2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003
Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways has revealed plans to move to an all-economy fleet configuration with the launch of three new fare categories from January 8.
The move to economy will apply to all routes, except flights to Cairo, while the three categories include Economy Class: Light, Value and Extra. Source
Business class on Jazeera Airways never made sense anyway since they were the exact same seats as economy, just sold at double the price.
Back in 2012 we were given an up and running date of 2020 and I posted about it and even shared a map of the metro routes but then nothing…
Faisal Al-Kharafi goes by the instagram handle @porsche_collector and has one of the rarest Porsche collections in the world. His instagram account has over 200,000 followers and his home garage is inspired by Iron Man. Dennis Collins (from the TV series Fast N’ Loud) was in Kuwait back in 2015 for the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance and while here he got a tour of Faisal’s garage which you can watch above. Since 2015 Faisal has added more porsches to his collection which you can check out on his instagram account.
While in Kuwait Dennis also shot some other episodes including the one below which is a tour of another garage, not sure who’s garage but it has two mint condition Rambo-Lambo’s and a red hot Countach! If anyone know’s who’s garage that is let me know and hook me up with a tour!
For more episodes check out Dennis’s youtube page here.
Nick Ingman is an English arranger, composer and conductor who’s worked with a lot of musicians including Blur, Oasis, Madonna, Elton John and even worked with Radiohead on ‘OK Computer‘ which is one of my favorite albums ever. I hadn’t heard of Nick until a few days ago when a reader made me aware that his 1976 album ‘Terminator’ used the Kuwait Water Towers on the cover. Since it was released around the same time the water towers were completed, this might have been the first time the water towers were ever used in an artwork.
I found three copies of this record on eBay, I just bought one and so there are two more left if you’re interested in picking one up.
Thanks Adam
Someone on Reddit noticed that Murouj have an “I ❤️ Kuwait” message written on top of one of the roofs. Not sure if you can see it from a plane as you’re landing or leaving Kuwait, but it shows clearly when you view Murouj on Google Maps.
I wonder if there are any other secret messages around Kuwait?
Thanks screamIscream
If you’ve wanted to know the story of Kuwait’s stock market crash in the 80s, NPR released a short 9 minute podcast about it a few days ago. Here is the description of the podcast:
In the early 1980s, Kuwait’s unofficial stock market — run out of a parking garage on the site of an old camel market — was the third largest in the world, second only to the U.S. and Japan. But then, in an instant, it all came crashing down, plunging Kuwait into a brutal recession that would last for nearly a decade. How is it that a simple financial innovation could create such vast wealth and such devastating chaos? And what can it teach us about the fundamental forces at the heart of modern capitalism?
Today on The Indicator: the story of the Souk al-Manakh and one of the greatest stock bubbles of all time. Source
If you want to listen to it search for “THE INDICATOR FROM PLANET MONEY” podcast in your favorite podcast player or listen to it below.
Thanks momoxoxo
Lebanese composer and songwriter Rene Bendali has died at the age of 70 in the city of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon.
Bendali shot to fame in the late 1970s and 1980s for performing with his family as a band called The Bendali Family, who were behind songs such as the hit Do You Love Me. Source
I had posted the video “Do You Love Me?” on my blog back in 2007 because it had been shot in Kuwait in 1978. The song and video quickly went viral but I never really researched it more or anything until now. I just found more information about the song and video in the comments here and I copy-pasted it below:
First of all, this was shot using 16mm in front of the kourniche of the Kuwait-Sheraton in exactly August, 1978, but was only made to be featured as a ‘publicity’ shot on film for a Kuwaiti T.V. programme interview with the band (eleven sisters and brothers showcased in a double concert there at the Public Kuwaiti Theatre and a local cinema).
