with impunity
only to turn to Him now in my hour of need. I pray that He is as merciful,
benevolent, and gracious as His book says He is.
– Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
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Dear Michael,
I am somewhat concerned about Saudi women working as per your article “Saudi Men & Women – Mixing haram!”
With my limited knowledge of the region (he has much knowledge I assure you lads – do not be fooled), I think it is probable that many would think that women could potentially start work working and it ends in sexual freedom. Simply different cultural upbringing and approaches.
My concern is not about prostitution or even free consensual sex – it is the wider implications on employment and change in society.
With Saudi women not working in the mainstream mixed arena and very few women working at all, the change to society and expectations re women will be dramatic and stressful to all and sundry. Many men will feel that they have lost their mojo as it will be seen by most that they cannot support their family – this is an issue that will cause immense and extreme frictions within families and tribes – a serious issue seldom understood by outsiders.
As a result of women not working, they are used to an ‘easy life’ with the families and the like (very tribal) hence they have drivers, several maids and nannies etc – this is all expected and provided by the male of the family. Consider female ‘freedom’ and potential implications – fewer drivers, maids and nannies as the women want to have freedoms and take responsibility, to drive, to look after kids etc – I suggest that to those who do not know or understand the society that this will not happen for generations.
Herein lies the ultimate Catch-22 – the status quo is actually driven by the women, particularly the elders as they see it as their right to be looked after and pampered by their men. Children are looked after by maids – women are driven about and dropped off and picked up at the front door of every establishment – no woman will ever do grocery shopping nor carry any bags.
I hear much noise about womens rights etc in Saudi and the region – what surprises me is that only the rich and well off families in our society can afford 1-2 drivers, a house maid, a cook and a nanny per 1-2 children, yet this is common place for the vast majority of families in Saudi. I am not sure which society model is correct – but I know many women who envy Saudi luxuries.
Freedoms come with a price and I think we should spend some time understanding the price we have paid for our so called freedoms in the west. I know many western women who live in the region and complain about the so called ‘second class’ status of women – but the vast majority of these same women never want to leave because life is easy and you are pampered to etc.
Simply different cultural upbringing and approaches.
- USA – 35%
- Rumania – 10%
- China – 11%
- Others 44%
- Rumanians & Chines would love MBs reviews
- Rumanians & Chinese had anything in common at all
Crosser GB
Dubai
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/dubai-ranked-top-for-quality-of-life-in-new-study-1.1114240
Qatari Poet
http://www.zawya.com/story/Qatari_poet_gets_life_in_prison_for_urging_uprising_lawyer-TR20121129nL5E8MT9YD2/
DH – Reluctant Emigrant
– T.S. Eliot
Awakening
Posted on December 6, 2012
I hear parents are christening their kids with the name ‘Noah’ in ever increasing numbers back home lads. On account of fact a name like that will bestow junior with some ark building qualities from the Gods, and his skills will be in big demand in the years ahead. The new IT! Was chatting with the family during the week on Skype and was difficult to hear them on the other end with the noise of the rain blasting off the windows, and stripping paint from the external walls. Where will it all end lads! No knowing. On similar vein hope all our Kabayan friends & their families safe in Philippines after the awful storm that has killed many.
Meanwhile in the desert lads, the sun continues to shine but with less severity than the Summer version, and we are now all bronzed and beautiful. No kidding!
Lots of stuff for you this week lads. And a few pics as usual.
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“For the great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad,
for all their wars are merry, and all their songs are sad.”
– G. K. Chesterton
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MR – The Book About Awakening
When I write my book! How many times have we said that lads? Well Crosser of old MR didn’t just talk about it. She went ahead and did it. Informed me few weeks back she had written a book and was in the last stages with Amazon.com. Was finalised in the past week and now available for all. I have not yet read it, as will do so over the holiday, but MR informs me that it contains some photos of the Stone Circle & the lake in the HX area. So looking forward to a few glasses of vino, open fire and The Book About Awakening.
Difficult to describe what the book is about. ‘Consciousness’ and ‘Awakening’ maybe, from my miniscule knowledge. Asked MR to write me an explanation piece and she has obliged. I have not printed her full composition, but have taken 2 extracts and given you link to the whole if you care to read all. See below.
So lads, encourage you all to support MR, but only available as a Kindle download for $6.50. So you got to treat yourself to a kindle also lads, which might be no bad treat for yourself for Christmas after a tough year past.
