Last night Over Jar, the local chocolate concept launched a new branding and interior look for their stores. The new look feels a lot more modern and futuristic, unlike their older look which felt a bit more rustic. I hadn’t tried them before last night and although chocolate and crolls are their thing, I think they might have the best banana bread in Kuwait.
The first location to get the new facelift is their 360 Mall branch, so if you want to check it out that’s where you should head to. They’re in the old 360 Mall, right next to Asha’s. @overjar
Jahez, Saudi’s largest restaurant delivery platform is planning to enter the Kuwaiti market supposedly before the year’s end. They’re the Saudi equivalent of Talabat and I have no idea why they’re coming here since there are already three delivery platforms and Saudi is the place popping right now. My guess is they’re coming here to disrupt the market and take away some of Talabats sales since Talabat is taking away their customers in Saudi. Whatever their reason may be, delivery apps competing for customers should lead to lower prices and better service.
Speculative Horizons is a new collaboration between Kuwait and Australia that will feature contemporary Australian and Kuwaiti photography. The collaboration will be launched in 2023 with an exhibition and symposium focusing on still and moving imagery in Kuwait City. The symposium will provide an opportunity for Kuwait-based image-makers to showcase their work and the opportunity to have their imagery curated by renowned Australian curators and connect with international artists.
The inaugural event will explore ideas associated with ‘Land’ and ‘People’ and the interconnectedness between space/place and inhabitation/culture.
Theme: ‘Land’ and ‘People’
Submit: 12 photographs at screen size (1200 pixels on longest length at 150 dpi)
Successful applicants will be notified on the 1st of November 2022 and have their work exhibited at CAP in the month of February 2023. For more details or to sign up, visit speculativehorizons.com
The other day I posted about a new rule regarding delivery companies that went into effect yesterday. The new rules had to do mostly with delivery companies like Talabat, Carriage, and Deliveroo not being allowed to use third-party drivers amongst other things. I posted how this was going to cause a major disruption in the food delivery service and yesterday, it did.
When the new rule was announced, companies were given less than a month’s notice which meant they didn’t have enough time to implement all the new rules. Thankfully the Ministry of Interior just announced that they will be putting a hold on the new rules, and instead implement them starting January 1st, 2023.
So food deliveries should go back to normal today.
If you’re a bubble tea fan, a Redditor posted a list of popular boba places in Kuwait. I’m not a fan of bubble tea but ironically like half the places on her list are located on my street in Salmiya.
Since getting a visa to Saudi is so easy now I figured I’d share a list of some popular fine dining restaurants in Riyadh. Fine dining isn’t something we have a lot of in Kuwait so turning a trip to Riyadh into a dining experience is really easy.
AOK Kitchen
When I’m driving to Riyadh I tend to get there around lunch and Cipriani is usually my first stop. I actually think about lunch during the drive since it’s like a reward at the end of the long journey. Anyway, check out the list below of some of the popular fine dining spots in Riyadh:
There is a new rule that will come into effect Saturday (October 1) where food delivery companies like Talabat, Carriage, and Deliveroo will no longer be allowed to use third-party drivers. Delivery companies will only be allowed to use drivers registered under their company to deliver food and in cars with clear branding and information (no more plain white generic cars).
Since the majority of the drivers (and riders) are contracted from third parties due to visa restrictions and limitations, this is gonna cause a major disruption in the food delivery service.
So starting this Saturday, expect slower delivery times, many restaurants showing up as busy, or restaurants showing as not available.
Aston Martin have opened up their new showroom in place of where Hermes used to be located in Al Hamra Tower. But, that’s not why I’m posting about it. The reason I’m posting this is that they have the stunning DBR22CC100 on display right now inside their showroom and you can walk up to it and have a good close look at it. I doubt you’ll ever come across one in person so if you’re into cars you’ll appreciate this. Next on my to-see list is the Valkyrie, so hopefully they get that eventually on display.
