Category: Kuwait

According to the Millions of Milkshakes website, they’ll be opening in Kuwait and Qatar this year and Kim Kardashian will be at the launch. What does that mean? Check below!

I was contacted by Ford recently to test drive their all-new 2012 Ford Explorer. The last time I had driven an Explorer was ages ago and it was on a road trip from Montreal to New York and all I remember was how comfortable it was. Their new car looks a lot better and more exciting compared to their previous model which is why I was looking forward to trying it out.

The first thing I noticed when I started the car was the combination of an analogue and digital dashboard. The speedometer was analogue while the information on both its sides were digital which I thought looked very cool. The second thing I noticed was the large screen in the center console which turned out to be touch sensitive and featured something called SYNC which I’ll go into detail in a bit. So first impressions wasn’t bad at all.

Since I had the car with me all weekend I drove it down to Bnaider and as expected the ride was very comfortable. The Ford is pretty big and spacious with three row of seating with the last row of seats having ample leg room. When the last row is folded down you also end up with a pretty large and spacious boot which I like to call IKEA friendly. The model I had (XLT) came with a rear view camera which was practical although I wish it also came with a front cam or at least front sensors since the front of the car is pretty long and high. While we’re on the subject of wishes there are two things I really disliked in the Explorer. The first is the touch buttons on the center console. For some reason Ford decided to have all the physical buttons touch sensitive but I have something against touch buttons because I can’t tell if I’ve pressed them or not specially when my eyes are on the road. Although you hear an audible alert when you touch a button I always prefer to actually feel a button being pushed in which doesn’t happen with these buttons. The second thing I disliked about the car was that it was front wheel drive. I thought that was odd for an SUV especially since it was full time front wheel drive and didn’t have an option to flip into four wheel drive. That turns out is an extra option which the car I drove wasn’t equipped with.

Other than those two quirks I didn’t have any other major issues. The SYNC feature which I mentioned earlier is very cool although I wasn’t able to fully take advantage of it. Right below the center console is a small compartment which can easily hold an ipod or iphone with accessories. In that same compartment is an SD card slot, two USB ports and RCA (video and audio) inputs. The car also has built in bluetooth and Wifi. I’m not sure why all the cars don’t come fitted with Wifi, it should really be a standard feature nowadays. I was also able to connect the car to my phones 3G connection using bluetooth but the car can also connect to internet using USB 3G modems and Wifi. You could also have the car connect to your phones internet via bluetooth and the car can then share the connection over wifi for other passengers to use. My problem is once the car connected to my internet I didn’t know what I could do with it. I’m guessing I need to download apps or widgets but since it wasn’t my car I didn’t spend too much time experimenting.

The car I drove had a pearl white exterior with a beige interior. If I was getting this car I would definitely go for a gray or black interior since it would make the car interior look a lot trendier but I’m not sure if they carry those colors locally. The starting price for the new Ford Explorer is KD9,999 and goes up to KD14,000 depending on the features and model. For more information on the Explorer click [Here]

Ford if you’re reading this.. I WANT TO TEST DRIVE THE RAPTOR!

Family Bookshop in Salmiya is sadly closing down for good. I previously posted that they had a court case against the owner of the building but it looks like they lost because they currently have a closing down clearance.

It’s worth passing by the store one final time as a farewell to what used to be one of the best bookshops in Kuwait. Bit by bit what’s left of our childhood is being eroded away which is depressing.

On a similar note Waleed toy store which is located in the same strip is also closing down. Like Family Bookshop, Waleed toy store has been there for over 30 years.

The Kuwait Towers in Middle East by Eric Walker

Eric Walker, a blog reader sent me a link to a 360 Panorama he took at the Kuwait Towers. I thought he used some special equipment since the panorama is seamless and very well made but after talking to him it turns out he used just a regular camera with some accessories and software. Here is how he does his panoramas:

– He uses a regular point and shoot camera on regular tripod but he’s added a panorama tripod head mount (similar to these)

– He takes on average 40 shots depending on the scene. He prefers to have a tall structure nearby so that the majority of the panorama doesn’t result in just a plain blue sky. To get a clear shot of the ground below the camera without the camera shadow, he cheats and moves the camera back a bit and then takes the shot

– He uses the photo stitching software PTGui to stitch the photos all together. You can get that software from [Here]

– As a last step he uploads the final stitched image to his 360 Cities account where it is then reviewed by their council of reviewers. If they don’t find any stitching errors or other problems, the panorama gets published to their website and it can then be placed in Google Earth (360 Cities is the only panorama site that is partnered with Google)

Here are some other Kuwait panoramas Eric has taken:
Behind the Kuwait Towers
The Scientific Center of Kuwait
Mutla Ridge

