Twerk- Arabian Gulf Style

I had posted on Twerk style before but now it has totally blown up after Miley Cyrus did the Twerk at the VMA the other day. I don't think her version is as good as the Gulf style Twerk and they have been doing these kinds of dances for years.

WARNING: A lot of butt shaking going on.

Much better than Miley Cyrus. These kinds of Gulf dances are usually held on the down low at underground parties and sometimes weddings.

Mandatory military service for Kuwaiti citizens required once Again

According to Kuwait Times:

 

KUWAIT: Recently some MPs proposed approving conscription law in Kuwait. This draft was proposed about five years ago, but after the political situation in the Middle East witnessed turbulence, this proposal was highlighted again at the parliament session. The proposal reinstates mandatory military service in Kuwait after Kuwait’s parliament suspended obligatory military service in 2001. According to this draft, conscription is necessary for Kuwaiti men aged between 18-35 years of age, who will have to undergo military training and serve in one of the army’s units.

 

University graduates will have to serve for nine months minimum, while those without a university degree will serve for a year. This law will exclude students of courses from the army, Ministry of Interior, National Guards, Fire Department, or volunteers at these institutions. Among the ones who will be excluded from enlistment are single children, the oldest sons and brothers of martyrs. Joining service may be delayed for a year if the man is the sole provider at home for his parents or if his mother is divorced or widowed and is dependent on him.(link)

 

It wasn't a big deal for the older generation, my husband had to serve his time and went on to attend college. But I can't see it going so easy for the new generation, can you imagine all of the spoiled kids these days having to learn how to shoot guns, attend boot camp and getting dirty? It could be a requirement for females as well, I don't think they make Prada military boots, sorry ladies. This is something to look forward to.

Grafitti Rampage

The other day when I went to work I noticed a bright spray paint spot on the tag of my car and on the car covered next to mine. I guess someone went on a highlighter colored graffiti rampage, I'm lucky I got off with a spot. Today I noticed a Chrysler covered in the spray paint, at first I thought it was a flame design, well no it was spray paint.

That really sucks, people these days have no respect.

Smashburgers new Philly Burger

 

 Smashburger has a new campaign; Road trip to taste the USA in which burgers representing selected states are introduced for a limited time. The Philly burger is the most recent stop on this road trip and my sister says it kind of reminds her of an IN-N-OUT animal style burger, she should know considering IN-N-OUT was her first job. She really knows how to make hand cut fries! The burger comes with American cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms and spicy mustard and it was great. I never knew making a burger out of pretzel bread would be so good.

 

I had to have the Oreo shake and my sister tried the IBC root beer float bother were amazing.

Kuwait construction at its Best

I don't know what happened, saw it this morning, sudden gust of wind perhaps? Good thing they weren't open when that happened.

Purina Arabia helps out PAWS Kuwait- Just "like" their FB page on Aug 25!!!!

UPDATE:Thanks to everyone who voted and to those bloggers who I contacted and did not post it, you all suck! I guess some bloggers think they are too good for these issues. Anyhoo....

 

Thank you all for your support for PAWS Kuwait! We are going to match your 1319 likes with Purina Arabia likes to have a total of 2638, which is equivalent to 106kg!

Again, thank you all for your contribution in supporting communities that help make pets' lives better.

 

 

 

VOTE TODAY!!!! It lasts for only 24 hours!

 

 

Purina – Your “Like” will help to feed PAWS shelter dogs
Posted on August 21, 2013 by Paws - Kuwait

To all supporters,

This is your chance to donate food to the shelter with only couple mouse clicks. We do not ask for money, we do not ask for your attention, we just ask for 30 seconds (or less) of your time and couple mouse clicks. Every one of you can bring 40 grams of dry food to the shelter without leaving home.

Charity post on Purina Arabia facebook page

PAWS Kuwait and Purina Arabia agreed on charity campaign which will start on 25 August, 2013 at 10am (Kuwait time) and will be effective for 24 hours.

Purina Arabia will publish PAWS charity post on own facebook page and will calculate amount of “Like” on the post during next 24 hours. 25 “Like” will bring one kilogram of dry dog food which will be donated by Purina directly to PAWS.

PAWS Kuwait logo and contact information will be listed on Community Tab of Purina Arabia facebook page in addition.

We will include link in this post on 25th August after 10 am. Please be ready to follow it and click “Like”. Feel free to invite all your friends. More “Like” – more food for shelter dogs.

