AMBIGUITY IN GAY RELATIONSHIP

Everyone has gradations of intimacy, from acquaintances... to closer friends and lovers. Gay men don't have markers of engagement, marriage, and pregnancy that characterize the bond between heterosexual couples. This lack of socially recognized status can be a source of ambiguity in our relationships--are we friends, occasional sex partners, or lovers?

Though we don't need to follow heterosexual models in forming our own relationships, this ambiguity becomes problematic when it interferes with the _expression of feelings. You may feel attracted sexually without having any idea as to whether you'll find yourselves compatible in other ways. If you have sex before you become emotionally involved, it can be confusing trying to figure out what else you want from each other. You may end up sleeping together once or twice, and then feel awkward trying to redefine the relationship.

Neither of you may be ready to make the commitment that continued sexual involvement may imply, but instead of dealing with that uncertainty by talking about options and expectations, it may seem easier not to see each other. Not every relationship has to last forever in order for us to get some value from it, but if you had more in mind than just recreational sex, you can end up feeling seduced and abandoned.

Some men are scared off by the intensity of their initial involvement. If you're not sure how you feel, you may hesitate to become involved emotionally. But you don't have to know what you want in the very beginning. After seeing each other for a while, you may need some distance in order to sort through your feelings. What may simply be a desire on the part of one man to reclaim himself may be misinterpreted by the other as a lack of interest in building a relationship. You can avoid the misunderstanding by talking about your need for time apart, while still affirming your interest in getting to know each other.

You can be clear about what you want at the moment, even if that involves a limit to the degree of emotional or sexual involvement you're interested in. You may feel vulnerable saying how you feel, especially when you're just first getting to know each other, but being honest about your feelings increases your capacity for intimacy in the future.





Saudi hit by bird flu - 3.5mn birds killed

Saudi Arabia has culled 3.5 million birds affected by bird flu at poultry farms and markets surrounding the capital Riyadh over the past 10 days, the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture reported on Wednesday.

The Agriculture Ministry said that the birds, which have a deadly strain of bird flu (H5N1 Avian flu), were found in four governorates of the Riyadh province, and in one of the major bird markets in the capital city.

The ministry said poultry in the radius of 5 kilometres from any farm found with the virus have been destroyed.

An agriculture ministry statement carried by newspapers said the birds were culled at the farm in al-Kharj, 150 kilometres (94 miles) south of Riyadh, after 1,500 birds died earlier this week.

Humans have not affected by the bird flu virus, the ministry said. It also added that it has examined several workers in poultry farms and their test results of bird flu virus came out negative.

Saudi demand for expat workers soars

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Labour has said that it has issued 878,737 working visas in the first nine months of 2007 showing a 57% increase from a year earlier.
The ministry, which uses the Islamic calendar, said that number of visas issued in the month of Ramadan (which started on Sept.12) for this year was 90,619 visas, signaling a 104% increase over the same month a year earlier.

The ministry said that 50% of the working visas issued in Ramadan were for engineering professions. Services professions came next with 25% present and all other professions shared the remaining 25%.
The figures reflect the high demand for engineers and technical professionals by Saudi companies which are executing multi billion infrastructure projects. The number of visas issued for civil engineers went up 28% compared to a year earlier, according to the labor ministry.

Saudi Arabia will account for one third of the shortage in the Middle East region in 2009. UAE and Egypt will account for another one third of this shortage with a demand shortage of 19,000 IT skilled workers in each country.


Oil to smash through $125 barrier



Oil will continue its meteoric climb, surpassing the $125 per barrel mark next year, investment analysts predicted.

Driven by demand from emerging markets like China and India, crude prices are likely to surge to new record highs and will rest between $125 and $130 per barrel in 2008, argued a panel of investment experts gathered in Dubai to discuss global investing strategies.