Kawasaki KLX 110...

It seems as though my love for mini bikes has not ceased as yet.  Due to moving half way around the world and being plonked into a whole different life it’s been a long while since I have ridden my 50cc water cooled mini moto and that’s maybe the reason why I am craving to ride again :)
Having done some research I have decided my next venture will be a Kawasaki KLX 110! This came at number one on my shortlist due to the fact that the mere 28 inch seat height means it will fit perfectly in the boot for quick transportation down to the local sand dunes.  The KLX features a manual 4 gear set up and a top speed for around 70KMH! Which should satisfy my craving for a little miniature speed until something new comes out?  Kawasaki’s have a knack for being rock solid in the reliability department, and since this is a four stroke this won’t be needing that mixing of fuel and oil which saves the hassle of getting messy.
Of course there are some other options which I did consider namely the Honda CRF 100F, Yamaha TT-R110E and the Zooka but the Kawasaki is special to me…From those school days talking of the KLX125 Its been something that I have always wanted and inshAllah something I will be crusing on in the near future :)

Lulu's Al Ghubrah

Portal to another dimension...

Some places will never be forgotten, Lulu’s Al Gubrah Muscat is one of those places for us.  Pretty much every day whilst based in Muscat we had visited Lulu’s! Be it once or twice a day…! We have seen Lulu grow from the tatty dump that it was to the modern slick approach it has adopted over the past month.  The improvements include black shelving with down lighting, Flatscreen tv's at the tills, new tiles and a totally revamped Fruit and Veg section… Ahhh this place has feeling it has character and it has an awesome buzzing vibe! Lulu fails to disappoint.  In a city that is chilled out relaxed and quiet Lulu’s injects life, Vibrancy and color into the atmosphere! Its design is unlike anything I have known, is it a temple? Is it a spaceship? The truth is its just Lulu’s and for some reason we had grown fond of it… We will be sad to leave it, the memories of queuing for 45mins for 1 basket of groceries, the rotten tomatoes and of course the India Papa’s with their freshie accents and wannabe styles.  InshAllah one day we will return and who knows what special lighting effects we will see in the future?!
Until the next time…Lulu’s we will miss you…

Wow look at those lights...

Mumshad's Dog

Whilst strolling thru the bustling streets of Ajman, UAE we found ourselves shopping in Splash centre a 1-10 AED shop (i.e everything is priced between 1-10 AED).  This place is mega buzzing with Ip’s! You literally had to fight to get down each isle…  Having managed to check out a few bits n bobs I stumbled across this little Rottweiler chilling on the shelf with lots of his brothers lol! I was shocked at the realism and that cute, sarcastic face really had us laughing! I found the perfect opportunity to try out the realism on my unsuspecting younger brother Mumshad! Haha
having planned a night out to Festival City he was busy in the toilet getting ready and having a poo so I slipped the little Rottweiler on his bed in his room… You can guess what happened next LOL!! A loud GASP and man was out of there like a flash!! Sum serious fun memories from a 10AED Rottweiler…
After that day, he lived a life of comfort in the boot of my car causing a stir and fright with the customs officials at the border of Hatta Oman…Every time these guys opened the boot they were in for a shock!
These recent pictures were taken when he spent his last night in the Middle East before his long trip to London where he will have a new home in Feltham…
Remember ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’.

The Stranger in our Home...

A great article my wonderful wife forwarded to me, a real eye opener and definetley something to think about!

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the Word of God. Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up - while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places - and go to her room read her Bible and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house - not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four-letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home - not even for cooking. But the stranger felt he needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man/woman relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We always called him TV.

Gymin Quotes

Old Skool pic..Yeahhh buddy!

When it comes to training a good quote goes a long way..Here I have gathered a few to get you going! “'yeah Buddy' 'light Weighhhhhhtttttt”!!

"the closer you are to failure, the closer you are to victory, it all depends on how closely you walk the line"

"Success in anything seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. They hang on after others have let go".

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"

"Every workout is one step closer to your goal"
 

"Only you get out, what you put in"

"Rome wasn't built in one day"

"Champions Train Losers Complain"

"If You Can't Run With The Big Dogs, Stay On The Porch"

"If you hungry its too late"

"You want results , then train like it

"Live and die in the squat rack"

"The more you train, the more people there are who are weaker than you."

