Dubai loses the plot - no sexy sexy times for expats. And the airport project strikes water

Photo: Thinking of a holiday in Dubai? You had better behave! [getty images]

The way Dubai is repeatedly imprisoning people for insignificant 'offenses' is certain to start to impact the tourist trade, as word spreads that you could be thrown in jail for such terrible crimes as kissing in public or sending sexy text messages.

Someone is losing the plot in the Emirate.

In the latest story, 2 Emirates cabin crew have been given 3 months in prison for sending each other sexy text messages, reduced on appeal from the original sentence of six months and deportation. The woman's husband had obtained the texts from the national telecom provider in a divorce dispute, and seems to be somewhat filled with a desire for revenge and to win custody of his child. It seems sending sexy texts in the UAE amounts to the crime of "coercion to the commitment of sin".

You've been warned.

The National has the story, but it's all over the net today.

Airline pair jailed over sex texting
Awad Mustafa
March 17. 2010
DUBAI // Two Emirates Airline cabin crew have been jailed for three months for exchanging lewd text messages.

RS, 42, a flight attendant, and EB, 47, a cabin services supervisor, were convicted of “coercion to commit sin” after sending each other sexually themed SMS messages, according to court documents released yesterday.

The pair, both Indian, were sentenced to six months in prison and deportation by the Dubai Court of Misdemeanors in December.

The court said the texts “fulfilled all the necessary angles of coercion to the commitment of sin”.

The Appeals Court upheld that decision last week. But it halved their jail sentences and scrapped the deportation orders. There was not enough evidence to prove that the pair had extramarital relations, it added.

The flight attendant’s sister, BM, 25, was also convicted of perjury and sentenced to three months and deportation by the lower court. Her deportation order was withdrawn on appeal.

The case first went to court after the flight attendant’s husband, SG, filed a lawsuit against his wife in March 2009 claiming that she was involved in an illicit relationship with the supervisor.

The couple had been embroiled in a divorce battle since 2007.

SG has now gained sole custody of their four-year-old son, although it was not clear when the couple divorced.

During the divorce proceedings, SG requested that the courts order Etisalat to produce copies of his wife’s text messages, which, he said, proved the illicit relationship.


The telecoms provider turned them over to the court in October 2008.

Five months later, the flight attendant’s husband filed a criminal complaint against her, charging her with having an affair and saying her text messages were an insult to Islam.

She told police that her sister sent the messages to the supervisor, who also denied any relationship with RS. He told officers that he had been seeing her sister for the past four years. Prosecutors decided that was untrue, however, leading to the perjury charge against the sister.

Meanwhile, Muscat Airport runway costs go up at least Half a Billion dollars.

Muscat's new airport is in trouble. A Ministry official was quoted in the papers as saying the new runway would be delayed for 2 years and cost an extra $500 million due to hitting seawater.

What the official didn't mention that the project screwed up big time. Not only did they skimp by not doing basic geotechnical investigation - drilling exploratory boreholes to sample the rock and soil where the runway was planned - but my sources tell me similar problems had already hit the sewage waste water project last year, and so should have been obvious.

The problem is the contractors needed to dig quite deep to make a proper runway that can be engineered to last and withstand being pounded by planes landing all day. And the excavation, on land right by the ocean, needed to be a lot deeper than the level of the aquifer. Doh!

My sources, who know a thing or two about engineering, also said $500 million was a low estimate, and it could end up adding an extra billion dollars, almost doubling the cost of the runway. This is because they will have to build it up even higher, and thus needing a LOT more rock and sand.

Reuters reported that the extension of Oman's main airport in Muscat will be delayed by 2 years and may cost the state up to an extra USD 500 million after runway excavations hit seawater.

The official said that the Muscat airport extension will now be completed in 2014, not in 2012 as expected due to soft ground which contractors come across in some places. He said that it would cost the government up to USD 500 million to pay for reinforcements to fill affected ground in places where civil work excavations hit seawater.
...

