Conversations in Jeddah these days always seem to include something about shortages. There is a shortage of water so that some areas of the community have to depend upon tankers to supply that precious liquid. In other parts of the world, people talk about oil and how expensive it is, but the people of Jeddah have long known that the most precious liquid of all comes from the kitchen tap. Parts of the city also experience power cuts with some people facing long periods without electricity in the hot summer months. Is this a shortage of electricity? Added to that we have rising food prices part of which are blamed upon the limited supply of certain items. The price of bread, for example, has gone up because of a shortage of flour. Where has all the flour gone, we wonder, when just ten or so years ago, the Kingdom produced such vast quantities of wheat that it actually exported it? When you have a shortage – less of something than you need - you take special care to protect what is left. A shortage of cash? You are careful about what you spend. A shortage of time? You cut out certain activities, and use your time wisely. In fact our shortages sometimes make us wiser as we learn to appreciate what we have and not to waste unnecessarily. But here in Jeddah, our shortages do not seem to have that effect. We see signs of waste everyday, and no one seems to be doing much about it. It is not unusual to see old, leaking water pipes wasting part of the city's water supply. Moreover, some garden hoses are left running in certain of the city's wealthier districts, so that excess water runs into the streets. The trees, bushes, and even weeds in those sections of town are bathed in the city's precious liquid, while the Ancient Mariners just across town have nary a drop to drink. Electricity is also continuously wasted. Of course, those who pay for their own electricity are careful to turn off their air conditioners and lights whenever they go out. However, there are large compounds where the electricity is provided by the company, and, sad to say, there are people who go on holiday for one or two months and purposely leave their air conditioners on. Furthermore, think about how cold it is in many of the city's enormous shopping malls, supermarkets, and office buildings. Even though the temperature outside is in the 40s, when you leave your house, you have to remember to take along a light sweater so that you do not freeze while doing your shopping or conducting business. Did you ever wonder how much electricity would be saved if the temperature controls were set just a few degrees higher? And then there is the question of the shortage of flour. Anyone who has traveled on the road from Jeddah's port to the industrial area in south Jeddah may have seen huge trucks that carry wheat from ships in the port racing down the road to factories which will mill and package the wheat into the flour that we buy in our shops and that is used by bakeries to provide our daily bread. Sad to say that these huge trucks which have a funnel type apparatus at the bottom are not leak proof. As they race down the highway they leave a trail of wheat behind them a bit like Hansel and Gretel in the woods. The trail of wheat on the highway is then scattered by passing vehicles. The wheat, and we cannot calculate how much is lost, has spawned a cottage industry. No sooner have the trucks passed by when ladies in black abayas descend upon the road with brushes and dust pans to sweep up what has been lost. And while one lady sweeps up the grains of wheat and dust and dirt and whatever into the dustpan and empties it into a plastic bag, another lady takes the bag and empties all the mixture into a sieve, and by the side of the road, she sieves out all the larger particles and bags the remaining dust covered wheat into huge white bags. A truck comes along at some point in the day and collects these bags and no doubt the women receive some small amount for their efforts. Exactly where the trucks take this wheat and what becomes of it we do not know. However, it is not hard to imagine that some of it may end up being milled into flour. This cottage industry has its occupational hazards, because as the women sweep and sieve, many large vehicles are barreling down the road at high speed on their way to the industrial area, and mishaps can and do occur. So, we might ask why the leaks in the wheat trucks cannot be fixed. Sadly it would cut out a source of income for some of the hardworking poor, but it might also save their lives. And the next time we go to the bakery, we might also ask if our bread came from the flour from the truck or the flour from the road. Really, you have to laugh. __