“with great size comes great responsibility”

"pain is temporary glory is forever"

"If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail"

"The worst thing you can be is average"

“EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, GET BIG!”

“Be great or be nothing”

Mini Motos



My Liquid cooled pocket rocket!

I currently own a liquid cooled 49cc Mini Moto which has given me ample amounts of reliable fun!  These things are so convenient, just throw them in the boot of the car and take a drive down to Carrefour carpark for a blast!  Reaching speeds of upto 110 kmh one should take precautions when riding.
All that is required is a mix of Petrol and Oil.  The engines are very simple to  maintain and service, parts can be had cheap and the bikes themselves are not expensive.
Mine has been in storage for months and I have missed riding it...Cant wait to take it out for a blast!

For more info take a look at my minimoto blog at http://www.minimotogulf.blogspot.com/

The Leather Bomber Jacket

With our move from the Middle East planned soon its time to start thinking about clothes other than Shorts N' T-shirts, with this in mind I have started to ask myself what would I purchase in terms of a practical easy to wear jacket for everyday use.  I narrowed my choice down to Leather since its easy to maintain, long lasting, warm and comfortable to wear.  Leather jackets tend to get better as they age over time which is appealing since I am looking to use this jacket for atleast the next 5 years! With regards to design I figured it has to be a timeless design, something slick yet simple...With the practicality of having pockets inside and outside.  As for colour, Black is to harsh, I have Dark Brown in mind which will match with a few others accesories I will feature on this page in the future.
so here it is, I have been on the quest for a Leather Bomber Jacket, here are some pictures which show what I am aiming for...
p.s Most jackets featured are made from ultra soft sheep nappa, there are only a couple of differentiating factors...The style of the collar.  I am in 2 minds about this?! Leather collar or rib knit?!





Divinetrash - bomber front




Divinetrash - bomber rear










Caine Fashion - slim fit front



Caine fashion - slim fit rear

Caine fashion - slim fit front

Sanuk's

Having owned a pair of Sanuk's for over a year and used them thouroughly I have to say these are one of the most comfotable and practical pairs of footwear I have owned.  Being a cross between a trainer and a sandal means they are both very lightweight and easy to wear! featuring an antibacterial material they keep feet fresh and smelling good.  They have stood up well to the usage and still look presentable... I have therfore decided to have a look at purchasing another pair.  I have since reasearched the Sanuk site and narrowed my choices down to a few pairs:



Sanuk - Hybrid

Sanuk 'Hybrid' : A very slick design made with a mix of Canvas and Suede... Casual yet smart. Tempting!

Sanuk - Scurvy

Sanuk 'Scurvy': A casual and practical version of the ever popular 'Decker' style shoes, made from suede and can be worn with laces or without.  Comes in a range of colours i.e Black, Red, Green etc...



Sanuk - Pick Pocket



Sanuk 'Pickpocket': This particular design features a small hidden pocket within the shoe to hide/store small amounts of money or a key etc... Great for when you are walking in the streets of Durban lol!

Lebanese Feta Cheese Mix



Ready for spicing up our pasta..!



Whilst we were stumbling thru Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi I happened to notice a small stall selling some perculiar looking jars of what seemed to be Achar/Pickle... Ofcourse I naturally had to stop and enquire about them.  The polite gentleman pulled out a little plastic disposable tea spoon from a box and offered me a taste of what was a vibrant Lebanese style mix incoperating a blend of Eggplant, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, olives and low fat white cheese... I was sold from the first hit! Wow, Its hard to describe the flavour, its a very vribrant, vivid, mediteranean style flavour, with a strong olive tasting body and a creamy lucious ending! 

This gets the taste buds rockin'!

Since purchasing this jar, we have been utilising this in our pasta's and even alone with warm Lebenese style bread...Yum!  Highly recommended!

Manufactured in the UAE by Lebanon Palace for 'Feeling foods'.

Rasasi - Faqat Lil Rijal

Only For Men by Rasasi, 50ml bottle.

Rasasi Faqat Lil Rijal...Eau De Perfume

I stumbled across this scent on my quest to find something suitable for daily use, something that is reasonably priced, lasts long but is not to overpowering... I was looking for that masculine scent with a touch of the Arabian Oud Flava and here it is Faqat Lil Rijal aka 'Only for Men' by Rasasi.