So big Mabruk to MR and wishing her the best. Thanks also for the contribution to this weeks HX MR. It’s been too long!
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From MR for the HX Report:
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Extract Nr 1 –
Well where to start about the Awakening?
I have studied the Mayan Calendar and it has through the media been exploited without understanding the structure of the calendar in the first place. I have done clearings and ceremony work with a keeper of the Mayan calendar Sean Alan Caulfield. He is a shaman and works closely with the Elders of the Kalahari Desert. I met him in London last year. He explained extensively to me how the Mayan calendar works and it is not a calendar of dates but a calendar of consciousness and a record and a predictor of changes in consciousness from before the universe even began. The Mayans were exceptional and experts in plotting the transits of the planets. Here is his website and you will see from the calendar that there has been levels of consciousness from before our galaxy existed. According to the Mayans there has been 9 levels of consciousness and this is how everything has evolved. As consciousness rises everything evolves.
http://www.seancaulfield.com/the-mayan-calendar.aspx
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Extract Nr 2 –
Now it is in revelations in the bible and the Mayan calendar being the most precise record of the changing history regarding humanities different ages, it is beyond a doubt now that our world is changing. On the 21-12-2012 which is Winter Solstice and Winter Solstice is our ancient ancestor’s celebration of the sun leaving the winter which is the season of rest and rejuvenation and celebrating the dawning on the day of Spring returning. On this day and the Mayans predicted the sun will cross the center of the Milky way which is the centre of our galaxy and astronomers and science have now validated that the sun will do this on this day. The planets will start to move back towards the center of our Milky Way after this day. For over 26,000 years they have been moving away from it. If humanity can only open up to a wider perspective of who we are and to take the step out of the box we have been living in, a whole new way of perceiving others, our planet and the universe will change and it is not an if…it is a when..and it is happening. Eventually humanity will come into right relationship with each other and with our Mother Ship, the EARTH, as without her we are nothing.
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https://dl.dropbox.com/u/27063903/The%20Book%20About%20Awakening.doc
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To MR from MB
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From amazon.com:
A book of teachings, poems, affirmations, and photographs in understanding your awakening and how to navigate through these changing times in our evolution. Everything is changing on the outside but the greatest change is the change within. This book hopefully the first of many will assist you to answer many questions which you are not receiving from the outside of you. It is a journey which all of you will have to take alone in order to uniquely understand your own journey.
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Saudi Men & Women – Mixing haram!
It is safe to say lads that the majority of Saudi men agree with the status quo which discourages or forbids the mixing of the male & female as we would know it in the west. Inform you weekly that it is only allowed for ladies in presence of a male guardian. And even then, from what I can see, its very rare. I am in the country how for 8 months and have never spoken to a Saudi lady (no harm in that says MB’s missus as she reads this section!). Anyway, even if i was here for 8 years I think my ‘single’ status would remain.
The following twitter exchange will give you an idea of conservative male thinking in the kingdom. A Saudi man walks into Hardees, a local fast food chain, for a ‘chip n burger’ and is horrified to see Saudi females working in the establishment, rather than the Philippinos he would more normally have expected. He immediately thinks of the position that the Government is forcing these ladies into by not prividing a job in a ‘female only’ environment thereby making them work in a place where it is inevitable that there will be mixing of the male & female. And as he memorably says – A waitress at the beginning of the work shift, and a prostitute at the end.
This piece of literary brilliance encapsulates much, if not most, of what outsiders (even most Muslim outsiders) think is very strange about the prevailing thinking in KSA. Absolutely nuts. Crazy. But at least the guy who made the statement is now threatened by a lawyer who is encouraging the Saudi ladies in question to take a case against him for impugning their honour. But have grave doubts that they will do so as, for one, they would have to explain the extend of the male/female mixing at work when they appear in court. Not easy, and could end them in more trouble than the blogger.
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From Twitter
Anger swelled in the Saudi blogosphere after a blogger posted a tweet addressed to the labour minister.
“You should stop corrupting the society. We will be your enemies on Resurrection Day. Our women are now waitresses at Hardee’s in Jeddah,” the blogger posted.
However, a woman blogger blasted him for the remark.
“Being a waitress and doing an honest is better than begging or prostitution,” she wrote.
However, the blogger insisted on his view.
“A waitress at the beginning of the work shift, and a prostitute at the end. The frequent mixing of women with men leads them to sitting together easily and to dating.”
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http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/prostitute-tweet-sparks-anger-1.1113649
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It’s a man’s world!
