Archive for the 'out with friends' category

Incident 2, then 1

Aug 11 2009 Published by Moos under YouTube, daily stuff, driving, out with friends

Incident 2:

I went to Galleria 2000 in Salmiya tonight, and just after parking my car this Indian guy came towards me and stopped next to the car. I opened the door then he said “Alsalamo alaikom”

I said “wa alaikom el salam”

He said, with a broken english, “Do you speak English?”
I said “yeah, I do”
He shook my hand and said “Hi my brother”

I said “Hi”, by that time I was completely out of the car. He asked me where is Mahboula. I was surprised, I told him “It’s really far from here” and I pointed the direction… like that would help!

He told me that he just came to Kuwait and he works in the hospital in Salmiya and doesn’t know his way to his place Mahboula. He was breathing heavily and sweating. I told him he should get a bus or a taxi and they’ll take him there. He told me that he went on the bus and it dropped him here, and now he just has 100 fils. I was like omg, not one of them beggars again, I had it with them. Then he said “the bus told me he’s not going to Mahboula at this time, and I don’t have enough money for the bus or the taxi, could you help me?”

Now here, I remembered all those stories about those people who do this for a living, just asking people for money… so I didn’t wanna look like an asshole, so I said “I don’t have cash on me” though I did, but I just didn’t want to be “fooled”… but then the guy just burst into tears… I can’t tell you how in a second my heart was broken… I mean seriously, to see a man like that cry, I swear to God I almost hugged him… I got my wallet out and gave him what I think is enough to get him a taxi there, and maybe a snack.

Poor guy… I don’t care if he was acting or whatever, even if he was, he deserves it for the performance… but he really broke my heart… I went into Galleria still thinking about him, I even went to the cafe and almost sat next to a stranger whom I thought was my friend just because their laptop’s color matches… felt like an idiot of course, but oh boy that cappuccino was 3 quarters foam!

Incident 1:

I went with Miq to Peacock, the Chinese restaurant, in SAS hotel to have lunch. So here’s what I ordered: Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken Noodles and Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce (which was number 62 on the menu). Ok, now after the food arrived we start eating. Me and Miq admire the good taste of the black pepper chicken, and how original it tastes. It was so black but a bit chewy. Anyway, so we finish eating, and btw they had some really good green tea, ask Miq. So I ask for the check. I get the check. There was something wrong, the black pepper chicken was 4.something KD not 6.something KD.

Guess what people? We were eating meat! now talk about being “fooled” … me and Miq both said at the same time “oh, and I was wondering why it was so dark and chewy!” … but yeah, I admit it, it tasted really good… before I leave, I checked the menu again only to find that the Black Pepper Meat was number 95… ma 3alaina… the tea was good though… did I say that?

Incident 2.7

I was driving back from Salmiya, but I had my sister’s car… mine has no AC at the moment. Queen’s Innuendo played on the CD… so I hit that gas real hard baby, and felt like a bad boy… the good kind of bad boys of course!

Ok maybe not a bad boy, something cathartic maybe…

Here’s Innuendo

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Location: Outside Kinokuniya, The Dubai Mall. Time: Now (give or take 5 minutes)

Jun 25 2009 Published by Moos under Thinking out loud, YouTube, daily stuff, family, out with friends

I’m sitting outside Kinokuniya, on the couches there… using the mall’s free wifi.

I arrived in Dubai this morning… I’m staying at a hotel called Copthrone… It’s an isalmic hotel, where women at the reception wear veils and it has no alcohol or anything… My father chose that one. Why? No idea. It’s probably because of my 2 sisters, he wants to make sure they are safe. But I have nothing against the hotel… It’s just I never thought it existed…

Ok. the guy that sat next to me when I started writing this just moved to another couch, I think he was reading what I was writing… he sat normally and when I started writing he leaned back… like really back, and I felt that his breath became nearer… anyways, the hotel is ok I mean… who am I to complain, right? I’m staying here for 4 days for free…