There are snippets and clippettes of this rare, one-hour long interview on YouTube with actress-turned-singer-turned-actress-again S’oaud Al-Abdallah doing the staccato interview with the cheery family who wore velvet uniforms. Kuwaitis were wealthy enough at that time to invite anyone they could ever think of (including at one time, the American disco band Boney-M who allegedly turned into Islam there), and so the Bendalis were in hot demand in that wealthy-beyond-words oil-tick nation.
So, basically the song ‘Do You Love Me?’ wasn’t made in that same year only because that video was shot in the same year: it was a very popular — and energetic — concert-opener ‘medley’, non-song of Roger Bendali’s composition using a 70’s pop hit (Can’t help think of the original artist for the Englizi intro, but it should be The Tremeloes? Someone with time and interest enough better check into that). Contrary to what many believe, René Bendali did not compose nor write the words for the song — He just sang it.
The first recorded version of this song was featured as a medley in their Sgt. Pepper-like T.V. musical show (I was lucky to have watched it when I was still a kid), called ‘Kamera 77’: the show had all the band’s members (rumoured to include even cousins at one point in the show, plus their mother and father). Kamera 77 was really a hit with almost all Arabic nascent ‘colour’ televisions at that time and it sold very well, to the extent that the Bandalis (or Bendalis/Bendaly Family, or in Lebanese-Arabic A’ailit Bandalee), became trully a house-hold name, and oddly enough… still are.
As for the song itself, this medley was put to record in 1976 and it featured only Roger, but then again it’s found its way into many albums and records released by the band (and, later by the Kuwaiti label Al-Naza’aer), and some three different concert versions like the one used here by DJ Dub Snakker still exist. René Bendali is cited here as the originator of the song in 1963, which is very offtrack and wrong. Well, back in 1963 most of the band’s members weren’t even born, for crying out loud.
I couldn’t find the full interview on YouTube but I did find this short clip. If anyone has the link to the full interview please share it below!
Below is also a video I found of their performance in Kuwait. The video says 1979 but I think it’s actually 1978.
A Kuwaiti makeup artist was accused of racism after she posted a video and a picture of herself painted in dark makeup, in what critics condemned as blackface.
Ghadeer Sultan first posted a short video clip on her Instagram page on Wednesday, with the song We Are the World playing in the background, showcasing her different looks in a range of skin colours and wigs.
She then posted a photo of herself in blackface, which has garnered more than 44,000 likes.
Sultan’s page, which has two million followers, was then inundated with comments denouncing her blackface while others argued she had done nothing wrong. Source
This happened last week and I thought with all the negativity she’d end up removing the photos and videos but she hasn’t yet. Not only that but she’s also been reposting all the negative news articles about her that are being published in the media into her instagram story. So not really sure what to think about all of this. I hadn’t heard of her until last week but don’t think she’s actually racist, just unaware that blackfacing can be deemed offensive.
After the photos and videos went viral she posted the following statement and apology yesterday on her story (spelling mistakes fixed):
I’m sorry, I can see how blackface event must have been frustrating for you. I appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to deal with blackface. However it was absolutely not in my intention…
I was trying to show how artists could show things in a professional way.
I am professional artists and I did my best to show the beauty in colors.. the people and my millions of followers who knows me would definitely know what I’ve meant by doing this and what is my feelings towards all people’s and all colors.
Thanks for alerting me to blackface. I recognized that this can’t have been an easy thing to deal with and I’m so sorry that I have caused you to feel humiliations however on the contrary I looked more beautiful in my dark colors…
I’ve tried to explain several times why and how I’ve done this and what was my goal behind it, but I can’t really change the sensitivity behind the whole issue.
You were absolutely right to bring this to my attention, so I can immediately resolve any issues or any misunderstanding with my loved followers…
I will try everything I can to get this fixed and live with all people with love joy and peace once again… I am fully committed to my followers to show how artists could make your life peaceful and beautiful…
I will work on resolving the miss understanding and I will be careful in approaching or touching another culture, so we can all enjoy the beauty behind the arts..
