Categories
Events Giveaway Music

Giveaway: Win Platinum Tickets to Jazz Legend Herbie Hancock!

When JACC first told me Herbie Hancock was coming to Kuwait, the name sounded familiar but it didn’t ring a bell until I was going through some of his songs and came across Cantaloupe Island and Rock It. That’s when I realized, I already knew his songs, I just never knew they were his!

Herbie Hancock is considered a jazz legend whos been making music since the early 60s. He’s won 14 Grammy Awards including album of the year as well as winning an Academy Award for original soundtrack. Next weekend, Herbie Hancock will be performing live over two nights, Friday October 5th and Saturday October 6th at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre. Tickets start at KD35 for the bronze and go up to KD75 for the VIP seats. Once again I’ve teamed up with JACC to giveaway 4 platinum seat tickets worth KD265 to two of my blog readers. So there will be two winners for this giveaway and each one will get two platinum tickets for the Saturday evening show!

To win tickets for this giveaway I’m trying something new this time. The previous method of leaving a comment was driving me insane because I’d get an email for every comment left here. So imagine getting over 400 emails in under a day, it made me hate holding giveaways. So for this one, I’m trying something new so check it out below.

[gleam url=”https://gleam.io/oZLw2/herbie-test”]Win Platinum Tickets to Jazz Legend Herbie Hancock![/gleam]

As usual, please make sure you use a working email since that’s how I will be contacting the winners. If a winner doesn’t respond within 24 hours, another winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

For more information on the concert, click [Here]




Categories
First Impression Photography

Hello Sony A7 III!

Earlier this year I sold all my Nikon photography gear because I wasn’t really using them. They were large and heavy so I spent more time using my iPhone and compact but full-frame Sony RX1 camera instead. That setup turned out to be fine for 80% of my needs, but over the past few months, I realized how much of a handicap it was by not owning a DSLR with changeable lenses. So I started looking at compact mirrorless cameras, specifically the Sony A7 series and the newly announced Nikon Z and Canon R series. Mirrorless cameras had similar capabilities as much larger DSLR’s, but they’re a lot more compact. I was kinda leaning towards the Nikon Z mirrorless camera, until I found out that AAB World had recently become official Sony camera dealers. That news made my decision easier, I was getting the Sony A7 III.

Full disclosure, I have a long-standing relationship with AAB World. They’ve been very active with me and the blog over the years and they’ve lent me lenses and camera gear to review whenever I wanted and also hooked me up with discounts. I’m a huge fan.

I’ve had the Sony A7 III for around two weeks and I love it so far. My aim with the A7 III was for it to play two roles, I needed it to be compact when I needed something small and portable, but I also needed a full frame camera I could attach various lenses too˙. The A7 III has fulfilled both those requirements. First thing I did after buying the camera was to get the compact Sony 35mm F/2.8 prime lens for the A7 III. With the 35mm lens, the A7 III was not that much larger than my RX1 (check the picture above).

The second lens I picked up was the Sony 12-24mm F/4 lens and now I’m planning to get the Sony 24-105mm F/4 and Sony 70-200mm F/4 lenses. I’m going with F/4 lenses and not brighter F/2.8 lenses because the F/4 versions are lighter, smaller, cheaper and nearly as good for my needs.

The A7 III feels really great in my hands and I’m loving all its features and capabilities. I can understand why many are calling it the best camera of 2018. I’ll be posting a more comprehensive review after I get the rest of the lenses and shoot some more with the camera. But first impressions, the A7 III is great, it’s so good that I’ve actually decided to sell my Sony RX1, something I told myself I wouldn’t do.

If you’re interested in the A7 III, AAB World are currently out of stock but they should getting another shipment soon. Here are their preorder links on their website:

Sony A7 III (Body only) – KD679
Sony A7 III (Kit including lens) – KD749




Categories
Cars & Bikes Complaints

The Emergency Lane Tragedy

I’ve been complaining about the emergency lane rules ever since they were announced a few years ago. I think they’re just too complicated and didn’t make sense, either convert the emergency lane into a regular lane or keep it as it is.