I think I spent 1 hour and a half in Kinokuniya… I got 3 books… 2 for me, 1 for a friend… I wanted to get more but I left my money at the hotel’s room… because I knew I was gonna go berserk here… which I am tomorrow or the day after…

My sisters went to something called “The Dragon Mall”? where they sell cheap chinese slaves… Not! they have all kind of cheap stuff… like really cheap… like beyond cheapness… anyways…

I’m meeting a facebook friend in an hour or so… chat over coffee… we never met before… and she’s paying for it! that was my condition because I’m here for free right? but I’m gonna pay for my coffee and her’s… I don’t pretend to be a gentleman because I am one!
My other Emarati friends are all busy today and I’ll probably meet some of them on Saturday… Tomorrow I’m taking my sister’s to the ice-thingy-thingy in The Mall of Emirates and then have lunch and not go for shopping with them!

My iPod shuffled to “The Christmas Wish” John Denver and The Muppets… nice song…

What I like about being in Dubai, and I probably said that before is that I lose my identity here… people don’t have an idea where am I from… for them I’m just someone who can speak english and that’s it… In Kuwait whenever you go somewhere you are treated as a Kuwaiti… not that’s a good or a bad thing…  They just know you are from Kuwait and treat you with a certain judgment in mind, again it could be positive or negative… I haven’t traveled a lot really so it might be a normal feeling whenever I go anywhere… cuz I think I look international baybay!!

Yesterday was the last day of shooting the tv ad… I finally slept 13 hours… after sleeping a total of 6 hours in 4 days… it was hectic but I’m glad it went really good… I already miss it… got used to seeing everyone 14 hours a day for 10 days… hopefully you’ll see the commercial in Ramadhan… I’ll post it here if it gets on youtube or something…

Anyone wants anything from here? other than those who already asked for things? : – )

My little sister got 97.1% at school and got me locked in a 3 minutes hug… I’m gonna get her something really nice from here…

I was watching the last episode of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” a few weeks ago… I teared towards the end… Do you think that’s too much dedication to comedy? hmmm……

I’m growing my beard again, did I say that before?

When I go back to Kuwait, I’m gonna lose 10 Kgs. … not on the same day! but gonna work on it…

This goes to my lovely white rose…

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Faradees

Apr 07 2009 Published by Moos under Events, film, out with friends

Faradees is an online Arabic  journal that’s concerned with cinema in the gulf, it was established by my dear friend Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, an Emarati poet, writer and screenwriter AND a photographer. An award winning screenwriter, whose films won several awards from festival from Japan to USA, passing Europe on the way. Mohammed was in Kuwait for one week to attend the Gulf Theatre Festival held here and left 2 days ago. We had the chance to hang out with fellow filmmakers and Mohammed for several nights and talk about a range of subjects…  from women to the future of cinema in the gulf area… maybe only those 2 subjects!! and let’s not forget sheesha, which I had twice, but don’t think will consider as a habit ever again, but who knows…

Faradess, which is only run by Mohammed himself, is now the place for filmmakers from the gulf to catch up with latest news and send their own film updates to be published there. So a big thanx goes to Mohammed for his one-man-effort and his establishing this journal. Thanx for your support and inspiration my friend.

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My Friday the 30th

Jan 31 2009 Published by Moos under YouTube, daily stuff, family, funny, music, out with friends

This post is based on real events… So real, it just happened!

Some names were changed though… Just 1 name actually, Faisal is being referred to as Batman.

I was in Al Wafra with friends, grilled some chicken and some kebab. Anywho, it was awesome. I totally pigged out. We were there since 3PM. I had lots of chocolate!!

