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I recently purchased a Garmin GPS device from Amazon, it was a really good deal costing me under KD40 with shipping to Kuwait via Aramex. I know most of the roads in Kuwait but every now and then I need to go somewhere I haven’t been to before and a GPS device would come in handy. Turns out its actually a lot more handy then I was expecting since a forum user (Burhan) made me realize I could use the device as a radar detector.

All you need is a Garmin GPS unit and the following file which you need to download and copy onto it [POI File]

What this file does is tell the GPS unit where all the speeding and red light cameras are located. When you get near a radar camera the device alerts you with a beep. If you’re driving below the speed limit you get a gray box alerting you of the camera ahead and just a single beep. If you’re driving over the speed limit you get a red box alerting you that you’re speeding and the device beeps frequently until you either pass the camera or drop your speed below that roads speed limit.

It’s very cool and practical and it cost me under KD40. If you’re interested in the same device I have which is pictured above, its called the Garmin Nuvi 255 and it’s available on Amazon for around KD30. [Amazon Link]

A friend of mine is starting a small casting business here in Kuwait. She’s looking for people who are interested in starring in ads that will appear locally and regionally. I told her I would help her out by spreading the word so if you’re interested in making some extra cash while starring in TV commercials or photo shoots then email her on [email protected]

Please send your picture along with your contact details and age.

Last week I did two things to my FJ Cruiser, the first thing was getting a tint and the second thing was installing the sound system I had previously posted about. I’ve been wanting to get a tint for ages now but it would have been really useless on the Wrangler since even if I tinted the windows I would still get a lot of heat come in from the roof since it didn’t have any kind of insulation, just bare plastic.

Anyway, all my friends got their tints done at Huper Optik whom I’ve posted about before when they participated in the Eid giveaway so I decided to get my tint there as well. Choosing the type of tint I wanted wasn’t too difficult since I just checked out everyone’s car outside our weekly diwaniya and decided to go with C40 tint all around and C70 tint in the front.

There are different colored tints from practically transparent to extremely dark and each one of them has a different amount of heat and UV rejection. C40 is a dark tint (not too dark) while C70 is a nearly clear tint. You can see some of the different types in the picture below, the one with the arrow is the C40. Here is also a link with info on the C40 [Link] and here is one for the C70 [Link]

What’s great about the C40 tint is that when you’re inside the car it doesn’t feel like it’s tinted which means it doesn’t effect night time driving. But, when you look at it from the outside you can tell its tinted which my black car looks great. I kept the front window with nearly no tint so that the car doesn’t end up too dark inside since I’ve got a completely black interior as well.

If you’re interested in getting your car tint Huper Optik have the best tints in Kuwait. They’re located in Al Rai and their telephone number is 24719999. When I passed by they had an offer where you could get up to a KD130 discount when you tint your car and install front protection (transparent material that protects your car from rocks and getting sand blasted). My next car post will be about the sound system install, I found a very cool place that did everything for me to stay tuned for that.

www.huperoptik-kw.com and www.huperoptik.com

Check out Marzouqs review of Hüper Optik (he’s got better pics and more specific details) [Here]

Back in January I joined Core Fitness and the first thing they did was take my measurements so I can compare them 7 weeks later. Well it’s been 7 weeks and I finished my first course and here are the results:

What do these numbers mean? Basically my weight has gone down from 84.7 to 80 and that includes gaining around 1.7kg of muscle. I’ve lost fat around my waist and hips (I actually had to add two new holes on my belts) and I’ve added muscle to my other areas like chest, shoulders, thighs and arms. My aim wasn’t to lose weight but gain muscle mass and right now I’m actually below my ideal weight. But, this is just the middle area because I’ve lost weight in fat and now will gain weight with muscle which is why most probably when I get measurements again in 7 weeks time I would either be the same weight or hopefully more.

