Life in Kuwait

Saudi women need permission to drive in Kuwait

2013-05-25T08:56:00.003+03:00

Kuwait will not allow Saudi women to drive unless they are permitted to do so by their guardians, the Gulf emirate’s traffic police chief was reported on Wednesday as saying.

“In case a Saudi woman comes to Kuwait to obtain a driving licence, we will not give her unless she gets approval from her guardian,” Brigadier Saleh Al Najim said.

“This rule applies on all Saudi women, whether they are minors, adults or married,” he told the Saudi Arabic language daily Alhayat.

He said Kuwait recognizes Saudi regulations which still ban women from driving cars, adding that some men do not allow their wives or daughters to drive.

“We do not want to cause trouble inside families by giving women driving licence without the knowledge of their guardians,” he said.

I've only seen one woman driving a car with Saudi plates and she looked American. I spotted her at LuLu with her kids and she got in her Lexus with Saudi plates and took off, I was surprised to see a female from Saudi driving in Kuwait.

AWARE center- Diwaniya- culture and Kuwait

2013-05-24T13:36:00.003+03:00

DIWANIYA: CULTURE & KUWAIT: AN INTRODUCTION

May 28 @ 7 pm

By Dr. Teresa Lesher Culture, which can be defined as the production & distribution of meaning, influences our personal values & social practices as well as our perceptions of others and our sense of well-being in a community. Join Dr. Teresa Lesher on May 28 at 7 pm for a 45-minute presentation that explores various aspects of culture and their impact on personality, contrasts North American and Arab culture with examples common in everyday life, and summarizes Kuwait's cultural profile from different perspectives. This information is useful for expats as they adapt to cultural differences in Kuwait & identify the sources of its rich cultural heritage. Our fellow friends from Boston College will be joining us in this diwaniya. Dr. Teresa Lesher holds her PhD in Information Science from the UK and is now associate professor at the Kuwait College of Basic Education. She held the position of General Manager of the AWARE Center for three years and returns often to host presentations related to Arab and Islamic culture.

What out for Zebras crossing!

2013-05-23T13:54:00.001+03:00

Use the zebra crossing … KD 25 fine, 15 days jail for jaywalkers

KUWAIT CITY, May 22: Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs at the Ministry of Interior Major-General Abdulfattah Al-Ali has warned pedestrians against violating the traffic law, reports Al-Rai daily.

Al-Ali said pedestrians must use only the zebra crossing to cross the roads wherever there are such signs. He also stressed the pedestrians should wait for the road crossing pedestrian signal to turn green.

He added violators of this law will be fined KD 25, a maximum of 15 days imprisonment or either one of the two penalties.

When will they add the law regarding children must be in their car seats?

Zebra crossing? There are Zebras in Kuwait! or do they mean the crosswalk?

The great global food Gap

2013-05-22T06:57:00.000+03:00

A Kuwaiti family was included in the article The great global food gap but judging from the picture I think this might be a an old story condsidering the cost of food in Kuwait today.

Al Berdawny Restaurant

2013-05-21T09:21:00.000+03:00

If you're looking for a nice quiet place to dine you should try Al Berdawny Lebanese restaurant. You have a wide variety of Lebanese dishes to choose from and can have sheesha while you wait.

Fresh baked Arabic bread

Grilled dishes

For more information visit their fancy website

Bait Al Outhman Museum

2013-05-20T13:12:00.000+03:00

I've found my new favorite museum! I saw a tour ad for the museum via AWARE center but decided to visit it on my own with my hubby. Bait Al Outhman house was a restoration project taken on by the Kuwaiti Heritage Team, they restored it back to the beautiful house it once was. The home was built in the late 1940's by Abdallah Al Outhman who was a teacher and retired as "The Great Philanthropist". The house contained 157 rooms, 16 kitchens and 61 bathrooms.

The museum is divided into different areas including Kuwaiti house museum, the Maritime museum, Heritage hall, Drama museum, Journey of life museum and the Museum of historical machinery. There is a 1 KD entry fee which is very reasonable.

Old school Kuwaiti style

This newspaper headlines the end to alcohol in Kuwait according to my hubby.

