Hello !

You must all be wondering where I have been these past few weeks. Why hasn’t Miss Mundy Pigeon been writing her daily reports? Well I have but I used invisible script as I didn’t want just any Tom, Dick and Abdulla reading my profound insights into life.

I have been very busy this week as we have, in Kuwait, been very fortunate and privileged to host the famous Japanese drummer Shonosuke Okura who is the eldest son of the late 15th generation head of the Okura School, Chojuro Okura. (The Okura family legacy has been passed down since the Muromachi Period, as one of the Noh musical families in the field of Otsuzumi and Kotsuzumi Japanese drums). Mr Okura has been designated as an “ Important Intangible Cultural Property”.

The other night we took Mr Okura plus two other musicians with him to a nice new restaurant in Kuwait called Naranj which is a branch of the main restaurant in Damascus. We had a table outside and that particular evening the weather was lovely and perfect for the outdoors. The restaurant was busy and the staff very welcoming. Noodie Pigeon had recommended some dishes among them the  Beetroot Mutabbal (delicious), the Fattat Makdous (yummy little stuffed eggplants cooked in yoghurt), Cherry Kebab (meatballs cooked in a scrumptious cherry sauce) and the usual selection of Mezzeh. All excellent! I was disappointed that they didn’t have the Arabic Ice cream that was on the menu, they said it still hadn’t arrived from Syria which, considering the situation in Syria perhaps isn’t surprising.

They next day we attended their concert at the Maidan Theatre in Hawalli and Mr Okura performed outstandingly. He also performed a piece with Mr Tsunemi, the Japanese ‘Oud player who had studied in Tunis, and with Mr Ohno who was a flautist. Their piece was a blending of Japanese and Arabic music and I really liked it. It was like a blending of the abstract and the impressionistic if you get my gist. I know that sounds very airy fairy but I do have to try very hard as I am only a dumb pigeon and I have to impress you.

Yesterday I took them on a short tour of Kuwait City (nobody else seemed to be around) and then we headed to Le Notre for lunch and it was closed! As time was running out, we went to Nino which is another restaurant by the sea and that was pleasant. The food is good, portions are VERY generous (I only ate half of mine and took the rest home to my perch) and the selection broad. The only thing that annoys me about Nino is the ear blastingly loud music. It is always blaring away and when you ask them to turn it down they do, a little, then a few minutes later it is up again!!!!!! But the views across the sea to Salmiya more than make up for that.

As for my astounding insights into global politics, in case you have been asleep, there are revolutions going on in Libya, Syria and Yemen and Iran, the monster across the water, is shaking its ugly fist at the peace loving communities on this side of the Gulf. THE ARABIAN GULF and if the ugly monster doesn't like that well tough bloody titties !!!!!!!!!!