Does anybody here actually know what are the hours you’re allowed to use the emergency lane in?

a) 6AM to 10PM
b) 6AM to 10PM only in case of traffic congestion
c) 6:30AM to 9AM into the city and 12:30PM to 3:30PM out of the city
d) 6AM to 9AM and 12:30PM to 3:30PM
e) None of the above

I actually don’t know the answer since I’ve posted all the above previously on the blog. Maybe none of the above are right since the timings could have changed and I wouldn’t know.

Recently the sister in law of a friend of mine got into an accident. I’ve met her a few times since she helped out on the blog a few years ago, a super nice person. She was on the highway with her 4-month-old daughter and nanny when she felt something was wrong in the car, so she pulled into the emergency lane and stopped. A car speeding in the emergency lane (max speed is meant to be 45km) crashed into her car killing her daughter and sending her and the nanny to the hospital. Such a horrific incident.

This sometimes it’s an emergency lane and sometimes it’s not is just a confusing and stupid mess. Either convert the lane to a regular lane or leave it an emergency lane. I don’t understand why they’re being so timid. This accident has caused an outcry in the media and hopefully, they’re going to solve this before any more lives are lost.




Categories
Interesting Video Games

A Kuwait Based Game Developer is Suing CBS and Netflix Over Star Trek Discovery

Not sure how I didn’t hear about this earlier but Anas Abdin, an expat living in Kuwait is currently suing CBS and Netflix in the US for copyright infringement. Anas is an indie game developer and the new Star Trek seems to have copied a lot of ideas from his game Tardigrades.

I just watched the video on top that explains the lawsuit and I can’t believe how much Star Trek ripped off from his game so I hope he wins.

He has a bit more information about the lawsuit on his website so check it out [Link]




Categories
50s to 90s

Every Vintage Issue of Al-Arabi Magazine for Sale!

A reader is selling every single issue of the old and popular Kuwaiti magazine Al-Arabi in the classified section of the blog. The seller has 369 issues in total starting with the very first issue from 1958 all the way up till July 1990, the last issue before the invasion.

The seller is asking KD700 for the whole lot which I’m not sure is a lot or too little since it’s difficult to put a price on something like this. Someone or some organization should pick them up, digitize them and then upload them online for everyone to view.

Check out the listing [Here]

Update: A reader left a comment to let me know that Sakhr (yes THAT Sakhr) have 209 issues of Al Arabi magazine digitized and organized on their website! You can check them all out [Here]




Categories
Photography

Stairway to the Desert

Over the weekend I posted the photo above on my story and got a lot of messages asking me what it was and where it was taken. So I decided I’d share the location on the blog in case anybody wants to head to it for a photo shoot.

The stairs to nowhere are located on the side of the highway that leads to Boubyan island. It’s adjacent to a large metal structure which I believe was used for a military parade a few years ago. Because of the metal structure, the stairs are pretty easy to find, if the metal structure is on your right, the stairs are right after it.

If you’re interested in heading out there, here is the location on [Google Maps]




Categories
Blog Info

Vacation Notice

I’m in Lebanon on a short vacation which is why posting has been slow this week. I should have posted this at the start of my trip but I originally thought I was going to continue to post normally which I’m clearly not doing.

News tips are appreciated a lot more than usual when I’m on holiday so if you have anything interesting for me to share on this blog, send it in!




Categories
News

Local Influencer Doesn’t Believe Domestic Workers Should Get Days Off

This story broke out over the weekend and it’s been picking up A LOT of media traction internationally. Local Instagram celebrity @sondos_aq recently went on a rant on the new local regulations requiring a weekly day off for Filipino domestic workers. You can watch her rant in the video above. To summarize, she thinks its ridiculous that domestic workers have to get a day off every week and that she doesn’t believe domestic workers should be able to keep their passports. Pretty racial comments and the worst part is, she has over 2.3 million followers.

Last month the Instagram celebrity 3bodka was caught abusing his dog, and now we have another influencer posting racial comments. Looking at how this is blowing up I wouldn’t be surprised if local authorities decide to create new laws or regulations to prevent situations like this from occurring again.

