I know that there are certain general stereotypes of every different country in the Arab region and certain countries dislike some people more then the others but I always had the delusional thought that we were more on the liked scale like Bahrainis or Emaratis, but turns out I was very wrong. We were in Dubai for the weekend for MEFCC or simply Dubai Comic Con which was a lot of fun and I will be posting pics later. We also went out with some friends to a few places and for dinner a few times, and they all live in Dubai and one of the questions we asked them is who they disliked the most from the Gulf Nations, and surprisingly Kuwait was the first to spring up. Even after several questions it seems that Kuwait is first then Saudis second which shocked me. I always thought Saudi were first, then Qatari, then us, but turns out I was completely wrong. There seems to be general dislike for Kuwaitis in Dubai which I didn’t think was even there, never even thought about it, they say we are snobbish and think we are better then everyone else in the Gulf, and that we are very rude. Even the receptionist asked my friend where he is from when he was checking out he said he is Kuwaiti, she said that is surprising, he asked why and she said that usually Kuwaitis are angry and rude to her, she was from an Eastern European country. One note Omanis are one of the most liked in the whole region as they are very polite and nice to everyone and I have to agree they are very nice people.

Are we really that bad, is our whole population that rude to the rest of the world that we develop that sort of reputation. I always thought that we were liked and we treated people well to a degree. Some of ours friends say Dubai is great because everything is fine and you can have fun nobody would bother you as long as you don’t get into an altercation with a local, but Kuwaitis don’t leave people alone and we are rude. I was honestly very embarrassed to hear all that, and they said it to us in the nicest way, this is some of our good friends and a few people we met for the first time.

Link: Flickr

People work for different reasons, and some people save to buy things and some for other reasons. Now in the article linked below from Luxist they are saying spending patterns of the rich and affluent have changed the last few years. From spending money on tangible goods such as cars, jewelry, art, homes, large yachts, and private jets. Now they are moving to more experience type items such as:

• Taking exotic vacations
• Vacation home in the mountains or at the beach
• Extended time off work
• Freedom to work from home

“The human need to seek approval through visible displays of our status is as primordial as ever. What may be changing, however, is how and what we choose to display. The top-rated goods and experiences are reflective of primarily private pleasures and point to a strong aspiration for leisure time, which can also be conspicuous. The shift away from conspicuous consumption from goods to services and experiences can also make luxury more exclusive,”

Personally I have an obsession with electronics and items I enjoy, its not always a necessity but something I enjoy. Working these days isn’t too much of an issue but I know later on I would want more time off. Truth be told we all want a hell of a lot of time off but as long as I am busy, I’m enjoying my work currently even if takes up a lot of time, its satisfying and I work with good people. We all have goals, and its true that sometimes you want to have these special experiences, some are closer then others.

Link: Luxist

What is a Savant?

A savant is a person with a learning disability such as autism who has a particular gift for mathematics, remembering facts or figures or for music or other forms of learning, but finds day to day tasks to be difficult and confusing. Kim Peek was a savant, or in his case a mega savant known for his knowledge, capabilities, and out going attitude even though he suffers from autism. He has recently passed away at the age of 56 with such an inspiring story, with his father as his friend and care taker. I have posted the videos describing his amazing story.

While Rain Man was a fictional narrative, screenwriter Barry Morrow was inspired to create the story after meeting Peek at a convention in the early ’80s. Morrow was charmed by Peek’s ability to memorize everything he heard, and went on to write Raymond Babbitt, the character that earned Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award.

Kim’s father, Fran Peek said of his son: “It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew. He traveled 5,500 miles short of 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people — half have been students.” As the years went on, the younger Peek became a “mega-savant,” having become a genius in an impressive 15 subjects ranging from literature to sports to geography. As MSNBC says: “NASA scientists had been studying Peek, hoping that technology used to study the effects of space travel on the brain would help explain his mental capabilities.”

Link: Cinematical
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