Scientific Center,Q8

The next day we decided to go to the Scientific Center because it is an interesting and informative place where you can mingle learning with pleasure. A must-visit place, especially for inquisitive minds both young and old.
From Kuwait travel guide you'll come to know that it is located on the waterfront at Ras Al Ardh in the Salmiya region  and serves as a center for environmental education of the gulf region.

 It was initiated by late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and its compound covers an area of over 80,000 square meters with the building itself covering over 18,000 square meters.

It houses the largest aquarium in the Middle East, and tourists can have a wonderful time focusing on the natural habitats of the sea, getting a glimpse of the underground passages rich in marine life, the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and natural habitats of the coastal edges. Each area contains specimens of animal, plant and marine life found in that region.

The Desert Section of the Aquarium allows visitors to discover specimens of wild life found in the kuwaiti desert and the Arabian Peninsula. Desert animals have the ability to evolve and deal with the extremes of their very harsh environment , yet some of animals here have been hunted almost to extinction and barely managing to survive.

In the Coastal Edge, there are a variety of animals and wildlife .Wetlands and coastal areas are inhabited by species able to withstand extreme environmental conditions, and play the important rule of linking the ecosystems of the desert and sea.

The habitats found around the coast such as estuarine and mangrove areas are critical in providing nursery grounds for marine life and are also one of the major sources of nutrients into the marine realm. The Coastal Edge represents this diverse ecosystem containing; crocodiles, river otters, birds and numerous marine animals, which can be seen by visitors as they explore the peaceful surrounds of a beach and tropical garden.

The Marine section of the Aquarium is a truly sensual experience designed to transport visitors into the deep seas via magnificent sights and sounds. It contains several tanks. Most of the marine animals were collected locally, while others have been obtained from other tropical waters of the world. TSCK Aquarium tanks include over 100 species of marine animals: Sharks, Rays, jelly fish, live corals and a variety of other fish. The Aquarium exhibits are continuously changing as animals grow and reproduce and new additions are made.

This is a surprisingly amusing way to spend a few hours and learn something. Plus it's always nice to gaze at a giant floor to ceiling tank, and realize how vast and varied the world "below" is.

For more detail information on the aquarium check the website:  

 http://www.tsck.org.kw/en/aquarium.asp

http://www.tsck.org.kw/en/behind_scene.asp

Probably the most dramatic of the tanks is the Arabian Gulf Fishes tank, with a capacity of 1.5 million liters of water that houses a variety of sharks and rays. Another awe inspiring tank contains sharks and rays of the coral reefs, with the capacity of 100,000 liters. There are scheduled public feedings in these two tanks for visitors to witness, done by young Kuwaiti divers of the Scientific Center. To know in details about the feeding time of the sharks, check this out http://www.tsck.org.kw/en/feeding_schedule.asp

And if you plan to dive with the sharks during your visit to the Scientific Center then check this out…
 http://www.tsck.org.kw/en/dive_with_sharks.asp

There is also a 250 seat IMAX film theater where you can catch up a movie with your friends. Another major attraction of the Kuwait Scientific Center is the Dhow Harbor spread over an area of 2000 sq. meters. Housing the only surviving Kuwait sailing ship from the pre-oil era, boom Fateh-el-khair, the Dhow Harbor gives the visitor insight into a vital part of the Kuwaiti heritage. Located directly on the water front, the Harbor includes samples of various smaller dhows and vessels used during this period.

 







All of these are located within this complex. However, each one has a separate entry fee. It has a special section for children, called the Discovery Place, which houses oil and gas exhibitions and a puppet theatre.

