Turkish delight? I think not.

Published February 7, 2010 Faithq8 Leave a Comment
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Turkey officially has the craziest airport. Istanbul, to be precise. It’s quite funny actually. Of all the airports I’ve been to (and I have a lot of experience in airports to be able to criticize!), I have never seen so many people running around all the time.

I don’t get it .. does Turkish Airlines enjoy the rush of adrenaline of wondering whether passengers will be able to make it on time or whether they’d have to schedule an extra flight to get the miserable passengers home? Maybe they’re bored and like watching people freak out. I wonder. They have 80 minutes transit time. A big upgrade from their 45 minutes, which meant you most definitely miss your flight and end up stuck here for an entire day. Not fun. I speak from experience.

The other funny thing is that in an “international” airport such as this, you very rarely find any worker who can speak english! They change the gates every half hour and you have to run around trying to find it and board on time and when you get lost, you stop a security person or whatever and yell “KUWAIT GATE!” (as if saying it louder would make it less confusing for them), and they stare at you like you’ve suddenly turned into a monkey or something and go “euh??” So this once I tried to be smart and say “KUVEYT” (that’s how they pronounce it) and a lightbulb suddenly flashes in their skulls (as if Kuwait and Kuveyt sounds SO different) and they go “aaah!” so here I am panting and hopeful that the dude finally gets it, until he frowns and says “I don’t know”.

Come ON! How can no one in a huge airport know where to find the gates, let alone speak english?! So I’ve been sitting at gate 308 at Istanbul airport for the past 3 hours thinking “wow, I’m reaaally early”, getting all comfy with my books and laptop etc, when suddenly, the screen flashes ‘KUVEYT gate 212 boarding shortly’ -.-

I grab my stuff, and naturally, being a girl and all, I have a lot of stuff. Heavy stuff. I charge for the escalator, only to be approached by an angry looking security guard, trying to ask me in god knows what version of english, where I’m planning to go. Frantically, I tell him the gate has changed and point at the bloody screen. He gets me, bless him, but says “no… gate no change! Screen is not vorking.” Ok Ok, maybe these people aren’t really all that stupid or anything.. I mean, they have all the big shops and its really nice and clean, but honestly, an airport with flights coming in an out on extremely tight schedules and here I am sitting at the wrong gate for 3 hours not knowing that the gate I’m supposed to be at is on the other side of the terminal, and they decide to announce that the gate is somewhere else, after the pilot of the previous flight has announced the transit gates already, and no one gives a care in the world that people are missing?! I guess the only upside is I get on empty flights since no one as crazy as I am would suddenly decide to ditch and go home and so that leaves me as the only Kuwaiti student running around trying to get on an empty airplane.

As I type this, they announce that they flight to cyprus has changed from 104 to 317 (poor Cyprus people) and as expected, a rush of trolleys and distraught passengers rush by to the gate. I wonder why they only change the gates when it’s time for boarding -.-

So anywaay, as I finally make it to the right place and begin putting all my junk into trays, thankful that this nightmare is almost over, I reach the attendant that’s supposed to check my passport with a huge tired smile on my face (just happy that it’s the last step), and she looks at me with a bored expression and asks, “you have visa for Kuveyt?” I stare back at her, thinking SHE must be the monkey, “yea”.

“Vhere?”

“On the front cover!”

“Ok. Enjoy. Hope to see you again vith us”

Unfortunately, she probably will. You’re probably wondering why I’m still so loyal to the Turkish Airlines. Well.. they let me take along 40 kilos of luggage! Any girl will tell you that’s a dream come true. I can’t sit still and therefore I cannot handle long flights, so since the turks offer me the shortest journey, they score points. Aaand.. their food is good. Like.. really good. And I’m the type of person who absolutely abhors airplane food.

Asides from all that, I get bored fast. And with Turkish airlines, I never have to worry about being bored. Never a dull moment with the turks ;)


Re: Slavery.

Published February 6, 2010 Bo 3zez , Faithq8 , The.Debate 1 Comment

BO3zez:

I would write in greater detail, but hoping that I don’t miss my flight, I will break it down into a list.

1. You are right about the porters having their “freedom”, BUT that is of no use when they have no means in which to escape their contract. Freedom, yes, but if they cannot afford to buy food, how are they to leave?!

2. 17KD is not exaggerated, you may believe so because it is so shocking, yet I assure you I have spoken to many of these porters and their salary is general knowledge to anyone who works in these hospitals.

