Funny Scary Snowman Prank

I can watch these over and over again!

Kim Kardashian in hijab and abaya selling Contacts

Someone remind me why she should represent anything in the Arab world? I don't think fame and fortune from making a porn movie would make her an ideal candidate for selling items, even if she wears hijab.

Black Friday - America's internal War

Thanksgiving is not America's only tradition, so is "Black Friday" which starts at 12 midnight but this year greedy retailers decide to make people work on Thanksgiving which is usually a holiday and it upset a lot of those people who had to work instead of spending time with their families. People line up in front of stores to fight each other over items on sale. They are willing to beat the hell out of someone for a cheap tv which is totally embarrassing, what would other nations think if they knew about this event? One guy stabbed another over a parking place which Kuwait knows about already.

Most sane people stay home during the weekend after Thanksgiving or shop online because they risk their lives if they decide to venture out to pick up those sale items.(link)

American arrested in UAE for his "Ultimate Combat System: The Deadly Satwa Gs" Youtube Video

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An American man has been arrested and repeatedly denied bail in the United Arab Emirates, after he posted a satirical YouTube video about life for young residents of Dubai. The detention of Shezanne Cassim, 29, is reportedly the first time that a foreigner has been arrested under the UAE's tough new cybercrime laws.

In a press release issued yesterday, the Emirates Center for Human Rights stated that Cassim was arrested in April of this year for his role in the video, which he uploaded to YouTube in October, 2012. According to the group, Cassim is being held at a maximum-security prison in Abu Dhabi along with other participants in the video's creation. Cassim faces prison time and upwards of $250,000 in fines, the group said, and is being accused of using the Internet to publish "caricatures" that are "liable to endanger state security and its higher interests or infringe on public order."

 

The video in question, shown above in a screenshot and in full, is a 19-minute mock documentary shot in Dubai. It profiles a group of students attending a fictional "Satwa Combat School," and is largely a spoof on the idea that young UAE residents pose as "tough" but are actually mild in their demeanor. The video begins with a disclaimer that reads "The following events are fictional [and] no offense was intended to the people of Satwa and UAE." But according to officials, the video is far from a lighthearted satire: they say that it violates Article 28 of a rigid cybercrime decree introduced in 2012 — one month after Cassim posted the video.

 

Cassim, who relocated from Minnesota to Dubai for work after graduating college in 2006, has reportedly been denied bail on three separate occasions and doesn't yet have a trial date. Until this week, his family members living in the US had elected to protect his identity as they worked towards his release.(link) (link)

 

The video is long and only funny at times but offensive, I don't think so.

Holiday Bazaar 2013

Don't forget to stop at the Operation Hope booth and learn more about volunteering.

Throwback Thursday - Digital Underground

Digital Underground was one of the best, I also like Freaks of the Industry but that song is for 18 years and older.

Potty Mouth

The owner of Better Books has a potty mouth!

"jesus gdf christ kuwaitis can't agree on when to pray 5 times and they can't tell the difference between a ٢ and a ٣ no wonder this country is screwed"

Um, wasn't she in trouble for having mixed classes? Yet she advertises for mixed yoga classes?

Is this Arab mascot really offensive or are some people Overreacting?

So a high school in Coachella, California has been asked to remove their "Arab" mascot as it is deemed "offensive and stereotypical," the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee snet a letter to the school to remove their mascot which they've had since the 1920's. The Arab mascot was chosen to recognize the area's reliance on date farming which is a Middle Eastern crop, the nearby community of Mecca also pays homage to the Middle East, yes everyone there is a Mecca in California.(link)

Does anyone think it's really that offensive? I know about their date crops as every year the city of Mecca holds a date festival/carnival and it's a lot of fun. They have camel rides and a huge amount of date based items it was a lot of fun for us date lovers.

