Search: “ace”

You can now download all your favorite old games (from any system) from OldGames.nu. I just downloaded SimTower for the mac!! I love this game and its only 1.6MB! [Link]

Update: You have to create an account on the site to start downloading. When you start they give you 5MB worth of downloads.

Someone at the office just got me the KDD space shuttle icecream called Columbia (yeah after the space shuttle Columbia that blew up). I hadn’t had it since I was a kid and so it was nice to have it again. I was trying to figure out what it tasted like though and I couldn’t figure it out. So I checked the ingredients and there was something called Boysenberry. That sounded a bit fishy, Boysenberry, Poisonberry… notice the similarities? So I did a quick search and it turns out Boysenberry is an actual fruit, who would have thought!

A boysenberry is a cross among a blackberry, red raspberry and loganberry. It was created by Rudolph Boysen, and first commercially cultivated by Walter Knott.

So now I know what Boysenberry is, I still don’t know how KDD could call an icecream after a Space Shuttle disaster.. [Link]

Yesterday night me and nat watched Office Space which tivo had recorded earlier in the week. I already have watched the movie atleast half a dozen times but its a classic and always worth watching again. But, this was the first time I watched it censored! I can’t believe how badly one tv sucks! The words fuck and shit are censored, there is a whole “PC Load Letter” scene in the movie which was cut short, there is a completely missing scene in the movie where the Michael Bolton guy is listening to rap, there is a cancer tits ad missing scene, there is just so much cut out that the movie wasn’t worth watching anymore. They completely slaughtered what has to be one of the coolest movies of all time. In the end I just couldn’t handle it, we deleted the movie off the Tivo and watched something else. The only good thing about One TV is The Contender. I don’t know how they got the rights for Sopranos..

Although many people tend to disagree, I really love the way the BMW 7 series looks like. Its big, and its different. Maybe at first it was a bit hard to absorb it but now that its been on the streets for some time its easier to understand. Since many people though complained about the look, BMW went and gave it a minor facelift. I think it looks worst worse now, check out what they did to the cars rear, it looks terrible.. [Link]

I just finished watching the final episode of the season for The Amazing Race on One TV. It was my first time watching the show and I started watching this episode half way through but from what I saw it looked like a really cool show. Don’t know why I hadn’t heard of it before.

Found this really cool picture of Stanley Kubrick on the movie set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This picture is really cool for many reasons.

Click here to view the picture

Lots of events this weekend. If you want to check out the camel races on Saturday they start at 2PM. Check out all the events taking place this weekend below:

Thursday, January 22
The Improv Comedy Show
Market Murouj
Auto World Show Expo
Mersaf Market
Salt Movies: Home Alone

Friday, January 23
Market Murouj
Auto World Show Expo
Jam Session
Mersaf Market
Al-Farsi Giant Kites Display

Saturday, January 24
Market Murouj
Auto World Show Expo
Sharq Photowalk
Rooted in Intention
Saturday Market at Alandalus
Mersaf Market
Soof Wool Mill Tours
DAI StoryTime at Amricani
Korean Kashta with Madang
Introduction to Bookbinding
Pearl Hunt
Sisters Circle

Other than getting into kites, I recently purchased an air rifle as well. I wasn’t sure if expats could own one or if you needed some sort of license, but it turns out there are no such rules. Anyone can buy and own an air rifle in Kuwait, which is great.

After doing a bit of online research, I decided I wanted a rifle from the German brand Weihrauch. They’re regarded as making some of the best air rifles out there, and the company has been around for over 125 years. A quick Google search didn’t turn up any local results, so I decided to track down all the air rifle shops in Kuwait and check them one by one. Here are the shops I found:

@nayshangungallery
@camouflage_kwt
@gannas_alrheeb
@albowardi_hunting
@negochi.kt
@alhadaf_kw
@alkhudari_guns
@alsabihkw
@rammaiq8
@alsayyad_q8
@logistic.systems (they sell real guns only I think)
@khaleelalmuzayensonsco
@almejren_airguns

The only store that actually had a functioning website was Camouflage. The rest just have Instagram accounts, and most don’t really show what brands they carry. Eventually, I found out that Negochi carries the Weihrauch brand, but they only had one model available, the HW80. It was around double the budget I originally had in mind for an air rifle, but after doing a lot of online research and realizing this rifle would likely last me a lifetime if taken care of, I decided to pull the plug and buy it.

The buying experience, unfortunately, wasn’t that great. I love Negochi and I’ve posted about them multiple times before, but the salesperson I dealt with wasn’t very good. The first time I visited, there was a knowledgeable sales guy who walked me through the rifles. When I went back to actually buy it, he wasn’t there and I had to deal with someone else, who I now realized didn’t really know what he was doing.

