Chick!

After Chickette died, Chick became sick... my sis took him to see the vet, and now he's on medications and doing better now :-) I snapped some random pics ;-)

Pomegranate Phone NS08

One device that put so many things in the palm of your hand than you ever thought possible; phone, email, Internet, GPS Navigation, camera, projector, video, MP3 player, coffee brewer, shaver, harmonica… and more!


Pomegranate Phone NS08


Now the question is….. Did we take quick decisions with the BlackBerry hype? Maybe we should have waited for the Pomegranate?? It seems to beat the BlackBerry in many things by far! Its smaller, thinner, and got more options! It combines work and fun!! It combines two things in one… eliminate the need of separate instruments (Shaver + Phone in the same time, you can shave while talking). Awesome! I like the Global Voice Translator too, very useful tool (50 languages)… with that feature, language is never a barrier!!

But then again, click on the "Release Date"... it will take you to Nova Scotia, Canada. Its just a fake ad to grab your attention and get you interested in visiting their site :-P

My point is… I LOVE THIS AD! hahahaha


Thanks Mimmi!

I <3 Rustica

I went to Rustica... AGAIN :-D
I LOVE this place.... I can easily say that its my favorite pizza place in town. I talked about it so much to my cousins and they wanted to try it... Actually one of them was looking for THE BEST pizza in Kuwait, and since she just delivered her baby a couple of month back and did a mini surgery, it was hard to go out... we decided to have Rustica Pizza at their place, my cousin's house.

She said: Hmmmm, now this pizza is my favorite in Kuwait too! - Hers was the Margarita

and my other cousin goes: I agree, it got this "Italian" taste and feel to it - Hers was the Veggies

Me: *munch* *munch* *munch* hmmm yes yes yes - Mine was half pepperoni and half mushroom

What can I say? The place is nice, the food is awesome, the staff are super duper friendly....

Pizza anyone?

Do Re Mi

Reminded me of the T-Mobile Dance video ;-)

Chocola-la-la

I have so many chocolates in hand... they just came in from Switzerland :-D
I asked my friend to get me Noir au Thé Earl Grey from Favarger 1826. She was kind enough to get me more yummy spicy stuff too ;-) She knows I love the Lindt with Sea Salt and with Chili.. the bar ones (I cant have spicy food, but with chocolate, it is something else! I swear).. so now I have in addition to what I initially asked for Lindt HOT PRALINES and Lindt MINI PRALINES all in a box, not as in choco bars.

I tried all the chili flavored ones... my throat is tickling as I am typing this! But I love it... does that make any sense?

Anyways... the HOT PRALINES box comes with three flavors, Papaya & Chili + Granatapfel (Pomegranate) & Chili + Maracuja (Passion Fruit) & Jalapeño. Holding the box in my hand I thought to myself.... hmmm I may like the pomegranate ones... surprisingly I loved the papaya the most!!! But all in all... all three flavors were awesome... keeping in mind that I do not like chocolates with fruity filling... I am telling you, its the spiciness thats doing the magic here!

Level of spiciness... I would say the papaya was the spiciest and the passion fruit was the mildest! How do I explain that mixture of strong fruity flavor, dark coco, and chili! OH SO GOD!

One of The Chicks is Dieing :'-(

One of the chicks seems sick and is not gonna make it till tomorrow :'-(


Update:
Chick died :-(

More Faloodeh

I went again to Marafie yesterday and got some more faloodeh and saffron ice cream.
It is located on Al Hilali St... I mean Al Shuhada now (the name changed after the invasion but I still refer to it as Al Hilali) opposite the fire station and below Baba Taher Restaurant. Their phone # is 2242-7866/77

Al Tahalof Youtube Channel

To watch the rest of the videos, click here!



Thanks Dana :-)

Cairo - Part IV

The Religion Compound - Old Cairo

When we were almost done with our wonderful meal at Abou El Seid Restaurant, our driver "Ahmed I" called and said that "Ahmed II" will resume his duty as a driver for us instead of him. Apparently all along, Ahmed II was supposed to be the driver we arranged from Kuwait so we were like... Okay! What the hey! After paying, we called him and he picked us up.

A big guy, talkative, know-it-all kinda man, funny, and helpful! That was the impression he gave that day :-) I was happy because he seems to be more of a people's person than Ahmed I.

