Home !

Ha! I made it!
I am home!
And it couldn't be better! We have snow and it's cold! LOVE IT!
Went shopping in the morning of my arrival day and bought everything that you need for a typical breakfast and everything you can't get anywhere in Kuwait. Hmmmm ... GREAT !
Still suffer under my cold. :( My sinuses (is that spelled correct?) are still hurting and it doesn't look like it wants to get better...
Tomorrow I'll go to the city to do some christmas shopping. There are a few orders from Kuwait and I still need stuff for my family!
Anyway... just wanted to let you guys know that I am still alive and I am good!
Have fun in Kuwait (I know it's hard since I am not around :P) and stay sober!

OHHHH! And thanks for all your birthday wishes! But my birthday is on the 24th!!! :P

Leaving on a jetplane...

Before I leave Kuwait, I need to say: THANK YOU !!! Muuuuah!!
Thank you everyone who was there yesterday for my surprise birthday party! (even if it was like 9 days early... :P)
Really didn't know anything and everyone kept quiet about it! So it was really a big surprise!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Now I am in a big hurry ... I still havn't bought ANY presents for my family at home and I fly tonight! So... guess I just race down to Fahaheel and buy some Sandelwood, the funny looking thingy you burn it in and some other "arabic" stuff made in china... :P

Then I'll be on my way to Germany. I will leave Kuwait, my "old" Job and friends behind. But no worries ... at least not my friends! I'll be back! PROMISE! Since it looks really good with a new Job in Kuwait! So ... sorry guys from L..... C........ and O.T.C. ... you'll have to find someone else doing all that crap! :)

So on the 28th of this month I'll come back so I can celebrate the new year with all of you!!

Till then,
take care and keep posting so I know whats going on in Kuwait! :)

My Desktop

Tagged by Unknown Entity

YES! I do have a Desktop with a girl wearing a Niqab... :)

And you know whats strange? All the guys coming into my office and see it... they want to have it! But no no no! MINE !!! :P

So who do I tag now?!
1. Drunk'n'Gorgeous
2. Mariam
3. Jazz Central

The word is out ...

How and where to start? OK... my contract with my current employer will not be extended. So my last working day for them is the 31st of this month.
Why? We lost a big project in Iraq and it seems like we'll lose more in the near future... so there is no need for "over head" like me. I don't bring money ... I just cost and spend it...

So am I sad to leave this company?
Yes and no. On one side I can remember times in this company where it was very stressful but fun to work and on the other side I see how the company has developed in the last 4-5 months and I don't like that at all. More and more restrictions and bullshit came from our customer and instead of saying " ok ... that's it ... you crossed the line " they just went on and said nothing.
I will miss very few people that I worked with and that accompanied me thru almost 1 year of HR work.

I was not shocked, mad or angry and I did not even have to ask why when they told me since I was expecting it for quite a long time already. The only sad thing is that I knew it was coming and so did the company management and management did nothing to keep the "work flowing".
It was a year that developed skills in me and that thought me a lot about people/Kuwait/dealing with dickheads.

So what's going to happen now?
Since I knew it was coming and I didn't feel well in the company anyway, I was already looking for something else. I wanted to get away from a very good paid but very insecure job and get hired by a local Kuwaiti company with a long term contract. So ... as it looks right now I do get a chance with a company here in Kuwait. I expect their offer today and I could start most likely on the 1st of January 2006.

So keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Friends ...

I had a conversation yesterday that made me think about my "friends"...
I am going for a vacation pretty soon to see my family and friends and to celebrate my 30st birthday. My mom want's to know how I would like to celebrate and where, with whom and so on ... So I told her that I would like to see ALL my family (it's not 200 or more people like it may be common here in Kuwait... more like 10-15) and my friends... So since she knows our family she asked me how many of my friends will show up ... That started me thinking!!!
In school I hung out with maybe 60-70 peole on a regular bases and I knew about 300... then I joined military ... I hung out with maybe 20-30 people ... then i started working in a civilian job ... i hung out with maybe 5-10 people ...
NOW I am in Kuwait ... there is a bunch of people I hang out with ... friends ... hmmm ... don't really know ...
Most of the people I would call friends maybe still in Germany ... but it's not more then 2 or 3 people that would come to my birthday ...

Where did all those people go and why don't we see eachother anymore ... ???

Sad and strange... isn't it?

Snow?? Ice??

