2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Back in 2015 I decided to ditch OSN and live TV and instead use Netflix, Hulu and HBO for all my TV needs. I’ve had no regrets with that decision and I haven’t missed live TV at all since. But, the only thing I wish I did have was access to UFC events. Recently I found out UFC is back with OSN so I decided to check the OSN website and see how much the monthly membership was. To my surprise they had their sports pack for KD6 a month and that included all the UFC events. KD6 is basically how much I’m paying right now for both Netflix and Hulu combined but since I’m a huge UFC fan, I decided it was worth plunking down KD6 just to watch the one or two UFC event every month.

So a few moments ago I tried to sign up for the package and I got reminded to why I ditched OSN in the first place.

Turns out even though they’re selling the sports package that includes UFC events for KD6 a month, you CAN’T sign up to it, not unless you sign up to their starter package which costs another KD6 and includes channels I don’t care for and don’t want. So I’ll have to pay KD12 a month just to watch UFC fights. Why can’t services like OSN just sell you what you want to watch? It’s the same issue people have with cable providers in the US, where they try to sell you 100 channels when you just want 2.

BeIN on the other hand are pretty cool. The only other sport I watch is Formula 1 and BeIN sell day passes for $8. So anytime there is a F1 race I just pay $8 and get to watch it online. I don’t need to sign up to any of their packages, I just watch what I want whenever I want to. Even their monthly pass to all their channels is just $18 which is still pretty reasonable. So OSN if you’re reading this, you guys need to become much more flexible. Netflix is already in the region and more and more people are gonna start dropping cable in favor of digital. At least have separate satellite and digital subscriptions and let people subscribe to whatever they want. I want to give you my money, just not all of it..

If you’re planning to order a Nintendo Switch online and ship it to Kuwait using a forwarding mailbox the, most cost effective way is to use PostaPlus or Aramex Shop&Ship. Below is a cost comparison between different services including customs. Help me fill up the unknowns.

Nintendo Switch (no games)
Aramex: KD17
Borderlinx: KD37.5
MyUS: KD27 approx
PostaPlus: Unknown

Last night I was listening to some great tracks on my way home from dinner and somehow found myself outside the Entertainment City gates at around 10:30 in the evening. As I was u-turning to head back home, I noticed the lights at the TACK Cricket Ground were on so I decided to check and see what was going on. Turns out there was a cricket game taking place so I stayed and watched it until they were done.

The TACK Cricket Ground is actually pretty sweet, they’ve got real grass first of all which I love, but they’ve also got super bright floodlights lighting up the whole area so they could play at night. Super practical during the hot summer months.

I asked a friend of mine who’s involved in the local cricket league if there was a game schedule online and turns out there was. If you’re interested in watching live cricket matches, then head over to the Kuwait Cricket website and check out their schedule [Here]

There’s a new women’s gym opening up in the basement of Mayar Complex which I originally thought was going to be a crossfit studio, but yesterday a reader noticed the door open so they went in and snooped around and found a main room filled with sand and surf boards. So he sent me the photos which got my interest.

A post shared by B10 (@b10.kwt) on Mar 1, 2017 at 10:59am PST

I checked the gym’s instagram account out and based on just the teaser videos and photography style alone, it looks like its going to be a pretty cool place. I also did a quick google search for surfboard fitness and ended up finding out about SURFSET which was featured on Shark Tank. The creator of SURFSET used to surf a lot and really liked his way his body looked during the summer months. But during the winter months when he stopped surfing, he lost his conditioning, so he came up with the idea to create the SURFSET board which simulates surfing and allowed him to stay conditioned throughout the year.

The gym isn’t open yet and it’s only going to be for women, but you could check out their instagram account @b10.kwt

Thanks @mac_leb

A friend showed me this instagram account yesterday for a local Japanese restaurant called Yamamoto and I found it the most bizarre thing ever. The restaurant is meant to serve Japanese street food but their menu from what I can tell is mostly composed of British Fish and Chips and Spanish Churros for dessert.

So weird. Check it out yourself @yamamoto_kw

Kuwaiti rapper Element released a new album on the Liberation Day of Kuwait thats composed of 11 tracks and a music video. The track above is #ArabGang and if you like it you should check out the rest of his album which is available on [iTunes] [Apple Music] [Spotify] and [Google Play]

Also make sure you check out his instagram @aboveallelements

Last week I found out there was a new yoga studio at Hamra Tower called Project 5 Miles (P5M). P5M is a social health initiative aiming to make healthy lifestyle everyone’s commodity. I had heard of them before because they used to hold fitness sessions at Al Shaheed Park, and the new P5M studio in Hamra Tower is a new addition to their activities.

