Overheard in the Souk

the grapevine

I’ve previously posted about the US Embassy’s Air Quality Index page which shares data on the pollution level around the US Embassy in Bayan. The data most of the time is pretty alarming because of the high level of pollution we generally have which is why it interested me when I found out it’s not that difficult for someone to set up their own air quality sensor.

PurpleAir is an air quality monitoring network where people can purchase an air quality sensor from them for $229 and then set it up near a wi fi spot to allow it to measure and share pollution data over their network. As of now there are three sensors located around Kuwait, one at the Kuwait University Khaldiya Campus, one in Mishref (I think that’s my friend’s place) and one at the ArtStudio in Funaitees.

If you want to check the pollution levels around Kuwait then click here.

On the other hand, if you want to purchase your own air quality sensor and be part of this network then click here.

via Nibaq

(Source: Posted by Mark, 248 am.com, Dec 18, 2019)

On Friday, Dec 13, around 02:00 am. Three towers in Kuwait: 1: Kuwait Towers, 2: Al Hamra Tower, 3: Liberation Tower were hit by lightning at same time. Lightning is an electrical discharge caused by imbalances between storm clouds and the ground, or within the clouds themselves. Most lightning occurs within the clouds.

“Sheet lightning” describes a distant bolt that lights up an entire cloud base. Other visible bolts may appear as bead, ribbon, or rocket lightning.

During a storm, colliding particles of rain, ice, or snow inside storm clouds increase the imbalance between storm clouds and the ground, and often negatively charge the lower reaches of storm clouds. Objects on the ground, like steeples, trees, and the Earth itself, become positively charged – creating an imbalance that nature seeks to remedy by passing current between the two charges.

Lightning is extremely hot – a flash can heat the air around it to temperatures five times hotter than the sun’s surface. This heat causes surrounding air to rapidly expand and vibrate, which creates the pealing thunder we hear a short time after seeing a lightning flash.

Lightning is not only spectacular, it’s dangerous. About 2,000 people are killed worldwide by lightning each year. Hundreds more survive strikes but suffer from a variety of lasting symptoms, including memory loss, dizziness, weakness, numbness, and other life-altering ailments. Lightning’s extreme heat will vaporize the water inside a tree, creating steam that may blow the tree apart. Cars are havens from lightning – but not for the reason that most believe. Tires conduct current, as do metal frames that carry a charge harmlessly to the ground.

In 2016 , a coastguard diver and a citizen were killed after they were struck by a lightning bolt off Khairan beach. In October 2016, an Asian was killed by lightning in northern Kuwait during a freak storm.

(Source: Posted by Kuwait Upto Date, Dec 14, 2019)

Over the past few months, I’ve been obsessed with the TV series Forged in Fire in which bladesmiths compete on the series to win $10,000 and earn the title of Forged in Fire champion. So when I found out there was a local bladesmith I decided to get in touch with him to find out his story.

Fahad Alsayer goes by the handle @ theblademaker on instagram and has been making knives for just over a year. He started making knives for fun before realizing there were people who would be interested in buying his creations. He actually hadn’t thought of selling them until one day while low on cash, he got a phone bill message on his phone. He hadn’t started working at that time and was trying to figure out how to pay his bill when he decided he’d try and sell one of his knives. After managing to sell it, he paid his phone bill and reinvested the remaining amount back into his hobby. Eventually, it became a source of income with local chefs and knife collectors getting in touch with him for one-off creations. He’s even shipped his knives to customers abroad.

I passed by Fahad’s workshop last week, a room in his family home which he converted into his workspace. It’s a pretty cool setup with a knife kiln on one side of the room for heat-treating the metals, and sanders and a sharpening station on the other. Fahad doesn’t forge his metals but instead purchases them in sheets online which he then either shapes manually with a sander, or cuts out using a laser cutter. Due to the cost of the materials as well as the time and skill it takes to create a knife, Fahad’s knives cost KD 90 and up, depending on the size of the knife, amount of work it took and kind of metal used. Some of his customers include @chefkb and @ foodninja whom he created custom knives for. Fahad isn’t the only knifemaker in Kuwait, according to him there are others albeit a small group but they tend to meet once a week to talk knives and help each other out.

If you’re interested in purchasing a knife or checking out Fahad’s work then make sure you check out his instagram @theblademaker

(Source: Posted by Mark, 248am. com, Dec 16, 2019)

Back in 2014, the Pearl Lounge at the main airport terminal got redesigned and

I hated it. The lounge looked cheap and dated while the seats were pretty uncomfortable to sit in. But, a couple of weeks back the lounge finally got a makeover and it now looks better than it ever did.

The new color scheme, the style of seating and the choice of floor tiles give the space a much-needed facelift. The lounge now looks more premium and stylish than before, and by moving the food into the middle of the lounge they were able to break the large space without having to put up any dividers.

Accessing the lounge is the same as before which is either by flying business class on certain airlines or with a credit card.

(Source: Posted by Mark, 248am. com, Dec 16, 2019)

Last year when self check-in kiosks started appearing at the airport they were only working with Turkish Airlines. This past weekend though I noticed the checkin machines have started working with more airlines including: Emirates; Middle East Airlines; Qatar Airways and Saudia.

So now if you’re heading to Dubai or Beirut for the weekend with just a carryon, you don’t have to wait in line at the check-in counters, you can just print your own boarding pass yourself at the kiosks.

(Source: Posted by Mark, 248am.com, Dec 15, 2019)