Overheard in the Souk
the grapevine
Families all over Kuwait will be able to come together and spend more time with each other on account of the adjusted work schedules this month. A few extra hours in the day don’t seem like much but will mean a lot for working parents who struggle to spend quality time with their kids. For most of the year, we are all pulled in different directions, attending to our professional and household demands. But for one month in the year, we can adjust our priorities, make new traditions, relax a bit, and ready ourselves for a long
hot summer ahead.
Document authentication process can be too tedious at times. More often than not requirements vary from one country to another. Just like the case of a friend who hails from Europe who had a hard time authenticating or getting his master’s diploma attested. He asked a guy to help him out on attesting his master’s diploma then much to his surprise, the guy came back to him asking him to pay a hefty sum of KD3,000 otherwise, he will be penalized and will be asked to pay KD8,000 more.
The guy told him that his master’s diploma can’t be authenticated as he obtained it via online or distance education plus the US university that he enrolled in was not accredited in the country. My friend finds this absurd, instead of paying that hefty sum, he went to see a lawyer friend to seek help. His lawyer friend took the diploma and went to the Ministry and ended up paying only for the KD5 stamp. What a relief! Sometimes, in life, you tend to ask help from the wrong people who you think can help you. Not all who seemed to help can help. Sometimes, it’s better to do it yourself and ask help only if you have exhausted all the means to no avail. Next time, better seek help only when needed.
The month of Ramadan arrived exactly the time of high temperature and hot weather. Muslims living in this country have to brave this hot temperature and fast all 30 or 29 days of this month. During this period, every Muslim fasts by depriving him/herself from food and drink from dawn to dusk. In addition to this, a Muslim is also prohibited from engaging in any sexual activities.
Fasting in this month is not a punishment, but is rather worship and one of the Pillars of Islam. Almighty Allah rewards any Muslim who does this fasting correctly. Apart from spiritual benefits, Muslims who fast this month also enjoys physical benefits. Traditions of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and many studies conducted confirmed that fasting has both spiritual and physical advantages for human being.