Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are all spending the festive season with plenty of cheer and laughter. I was a little sad leading up to the "Silly Season" thinking about everyone at home celebrating with their families having the usual arguments about what to do Christmas day! I also missed all the hype around Christmas its funny how those Christmas carols in the shops help you remember the words. I tried to sing a few carols to the kids this week only to realise I don't bloody remember any hahhahaha. I missed the build up to Christmas to, the Christmas drinks mainly :)....... However I have been pleasantly surprised this week as Christmas has found me here in Islam territory.
Firstly my Boss Khalada felt sorry for me that I won't be spending Christmas with my family and the fact that I helped her out of a tight spot by opting to work. She has invited me to spend some time with her family (who by the way are just fantastic) on Christmas day. Then my mates Sherry and Steve decided to throw a little chrissy bass at their place last night. So all the Aussies gathered around with their smuggled or home made alcohol and finally I found some Christmas cheer. Ted also opened his doors to us all on Christmas day to drop in and have a few beverages. So really I don't think Christmas in Kuwait is going to be as bad as I thought it would be. Was so lovely of Steve and Sherry to get everyone together so we could once again eat to much and drink to much...am suffering a little today, but hey thats what Christmas is all about righ?
Well I hope everyone else manages to have a fab Chrissy. And just a note you Irish and English mob what's this Crimbo business it's either Christmas, Chrissy or xmas hmmm I dunno you all need a good Aussie education hehehehhe! Any hoos please everyone have a glass for me and I will post up some Christmas photos for you soon.
Merry Christmas and I hope Santa finds you where ever you are!
Love Ali
Friday, December 23, 2005
Monday, December 05, 2005
Drive Like a Mad Man!
I will admit I was warned quite a few times about driving in Kuwait. Before I got here, when I got here and just before I got my car. However nothing prepares you for the chaos that is the roads in Kuwait. I am sure many of you are thinking "Yeah right I am sure it's like everywhere else a few idiots that make life a drama." But no this is not the case it is not just a few idiots its the whole god dam population of Kuwait, even the driving instructors are seen to be doing the most ridiculous things on the road so no wonder!
I received my car last week after my boss decided that I was pretty familiar with the system here. I tell you nothing prepares you for the system here. Since I have been unleashed on these mad roads I have noticed a few things that might help explain the plain stupidity and the frustration of driving here.
Why not turn from whatever lane you like: Generally on most roads there is a lane you might turn from on to another road and there is a lane that takes you straight ahead. Sure the same arrow markings are used here however the general rule is turn when ever you feel like it. Cross three lanes of traffic if you like.
Speed limit? What Speed limit?: I think that line says it all, if you have a car that can go fast then drive fast! Doesn't matter if the speed limit is 45km or 100km you just add another 50 or so K's to that and go for your life, doesn't matter if someone in front of you is not doing that speed you just flash your high beams at them and honk your horn till they get the hell out of your way, even if they have to bump into another car to do so who cares its not your fault you just like to drive fast!
Fog Lights??? Hello there is no fog here!!: The amount of stupid annoying drivers I have encountered driving around town with their fog lights on is ridiculous. Hello people if there is ever any fog here it might be at 4am in the morning and lifts after 2 minutes and that might happen twice a year! No instead they drive around with these annoying bright little lights on so that when they are behind you you can't see a dam thing!
Just pure madness: Every city and town has its lappers the losers who hot up their excels and barinas and drive up and down a section of road with the most annoying doush doush music playing. Well of course we have them here however they don't have cheap cars hotted up these teenages drive around in mercs, BMW's, sports cars and the standard family car an expensive SUV. They drive up and down Gulf Road beeping their horns and just being dick heads. The other night for example I saw this group of cars driving down the road with an SUV in the middle of them all with a teenage guy hanging out the sunroof with his tea towel on his head dancing around like a dam noodle! So then the cars around them decided to hang a few guys out the window to compete with the dancing sun roof guy. I was driving behind them going what the hell is this a new craze? Driving Discos?!! Another time I was driving behind one SUV while in the other lane was another SUV the two guys drove side by side and had a conversation out their windows for say 10km down the road. Both driving at about 80k's an hour. And then don't even get me started on the cars with kids jumping from front to back seat and hanging out the windows with no one even encouraging them to put a seat belt on. Grrrrr
Sorry folks just needed to get all that off my chest! I was warned I know but let me tell you once your driving in it you just need to drive like a mad man to survive! Ahhhh but then this is Kuwait you wouldn't expect anything less than crazyness!
I received my car last week after my boss decided that I was pretty familiar with the system here. I tell you nothing prepares you for the system here. Since I have been unleashed on these mad roads I have noticed a few things that might help explain the plain stupidity and the frustration of driving here.
Why not turn from whatever lane you like: Generally on most roads there is a lane you might turn from on to another road and there is a lane that takes you straight ahead. Sure the same arrow markings are used here however the general rule is turn when ever you feel like it. Cross three lanes of traffic if you like.
Speed limit? What Speed limit?: I think that line says it all, if you have a car that can go fast then drive fast! Doesn't matter if the speed limit is 45km or 100km you just add another 50 or so K's to that and go for your life, doesn't matter if someone in front of you is not doing that speed you just flash your high beams at them and honk your horn till they get the hell out of your way, even if they have to bump into another car to do so who cares its not your fault you just like to drive fast!
Fog Lights??? Hello there is no fog here!!: The amount of stupid annoying drivers I have encountered driving around town with their fog lights on is ridiculous. Hello people if there is ever any fog here it might be at 4am in the morning and lifts after 2 minutes and that might happen twice a year! No instead they drive around with these annoying bright little lights on so that when they are behind you you can't see a dam thing!
Just pure madness: Every city and town has its lappers the losers who hot up their excels and barinas and drive up and down a section of road with the most annoying doush doush music playing. Well of course we have them here however they don't have cheap cars hotted up these teenages drive around in mercs, BMW's, sports cars and the standard family car an expensive SUV. They drive up and down Gulf Road beeping their horns and just being dick heads. The other night for example I saw this group of cars driving down the road with an SUV in the middle of them all with a teenage guy hanging out the sunroof with his tea towel on his head dancing around like a dam noodle! So then the cars around them decided to hang a few guys out the window to compete with the dancing sun roof guy. I was driving behind them going what the hell is this a new craze? Driving Discos?!! Another time I was driving behind one SUV while in the other lane was another SUV the two guys drove side by side and had a conversation out their windows for say 10km down the road. Both driving at about 80k's an hour. And then don't even get me started on the cars with kids jumping from front to back seat and hanging out the windows with no one even encouraging them to put a seat belt on. Grrrrr
Sorry folks just needed to get all that off my chest! I was warned I know but let me tell you once your driving in it you just need to drive like a mad man to survive! Ahhhh but then this is Kuwait you wouldn't expect anything less than crazyness!
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