Mangaf, Paradise Garden and Beit Ash-Shar
Last week, AdventureMan and I were out looking for the private farm in Mangaf / Abu Halifa that blogger Bu Yousef wrote about. Imagine – fresh produce, locally produced. It is unbelievable that it exists in a burgeoning house-to-house suburb like Mangaf. Once Bu Yousef wrote about it, we couldn’t wait to find it and try it for ourselves. We LOVE local, and I am waiting for Yasmine Farms spinach to re-appear in the Sultan Center.
It is an OASIS!
AdventureMan said “it looks like Paradise!”
We got a little lost trying to find it – thank God! As we were driving around, looking for this farm/garden we spotted this:
In Jordan, these were called Beit (Beyt) ash-Shar, House of Hair. The panels of the tent were woven on small looms by the Bedouin women – the looms were made of sticks that could easily be assembled and disassembled. They had herds of sheep and goats, and the tent panels were woven of hair from their own sheep and goats. In Jordan, the nomads lived in these tents, picking up and moving as it was time to pasture their sheep and goats in the next place.
I can’t tell you how much this thrilled our hearts. Someone is using this tent – we believe – as an outdoor diwaniyya.
It’s a great day in Kuwait.
Demolish Tariq Rajab Museum?
I am horrified. Blogger Hanan reports that there are rumors that the Tariq Rajab Museum has received a warning to close or be demolished, that they have no permit to run a museum.
This family has two museums, two fine, fabulous museums, and admission to the public is free of charge. It is a bright spot in Kuwaiti Culture. (I thought there was a movement out there to encourage tourism? This is where I take my guests! This is where we tell tourists to go!)
I have no WASTA my friends. First, can you confirm that the museum has indeed been warned? Can you make this go away?
Enigmatic Sunset
Wooooo HOOOOOO! Enigma! She sends in a dramatic sunset! What do you think?
I am having so much fun with this Challenge! You guys have made my week. 🙂 It’s your last chance. Tomorrow is the end of the challenge – hit the sunset tonight!
BTW, have you seen the big huge full moon rising over the Gulf the last two nights? Grab your cameras! Run!
Q8 Geek Updates Submissions
Here’s the spirit! Q8Geek submitted some brand new photos trying to capture the Great Kuwait Sunset Challenge bragging rights:
I really love the way he has the Kuwait skyline in the background, and the way the foreground swoops! One tiny little flaw, and it’s just a personal thing . . . streetlights. AAARRGH!
You Be the Judge – Hilaliya
My good friend Amer bashfully submitted some sunset shots, saying that they aren’t as good as some he had already seen posted. I wasn’t expecting much. When I opened them, I gasped!
Look at those clouds! How often do you see cloud action like that at sunset in Kuwait? Most of the sunset photos I see are the sun going down in a thick haze – sometimes a yellow haze, sometimes a ferocious red haze – but these! Well, you be the judge:
Aren’t they fabulous? Wooo Hoooo, Hilaliya!
Q8Geek’s Sunset Panorama
Whoda thunk there were so many fabulous sunsets in Kuwait? These guys have found them! Here is q8Geek’s Panoramic entry:
Is that breathtaking or what?
Bu Yousef’s Awesome Q8 Sunsets
WOW. All I can say is WOW. I had no idea there were such gorgeous sunsets out there, and I love love love the photos you are posting and sending.
Bu Yousef linked several more sunset photos. I am betting few of you will be going back that far, and checking out the additions, so I grabbed them off his page and and posting them here, hoping you will go to Bu Yousef’s blog and here, too and see all the amazing photos he takes.
Meanwhile, The Great Kuwait Sunset Challenge goes on! Here are BuYousef’s further entries:
BuYousef's Mosque Sunset
BuYousef Sailing Sunset
BuYousef's Kuwait Skyline Sunset
Are they gorgeous or are they gorgeous? 🙂
Wooo HOOOO MacaholiQ8 Sunsets
Just when I had given up hope of any more entries (you have until next Saturday) I got a set from Macaholiq8 that totally took my breath away. Wait ’till you see these!
He says the first is taken at a farm in Wafra, and the next three are taken at Marina Mall. GOOD eye, Mac!
Wafra Sunset
Mac Marina Mall Sunset 1
Mac Marina Mall Sunset 2
Mac Marina Mall Sunset 3
How about those sunsets, Great Q8 Sunset Fans? 🙂 (Thank you, Mac, for participating. And WOW.)
Great Kuwait Sunset Challenge Deadline
So here is how it is going to work. I am going to give you this one last weekend and one last week to come up with your sunset photo. Bu Yousef, AbdulAziz and Someday have shown us that yes, it is possible to find a sunset in Kuwait without streetlights and electrical wires, even a sunset over the water.
I haven’t seen a sunset behind a mosque, or behind one of the fabulous dhows or . . . Liberation Tower, Kuwait Towers. There are still a lot of options out there, and you have ONE WEEK. One week, today, I will post a series of photos narrowed down – some have already been disqualified, because although they were beautiful, they were not Kuwait.
YOU will vote. For one week, bloggers and commenters can vote. Together, we will choose the one we think wins the Great Kuwait Sunset Challenge.
(I already know what the next challenge is going to be. 🙂 )
AbdulAziz’s Sunset Entries: Great Q8 Sunset Challenge
Wow! The Kuwait Sunset Challenge is up and running, and our first entrant sets a very high standard! AbdulAziz has his own Flikr page with other gorgeous photographs; he takes his photography skills very seriously, as you will see.
Now for the impossible – the photos are all gorgeous. Which one is your favorite?
(This one was disqualified because it was shot in Lebanon)
(This one is disqualified because it was shot in Lebanon)
Thank you, AbdulAziz, for your beautiful entries! Anyone else who wants to send photos to me, you are welcome, please send them as attachments to your e-mail!
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