Kuwait School

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Clouds over Florida...

2012-02-13T14:37:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Kuwait Scaffolding (Site Fencing & Trusses)...

2012-02-06T10:46:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Tokyo People...

2012-01-29T14:42:00.002+03:00

Picking up some smokes from the vending machine

A few photos of the random Tokyo residents who, both intentionally and occasionally by chance, stepped in front of my lens...

Japanese crosswords

Relaxing on a department-store rooftop terrace

Kodak moment in the park

Couple in white

Man and crane

Dutifully waiting by the pedestrian crossing

Covered food & shopping mart

Pick up time at the elementary-school

Lunch time me-time in the lobby

Pachinko Galore

Rainy day in Tokyo

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Portly Mannequins, Kuwait...

2012-01-22T22:55:00.001+03:00

A few images of somewhat 'ample proportioned' mannequins found along Kuwait's SAM Street...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Mannequins, Korea...

2012-01-15T10:47:00.002+03:00

With his and her matching underwear...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Tracks in Frost at Luxembourg Airport Parking Lot...

2012-01-09T15:33:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Abandoned Chairs, Kuwait...

2012-01-05T11:17:00.000+03:00

A few photos, a somewhat indirect follow up to an earlier submission on public chairs in Kuwait, showing examples of mostly abandoned chairs (even though some still seem to be in regular use) found around the Salmiya neighborhood in Kuwait...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Scaffolding, Barcelona...

2011-12-30T01:04:00.000+03:00

Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays...

2011-12-21T13:07:00.001+03:00

View of artificial dune next to the Katara Cultural Village in Doha...

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays from us all here in Doha...

The Inland Sea, Qatar...

2011-12-19T15:22:00.000+03:00

A few images from a recent 'Dune Bashing' trip we took to the Inland Sea here in Qatar...

Shared Glass Exhibition at the Katara Cultural Village in Doha...

2011-12-13T11:46:00.000+03:00

'Path' by Sameh Ibrahim (Image sourced from Designboom)

An Image from the ongoing exhibition titled 'Shared Glass' taking place at Building 5 at the Katara Cultural Village here in Doha...

Read more about the event and work on the smArchitecture blog...

Small Bizarres No. 35 - Lawn Carpet at EC, Doha...

2011-12-05T09:49:00.001+03:00

This topic has already been referred to an covered in related posts (see links here & here), but, as it is, I still find this a quite remarkable Small Bizarre. Wether it is classified as landscaping, pseudo-botany, urbanism (as it covers quite substantial areas within EC), or even furniture (carpeting) can be left to the opinion of the beholder, but there's something strangely seductive about this quasi-real lawn, that climbs, transcends, crosses and covers a number of urban paraphernalia within the confines of our campus...

Perhaps it should be red, neon yellow, or some other bright or distinct color or pattern. Maybe it should be acknowledging its inherent 'fakeness', and be celebrating such properties without losing any of its tactile or functional intentions...

Small Bizarre indeed...

A pink rendition (acknowledging its ersatz'ness) of the pseudo lawn...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Scaffolding, Rome...

2011-11-28T16:18:00.001+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Mannequins, Barcelona...

2011-11-23T12:07:00.001+03:00

Let them eat cake...

Wood Leeches...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Ski-slope in Summer, Finland

2011-11-17T11:20:00.001+03:00

Usually one is used to seeing a ski-slope snow covered - a white-blue mantle of pale sparks descending down below... It's a bit more unusual to visit one in the summer...

The photos were taken in Noux (Nuuksio in Finnish) in southern Finland...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Tokyo Bookstore...

2011-11-09T14:35:00.001+03:00

Some iPhone photos from a bookstore in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. At one level it all seems so familiar (the fragrance of the paper & ink, the [book] muffled acoustics, the lighting, the textures of the extended queues of stacked books...), yet all still simultaneously remaining very foreign (to me - in a good, thrilling, way)...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Head Mannequins, Savannah, GA

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000+03:00

Small Bizarres No. 34 - Door-step Halloween Pumpkins...

2011-10-30T09:34:00.000+03:00

In honor of the upcoming festivities, a picture from our doorstep here in Qatar...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Blank Billboards in Kuwait...

2011-10-25T17:48:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Venice Archways, Doorways & Alleyways...

2011-10-23T13:32:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - VCUQ Fashion Department Mannequins, Qatar...

2011-10-17T08:30:00.000+03:00

Daydreaming...

Mannequin Reflections...

Hung-Dry...

DOR-A...

Pin-Head in Frame...

Mi-Re-Do...

Do-Re-Mi...

Reflections Two...

Estranged Sisters...