Ahmed II: So where do you wanna go?
Ansam: The Religious Compound or the Egyptian Museum??
Ahmed II: The Compound. You dont have time for the museum because it will close in an hour.
Ansam: Sure... lets go :-D

The Religious Compound is one of the projects to be looked at since a lot of restorations are taking place. I hope the authorities there take extra good care of the place, because its rich in flavor and multi cultured. It contains all of the three main religions; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The majority of worship houses were churches...

I went to The Hanging Church, passed by a Nunnery, Church of the Virgin, Mari Girgis Church, Amr Ibn Alas Mosque, and the Synagogue. Both the Coptic and Greek churches and the Coptic Museum were closed :-(

It was very interesting to be in all those places and observe different methods for prayer to the same God. Very overwhelming too. I went into a souvenir store and snapped away many pictures as well. I was so looking forward to go to all and every part of the compound, but some places were closed :-(

As I walked into Amr Ibn Alas, I put a shawl on my head, took off my shoes, and handed them to the guard. He smiled and said a little prayer for me... it was prayers time and so wonderful to be there at this time.. People were inside; some reading Quran, others preparing to pray... and he asked

Guard: Where come you from?
Ansam: Kuwait
Guard: You speak Araby?
Ansam: Yes

And he started saying how Kuwaitis and Egyptians are like one and that I should consider myself home. He was very sweet. So we go in, walk around, snap some pictures and head out...

A quick note, I usually leave my bag in the car when I am making quick stops and carry cash in all of my pockets... 20 here, 50 there, and so on. So as I was heading back to the guard to take my shoes, he asks for donations.. I put my hands in one of my pocket and was like whatever comes out of the pocket will be his... I get out EGP25 and smile while putting it in the box and he goes...

Guard: WHAT! IS THAT ALL?
Ansam: Excuse me??
Guard: You are Kuwaiti? Is that all you got to give?
Ansam: ??????
Guard: I expect much more from you! You are rich you are Kuwaiti.. EGP10 is all you got! WHATTA SHAME!
Ansam: EXCUSE ME SIR! First of all I did not hand in EGP10... and secondly I dont carry much cash with me, and dont you judge me like that!! GRRRR

I stormed out! Should I not say that I am Kuwaiti!!

Related Posts:
Cairo Part I
Cairo Part II
Cairo Part III

4-Year Old Shakira

Again.. with the Britain's Got Talent Fever... My mom sent me this

Dinner Last Night ;-)

Persian Night turned into Middle Eastern Night.... nevertheless, all dishes were so good and yummy :-D I ate SO MUCH! Hahahaha

Ohhh and I found a Faloodeh place in Sharq. The place is called Marafie, and its in the same building of Baba Taher and across the street from the fire station next to Arraya Mall. I ended up buying faloodeh and saffron ice cream with lemon and pomegranate syrup.

Sorry! Wrong Number!!!

I was reading the newspapers yesterday and stumbled on a picture of one of my friends from high school...

I text-message her;

"Looking good in X Newspaper"

She replies;

"In your eyes/view I do... I hope you are proud of me and looking up to me always"

-Some of it is lost in translation, oh and the message was directed to hmmm ummmm a MALE-

I reply;

"Its me... Ansam"

And no reply yet from her!


OK, so beside the fact that I know she did not have me in her contacts' list, what do you think?
*Whistles*

Faloodeh

I am invited to dinner tomorrow (technically today :-P) at a friend's house.... it is not very unusual of my friends and I to have "theme" dinners! Tomorrow's theme is gonna be "A Persian Night" and we are having Persian food *YUMMM*

I was thinking about bringing some Faloodeh with me... I know a place in Kuwait City *Boftain* that sells it, but are there any other options you know of?

Otherwise, I will just get some saffron ice cream from Ice Cream World!

Three Simple Recipes :-)

I cooked three simple super easy recipes yesterday with a FB friend :-) It was so much fun. I just wanted to share the recipes with you all.... They are on my FB Group: Ansam's Kitchen.

