2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

IKEA Kuwait now have their wireless charging range available including their wireless charging pads and furniture with built-in wireless charging spots. I read about these products last year but didn’t think they were launching them so soon. You can now for example buy a bedside lamp that includes a wireless charging spot so in the evening all you need to do is put your phone on the lamp base and it will start charging. It’s simpler than having to plug your phone into a charger and it also means less wire clutter.

Some phones already have wireless charging built in but if your phone doesn’t (like iPhones) then you’re going to have to purchase one of their covers to use with their furniture. If this interests you, here is a link to the IKEA Kuwait product page which has more information on it. [Link]

I didn’t try Backyard yet, I just passed by it yesterday because I was meeting with a friend but I left in complete shock at how unexpectedly beautiful the location was. Backyard is located in the Argan Business Park, a place I didn’t even know existed until a few days back. It’s a very striking and impressive glass structure located at the far end corner of the Free Trade Zone. There are no markings or any signs outside the building, and because of its heavy use of dark glass, the building could easily pass as a headquarters for a secret spy agency or the offices of Darth Vader Enterprises if such a thing existed.

Once you walk inside this complex though you’re suddenly in an open air courtyard with beautiful pools and greenery. Just gorgeous landscaping which caught me by surprise. And right there over looking the pools and greenery is a new restaurant that just recently opened called Backyard.

The chef is Bernat Rodriguez Candel which some of you might know of if you have any friends at C Club since he’s also responsible for the restaurant over there. Chef Barnat is also now responsible for Backyard and flipping through the menu I caught a few things that I’d want to go back and try. I wish I knew about this place last week when the weather was still cool during the day but it shouldn’t be that bad right now if you go in the afternoon. They also have indoor seating but really it’s their outdoor seating that I found very serene. Right now they’re open from Saturday to Thursday, 8AM to 6PM, here is their location on [Google Maps] and here is a link to their instagram account @backyardkw

Over the weekend I had the strangest encounter with someone on Facebook. A girl who I’ll just call “F” added me as a friend and I accepted thinking I knew her because we had a lot of friends in common. But, after flipping through her photos I realized we had never met so I unfriended her. She didn’t take that very well and sadly, this isn’t the first time where my none offensive or aggressive actions were misunderstood. I don’t know what it is about me but it’s really weird how I tend to piss people off pretty frequently without even trying, check out the conversation below:

(Warning: May contain drama)

F: I recall adding you. and i recall an accept but thank you for the unfriendship

Mark: hey, just saw this message, sorry i accepted your friend request thinking we had met before but when i realized we hadn’t i unfriended.

F: sure no worries. my intention was to get to meet everyone in Kuwait so far everyone i added on fb from kuwait i had met
sure good luck !

Mark: i hope you didn’t take it personally, its just with my facebook account i only add or accept people i’ve met in person before.

F: no i don’t take it personally i dont even know you 😉

***** Next day a friend sent me the message above so I messaged her back *****

Mark: ummm why are you asking my friends about me?

F: because i dont trust ur answer and i thought it is weird and odd

Mark: ?

Mark: Which answer

F: and ur enttiled to do what ever u want just i like i am

F: i use facebook differently and now i m sure 100% u have a problem with me
so i got my answer it is not because you do not know me

Mark: Lady I have no clue who you are, Don’t take it personally

F: what bothers me is how people are easily lie to one another without confronting the truth
it is not taking it personally too to ask about it
i cant trust you

Mark: I think you’re mistaking me for someone else
We’ve never met

F: oka i think you r are violating my personal space ..
maybe ur right. i think your someone else.

Mark: Listen not sure what your problem is but I just thought it was weird you were asking people about me.

F: not asking them im questioning your credibility
and your honesty
and what i got is that your weird.

Mark: What does my credibility and honesty have to do with me unfriending u cuz I don’t know u?

F: because i have 5000 friends and i always use facebook to get know people .. i use it for many reasons .. and i found your justtification totally odd

Mark: Wtf

F: okay i have to go back to work..
take care..

F: you know whats funny ? is that i added like 41 people who are friends with ****** because im back home to kuwait and i didnt know anyone .. and thought of making a film about their work and get to to know their life and discover the new kuwait i have been absent from.. so i thought you are one of those open minded people who are trying to create a good mood here and social life.. with your blog.. but again.. your atittude is strange to me and i never saw it from anyone of the 41 pees i added so hence the shock..

