Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
You don’t know me; I know you, I know what’s being said about you.
I’m the ‘whisperer’. I am socially mobile: Arab, Brit, Indian, Pakistani, American and the rest, they all invite me and share their world with me. Not much gets past me but if you
think it may have done, email me on . . .
Litter police
A hit squad of public security has been tasked with improving Bahrain's growing litter problem. Teams will roam the roads searching for violators who hurl rubbish from car windows and apprehend them. Those who simply dump rubbish in open areas are in trouble too, the Whisperer has been told.
Those who are found guilty will not be fined, but will be put to work, serving 10 hours litter-duty – picking up plastic bags from the desert.
Snake in the grass
There was a man outside Al Osra supermarket on Saturday offering to sell a snake. I refused, but he persisted with other shoppers.
The Whisperer has heard that there is no law here which prevents the open sale of animals in this way, but that legistation is on the way. Let's hope that the government pass it quickly.
Causeway woes?
There are rumours, nothing more, that the causeway to and from Saudi is to be closed to all traffic from Wednesday, 4pm until Saturday, 9pm to all cars carrying only men, unless they can produce a letter from their employer explaining their journey.
Any car with children or ladies in the passenger seats is allowed to pass unhindered, it seems.
I wonder why this is being considered?
Something fishy
No more hamour, goes the cry from the traditionalists. There are whispers that hamour will no longer be called hamour. It's all to do with the 'ham' part of the word, it appears. There's a loony group who want the name banning as it sounds too much like ham.
The scientific name hardly rolls off the tongue – can you imagine Budaiya Brenda asking for Epinephelus tauvina in Al Osra? It's also known as 'greasy' grouper... can I have three greasy fillets, please?
Current chill
Water supply problems in Gudaibiya ... solution? There is an iceberg en route from Antarctica ... it is big, but lots of tugs are pulling it.
One of the benefits of global warming is that these chunks are breaking off and a millionaire in Abu Dhabi had the idea that one could be brought here and sold to solve the water shortage.
It should be visible in the next day or so off the coast from the Askar Highway. It will be tethered just off the Yacht Club. Some enterprising locals are already on board, making caves for camping and are planning to charge people who want to spend a night on the ice. Remember, you heard it from the Whisperer first!