1. Almost Mashed Potato Salad
Ingredients:
2 medium sized potatoes - cubed and left in salted water for a while
1 large celery stick - sliced
1 scallion (spring onions) bulb - chopped
4 table spoons ranch dressing

Method:
Bring water to boil, add potatoes on medium heat until cooked
In a bowl mix all of the ingredients, mashing the potatoes a little

2. Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
8 Giant Holland mushrooms - Stems removed and chopped (only stems)
18 small hotdogs (the really small ones or 6 regular sized) - chopped
Pasta sauce
Mozzarella cheese
2 limes - juiced

Method:
In an oven tray place the mushrooms, stuff them with the hotdogs and chopped stems. Cover with tomato pasta sauce and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven until its cooked and cheese fully melted (170C for 30 mins)

3. Spicy Chicken with Sun-dried Toamtoes
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast cut into smaller pieces
Mixed spices (pepper, salt, garlic, citrus)
1 lime juice
1/3 cup balsamic
Sun-dried tomatoes
4 tbs olive oil (two for marinade and 2 for frying)
1/4 onion - chopped

Method:
In a bowl mix balsamic, oil, spices, lime, and chicken. Let it marinate in the fridge. In a frying pan heat some olive oil and add onion until caramelized. Add the chicken but do not fully cook it (like for a minute) then remove from stove, and place it in an oven tray. Add the marinade and cook in the oven (170 - 40 mins) adding the sun dried tomato after 30 minutes.

Cheers!


PS: I know... I know, PICTURE QUALITY IS BAD :-( I was told by my friend to wait till after the elections for that cameras now are expensive... So I shall wait and see :-S

Your Input Please

Describe me in a couple of sentences and also write your impression about me.
Be brief but clear too. This is not a tag, its something I am working on and I need your feedback on it please ;-)

Solar Storm Warning

I was reading AlRai Newspaper and on the last page there was this article about a Solar Storm in the summer of 2012. I searched more about it and found this link on FOXNews.com

Wok Master

I had a meeting after work in Segafredo of Dar AlAwadi.... It is not the first time we have a meeting there, and best thing about this cafe is that they leave you alone without taking your order. You actually have to call them to your table if you want something to eat/drink... and since we are always busy looking into the laptop screen and paperwork, they assume that we are just "using" their chairs... which is mostly the case hahaha! I was starving, but I was in the mood for some Chinese!

I got home at around 5:10PM and ordered from Wok Master right away... I simply LOVE their food so much :-) I order sweet corn soup, sweet & sour chicken, and Singaporean noodles! *Again, sorry for the picture quality.... no I did not buy a camera yet!*

Daddy's Girl... are those the Chinese boxes you are looking for? :-P


Wok Master
Tel # 2575-0081

Twitter!

So I am just posting random status updates on my twitter!
Is that how its suppose to work? :-P

Example...

"Teaboy sitting by staircase, not far from me, keeps spraying F#### air freshener every five minutes! Is he farting? Im suffocating :'-( HELP"

Chicks!

I was chillaxing in my room when my sisters asked me to come down to the basement, they were gonna play a movie or something...

I enter the room in the basement and they look at me all smiles, I knew there was something other than the "movie"! As I walked towards the coach I saw a lil cage and I was like...

"Come on tell me! What is it?"

They all started to laugh! I look and I find two chicks ;-D one was on the coffee table, and one was sitting quietly in my sister's hands!

Scattered Thoughts

This is gonna be one random post! Hahaha

1. I have been having Coffee Republic for every day of the week last week, and I ordered again today!

2. I was coughing so much last night that I took my pectoral bottle and drank out of it directly (I may have overdosed but I was desperate too LOL), I go back to sleep right away... and wake up again after a couple of hours and start coughing more... I am at work and still coughing! Any remedies you wanna share? BE MY GUEST!

3. I have almost lost a couple of senses :-P hearing and smelling :-P (yes, I am STILL suffering with the flu and flu aftermath)... despite all that, I almost fainted in the elevator! I was with a couple of people and I got stuck the longest with the smelliest person ever! The thing with the elevators at work is that you punch in the number of your floor before going in, so there was literally no way out... my eyes became watery, I coughed a lot and covered my nose and started to turn blue (I work on the 17th floor)!

4. My best friend got engaged :-D *YAAAY*

5. I need to have a massage, but I'm so busy that I have all afternoons busy this week! Ughhhh! I only have today and still I did not book an appointment! What am I waiting for? Really?

