tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139094882011-09-30T13:07:13.005+03:00Generally I can be found roaming somewhere in the world. I'm originally from Hungary, I grew up in Kuwait, I did my BA in the States, my MA in the UK, and now work in Hungary, but still return to Kuwait regularly :o)Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.comBlogger1441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-84066383362830414702007-12-24T21:00:00.000+03:002007-12-24T20:55:49.045+03:00

I've done something similar two years ago, nevertheless, here are some pics of signs of Christmas all over Kuwait from this year :o)Although I think because Eid and Christmas were so close this year, most public places only have Eid decorations.Fanar IKEA Mughal Mahal RestaurantAvenues (although this is more the Eid decrotation, nevertheless the stars could pass for giant snowflakes :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-12514665726883088322007-12-22T22:01:00.000+03:002007-12-22T22:16:05.942+03:00

I'm back :o)For two weeks at least :o) Home sweet home :o)PS: عيد مبارك

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1165494596015255672006-12-07T15:25:00.000+03:002006-12-07T15:29:56.046+03:00

I came accross this article today, and it made me smile...Chador EtiquetteKuwaitBy Christine MichaudDarkness had fallen on the quiet bay almighty Saddam once set ablaze for months on end. All across the city, muezzins perched atop neon-lit minarets were calling believers to prayer, their blaring chants echoing off into desert and sea. The timing was perfect. Hugging a black cloak around me, I

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1160428378062179212006-10-09T23:59:00.000+03:002006-10-10T00:15:48.803+03:00

This past weekend, a friend of mine suggested we check out this Islamic monument we have here in Hungary, called the Tomb of Gul Baba. Most of Hungary was under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire for 150 years after 1526, and so we have a few minarets and other remnants of Islam all over the country. I took some pictures, and here's some info about the place, that turned out to be the only site

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1159042963975148792006-09-23T23:17:00.000+03:002006-09-23T23:22:44.020+03:00

مبارك عليكم الشهر Happy Ramadan to all! By the way, why do Sunnis and Shias start (and end) Ramadan on different days?

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1155335740938494002006-08-12T01:27:00.000+03:002006-08-12T01:35:40.980+03:00

When you look out the window in the morning, and this is what you see, you just *know* it's going to be a shitty day....(I'm in Hungary now, and our street was flooded last night because of a broken water pipe...our car was also almost completely submerged)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1152489242216252272006-07-10T02:51:00.000+03:002006-07-10T02:54:02.246+03:00

Isn't it amazing how life sprouts in the most unlikely places?

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1152362178156093192006-07-08T15:31:00.000+03:002006-07-08T15:36:18.186+03:00

My life is really uneventful lately - it's just the dissertation that takes up my thoughts and time...However, I do manage to take pictures from time to time, although I'm not very inspired to even do that...I don't want this blog to completely die, so here's an English sunset...not as nice as a Kuwaiti sunset, but not bad nevertheless :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1151840860745252012006-07-02T14:43:00.000+03:002006-07-02T14:58:39.340+03:00

So, I'm not neither a big soccer/ football fan, nor a fan of bars/pubs, but nevertheless yesterday I went to see the England-Portugal match, and I have to say I'm glad I did because it was definitely an experience.Of course througout the match there was much excitement and buzzing in the place, people arrived wearing flags, red hair, and wearing football T-shirts was a must.As more and more beer

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1151354295385330152006-06-26T23:31:00.000+03:002006-06-26T23:38:15.426+03:00

A friend of mine came down from London this weekend, and we had tons of fun. Caught up on a lot of girl talk :o)On Sunday we took a little trip to Torquay, the so called "English Riviera" :o)It is my favorite place in England so far. It has somewhat of a Mediterranean feel. It's wonderful. One of the reasons why I changed my template was to be able to display the photos in a larger format.