Speaking of cock-ups, in other news, The Asian Beach Games project, despite rumours to the contrary, will apparently be ready on time. Even my sources confirm this, not just OMRAN.

However, the project is beset with problems, with chaotic redesigns on the fly coupled with the immovable date for completion in November this year, as Oman hosts the Asian Beach Games. The bits that will appear on TV are already finished, and the hotel will be OK. But the athletes village will be a Heath Robinson affair that will not be built to last, and plans to create yet another OMRAN mini-city at the site have been shelved, replaced by a now 4 star hotel (was 3 star) and the usual Integrated Tourist Development we know and love.

There are also persistent rumours of sweet contracts being awarded** to people who just happen to be closely related to senior people at Omran and the Ministries of both Sport and Tourism. To enable things to be done super quickly, CEO of OMRAN, Mr. Wael bin Ahmed Al Lawati, appears to have been given the ability to by-pass normal tender board procedures. I'm sure that there is no way such a removal of standard oversight would lead to contracts being given to relatives or buddies.


Coincidentally and totally unrelated, as the deadline approaches the budget is going through the roof. So while the project will scrape home and will look great on TV, the costs will be huge and the final product nothing like as grand as what was originally approved.

Small wonder the leadership of the project, under the responsibility of the Muscat Asian Beach Games Organising Committee (MABGOC) and Director General Eng. Habib Macki, have been replaced resigned. On Tuesday, Muscat Daily reported that executive Director Sheikh Soud bin Hamed Al Rawahi had decided to spend more time with his family due to the pressure of work.... In January, Talal al Kishry the deputy Director of Operations resigned also.

But it's only Government money after all.

** Dear Mr State Auditor, maybe have a look at the contracts surrounding the Convention Centre...

One law for all in UAE? Not.

As is often the case, little of note to report in Oman, except the apparent total abscence of any Omani media follow-up to local blogger Ali's conviction last week (see previous post. Has anyone seen anything in the official media here?)

But I noticed 3 interesting sex related sentences handed down by the courts in the UAE last week (unlike Oman, even the UAE newspapers publish interesting court case outcomes).



Case 1: A Filipino waiter who had what sounds like careless consensual sex with a drunk 16 yr old at his birthday party, gets 3 years in prison followed by deportation for statutory rape. The girl only reported the sexual encounter 6 months later, after she found herself pregnant.

The Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday sentenced the 27-year-old Filipino accused to three years' imprisonment after he was found guilty of having sex with a minor against her will. Presiding Judge Al Saeed Mohammad Barghout, who pronounced yesterday's verdict, said the accused will be deported after serving his punishment.
…
The 27-year-old claimed that he had consensual sex with the girl and denied intoxicating her drink and raping her during his birthday party, as charged by the Public Prosecution.

The lawyer said the girl had sex with two other men and when she discovered her pregnancy (six months after the incident), she accused R.B. of making her pregnant.

Case 2: A British woman, Marnie Pearce, while trying to get divorced from her crazy adulterous Egyptian husband, was accused of having sex with a male friend when separated from the hubby. Found guilty, she loses custody of her 2 young sons, and gets 3 months in prison (reduced from 6 on appeal), to be followed by deportation.

(Although the international outcry is having an effect – Dubai have apparently promised to review the deportation order…)


Case 3: An Emirati man who was found guilty of raping his 22 yr old Indonesian maid gets… 6 months suspended.

... Records said the accused dropped his children and a second Indonesian maid he had employed at a park before rushing home to have sex with the victim.

Public Prosecution records quoted the maid accusing the mechant, who is her sponsor, of trying to pay her Dh1,000, which she rejected, before he raped her.
"He walked into my room while I was ironing the family's clothes... he offered to pay me Dh1,000 in cash, which I refused because it was not my salary. Then he used one hand to silence me, undressed me with the other hand, and raped me," the woman claimed in her statement to the Public Prosecution.

The merchant was charged with raping the housemaid. Medical reports confirmed that she lost her virginity due to the incident.

So, that’s alright then.