6. Is it so bad that sometimes I have to (HAVE TO) plan my day ahead and I work on the hour to meet all the "to dos" on my day, that if something so little comes up, my plans go into chaos! Did that make any sense? Well last Thursday I had back-to-back plans, plus I always miss lunch at my uncle's so I just leave after work and catch up with them on dessert or so... but a meeting came up, and I left work at almost 5:00PM and I skipped my uncle's house but still could not make it to my friend's reception :-( Yeah because I had to do so many things that afternoon :-(

7. Twitter seems to be fun so far! I am still clueless though about many things.

8. On May 18th, ahme... my birthday, I am leaving blogger! Yes, I have made up my mind!

Twitter

I have just created a Twitter for Ansam's Kitchen.
Will see how this one goes :-P

How Did I Miss It!!

My Blog's Second Birthday! - April 15th

Cairo - Part III

After we were done with the Great Pyramids (I wish I had more time to see the pyramids at sunset and at night) but it was a very short trip, and we were always on the go. After hearing so much about Abou El Seid restaurant, we decided to have lunch there... we were STARVING!

The restaurant is located in Zamalek area on the famous 26th July St. The place was almost full that I was afraid they wont let us in without reservations, but since its a place mostly for the hip and young people, and many many tourists, they found us a table which was amazing.

The place looked very interesting! Dimmed lights, cozy, home like, classical furniture with marble tables, wooden window shutters (mashrabiya) background music of Abdulhaleem and Fairuz, friendly staff, and tasty food! Absolutely fabulous! Oh and their restrooms signs are of famous celebrities! Of course a male and a female one ;-)

Many people asked me to try their famous stuffed pigeons, but I am not a fan! So I decided to go with their next best thing, Milokhiya! Its a green leaf kind of vegetable cooked with onions and spices and is so damn good! We also went with many other dishes; Sharkasiya (shreds of chicken with nuts on rice and covered in gravy-like sauce), Kushari (must must must), and okrah stew. I honestly do recommend ALL of those dishes, the best I have tasted in Cairo... taste was very authentic and original....not to mention their very reasonable prices!

Towards the end, the waiter told me that they are opening a branch in Kuwait... and when they do, I am gonna dine there regularly if it was as good as the one we tried!


Relate posts:
Cairo Part I
Cairo Part II

IVR - Again

I received another email today about something I posted some time ago regarding Zain's IVR. Wonder if its true!


Thanks Zona ;-)

Smoking - Drugs Awareness Campaign

Thanks Scorpion ;-)

Bloody Fantastic!

This is an amazing video! I did not expect that AT ALL :-)
Too bad I did not find a video that I can embed!

Just click on the link below..... enjoy!


Old Susan Boyle talented at 47 (and that is just one side of her) performance for Britain's Got Talent!


Thanks Dalia ;-)

Totally Fish - Avenues

I was at Totally Fish - Avenues earlier... LOVED IT! The atmosphere, the service, the food :-) ALl good. Enjoy the pics*;
1. Maldives
2. Clams and mussels (for some reasons the clams are not showing in this pic!!)
3. Fish and chips
4. Canadian Lobster
5. Sea Bass


You can read my previous post about it here.

*I did not buy a camera yet, sorry for the picture quality *phone* I tried ;-)

Bits From Here & There

I read almost all the newspapers, and some websites, every morning at work (research related). So I get the chance to know who wrote what first, or compare the different info given on the same subject, or spot typos.... Specially when its one newspaper with a typo against MANY others...

Yesterday, while browsing AlWatan Newspaper I spotted a very shocking news piece! It states that Saudi Telecom Company, STC, is giving distributions of SAR75.3! I was like Whoa! Whatta company to be distributing that much PER SHARE! I knew right there and then that this was a typo, specially when I started reading other newspapers and websites. It is suppose to read SAR3.75... (simple math, since they added SAR3 and SAR0.75). I decided to double check with AlWatan and called the Economic Division.

Let me tell you the guy was SO RUDE!!

He was like; "Sister... can I tell you something? First of all, for such mistakes DO NOT COME TO US, call KUNA for that they are our main source, so it is NOT US to blame... secondly where do you work?"

I was shocked! I told him this was not the right way to speak to me, and that all other sites and newspaper got it right so it could be a typo and I only meant well! And I told him I work in a field where I have to check such news on daily basis... he interrupted me and asked if I work for STC? I said no, and he was like then why do you care! I WAS FURIOUS at such treatment! I swear I thought they were gonna do something about it and not investigate with me! Grrrrrrr!

