blog

Marble Arch, London.

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:45:33 +0100

Marble Arch is a white marble monument at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, & Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park in London, England. It is directly across from the Marble Arch tube station.

The name "Marble Arch" also refers to the area in west London where the arch is situated. Historically, only members of the royal family and the King's Royal Horse Artillery were allowed to pass through the arch during ceremonies.

The arch was designed in 1828 by the British architect John Nash and was based on the triumphal arch of Constantine in Rome. It was originally built as a gateway to Buckingham Palace. Later in 1855, the arch was moved to its present location and it had been speculated that it might be moved in the future to Hyde Park or any other place instead of being located on a large traffic island.

The area around the arch forms a major road junction connecting Oxford Street to the east, Park Lane to the south, Bayswater Road to the west, and Edgware Road to the north-west.

This area was once home to the largest cinema screen in London at the Odeon Marble Arch cinema with a 23 meter-wide screen, unfortunately it was converted into a mini-plex in 1997.

The arch is near the largest Marks & Spencer store in the UK, which opened in 1930.

Bath, Somerset County.

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:07:37 +0100

Bath is a city in Somerset county 156 km west of London. It was first established by the Romans in AD 43 as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis (meaning 'the waters of Sulis' dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva) and they built baths around the natural hot springs. During the Georgian era it became popular as a spa town and much later in 1987 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site which made it a major center for tourism with over 3.8 million visitors each year.

The Roman Baths complex is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing. The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level. It was featured on 'Seven Natural Wonders' TV program in 2005 as one of the wonders of the West Country. The water which bubbles up from the ground at Bath fell as rain on the nearby hills then it seeps down through the limestone to a depth of between 2,700 and 4,300 meters where the energy raises the water temperature to between 64 & 96 °C and the pressure makes the heated water rise to the surface along fissures and faults in the limestone.

The complex also houses a museum with artefacts from the Roman period on display including objects which were thrown into the Sacred Spring, presumably as offerings to the goddess Sulis. These include more than 12,000 Roman currency coins which is the largest collective votive deposit known from Britain. A gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, which was discovered nearby in 1727, is also displayed.

Also in Bath you can also visit Abbey Church, commonly known as Bath Abbey which was founded in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 16th century. it is one of the largest examples of perpendicular Gothic architecture in the QWest Country. It is an active place of worship and contains monuments to several notable people.

So when in London take a day trip to Bath and indulge in it's history.

London Underground

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:33:06 +0100

London underground or the 'Tube', as the Londoners call it, is a rapid transit system in the big city and is used by thousands of people everyday, locals as well as tourists. It's the fastest & most convenient way to get from one place to another in no time bypassing the busy & crowded streets of London. The underground usually gets very busy at the rush hour; therefore, it's better to ride it at the 'off peak' hours which can be a bit cheaper as well.

It is the oldest underground railway in the world, the first section of which opened in 1863 & trains were steam-hauled, requiring effective ventilation to the surface through shafts at various points on the route which allowed the engines to expel steam and bring fresh air into the tunnels. In 1890 it became the first metro system to operate electric trains.
The earlier lines were built by various private companies but since 2003 it has been wholly owned by Transport of London, a corporation responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London, which is run by a board and a commissioner appointed by the Mayor of London.The Underground serves 270 stations and has 402 kilometers of track, making it the second largest metro system in the world after Shanghai Metro and the 3rd busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow & Paris.

The Central Line, which was opened in 1900, is the longest and second busiest after the Northern Line. The second longest is the Piccadilly Line which was opened in 1906. There are ongoing plans for extensions to the Lines as well as upgrading and refurbishment of many stations in preparation to the London Olympics in 2012.

So if you're in London, do what the locals do, use the Tube. It's fast, it's efficient, and it's convenient. Just try to avoid the rush hour.

'Kodak Moments'

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:18:52 +0100

I haven' been posting for ages but I'll try to post one at least everyday from now on. So here goes.

These pictures were taken in November, 2010 during my last visit to Dubai.