Small Bizarres No. 33 - Keeping Tabs...

2011-10-11T13:46:00.001+03:00

Came across this whilst walking across our lobby at VCUQ... Apparently someone is keeping tabs on my ins & outs...

Small Bizarre indeed...

The banner's back side...

Small Bizarres No. 32 - Faceless Romans...

2011-10-10T09:09:00.002+03:00

Considering that they're faceless, these stone reliefs retain a remarkable degree of personality and character...

The stone reliefs can be found in one of the (non-collapsed) buildings (the Curia Julia from 29 BC) within the Forum in Rome...

The building within which the reliefs can be found (image sourced from Google Maps)...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Space Mannequins, Science Museum, London

2011-10-04T08:24:00.000+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Ghostly Mannequins...

2011-09-27T10:45:00.000+03:00

This is the initial submission to the Extraordinary Ordinary label category displaying photos of various mannequins... The images have been taken all around the world, and show these anthropomorphic likes of ours in a cacophony of settings, fulfilling a variety of purposes...

This set was taken a few years back in Savannah, Georgia, whilst attending a conference...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Scaffolding, Luxembourg...

2011-09-22T16:42:00.002+03:00

Small Bizarres No. 31 - Ladies with Tasches, Doha...

2011-09-21T08:30:00.001+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Scaffolding, Helsinki...

2011-09-14T23:39:00.003+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Cats in Windows, Amsterdam......

2011-09-07T14:21:00.003+03:00

Small Bizarres No. 30 - Villaggio Mall Particulars, Doha...

2011-09-03T00:27:00.004+03:00

A balcony somewhat difficult to access and a glass door entrance that leads straight into the side of a stairwell - a few idiosyncrasies from the Villaggio Mall in Doha...

Small Bizarres No. 29 - Street-lighting, Amsterdam & Doha...

2011-08-26T20:24:00.005+03:00

For anyone who has even driven down some of the main traffic arteries criss-crossing Doha, Qatar, one of the first things one notices are the very distinct 'fishing-pole' street-lights stretching along each side of Al-Waab Road as well as some of its perpendicular extremities... Imagine then my surprise when, whilst walking in some of the more recently developed neighborhoods in the outskirts of central Amsterdam, I suddenly come across some of these very same light-posts jutting across a small neighborhood plaza...

Small world and small bizarre indeed...

Small Bizarres No. 28 - Sidewalk Idiosyncrasies, Doha...

2011-08-16T16:33:00.005+03:00

Is there a 'there-there' in this road to nowhere..?!

Photos from one of the residential gated complexes in Doha, showing two sidewalk design idiosyncrasies...

A sidewalk for really narrow people...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Scaffolding...

2011-08-08T22:20:00.004+03:00

Manama, Bahrain (Photo by Paul Brady)

A few photos of building scaffolding (one of my favorite photographic subject matters) from around the Gulf region (and one, for comparisons sake, from London)...

Salwa, Kuwait

Salmiya, Kuwait

Aladiya, Kuwait

Doha, Qatar

London, UK

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Worn Zebra Crossing, Tokyo...

2011-07-31T00:17:00.003+03:00

An additional submission of zebra crossings in Tokyo, this one from Roppongi (the previous one was from Shinjuku)...

Small Bizarres No. 27 - Pregnant Chair-frame...

2011-07-18T21:18:00.001+03:00

Spot the Difference...

2011-07-18T21:09:00.002+03:00

A few images of H&M window displays from the GCC region... Spot how they differ from the originals..

Small Bizarres No. 26 - Malaga Street-view...

2011-07-09T19:57:00.002+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Gorilla Hands, Fuengirola, Spain...

2011-07-08T01:19:00.003+03:00

The palm and fingers of a bipedal - two photos of gorilla hands, taken at the Bioparc in Fuengirola, Spain...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Tokyo Facadism...

2011-07-03T01:51:00.001+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Contemplating in Doha...

2011-06-23T15:46:00.002+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Maysaa Blurs...

2011-06-16T18:54:00.004+03:00

A few photos taken by my wife Maysaa Al-Mumin during a recent event at one of our daughters' school plays, for which she'd borrowed my camera, which she clearly had some 'issues' with... But some of the results were absolutely brilliant..!

All photos by Maysaa Al-Mumin...

Small Bizarres No. 25 - Page-Marker Smoke...

2011-06-13T10:24:00.003+03:00

Suddenly one morning, a fine stream of red pager-marker dots began emanating from the electrical outlets in my office. Slowly, somewhat listlessly, they began to meander up the wall towards the air-vent in the ceiling, only to suddenly stop and freeze a few lingers from their apparent destination...

