 Water Bottle Shortly after I arrived in Kuwait I noticed that there were public drinking water “stations” located in many places–even in front of private homes. Patrick Padilla, one of my work colleagues here explained that these stations are essentially the equivalent of a public water fountain that we would see back in North America and that these devices can often be seen in communities throughout this part of the Gulf Region. Their design varies widely and they are easy to spot because they are all about 6 feet tall, or higher. Some even have stainless steel cups attached to them on a short chain, so if the passer-by does not have a container they can still enjoy a drink. |
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Here are a few photos that I have taken of some of them in public parks and on side streets here in Kuwait. The stations are connected to the local water supply system so they work off water pressure and never have to be refilled. |
 Bowl and Cup  Front Door/Gatehouse |
| There are also many located in front of private homes. The ones in front of private homes might be placed there by the City or they could be installed by the homeowner. Apparently this is a custom that some people observe, just like we would put a ornamental piece of sculpture in front of our homes.The original design of these stations was very utilitarian and not very attractive. Then somebody got the idea of making them much more interesting looking. |
 One of the Originals  Circular Tower |
| Being involved in the water business, I especially like the mini water tower (first photo with the blue & white stripes). Kuwait has full size water towers of this design at several locations throughout the city. The full size towers are clustered in groups of 4 or 5 and look really neat–especially at night when they are lit up. |
 Kuwait Water Tower  Full Size Water Towers |
| I have seen about 10 different designs here in Kuwait. I’d like to take more photos but several are directly in front of people’s homes and I do not want to be perceived as intruding on their privacy. Every time I spot a “new” design I coax my colleagues to stop and let me grab a photo. Below right are my CH2M HILL work colleagues Harry Morrow and Darren Montgomery at a water station near the grocery store that’s close to our hotel. |
 Water Jug  Harry & Darren Pause For A Drink |
| It’s wonderful that people would install these and share their water with the public, especially in a country where the weather can get really, really hot. If you are out walking, a cool drink along the way is a nice thing to have. |
 Kuwait Communications Tower  The Real Thing |
| The water stations are made out of fiberglass and many of them are inspired by actual buildings in Kuwait. So Catherine, do you think that one of these would look good in front of our home in London, Ontario? I’m “game” if you are 🙂 It certainly would be unique. |
Category Archives: 2011 – Kuwait
Full Moon Over Kuwait
The other night a few of us went out for dinner at a pizza restaurant that is just a short walk away from our hotel. It was a beautiful evening and when we got back to the hotel parking lot the full moon was rising over the palm trees at the hotel. It was beautiful to see. I took several photos and this was the best shot I could get with my little camera.
I did not have a tripod to help me steady the camera for night photography so I set it set up on a traffic cone that I placed on a nearby curb wall–so I could get the height that I needed. People walking by thought I was a bit nuts until they got up close and saw what I was doing.
Anyway, the full moon makes us all a little bit crazy, eh!
Kuwait Mishref Project Mascot “K-9 Gary”
David and Mishref Project Mascot “K-9 Gary”
Here’s a photo of my friend David and K-9 “Gary”.
This stray dog hangs around the project site and is usually there to greet us several mornings each week when we arrive for work. It is very friendly and the local construction workers sometimes share some of their food with it.
Gary Miller wanted to help the dog too, so he bought some proper dog food and sees to it that the pooch gets a square meal on a fairly regular basis. The dog was christened “Gary” in honor of its sponsor 🙂
I’d take “K-9 Gary” home with me if I could. Catherine and Emily would be pleased but I’m not too sure about our 2 cats…… 🙂
Wally & David’s Excellent Kuwait Adventure!
 Wally and David at Kuwait Aquarium You need an international driver’s license to be able to drive in Kuwait and it is a bit tricky to get around the city. As a result, we have a hired a driver to get us back and forth to work and to different locations throughout the workday. David is our professional driver. He has lived and worked here in Kuwait for about 10 years, so he knows his way around. |
 David was kind enough to show me around Kuwait on my last day off (April 8). We toured the city and saw many of the local sites that I would never have been able to find on my own. One of our first stops was at the iconic Kuwait towers. The tallest tower has an observation deck approximately 120 meters high. The view of the city is pretty impressive from this location. |
 Kuwait city center has many high rise office buildings and it is obvious that the architects are encouraged to bring innovation and creativity to their designs. |
 Several of the towers have a “twist” to them. They are beautiful to look at. I would love to get up close and inside them sometime. |
 Next along the way was a stop at the Kuwait Public Market. This is an incredible place with huge fresh fish and fresh produce market buildings side-by-side. We were there on a Friday afternoon and the place was full of people shopping, talking and visiting with each other. I look forward to coming back to this spot to do some shopping myself! |
 We stopped at a beach so I could get a nice photo of the Kuwait Towers and the Arabian Gulf. The view was fantastic and the wind and water conditions were perfect for sailing. I wish I could find a dingy for rent somewhere! David took me to many other places and we had a great time. I look foward to getting some more opportunities to explore Kuwait and to get to know the city and the country better. |
Dust Storm Hits Kuwait
A dust storm hit Kuwait last Friday, March 25th. Thankfully, I was safe in my hotel room when it arrived in our area. The windows in my room look in to a fairly large courtyard that is surrounded on all four sides by buildings. It was a nice sunny day and the next time I looked out my window the sun was gone and I could hardly see to the other side of the courtyard. At first I thought it was fog that had come in off the gulf but when I went to the door to take a closer look I realized that it was dust, not fog!
The storm lasted a few hours and when it was over there was a layer of dust all over the place about ¼” thick—even in the hotel’s underground parking garage! This dust is very fine—like icing sugar. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be caught out in that storm while you were walking or driving in a car.
People all over the city have been busy cleaning up the mess. Apparently this is the time of year when dust storms can occur, so there may be more yet to come.
Has anyone got a few extra Swiffers they can loan me?