The centre is open from Saturday to Wednesday from 09:00 – 12:30 and from 17:00 – 21:30, and on Thursdays from 09:00 – 21:30. On Fridays, the centre opens at 14:00 and closes at 21:30. Prices vary depending on what sections you want to visit. More details can be found on the website.... https://www.tsck.org.kw/eticketing/mainpage.asp.
 And if you need any information, you can call 1848888 or email info@tsck.org.kw

The building enclosure is filled with designs of Arabic calligraphy as well as Islamic art. Along with this, the walls literally have the history of Kuwait written on them. Its architecture is inspired by both the "old" mud-homes of Kuwait and the sail of a ship. The mud-home correlation is seen as the mud-colored ceramic used on the exterior of the building, while the mast is the top "roof" part of the building which is made of fabric similar to that of the sails of dhows, which are an important part of Kuwaiti history of pearl diving. The colors chosen were meant to create the atmosphere of the "desert" both inside and out, with the inside continuing on the theme of Kuwait's heritage and culture, built into the walls of the Scientific Center.

Another major reason why Kuwait Scientific Center has become a hot favorite both among the locals as well as the tourists is the presence of the onsite gift shop and Kuwait's favorite restaurants like Burger King and Pizza Hut. You can laze and relax in the tastefully decorated indoor dining area, or enjoy the breathtaking views across the Gulf from the outdoor dining area while munching on yummy sandwiches and pastries. Or have a walk in the impressive and awesome walkway.

Sharq Mall, Q8

Our next stop was Sharq Mall. It is one of the most popular malls in Kuwait. There are good reasons for this. First of all, the mall is vast and has something for everyone. It is on the Gulf Road, right on the waterfront, and is therefore quite beautiful to behold; plus you can also rent a jet ski or a little motor boat and go for a spin in the huge artificial lake, right behind the mall.

It is not nearly as large as The Avenues but has a branch of almost every known chain of stores in Kuwait and also some independent stores not to be found anywhere else. The well-known outlets at the Mall are Hugo Boss, Givenchy, Massimo Dutti, Diesel, Zara, H&M, Debenham's, Mango, Oasis, Next, River Island, Racing Green, Arbash Diamonds, El Taher, Milano, Steps, Zara, Body Shop, Boots, Hassan Optics, Charles Jourdan, Fantasy, Sony, GNC, Mothercare, Kenneth Cole, IKKS, Monsoon, Adams, International optics and much more. Any true shopper would be delighted to be stranded in Sharq forever - with a credit card, of course. Debenhams and Sultan Center are the anchor stores located at either ends of the mall.

Sharq Mall also has the largest food courts of any mall in Kuwait, great if you are visiting with friends, especially if the gang cannot decide on one particular restaurant. It is a Kuwaiti style food court, which is a large open patio (open concept, but still in the air conditioning) where you can find Paul, Le Nôtre and other faux-French cafés. Bredz and Marina Café are the two good restaurants. It also has the usual food court stuff such as the Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Marina Thai, Hardees, Baskin Robbins and TGIF.


There is also a movie theatre and amusement arcade for the little ones.

We had our dinner at Marina Thai and returned home…..Suman loved the food and MEHR was happy to have her pepsi.

Q8 City from Q8 Towers

The weather was great and we decided to go to the Kuwait Towers in the afternoon. I had written about it in my earlier post. To our surprise we found that the entrance fee is increased to 2Kd per person.

Sharing few pictures we took of the city from the tower……

The Gift Shop @ D Towers

Q8 Magic Mall

 Next morning I took him to Kuwait Magic Mall. It’s near my house, still took a cab as I thought Mehr would feel the heat if we walk down to the Mall.

It is a state-of-the-art retail mall in Kuwait, and is located in Abu Halifa, next to one of the best sandy beaches in Kuwait, in proximity to Fahaheel. The mall was established in April 2000, and covers 2298 square meters in area.

The imposing shopping mall rises out of the sea like a large Arabian majlis.

 Apart from the boutique shops, the mall has an extensive amusement centre with funfair rides and electronic games for the bigger kids. Tokens for the rides and games must be purchased from the booths, and rewards tend to be in tickets that can be traded in for gifts. The area is next to a large food court so the kids won’t go hungry, and there is a coffee shop and outdoor terrace for the parents when the noise gets too much.

Mehr loves the Mall, especially the play area and the beach. It becomes very difficult to bring her home from there.