3. We can condemn the employers and I do. Not for rape and murder, but for robbery, and any means in which they believe they can attain money. These people are so desperate that they HAVE to find any means to get food. I do not  say it is excusable, yet can we expect any better from someone who is exhausted and starving?! If the employers pay them their pitiful salaries, THEN we can say that they have no business stealing when they are receiving the salaries which they had agreed upon. And let’s not forget that they are promised meals which get deducted out of their salaries and rarely, if ever, get delivered to them.

4. The crimes these people commit are not applaudable yet if you step back for a second, you will realize that to them, it’s their ticket home. And getting rid of these workers? Not graceful. Stupid. Because we cannot function without them.

This is a fact. When they went on strike, before the temporary replacements were brought in, the hospitals were a disaster! So were the roads! Can you imagine that tests could not be sent to the labs in time, patients were lost and couldn’t find the right clinics and everything was filthy. We are talking about a hospital which should be -of all places- hygienic and sterilized.

5. Yes, Kuwait HAS donated to starving countries and HAS paid attention to them. But what good is that when they neglect them on their own land while they have come to serve us!? What they have done, as gracious as it is, is public. But this.. this is reality.

6. No it is not gracious that they are given jobs even if they knew that they couldn’t handle them. Seriously Bo3zez, what living being can vacuum and clean with his body !?!?!?! Are they supposed to lick the tables sterile?! Again, we are talking about a hospital! If they have no means to clean the place properly, then the Kuwaitis (and foreigners) who seek the service of these institutions are put into a filthy, infected, unsterile place. Health care huh?

7. The deserve our sympathy because if we sympathize and help them, then they won’t have a need to commit crime. And then, if they do, we can say we did our part and helped them get what they signed up for. Yes, they CHOSE to come to Kuwait, but they signed a contract that entitled them to food and proper shelter and no contract states that they will have to make do with their limbs and saliva to sanitize hospitals.

The Other Side: “Slavery”

Published February 5, 2010 Bo 3zez , The.Debate Leave a Comment
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This post is a short response arguing “the other side” of FaithQ8’s post entitled “Slavery”.

FaithQ8, in her most recent post, shed some light on a hurtful truth that encompasses Kuwait and its society. However, as any diligent writer would know, there are two sides to every story. This is the other side.

I must say that I find that title of the original post (and the quite clear message it sends)  to be somewhat misleading. The world slavery ultimately means that one has no freedom and no means by which to attain it. However, in the porters’ situation highlighted by my fellow writer, those employees are under a contract, nothing more, and therefore can leave at any time. Therefore, the term slavery is out of context here.

Although I do not doubt the credibility of the writer, I do feel that some reports can be inaccurate and exaggerated. However, no one can argue that 17KD a month is a dismal salary that leaves no room for any sort of needs, let alone luxuries. Having said that, we cannot attribute the inhumane crimes some of these “workers” commit to be acts of desperation, and we certainly cannot condemn it to be the fault of the employers. I truly cannot see how robbery, murder and brutal rape of children and woman are acts that would want me to raise the pay of these workers. In fact, if anything, banishing them seems to be a more graceful solution.

Yes, many companies take advantage of government grants, and deny the basic rights of porters. Nevertheless, hasn’t the Kuwaiti government donated more than its share of effort and money to every poor country in Africa, and to every crisis-hit area of South Asia? In terms of turning a blind sight, the Kuwaiti government has certainly paid attention to help a starving world.

As for the working conditions and incompetence that my fellow writer mentions (the vacuum story), I ask: is it not out of sympathy that porters are given a job (on the lowest level) even if they cannot handle it? I find it hard to imagine another job that requires any less competence.

We mustn’t be so naïve as to think that those who are pressured into such situations always deserve our sympathy. I absolutely agree that the working conditions in Kuwait are traitorous and in need of change. But I also realize that it is those porters who have chosen to work in Kuwait.

If anything, I praise my country for given everyone not just a chance, but a choice as well.

(As I said, every diligent writer needs to argue the other side, and so please note that this post is an argument, and not a belief statement.)

Slavery.

Published February 5, 2010 Faithq8 , The.Debate 3 Comments

I was leaning against the walls of one of the halls in one of Kuwait’s hospitals when a heartbreaking scene caught my sight.. Two porters were  standing by the sliding doors of the ER and one of them had found an apple on a chair someone had left behind. He was about to take a bite into  the apple when he noticed the hunger in the eyes of his friend. He cracked the apple in two and shared it with him. The joy that was in their eyes to have been fortunate to eat half a left over apple broke my own heart in two.

These porters are brought to serve us in our hospitals and they are made many promises. Promises of good pay, promises of a roof over their head; a promise that they had believed could be their chance at a better life. They pack up and leave their families behind; siblings, spouses and children who depend completely on whatever these workers can afford to send back.