GET ALIVE!!!
What is it today?? A little rain and everyone is driving like he has highly explosive stuff in the trunk! People honk at you to tell you that you should clear their path even though they are still 150 m away from you and they only drive 30 km/h (that’s 18 seconds till they pass you!). People seem to orientate themselves on the middle concrete wall on the highways because everyone is driving on the left. People have set their windshield wipers to "tropical hurricane level 5" because a raindrop hits their windshield every 30 - 45 seconds (but this is still better then the ones that have no wipers at all!). Warning lights flashing because there is a ditch on the road that is 2,35 cm deep. High beam and fog lights turned on to warn the cars 2 kilometres in front and behind you.
I know ... there is oil on the roads and the water is flushing it onto the surface (thank you RKFM for reminding all of us every morning about the dangers on the roads! :/)... the dust and sand form an ice like substance... but still... THE ROADS ARE DRIVABLE!!!! NO REASON TO COMPLETLY ACT UP!!!
The only time you see this kind of behaviour on German (or better European) roads is when you have heavy snow or ice rain. That's the time where you can figure out who has winter tires on his car and who not (winter tires are for pussies!! :P ). Can't wait till I get to Germany to hopefully drive in snow again! It's slower traffic then usual ... but not even half as crazy as over here!

Rethink...

People, I need to rethink the whole idea about breaking the land speed record for Kuwait...

This week is the Kuwait Motor Show... I have been there yesterday and what can I say... I need to rethink my attempt! With my Peugeot 407 I will not be able to compete AT ALL!!!
If you been there ... saw the Audi's, Lamborghini’s, Porsche's and BMW's?!? HOW CAN I COMPETE WITH THEM???
I totally gave up on the idea after being the passenger in an Aston Martin DB9. You know the feeling when you are flying and the plane hits an air pocket and your stomach feels funny!? Ok... you have this feeling in a DB9 from the second the engine is running ... acceleration is AWSOME! Top speed beyond 300 km/h (still may not be enough to break the record). REAL NICE!!
But not only because this car costs more then I earn in a year I would not buy it ... no ... there are other reasons also ... Picture this:
My friend and I where on highway 40 driving the BB9 with about 120km/h ... on the lane right of us pulls up a car ... he get's his camera out and clicks pictures of the car ... !??!?! WTF?!?!
Since there are only (I think) 29 DB9 in Kuwait, people will always know where you are... don't really know if this is good or not ... but I like to have some privacy even if I go to public places.

Well ... my friend would probably kill me if I tell you that a DB9 is not a car to buy ... it is!! Awesome manufacturing! Hand build, though designed and absolutely individual! If I would not have to worry about what's paying my bills ... I would have one ... and a Vanquish right with it!! :P

But seriously now. There are real nice cars at the motor show and some real jewels as well! Maybe if you talk to the guys from Audi real nice they'll show you their treasure! Well hidden and very exclusive! And while you are there ... check out the RS4 and A8...
Right next to Audi you can find Volkswagen. Check out the Phaeton!!
Porsche displays the Porsche Carrera GT ... a monster!
For the guys that like the H2 ... the H3 is presented ... for me the H1 is still the best out of their series ... but this is just me ... :P
In the same hall you can find a real classic race car ... the Ford GT! They have one on display that seems to be a customer car ... he still has his radar warner in the front windshield!! :P Hope for him that police won't recognize...

And what would cars be without beautiful women?!?! Skoda won the unofficial beauty contest with a hostess named Hannan (if I remember right). She was trying to sell us a car and showed us the features of it ... when she explained that we could fit our skis in the trunk by sticking them thru the rear seat I tried hard not to crack up ... SKI?!?!? THIS IS THE KUWAIT MOTOR SHOW!!! NO SNOW!!! NO MOUNTAINS!!! But still ... she won!

Well ... so for me it's back to the drawing board ... and if I really want to break the record ... I think I need a filthy rich sponsor!
Anyone?!? No?!?

Aaaaaarrrrrgh !!!

