2:48AM – Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

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.

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Automotive

Aston Martin is Now in Al Hamra Tower

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 ~~DBR22~~ CC100 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.

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Photography

Another 35mm Film Store

Post date September 28, 2022
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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

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Television

3 Shows You Should Be Watching!

Post date September 28, 2022
5 Comments on 3 Shows You Should Be Watching!

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!

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Activities

Carpentry Workshops

Post date September 27, 2022
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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

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Animals & Wildlife

Hitch the Cat

Post date September 27, 2022
3 Comments on Hitch the Cat

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laila D’Souza (@rescueforwinston)

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

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Now Showing

VOX Cinemas Sensory Friendly Screenings

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.

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Shopping

Order from Amazon UK

Post date September 26, 2022
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Since the British Pound is so low right now I figured I’d post a reminder about the fact that you can order stuff from Amazon UK to Kuwait directly.

Why should you order from Amazon UK?

As of this post, 1KD = £3
When you ship stuff to Kuwait directly, the 20% VAT is removed reducing the price considerably
Even after shipping and local customs, the price pretty much evens out to the UK listed price

This works best with expensive items since the more expensive the item, the more money you save with the VAT removed. The money saved with the VAT you then put towards the shipping cost. This obviously doesn’t work on everything but its worth giving a shot.

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Automotive People

Around the World in the MAN KAT 8×8

I was picking up breakfast from Mcdonald’s next to the Kuwait Towers when I spotted this large military-like truck parked across from Mcdonald’s. I knew it wasn’t military because it had German plates on it and the words tourist printed in large near the front along with a German flag, I snapped a few photos and then later once back home decided to google it.

Turns out the truck is a MAN KAT 8×8 and is being driven around the world by a German lady called Petra. She started her journey on June 2020 and is currently in Kuwait having come from Iran.

I found a video on YouTube where she gives a tour of her truck and you can check that out below although it’s in German (inside tour starts at 19:30).

If you want to follow Petra on her journey or want to check out photos from her previous trips, her Instagram is @katweltreise

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Travel

Kuwait Airways World’s Most Improved Airline for 2022

The Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022 was announced and although Kuwait Airways was nowhere near the top of the list, they did make it as one of the top 10 most improved airlines for 2022. Kuwait Airways moved up from 179th place to 76th place which is 103 places in just a year. This year’s best airline on the other hand award went to Qatar Airways while Emirates came in third place.

Here is a link to the top 10 most improved airlines list.
and Here is a link to the “World’s Top 100 Airlines in 2022” list.

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Information People Sports

First Kuwaiti NFL Player Inducted into the Hall of Fame

Last year I posted about Maher Barakat, the first and only Kuwaiti to ever be drafted it to the NFL as well as being the first football player from his college to go pro. Maher broke college and division records and became really well known in his town back in the 1960s earning him the nickname Bear-Cat.

Last night, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology decided to honor Maher with an induction into their hall of fame. The ceremony was streamed live and Maher’s grandson accepted the induction on his behalf with a heartwarming speech. As of this post, the induction ceremony is available to watch online at the following link (Maher gets inducted at the 51min mark)

If you missed the post on how Maher made it to the NFL, click here.

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Animals & Wildlife

Whale Shark Lost in Khiran

Post date September 25, 2022
1 Comment on Whale Shark Lost in Khiran

A whale shark is currently lost and stranded inside one of the lagoons in Khiran. Whale Sharks are slow-moving filter-feeding sharks and feed almost exclusively on plankton and small fishes, and so pose no threat to humans. They’ve been seen a number of times before in Kuwait. Back in 2009 a whale shark got stranded in Marina Crescent and divers managed to free it again. In 2006 though the whale shark didn’t get as lucky when it got stranded in Khiran and ended up dying.

تواجد سعادة الشيخ #عبدالله_الاحمد الحمود الصباح مدير عام #الهيئة_العامة_للبيئة ورئيس مجلس الادارة في منطقة صباح الاحمد البحرية لطمأنه رواد البحر والشاليهات من القرش الحوتي المتواجد بالمنطقة حيث ان هذا النوع من اسماك القرش يعتمد على العوالق النباتية في غذائه كما يقوم بفلتره الماء pic.twitter.com/U7ATmqGgUd

— الهيئة العامة للبيئة (@EPA_KW) September 24, 2022

Based on the videos and information circulating, some boats were trying to chase the shark out and ended up running over it and cutting off one of its fins. The EPA had to issue a message to the public to explain that whale sharks are harmless and basically not to attack it.

You can check out videos of the whale shark on the instagram account @kayak4kuwait as well as stay posted on the EPA’s progress by following their account @epa_kw

A couple of years ago a whale shark got stuck inside a lagoon in Abu Dhabi and was freed in a dramatic rescue operation. You can watch that rescue in the video above.