2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

I have been having lunch at IKEA for the past 3 days. I grew tired of food court food and so I wanted to try something new and thats when I decided to try IKEA. Other then the set menu they have daily specials. On Saturday they had Fish done manchurian style with steamed rice, yesterday they had veal steak with mushroom sauce, potato wedges and steamed vegetables and today they buttered chicken with steamed rice. The price is pretty good, the fish cost KD2.450 but the steak and chicken cost KD2.250. The daily special comes with your choice of tea or coffee. Its currently my favorite place and everything I have had has just been really delicious. If one they have a daily special I won’t like, I could just have swedish meatballs or a club sandwich. Then on the way out if I can’t resist the smell of the bakery downstairs I might pick up an eclair or chocolate croissant. Hmmm, now I am hungry.

Today was pretty straight forward. Just drove around the parking lot for an hour. Its was pretty uneventful until I had my first fall. Don’t think its counted as a fall since the bike fell while I was still left standing. I was turning a curve slowly, I think a bit too slowly and the bike just fell down right under me. Luckily it was dark so it wasn’t that embarrassing…

This is the bike they have given me to train on. Its the Bajaj Pulsar, a cheap 180cc bike that I am having a ton of fun on at the moment. The name The Pulsar makes it sound a lot more hardcore then it actually is. [Link]

Yesterday night on my way to the airport I saw an accident on the 5th ring road just before exit 50. The accident was still fresh since the medics were still at the scene. Turns out a bus carrying works some how rammed into the back of a truck so it was pretty messed scene with a lot of injuries. Here are two pictures I managed to take as I was passing by.

update: Here is a good video shot at the scene by Zaina [Video]

Today I had my second riding lesson and it went really well, much better then I imagined it would go. Yesterday I was stalling on the bike a lot except near the end of the lesson where I finally managed to get things right. Today I managed to start off exactly where I left off yesterday which was really good. I was taking off without stalling and I even started shifting. Everything just got wayyy easier today and I was having a lot of fun just driving around the parking lot stopping and going, just getting the hand of riding. The hardest part of my lesson today was actually learning how to use the turn signals, it just made my life mor confusing.

Anyway at this rate by the end of the week I should be ready to take the driving test next week. I actually think I could pass the test now since I heard the test is easy, but, I would rather get as much riding as possible in this parking lot before I go out into the streets. Tomorrow is my third lesson.

My favorite publisher is Phaidon, their books are of extremely high standard and their design and typography is unmatched. I just found out they are publishing the Wallpaper* City Guides and I really want to have the full collection. Sadly the first guide I want is for Montreal but that comes out October 2007 so the first city guide I will have to get is Amsterdam. One guide sells for $8.95 but you can buy the first set of 20 for $143 which isn’t bad at all. [Link]

Fuzz a blogger posted in the forum about how the 777 emergency service failed his uncle. According to Fuzz his uncle had a heart attack on Thursday and his cousin was the only person with hus uncle at the time and so his first reaction was to call for help by dialing 777. Problem is no one ever picked up. He tried calling them over and over and over but no one picked up the line.

How could no one be there to pick up an emergency phone call? A quick search online shows this has happened atleast one other time. CyberRowdy another blogger tried calling 777 to inform them of a safety problem when a traffic light at a major intersection stopped working. He called them 8 times and no one picked up. Another member in the forum posted that his Aunt passed away last year even though 777 did respond. According to the writer when the response team arrived they refused to touch his aunt because she was a woman and so did not perform CPR on her. They didn’t even help get his aunt into the Ambulance!

I am sure there are more examples where 777 failed to answer and the thing is, even if they don’t answer only one time that is still a MAJOR problem. Personally we used 777 once here at the office and the response time was fast so I myself never had a problem with 777. But, if there comes a time where I need them I would probably want someone to drive me to the hospital instead of waiting for 777.

Fuzz’s uncle passed away on Thursday because no one at 777 picked up the phone. Wouldn’t it have been better if the KD200 given out to every citizen was instead used to improve something as important as the medical service in Kuwait? Instead of donating money to rebuild Lebanon wouldn’t it have been better to first fix an important problem like the 777 emergency department?

Today I had my first riding lesson. It was really cool because I got there and there were two training motorbikes, two mechanics, this cool American biker called Kevin AND Jafar Behbahani, the owner of TriStar where I got my bike from. I had heard a lot about him and how cool a guy he was so meeting him was like really great. He spent the first half of the course teaching me how to ride but then had to leave for a meeting but Kevin continued in his place.

My lesson didn’t go that bad. I was stalling a lot in the beginning but near the end of my lesson I started getting the hang of it. My left hand and right hand can not coordinate together which is what made my lesson difficult. Its hard for me to do one thing with one hand and a different thing with my other hand, but they told me with practice I will get the hang of it and I can’t wait till that day comes. My second lesson is tomorrow, I am going to try to finish up all my lessons very quickly so I can get my license ASAP.

I really have to say I am extremely impressed with TriStar, Marzouq had told me before about how good they were and thats why he had recommended I get my bike from them but I didn’t think they would be this good. They are real professionals. If anyone is interested in a Ducati, KTM or BMW motorbikes, new or used then you should pass by them or give them a call. They are located in Kuwait City, at the end of the Istiklal freeway, opposite Al Khaleejiah Complex. You can call them on 2405194 (ask for Salem) or visit their website on tristarkw.com.

Tomorrow is my second lesson, should be really fun.

Today I finally have my first biking lesson. It really sucks having a bike and not being able to ride it and now I can’t wait till I finally get my license. Since I am going to the lesson right after work I have my helmet, gloves and jacket in the car. I am also wearing my biking boots which are the Alpinestars Stroke shoes. They are pretty cool and they don’t look half bad either. They also make me feel like a biker even though I still don’t know how to ride a bike which is pretty lame.

The weather is getting really better really quickly. I can’t wait till Ramadan starts since the roads would get deserted at around 5:30pm which would be perfect for a newbie biker since I can fuck up and not have to worry about getting run over.

I was checking the forum today and found cool pictures posted by Mocman of a pimped out Honda Accord in Saudi Arabia. It looks like it could easily fit into the upcoming Transformers movie. [Link]

update: Thanks to yazeez, here is a video of the car in action. [Video]

Someone asked that question in the forum and I thought it was interesting. In case you didn’t know, the government gave every Kuwaiti KD200 two days ago. So the question is directed to the locals, how are you planning on spending the money? The funniest thing I heard was that some guys were betting KD200 against each other in rounds of Winning Eleven on the PS2. Easy come easy go..

Krispy Kreme is opening in Marina Crescent right next to Biella, where the Cuppicino place used to be. They have a Krispy Kreme opening soon sign outside and construction has already started inside. Now thats a cool location.

Launching November 19th for only $250! [Link]

Funny but I have to say the mums laughter sounds really evil. Poor kid. [Video]

After posting about the iPod mini for sale the other day someone from Kuwait emailed me asking if I could help sell her iPod Video. The iPod is from 11/2005 and is in good condition. The iPod has only minor scratches from normal use. The iPod is 60 GB and black. It comes with the original package, with earphones, USB cable and Itunes CD.

Asking price: KD90 KD80

If interested send an email to [email protected]

Update: iPod is sold an no longer availabe