Those promises are not kept. They are paid 17KD a month IF they’re lucky. Part of that 17KD gets deducted for a room which they share with no less than 10 other workers, and another part gets deducted for food that never gets delivered. They send what’s left back to their starving families and make do with the quarters they get from pushing wheel chairs around the hospital. This is how they survive. While we sleep in our warm beds on a full stomach, they starve and struggle just to make it through to the next day..

And as if that isn’t bad enough, the private companies who bring over these workers have withheld their salaries for the past 10 months. For the past 10 months these workers have received nothing. Not a fils. They’ve gone on from strike to strike and still, nothing is being done. Why? Where is the money? Allow me to explain.

Every year, when the state draws out its balance for the year, it pays these private companies  the full salaries for these workers for the whole year. So where does the money go? Where does over 250 million dinars go? It goes into a saving account in the bank where it accumulates interest and grows. So, while these workers fight their hunger and devastation just to survive one day at a time, while their families wait and receive nothing to relieve them from their poverty, some soul-less, conscience-less, money crazed somebody is making millions of dinars instead of providing these unfortunates their simple needs for basic survival.

The problem is, the banks benefit immensely from these saving accounts and an adjustment from the government to only release salaries on a monthly basis to these companies would cause a drastic fall in banks’ credit. The way these companies have been getting around prosecution is quite simple: whenever the workers go on strike and they are put through investigation by the insurance ministry, they pay off a couple of month’s salaries to these workers just to get themselves off the investigation list and the cycle goes on and on.

The funny thing is these companies try to compensate the health ministry with staff when the original workers are on strike, but supply them with nothing but gloves. This porter came into my mother’s office asking her where to start cleaning and he held out his gloved hands helplessly trying to figure out how he was to vacuum, scrub tables and dust with gloved hands only. .. Seriously?!

I do not blame any one of these workers if they had to steal! And they wonder what’s causing so much crime in our country? These workers are desperate. Not desperate for an escalade or a fancy new dress or a luxury duplex.. they’re desperate to stay alive enough to push around wheelchairs so that they can get something to eat or keep them warm! They are being pressurized to distribute drugs by dealers who know they’re suffering. And in effect? Our own youth are sinking and becoming destroyed.

An investigator once told me you would not believe the number of these workers who commit crimes and purposefully want to get caught. Why? Because that way they’d get deported, since they cannot afford to go back home, or put into jail where at least they know they won’t starve to death.

Why?! Why is a country as rich and educated as ours treating these workers in this barbaric inhumane manner while other countries raise campaigns and charities for them?! Why is the arab world becoming a society with the title of Islam but no Islamic attributes, while other nations are without Islam but live to all it’s teachings?!

It’s in our hands to push for change and increase awareness as people when the government turns a blind eye to these disasters. For the sake of not only these people and our conscience, but also for the sake of the future of our country.


Top Ten Underrated TV Shows

Published February 3, 2010 Bo 3zez , The Top Tens Leave a Comment
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Last night, the LOST season 6 premiere reminded us what great TV is. Unfortunately, some brilliant TV shows go unnoticed. So let’s take a look at the Top 10 underrated shows on TV. Please note that this only includes shows in the past few yeasr.

10-Da Ali G Show – Underrated by: Actor/Producers.

Sacha Cohen’s Ali G was one of the quickest, smartest, and funniest talk shows (?) on TV. It successfully moved from the UK to the US, and made an international brand out of itself. However, Sacha’s creativity became his enemy as he went on to focus on his other characters Borat and Bruno. Eventually, Da Ali G show was pulled of the air.

9- Extras-Underrated by: American Audience.

Ricky Gervais is a master of dry comedy. Extras was his second show (after the original Office), and it was highly rated by TV critics. The reason it is on this list is because it never got the same love from the general audience. Perhaps the reason it wasn’t a hit in the U.S. was that it aired on HBO, and perhaps it was just because the audience “didn’t get it” (watch show for reference).

8- Tonight Show with Conan O’brien- Underrated by: Network (NBC).

The world is still dismay at the NBC late night schedule fiasco. How can Conan O’brien have TWO goodbye shows within 12 months? The answer lies within the stupidity of NBC executives. I won’t go into the details of why Conan’s show was cancelled after only 7 months, but rest assured that “Coco” will find another place where his talents are truly appreciated. (Fox?)