The first week was very intense, I didn’t puke but I very nearly did, like just about to but didn’t. It was a killer and it scared the shit out of me but I kept going back and I now actually enjoy going to the gym. Even though its still exhausting, I no longer feel like I am going to die from a heart attack or puke. The lessons are as advertised, just 20 minutes long and I go 3 times a week. I’ve refused to do any work out or cardio during my off days since what attracted me to Core Fitness was the 20 minutes 3 times a week selling line. 20 minutes 3 times a week was all the time I had to give and wanted to give and I’ve stuck to my guns. My cardio hasn’t improved that much because of that since I was advised to run during my off days.

Every week I have a different trainer that takes me through the 20 minutes of workout. Whats cool about that is every trainer has their own style of training and exercises so once my body feels like it’s getting used to a routine, my trainers change and I’ve suddenly got to survive and get used to a new routine. After every 20 minute session I get a fully body stretch out by the trainer which is nearly as grueling as the 20 minute workout.

One of the cool things I like about Core is the SMS’s I get on the day of my workouts. They serve as a reminder on what time my course is but they also provide health tips as well like the following:

Hi Mark! Workout today at 8:20PM! FYI: Drink 1 glass of cold water 15min before a meal gives your metablism a 25% boost!

Hi Mark! Workout today at 8:00PM! FYI: Pizza? Choose Domino’s. 1 small order, thin slices, add anything, but ditch the ground beef and pepperoni

I was given a nutritional plan when I first started which you can see [Here]. It wasn’t too difficult to stick to since it mostly involved eating what I usually eat. The biggest change was the breakfast and dinner. Breakfast I used to have pancakes from McDonalds while dinner I used to have a lot of carbs (3 turkey & cheese sandwiches or bread with labneh for example). For breakfast I now have sausage & egg mcmuffin while for dinner I either pickup 2 chicken taouk + 2 meat tikka in a plate (no bread) from Kebabji near my house or I grill steak at home. I get my steak (fillet) from a butcher but recently I started getting ostrich steak from Sultan Center which I found out has the superior nutrient content of red meat while having less fat than a chicken breast. Too bad I can’t have it breaded and fried! Oh and another big change is the greens, I now eat a lot more vegetables and salads. I used to barely eat anything green before but now I want to eat them. For example when I go to Le Notre I usually order a fish or meat dish and their sides are usually rice or potato. I now have them swap them for steamed vegetables. It’s really weird but I think I do this because I want to get healthier and I am seeing my self get fitter.

I’m not perfect though and I do cheat but I like cheating. I look forward to cheating because it helps me stick to my diet. For example I passed by Chocolate Bar twice during this 7 weeks and overdosed on chocolate (enough to last me through the 7 weeks!) and once a week I pick up a Cadbury Flake or a Twix from the bakala. Oh and there was the Ferrero Rocher incident. The one thing though I am REALLY craving but can’t and shouldn’t have is the molten chocolate cake from Chili’s. It’s always on my mind but I’ve still managed to resist it!

So that’s basically it. I am going to sign up for another 7 weeks and I want to continue improving. I’m going to have Fahad post about Core Fitness to give you guys a better idea of what it involves since it’s his gym and he will be better able to explain it. I will definitely post my measurements again after 7 weeks and we’ll see how things changed.

Oula just sent us this email in response to the previous post:

Dear All;
This incident was just brought to our attention by this blog. We are very grateful for this effort from your side to point out any deficiency on our side as we always aim to be the best employer we could be. we are currently investigating the issue and whoever denied him treatment in the first place will not be ignored and will be accountable for this violation. We at Oula Fuel are very clear with our contractors that we require the most fair treatment for the employees and that is why we pay even more than the market price to the contractor just to make sure that these employees are treated as best as possible. As long as we require the employees to be on their best while serving our customers, then it’s only fair to treat them well in the first place.

We here at Oula Fuel extend our best regards and wishes to everyone who provided us with a chance to correct a violation and whoever would point out misunderstandings that might go un-noticed without the collective effort from all concerned citizens who aim to make Kuwait the best country ever.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us on 1800111 or [email protected].