No gays please - we're Bahrain and we're straight.

Following on from the post on 'No sex please', the Gulf News reported today that the Islamo-wackos in Bahrain are now calling for a ban on homosexuals entering the country and leading astray the delicate youth of Bahrain. They want the Government to 'stamp out' homosexuality and for the security services to be 'more vigilant' to stop foreign gays entering the country. They are worried their gayness is spreading to the local population, who are then having lots of gay sex and even worse, dressing fashionably and stylishly, neither of which would happen if only the security forces would act as all Bahraini boys are born straight, obviously.

How bizarre. It makes you wonder if these guys ever think about things at all. I'm trying to imagine the scene at the immigration desk...

>>>>
Bahraini Immigration Officer: Welcome to Bahrain, where everyone is straight or they get a good beating. So, you are man, yes?
Tourist: Er, yes sweetie. What nice eyes you have.

Bahraini Immigration Officer: And who is this man there? Your brother? Your Cousin?
Tourist: Oh, we're just friends. We're here for a holiday for the F1 race. We've got a double room at the hotel.

Bahraini Immigration Officer: You are married?
Tourist: No. Could just never find the right girl, you know?

Bahraini Immigration Officer: Are you a homosexual? Are you Filipino?
Tourist: Me? Er... No.... I'm British.

Bahraini Immigration Officer: Really. But why you are looking like a pansy big girl's blouse!? You are having highlights and too too much jewelery. And you are walking funny and having a girly voice. Are you sure you are not a biter of pillows or a lifter of shirts, coming here to pervert the innocent and totally straight young Bahraini boys?
Tourist: I'm sure.

Bahraini Immigration Officer: Is that a piercing!?!?! I think you are like the gay poofter people I see on satellite TV who are very funny. You are like my little cousin Said who we don't talk about, who keeps wanting to be hairdresser and playing with the flower arranging.
Tourist: Oh, OK. You're right. We thought we could fool you. Quintin, the pink Dolce & Gabanna shirt was a giveaway, didn't I tell you!

Bahraini Immigration Officer: Next!
Oh it is you Mr. Michael Jackson! Welcome back to Bahrain! Welcome! Oh, and thank you for taking my cousin Said for a sleepover party to your villa last time. He said he had a wonderful time.... Enjoy your stay!
>>>>>

Like what the Middle East needs is more hate and decisions based on religion.

Call to ban gays from entering Bahrain
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Published: October 27, 2008
Manama: Two Islamist MPs have renewed calls to ban homosexuals from entering Bahrain, warning that their presence in the country would "lead to social and moral depravation."

"The interior ministry has to act swiftly and promptly to stamp out homosexuals in Bahrain since the procrastination of the issue would intensify the problem," Abdul Hamid Murad, representing Islamic Menbar Society, said.

"They can be seen in many areas in Bahrain, but their presence in Manama, the capital, is very noticeable," he claimed.

According to the MP whose bloc commands six of the 40 seats in the lower house of the parliament, homosexuals were having "a negative influence" on the Bahraini youth.

"Bahrain already has enough social problems, such as the use of drugs, so allowing foreign gays into the country would compound the situation. The real tragedy is that many young Bahrainis have started imitating the style of the homosexuals by, for instance, wearing indecent clothes," he said.

The MP said that the security authorities should be more vigilant in deciding who can enter the country, claiming that they had a duty to preserve Islamic ethics.

But for MP Mohammad Khalid, the authorities should address the issue as "a tragic development that needs immediate and robust tackling."

Of course, this isn't new in Bahrain. Islamic parties have previously called for action against homosexuals, and apparently 2000 Filipino hairdressers were deported in 2002.

The Al Menbar bloc, not content that the penalty of fines, imprisonment or deportation acts as a sufficient deterrent, called on tougher measures to “stamp out homosexuality”.
The proposal - ratified by parliament - called on:
The Interior Ministry to stop granting residence permits to foreign homosexuals.
The Education Ministry to monitor students, and punishing those who veered towards homosexuality.
The Industry and Commerce Ministry to monitor massage and hair salons to ensure that they have no closed rooms and that violators be prosecuted.