Bizarre indeed...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Chair Stacks at La Fontaine, Bahrain...

2011-06-08T13:31:00.005+03:00

Some photos of patterns and textures formed by stacked chairs at the La Fontaine Art Centre in Manama, Bahrain...

Small Bizarres No. 24 - Tom the Cat...

2011-06-05T12:26:00.004+03:00

A portrait of me (done as a part of an assignment dealing with humor in design) by one of our VCUQ graduate students, Rania Chamise...

Bizarre indeed, miauuuh, hssssssss...

Tasmeem Teaser...

2011-05-29T09:01:00.006+03:00

Greetings From Doha from Simone Muscolino on Vimeo.

A brilliant teaser prepared by Simone Muscolino, Michael Hersrud and a number of other individuals affiliated with VCUQ, for the recently held (this April) Tasmeem - Synapse: Designer as Link conference, which shows the everyday good, and some of the somewhat frustrating (traffic etc.), aspects of the city of Doha and Qatar...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Drizzle over a Tokyo Zebra Crossing...

2011-05-23T08:45:00.003+03:00

After being exposed to an extended dry-spell in the Gulf region, it's amazing how exquisitely enjoyable an affect a bit of a Tokyo drizzle can have on one's, call it, 'perceptual umwelt'... Pleasant indeed...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Japanese Sweets...

2011-05-19T10:07:00.003+03:00

A bit 'Willy-Wonka-esque' chewing gum...

Small Bizarres No. 23 - Google Translate Chinese Whispers...

2011-05-13T20:08:00.007+03:00

A small folly of an exercise combining the idea of Chinese Whispers with Google Translate. Here a quote by Voltaire, in English, is used as the starting point. The quote is then sequentially translated through all the languages in Google Translate (except for Thai which for some reason didn't work), with each translation used to translate the (now adapted/ translated) quote into the following language on the list, until all the languages have been covered and the iterated quote returns to English again...

The results can be viewed below... Here the starting point and the final quotes letters are in red (please scroll to the end of this blog entry if you wish to see the end outcome). It's also interesting to see how (in)accurate the translation is in the other languages one is familiar with... A different sequence of going through the various languages would probably have resulted in a different outcome, but I didn't have the patience to go through the process again...

A quote by Voltaire...

English (the starting point)

Woe to the makers of literal translations, who by rendering every word weaken the meaning! It is indeed by so doing that we can say the letter kills and the spirit gives life.

Estonian

Häda tegijad sõnasõnaline tõlge, kes muutes iga sõna nõrgestada tähendus! On küll niiviisi, et me ei saa öelda, kirja tapab ja vaim annab elu.

Filipino

Aba ang literal na pagsasalin ng mga manlalaro na ay paggawa ng mga salita sa bawat pahinain ang kahulugan! Ito ay sa katunayan kaya na hindi namin maaaring sabihin sa sulat kills at espiritu ang nagbibigay ng buhay.

Finnish

Voi kirjaimellinen käännös pelaajia, jotka tekevät jokaisen sanan heikentää merkitys! On totta, että emme voi sanoa kirjain tappaa ja Henki tekee eläväksi.

French

Peut être la traduction littérale des joueurs, qui font chaque parole énervent le sens! Il est vrai que nous ne pouvons pas dire que la lettre tue et l'esprit vivifie.

Galician

Pode ser a tradución literal dos xogadores, que forman toda a palabra debilitar o significado! É certo que non podemos dicir que a letra mata eo espírito vivifica.

Georgian

ეს შეიძლება იყოს ლიტერატურული თარგმანი ფლეერები რომ ჩამოყალიბდეს სიტყვა დასუსტება მნიშვნელობა! რა თქმა უნდა, ვერ ვიტყვით წერილი კლავს და სული vivifica.e.

German

Diese kann der Spieler sein, dass literarische Übersetzungen als Schwächung der Bedeutung des Wortes! Natürlich nicht, scheinen die Buchstaben und Geist der vivifica.e töten.

Greek

Αυτό μπορεί να είναι ο παίκτης που λογοτεχνικής μετάφρασης, ως αποδυνάμωση της την έννοια της λέξης! Φυσικά δεν φαίνεται να σκοτώσει το γράμμα και το πνεύμα της vivifica.e.

Haitian Creole

Sa a pouvwa ap jwè a ki literè tradiksyon kòm yon febli nan siyifikasyon an mo la! Nan kou li pa sanble yo touye lèt la ak lespri a vivifica.e.

Hebrew

זה משחק כוח יש תרגום ספרותי כמו היחלשות של המשמעות של המילה! כמובן, זה לא נראה להרוג את המכתב vivifica.e רוח.