PAWS Kuwait Team. Vote here on Sunday, August 25 after 10 am.

 

REMEMBER:  It starts on August 25, 2013 at 10 am for 24 hours, so don't vote until that day.

AWARE Center Grand Mosque Tour

 AWARE Center tour of the Grand Mosque

Date: August 31, 2013 @9:15 am

For a rewarding, spiritual & informative experience. This is a 1½ tour of one of Kuwait’s most famous landmarks. Ladies are required to cover - long sleeves and long ankle length skirt, otherwise the mosque will provide a cloak. If you have your own scarf you’re welcome to bring it. Cameras are allowed. Children are welcome. This tour meets directly at the Grand Mosque

Toyota Supra Concept Car 2015- Hybrid and Automatic? What have they done?????

When I see a supra I'm reminded of racing the quarter mile in California. My ex had a 1994 Toyota Supra 6-speed twin turbo and we used to race it on the strip, I was left carrying around the bottle of NOS like a dork. I took over the car when he left although I couldn't drive stick. I used to make my friend drive us around until she got tired of me asking. I did take it out a couple times but with an after market clutch I stalled A LOT. I ended up selling it in 2004 and bought tickets to Kuwait.

I saw an article about the possibility of a new Supra arriving the end of this year but it doesn't look good, it actually reminds me of the Celica which is a big disappointment. It will be a HYBRID with automatic transmission! OMG who can forget the manual transmission of a Supra and the sweet ass way you put it in reverse. I used to laugh when people tried to figure out how to get into reverse. Gone are the hissing noises of the blow off valve and the after market clutch.

To all of you who have/had an automatic Supra you don't count, there's no comparing automatic to manual, it's a must to have manual in that car. I've seen a few here in Kuwait but most were automatic, I refer to them as sissy guys. Nothing like hissing noise when shifting!

I dug out my only pics of my old Supra...ahhhh the memories!

 Quarter Mile track......

 VS.

 

Here's an article about the new "Supra"

Double parking in Europe- one way to fix It

Now that would be nice here when someone double parks or parks so close to your car you can't open the door. Hmmmmm..cement truck on speed dial?

Random Funny

So true!

Wipeout- My Favorite TV show from the States



When I spent 6 months in the states I found a new TV show I loved named Wipeout. I just found out they used to have it on MBC but it only lasted a few months, I guess the Arab world wasn't ready for it.

I would totally try out for it.

Here is the Arab version of it. It also produced in several different other countries according to their Wikipedia page. Of course the Japanese were the first ones to produce these crazy shows.

ITT Exelis wants you (or anyone with a pulse)- Kuwait Job Fair

I went to their job fair last year because I wanted an 8-hour job in which you can advance but no response. Expect to be in line with hundreds of foreign nationals and expats, eat something before you go because you will be there forever. KBOSS is an 8-hour a day contract with lower salary, they only hire a few Western expats who supervise the thousands of FN and other exapts. Since it doesn't say Western expats only expect to be there for at least 2 hours. The meeting with the recruiters will last all of 5 minutes, since I'm not working on base anymore I don't know if they actually need people or they are just taking resume/CV for a future contract.

When: Saturday, August 24,2013
Time: 8am-5pm
Where: Hilton as usual

If you can't make it supposedly you can send your resume/CV to this person:
sennetta.glen@exelisintl.com

Good luck and don't be upset if you never hear back from them.

Smart Phone Picture Risks

I wonder if that could happen here?

AWARE Center- Tariq Rajab Museum of Calligraphy

AWARE Center tour: 

Date: August 19, 2013 @5:15 pm

Arabic Calligraphy represents unity, beauty and power. Join us for a tour of the Tariq Rajab Museum of Calligraphy to further explore the beauty and history expressed in this captivating art. The tour will be conducted in English. Fee: KD 2. Advance reservations are required at joumana@aware.com.kw

Chicken shortage in Kuwait?

Is anyone else having problems finding frozen chicken breast? I started off at Lulu and couldn't find any frozen chicken breasts, went to Sultan center Fahaheel and Al Kout and found nothing, went to the co-op next to my place and they were out.The lady I work with said she couldn't find any at Carrefour either. Finally found a few packs at the Fintas co-op. Anyone else having this problem?

Cockroach in my sandwich at TGI Fridays......Grossssssssss!!!!!!