The Avenues,Q8

On early morning of 23rd April, Suman, my brother arrived. Kuwait was experiencing a terrible sandstorm. Infact on 22nd April, early morning, we suddenly heard the sound of strong wind. We opened the window and couldn't believe the horrible dust storm flying through the air. I think it was the worst dust storm we have ever seen since we came to Kuwait.

I was really worried as to how many days it would remain, as my brother planned to stay with us for only 10 days. But the day he arrived, in the afternoon it rained……and THANK GOD, the sandstorm was gone.

He was lucky to experience the extreme of weather in Kuwait….from sandstorm to rain to nice pleasant evenings and nights. Though my in-laws stayed for three months they did not experience sandstorms for a single day. On that day we took him to the Avenues. It is located in the Al-Rai industrial area, along the Fifth Ring Road. It was officially opened in April 2007. Suman was highly impressed at the grandeur of the mall. I informed him that it’s the largest mall and shopping center in Kuwait.

If you are a shopping freak then an entire day is less for you as it has shops from brands from all over the world. As for restaurants you just name it….T.G.I.Fridays’s; Pizza Express; Rugby Tuesday’s; Chili’s; Nando’s; Johnny Rockets; Pizza Hut; McDonald’s; KFC; Hardee’s; Burger King; Starbucks; Costa Coffee; Caribou Coffee; Columbus Cofee; Dunkin Donuts; Krispy Kreme; Nino’s; Dean n Deluce; Noodle factory and many more. On weekends you will find difficulty in finding a place for you in one of them.

The main attraction of the Avenues is IKEA, the international home products retailer from Sweden. Then there is Carrefour, the French international hypermarket chain. They give lot of discounts on grocery/food items and I have found that their fish prices are relatively less compared to other hypermarket chains. Do not go there for Indian vegetables as they don’t keep good stock of it. For Indian vegetables the right place is Honest, Gulf Mart, Highway or the Indian and Bangladeshi shops at Fahaheel.


The Avenues also boost of 10 screen cinema “Cines cape ’’. And you don’t need to carry your baby stroller as you get baby stroller and wheel chairs here. Nice place to spend your weekend as you can shop, eat and enjoy a movie.

National Assembly of Kuwait

Hi Everyone! Sorry got disappeared for few days. Actually my brother was here for 10days, so I got very busy taking him around Kuwait. So I will be updating about the places we visited in Kuwait (which I had scribbled in my diary but could not find time to enter in my blog).

We had been to Kuwait city several times but could not get a nice picture of Kuwait's Parliament building. This time I could get one, which my brother took from his mobile.

The National Assembly of Kuwait, known as the Majlis Al-Umma ("House of the Nation"‎), is the legislature of Kuwait. The current speaker of the Assembly is Jassem Al-Kharafi. The Emir unconstitutionally dissolved the National Assembly in 1986 and restored it after the Gulf War in 1992. The Emir has also constitutionally dissolved the Assembly several times--meaning that he dissolved it but allowed for elections immediately afterward.

Until recently, suffrage was limited to male Kuwaiti citizens above the age of 21 whose ancestors had resided in Kuwait since 1920, and adult males who have been naturalized citizens for at least 20 years. On May 16, 2005, however, the Assembly passed a law in support of women's suffrage, allowing women to vote and run for office, as long as they adhere to Islamic law.

The fifty-seat assembly is elected every four years. Currently there are five geographically distributed electoral districts. Every eligible citizen is entitled to four votes, though he or she may choose to only cast one vote. The ten candidates with the most votes in each district win seats. Cabinet ministers (including the prime minister) are granted automatic membership in the Assembly, which increases the number of members in the assembly from fifty to sixty-six. The Cabinet ministers have the same rights as the elected MPs except that: they do not participate in committees' work, and  they cannot vote when an interpolation leads to a "no-confidence" vote against one of the Cabinet members.
The parliament building was designed by the famous Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who also designed the Sydney Opera House.

First Women Win Seats in Kuwait Parliament ..... For detail news check the news item http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/world/middleeast/18kuwait.html