Hindi

इस पावर प्ले शब्द के अर्थ की एक कमजोर के रूप में एक साहित्यिक अनुवाद है! बेशक, यह करने के लिए पत्र vivifica.e भावना को मारना नहीं लगती.

Hungarian

A hálózati játék gyenge értelemben, mint egy irodalmi fordítás! Persze, hogy nem öli meg a szellemét a levél vivifica.e Alagatiel ח l

Icelandic

Mátt leika veikburða skilningi, sem bókmenntaþýðingar! Auðvitað, það þýðir ekki drepa anda stafinn ח vivifica.e Alagatiel l

Indonesian

Power bermain rasa lemah, terjemahan sastra! Tentu saja, itu tidak membunuh semangat ח surat vivifica.e Alagatiel l

Irish

Cumhacht spraoi mothú lag, aistriúchán liteartha! Ar ndóigh, ní dhéanann sé mharú spiorad an litir ח vivifica.e Alagatiel l

Italian

Giocare Power sento debole, la traduzione letteraria! Naturalmente, non uccide lo spirito della lettera ח vivifica.e l Alagatiel

Japanese

のPower Playは、弱い、文学翻訳を感じる！もちろん、それは文字חの精神をvivifica.el Alagatiel殺すわけではない

Korean

의 Power Play 약한 문학 번역을 느낀다! 물론, 그것은 문자 ח 정신을 vivifica.el Alagatiel 죽이는 것은 아니다

Latin

Sentio infirmum litterarum versio Power Play! Sane littera ח non occides Alagatiel spiritus vivifica.el

Latvian

Es jūtu vājumu versijas vēstuļu Power Play! Protams vēstuli ח Tev nebūs nogalināt garu Alagatiel vivifica.el

Lithuanian

Jaučiuosi silpnas versijos raides Power Play! Žinoma laišką ח Nežudyk dvasia Alagatiel vivifica.el

Macedonian

Се чувствувам многу слаба верзија на буквите на Power Play! Се разбира, не убиваат духот од писмото ח Alagatiel vivifica.el

Malay

Saya merasa sangat lemah versi dari huruf pada Power Play! Tentu saja, tidak membunuh semangat vivifica.el surat ח Alagatiel

Maltese

Ħassejtni verżjoni dgħajfa ħafna ta 'l-ittra dwar il-Play Power! Naturalment, ma joqtlu l-ispirtu ta 'l-ittra ח Alagatiel vivifica.el

Norwegian

Jeg følte meg veldig svak versjon av brevet på Power Play! Selvfølgelig, ikke drepe ånden av brevet ח vivifica.el Alagatiel

Persian

من احساس بسیار ضعیف نسخه از نامه ای در بازی قدرت! البته، روح ח نامه vivifica.el Alagatiel را کشت

Polish

Czułam się bardzo słaba wersja pisma w power play! Oczywiście, w duchu listu ח vivifica.el Alagatiel zabitych

Portugese

Eu me senti muito fraca versão da carta no jogo de poder! É claro, no espírito da carta vivifica.el ח Alagatiel morto

Romanian

M-am simţit foarte slab versiune a scrisorii pe joc de putere! Desigur, în spiritul ח scrisorii vivifica.el Alagatiel mort

Russian

Я чувствовала себя очень слабой версией письмо на силовую игру! Конечно, в духе vivifica.el Alagatiel мертвых ח письмо

Serbian

Осећао сам се веома слабе верзија писмо Повер Плаи! Наравно, у духу вивифица.ел Алагатиел мртво слово на папиру

Slovak

Cítil som sa veľmi slabá verzia listu moment Mk Plai! Samozrejme, že v duchu vivifica.el Alagatiel mŕtvou literou

Slovenian

Počutil sem se zelo šibka različico pisma Pover plai! Seveda, v duhu vivifica.el Alagatiel mrtva črka na pap

Spanish

Me sentía muy débil versión de la carta confiado plai! Por supuesto, en el espíritu de papilla carta vivifica.el Alagatiel muertos

Swahili

Nilihisi dhaifu sana toleo la barua ya dhamana plai! Bila shaka, katika roho ya pap barua vivifica.el Alagatiel kufa

Swedish

Jag kände mig väldigt svag version av en skrivelse av garanti Plai! Naturligtvis i andan av PAP vivifica.el Alagatiel död bokstav

Turkish

Ben garanti Plai mektubu çok zayıf versiyonu hissettim! Tabii ki, PAP vivifica.el Alagatiel ölü mektup ruhu içinde

Ukranian

Я відчував себе дуже слабкий варіант листа я можу гарантувати Звичайний! Звичайно, мертва буква в дусі vivifica.el PAP Alagatiel