I snapped these pictures while waiting for the Dhow Cruise to sail off along Dubai Creek and I'm posting them just for FUN.

1) This is a boy. He was walking alone with his parents. Gender identity crisis? May be. Well, if his parents are OK with that, it's nobody's business.

2) I was surprised to see Queen Elizabeth 'look-alike' on the dock taking our picture. If I hadn't known for sure that HRH was not in the UAE at that time I could have been fooled.

3) Strictly 'No Smoking' policy in public areas.

The man in the black T-shirt came with his family and had to stand outside while all the others were seated in because he opted to finish his cigarette rather than putting it out. And above that he just threw the stub on the dock. There is a 'No litter' policy as well you know.

And the stub

4) No litter please. All the beaches everywhere are getting dirtier & dirtier from the trash the people throw in the water. If it's only food or biodegradable stuff, it wouldn't be OK to throw it in the first place, but at least it would be better than plastic bottles and bags and I noticed a lot of those in the Creek that day.

5) Docking in. The Dhow crew standing on the railing to get the ship aligned with the dock then tie it up. Another crew member places the ladder so the passengers can disembark safely.

I'll be posting later about the whole Dhow Cruise with pictures. Stay tuned.

Water: The Essence of Life

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 13:12:57 +0100

Water is one of 4 necessities of life to all living things, according to 3^rd Grade Science book, the others are air, food, & don’t forget light. Unfortunately, people are wasting this commodity like there is no tomorrow and I’m talking about the general public & those working for the government as well. EVERYBODY.

Just take a spin around your block in the morning any day of the week & count how many people are washing their cars with fresh running water.

In your own house, watch how the dishes are being washed. Is the water running continuously or is the faucet off in between the dishes? The same thing goes for showers, how long do these last? Is the water off while washing the hair or body?

Coming back to the Government, everyday on the way to work you can see the water sprinklers are on, full blast, on both sides of the road and the excess water is seeping down & covering the road. I don’t know for how long the sprinklers are supposed to be on at a time but this has to be changed according to the weather, they can be on longer during hot summer days and shorter during winter. The funny thing is they’re also on on rainy days.

Sprinklers on Gulf Road in the morning

These water-wasting practices are not only here in Kuwait. It’s universal in varying degrees. I’ve taken this picture during my last trip to Dubai, of a guard of a nursery/school who was watering the front lawn.

Recent studies showed that based on our consumption, we’ll have water shortage in 5 years & forget about desalination because seawater is already contaminated and it can hardly be used for drinking. Underground water is either drying out or also contaminated with toxic waste.

Saving water comes step by step and it’s a good habit to learn & practice daily and the children will learn by watching their parents practicing it. We have to remember that ‘if we waste it we’ll lose it & if we save it we’ll use it’.

The same applies for electricity as well.

A Night at the Opera

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:40:34 +0100

Madame Butterly

One of the most popular & frequently performed operas came to Kuwait. Originally, the story of John Luther Long and adapted by Giacomo Puccini appeared on the stage in a small scale production for 2 nights at Movenpick- Al-Bide' on the 13th & 14th October, 2010. It is somewhat devoid of all the spectacles & complexities of the other opers as it is based on one simple plot line that takes place in a small house in Nagasaki, Japan and I think that what made it possible to perform on such a small stage at Movenpick Ballroom.

It is the classic tale of love, loss, hope & despair as Madame Butterfly marries Pinkerton, a United States Navy officer then he leaves for 3 years. During this time she has a son and when at last Pinkerton comes back she learns that he's got a new American wife & they are willing to take the boy to take care of him. At the end Madame Butterfly commits Hara-Kiri with her father's dagger that has the inscription "Who cannot live with honor must die with honor." and the curtain comes down when Pinkerton comes in and finds Butterfly dead.

The first act started a bit slow and the acoustics were not optimal but things got better during the 2nd act and it was spectacular especially when Butterfly & Suzuki, her maid, sang.