"Faqat Lil Rijal signifies 'Only for Men', its an absoloutley masculine and inspirational fragrance that potrays power, independance and dynamic personality with a ready to wear fashionable image.  The woody flavours create a luscious yet robust aura which are both enchanting and enticing.  It makes you feel zesty and distinctley aromatic, to leave a delightful trail.  It has been conceived for the present day man who yearns attention and desires to be appreciated.  It reflects man's indepth personality and surges his dynamic lifestyle with a feeling of aristocracy...Enjoy the pleasusres of Faqat Lil Rijal - Only for Men."

The packaging

Rubicon - Passion fruit juice

1 litre of goodness!

Rubicon Passion fruit juice...I have been downing these by the carton load! It's that tangy, zingy, sweet/sour taste that really gets your mouth watering! A 1 litre carton seems to be lasting me a day or two at the most?! Ohhh well off to Lulu to buy another one then. Priced at 0.825 OMR these aint cheap, but hey its made from the finest hand picked passion fruits.  No preservatives, artifical colourings or sweetners.

"Passionfruits have a tangy finely balanced sweet/sour taste and fragrant aroma, as well as boasting a wealth of natural health benifits.  The fruit is packed with vitamin C and provitamin A which all help support the body's immune system.  All this goodness from a single fruit"

Papa John's Cheese Sticks



Only 1.7 OMR at Papa John's.

When it comes to simple, cheap n' cheerful fast food I think these Cheese Stick's from Papa John's get first prize in Muscat!  Easily accessible from our friends in Lulu, Ghubrah Branch... Our version comes extra loaded with cheese because we are regulars, it also comes packed with Garlic Butter sauce and Tomato dips! From the time we order we have precisley 10 mins to grab an icecold bottle of 7up and we are off to the carpark to feast!!! Ahhh.... I'm feeling for some Cheese Stick's...Are you? ;)

My new E52



My new Nokia E52! Fresh from the box...!



To follow up my post regarding the Nokia E52! Here its is... Purchased from Nokia, Mirdiff Mall, Dubai. Feels great in the hand! Easy to text and drive ofcourse (joke!).

I've already nstalled a few grreat programs:

Athan - Islamic finder: A great program which gives azan direct to your phone for over 6 million cities world wide!

Thasbeeh Counter: A simple java application to help one keep productive reading Zikr when you have a spare moment.



Whatsapp: A great chat program that keeps you connected...The reason i chose this particular program is because it denotes when the sent messages are received by the recipient i.e like delivery reports.

 One thing that I find excellent is the free ovi maps feature which utliises GPS for accurate navigation in the car or by foot! What more do you need?! IMHO a great phone!

Unpacking, phone includes free car holder!

Loading day...




The container....20hq

 

So it was time to move...The ME was a great experience, places we liked, places we learnt to like, and places that will always be in our memories.  We will InshAllah return oneday to relive those memories...Until then its a whole new world for the next 5 years! New adventures! New memories and new dreams, may Allah swt grant us success and make it easy for us...InshAllah Ameen.

This post outlines the trials and tribulations of loading our 20ft container with all our personal belongings.  I had been quoted some seriously high prices! in excess of $4000 to move this container from the UAE to South Africa 

There are several stages when organising a shipment of this sort. Having done extensive research I found the easiest and most economical method of doing things...

Having inititally spoke to several removal companies I found that I was getting charged excessively for various stages in the loading process.

In order to gauge the price of a shipment one must first phone a shipping line, a shipping line is a company that actually has ships sailing from destination to destination, rather like airlines having planned destinations/flights shipping lines have specified routes and vessels that travel those set routes.

I phoned up 'Maersk Line' and spoke to a helpful gentleman who gave me a quote for a 20ft container on the shipping line Dubai, Jebel Ali to Durban, ZA.  He quoted me $800 for the container alone, he also gave me some shipping dates to choose from... On my particular route there are approx 3 sailings in the month, so i choose the 17th Jan 2011.



So with that figure and date in mind I started to find out what other costs where involved.  The first being paper work and fees etc that needs to be produced for the container to be shipped:

BL (Bill of Lading) - The official legal document representing ownership of cargo.

CI (commercial invoice) - a rough estimation of the shipment value

Packing list - a rough list of items in the container

THC (Terminal handling charge) - A charge of carriers for recovering the costs of handling FCLs at container terminals at origin or destination.