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Bruff Convent
The latest lads – Still for sale. One conditional offer has been made and an ‘English Group’ has twice visited Bruff for an inspection, prior to making a bid it is hoped. A 3rd group is investigating some potential uses prior to making a bid, assuming the figures stack up. And how do you know all this MB? Because I just know lads. And that’s where it lies. Keep you posted.
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For sale – Bruff convent school, now closed
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Interview with Photographer Steve McCurry
MB uses the WordPress blog site lads and so does another legend of the camera Steve McCurry. Considered one of the most renowned in world in the field of snapping. And with good reason. His photos are seriously good. So SMc makes the mega bucks with his shots, while MB offers his awesome pics on the HX every week for free. There is just no justice in the world, eh lads?!
Anyway, some lady at the WordPress, who obviously has much time on her hands, interviewed SMc this week and send us all her blog. Herewith:
McCurry makes a fortune, while MB works construction
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Grasshopper
Was reminded recently of one of my favourite TV programmes ‘Kung Fu’ of years ago lads and looked up a few clips on Youtube. Was full of wisdom and lessons which I discovered during the week were all from the Taoist philosophy. The programme makers were into Taoism and researched it to use as guideline for the lessons of each episode. Great stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCyJRXvPNRo
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Yoga
We have some Yoga buffs in our Crosser midst. If any of you fancy a trip over this weekend lads, there is Yoga & music fest in store:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/leisure/dubai-to-host-three-day-yoga-and-music-festival-1.1114932
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A gull swoops for food on the calm waters of Dubai creek (eat your heart out McCurry!)
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Dropbox
As often happens lads, as we have seen many times in the past, once the HX Report gives a heads up, the moovers & shakers kick into gear. Last week MB mentioned ‘Dropbox’. Within days the mannikins at Dropbox decided to make huge investment in the international home of Crosserhood – Ireland. Just another example lads, if you needed one, of the HX Report dragging our rain sodden impoverished isle from the depths, and inshallah making it the ‘Dubai’ of Europe in due course. A shining light in a desert of debt and misery.
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HX Music
Crosser JMc had posting on her Fb page recently of great Irish Rock band Thin Lizzy. So have chosen 2 of their classic pieces for you all lads. I was amused to see some time back to read that ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ is the number one played tune of the US forces radio in Afghanistan. Dancing In The Moonlight is may favourite, but I have not selected it. Take a listen:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTH6nrD0ars
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quyB8PMTD3o
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The majority of Indians working in the Middle East hail from the southern Indian state of Kerla. One feature that distinguishes male Kerlits from others is their moustache. Almost all males from the region sport one. On asking one such Kerlite friend why this was so he explained it as follows.
It is the true sign of a gentleman. There is only one thing that truly distinguishes a man from a woman – a moustache. Nothing else. And the other necessity for a true Kerla man is a pen in his shirt pocket. To sign a cheque, take an order, record a statement. Anything. So armed with a moustache and a pen a man is truly a man and an attractive proposition for any eligible female. I explained to him that in the West it is often the sign of homosexuality. He would hear none of it. He was proud of his growth and nothing I could offer would change his mind.
Let me know what you think ladies. Want your feedback. Would any of the following non-Irish lads take your fancy:
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Saudi Disputes
I mentioned the Grand Mufti a few weeks ago lads. The leading Muslim cleric in the Kingdom. Well he is back in the news lads. And for a reason I would never have dreamed of.
The Saudi Government recently introduced a law that places a tax on all employees that the employers must pay. Approximately Euro 500 per employee per year. Some companies in the construction industry out here have maybe 20,000 workers. So thats 10 Million Euro new tax for companies of that size. Needless to say all employers are unhappy about the new law. But the clever saudi are attacking the proposed law in a number of ways, detailed in the linked article. But one of the attacks is ingenious. The employers have asked the Grand Mufti to issue a Fatwa against the new law. And if he does lads then the new law just becomes toilet paper. It will not be enforcable and the Government can just forget about it.
i tell you this lads because I see you are all moaning about the budget in Ireland this week. So may I suggest that you all pay a visit to the local Bishop and ask him for a ruling. Worth considering lads. And just another lesson you can take from your Arab brothers. Allah u Akbar.
DH – The Reluctant Emigrant
More from DH on family life in the desert – national dress day at school and her kids choice of clothing.
http://thereluctantemigrant.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/irelands-national-dress/
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Tracking in the desert is easy
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HX Report 
