His & Hers Q8

Unfortunately, this is what I am looking for now. This is the way we have to live. If you don’t have a family name or you don’t know someone then your work won’t go through anymore.

“Nas ow Nas” is the quote that goes around here. Yes, this is reality and everyone knows this yet somehow we live in denial when it comes to wasta.

My family were looking for the Ministry of Health sponsor to take my mother abroad for treatment. They rejected because “her treatment is available here”. Since then my mothers condition got worse because of the bad treatment here and doctors that somehow don’t know what they are doing!

One day they give us hope, the next they surprise us with bad news. My mom has been through pain just because the doctors here don’t know what to do.

Yet, the good old Ministry of Health still say her treatment is available. Yet with wasta everything happens. Now that it’s election season, people are telling me to go to that candidate to help you out. So technically I have to promise a vote for someone just to get us the approval.

I’d die for my mother, and I would do anything for her. However, this is the reality of our society. People think it might change. I might be wrong but I still say think again and get a reality check. We live in a wasta.

Even if the good candidates reach the parliament, it won’t change this now. It will take us years to have good systems around Kuwait.

I really had to get it out, I really don’t care anymore.

Thursday’s dinner was at Chocolate & Macaroon. It’s not the first time we go there but there we tried something new this time. We had a chance on trying most of the dishes there. Starting with the appetizers:

We were offered the shrimps on toast, margarita pizza, mini burgers, mini chicken burgers, cheese and tomato sandwich and the roast beef sandwich. Our favorite was the pizza and the mini burgers (beef and chicken). After that came the main course:

This consisted of: Pasta arrabiata, pink sauce pasta, risotto, the burger and steak. The favorites here were definitely the pastas. Finally (saving best for last) was the dessert:

Chocolate and macaroon is known for their dessert we always had the chocolate pizza and the macaroons there. This time we were offered more dishes on top of those. The dishes included the chocolate bomb, the chocolat cupcake, the french toast and finally the ice cream sandwiches. They also had new cakes in display such as the apple, brownie and velvet cakes (8 different flavors). Favorites? oh just get everything and leave with some macaroons of your choice.

We would like to thank Pink Coffee team and “Chocolate & Macaroon” for their invitation. We always loved that place and we will be there again for sure.

Now this is interesting, a new extension to the Jaber Stadium (which some how is not used yet). This will have tennis courts, swimming complex and an athletics stadium included to the Jaber football stadium.

I don’t know if this project will ever see the light around here. As I said even the stadium now is not being used and unfortunately projects in Kuwait take years to be completed.

For more information

Every Friday is our small business dessert day (to be included to His cheat meal). This week we tried out the oreo cakes by Chocoholics. All cakes are topped with oreo however they have 4 different bases. They got the marshmallow, Kinder bueno, white chocolate and the original oreo bases.

If you are an oreo fan then this is for you. If you are fan of kinder bueno this is DEFINITELY for you. Great for sharing at your next family gatherings. 1 dozen cakes cost 11 KD with 1 KD delivery.

To order call: 99380449
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It was a great event yesterday and great speeches at TEDxSafat. As you know, TEDx events should be interesting and this one did not disappoint.

Dr. Saad Al-Barrack started the event talking about “Leading Change”. The main point of his speech is that you become a leader by the change you can do. The more you can change people and the environment around you the better leader you are.He provided some examples he did when he was CEO of Zain.

Dr. Ghanim Alnajjar came on stage to talk about Human Rights and his work in Somalia. Dr Ghanim was chosen by Kofi Anan (Ex UN president) to go to Somalia to help the people and the government to have a better life. What he saw there changed his life. He didn’t quit on the people because he knew it was the right thing to do.

Mr. Sulayman Al-Bassam is born to a Kuwait father and an English mother. Studied abroad most of his life and took his passion in theater. He came to Kuwait to start his passion by having an Arabic play. During his work, he noticed how people still feared the past. He wanted to have a play that had Kuwaitis, Iraqis and English to try and stop that fear. During the first night of his play, the lead Kuwaiti actor died on stage. The fear came into some of guests and started claiming that the Iraqis Killed him. Mr Sulayman wants to change this and makes us think of the future not the past.

Ms. Hussa Al Humaidhi took the stage to talk about how she found inspiration to start “Nuqat”. Ms Hussa and 3 others that had difficulty finding inspiration in Kuwait, traveled abroad to find it. From France, Italy and the UK, they came back to create “Nuqat”. This is an association that provides lectures and events by/for creatives. Since then they have grown and have representitives in Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. With their next event will be a travelling event starting in UAE.

Sheikha Intisar Al Subah talked about how inspiration found her. She talked about Lulu and why she chose that name (her grandmother;s name). While researching she found inspiration from many Kuwaitis that had passion for what they did. Also let’s not forget, she found out that Kuwait had the first Pirate !

Mrs. Maha Al-Ghunaim talked about her life from graduating to becoming a boss of a boss to someone who rejected her because “They don’t hire women”. Since then Mrs. Maha started one of the top investment companies in Kuwait. She talked about how being a leader has more responsibility because you care of the employees, the profits and shareholders all at the same time. She also talked how a company problem can reflect on the leader. If it fails, people will take down the leader too.

Dr. Ahmad BouShehri and Mr. Khalid AL Kulaib also had a speech but I had to leave at that point. Hopefully I will find the videos for them.

I am very proud that such an event was held with this type of organization in Kuwait. I always loved TED and TEDx talks and I wanted this to happen in Kuwait. The speeches really gave me motivation to do what I love to do best the way I want it not any other way. I found out about creative people I did not know about before.

I would like to thank the organizers (ittedal Al-ayar, Dalal Al-Hilal and anyone I missed) for such a great event. Hopefully we will see more TEDx Safat.

How did I miss this? Kuwait blogs rage comic by the Lurkerz. True? yes…too bad you might be seeing some food post in the weekend here

Today Wikipedia started its blackout in protest against SOPA. In brief SOPa is a new law that will provide the US government with more power of censorship and websites..well with censorship.

I am against censorship when it comes to the internet and anyone who had the right to write about their opinion. As long they do not claim that their work is authentic when it is actually stolen.

For years, I have read blog after blog that had no limits because that’s what the internet is all about. A place where anyone can share their opinion, their stories and their feelings without being abused/attacked. If this is taken away, then the internet should not be there anymore.

The difference between writing in a blog/website and a diary is the interaction you get from people. Although they might not know you, they still provide comments with their opinion. An anonymous interactive world where no one is afraid.

We are old enough to know what is right and what is wrong. We are also old enough to respect other opinions. If anything will affect our children, its no the internet but its us. We live in an era that technology can provide safety to our kids. Parental control is available and I think I have the right to block what I want from my kids. Plus, anyone who wants something “illegal” they will find a way …one way or another. Your censorship will not be helpful.

Although SOPA is a US law and will not affect us (only if you have an american hosted server). Laws in Kuwait are not clear when it comes to internet piracy. It’s not even clear in piracy of movies and tv shows. This if course we don’t have a good system that controls and provides laws for the internet. I am even against censoring movies, but that’s a different story.

No to censorship, Let the people speak and let the others listen…if they want.