Traffic nightmare by the seaside in Salmiya

It was my nephews birthday and he wanted Johnny Carino's, all I could think about was the parking nightmare we encountered a couple weeks ago. It was the same story, people parked on top of each other blocking the way, thousands of people grilling (which I thought was banned and they would get a ticket if caught) and chaos everywhere.

They love to block people when they park. So the law against grilling was approved and signs were put everywhere yet the grilling continues, another reason no one respects the laws!

Gold Souk and The Bazaar areas - Now Open in Avenues

The new gold area called "Gold Souk" and "The Bazaar" is now open in Avenues, the top floor is full of gold stores but not all of them have opened up yet while the area downstairs has several shops like Centerpoint and Home Centre.

Now you can really shop for everything in one place and it's not crowded yet. This means we still have the Garden Oasis, Entertainment, Hotel, Garden Arcade and Soku areas to look forward to according to this animated video which is crazy to look at because the animation has become reality with a few changes like the giant egg in the fountain in the luxury area and the fountain design in the Bazaar area pictured above.

These new areas and phases are all nice and cool but for God's sake can't someone fix the highway entrance to the mall? You've got 80% of the population of Kuwait trying to squeeze into 2 lanes to get to the mall, does anyone think someone forgot to address that problem when drawing the initial plans? Mr. Al-Shaya please build your own highway to Avenues!

KSA offers permanent residency relief for foreign wives of Saudis

Foreign mothers of Saudi children will be given permanent residence in the Kingdom without sponsors, the Council of Ministers said on Monday. They will also receive educational and health services like other Saudis.

The Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, made this important decision upon the recommendation of Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
The decision was aimed at encouraging non-Saudi wives of Saudis to stay in the Kingdom with their children. The Cabinet said that the state shall bear the woman’s residence fees.

“She shall be allowed to work for others in the private sector and she shall be considered part of Saudization process,” said Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja.(link)

Wow, it's hard to believe KSA would do this for foreign women before any other GCC states. I think it would really help women who might get divorced but still want to be with their children which is hard if their husband didn't get them nationality before they divorced. I'm sure there are a lot of foreign wives who stay in a relationship because there aren't any benefits without nationality and some husbands use the application as leverage such as giving nationality to the woman only if she agrees to give up custody of her children if they end in divorce.

Cloud Landed in Kuwait

Is it really a cloud?

Puffed up collagen and impants- Article about female Arab TV hosts- Funny!

I'm usually not a fan of articles written by Badrya Darwish of Kuwait Times but this one cracked me up! She wrote about the female TV hostesses being "puffed up on collagen and implants" which is so true. I never thought anyone would be brave enough to point out the level of women on Arab TV but Badry sure did.

"I do not mean to depress you guys but this is the news. You never hear good news. Then, you look at the TV broadcaster. She wears full-fledged make-up and shows off deep cleavage. God bless the Lebanese broadcasters whose shirts do not even have long sleeves. The meteorology broadcaster is half naked east and west from the waistline.

 

Excuse me, is there no coordination between the news and what the news presenters are wearing? If a presenter is reporting from a theatre, musical or a fashion awards ceremony then such clothes are acceptable. But broadcasting the bloody news with all these dresses does not fit. This is not modernization. On top of that, the broadcaster delivers the news of a murder with a big smile between the segments. There is no compassion or empathy for the casualties,"(link)

 

Some examples:

Kuwaiti hostesses

 Saudi Arabia hostess

Lebanese hostess
 

 There are a lot more outrageous looking females, these are the ones I could find on Google.

Kuwait Storm 2013

I thought leaving 15 minutes early from work would help me avoid the storm, I got caught in the middle of it which was scary at times.

Throwback Thursday - Biz Markie

You got what I need.......that used to be the jam.

Sorry Bro- Saudi is deported from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria

A Saudi man was deported from his own country after immigration authorities mistook him for an illegal Nigerian migrant within a massive expatriate deportation drive after the end of a government amnesty for foreigners last week
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Waleed Billo, who is reported to have a speech impediment, was arrested while walking back home in the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah and locked up along with scores of Nigerians and other illegal migrants.A week later, he was deported to Nigeria although he desperately tried to make authorities understand he was a Saudi.

