RUSSIA


In June 2017 MB had the good fortune to travel to Moscow and enjoy some of the famous sights that historical city has to offer. MB stayed in the Metropol Hotel very close to Red Square which has an incredible history. The photo gallery on the lift lobby of the first and second floors (as MB can remember) provides a fascinating glimpse of the famous guests that the hotel has hosted for more than one hundred years. As an aside – if you haven’t read the 2016 novel ‘Gentleman in Moscow’ MB strongly encourages you to do so, which is set almost entirely in the Metropol Hotel. A read of reads!

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Weekly Photo Challenge – Delta (Change)


Transitions/Change/The Passing of time.

It’s either a sign of MB’s personal ignorance of the art world or ignorance within Western countries generally of Russian history and culture (MB is not sure which), that he had never previously heard of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow until his Moscow visit of a few days back. The gallery houses the largest collection of Russian art in the entire country and was originally donated to the State by an art-collecting merchant called Pavel Tretyakov (in 1892).

Tretyakov’s donation comprised some 2,000 works of art at that time, but the collection has now grown to some 150,000 pieces, including some sculptures. The gallery itself is overwhelming, as are many of the paintings which are huge in physical size. MB got lost a number of times in the gallery such is its extent, and its labyrinth layout. The paintings generally portray famous characters or aristocracy figures from Russian history, famous moments of Russian history, and many religious themed paintings.

MB gives you all one such painting from the gallery, appropriate for this week’s photo challenge from many aspects MB is thinking, which depicts the arrival of Jesus to some of his followers. MB heard the full description of the painting on his gallery audio guide but sadly forgets most of it by now. MB remembers that some of the characters have just emerged from the Jordan River following their baptism by John The Baptist, and four of the future apostles appear on the left side of the photo (in beards & one with red hair).

MB will post a follow-up post on the Tretyakov Gallery in the coming days. Big thanks to Russian friend NK for organising the visit and many others over the weekend. MB Os U!

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Good Hair Day


Salam lads
Am back in the land of the 2 holy Mosques lads – that’s Saudi Arabia to you, or the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia as we often say out here. Spent a very pleasant week in Dubai last week and got in a few photo shoots for you all. Today’s pics come from the Dubai Creek area where a huge amount of boat trade is done with neighbouring countries such as Iran across the Persian Gulf, and even as far away as Somalia on the African east coast. The traditional Arabic timber boats get loaded up with consumer goodies and sold for profit in places where such goodies are hard come by. Hope you like the pics.

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Reaction to last week’s HX was very mixed lads. Many enjoyed MBs spin on world events as usual and were in orgasmic rapture about the the mega pics. But MB received almost violent reaction from some Indian followers of the HX lads. And what were they on about you might ask? Well lads, they informed MB that when they read the title last week (reference to ‘Birds’) and then MB started talking about all the stunning leggy Russian girls he saw in Fujairah hotel – the Indian lads were sure MB was going to include many pics of the Russian birds!!!

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And they were mightily disappointed that MB was referring pics of the feathery birds, and not pics of long legged Russian ones. What was I to do lads? Most of the husbands/boyfriends of the Ruskie babes were Russian bear types, with no necks from all the military training, and am sure any of them could have snapped MB’s neck with their little finger. So MB left the zoom lens in the camera bag, and for once put his health & welfare before the needs of the Crosser brethern. And MB has lived to tell the tale. Enough said lads.

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Hello to ‘The Ms’ who met MB in Dubai last week and are now back in HX eating the non-Muslim bacon, pork, sausages, rashers and all things tasty. Inshallah you will visit Dubai again in the future.

Onwards lads.

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Good Hair Day

There I was in the shower in Dubai last week ladies. The water was perfect temperature as it flowed over the lean muscular body of MB. A little sunlight filtered through the open window and glistened brightly on the bulging MB shoulder muscles. Cool down ladies please – this story is about MB hair and not about MB body.

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Anyway ladies, there I was, as naked as the day I was born, whistling a tune, with not a care in the world at that particular moment. Enjoying my ‘man shower‘. And what is a ‘man shower‘ MB? Well ladies a ‘man shower’ is a shower taken by the average man. It lasts approx 3 minutes, which is just enough time to get wet, apply the shampoo, clean off same, turn off water and dry the ‘man body‘. It is the complete opposite to ‘woman shower‘ or ‘girl shower’ or ‘lady shower’ – which are known to take hours in duration and deplete scarce water resources in many regions of the world. But you have caused me to digress ladies. Back to my story……

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Thirty seconds into the MB ‘man shower’ ladies, MB reaches for the shampoo. Horror of horrors – no shampoo! Or as I would say if I was an Arab – mafi shampoo! WTF! Sudden panic attack ladies. MB likes his shampoo for the standard 20 second usage. But it was not going to be this time ladies – due to ‘mafi shampoo‘. So MB then eyed some ‘conditioner’ – that must have been left over by a previous female tenant of the property, as we all know that only women use this muck, and no manly man would ever be caught dead using the stuff. But sometimes ladies – needs must – as they say, and in absence of shampoo, MB slapped a little conditioner on his head.