Regards,

Mohammad Al-Khareji
Sales Supervisor
Marketing & Sales & PR Dept.
Oula Fuel

Tel: (965) 2 2321 709
Fax: (965) 2 2321 333
Hotline: 1 800 111
m.alkhareji @oula1.com
www.oula1.com

Posted by Z District

I got this in an email from a friend, and I’m shocked that any company can refuse an employee medical treatment for 2nd or 3rd degree burns such as this.

I saw this guy in “Oula” gas station in Kuwait City on march 8. I saw the Indian running over to fill my tank as I stepped outside, I saw the poor Indian’s hand and told him to back off; I will do the filling u just relax. I asked him a few questions about how and what happened to his hand.

This Indian employee accidentally burned his hand with hot cooking oil while cooking himself food at 1 am on the 3rd of March. He only had one day off which is the same day of the incident. Apparently the only reason he had a day off is to go to the doctor for checkup because his hand is very sore and it looked like a huge bubble growing within his hand. I spoke to the Kuwaiti man in charge and he said that he told the company that this man requires medical treatment but they haven’t allowed him to rest during this recovery period. He was there during the whole week working, and his hand was all puffed up and swollen and the puss burst from sores on his hand. He wasn’t able to move his hand at all but they refused him to take days off to recover. When he was trying to fill my gas tank his hand was shaking and he looks like he is in pain, and he is exposed to dangerous chemicals and his hand is in this state. He is on contract from Tanzifco to Oula gas station now I’m not sure who isn’t allowing him to take time off but this is a complete violation of human rights

I don’t know what exactly is the company policy but this is unacceptable in any human form. This man has 2nd to 3rd degree burns which may require major treatment or even skin grafting at the worst of it. Please keep in mind the pictures below are of graphic nature and not to everyone’s taste. I can’t believe any company would allow an employee in this state to continue working especially since his job is labor intensive.

UPDATE I: Click on GOOGLE MAPS for the location of the Gas Station. Its just by 1st ring road and Fahaheel Express Way (30), tucked on the right hand side just after crossing over 1st ring road while on Fahaheel Express Way (30) heading towards the city.

UPDATE II: Through a friend we were able to get to the Chairman/CEO of Tanzifco. He didn’t know of the issue and it will be investigated internally. They found the employee working at the Oula gas station that was mentioned above. They have now taken him from there and to have his hand checked, and he has been given two weeks off. Thank you all for your effort to help this man. A few friends and myself will be passing by today and every few days to fill up gas and to check and see if he is working or not. If anyone has an update on him when he gets back please do make sure to email me or comment please.

UPDATE III: Oula have responded [Link]

As I mentioned last week I am getting my veneers done at Bayan Dental. I also said I would explain what veneers were in a different post so here it is.

A veneer is a very thin material that is placed over the tooth either to visually enhance/fix the teeth or in some cases to protect a damaged tooth. It requires very minimal tooth preparation which means they don’t drill a lot to get them to fit on your teeth. They’re nicknamed the Hollywood smile since veneers are used by actors to get the perfect smile. I asked Bayan Dental to send me some cases they’ve worked on so I can share it with my readers and they sent me a zip file containing around 10 different cases which you can download from [Here]

Anyway I passed by my dentist (Dr Samer Khaddour) today and got my teeth prepped for the veneers. I have temporary dental veneers on right now while my proper ones get made. These temporary veneers do help give an idea of how the finished outcome will look like and so far I’m finding them pretty cool although a bit tall so he is going to shorten my actual veneers for me by just a bit. You also get to choose the color of your veneers (don’t get any ideas no bling bling colors just different shades of white) and I ended up going with a shade that’s slightly lighter than the original. My next session is next week so will post again after that.