He recommended I get one of the heaviest pellets they had, which were 13.43gr. My fault for not researching it beforehand, but it turns out that weight is too heavy for my rifle and not recommended (more on that in a bit). I then went down to their rifle range in the basement to tune the iron sights myself. The salesperson insisted on coming along to help, which was fine since I figured it might be useful if I had any questions.

So I started firing pellets and adjusting the iron sights, but my accuracy circle was pretty large. Tuning was taking a long time because just when I’d get close to the bullseye and think it was dialed in, the next shot would land noticeably outside the center.

At that point, the employee wanted to take over and try himself. I figured maybe my eyesight wasn’t great and he’d have better luck, but he struggled as well. He ended up hogging the rifle while trying to tune the sights, and it started taking way longer than it should have.

Then, at one point, he decided to tighten the bolts on my rifle because he thought they might be loose. He used the wrong size screwdriver and applied more force than he should have, which ended up damaging two of the screws. I didn’t complain or say anything. Maybe I should have, but since I let him take over, I felt partly it was my fault. It’s a small thing, just screws, but it still bothered me because it’s a brand new and expensive rifle and I hadn’t even left the store yet.

Long story short, once I got home I realized the heavy pellets he recommended were likely the cause of the problem we were having. Using heavy pellets can create a wide accuracy spread and make tuning difficult. I should have been using lighter pellets instead, ones which are much better suited for my rifle.

I decided to complain to management and ask them to either order replacement screws or at least swap the pellets for the correct ones. I messaged them on Instagram, but even though they saw my messages, they didn’t reply. I then found their WhatsApp number and tried there as well, but again, no response.

Eventually, I figured maybe they didn’t speak English, so I used Google Translate to message them asking if they were ignoring me. A few minutes later, someone finally called. It was the shop, and specifically the cashier I had purchased the rifle from. I’m not sure if he’s also the manager, but I decided not to complain to him about the issue. Since I’ll likely be going back to the store for other things and the shooting range, I didn’t want to create any unnecessary issues or drama, so I just dropped it.

So yeah, overall it wasn’t a great experience.

On the bright side, the good news is that you don’t need a license or to be Kuwaiti to buy an air rifle, or even a bow, in Kuwait.

One odd thing I discovered now is that I won’t be able to order accessories online. Both MyUS and Shop&Ship refuse to ship anything related to guns, and that includes things like carrying bags, scopes, and other gun accessories. Which is kind of weird. I get restricting the rifle itself, but not being able to order a rifle bag feels a bit extreme, since the bag isn’t exactly the dangerous part. Oh well.

Sounds weird to say it, but you can now ski and snowboard in Khaitan. I found out about this place called KARV through @triedbywahab while doom scrolling on TikTok last week. I was pretty surprised I hadn’t heard of it earlier, especially since it’s Kuwait’s first ski academy.

My snowboard has been in storage for a while since I haven’t gone on a ski trip in years. The idea that I could actually snowboard here in Kuwait made me want to check the place out, so I passed by earlier today.

KARV is located in a large building outside a school in Khaitan. The location isn’t that great, but once you’re inside the building it feels like walking into an ice skating rink, except instead of a rink you have three giant treadmill ski slope machines. I didn’t get to try it myself since the snowboard instructor is currently on leave, but watching the skiers gave me the impression that the feel is pretty realistic.

The academy is open to ages 6 and up, with both public and private classes available. Public classes are shared with up to three other people, while private classes are one on one with the instructor. Prices are as follows:

1 Hour Public: KD 22
1 Hour Private: KD 35
5 Hours Public Package: KD 100
5 Hours Private Package: KD 150

Ski and snowboard equipment is provided, but if you have your own gear you can bring it and use it. They’ve been open for around two months and are still in their soft launch phase, so they’re still working on the final touches. KARV is open daily from 1PM to 9PM, except Fridays. All bookings are done through their website, but as mentioned, snowboarding classes are temporarily unavailable. If you want to find out more or book a ski class, head to @karv.ski

Gardenia and Qout Market are back again this weekend. There’s also an art festival happening at the Mirror House, so if you haven’t been there before, this is a good opportunity. Check out all the events below.

Thursday, January 15
Gardenia Pop-up
Kidspo Village at Al-Assima Mall
Drifting Championship

Friday, January 16
Gardenia Pop-up
Salt Movies: Matilda
Roll Race Championship
Kidspo Village at Al-Assima Mall
Stargazing Trip
Burning Soles First Run

Saturday, January 17
Gardenia Pop-up
Qout Market
DAI Storytime at Amricani
Mirror House 13th Art Festival
Kidspo Village at Al-Assima Mall
Sama’a Community Wellness Day
Walk with the Barefoot Guy

This past weekend, the second round of the GR Yaris Cup took place at Kuwait Motor Town. The GR Yaris Cup is a racing series by Toyota AlSayer, where 12 drivers compete against each other across multiple races. I previously posted about the first round, and with this weekend’s race done, there are now three more rounds to go.