Urdu

میں نے اس خط میں نصاب کی ضمانت لے سکتے کی بہت کمزور ورژن لگا! بالکل، روح vivifica.el میں مر خط پیپ Alagatiel

Vietnamese

Tôi có thể đảm bảo lá thư này tất nhiên là rất yếu của phiên bản! Tất nhiên, bức thư đã chết trong tinh thần sôi vivifica.el Alagatiel

Welsh

Allaf warantu y llythyr hwn wrth gwrs yn fersiwn gwan iawn! Wrth gwrs, llythyr farw yn ysbryd berwi Alagatiel vivifica.el

Yiddish

איך קאַן גאַראַנטירן אַז דעם בריוו איז אַ זייער שוואַך ווערסיע פון לויף! דאָך, טויט בריוו אין דעם גייסט פון בוילינג אַלאַגאַטיעל וויוויפיקאַ.על

Afrikaans

Ek kan jou waarborg dat hierdie brief is 'n baie swak weergawe van die kursus! Natuurlik, dooie letter in die gees van Kook alagatyel vivifika. Die

Albanian

Unë mund t'ju siguroj se kjo letër është një version shumë tallaze-down i seancës! Sigurisht, bojë mbi letër në frymën e vivifika alagatyel Cook. Dhe

Arabic

ويمكنني أن أؤكد لكم أن هذه الرسالة هي نسخة ضعيفة للغاية من الدورة! بطبيعة الحال ، حبرا على ورق في روح vivifika كوك alagatyel. و

Armenian

Ես կարող եմ ձեզ հավաստիացնել, որ այս նամակը շատ watered պարզ տարբերակը նիստի! Իհարկե, թանաքի թղթի վրա է ոգով vivifika Կուկի alagatyel. Եւ

Azerbaijani

Bu məktubu suvarılan çox sadə versiyası ki, arxayın ola bilərsiniz! Əlbəttə, vivifika Cook alagatyel ruhunda kağız üzərində mürəkkəb. Və

Basque

Hau ureztatuak, ziurtatu dezakezu gutuna bertsio oso sinplea da! Jakina, alagatyel vivifika Cook izpiritu paper zaila gainean. Eta

Belarusian

Гэта паліву можа зрабіць просты варыянт ліста! Вядома, дух vivifika Кука alagatyel цяжка на паперы. І

Bulgarian

Това поливане може да се направи проста вариант на писмото! Разбира се, духът vivifika Кук alagatyel трудно на хартия. И

Catalan

Aquest reg es pot fer una versió simple de la carta! Per descomptat, l'esperit vivifika Cook difícil en el paper alagatyel. I

Chinese (Traditional)

這可以是一個簡單的灌溉版本的信！當然，精神vivifika庫克 alagatyel難以在紙面上。我

Croatian

To može biti jednostavna verzija pisma za navodnjavanje! Naravno, duh alagatyel vivifika Cook teško na papiru. Ja

Czech

To může být jednoduchou verzi dopisu pro zavlažování! Samozřejmě, že duch alagatyel vivifika Cook obtížné na papíře. I

Danish

Dette kan være en simpel version af brevet til kunstvanding! Selvfølgelig, at ånden alagatyel vivifika Cook svært på papir. Jeg

Dutch

Dit kan een eenvoudige versie van de brief aan irrigatie zijn! Natuurlijk, de geest alagatyel vivifika Cook moeilijk op papier. Ik

English (finishing point)…

This is a simple version of the letter to irrigation! Of course, the spirit alagatyel vivifika Cook difficult on paper. I

Small Bizarres No. 22 - Digi-Crustacean Hover Dojigger...

2011-05-06T23:31:00.003+03:00

An illustration from my illustrious past...

Small Bizarres No. 21 - Sand-Dress, Seoul...

2011-05-01T09:09:00.002+03:00

In honor of the dusty weather outside... A 'sand-dress', as seen at an exhibition in Seoul, Korea, last Fall...

Small Bizarres No. 20 - Leaking Grass, Kuwait...

2011-04-20T08:59:00.005+03:00

Slowly leaking, meandering, grass along/ into/ across a Salmiya sidewalk in Kuwait...

Small Bizarres No. 19 - Public Sewage, Kuwait...

2011-04-13T09:23:00.003+03:00

The main shoreline walk in Kuwait's Salmiya neighborhood, a truly public and much used and enjoyed venue, contains one noxious spot staining its otherwise pristine image. About half way down, between the Marina Mall and the Science Center, raw sewage can be seen discoloring the usually aquamarine sea. Swimming is forbidden at this spot, however it's only a stones throw from a public beach, and many a water-jet and sailboat regularly run through its miasmic swells...

