One Saturday morning when I stepped out of the house :)

Hello Friends,

Today I want to share with you some pictures of Saturday which was well spent catching up with my craft group and exploring Kuwait.

Last few months have been very busy at work front and I have been working most weekends. This led to missing my craft meetings which is the last thing I like to do. Weather has been pleasant (and cold) since December and working on weekends led to frustration of not being able to be out in open. Every year I look forward to winter season so that I can attend all the craft bazaars, fairs, open markets and this is what helps me get thru the horrid summer here.

Thursday I decided not to work on weekend and explore some new places . Saturday morning I attended my craft group meet up at Luna & Beau . Its a pet friendly cafe where one can bring their pets , hang out for coffee, play with the resident cats and use the grooming services.

Here are some pics:

After the meetup , we took a quick stop at new to me park -Yarmouk Public Garden which has some recycled art. Its a small park , nicely maintained . We enjoyed a stroll thru the park ,I love how the pics turned out with overcast sky.It has been raining here regularly , with temperatures dipping but high humidity.

Next stop was Kuwait Marine Museum ,also called Al Heshami Marine Muesum. This museum is built next to "Al Hashemi II " which is world's largest dhow with its name entered in Guinness World Records. 

Al Hashemi II

Al Hashemi II is a Baghlah, which is is a large deep-sea dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel. 

The Pearling Boom

The museum houses replicas of traditional Kuwaiti boats like the Boom of different kind , trading boats used in Arabic peninsula,a viking boat and pictorial journey of how the Al Hashemi II was built.

Details on a Vikings boat

Details on a Vikings boat

Mohammedi II- Kuwaiti boom style boat

The museum is small , one of the main reasons people think it would be boring. However, big or small , I'm yet to find a museum where I didn't learn something new.

For people in Kuwait , please use following information:
Location: Inside Radisson Blu , however you can enter the museum without entering the hotel. Ask for direction once you reach the hotel.
Entrance Fees:  Free
Opening hours: Everyday 10 am to 5 pm
Photography: Allowed

If you fancy a luxurious meal, you can dine at the Al Boom or Al Heshami Ball room :)

We came back home after making memories ...a beautiful morning well spent exploring around. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed visiting these places.

Trip to Mirror House, Kuwait

Hello Friends,

Winter has come to an end here in Kuwait and the temperature has started rising..some people call it spring though.

We completed 3 years of living in Kuwait recently and this winter was the best of all years we have been here. The temperature touched 0 deg C and below this year, something I always prefer over 55 deg C. This was also the busiest of season for us, my husband jokingly said that the petrol expenses have doubled in last two months. We have been attending crafty meetups, book club meetings, exhibition, fairs and lastly exploring tourist places when my family visited.

This post is dedicated to one such outing to Mirror House,Kuwait. We visited the Mirror House on 24th Feb for a evening tour.  The House of Mirrors or Mirror House, also known as the Khalifa & Lidia Qattan Art Museum is like a wonderland where every wall, floor and nook of the house is covered with mirrors. Mrs. Lidia Qattan single-handedly transformed an old house into piece of art which is now open to public to admire.  Mrs. Qattan gives you a personal tour of the house , with stories of how she started making one wall for her daughter's room in 1966, how supplies were difficult to get in those days , how termite destroyed the mirror work and it was built again.

Front wall of the house

Entrance 

Main entrance of the house

Mrs Qattan, originally from Italy has passion for art, world peace, humanity which is aptly reflected in her work.

The museum has been divided into sections to experience a magical journey into a world of fantasy, science, mental stimulation and spiritual enlightenment. The journey thru the house is an experience guaranteed to illuminate your heart and soul with its enchanting, energetic, and heart warming host, the artist and creator of this magical place, Lidia Qattan.

Stairs to the upper floor

The hostess has a knack for recycling objects we use in our day to day life like tube lights, water filters, pots and you can find many interesting decorations made of recycled stuff.

Decorations made out of recycled stuff

Close up of one of the painting using buttons

At the start of tour , you are greeted by Mrs. Qattan lovely granddaughter and treated to world's best ginger tea ,cakes and other home made snacks. The best thing about the tour apart from the mirror art is the personal touch Mrs. Qattan adds to the tour by narrating stories of old Kuwait and her life. It is extremely kind of her to give a personal tour instead of hiring a employee to do so.

The museum also houses Mr. Qattan's paintings which are a visual treat .

If you are in Kuwait or plan to visit in near future, a visit to Mirror House is highly recommended.All the info can be found on http://www.mirrorhouseq8.com . Booking a tour just requires a phone call and you can pay when you reach the museum.

P.S. I'm writing this post as a thank you to my fellow expat bloggers who have helped me explore Kuwait in last three years thru their informative posts abt expat life specially in Kuwait.Being in Kuwait , I know from experience that adequate information is not available online and it is thru these blogs that we find tips how to make our lives easier and more enjoyable in this country.I hope this blog post will be useful to new expats in Kuwait who want to explore the country.