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1148411561416844502006-05-23T22:09:00.000+03:002006-05-23T22:12:41.476+03:00

Did anyone know there's a used books bookshop in Kuwait? On Fahad Al Salem street in Kuwait city.And best of all, they have a website where you can search their book collection and even reserve books you like. You just have to go pick it up within 5 days.Here's the link to Q8Books.Has anyone been to the shop?The site is cute, although it seems somewhat like a hobby rather than a real hardcore

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1147542566581477532006-05-13T20:46:00.000+03:002006-05-13T20:49:26.676+03:00

I thought they only had this in Tom & Jerry cartoons :o)Imagine if milk was left out like this in Kuwait, it would turn into Labneh :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1147202298976333042006-05-09T22:15:00.000+03:002006-05-09T22:21:45.213+03:00

Back in the day, Fadibou had a post about the blue-white striped water towers that can be seen in various parts of Kuwait: Well, today in the library I found a book called Kuwait: The Making of a City by Stephen Gardiner, and here's the bit it had about the the blue-white striped towers as well as the Kuwait Towers. Apparently there were 4 sets of the blue-white striped towers complete by 1977,

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1146876944549260822006-05-06T03:53:00.000+03:002006-05-06T03:55:44.570+03:00

There's been some coverage in the Kuwaiti newspapers in the past few months of a proposition of forming a national women's football team. Of course it was immediately opposed by Islamist MPs, saying it was against religion, contradicting Kuwaiti social norms and traditions.Today when I read the following in a book written in 1971, I couldn't help but laugh at the optimism of the time:It hardly

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1146677263665728032006-05-03T20:25:00.000+03:002006-05-03T20:27:43.726+03:00

I remember trying to catch these little parachutes when I was a child...It was quite hard to get one to stay put long enough on a strand of grass...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1146526393506596662006-05-02T02:31:00.000+03:002006-05-02T02:33:13.883+03:00

I'm reading a really cool book by Haya Al-Mughni called Women in Kuwait: The Politics of Gender. While the book is mostly about the history of feminist organizations in Kuwait, the first two chapters are more of a historical background. I found something very interesting in Chapter 2: The Lives and Experiences of Kuwaiti Women (before oil).Here's an excerpt:The Practice of Zar and the Search for

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1146317625182361602006-04-29T16:32:00.000+03:002006-04-29T16:33:45.756+03:00

mosaico axe click, by floyd70sIf you look closely at the above picture, you can see it's made up of hundreds of tiny pictures. On the following links, you can download programs that enable you to do similar mosaic pictures. I tried the "Andrea Mosaic," and it's very easy to use. The other one is for Mac Users.Andrea Mosaic: for PC UsersMacOSaiX: for Mac UsersHave fun, and post it if you made any

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145303631628939052006-04-17T22:57:00.000+03:002006-04-17T23:08:40.296+03:00

Even though I have written posts in the past implying that I wouldn’t mind getting a Lamborghini, my dream car is actually pretty low key compared to these cars. I love Ford Mustangs.Today I got the chance to drive one :o)I’d like to thank my sweet sweet boyfriend, because he’s the one who found out about it and came along for the ride.Anyone with similar dreams can test drive one at the Ford

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145217501330447172006-04-16T22:56:00.000+03:002006-04-16T22:58:21.360+03:00

Souq Sharq is one of my favorite chill out palces in Kuwait. And any picture I have ever taken there has turned out nice, simply because it's a nice place.So here's a few, note the amazing full moon on one of them... By the way, I think whoever allowed this ugly pink/yellow fast food restaurant to be built attached to a beautiful, old Mosque should be beaten up. Everytime I see it I feel like

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145214854580381012006-04-16T22:13:00.000+03:002006-04-16T22:14:14.670+03:00

To the right...To the left...Zoom in...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145173212985823212006-04-16T10:38:00.000+03:002006-04-16T10:40:13.006+03:00

So, Friday was the Harley gathering at the Hard Rock Café. We went with my dad to check out the bikes, especially The Don’s.One thing I’m sure everyone who attended noticed, was the foul smell the wind blew our way from time to time. Is this thing on the picture below like a drain that dumps sewage right into the sea? In the middle of Salmiya? I hope not…although it sure smelled like it, and the

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145103746325290122006-04-15T15:20:00.000+03:002006-04-15T15:22:26.366+03:00

...for some kid at the beach...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1145102866187052902006-04-15T15:02:00.000+03:002006-04-15T15:07:46.220+03:00

...you know what to do... 1-800-ANOTHERCARFORQ8SULTANA :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144871260252674402006-04-12T22:43:00.000+03:002006-04-12T22:47:40.286+03:00

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144785423810189942006-04-11T22:56:00.000+03:002006-04-11T22:57:03.843+03:00

"Isn't it about time you got lucky?"I wonder how many guys (and gals) are thinking the exact same thing at any given time in Marina Mall.:o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144776844884164962006-04-11T20:32:00.000+03:002006-04-11T20:34:05.126+03:00

Slightly different view from this balcony...LeftRightCenterUp

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144699811016121282006-04-10T23:09:00.000+03:002006-04-10T23:10:11.070+03:00

The Gulf RoadSalmiyah in the distanceNever ending constructionThe complete lack of city/urban planning in Kuwait has gotta be No.2 on the list of things I don't like here. Buildings just spring up like mushrooms, with no thought given to whether they fit into their surroundings, or if there will be enough parking spaces for the dwellers or how the skyline will eventually look.

