Draw Their Sympathy!

Posted By Yousef

This site should be bookmarked by ALL of You out there! Its an online directory for lots of useful telephone numbers. It contains MANY categories! you can go through their MANY categories, select one, click search and it will show lots of the shops within that category.

Take a look and judge for yourself. I’m gonna bookmark it for sure. 😀

KBD’s LINK

UPDATE:

Turned out we have 3 more online directories in Kuwait, Thanks Mr. Solutions for sharing them with us. Here they Are:

–YPK
–EKYP
-And last but not least, or maybe it is least i’m not sure, KOCD

I came across this google translation tool by accident. Now You can translate roughly any site from English to Arabic with just one simple click! Although the translations are often inaccurate, I think it may come in handy one day.

As You can see from the picture above, All You have to do is go to this LINK, drag and drop the link marked above to your browser’s toolbar and you’re done! Once it is set in your toolbar, Go to any of your favorite english sites and click on “English to Arabic,” and watch the site get translated within seconds.

Example:

LINK

I’m looking forward to seeing her in concert. Its going to be a short trip though, I’m going on the 5th and returning on the 6th!

Thanks for getting the tickets, loco. 🙂

I was hungry and the guy from KFC told me why not try their new wrap sandwich. I foolishly fell for it.

Its a star shaped wrap sandwich. It tasted like chicken, twister sauce, marinara sauce, beans (don’t ask), lots of cheese, tortilla chips… lots of flavors came together to form this disgusting sandwich. Oh and it was soggy too! Just the way I like it 😡

0.5 out of 5

Posted By Yousef

I walked into a Zain branch today with dark clouds hovering over my head, I wanted to complain. I wanted to make, whoever ignored the phone and let it ring forever, Suffer the wrath of an annoyed customer! All I wanted was to ask if they had eGo Devices in stock and nobody was picking up! But I decided to finish what i came for first, then do the complaining. So, I went took a number (#222) and waited inline. There was a very huge group of people (taking up all of the waiting area) ahead of me and only 1 hour left for the branch to close.

I waited for 45 minutes and still the board read 221, my number was 222. more than 45 minutes have gone by and that board still showing the same friggin number! I saw the lady at the desk and she was NOT busy and to make matters worse, she stood and started walking away from her desk. She talked on the phone, walked around, chatted with her friends. I wanted to yell at something. There was a guy with a ZAIN badge walking around making sure everything is running smoothly. “AHA!!” I thought.

Me: Excuse me! I’ve been waiting here for more than 45 minutes now and i’m still waiting for that number to change! i’m holding the number next to that one!
Him: ok ok.. no problem, let me…
Me: You can’t treat customers like this! i’ve been calling this branch for hours and no one answers! and now you make me wait for almost an hour here!
Him: whats the number you’re holding?
Me: 222!
Him: But Sir? We’re on 225 now.
Me: whah? where??? that board is showing 221!
Him: thats just the desk’s counter, and the lady is taking a break. we have many other desks and they’re still taking customers.
Me: err… uhhh… well you should’ve put a bigger board!
Him: we have a bigger one, its right —> there.
Me: oh.. hmm… aa…. *looks around for the nearest black hole*

Moral of the story: Look around before you open your big mouth. Or better yet, STAY QUIET!!

Need I say more?

Thanks loco. Source.

I posted the other day about the concert, But here is an update on ticket prices for Celine’s upcoming concert in Dubai.

The prices (As you can see from the above pic) are as follows:

Platinum General Admission (front field) $267, 980 DHS, 72 KD
Gold General Admission (centre field) $180, 660 DHS, 47 KD
Silver General Admission (rear field) $116, 425 DHS, 32 KD

SOURCE

They waited until I came back to Kuwait to release new stuff at McDonald’s! Grrr!

Its the size of a palm *drools* and it comes with 3 different types of sauces: Garlic & Mayo sauce, Sweet Chili sauce And Barbecue sauce.

Bil3afya loco 😀

Have fun! and stay away from the gulf road area! and if you live there.. well.. BWAHAHA!

I’m not sure why I’m loving it though 😛 😛

Posted By Yousef’s Mom

Mom came to me again with another piece of paper. She surprises me with her knowledge of what’s going on in Kuwait and politics. aren’t Moms supposed to be with limited knowledge? lol or atleast know less about politics than their children! i hate it when I know less than Mom! me feeling not goods my deyar feryends.

Mom’s post:

“There is an old Kuwaiti Saying “ily filjidir i6al3a ilmillas.” the literal translation will sound ridiculous but here it is, “if there is food in a pot, a big spoon should take care of it” which means no matter how big complicated the issue is, it’ll come out eventually. Every issue boiling up in a certain society should see the light of the day. But someone should speak up, someone should recognize whats important. It seems that nobody is brave enough to speak up, and that our pot finally started to burn and the food in the pot is no longer savable nor safe for human consumption!