See Pink News UK and MidEast Youth

A set of proposals approved by Bahrain's parliament targeting homosexual activity in the country should be implemented, according to a politician in the Gulf state.

Brotherhood MP Shaikh Mohammed Khalid Mohammed wants the government to begin a number of initiatives designed to rid the country of gay people.

In April parliament demanded that the Interior Ministry stop granting any residence permits to foreign homosexuals.
....
The ministers have called for homosexuals to be 'rooted out' of hair salons and massage parlours. The proposals will see teachers on the look out for homosexual tendencies in children and 'punishing them accordingly.'

Homosexuality has been considered illegal in Bahrain since 1956 when, as part of the British Empire, it was given the Indian Penal Code.Homosexuals can be given up to 10 years in prison though this is rarely put into practice.

In 2002 the government deported 2,000 allegedly gay Filipino workers for homosexual activity and prostitution.

No sex please, we're Middle Eastern

Just a couple of interesting articles from the region to start the day today.

First up, sex.
Sex is a big issue in the ME. Lets face it -the place is so totally uptight: No porn, sex toys are illegal (almost!), no sex outside marriage, no homosexuality, masturbation is haram, no sex education, no abortions, no legal prostitution, adult web sites blocked centrally for everybody, no topless or nudist beaches.... Its not dissimilar to the heart of the US Bible belt. Hell, in Saudi if you're a woman you can be sentenced to a good lashing for the 'crime' of being raped.

Thus, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that having sex on a public beach in the UAE, apparently after a cop has already warned you to move on, is a really dumb idea. The couple (Brits naturally), are incredibly still out on bail pending their appeal, but are now being faced with a counter appeal. UAE think 3 months in prison not enough, and want at least a year. Wow. The couple are of course exteremely fortunate they weren't on a Saudi or Iranian beach, but still, a year for a low quality drunken bonk. Ouch. It's probably just an attempt to get them to take the original 3 months and leave. Gulf News

Prosecutor seeks longer jail term for sex-on-beach couple
By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
Published: October 27, 2008

Dubai: The British couple, who was convicted of indulging in sexual activity in public, might find themselves serving a longer jail term after the Public Prosecution appealed their initial verdict of a three-month imprisonment. ...

Meanwhile, in Eqypt...
the Gulf News reports on a couple who have been busted for organising swinger parties, although it looks like the problem is the Egyptians don't actually have a law making it illegal for a group of married adults to have consensual sex with one another in private, so they are talking about using anti-prostitution laws to give them 3 years. Ouch!

The story is quite salacious and yet sort of down-at-home cute: hubby surfed some porn, came across an Iraqi Kurdish guy who was into swinging there, and convinced the wife to give it a try. She went on to get their friends into it too! Awesome.

'Egyptian police snooping on couples'
By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
Published: October 27, 2008
Cairo: Egyptians have reacted with shock at the country's first known case of wife-swap involving married couples.

Earlier this week, police arrested the couple, using the pseudonyms Magdy and Samira, who had allegedly set up a wife-swapping club via the internet. A total of 44 married couples were alleged to be members of the club, according to security sources.
...
The two main suspects, confessed in questioning to having organised orgies in their apartment in Giza, south of Cairo, the sources added.
...
"I stumbled on a website on wife swap run by a Jewish Kurd in northern Iraq, who explained the idea to me and encouraged me to promote it in Egypt through my own website. I suggested the idea to my wife, who liked it," he added. They have two children. The husband told prosecutors he had convinced his wife, a 37-year-old Arabic teacher, of the idea of "a swinger lifestyle as a form of physical recreating between consenting married couples".
...
"My wife and I began telling our close married friends and acquaintances about it and many of them willingly attended at least five swinging parties we held in our home, as well as three orgies at other addresses," Magdy, the main defendant, was quoted as saying in investigations.

