From: Sent Fri 1/8/2010 4:40:34 PM Subject: Report # 117: Debt & dirt Hey All! Happy new years etc. JAIL A friend's 65 year old business partner went to jail because he has a lot of debt he can't make payments on. My friend was on vacation while this happened and now she can't come back since she might go to jail by association. She paid a few of his bills. ETISALAT I've spent most of my time off at Etisalat (telecom/internet/cable monopolist) trying to get the internet and cable installed. Either they can't find my villa or they need to draw the cable to it...if they can find it. The line at Etisalat is infinite. When I came there, second day in a row, luckily a clumsy girl stepped on my foot and I screamed. One of the staff heard and he put me in front of the whole line and saved me 3 hours! A woman in cast can of course not wait. Some days I just love this country! MOROCCAN BATH I decided to go for an infamous Moroccan bath. I was taken to a steam room by a big Russian lady (I don't really know if she was Russian, but it sounds more exciting). The room was so steamy I could barely see the hand in front of me. When she started giving me a hot shower I felt like an unwilling kid getting a shower, squealing and worming myself. She soaped me up and then I sat in the steam for a while. It was relaxing. She scrubbed me down with an unfriendly loofha. Big rolls of dirt were falling down on the floor! It was a touristy experience, but nothing I will do again. It has no value-added other than getting a layer of skin shaved off. Sent link to a couple of new photos of the exterior of my villa. Cheers! EFTA_R1_0 1503365 EFTA02432542