2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Staying home for the next 3 weeks would have been such a chill plan if it wasn’t for the fact that I won’t be able to order food. I hope that rule gets loosened up cuz it would make my life so much easier being able to order lunch.

We get two hours a day to go out for a walk, and I was against that at first because if we are gonna lockdown, we might as well do it right. But then I realized this might be great for dog owners who need to walk their dogs, or for people to go feed the stray cats they usually take care of.

Anyway, below are all the details regarding the lockdown taken from @cgckuwait

Drive-In movie theaters have started making a comeback around the world amid the COVID-19 crisis. It makes sense since you’re isolated in your car away from everyone else. Sadly for us, the last standing drive-in movie theater in Kuwait was the Ahmadi drive-in pictured above and it got demolished last year. Maybe Cinescape can put together a makeshift one in some large parking lot because I really doubt normal cinemas are going to open up anytime in the near future.

Corona Care is a national counseling program that provides free counseling sessions to those affected the most by the COVID 19 pandemic:

– Medical health professionals on the frontline
– COVID 19 patients
– Individuals in institutionalized quarantine

Once you visit the website you’ll find a bunch of short FAQ videos and an interactive questionnaire you can take. Depending on how you answer the questionnaire you’ll be given different recommendations and if by the end of the screening you’re eligible for the free counseling, then you will be contacted to set up a counseling session with a mental health expert within the same week.

The sessions are held privately through an online platform and are completely confidential. If you think you need counseling and belong to one of the segments mentioned above, then check out the Corona Care website here.

How are you guys handling elevators right now? Do you share it? Has it stopped on a floor and you wouldn’t let someone from entering the elevator while you’re inside? Any drama yet?

In my apartment building where my elevator is around 1-1.5m square I’m trying not to share the elevator with anyone. If it stops on a floor and someone tries getting in, usually delivery drivers or workers, I tend to tell them to take the next lift. If they’re wearing a mask and glove I tend to let them share the elevator with me. If its a neighbor it’s usually more awkward, I haven’t told one I don’t want to share with them yet, some ask if I mind sharing which is the polite thing to do.

So how have you been dealing with it?

CoronaMaps Kuwait is a community-driven platform that is built by collaborating with multiple government and non-government organizations.

The platform is operated by volunteers with the goal of creating an information center for sharing community-related information during the Corona crisis in Kuwait. The site visualizes data collected from publicly available resources and will be mapping primary services like health care, home delivery of groceries, community responses and more.

The site launched yesterday night and is still in Beta phase but you can check it out by visiting coronamapskw.com

Puzzles and board games have made a comeback during this pandemic but if you’re looking for something a bit more advanced, then this is for you. Wood Crafter is a local online store that sells wooden models of ships, planes and buildings which you need to put together. Prices seem very reasonable when compared to LEGO but some of the models look incredibly complicated.

The website is pretty easy to browse so check it out here.
Also you can check out their Instagram account @wood.crafter

Yesterday an image and story went viral about a woman who was meant to be under quarantine spotted out shopping in a supermarket. She had entered the supermarket wearing an abaya covering the bracelet and was only discovered while she was waiting in line at the cashier. When confronted by employees she became loud and aggressive and in the end, left the supermarket with her groceries.

She was eventually caught with the help of the Shlonik app and was transferred to mandatory quarantine. Once the quarantine is over she will be referred to legal authorities. Source

I thought authorities would know if someone under quarantine left their home right away? Yesterday Concept15 on Snapchat was talking about how the authorities had called him up because they noticed his wrist bracelet hadn’t moved for some time. He told them the strap had broken so he left it on his desk. They told him to open the door because they were outside with a new one. So if they could tell that his bracelet hadn’t moved for some time, how could they not know when a bracelet completely leaves the home? Or maybe they did know and so were waiting for her outside her house when she got back? No idea.

These two videos embedded here document the Kuwait International Rally back in the 70s. One of the videos was shot in 1976 while the other 1978. Both feature a lot of great 70s style racing footage as well as snippets of Kuwait like the old Hilton Hotel and the Kuwait Towers.

These aren’t homemade videos but properly shot videos with groovy music and a 70s style British voiceover. It’s actually really entertaining to watch even if you aren’t into cars so please check both videos out.

Tareq Almulaifi is a Kuwaiti singer/songwriter whom I previously posted about a few years ago when he was living in New York. Since then he’s moved to LA and just a couple of days ago released his first track with his new band, Cobra Club.

For the past few years I’ve been really into 80s inspired cinematic synth pop music and Tareq’s new track “Razor” falls right into that category. It’s a great track which I’ve probably already played a dozen times since last night and the music video, which supposedly was shot on a low budget, is really well made and carries over the whole 80s vibe. Can’t wait to hear more of their stuff.

Make sure you check Cobra Club out on Instagram @cobraclubmusic and Tareq on @tarequlous. If you’d like to hear more music similar to this then check out my Spotify playlist “Not the 80s” where you’ll find some of my favorite tracks including Tareqs.

The MOH Instagram account posted the teaser above saying drive-thru testing is coming soon. I’m now kinda curious to see where they’d set these up, the old McDonalds on the Gulf Road would be a great spot since it already handled one of the longest drive-thru lines ever.

Update: I was just informed the first drive-thru testing location will be located at the Jazeera Airways Park & Fly facility. Will be getting more information soon.

Update2: Here is a photo of one lane they’re currently testing. There will be a total of 3 lanes when ready. 2 lanes for the rapid and swab test if u do not have a fever. 1 lane for the full test if u have a fever or if your swab test showed something wrong. You can have 4 people max per car and they will be able to process up to 100 cars per hour at this location.