Oh and whats up with guys I see at work with bags!? I am talking little LV purses with no handles (no, not portfolios)! I dont like Male-brandwhores! I dont like seeing guys who are dressed in brands head to toes with the initials of that brand allover... well, girls as well! Its distracting! I have seen some girls some time ago at the avenues who were dressed this way! Screaming for attention with all the Gucci, LV, and God knows what logos on their clothes, earrings, handbags! Ughhhhh!

And why am I still suffering from my flu! I know I had a bad case of flu with respiratory infection, middle ear infection, fever of 39.5C, and sore throat! How long dose it take to be cured? And why am I still lethargic!

Hahahahaha I reread what I wrote and I am nagging a lot :-P And that guy's ad that I read on Buzberry is annoying me too!!

I am just being Grouchy Smurf for the day I guess :-P (By the way... if you strangle a smurf, what color will he turn to?)

Voting To My Country

Thanks Dana :-)

Al-Amal Club Annual Party

This is from my friend Rana :-)

"You don't have to attend the event, all you have have to do is sponsor any of the activities listed or you can simply chose to buy gift for the kids, We'll contact you to give you the age of the child (male or female) and you feel free to buy whatever you think will make them happy :) Anyone is welcomed to help us organize the event, so if you're interested in volunteering and helping us out at the day of the event (4pm-8pm) , feel free to contact me :) Thank you for your help :)) Rana"

Update - Burger King

Here is what happened...

Someone on 248am suggested that I call Mr. Anton Hamchaoui at Burger King HQ. I found Mr. Fame Hamchaoui on Facebook instead, who turned out to be his nephew and the marketing manager of BK. I sent him a msg on facebook, and he responded promptly. He promised me that a serious action will be taken towards what happened (regarding the quality of both, the service and food). He explained that he wont let such mistakes pass away easily, and said that at Burger King the customer is THE king! He asked for my contact and called me on the same day.

He said he read my post along with Mark's and the comments of the readers. He said he wont ask me to remove my post or anything, but would rather try his best to make it up to me.... even though I told him that a lot of people doubted me and question my credibility of that incident, he said he believed me (talking about customer satisfaction and retention)! He apologized and was very polite and professional... something the manager I encountered in Qadsiya lacked. He asked me to save his number and contact him again if something, God forbids, like that should happen again!

I may not look at junk food nor fast food chains for while now, but at least I am not as upset as I was 24 hrs ago!

Thank you Mr. Hamchaoui, I really appreciate you taking the time to call :-) It means something, that I wont give up on customer service completely :-)

UPDATE:
The operations manager just called me as a follow up after Mr. Hamchaoui's call, and he was also very apologetic and concerned and now they wanna invite me to a one day visit to any BK branch of my choice to see their staff and kitchen.

Rotten Burger King

I always like my burgers PLAIN with nothing else but cheese and sometimes whatever special sauce -that is actually good- that I would not mind. I ordered Burger King Whopper Jr. and for some reason I forgot to mention that I did not want lettuce nor tomato. I had a couple of bites and decided to remove the tomatoes.... GLAD I LOOKED! It is disgusting! A rotten tomato :-S

I kept asking myself what if I had a bite of it already... it got me sick, so I drove to Qadsiya branch and asked for the manager, he came in

Manager: Yes ma'am
Ansam: (putting the burger on the counter) Please explain this?
Manager: What ma'am?
Ansam: The rotten tomato sir!!!
Manager: Where? I dont see anything (at this point he removed the bun and still acting there was nothing wrong with it)
Female Staff: Sir... here! (pointing at it)
Manager: Ohhhh that
Ansam: Yeah THAT
Manager: OK ma'am, do you want me to replace it?
Ansam: Is this your way of solving it?
Manager: No I will take care of the kitchen staff, meanwhile do you want a fresh one?
Ansam: NO! (I was thinking, no apologies, no sorries, no how can we make it up to you? WHY DID I EVEN COME)... Give me the number or your headquarters?
Manager: Here, look it up in the poster

I was furious at this point, he was not even polite enough to give it to me

Ansam: FINE! And by the way... I took pictures, that I am planning on publishing online
Manager: OK!!
Ansam: BYE

And I stormed out!

