2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Back in 2010 Sultan Center stopped carrying Lucky Charms because it turned out the marshmallows in it contained pork gelatine. Since then it’s been off the local market but now Lulu has started selling them. Not sure how long that’s gonna last so if you’re craving Lucky Charms you should pick up a box ASAP. It’s being sold for KD2.990.

UFC 242 is taking place this coming Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Because the fights are taking place right next door, the event timings work really well for us with the first fight starting at 9PM on Saturday.

If you want to watch the fights live then the easiest way to do so is by downloading the UFC Arabia app from the Kuwait Apple Store (I’m guessing its the same for Android devices). For $4.99 a month the UFC Arabia app allows you to stream live Pay Per View (PPV) events at no additional cost, in addition to the weigh-ins, post-fight press conferences, and various other videos.

I just signed up to it to try it out based on a recommendation from a friend who already tried it out. The commentary is in English as well not in Arabic. If you can’t find the app in the Apple Store it’s most likely because you’re not in the Kuwait store so make sure you have an Apple account registered with a Kuwait address. Alternatively, you could just go to the UFC Arabia website and sign up there. Link

Screenshot from IT Chapter Two

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

New This Weekend:
Berlin, I Love You (4.5)
IT Chapter Two (7.7)
Light of My Life (6.6)
Playmobil: The Movie (4.5)

Other Movies Showing Now:
47 Meters Down Uncaged (5.3)
Aladdin (6.5)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (7.5)
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (8.4)
Ready or Not (7.3)
Spider-Man: Far from Home (8.2)
The Angry Birds Movie 2 (6.8)
The Final Wish (4.2)
The Lion King (6.2)
Toy Story 4 (9.0)

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

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

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

Review written by Tarek J

Movie studios have been purchasing and investing in properties over the past few years as their main currency: Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars… What property can we own and milk for years and years to come. But there’s one property no one has a monopoly on: Nostalgia. In this age of endless information, bad news, white nationalism, prejudice, and dabbing, people have had a need to relive the good old times. But when a film adaptation of IT was announced off the heels of the success of Stranger Things, I said “here we go again”. Surprisingly though, Andy Muschetti’s film turned out to be one of the most entertaining and well directed films of the year.

So when Vox Cinemas invited me to the premiere of IT Chapter Two, I didn’t hesitate. The event itself was quite fun, every seat had a gift bag with a poster, a funky pop Pennywise doll, and a few other little trinkets. For added effect, each seat had a red balloon tied to it. But the standout was an extremely dedicated actor dressed (with some impressive makeup) as the titular character. He would provide some fun jump scares to the guests as they walked into the theater (but thankfully disappeared when the actual film started). As a whole, it was a great experience from Vox and I hope they do this with every major release. Now let’s get to the film:

IT Chapter 2 picks up 27 years after part one, and after a disturbing opening sequence, we catch up with our characters all grown up, mostly successful, but separate from one another. However, after the resurgence of a familiar string of missing people back home, it becomes clear that they have to reunite and fulfill the pledge they made to each other at the end of the first film. And that’s as much as I’ll spoil in terms of the plot, because half the fun of the film is discovering it as it reveals itself.

It Chapter 2, like its predecessor, is one of the most entertaining films of the year. There was not a moment where I shifted in my seat or looked at my phone. The film is exciting, at times surprisingly hilarious, and sometimes pretty scary. The best thing about these films remains the characters and the performances. The casting of Chapter Two is impeccable. Probably the best casting I’ve seen where the adult actors look like their child counterparts. The characters themselves are fully developed and individual enough that they always keep the film entertaining. The performances by James McAvoy and Jesica Chastain are solid as always, but its clear the standout here is a hilarious but ultimately moving performance by Bill Hader (Barry fans rejoice!). The film as a whole doesn’t take itself too seriously and is aware that some of its plot’s sillier aspects (faithfully adapted from the original Stephen King novel who has a fun little cameo here) aren’t given too much weight to take away from the film itself. The story itself and the turns it takes is a bit disappointing, but it’s clear that Mushcetti has a lot of love and passion for this story and for filmmaking itself. Which brings me to the production. A second highlight of this film is its production value, specifically the cinematography, musical score, and directing itself. It’s directed with a strong visual and emotional intelligence, harkening back to the days of early Speilberg and Zemeckis, giving the film a kind of 90’s bravura of big visuals, big sound, a living camera, and little bit of cheesiness. As a director, Muchetti is definitely a talent to look out for. Some of the more “harrowing” sequences are beautifully shot and executed, and having a big budget horror spectacle like this is rare these days, so that alone is worth the watch.