The stench isn't pleasant, and this can't be very healthy either for the humans or the animals occupying this comely stretch of beach. What viable reasons are there for not fixing it..?

Bizarre indeed...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Foliage, Trunks & the Horizon, Kuwait...

2011-04-07T09:25:00.004+03:00

A few images of tree foliage, tree trunks and the horizon from the Salmiya shoreline in Kuwait...

Small Bizarres No. 18 - Strange Fruit...

2011-04-05T13:07:00.003+03:00

Some fruity table displays on show during the recently concluded Tasmeem conference here at VCUQ.

Where would one even begin to eat some of these vegetative carvings..?!

Vehicles in Snow, Grankulla, Finland...

2011-04-04T15:20:00.006+03:00

Doha, around +30 degrees Centigrade. Helsinki, around 0 degrees centigrade today...

There's still a bit of winter left in some parts of the world...

Small Bizarres No. 17 - Funny in Swedish...

2011-03-30T10:18:00.004+03:00

A somewhat idiosyncratic submission, but this short statement in Danish (the photo was taken in Copenhagen) is quite funny when read in Swedish...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - A Misty Morning Drive to Kuwait Airport...

2011-03-20T10:04:00.003+03:00

A few images taken during an early morning drive from a hotel in Salmiya to the Kuwait International Airport...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Traffic Gallery Floors, Dubai...

2011-03-15T10:19:00.006+03:00

Take a lump of Turner, add a dollop of Rothko and Kline, a healthy sprinkling of Twonbly and Newman, a tablespoon of Tapies, with perhaps a pinch of Salcedo and a smidgen (according to taste) of Basquiat - and you have the floors of the Traffic Gallery in Dubai... These concrete floors, saturated with the almost forensic markings and stains of past exhibitions and events, can also provide a crawling myriad of suggestive and analogous, Rorschach inkblot like, figurines across its monochrome planes... In their subtle vibrancy they provide a germane backdrop to the work on display...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Packaged and Stored Fruits & Vegetables in Seoul...

2011-03-10T19:10:00.001+03:00

Spice Store in Dubai...

2011-03-06T11:25:00.005+03:00

If only fragrances, flavors and tactile textures could be downloaded onto web-sites... I had a chance to visit a spice-store during a recent visit to Dubai's Bastakiya neighborhood, which seemed to sell and display anything from saffron to sulfur on its textured and colorful, wall to wall, stacked shelves... Its somewhat cramped interior seemed to simultaneously release a barrage of recollections (catalyzed by the myriad of aromas) as well as an intriguing set of new sensorial discoveries, that we're subtly overwhelming in their own right and might take a while to fully digest...

Small Bizarres No. 16 - A Truman Show Moment at the Villaggio Mall, Doha...

2011-03-03T01:27:00.003+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Features & Details From My Office...

2011-02-24T17:59:00.005+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - The Act of Writing Korean Calligraphy, Seoul...

2011-02-20T10:18:00.003+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Tube Lighting at VCUQ...

2011-02-16T08:32:00.003+03:00

A few images of temporary, quite Dan Flavin-esque, tube lighting used in one of the corridors connecting VCUQ's old and new wings...

Inverted Dunes - Exhibited at the Sultan Gallery's 50/20 Exhibition, Kuwait...

2011-02-14T08:52:00.004+03:00

Tomorrow the second half of the 50/20 Exhibition at Kuwait's Sultan Gallery opens. The exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Kuwait's independence.

You can read more about it on the smArchitecture blog...

The opening takes place from 7-9 PM...

MFA.DESIGN. Open Day at VCUQ...

2011-02-10T08:45:00.003+03:00

We're having an Open Day here at VCUQ next Wednesday, February 16, starting at 6 PM...

Our program is in many ways quite unique, as not only is it the only accredited Masters degree in design of the Gulf region, it is also structured to push boundaries in regards to what the practice of 'design' entails in the region as well as establishing a program that introduces something unique on a more pervasive, world-wide, scale... The facilities here are also in line with some of the other top schools around the world - we have the only 'Material Library' (and Materials Curator) of the MENA region, a large Green Room for filming/ video production, a decent Digital Fabrication Lab, as well as a great (uncensored) library. The program is also unprecedented in that the faculty to student ratio is about 1:2 (one faculty to each two students), as we only accept six (6!) students into each year of this two year program...

The whole MFA.DESIGN. faculty will also be present on Wednesday to present the program and answer any questions visitors might have...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Snow-Swings, Finland...

2011-02-06T14:03:00.003+03:00

Current temperature in Doha +21 C...