What kind of customer service/retention/loyalty are they seeking?

For FAH

This is from me to FAH




I know hes gonna be like...

Does flushing the toilet cause dirty water to be spewed around the bathroom?

What is the one thing we use several times a day and probably do not think much about? Give up? It’s our toothbrush, that small slender little thing that some of us keep in our purses, some in their lunch pail and of course, we all have one in our bathrooms.

But, have you ever wondered what’s on your toothbrush? Bet, you haven’t!

Your toothbrush is a petri dish! Why? Well, for one thing it lives in an outhouse (bathroom,) if we carry it around with us it is usually in a closed zip lock bag or in a plastic container, with no room to breathe. Besides being confined, the poor thing gets hot and all kinds of things multiply on it!

Did you know some bacteria and viruses could survive for a week on a toothbrush? Yep! Such things as herpes simplex virus, influenza, and streptococcus, which leads to gum disease are just a few of the germs and bacteria that can lay in wait on your toothbrush.

Since most of us from the beginning of time have always kept our toothbrushes either in a toothbrush holder or in a glass container we share with others in the bathroom, the thought of germs never entered our minds.

To read the full article click here!

Update
Funny Clip:



Thanks Rashisha

Arnold Palmer....... The Drink

How come no restaurant in town -here in Kuwait- ever heard of Arnold Palmer (half lemonade/half iced tea)? Shirley Temple seems to be more popular and known! I never ordered Arnold Palmer here without having to explain its half lemonade and half ice tea!

At those restaurants where I am a regular, they would know/understand that I like a "mixed" iced tea and lemonade, but still won't get Arnold Palmer!

Its Recession Dude

As received by email... Thanks Mango Tango :-*



1. Alibaba and the Forty Thieves is now Alibaba and the Thirty Thieves... 10 were laid off!

2. Batman and Robin is now Batman and Pedro! Batman fired Robin and hired Pedro because Pedro was willing to work twice the hours at the same rate!

3. Ironman now "air-pooling" with Superman to save fuel costs!

4. Women finally marrying for love... and not money!!!

5. Q: With the current market turmoil, what's the easiest way to make a small fortune?
A: Start off with a large one!

6. Q: What's the difference between an investment banker and a large pizza?
A: A large pizza can feed a family of four!

7. The credit crunch is getting bad, isn't it? I mean I let my brother borrow $10 a couple of weeks back, it turns out I'm now America's third biggest lender!!!

8. Q: Why have Dubai real estate agents stopped looking out of window in the morning?
A: Because otherwise they'd have nothing to do in the afternoon!!

9. Q: What's the difference between an American and a Zimbabwean?
A: In a few weeks...... nothing!!!

10. Dow Jones is re-branded as "Down Hones".

11. Money talks. Trouble is, it knows only one word - Goodbye!!

One Medication Down... Two Up!

During my three days off, I have seen three different doctors (two from ER and one ENT), got tons of medications to take, two injections, one drip, and a lot of sleep!

It was today that I decided to pass by my ENT doctor... I showed him my medications and asked him to point out the one that is making me lethargic! I clearly told him that I have to go to work or work will pile up on me! He examined the medicine cabinet I was carrying around and.... voila; Xyzal is out!!! Out! But instead he gave me two more...

He also performed some other tests on me testing pressure of my ears because I was kinda swerving not walking hehehe and I needed balance. I also felt like I was on a plane taking off and landing... My hearing was not all that either!

I am still drowsy *yawns* although I have been sleeping most of my days! And tomorrow I am going to work. Yes I am! I have to!

*crossing fingers for energy boost*

Cairo - Part II

Its been a week since I posted about my Cairo trip.. and I thought I should continue my Cairo journal here and write..

I woke up around 7:30-8 and was so excited because the plan was to see the Pyramids. We headed down for breakfast, and it was a beautiful site.. we sat by the Nile.. it was just amazing :-)
A lot of my friend kept telling me to avoid saying that I was Kuwaiti, I just couldn't... at the buffet, I felt like having eggs, the chef asked me if I was Arab, I said yes... and when he asked what nationality I just couldn't lie, but instead I asked him to guess... he went east to west, north to south with the Arab countries skipping Kuwait LOL. Until he was like "Kuwait??" I smiled and nodded hehehe. By 9:00 we were back in our rooms getting ready and I called the driver to pick us up...