Like last time if you have any dental questions ask below and someone from Bayan Dental will reply back. They’re actually very quick to reply and also helpful so take advantage of this.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Eating out isn’t necessarily a problem, but can be a fuss to those around me. I start by scanning the restaurant’s menu for a lean source of protein, followed by a good source of carbs and a great source of fat. Usually, I pick a great option, a good option and a decent option; the waiter that’s about to approach me is bound to shut me down with words like fried, breaded and sauteed, so might as well make due with other sources since I’m already at my 3 hour mark and my muscles are aching for some food.

Me: “I’ll have the Cajun Chicken Platter with no Monterey jack cheese, crisps, refried black beans and mashed potatoes.”

Waiter: “You mean you want the Cajun Chicken Platter with absolutely nothing on it?”

Me: “Yes, but I’m not done yet. Do you serve sweet potato?”

Waiter: “No sir, we only serve mashed potatoes.”

Me: “Do you mash it in with butter?”

Waiter: “I’m not sure sir.”

Me: “Would you ask someone that knows please.”

Accompanying Friend: “Dude, are you serious? No he’s not doing that.”

Me: “Ok, may I have a baked potato please.”

Waiter: “I’m sorry sir, we serve only mashed potatoes.”

Me: “Are they mashed before or after they arrived in the kitchen?”

Waiter: “After sir.”

Me: “Ok, so take one unmashed medium sized potato and bake or boil it.”

Waiter: “I’m sorry sir, we cannot do that.”

Annoying Fat Friend: “FHAID! Cut that crap out! I want to order!”

Me: “Ok Ok. I’ll have the Cajun Chicken Platter with nothing on it, and only broccoli on the side. Is the broccoli sauteed or steamed?”

Friend: “F*ck you.”

I am literally a waiter’s worst nightmare and I don’t care. I even question a restaurant’s supposedly healthier options, and after a thorough investigation (i.e. annoying the hell out of the restaurant’s staff) it doesn’t seem healthy at all. I persuade any health conscious individual to do the same.

The Awesome Subject at Hand

I was contacted by a 248am subscriber in order to help him out with a diet plan. His routine was simple and average, and could easily relate to anyone who decides to pursue the healthy lifestyle, so I used him as an example in order to explain the ins and outs of nutrition calculation and timing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to simplify things as much as possible.

I’ve been visiting Bayan Dental for over 5 years now. I first found out about them from Zaydoun and ever since me and Nat have been getting all our dental work done there at their Salmiya branch. They were actually featured in my Miskan project back in 2005 as Day 303 which is where the picture above is from. Once every few months I pass by my dentist (Dr Samer Khaddour) for scaling because I know that the longer the gap between my visits the more I am going to suffer during my session so I try to keep the gaps small. My dentist and Nat always seem to team up on me since they find my fear amusing but I’m slowly slowly getting over it.

Anyway I recently got approached by Bayan Dental and got offered veneers for free if in return I could post and explain what veneers were on my blog and also about my experience getting them installed. I didn’t have a clue what veneers were but after a quick google followed by a detailed explanation from Bayan I found these two words the best way to explain them… Hollywood smile. Veneers give you the perfect smile and you get them installed in one hour without any pain or anesthesia and they last forever.

I asked them if my dentist could install them for me and since he specializes in restorative and aesthetic dentistry they told me it shouldn’t be a problem. Since then I’ve already had a couple of visits with my dentist getting a mould of my teeth done so I could see how my teeth currently look and how they will look once I am done. They will be sending me a bunch of pictures of difference cases before and after veneers so I could share them here with some proper information about veneers and how they work. For now I thought I would post this to keep everyone in the loop on whats going on. If you have any questions about veneers (and I guess anything dental related) you can post them below since someone from Bayan will be reading the comments and answering any questions you might have.

Since we’re on the subject of dentistry for those of you who have a fear from dentists you could post what concerns you have below and I could try to answer them from my experience like for example how much pain or discomfort a procedure might have or how long certain things take etc.. I haven’t done all the procedures but I think I’ve done most of the general ones. One thing I’ve learned from my experience is that if you have a dental issue now and you don’t take care of it, it will only get worse tomorrow and the fix becomes more complicated.