No... I did not die yet on the streets of Kuwait. It was just that nothing happened that I would like to write here or discuss in public. I was doing my work, had my private life and worked on breaking the land speed record in Kuwait with my little Peugeot.
My average time to work is getting better day by day... maybe because I decided that it's a waste of energy to flash the high beam ... I decided to leave it on ALL the time. It seems to work. Well, almost... Convoys and their beloved commander’s don't give a shit. But since they have the bigger vehicles I step back and let them do. Hmmm ... maybe I should also get a truck and start tuning it to not only break the land speed record for cars but at the same time for trucks!
So like I said everything is running smooth and easy.
BAAAANG!!! CRACK!!!!
What the **** !!! That Beamer in front of my on 6th ring road just lost some major solid part from its engine and decided to drop it onto my hood and into my windshield!!! WTF!!! I only saw it for a split second and I thought it's coming thru the windshield so I covered my face and duck down. Nasty loud sound ... windshield still there ... Beamer still driving ...?!?!?! WHAT WAS THAT?!?! Ahhh ... there is the one to blame!!! LEFT side of the highway is a truck and a driver to it that looks very confused and is looking at his truck and kinda wonders why it's not running anymore. Duh!!! Hey pal, the part you are looking for was trying to kill me and the cars following me are spreading it out on to the highway!!!
This truck was one of the kind where you kind of wonder that they are driving at all. The tank is strapped with some wire, the tires already have 2.5 million kilometres of Kuwaiti and Iraqi roads behind them and would be forbidden to be used in Formula 1 since they have no profile left, the smoke coming out of the exhaust looks worse then the smoke from the Doha power plant, the back of the trailer is following the truck 2m to the side, the "hood" is held with wire, the air pressure hoses for the brakes of the trailer dangle in the wind, the 16 break lights on the trailer don't work, etc. etc.
Did the government ever think of something like a technical inspection for vehicles on their roads?! If not ... they should start thinking about it. (If a government official is reading this and needs some help or guidelines, please leave a comment and I get back with you)
Well, now I have this big ****ing, nasty dent in my hood and I need a new windshield. My boss will tell me again that this would not have happened if I would have driven only 120 km/h and I have to tell him that when this happened I actually was driving 120 km/h since the driver of the beamer didn't really know where the throttle or the middle lane is.
So now I start thinking if I may need a different car for my record attempt. I had nothing but luck with this one ... AC not working / transmission problems / sudden window combustion / trucks hitting / heater (YES! It's cold in the morning!) and now people throwing their junk on my hood.
The rental company is informed and delivers me a new Evil Knievel car ... I figure it's going to be a Mazda 6 ... nice car but no records will be broken with it.

In real life it looks worse

Dear Convoy Commanders

Why are you doing this to us (and I believe specially to me!)?
I know that being the leading vehicle of a convoy is a very boring job ... specially here in Kuwait. No enemy's to fight back, no roadside bombs and no people rushing on the street cursing you out. Your car could go much faster and most likely you would love to drive faster to take your shower and go to sleep. I been there and done it... it's the most boring thing to do!!
BUT... before I let you go to bed I have a few questions:

1. Why is it that you have to use the middle lane of the highway, blocking all kind of other traffic?
2. Why do you have to drive 120 km/h with trucks trying to catch up with you and therefore doing very wild maneuvers?
3. Why don't you look what your guys are doing behind you? Like overtaking within the convoy and blocking 3 lanes and other crap like this?
4. Why don't you check the load and if it's secured properly?
5. Why do you always have to be at the traffic light from Highway 40 to 7th ring road before me and why do you need to use all three lanes there?
6. Why don't you check if your drivers can really drive?
7. Why do you in your armored Hummer followed by a bus have to use the speedlane driving 90 km/h?

I know ... it's a lot of questions for you to answer. So let me help you a little... told you... I did the same thing.

1. I have no clue why you do this? There are NO roadside bombs in Kuwait! It worked just fine using the truck lane (that's the one on the far right)!
2. That's because you are tired and want to go home... is it?
3. I have no clue why you let this happen ... it's your responsibility that everyone is driving "save".
4. It is so simple ... you go there ... you look at it ... you tell him to strap it down properly. They will do if you tell them! Really! They understand you ...
5. Guess you woke up earlier then me and then waited for me there. I don't mind ... But please... let me pass. I am late for work and I don't want to talk with you or one of your drivers (ohh... and tell them to step on the brake while waiting there! Don't let them roll backwards ... but this is a different story).
6. Easy task ... they should have a thingy called "drivers license". OK ... people will now start arguing with me that a Kuwaiti drivers license is more or less just like a card from the library... it doesn't really mean that you can drive or read a book. But at least you have a hint if he is driving for a while by looking at the issue date. I had a guy from Nepal that said he was driving for years. I believed him (I was young and stupid back then) until I told him to back up his truck with trailer for about 80 meters. After 15 minutes and 10 meters I pulled him out of the cab. His drivers license was OK... but only 2 weeks old. In Nepal he was driving a small van ...
7. Here I really can not help you ... I have absolutely no idea why you do this crap!

I hope I didn't keep you awake to long and you find some sleep so you can wake up tomorrow and beat me on the traffic light and let your drivers do the same crap the did yesterday.

Yours truly,

Evil Knievel

I hate Monday's !

I used to say that when still living in Germany since this would be the first working day of a week. When working over here, that changed to "I hate Saturdays". Well ... Today that changed. I had my day off yesterday... but today I hate Monday not for the fact that I am back at work... I hate it because someone close to me is leaving Kuwait.

I know this guy for at least 18 years... we been thru a lot of ups and downs together... from learning German over not talking to eachother for 3 years because I took his girlfriend to working together in Kuwait.
He is more or less happy to go back (can't really blame him) and is always smiling when he is speaking of the unavoidable flight back to Frankfurt. But me and some of the new friends he made here will miss him.
- How can I win in tablesoccer (or baby foot like it's called here) without him?
- Who can I bug for "high" Arabic words now?
- Who will go fishing with me now?

Well ... I'll survive it for sure ... but I am definitely not happy about the circumstances that made him leave Kuwait.

