2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Early in the year I decided I was going to start buying all my iPhone apps instead of illegally downloading them. Problem I faced was the fact that I couldn’t download some of my favorite apps because they were only for the US based users. The apps I couldn’t download were the Amazon and eBay ones and both of which don’t cost a thing, they’re free. But, since my credit card is Kuwaiti based I have to purchase all my applications from the Kuwaiti iTunes store which didn’t have those two apps. Recently CNN released an iPhone application and again it was only available to US based customers so I looked for a way to download these apps and I found one.

To download applications from the US based iTunes store all you need to do is get a US based iTunes gift voucher. I found a website online where you could buy a $15 cards for $18 and have the code emailed to you. The website uses PayPal so its safe and unlike some other websites this one sells legit cards so you know your account won’t get shut down by Apple later. Here is the [Link]

Once you get a US iTunes card just go to the US iTunes store and click on Redeem Code. Then create a new account and under the credit card option choose “none”. And that’s it, you can now download US only iPhone apps. As a bonus you can also download songs and movies as well.

Update: If you just want to download some free US only applications like the ebay and amazon apps, a reader just posted that you don’t even need to buy a voucher for that. Just go to the US app store and click on a free app, then create a new account like above with a US mailing address and for credit card choose none.

Just a recap for those of you who don’t know my “Healthier Lifestyle” series of posts. I used to have junk food every single day but then I found out I had acid reflux as a result. I then decided to permanently stop having fried or junk food and since then I’ve dropped around 5KG in weight and most importantly, I feel and am healthier. I don’t miss fried or junk food and have actually found great alternatives instead and this is why I decided to create these healthier lifestyle series of posts so I could share these alternatives with everyone.

In this post I will be talking about Napket which is located on the first floor of Avenues Phase II. They’ve got a pasta and salad station plus a ready made sandwiches section. I haven’t tried their salads or pastas just their sandwiches and my favorite is called “The NY Thing”. The sandwich contains bacon, chicken, turkey, eggs, tomato and lettuce. Since it’s ready made its perfect to have during my lunch break because it doesn’t take time to prepare. The bread used for the sandwich is really delicious. I don’t know what it is exactly but it’s got a slightly sweet flavor to it.

The sandwich isn’t cheap though, at KD3.750 its on the expensive side but the service is great and the location and restaurant atmosphere is amazing so it kinda makes up for it. The sandwich is also filling so you don’t need a side order with it. I highly recommend it.

Other options:
Nando’s
Macaroni Grill
Salad Creations

Found this sign today. Glad the hungging issue is being addressed.

In March 2009 a small town in Iceland was filled with speakers. The Seydisfjordur village was turned into an extraordinary sound-system for a week. Sounds by Richard Fearless ( Death in Vegas ) Mum, Bob Dylan, Toumani Diabate, Roberto Goyeneche, Murcof, Federico Cabral, Guillemots, etc.

Good idea but no Radiohead or Nine Inch Nails? [YouTube]

This has to be the coolest optical trick ever. After trying it out everything around me was wobbly and bendy. Very trippy.

Visit the link and try it out. [Link]

The creator of Grendizer will be holding a lecture this month here in Kuwait. I found the following on the blog electronish:

Go Nagai, is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating the seminal works UFO Grendizer, Cutie Honey and Mazinger Z in the 1970’s.”

Mr. Go Nagai will visit the middle east in October, he will be visiting Jordan, Kuwait and Egypt!! I’m glad to be nominated to be one of the coordination team members for this event. The event will be held on two days the 10th and the 11th of Oct. ‘09. The 10th will be exclusive for VIP “LIMITED SEATS”, to have the opportunity in attending the VIP event you should register with Mr. Wael Abdulsamad ‘cos you need to pass a certain contest/draw managed by him under the supervision of the Embassy of Japan. For the second day, 11th of Oct., the event will be for PUBLIC, everyone can attend. So you don’t have to contact Mr. Wael Abdulsamad for a registration to attend the second event. However, the attendance will be taken in a FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED basis, the capacity of the hall will be approximately 330-350. Anyhow, more details will be announced during Aug. and Sep., so if you’re really concerned just contact The Embassy of Japan in Kuwait or email Mr. Wael Abdulsamad ([email protected]) for further information.

Special thanks to the Embassy of Japan in Kuwait for hosting this event and for the opportunity in meeting Mr. Go Nagai in JAPAN KUWAIT!

36 skaters create a real life video game. [YouTube]

I spotted this goatse outside a money exchange shop at the Avenues. If you don’t know what goatse is then you are lucky.

Update: A safe for work goatse album on flickr [Link]

This is a pretty cool video thats currently making the rounds on the internet. Shot in one take by students at a university in Montreal, Canada. [YouTube]

I passed by for lunch at IKEA today and noticed they had some kind of shrimp festival going on. They had 6 different kinds of shrimps, sweet & sour, chopsuey, grilled, stir fried with noodles, fried and Thai curry shrimps. I had the Thai curry and it was ok but will probably go back and try something else next time. Each dish costs KD2.250.