The small martyr section with pictures of the remains of a Kuwaiti citizen found in Iraq.

Some items made by the Kuwaiti P.O.Ws

I have so many more pictures but you would really have to visit the museum for yourself to get the total feel for it. I wonder what the next restoration project will be?

Baith Al Outhman Museum

Hawally- Abdallah Abdullatif Al Outhman St

Telephone: 69999761/69999760

Email: mawrothkw@gmail.com - Twitter: @Heritage_Team - Instagram: @Heritage_Team

Take 40 highway, exit Ibn Khaldoon st, continue straight until you see McDonald's, turn right after McDonald's, straight down and you will see the museum.

Jaime Oliver Products at XCITE

2013-05-19T08:01:00.000+03:00

XCITE AlGhanim introduced us to their new Jaime Oliver line of products which was held at Gaucho Grill in Avenues Mall. There is an all-in-one cooker introduced to us that does several types of cooking at once. You can cut and slice items directly into the pan that includes self-stirring which allows you to leave it unattended and it will cook at the exact set temperature meaning you won't burn up your meal.

There is a blender, mixer and food processor included in his line.

We were entertained by the German juggler Sir Julian and he was definitely a unique character.

Paparazzi

You can find more about Jaime Oliver's home cooker here. A big thank you to Al Ghanim!

Converse teams up with Marimekko

2013-05-17T13:31:00.000+03:00

Converse teams up with Marimekko, a Finnish company known for its original prints and colors, for their 2013 line of sneakers.

Dare to wear platform sneakers in Kuwait?

Bugatti Veyron added to UAE police Force

2013-05-17T13:17:00.004+03:00

Now would be the time to get arrested in Dubai....(link)

The Venue Hotel Apartments

2013-05-17T07:39:00.003+03:00

A new building offering daily apartment rentals has opened up in Mahboula. It offers one and two bedroom furnished apartments with gym and swimming pool access. For one bedroom it's 35 KD and for two bedroom it's 50 KD per night. I just hope it doesn't bring the wrong kind of people to the area, it's already going downhill as it is.

A new KFC has opened on the ground floor.

I wonder if they rent to singles? If so I guess we will be seeing some police raids.

Operation Hope won the Philly Cream Cheese "Spread Some Inspiration" Award!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2013-05-16T07:30:00.000+03:00

We at Operation Hope would like to thank all of those who voted for our cause!! Your votes helped OH to win the Philly Cream Cheese "Spread Some Inspiration" contest!

Mrs. Sheryl Mairza

Dear volunteers, patrons, well wishers, friends, team and everyone else that continue to believe in Operation HOPE’s Mission of Mercy, we would like to extend our deepest Appreciation and Thanks to each one of you.

With the help of your votes, We, Operation HOPE Kuwait won the 1st position in Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s (from Mondelez International, formerly Kraft Foods) ''Spread Some Inspiration' campaign in its fourth edition. OH founder, Ms. Sheryl Mairza was awarded the inspiration trophy for initiating the OH mission from its humble beginnings in 2005 at the recent Brunch award ceremony held in Dubai on May 14th, 2013 where OH was also awarded a cash prize of USD 10,000.

The campaign that celebrates and recognizes the unsung women heroes of the region for their contributions in philanthropy, community development and charitable causes thereby bringing much needed awareness was originally launched in line with the International Women's Day... in 2010 and this year witnessed a partnership with UN Women - the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women globally - for the second year in a row.

Thanks to each of your vote, the prize money won would go towards our 2013 Winter Warmth Outreach Program, wherein we provide warmth hampers to over 2,500 street workers in Kuwait.

If you'd like to read more about our award and our story please visit http://www.phillyarabia.com/index.php.

The top three contestants

Congratulations Sheryl! We love you!

Elevation Burger

2013-05-15T07:17:00.001+03:00

On my way home from work my mom called to invite me for an early dinner at Elevation Burgers in the new Menu Plaza. Personally I don't really care for hamburgers but had to give into my mom. She ordered a double burger and fries for each of us. It was 2.500 KD just for the burger itself not including the fries and drinks. The burger and fries arrived in a baking pan which was kind of odd but every restaurant is trying to come up with something unique I guess.