If you want to read more about this incident, check out the articles on CNN, Independent and Buzzfeed amongst other.




Categories
Food & Drinks

Finally! Affordable Seedless Watermelons

If you’re a long time reader of the blog you know about my obsession with seedless watermelons. A few years ago we started getting them in Kuwait but they were just too expensive ranging in price from KD1.4 to KD3 per kilo depending where you got them from. But, last week I noticed Sultan Center started getting Egyptian seedless watermelon and they’re pretty cheap at just 595 fils a kilo. They’re not easy to come by since they seem to sell out quickly, I actually had to visit three different Sultan Centers before I managed to find some.

If you’ve never tried seedless watermelon, they’re just like regular melons but without the black seeds!




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Loads of things to do this weekend so check out the full list below. As usual, if I’ve forgotten to add anything, let me know in the comments.

Thursday
President’s Medals Awards Exhibition
Exhibition: Connections
Exhibition: Handala
Exhibition: The Forty Maqamat of Love
Exhibition: Hanadi Hammoud
Twilling Tweeds and Sadu Heritage: Textiles in Dialogue
Ramadan and Eid Exhibition
Concrete Jungle
Jazz at Home Cabaret Night

Friday
Concrete Jungle
Ramadan and Eid Exhibition
Exhibition: Hanadi Hammoud
Good Game: Magic – The Gathering
Extreme Challenge
Forward: Poetry Music Art Food

Saturday
Concrete Jungle
Ramadan and Eid Exhibition
Exhibition: Hanadi Hammoud
EAU Pop-Up
Chess, Backgammon and Scrabble
Ultimate Frisbee

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 always double check with the organizers.




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Below is this weekends list of events. As usual, if I’ve forgotten to add anything, let me know in the comments.

Thursday
Exhibition: Form – Perspectives in Kuwaiti Art
Exhibition: Connections
Exhibition: Handala
President’s Medals Awards Exhibition
Exhibition: The Forty Maqamat of Love
Twilling Tweeds and Sadu Heritage: Textiles in Dialogue
Burnout Hunger 2018
Al Hamra Orphan Kids Exhibition

Friday
Burnout Hunger 2018
Al Hamra Orphan Kids Exhibition
Music Gala
Coffee Night Out

Saturday
Burnout Hunger 2018
Al Hamra Orphan Kids Exhibition
Exhibition: Hanadi Hammoud
Mindfulness Session at the Park
Underground in Ramadan
Women’s Circle

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 always double check with the organizers.




Categories
Cars & Bikes Reviews

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso

Around six years ago, Ferrari launched the Ferrari FF model. It was a hatchback Ferrari with rear seats that could comfortably carry two large adults, but could also be folded down creating a ton of storage space for those ever important trips to IKEA. It was a very practical Ferrari and quickly became the daily driver for a lot of serious car guys including Chris Harris and YouTube car blogger Shmee. Then two years ago, Ferrari released an updated FF and called it the GTC4Lusso. The car pretty much looked the same with just a minor exterior facelift and the biggest changes coming under the hood and the interior.

People either loved or hated the way the FF looked like and it’s the same with the GTC4Lusso. Personally, I think its a great looking car and it reminds me a lot of the now classic BMW Z3 Coupe which was also controversial in the looks department.

Five minutes after driving out of the dealership I felt right at home in the Lusso. The car didn’t feel intimidating at all and I right away understood why so many people chose it as their daily driver. This is going to sound strange but the last time I remember a car being this comfortable to drive was the Mercedes S-Class. The way the Lusso drove over potholes and road imperfections, the way it took speedbumps and ate up cobblestone roads was just incredible, beyond anything I would expect from a high-end sedan let alone a Ferrari. Then you have the interior cabin which is fairly spacious, quiet and really comfortable to be in. The model I drove also had the panoramic sunroof which beautifully lit up the interior space. The most visual change in the GTC4Lusso over the FF is the interior since the center console now has a very large and sleek looking screen.