F: now it is not your fault it is my fault for thinking you are like me.. open to socializing and new friendships. please refrain from talking to me and sorry about bothering you 🙂
have a wonderful night.

Although rumors were originally pointing towards St. Regis and Four Points Hotel opening up at The Avenues Phase 4, it now looks like it’s going to be Conrad Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn (official announcement should be released soon).

I was actually hoping St. Regis would open up since I was really impressed with the one in Doha but Conrad should be nice and fancy as well. On the other hand, Hilton Garden Inn reminds me of those soulless hotels near airports.

The Avenues Phase 4 is expected to launch first quarter of 2018.

Thanks ChaoticTranquility

Masbagti is a new laundry app that just got released yesterday and it could be useful for some people who don’t live near a laundromat. After creating your account the process of having your clothes picked up is a fairly simple one:

– You choose a date and time you’d like your laundry picked up

– You choose if you’d like fast service (cleaned/ironed in under 4 hours) or standard service (cleaned/ironed in under 24 hours)

– You then have two more options, you either let them know what items and how many of each they will be picking up or choose to have them count the items when they come to pick up your stuff. The advantage of the first option is you’ll know how much everything will end up costing you before placing the order.

– The final step is checking out. If you chose to let them know what they will be picking up then you will be given the option to pay by cash on delivery or with knet before checking out.

I setup an account and tried the app out awhile ago and I like the whole idea plus their prices are pretty competitive even though my ghetto laundromat under the house is literally half the price. But compared to proper laundromats, their prices are supposed to be similar and in some cases cheaper.

I did have some negative comments about the app though which I already emailed the owners about. For example when I created my account I wanted to use a simple 1234 style password since it’s just a laundry app and doesn’t need any security. But the app requested I use a password with a minimum of 8 characters and also to include a number and one capital letter. Why so much drama? Another issue I had was while trying the app I accidentally placed an order and there wasn’t a way to cancel it. Within a few minutes I got a notification saying the laundromat had received my request and I was like what?? noooooooo!. Luckily I emailed them and they were able to cancel my order before they sent someone over to pick up the imaginary laundry I created for this post.

Masbagti just launched so obviously there are kinks to work out. In a couple of weeks you’ll also be able to choose which laundromat you want to use which some people would definitely like to do. If you’re interested in the app it’s available for both iOS and Android. You can find links to both on their website [Here]

In celebration of 80 years of giving back to Kuwait and it’s people, the Kuwait municipality released a video documenting the history of the municipality using archival footage of Kuwait.

The documentary is in Arabic but contains lots of old footage and photos so its still interesting to skim through even if you don’t understand Arabic. [Vimeo]

Cinemagics is killing it this weekend with two really great (and very current) films, tonight they’ll be showing Anomalisa and Saturday they’ll be showing Brooklyn. Other than that there are a bunch of other interesting events taking place this weekend, check out the full list below:

Thursday
In the Eruptive Mode – Sulayman Al Bassam
Kuwaiti Short Film Festival
Rooftop Movie: Anomalisa
The Dynamics of Change

Friday
In the Eruptive Mode – Sulayman Al Bassam
Throwdown Fighting Championship 2
Relax and Rejuvinate
Taichi in the Park
The Meeting Point Sports Exhibition

Saturday
Yoga at the Park (Yoga with the 3)
Yoga at the Park (Vinyasa Flow – Women Only)
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
BBS Alumni Bazaar
Madeenah Tour: Trading – From Route to Floor
#givemeachanceto – A benefit concert
Rooftop Movie: Brooklyn

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 double check info with organizers.

Does anyone know where you can find MCT Oil in Kuwait other than at the Results Vitamin Shop? Results have MCT Oil but they’re selling it for KD24 while Amazon is selling the exact same one for KD8. So that’s literally triple the price.

If you don’t know MCT Oil is, click [Here]

Healthy Feast and the popular coffee shop Arabica are both opening their second branches in Shuwaikh. Their new location is going to be down the street from Tilal Complex and Lilly Center, just before my favorite flowers shop, Orchidaceae. The two will also be joined by a second branch of the burger place EightySix.

