2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Last year the kashta market exploded in popularity but it doesn’t seem like a lot of the businesses survived. I went through last year’s list and most of the accounts either didn’t exist anymore or hadn’t been updated in a year. Below is a list of the businesses that survived, if I missed an active one, let me know in the comments:

Cliche
Festivity
Glamping
Kashta KWT
Kashta Spot
Kashtat
La Bohème
La Récolte
Le Project
Let’s Kashta
Outing
Picnics
Rental Hub
Sea Wild
Sets by A
Sol Sahara
The Modern Kashta
Three by Three
Van Life

This is a pretty useful local app that just got launched. Ever needed a pickup truck to move a large item or maybe a moving truck to shift your furniture to your new apartment? Droob is a new app that allows you to order a vehicle for just that.

I played around with the app a bit and the way it works is you first choose the kind of vehicle you want to order which depends on what you’re moving. You then let the app know where the items are and where you want them dropped off. After scheduling a pick-up time you’ll be presented with the cost. I got quotted 9KD for a pickup truck from Ikea at Avenues to an office in Kuwait City which isn’t bad at all. Payment can be made either by cash, k-net or credit card.

If you want to check out the app yourself, it’s available for both iPhones and Android devices. Here is a link to their website.

Kuwait City’s impressive skyline has welcomed a new skyscraper that sets a new benchmark for high-end urban living. Located in Bneid Al Gar and rising a stunning 22 stories above the city, Al Maha Tower offers a new definition of contemporary apartment living complete with breathtaking panoramic views and provides its residents with subtle but exclusive luxury.

Al Maha Tower’s strategic location near the city centers, trade zones and famous shopping centers enhances convenience and provides the perfect home next to workplace and modern lifestyle experiences.

Adding to that, Al Maha features superior amenities including a rooftop infinity pool, fully equipped gym, rooftop barbeque area, high-speed internet, 24/7 security service, landscaped gardens, and outdoor and indoor children’s play areas that enable kids to safely enjoy. These amenities offer endless possibilities for comfort, security, independent lifestyle and enhanced quality of life.

To learn more about all that Al Maha Tower has to offer, please call 5173 5543

This weekend is jam-packed with things to do to the point I think I’m going to bring back the permanent Events page again. Something interesting is happening every day this weekend so check out the list below. As usual, if I missed anything just let me know in the comments.

Thursday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Face to Face II
Exhibition: Beyond the Abyss
The Avenues Sky
Korean Street Food Festival
Perfume Expo
Latino Night with Hassan Jomah
360 Terrace Market
Comic Festival Convention
Murouj Kuwait Electric Vehicle Show

Friday
The Avenues Sky
Perfume Expo
Jusoor Run 2021
Kites Show at Shuwaikh Beach
Super Run – Car Race, Car Show and Food Trucks
360 Terrace Market
Comic Festival Convention
Murouj Kuwait Electric Vehicle Show

Saturday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Face to Face II
Exhibition: Beyond the Abyss
Grand Mosque Tour
The Avenues Sky
Treasure Hunt in Al Shaheed Park
Perfume Expo
Ultimate Frisbee: Community Catch-and-Throw
Sailing: Saturday Cruising
Miseen Scene Club: Modigliani
Kasa Walks – Uncovering Shadadiya Campus
Intro to Palestinian Embroidery Workshop
360 Terrace Market
Comic Festival Convention
Murouj Kuwait Electric Vehicle Show

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Caveat (5.9)
Ghostbusters: From Beyond (7.7)
House of Gucci (7.1)
Motherly (5.2)
The Dark and the Wicked (6.1)

Other Movies Showing Now:
13 Minutes (4.7)
Clifford the Big Red Dog (6.1)
Encanto (7.8)
King Richard (6.8)
The Marksman (5.6)
No Time to Die (7.9)
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (5.7)
Vengeance Is Mine (7.2)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (6.5)
Wrath of Man (7.1)

Classic Movies Showing Now:
Rocky (8.1)
Rocky II (7.3)

The films below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

IMAX Movies Showing Now:
Antarctica (N/A)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (7.7)
Encanto (7.8)
Turtle Odyssey (7.2)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.

