FREE Established 1961 Friday ISSUE NO: 18393 SHAABAN 13, 1442 AH FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 Egyptian tugboats try to free the MV Ever Given (Evergreen), which is lodged sideways and impeding all traffic across the waterway of the Suez Canal. — AFP Grounded ship forces Suez Canal to suspend all traffic See Page 10 2 Friday Local Friday, March 26, 2021 The walking hours Photo of the Day SCRIBBLER’S NOTEBOOK By Jamie Etheridge [email protected] he breeze feels cool and lifts the branches of trees as we pass beneath them. The night is quiet, most Tpeople in their homes, cars parked, the end of the day. We’re out for our evening stroll, enjoying the new walking hours. Earlier this week the Cabinet adjusted the partial curfew to allow an extra hour at the end of the day for people to get home from work and added two hours - from 6 pm to 8 pm - for people to walk outside. The walking hours might seem like a minor development in a yearlong pandemic but for my family, they are a gift. My children, safe at home, spend all day schooling, reading, doing chores and homework. By the time they’ve finished, it’s past the curfew. Even without a curfew, the heat will soon make it impossible to go outside during the daytime for even short amounts of time. That is why the nighttime walking hours are such a blessing. The first day of the new walking hours, my hus- band and I took our daughters for a nighttime tromp Chasing the light. A beautiful snap of the inside of the iconic Kuwait Towers reflecting the dome. — Photo by Vithiyavathi around our neighborhood. The streets were mostly empty Stalin (Instagram: @vithisphotography) To have your photo featured in the Kuwait Times or Friday Times as photo of the day, - with only a few cars here and there. A cool breeze blew in send a high resolution image to [email protected]. Photo must be unedited and high resolution and related to Kuwait. off the Gulf, making the walk outdoors pleasant and com- fortable. We walked for nearly an hour, exploring side streets and waving to others as they walked past. Last year during the full lockdown, Kuwait allowed peo- ple to walk outdoors for two hours daily from 4 pm to 6 pm. Of checkpoints and checklists This was in May, when the weather had already turned to summer and we often came home drenched in sweat. Still it traveler manages to depart without any issues, there could felt great to be outside our home, even if it meant bearing KAFFEEKLATSCH be a problem waiting for them at the arriving destination. the sun for a bit while walking in the neighborhood. Despite having a visa and all required documents, they One thing I realized as we walked was how little I knew could be pulled aside for further questioning or even of our neighborhood. We’ve lived in the same flat in Salwa By Shakir Reshamwala denied entry. for more than a decade, and yet I never knew there were so To be sure, the officers manning the checkpoints are many water fountains on the streets or that a new mosque [email protected] courteous and professional, and one is on their way in a was being built just around the corner. When driving in a matter of seconds. Body language is also at play here - the car, one is usually worried about getting to one’s destina- ith the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and officers can make out if someone is trying to pull a fast tion and not really watching for the multitude of trees, the resulting lockdowns and curfews, check- one. They have become adept at knowing whom to stop plants and shrubs that line the streets. Wpoints within the country - earlier found only and whom to wave through. It may be an inexact science, But when out on foot, I was delighted to find magnolia outside embassies and other sensitive sites - can now be but is effective most of the time. trees, lemon-scented gum trees, azalea bushes, baby palm seen everywhere, especially during the curfew hours. On Now for some checkpoint etiquette: trees and many other small plants and flowers. It is also some days, I encounter up to five checkpoints on the way Rule one - have all your documents ready. If the curfew pleasant to pass neighbors on foot, to wave hello and per- home from the newspaper during the night. pass is on your phone, unlock your device and type in your haps stop for a quick - socially distanced and safe - chat. Mostly I am waved through these checkpoints; other details before your turn arrives. Having a screenshot of the We were surprised to find that several acquaintances live times officers only take a brief look at my curfew pass; pass works best. Make a checklist of everything that is in the same or neighboring blocks as us! while occasionally the QR-code is scanned by the police- needed and have them on hand. The last thing you want to The walking hours are meant to give people an oppor- man to confirm its validity. I have a pass and a legitimate do is fumble for your papers after you reach the counter tunity to exercise, to stretch, to move. But they are also reason to be out on the streets at this late hour, so my mind and irk the guards. beneficial for mental health. There are multitudes of studies is at ease, but Murphy’s law is also at play here. Rule two - maintain eye contact with the officers and and research that show walking improves physical and On the days you have all your papers and nothing to truthfully answer any questions. cognitive health. It can even help with eyesight and for old- worry about, you will be waved through. Just the very day Rule three - once you are given the all-clear, move! This er walkers, reducing cataracts and cloudy lenses, according you forget your phone or wallet at home will be when the is not the time to flip through your passport to check to one Swedish research study. Walking can also improve policeman decides to check all your documents. Ditto with where the entry was stamped or leisurely put your docu- sleep and ease feelings of depression and boredom. when you forget to fasten your seatbelt or the taillight ments back in the bag, or worse, start putting on your belt Given that we are all caught in the current circum- stops working - lo and behold you are pulled over by a or socks. Holding up the line makes the already-jittery stances, an unending pandemic and limited options for passing traffic patrol. motorists or passengers behind you more irate and gets travel or entertainment, walking at the least affords us a This makes going through checkpoints an intimidating everyone’s stress levels high. respite from the four solid walls of our stationary lives. affair. Take for instance passport control at the airport. So the next time you have to go through a checkpoint, And now with the ability to walk out in the evenings, we While leaving the country, a person may suddenly be told be confident and have your credentials handy. The officers also have the chance to enjoy our neighborhoods in a by the immigration officer that a travel ban has been placed too will appreciate it and the experience will be a pleasant new light. against them, and they will have to miss the flight. If the one. It’s not the Checkpoint Charlie. 4 Friday Local Friday, March 26, 2021 By Nawara Fattahova ou can’t sit near the emergency exit because “Yyou are over 50 years old”. This remark moti- vated 54-year-old Khalid Al-Rayes to shoot an entertainment show encouraging those who are above 50 years of age to enjoy their life. “Age is just a number. Reaching 50 doesn’t mean that life is over. It’s just the beginning. Those who retire at this or an older age can still enjoy life by taking care of themselves and participating in many entertainment activities,” Rayes, producer of the ‘After 50’ show, told Kuwait Times. Over 670,000 people in Kuwait (16.5 per- cent of the population) are above 50 years of age. The Kuwaiti government is not focusing much on this catego- ry, as most of the attention is given to youth and chil- dren. Also in Kuwait many citizens prefer to retire in their early 50s, and they think that practicing sports and other activities are not suitable for them anymore. Khalid Al-Rayes speaking during the interview with Kuwait Times. Rayes aims to make a positive impact on society through entertainment. “Through the ‘After 50’ show, I highlight entertaining and challenging activities and adventures that I can do at my age. People don’t neces- sarily have to travel to these places to live the same experience, but they can do many other physical activi- ties to improve their health and have fun,” he explained. ‘After 50’ or (Ba’ad alkhamseen) is being shown on Qatar TV and is also available on Rayes’ channel on YouTube. “I shot 13 episodes of this show in five coun- tries: Turkey, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. It took me five weeks of shooting in these countries. This is season one, and I’m planning to shoot more episodes in the future. I would like to cover all continents and have one season on each continent,” Rayes pointed out.