Voyage preserves marine heritage,Q8

A send-off ceremony, known as a Dasha, was held yesterday at the Kuwait Sea Sports Club (KSSC) headquarters in Salmiya in honor of the 200 young sailors aged from 8-17 who are currently participating in the 22nd Annual Pearl-Diving Expedition.


Parents, brothers, sisters and friends thronged the venue in the early morning to bid them farewell and wish their loved ones success on their nine-day voyage off Khairan Resort. While some of the more emotional divers shed a few tears, all the participants' faces expressed both happiness and excitement.

The annual expedition has become the most exciting event of the year for many Kuwaitis as it revives what was once the most important occupation of their forefathers in the pre-oil era. The annual event, which is held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in order to preserve this national heritage, this year takes place between July 15th and 24.

Yousef Al-Najjar, the head of this year's diving expedition, was delighted to see the happy faces of participants, parents and officials. "It's another beautiful dasha for this year's pearl-diving festival. We are delighted to see these young children participating in the revival of Kuwait's most important national heritage," he told the Friday Times. "The 200 youngsters have all been excited about this event and we are looking forward for a safe return and also for the success of our expedition.

For more details on this news item check the link
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTIyNzc4NjAxNA==

Al Mauleem Mall Center,Q8

Kuwait is a small country but Malls has mushroomed everywhere. Every four-five months you will get to hear about a new Mall.

A new Mall has come up in Fahaheel. Can say its opposite Max(if you stand in front of Max, you can get to see it). It’s Al Mauleem Mall Center. The word “Center”is written in tiny letters next to Mall. In fact you cannot call it a Mall in the true sense. There are lot many shops in its three floors . The ground floor or basement has a big shop where you will get all types of things from kitchen to bedroom items which ranges from 100 fills to 100 dinar.

The first floor has two restaurents where you will get juices and snacks. It also has few shoe shops (not branded) but the designs are very pretty and nice. Also shops dealing with ladies bags/purses; chocolate n dry fruits shop, 500 fills and 100 fills shops and few shops trading with perfumes , nice imitation and cosmetic jewellery, ladies dress’s and kids dress’s are there. I liked the collection in these shops. In the upper floor there is the kid’s games corner, few shops dealing with ladies and men’s cloths and few 100 fills shops. There are no branded shops in this Center but it’s a good time pass to beat the summer heat.

It has become my good time-pass place, when Jeet visits the Bangladeshi market to buy fish. I dont like visiting the narrow Bangladeshi market with Mehr, so I prefer doing window shopping at this mall. Mehr too enjoys her time here.

Commercial Market,Q8

This Friday visited Commercial Market with my friend Surekha and her family. This was my second visit in my three and half years stay in Kuwait. First time I visited was before Mehr was born. We were wandering in Kuwait City and we came across this market. After that many visits were planned but it never materialized.

“Commercial Market” is a popular name among Indian, Kuwaiti and Pakistani ladies. This market complex is in Kuwait City near the Liberation Towers. From outside it is just an old ordinary building. But as you enter you will be surprised to see lines of shops selling cloths of various textures, curtains, carpets, churidars and saris from India, Pakistan, Singapore and Korea. You need to bargain here. There is a famous shop call Meena Bazar which is famous for saris. There a many shops where you will get things for crafts; nice, unique laces and buttons .A place surely ladies will love. You can buy cloths to gift people back at home which they will certainly love.

I purchased few churidar pieces which I found very unique and heavily embroidered ….thought it will make perfect dress for any party.

Discovery Mall,Q8

Visited “Discovery Mall” today. This mall is for the kids as the shops of this mall caters to the needs of kids. It has outlets of brands like Barqoue, Multitrend International, Baby B, On Time, Lola Et Mot, Ecco, Melan, Taf Kids, Kidz Inc Q8, Funky Fish, Debebe, Crocs, Kidz Room, Bubbles( Kids Saloon), Chiquita Photo(photo studio), RiteFit( footware for kids) and games parlour like Cozmos and Eclipse Games. Games for kids are also organized here. The Mall consists of 3 floors of which two floors has shops and games parlor. One floor has the restaurants.

Another Mall in Kuwait, catering to the needs of children is the Al Bairaq Mall in Fintas.

Discovery Mall is next to Ice Skating Ring,near Mirqab at Kuwait City.

We did hear about it a lot and so decided to explore it. Mehr enjoyed a lot.

