What Is A Voodoo Alien?

It is one of these.

You can hear what one sounds like at www.myspace.com/voodooalien

A Trip To Ali The Barber.

I managed to get out of bed before 06:00 today. I bit of joint mobility and then for a walk, in the morning heat, and sewage repairs. Something dreadful is happening to the drains in Mishrif, it is even in the Arab Times. A potential global disaster.

After that I tired to phone a few people because I couldn’t do anything else. No reply. Today is 09.09.09. “Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine......”, and by a strange coincidence the The Beatles’ remastered albums are released. Number nine!

At ten I went to the Turkish Barber in Salwa. Got a haircut and a shave. I needed some more photos for a driver’s license. The overall experience was quite enjoyable. My barber, Ali (Ali barber!), and I discussed things in garbled Arabic. I think he said he was going to get a tattoo. I asked him what of. So he drew me a picture.

“A fish” I suggested?

“No.”

“A whale?”

“No.”

I struggled. This was a man with a razor at my neck and not to be upset unnecessarily.

“Ah, Saif!, a sword!”

“Yes, or one of these.”

He drew another picture on a nearby magazine. This was hard.

“Like Fidel Castro,” Ali hinted.

“Err?”

“Or Che.”

“The Hammer and Sickle?”

“Yes!”

“Are you a communist?” I asked

“No, never!”

Ali grabbed the Magazine and drew a swastika.

“Very bad”.

“Yes, I agree”.

I left with a very close shave but none the wiser.