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144698822275675772006-04-10T22:51:00.000+03:002006-04-10T22:53:42.350+03:00

Notice anything weird on this picture??

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144392829659521082006-04-07T09:52:00.000+03:002006-04-07T09:53:49.706+03:00

I always wondered, did the makers of Block 13 have permission from the makers of Southpark to use their characters?I personally liked Block 13, but not because I got the message of the episodes (if they even had one), but rather because I used to take notes and write down interesting Kuwaitit expressions, and then made my friends translate them. I wonder, do they sell them anywhere with English

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144268942185682532006-04-05T23:10:00.000+03:002006-04-05T23:29:02.446+03:00

Since I've been here I noticed that all of the bakkalas (small convenient stores) close to our house have been shut down. I haven't really looked in other areas, so until I saw an article in the newspaper on the issue, I thought it's just "our" bakkalas.What I read is that bakkalas are no longer allowed in residential areas. Why? The only explanation I could come up with is that they might be

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144260742512154992006-04-05T21:10:00.000+03:002006-04-05T21:12:22.540+03:00

This is a nice change to the Baby on Board signs :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144157530991210682006-04-04T16:30:00.000+03:002006-04-04T16:32:11.036+03:00

Statues are quite uncommon in Kuwait. Religion discourages (or even prohibits?) showing the human form in any way such as statues or paintings. The only portrait seen everywhere is that of the Emir (ruler) and crown prince, and there’s usually a tea pot or sometimes an oil well in the middle of a roundabout, and that’s pretty much it.After the liberation a few statues sprung up, like the one

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1144079548940886032006-04-03T18:49:00.000+03:002006-04-03T18:55:08.626+03:00

Like driving in Kuwait is not crazy enough as it is... even without these @#$^%s freaking drivers out...Where is the police when you need them?Oh, I know...loitering at Messilah Beach cheking out the girls and their bikinis....already! and summer is not even in full swing yet!

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143640969220206132006-03-29T16:59:00.000+03:002006-03-29T17:02:50.446+03:00

I went to Marina Mall to take pictures of the solar eclipse this afternoon. I must have not paid attention in astronomy class, because I was under the impression that I would be able to see the eclipse, and the world would go dark and there’d be an end-of-world feeling. This didn’t happen at all.Anyway, I was fumbling with my camera getting bored and hot in the sun in Starbucks, when this

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143499658633484322006-03-28T01:50:00.000+03:002006-03-28T05:58:53.096+03:00

My mom flew home tonight, so we took her to the airport. Since her flight is at 2:30am, we left for the airport at midnight. Since it was late, I was thinking I won’t run into anyone at this late hour at the airport out of all places, so I just wore a T-shirt and jeans, flip-flops, zero makeup, didn’t even do anything to my hair, no jewelry, glasses…looked like a bum.And of course I did run into

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143474035119366392006-03-27T18:39:00.000+03:002006-03-27T18:40:35.193+03:00

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143405047573215182006-03-26T23:30:00.000+03:002006-03-26T23:30:49.036+03:00

The municipality elections are taking place in Kuwait right now. If I am not mistaken, this is the first election women can run and vote for, so it's definitely a first. The huge posters springing up on the side of the roads, and blocking views in U-turns, however, are regular at election times. They also seem to have tents put up for the candidates to give campaign speaches in. I'm trying to

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143403536863529532006-03-26T23:04:00.000+03:002006-03-26T23:05:37.000+03:00

Tonight we went to some family friends' house for dinner, and it's a Hungarian custom to take flowers for the woman of the house. I loved the tulips we got. They were so beautiful and colorful and spring-y.I need to get more flowers cause I really love them.