A lot of the problems Kuwait is facing nowadays has not been dealt with properly, and were left to stack up, to crowd our mind and hearts without any recognition, let alone solutions. We have plenty of slogans in our country “ilhoon abrak maykoon” and “turn the other cheek,” all slogans indicate incompetence. they encourage us to keep receiving slaps after slaps! until its no longer clear why we’re being stepped on and why we no longer matter.

To make this post light (and to keep my son out of trouble) I’ll give a light example. The Government finally thought of removing the illegal buildings, diwaniyas and other violations. Then, and all of a sudden, we hear that there are ministers and some members of both parliaments among the violators! and not only that, but they also were among those who insisted on not passing the bill against the violators until other “socially Big” (and rightfully so) people remove their violations first!

Now, what intrigued me in this whole issue and the question i can’t answer is, Why do these parliament and government ministers think they’re not among the socially big people? aren’t they voted by the people? aren’t they big enough? why do they still have issues when it comes to who’s big and who is not? is it a Nouveau riche syndrome? or are they really small but appear bloated because of the high chairs they’re occupying?

Lots of issues crowding my mind. violations, racism, segregation, nonexistent national security, people faking patriotism… etc. And they’re ALL yet to be seriously recognized and studied by the Government and the parliament to avoid all the crisis coming our way.

The pot is burning people! iljidir 7akkak wi7tarag! the pot is in a desperate need of immediate sterilization to keep the people from deadly poisonings!”

The picture’s source.

I was introduced to The Noodle House and the chinese food in general about 3 and half years ago. My friends and roommates were regulars in this restaurant for ages before i came along. I love this restaurant and rate every other chinese restaurant based on how the food tastes in comparison. I know its not a good way to rate other restaurants, coz simply, they don’t stand a chance.

The restaurant is owned by Jumeirah International (which is owned by Dubai’s government), This alone gives it an edge an make it so far ahead of all of the other restaurants in Dubai. With a reputation like Jumeriah’s you’re gonna know it’ll be in every special and unique place, with the best decor and interior designs along with the best service in town.

The food quality is, as you may already sensed, is the best i’ve tried so far. The presentation is simple and elegant. They don’t have as many dishes as Peacock in Kuwait, but thats an advantage in my opinion, coz peacock’s menu never cease to confuse me. They have so many dishes which makes me not know exactly what i would like to order. I mean look at their chicken dishes, they have tons! IMO, If a restaurant doesn’t have standout dishes, they’re gonna offer whatever they can to compensate (but thats only my opinion peacock’s fans 😛 )

Dishes I like in The Noodle House:

Starters:
-Vegetable Spring rolls.
-Sesame prawns on toast.
-Prawn Bags

Main Dishes:
-Bakmi Goreng Noodles with shrimp & chicken (i always ask them to take out the shrimps)
-Chicken Sweet & Sour (unlike any other S&S dish i’ve tried)
-Thai Chicken with cashew nuts
-Roasted Duck (my favorite dish in this whole wide woyyd 😀 )
-Nonya Chicken Curry (they promised to bring it back to their menu soon)

They also have plenty of drinks and cocktails, but I never try them, I only order diet coke when I’m there. Yeah and its interesting to note that they offer both Pepsi’s products and Coke’s!

Easily 5 out of 5.

Posted By Yousef

Remember Mom’s First Post? Well, Yesterday, the 21st, Mom showed me an article posted in AlQabas’ newspaper by A Kuwaiti writer (won’t mention her name). The article was a bit too similar to Mom’s post. Actually, it looked as if the writer was reading our brains! Either that or she read our blog. 😛

Alqabas’ Article

Mom’s Article

“It was no easy duty to go and condole a woman on her loss, It wasn’t easy for other relatives to see a member of their family suffer and go through those horrible days. It was a simple gathering where everything revolved around the family and their grief. it was simple yet very heavy, intense and somber experience. Therefor not everybody was allowed to go, only the eldest of the family would go and represent the rest and do the necessary (wajib).”

Again Alqabas’ Article

Mom’s

“Even little girls are brought to the 3azas. With their hair on their shoulders, Their little plated jewelry and their dazed eyes. The grownups haven’t spared us either, they attend wearing their topnotch abayas, filled with swarovski crystals and what not. Abayas suitable for weddings rather than 3azas!Some even went as far as wearing makeup. The new type of makeup, the “Sad occasions” makeups.”

Coincidence? Or plagiarism? Either way, I’m glad she agrees with Mom. 😛

Posted By Yousef

Wanna see her in concert? then you should get ready for a big splurge. Got the following info from This site, which I was reffered to by Celine’s Official website

THE DUBAI ELITE HOSPITALITY PACKAGE includes:
o Premium Seating in the Elite Seated Area
o Exclusive access to Elite Hospitality area with private toilet facilities
o Welcome drink on arrival
o Cash bar available (pre-show only)
o Selection of hot and cold canapés and an elaborate snack menu
o Onsite Security and secure parking (one vehicle per two packages)
o Official Event Souvenir Programme

Price per person Elite AED2998 / £425 / €638 ex Local Tax (10%)

This is the only package available at the moment. I think there will be other less expensive tickets available soon. There should be IMO. Anyway, The concert will be held in Dubai’s rugby club on the 5th of March.

