Mega Chandelier

Chandeliers are used as decoration items for centuries.

Expensive chandeliers with ornamental works have adorned the Royal Courts all over the world.

Now, we do not have many Royals around the world, but Chandeliers are still in use. They come in different sizes and prices.

Here is a Chandelier at JW Marriott Hotel, Kuwait at Jahra Ball Room.  The full magnificence of this Chandelier can only be seen in person.

At first look, with the red colored heading, it appears like a warning sign.  However, it is a welcome sign with information to the visitors that they are entering the Kuwait Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) area.

Keeping count of country's assets

Seen in the picture is a pedestrian bridge over Road No.50, with serial number 01/500.  It is not the first bridge out of the total 5, however.   It is the first bridge on Road No.50 and for some reason Road No.50 is marked 500 on this board. 

I keenly watched another such bridge over Road No.40 and it was marked 1/400!  Can we say that the usefulness of these pedestrian bridges make it count?

Any whichever way, it is interesting to see Kuwait Government keeping a tab on its "fixed" assets!

Is there really recession and economic slowdown?

Crowd at Avenues Mall, Kuwait

This is the crowd one sees at a shopping mall during what is considered to be times of economic slowdown.  This scene may be common to any place in the world.  Retail outlets do great business, cinema halls are full, amusement parks continue to attract crowd, people keep undertaking vacation travels to exotic locations and buying trendy clothes and state of the art electronics never seems to stop.

If this is slowdown, then what will happen when the economy recovers?  (Thanks to my friend T P Anand, Dubai for this interesting thought)

Go International with just KD 55

No, you cannot travel international destinations with KD 55 physically.  But you can do it with your mobile, entering the Information Superhighway!  An advertisement from VIVA mobile symbolically depicting international with various country flags. On a random check, I think each country is represented thrice in this banner.  Captured at Avenues Mall, Kuwait.

Kuwait Aqua Park

Kuwait Aqua Park, aerial shot from Kuwait Water Towers

Located near the Kuwait Water Towers, Kuwait Aqua park is a popular destination for the kids, and of course adults escorting the kids to the park.  Inaugurated in 1995, it is said to be the first and biggest in the gulf region spread over a surface area of 60000 square meters. Click here to visit their website

In search of a name?

The owner has obviously decided to open a pharmacy and even more obviously has still not decided on the name!  May be one idea to keep the people guessing of which brand is coming up?

Funnels?

The Funnel like structures are water tanks.  There are present in few select areas, said to be unique to Kuwait.  That is probably the reason why we have miniature of these in front of some Kuwaiti villas.

There are totally twenty four such funnel type tanks located in three places in Kuwait .  One of three locations is Bayan (in the picture) near the Bayan Palace (nine tanks), second one is South Sura (six) and the last one is in Al-Ardiya (nine).

Speed can slow you down

Kuwait has expressways where the permitted speed limit is 120 KMPH.  However, there are drivers who find even this speed too slow!

Despite the hawk-eyed traffic police efforts and speed cameras, drivers like their tyres smoke.

As they press the accelarator in their auto-transmission vehicles and weave in and out of lanes, the inevitable happens.  When accident happens, the traffic gets congested as that lane cannot be used until a police report is made for insurance purposes and the ambulence arrives to help out the injured.

One such accident on 5th Ring Road.

A sweet home-made brand

Chocolateness is the new Kuwaiti brand to hit the market, simply put a home-made brand that specializes in home-made chocolates and molten cakes.  If their chocolates and cakes are mouthwatering stuff, they have have also ensured to have their cars of the eye-catching stuff with this unique design painted on them.

If you want to follow what Chocolateness is doing, there is a Facebook page 

Unique ID for Flats

In some countries like India, human beings do not yet have unique social security number to identify oneself as and when required.

In Kuwait, all the citizens and residents have a unique ID and that doesn't end there.  We have unique IDs for even the buildings and apartments.  Seen in the photo is the unique ID of my apartment in Reggai, Kuwait.

Keeping high towers clean

Kuwait's weather is very hot during the summer and very cold during the winters.  That is the only predictable part about the weather.  The unpredictable part is when you will have clear skies and when you will have sand storms or blow hot winds.

Sand storms are seen at any time of the year and are nightmares for tall buildings with glass exteriors. New architecture liberally uses glass exteriors so that the high and mighty get that landscapic view from their cabins of power.

Unfortunately, sand storms leave these glasses dirty.  So, the machines like the one in the photo are in continuous service to clean the tall building exteriors moving from floor to floor.  I have acrophobia, just seeing the cleaners on this machine in a tall structure makes my head spin.  

I used to think why these buildings are not fixed with electric powered wipers like the ones in car.  You have to just spray water switch it on for few minutes to have a clean glass.  Right?

Indian Culture

Kuwait's total population is about 3 million.  Approximately 800,000 are Kuwaitis and rest are expatriates from many countries in the world. We have a sizeable Indian population here numbering to almost 700,000.

Indians carry their culture whereever they go. Indian Children get to learn Carnatic and Hindustani singing, classical dance, carnatic instruments and more.  

Above is a photo taken at the Bharatnatyam Arangetram  program of students of Mudra Nrithanjali, Kuwait which is giving training on classical dance for more than a decade in Kuwait.  Its an annual event.  The Arangetram program of 2011 elevated over 50 students to their first on stage performance. 

It was a very enjoyable three hour program.

Kuwait Water Towers

Kuwait Water Towers are a set of three structures that have almost become a symbol of Kuwait. 
As per Wikipedia the main tower is 187 metres high and serves as a restaurant and water tower. 

I visited this tower during May 2010 with my family (after almost three years of living in Kuwait).  The main tower also has a viewing sphere which rises to 123 meters above sea level and completes a full turn every 30 minutes, I learn from Wikipedia. The second tower is 145.8 metres high and serves as a water tower. The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. The towers hold 4,500 cubic meters of water.

The towers were designed by Sune Lindström and Malene Björn and built by Energoprojekt, a company from Belgrade, Yugoslavia. They opened to the public in March 1979.