So I’ve been working on a new theme for the blog which I’m going to launch in the next coming months but just a few months ago I was like you know what? I could probably introduce some of the new changes to the current theme and it will take me less than an hour of work. So I did just that.
The slightly modified changes are:
– a light grey backdrop with a soft shadow behind the white page to give it a raised feel
– a wider space for my posts which means I can now have larger pictures and videos
– new sharing icons at the bottom of the post for facebook, twitter and google
– clearer section tabs under the main header
The Kuwait Historical, Vintage & Classic Car Museum just finished building a race track and will be officially introducing it to the public on October 10th. The race track was built across the street from City Center Shuwaikh in the empty desert space right next to the car museum.
Once the track is open it will be available to anyone who wants to race on it. The track will be used for a variety of different activities including racing, karting, drifting, car dealership test drives and even a 4X4 experience.
They still haven’t finalized how much it will cost to use the track but I’ve been told it will be a minimal fee. For more pictures check out their Instagram account [Here]
Kuwait is one of the top 10 biggest improving cities according to the latest Liveability report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The rank is calculated based on 30 factors spread out across five categories: stability, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and culture and environment. Check out the article [Here]
While the world is becoming less peaceful, Kuwait moved up a few spots and came in 37th place out of 162 in the most recent Global Peace Index report (Iceland came first). The peace index uses a variety of different stats to generate an overall ranking including:
– Level of organised conflict
– Relations with neighbouring countries
– Level of perceived criminality in society
– Political instability
– Terrorist activity
– Number of homicides per 100,000 people
– Level of violent crime
– Likelihood of violent demonstrations
– Number of jailed population per 100,000 people
– Nuclear and heavy weapons capability
– Ease of access to small arms and light weapons
Amongst our neighboring states Kuwait ranks 3rd behind Qater (19) and UAE (36). For their full findings and stats visit their website [Here]
I have a friend visiting Kuwait for a few days and last night around midnight I took him to my favorite touristic hotspot in Kuwait, the water towers in Adailiya. I love that place and in the middle of the night when it’s vacant it’s a very chilled and beautiful place.
The Adailiya water towers got cleaned up and painted around a year ago so they look really pretty during the day and night. They’re located inside a park that’s open 24/7 which means you can pass by them at anytime. You can also walk up extremely close to them since the fence surrounding the towers is very very close. I also think you can get a lot more nicer shots (selfies) at the water towers when compared to the Kuwait Towers since the water towers are not as tall and since there are a few of them all huddled very closely, they easily show in all your shots.
So if you ever have visitors and are looking for a cool place to take them to, I would highly recommend the Adailiya water towers any time after midnight. Here is their location on [Google Maps]
Back in January a challenge race took place in Kuwait and the video of the event just finally got uploaded. I was planning to take part but ended up traveling, glad I didn’t though since the event looked grueling and I don’t think I would have made it anywhere near the finish line. [YouTube]
Yesterday me and some friends headed to the Kuwait Camel Race Club in Kabd. I had never been to a camel race before and when my friend proposed it I figured it would be something exciting to do on a quiet Saturday afternoon. My friend got in contact with a person at the track so when we got there we had a guide waiting for us.
The guide got into the car with us and took us past the security gate into the center of the race track where the camel owners drive alongside their camels during the race. The Kuwait Camel Club no longer use human jockeys but instead use robotic ones due to the controversial child jockey problems faced in the past. During the race the camel owners drive down the track alongside their camels controlling their robot jockeys with wireless controllers. The guide made me tune into 93.1mhz on the FM radio because there was a live broadcast of the actual race so we could follow it that way. You could watch the short video above to get a feel of the view from inside the car. During the start of every race all the cars drive to the starting line where the owners make last checks on their camels. The camels don’t start in front of the spectators stand but 3KM away from the finish line. Once the camels are ready they are lined up and the race begins. The cars drive alongside the camels all the way to the finish line and then the cars drive back to the starting line to check on the other set of camels. We did this maybe five or six times until all the races had been finished and then we drove back to the spectator stands.
