Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Riffe Carbon Fiber Pole Spear Ordered for Summer Adventures!

I am crossing my fingers that this summer will be an awesome and adventurous spear fishing summer. I got a new Jet-Ski that is begging everytime I pass next to it to taste water and I've ordered the pole spear that is claiming to be the best new pole spear in the market. A claim that is yet to be proven of course.

I own eight different-brand pole spears that I use frequently with my summer night snorkeling. Each spear is good in its own way, some are heavy but carry quite a punch, and some are light but slower. I have been in search for the most perfect pole spear available. Quite recently I was reading some online posts about this new Riffe Carbon Fiber Pole Spear just before I was going to buy the GAT-KU pole spear. I immediately changed my mind about ordering the GAT-KU and decided to try the Riffe first. Don't get me wrong, the GAT-KU is an amazing pole spear and I would love to get it, but I wanted to try something newer that might have better engineering in terms of comfort, speed and punch.


The Riffe Pole Spear is sold out in almost all US online stores and the hassle to get it shipped to Kuwait with the components I need will cost me about $460 and will take quite a time to get here. Now for a pole spear this price is a bit too much and I am a bit impatient. So I contacted Riffe company in the US and tried to order it directly from them or recommend a dealer in the region. The surprise was that the company owner just arrived about four days ago from a business trip to Dubai, Qatar and KSA and told me that they have dealers in Kuwait. Long story short, Kuwaiti dealer didn't have it as usual and had to contact Dubai and place an order. I ordered the 7' three piece traveler spear, an ice pick detachable head, a shrink wrap grip, an extra power band and 3-prong pinch head when available. Now inshallah I will own a Riffe pole spear in three weeks and the price is $400 with the components I need excluding the 3-prong pinch head since they haven't marked a price for it yet. My good fortune is that my younger brother studies in UAE so he'll just grab it for me.

Now this will be the most expensive Pole Spear I ever owned so it better be good. The second most expensive one I got is my Manny Puig signature pole spear. The Manny pole spear cost me about $350 about 4 years ago plus shipping. That's a powerful and rigid spear but it is heavy and not very mobile. I always use my JBLs for shallow water as they do the job. I substitute the head with adapters depending on the condition. Now I'm giving a new pole spear a chance and I will test it  to the maximum inshallah!

I would like to give a big shout out to Riffe company as they were really helpful and I will post a full review about the Riffe pole spear when I get to use it! 

Monday, December 27, 2010

#ProudSingle

Few weeks ago I started posting on my twitter some anti-marriage comments and advices. The sole purpose of those posts is humor. I'm not a very active twitter user, but I do post at least once a day. Although I had my twitter account for a while, I did not quite get it until recently. Of course some of the family members that follow my twitter and facebook found those posts very offensive. They took it seriously that they comment on every post with an advice or even correcting my jokes as they were corrupted thoughts! On the other hand, a lot of my single and married friends loved it and wanted more. Some even copied them and posted them as their facebook status (without quoting of course!)

Being a 29 year old single, I get a lot of pressure from parents and married friends (90% of my friends). Why don't you get married? Why don't I not get married? Cultural tradition? Do not hate me for saying that but I would define our tradition as the out of date dumb rules inherited from generation to generation to keep some people happy and a lot other pissed. That -of course- not apply on all of our traditions. I mean some I believe are really important, fun and makes us who we are. I am not against marriage so chill out. I am just against pressuring someone into marriage. Age should never be a rule for marriage! I believe the man or woman has to be mentally ready to enter that life... and it is a more bumpy life whether you like it or not!

So, to all family, friends, colleagues and all whom are annoying me for the past few years or since my younger brother got married. Lay off my back and let me enjoy what is remaining of my single life in peace. And I will keep on posting my Single & Proud propaganda posts and tweets!

#ProudSingle

Monday, December 20, 2010

Gaming... The Classics & Me

Nothing moves me more than experiencing a childhood memory. Every time I watch an 80's cartoon or a movie that I enjoyed during my childhood, I get engaged, excited and sometimes crack-up in laughter and say to myself... Did I really use to watch that?!

Growing in Kuwait, like most kids during the 80's probably did, I watched Arabic dubbed Anime, got an MSX computer system AKA (Sakhar) from Al-Alamiya (for the purpose of gaming ONLY) and owned a BMX bike with the colorful tapes on the wheels and noisy attachments. If you missed on one of those I doubt you being a Kuwaiti. I think this should be a rule for citizenship qualification in Kuwait. Playing games was the mostly done activity, when my big brothers allowed me that is!

Playing video games wasn't just a habit, it was a ritual for most younger people at that time. The times I hated the most was when the exams approached and my mom decides to hide the gaming systems so my brothers and I can study. I can always find where it's been hidden but I cannot risk taking the system and then watch my mother destroying it with anger for disobedience (Believe me she will!). Those were the happy days where we gather with cousins and play Street Fighter and then act the whole game in real life beating. Doing the finish him moves of Mortal Kombat and sitting solo playing Super Mario Bros. After the Iraqi invasion I decided to buy an SNES and my younger brother got the SEGA Genesis. I played his more by force of course and after the usual brother to brother beat-up... Fun fun days!

Oh I remember the worst day of my life alright... Well maybe not the worst but it surely was one of the worsts! It was when my youngest uncle decided to take the SEGA Mega Drive system away from our house to play it. We did not see it again for months until I sneak at his place and stole it back with what I could grab of our games. A lot of the games were missing of course but at least I got the system back.

High School period kicked in, oh boy those teenage years. I owned a PSX back then and played some good periods of time, but those teenage years were spent more out of the indoors. All the bad habits were experienced during those years, but don't let us get into details about that. The game that mesmerized me and got me more in love with my PSX and gaming was non-other than Metal Gear Solid. Back then I did not make the connection with the classic MSX/NES classic version. They are so different and I found the classic one was too hard. That game was the best game I ever played back then. I'm not much of an RPG gamer. In fact, I never really tried to play them. I only played Parasite Eve, Final Fantasy and Xenogear for a short while and stopped. They were a really interesting games, but action was my thing.

A long pause came after that when I traveled to the US to get me an Engineering Degree. I did not play much then even though I took my PSX with me there. I did replay MSG, Resident Evil, Castlevania and beat Tomba and Tomba 2, which were also my favorite, other than that, gaming was only done for socializing. School took most of my time and college fun! PS2 was released and I couldn't afford it yet so I had to wait a year. I saved up, waited and anticipated playing those better graphics games including MGS2. God that system was great! You can never complain about the PS2! it was great for so long and took the lead for so long as well. Nintendo was still competing and strong but common! It's was the master of the gaming console and one of the reasons of SEGA system death. R.I.P. SEGA, I miss you... You were a better system but your greed didn't serve you well.

During the time of my studies I use to travel back and forth to Kuwait. Getting caught up with life and catching up with my friends back home, I barely noticed that I was missing all my classic systems! No Atari! No MSX! NO SNES... NO EVERYTHING! Yah... Who knows where they are now? I wanted them back I wanted them back so bad! They were one of the best childhood connection! It was then I started my first collect! Thanks to E-bay, my first purchase was a Sega Genesis 3 with some cartridges. I can't remember details but then it was when I completed my studies and went back to Kuwait that I got really crazy! How you ask? I will share with you my collection and passions though this blog but all in time...

playing games and collecting them is not my only hobby of course... I have more! Diving and water sports is a passion of mine. Hopefully if you like my blog I will share a lot of those interests. Because that's what its all about isn't it? writing blogs I mean...