Customs documentation & service fee - Dependant on goods being shipped to/from country of origin/destination.

Transport - local - fee for local delivery of container from place of loading to port.



For this task I contacted a Freight forwarder, I had been recommended a reputable company from the gentleman at the Maersk Line office.  With the Shipment quotation in mind I contacted the freight forwarder to quote me for all the neccessary paper works, customs charges and local delivery etc.

I mentioned I was going to be stuffing/loading the container myself since I knew that companies tend to make their money in this area, overcharging for labour etc.

I was quoted $1400 all inclusive (shipped to port of Durban) which was alot cheaper than the $4000 I had orginally been quoted!



The only thing I had to do was get the container loaded!

We had decided to load on the 11th Jan 2011, to leave enough time for clearing at port etc and sailing on the 17th Jan.  It had been noted that I would not pay any money until the BL was issued.

When it came to loading the container all our items where packed and ready in storage, I had arranged for the container to be unhitched outside the storage location where I met the driver and instructed him what to do the night before loading.

In the morning we were hyped up and ready for loading! Initially I had planned to take 3 men at the charge of 100 AED per hour with a forklift if required! I then had a change of plan and decided to do it the hard way....! I had requested for 1 man to help me at the negotiated price of 150 AED for 1/2 a day! Optmisitc since we had to load the full container just me and my helper!



In the morning I met Jamal and alhamdulillah this brother was terrific! He never stopped from the moment we started! We lifted all the items with ease into the container, Allahu Akbar...It almost seemed as thou the items had lost their weight?! I had been imagining difficulty in lifting the items into the cointainer etc and needing to hire a forklift etc but Alhamdulillah it was so easy! My duahs where answered, thanks to Allah swt. We loaded the container in 2 hours flat!!! SubhAllah. Doors closed...Ready for shipment!

So there is the story and some pictures for memory...

Hopping up into the cointainer!



Last minute packing at Lulu Carpark, Al Barsha... Lol!







 

The main man! Jamal from Waziristan working up a sweat.



 









Puzzle Rings

Since Islam has forbidden men to wear Gold I have been on the quest to find what would be the best halal option.  I have shortlisted a few as follows:

Silver

Tungsten Carbide

Stainless Steel

Having searched a few jewellery manufacturers my Wife pointed me in the directon of a South African company by the name of Puzzlerings by Mark Gold.

Whats so cool about this ring is the centre section is split into little blocks and you are able to slide them around accordingly... So its gives a whole new dimension to fiddling with your ring!

I emailed Dean Gorrie at Puzzle Rings and he has confirmed they have manufactured a halal range made from high quality Stainless Steel.

I plan to order one so i will post up more pictures InshAllah.

The Routine

The routine:

Monday: Legs

3 x Squats
3 x Leg press
3 x Leg extension
3 x Hamstring curl
3 x Calves

Tuesday: Chest & Biceps

3 x Bench press
3 x Incline Dumbell press
3 x pec deck machine
3 x dips (forward leaning)

3 x Staight bar curls
3 x Dumbell Hammer Curls
3 x Dumbell concentration curls


Wednesday: Day off.

Thursday: Back

3 x Dead lifts
3 x Lat pull down - machine
3 x Dumbell raises
3 x Rows - machine

Friday: Shoulders & Triceps

3 x Military Press
3 x Dumbell Raise - shoulder
3 x Shrugs

3 x Close Grip bench
3 x Skull crushers
3 x cable push down

Note: 5 min stretch before workout. Abs to be trained 3 sets everyday after workout. 8-10 reps strict form.

Syma S026 Mini Chinhook

A favourite of mine, the Syma S026 Mini Chinhook is a fantastic R/C Co-Axial Helicopter! Literally charge and fly out of the box.

The helicopter is very well built  from durable ABS plastic and features tandem rotors just like the real thing.

This particular version does not have a GYRO so its a little more of a challenge to fly, but when you get the hang of it you will be instantly hooked! The controller is sturdy and well built, it features a trimming nob for making slight adjustments to your helicopter if need be.

I love flying this thing around the room,  whizzing around and blowing the papers of my wife's desk :)

Battery lasts around 6-8 mins depending on how hard you fly.  Charging time is around 45 mins. So you will be up in the air in no time!

Cost is around: $30/40! Happy flying!