The area there is booming but parking is already difficult to find as is and traffic there can be unbearable so things are just going to get worse.

OVO, not to be confused with Drake’s record label, is a new vegan and vegetarian restaurant that opened up in Bneid Al-Gar around two weeks back. They’re located inside the Massaleh Complex and they have a pretty great outdoor seating thats secluded from the rest of the surrounding area.

More than 80% of their menu items are vegan or vegetarian but they also have some flexitarian options (food with meat) for those tagging along with vegans or vegetarians. I took a couple of photos of their current temporary menu so you can get an idea of what kind of food they serve. You can check it out [Here] and [Here]

Even though they’re currently in a soft launch phase and they’re still adding and fixing stuff on their menu, I’d definitely recommend passing by since the weather is amazing and you don’t want to miss out on their outdoor area before it gets too warm.

Finding their location might be a bit tricky though since they’re hidden off the main road. OVO is located inside the Massaleh Complex, so you’re going to have to park your car, and then take some side stairs to the back of the complex to find it, but if you follow this [Google Maps] link you shouldn’t have any difficulties. In case you get lost you can call them on 22575324/22575374 or visit their isntagram page @ovokwt

That area of Bneid Al-Gar is shaping up to be a healthy area with Alive Yoga and Healthy Feast both located nearby.

AllSaints, one of my favorite clothing stores has finally opened up in Kuwait. The UAE Majid Al Futtaim group brought the brand to Kuwait and opened their first location at 360 Mall. I passed by yesterday to check it out and I left somewhat disappointed. It’s by far the smallest AllSaints store I’ve ever been to which means we probably won’t be getting all their releases and it’s also the dullest looking AllSaints store as well.

Price wise, everything is more expensive than their online store by exactly 17%. Below are some examples:

Braddock Bomber Jacket
Website: KD85
Kuwait: KD102

Luverne Short Sleeve Shirt
Website: KD34.5
Kuwait: KD41.5

Waycross Short Sleeve Shirt
Website: KD30
Kuwait: KD36

BIXBY Shirt
Website: KD34.5
Kuwait: KD41.5

So although AllSaints Kuwait is more expensive than in the UK, the bright side here is that it’s only 17% and not double the price like with the LEGO Store.

Tamdeen are developing a new residential project called Tamdeen Square which will be located near Messilah on the Fahaheel Expressway (rendering above). They’re betting on the fact that skyrocketing house prices, a huge waiting list for government-issued houses and their distance from the city centre means that many Kuwaitis will prefer the convenience of apartment life. But how much will these apartments cost? They’ll start from KD265,000. Is it me or does nearly a million US dollars for an apartment in a huge complex that really isn’t in a prime location sound absurd? And that’s just the starting price so it would be the smallest apartment on the lowest floor.

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I tend to be very loyal to the brands I use and like, and Aramex Shop & Ship is no exception. I’ve had a Shop & Ship account with them since 2001 (thats 15 years!) and although I use other similar US mailbox forwarding services (like MyUS.com) for some packages, Aramex has always been the service I use for the majority of my items.

But recently I’ve started disliking Aramex since they weren’t being honest and transparent with me. Packages from my Shop & Ship mailbox used to take around 7 days to get to me once they shipped but with my last three packages it took twice as long. In fact, they’ve been spending around 7 days just to get from Bahrain (their regional hub) to Kuwait! I kept pressing them for a reason, I just wanted to know why suddenly things were taking twice as long and nobody would give me an answer. I harassed them on twitter, I harassed them over the phone and using their live chat service yet nobody would tell me. They just acted like it was business as usual when it clearly wasn’t. So I posted about my frustration on the blog and thats when the guys at Posta Plus contacted me and asked me to try their service. At first I replied back thanking them for emailing me but that I was loyal to Aramex. But then I thought to myself, why the loyalty? I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dinars with Aramex, I’ve been a customer for over 15 years, I was one of their first Shop & Ship customers in Kuwait and yet I have the same benefits of a customer that would sign up today. So if I’m not important enough a client for Aramex, why should I be loyal to them? So I decided to sign up to the Posta Plus US mail forwarding service called MyBox and give them a shot.

Other than a few quibbles which I’ll discuss below, I’ve decided that I will be using Posta Plus from now on instead of Aramex for a number of reasons.