I personally knew 3 of the 12 drivers competing, but even if you don’t know any of them, it’s still easy to pick a favorite team. Each car is sponsored by a brand, so if you’re a Gulf Bank customer or a Caribou Coffee fan, you can follow their driver. Or you can just watch and cheer for everyone, there are no rules.

All the races are free to watch at the track, and there are usually other activities taking place as well, like food trucks, simulators, and passenger rides around the circuit. The next round is in February, so if you want to stay updated on upcoming races, head over to @toyotakw or @gazooracingkw or their website.

Last June, I posted that Alghanim Industries had launched the brand Sama X and had become the official distributors of Starlink’s satellite internet in Kuwait. The service was meant to launch last year, but when I reached out to them in September, they said licensing and regulatory approvals were taking longer than expected. They were hoping to finalize everything by the end of last year, but according to a contact of mine at CITRA, those issues still haven’t been fully resolved.

Starlink internet works through satellites, making it perfect for places where regular internet can be spotty or completely unavailable. I spent Christmas in Lebanon where the internet was incredibly slow and unreliable, and I told myself that next time I go back, I’d bring my own Starlink with me. Starlink has a small portable unit with roaming packages, which would be perfect for a trip like that. But since there’s still no confirmed timeline for when Starlink will go live in Kuwait, I’ll either have to wait a bit longer or buy an imported unit and pay a premium.

If you want to stay posted on the launch, their website is Sama X

The Neighbourhood is a nostalgic space built around good coffee and food. Their first location in Kuwait opened last year in Qortuba, and a few weeks ago they opened their second location, this time in the brand new Hessah District.

The new location is bigger than the first, with plenty of outdoor seating along with some indoor seating. It’s located right at the start of Hessah District, and the outdoor area overlooks the main road. Inside, the space follows the same nostalgic look that made the original location popular, with dark brown wood, beautiful tiles, and the striped umbrellas that have become synonymous with the brand.

The fresh-baked goods section and the new protein boost menu have become the main reasons people keep coming back. The award-winning matcha is another big draw, alongside the newly introduced hojicha and specialty coffee, which pair perfectly with the menu.

If you’re looking for a new, cool outdoor spot for coffee, good bites and vibes, the weather is perfect to try out the new location (Google Maps). There’s plenty of parking, and it also gives you a reason to pass by and check out Hessah District if you haven’t already. Check them out @nbrhood.me

There are some pretty cool events taking place this weekend. Gulfrun and Nawi are probably the biggest events but on Friday there is a pretty cool interactive cinema experience taking place in Al Hamra Mall and just across the street there is a skateboarding event taking place in Bait Sharq. Check out all the events taking place this weekend below:

Thursday, January 8
Nawi – The Wellness Summit
TK Market at Murouj
Book Talk – ANCESTRAL DAUGHTER
GulfRun GP 2026

Friday, January 9
Nawi – The Wellness Summit
TK Market at Murouj
JJK Photobooth Keychains Workshop
Shibuya Domain Interactive Cinema Experience
GulfRun GP 2026
The Culture Skateboarding Event
Cars & Coffee
EighteenTwelve x Better From Scratch

Saturday, January 10
Nawi – The Wellness Summit
TK Market at Murouj
DAI Storytime at Amricani
GulfRun GP 2026
The Enchanted Garden of Earthly Delights
Hattrick x Hooray

Studio Marmi is a newly opened natural stone gallery in Shuwaikh. It’s the largest of its kind, and I found the concept really interesting when they explained it to me. Unlike most natural stone showrooms, Studio Marmi doesn’t display small samples of each stone. Instead, they showcase full uncut slabs, meaning the stone you choose is the exact stone you get.

Most of the time when you’re shopping for natural stone for your home or a commercial space, you pick a stone based on a showroom sample, and since that sample is usually just a display piece, you often end up getting something similar instead. Because Studio Marmi displays the actual slabs, the stone you pick with all its unique characteristics is the one you actually get. Browsing the slabs is a unique experience as well, since they use a crane mechanism to move them around for viewing and selection.

This is also why their space is so large and feels more like a warehouse than a traditional showroom. As you walk around, you’ll see each stone clearly labeled with information on its strength, best uses, and pricing. They carry stones of varying strengths, from softer options like limestone and marble to harder ones like quartzite and crystal, all curated by them and imported from Brazil.

In addition to their impressive space, all their inventory is also available on their website. Once a new slab arrives, it’s photographed and added to their live online inventory along with all the relevant details. They also have a 3D visualizer that helps you see how a specific natural stone might look in a kitchen or home environment.

If you want to pass by their showroom, here is their location on Google Maps. You can also check out their website studiomarmi.com.kw or check out their instagram account @studiomarmikw