2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

This is my last post on Abu Dhabi but I actually posted it on Blog Baladi since it’s related to Lebanon as well. Those of you who visit Lebanon in the summer and party at Skybar probably know that they close down in the winter because of the weather. Well Skybar are now launching O1NE in Beirut next month and it’s basically Skybar but indoors.

While I was in Abu Dhabi last weekend I found out they had opened up there so I ended up passing by to check it out. What I really wanted to see was the interior since a friend of mine who works for Skybar had previously told me they designed the interior with the concept to project visuals across the full 360 degrees of the interior. The outcome looks pretty great and if you’re curious to see how O1NE in Beirut will end up looking like check out my post [Here]

The local real estate website Re.com.kw have launched an iPhone app that allows you to view and search through their directory using your iPhone. I played with it for a bit and found it practical to use but also spotted some limitations compared to using the actual website from your desktop browser. For one thing the app doesn’t show you multiple pictures of a location and secondly the search function is more limited. In any case the app is for free and you can download it from the Apple Store either by searching for re.com.kw or by clicking this [Link]

Teams Association for Cricket in Kuwait (TACK) is holding a “Four Nations Tournament” this coming Friday over at the cricket grounds near Entertainment City. The four nations competing are Kuwait, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the schedule is as follows:

Date: Friday, November 15th 2013

Match 1 – 7:00AM
Kuwait vs India

Match 2 – 10:30AM
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

Match 3 – 2:00PM
3rd & 4th posiiton match

Match 4 – 6:00PM
Finals

Other than the thrilling T20 matches there will also be entertainment shows, food stalls, quizzes, traditional stalls, face painting and much more. It’s going to be a fun day outdoors basically. For more details including the map of the location check out the flyer [Here]

Red Bull just uploaded a video of their Car Park Drift event which took place in Kuwait last month. Two of the winners were eventually flown to Dubai to compete against other winners from the region. A drifter from Lebanon ended up winning the event a few days ago. [YouTube]

I don’t really have that much information on this other than a friend of mine accidentally revealing to me in a conversation that a friend of theirs is getting Chipotle to Kuwait. I couldn’t dig out any more information so take this news with a grain of salt. Chipotle if you aren’t aware is a chain of restaurants specializing in burritos and tacos. I’ve personally never tried it before but everyone who has says they’re ridiculously good. If I find out anything more I’ll let you know.

You can follow @twofortyeightam if you’d like to know whenever a new post is up. The account is strictly connected to the blog while @mark248am is my personal twitter account.

If you’re in London this month you’re in for a treat since Out of Kuwait is an exhibit based in London that brings together the works of thirteen emerging Kuwaiti artists who have examined and reinterpreted the theme of landscape. The Kuwaiti artists are:

Adel Ashkanani
Ahmad Alshammeri
Amani Althuwaini
Aseel Al Yaqoub
AbdulAziz Alhumaidhi
Mohammed Sharaf
Mona Al-Qanai
Mohammed Alkouh
Muneera Alsharhan
Nima Algooneh
Roa Alshaheen
Thuraya Lynn
Zahra Al-Muhdi

Out of Kuwait is the culmination of a two-year project between the British Council, the Royal College of Art (RCA), the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) in Kuwait and Kuwait’s Contemporary Art Platform (CAP).

Private Viewing: Wednesday 13th November, 2013
Exhibition Discussion: Thursday 14th November, 2013 (2 to 5PM)
Exhibition Dates: 14 – 28 November 2013 (closed Mondays)
Exhibition Time: 10AM to 6PM
Location: Edge of Arabia, 40 Elcho Street, London, SW11 4AU
Admission is free. [email protected]

Here is a link to the event’s Facebook Page

It’s like KD6 for just milk…

I don’t remember exactly when I heard this story for the very first time and there are different variations but the one I remember went something like this:

Supposedly a man who wasn’t dressed well walked into the Rolls Royce dealer and was checking out the cars. The man asked the salesman how much the car cost and the salesman replied you wouldn’t be able to afford it. The man upset left the dealership and came back another day, purchased the Rolls Royce, had it painted orange and turned it into a taxi cab.

I always thought it was just a myth but I got the photograph above today on Whatsapp and turns out the story did happen although not like the one I had heard. The story apparently is that the local dealerships were at a car show in Geneva and the Rolls Royce dealer teased the Buick dealer telling him that he was practically selling taxis. The Buick dealer got bothered and bought the Rolls Royce and turned it into a taxi to piss him off.

Update: Added more photographs

On the occasion of Movember my friend put together the video above. [YouTube]

Thanks Infinite Driver

There’s an interesting lecture this coming Wednesday at AUK called Kuwait’s Urban Crisis that will be presented by Dr. Farah Al-Nakib.

Over the past couple of years Kuwait has witnessed fatal stabbings of young men in shopping malls and an escalation of similar violent crimes in so-called “public” places, prompting valid questions over the rise in youth violence in Kuwait. Rather than positing answers, this talk identifies these stabbings and the public reactions to them as symptoms of a broader social malaise and urban crisis in Kuwait, and situates them within a historical context of Kuwait’s evolving urbanism and the loss of what French urban theorist Henri Lefebvre refers to as a “right to the city.” The talk then highlights seemingly disparate and unrelated sites, practices, and movements emerging in Kuwait today that have the potential to collectively create an urban alternative and alleviate this looming crisis.

Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Time: 5:00PM
Location: AUK Auditorium

[YouTube]

Related to this.

So I’ve been working on a new theme for the blog which I’m going to launch in the next coming months but just a few months ago I was like you know what? I could probably introduce some of the new changes to the current theme and it will take me less than an hour of work. So I did just that.

The slightly modified changes are:

– a light grey backdrop with a soft shadow behind the white page to give it a raised feel
– a wider space for my posts which means I can now have larger pictures and videos
– new sharing icons at the bottom of the post for facebook, twitter and google
– clearer section tabs under the main header

JAMM is hosting its 4th and final contemporary art auction in Kuwait this coming Tuesday November 12th. Over 50 top-quality artworks by contemporary Arab, Iranian and international artists will be auctioned with my favorite piece being the one above by Iranian artist Reza Derakshani.

Date: Tuesday November 12th, 2013
Location: Contemporary Art Platform

For more information click [Here]
For the auction catalogue click [Here]

Joe’s Cafe is now open at The Prestige in Avenues from 4PM to 10PM.