 

To celebrate my new job I had lunch with my sister and friend at Friday's in Abu Halaifa this afternoon. Two of us ordered the Tennessee chicken sandwich, I opened mine to remove the onions and I picked up the pickles to eat, thinking there was still onion on the pickles I went to remove it realizing there was a COCKROACH looking at me!!! Instantly nausea came over me and everyone at the table. The manager came over and apologized but I couldn't even think of eating anything else.

I left my guests at the table and I guess the manager came back asking where I was but I had already high tailed it out of there before I vomited. I guess our next lunches are on the house, do I think I will go back any time soon, probably not.

Saudi kanafa, my new favorite Dessert

During Ramadan I asked my husband to pick up something sweet so he brought some "Saudi" kanafa and it was so great. Last night we went to LuLu for groceries which happened to be the same building where the Saudi kanafa stand is. The kanafa is brought from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait and cooked in front of you.

 

It has geshta (or however you spell/pronounce it) in the middle and covered in sweet syrup. Yum! The stand is in the back of the main door facing the opposite street.

Video Flashback

Old video from Abdullah Al Ruwaished showing Kuwaiti caravan life.

Eid for some workers means staying in their Room

I received an email from a Muslim Filipino who works in the Ahmadi Hospital for KOC. The employees found this note today, the company won't let them leave their accommodation. Does the use of " seem kind of rude?

Eid Mubarak 2013

Eid Mubarak to everyone.

Kuwait- the early Days

Although it's in Arabic I like to see video of the early days, before skyscrapers and modernization. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what Kuwait was like before since the government hasn't saved too many of the old buildings but thankfully some footage was taken so people who are into history can catch a glimpse.

Kuwaiti athletes shooting and killing stray dogs

Kuwaiti amateur snipers massacred more than 30 dogs in the Gulf emirate during an attack on their hideouts in an isolated area following a dog assault on a little girl.

The armed snipers from the Kuwait Shooting Club decided to form a “massacre team” and raid dog concentrations in suburban Kuwait after several animals attacked a little Kuwait girl and inflicted severe injuries on her.

The team’s leader said they decided to launch the raid to avenge the attack on the girl, Aisha, adding that the incident followed reports of persistent attacks by dogs on people.

“We killed more than 30 dogs. They are not guard dogs nor do they belong to any one. These dogs have attacked too many people and it seems that they love blood…we noticed that some of them are savage dogs which run very fast,” Nassir Al Dihani said, quoted by the Arabic language daily Al Watan.(link)

I read about this yesterday on the PAWS FB page yesterday. Great way to represent the athletes of Kuwait, way to go morons.

Celebrate Eid with TIES Open House

It's a nice place to visit.

American caught with drugs during Ramadan

Arab Times:

Drugs with US citizen: An American citizen was arrested for possessing drugs and sharp objects, reports Al-Seyassah daily .According to security sources, the suspect was sitting inside his vehicle, which he had parked on the roadside when he noticed a patrol vehicle approaching him. He immediately fled from the location but securitymen chased him and eventually forced him to stop. They checked his details to discover he is an American citizen. They noticed his disoriented state while he was trying to hide a bag under the seat of the vehicle. They checked the bag and found drugs and sharp objects inside. He was arrested and referred with the items to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action against him.

I wonder if he works for ITT? Let's see, he will probably get the maximum jail  prison time for A) having drugs and sharp objects- B) Drugs during Ramadan? Oh, you're really in for it- C) being American, we are not liked these days- D) For being STUPID. One ITT guy got locked up for God knows how long for drugs after he was released from prison for accidentally killing an Egyptian guy crossing the street and no one knows where he is or if he's still alive. Do Americans not realize that once they go to prison they will never be heard from again? If this guy is lucky they will deport him but no after spending some time in a little jail cell with 60 other guys.

Newsflash: The US Embassy will not help you!

Good news, there is a job opening now in his company.

Kiva- a great site to help those in need!

 

Kiva is a great way to donate for microfinancing for deserving people. There's a group called Kuwait_for_Kiva and if anyone wants to join they can here you lend $25 (7.14 KD) to a cause and they pay it back in time which allows you to lend again and again. Ramadan is almost over and we all know now is the time for giving. My sister introduced it to me when she showed me a lady she helped lend money to so she could buy a cow and the lady has started paying it back.

US Embassy in Kuwait closed on August 4 due to terroist threats against US embassies around the World

 



My mom recieved and email notification from the US embassy stating they will be closed on Sunday, August 4, 2013. It seems that all US embassies across the "Muslim world" will close on the same day as a precaution following unspecified threats. According to the news service 28 US installations will close Sunday, including offices in Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Oman. (link)

August 2, 1990, the day Kuwait was invaded by Iraq- Never Forget!!!!!!!!