Update: If you’ve never been to Bayan Dental before, just mention my blog when you go in and you will get a 17% discount on non cosmetic procedures.

Last month I posted about a drive-through car wash near my house in which they let you sit in the car while it’s getting washed. Well a reader pointed me towards another car wash also nearby that had what he called a LaserWash. So not knowing what exactly a laser wash was I decided to pass by today and check it out.

Turns out LaserWash is a touch free automated car wash which means that it doesn’t contain brushes and nothing except water and soap touch your car. The idea is that since there is no physical contact then there isn’t anything that will scratch your car. I recorded a video of a wash which takes around 5 minutes which you could watch above. My car was just dusty except for a bug stain on the windshield. After the wash the dust was gone and the car was all shiny but the bug stain was still there.

Would I use it again? Maybe, I had to wait an hour and a half today to get the car washed which defeats the whole purpose of a quick drive through. I might have as well driven to Al Falah in Kuwait City, gotten my car washed there properly and gotten back home. But if the place is empty and my car is just dusty why not.

The LaserWash is located at the Oula gas station next to the Jawazat roundabout near Souk Salmiya. The cost was KD1.750 for just an exterior cleaning. [YouTube]

I have two sets of photos to share with you in this post. The first set is taken I think in 1979 on the Gulf Road near the Kuwait Towers. I am assuming they’re taken in 1979 because I was born in 1978 and I think I look like a year old in the pictures. I am not enjoying the fact that I am sharing my baby pictures with strangers but these were the only pictures of a vintage national day parade I could find and I feel its important they be shared.

The second group of photos below were taken in 2005 in Salmiya, Salem Mubarek Street near Sultan Center. The whole street starting from Central Plaza down to Eureka was closed and made pedestrian only. It was like a big carnival mixed in with a parade. Lots of fun and as you can see from the pictures it was pretty packed but not chaotic.

So my question is why have these parades stopped? How did National Day celebration turn from a wonderful event into something that’s gotten completely out of control with foaming. This year I heard a lot of reports of actually spray paint being used instead of foam and I actually saw a car that had been spray painted. Kids and teenagers are still opening your car doors and spraying you and whoever else is inside with you. Many people decide to travel during this holiday so they could avoid this chaos while other people like me try to spend time indoors to avoid being attacked on the streets. And yes I am calling it attacked because when you get foamed against your will that’s harassment. No one has the right to foam you, foam your car and they definitely don’t have the right to open your doors and spray you. I am not even talking about spray paint, urine or any other chemical some kids use.

Can this year please be the last year National and Liberation Day turn into a horrifying foam fest and instead can we please go back to fun for the family street parades?

update: A reader sent me this link to news article on Arab Times, it seems there were 200 injuries and 1 death due to foaming this year. [Link]

update2: Tonight (Sunday 28th) Nat was on her way back from the gym, she was driving on the Gulf Road casually when suddenly just before Texas Chicken a kid jumps out into the street and sprays her while another kid throws a can of foam at the car scratching the paint job. WTF?

Although this year I’ve noticed a lot more cops on the roads than the previous years, I don’t think its making much of a difference. Gulf Road is still jam packed and the inside roads parallel to the Gulf Road (like Baghdad Street) are also packed.

Picture by Pretty Point of View

The Alpine iXA-W407 which I posted about a few days ago is supposed to sell for around $750 but for some reason it’s being sold for just $379 on Amazon right now. I’m sure its a mistake so I quickly placed an order for one. If you’re interested in it here is the [Link]

Update: I purchased the unit twice and both times the seller canceled my order. Did this happen to anyone else?