There was a black tent near the track where the winner was given his prize. Afterwards we were invited to some dates with camel butter and camel milk. The butter was absolutely delicious and even the milk didn’t taste bad at all, kinda like something between buttermilk and laban.
If you’re interested in visiting the tracks to watch a race it’s very easy to find and do. Take the 6th Ring Road and if 360 Mall is on your right keep heading straight past the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. Keep driving until you pass the new Kuwait University campus on your left (currently just hills and hills of sand surrounded by hoarding) and then after that in a bit you’ll see a sign for the 604 exit. Once you take the exit stop at the traffic light and then take a left and pass under the bridge. Then keep driving straight until you get to a roundabout, drive straight past that roundabout and keep driving until you get to a second roundabout. Once again pass that roundabout and keep driving until you hit the third roundabout. At the third roundabout go left and then head all the way till the end of the road. Once your read the end go right until you get to the end of the road again and you’ll spot the Kuwait Camel Club on your left. The whole ride shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes. There is no entrance fee and races are held every Saturday from 2:30pm between October and April. Here is the location on [Google Maps]
The documentary is now out and has made it’s way to YouTube. Here is a description:
For many Londoners, the summer is a chance to escape the noise and bustle of the capital in search of relaxation and sun overseas, but as the Brits hit the beaches, London becomes the top destination for super-rich Arab tourists and their supercars.
This documentary provides an insight into the influx of supercars and their wealthy owners in central London each summer.
Swapping the searing heat of their homes in the Middle East for the cool of the UK, increasing numbers of super-rich Arabs are packing their bags and cars for their annual vacation in the capital.
Million-pound Bugatti Veyrons and extravagant Koenigsegg supercars have become a common sight on the streets of London but it has divided the opinion of the residents.
These elite supercar owners, often young Arabs in their twenties, enjoy showing off their motors but many of those living in Knightsbridge and Chelsea are less enthusiastic; they say summer in the city has become unbearable.
The locals are complaining about sleepless nights caused by revving engines and speeding cars racing down the narrow streets, leaving the police with no choice but to clamp down on noise offences and reprimand those driving without the correct insurance, tax and number plates.
The supercar phenomenon has also sparked a fan base of ‘carparazzi’: young – mostly male – Brits are tracking down the latest arrivals so that they can photograph and film the cars and post them online: the noisier and shinier the supercar, the better.
The British Daily Mail have an article on all the Arab motorists who flock to London with their super cars. The locals hate them due to their unruly driving, lack of respect for local laws and general hooliganism on the British streets. The Daily Mail also had the video below attached to the article although it seems like it was shot this past summer. You can read the whole article on the Daily Mail [Here]
It’s going to take place on January 26 and be a mixture of a trail run, off-road cycling and and an obstacle course. You can sign up individually or a team (max 3) but you should be part of a gym since this competition is going to be a challenge between local clubs. I’m signing up to this for sure since it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun. They told me there will be mud!
If you want to sign up you can call the following number: 65778598
Last weekend GulfRun held their second Karting Endurance race as the Mishref Fairgrounds which was organized by Pro-Vision. It was a 24hour race that started on Friday and finished on Saturday. The event was pretty exciting with great racing by the teams and lots of spectators supporting them. I passed by on both days and took a bunch of photos which you can see below. The next GulfRun event is GulfRun 8 which will be held in Bahrain this coming January.
The winners of the 2011 Emporis Skyscraper Award was recently announced and Kuwait’s Hamra Tower came in second place. The Emporis Skyscraper Award is a renowned architecture prize for new skyscrapers and the winners were chosen from over 220 skyscrapers completed in 2011. The tower that came in first place was the 8 Spruce Street which looks pretty impressive as well. [Link]
I was wandering around Avenues Phase III today and noticed The North Face had opened up their first store in Kuwait (they’re on the second floor). It’s a good brand for anyone looking for outdoor and camping gear. Their tents aren’t very portable but their sleeping bags can be very compact and they’ve got a nice collection of soft and hard shell jackets as well as camping backpacks.
The Kuwait Science Club sent a Kuwaiti flag into space using a weather balloon. They recorded the whole thing with a GoPro camera and you can watch the footage above. [YouTube]