God bless those who gave their life during the invasion.

 

In the early hours of August 2, 1990, more than 100,000 Iraqi troops moved tanks, helicopters and trucks across the border into Kuwait. Iraq maintained the world’s fourth–largest military and had mobilized an overwhelming invading force. Within an hour, they reached Kuwait City, and by daybreak, Iraqi tanks were attacking Dasman Palace, the royal residence. The emir had already fled into the Saudi desert, but his private guard and his younger half–brother, Sheik Faud al–Ahmad al–Sabah, had stayed behind to defend their home. The sheik was shot and killed, and according to an Iraqi soldier who deserted after the assault, his body was placed in front of a tank and run over.

 

It was Saddam’s idea alone to invade Kuwait. He had gambled that he could get away with seizing the tiny oil–rich nation to help pay off debts. But his gamble did not pay off –– he had misread the interests of the international community and the United States in a stable Middle East. After the invasion, Saddam defied orders to retreat and the U.N. imposed sanctions. After months of deliberations and with U.N. support, the United States and international Coalition forces launched a full–scale air and missile attack on Iraq on January 16, 1991. A ground assault followed a month later, and Saddam’s troops were quickly forced out of Kuwait. The United Nations declared an end to the war on April 11, 1991.

 

The Iraqi military allegedly committed crimes while in Kuwait. Evidence suggests that it tortured and killed hundreds of Kuwaiti nationals and people from other nations. Foreign hostages were taken, Kuwaiti properties were looted, and Iraqi forces set fire to more than 700 Kuwaiti oil wells and opened pipelines to let oil pour into the Gulf. An Iraqi law dating back to the 1950s prohibits the act of aggressive war against other Arab countries.

 

All of this after Kuwait had funded the 8-year Iraqi war against Iran but Iraq was in no financial position to pay back Kuwait the US $14 billion it had borrowed for the war and when Kuwait would not forgive the debt Iraq decided to attack its Muslim brothers and sisters.



 

Personal stories: 

The war re-visited with Tahani AlAyoub, you can see the full video with English subtitles here, it makes you feel as if you are living it. Thanks Mark for the info.

My sister's ex-husband was in hiding in a house with his cousins when the Iraqi soldiers broke in and took one of the cousins, in the scuffle his cousin lost his glasses and watch which her ex-husband still has today locked in his brief case, his cousin was never found. My nephew told me his dad won't talk about it but tears up when he was asked.

My mother's husband won't talk about what happened during those months. He used to have nightmares and wake up screaming and sweating when they first got married. He only said a few things like he killed some Iraqi soldiers and watched some soldiers burn to death in a car. The war memories still haunt him.

My husband was in his last year of high school on his way to take his last chemistry test when he saw the Iraqi soldiers so instead of taking a test he went to the police station to register to fight the soldiers. He got ammunition and went to fight. His family was supposed to go in a convoy to Saudi Arabia but stayed because of him. Unlike the others my husband loves to talk about what happened and how they disguised themselves by using garbage trucks to get around and hide ammunition. I can never get details though.

I was in high school in California and remember meeting Claudia Al Rashoud during that time, she held an art exhibition at one of the local colleges which displayed her photos of Kuwait during the invasion. We also met an American married to a Kuwaiti and her kids who were staying in California at that time as well.

Sometimes it seems as if Kuwaitis want to brush this event under the rug and not speak about it anymore. I really wish they would update the Memorial Museum and move it to a better location like they have done with some of the other museums. I know as I gather historical information and documents about Kuwait I will definitely teach my children about the invasion so they can appreciate the life they have and where they came from.

Arab Times  and Kuwait Times have posted an article about that day.

Sodastream- make your drinks at Home

I was watching Restaurant Impossible on my favorite free website for watching US tv shows when a commercial came up for Sodastream, a new way to make "fizzy" drinks at home. It seems pretty cool especially when it's hard to find carbonated water drinks with fruit flavor in Kuwait for a reasonable price. In the states we can get some cheap ones from Wal-Mart but not a lot here. The only issue would be where to fill up the carbonator cylinders with CO2 here in Kuwait?

website: www.sodastreamusa.com

UPDATE: I found out it's a Jewish company so that may be one of the reasons it's not in Kuwait.