However, not all things are great. Midway through the film it’s clear that the scares (while “bigger” here) aren’t as effective as the first time around. There is some creativity with the way Pennywise manifests the character’s fears, but it slowly gives the feeling of when you’ve seen one scary sequence you’ve seen them all. In addition, the themes of the different trauma’s the characters and the town endured growing up and how that helps them in the end, while clear to me as a book reader, didn’t translate so well in the finale.

And that brings me to the final 20 minutes of the film, which are exhilarating. I was kind of dreading it as everything the film was building towards felt a bit like the final sequence would be predictable, but I was so happy to be wrong. The film builds and builds and then it delivers a non-stop rollercoaster ride of horror, comedy, and emotions that by then I felt I could overlook the issues I had earlier on.

All in all, this is a GREAT time at the cinema. It’s not a perfect film, and it’s not as solid as the first one, but it’s definitely worth the price of the ticket, and is the kind of horror film that everyone (above 18) can enjoy.

The Ministry of Interior website has finally been revamped and although it still needs some work, at least it no longer looks like it was done by an intern using Microsoft Frontpage. The biggest change other than the visual appearance is the ability to check your traffic fines right from the front page (scroll down). That’s probably the most used feature on the website and so makes sense to have it on the main page.

I actually hadn’t checked mine in ages and just did and found 5 violations! I used to get an SMS telling me I had violations but I guess the SMS feature isn’t working. Sucks.

Anyway if you want to check out the new look click here.

Thanks Santo

Al Qabas newspaper launched a new service recently called Al Qabas Premium where they’ve digitized all their issues going back to 1972 and made them available online.

This is such a cool thing and I’m so surprised they did this. Previously the only way I could access their archive is by going to the National Library and having to flip through large and heavy books, so this is way more convenient.

Al Qabas Premium isn’t free, it costs $60 a year but you can sign up to a monthly package ($6) if you want as well. They do have some free content available and I just found the picture on top of Cinema Salmiya dating back to 1972 as part of their free content. But, $6 is pretty reasonable so I’ll be signing up to their monthly package.

Al Qabas Premium is in Arabic and if you want to check it out then click here.

Thanks Omar!

Update: Here is a video they just published about Al Qabas Premium

Back in July I posted about the steps needed to import a classic car. I’m going to be documenting the process so figured I’d post about the first issue that has come up.

My car arrives this week and everything was going smoothly until it came to getting a temporary import license. My friend who I’m importing the car under his name went to get a temporary import license and his request got rejected.

Turns out he thought he had imported his last car over 2 years ago but instead it turned out he had imported it 1 year and 9 months ago. If you recall I posted that a Kuwaiti can import a classic car once every 2 years so now he can’t import this one under his name. The only way he can is by getting an exception which supposedly is very difficult to get.

So now he needs to do something called a “tanazool” where basically he has the put the car under another persons name. A complicated process that will delay the release of the car from the port by up to 3 weeks. Hopefully that process will go smoothly at least.

I have Zain 5G at the office in the city and I average around 650Mbps there which is pretty incredible. This got me curious to see how 5G would perform at my apartment in Salmiya so Zain hooked me up with a unit to try out. Right now I have a Zain Beam connection at home and I get a stable 30Mbps.

