SAUDI ARABIA: Labor minister teaches a lesson in work ethics

The dude serving hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant in Jeddah recently was neither a Filipino nor a Pakistani but, for once, a Saudi.

And not just any Saudi; It was the labor minister himself. Ghazi Alghosaibi acted as a waiter for three hours at a fast-food restaurant last week to encourage all Saudi young men and women to accept jobs generally regarded by locals as low-level or demeaning, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Saudi Arabia relies heavily on foreign labor in the service sector and for construction work. For the last few years, however, Saudi authorities have adopted a national policy known as Saudization to encourage their nationals to participate more actively in a private sector dominated by guest workers from South and Southeast Asia.

But observers say that the policy has not been very successful.

The minister's symbolic stunt was meant to reach out to Saudi youths. According to Persian Gulf media reports, Alghosaibi drew attention to many successful businessmen and politicians who did small jobs before becoming prominent in their fields:

We should see enjoyment in all types of jobs. Hard work, endurance and enthusiasm are important factors to be developed by young Saudi job-seekers. ... They were simple men who rose to heights of fame and popularity through steady effort and hard work. Some of them worked even in restaurants while studying abroad.

Algosaibi asked for tips jokingly and kissed another waiter on the head in a gesture of appreciation.

-- Raed Rafei in Beirut

Photo: Saudi labor Minister Ghazi Alghosaibi, left, serves fast food at a restaurant in Jeddah. Credit: Saudi Gazette

LEBANON: Burger, fries and grenades on the side

With sounds of helicopters hovering overhead, Samir hunched over behind a pile of sandbags and sank his teeth into a hamburger.

The thirtysomething Beirut resident was not a warrior taking a moment of rest in the battlefield. He was a regular customer dining with his black-veiled wife and little son at Buns and Guns, a new war-themed restaurant where every detail, from the menu and decor to the names of sandwiches, is inspired by the military world.

The eatery, which looks like a military outpost, was designed to be an unconventional hangout but it also resonates because of recent armed clashes in Beirut and the many tanks and military troops deployed here in the capital. The restaurant is located in a crowded street of Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburb and a Hezbollah stronghold that was the scene of heavy airstrikes during the militant group’s 2006 war with Israel.

“We wanted to create a new attractive idea inspired from the events that our country went through,” said Yussef Ibrahim, the restaurant’s general manager. “People from all backgrounds come here and find the place amusing.”

IRAQ: U.S. military makes fresh water for Baghdad

Fuel shortages and power outages may soon be joined by yet another problem in Iraq – water shortages.

Deteriorating water systems compounded by a nationwide drought are threatening service breakdowns in some Baghdad neighborhoods, raising the possibility of cholera epidemics.

The drought had already curtailed last year’s grain crops when the government ordered farmers to plant less. (See Thursday's story, "First violence, now drought threatens Iraq farmers.")

Although there’s not a crisis yet in Baghdad, the U.S. military is working with the Iraqi government on quick fixes to prevent one while the large systems are being rebuilt.

The U.S. military spent $3.5 million in Baghdad alone last year on the water problem, partly by trucking water into the neighborhoods.

This year the military is taking a new approach by setting up temporary water purification units at three locations in eastern Baghdad at a cost of about $500,000.

EGYPT: No more liquor at my hotel!

In a stunning display of religious rigidity, the Saudi owner of a five-star hotel in Cairo recently banned the serving of liquor by reportedly dumping more than $1 million of beer, wine and whiskey into the Nile River.

Sheikh Abdel Aziz Ibrahim, a relative of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, has ordered that no more cocktails will be mixed or stirred at his Grand Hyatt Cairo. Goodbye, martini; hello, fruit punch. The move is a gesture to bring his business into conformity with Islamic standards. That may be so, but the Egyptian Hotel Assn. has its own rules.

The organization has given Ibrahim an ultimatum: Either put the liquor back by July 2 or have his hotel demoted from five to two stars, according to Agence France-Presse. Although alcohol is forbidden in Islam, Egyptian law allows the consumption of booze in hotels and other tourist haunts. Tourism is one of this nation's biggest industries, and Cairo doesn't want to give the impression that conservative Islam is spreading.

"If he doesn't want to serve alcohol, it's his choice. If that doesn't comply with our regulations, he has to bear the consequences," Tourism Minister Zoheir Garranah said.

However, Ibrahim has found support for his decision. In an online forum hosted by the popular Islam Online Website (a Qatari-funded and Cairo-based Islamic website that covers religion, news, society and culture), some visitors hailed the move as "great news."

"Thank you Grand Hyatt, this is a great step and I hope that all hotels in Egypt and Muslim countries do the same," wrote a visitor of the same forum.

— Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo

Photo: Grant Hyatt Cairo. Credit: Cris Bouroncle  AFP/Getty Images

IRAQ: First violence, now inflation

By Usama Redha in Baghdad

When I feel bad or uneasy, the only thing that relaxes me is to go shopping in my neighborhood bazaar.

The busiest time is about 5 p.m. Lots of people come to buy groceries, glasses of fruit juice and snacks to enjoy as the heat of the day begins to ebb. But the last time I went, the bazaar wasn't nearly as crowded as it should have been. The vendors had piled up their fruit and vegetables in neat rows and were polishing them to make them shine. But few people were buying.

I always look around first to see who has the best stuff. But this time I was stunned by the prices, which are supposed to be cheap this time of the year. Most fruits and vegetables had gone up 30% or 40%. So my search was for the cheapest price, not the best quality.

ISRAEL: Passover "sitting around and eating"

Jewish families around the world are celebrating today's start of the Passover holiday with lavish communal meals. Observant Jews in Israel throw out or burn leavened food products, known as hametz; others just temporarily "sign away" ownership of their hametz to a non-Jew.

Celebrating the liberation of the Jews in Egypt from slavery, the week-long holiday is intensely family-oriented. One Jewish blogger in the U.S. pronounced it "one of my favorite holidays. Why?  Because you don't have to go to the synagogue and it's mainly about sitting around and eating."

For those who aren't near their families, Chabad Jewish outreach centers around the world are hosting mass Seder meals. The world's largest annual Seder seems to take place in Nepal, a favored spot for thousands of young Israeli backpackers. 

In Israel, Passover was preceded by several weeks of debate over a court ruling permitting the display of leavened products in restaurants and bars. Vocal protests and possible physical attacks from angry ultra-orthodox Jews are feared by some restaurant owners. Others have fretted about whether or not cigarettes are hametz.

Israeli security typically shifts into high alert during Passover. The army sealed off crossings from the West Bank on Friday. After Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip launched a massive attack on a border  crossing early Saturday morning, an Israeli army spokeswoman said the attack may have been timed to disrupt Passover celebrations.

—Ashraf Khalil in Jerusalem

Caption: Hope you're hungry. Credit: Public Domain

IRAQ: Booze for Basra

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki ordered his forces to take the city of Basra back from militias and criminal gangs last month. Some say Maliki has proven his mettle while others called the fight a political battle among rival Shiite parties. The verdict is still out, but Basra has once more showed small signs of life.

The southern port, once known as a liberal redoubt, has liquor vendors back on the streetshawking libations after going underground in recent years amid fears of attack by religious extremists.  People, who were afraid to play pop songs, are once more blaring ear candy in the city.

IRAQ: KFC in Baghdad?

Chickens have not fared well in Iraq's war, and neither has the country's once-thriving poultry industry. Chicken coops and pens were occupied by insurgents who used them as hideouts and as convenient spots to stash weapons and explosives, according to the U.S. military.

Farmers who defied insurgents' orders to shut down their businesses found that the equipment needed to sustain poultry farms was looted. Chicken processing plants fell into disrepair as their generators, water pumps and other equipment was destroyed in the war, stolen, or just left unused for years.

Now, U.S. forces are taking advantage of the lull in violence in some parts of the country to try to restore the chicken industry, according to a recent statement from the military. One area where the plan is underway is south of Baghdad, which U.S. Army Capt. Michael Lenart says used to be the country's largest chicken-producing region.

So far, 10,000 chicks have have been purchased, using U.S. funds, to restart chicken factories in Adwaniyah. Ghassan Mohammed Ali is hoping to revive his once-thriving chicken processing plant in Arab Jabour, which could mean jobs for 95 people. An additional 5,000 chicks are due to be delivered to Adwaniyah in the coming weeks.

This should be welcome news to Baghdad residents, the main purchasers of chickens, which roast on rotisserie sticks and are devoured on kebabs across the capital. The thousands of chicks destined for poultry farms may not be so happy.

— Tina Susman in Baghdad

Photo: Baby chicks sit in warming shelves at an Iraqi poultry plant. Courtesy of U.S. military.

ISRAEL: Put down that croissant!

In what's becoming a semiannual event, modern and traditional interpretations of religious law are clashing when it comes to everyday Israeli life.

The latest battlefield is the upcoming Passover holiday, when observant Jews refrain from eating any leavened bread products, known as hametz.

Israeli law forbids the public display of such goods for the duration of the holiday, which runs for one week starting April 20. But a Jerusalem Municipal affairs judge has ruled that restaurants, cafés and grocery stores are not considered public places, and can operate normally.

IRAN: A cup of coffee, please

I said to my friend Ramin: “I need an espresso or a cup of coffee, real coffee.”