The couple and their accomplices could be charged with facilitating prostitution, which carries a sentence of up to three years in jail, under the Egyptian law.

Also in Egypt, a man who grabbed a woman's tits in the street got 3 years hard labour, but prosecution for such things is surpisingly a rare event in the ME considering the public taboo on matters sexual.

Egyptian Gets Jail for Sex Assault in Milestone Case
By JOSEPH MAYTON (Middle East Times)Published: October 22, 2008
Tuesday's court conviction of a groper is said to be a victory for women. "Women are freer to talk, and know that they are not alone, and [abuse against them] is not their fault," one women’s activist says.
CAIRO -- When Noha Rushdi Saleh went to a police station to press charges against a man who had repeatedly groped her on the street, she was turned away. The police said that if she wanted to file charges against the man she would have to bring him to the station herself. Saleh, 27, promptly returned to the scene and sat on the hood of the perpetrator's vehicle and argued with him until they went to a local station where he was charged with assault.

Her decision to press charges paid off Tuesday, when a Cairo court sentenced Sherif Goma'a to three years in prison with hard labor and fined him 5,001 Egyptian pounds ($895).
...

and later in the same article, mention of how mobs of Egyptian youths sometimes sexually attack women in the street en-mass. Bizarre.

...On Oct. 2 scores of young men and boys attacked women in the streets in a middle-class Cairo neighborhood. According to eyewitness accounts, around 150 male youths attacked female pedestrians and ripped at their clothes.
Women reported groping and inappropriate touching. Veiled women had their clothes torn off by the attackers. One who wears the niqab – the veil that covers the entire face – reported men grabbing at it in an attempt to reveal her face.

This was the country's worst sexual harassment incident since another mob attack in downtown Cairo on Oct. 24, 2006. But, unlike the 2006 assaults – when the Egyptian government and ministry of interior were in denial that the rampage even took place at all – the attacks earlier this month were met with speedy reaction from the local police. After receiving a phone call from the area, police converged on the mob scene in the Mohandiseen suburb and arrested dozens of youth. "The police actually arrested people," Ghozlan said. "It is the first time that the government is actually admitting that there is a problem."

For Ghozlan and Saleh the situation facing women in the country is unbearable. Women cannot walk outside without the fear of being harassed.

How to have sex in Muscat!

You know, I get a lot of hits from guys (I'm assuming here) in Oman searching for Filipino girls, Muscat girls, how to get girls in muscat, muscat sex, sex omani girls, prostitutes muscat, gay sex muscat, etc etc etc. Sex is clearly, like the rest of the world, on the mind of a lot of people in Muscat. Oh yes.

And from what many of my Omani friends tell me, there is also a LOT of premarital sex going on here. Despite what the uptight, religious morals, no-sex-until-you're-married types on the Sablas might want to think. They'll meet each other in the malls, or supermarkets, or at Shatti, exchange numbers, and hook up. But only if he's got a decent car, apparently. The girls will cover for each other with their respective parents, pretending they are out together, when they actually meet up with the boyfriend.

So, as sex education is not a part of the Omani school curriculum, and access to appropriate literature is also out, I bet there's unfortunately a lot of really bad pre-marital sex happening (and maybe some bad married sex too). So, kids, here is an excellent guide to sex, and how to do it properly. Grab a look before Omantel reset the filter [yes, I'm afraid I also get regular visits from Omantel. Hi there!].
WARNING: Following this link my be illegal in your country.
Ensure that viewing of sexually explicit is legal where you are and that you are old enough to view such material before following this link.

Instructables: How to have sex

Another good source of sensible down to earth advice on sexual behaviour, the sort of adult advice that the straights won't like at all, is Savage Love: great reading for all, and especially those who are not vanilla heterosexuals.

And while I'm at it, another great site I'd recommend is the female porn reviewer Violet Blue. You'll have to skirt the filters to see her site, but then you all know how to do that already, right?

Enjoy the weekend! (oh, And please protect yourselves from unwanted side-effects of sexual activity - STDs, pregnancy - and use condoms.)