Ahmed I: Hello
Ansam: Good morning, can you pick us up at around 10:00?
Ahmed I: Well, you see... Actually the other Ahmed is your driver, I just picked you from the airport cuz he had some thing to do, so would you mind calling him instead?
Ansam: Sure

Ahmed II: Hello?
Ansam: Yes, this is Ansam............. (telling him the same thing)
Ahmed II: I am sorry to tell you that it will take me more than an hour to pick you up! I was not informed nor prepared
Ansam: But we did the whole arrangement thing from Kuwait to have a driver on call!!!
Ahmed II: I am a bit busy
Ansam: Fine

My friend calls Kuwait about what happened.... after five minutes

Ahmed I: I am gonna pick you up soon
Ansam: Thanks

We wasted our morning waiting until he came around 11:30! It pissed me off big time since we had to call Kuwait to get things done in Cairo! Plus 11:30 isn't really early for us to go around the city :-( The driver did not seem happy about it... he was quiet!

There they are.... the Great Pyramids of Egypt! I always thought that they would be in remote area and that you cannot really see them from the city, I was wrong. As we approach'em, we were stopped by civilians who claimed they work there either as "Egyptologists" or for ticketing. There were also tourist police all over the place. One of those ticketing guys approached us and asked for PASSPORTS!! I was like WTH!? Apparently you are giving entry tickets' prices according to your nationality. So he asked us for any forms of IDs because we did not have our passports, he made it seem like a BIG mistake to be coming to the Pyramids without passport! He examined the IDs like for few minutes and was like OK, since you are Kuwaiti I will charge you EGP4 which is the Egyptian rate, but will have to charge your American friend EGP60... I was like whatever, and paid for myself, the driver, and my friend. He kept telling me "Kol sana wento 6ayebeen" (which literally translates to happy new year) all through ticketing process.... and how he worked hard on getting me the Egyptian rate because Kuwaitis and Egyptians are the same to them... I ignored him, I kept saying thanks.. but that was about it!

We had to go through security to go in while our driver drove ahead and waited for us inside.... I was surprised to read CLEARLY that they charged me just the right amount and there were no favors... It stated clearly there; the price of Fellow Arabs are EGP4... they asked for the ticket and again the guy checking my ticket gave me a "shocked-face" look on how I got the Egyptian rate... I pointed at the sign and smiled! He then stalled me asking me for ID again and asking questions... I went with the flow.

As we entered, we were looking for the driver and we were approached by one of the "Egyptologists" who harassed us rather than offering services. I kept asking him to go away! Under other circumstances I would not mind hiring an expert but since they are so annoying I decided going without them... reason I did that is because when he offered, I rejected it with thank yous... he would just ignore me and get into our car insisting on it which scared the hell outta me! I kept asking him to step out, the driver was asking him that too... my friend also, but he would just come close to my face and try to convince me to take his service...

You want worse? I saw a tourist police and I asked for his help... he came in with some hand gestures (implying tips/money) saying.. "tell me? whats wrong?" DO I HAVE TO PAY EVERYONE to get through it all or what? The Egyptologist looked back at me inside the car and was getting so close to me till I started kicking the chair and asked him to move away from my face!! He finally stepped out of the car!

We parked the car, and walked around but to add to my joy... another Egyptologist came and started talking and explaining things to us.. I ignored him 100% I asked him to leave politely but with no use... he kept walking with us like we have no choice... until I clearly told him that I was not gonna tip him or give him a penny!

The weather was two windy, the Pyramids looked amazing but the place was trashed :-( There are "No Climbing" signs, but you can climb anyway if you tip them :-( I wanted to do more... but the whole atmosphere was not helping! I wanna go again with a male presence or with an Egyptian friend or someone who really know their way around there! I wanna go again where I can have a good time without all those annoying surroundings :-( Its beautiful, its awesome, its the Pyramids for God's sake!

I remember standing in front of the Coliseum in Rome and just thinking about the history... gladiators, lions, people who walked those grounds....etc! I wish I was able to do so with the Pyramids :-( They just wont let you enjoy it... some thing must interrupt and ruin it for you!

Tips:
Bring in eye drops, water, lotion, and sanitizer. It helps a lot.