He mused and thought, as is his nature: “I know the place. It’s a confectionary, but the coffee is fine. Let’s go.”

We hopped in a cab and slogged through traffic on the last day of the winter sun. I hadn’t had a good cup of coffee since arriving in Tehran a week earlier. There were bitter-tasting attempts strained out of strange, hissing machines. But they lacked aroma and the foam that floats like burnt gold on the top of a proper espresso.

ISRAEL: Who moved my chocolate sandwich?

Nearly 100 tons of chocolate spread were stolen Monday night from a factory in Haifa, in northern Israel. And it wasn't just any chocolate spread.

It was 'Ha'Shahar Ha'Oleh' (in Hebrew, 'the rising dawn'), beloved by kids and the local equivalent of the peanut butter and jelly. It is believed to make its way to Israeli schools on one out of two sandwiches daily.

At any given time, the 50-year-old secret formula is known to only two people in the unassuming family business (assumed, nonetheless, to earn $10 million annually from this single product). For hundreds of thousands of Israelis long past their school days, its taste amounts to a collective memory of childhood. It travels around the world with expats and is considered near-medicinal for serious cases of the munchies. Nutritional value? Not really. Anyone care? Nah.

Local websites reported that the sweet spread had been earmarked for marketing for Passover, during which leavening-deprived Israelis heavily indulge in Matza with a generous coat of the stuff. If the factory doesn't step up production to make up for lost production, well, the holiday just may not be the same this year.

— Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

IRAQ: Goat grab

Marines and State Department employees in Iraq are adjusting to Iraqi hospitality, particularly a communal style of eating the Americans refer to as a goat-grab.

The Iraqis lay out a feast of goat, lamb, beef and chicken, backed by rice, raw vegetables, and a tortilla-style bread. It's all served on large platters and diners, sitting on the floor, are obliged to use their hands to scoop up large portions.

As good hosts, the Iraqis like to plop large amounts of food on the Americans' plates, using their fingers.

The difference between the two cultures' views of personal hygiene can cause some angst among the Americans. Some Marines avoid certain parts of goat; others stay away from the pinkish part of the chicken or find a way not to eat anything they didn't put on their plates themselves.

One sergeant caused a bit of a stir when he left a feast just as the food was served, explaining that he needed to check on Marines outside. High-ranking officers have little choice but to dig in, so as not to offend their hosts.

John Matel, the State Department employee in charge of reconstruction projects in western Anbar province, has been to many such feasts and loves the food. He says he can't help but thinking it's fun for the Iraqis to "see what the American will eat."

— Tony Perry in Al Anbar province

Photo: An Iraqi feast, called a "goat grab," in Anbar province. Credit: Tony Perry

IRAQ: Mmmmmm, mmmmmm ... good?

The diet crept up on the bureau quietly. One day, a giant pot of a seaweedy-looking mixture appeared  on the kitchen counter. Then, the refrigerator filled with rabbity-looking food items.

Lest LA types think they are the only ones to turn to crash diets for quick weight-loss, think again. In Baghdad, we have been introduced recently to the cabbage diet, which one advocate claims can produce a loss of several pounds a week if followed zealously.

The diet is simple. Cabbage and fruit, cabbage and steak, cabbage and tomatoes, cabbage and cabbage. But no sugars, carbohydrates, or fats.

It's not easy staying fit when you live in a city where taking a stroll is a risky endeavor and jogging might get you mistaken for a fleeing insurgent.  And according to the dedicated dieter, a pharmacist by profession, Iraq has never been a nation fixated on svelte. In fact, a pudgy face is a sign of beauty for many Iraqis, who even seek steroid medications to give them a puffy look.

Fortunately for the dieter, it should not be a problem keeping up with his daily cabbage needs. A quick check in the fridge showed no fewer than  three cabbage-filled plates waiting to be devoured, and half the cabbage soup was still sitting on the counter.

— Tina Susman in Baghdad

Photos:  From top, cabbage soup; cabbage salads in the refrigerator. Credit: Tina Susman

IRAQ: Happy hour

Many consider the middle-class neighborhood of Karada, in south Baghdad, to be a religious area because the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council 's headquarters is there. But it's also home to recreational clubs like Alwiya, Hindiya and Sharook, where people can enjoy an alcoholic beverage after a stressful day at work. (The clubs also have basketball and tennis courts and swimming pools, but many people visit purely for social reasons.)

The bars at the clubs are open only from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m, just enough time to grab a drink and hurry home before darkness and the curfew.

In Iraq, the most popular liquor is arak, a transparent, anise-flavored liqueur served on the rocks. The biggest arak factory is in Baqubah, north of Baghdad, but is also produced in other northern factories in areas with Christian populations.