Messila Water Village,Q8

Last Friday we visited Messila Water Village. The weather was dusty so we were not sure till the last minute weather we would go. KOC has organized an open day for its employees. So lot of people from KOC would go we presumed. Slowly our friends, one after another called us. All of them were supposed to leave at 4o’clock, pack some snacks and dinner. I had packed our cloths and Mehr’s food but was still not sure. At round 5pm we left our house and once on the road realized that it was too dusty and it would be better if we don’t go as she(Mehr) was already suffering from cold. But phone calls still came from friends and so we decided to go for 30-40 minutes.

Once we reached Messila it was altogether a different scene. It was full with people, old and young. What more can be a better way to beat summer heat and dust than a visit to a water park?

The Messila water park covers an area of 15000 sq. meters. This is a perfect entertaining place for the entire family as it contains huge aquatic games, large and small family pools as well as fountains. This extensive complex of pools and slides is situated by the beach next to the Messila Beach Hotel. The water park is well-managed, with changing rooms,towels and lockers(250fils) available. There is a good selection of slides and water floats to keep all ages entertained for hours, and the water is chilled in the hot summer months and heated in the winter.

It has water games like Ahmedoh Volcano, Noor Tower, Haneen Tower and Maraheb Tower which arouses lot of excitement, enthusiasm and thrill among the visitors. The Mesilla village itself has lot of restaurants and snack stalls, and is supervised by a specialized team well-trained on rescue and first aid services. The marine façade of the site was developed with trees and plants, thus adding more beauty to the site.

Messila Water Village is open for women only on Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 10 pm. And DJ party is held every Thursday and Saturday. It is open for families on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 10 pm.

Ticket to the park cost only KD 3.500 for 3 years and above

For more information, you call the Messila Village tel: 25652525 and 25651515

Kuwait has two water parks….Aqua Park next to Kuwait Towers and Mesilla Water Village at Souk Al-Dhakly, Kuwait City near Safat.

So to beat the summer sun you can plan your visit to anyone of them.

ENJOY!!!!!

Rain in Q8

I have come from that part of the world where nearly 4-5 months of the year you have rain....and not just rain....the condition sometimes become so horrible that it becomes flood and the day-to-day activities comes to a standstill.

So for some one like me who have shifted base to a desert country the "rain situation" here sometimes surprises me. We don't get that 2-3days continuous rain here like Assam but it do rain here. It comes suddenly, sometimes just drizzle and sometimes we have experienced heavy rain. But it last for only few hours.

Dubai Delights

ONE of the fastest growing cities in the world, Dubai has also been a delight for tourists for its modern amenities. Two among them are the Dhow Dinner Cruise and the Wonder Bus that runs both on land and water.

The dhow is the traditional boat made out of wood. In the olden days Arabs, who were mostly fishermen and pearl divers, used to build strong wooden boats for their business.The tourism industry in Dubai has now made a tourist attraction out of the dhows and offers a regular tour every evening called the Dhow Dinner Cruise. The traditional boat is beautifully decorated and takes you through the Dubai creek. You have the option of being picked up at your hotel or house or showing up at the site of the cruise. Most dhow cruises start from the Deira side of Dubai although there are some that start their journey from the Bur Dubai side of the Dubai creek. We were picked up from our hotel by our travel agent. There were many Indian families on the cruise that day — some newly married on their honeymoon, some with children and one old couple from South India. As the cruise sails along the Dubai creek you can see the major Dubai landmarks. During the cruise you can enjoy the spectacular modern architecture and the fascinating old city. You will see the past and present architecture of the area which is brought to its full beauty during this time, including the National Bank of Dubai, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Sheikh Saeed’s Al Maktoum House, which is now a national monument and the Heritage Village. We were spellbound by the beauty of Dubai as the dhow sailed silently across the Dubai creek under the moonlit sky. This unforgettable romantic evening cruise includes a buffet dinner with a variety of dishes, either continental or oriental cuisine and vegetarian and nonvegetarian, along with mineral water, juices, soft drinks and traditional coffee. Alcohol is also available against extra payment. Luckily we had our seats at the deck but even if you don’t have your seats there, you may come and enjoy the fresh air and see Dubai’s lights and sights as the cruise sails along the Dubai creek. With an elegant and unique setting, best food and exceptional service, with through glittering lights and colours reflected on the water, it sure will be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable experiences you will ever have. This memorable and romantic trip lasts nearly three hours. Be it newly married couples or couples who have been married for years, this trip has the perfect setting to fall in love again. The ride creates such a romantic atmosphere that you would wish it goes on and on, so that you can spend more time with your loved one.

