Comments on KaleidoKleio: Lunch with Zahra

There's an excellent article atsmyths.blogspot.com...

2007-10-27T10:11:00.000+03:00

There's an excellent article at
smyths.blogspot.com

Kleio, thanks for the posting, have you received m...

2006-12-06T16:09:00.000+03:00

Kleio, thanks for the posting, have you received my e-mails (I was the one trying to get in touch with Zahra)? I have not heard back. Very interested in the book.

Thanks, Jamie

Obviously I can't give out Zahra's personal contac...

2006-09-27T17:56:00.000+03:00

Obviously I can't give out Zahra's personal contact information to a stranger - so please Email me at q8kleio@gmail.com with your name, contact info, and reason you want to get in touch with her, and I'll forward it along to her.

how would i be able to get in touch with zahra fre...

2006-09-27T17:18:00.000+03:00

how would i be able to get in touch with zahra freeth?

That's really awesome ... and the historical infor...

2006-02-26T14:36:00.000+03:00

That's really awesome ... and the historical information you give is great to read. It's amazing how much there is in this country that's just waiting to be revealed to those who live in it ... maybe that's a task that you should take on :) Congrats on the acknowledgement!!

Mobrrrrooooookkk on the book aknowledgement :- )

2006-02-24T16:22:00.000+03:00

Mobrrrrooooookkk on the book aknowledgement :- )

Very interesting. You just brought back memories, ...

2006-02-23T05:11:00.000+03:00

Very interesting.
You just brought back memories, I remember on Zahra's last visit to q8 she actually had dinner at our house. She wanted to visit the area we live in, which she had some memories as a child.
I must say she's a very interesting and warm person, and I was so fascinated to meet her it was a big deal for me. She told us some of her wonderful stories as a child living in q8. My mom was impressed with her arabic.

I'm glad you had the chance to spend time with her and hopefully you'll spend more time with her to hear more of her stories and bring them back to q8 :)

Kleio, that article is not done yet. You will be ...

2006-02-22T08:53:00.000+03:00

Kleio, that article is not done yet. You will be in a footnote once it is! And the train ride just sounds amazing!

Stallion: Please don't mention that to me, it's a ...

2006-02-21T14:17:00.000+03:00

Stallion: Please don't mention that to me, it's a sensitive topic! :) Well supposedly DH is changing hands and is being transfered under the Museum Department at the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, and since the museum folks are very cool and active hopefully things will change.

DV: Yes, Zahra's books are more lively and fun to read, but at the same time her father's books hold so much information! I'm still trying to find perfect copies of his books, with all plates and maps in place. FYI copies in good condition usually go for anywhere up to £400!!

JC: You haven't been there yet?? I didn't know that! Wait for me to come and give you a historical tour! :)

idip: The last time Zahra came to Kuwait was in 2002, to see the refurbishment of her family's house, and we did some things like you suggested back then. While she would love to come again, unfortunately she broke her hip a couple of years ago and no longer feels that she is up for the journey. She is 81 years old.

Raine: Thank you for the words of encouragement! :) And yeah, I can't wait to see the book! You know this is the second time I make it into the acknowledgements of a book on Kuwaiti history (actually the latest one is not on Kuwait directly but it's a biography of a British official who served in the region). And my own work was footnoted in an academic paper once. Tee hee, I'm on my way! ;) (Red was supposed to footnote me too on *something* I had shared with her but I'm not sure if she ever did, but if so that's TWO footnotes!).

Kleio - It is so great that you are so immersed in...

2006-02-21T13:19:00.000+03:00

Kleio - It is so great that you are so immersed in all things historical! It is also great that you take time in your day to appreciate the (not so) little things: train rides, walking in the rain, music...

And MAJOR kudos on the acknowledgement in the book... Can't wait to see it :)

will she (Zahra) visit Kuwait?If yes, I suggest ar...

2006-02-21T09:55:00.000+03:00

will she (Zahra) visit Kuwait?

If yes, I suggest arranging something special for her... a lecutre, seminar, meetup, 'historical salon' or a meeting with historians & people interested in the history of Kuwait.

I loved it! What an experience for you to sint ha...

2006-02-21T09:22:00.001+03:00

I loved it! What an experience for you to sint have a reminiscing session about the history of Kuwait from someone who has actually lived through it as a westerner. Big stuff. Seems it was a blast and hope there are more to come for you, especially thats its your specialty.

That train ride sounded like heaven. I've never been on a train. Always wanted to....of course with the rain as well!

Now , I am gonna go to the Dickson house and see it for myself now :)

Thanks :)

I am pretty sure I read her father's book, "The Ar...

2006-02-21T09:22:00.000+03:00

I am pretty sure I read her father's book, "The Arab of the Desert", but it was more dry than Zahra's books but still a good read.
My father has it in his library, together with Zahras' books.

Did the Dickson House get their facts right regard...

2006-02-21T07:59:00.000+03:00

Did the Dickson House get their facts right regarding the people in thier pictures yet?!?! :oP

Tooomz: Shame on you! :) Kuwait actually has a mor...

2006-02-21T01:58:00.000+03:00

Tooomz: Shame on you! :) Kuwait actually has a more interesting history than most people think. A great book for you to get that is kind of like an encyclopedic history of Kuwait is Anne Al-Bassam's "Footsteps in the Sand: Kuwait and Her Neighbours, 1700-2003". They sell it at the Kuwait Bookstore in Muthana. I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to learn more about Kuwaiti history. It's an easy read and has lots of fantastic pictures of Kuwait over the years.

Don Veto: What I find most interesting are her daily life stories, but I'm honestly not sure what I can share here, seeing as many of them are personal family stories, through which you get real glimpses of life in Kuwait in the 1930s. I'll ask her permission if I can recount some of her stories here. Sorry I can't say anything more at this point! Have you read her parent's books? They are wonderful and also very important histories of Kuwait. You can find them at the library in the Centre for Research and Studies on Kuwait in Mansouriya (next door to British Council) if you'd like to read them. But unfortunately you can't remove them from the library!

I read her books, they are excellent, but now you ...

2006-02-21T01:11:00.000+03:00

I read her books, they are excellent, but now you got me captivated. What did she tell you that was not in her books?

I enjoyed the little history lesson. I barely know...

2006-02-20T22:42:00.000+03:00

I enjoyed the little history lesson. I barely know anything about our country's history, it's shameful!

Trains are heaven. Unless you ride them in 3rd world countries and then it's a really awful experience. So I'll amend that to trains in Europe are heaven to me.

Is Dickson House the first on the 'What to Do in Kuwait' list? ;P I've been meaning to go there for a long time but never find anyone to go with. Okay, I have found people, we just never manage to make our way there.