Here are some Kuwait panoramas taken by other photographers:
Onboard Al-Boom Dhow
Hawally Park
Dhow in Souk Sharq
360 Mall
Kuwait Seaside Sunset
Heritage Souk
Salhia Complex
Water Clock in Souk Sharq Kuwait
Rooftop Swimming Pool

The Ministry of Information launched a photo election stream for the first time a few days back. The ministry is sending photographers to cover different events relating to the upcoming elections and then uploading their photos to their Flickr account. The photos are being uploaded every two days at full resolution and undoctored. They’re also allowing anyone to use their photos as long as you credit the source and not profit from the photos. You can check out the photos so far by visiting their Flickr account [Here]

Harley Davidson is holding a bike show on January 27th at Marina Mall. The event will bring Harley Davidson owners from across the Gulf and they’ll compete and be judged in a total of fourteen categories. I went to their event last year and it was pretty cool since there were a whole variety of bikes and all customized so you couldn’t find two bikes alike.

Location: Marina Crescent
Date: January 27th, 2012
Time: 10am to 5pm

For more information you can check out their website [Here]

According to the blog 965Malls, the international french fries chain New York Fries is opening up at Marina Mall. New York Fries shouldn’t be confused with the already open New York Friez who tried to convince me poutine was made with chili and cheese and not gravy and cheese. Hopefully these guys will be able to do it right.

This is one very cool off-road vehicle. I shot the video above earlier today in Bnaider with the Contour+. It’s a great handling buggy that glides over the terrain. Oh and it’s super fast. [YouTube]

Here is the official price list for the PS Vita in Kuwait:

PS Vita Console (wifi) KD89
PS Vita Console (3G) KD116

4GB Memory Card KD7.6
8GB Memory Card KD13.3
16GB Memory Card KD18.9

Uncharted: Golden Abyss KD17.2
Little Deviants KD10.8
Reality Fighters KD10.8
Wipeout 2048 KD13.6
Everybody’s Golf KD13.6
Modnation Racers: Road Trip KD13.6
Unit 13 KD13.6

The official release date is February 22nd.

Update: X-Cite have started pre-orders [Link]

This Saturday K’s PATH is organizing a fun event called Bark in the Park. There will be a dog show competition, funny races, fabulous vendors, children’s entertainment and a lot more.

Location: Mishref Fairgrounds
Date: Saturday, 21st of January, 2012
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Entry Prices
Adults: KD5
Children 6 to 12: KD3
Children under 6: Free
Hound per competition: KD3
Family ticket: KD14 (Includes 2 adults, 2 kids)

For more information you can download their flyer [Here]

There is a parking lot I pass through every so often where all the cars park behind each other so no car can leave with a bunch of cars having to be moved first. What I found interesting is the unspoken understanding among those drivers. Even though everyone parks on closes on everyone else they all leave their phone numbers on top of the dash board. Some are scribbled on paper, other are typed out nicely and maybe even laminated while others are made into stickers and stuck on the front windshield. This parking lot which could only hold a certain number of cars comfortably can now hold a lot more and best of all it’s community driven.

I spotted this picture near Safat Square showing how the new revamped square will look like once construction is completed. I can’t see any seating areas which I think would be a big mistake this time around. They should add benches all around the fountains and the places that used to sell fake perfumes and toys should be turned into cafe’s (Note: That does not mean shisha places).

If you’re planning to renew your internet subscription or buy a new phone it might be worth your while to wait until January 29th for InfoConnect to start.

InfoConnect’12
Location: International Fairs Ground, Hall 5, 6, 7 & 8
Date: January 29th to February 4th (first day VIP only)
Time: 9:00AM to 1:00pm and 4:30PM to 9:00pm

Entrance is free of charge. For more information click [Here]

Photo by Roshan

Have guests coming to Kuwait and not sure where to take them? Architecture of Kuwait have posted a handy schedule although I personally don’t agree with some of their activities (flight simulation?) as well as some of their restaurant choices but it’s a good list to build on. When it comes to food I would add Cocoa Room or Early Bird for breakfast. Lunch I would add OFK and Oum Habib. I would definitely add desert places like Chocolate Bar and Life with Cacao. Finally I would add Maki and Slider Station for dinner.

If guests don’t leave Kuwait gaining a few pounds then you’re not doing it right. [Link]

Here’s some good news:

After coming third in the general standings at Asian qualifiers for the 10m air rifle individuals on Saturday, female shooter Maryam Erzouqi earned Kuwait’s first place at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

Kuwait’s shooting team director Mohammad Al-Ghorba praised the shooter for her efforts in achieving the milestone.
He also expressed confidence other members of the shooting team, taking part in the Asian qualifiers in Doha, would follow suit, particularly in the double trap category.

Maryam had taken home two gold medals, in the 50m rifle prone and the 10m air rifle, at the recent Arab Games. [Source]

On a side note KUNA have redesigned their website and although it’s not great it’s much better than their previous one. You can check it out [Here]