Author: Mark

Before I started 248AM I had another blog called Miskan. Before Miskan I had a photo blog (that sadly doesn’t exist anymore) called Moblogging in Kuwait. Before Moblogging in Kuwait I started off blogging at qHate.com back when the only bloggers around were just me, Nibaq and Zaydoun from Kuwait Unplugged. Thing is I’ve posted about so much stuff in the past 7 years that I’ve completely lost track of what I’ve posted about and what I haven’t. For example it recently came into my attention that I haven’t posted about Q8Books or the original Kuwait Bookshop although I could swear I’ve posted about them before. Turns out I discovered both those places back during my Moblogging from Kuwait project in 2004 but only mentioned it briefly on Miskan and with a picture on Moblogging from Kuwait (actually called Nat my girl friend in that post back then!) yet I thought I had done a proper post about it here on 248AM. Anyway since I haven’t I figured I would do so now.

Q8 Books
Q8 Books is the only used books shop I am aware of in Kuwait. There actually aren’t that many places that sell used anything here in Kuwait which makes Q8 Books even more special. The place is filled to the brim with a ton of used books ranging from novels, kids books to cooking books and more. The owner of the place is a great guy who opened the place and runs it out of passion. They even have a website that contains all the books they have in the shop, how cool is that? The store is located on the mezzanine floor of the shopping center behind Johnny Rockets Salhiya. For store opening hours and to check out their collection of books you can visit their website www.q8books.com

The Kuwait Bookshop
Everyone knows the large Kuwait Bookshop located in the basement of Muthana Complex in Kuwait City but very few people know about their first and original store located a few hundred meters away. The original Kuwait Bookshop location was the first English bookshop to open up in Kuwait (so I was told) and the location is still open and active. Although the Muthana branch is pretty cozy the original branch is even cozier. The store is two stories with the top floor being my favorite since it feels like it contains hidden treasures. I’ve been there a few times and never seen anyone in the shop but the employees tell me they do get a lot of customers. The original Kuwait Bookshop is located near Restaurant 99 on the Sheraton Roundabout.

Note: Off topic but I think Moblogging from Kuwait was my best blog so far. Sadly it was hosted on textamerica.com which shutdown and took my blog with it. Luckily most of it is still archived on web.archive.org although 99% of the pictures aren’t. It’s still fun to flip through and read my old posts there. I used to post from my Sony Clie UX-40. To read my old posts, follow [this link] click on the first image and then keep clicking next.

Seems a huge fight broke out at the Avenues last night. According to one manager working at the Avenues the fight involved around 80 people and started at Gant next to Pinkberry. According to him a lot of people were injured and there was blood on the floor. [YouTube]

Thanks Miguel

Note: Video is from Hi Kuwait

According to a survey by EuroCost International, Beirut is now the most expensive city in the Middle East and 10th world wide when it comes to housing. Beirut, “the Paris of the Middle East” is ironically more expensive to live in than the real Paris. Second place is Abu Dhabi coming in at 12. Dubai this year is off the Top 20 list. [Link]

via BlogBaladi

I passed by the old photographer this weekend. In our previous meeting I had asked him if there was anything that can be done to help him out and he had told me he needed a few days to think about it and a few days had passed and I was curious to what can be done. I was already brainstorming a few ideas in my head trying to think about what can be done to help him get back to his feet but I really couldn’t come up with anything long term. So I passed by again and we had another long chat.

He’s 80 years old and not in the best of condition. He has an employee he doesn’t trust, a store that only does photocopies, and he makes just enough income to feed himself and put a shelter on top of his head. He told me that he thought about restructuring his shop, to get into digital photography or at least upgrade his machine in the store. But he told me it would take to long for him to start making profit and he’s 80 years old and doesn’t have that much left to live. He then told me he thought about going back to his village in Lebanon but what would he do there? He doesn’t have anyone. His family all passed away, he has a half brother who he hasn’t spoken to in years but he’s also very old. He doesn’t have anything to go back to. He then moved onto the subject of death and how his family all passed away without every going on a hajj. He told me he doesn’t want to die without ever going to hajj.

I don’t know much about the hajj or how much it costs or if he actually can go being so old (I’m sure there are some kind of groups where young people help the elderly or something). If anyone would like to help me send the old man to hajj or at least if someone can post details on what the trip involves and who I could contact for information that would also be helpful.

In case you missed the previous posts here are the links:
In Kuwait since 1959
Update on the old photographer

It’s been a while since I last posted an update on how my work out and diet is going. The last time I posted my weight it was 76KG when I had just come back from New York. Well my current weight is 77KG but I haven’t gained fat weight, I’ve gained muscle weight. My stomach is a lot flatter then back when I was 76KG and I’ve practically lost all the fat covering my abs. I can finally see my six pack although it looks nothing like the ones in 300 so no Spartan costume for me this Halloween. But still, going from a beer belly to a no belly is an accomplishment for me yet alone getting abs.

