Author: Mark

Recently they’ve started putting up new speed cameras on the Gulf Road. They’ve started installing cameras in new locations and they’ve also started replacing some old cameras including the red light cameras and speed cameras with newer models. The new cameras differ from the older ones in that the radar, flash and camera are no longer located all together in one housing (like this) but instead divided into two separate pieces. Currently the large box housing (better pictures below) doesn’t have any openings in the front but I am guessing that’s because the system is still being set up and installed. Judging by the pictures on the manufacturers website, the housing called the TraffiTower can hold all the systems internally including the camera so not sure why they’re installing the camera separately. Also I am guessing there must be something new, a new feature that previously wasn’t available that they will be installing in the housing or else why would they replace the reliable and practical single housing units? I took a few pictures of the new speed cameras which you can check out above and below.

This has to be the greatest find yet, a documentary on Kuwait filmed in 1962. Embedding of the video has been disabled so to watch it you need to click [Here]

The Oil industry in Arab country of Kuwait, Middle East. Film made in 1962, directed by Rodney Giesler.

A young Kuwaiti man visits a typical idyllic English village. The village is Shere in Surrey. Shots of old timber framed houses. He speaks to camera. Another man outside the rear entrance of the Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank. Another Kuwaiti man talks seated at an outdoor café in London. They both speak to camera.

Film then switches to Kuwait. Point of view from car of busy Kuwait streets. Construction site and builders. The desert. Gas or oil terminal. Oil tankers. Docks. Arab man with headdress rides in the back of a lorry. Travelling shot of crowded street with American cars. Arab businessman in his office, talks on telephone. Various shops, selling electrical goods, chairs. Shopper plays an accordion. Some stylish modernist buildings. Two men drink from cola bottles. Large American car with fins pulls out and nearly crashes with another (seen from the rear). The ruler of Kuwait at a military parade. Various scenes of doctors, dentists, opticians at work. Small children rushing into school, mainly local but some white children as well. Bottle delivery man helps two schoolboys climb a wall. Children have lessons. School meal. Bakery. Deaf children have lessons at a special school. Little girl learns to speak. Young man writes with a special Braille typewriter. He also reads Braille. The airport, foreign skilled workers arrive, get off Kuwaiti Airlines aircraft. Oil well. Christian church for westerners. Woman in horn rimmed spectacles sits under a hair dryer. Lives of foreigners. Locals learn skills from foreign workers. Pilot lesson. University scenes with students.

Oil industry. Arab men have discussion in a boardroom. Cars drive through a sandstorm. Natural gas. Fresh water plant and delivery lorries being loaded. Delivery to Bedouins. Government experimental farm on land reclaimed from desert. Growing crops, dairy cows. Mosque, man calls to prayer. Grievance settling – men meet with the ruler in an office. Law court. Aerial view of Kuwait city and docks. Busy street scenes. Shots of various people walking in the street. Children play in a school playground.

The documentary is 26 minutes long but really worth it. I love the voice over and music, reminds me of the old Tex Avery cartoons.
Once again, to watch this documentary click [Here]

Thanks Hamad!

For those of you who’ve been following the story of the old photographer you will be happy to know he just left to hajj today. As I mentioned in my previous post on the old photographer, a very kind reader offered to help send him to hajj at her expense. Not only did she finance the whole trip but she also helped find a hemla that would take him and she even helped him pack and take him to the airport. I really can’t thank her enough for her kindness, what she did was beyond nice. She sent me a picture of the old man at the airport today dressed in the traditional white cloths with an expression on his face that looks like he can’t believe this is all really happening and not just a dream.

There is another reader I would also like to thank for helping with the Saudi visa. If it wasn’t for his help the old man wouldn’t have been able to get a visa and he wouldn’t have been able to travel. But the old man was lucky since the visa was issued last night which was just in the nick of time because the last group from the old man’s hemla was leaving today.

So thank you to the both of you for making this old man’s wish come true.

For those of you who missed the story of the old man I’m talking about above, here are the previous posts:
In Kuwait since 1959
Update on the old photographer
What would help the old photographer
Quick update on the old photographer

Someone should build these guys a drift track.
Oh wait they already have one… [YouTube]

Today I got my first MRI and it was the freakiest thing ever. I’ve seen MRI’s on TV a lot, on the TV show HOUSE for example a lot of important scenes play out in the MRI room but what they don’t show you on TV is the fact you have to stay really still in these machines for around 45 to 60 minutes! What they also don’t show you is how claustrophobic an MRI machine actually is.

Before going into the MRI room I had to remove all the metal objects on me including my watch, coins, belt and wallet. I didn’t have any metal in my wallet but the magnetic strip on the credit cards get wiped out in an MRI machine. After I removed all the metal I went into the MRI room and was told to lie down on my back while the doctor gave me some ear plugs to help with the sound. She then proceeded to lock my head into place so that it didn’t move and handed me a button to hold which I should use in case I need anything. She then pressed a button on the machine and the area I was lying on started slowly going inside the machine. Once I went in maybe 30cm I stopped her and told her no way I could do this. She asked me if I was claustrophobic I told her I wasn’t but this was just too much. It’s uncomfortable lying on my back and getting shoved inside a tight space made me feel extremely uneasy. I kept thinking random thoughts like what if there was an earthquake and the ceiling fell in and I got stuck in this machine. It would be like getting buried alive, very freaky. I asked her if there was any other option other than an MRI she told me there wasn’t. Not much I could do so I figured I would try going back into the machine with my eyes closed.