It’s finally over, everything goes back to normal now. In case you missed it below are the 14 days of giveaways that just ended:

Giveaway Day 1: Two tickets to Under the Sea 3D IMAX
Giveaway Day 2: Yummy package from Choowy Goowy
Giveaway Day 3: Saso Lounge Gift Certificate
Giveaway Day 4: Free City from Pink Moon
Giveaway Day 5: Full car detailing from Al Falah
Giveaway Day 6: Dinner for two at Slider Station
Giveaway Day 7: Invite for 4 to The Chocolate Bar
Giveaway Day 8: Wireless DJ Music System from Logitech
Giveaway Day 9: e-GO2GO from Zain
Giveaway Day 10: Two gifts from X-cite
Giveaway Day 11: Tamiya Nissan GT-R TT-01E from My Toy
Giveaway Day 12: Car tint from Hüper Optik
Giveaway Day 13: Mobie phone from X-cite
Giveaway Day 14: PS3 from Choowy Goowy

Today is the final day of the giveaways. This giveaway campaign was not planned and I actually thought about it right after the post where I gave two tickets away to the IMAX film. I saw the response from just two tickets and thought to myself what about if I could give people cooler stuff and so I quickly scrambled emailing and calling people to see if they would be interested to participate. Choowy Goowy responded right away saying they would and that’s how I managed to get “Giveaway Day 2” out the door the next day.

Since that original post the response has been unbelievable and the campaign completely exceeded my expectations. The response from companies wanting to participate was also incredible and I ended up doubling the length of the campaign because of it. I actually still have enough giveaway offers to make this campaign last a month but two weeks is the limit I set and I decided to stick it.

The final giveaway is going to be from Choowy Goowy and its the just recently released Sony PS3 Slim. Someone had left a comment in the original Choowy Goowy giveaway post asking if we were going to give away a PS3 next, well here it is!

In case you didn’t know already, Choowy Goowy are one of my favorite dessert places in Kuwait. They’ve got incredible cookies, amazing brownies and they also make delicious cheesecakes. They are located at The Avenues but they also deliver right to your door. For more information on Choowy Goowy visit their website [Here] or call them on 22626559, 22620011 or 22597949 (Avenues) to make an order. Their email is [email protected] in case you have any comments.

All you need to do to win this giveaway is to leave a comment below and later on in the evening I will use random.org to select a winner.

Rules: You need to put your proper email in the email field while commenting since the winner will be contacted by email. You also need to respond to my “You Won” email within 24 hours or I will have to make another draw and choose another winner. You can only comment once, anyone caught commenting more than once will get disqualified.

Update: The giveaway is actually a Sony PS3 Slim 120GB (NTSC) with 2 gamepads and 2 games of your choice.

Update2: The post was closed for commenting at around 9PM.
The winner is…

[YouTube]

Comment #385, you’ve got mail!
This was the last giveaway so thank you everyone for participating.

Alshaya sent me an email telling me that Pinkberry will be opening at the Avenues on Wednesday the 30th at 6:30PM and that from 6:30 till 8PM all customers will be able to get free toppings with their frozen yogurt.

Update: Here is a nice piece in Time magazine about Pinkberry. [Link]

X-cite are back and this time they’re giving away a Sony Ericsson Walkman mobile phone. In case you’re new to Kuwait, X-cite is the largest electronics chain in Kuwait. They’ve got a total of 14 stores spread out all over Kuwait and they always have great deals on electronics.

The Sony Ericsson phone they’re offering is the W205 phone which features an MP3 player, FM tuner, 1.3MP camera, Bluetooth and the Opera web browser.

All you need to do to win this giveaway is to leave a comment below and later on in the evening I will use random.org to select a winner.

For more information about X-cite and to check out their latest offers and store locations visit their website xcite.com.kw

Rules: You need to put your proper email in the email field while commenting since the winner will be contacted by email. You also need to respond to my “You Won” email within 24 hours or I will have to make another draw and choose another winner. You can only comment once, anyone caught commenting more than once will get disqualified.

Update: The post was closed for commenting at around 9:30PM.
The winner is…

[YouTube]

Comment #170, you’ve got mail!
Everyone else check back tomorrow for the FINAL giveaway.

I haven’t posted about Hüper Optik before because I have yet to pass by and get my car tinted. I should have gone at the beginning of summer but I kept putting it off due to the fact I can be really lazy (and cheap) sometimes. The reason I wanted to tint the car is because Nat doesn’t have any shaded parking where she works so the car sits baking under the sun all day long. So Marzouq recommended I get a tint from Hüper Optik because they offer the best heat protection around.

Unlike most tints in Kuwait, Hüper Optik’s are ceramic based not metallic. I learned that it has a few advantages one being that it doesn’t interfere with mobile phones, bluetooth and GPS and the other is the fact that ceramic based film offers better heat rejection. Ceramic is an insulator while metals are great conductors of heat so ceramic based film makes a lot more sense here in Kuwait.

Here are the specs they emailed me:

100% dye and metal free
Does not interfere with mobile phones, GPS, bluetooth.
High Infra Red heat rejection of up to 96%
High Ultra Violet rejection exceeding 99%
Total Heat Rejection from 32% to 73%
Visible Light Transmission from 8% to 85%
10-year product warranty coverage

So this brings us to today’s giveaway. Hüper Optik are offering a free car tint to the winner worth up to KD250 which makes it the most expensive giveaway so far. In case you are wondering, you don’t need to darken your car windows to take advantage of the heat or UV protection. You can go for a clear film and still have some protection. All you need to do to win this giveaway is to leave a comment below and later on in the evening I will use random.org to select a winner.

Check out Marzouqs review of Hüper Optik [Here]
And here is their contact information which includes their website where you can find a map to their place.
Telephone: 2471 9999
www.huperoptik-kw.com and www.huperoptik.com

Rules: You need to put your proper email in the email field while commenting since the winner will be contacted by email. You also need to respond to my “You Won” email within 24 hours or I will have to make another draw and choose another winner. You can only comment once, anyone caught commenting more than once will get disqualified.

Note: All pictures taken by Marzouq.

Update: The post was closed for commenting at around 10PM.
The winner is…

[YouTube]

Comment #24, you’ve got mail!
Everyone else check back tomorrow for another giveaway.