One-strap backpacks all over again

The English-language newspapers here are so full of gems of amusement that I really should start keeping track, in order to share them with you. There was one last week that made me smile. The same storm system that hit us while we were camping went on to blast Al Ain the next day. The wind blew down a tent market and downed power lines and other infrastructure across the city. There was a quote in the article from a member of the police forces that said something like, "We are doing our best to respond to residents' needs and take care of the problems they call in, but we are very overwhelmed and so far we have unfortunately been able to respond to only 90% of incidents." Seriously, this past week I've smiled every time I've thought about this poor beleaguered police captain striving for 100% achievement and falling just short. Dude, 90% is AWESOME.

That was in the Gulf News. Today I read a great letter to the editor in The National, about the lack of modesty on the UAE's college campuses. Here's an excerpt:

"The modest garment of a Muslim woman covers from head to toe, leaving the face, hands and wrists showing. But some girls have corrupted the meaning of modesty to suit themselves. When walking on campus, I see open abayas, tight T-shirts and jeans, and sheer leggings that clearly outline body shape. Some young women have boys' haircuts and wear outfits that make it difficult to distinguish their gender. The most troubling part in this daily drama is that some students fail to cover their chests with their abayas."

Wow, did that ever take me back to my days at the BYU. Change a few of the finer details, put in Mormon for Muslim, and there you go: it's one-strap backpacks all over again!