MCD - Rally

A keen fan of RC vehicles I have been constantly researching the available options. I have to admit I am a great fan of the large 1/5 scale vehicles since they have a feeling of realism about them! At almost 1 metre in lenght and weighting near 20/30 kg these are serious bits of kit!
The particular car I will talk about today is the MCD-Rally! A Tarmac racer which can be purchased in 2 versions the 'Sport' and the 'Competition'. The sport being the lower model still comes well equipped however later on down the line you will probably find yourself upgrading the items to bring it up to a 'Competition' spec. So the advice is, if you have the money go for the 'Competition' version.
The cars are generally quoted as 'Rolling chassis' meaning you will have to fit the engine and electrics i.e servos for steering&throttle, a reciever and battery pack.
These cars are very well built and are made to be driven! I would say these cars are for the more advanced driver since we are talking of speeds of more than 50 mph! Quick!
The bonus with these cars is that they run on a mixture of Oil and Petrol which is very easy to get hold of and gives run times in excess of 45 mins!
These cars will require little maintenance and will give hours of fun!
Expect to pay around 1300-1500 USD for rolling chassis.
Different shells are available, I personally prefer the Mitsubishi Evo, however i have seen Peugeots and Seat Ibiza's Available.

Visit www.mcdracing.com for more info.

Pictures below are of a modified vehicle with the following items:

Parts include :
MCD 535mm Chassis

MCD Alloy steering support

MCD Alloy servo tray

MCD Alloy Center Diff brace

MCD Alloy Rear chassis braces

MCD Steel inner trans gears

Chrome GP290 28.5 cc Engine
JetPro EVO3 design pipe

TGN X-can exhaust spacer

Elcon 4 shoe Clutch
Cat5 Cone air filter
Outerwares Pre-filters
Hitec 5745mg servos (3)

HPI 3000mah battery pack

Potatoe, Peppers N' Chicken

Ahh im lovin' it for sure! A tasty mix of vegetables and baked potatoe with Spicy Chicken offering a dose of High complex carbs and protein...What more do you want?
Ofcourse this is one of my wifeys amazing meals which is catered around my requirements ;)
Defo one for when I start gym!
Don't forget to drizzle with a good serving of Olive Oil and add a few dobs of full cream yoghurt with a sprinkle or two of whole ground black Pepper! Heaven on a plate!

Baby BiOrb...

Having been convinced by Brother Haroon to utilise a spetacular deal on Amazon to purchase this Modern 21st century Fish Bowl for 5 GBP! Yes! 5 GBP! I have done some research and found these are so cool!! The design is timeless, and very practical. There are so many great add-ons/accessories to purchase i.e automatic light units which produce a realistic daylight to night time lighting effect for your BiOrb. A timer to remind you when to feed your fish and when to perform cleaning of the filters etc.
Unfortunatley our amazing 5 GBP deal was cancelled lol! Obviously Amazon had spotted the mistake and rectified the price before sending. However I am still tempted to purchase one at full price!
The Baby BiOrb comes with: Halogen Light, Air pump, Plug top 12v transformer, Ceramic Media, Filter cartridge, Bubble Tube, Airstone, Sample pack of water treatment and fish food! All for around 50 GBP!

Visit:
www.reef-one.com

The E52

After having sat down and had a long think about what mobile phone to get i have pretty much decided to stick with the candybar design mobile phones of the past and decided to go ahead and purchase a Nokia E52.

I had look at either getting an iPhone 4 or Blackberry Bold 9780 or the new Samsung Galaxy. However all the phones mentioned have features that i would probally not even utilise.
The positive thing about the Blackberry is it has Blackberry Messenger but after a long think it really is no use to me because i would only have 1/2 contacts with which to communicate with and its not something you can easily use when travelling abroad.
iPhone 4 is fancy but I feel it is impractical i.e touchscreen would not be the easiest way to chat via msn etc same with the Samsung Galaxy.

I decided to go with the E52 since it has the classic design with a standard 1-0 keypad (easy to sms and drive :p JOKE ofcourse!), big screen etc and full of the features will need i.e GPRS, 3G, Wifi etc!
The design is excellent! Well built and feels solid in the hand!
I had heard of some firmware problems but these have been rectified with an updated firmware version from Nokia!
So E52 it is! I am currently searching for a phone InshAllah I will find something that will benifit me.