Although the saying goes “tough times call for tough measures”, I think tough times should call for more compassionate measures! We are dealing with so much right now and I know a lot of you are getting terminated (make sure you get your rights because no one has the right to terminate you because of Covid-19 in Kuwait), or are stuck in other countries, or can’t see your families, and this is why it is important for all of us to be compassionate to everyone we meet.

As a lawyer, I am getting so many emails because of Covid-19 with serious concerns, one of the biggest concerns is not being able to pay rent and eviction. Let me make something clear, a lot of people can not pay rent right now, not just you. And yes, the law allows the landlord to evict you (we wrote about this way back), but we are also going through unprecedented times so here is my advice:

– Write a formal letter in Arabic letting the landlord know that because of the unprecedented circumstances you are not able to pay the rent currently. I will make a letter template available to you in a few days for free, just email me on [email protected]. Also, feel free to communicate with them verbally and openly, I have had clients that have done that and then gotten a discount or a few months free, don’t be afraid to ask, but no matter what the verbal conversation is, I highly suggest that you still send them a document in Arabic (a notice) stating that you can not pay.

– Do not leave the apartment, if you can not pay the rent, stay there anyways. No one has the right to kick you out by force and this is something I doubt is a priority for authorities at this current time. Still, send a letter though.

– Do not feel shy about reaching out to charities, so many people in Kuwait, Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis alike have donated to various funds to help out those in need, so reach out to charities, please.

– Be patient and stay positive. I have hope that the Kuwaiti government will draft new legislation to deal with issues such as eviction from properties very soon and in favor of the weaker party, the tenants. I applaud the Kuwaiti government for all they have done so far and I have so much faith in them.

Best of luck everyone and I hope you and your families are safe and sound at this time. Feel free to follow me on instagram @flattland where I will be posting about my experience and the law (among other things) or to ask me and my team for any advice during this time. We have provided a few spots for legal consultations for free every week so check ftl-legal.com for a quick call with one of our lawyers.

Take care and sending everyone lots of love.

Post by Fajer Ahmed – Legal Counsel
Have a Kuwait law related question? Email me at [email protected]

The legal opinions expressed in this post are those of the author Fajer. Opinions expressed by Mark or any other writer on mark248am1.wpenginepowered.com are those of the individual’s and in no way reflect Fajer’s opinion.

[This is a spoiler-free post] I just wanted to take a break from the usual Coronavirus related news and talk about how great the TV series ‘Homeland’ was. The series finale aired yesterday and what a great ending to such a great show. I can’t believe it’s over after 8 seasons or that they managed to keep it exciting all the way through till the end. I’m so glad it went out the way it did.

If you haven’t watched ‘Homeland‘ you really should.

Yesterday I got an email from Qatar Airways letting me know that they’ve resumed daily flights from Kuwait until the end of the month:

Mr Makhoul, in these challenging times, we are here to support you if you need to travel home. We recently resumed flights from Kuwait so that you can now fly daily to select destinations, until 30 May 2020.

As we understand your travel plans might change, we are offering you more flexibility. You can change your date of travel free of charge, or exchange for a future travel voucher*.

Your safety, security and well-being are our first priority. As always, we provide the highest standards of hygiene on our aircraft, so your journey back home is seamless and safe

All flights are one way only and there is no mention that I need to fly specifically to my home country. So I guess I could fly out to any country that is currently allowing non-citizens/residents to come in. They had some offers mentioned in the email but when I checked their website none of the prices there matched the offers in the email. For example, a one-way economy ticket to London was listed as KD85 in the email but the lowest ticket price I found online was KD168.

I don’t think there are any other airlines flying out daily so I guess whatever they ask for you’re gonna have to pay if you want to leave Kuwait. Also if you’re Kuwaiti, it doesn’t seem like you’re allowed to fly out.

If you’re looking for a new quirky Instagram account to follow, check out @quarantineguykw. Quarantine Guy just recently came back to Kuwait from London and is now in mandatory home quarantine until May 22nd.

Everyone coming back to Kuwait right now has to install the Shlonik app which allows the government to track your whereabouts. Part of the process is that the app will throughout the day randomly check and see where you are and then request you to take a selfie to prove the phone is with you.

Quarantine Guy has started taking selfies with funny messages to whoever is checking the photos and he’s posting the screenshots on his account. Funny stuff so check him out @quarantineguykw

Update: Quarantine Guy just got a call from the Prime Minister!

شاهد || سمو رئيس #مجلس_الوزراء يزور مركز الإتصال والمتابعة الخاص بتطبيق #شلونك الصحي لمتابعة المواطنين العائدين من الخارج والخاضعين للحجر المنزلي. pic.twitter.com/wGJCEwEGRq

— الحقيقة (@ALHAKEA) April 30, 2020

Hall #4 at the Kuwait International Fairground has been turned into a pretty impressive field hospital. The hospital includes 200-beds, 40 ICU beds, 19 emergency beds, a pharmacy, and a pretty cool looking laboratory. This field hospital was put together by KOC and KIPIC and I think the other halls at the fairground are also currently being utilized one way or another to fight the pandemic.

I also read that they’ve started building a quarantine facility at the Jaber Al-Ahmad Sports Stadium that includes a field medical center, dormitories for medics and nurses, 5,000-beds, intensive care units, and pharmacies. As of now, 1,250 beds are ready while the rest under construction.