It worked, or at least it helped a lot. She told me if I stayed very still we could be done in 45 minutes, if I moved then things would take longer. I was now lying inside the machine with my eyes closed and grasping the emergency button in my hands. I figured I could use this time to think about stuff when suddenly the machine started to work and I lost all thought. The machine emitted very electronic sounds mostly but in some occasions the sounds were very industrial similar to stuff Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails would use.

To kill time I decided to count the length of each scan since the machine would start for a bit and then shut off for a minute or two before starting again. There wasn’t much to do sitting still in the machine so I figured by counting the length of the sessions I could maybe figure out a pattern or at least get an idea of how long I was in the machine for and how much time might be remaining. I opened my eyes every now and then and honestly it just felt really horrible and extremely uncomfortable being in the machine.

I had no idea how long had gone by or how much time I had left. Every now and then the doctor would ask me via an intercom system if I was ok and that I should continue to remain still. Then suddenly I noticed I was being taken out of the machine, I was relieved it was finally over when to my horror I noticed a male doctor at the other end telling me not to move and that he was just going to inject me and send me back into the machine. I was like what??! What injection?! Are you sure? Am I not done?? He told me I still needed a few more minutes. He gave me the injection and sent me back in. Once inside I noticed he took the emergency button from me and forgot to give it back to me. That freaked me out. I started to panic a bit since there was now no way to get in touch with anyone in case something went wrong. What did I get injected with? What if I got a negative reaction to it? I started to feel there was something wrong with my breathing. It was very difficult to breath and I was freaking out. Then the machine started again and I had to stay still, I figured I would try to control my breathing and get this whole episode over with.

Around 10 or 15 minutes later I got pulled out of the machine. What a relief. When I got outside Nataly was waiting for me, I thought the whole procedure had taken maybe 20 or 30 minutes since it didn’t feel too long but to my surprise it had taken a full hour. I found that very weird, usually time goes by really slowly in a situation like that but I guess since I had no clue on how much time was in fact passing things just moved quicker. I hope I never have to get another MRI done again. What an experience…

As I usually do when I come to Lebanon I always need to post about how the internet connection sucks here so here. I get back to Kuwait tomorrow so everything should get back to normal then. Mt Everest has 3G and we still don’t have anything as fast here in Lebanon yet.

[YouTube]

Since we are on the subject of massages, seems at some shisha places you can have a guy give you a massage for just one Dinar.

I’ve always thought my barber should have that option on the list as well.
Shave + Haircut + Massage = KD3.
That would be a combo I would pay for.

A reader spotted the following “massager” at Sultan Center in Hawalli. [Picture]

I went out and watched the movie The Town last night staring Ben Affleck and Donald Draper from Mad Men. The movie simply is about a group of guys who rob banks and armored trucks while the FBI (Donald Draper) try to catch them. The movie is also directed by Ben Affleck and I think he did a kick ass job. I had already watched the other movie he directed, Gone Baby Gone and thought he brought his own style into it and he did the same thing here. I would easily pay to watch another movie by him. One scene in the movie reminded me of the amazing street battle in the movie Heat so that should give you an idea of how cool this movie is.

Two more movies I need to watch on this trip, Due Date and Social Network.

I am going to be in Lebanon for the next few days. I got here around 1pm and first thing I did after dropping my bags home was to head up to Faraya and have lunch at a place called Jalset El Erzal.

The weather was really great and the food was amazing. The strangest thing though is the fact the sun set at 4:30pm here. It’s 5:20 now as I write this post and it’s pitch black out side. Very weird…

Taco Bell is opening up their first branch in Kuwait next Thursday at The Avenues. It’s about time! The list of places still left to open keeps shrinking… Wendy’s, A&W, Five Guys, Jack in the Box, White Castle, Arby’s, Cheese Cake Factory and In-N-Out.

The kid in the video above is an 11 year old young Kuwaiti player who’s currently living in the US. He’s extremely talented and the Daily Intake blog managed to score an interview with him which you can check out [Here]

A new company is bringing Quiznos back to Kuwait and this time they’re planning on opening up 15 branches. I heard this time its going to be the proper deal. [Link]

Thanks desertgirl and Husayn

Update: The company that’s bringing back Quiznos just emailed me to tell me that they will be opening their first branch in December/January in Salmiya Salem Mubarek Street opposite Olympia Mall. The new owners of Quiznos are the same owners of Buffalo’s Cafe.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 2: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has activated decision No. 614/1967 which allows foreigners, who enter Kuwait on tourist visas and stay in five-star hotels, to consume alcohol, reports Al-Shahed daily. Sources said alcohol will be served in specially allocated places and the guests will not be allowed to drink in public places. MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei reacted to the report, saying “it is either a joke or certain parties are testing waters to see if the idea will work.” Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Al-Tabtabaei said “the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has denied all such reports and added that it did not issue any such circular in 1977.” [Source]

Kuwait Times predicted this 3 years ago [Link]

Just found out about this 15 year old Kuwaiti female motocross rider called Ghada Al Faraj. While trying to find out more about her I realized The Adrenaline Fix had already interviewed her so you can check out that post by clicking [Here]

Photo by Ibraheem Al-Sahood