My experience so far with 5G in Salmiya has been really weird. I’ve gotten speeds as low as 3Mbps and as high as 350Mbps. I don’t understand why the speed fluctuates so much here. I’m gonna continue to experiment with it and move the router around to see if that helps. If I can get a stable connection over 100Mbps that would be pretty crazy considering just up until a few months ago, I couldn’t get anything higher than 10Mbps at my place.

Update: Problem got solved, click here for an updated post.

Russell Peters, the popular comedian and actor will be coming to Kuwait next month for a one-night comedy event. He was previously set to come in June but for some reason that show never materialized, this time around it looks like it’s really happening. Tickets go on sale in a couple of hours (at 10AM) and will probably sell out quickly. The last time Russell Peters was in Kuwait was back in 2016.

For more information click here.

Thanks Fahaad

The popular UK based Italian bakery Princi is coming to Kuwait soon based on job listings by Alshaya. Princi was created by the restaurateur Alan Yau who is behind other popular brands like Wagamama and Hakkasan. I posted about Princi back in 2013 after trying it out and since then the brand Princi got sold to Starbucks a few years ago which is how it ended up on Alshaya’s portfolio. No clue when it’s opening but it’s probably safe to bet that they’ll be opening a location at the Avenues.

The Kuwait Harps are starting a new season of Gaelic Football and are looking for new faces to join the club. Gaelic Football is a form of football derived from the Irish ball games. There are some major differences between regular football and Gaelic football like the fact Gaelic football is played with 15 players per team and you can also hold the ball with your hands.

The Kuwait Harps compete primarily in tournaments based in the Gulf region and new players are always welcome and immediately feel at home within the club. The majority of the current squad were actually new to Gaelic Games when they first arrived in Kuwait. While many clubs in the Gulf region can depend on a strong pool of Irish players, this is not the case in Kuwait. While a core of the club may be Irish, it relies heavily on the support of players from the international expat community. Kuwait Harps Players have come from Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Canada, USA, Australia and even Sudan to name but a few countries.

If you’re interested in joining the club, they’re holding a taster day. Taster days are just for people to come along and see if they like the sport and want to join. It’s aimed at all abilities (both fitness and Gaelic wise) so anyone can come along and there is no need to sign up. All you need to do is come out in your normal workout gear and bring some sunscreen, water and maybe a hat or sunglasses.

When: Tuesday, September 3rd from 6PM to 8PM
Where: AIS (Google Maps)

For more information email [email protected] or visit their Facebook Page, instagram account @kuwait_harps_gaa or website kuwaitharpsgaa.com.

Up until yesterday, I had never been to the Tareq Rajab Museums. I’m aware that’s odd considering I’ve been blogging about things to do and places to visit in Kuwait for 15 years now, but for some reason, I never thought of passing by the museums until yesterday. There are two Tareq Rajab museums, the Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Art and the main Tareq Rajab Museum, both located in Jabriya and are close to each other.

Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Art
This first museum is located right across from the New English School. I actually wasn’t aware there were two museums until I got there using Google Maps. I typed Tareq Rajab in Google Maps and clicked on the first result but when I got there it didn’t look like the museum I had driven by before. So I asked security about it he told me that was the other museum located down the block. This museum focused on Islamic art and housed an extensive collection of Islamic calligraphy, old Korans and the famous Ka’aba coverings.

Although the building looks large from the outside, the museum itself wasn’t that big and could be covered in under 30 minutes. Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday 9AM to 12PM and 4PM to 7PM. While on Fridays the museum is open from 9AM to 12PM. I’d call (25317358) and double-check before heading there though since yesterday the museums were open till 1PM and not 12PM. Here is the location on Google Maps. The entrance fee is KD2.

Tareq Rajab Museum
After quickly going through the Islamic Art Museum I got in my car and drove down the block to the main museum. Although the building on the outside isn’t as impressive as the Islamic Art Museum, once you walk down into the basement where the museum is located, you’ll quickly realize this museum is much bigger with a lot more things on display (over 10,000 pieces on display according to their website).

