With Hamad Pencil

Remember this?



Are they still teaching kids to learn with Hamad? or did they change the school books?

Migrating Birds

Here are some Migrating birds flying over the Gulf that I caught on camera.










On the subject of birds, if you get bird poop dropping on you, it is supposed to be good luck. I don't think it was such good luck for this guy below:

Je vous en prie Monsieur Sarkozy

You are supposed to wiggle the little cup if you don't want more Arabic coffee, not clink it.

Saudi Arabia to lift ban on women drivers

Saudi Arabia is to lift its ban on women drivers in an attempt to stem a rising suffragette-style movement in the deeply conservative state.

Government officials have confirmed the landmark decision and plan to issue a decree by the end of the year.

More from the Telegraph here.

The streets of Saudi Arabia have just become much more dangerous, can we expect more driving like this?

Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

More here from René Magritte.

Airplane Adventure

The airplane left the runway flying towards Kuwait. I was squeezed in the coach class seat and it was a full flight. I tried to make the time pass by looking at the landscape from the airplane window. I picked up the in-flight magazine and skimmed through the glossy pages. I took the flimsy headset, tore off the plastic protective covering and started flipping through the channels, not watching anything but watching everything on the tiny screen.
Thirty minutes into the flight, I could not feel my legs but that was alright, they where bent under the seat in front of me in such a way, a circus contortionist would be proud.

The speakers announced that we are approaching Kuwait and the “fasten your seatbelts” sign lit. I did not need to do anything; my seatbelt was fastened throughout the flight.

Babies started crying as the changed air pressure starting popping their sensitive ears. It was a constant whine with little gaps of silence. Above the babies’ cries and the increased jet engine’s thrust I could hear a man arguing loudly. He had a Bedouin accent and he was shouting that he will not quiet down to an unknown person. The man was sitting in the first row of coach class just before the curtain that separates the proletariat from the bourgeoisie. The man was in his mid thirties and was dressed in the traditional dishdasha and red ghutra. His complaints and voice got louder, his arms flailing, and his complaints punctuated by obscenities.

The troublemaker stood up, and stood in the passage between the seats looking around with dark bug eyes addressing no one in particular. He continued with his stream of obscenities. He moved towards the toilet cabinets and tried to open them but the doors where locked. The man unhooked one of the hidden wall cabinets and looked inside, maybe thinking it was one the toilets. As the airplane pitched down to land at Kuwait Airport, the movements of the plane made him sit down and all was quiet.

The airplane hit the runway smoothly and as the airplane was taxiing towards the airport entrance bridge, the announcer spoke. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have landed safely in Kuwait; please remain seated until the airplane reaches a complete stop. Also we have a minor security issue and will inform you when you can leave the airplane”.

The airplane stopped shortly after. The troublemaker jumped out of his seat and dashed towards the business class area. Slowly the passengers rose, took their belongings from the overhead compartments and walked towards the exit with their numb legs. As I walked through business class, I could see the troublemaker in handcuffs sitting near the window with a huge Kuwaiti airport policeman sitting right next to him.
I thought to myself, tonight he will enjoy Kuwaiti hospitality as he sleeps on a hard concrete floor and eats lentil soup courtesy of the local jail.

Snow in Arar

These pictures where taken in Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently.


View Larger Map

Nissan - Its the Bomb

Check out this Nissan commerical, its the bomb :-)

Sorry for the Inconvenience

We are (or at least I am) renovating the blog layout for your viewing pleasure.

Tag from Intlxpatr

Just for Intlxpatr.

*Do your closest friends have any nicknames for you? They call me Sir.
*What would your ex-(boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse) say about you in one sentence? “You changed my life.”
*What is the greatest achievement of your life so far? Staying alive with no headaches.
*How should people think of sex in this, the 21st century? They should not think too much.
*Where would you live if anywhere was possible? Somewhere Intergalactic.
*Is there a religion that’s fulfilling for you and/or the masses? I can't speak for the masses but I am Muslim.
*What inspires awe in your life’s experience? Beauty.
*What was/is your best pick-up line? Don't have one, don't need one.
*What and when is the most potent emotion you’ve ever experienced and why? Frustration, but I quickly get over it.
*On what occasions do you act self-absorbed or just plain selfish? When I am sick, I want to suffer alone.
*If someone assigned you a quest, or if you decided your own, what would you be looking to find? I want to find dragons, they fascinate me.
*If you had to choose between them, would you live in Hollywood, Washington D.C. or New York, and why? I have been to all three; don't particularly like any of them.
*Who or what makes you feel “whole”? A heavy meal.
*Where is your greatest opportunity for change? On weekends.
*What do you consider to be the greatest opportunity for humankind? To stop talking and start listening.
*What surprises you about getting older? Things I would have done different if I knew what I knew today.
*What or who makes you feel younger or rejuvenated? Sleeping 10 hours and having a strong coffee.
*Where or when do you feel most alone? I am never alone.
*Where or how is society most ripe for change? When they change themselves first before asking for change from others.
*Do you think of yourself as attractive to the opposite sex? I am not that conceited.
*When or where do you feel the most free? At home.
*What is the greatest memory of your life to date? Lots of memories, lots of great times.
*Where and when did you find out who you really are? I never was lost.
*How and when do you collect your thoughts and why? When I wake up, I stopped doing that before I sleep because it does not help my sleep.
*If someone told you when and where you would die, what would you do immediately after being told? I would not believe them and keep on living.
*What are the best parts of being in love? Sharing.
*What’s your favorite libation (a drink offered to a god)? I never was invited on Mount Olympus.
*What “life philosophies” have you adopted since you’ve become an adult? Live and let live.
*How would you like to be remembered? Fondly.

Sweet Child O mine - Indian Version

I thought that was very well performed.

If you want to see the original by Guns N' Roses you can find it here.

Gold Update

On September 19, 2007 I bought some gold. It was not gold bars, but shares backed by gold bars with the ticker symbol GLD.

GLD was priced at around $71, today it reached more than $85, a generous 19% increase within less than 4 months.





My prediction is that gold will rise further as oil prices increase and the US federal reserve devalues the US dollar more with lower interest rates and increased liquidity to help bail out the banks and financial institutions caught in the sub-prime quagmire.

Happy investing to all.

Starbucks going Skinny

Starbucks has started a low profile campaign called skinny. The idea is that when you order a drink, you ask for it to be a skinny drink which means you'd like sugar-free syrup, non-fat milk, and no whip cream.

I don't know if it also works in Kuwait, someone needs to try to order something skinny and let me know.

But, the Barristas' in the States are protesting, because a lot are overweight and they feel uncomfortable using the word skinny.

More here.

Picture taken from here.