• Yes, I’m back here (as in kuwait) since the 16th of May.
• I just started a new job (again).
• I have plans for the blog (still).
• The new line of T-Shirts will eventually come some time in the next 5 years.
• The trip was awesome, thanks for asking. I will try to write something about it (for memory sake at least).
• I still don’t have a connection at home (E-Go Zago)
• I will be back to teaching short courses on graphic design in SAE, The course covers the three main applications (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign). The course has a lot of hands-on exercises. The course will start this Saturday at 6:30. I believe you can still join the class even an hour before the beginning of the first lecture (as long as you have the fees I guess). Call them today (4826886) and ask for Ali or Pier. Yes that was a shameless plug sponsored by The Tata Botata Extravaganza.
• Bootyless Booty Call Buddy, Call me.

Tata Botata, The Extravaganzaaaa

Moscowww … Ah … Washingtooooon.

More about that later

Ok, a big big update is due here …

After a year at my job in a regional, semi-international agency here in Kuwait I decided It’s time for me to move on. I quit my job on the first of February and I scheduled a break for a month to get my life together and have some fun. I already have secured a job by then and felt everything was under control.

Already 20 days into the break, I travel to Dubai for 10 days, catch up with the friends I made from the last trip and make new ones.

I cut the trip two days short and I come back to kuwait to find the job I secured gone and even plan B was falling apart.

I chilled for almost another month. Being broke to the bone, I still managed to have fun. I spent the whole time jamming with friends, going out and shooting amazing places like I used to. I was really happy, except I wasn’t making any money.

Just a day after I went out and I approached few agencies, I get a call from this Kuwaiti design studio. I always admired their passion for what they do. We talked … and I signed.

It’s my fifth day here and I’m really liking it. For the first time ever I play my kind of music on the speakers and everybody seems to like it. So long headphones!

I’m excited about this change and along with this I think I will try to make an effort to come back to blogging. I’m working on a redesign but you don’t have to wait to read my new posts.

I think a party is due, to celebrate the comeback and also to celebrate my first year of independence (since I moved out). Stay tuned.

“SAE Institute is the world’s largest audio college, with over 45 campuses on four continents. Creative, practical training in audio engineering, music production, filmmaking, digital video, animation, graphics, multimedia, entertainment business, web design and development since 1976.”

They are opening in kuwait, and the classes will start as soon as the 5th of next month. I was invited recently by them to be a guest lecturer and to work on some intensive weekend workshops. I was brainstorming with the school manager yesterday and guess who was working on his new album at the studios of the school? No other than Star Academy’s Star, Bashaar AL Shati. I even sneaked inside the studio and said hi and wished him good luck with the new album. Nice guy, really down to earth.

Today they are having an open day, from 2-6 PM.If you are interested in audio engineering, music production, filmmaking, digital video, animation, graphics, multimedia, entertainment business, web design and development then pay them a visit today and see for yourself what they have to offer. They are located in the industrial area of Shuwaikh, behind Canada-Dry St, In the same building as Portland Cement. More on the website.

Link: SAE Institute Kuwait

… and loving her.

For those who are missing the hell out of me, I will be back next week. Dubai people, Sorry, I gave the two t-shirts I brought with me to her.

I will be in Dubai tomorrow at night for a quick clubbing then then next day I will be off to RAK (Ras Al Khaymah) for a workshop then back to Dubai for a whole week on sunday night.

The first time I went to dubai was for Kitabat Conference and I didn’t really get to do much in dubai. Time was tight and the whole conference was so intensive you can’t do anything in the after-hours.

I’m open for suggestions on what to do in dubai this month.

I know I will have to do IBO (dubai’s hottest spot right now), I know I will be at the Thirst Studio event on the 12th at Wafi and I know as hell I will be freezing my ass on the artificial snow of the Ski thing at Mall of the Emirates.

Totally open for suggestions, Also open to meet new fun-loving, outgoing people.

Also if anybody wants a T-shirt or a Tata Botata mug, feel free to reserve it here.

Probably the biggest mac news this year.

I’m so excited … I think I just had an orgasm.

Link

I just got this message:

Lebanese Embassy is collections clothes, blankets, canned food to send aid into lebanon. Please help in their collection and drop it off at the embassy.

Please think about it, how long it will take you to gather your friends and ask each of them to donate something like 10 KD or something, skipping starbucks one day won’t kill anybody. Instead get together, buy the things mentioned above and send them to the embassy.

and please be smart when you buy things, don’t go to sultan center and buy some canned food items like that, instead go to the wholesale markets in Shuwaikh and get cartoons for way cheaper prices. Help more people by being a smart consumer.

god bless

meanwhile I’m working on something for the cause

We just got this from MTC’s (or I don’t know whose) obligatory service, Kuwaitna.