The fries reminded me of IN-N-OUT burger in California only the pieces were a lot shorter which I didn't like, maybe they were the last little crumb pieces of fries left over. The burger was juicy and tasted good but again a burger is a burger to me, nothing spectacular. I also tried one of their cookies which was really good and included organic ingredients. The fries are cooked in olive oil and the cows are grass fed according to mom. It looks like Millions of Milkshakes, Lorenzo, Stone Grill and a sandwich shop will open at some point. Food, food and more food!

My son and nephew enjoyed it, for me it was aight'.

Rats in the Avenues?

2013-05-14T07:41:00.002+03:00

My hubby noticed this when he took a smoke break outside of Texas Roadhouse in the Avenues.

Ugly Cars for 2014

2013-05-13T15:14:00.000+03:00

I think the Jeep and Toyota are ugly in my opinion.

2014 Jeep Cherokee

2014 Toyota 4Runner

Looks as if the new generation of cars are becoming more futuristic.

Best Western Hotel in Mahboula

2013-05-12T19:44:00.000+03:00

I had noticed a big building going up across from my sister's apartment and it has turned into a Best Western Hotel complete with a gym, pool and two restaurants, one of them will be a new location for the Buffalo's that is currently across from McDonalds and the other will be a Lebanese restaurant Aubergine. It is set to open in a week but they are accepting people if they want to stay there now. There are Standard rooms going for 35 KD, Deluxe for 40 KD, Premium suite for 55 KD and Executive suite for 60 KD, there is also a 15% service charge. They offer a gym membership with access to the swimming pool but haven't finished the details for the price yet.

Lebanese restaurant

All of the rooms and decor are scheduled to be finished after a week.

Fatima Al Qadiri - Gulf Futurism

2013-05-10T07:33:00.000+03:00

Fatima Al Qadiri and Khalid Al Gharabali made this funny video about "chai dhaha" (which is a gathering of women who gossip and complain) and it is comedy.

Ever wonder why there are tissue boxes in every Kuwaiti house and car?

In the Gulf, the formula: Hygiene = Wealth is deeply embedded aka the more "hygienic," the wealthier a person. This post-oil obsession with hygienic products—wet wipes, disinfectants, tissue, hand sanitizers, etc, relates to a sanitized, generic aesthetic preferred in the Gulf. This behavior is an attempt to control the organic chaos of the original, pre-oil and dust-ridden environment. Behavior that has become more pronounced with the increased variety of local hygienic products, in line with consumerist tendencies.

Fatima is also know for her music, here is one of her older videos:

Warning: The above video contains butt shaking with Arab chicks dancing Ma'alaya style which is kind of like the Arab version of twerking (yes I used Miley Cyrus' video because her video was the only one that wasn't x rated)

Some more info about Fatima click here

ITT convoys being attacked in Kuwait?

2013-05-09T07:16:00.000+03:00

This morning one of my co-workers told me about an incident that happened a few days ago, an ITT convoy coming back from Ali Al-Salem via Jahra was attacked by a huge gang of people. I don't know if they were Kuwaiti or bedoon considering the area but he said they had parked a car on the street or highway they take from Ali Al-Saleem and a huge gang of people started throwing rocks at the trucks. For some reason none of the ITT drivers thought it was important enough to report it until the next day. So now it has become a hush hush incident and not too many people know about it.

That incident of course is a security concern and should have been reported immediately. I think they should all be fired for not reporting the incident to the right people. Their route has been changed and KMOI now escorts them to the base. If that wasn't bad enough an Egyptian driving a water tanker attacked an MRAP military vehicle in the Adan hospital area. He repeatedly rammed the MRAP vehicle until it was forced off of the road knocking off a generator. The police were called and from what witnesses say the whole Kuwaiti police department was there although I haven't read anything about it in the papers.

This is a picture of an MRAP for those who don't know.