Overall, it was a new & nice experience. Price tag: KD 20 for a ticket which included the show & pre-show drinks & canapes.

Autumn is Here

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:18:52 +0100

Temperatures in the morning as low as 26-27 degrees.

So it's official, Autumn is finally here. There is a noticeable drop in the recorded outside temperature by around 3-4 degrees with a lovely morning breeze. This kind of weather usually continues till late March with only 2 weeks of wintery freezing cold weather in January. I hope this winter season comes with a lot of rain & not like the last 2 years which were extremely dry. Of course, thunder & rain bring with it 'Fage3' especially if these occur in the early days of winter. Good fage3 has been a rare commodity during the last few years so pray to God & fingers crossed there gonna be loads & loads of fage3 this year but I won't be holding my breath.

Temperatures in the afternoon are around 36-37 degrees. I can still feel the heat on those summer days when the lowest temperatures were higher than that . So goodbye summer & hello autumn.

The Forgotten

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:40:22 +0100

While I was heading home I noticed this girl who was standing all alone after all the other girls were collected by their parents, drivers, or maids. She was standing with her eyes fixed on the street corner waiting for her ride to show up. I can't imagine what went through her mind at that time because I was never left waiting under the scorching sun like that. Does this happen to her every day that she got used to it? Do they have to pick her brothers and sisters from other schools before getting her? was the car stuck in traffic? Or did they forget all about her on that day and no one was coming for her? Had I been her I would certainly question the reason I was left behind while all the other girls were picked up? I'm sure of one thing though, next time I pass by the school I'll be looking for that girl.

Final word: these are dangerous times we're living in and children should not be left outside all alone especially if there was no one around.

What do you think?

Hanging by a Thread

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:39:16 +0100

While my sister was picking the kids from school the other day she noticed this broken lamp which is dangling over the passersby in the street. This is dangerous because:

1- It may fall & hurt somebody walking in the street or damage cars driving through.

2- It may fall & electrocute people or cars underneath

God only knows how long it had been hanging like that but it has been 2 weeks since we took notice of. I hope it will be attended to and fixed before the weather changes with chances of strong wind & rain which may break that fine thread it's been hanging by and causes serious injury to innocent bystanders.

Location: Hawally, at the exit of the school parking lot.

Watch it on youtube Link (this video was shot by my nephew using his Kodak)

Parking No-No 'Again'

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:07:08 +0100

Don't you just hate it when you try to get out of your parking space and can't because a car is parked behind you or at the curve near the exit and you have to drive over the pavement in order not to scratch that car, or most importantly yours, while trying to get out? Well, I do. And I find these people inconsiderate, rude, and above all they break the law. From now on I am going to post pictures of cars that are parked illegally or those causing inconvenience to others.

First winners of the Hall of Shame registry are 'The Three Stooges' shown below:

These are cars parked at the school parking lot near our home and believe it or not they belong to teachers working at that school. Can you imagine the message these teachers are sending their students? and actually, one of them comes with her daughter so what a role model .

This picture is taken early in the morning, precisely, when I get out of the house for work around 6.40 - 6.45 am. The only 2 reasons I can think of regarding 'WHY' they are parked that way are:

1) They don't want to be stuck in the middle of the crowd at the end of the day when the parking lot is full of cars and they have to wait for the all the cars in the parking lot to leave before they can. By parking like that they can get out fairly easy with no one blocking their way.

2) The second reason is they want to leave work before school is out and don't want to be stuck & can't leave because some inconsiderate idiot is parked behind their cars.

Second Hall of Shame picture goes to this one parked on the pavement at the lower parking lot at Al-Amiri Hospital.

I find this way of parking unacceptable because if the driver is not careful he will go over the other side and crash into the parked car whose owner came early and could find a suitable parking space for his car. And let me tell you this by 7.00 am that parking lot is nearly empty but at midday it is full & many cars are parked on the pavement, at the curves and sometimes even behind other cars blocking them. A traffic policeman would have a field day writing tickets for those cars with illegal parking .