An Amazing Mother

I just finished watching a new show in the television about this huge family. Michelle Duggar of Tontitown, Arkansas is pregnant. With her 18th child.....and says she has no plans to stop any time soon. I was so amazed how this woman managed to have many kids and keep adding, her new baby will due on New Year's day. She has been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life. The Duggar children, all with first names beginning with "J," range from Jennifer, 9 months, to Josh, 20. They're all home-schooled.

The show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores — or “jurisdictions” — are assigned to each child. One episode of the show involves a “jurisdiction swap,” where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa.The girls swapped jurisdictions, changing tires, working in the garages, mowing the grass. The boys got to cook supper from start to finish, clean the bathrooms,” among other chores.

They are followers of the evangelical Christian movement called Quiverful, which teaches that children are God’s blessing and that husbands and wives should happily welcome every child they are given.

And they won’t stop, because they can’t stop. Duggar said she’s six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they’ll keep having children as long as God wills it.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but, isn’t it pretty risky to give birth after age thirty-five? Or perhaps after seventeen babies.......

Little episode of my life in Saudi-as a woman

Well, I'm a person who had experienced life transition situation many times, and its always not easy. You have to be able to cope up with the cultural differences of communication and cultural differences. I spent 3 years of my life in a completely different culture in a country where religion serve as their constitution.

As an overseas contract worker, being warned not to bring pork, pornography, Bibles, crucifixes and the obvious ingredients of home-made alcohol into the country did not come as a surprise. The country is devoid of public entertainment, cinemas and club. There are some fine restaurants but with the strict seating area for single men and families, single women are not allowed in any restaurants unaccompanied. For women, in public you are required to wear their traditional islamic female dress (see the photo above), a black cloak-like affair called the abaya, which masks any resemblance of a women form/shape from male onlookers. For some stricter city like Gassim, all women including non-muslim required to put cover on face, with only the eyes is visible.

If you're imagining right now, just picture the image of a ninja warrior, that's exactly how they will look like, with those all black dress covered from head to foot. Note also that you have to cover your hair too with scarf. It's not easy for me, especially during the extreme heat season of the country. NO matter what, you have to wear their national dress, even in an emergency situation.

One time, at my work, I was in a rush to get an in-patient for physical therapy. The Physical Therapist instructed me to get the patient exactly in time, because the Male patient will use the gym(remember male and female should always separate) in about 30 mins. The patient I was about to get is already in her patient's gown. But because she will be getting outside from her ward, she needs to put on her abaya and black face mask which will take 15 minutes to put on, oh my gash, I wish female patients will be exempted from wearing this because time is important in a hospital. What if there is a fire or in a between life and death situation?, I think female there is scared not to break the law, they will still wear their masks and abaya. Ok, were done with what women wear in Saudi.

Let's just put everything together:

Women in Saudi aren't allowed to drive.

They aren't allowed to go to public place with a man that aren't their husband. If the mutawa (their religious authorities) caught you with a man and you can't show any marriage papers, you will be jailed.

Women in Saudi can't vote.

They are not allowed to go to football matches.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to try on clothes in shops and malls.

They can hardly work.

With all of the above, why do they even have to exist in Saudi Arabia? why not just simply send all females to the neighboring countries and change the name of the country to the The land of Males.

Are they allowed to breath?

Are you an internet addict?

As the internet increasingly becomes part of our daily lives, I am hooked and can't stay away from the web. As I wake up in the morning, first thing I will do is turn on the PC, forgetting about breakfast.(If I do eat breakfast, I will be eating at the front of the monitor, lol). That's my routine, before going to work, check my email, chat with friends, check my forum, and now my blog. And also, there were important things like paying bills online, sending money online, credit card payment and checking bank statement online. I can't resist being away from the net even for one day. Worst, I spend like, 36 hours a week or 6 hours/day in the internet. 2 hours in the morning before going to work and like 3 or 4 hours after work. I can't even cook a good meal at night for supper, choosing easy to cook meals, so that I can have time for the internet while cooking. Oh, my, I think something wrong with me now. I have lost interest with the thing I am interested too before, and worst, I can't even socialize now, when friends invited me to go out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAt the hotel, using computer while on trip

Sometimes, my husband will ask me if I want to go at the bar with him, which I will decline because I want more time in the computer. There was a time that he was on a military related trip and I was left home by myself, I sat for hours until the wee hours of the morning dinking on the computer. My husband does complain, I don't think I give him much attention lately. It's from him that I hear the first time the word, "internet addict". "Your an intenet addict now". And lately from marge , joking she's an addict coz her many blogs really amazes me. Well, she is an internet addict who has a job which requires her to be online for the whole part of the day. Now, I'm alarmed, by these signs, I think I am really an addict and will definitely jeopardize some important things in my life. My relationships with husband? my friends who is not into computer? my health (skipping the right time for meals).

So, I took time to take the "internet addiction test" and I got 85, huh, huh. I found out that there is this thing as internet addiction disorder, although theres no research that has established yet if its a disorder. I will have to do something to overcome my addiction, here are some ways that I think will help:

• First thing in the morning, I will have a bowl of cereal and read my newspaper like I used to, before the Internet.
• I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing. (trying hard to make this, huh, huh
• Gotta clean the house, do the laundry , cook dinner before thinking of the internet.
• I will take time to write letter to my friends and family who are internet-deprived or not into computer thing.
• I will call someone on the phone who I cannot contact via the Internet.
• I will read a book...if I still remember how.
• I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check for email.
• I will try to go to the bar with my husband even once a week.
• Lastly, I will remember that I must go to bed sometime...and the Internet will always be there tomorrow!

Still, I will use my internet time in blogging and do the important things,(paying, banking, sending money). Anyway, Internet is still very important in our daily lives if we don't abuse it. Always use moderately.