I’ve been very consistent with my diet especially when I am following my usual day to day routine. Traveling messes up my routine but generally I am eating healthy and not cheating too much. When I do cheat I always end up unsatisfied and feeling guilty so I don’t cheat often. Even when it comes to eating stuff like shawerma I am having a hard time because I am finding it too heavy. Burgers of course are welcomed with open arms but shawermas, fried food, sauces and dessert are a not.

I am still going to Core Fitness with full passion. Sometimes in the middle of workout I just want to drop everything and walk out because it’s just too exhausting physically and mentally but then I just think about the progress I’ve made since January. It’s real physical change that I can feel and see so that gives me the strength to push forward and finish up my session. If this was a review of Core Fitness I would have to give it a thumbs up because it works as advertised. I was skeptical back in January when I first started but now I can say it’s real. Just 20 minutes per session, hard to be believe but it’s true.

Blogger Mathai spotted the below hoarding banner at the new Lulu Hypermarket mall off the 208 in Qurain. It’s still coming soon but since I can’t think of any mall in Kuwait already containing an aquarium, they really don’t have to make it that big for it to be the biggest. [Link]

To be served next to the world’s biggest bowl of chicken curry.

The record-breaking naan was 10ft by 4ft and has a total area of 40 sq ft – the equivalent of 167 normal size naan breads – and took bakers over five hours to make and 8 staff to carry.

[Link]

That’s gotta suck. [YouTube]

I get emails all the time from people asking me to post about their new website but majority of the time they’re very poorly put together that I just can’t post about it or recommend it to anyone. Yesterday I did get impressed though when the guys behind a new website called Yalla Wain emailed me.

It’s actually a pretty nice looking site, no flash (that’s a very good thing), it’s fast, simple and practical. YallaWain.com is a site where people can go read and find out about restaurants in Kuwait. You can also sign up and write your own reviews or leaves tips for other people. Even the way its setup so you could navigate around the site is easy since you can choose by location, type of food or country the food is from.

The only negative thing I have to say is the fact you need to be invited to be able to write a review and not just a simple sign up like most sites. I think that’s NOT a great move. The site just launched today and it needs as many reviews as possible to make it successful. Locking up registration and having it invite only means its going to take a lot longer than it should to get some decent reviews in. Anyway check out the site, I like it. [YallaWain.com]

A guy in Kuwait posted a video up of his room with the walls covered in Hot Wheels cars. The guy has a huge ass collection and even a life size Corvette rear end sticking out of his wall. I used to have a huge collection of Matchbox cars (and a few Hot Wheels color shifters) but had to leave them all behind during the invasion back in 1990. Sucks. [YouTube]

The video above is by Kuwaiti rapper A To The G and he actually mixes in English and Arabic. Video is well shot but skip the first minute. He’s an NES and ACK graduate and you can check out his YouTube channel [Here]. Oh he’s also a boxer.

The second Kuwaiti rapper is a guy going by the name BigMo. Below is one of his songs you can listen to and you can check out the following link for more songs. [Link] Pretty good stuff.

Booty. Drugs & Liquor final by BigMo

Here is his Facebook group. [Link]

Last year I posted about a bear that was being sold in Kuwait. After readers started contacting Animal Friends they launched an investigation and with the help of the government helped seize the bear. So where is the bear now and how is he doing? Well it looks like it’s at the Kuwait Zoo and judging by the video above having a great time. I haven’t been to the zoo for ages but the bear enclosure in the video above looks pretty good and large. It looks like I need to pass by the zoo soon and update my pictures. [YouTube]

Thanks sinful eyes

Last month I posted about Aysha, the Bahraini blogger who found out Al-Qabas newspaper had stolen a picture of her and published it in the newspaper without permission. Well Al-Qabas posted an apology a couple of days back… and posted her picture again.

If you remember, my whole issue was that the newspaper took a picture, my picture, from my blog without my permission. So, when I was informed that there would be a published apology on their site and the newspaper I never, ever imagined that they would actually REPRINT my image. Are they kidding? Are they seriously that naive or genuinely apologizing? My whole issue to begin with was having MY image plastered/printed in the bloody paper to begin with. They must be joking right? A cruel, pathetic joke!

You can check out her full post on her blog [Here]

A scene from the most expensive telegu movie, Magadheera. [YouTube]

Thanks Alex!

Kuwaitis are consuming almost more water than the country can produce.

An estimated 1.5 million cubic meters of water was being consumed daily in Kuwait, dangerously close to country’s maximum production capacity at, the business news site Arabian Business reported.

According to the report Kuwait, which produces nearly all of its water from desalination plants, produces just 1.51 million cubic meters of water a year.

Looks like next year we are going to have water cuts in addition to the power cuts. [Link]

Thanks Burhan