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143319931023604212006-03-25T23:50:00.000+03:002006-03-25T23:52:11.200+03:00

One of my favorite things in Kuwait are the sunsets. So here's sunset number bezillion :o)(Taken at Marina Mall)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143318730004932892006-03-25T23:30:00.000+03:002006-03-25T23:32:16.233+03:00

If you recognise this car to be yours, call this number: 1-800-IWANTTOGIVEMYCARTOQ8SULTANA

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143305416280936742006-03-25T19:48:00.000+03:002006-03-25T19:50:17.813+03:00

Imagine a really nice residential area, with brand new houses costing God knows how much all around...and a goat/sheep/whatever tied to a lamp-post :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143304542874981272006-03-25T19:37:00.000+03:002006-03-25T19:38:37.410+03:00

Could anyone tell me what this place is?It's in Bayan, deserted, and surrounded by a big wall.

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143152997760769682006-03-24T01:28:00.000+03:002006-03-24T01:34:33.693+03:00

Mark posted about the Flying Bulls Air show that will be taking place at Marina Crescent from 4pm tomorrow (Friday). I'd like to grab this opportunity to be patriotic, and just mention here as a side note that one of the pilots is from Hungary. Here's a little about him from the Flying Bulls website :o) Peter BesenyeiThe solo pilot and three-time world champion from Hungary is a member of the

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143151200435095472006-03-24T00:58:00.000+03:002006-03-24T01:00:00.583+03:00

Even though I’ve been in Kuwait for ages, I’ve never been to a Kuwaiti restaurant. Until tonight that is.We went to the restaurant called Shatea Al-Watyia, behind the Church in Kuwait city. Well, even though it seemed a lot of effort was put into decorating the restaurant and collecting as many old Kuwaiti (or just simply old) memorabilia as possible, the service and especially the food still

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1143078303090506792006-03-23T04:44:00.000+03:002006-07-03T02:43:15.286+03:00

UPDATE: I have created a separate blog dedicated to Keith Wells, and WIZR. You can find it here:http://wizr.blogspot.com/Is there anyone out there who has read the WIZR books (pictured above) by Keith Wells? They are a collection of incredibly funny short stories, complete with hilarious cartoons, about life in Kuwait. The books were written in the early 80’s, yet most of what is written still

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1142641264019739022006-03-18T03:19:00.000+03:002006-03-18T03:21:04.053+03:00

The Bedouin used to roam the deserts, always on the move, not having one place to call home, herding their livestock and looking for greener pastures.I can identify with that. I roam the globe like a Bedouin, except instead of herding camels and sheep across deserts, I herd suitcases and bags of various shapes and sizes across coach terminals and train stations, subways and airports, always

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1142203285423957992006-03-13T01:30:00.000+03:002006-03-13T02:41:57.916+03:00

I get a lot of questions about how many people live in Kuwait, and it always causes surprise when I say that Kuwaitis are a minority in Kuwait. Anyway, here's the latest figures. ..Population figures of Kuwait at the end of 2005 according to the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI):Total population: 2.992 millionKuwaitis: 992,200 (33%)Females: 506,100Males: 486,100Non-Kuwaitis: 1.999

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1141956126014636642006-03-10T04:59:00.000+03:002006-03-10T05:02:08.213+03:00

In August 2004 a good friend of mine from Hungary visited me in Kuwait (yes, I lure unsuspecting people to the 50+ degrees because I’m evil).Anyway, a few days before leaving for Kuwait, she started dating a guy. Of course going on an almost 3 week vacation at the beginning of a relationship is not an easy thing to do.Nevertheless, she proved heroic, and did the whole Tareq Museum-boat

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1141654560187893532006-03-07T00:05:00.000+03:002006-03-07T00:05:32.266+03:00

Stinni asked about this house on her blog:(Picture taken by Psycho Milt)I visited this house about a year ago. AWARE organized the visit there with the owner. These are some of my pictures I took inside the house: I just want to say, that although I no longer remember the name of the owner, he was extremely kind to open up his private home and entertain a group of "tourists" (I'm not sure if I

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1141585674082720432006-03-06T01:15:00.000+03:002006-03-06T01:20:54.333+03:00

I saw this map on Ananyah's blog, and it's something I wanted to do for ages. (Except with a real map and colorful pins stuck in the countries I have visited :o)Although compared to Ananyah I hardly left home :o)So, the countries I have been to:CanadaUSAAustriaGermanyHungaryItalyNetherlandsSloveniaVatican CityCroatiaFranceCzech RepublicPolandSlovakiaUKIraqKuwaitCyprusPalestine/IsraelUAEYou can

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1141519671118248742006-03-05T03:47:00.000+03:002006-03-05T03:52:50.743+03:00