Pornographic Video Games in Oman?

I wonder if Oman will ban the hit video game Grand Theft Auto IV? The just released, adults only, video game does have random acts of extreme violence (like many other games on sale here already) but in addition, some pretty raunchy sex scenes. A lawyer in the US is trying to get the game banned. And that’s in the home of freedom of speech, the USA. You can read the report here.

Thompson sent a copy of the letter to Ars Technica, and his demands are far-reaching. "Indictments should be returned against Take Two corporately and its Chairman, Strauss Zelnick, along with other Take Two officers. Indictment should also be against Sony and Microsoft which are making this pornographic game available to minors, and openly so, on their PS3 and Xbox systems," Thompson wrote. "Further, indictments should be handed down against Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop, and all other retailers distributing this game to minors at their retail stores, openly, to kids who are only seventeen."

He then compares the game to, of all things, polio. "Grand Theft Auto IV is the gravest assault upon children in this country since polio. We now have vaccines for that virus... The 'vaccine' that must be administered by the United States government to deal with this virtual virus of violence and sexual depravity is criminal prosecutions of those who have conspired to do this. If you doubt me, look at the aforementioned streaming audio/video. It will make you sick."

This is where the story takes a turn, because Jack Thompson provides a link to a video, put together by the gaming news site IGN, called "Ladies of Liberty City." Be careful clicking on that link; there is absolutely nothing there that is safe for work.

The video strips the game of all context and merely shows scenes of sexual content and violence, one after the other. In fact, it can be hard to watch for that reason, and it's a rather numbing experience. The game's lead character, Niko, drives up to prostitutes, honks the horn, then shoots them. You see a simulated sex act, only to have Niko run the hooker over afterwards with his car. The video shows graphic lap dances featuring one, and then two, girls. The language is even worse, including—and excuse the stars, "F*** the s*** out of it, you nasty f******."

Hmmm. Nasty, yet intriguing, and I would imagine potentially really popular in the Middle East. And hardly the thing you'd want your young teenage son playing in his room, I bet. If you just want to see the video, just cut straight to the compilation video here, depending on your proxy status I guess… Ladies of Liberty City (X-rated).

I must admit, I often feel rather sorry for teenage and young 20s men (and women) here, especially if unmarried. They can’t drink, they can’t have sex, are usually living with their parents and fully dependent on them for income, can’t even easily just hang out with the opposite sex. Hell, they aren’t even supposed to masturbate. Sure, the rich ones can date western girls and generally sow their oats with gusto before officially settling down with a nice Omani girl, and I’ve been to several awesome parties held by the kids of the elite, in beautiful palaces in MQ and Shatti, with booze and scantily clad girls all over the place. Mmmmm, nice.

But for your average Omani guy, there are really only 4 things you can do: smoke cigarettes, play football, go to movies, and drive a car. For me, it explains the weekly Shatti cruise-by show, with all the boys out in their (or their Dad’s) car, cruising around all night very slowly in tiny circles, often on their own (especially sad). Really pathetic. But then I remember, what else can they do? Of course, in other parts of the region there are other things – they can grab a gun and become an insurgent.

This over-abundance of raging testosterone with no-where to go in the young male population of the middle east is, I think, a significant reason for some of the problems in Yemen, Saudi, Iran and Iraq.

Oman needs more things for them to do. Things that help burn off the hormones and help resist the urge to think about women. Here are the Dragon’s suggestions. Perhaps the Municipality can actually do some good.
- Build a race track. It doesn’t have to be F1 standard, just something that they could use for track days, some street drag racing, night racing, under some sort of standards and safety control.
- A proper quad-bike and off-road bike place, where they can rent them, wear helmets and body armour, and have a blast off road
- A real indoor climbing wall and recreation center. Rock climbing and bouldering should be a national sport here. Low cost, rocks everywhere, and infinitely challenging.
- May be some sort of ‘open’ or club-based car workshop, where they can learn to work on their own cars, and maybe even get the skills to become real car mechanics
- Paragliding. Yeah, get them jumping off cliffs
- Where's Oman's Wild Wadi? It doesn't have to be HUGE, but come on. Mara Land?