Oh yeah and my favorite part of the interior is probably the small screen in front of the front passenger, right over the glovebox. The touchscreen allows the passenger to control the stereo but also allows the passenger access to information like the speedometer, RPM and other car related information. A gimmick of course, but a well-executed one.

I had the car pretty much the whole day to do what I wanted with it, and yet I spent most of the day looking for traffic to drive into or backroads that might prove to be too rough for the car. I wanted to see how good a daily driver the Lusso was, and it just ate whatever I threw at it. In traffic it was comfortable to drive and no backroad turned out to be too much to handle. I completely get it now why a lot of people previously chose the FF and now the GTC4Lusso as their daily and sometimes their only car.

After spending the day with the Lusso I fell in love it with, so much so that I want one now. I test drive a lot of cars and not a lot of them capture my heart the way the Lusso did. Even when I took out the Ferrari 488GTB in January, it was a great car but I didn’t really want one. The way the Lusso made me feel reminded me a lot of how the Lotus made me feel when I first test drove it, and I eventually ended up getting one. The only problem in this case is the GTC4Lusso costs around KD100,000. That’s a lot of money to spend on a car and it would only make sense if I was in a much higher income class. But there is hope! I was at the Ferrari dealer a few days back checking out their used cars and they actually have 2 Ferrari FF’s for sale including a gorgeous silver one. Sadly the interior was a really bright red and gave me a headache so that’s a big no. But I’m not in a rush, and four or five years from now they’ll hopefully have a reasonably priced second hand Lusso for sale.

If you’ve got the budget and are looking for a sports car that you can drive daily, you really can’t go wrong with the GTC4Lusso. At 100K it’s in the price range of the extremely fast Huracán Performante and the hottest looking sports car right now, the McLaren 720S. But, unlike the GTC4Lusso, you couldn’t really drive those every day nor could you have them as your only car. If you’d like to find out more about Ferraris in Kuwait then you should follow the dealer on instagram @ferrarialzayanikuwait.




Categories
Design

Kuwaiti Project on Display at the Victoria and Albert Museum

Around a year ago I posted about the Dual Bowls project by Kuwaiti artist Kawther Al Saffar. The bowls were one of a kind, handcrafted pieces made in Kuwait by pouring two different metals together in a mold to form a rough bowl. I fell in love with the bowls right away and the first thing I did was grab one for myself before posting about it on the blog.

Kawther had launched the project on Kickstarter and when Kickstarter saw what she was doing, they also fell in love with her project. Kickstarter decided to partner up with Kawther giving her a big push resulting in over 600 people buying into the project and pledging over £100,000.

Randomly a few days ago, while checking a friend’s story, I noticed the Dual Bowls were being exhibited in London. Turns out the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, had invited Kickstarter to share with the museum four of their favorite projects from last year. V&A were putting together an exhibition called “The Future Starts Here” and wanted to display Kickstarter projects since it fit with the theme of the exhibit. Out of the four projects Kickstarter decided to share with the museum, the Dual Bowls project was one of them. How insanely cool is that?

The exhibition will be running until November, so if you’re in London make sure you pass by and check it out. Also if you’re in San Fransisco for Maker Faire this weekend, Kickstarter will also be displaying the bowls there.

If you’re interested in getting a bowl for yourself you can get in touch with Kawther via instagram @kalsaff

Pictures by Aisha




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Below is this weekends list of events. As usual, if I’ve forgotten to add anything, let me know in the comments.

Thursday
Nothing to Write Home About
Music Festival 2018

Friday
Nothing to Write Home About
Kuwait Yoga Meet 2018
Friday Run
Practice Of Silence

Saturday
Nothing to Write Home About
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
Kuwait Music Academy Annual Concert
Sunset Yoga with Honey

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 always double check with the organizers.




Categories
Music

New Music: Snake Oil Blues by Ali Sleeq

Local bluesman Ali Sleeq just released a music video for his track ‘Snake Oil Blues’ which is off his debut album, “Gonna Die With the Blues”. You can watch the video above and if you like it you can check out the rest of his tracks on [Spotify] or [Apple Music]