7- My Name is Earl: Underrated by: Network (NBC)

This down to earth comedy was a hit when it first started. True, it did lose some of its appeal after 4 seasons. However, it was doing a heck better than “Community” or “Parks”. NBC, somehow, got it wrong- again. If the show were given time to recover, and at least one more season to wrap up, audiences wouldn’t feel betrayed by the Network- again.

6- Flight of the Concord- Underrated by: General Audience.

Never heard of it? That’s ok, neither have 5.95 billion others. This show is definitely unique and has a taste of its own. If you like dry comedy that relies on awkward situations (queue “The Office”), you would love this show. The random songs in the middle of episodes give it a little extra.. something. Sadly, it will not be returning for another season. However, I still advise you to check it out on DVD (or other illegal ways).

5- The IT Crowd- Underrated by: International Audience

Yet another British hit show on our list. The IT crowd was your typical sitcom+laugh reel show. Or was it? What made this show so great were the characters. Go youtube some of its episodes, and you’ll see what I mean. However, the personality of the show did not find appeal within international audiences. In fact, NBC shot an American pilot for this show. Apparently, it was so bad it never aired (thank god!).

4- Top Gear- Underrated by: International Audience

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best Car Show to grace our TV screens. From Botswana to Japan to the North Pole, there hasn’t been any place (or anything) the Top Gear Trio haven’t adventured. So before you start telling me this show gets the love it deserves, allow me to explain why I think it’s underrated. It is beyond me why this show hasn’t got the international recognition it deserves. It’s true; Clarkson is a condescending when it comes to anybody other than Brits, but nevertheless, this show is pure entertainment. For being one of the most entertaining shows on TV for the last decade, Top Gear is criminally underrated overseas.

3- Breaking Bad- Underrated by: General Audience

One of the best Dramas. Ever. Simply reading the synopsis for an Episode of BB is far more exciting that watching a whole season of “Gossip Girls” (10 overrated shows, anyone?). This show was praised in Awards (Emmy’s), but is still finding it hard to gain the huge popularity it deserves. I mean come on, the show is about a Chemistry teacher who turns into a drug dealer! How can you NOT watch that?

2- Whose Line is it Anyway?- Underrated by: General Audience/Network (ABC)

A very close contender to being the most underrated TV show on our list. “Whose Line”, in case you don’t know, is an improv comedy half-hour show. It is not exaggerating to say you will be laughing your heart out watching an episode of this show. The problem, however, was that this show did not follow a story line or a plot of any kind. This meant the audiences watched it on and off. Eventually, ABC moved around so much that it lost most of its audience. Soon after it ended, Whose Line became a youtube phenomena- proof that ABC mishandled the show.

1- Arrested Development- Underrated by: General Audience

For the second time, Arrested tops our top 10 list. This time, for the wrong reasons. This has to be the most underrated show in TV history. The strange thing about Arrested is that it became HUGELY popular AFTER it was cancelled! Fox tried to keep the show on as long as it could, but the rating were simply too low. Most people found the show’s plot to be “too complicated” (queue “Lost”), and lost interest in the show. Maybe that explains why DVD sales of this show are still through the roof. In fact, the show became so popular, there is going to be an AR movie coming very soon. If only people realized the treasure that was buried beneath them before it was gone. We could’ve had much more than 3 seasons.

Think we got this list all wrong? Leave us a comment and tell us what your lists looks like!

The Sneak Peek: Soccer Scene

Published February 3, 2010 MR - Reviews Leave a Comment
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Finally, the Big day .. after waiting months .. the wait is over .. Soccer Scene, the famous British football store will open tomorrow in the Avenues (phase two) .. but before the big day .. they invited our blog to a Sneak Peek session .. to see the store and take some photos.. that’s exactly what we did.

Soccer Scene, one of the best football stores in London. Founded in 1980 .. they let you feel like a true fan .. offering a wide range of products .. people from all of the world come and just have fun inside (if not buy everything).Personally, I love their London stores .. the first one ( regent street ) is small but has everything you need .. the second store ( Carnaby Street ) a much bigger store. I know there are many other sport stores in London .. but when I enter their regent street store.. I feel different .. their design, products, or even the way they do their business.

Now, lets talk about their new store .. here in the avenues. First of all and before anything ..

10/10

All the things that I liked about the London store are available in the new store here in Kuwait .. The large range of kits and the store’s design. Finally a sport store in Kuwait that sell full-kits and not only jerseys ..  without socks or even shorts. Tomorrow, we will be there for their big opening. I can’t say that I wasn’t tempted to buy some of their jerseys, but they said it’s only a sneak peek. If you are a true football/soccer fan or just a EPL fan .. you will love what they will offer.