For more info check Here & Here.

wallah 7achreen ha? 😛 3ad i was planning on bringing my skateboard!

Posted By Yousef

I was looking around for hotel rooms in Dubai in the range of $300 a night. and it seemed as though I’ve asked for something out of the ordinary! Even when I called the travel agency the guy almost didn’t take me seriously. I checked expedia for hotels’ rates and got shocked! Rooms are going for $500 and $850 a night?! regular rooms not suites! This means If I stayed for the 5 days, I would’ve spent 2 Macbooks worth of money! 😛

I lived in this country for so long and asked for rates so many times for friends and relatives, but never really thought about the prices. Prices are very real when I’m the one on the spending end! lol

Anyway, finally the travel agency found me this nice new hotel. Copthorne Hotel, Located near Deira City Center, over looking Dubai’s Creek. the hotel is part of Millennium Hotels group.

This is My room (Booked a junior suite coz all the rooms were gone)

This is the sitting area (not allowed to sit in the bedroom.. gotta follow the rules)

The pool area

Overall, and up to now, For 80Kd per night, I think it was an excellent choice and (Father’s) money well spent. The staff are friendly and attentive. Spacious rooms. Big Plasma screens and free high-speed internet.

I give them 4/5. I would’ve given them a better rating if it wasn’t for the Hotel’s ugly exterior and lobby.

Posted By Yousef’s Mom

For all of the Kuwaiti and maybe Arab Girls out there, Mom got something to say about the way the Kuwaiti 3aza has changed and how the 3 days that follows, where women gather in the grieving family’s house to offer condolences, is no longer about offering support and consolation!

Mom wrote this next part:

“It was no easy duty to go and condole a woman on her loss, It wasn’t easy for other relatives to see a member of their family suffer and go through those horrible days. It was a simple gathering where everything revolved around the family and their grief. it was simple yet very heavy, intense and somber experience. Therefor not everybody was allowed to go, only the eldest of the family would go and represent the rest and do the necessary (wajib). The place where the guest would be seated was never big or specially set up for the sad occasion. It was a small hall where the guests would stay QUIET for awhile, Read some Quran, Offer their support and condolences and then leave to make room for other guests. The atmosphere used to be filled with silence, Sadness and above all Respect for the grieving women and her family.

Fast-Forward to present day’s 3azas. Things have changed a lot since people had feelings and consideration. Nowadays Everybody goes to 3azas (not for the right reasons). Even little girls are brought to the 3azas. With their hair on their shoulders, Their little plated jewelry and their dazed eyes. The grownups haven’t spared us either, they attend wearing their topnotch abayas, filled with swarovski crystals and what not. Abayas suitable for weddings rather than 3azas!

Some even went as far as wearing makeup. The new type of makeup, the “Sad occasions” makeups. And we find the supposedly grieving family now setting the place up so that it can seat as many people as possible, going out of their way (and sadness) to make the people comfortable and make sure they “enjoy” their say. We find them renting chairs and filling up the place with as many chairs as possible, turning the place into a little cinema, a little show, a shameless masquerade.

The once feared and respected occasion has become just another place for gatherings. For relatives to see each others and pass their hellos. I often hear the salams and the sowalif (chitchats) now. oh and the salams are not passed with soft-voices either! And the nerve on some of the women… I personally heard a woman say to her friend one time “I’m so happy I ran into you on this wonderful occasion!” –> “monasaba sa3eeda o imbaareka iny shiftkom!”

fa hal hatha min mazaya taqadomna?
am min masawe2 ta2akhurna?”

I tried my best to capture Mom’s words and this is the best i could do. she was much more eloquent though. 😛

Posted By Yousef

Here is an amazing search engine for those of you who don’t have arabic keyboards, yet you find yourself once every blue moon looking for other computers with arabic keyboards just to type a word or two.

whats amazing with this site, is that you don’t have to struggle with the spelling, you can type using ur regular Arabish letters (mIRC letters, like the 3 for 3aba3aal and 7 for 7mar) and it will recognize the letters and turns them into arabic letters. 😀

Here is the LINK go ahead and give it a try.

Posted By Yousef

There is a new Knafa place in town and its called “Albal Knafa.” the first time i heard about it was when we had a family gathering and they hired the knafa guy to set up a knafa section and prepared it right infront of us. it was obviously very fresh when we started inhaling it. it tasted great, better than most knafas out there (its up there with 6aibawy’s).

My brother yesterday brought us some, I it wasn’t as good as it was that day when they had the guy fixing it up. Best way to eat it is to have the knafa guy come to your house or wherever ur having ur dinner party.. u won’t regret it!

I think the guy comes to ur place if you order a minimum of 5 kilos knafa which costs around 25 kd.

Their phone numbers: 2636703/4