His brother Mohammed said Waleed was reported later to have been knocked over by a car and taken to hospital in Nigeria, adding that he flew to the African country and sought help from the government and residents to find Waleed.

“We brought him back home and took him to the hospital, where he stayed for 10 days.
“We had thought he was missing but were later told by some Nigerians he was deported,” he said, quoted by the Arabic language daily Arar.“The incident caused my mother to fall ill.
“He cannot speak but they just deported him without checking. We now intend to file a lawsuit against those who were responsible for my brother’s deportation and suffering.”

I think the Saudi authorities should dedicate this song to the poor guy:

Bad taste?

Kuwait buys used jets as Qatar and UAE spend billions on their new Fleet

Kuwait

 VS.



Qatar and UAE

Kuwait Airways buys used jets
    

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Airways is buying five used aircrafts from India’s Jet Airways after an initial deal with Airbus fell apart due to lack of funding, a local daily reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the case. Speaking to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, the sources said that an agreement to purchase the Airbus A330-200 aircrafts was reached during Kuwait Airways board meeting last Wednesday. Kuwait Airways had signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year with Airbus to purchase and rent the same class of aircrafts, but the deal fell apart due to lack of funding and after Boeing reportedly entered negotiations with the national carrier. According to the sources, Jet Airways offered the five planes which have a total capacity of 1260 seats (252 seats each) for a total of KD 80 million.

 

The Kuwait Airways’ board sent its approval to the Kuwaiti government to make the final decision; which according to the sources is expected to be made by the Kuwait Investment Authority, which represents the general assembly for the Kuwait Airways and which will fund the deal if approved. If a deal is signed, the source predicts the aircrafts to arrive early next year. The planes, which have been in service for four years, can be used in medium and short range flights to Europe, the Middle East and Far East, the sources said. They added that each plane has two classes; a ‘Premium Class’ with 42 seats for businessmen, and an economy class with 190 seats. Kuwait Times

 

How sad is it to see Kuwait Airways has to settle for used jets from India while Qatar and UAE just spent billions to supply their growing fleets.

 

Better news for Qatar and UAE!

 

Boeing launched a long-awaited new version of its 777 long-haul jet with 259 orders from four airlines at the Dubai Airshow on Sunday. Boeing Chairman James McNerney said the order, based on commitments worth some $100 billion at list prices, was the largest combined order in the company's history. The deal includes orders for 150 of the aircraft from Dubai's Emirates, 50 from Qatar Airways and 25 announced earlier by Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways. Boeing also won an order for over 100 narrowbody jets from budget carrier flydubai.

"In recent years much of the attraction in global aviation has shifted to the Middle East because countries like the UAE and Qatar have tapped into our geographical advantage to build a new airport transport connection for the world," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Emirates, told reporters.

The 777 orders will replace some ageing aircraft and help add capacity to both airlines.
"This order will help Emirates meet it's future need ... and ensure Emirates can continue to be competitive with the latest and most efficient aircraft. The order will help it serve new customers around the world. The order (for both Emirates and Fly Dubai) ensures our commitment and long-term vision for the aviation vision up to 2025 and beyond," Sheikh Ahmed added.

(Maybe they could donate some of their "ageing" aircrafts to Kuwait Airways)

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker described the 777 fleet as a revolutionary aircraft that would transform the industry, claiming it was already the airline's flagship aircraft and had been the backbone of Qatar's fleet as it rapidly expanded. "(The new order will help) to chart a new course for Qatar Airways to elevate our fleet to a new level,"Al Bakar said. Arabian Business

It's funny that Qatar has moved up to the level of UAE considering 10 years ago gulf countries used to make fun of Qatar for being poor and not up to their level, then the natural gas came and the country came together to build a better future as well as trying to own London.

