11.03.09: Olympia Opening Ceremony - Kuwait

On March 11, the Olympic Council of Asia [OCA] celebrated the official inauguration of the Olympia complex in Kuwait. When the whole complex [located on Arabian Gulf Street directly in front of the Scientific Center] finishes off construction later this year, it'll consist of the OCA's permanent headquarters in a seven-story building, two twin office towers, a five-star Hilton and yet another mall; you know, because Kuwait clearly needs more of those.

The definition of celebration in this context?

1. Close off miles of Arabian Gulf Street.

2. Place rude cops at every not-closed-off intersection to inconvenience you and make you feel like a total idiot.

3. Make you drive several extra miles to get where you want to go and therefore inadvertently contribute to global warming.

4. Confine yourself in endless traffic and be surrounded by expensive, overcompensating cars and the fashionably-handicapped.

5. Throw in several large, flashy fireworks displays to keep the simple-minded masses [myself included] entertained.

The event started at 7:40 PM and rounded off around 10:00 PM, with speeches, laser light displays, and lights that constantly changed the buildings' color. There were several fireworks displays of varying size, but the closing ones were hands-down the largest and grandest. 

The best view to see this all? The rooftop of the Al-Marzouk Pearl residential complex located right. Next. To. The. Whole. Shindig.

The bottom line: a bright and flamboyant welcome for Olympia into the world of Kuwait and a good way to pass time.