The Good Stuff

– Posta Plus is considerably cheaper as you can see in the shipping cost comparison above.

– You can get a hold of their customer support instantly. Their hotline is very simple, you call, it asks you what language you prefer and then you’re connected to the support person who in my case picked up the phone instantly as soon as I pressed “2” for English. If you’ve ever tried calling Aramex for support you know how difficult and how long it takes to get a hold of someone.

– Like Aramex, Posta Plus also charge KD1 custom clearance fee. But, unlike Aramex, if you have a number of packages arriving at the same time, you have the option to consolidate them during the customs process and that way you’ll pay KD1 custom clearance fee for all the packages combined.

– In case you don’t want a package to be delivered, you have the option to “Hold” that package one package from within your Posta Plus dashboard so you could go pick it up yourself.

– Their delivery guys contact you before they head over to deliver the package to make sure you’re home.

– Their delivery speed is much faster than Aramex. So far the two packages that I shipped using Posta Plus, the first one was delivered 4 days after it left the States while the second one took 5 days. Thats 3x faster than my last few shipments with Aramex!

As I mentioned earlier, I did have a few issues with Posta Plus, none were deal breakers to me but I’ll mention them anyway.

The Not So Good Stuff

– I ran into an issue when signing up to their service. I went through the sign up process to setup an account but when it came time to pay my card got declined. I then couldn’t try again with another card since there was no try again option. So, I went through the processes of setting up the account again but it told me I couldn’t because the email was already in use. I tried logging into my account but their website told me the account didn’t exist. So I was stuck not being able to create and account because their system thought I had an account which in fact didn’t exist. I had to contact support to fix this.

– Right now you can’t pay for your packages online (it’s cash on delivery), but they’ll be offering this service soon. I really prefer paying for my stuff online with Knet.

– You can only track your Posta Plus packages via their website. I usually track all my packages with the “Deliveries” app on my iPhone and Mac (pictured above) but the app doesn’t recognize Posta Plus tracking numbers. It recognizes Aramex on the other hand.

– This next one could be a plus for some people but was a negative for me. They notify you constantly by email and SMS on the status of your packages. You get an email and SMS when your package arrives to your mailbox, and then an email and SMS when it ships from your mailbox, when it goes to clearance you get an email and then when its out for delivery an email and SMS. The issue I had is there is no way to turn on or off the notifications and it was annoying to get an email and an SMS telling me the exact same thing. What made things worst in my case was I was getting two or three duplicate emails from their server by mistake. After complaining to them about it I think I don’t get any notification at all now which is also not something I want.

– Every time I log into their dashboard I get a pop up informing me they now have Canada as a mailbox location. I got it the first time, I don’t need to keep seeing the pop up every single time I want to log in to my account. Pop ups are really annoying.

In Conclusion

Before Posta Plus I was using Shop & Ship for packages I wasn’t in a hurry to get and MyUS for packages I wanted ASAP. I was using Shop & Ship because they were cheaper than MyUS and since I didn’t need every item ASAP, the amount I was saving was worth it. But now I’m going to stop using both Shop & Ship and MyUS since Posta Plus is a much cheaper alternative to Aramex and nearly as fast as MyUS (+1/-1 day). Posta Plus is also a local brand and I like support local brands that are actually good. They kinda feel like Aramex in the early days which is a very good thing. They do have a bunch of issues they need to get sorted and so far they seem to be very accepting of my criticism and willing to improve things.

So if you’re frustrated with Aramex and are looking for an alternative thats cheaper and faster, Posta Plus is the way to go. The sign up fee is KD8 and here is a link to their [Website]

Note: The rate calculator on the Posta Plus website is completely in accurate.

Supposedly service is better as well. I wonder if they’re still allowed to be on their phones?

Now that Pret recently opened up their first location in the Middle East inside the Dubai International Airport, does that mean we’ll also get it? According to a friend who was in Dubai recently and spoke to a Pret employee, it seems that might be the case. The employee didn’t reveal much other than to say they will be eventually expanding around the region which logically should include Kuwait.

Pret is a popular sandwich chain based out of the UK and is super convenient for grabbing a bite on the go which is why I’m not so sure it would succeed here in Kuwait. Not unless they do what “Walls” are doing which is setting up small stations in office towers.

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