‘Course, another option is to somehow turn a blind eye to them having sex, but I suspect that option with be a loooooong time coming. Many of the Omani youth do have sex of course, surprise surprise. And the fear of pregnancy and of not being a virgin (if female) explains the popularity in Oman of, lets say, 'alternative passages' (or so I’m told). It seems many a young man in Oman is a back-door man.

Another option would be for the Government or HM to provide a dowry grant, of say, 3k, once only, for any Omani male over 21. I think they do this in the UAE? It wouldn’t cost them that much, say 5 million rials a year, especially compared to all the other subsidies lately. And it would make a lot of men (and women) very much happier!

Sexual Adventures in Oman

Muscat is generally a tough spot if you’re a single guy expat. Especially compared to Dubai, say. You could go for the prostitutes of course. Or as its called in Oman, a 'Russian Massage', wink wink. Or a Chinese takeaway. But prostitutes in Oman are hardly the sort you could take to a work dinner party, or likely to offer conversation and actual sophisticated female company.

The competition for the few single Western women is pretty steep, especially with a lot of the real party girls dating mega-rich members of the extended Omani royal family. Guys, as you probably have found out, a dreary job in an office or in the desert, driving a Prado or a Jeep Wrangler won’t cut it against a Ferrari, a big bowl of Andean happy powder and a house the size of a small hotel. But fear not guys. Muscat Confidential can give all you single guys a huge hint.

I have a friend who I found out is dating Omani women. Yep. Omani ladies. I was amazed at his daring. And even more amazed when he elaborated further to explain these were married women! Wow. That’s taking risks that borders on the insane. What if he gets caught, I asked? What if a scorned lover rats him out to the ROP, or even worse, to her brothers?

Ah, no problem, he explained. You do of course have to be very very discreet, but they are even more afraid of being found out than he is!

The trick? These are not ordinary married women, but unfortunate ladies who have had the misfortune to enter into an arranged marriage with a husband that turns out to be homosexual. He of course can’t say to his family when the arrangements are made ''Oh, no, I don’t want to get married Mum, Dad, because you see I’m actually gay. Sorry!'' He basically goes through with it. After an initial consummation, presumably doggy style, he’s off all the time with the underground gay scene and Filipino hairdressers, safely married, satisfying his Mum and ignoring his wife. After a while, she figures whats OK for him is OK for her, and so it goes.

The advantage of having an affair with an expat is 1/ he’s as scared of getting caught as you. 2/ he’s unlikely to know your family. 3/ he’ll have a nice secluded bachelor pad surrounded by other expats. 4/ in a few years he’ll be off anyhow.

I was intrigued. Why hadn’t I thought of that when I was single? And how does he meet them?

Apparently the supermarket is the place. Eye contact? Good. Phone number? You’re in.

He must have balls of steel. I’d always be looking over my shoulder for the 5 brothers to burst in brandishing a red hot poker. But he seems very satisfied. And he assures me that they are too.
His only lament is that there are too many. So, there you go guys. Go shopping!

Sex and Free Speech - Savage Love

Just a little mini-post. I’d like to share one of my favourite web columns, not only because it’s funny, kinky and thought provoking, but also because the column is not only online but is published in several newspapers every week in the States. Yet another example to help explain how free speech works in the real world. It’s a sex advice column called Savage Love and is extremely explicit, so don’t look if you don’t want to read about straights, gays, fetishes and real sexual activities and desires and the problems that they create. But if you’re OK with that, I highly recommend checking it out.

Savage Love

Just for fucks sake don’t tell Omantel or they’ll block it and I really wouldn’t like to have to use a proxy server to read it every time. OK? It’ll be our little secret.

What I find an interesting thought experiment is to imagine a similar column in the Week... Now THAT would be a sign of changing values!