So…

It’s 4 AM now. We leave Dawood’s family’s farm. In Dawood’s car, he’s driving, I’m sitting next to him, in the back seat are Miq and Mr Batman. We’re on our way to drop Miq to his house. So, it’ 30 something minutes of driving listening to really bad music from the radio except for that Phil Collins’ Tarazan song. Dawood’s iPod is all film’s soundtracks, music only. I click on the Disc button. It starts loading disc #6. Dawood says, how about Fairouz? but before he changes the CD, track #3 plays. OMG! it’s Shania Twain’s Ka Ching! I love Shania Twain, maybe I’ll blog about why I do later on, anyway… so it’s 4 guys in a car listening to Shania Twain… 3 are singing along mind you…

The song finishes, and Track #4 starts… I’m not familiar with the music so I skip it *how selfish!*. Track #1 plays… yes, the CD has only 4 tracks! anyway… it’s a Madonna song, don’t know the name… it was, meh… ok-ish. So, it finishes and it’s track #2 it’s Nelly Furtado’s “I’m like a bird”… guess what? we start singing along… and it hits me! We are 4 straight guys singing along to “Ka Ching” and “I’m like a bird”… Dawood and Batman are married guys, mind you, not to each others though! but that’s not important… so we keep repeating these 2 songs… till we reached Miq’s place… Did I mention that Dawood almost got us killed? He drives like a 90 year old! really… ask the guys… and ask him ba3ad! anyway, we drop Miq and I drive instead of Dawood cuz he’s sleepy, or so he says! :-p

So I keep listening to the same 2 songs, when it moved to play track #4 and I was like “hmmm, let’s listen to this one” so music plays and a female starts sing these words

“Don’t look at me

Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, I saw debris
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I’m so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say”

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it couldn’t get more gay than that! Not that there’s anything wrong with it or anything…

I start singing along with the chorus, cuz that’s all I know. We reach Batman’s place. Drop him. We head to Dawood’s house where I parked my car earlier.  I take my jacket and what’s left of my yogurt and thyme marinated chicken which Dawood made sure was sealed! Anyway, I’m listening to my iPod shuffle some Dylan, Eric Andersen, Paul McCartney’s “Junk” and some Phil Ochs. I’m thinking that I have to wake up at 10, take my sister to buy her a new bike cuz she got 97.5% at school and she doesn’t want a phone anymore. Then meet friends at 11-ish then I have a rehearsal from 2:30 till 4 and finally attend the cinemagic screening at 7.

Phil Ochs is singing

“Sailors climb the tree, up the terrible tree
Where are my shipmates have they sunk beneath the sea?
I do not know much, but I know this cannot be
It isn’t really, it isn’t really,
Tell me it isn’t really.”

ok? so, I arrive home. Get out of the car, look for my phone… it’s not there!!

Don’t worry, it’s not at Al-Wafra… I forgot it in Dawood’s car. What to do?

I run upstairs, grap my brother’s phone. Call Miq…

He’s not answering! I send him a msg telling him it’s me, so he calls and gives me Dawood’s number, he was 7adda asleep. Meanwhile Mr Batman was online, so I say can you please call Dawood and ask him to wait for my call, cuz I supposed that he won’t pick it up cuz he doesn’t have my brother’s number and it’s 6:12 exactly! . So Batman calls Dawood. Dawood tells him that he’ll drop it tomorrow…

So I ask Batman for Dawood’s number, though I just got it from Miq!! anyway, I call Dawood and tell him I’m on my way. It’s 10 minutes to his house. OK, I remember that my brother might need his phone cuz he might have work. How can I call Dawood when I’m at is place, cuz I don’t wanna wake up the whole house. So I ask my sister for her mobile, it’s not charged. My other sister’s phone has no credit! Mind you they’re all asleep!

So I go to my brother and ask him what time is his work, he says 9. Great!! I’ll be back before 7 for sure.

I leave to Dawood’s, get my phone. I pass by the gas station on the way. just 3 KD.

I love music!

On the way back home.

Ok, now… again, gotta wake up at 10, take my sister to buy her a new bike cuz she got 97.5% and she doesn’t want a phone anymore. Then meet friends at 11-ish then I have a rehearsal from 2:30 till 4 and finally attend the cinemagic screening at 7.

What a day it’ll be!! I love my life!! :-D

Is this over yet?

No!

I get out of the car, reach for my jacket… NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

It’s now a yogurt and thyme marinated jacket!! Dawood!! I told you to seal the chicken well, and you said you did!! the back seat is also marinated shwayya ba3ad… it’s 7:04!