We were also lucky to have the experience of the extraordinary Wonder Bus. With unparalleled excitement, you are transported from land to sea, while sitting on the same seat. Wonder Bus is fully air-conditioned, having bathroom, sound system, TV and DVD player, etc. Having a seating capacity of 44 people, it’s the first in the Middle
East and second in Asia after Japan (Osaka). This amazing amphibious bus has been manufactured by CAMI of USA and costs 3.5 million dirhams (around Rs 4.20 crore). Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International (CAMI) was founded in 1999 by John and Julie Giliam who live in South Carolina.They started in the amphibious business
with an operation on Hilton Head Island. They owned Cool Stuff Tours for years. The Giljam’s ran with an old LARC V built in 1963 for the Vietnam War. After running with that cantankerous vehicle, John decided a new vehicle was needed. So he designed and built the Hydra-Terra, which is fully patented. They are being sold for both tourism and search/rescue capacity. The vehicles are being used not only throughout the United States of America, but in other countries as well. They have revolutionized the automobile industry with this invention. This bus is impossible to sink in water and is capable of operating in high winds, rains and flood. It can drive into an area of heavy flooding and sail through it. Thus it optimizes the option available to search and rescue operation. The driver’s cockpit that places the driver in the centre of the vehicle provides more and proper visibility and outward appearance. The bus is designed in bow shape so that it can cut through the water. The bus requires servicing every 3-4 days because of the water but it’s mainly mechanical maintenance. The yellow-blue colour bus where we took the tour was made for Wonder Bus Tours of Dubai by the company. They organize two trips a day of two hours each; which cover both land and
water. But there are three trips on official holidays and other exceptions on school and chartered trips. You should book your seats in advance as there is huge demand for the tour. Also you must arrive 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. The bus departs
from the Burjuman Mall and pass by Sheikh Khalifa Road, Sheikh Rashid Road, Zabeel Park, Wafi City Centre, Grand Hyatt, Wonderland, Al Boom Village, Garhoud Bridge, Creek Side Park, Deira Gold and Spice Souk and a tour within the creek. Your journey back will include a trip along the Dubai Courts, Al Maktoum Bridge, Sheikh Maryam Palace and back to Burjuman Centre via the Seef Road beside British Embassy and
Sheikh Khalifa Road. The Wonder Bus cruises Dubai creek in the most beautiful trip you ever dreamed of. In this trip you'll see the beautiful architectures and the historic buildings on the both shores of the creek. And as you travel on the road, the modern skyscrapers lined along the horizon will bewilder you. Each passenger on the bus has access to their personal life jacket and they will also find fire extinguishers in it. One can avail the much-needed help in case of an emergency that is provided by the crew members and the tourist guides. Our tour guide who could speak Arabic, English and French gave special attention to every details of the event, explaining and showing the
important landmarks of Dubai as we travelled, holding quiz and giving prizes,
thus assuring satisfaction and a fun time on board the Wonder Bus.

(This article was published in the Horizon section of the newspaper Assam Tribune)

Translator/Typist ,Mirqab,Q8

Need any translator and typist for your Association/ Organization/ Office magazine? Or you are a student and need to do some translation for some thesis work or any project. You need not worry. There are more than 50 shops in Kuwait city that do translation work. You just name it….be it English, Arabic, Bangla, Telegu, Tamil, Marathi, Oriya, Konkani…. It’s all available. The shops are at Mirqab in Kuwait city.

I got the opportunity to go there as my husband was the editor of our Assam Association magazine and he needed a typist for our Assamese section. Till the last year, Assamese section was done at Assam but it’s not feasible every year. Articles for the magazine come even after the last date of submission and you cannot help it. Also it’s not that every year someone among us will go to Assam before the publication of the magazine and will do the typing there. So Jeet and his friend Rifat, who too was the editor of our Association magazine decided to explore possibilities of doing everything here. Atlast , their efforts were rewarded as they found a good translator and typist. Purabi Business Center at Mirqab, Kuwait city did their typing job perfectly well.

So if you need a printing house, translator or typist; Mirqab at Kuwait City is the answer. You will get solution to all your needs related to translation and typing here.