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Al Kout Festival

Wooo HOOOO! An event we know about BEFORE it happens!

March 31 and April 1, 11am -7pm. American University of Kuwait, Salmiya Campus

The Arabian Heritage Project is proud to present “Al-Kout Festival”
(Old Kuwait Festival) an event being held to celebrate the grand opening of the
Arabian Heritage Project, a research, archival, and outreach center dedicated to
promoting and fostering the heritage of the Peninsula and related cultures.
Two days of celebration from 11 am till 7 pm at the American University Of
Kuwait campus in Salmiya. The event will include National Museum Exhibits, live
performances by Kuwaiti traditional bands (Bin Hussein and Mayouf), Sawt
musicians, Bedouin poetry, Kuwaiti History Game Show, distinguished live
Craftsmen, a Bazaar, old Kuwaiti cars, refreshments; basically a chance to
experience authentic Kuwaiti Tradition and Culture at its best.

The Festival opens at 11am, performances (Kuwaiti Sawt musicians, poetry,
Kuwaiti music piano recital, etc.) begin at noon. Sea bands begin at 5pm each
day.

Please note, parking is limited. Carpooling is advised.

March 25, 2009 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Cross Cultural, ExPat Life, Kuwait | 5 Comments

Icons Challenge, The Locard Principle 2: The Middle East and Me

The best thing, the very best thing about blogging, for me, is what I learn from my commenters. The old Locard’s Exchange Principle is a constant in life – with every interaction, a part of you rubs off on me, and a part of me rubs off on you. It’s why we’re careful about the people, books, movies, blogs and ideas we spend time with. . . we either feel better for hanging around them, or slightly uncomfortable. Sometimes, hugely uncomfortable. The internet is a microcosm, good and evil all mixed in together and we make our choices.

Fragonard:  The Reader

Fragonard: The Reader

Above: that is me. That’s pretty much who I am. I am quiet, I am a reader. I still get input, from newspapers, books, e-mails, the internet, friends, groups, etc.

What I love about blogging is that I throw something out, and you throw something back. Many many times, what I get back is unexpected, and forces me to re-examine my assumptions. Many times, I have to force myself to stop. Not to respond. I have to force myself to let the new information, new point-of-view sink in, percolate, settle. Minds don’t change in an instant, but . . . they do change. New information brings new, often surprising, perspectives. When I find myself getting angry, I have to step back and ask myself “what is going on here? What are you reacting to?” It helps me to know myself better, and it helps me to understand whatever-little-corner-of-the-world-I-am-living-in better, too.

There are about six different blog entries radiating out like a spider’s web from the thoughts I am now thinking, fed by your input and comments, and behind the scenes e-mails back and forth with new thoughts.

So here is my challenge for today. I’ve shown you one of my life icons, this Fragonard paining, The Reader.

Your mission, your challenge – identify / find a piece of art that shows us who you are. Post it on your blog and link here with a comment, or send it to me, and I will publish it.

(No graphic violence or pornography; I won’t publish it and I will break the link if you publish it on your blog and link to me.)

March 18, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Community, Cultural, ExPat Life, Kuwait, Locard Exchange Principal, Random Musings, Relationships, Spiritual | 7 Comments

Final Entry Bu Yousef: The Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Just one entry from Bu Yousef, but oh, what a great one! Thank you, Bu Yousef and Umm Yousef! 🙂

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You know, I think I am going to skip the voting. The photos are all so different, and all so good. Thank you, all, for your participation. You had some truly spectacular photos.

March 12, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Holiday, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos | | 5 Comments

Pecha Kucha Night at the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah

Thank you, Little Diamond for sharing news of an upcoming event in Kuwait that sounds like a pretty cool evening, full of creatives sharing a small part of their vision. It sound like an evening full of energy, to me. Thought you might want to go, too! 🙂

Dear All,

I would like to invite you to Kuwait’s first Pecha Kucha Night at the
Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah

Date: Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Al-Maidan Cultural Centre ‘Abdullah al-Salem School, Maidan Hawalli, Near al Sha’ab Leisure Park.

Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein
Dytham architecture), was conceived in 2003 as a place for young
designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. Pecha Kucha
Night is a not-for profit event, conceived, inspired, and performed
solely to strengthen creativity whether it be famous or famous-to-be
talents.

But as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especially an
architect) and you’ll be trapped for hours. The key to Pecha Kucha
Night is its patented system for avoiding this fate. Each presenter is
allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes
40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps
presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.

Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has
tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily
and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a
magazine editor. This is a demand that seems to be global – as Pecha
Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 160 cities across the world.

It comes to Kuwait for the first time on 11th of March.

Speakers for PKN #1 will include:

Lubna Saif Abbas: LB o J?zzaz
Ghadah Alkandari: Artist
Adlah Al-Sharhan: Chef
Maha Al-Asaker: Photographer
Mai al-Nakib: Kuwait University
Thomas Modeen: smArchitecture
Abdulaziz al-Humaidhi: Najeeb Al-Humaidhi Consultants
Khalid al-Hamad: American University of Kuwait
Waleed Shaalan: BrainStorm
Amera al-Awadhi: Amar International Real Estate Co.
Fatma al-Hamad: Amar International Real Estate Co.

Warmest regards,

Asseel al-Ragam

Asseel al-Ragam PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Architecture
Kuwait University
Office: +965 24987595
Cell: +965 99761150
alragam@gmail.com

March 4, 2009 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Building, Character, Events, ExPat Life, Interconnected, Kuwait | 1 Comment

WooHOO Mathai, Newest Entrant in The Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Wow. Mathai, you captured the magic of the holiday lights, and the sheer joy of being outside in this wonderful weather of Kuwait-in-“winter”.

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Gorgeous!

March 3, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Events, ExPat Life, Holiday, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos, Weather | | 10 Comments

NWB Additions to the Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Woo HOOO, NWB, and love the photos!

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March 3, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Entertainment, Events, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Holiday, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos | | 1 Comment

Sheer Bliss: The Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Q8Dutchie gave permission to add this one National Day Holiday Challenge photo, which in my heart I call Sheer Bliss. Grown-ups think the foam thing is awful. Children think the foam thing is wonderful (unless they get some in they eyes, or some jerk is spraying insecticide, or hair removal creme, or . . .)

OOps! Not the time and place for my soapbox! Especially with the joy in this photo!
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I love the way she captured the action going in the background while, for one instant, this one little girl stands still. 🙂 Well done, Q8Dutchie!

March 3, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Character, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Holiday, Living Conditions, Photos | | 6 Comments

Woo HOOO, Q8Dutchie: The Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Don’t you love it? All these different view, what the eyes are seeing? People around the world who have never been here are catching a glimpse of the two day – and in this case, because it was added on to a week-end, a four-day extravaganza of a holiday, for Kuwait National Day and Kuwait Liberation Day.

Thank you, Q8Dutchie, for sharing your eyes with us!

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The best photo of all I can’t share – Q8Dutchie’s child, covered head to toe with foam, eyes gleaming and grinning from ear to ear/ 🙂

March 2, 2009 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Cultural, Events, ExPat Life, Holiday, Kuwait, Photos | | 4 Comments

Mubarakiyya Glimpses and Public Art

Every time I go to Mubarakiyya, I see something I haven’t seen before. We found some scenes in the meat market – see if you can find them.

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March 1, 2009 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Cultural, ExPat Life, Food, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos, Public Art, Shopping | 5 Comments

Ansam Enters The Great Kuwait National Holiday Challenge

Woo HOOO on you, Ansam! Thank you for some truly fresh perspectives on Kuwait National Day and Liberation Day:

When I first saw this one, I thought it was the roller-coaster ride in that little park by Jarir Bookstore:

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I love this one; it is the draped flag in the middle that captures my heart:
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True Kuwait Magic – sushi in the shape of the Kuwait Flag:
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Just awesome:
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March 1, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Events, ExPat Life, Food, Holiday, Kuwait | | 8 Comments