Current temperature in Helsinki -04 C...

the Extraordinary Ordinary - Paraphernalia Found in a Fashion Design Studio...

2011-01-30T09:56:00.001+03:00

A few images from one of the Fashion Design studios at VCUQ...

the Extraordinary Ordinary - Lovely Bones-Part II...

2011-01-30T09:45:00.005+03:00

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Lovely Bones-Part I...

2011-01-23T09:34:00.003+03:00

A few hand shots of a mannequin here at VCUQ...

Drizzling Day in Doha...

2011-01-19T10:28:00.005+03:00

It's been raining here in Doha for now almost two days (?!) - a truly unique occurrence - and we're relishing every minute of it... Well, except when we're driving and have to deal with the foot-deep puddles (mini-lakes) aligning and dividing the drainless roads. But here in SUV country this remains only a minor annoyance...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Wintry Muffin-Tops, Finland...

2011-01-17T08:26:00.005+03:00

It's interesting how both snow and sand can, when present in quantity, 'buffer' - even out - their settings, providing an almost Pompeian dilution of details and features of the objects on which they lay. Granted, snow is usually seasonal whilst sand often occupies a bit more permanent, and thus perhaps more permeating, presence.

The included photos are probably a first submission of pictures from a series, all taken during a recent trip to Finland... As different as the context - in regards to their climate, nature vernacular and culture is - it's inviting to look for and speculate about the similarities between a country in northern Europe and a nation in the Gulf...

Small Bizarres No. 15 - A Leisurely Walk at the Cultural Village in Doha...

2011-01-11T08:51:00.004+03:00

A short video, filmed by one of my daughters, taken during a relaxed afternoon stroll with the family one weekend at the Cultural Village in Doha...

Hippo, hippo, hippopotamus - I like the contrast between the casual discussion between the strollers and the somewhat, call it, 'active' and agitated camera motion...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Figure Skating in Seoul...

2011-01-05T08:18:00.002+03:00

A short moment of a video of figure-skaters in Seoul...

Seasons Greetings...

2010-12-30T18:40:00.002+03:00

Seasons Greetings from us all, currently enjoying a chilly white December here in Finland...

The ginger-bread-coupe above was made by one of my daughters...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Venice Ivy...

2010-12-15T13:56:00.006+03:00

A few photos documenting the osmotic/ parasitic relationship between, here mostly man-made, structures and climbing-plants...

All the photos were taken in Venice in early November, 2010...

small Bizarres No. 14 - Shadow Men with Multi-color Eyes...

2010-12-12T10:40:00.006+03:00

A small shadow man appeared on my blank laptop screen the other day... A man with a rotating (hypnotic..?!) multi-color eye... His nerdier brother, below, showed up a bit later...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Venice Laundry...

2010-12-07T08:45:00.006+03:00

Some photos of laundry in Venice - evidence that even in a city almost fully defined and dependent on its cultural, touristic and historical settings there still, nevertheless, exists a fully domestic realm (a side of it that actually epitomizes - fulfills a conspicuous and fundamental role in the benign 'branding') of/in the city...

One could claim that Venice laundry embodies the ambient quality that places like the Villaggio Mall in Doha aspires to capture (but clearly will never achieve - at least in their current format)...

Misty/ Dusty Day at Education City, Doha...

2010-12-06T08:27:00.007+03:00

A picture taken through my office window here at the top floor of VCUQ this morning... I'm not too sure if its mist or dust in the air, as the temperature and humidity would suggest the former, whilst the smell/ fragrance and color of the air (a pixellated light-gray) would indicate the latter. Perhaps there's a bit of both...

The 'ring' in the center of the picture is my camera lens being reflected in the double-glazing...

The image below was taken less than ten minutes later than the image above... Here the sun has already managed to burnish off most of the mist/ dust... These events don't take place too often in the region, which, even according to local weather reports, seems to be a nuance free and constant 'sunny & hot'. Consequently such, brief as it was, amiably atypical moments as this morning's 'ground-cloud' are always highly appreciated...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Venice Moss...

2010-12-03T01:11:00.004+03:00

A few images of moss - on statues, walls, trees, sculptures, rocks - taken during a recent visit to Venice...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Korean TV...

2010-11-30T09:20:00.003+03:00

Korean TV - its soaps, news broadcasts, advertisements - so different, yet so the same...

VCUQ - Opening of New Wing...

2010-11-21T16:04:00.004+03:00

View of the ad-hoc 'logo' from the studio entrance...

Today VCUQ has the inaugural opening event for the school's new wing. The shots above and below are a few, somewhat off the cuff, photos taken from various locales up here on the top MFA floor.