When mixed with water, arak turns a milky white. It has a strong flavor and the scent of black licorice. One watered-down glass is strong enough to give you a high-flying buzz; a second will have you sobbing in your glass. A third can knock you off your stool.

It's customary for Iraqis to snack while drinking arak, to help soak up the liquor. The most popular appetizers are baba ganouj, hummus, tabbouleh and pistachios. This is followed by a decent meal with a meat entree.

Younger Iraqis prefer beer. The two most popular Iraqi brands — Faridah and Loiloa — come in large, 750 ml (25 oz) bottles. Most men drink five or six in a sitting. Western alcohol is also available, from draft beer to Johnnie Walker Black Label.

These bars offer a rare escape from reality, even if it's only for a couple hours.

— Caesar Ahmed in Baghdad

Photo: Iraq's favorite alcohol, the milky, anise-flavored liquer, arak. Credit: Saad Khalaf, Los Angeles Times

IRAQ: Baghdad's fishy business

The best meal in Iraq is Mahzgouf fish. Many Iraqi families gather after Friday prayers in the mosques to feast on the succulent, river bottom feeder.

But because of the chaotic security situation, people frown upon mahzgouf that is caught from the Tigris River. People whisper that those fish have fed on human flesh. Now, a discerning customer will opt for a fish bred in a hatchery.

People will pick out a live fish from a restaurant or a street vendor’s water-filled wheel barrow. The mahzgouf is promptly clubbed and then roasted on its side and cooked over a wood fire. The disc-shaped fish will then be served with a flat bread, called khubz. Everyone digs in with clean hands and puts fingerfuls of the oily fish in their mouth.

— Caesar Ahmed in Baghdad

Photo: A roadside vendor prepares the popular mahzgouf fish to roast. Credit: Saad Khalaf, Los Angeles Times

IRAQ: A night on the town in Baghdad

"It's safe! You can go out, even at night!"

I have been hearing this over and over for the last three months, since violence started to drop in Baghdad. So last week, I told three of my Iraqi colleagues at the Los Angeles Times, "Let's go out and have dinner!"

It had been almost two years since we had ventured out after dark. So we decided to play it safe and chose a restaurant about 10 minutes from our compound.

IRAQ: Onward butter soldiers

Yes, you hear about strange things in Baghdad. Peruvian security guards singing Frank Sinatra in the Green Zone. A sheik who prided himself on being a dead ringer for Sean Connery.

Once a friend attended a Friday sermon in Baghdad, where the cleric told his congregation he had found proof of America's wickedness and started to recite a text that had been passed on to him. "Asia's crowded and Europe's too old. Africa is far too hot and Canada's too cold and South America stole our name. Let's drop the big one. There'll be no one left to blame us."

My friend thought he knew the words and then realized the preacher was reciting the 1970s song "Political Science" by Randy Newman.

But last week, I had my own encounter with the bizarre. On line for Thanksgiving dinner at a U.S. Army base, we passed ice sculptures of Babylonian winged lions. That was fine. I didn't even mind the little gingerbread houses decorated with candy canes and Oreos. It was the life-sized model of a soldier that freaked me out. Even the soldiers were disturbed.

It was sculpted from some fatty food product, either vanilla icing or butter. You had to touch it to find out. It was defintely butter. A six-foot tall butter soldier.

It stayed there for several days and didn't melt. I wondered who spent their time sculpting this thing. Was it some contracted food worker ordered by his KBR supervisor: "We need a six-foot butter soldier for Thanksgiving." Or maybe it was just a man who believed this was his way to pay tribute to his country. I just don't know.

— Ned Parker in Baghdad

Photo: Butter soldier will not melt in battle. Credit: Ned Parker

EGYPT: Have scooter, will deliver

They buzz through the night like fireflies, legions of young men delivering Big Macs, pizzas, subs, groceries, flowers, pharmaceuticals, holy books, stockings, incense and anything else that can fit into the boxes teetering on the rear of their motor scooters. Delivery guys are common in many countries, but in Cairo they're everywhere, waiting to be dispatched from fast-food restaurants and dry cleaners. They are a cross between the "Wild Bunch" and schoolboys in helmets. They have a limited amount of change in their pockets and an uncanny ability to find streets with no names. They skitter, squeal, skid and slide, racing on sidewalks and zipping across bridges that span highways and train tracks. They will deliver a single ice cream cone, no mean feat in a nation that's mostly desert.

They are so ubiquitous and relied upon that anyone preferring to venture to the supermarket to buy and haul home groceries on his own is looked upon by cashiers as possibly being addled. One clerk recently told a customer: "Why don't you phone it in next time? We have people who will come."

— Jeffrey Fleishman in Cairo