As the years go by-song by Mashmakhan A child asks his mother do you love meAnd it really means will you protect meHis mother answers him I love youAnd it really means you've been a good boyAnd as the years go byTrue love will never dieAt seventeen his girl says do you love meAnd it really means will you respect meThe teenage boy answers I love youAnd it really means can I make love to youAnd as

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1140981119112776152006-02-26T22:11:00.000+03:002006-02-26T22:23:52.883+03:00

Yesterday I took a trip to a small place called Exmouth (pronounced Ex-mooth) on the South of England, and finally got to see the sea again.I realized how much I miss living by the sea. Even if I don't hang out or go swimming at the beach every day, knowing it's there, or, in the case of Kuwait, seeing it from the Gulf road everytime I drive by is so nice and calming.Also, I've never seen blue

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1140667298300472832006-02-23T06:44:00.000+03:002006-02-23T07:01:38.793+03:00

In the early 80s, when I was still just a baby, we lived in Iraq for a year while my dad's company was building a pipleline somewhere in the desert. Even though I can't remeber anything as I was about 2 years old, we still have a lot of photos that were taken at all sorts of historic places.There is one picture of my mom and me in a stroller taken in front of a beautiful Mosque with a golden dome

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1140555145802175682006-02-21T23:45:00.000+03:002006-02-21T23:53:21.803+03:00

Today in Arabic we studied imperative and prohibitive sentences. So the teacher asked us to come up with examples. One of the girls in class said:لا تاكلوا الثلج الاصفر(Don't eat yellow snow!)I love British humor. It's so random. Even the teacher (close to 60 Egyptian lady) laughed.

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1140033790690908902006-02-15T22:59:00.000+03:002006-02-15T23:03:10.810+03:00

Definition: payment which the bride is entitled to receive from the groom in consideration of marriage, according to Islamic laws.How much is the average mahar in Kuwait these days? I’ve heard Kuwaiti guys/men complain that even though they’d like to get married they can’t afford to pay the mahar. Is it such a large sum?And does the groom or the groom’s father pay the mahar usually? What does the

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1139965372795764682006-02-15T04:05:00.000+03:002006-02-15T04:07:39.696+03:00

These gotta be the prettiest flowers I have ever gotten :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1139790694384453522006-02-13T03:35:00.000+03:002006-02-13T03:31:34.406+03:00

...three signs that I have a lot of OLD clutter in my room! :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1139424175474806202006-02-08T21:42:00.000+03:002006-02-08T21:42:55.496+03:00

1. You accidentally enter your password on themicrowave.2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards inyears.3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach yourfamily of three.4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next toyou.5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friendsand family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1139369830197814702006-02-08T06:34:00.000+03:002006-02-08T06:37:10.240+03:00

The concept of Ashoora has long interested me. I have seen pictures, heard rumors, but it was only last year that someone explained to me what it’s all about.There is one thing, however, that I don’t understand. As far as I know being a descendant of Prophet Mohammed is revered and honored by all Muslims.But then how come only a fraction of Muslims are upset that Prophet Mohammed’s grandson(s) (

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1138667400300405362006-01-31T03:24:00.000+03:002006-01-31T03:30:00.366+03:00

I took these pistures from a rooftop balcony in Budapest last week...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1138567027693098462006-01-30T02:30:00.000+03:002006-01-30T02:26:25.816+03:00

Well, I've been dragging myself accross Europe again this past week, yet again to Hungary. It was unbelievably cold, sometimes around -15 to -20. Here's some pretty snowy pictures though. My camera had a difficult time focusing though...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137608479433864222006-01-18T21:17:00.000+03:002006-01-18T21:21:19.510+03:00

Everybody knows that Kuwait’s National Day is February 25. But does everyone know why it’s February 25?Throughout the years I spent in Kuwait I was always told the national day commemorates Kuwait gaining independence from Britain in 1961. But I just read that that’s not the case at all. Kuwait gained independence from Britain in 1961…but on June 19!So what’s with the February 25?On February 25,

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137586313271953272006-01-18T15:08:00.000+03:002006-01-18T15:11:53.296+03:00

A woman's husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for severalmonths, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.One day, he motioned for her to come nearer. As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears,"You knowwhat? You have been with me all through the bad times.When I got fired, you were there to support me.When my business failed, you were there.When I got shot, you