In the upcoming weeks more blog entires will follow from my recent trips to Bahrain, Venice and London...

Constantin Boym, the Department head of the MFA Program, making some last minute adjustments to MFA Student Robert Canak's Anamorphic installation...

The 'stretched' anamorphic blocks that form the colored areas/ highlights of the text...

A, somewhat aligned, view of the words highlighted by the anamorphic blocks of color in the background space...

A MFA student's studio space that's gradually beginning to look a bit like a design studio space should...

Some students looking down, into the atrium, from the MFA floor...

View from the student lounge on the MFA floor...

Small Bizarres No. 13 - Sports for Plants in Seoul, Korea...

2010-11-04T12:10:00.004+03:00

Came across the curious scene above during a recent trip to a stadium in Seoul, Korea. Perhaps the plants were there to watch grass 'speed-grow' across/ along the running track (see image below)...

Shirin Neshat at VCUQ...

2010-10-25T08:28:00.004+03:00

Portrait of Shirin Neshat (for source of image click here)

We had the rare privilege yesterday of having Shirin Nashat, the Iranian/ American artist, photographer and film-maker, and her partner Shoja Azari, as our (the MFA students & faculty) guests here at VCUQ... During our roughly hour long, quite intimate, debating session many very relevant political, social, cultural, gender role based topics were covered. This was followed by a public presentation, which was a joint effort organized both by VCUQ and the Doha Film Institute/ Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Her work, which explores some of the topics mentioned above, has a fragile and delicate quality to it. Her movie 'Women Without Men' has already won a trophy-chest full of awards and will be screened today here in Education City at Northwestern University Qatar between 2.00 pm - 5.30 pm... For a link to the film's web site click here...

For samples of her photographic work click here...

Included below is her video piece 'Turbulent'...

Small Bizarres No. 12 - Sign in Seoul Metro...

2010-10-19T14:16:00.002+03:00

WEEEEeeeeeeeeeeehHheeeeeeeeee...!!!

The Other Salhiya, Kuwait...

2010-10-17T13:35:00.003+03:00

A post on the back streets of the up-market Salhiya has been posted on this blog's sister-site, smarchitecture. The blog-entry can be accessed by clicking here...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Blinds at the VCUQ ID Department...

2010-10-14T15:02:00.002+03:00

A few photos taken of various blinded windows in the extended studios of the Interior Design Department here at VCUQ during different times of the day.

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Baseball Batting Range in Seoul, Korea...

2010-10-13T08:47:00.003+03:00

A short video from, this time (see earlier related post by clicking here), below a baseball batting range in Seoul, Korea...

Small Bizarres No. 11 - The Chinese Dollar...

2010-10-12T10:31:00.002+03:00

Ain't that da truth...

(Image taken off one of my daughters' card-packs)...

Small Bizarres No. 10 - Wrapped Wrapping...

2010-10-12T08:56:00.002+03:00

Came across this strange, call it 'meta-wrapped' artifact at a Starbucks in Seoul...

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Golf Hitting Range in Seoul, Korea...

2010-10-11T10:20:00.004+03:00

I've just returned from Korea a few day back, where I and a group of students and faculty from VCUQ visited this year's World Design Capital Seoul (next one will be my home-town-capital Helsinki, Finland in 2012). The included video was filmed from below a 'golf ball hitting range' (as I'm not a golfer - well, occasionally I play mini-golf - I'm not aware of the correct title for the locale in question) in Seoul. A car-park occupied the space below the range...

A number of future Extraordinary Ordinary as well as Small Bizarre submissions are going to be made on notions experienced whilst in Korea which, at least for me, were all quite curious events...

Vi Gillar Olika...

2010-09-22T14:28:00.000+03:00

Vi gillar olika!

Ja sama Suomeksi/ and the same in English...

Singing Dunes - Qatar...

2010-09-09T22:26:00.004+03:00

A few images of the 'Singing Dunes', located about an hours drive outside Doha... Apparently, when the wind is just right, the dunes generate a low, murmuring hum... Unfortunately their vocal-cords seemed to have been out of tune or sync on the day we visited, as the only remotely melodic sound I could hear was the distant growl of the highway... When we visited our 'team' of three SUV were the only ones there, but, as can be evidenced in some of the images below, we clearly hadn't been the only more recent visitors yo this regional landmark... I wonder what could be done to encourage people not to throw/ leave their trash behind at this, often all too rare, local visit-worthy natural phenomena..?

The Extraordinary Ordinary - Wave Patterns at Qurum Beach...

2010-08-30T08:18:00.003+03:00

A short video taken of the subtly undulating swells at Muscat's Qurum beach... For related posts please click here and here...