Love u all
I think she’s the only influencer that’s made the news for something negative and then apologized. But, she still hasn’t removed the video or any of the blackface photos and don’t think she will.
[poll id=”10″]
The Grudge
The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:
New This Weekend:
Cats (2.8)
Disturbing the Peace (N/A)
Norm of the North: King Sized Adventure (3.1)
Realms (3.8)
Richard Says Goodbye (6.7)
The Grudge (6.3)
Other Movies Showing Now:
Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans 66) (8.3)
Frozen II (7.1)
I See You (6.5)
Ip Man 4: The Finale (7.6)
Jumanji: The Next Level (7.0)
Knives Out (7.9)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Playing with Fire (5.1)
Spies in Disguise (6.1)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (6.6)
Trauma Center (5.0)
The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:
IMAX Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Turtle Odyssey (7.7)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)
Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.
A lot of people have been asking me if there are any fireworks happening this year on New Year’s eve. I haven’t heard of anything happening at the Kuwait Towers but Al Kout will have a fireworks show this year. They had one last year and I heard mixed feedback about it but I guess something is better than nothing.
[poll id=”9″]
Here’s a great list for Kuwait to rank high on, the 20 countries where people live the longest. According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Kuwait has the 11th highest life expectancy in the world with an average life expectancy of 70.7 years. Kuwait has the highest life expectancy in the GCC and the second-highest in the Middle East with only Israel ahead in 8th place. Singapore tops the list with the highest expectancy of 74.2 years. Check out the full top 20 list here.
Thanks Bader
My favorite % ARABICA location which was also their first location has closed down. They’re demolishing the building and I was expecting the location to close but didn’t expect them to close it down overnight without warning. I was basically at that location on a daily basis and I’d also run into the same people there every day. It was my goto spot for meetings but also my favorite spot when I just wanted to drink my coffee early morning while browsing reddit and posting on the blog. No idea if they’re going to open another location in the same area but hopefully they do.
I was at Avenues this past weekend and noticed that the American bookstore Borders was opening in place of where H&M used to be in Phase 1. Borders filed for bankruptcy and closed down in the US a few years ago but the brand still exists around the world including in the UAE. It’s not as cool as the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, but then again, beggars can’t be choosers.
The stationary store Paperchase is also opening right next door to Borders which is also pretty cool.
I posted about the Kuwait Motor Town track the other day and this weekend they’re actually opening it up to bicycles. So if you want to ride your bicycle around the race track check out Bicycle Day this Saturday. The Cultural Center is also hosting a Solar Eclipse Live Show at their Planetarium this weekend so that could be something fun for the kids. Check out this weekend’s full list of events below:
Thursday
Fareed Abdal – A Solo Exhibition
Alan Villiers & the Sons of Sindbad: An Australian in 1930s Kuwait
Exhibition: Athier Mousawi – Fade and Float
Solar Eclipse Live Show
Thirteen Zones
Friday
Solar Eclipse Live Show
Thirteen Zones
Al-Farsi Kite Festival
AlSouq Market
Saturday
Alan Villiers & the Sons of Sindbad: An Australian in 1930s Kuwait
Exhibition: Athier Mousawi – Fade and Float
Solar Eclipse Live Show
Thirteen Zones
Barba’s Brunch Bunch
Bicycle Day at Kuwait Motor Town
Open Track at Kuwait Motor Town
If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]
Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double-check with the organizers.
Spies in Disguise
The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:
New This Weekend:
Ip Man 4: The Finale (7.6)
Spies in Disguise (6.1)
The Courier (4.4)
Trauma Center (5.0)
Other Movies Showing Now:
21 Bridges (5.7)
Bombshell (5.7)
Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans 66) (8.3)
Frozen II (7.1)
Go Fish (5.1)
I See You (6.5)
Jumanji: The Next Level (7.0)
Knives Out (7.9)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Playing with Fire (5.1)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (6.6)
The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:
IMAX Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Turtle Odyssey (7.7)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)
Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.