Antique Haul

If people follow my blog they will know how much I love antiques, especially anything old Kuwaiti in which I plan to pass down to my kids. My mother's husband has a family house and now that his parents are in the hospital he and his sister have the daunting task of cleaning out the house that hasn't been touched in more than 30 years. 

A brochure for 1969 Impala which I used to own when I was younger in Cali

 Old cassette player and camera, still have to get batteries to see if they work

 !984 Nintendo Micro Vs. System Donkey King 3/ Popeye Panorama Screen 1983/Seiko Data-2000

 Old magazines from 70s/80s

 Baby food can from 70s and toy from the same time showing Mecca

 And my prized possession, a quarter KD from 1968 series of currency, there ia also a 1 KD and 10 KD note from the same time.

They are still cleaning out the house so who knows what is left, I can't wait to see more.

The Lake Restaurant Complex

Surprise! A new restaurant complex is coming to Abu Hassani area, just when you thought we had enough, here comes one of the many heading our way. I was on the opposite side as I haven't quite figured out where the entrance is to the complex. The name of is 'The Lake' although I haven't heard of a Lake in Kuwait here is one now.

The restaurants I could make out are Pastamania, Applebee's, Olive Garden and Seal of Taste? Not to mention this Lego looking thing being built next to The Lake.

More restaurants perhaps?

Kuwait is last place in tourism Revenue

KUWAIT: Ten Arab countries earned nearly $57.586 billion in international tourism revenue during 2015, and this represents 3.8 percent of the total international tourism revenue of $1.5 trillion during 2015.

The annual report of the World Tourism Organization said at the global level, 10 countries earned $655.9 billion in 2015, which is 43.73 percent of the total revenues. As for Arab countries, UAE topped the list during 2015 with $16.038 billion, which is 27.8 percent of the total Arab countries’ tourism revenue. Saudi Arabia was second with $10.130 billion, Lebanon third with $6.857 billion, Egypt fourth with $6.065 billion, Morocco fifth with $6.003 billion, Qatar sixth with $5.035 billion, Jordan seventh with $4.065 billion, Oman eighth with $1.540 billion, Tunisia ninth with $1.354 billion and Kuwait tenth with $499 million.

---Is that really surprising when majority of Kuwaiti citizens run off to another country as soon as a holiday is announced?

89 Mall- Egaila

I've been seeing all of these signs for 89 Mall (can't help laughing at the odd choice of a name) all over my area and now I know which one it is. This huge one being built close to The Gate Mall. I've seen it being built for months but never knew the name....89 Mall link. I could see at least five escalators so it should be a big one. According to their website it will house some name brand shops.

Back in November I was at a health show and spoke with a Manager of Fitness First, at that time she told me they are opening a gym in this mall and it should be open in May. It is now August and the mall is still unfinished but once it opens it may have the gym there. There are also two more buildings opening up, I wonder what the traffic situation will be like.

Six Flags coming to Dubai

US-based Six Flags has reportedly pledged to build the world’s biggest roller coaster ride in Dubai.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the tallest roller coaster in the world is in New Jersey and operated by Six Flags while the world’s fastest roller coaster is in Abu Dhabi at Ferrari World.

“There will be rides that are bigger, better, faster, broader than any rides in the world,” John Odum, senior vice president of international park operations at Six Flags was quoted as saying.
Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai are encouraging the development of theme parks to help boost foreign tourist arrivals as oil prices slump, causing an economic slowdown in the region.

Six Flags operates approximately 20 theme and water parks in North America and has also signed an agreement with a private Ho Chi Minh City based company in March to open two parks in Vietnam.
Earlier this year, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum exempted Saudi Arabia from a GCC theme park deal, allowing the Gulf kingdom to pursue plans with Six Flags.

--I guess that means Entertainment City won't be turned into an awesome theme park, bummer!

Kuwait school fees- 2016

It's that time of year for parents to dig deep down into their savings and pray they can cover the ever increasing cost of sending children to private schools. Children get a Burger King education on a Harvard payment plan...welcome to Kuwait! My last school fee (post) was in 2013 in which you compare the difference in the prices which will continue to increase annually.