Mama Lita Mexican Restaurant

2013-05-09T07:05:00.001+03:00

When Lita's first opened I stopped by but there was no carne asada so I never ate there, it closed down for some time but has reopened a couple of months ago. As recommended by one of the General Dynamic guys I decided to give it a try. Khalid, the owner is Kuwaiti-Mexican and brought a chef from Mexico to cook.

Horchata.....Yum!!!!!!! After taking a sip it reminded me of California

Roberto the Mexican chef, yes from Mexico, not Filipino as one blogger thought.

Mama Lita's nachos

Pico de gallo, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

Carne asada burrito with red and green salsa

I had to try the barbacoa tacos and instantly I was taken back to the weekend in Tijuana with friends who had to have tacos at 3 a.m. Barbacoa slow roasted beef and pico de gallo, simple but oh so good.

They serve tamales but were out at the time because the corn masa was running low, I will be back to try those as well. Everything is made fresh and I want the recipe for the pico de gallo! There were so many other items I wanted to try but I was totally full. My only concerns were the carne asada was small strips of beef not actually the same cut as we get in the states and the prices are a little steep. I know it's more expensive because most of the ingredients are imported but I will go again.

I really need to meet some Mexican ladies who will invite me over for dinner! The restaurant is open from 4 am- 11 pm and they deliver all over Kuwait.

Beware! Undercover police officers to monitor traffic Violations

2013-05-08T10:38:00.000+03:00

Be Careful! That chick you're checking out might be a police officer taking down your license plate.

Officers in street clothes to detect traffic violations

KUWAIT: A traffic police unit dressed in civilian clothes has been assigned to detect violations as part of the Interior Ministry’s efforts to enforce the law on the roads around Kuwait. This was reported by Al-Rai yesterday quoting a security insider who indicated that General Director of the Traffic General Department, Major General Abdulfatah Al-Ali, had ‘carefully handpicked’ members of the squad whose job will be to detect traffic violators, note down their cars’ license plate numbers and report their violations. “Maj Gen Al-Ali was helped by traffic directorates in respective governorates, but selected the squad members personally,” said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the source indicated that the unit began its activity earlier this week and has so far managed to detect “a large number of reckless drivers, especially in Wafra.”

He added that a majority of violations detected were to do with driving on the street kerb and jumping red traffic lights, noting at the same time that the officers took photographs of the violators’ vehicles to serve as evidence.

Traffic department officers have been busy in recent years with crackdowns on violators, during which more than 300 expatriates were reportedly arrested and subsequently deported for repeated serious violations that included driving without a license, jumping the red traffic light and ferrying passengers illegally.

This just opens the door for so much corruption, now anyone can say they are an undercover cop and take your tag number. It's bad enough they write false information on the ticket now they can submit your tag on allegations of a traffic violation.

Kuwait House of National Works- Memorial Museum

2013-05-08T07:08:00.000+03:00

My husband and I had visited the Memorial Museum a few months ago and I guess I didn't make a post about it so better late than never.

Not so great translation but we get the meaning although it seems no one wants to really remember those days considering schools don't have it in their text books.

During this demonstration Iraqi troops killed Sanaa Al-Foudari

Kuwait oil wells on fire.

Citizens who were killed during the invasion.

Dedicated to the US troops

Kuwaiti babies were pulled from incubators and thrown onto the floor by Iraqi troops.

The head of Sadam given to Kuwait by the US troops.

I love this museum I just wish they took better care of it and re-located it to a better place. It's hard to find and very dusty inside. We didn't have a guide to tell us about anything, maybe we came at the wrong time. I wish the NCCAL would take control of this museum and treat it with more respect.

The Body Shop Kuwait in the Avenues launches it's new Pulse Concept

2013-05-07T07:12:00.001+03:00

The Body Shop in the Avenues has launched a new Pulse concept theme recently. Customers can shop for their favorite skin care and make-up products at the "natural-ethical" beauty brand, the experience now includes expert brand consultants to help you with questions and offer a free make-up demonstration using their wide range of cruelty-free products.

The new stores are designed to create a more hands-on experience and educate people about the company's activism and community involvement, more information can be found on their Facebook page. The employees of The Body Shop have supported Operation Hope this past Winter by donating clothing to our cause and we thank them so much for taking time to deliver the items to us.

