Day 25: Kuwait Fun: Eating and Shopping.

Aug 23

I woke up early and went for a run this morning. I have really been enjoying the fact that I can go running again. I do not think it is doing much for the buffet belly however, we are being fed so much here that I am putting it on again as fast as I can get rid of it! Oh well, I don’t get access to this food at home, so I need to eat it while I can! I am also really enjoying eating with my hands. Zab taught me how to eat the proper way with your hands, and I really enjoy it. It is fighting against years of programming that eating with your hands is not appropriate. Mom, you did a good job, but I have gone back to my nature roots and have become a big fan of eating with my hands. It feels like there is something missing when I set the table and there is no cutlery. Anyone who we ate with in India would wonder if I wanted a fork or spoon, they were surprised that I would eat with my hands. I encourage you all to try it now and then, it is so freeing. They key is 'scooping' with your finger tips and then 'pushing' the food into your mouth with your thumb. Yes, the ol' scoop and push! Oh, and make sure you wash your hands before and after the meal! We started packing a lot of our stuff back into our bags just to make sure we had enough room. Later in the morning, Zab walked 2km to a fitness center he has access to, but unfortunately, it was a woman’s session, so he walked back home in the 42 degree heat. The heat really takes a lot out of you when you are outside that long. He was pretty wiped.

In the afternoon we went to visit Zab’s parent’s friends, Vijoy and Nirmala, who helped us with our trip through India. They did an amazing job, even with our time and money restraints. If anyone wants to go on a tour through India (or the Indian subcontinent), please check them out! Tourways International in Kuwait. Oh, and off season is the perfect time to go! You get treated like royalty and it is cheap!

We then went to an amazing shopping center called Marina Mall; it was the most expensive and high class mall I have ever been to. There were men all over to make sure we did not look at their woman too long, or take pictures of anything in the mall. So I do not have any pictures to show how amazing it was. I could be making this all up. =) All the stores were the top European or North American stores. There is a huge underground car parkade, a boat marina, and vegetation growing all throughout the massive mall. Needless to say, we didn’t buy anything.

We then went to another higher end shopping area. In Kuwait, the main things to do for entertainment are eating and shopping. This new shopping area we went to was like a high end strip mall where you walk outside and can go into each shop along the way. Walking outside made us really tired. Today it was 50 degrees! It felt very hot. We came home to cool down before heading to Fahaheel to go for supper at one of Zab’s favorite eating establishments. Caesars is a very beautiful palace like restaurant that is on the top of a 5 story building that overlooks the busy streets below, and the ocean on the horizon. We had butter chicken! It was one of the best I have ever had. (Zab’s mother made one for us in Edmonton last year and I don’t think it could be beaten.) The food and the atmosphere were amazing. If you are ever in Kuwait, I would highly suggest it. We walked through a lower end Bazaar to look around, and then walked through a new mall that they are making in Fahaheel. It was amazing! Yet again, we were not allowed to take pictures. The whole roof was like a tent, or the sails of a ship. There were only a few stores open, and they were still working on construction. There is a lot of money in this country! We came home and went to bed at 11:30.