Looks like eVisa’s are finally being issued again. According to the US Embassy website, Kuwait has announced that people of certain nationalities who would like to travel to Kuwait can apply for a visa electronically (e-Visa) through the Ministry of Interior’s website. There are some requirements:

• you need to be vaccinated
• you need to have proof of vaccination
• you need to register in the Immune app

But, it seems they’ve also placed a limit on how many eVisa’s can be issued. I’m trying to issue one for my mum but whenever I want to start the process I get the error “We have reached the maximum limit of visa applications, please try again later.” If you’ve successfully managed to apply for an eVisa, let us know in the comments.

Al Khalid Complex has been around for as far as I remember. I’m sure it’s been there since the 60s or 70s. My earliest recollection of it was visiting My Toy back when it used to be there in the early 80s, as well as picking up pastries from a confectionery shop located where Gia currently is. When they started refurbishing the complex I was kinda worried they would ruin it. Thankfully, it didn’t turn out so bad and I’m glad it wasn’t demolished and turned into a mall.

Gia is still there, Anaar and Edo as well. There is also a bakery called Clario and a private dining concept called JADE. From the old school places, Fresh somehow is still there as well as Golden Corner Restaurant which has been there since I was a kid. The only thing that isn’t there anymore is the spaceman mural. That’s gone now sadly.

If you’ve never been to Al Khalid Complex, it’s in Salmiya right off the Gulf Road. Here is the location on Google Maps.

@th9neighborhood is an interesting Instagram account if you appreciate old-school architecture. There are so many interesting buildings all around Kuwait that would look incredible if they were refurbished but instead are left to crumble till they eventually get demolished. Maybe the photographer will eventually capture enough buildings and publish them in a book, an archive of what we lost.

No idea what’s been happening there but the new rules for Eqaila Beach follow the usual let’s just ban everything mentality instead of trying to solve the problem. Here are the new rules:

• No entry for girls without their families

• No entry for guys without their families

• When requested, please share your marriage certificate

All the media posts I’ve seen have been sharing the exact same photo above which leads me to believe no one has actually gone themselves to verify if this is true or not. The top two rules seem like they’ve been there for a while with just the third one recently added. If any Eqaila Beachgoers could share some light in the comments on what’s been happening there, that would be appreciated!

Sage products, or Breville as it’s called in the States, are now available in Kuwait at Xcite. They recently became dealers of the brand and so have brought over their full line of products including their coffee machines which are really popular. I used to have the Oracle coffee machine which I used to love before it died on me and I couldn’t get it repaired because there was no local dealer.

The prices at Xcite are more expensive than Amazon UK even though the UK prices include 20% VAT, so not sure why the Kuwait prices aren’t more similar. But, the prices in Kuwait are still cheaper than trying to order the machines all the way from the UK like I had previously recommended you do. Here are some examples:

Sage Barista Touch Espresso Machine
Xcite: 379 KD
Amazon UK: 343 KD

Sage Barista Pro Espresso Machine
Xcite: 299 KD
Amazon UK: 243 KD

Sage Barista Express Espresso Machine
Xcite: 223 KD
Amazon UK: 259 KD

Sage Smart Grinder Pro
Xcite: 99 KD
Amazon UK: 80 KD

If you’re a tea drinker, Sage also have some really great kettles (I have the Smart Kettle as well as their 800 juicer). Also, some items like the bread machine are out of stock in the UK but available here so that’s a plus for us.

Anyway, to check out their products you can search for “Sage” on their website although I noticed they had some items in their Al Rai branch that aren’t listed on their website so might be better to just pass by the store if you’re looking for something specific.