UPDATE: These prices were taken off of the websites, it does not reflect the additional fees of transportation, uniforms, books or other costs associated with private schools.

American International School

 American Creativity Academy

 American Baccalaureate School

 American School of Kuwait (ASK)

 Canadian Bilingual School

Global Bilingual Academy

Gulf British Academy

 International British School

Kuwait International English School

 New English School

The English Academy

These fees for American/British/Canadian are compared to the Indian/Pakistani school fees below, what a massive difference in fees! In all honesty I have visited the Fahaheel school and it was shocking to say the least but my main point is the school fees are less for those who are willing to do without all of the fancy amenities. Update: I visited the school over a year ago for those asking.

Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School

New Pakistan International School

I do know that the testing standard for the Pakistani school is really difficult.

My Grand Cinemas VIP has Expired

Oh how I will miss this card, last year chosen bloggers were (post) given a VIP card from Grand Cinemas which included free entrance for the blogger and their guest. I must say I put that card to work as you can see from the wear and tear and I will miss it. I would like to thank Grand Cinemas for choosing me as one of their recipients!

Muna Al Fuzai and her outrageous Opinions

I do not know why people would go swimming wearing full clothes, unless they are trying to draw public attention. This is my personal opinion because I cannot find a justification for such weird behavior while swimming in public pools or the sea. The question here is why this insistence on challenging Westerners in their own countries?

The burkini, a wetsuit-like garment that covers the torso, limbs and head, has prompted growing national discussion in France about Islam and women’s bodies, even though it is only worn by a handful of Muslims. This weird swimwear raised heated debate in French society and calls for a ban on burkinis. It has received support by most French political classes because they see the burkinis have no place in a country whose motto celebrates equality and freedom, and this dress code has no place in French values, traditions or customs.

France’s Socialist prime minister expressed support for local bans, saying that the swimwear is based on the “enslavement of women” and therefore incompatible with French values. Three French Mediterranean towns have banned the garment on beaches this summer, citing security concerns after deadly extremist attacks throughout the year. Some have criticized the ban, saying it is a discriminatory decision and could inflame religious and social tensions. Some also expressed readiness to pay the €38 penalty against any woman who wears the burkini.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressed an opinion in an interview saying that this kind of swimwear is not compatible with the values of France, adding that he does not think a legislation is needed because general rules on clothing restrictions cannot be a solution.

I believe he is right. I keep wondering why any of those women are so desperate to go to the beach and attract public attention by wearing clothes that are alien to French society. If these women are so keen to swim, why do they not have their own pool in their private homes instead of making themselves a subject of security concern and attract public and media attention. I cannot see it as a matter of fashion or personal liberty.

It is known that French laws ban face-covering veils in public. France has lost a lot of innocent people because of terrorism. It is natural that when you cannot see the face of a person, you are concerned, especially in these circumstances. I do not know why some people insist on imposing their vision on countries that do not deprive them of religious practices and try to impose their views by force. France has the right to decide on matters for millions of its citizens and protect them.

By Muna Al-Fuzai
muna@kuwaittimes.net

--How many times has this woman said rude things about people and situations? She talks about foreign women marrying Kuwaiti citizens and this time she talks about the 'Islamic Bikini' in which she can't understand why women who wear them want to go to the beach. While some Muslim women like to hang out in hotels wearing bikinis others wear Islamic attire, what's the big deal and who is she to judge? No one has said anything about the Chinese women who wear face masks to protect their skin while looking like a hospital patient. I wonder what France would say if they dealt with a Chinese lady who was covering her skin as to not get skin Cancer?link

DNA required for new passport...things are about to get Interesting!

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 17: Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Passports Affairs at the Ministry of Interior Major- General Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah said the government of Kuwait expects to receive the first batch of e-passports next week, reports Al-Rai daily. He also disclosed he plans to visit Germany next Sunday to receive approximately 65,000 ‘special’, diplomatic and ordinary passports.

He added the rest of the passports will be received before the end of 2016 or early 2017 depending on how fast the DNA tests are carried out. In the meantime, Al-Jarrah added the process of withdrawing the citizenship from people who had obtained it through fraudulent means is an ongoing process. He also declared the government has prepared a list of names who will be granted the citizenship and that their names will be declared in due course of time.

