Search: “kuwait”

Just got a phone call from Sarita. Some of you might know her from the Aramex Shop n Ship service. She left them a while back and now works at a new place called IEC Trading who offer a similar service to Aramex except with some more advantages. I only got a few details off her but will be getting more soon. Here is what I got:

– Setting up a US mailbox costs the same, KD10
– Packages are shipped to Kuwait via FedEx and DHL
– No customs on any of your packages
– Shipping prices are the same
– On heavy packages they can give you a discount

So far everything sounds great and I will definitely be creating an account with them since Aramex have become really slow. My last package spent 7 days in UAE in transit! Once I get more details I will post them here.

I have a quick question. I was driving by Al Khalijiyeh Building in Kuwait City when I noticed the gas station across the street from it was branded “Oula”. Is this part of the gas station privatizing? I don’t think they have a logo yet, it was just Oula written in regular black type on a white background, very dull.

I just developed my first roll of colored film with my Holga camera and the results turned out to be pretty impressive. I really prefer color over black & white shots any day and if you compare my shots this time around to my previous black & white ones you can see why. The colors turned out very vibrant and the Holga effects were more obvious this time around. Click on more to see some other pictures.

Today there was an article in Arab Times related to what I posted the other day on the fact that I heard expats will be limited to staying in Kuwait for only 6 years. I am glad the majority of people think this is a stupid idea. Here is the link to the Arab Times article or click on more to read it here.

I got an email from the Belgian Shepherd breeder in Belgium yesterday. He sent me pictures of the puppies and also had some new updates. Turns out he won’t ship us the puppy when they are 7 weeks old, he will ship it to us once it turns 12 weeks old. I think that means I would get the dog mid February which seems too far away. His reason was that he called the Kuwaiti Embassy and they told him the dog needs certain shots before they would let it into the country and he needs to do them before the dog can be shipped. Anyway I have to say, this has to be the ugliest puppy I have seen so far!

Click here for larger puppy picture

Now that Aramex closed their Kuwait City office you need to go pick up your packages from Aardiyah (if you don’t have them delivered to you). Here are the directions to their Aardiyah branch.

When you are coming on the 5th ring road from Salmiya towards Jahra, you will reach Ragii Area (which will be on your right hand), and on your left side you will notice a large Panasonic sign.

Right in front of you there will be a bridge; make a U-turn under the bridge as if you are going back to Salmiya. When you make the U-turn and before you get back on the 5th ring road, you will find an entrance on your right side. Take it and drive 200 meters in and you will find ARAMEX on your left hand. You may turn behind the fire station if you do not wish to pass the sandy area in front of our office.

View Map

Telephone: 4345444

Only video game fans will get this comic strip. I love Killer Instinct by the way.. even though I was never able to perform the 80+ combo moves. My dream would be to buy a Killer Instinc arcade machine and shove it in my living room. Only place in Kuwait I know of that still has the Killer Instinct arcade is Showbiz on the seaside. [Link]

Heathrow Injection n. Term given to the phenomenon of sudden and very rapid horizontal expansion, particularly experienced by non-British persons, upon settling in London.

Heathrow Injection is an interesting term I just learned the definition to awhile ago and I am thinking it can easily be modified to fit Kuwait since we have the same problem here.

The indoor ski slopes finally opened up in Dubai and looking at the pictures on their website makes me jealous that we don’t have anything similar here in Kuwait. Entrance price is only $35 and that includes clothes and equipment rental which I think is a pretty good deal. But, the place doesn’t look “that” big so I am curious to find out if its going to be over crowded the whole time or not. [Link]

I heard today that there is a new law coming out in Kuwait where expats (like me) will only be allowed to live in Kuwait for 6 years. After 6 years I have to leave the country and I can only come back after 2 years. If this is the case I might as well pack my bags and leave now.

Just got back from Marina Crescent. I went to have lunch there and check out the Ramp Rebel Tour which was being held there this weekend. I have to say I have seen both Ozzy and my brother skateboard with more passion and skill while playing around at home then the two skateboarders I saw lazily play the half pipe. Maybe they were tired or bored but they were definitely not interesting to watch. I stayed there for like 20 minutes watching them just go up and down the half pipe dully and then falling half the time without doing anything. The only reason I stayed that long was because I was trying to find some shots to take with my Holga camera. I think I got some cool shots and once I develop the pictures I will post them here. I used colored film this time around.

They are opening a Ferrari theme park in UAE which will feature a racetrack, rides, and attractions, a display of Ferrari history, and even driving instructions. Its seems like a good idea but I would rather they open a 4×4 theme park here in Kuwait. The 4×4 park could have different rough and muddy trails which you could take your jeep through. I remember reading about one in Japan where you would bring your 4×4 and then pay to go around their offroad trail. [Link]

I was at Eastpak yesterday night when I found a flyer for the Ramp Rebels Tour. They are in Kuwait for two days and will be performing at Marina Crescent. Today is the first day and the show starts at 2PM all the way till 5. Tomorrow (Friday) they will be performing at the same time and it will be their last day.

The Ramp Rebels Tour is a BMX and skateboarding show. The show features Ben Hennon (BMX), Ben Manuel (BMX), Julian Dykmans (skateboard) and Hugo Liard (Skateboard).

Yesterday I mentioned I saw a kid with a puppy and when I asked him where he got it from he said Amazon.com. He told me it cost KD50 for the dog and KD100 shipping.

I tried to find dogs on Amazon and wasn’t able to find any. I guess the kid found an external link (like an advert) on Amazon but actually purchased the dog from another US based website. I also emailed Aramex to see if they shipped animals and I got the following reply:

Dear Mark,

Thank you for contacting us via email regarding your below request.

Kindly note that pets can not be shipped via express. Live Animals shipping is complicated and requires special documents and laboratories tests at both origin and destinations before being shipped.

Please accept our apology for not being able to help you much with your request.

Kindest Regards

So I guess the kid had the dog shipped directly to Kuwait. I should have gotten more information from him…

After yesterdays post on Larry I decided to find other options quickly. I called up the guy who has the British Bulldog and I will be meeting with him today to check out his puppies. I was reading up on the Bulldog and it seems we have things in common, we both hate excercising and we both enjoy lying on the couch all day. So the Bulldog seems more compatible with my lifestyle then a German Shepherd. But the Bulldog is a small dog and I am looking for something alot bigger.

My first choice would be a Belgium Shepherd (pictured above) and yesterday night I contacted 3 different breeders to see if I could purchase one directly off them and have them ship it to Kuwait. Two of the breeders are in Belgium so it hopefully is possible to have them ship me a dog to Kuwait.

I also called my cousin up asking if he knew anyone that sold dogs, he told me there was a shop in Jabriya that only sold dogs and that there is a dog school after the Fintas bridge that also sold dogs. So tonight I am going to pass by both and see what they have.

I checked the Paws Kuwait website and found a young German Shepherd which is looking for a home but sadly its a female and I am not interested in getting a female dog.

Finally a friend of mine told me his friends dog just had puppies and is looking to give the pups away. He doesn’t know what breed they are but will call me today and tell me.

So hopefully I will find a dog that I want that will cost me alot less then KD1000.