The Avenues Mall.... and more!

Thursday
We weren’t in a rush to get up this morning after our long night/day traveling yesterday, so I guess it was mid morning when we took a taxi to the Avenues Mall, the largest Mall in Kuwait. The journey took quite a while - traffic is dreadful in Kuwait - just too many vehicles on the road. There is no metro, and the bus service leaves something to be desired! What we hadn’t realized, and neither had Laura when she suggested it was that today was the opening of the 4th and final phase of the Mall, which originally opened in 2007. Besides being merely a place to shop and eat, the malls perform a great social role in this part of the world. In a country where the heat becomes so excessive for much of the year, the malls are a cool haven, a place to hang out, meet friends, go for a walk. It was fascinating walking round, seeing many of the big American, British and a few French stores and restaurants. Cheesecake Factory seems particularly popular over there and there was a big one near the centre of the Mall. The Kuwaitis love their coffee, and there were so many coffee shops - I counted at least six Starbucks alone, and there were other companies too. There was also Paul, the French bakery chain, where we chose to have a bit of lunch. There was also a huge Carrefour hypermarket and a large IKEA store at one end. One area of the Mall is like walking down a real street (or avenue) lined with palm trees, but all under cover. Most of the shots I’ve used in my collage actually feature the new section of the Mall - as you can see, they even laid down the red carpet for us (!!) - and there was a traditional Kuwaiti musical ensemble playing and singing. The heart made of plants in the top left was in honour of Mother’s Day, which apparently was yesterday - it’s always March 21, so it’s not always on a weekend like most other countries that I’m familiar with - seems a bit strange!
We were to be back at the apartment by 4 pm, and we thought it would be nice to have a quick dip in the apartment complex pool before going out again, so after looking round and having a bite to eat we returned to the apartment. The mosque shown in my collage is one seen from Laura’s apartment, and in the distance you can just make out the Gulf. Her apartment is 2-3 blocks from the Gulf, but unfortunately not one of the most attractive stretches of it! This evening was Laura’s choir concert - they were performing Carmina Burana, an extremely challenging work for an amateur choir. Laura’s plan was for us to have an early dinner at a Kuwaiti restaurant she’d had recommended to her, in the same region as the concert. This was also quite close to the Marina (also shown in my collage), so we just had time for a short walk around there before heading to the Concert Hall. We waited in the lobby until the doors were opened, and as we waited, a huge line formed extending out the door. I should also add the Concert was free - the tickets being paid for by the choir’s two business sponsors. The Hall ended up being absolutely packed, and a very appreciative audience. Unfortunately, they couldn’t follow simple instructions, as having been requested by the director at the beginning to save all applause until the end, there were people who applauded after each song! At the end the choir and orchestra were given a standing ovation. Laura, however,  was a little disappointed with how parts of it went, so she’s hoping they do a better performance tomorrow night!
One year ago: Chipmunk