The museum is divided into two areas. The first area contains calligraphy, manuscripts, miniatures, ceramics, metalwork, glass and jade, wood and stone-carvings. The second area contains objects which were produced in the Islamic world during the last 250 years including costumes, textiles, jewelry, weapons, and musical instruments.

I loved this museum since there were so many things to check out and they were all displayed pretty nicely. I was not expecting it to be this organized or this big, so I was really surprised and also kind of disappointed in myself that it took me this long to visit it.

Like the Islamic Museum, the opening hours to this museum is from Saturday to Thursday 9AM to 12PM and then from 4PM to 7PM. Fridays the museum is also open from 9AM to 12PM. Here is the location on Google Maps. The entrance fee is KD2.

Here is a link to their website.
Here is a link to more information on the museums.

Since the weather is getting slightly cooler and everyone is getting back from their holidays the events are starting to pop up again. I just added a whole bunch of events to the events page but there are a few things also taking place thing weekend:

Thursday
Eternal Voices at Al Shaheed Park
The Avenues Carnival 2019
Candles Light Yoga

Friday
Eternal Voices at Al Shaheed Park
The Avenues Carnival 2019
Stars on 40, last Audition!
Doubles Bowling Tournament

Saturday
Eternal Voices at Al Shaheed Park
The Avenues Carnival 2019
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque

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.

Screenshot from Angel of Mine

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

New This Weekend:
After the Wedding (5.4)
Angel of Mine (8.1)
Super Bear (6.1)
The Final Wish (4.2)
Trouble (9.3)
Where’d You Go, Bernadette (6.6)

Other Movies Showing Now:
47 Meters Down Uncaged (5.3)
Aladdin (6.5)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (7.5)
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (8.4)
Ready or Not (7.3)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (7.1)
Spider-Man: Far from Home (8.2)
T-34 (6.3)
The Angry Birds Movie 2 (6.8)
The Current War (6.2)
The Lion King (6.2)
Toy Story 4 (9.0)

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

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Fly Me to the Moon (4.5)
Galapagos 3D (8.6)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

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

Many of you have probably ordered an item online because it wasn’t available in Kuwait. But, what do you do if that item breaks down?

Last month, my Breville coffee machine developed a leak. I didn’t realize at first since the leak wasn’t that much, but then the leak got worse and I started finding a pool of water under my coffee machine. Since they don’t sell Breville coffee machines in Kuwait there wasn’t much I could do so I continued using the machine and just dried up the pool of water whenever it formed. Eventually, the leak got even worse and it was short-circuiting the machine and shutting off the power to my whole apartment. I stopped using my machine and started having my coffee at Arabica, but that gets pretty expensive really fast. 2 lattes + a Pain au Chocolat every day (best Pain au Chocolat period so I can’t resist) is just over KD80 a month. I had to make a decision, either I needed to get a new machine or fix the one I have.

I decided to open up my coffee machine to see exactly what was leaking and right away I found the problem. Turns out the leak was coming from the internal boiler, whenever the water heated it up, the boiler would start leaking from the top. I shot a video which you can see above. I googled my problem and found out the issue was because of the o-rings, little circular rubber pieces that are located between the tubing and the boiler unit.

Breville doesn’t sell these pieces themselves, but I ended up finding a store in Australia that sold an o-ring kit for around 3.5KD. I ordered the kit and once it arrived I found a video on YouTube of a guy changing the o-rings on his Breville coffee machine and copied what he did on mine.

End result? My coffee machine is working again! I sorted out all the leaks and I’m back to making my coffee at home. I was lucky my coffee machine was a pretty easy fix but it’s something you’re always risking when buying stuff online. But, if you ever develop a problem, it’s worth trying to fix it yourself before throwing it out. You don’t have anything to lose anyway.