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137531163075358182006-01-17T23:50:00.000+03:002006-01-17T23:52:43.143+03:00

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137452114386677252006-01-17T01:59:00.000+03:002006-01-18T02:03:56.120+03:00

I have a number of friends and relatives who visit my blog from Hungary and elsewhere, so decided to post some pictures taken by KUNA, BBC and Al-Watan photographers portraying the sadness that swept Kuwait upon hearing the death of the Emir.The pictures speak for themselves...Al-Watan:BBC:KUNA:To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.The Holy Quran 2:156

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137320943742704982006-01-15T13:26:00.000+03:002006-01-15T19:22:36.410+03:00

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah(1929-2006) الله يرحمه

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1137285258932191292006-01-15T03:28:00.000+03:002006-01-15T03:34:18.963+03:00

For many years the beach behind Kuwait University used to be the place where ships and boats went to die. There was, however, one good thing among the rubble and decaying metal: flamingoes. Hundreds of the pink birds used to hang out and just do their thing in the stinky shallow waters around the boat corpses.I drove by the same beach in December, and the shipwrecks are gone and the area cleaned

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1136942044968238222006-01-11T04:08:00.000+03:002006-01-11T04:14:04.970+03:00

Some winter pictures of gloom and cold from Hungary :o)(first two were taken from the airplane on the way home from Kuwait, at 10am (notice the lack of sunshine and visibility)last one is just a frozen up artificial pond. I couldn't find any fish, but normally they swim around underneath the ice)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1136941168924588102006-01-11T03:55:00.000+03:002006-01-11T04:01:32.790+03:00

There are two types of human beings: those who hog the armrest on an airplane and those who don’t.I’m in the latter group. I generally either chose an isle or a window seat on an airplane, so this way I usually manage to secure one armrest. The only time I have both to myself is when I don’t have anyone sitting next to me, or when the person sitting next to me goes to the bathroom or leaves his

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1136884751358988102006-01-10T12:18:00.000+03:002006-01-10T12:19:11.400+03:00

Eid Mubarak Everyone!

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1136231683912730282006-01-02T22:47:00.000+03:002006-01-02T22:54:43.976+03:00

I'm leaving once again. Tonight to Hungary, then on to the UK after a week.Here's a picture of tonight's moon as a goodbye picture :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1136039578041800072005-12-31T17:22:00.000+03:002007-12-28T20:13:23.338+03:00

Today I wanted to capture the last sunset of the year over Kuwait, but I dozed off infront of the telly, and only woke up to the muezzin at 5. I rushed up to the roof, but the sun was gone, and this is all I could capture...Either way, Happy New Year to all bloggers and evryone else :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135897701613895242005-12-31T02:46:00.000+03:002005-12-31T02:47:35.366+03:00

The Ritz in London.......or The Ritz in Salmiya?Hmmmm....tough one...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135896431771065842005-12-30T01:12:00.000+03:002005-12-30T01:47:11.876+03:00

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135878932177754952005-12-29T20:52:00.000+03:002005-12-29T20:55:32.233+03:00

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135585658405549982005-12-26T11:19:00.000+03:002005-12-26T11:27:38.443+03:00

I will start my first tag. Take a picture of your Christams tree (if you have one) and post it.I tag Will, Stinni and everyone else who has a tree :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135544274918689992005-12-25T23:48:00.000+03:002005-12-25T23:57:54.940+03:00

I was washing my hands in a ladies’ room in Souq Sharq the other day. There was a girl prettying up besides me. She re-arranged her hejab, fixed her make-up and also decided to freshen up her perfume. I don’t know why, but I counted that she spritsed herself 15 times with her perfume.Do you think that’s normal?I kind of thought that’s a little excessive, but maybe I’m just the weird one for not

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135375416270742002005-12-24T00:01:00.000+03:002005-12-24T01:03:36.336+03:00

This is probably old news, but our computer was infected by a virus so I was internet-less for many days.Anyhow, (or anyhoo as Purg likes it) on Wednesday we did something cultural and attended the opening of a Japanese Printing Exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. It’s on until December 28, so if you’re into modern art, go check it out. If you’re not into modern art, but you’ve never been to

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1135371274502818132005-12-23T23:31:00.000+03:002005-12-29T21:03:26.906+03:00