I would like to thank their staff .. who honestly did their best to welcome us and give us the best tour. thanks guys and keep up the good work. I’m gonna be a loyal customer of course.

Mad Reds, The 18thproject Blog

Finaly, Soccer Scene Sneak Peek

Published February 3, 2010 Blog Statement Leave a Comment
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After several posts about the new Soccer Scene store here in Kuwait.
We are proud to announce that we are invited for the store’s sneak peek today.
We will post a full-review and some photos. Finally, a proper football store in Kuwait.

looking forward for today’s event.

..

Mad Reds, The 18th Project Blog

Book in Hand: DEXTER by Design

Published February 2, 2010 الكتاب الذي بين يدي Leave a Comment
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As promised, we will post about books ( reviews and other aspects ) ..
in this series .. we openly share with you whatever we are reading .. if it’s a preview
( telling you that we’re gona read this book .. ) or a review ( stating our opinion after reading the book .. ) ..

Book Info:

Dexter by Design is a dark comedy by Jeff Lindsay who wrote many other Dexter novels. First published in 2009. Copyrights to Jeffry Freundlich and to The Orion Publishing Group.

So lets get started, my first book preview, shockingly for many, will be a novel. I cant say I’m a big fan of novels, but this novel is different. Dexter by Design, is a novel that’s now a Showtime original series. From the first ten pages, I’m amazed to see that it’s actually similar to the series. If you saw the way that Dexter ( the main character in the series ) talks and reacts, you will know why he does those things like that .. it’s because it was written in the book that way .. (the series was based on the book) .

Although I’m currently reading six book, I’m gona focus on this novel and finish it. From reading just the first page, I getting addicted to it. It has the same dark comedy that the series has. I bought this novel from Virgin Mega Store – Kuwait .. There are 6 “Dexter” novels unfortunately they only had one.

At first, I wasn’t into the series. I hated anything that Showtime did. But Bo 3zez told me to watch it and how great it was, but I just wasn’t in the mood to add a new series to my massive list. Finally I gave Dexter a chance .. Bo 3zez was right ( as always when it comes to TV shows ) .. I fell in love with the series and with Dexter’s character. So it wasn’t hard for me to buy the novel.. although I hate novels, Dexter deserves the risk I’m taking here. I’ll post a full review about the similarities between the novel and the series and about the main story of the novel of course.

..

Mad Reds

Review: The Damned United

Published January 30, 2010 MR - Reviews 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

“I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.”

When you live in Nottingham, England .. you will notice one thing and one thing only, Football. Wherever you go, you will see how one team (Nottingham Forest) made the whole city a Full-Football city. People talk about their team with proud, but WHY ?

The reason is simple, Nottingham Forest won the European league two times. But when people talk about what happened back then, they think and talk about one name only .. their HERO ” Brian Clough ” .. Nottingham’s former coach (1975-1993) ..


” The Brian Clough Statue in Nottingham city center “

..

Why do they love him:

European Cup: 1979, 1980

European Super Cup: 1979

League Championship: 1977-78 season

League Cup: 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990

FA Charity Shield: 1978

..
So from what you can see, a two-time European winner .. deserved all the love and respect he got. After his 2004 death, England moaned his death and the English football community lost a brilliant manager ..
a charismatic leader, he led Nottingham forest to what now fans call it the golden years of N.Forest ..

And although Clough managed other teams (Hartlepools United, Derby County, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Leeds United), the whole world will remember Clough as a Nottingham Forest manager .. who won the European league two times ..

I know we didn’t talk about the movie yet, and the reason is that the whole movie talks about Brian Clough, the Nottingham Forest former manager, and for a character that big .. we thought that our readers needed a closer .. more accurate look. One can say that Brian Clough was like the former Chelsea and current Inter Milan manager, José Mourinho, who like Clough had his own crazy moments with the press .. both are champions .. both are crazy .. !

..

The Damned United .. a 2009 movie .. the role of Brian Clough was played by the talented actor, Michael Sheen, I’m big fan of Sheen .. he knows how to imitate famous characters like David Frost and Tony Blair .. he did a good job with Clough and with the way he talks .. he’s a great actor .. !!

I know it’s a football movie but even if your not a fan nor care about Brian Clough .. I assure you .. this movie will be one of those low budget movies that will amaze you!! You will get a closer look at how football was played back then, and of course the story of a small-town manager who made it big. Sadly, the movie is about the early days of Clough .. back when he was the manager of Derby county and then Leeds united (for a sad and awful year) .. the movie ends before he joins Nottingham .. but even so, If your a Nottingham fan or just a fan of Clough .. you will love this movie .. !!

..

Mad Reds

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