General Traffic Department: Don’t Call Till You Reach Your Destination
God Bless ’em. GCC Traffic week will start on March 14 and they have chosen for their theme: Don’t Call Until You Reach Your Destination.
From today’s Arab Times:
GTD completes all preparations for GCC Traffic Week
KUWAIT CITY, March 6: The General Traffic Department (GTD) has completed all the necessary preparations for the GCC Traffic Week, which will be hosted by Kuwait on March 14 under the slogan “Don’t call until you reach your destination”, GTD General Manager General Mohmoud Al-Dousari said in a press release recently. Al-Dousari pointed out “mobile phones are vital communications gadgets, considering the additional services such as the Internet and camera, but there are also disadvantages.”
He said using the mobile phone by hand while driving is one of the major causes of road accidents in the country. Drivers might get distracted while talking over the phone, endangering not only their lives but also that of other road users, he added.
Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah had earlier issued a decision banning the use of mobile phone by hand while driving to protect the lives of motorists, which was implemented since last year, said Al-Dousari. The GCC Traffic Week is aimed at conveying a clear message to the public on the dangers of using mobile phones by hand while driving, as well as encourage the use of other technologies like earphones and Bluetooth.
Al-Dousari revealed the department issued 18,773 citations for using mobile phone while driving. He added Kuwait is one of the most developed countries in the world in terms of traffic regulations, but some drivers are disregarding these rules. Al-Dousari warned the GTD will not tolerate those violating the traffic regulations and advised the public to drive safely and strictly comply with the traffic laws.
I admire General Al-Dousari. God bless him; he gallantly fights a battle for traffic safety in Kuwait. No kidding some drivers are disregarding these rules. Some policemen are disregarding these rules. Some policemen aren’t enforcing these rules. I wonder when the majority of those citations were issued? My bet would be that around 18,000 were issued more than six months ago. Until there is enforcement, this is a losing battle.
Sunrise Saturday, 7 Mar 09
The sunrise was so beautiful this morning it was almost painful. My windows are still dirty from the multiple attacks by the dust storms, so I was out on the balcony photographing, and it was chill and crisp, and I remembered to appreciate the feeling of “chill” and “crisp” while it is still hanging around.
It may be comfortable and cool in the mornings, but our temperatures are going up fast. March is the month where Kuwait, where things get colder than Doha in the winter, starts getting hotter than Doha.
It is going to be a glorious day. Not a cloud in the sky, other than that yellowish haze low over the gulf that I think is residue from oil refining.
Sunrise, Sunset
Better late than never:
Sunrise, March 6, 2009
This was a great day to be outside, visiting with friends, walking along the Corniche – just a great day to be outside. The end of the day was rosy:
And here is the beautiful marriage song from Fiddler on the Roof, also called Sunrise, Sunset:
Warden Notice 2009-3
Kuwait City, Kuwait
March 5, 2009
MEMORANDUM
To: All American Wardens
From: Consular Section
Subject: Warden Notice 2009 – 3
Please circulate the following message without additions or omissions
immediately to all American citizens within your area of responsibility.
Begin Text.
While the general security condition in Kuwait remains unchanged a recent
assault on an American is a good reminder of the need for security awareness.
Earlier this week a western woman shopping at the Sultan Center in Salmiya was a
victim of an attempted sexual assault at that location. After finishing her
shopping, the woman placed her purchases in the car and went into a store. While
there, she went to the bathroom. As she opened her stall door to exit, a man
was standing there. He pushed her back into the stall and groped her. The
woman fought her way past him and reported the incident to security. The man
unfortunately got away. The woman believes the same individual may have been
following her while she shopped earlier in Sultan Center.
Americans are reminded, as in the past, that it is very important to keep an eye
on who may be observing your activities while shopping or conducting normal
activities in Kuwait. Surveillance is not something that is just done by
terrorists – almost every criminal who commits a crime conducts some sort of
surveillance on their target either seconds, minutes, or hours before trying to
commit a crime or assault a person.
Western women in Kuwait should be particularly vigilant because their dress and
freedom of movement can attract attention, in part because many local women are
dressed much differently. Especially when shopping or going to other public
places in Kuwait, or anywhere in the world, keep the following in mind:
1.Surveillance – think about who may be watching you. If it feels wrong, it
probably is. Alert the local security personnel or store management of anything
you feel is suspicious – Do not keep this information to yourself.
2.If you think you are being followed, make every effort to stay in a very
public place until you can either make contact with the local security personnel
or have some sort of an escort. Do not proceed to your vehicle or enter a
public restroom, thus giving the person following you an opportunity to get you
alone so they can rob or assault you.
3.Exiting/returning to your vehicle – this is the time when all people are
vulnerable because our mind is focused on getting out of the car, watching
traffic, trying to control children, or placing packages in/out of the car.
Especially when returning to your vehicle, it is not a bad idea to look around
your vehicle exterior to search for people or suspicious items. Once in the
vehicle, lock your doors and make sure your windows are up at all times.
4.Last, think about fighting your attacker, especially if the attacker wants to
take you to another location. Do not let that happen.
Once again, the general security level for Kuwait remains the same.
End Text.
Glorious March Sunrise
It is a perfect day outside, not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature is 50°F / 10°C. It is expected to get warm today, but not yet truly hot. Today is a great day to be outside, my friends. Meet you at the local sidewalk cafe!
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
Next Five Days
No sunshine photo this morning; I slept a little late. While yesterday and today are gorgeous, AdventureMan and I are stuffed up and sneezy – go figure. We got throught the dust, and when the sky is crystal clear, we get allergies?
We have some hot hot hot temperatures coming – isn’t this a little early for temperatures this warm?
Masks: Quote from AWAD
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)
Interesting thought, especially to those of us who are hiding behind a mask of anonymity. What do you think? Are we more free to tell the truth when we blog anonymously? Do we tell the truth? Or does anonymity encourage us to stretch the truth? embellish the truth? strain the truth?
Hmmmmmmm. What do you think?
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”.
Gorgeous!
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