A Brighter Day :-)

After those horrible 48 hrs, my dad decided to take me out to my grandma's house.... it was a good idea, and I saw the sun today after 48 hrs of darkness hehehe. Yeah, it was that bad.. I would wake up and eat or drink something just to be able to take meds and go back to my dark room and lay down or sleep... I would walk around with a blanket just in case I feel dizzy! Well, I had breakfast with dad and he was like "lets go to Mama Aisha!?"

I love going there, I was only worried about giving her my flu, so I sat away from here, watching her move around trying to feed us, hehehehe cute...

She would always serve us rahash "sweet tahini dessert" and Arabian coffee... sometimes dates and other kinds of gourmet chocolates. She would almost always give slices of sweet potatoes, pomegranates, pomelo... whichever season applies!

She is your old fashioned grandma, who tries to pull your skirt down while sitting next to you, hinting its short :-P Shes always wearing her traditional "dara'a and thoub".... ALWAYS!

I am glad I went out today.... it was a treat of some sun rays, fresh air, and sweets at grandma's!

I also feel much better and ready to go back to work tomorrow :-)

Still Sick :-(

I walk around with a blanket or a shawl and sit or lay down at any given opportunity because I cannot stand on my feet for too long, it would make me dizzy :-( I am sick of being sick... I missed two days of work already, and I am still sick. I went back again to the ER earlier today just to gain some energy to be able to go back to work tomorrow... and I ended up with more meds. I really wanna be back on my feet sooooo soon:-(

Do we have Airborne in Kuwait?

Not Feeling Well

I wasn't feeling well last night. Headache was killing me, and my throat felt like it was on fire. I used one of those cooling headache pads on my forehead and went to bed at around 10-10:30..

I woke up at 2:00am with muscle and bones aching, fever, headache, sore throat and ears' pain... I felt nauseous! I did not want to bother my parents since they are not feeling well, so I ended up calling my lil sister on her cell and she came in to the rescue. She gave me Panadol Cold & Flu, massaged my head... but I was nowhere near feeling any better, so at around 2:40am we decided to go to the ER.

I arrived with 38.6C fever, by the time I was in the examination room, my temperature was 39.5C. The doctor decided to give me some glucose or Panadol drip (I am not sure/cant really remember) and an injection. I was there till after 5:00am, dead tired and so weak. They managed to get my temperature down and released me with a two days rest note for work. I even suggested to go back to work on Monday if I get better, and the doctor said that I shouldn't. He even said I may need to come back if I dont get any better.

I went back home... the sun was almost up, I went back to bed and slept till 2:40PM!!!!! My mom just came in to check on me, and she said that her and dad came numerous times to check on me but I just did not move... She said my dad even stayed a while with me, tried to talk to me but with no response LOL!

My ears are still killing me, I have no appetite to eat anything (and acidity reflux is not helping)... but I have to since I have some medications to take! Ughhhh! I dont like being sick!

I Found Eden

I have been trying many nail bars since the one I like is always "fully booked" and smoking friendly.. I like to go do my nails in a quiet nice relaxing atmosphere, and I can finally say I found "IT"... I am in love with Eden Salon & Spa. I was told about this place from my friend Allison some time ago, but it was earlier today that I decided to take an appointment and go. It was raining so my hair was all wet, I took an appointment for hair brushing/blow dry, and pedicure/manicure (cost: KD17 in total).

Their pedicure and manicure were oh-so-good... first they start with scrubbing and cleaning both; your hands and feet, apply some relaxing lotion, wrap'em in nylon, then put'em in cotton socks/gloves -as a mask- while doing your nails in the same time.... they are open fingers gloves/open toes socks... after you're done with that, they massage'em for you :-)

The place is clean, the staff are super nice and friendly.... their equipment are clean and sterilized... something I really look into before doing my nails. I can easily say now that Eden will be my new salon :-) I highly recommend it ladies.

Other services, besides hair and nails, are tanning, slimming machines, make-up, facials, massages and much more!!

Its located across the street from WOW Caterers, and their phone numbers are: 2241-9556 & 2241-9557

Note: Pictures are taken from their facebook group.

April Fools

I'm sure you've heard a lot of silly April Fool's Day jokes/pranks trying to trick you BUT you are far too smart to fall for any of that!

If you agree.... please press F13 key on your keyboard now!