Update2: Price is back up now to $550. I placed an order for the fourth time and it seems to have worked now. $550 is still a good deal. I ordered the following items so far for my Toyota FJ install:

Alpine iXA-W407 Digital Media Station
Alpine HCE-C107D Rear View Camera
Peripheral PTR7 Multi control interface bypass module
Scosche TA2076B 2007 Toyota FJ ISO/Double DIN With Pocket Kit
Stereo Wire Harness Toyota FJ Cruiser 07 2007

The PTR7 will allow me to change the system settings and watch movies while the car is in motion and not just parked.

Update: I originally purchased the Scosche adapter for the Toyota FJ Cruiser but it turned out to be really crap and wouldn’t fit the stereo right. I ended up installing the Alpine using the Metra adapter which worked out a lot better. Here is a link to it on Amazon. [Link]

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

It takes me 8 hours to write an article, 8 more hours to review it and 60 minutes to press publish; and I still make spelling and grammar mistakes. I shower 3-4 times a day, wash my face with the most expensive fascial cleansers out there and I still get mild acne. I see people train hard, diet hard and recover, but they still lack that muscular maturity. Females go through episodes of anorexia to look like that Cosmo model, yet they lose a lot of hair, the sparkle in their eyes diminish, their nails start to break off, their skin barely shines and their bones are as fragile as a piece of tissue.

The above are all side effects of a lifestyle low in fat. Has anyone seen those Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian and Palestinian documentaries about how their senior citizens live above the age of 90? How do they do it? They have more energy and vigor than Kuwait’s older generation; but how do they do it?

“Ebnakul zaitoon,” or “bin7ib zait el zaytoon kteer.” (English Translation: we eat olives or we love olive oil a lot). Those are literally the two answers available to explain how they managed to live that long.

Or approach a Japanese dude and ask him how they live so long and why heart disease isn’t such an epidemic: “We uuuh, rive very hearthy rong rife because uuuh we eat sushi and aaah hearthy fatty fish high in omega sree! And when Godzirra come again, uuuh we can fight!” (English Translation: I’m not really sure what he said, but it had something to do with karate and sushi).

Fat is a lot more important than any other macronutrient. I’m not saying that fat should be consumed alone; in conjunction with other macronutrients, fat can do wonders. Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way.

When I started weight-lifting, I did what the pros did: ate a diet high in carbs and proteins and low in fat. I wanted to be as big and as ripped as they were. And come on, it’s common sense! Why would I listen to some nerd who majored in medicine and not a freak with veiny arms? Long story short, I paid the price and should’ve listened to the pencil neck. I had terrible acne, my short-term memory was a joke, my hair barely grew to considerable volume, my immune system was a disaster, every joint in my body hurt like hell, I was tired all the time, my muscles looked like soft ballons that only looked decent when training and I suffered constantly from overtraining. Why? Because I went low-fat, thinking that low-fat would get me big and ripped.

I got an email awhile ago that went something like hi, I have a bakery and I would like you to try our food. I get soo many of those emails daily that I could have a blog dedicated to just food in Kuwait (hmmm that gives me an idea runs to buy foodinkuwait.com… damn you nibaq you already bought it!). So anyway, I was about to hit the delete button save under important button when something caught my eye. They had freshly made, thirst quenching Faloodha AND they delivered it!

Currently the only places I know that serves Faloodha ice cream is Baba Taher and the little shop under it on the ground floor called Marafie (I think). Now we have another option and they deliver so if you’re interested call them on 55521207 or 55521208 to order.

The persian bakery is called Toosi Delights and you can check out their Facebook group [Here]

Update: Here is some more details regarding the price and delivery

Faloodha is 250 fils per cup and 1.5 Kd per kilo. They have the following toppings: fresh pomegranate, pistachio or pieces of fresh lemon. As for the iced water its made of rosewater or the option of saffron milk (400 fils per cup).For the sauce you have the choice of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate or almond sauce.

If location is close to Jabriya or Mansouuriya there is a 4 kd minimum order and 250 fils delivery charge. If location is very far then 7 kd minimum order with 500 fils delivery charge.