الوزير المعتوق: الأوقاف أول وزارة في الحكومة تطبق التراسل الإلكتروني.

Oh really? You guys just found out about email? and now you’re bragging about how ignorant you are?

I wonder what will they send to each other? Anybody up for a new Nancy Ajram video?

Bassinet is opening today in its new location in Salmyia , at Tala Complex. It should be really interesting. A lot of bloggers are going to be there, hell, the owner of the shop is a blogger herself. So I guess you can call this a blogger-stalkers dream event. :p

OK here’s the deal, I’m absolutely broke (no I got 450 fils, not even enough for Sargam. you got the picture) Buy some of my t-shirts there and support a starving fellow blogger (and you will go to heaven mos def.)

On a political note, I heard there will be a gathering in front the parliament tonight at 8 PM.

My roomie is …

OK, so It’s unusually quite at work and I’m not working on anything really.I guess it’s time I give you the long awaited update on what’s been happening in tatabotatasville.

One main thing is, ladies and gents, I got a job and I would like to think of it as THE job. I’ve been working as an Art Director at a local agency since the 4th of January. I decided to stop blogging temporarily to focus all of my attention on my job. I mean how many times I’m gonna sit here and click to see if there’s any new comments here and there, I’m sure you know what I mean. I just didn’t have the time to do that. No more chatting on msn (sorry my msn pals, I will make it up one day).

I’m sure you guys are wondering why don’t you blog when you go home after work when you’re all chilled and comfortable wearing your ‘emkasar’ and sitting cross-legged on your old chair at the comfort of your home. Well, Ladies in gents, …. yes here it comes …. I MOVED OUT OF JAHRA! (finally)

It’s my third month in there and I gotta tell you guys and girls, I LUUUUURVE IT. I’m only 10 minutes away from work. I don’t have to hear the noise of my little brothers having a fist fight anymore. I don’t have to drive somewhere at midnight to get a sandwich from my big brother’s favorite restaurant … just because he wants me to. No more ‘when are you gonna get married, son’ talk. No more weird looks on my way out of Jahra.

Now don’t get me wrong, It’s not like I abandoned my roots and family. I still visit them every weekend and sleep there whenever I can. It’s not liked they used to see me everyday back in my freelancing days. I had days where It’s just practical to sleep in the office, because I stayed working really late and I have to be here again in the morning (in 5 hours basically) so I might as well unfold my sleeping bag and snuggle inside it.

Hmmm … What else? Yeah so I don’t have a phone line in my new residence and I kinda like the idea of being disonccedted. (erm … yeah right) No really … I didn’t really miss my roommate’s TV when she broke it. I like how quite it can get sometimes. How suddenly you have the time to do so MANY things and hey, I still got my computers If I was in the mood for a DVD.

My roommate is in london since two weeks now and honestly, I think I like it better this way. I mean we’re friends and everything but I think I’m a loner. I’ve been contemplating a house warming dinner ever since I moved in my lovely place and maybe invite some of my bloggers and bloggeritas but I think Kuwait’s summer will do more than just ‘warming’ the place. :p

OK, somebody just tapped on the shoulder to remind that I ACTUALLY have something to do.

See you guys and feel free to ask any questions, I may/ may not try to answer them.

TWO DAYS WEEKEND, FINALLY.

Life can’t get any better. :p

Spam got the best of me and I decided to get rid of that chatterbox, really it became annoying as hell. PLUS, I would rather get emails than wait two-three days to see what’s in my chatterbox. My cell phone is configured to check my email every 30 minutes, so be sure whatever you send to me will be read and will most probably get a reply instantly wherever the fuck I be.

My email is bighair at this very same domain you’re reading this blog from.

Thank you

Yesterday I finally managed to meet the beautiful people of mukan and I supplied them with the new t-shirts. So for those who are still looking for them, you can find them in mukan. BTW I had the best club sandwich ever in mukan yesterday, john makes it like no other.

wait for mukan’s map

On another happier note, I GOT MY CAAAAR. Too bad they say I have to drive it really slow (80 Km/H) for a week or so.

My fairouz-loving friend just sent me an audio clip with samples of the songs she sung in her latest concert in Dubai at the American University. I think she still got it and I’m looking forward to listen to her album which is on hold for the moment as she’s a little bit depressed, Is that a new thing to Fairouz? :p

Listen: AUD Concert Sampler

I’m back, … I think.

So lock up your daughter
Lock up your wife
Lock up your back door
And run for your life
The man is back in town
So don’t you mess me ’round

AC/DC - TNT

This blog is still closed till further notice, however, I have an important announcment to make.

The beautiful people of KCA (Kuwait Center for Autism) are throwing their fifth annual bazaar and guess who will be selling his t-shirts there. Be there, support the center and their cause and finally get the most sought after t-shirts in kuwait.