The only good thing today so far is ... the roads where empty and I only had to brake once for a truck and once for a pick-up on my way to work ... :P

Kids! Don't try this at home!

I should have known better...

After all those thousands of kilometers driving on the speedy lane in Kuwait i should have known better... WAY BETTER!!!

Simple situaton ... 3 lanes at a red traffic light. Left of me was a Kuwaiti chick in a Mercedes, right of me a truck with trailer (the ones where you thnk he can be happy to carry a load of styrofoam without the trailer braking into two halfs) and me of course in the middle lane. For people that are familiar with the roads here ... it was the exit off from highway 40 (coming from Fahaheel) on to 7th ring road.

Well ... i guess the people left and right of me where just as much in a hurry as i was ... so as soon as the light turned green all of us took off... It was working real nice ... till ... the Mercedes came very close to my left rear view mirror and the rest of my car. On the right side the truck was also coming very close.

OK ... i thought "you better stop, or the Mercedes will hit you and police will give you a hard time since she is Kuwaiti" ... so i did. This girl was driving from her left lane completly into mine ... good thing I stopped.

OK ... I am supposed to be the fastest ... but there is times where i just give up for 30 seconds and then I decide to pay it back ... overtake this guy/girl and scream something like "WTF !!!" while passing...

CRACK SCREEEEETCH !!!!!!!!

The rear end of the trailer also came on to my lane ... with the only difference that the part of the lane whicht he choose was still occupied with my car!

Mercedes gone ... truck not willing to stop ... police not around ... me in a bad hurry to be on time for work ... F..K !!! Guess i just lost a few KD for repairing the car...

Now what went wrong ... a team of Kuwait traffic experts and me studied this case very thourogh.

1. I did not flirt with the Kuwaiti chick to the left.
2. I did not use the high beam to warn either one of them.
3. I was not playing with the throttle while waiting for green, showing the others that i really have a fast and powerfull car and i am in a hurry.
4. I did not stay in my lane using the horn to show both of them that i don't care about them and need to go first.

I told you ... I should have known better ...

P.S. Anyone knows a good garage? OUTSIDE OF SHOUWAIK !!!

Tagged by unknown entity

After being lectured yesterday about what a tag actually is ... well... here it is:

7 things I plan to do
1) Break the Kuwait land speed record for cars
2) See snow back home in Dec.
3) Go diving somewhere in the Gulf or in the Maledives in Jan./Feb.
4) move out of the company apartment
5) use my bonus miles to fly business class
6) Help making a revolution in Kuwait
7) Own a night club in Kuwait (only after 6 is done sucsessfully)

7 things I can do:
1) laugh
2) driving fast
3) diving deep
4) park
5) discuss all kinds of things
6) admitt a mistake
7) Talk bullshit


7 things I can't do:
1) drive slow
2) be serious over a period longer then 6 hours
3) do something without thinking
4) remember what indian food i had last time and that i would like to eat again
5) write my resume without help ... :P (Thank you again!)
6) understand arabic (sad if you think of me being here for 2 years!)
7) be always on time

7 things I always say:
1) outta my way!
2) WTF !!
3) I gave that to you already!
4) Well ...
5) ehhhmm ...
6) sah! or sah?
7) No sir! I was not that fast... Your camera must be broken.

And now ... I tag Mariam!

Mornin' all

Let me introduce myself. My name is Evil Knievel (not really but police in Kuwait called me like that once), I am 29 (just another few weeks) and I am a German kafir (non-believer) living in Kuwait for almost 2 years already.
A kafir like me comes into a lot of funny, scary, strange situations in Kuwait ... and that's what I'll be bloggin' about.
Have patience with me since I don't think I am a good writer ... but we'll see ...
I am sure with the help of someone living very close to me I'll be able to present reasonable good results ... :P
She had to help me already to get my blog started ... hope I don't bug her all the time :)

So ... let me see ...
Life in the speed lane ... can be over quick ... specially here with all them crazy truck drivers and little pickup trucks that think they own the highway. But what can I say ... I speed ... ALOT. :P
Call me names, curse me out, ... I think this is in my blood being German and being used to REAL highways with actual RULES. Well, one of the rules in Germany is ... DRIVE ... almost as fast as you want ... 250 km/h would not be a big issue ... here ... it unfortunately is. Even though the highways here are not that bad at all ... nice wide lanes ... Asphalt is ok ... 2 emergency lanes (I wonder why they are not used as such) ... BUT ... the drivers.
I heard a lot of stories on how people over here get a drivers license ... from just paying a few KD, failing miserably and still getting one to just pretending to have one...
But all this would go into details that I would like to talk about later.
For now I am just happy that my blog is working ... :D

So ... see you (but only for a split second since I overtake you with 220 km/h) :P

KIDS! Don't try that at home!!!

Yours,
Evil Knievel