When I told people I'll be spending Christmas in Kuwait, some of their reactions were like these:“Duuuuuh, they don’t celebrate Christmas in Kuwait.” (like I was talking utter nonsense)“Do they have Christmas trees in Kuwait?”“Are you allowed to celebrate Christmas in Kuwait?”Etc etc etcSo here are some pictures taken in public places of Christmasy things, to prove that it’s possible to feel the

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1134849944629363592005-12-17T22:46:00.000+03:002005-12-17T23:05:44.663+03:00

I made it to Kuwait in one piece, hamdullilah. London was awesome, I will put together a post about it in the coming days, with some cool pictures.I'll be kicking off my stay here with a restaurant review. We ended up going to KON-TIKI with my parents at SAS. It's a Polynesian restaurant. I have definitely never eaten anything Polynesian before, so this was a good experiment.They had a wide

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1134172064473047152005-12-10T02:36:00.000+03:002005-12-10T02:47:46.986+03:00

Well, my first term at uni came to an end today...hamdulillahI'm off to London tomorrow, meeting a friend of mine there and sightseeing and shopping for 5 days...Then I'm flying to Hungary on Thursday, and on to Kuwait on Friday...I kind of wish I could just hybernate and wake up in my bed in Kuwait next saturday morning. I actually hate travelling...So, my next post will be from Kuwait :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1134086820005785072005-12-09T02:54:00.000+03:002005-12-09T03:10:43.500+03:00

I've been meaning to write this post for a while...Bathrooms in England are very peculiar. They are full of curious gadgets. I have taken some pictures to demostrate this:Figure 1.1: The washbasin has two separate faucets; one for hot water and one for cold water. The cold water facet has freezing cold water coming out of it (especially during winter time); the hot water faucet has burning hot

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1134068699293835402005-12-08T22:03:00.000+03:002005-12-08T22:04:59.386+03:00

Spot the 3 differences between these two pictures:http://members.home.nl/saen/Special/Zoeken.swfI've been trying to for like half an hour but I only found two...hmmm...

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1133905625101302752005-12-07T00:26:00.000+03:002005-12-07T00:47:06.203+03:00

Does any of you have any experience with the AWARE center?(AWARE = Advocates for Western-Arab Relations)Their mission statement from their website:"Our mission is to promote relations between Westerners and Arabs by organizing social activities and information services related to Arab and Islamic culture. The AWARE Center is a non-profit, non-government and non-political organization."I attended

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1133713034782600332005-12-04T19:13:00.000+03:002005-12-04T19:17:15.866+03:00

It'll be my parents' 28th weddig anniversary in two weeks, and since we'll all be in Kuwait, my dad and I thought we should go out to a really nice restaurant and surprise my mom.Apparantly there are new restaurants springing up in Kuwait every week, so we're not so up to date on the restaurant scene, especially not the really nice restaurant scene.So if you have any recommendations, plese post

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1133620580218426502005-12-03T17:30:00.000+03:002005-12-03T17:36:20.773+03:00

There's a number of bloggers either married to Kuwaitis or who are only half-Kuwaiti. This blog entry is directed to them.Do you celebrate Christmas even though you're raising your children as Muslims?If you do/did, did that create any confusion for you as a child (that you had a Christmas tree while other Kuwaiti families didn't)?Did your Kuwaiti husband/father ever object to having Christmas?

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1133576020844712522005-12-03T05:11:00.000+03:002005-12-03T16:04:13.736+03:00

I spent the past few days trying to figure out how these Blog templates work...This new desing is what I came up with...My blog will be going trough some more changes...all in due time...Let me know if this new tamplate works in all browsers and stuff...*Update: I realized that the Post a comment links didn't work, so I fixed that now :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1132941988994224062005-11-25T20:59:00.000+03:002005-11-25T21:06:29.050+03:00

I've been doing some research into Kuwaiti social services before and after oil, and I came accross this passage about the government school system.I'd be interested to receive some feedback from you all, because from what I know and heard about government schools, some of the stuff written sounds rather idealistic, and might have had been true at some point in history but not anymore. Or is it??