I might not be there all the time but I will try my best to be in my table during night times after 7 maybe.

The exhibition will be near the center’s building in Mishref, for exact directions and map click here.

Note: The exhibition will open today at 5 PM, will stay open for three days after that. On the last day (thursday) there will be a draw on the copouns.

Update: I’m not gonna make it today, the t-shirts are not done yet but hopefully tomorrow morning I will get everything and arrange it on my table myself.

A local ad agency got recently nominated for some london based ad awards, The agency gave the festival the credits information. They basically, placed everybody’s name in there EXCEPT the person who ACTUALLY sat his/her ass down and finished the project ON THEIR OWN. They agency went as far as including the name of the associate creative director who wasn’t even in the country at the time of doing the nominated project.

Names are not mentioned to save the innocent

واللي على راسه بطحه خل يحسس عليها هنيه

There’s a musical performance tinight at Dasmah Theatre in (duh) Dasmah Area. Very rhythem-driven I hear.
I will come, loaded with CnH2n+1OH in my blood. This should be interesting.

Now if only I know where the hell is that, somebody call me give me directions.

Miss Mexico is tons of hotness. Miss Scotland looks kinda pregnant/overweight in that black dress. Miss Peru rocks my pants. Miss Italy’s curly blond big hair is just amazing.

Go through the contestants and tell me of any fuuny, hot, weird pictures or anything interesting.

I’m sorry to categorize this post as “Sex” but that’s what it is.

[Link]

This is so funny, Anybody have seen this? Sorry only in arabic.

Would have loved to see/ hear that. Anybody by any chance records al jazeera as a hobby?

In other news, Al Jazeera opened their office in Tel Aviv.

Although I didn’t ask to be added to their maillist, Msder.com is a nice website covering arabic media.

I just looked out of the window and I saw the streets all wet with water.

Dear Fairouz Loving Friend who discovered my blog recently, This is just about perfect time you give me that obscure fairouz CD.

Just when I wanted to blog about the cancellation of the brazilian/ kuwait football match I find three posts already there on safat.

Guess who’s blogging from the comfort of his new office.

Apparently it’s a cover of the supposedly classic “Je T’aime” done by one of the girls (or all of them as the file name implies) of Star Academy.

Thanks to “Meloo” who commented with a link to the song. Somebody actually mention the song before in the comments but I didn’t believe something this good would come out of Star Academy.

So it’s basically the tenth (last track) of the Star Academy 2 CD.
I bet somebody out there got the CD, please rip it off and gmail it to me at tata [-dot-] botata [-at-] gmail [-dot-] com and post a comment here if you did so other would know.

Hell, maybe somebody wants to upload it with Rapidshare.de and spread the love all around.

I noticed since three days ago or so that Al-Watan newspaper have replaced the daily caricature of the iconic artist Ali Farzaat with the embarrassingly kuwaiti hand puppet, Mohammad Thallaab.

What’s worse, Thallab is actually is “living the role” and he already started to copy farzaat’s style known for it’s simplicity and usual lack of any written comments. Only thallab’s caricatures are hardly digested and it will probably leave you wondering, “what’s the point?”.

Good going, Al-Watan, from worse to worst.
I know for sure I won’t renew my subscription.

Sorry for being a way for a bit, Eid makes me really lazy which reminds me … Happy Eid and all that. It’s been quite lately except for the surprise birthday party my mom threw for me. That’s what you get when for being a good son who do surprise parties for his parents on their birthdays.

I’m moving soon to some office in the city and the cool thing is I won’t have to pay a penny. I made a deal with one of my clients (more like a partner now) who use my services on regular basis, to use this empty room in his office in exchange for my services. We agreed on some system to do this so it will be fair for both of us.

I hope this is the first step to move out of jahra.

So, I would love to hear from you guys any tips about moving and stuff like that.

God bless

Bush said he instructed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to “call upon the United Nations to convene a session as quickly as possible to deal with this very serious matter.”

Link

United Nations to convene a session? for this?

I’m by no means trying to underestimate what they’ve done but bush’s reaction to this only means one thing.

Some body will be fucked really hard.
Vote in the poll to the right.

Just testing stuff …

Well, some people already know about this but the Extravaganza got a facelift, and some more. I’m still working on it so your feed back will be much appreciated. A screenshot from a windows machine would be really nice right now. There’s a lot of things I need to do, categories, fixing old weird posts, maybe few more pages, install a bunch of plug-ins and more and more.

Update your bookmarks/ blogrolls/ RSS feed readers.

www.tatabotata.com

Update: Oopsy, It seems like Feedburner posted the last few posts of my blog on safat all at once. Sorry.

Guess who got picked to test the new blogging service from WordPress. I Will tell you all about it once I get to play around with it.
Just about time if you ask me, I was looking forward playing with wordpress before I do the actual move.