I would like to thank The Body Shop for the lovely gift!

Aladdin House - Fintas

2013-05-06T07:11:00.000+03:00

Ever since I moved to Kuwait the "Aladdin House" has intrigued me and considering my mom lives behind it I've been seeing it since I arrived in Kuwait. When I searched the internet I couldn't find too much information about it other than a few pictures from the past. The AWARE center is giving a tour for it's members in a couple of days and did not answer my email regarding contact info for non-members so I decided to find out on my own. I got the contact number for Adel Al-Sadoon the owner and an astronomer. He met us at the door and brought us into his family house, the house is amazing and so colorful. He is a historian and has a vast knowledge of Kuwait history which of course made me excited.

He has over 10,000 photos of Kuwait from the beginning until now and I wish I could sit down and look at every last picture. He has published a book about Kuwait history but he only has 3 copies so I'm hoping he will publish some more so I can get a copy. He was generous enough to give me a copy of his book "Kuwait in old maps" which was totally cool and I'm very thankful for the gift. He is quite eccentric and collects a lot of different items, from his enormous book collection to the McDonald toys his daughter has a child there is something for everyone.

The house was built from his imagination 16 years ago and it would take me some time to see every piece he collects. His hobby is building train sets, he is currently working on an old western city complete with cowboys and saloons. He actually built a saloon that includes a switch to make it rain in his backyard until beladiya made him take it down which is sad because it looked like it was awesome inside and now it's an empty shell.

It took two months for the artists to complete the paintings.

I would like to thank Mr. Al-Sadoon for his time and I hope to visit again real soon.

The "too handsome guy" kicked out of KSA was a Lie

2013-05-05T15:19:00.001+03:00

It seems the whole story about the "too handsome" guy being kicked out of KSA wasn't true.

There was, indeed, an incident involving Al Gala (and apparently him alone): according to the head of the mutawaeen, Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh (Arabic source), Al Gala had made his way into the family section of the event and was dancing inappropriately. Several complaints were made against him and he was taken aside by members of the national guard, questioned and that was it. He was not asked to leave the event, let alone the country. It turns out his uncomfortable dancing and not his uncomfortably good looks were the reason for some cause for concern and discomfort at the festival.

Al Gala has yet to deny the story and would probably find little reason to do so considering the amount of fame he is now enjoying as The Man Too Handsome for Saudi Arabia, which has helped boost his online personality as well as his career. It should also be noted that some of the sources who were the first to report, in Arabic, that three men were removed from the festival/deported from Saudi Arabia are no longer found online. (story link)

AWARE Center- Kuwaiti Handicrafts

2013-05-05T07:03:00.000+03:00

Have you ever wondered what Kuwaiti citizens did before oil?

DIWANIYA: KUWAITI HANDICRAFTS

07 May 2013, 7:00 p.m.

By Abdullah AlBusairi Livelihood is needed for the foundation & establishment of each society. In the past, Kuwait Society didn’t have the capital that it currently possesses; thus, up to recently, Kuwaitis would search for professions that could support them & their families. These included simple handiwork, like shoe-sole maker, iron monger, carpenter, water carrier, herbalist, pearl diver, fisherman, barber, tailor, etc… Join Abdullah as he talks about professions of Kuwaitis in the past. Abdullah AlBusairi is a Professional Trainer in Handicrafts & a Researcher of Kuwaiti Traditions & Customs.

Rowdy Taco Kuwait

2013-05-04T19:44:00.001+03:00

My sister and I attended the grand opening of Rowdy Taco last week and we had a great time! Rowdy Taco aka Rusty Taco is from Texas and offers a wide selection of tacos. They are open 24 hours and located in Alia and Ghalia Towers or Fintas Towers as the Americans call it.

Managers from Texas

Nachos

Fish tacos, shrimp tacos, beef and chicken tacos

Quesadilla and chicken salad

Graphics were designed by a Kuwait artist.

They serve breakfast burritos all day, unfortunately they didn't have any dessert tacos thanks to Kuwaiti customs holding onto their special flour. I definitely want to try dessert once customs releases the flour from jail.