Meanwhile, Al-Jarrah has denied rumors that he has been transferred to the ministry’s headquarters. The Al-Shahed daily said Ministry of Interior is all set to expedite the DNA tests for persons who apply for the e-passports.

The daily quoting security sources said the DNA testing is of prime importance because it will disclose the names of those who had obtained the Kuwaiti citizenship through fraudulent means. All those who are found guilty will be referred to the Public Prosecution.

The same sources said Kuwait’s population suddenly showed a sharp increase after the liberation of Kuwait in February 1991 as a result of which the demand for marriage and housing loans increased.

The authorities believe during this period many people got the Kuwaiti citizenship through fraudulent means in an organized manner.

The sources added before the invasion some Kuwaitis had married divorced and widowed Iraqi, Syrian, Jordanian, Iranian and, Egyptian women who already had children from their former husbands, but after the invasion they entered Kuwait with these children and claimed they were offspring from their Kuwaiti husbands and got them the citizenship.

The source explained that some employees at the border ports and the Citizenship Department also helped increase the burden on the government by helping thousands of their relatives get the citizenship taking advantage of the chaos that accompanied the liberation of Kuwait from the Iraqis and the Kuwaiti population saw a sudden rise from a mere 650,000 before the invasion to 1,300,000 at present.

---Rumor has it people are already starting to sell their houses and property as they leave Kuwait trying to avoid prosecution for forged citizenship. How many stories of fathers finding out their child isn't theirs are we going to hear about soon? A giant can of worms is about to be opened.

Grocery prices

I usually shop for the same items every time and I'm always looking for price differences. LuLu has higher prices on some items. Below are pictures of Aquafina water 600 ml 55 fils while the LuLu brand 500 ml is 60 fils?

 I found these frozen chicken breasts in Abu Halaif Co Op, the price for 1 KG was .975 fils while the 2 KG bag was 2.100. If you buy two 1 KG bags the total would be 1.950 which is .150 fils less?

Today I bought the same 1 KG bag of chicken at LuLu for 1.050 and now they carry Karak tea in the purple box for 1.060, it sells for 880 fils in the co op.

I was happy to see the tea in LuLu but I will keep buying it from the local co op, 80 fils is 80 fils.

Adobo Burritos is Closing

This was posted on August 5 which means it will be closing very soon. It started off as a good restaurant but prices were high and the location was difficult to find. I visited twice, once when they first opened and a second time last year which would be my last visit as the quality had gone down. It seems like Mexican restaurants in Kuwait struggle to stay open even though there are many Latinos here.

Wendy's coming soon to Kuwait

In another post I wrote about the restaurant complex close to Al Seef closing down, it once held a few restaurants in hard to get to location in Salmiya. Two weeks ago I saw some construction going on and it looks like Wendy's will be brought to Kuwait by Al Ghanim. I don't know if it will be all Wendy's as the building is rather big for one restaurant but time will tell.

I can't wait to have a bowl of chili and a Frosty!!!!!

August 2, 1990- the day Iraq invaded Kuwait

The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq–Kuwait War, was a major conflict between Ba'athist Iraq and the Emirate of Kuwait, which resulted in the seven-month-long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, and subsequently led to direct military intervention by US-led forces in the Gulf War and the setting alight by Iraq of 600 Kuwaiti oil wells.

In 1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing Iraqi petroleum through slant drilling, although some Iraqi sources indicated Saddam Hussein's decision to attack Kuwait was made a few months before the actual invasion. Some feel there were several reasons for the Iraqi move, including Iraq's inability to pay more than US$14 billion that had been borrowed to finance the Iran–Iraq war, and Kuwaiti production of a large amount of petroleum which kept revenues down for Iraq. The invasion started on 2 August 1990, and within two days of intense combat, most of the Kuwait Armed Forces were either overrun by the Iraqi Republican Guard or fell back to neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The Emirate of Kuwait was annexed, and Saddam Hussein announced a few days later that it was the 19th province of Iraq. For more photos and information visit this website which contains hundreds of pictures from the war.

--Never forget!