thoughts on photosynthesis, dot dot dot

I think the air quality must be pretty bad here, all things considered.  I mean, with the oil fields everywhere, and the utter lack of green vegetation which would provide us with some much needed oxygen and air cleansing side effects.  The oil fields really are QUITE beautiful by the way in the evening or the early mornings before sunrise... and look very much like another planet.  They have this surreal, twinkly, and hazy kind of glow.  Incredible the vast amount of money they represent. 

Speaking of money, apparently the country will run out of oil in 25 years so the royal family is not giving away money quite as easily and freely as before.  Not too many years ago, one of the brothers was very ill and thought he was dying.  In his life's meaning reckoning, soul searching, and coming to terms with his imminent death time, he decided to forgive the debt of every Kuwaiti citizen who had purchased anything on credit.  Cars, homes, very lavish ones, anything.  From $40,000 cars to $800,000 cars.  All debts, forgiven. 

Not long after, he started to get better and was not going to die from his illness after all.  In his jubilation and excitement from this news he, in addition to the free housing and utilities, and monthly living stipend that is already given to kuwaiti citizens....he gave every single Kuwaiti citizen, of ANY age, the equivalent of $36,000 US dollars.  Just a sort of, "praise be to Allah, I am going to live" sort of bonus.  The royal family here make Bill Gates look a bit middle class.  It is the kind of money I have never fathomed and I don't think many in the world could grasp it without living in the culture.  And I am by no means an expert, mind you.  I am just living here now and hearing the stories and the stories, well, they are cool.  I am sure there are plenty of tales which are not nearly so cool and hopefully I can remain blissfully unaware of them.

Kuwait's crop is oil.  Pure crude petroleum.  You cannot dig here without hitting it. That's one reason there is no water.  You don't find water when you dig - only oil.  Or natural gas. Hence - the need for the extremely costly desalinization of the waters from the Arabian Sea.  The bottled water and the tap here are quite tasty.  The tap, however, is always hot.  You are hard pressed to ever find cold water coming out of a faucet. 

You say you like to wash your clothes in cold water only?  Perhaps to save the environment or to keep your colors from fading?  Impossible here.  The water comes out hot. Not lukewarm. Not tepid. Hot. Most of the water tanks for the houses and apartments and office buildings and military installations are located, get this - on the roof.  the freakishly hot, constantly exposed to the unrelenting desert sun and in metal or plastic tanks.  Hence - turn on your faucet.....and the hot water flows like lava.  In 2009, Kuwait exported 2.5 billion barrels of oil PER DAY. 

Kuwait has one other crop though....it is the only thing they grow except some poor unfortunate palm trees which struggle to live and are hand watered by whoever has the "water the plants" contract in the country.  This other crop you might be astonished to discover.  Watermelon.  Yes, that is right - WATERMELON.  The sweetest, reddest, juiciest, most delicious watermelon you will ever taste in your life if you get the fortune to be able to sample it.  The "farmers" (I guess?) are located all over on the roadsides with truck beds just overflowing with these luscious fruits.  I grew up in rural North Carolina and thought you could not beat the watermelon that came out of my grandma's garden.  Well. Kuwait has gramma's melons beaten with no contest!