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1132916640725827362005-11-25T14:03:00.000+03:002005-11-25T14:04:00.746+03:00

Woke up this morning, and this is what I saw outside... brrrrrr...anyone who knows me knows I'm not a big winter fan. I prefer temperatures to stay somewhere between 25 and 50 :o)

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1132703734856101262005-11-23T02:55:00.000+03:002005-11-23T02:55:34.880+03:00

Since I haven't managed to be in the same country with my parents on my birthday for many many years (about 5 or 6?) they usually send flowers. They didn't fail to do so this year (even though the flower people messed something up and delivered them a day late).They also sent a baloon. It's pretty cool, kind of wondering around my room :o)It came in a HUGE box, but of course it didn't have any

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1132619100355119422005-11-22T03:24:00.000+03:002005-11-22T03:25:00.373+03:00

I got a little package from home today, filled with Christmas goodies, including a tiny Christmas stocking. Well, I happen to have a fireplace it looks awesome on :o)Actually in Hungary we don't have Christmas stockings, only in recent years did they appear as an influence from the US. Our Christmas holidays are completely different than in the US or even England. For example, Santa for us comes

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1132086011897484592005-11-15T23:20:00.000+03:002005-11-15T23:23:53.273+03:00

In the open country near the Ras in the old days there stood a small village consisting of a few mud huts clustered round a single tamarisk tree. The name of the place was Dimna, a word which has a pleasant sound to European ears, but in Arabic it means "sheep's droppings" so of course when the new suburb was built the name had to be changed. It was called Salimiyah after Shaikh Abdullah as Salim

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1131234289897674842005-11-06T02:44:00.000+03:002005-11-06T02:44:49.916+03:00

Next week is "reading week" so I decided to lend some "fun" books from the library. Not that my readings for class are not fun, cause they actually are, but I came accross some books about Kuwait written by foreigners who grew up/lived/worked there decades ago:Zahra Freeth: Kuwait was my home (1956)Zahra Freeth: A new look at Kuwait (1972)Mary Bruins Allison: Doctor Mary in Arabia (1994)Zahra

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1130964171809970952005-11-02T23:40:00.000+03:002005-11-02T23:42:51.826+03:00

Eid Mubarak to all Kuwait Bloggers :o)What are your plans for the Eid weekend?

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129851771497886262005-10-21T02:42:00.000+03:002005-10-21T02:42:51.506+03:00

One thing I find extremely beautiful in England is nature. I guess one advantage of the continuous rain is that everything is so vibrantly green, and wonderful. I especially like trees here. There's many kinds I've never even seen before and they are extremely tall. Trees here seem to grow much taller than in Hungary, not to mention Kuwait :o)Anyway, here's some pictures of trees and clouds and

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129415765669097492005-10-16T01:35:00.000+03:002005-10-16T01:36:05.826+03:00

"Kuwait is the Al Sabah and the Al Sabah is Kuwait."-Rosemarie Said Zahlan: The Making of the Modern Gulf States. Page 95Agree? Disagree? Thoughts? Opinions?

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129413650452670532005-10-16T00:59:00.000+03:002005-11-11T05:47:20.676+03:00

I came accross a wonderful descriptions of bedouins in one of my readings. It describes how they used to live and their values and their image of themselves:It is simplistic to translate the term ‘badu’ as pastoral nomads because the word involved something more than animal-herding and nomadism. Although nomadism was an essential component of the notion of badu, it was not the determining factor

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129331141149661722005-10-15T02:05:00.000+03:002005-10-15T19:25:26.913+03:00

Here's a list of places that might be of interest to newcomers and visitors to Kuwait:1. Kuwait Towerz2. Liberation Tower (only open during the indenpendence day/liberation dayholiday in February)3. Parliament (http://q8sultana.blogspot.com/2005/08/day-24.html)4. Grand Mosque5. National Museum/Sadu house6. Liberation Museum(http://www.miskan.com/2005/07/memorial-museum.html#comments)7. Tareq

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129228419258742782005-10-13T21:33:00.000+03:002005-10-13T21:35:47.420+03:00

Every year I make a point to send all my Muslim friends an e-card at Ramadan.It only takes 5 minutes, and I do the same at Christmas and even Diwali (for Hindu friends).This is the email I got back from one of the recipients of my Ramadan Greetings sent out last week:one of the primary reason i anxiously await the arrival of ramadan is to hear from u...i can always count on that sweet lil

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13909488.post-1129141635700028712005-10-12T21:26:00.000+03:002005-10-12T23:00:03.370+03:00

A friend of mine is in the Ramadan show on MBC1 entitled صحوة زمنI'm dying to see an episode, but of course I haven't been able to locate a TV with MBC1 on it.Does anyone know if it's possible to stream MBC1 on the internet somehow?I found a bezillion online TV channels, but no MBC1 :o(

Q8Sultananoreply@blogger.com3