I have an Alive Yoga membership but a friend of mine wanted to do yoga with me this weekend so we decided to try out P5M since the cost per session is just KD5. The P5M studio is located on the 55th floor lobby of Hamra Tower in Kuwait City. It’s not easy to find since it’s kinda hidden but when you come out of the elevator, the entrance to the studio is located behind the large pillar on the right side.

The studio is a beautiful space with a really high ceiling and a beautiful view. They have a bunch of classes with different trainers. We went to the 11AM class yesterday that was being taught by Nawaf Al Ali whom I’ve taken classes with before. It was a very chill and small class and I really enjoyed it. The class I went to was mixed but they also have ladies only classes as well.

The P5M studio is a pop-up studio meaning its not there permanently but only on a temporary basis. Like I mentioned above, their classes are just KD5, so if you’re interested in taking a yoga class there, make sure you check out their instagram page @project5miles and also their website project5miles.com

Tip: Bring your own water bottle and towel, they provide mats, blocks and straps.

The article below was written by a friend of mine and I believe is worth sharing on the blog. It’s a bit long but worth reading till the end.

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An Appeal Against Dolphins in Captivity at the Scientific Center of Kuwait

I would like to begin by saying this letter is an appeal to all those with a conscience and a heart. An appeal to those who do not know, and to those who do. I extend these words in hope that they may inspire action, unity, and a change of fate for those without voices to speak for themselves.

One of my favorite places and institutions in Kuwait will be under construction for the next three years. The Scientific Center of Kuwait. They plan to expand The Scientific Center, and install a dolphinarium.

Dolphinarium
An aquarium in which dolphins are kept and trained for public entertainment.

This news has been circulating for a few years now and I asked confirmation from the institution itself. It has been confirmed. They are going to build a dolphin prison.

Let’s take a look at the direction the world is moving in – they are enforcing laws that prohibit the exploitation of these wild animals. The United Kingdom has banned dolphinariums since the early 90’s (way ahead of their time). Most (not all) dolphinariums that exist today in the world have existed since the 70’s and 80’s if they haven’t been forced to shut down YET.

Even though the Nintendo Switch officially launches worldwide tomorrow, they’re already on sale at Rihab Complex. I was just there (technically I’m still there since I’m posting from my car in the parking lot) and they’re selling the Nintendo Switch for KD200 which is double the retail price. They don’t have any accessories yet, just the console and three games which include Zelda. They’re selling the games individually for KD20-25.

According to one salesman I spoke to, there are currently only 31 Nintendo Switches available for sale and they’re spread out across a few stores in Rihab.

The two most popular shops haven’t gotten their shipments yet. Game Center should be getting their shipment tomorrow and they told me they will be selling for less than KD200 (but still at a high price). Kuwait Center on the other hand will be getting their shipments on Sunday.

If you’re not a gazillionaire and don’t urgently need the Switch this weekend, then wait a week or two until their prices settle down.

Last minute I personally ordered another Switch but this time from Geekay in Dubai who agreed to overnight it for me via DHL. It already shipped this morning so should hopefully get it Sunday when customs get back to work. My Walmart order arrives to my US mailbox on the 9th, while my brothers Amazon order arrives to his US mailbox tomorrow.

Update: The best deal as of Friday, March 3rd is Best Electronics, they’re selling the Switch with Zelda and the Pro Controller for KD200 [Link]

Not much taking place this weekend but things should pick up next week. For now, check out this weekends events below:

Thursday
Aga-Boom
Exhibition: Absence by Aziz Mutawa

Friday
Aga-Boom
Benchmark 2017 – Design Entrepreneurship Forum
Tai Chi in the Park
Good Game: Magic – The Gathering
Salwa’ Walk and Socialize Meetup

Saturday
Aga-Boom
Benchmark 2017 – Design Entrepreneurship Forum
Karate Kenshinkan & Kung-Fu Sanda
My Book My Friend
Gardening at The Secret Garden
Q8 Readers Book Club:The Bamboo Stalk
Instagramers Kuwait Meetup

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.

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

New This Week:
Don’t Knock Twice (5.3)
Eliminators (5.4)
Eloise (4.7)
Kikoriki. Legend of the Golden Dragon (6.1)
Logan (9.0) ♦ ★

Other Movies Showing:
A Dog’s Purpose (4.8)
Gold (6.5) ♦
Hidden Figures (7.9)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (9.4) ★
Kung-Fu Yoga (6.2)
La La Land (8.9) ♦
Mercury Plains (4.3)
Ozzy (5.6)
Rings (4.6)
Rock Dog (5.7)
Split (7.5) ♦
The Devil’s Candy (6.7)
The LEGO Batman Movie (8.1)
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions (7.9)

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

A Beautiful Planet 3D (7.9)
Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough (7.6)
Humpback Whales 3D (7.2)
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D (N/A)
Journey to Space 3D (6.5)
Kenya 3D: Animal Kingdom (6.0)
Mysteries of the Unseen World 3D (7.5)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.
★ is for movies I’m interested in. ♦ implies movie might contain censorship.