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And then ladies, MB had his Eureka moment! MB goes to the young Indian barber lads regularly and gets the Nr 1 blade on the sides and back, with the Nr 4 blade on top. The young Indian barber lads do not even ask MB any more what he wants. They know the spec. It never changes.

So ladies, MB is essentially hairless. Therefore MB has no use for shampoo, or the girlie conditioner. A quick rub of the soap bar on his 6-Pack stomach (max 5 seconds) serves the exact same purpose. And now MB does not need to buy shampoo – ever again! Financial savings will ensue, maybe a little extra can now be set aside for the chocolate budget – for example, and all will be well with the world. Joy of joys!

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So ladies. Take a look at your man’s head. Does he really need ‘volumising‘ or the ‘moisturising’ or the ‘for normal hair types‘ that you pick up for him in Tesco each week, or in the Carrafour out this neck of the woods. May I suggest experiment ladies. For one week only, when the shampoo bottle is almost empty, do not buy another bottle, leave small bar of soap in the shower, and wait for the reaction. You may get pleasant surprise!

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Saudi Fatwas & The Ladies

Interesting (for some) article on ‘Fatwas‘ lads. Religious pronouncements made by Muslim Imams/Priests normally, sometimes absolutely ridiculous and without any basis other than their own limited view of the world and warped view of their own religion:

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Suddenly the net was flooded with all manners of fatwas or edicts. Some seemed sound and rational while others bordered on the ridiculous. There was a fatwa which called for the separation of the genders to prevent the mingling of the sexes at Islam’s holiest worship site in Makkah by adding extra floors around the Kaaba and dedicating one solely for women.

Another fatwa which defied foundation and drew a lot of ridicule was the one that called for working women to breast feed their male associates at the workplace, thus developing a symbolic bond between unrelated men and women who regularly come into contact with each other and making it permissible for women to mingle with the males there. And then there was the fatwa against women driving.

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UAE Thinking & The Ladies
The biggest defenders of the political status quo in Dubai and the rest of the UAE are local women. And a big reason is that they can see the bullshit lives that Muslim women have to tolerate in many Arab countries, and are extremely grateful for the freedoms that exist in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other Emirates. The below article shows the huge contrast that exists between UAE & Saudi Arabia for example, which are neighbouring states. Its not all plain sailing as the article states but at least there is a tolerant and forward thinking mindset amongst the UAE leaders:

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The evolution of women’s role in UAE society has been spurred by the leadership’s recognition of the pivotal role women can play in economic and social development. It is a testament to the government’s strategic vision to enhance their roles in both the public and private spheres and to ensure that all career options are open to them.

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The Gay Mormon & Coming Out

Read the below story during the week lads about a young Mormon lad who decided to video his coming out to family and friends over the period of a year as he broke the news to them all that he was gay. Amusing to say the least.

It reminded me of similar incident in my own past many years back. No lads, I was not ‘coming out’ for God sake,  you are having a laugh surely lads. But very good friend of mine decided that it was time for him to break to news to all his friends that he was gay, and he decided that MB would be his guinea pig and the first lad he would hit with the good news.

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Gay Friend (GF): MB my friend, I have some big news for you.
MB: What?
GF: I am gay, homo, etc
MB: What’s ‘etc’?
GF: ‘Etc’ was joke MB
MB: So was my question, hahahaha!
GF: So what’s your reaction MB? To fact that I am coming out to you, and selected you to be the first to whom I would give the news?
MB: I dont care what you or anyone else gets up to in the privacy of your bedrooms GF, or anywhere else for that matter. Or what your ‘orientation’ is. Makes absolutely no difference to me. You are friend but from now on you may call yourself ‘GF’ if you wish.
GF: Thanks MB, So it makes no difference?
MB: I don’t care if the entire world is gay GF. Apart from fact that I would have to find hetrosexual alien women from outer space to make a few babies with, and save the entire human/alien race with my reproduction activities.
GF: Jesus!
MB: No – MB!

To be continued next week……..

Indian Women & Smartphones

Lots of hassle for ladies in India as we have seen from some serious disturbing recent stories from the subcontinent. the smartphone is finding new uses:

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Reluctant Emigrant – Ping Pong

Thanks to DH for another good one this week.

http://thereluctantemigrant.wordpress.com/

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HX Report – The times they are a changin!

Met up with mentor & mother figure DH last week in Dubai lads, and she got me thinking. DH is author of the above referred Reluctant Emigrant blog and like MB she too in the past sent out weekly blog email. But she no longer does so, as she uses a facility on this blog website to invite everyone to ‘follow’ the blog. This means that if you accept the invitation to ‘follow’ then you will receive the blog automatically by email, and MB will not have to send out any more emails. Enabling him to give more time to his creative genius and produce yet more side splitting and highly intellectual ‘stuff’ for you all. Masha’allah!

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So expect invite from MB during next few days lads and become a HX Report – FOLLOWER

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Take care ladies

That’s it for another week ladies. A pleasure as ever. Take care, and don’t forget – when you receive the email – become a FOLLOWER!

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MB

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