Yesterday I went to the fairgrounds in Mishref to get my booster shot. I got my second dose back in April so it’s been over 6 months which qualifies me for a booster dose. I was worried because it was a weekend and with all the stories regarding a new variant that the place would be popping but instead, it was totally empty. Like maybe just a couple of other people getting their shots but that’s about it and I was there around noon which wasn’t even early.

If it’s been over 6 months since your last Pfizer or AstraZeneca shot then you don’t even need to apply for an appointment online, you can just walk in. They’re giving boosters for both vaccines and they also ask you if you want an influenza shot which I didn’t get, but I liked that they have more than one item on the menu.

If you’re interested in getting a booster they’re open daily except for Fridays. Saturdays they open from 8AM to 4PM but on weekdays they open from 8AM to 7:30PM. According to the nurse if you come in around 7PM they might have run out of vaccines for the day so the earlier you get there the better. The nurse told me I might get a fever at night and I did, ended up hitting me in the middle of the night, just shivering chills which wasn’t too bad.

There currently is a Perfume Exhibition taking place at the fairgrounds so parking might be an issue. Here is the location on Google Maps.

Last week I posted about how you can now add your driving license to the Kuwait Mobile ID app as part of Kuwait’s move to digitization. Well according to the MOI you can’t use a digital driving license!

I guess the different departments didn’t coordinate together or something because although you can use the digital form of your CiviL ID as a form of identification, if you try using the digital driving license without having the physical license with you then you’ll get fined. Hilarious. Source

Note: If you prefer a horribly written English source, click here.

Update: Last night the MOI backtracked and released a statement saying that the digital license is now considered an official document. You can check that post here.

Below is this weekend’s list of events. I’m not sure if this is everything since Instagram logged me out of my account and I can’t log back in to continue checking for events. It’s asking me to confirm my number but I’m not getting the code it’s sending me probably because I’m in Abu Dhabi right now. Once I get access to Instagram again I’ll continue looking for more events but in the meantime, let me know in the comments if I missed anything.

Thursday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Face to Face II
Exhibition: Beyond the Abyss
Motor Show
KMT: Drag Roll Race
Murouj Souq Market
Drive In x Funquest
The Avenues Sky

Friday
Motor Show
Murouj Souq Market
Drive In x Funquest
Movements & Yoga Festival
The Avenues Sky

Saturday
Exhibition: Art from the Islamic Civilization
Exhibition: Face to Face II
Exhibition: Beyond the Abyss
Motor Show
Operation Turtle: Beach Cleaning Campaign
KMT: Cycling Open Day
Kites Show
Murouj Souq Market
Festive Charity Bazaar
Drive In x Funquest
Live the 80’s Art & Vibes
The Avenues Sky

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Black Friday (4.6)
Encanto (7.8)
Lassie Come Home (5.7)
Queen of Spades (3.7)
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (5.7)
Vengeance Is Mine (7.2)

Other Movies Showing Now:
13 Minutes (4.7)
Clifford the Big Red Dog (6.1)
Dangerous (5.0)
Fast Vengeance (4.0)
King Richard (6.8)
No Time to Die (7.9)
Seal Team (7.2)
Spencer (6.9)
The Accursed (3.3)
The Addams Family 2 (5.3)
The Marksman (5.6)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (6.5)
Wrath of Man (7.1)

Classic Movies Showing Now:
The Terminator (8.0)

The films below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

IMAX Movies Showing Now:
Antarctica (N/A)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (7.7)
Turtle Odyssey (7.2)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.

You might have noticed recently that Safe Search on Google is turned on by default and can’t be switched off. It seems local internet providers were asked by the MOC to switch it on and lock it so that it can’t be turned off. Luckily for iPhone users, there is an easy way to bypass it on your phone while at the same time being more private. I just found out about this so I’m assuming a lot of people don’t know about it either.

If you have the latest iOS update installed, head to Settings then click on your Apple ID at the top, and then iCloud. In the list, you’ll find an option called “Private Relay (Beta)”. Just turn that on and problem solved, you’ll now be able to use google with Safe Search off.

Thanks Nasser!