An immersive audio-visual performance of Cake & Butter, performed by Kuwaiti artist Zahed Sultan, in an undisclosed location and country.

It’s hard to write this post without expressing my emotions which are mostly composed of anger and lot of frustration, but I’ll try my best to be as neutral and professional as possible. Yesterday when I went to take photos of the bike sharing station near Marina Waves, I was caught off guard by what has to be the dumbest fucking decision ever an idea with good intentions, but poor execution.

Who thought it would be a great fucking idea to plaster bright orange garbage bins at eye level every 10 fucking meters on the side facing the sea???!. Now I am aware of the garbage situation in Kuwait and specifically Salmiya, I’ve written about it a number of times on the blog before, but I do believe this idea could have been executed better. I guess people have been throwing garbage on the floor so someone (I’m assuming at the municipality) decided to add more garbage bins all across the beautiful scenic path near Marina Waves. The issue is, the garbage bins are bright fucking orange, raised up to eye level, and most importantly, they’re placed every 10 meters on the side of the path that is closest to the sea.

The pathway is popular because the view there is spectacular. It’s a popular location for photos and its one of the most beautiful aspects of Kuwait along with the whole Gulf Road. So why ruin this amazing view by sticking bright fucking orange bins so high up on ugly poles? Why couldn’t they add more bins, but ones that blended in with the environment better instead of sticking out like a sore thumb? For the benefit of the doubt, lets assume they had a very limited budget to work with, and these cheap plastic bins were the only ones that fit into their budget. Why couldn’t they place them on the other side of the path so that the sea view isn’t blocked by hundreds of these floating orange bins? Whoever is behind this I am guessing was behind a similar stupid idea in Salmiya a few years ago where they plastered yellow bins every 10 meters on the side of Salem Mubarek Street. That idea failed because it was fucking stupid not well thought out, and these orange ideas aren’t a good solution either.

Also, do people who litter do so because the garbage bin is to far, or do they litter because they don’t know any better and just don’t care? My guess is the later, the below is taken from the City of Chicago website:

Why Do People Litter?
People litter because they do not feel responsible for public areas like streets and parks. The more they litter, the more it becomes a habit, and the worse the community looks. People usually litter outside their own neighborhood where their trash becomes someone else’s problem.

I highly doubt these garbage bins are going to stop people from littering, what we need is probably an awareness campaign that educates the public on why they shouldn’t litter, followed by strict enforcement of the littering law (which I believe we have).

BYKY, the bike sharing service in the Middle East (also part of the largest international bike sharing network Nextbike) recently installed a bike station near Marina Waves in Salmiya. Bike sharing is a service where bicycles are made available to rent by people for a short period of time, and in cities with a lot of stations, you could use the bikes to ride from one area to another and then park them at the station nearest to you. From what I can tell, in Kuwait we currently have just this one station and it’s clearly placed there to be used for fun and not as a means of transportation.

The first BYKY Station in Kuwait is located near the Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Hall [Map] which makes it practical to pick up a bike and ride it down the scenic path to Scientific Center and back.

The price to use the bikes is as follows:
KD1.5 – 30 Minutes
KD2 – 1 Hour
KD2.5 – 2 Hours
KD3 – 3 Hours
KD3.5 – 4 Hours
KD4 – 5 Hours
KD6 – 24 Hours

If you don’t lock the bike when you bring it back to the station, then there is an additional charge of KD1.5. If you don’t return the bike to the station and instead say leave it next to Scientific Center, then there is an additional charge of KD6 for ever 10km you’re away from the station. Payment is made by credit card or Knet.

I’ve reached out to BYKY to find out if they’ll be adding more stations in Kuwait, once they get back to me I’ll update this post.

Update: According to a reader there is a second BYKY Station next to Scientific Center.

I found out about AL MAADAN recently when I tagged along with a friend who needed to get some items for his place. It’s a home accessories and furniture shop thats located in Shuwaikh but they also have a tiny store in Avenues.

Although it doesn’t sound the part, AL MAADAN actually have some pretty cool looking and tastefully designed items. When I was there, I found a bunch of things I would have wanted for my place if I actually had the room for them. The main reason they have some very cool looking items is because they carry the Danish brand House Doctor, which to me is kinda like a Danish version of WestElm.

So if you’re looking for furniture or accessories for your place then they’re definitely worth checking out. Here is their location on [Google Maps] and their instagram account is @almaadankw