Shati' al Watiya aka Umm Habib Restaurant

On the suggestion of someone at 248am.com, we went to check out the restaurant that was formerly known as Umm Habib.  I don’t know when they changed their name, but personally I think the previous name (“Habib’s mom) was very much more endearing. When we found the place– in a small house, with very intimate, house-looking interior, the new name seemed very ill-fitting indeed.

At any rate, the name change might be my only gripe about the place!

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quiet music

Sometimes one just needs to listen to a song in quiet. Sometimes it also needs to be dark. I remember spending many hours listening to some beautiful music with my friends back in the day– John had the best setup with repeater lights on his speakers that offered just enough light and interest to be a good accompaniment and not a distraction to the music. Convertibles also work wonders for this kind of thing, because you can be by the water at night, and get the feeling of being outside and let the dark of night wrap around you while the music can do it’s accoustic embrace. You just have to make sure you have your clothes on nice and maybe a drink in your hand so the police officer doesn’t give you weird looks when you’re just hanging out by the water on a quiet corner with another dude! Eh- they give you looks anyway! Those were good times with Denis and Jon and the little white Cabriolet.  I guess Rabab and Dee were both away at school. I feel like most of my memories from those years have that car involved in them. I guess it was always our first choice of transport. So often people listen to music as a background, even when it’s really really good.

photo credit: WTL photos

It’s a nice night out. I wish I had a convertible and some good friends to drive out to a water with. Until then, I’ll just turn out the lights and enjoy an amazing song on my own.

Keep your friends close, forget your enemies; f*** how the saying goes.
Cheers,
-r-

Car show at Camp Arifjan

This was a really pleasant surprise. We got fliers one day that there was going to be a “muscle car show” and all joked about what that might possibly mean– we were  thinking some suburbans, maybe some of the bigger engined dump-trucks, certainly some of the 95-96 ghettoed out Impalas that we see around! But we did not think it would be a proper car show, and for that I’m really thankful to both the organizers and all the local folk that brought their beautiful cars out.

There was music being blasted from a corner, and the day was a little warmer than it needed to be, but the atmosphere reminded me of a nice Sunday show back Stateside. Below are some of the photos I took. I need to find out if there are regular gatherings of car clubs around Kuwait, and what the different flavors might be like. I wish I had spoken to more of the owners, but I was a bit apprehensive for really no good reason!

The wonderful worldwide phenomenon of dudes hanging out with their cars.

Olds 442 Coupe

442 Coupe about to eat my head!

wow on a ’62 Chevy Biscayne WAGON

rear of Chevy wagon

Oldsmobile 442 convertible. Note those beautiful chrome airducts below the bumper!

LOVE the rear on the 442. Biscayne beyond.

Olds 442 interior

a lot of people came out

nice line of motorcycles

the craziest motorcycle there

rear of crazy motorcycle

nice paint / bars

not sure how this guy ever corners, I wish he was around to affirm if that thing had …

Aprilia RSV4.

KTM SuperDuke! I was told I can buy either of these two motorcycles here and they c…

the straight up race computer on the KTM obviously means business!

custom Harley

everyone loves an old ‘Vette

guages inside the Corvette are beautiful beyond words

what beautiful detailing!

reminded me of chotokhalu: an Olds Cutlass convertible

Charger front. What really made them think they could name a B-rated 4-door sedan aft…

these lines spell out “mean”

I think the Charger was probably the angriest looking car there.

I thought the sticker on rear window went really nicely with the Confederate flag!

you don’t see these at every show: Ford Gran Torino

56 AC Cobra. This is not a replica.

the real thing

❤

simple and gorgeous

one of my favorite cars of all time. there was a replica next to it that looked quite…

beautiful muscle lines on the Cobra and that dude owns that ‘Vette

love the light detail

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I am also going to have to go down to the Speed Cycle shop downtown where the guys invited me to go for a test-drive, and where I can buy an Aprilia or KTM and have it shipped back home.  This is a very interesting idea for bikes that we don’t get to see there normally. At any rate, this event really made me miss my cars! Also made me think that it’s really such a difference if you have “just a car” vs. having a really “interesting” car.

Hope you get to see at least one interesting car this week!
Cheers,
-r-

I want to be a gladiator! The "Spartacus" workout

Ok, not really.  Unless it was just a themed workout. So to all my people that want to get in shape:I just did this workout today and it is a.freaking.mazing.
This is the actual workout that the stars of Spartacus (which I haven’t watched so can’t comment on) use. And well, if I could look just a bit like Peter Mensah, it wouldn’t be a bad thing (also, see video on MH website below):

Here is the link to their site, which has a lot of great info to look through. But nicer still, you can get a printable version so you can take along to the gym. Start off with smaller/ no weights so you can get through all of the steps. Use longer breaks in the beginning if you need.  The smallest weights will feel like boulders in your hands before you’re done one set, so start off with lighter weights/ no weights and work your way up. Same with the breaks, if you can’t manage just 15 seconds inbetween sets, then lengthen that a bit, but remember: this is a circuit workout, intended to be done at high intensity with minimal rest. So anything more than 30 seconds of break and you’re starting to defeat the point. Also to note when you’re starting off, is that if you just can’t get through a full minute, just hold the position for the rest of the minute until its time to move to the next set. So really, if you look at this and think “oh I have to work out for a month before I can even start this!”, don’t. Because you can start this at your level–just you have to make sure to work through it consistently.

Although the workout is posted in Men’s Health magazine, I think women could benefit from this as well. You just want to keep your weights to a minimum so you don’t bulk up. Or I’m sure there are other already modified /tried / tested circuit workouts offered in women’s health magazines!

Try this.  Let me know how you like it!

Cheers,

-r-