2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

As I mentioned in my previous post the bear enclosures at the Zoo were the only decent ones. They had 3 enclosures next to each other for 3 different types of bears. I filmed a short video of one of the bears he seemed to be enjoying himself in the water. [YouTube]

Ibrahim Al-Mazeedi is a Kuwaiti country musician whom I posted about early in the year. He just released another song which you can listen to above. This is what Ibrahim had to say about this song:

I have released a new single – a very touching and personal one. It can be related to anyone in the Arab region. But I wrote it about Kuwait. Tell me what you think… listen to the words carefully.

[YouTube]

I get a lot of emails from people who want to setup their own blog under their own domain name and want to know where they can get a domain name from and hosting as well. Although I am sure I’ve posted this information before I figured I would do a quick refresh post about this.

Domain Names
I’ve tried a few domain name providers including DIrectNic and GoDaddy but my favorite is NameCheap. Their prices are decent and their admin interface is great and easy to use. Unlike GoDaddy (which I couldn’t stand) they don’t try and sell you services you don’t need every time you want to do something. www.namecheap.com

Web Hosting
My blog is currently hosted on Rackspace which you really don’t need if you’re just starting out. I originally started using Dreamhost and still use them to host some of my other sites. The biggest advantage to Dreamhost is the fact you can install WordPress (the software that runs this blog) with just a click of a button. Makes it perfect for a beginner to start blogging and they also have a free trial so you could try them out first before you sign up. I also think they give you a domain name for free when you first start or at least they used to when I joined up. www.dreamhost.com

I’ve got the following 5 Dreamhost codes that give $15 off a 1 year sign up and $100 off a 2 year sign up. These codes only work once and I only have 5 so if you try one code and it says it’s used try the second one. If all 5 don’t work it means they’ve been used up already sorry…

794847165544
910624757385
912484430318
915566572416
235249317682

Use the 12-digit code in the “promo code” field.

Please note the options above are not your only options. There are tons of domain name providers and even more hosting providers but the ones above are the ones I use and trust. If you have any questions just post it in the comments below and I will try to answer it.

Update: You can also use the code FIVEZEROOFF when checking out for a $50 discount.

After reading an article in Arab Times about the Zoo management accepting criticism I figured with that the Kuwait Zoo had turned a new leaf and has changed for the better. Well I was there today and nothing has changed.

To be fair, the 3 new bear enclosures are a huge improvement over everything else at the zoo. They’ve also fixed the Bony sign by covering up the bottom right part of the B so that it now looks like a P. And that’s it. Thats the only two things that have improved.

The worst part about the whole zoo has to be the security guards. People were feeding the animals, throwing bottles of water at the animals, throwing garbage and jumping over the protective barriers while the security guards did nothing. I went up to one security guard and asked him if it was allowed to feed the animals, he told me no it wasn’t. I then asked him why he was letting people feed the animals or kids throw bottles at the bears. He pretended to be dumb and asked me who was doing that, I just pointed to the crowd standing next to him and told him they all are. He just looked at me confused and wondered off. A few minutes later we were near the monkey cages and I noticed two little kids over the fence feeding the animals with their parents proudly standing and watching. What was even more terrible was the fact there was a security guard sitting on a chair also just watching. I went up to him as well and asked him why he wasn’t doing anything about the kids over the barrier. I asked him what if one of the monkeys bit one of the kids? He just smiled back at me, he didn’t care.

As you can see in the picture above the two kids are over the barrier. In the second picture below you can see the security guard in the chair watching the kids in the background over the barrier.

Everywhere I looked there were people just throwing stuff at the animals and no one was doing anything about it. But the thing is, it’s not their fault. People aren’t expected to know they can’t feed the animals and I only saw one “Don’t feed the animals” sign in the whole zoo. It’s the job of the zoo to educate people, they should put up signs in multiple languages telling people not to feed or throw stuff at the animals and they should be located outside all the cages and enclosures. It’s then the job of the security guards to enforce the rules when they are broken. In both cases the zoo has failed miserably.

One of the biggest events of the year is back with Kuwait Stock 2010. This year’s music line up includes a lot of great talent, here are the bands participating:

The Feeling
The Rebs
Revolution
The Juice
Dead Electrics
Jelly Shot

Location: British Embassy
Date: October 15th
Tickets/invitation inquiries: [email protected]
Website: www.kuwaitstock.info

Thanks Mahmood

Update: Just emailed asking about ticket prices and got the following

Thank you for your interest in KuwaitStock. The event is by invitation only. If you are known to a KuwaitStock sponsor and they invite you, they will let you know about what to do.

Please note that an invitation is not transferable.

Hope to see you soon

KuwaitStock Committee 2010

Girl’s, you’ve let us down. I don’t understand how Bahrain could beat us?! [Link]

Thanks FYI

I spotted this new air conditioned bus stop today in Kuwait City. It’s pretty spacious on the inside with one split unit providing the cold air and a long bench for seating. What’s interesting is the no smoking or you will be fined KD15 warning plastered inside. I wish they would apply that to malls and restaurants and not just bus stops.

Two years back I posted about the possibility of Kuwait building nuclear plants, well it looks like they’re going to be building four! I just hope they don’t put the guy in charge of the sewage treatment plants to handle the nuclear power plants. [Link]

There are some EXTREMELY lucky people out there. [YouTube]

Just found out about this site called the Dawood Treasury which contains vintage articles from old newspapers. They have a section for Kuwait (where I got the ad above from) and also sections for other neighboring countries. I think the site is still getting updated so it should be interesting once they add a lot more stuff. [Link]

Thanks e7mood

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.