If you’re still having difficulty finding 35mm film, here is another store that is selling them, Qomrah. Seems to be only an Instagram account but they have a selection of different films to pick from although most seem to be sold out at the moment. Probably someone who bought a few rolls while on vacation and decided to sell them. I think they’re expensive and you’ll find them cheaper if you go to photography studios in low-income neighborhoods. But, if you don’t want to put in the effort, this is another alternative. @qomrahfilm
We’re currently super lucky to have three epic shows running simultaneously. I’m sure or at least hoping most of you are watching them, if not you’re missing out big time!
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power
First up is the new LOTR series on Amazon Prime Video. I used to be a massive fan of the movies and I remember when the original ones came out I refused to watch them until the extended versions came out on DVD. I even watched the original 1978 animated movie back in the 90s before I even knew what it was. But that was a long time ago and I was much younger so I wasn’t sure I’d still be into it. Turns out I am and this new series on Amazon is making me want to go back and binge-watch everything previously released again. The only downside is the first season is only 8 episodes which feels extremely short since there is so much more I want to see happen.
House of the Dragon
After Game of Thrones, the amount of pressure that must have been on the House of the Dragon team to deliver must have been as epic as the show itself. But, they’ve succeeded and House of the Dragon is in my opinion on the same level as GOT right out the door. It’s basically the same show, it uses the same formula, the same brutality, it still has lots of noble houses which I can never keep track of, and it even has the same opening intro score. House of the Dragon is currently streaming weekly on HBO Max.
Andor
Finally, the third show currently running and you should be watching is Andor, the new Star Wars series. This is the least Star Wars Star Wars from all the new shows that have come out so far. It doesn’t feel very Disney and I think that’s one of the main reasons that I like it so far, I don’t know where it’s going. While The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett were great, they felt too similar, even Obi-Wan Kenobi, I knew who the heroes were and that they were going to kick everyone’s ass. Andor has a completely different feel, kinda like how the movie Joker felt so different from the previous Batmans. Andor is streaming on Disney+.
So we have a new Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Star Wars all streaming at the same time, crazy!
This could be something fun and different to do, a carpentry workshop. Meena Woods have various carpentry workshops taking place next month for beginners. You could learn how to make basic joints, a stool, and build a box.
Spots are limited, for more info, their Instagram account is @meenawoods and you can book on Eventat
Here’s a feel-good story to start the day. A few days ago an article popped up on my feed about a cat called Hitch. The story was going viral internationally so I was curious to see what it was all about.
Laila was on her way home when she spotted a little kitten on the side of the highway. So she parked her car on the emergency lane and tried to catch it but the kitten kept running away until it ran back towards her car and climbed under it and hid inside. She tried to get him to come out but she couldn’t. So she ended up driving home slowly hoping the cat wouldn’t fall out or get hurt. Eventually, she made it home and called a road aid service to come and help her get the cat out. The kitten had survived.
Laila took the tiny kitten to the vet and eventually called it Hitch. Laila published a video of the whole incident back in May and the story got picked up by The Dodo a few days ago. Since the video was originally published it has gotten over 345,000 views and over 120,000 likes.
Hitch eventually flew across the world to the US where earlier this month he got adopted. I’ve embedded the original video into the post above but for more videos and pictures of hitch you can check out Laila’s account @rescueforwinston
VOX has launched a special experience for children with sensory challenges. On the first Saturday of every month, VOX will now have a special showing for children with sensory disorders such as autism:
While the typical cinema environment can be stressful for guests with sensory sensitivities, our Sensory Friendly Screenings provide a safe and comfortable environment, including keeping the house lights on (dimmed) throughout the film, lowering the audio volume, removing the advertisements and trailers before the film, and ensuring a reduced number of guests in the auditorium.
The movie screenings will have increased auditorium lighting, a lower volume, and a smaller crowd. For more information, click here.