Oman has also risen in ranks as their country's citizens do the work of expats to make their country stronger and less reliable on foreigners. I think the key word for the success of these countries is unity.

Why would anyone spend that much money on Food?

This has got to be one of the craziest receipts for food I've ever seen, who would spend 180 KD on food while there are people working here making less than 40 KD a month as cleaners?

The Fashion Outlet - by Al Ostoura

Did anyone know there is a high end fashion outlet by Al Ostoura in Salmiya? I had Googled "outlet in Kuwait" and they gave me the name of the store but I never had time to get down there until yesterday. Since I was out and about having lunch for my mom's birthday I passed by the store and it was amazing! Prices are discounted by 70% and 90% which includes shoes, clothing, bags and accessories.

 Men's clothing

 Clothing for kids

 Everyone needs a pair of hairy boots!

They are open 10-10, located in Salmiya on the opposite side of H&M/Center point, a few stores down from the sheesha with the huge TV screen above it. You should park in the back, it's easier and go inside the building to the escalator which will take you right to the door. Happy Shopping!

Storm rolling across Saudi

The storm as it rolled across Saudi yesterday.

The Southern- food from the South coming Soon

A new Southern restaurant is coming to Mahboula soon. "The Southern" is an idea from two half Kuwaiti/ half American females with a goal to have everyone have a taste of the South and I'm right there when they open! Oh how long have I waited to eat collard greens and southern food minus the pork. I did have a sweet lady make me special greens from smoked turkey neck but that only came once a year when we held the African-American pride day.

Their website quote:

"Our food is best described as New Southern cuisine. It's all your favorite Southern classics with a modern high-quality spin and local ingredients galore. Our grandparents' down-home Southern cooking was served directly from the farm to the table for every meal. So why change what has worked for centuries? The Southern promises to make your favorite Southern dishes even better than you remember with a touch of gourmet and a lot of heart."

"We're two half Kuwaiti/half American owners; one from North Carolina and the other originally from Kentucky. After toying with the idea of opening a restaurant based on family recipes that have been handed down through generations for a while now, we decided to just go for it. Our intent was to create a neighborhood restaurant, where people can have a dining experience, not just a meal. We’re not making your typical fried chicken and grits; we’re breathing a little life into the cuisine, so people can really start understanding what Southern food can be. Truly a feast for the soul. By serving up dishes like Collard Greens & Artichoke Dip, Slow-Cooked Barbecue Beef Brisket with baked mashed potatoes, and made-from-scratch cobblers (peach and blackberry), we are hoping to delight Kuwait patrons with honest-to-goodness classic Southern fare with a modern spin that would make any grandma below the Mason-Dixon Line proud."

I will post their opening information when they have set the date. Until then you can find more information from their FB and website .... good luck ladies.

Zafran Indian Restaurant celebrates their new Menu

Zafran introduced their new menu items to invited bloggers and I've found a really great Indian restaurant to frequent. As it is a Landmark company restaurant it's located in Salmiya in the Centerpoint shopping center on the 3rd floor. I've been to Centerpoint to shop without realizing there was a restaurant and sheesha upstairs. The restaurant is nicely decorated with a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

We started off with their new pomegranate infused drink, loved it but the seeds kept getting stuck in my straw.

 Our "aaloo tikki" combo starter arrived hot and fresh.

 These are potato with pureed peas inside.

 These are filled with mushrooms and cheese.

 Finley minced lamb patties, no chewing required, they just melt in your mouth.

 Sizzling spicy lamb kebob, chicken malai tikka and tandoori prawns. The chicken was the best, tender marinated and cooked with cream cheese.

 Coconut prawns, a good dish for those who like sweet and spice but not my favorite.

Chicken beriyani, I've never seen it served like this, but really good.

 Last but not least, Indian saffron and milk ice cream made from pure milk with spices.

Our gracious hosts, Chef Gaurav Singh, Khalid Khader Op Manager and Stacy, thank you so much for our wonderful experience!