I take the jacket, leave it in the kitchen… go back to the car to get the chicken. Our driver is washing dad’s car. I tell him to clean the back “marinated” seat.

I put the chicken in the fridge after sealing it again with foil. I head upstairs to my room and I see my mom just coming down to make herself breakfast. I was like “Mom, my jacket! in the kitchen!”

We go to the kitchen, she sees the jacket. She says I’ll handle it. I hug her! thanx mom!!

I ask her to wake me up at 9:30.

She says “your sister is sleeping over at your aunt’s house, take her to buy the bike some other day”

Now I’m seeing my friends at exactly 11, not 11-ish… if you know what I’m saying ;-)
I’ll see you guys in 3 hours!

Anyway…

This is “Junk” by Paul McCartney… Actually an impression of him singing it!! This guy is really good, check out his Freddy Mercury impressions…

Have a nice day everyone :-D

P.S. Thank you Lujain’s parents for sending the photos :) I really appreciate it!
Tell Lujain Tin Man says “Hi” :)

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Catching up… and down…

Yesterday was the last Othello performance, it went really well I think. We got lots of good reviews from people… of course no one will say it was bad! they’ll keep it to themselves, right? but things really went well, and we had people waiting on the gates for tickets for the last 2 days… it was overbooked, at least that was what I heard ;)

I didn’t go to the gym in 2 weeks. And been eating lots of fast food during the rehearsals… what would you eat if you have a 45 minutes break and there’s no decent restaurants next to the British embassy of course, so hello Souq Sharq food court!! I think I gained a lot of weight…. not that I’m worried, but I was really eating wayed wayed and not going to the gym, so you do the math… or you do the fat :p

I still have the last 30 pages of a book I’m reading and didn’t finish it yet, it’s been maybe 4 weeks wallah. I still have lots of projects coming up, 3 short films and an ad for TV… busy busy busy… I haven’t watched a film in a few weeks ba3ad, which is very critical in my case… I miss movie nights in my place, specially the ones that Hussain falls asleep during, it’s an indication that the film is really good… this rating system is better than any other ;)

My brother is getting better, and he’ll be out of the hospital hopefully next Thursday… I really miss him… and glad he’ll be out

I would like also to thank Reemi for organizing the films screening in KU this morning, and thanx to all our friends who came and I hope they enjoyed their time… of course they did!!

After that I went out to lunch with Nada, we had lots of things to talk about and I really had a great time… Thanx Nada, next time is on ME! :)

—-

Ok, people you really gotta see this… I never thought that Steven Seagal can sing to save his life, whatever that means… but really? Steven Seagal? Singing? I’m really surprised… he’s actually not bad… actually good and better than lots of the shit that’s on MTV and the radio

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In the streets according to “The Best of Accordion”

Sep 11 2008 Published by Moos under driving, funny, music, out with friends

I was with my friend driving in his car, we were on the way to Sultan Center in Sharq. My friend got this “Best of Accordion” 3CDs collection from Al-Nazaer cuz it was cheap, anyway… he played one of the CDs… guess what happens? … Life has a new rhythm, a funny one ba3ad. Not HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA funny, but funny in a sense that would make you smile while looking at things, ok maybe I shouldn’t have used the word funny, but yeah…

Just by watching cars move while listening to accordion music you’d think that cars move according to the beats of the accordion. My favorite one is while we were stopping at the traffic light and cars to our right started moving… it was like magic, it was like the first time you went to the circus, unless the first time you went to the circus you were over 14 cuz then it’s just silly… I told my friend to listen to the music and watch the cars move… 15 seconds, he bursts into laughing!! *yaay for me*

So people, wherever you are… I recommend while driving your car, or while your mother is driving… just play some accordion music, you don’t have to make your mother listen to it just put it in your iPod or your CD player if you were still living in 1996… and listen to the music and look around you, it’ll put a smile on your face and your mother will think you’re crazy… but who cares, crazy is the new pink… whatever that means…

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