Search: “ace”

Until I’m done with Yellowstone I’ve been literally ignoring my other shows (I’m on the last season though). Billions is back but haven’t started it. I watched the new episode of The Morning Show yesterday and I’m up to date with Foundation and Ahsoka and that’s about it.

One thing I am doing which I haven’t done in a long time is play a video game, like sit down and play for hours kind of video gaming. A few months ago I got the ANBERNIC RG405M and I’ve been loving it since it can emulate my Dreamcast games easily and even consoles up to the PS2 without issues. But recently I started playing Secret of Mana on the SNES and I’ve been loving it. I’ve been wanting to play the game since it came out 30 years ago and just finally got around to it.

What did you watch this week?

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
A Haunting in Venice (6.7)
Rabbit Academy: Mission Eggpossible (5.4)
Sympathy for the Devil (5.5)

Other Movies Showing:
Blue Beetle (6.8)
Cats Museum (4.4)
Elemental (6.8)
Gran Turismo (7.0)
Oppenheimer (8.7)
Retribution (5.5)
Sound of Freedom (7.8)
The Equalizer 3 (6.9)
The Hero of Centopia (6.2)
The Nun II (6.3)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Bringing Up Baby (7.8)
Casablanca (8.5)
Space Jam (6.5)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

A new Korean supermarket opened up last week next to my place in Salmiya call Haeng Bok. It’s a pretty tiny place and it opened in the same place where the clothing store Rima used to be located for nearly 50 years.

Because of the size of the supermarket they only sell Asian products, so you’re not going to find Pepsi for example or any item you can find at your local Coop. That makes it easier to shop but I’m not sure if they have anything you haven’t already seen in Singarea. Because the store is smaller, it just feels more curated than Singarea.

For me this place is convenient because it’s a 2 minute walk from my place so I can drop in pick up noodles or chips easily. Not sure I’d recommend you drive all the way to old Salmiya and spend an hour looking for parking just to shop there, I think it opened just to cater to the neighborhood. If you want to pass by, here is the location on Google Maps. At the moment they’re open from 4PM to 12AM.

An interview with a Michelin Star chef popped up on my TikTok feed last week and he said something really interesting which was basically that food is the third most important thing in a restaurant, with ambiance and service being more important. I think thats true and I realized that while I was putting this list together.

Sometimes I wonder why certain places are always busy while I’m sure other people wonder why I like a certain place, it really comes down to our individual experiences. I eat out pretty much every single day and the list below are some of my favorite places in Kuwait:

Breakfast
Cocoa Room (@cocoaroom) is the spot I go to when I want to have breakfast on a Friday morning while Alf Layla wLayla (@alf_laylawlayla) is the spot I have breakfast with friends midweek when the weather is good (Tip: Bring your own chapati from Sound Indian Restaurant at the roundabout next door).

Healthy-ish
Ever since OVO (@ovokwt) opened their new location in Shuwaikh I’ve loved going there. M.E’AT (@meatkwt) is my don’t think about it, just go build a bowl eat and leave spot.

Kuwaiti
Al Shemam (@alshemam1) is mine and everyones favorite with delicious grilled fish options and kebabs but I also really like Midar (@midar.me) in The Avenues.

Italian
Vigonovo (@vigonovo_kw) has been my go-to spot for the past 7 years ago but this past year I’ve been bouncing between them and Leccino (@leccino.kw).

Asian
EDO (@edo_restaurant) is my favorite Japanese right now while Great China Wall (@chinagreatwallrestaurant) is my favorite Chinese/Hot Pot spot.

Indian
Cardamon Club (@cardamom.club) is my favorite “fancy” Indian place while Paratha King (@paratha_king) is my hole in the wall.

My Comfort Food
Tampopo (@tampopo.ramenshop) because it’s simple and right next to my house. I still love Solo Pizza (@solopn) even though there are a lot more pizza places nowadays. And finally, one of my favorite restaurants in Kuwait, Oak & Smoke (@oakandsmoke). I would also have added Five Guys here if it wasn’t a franchise.

These are my favorite spots, let me know if your favorite place should have been on my list.

This past week other than Yellowstone I started watching Yellowjackets again. I had stopped at episode 8 a couple of years ago because I was finding it super boring and decided I’d give it a shot again. Nothing has changed, I still find it uninteresting but I’m just powering through and using it as background TV.

On the other hand I did start rewatching Reno 911! from the start. I’d only watched it when it had originally come out and remember it was hilarious, all those years later it’s still as funny and the jokes all hold up. Only issue is I realized Peacock crops the footage so it fits the 16:9 aspect ration so it all feels too zoomed in and also it’s not HD.

What have you been watching?

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
The Collective (3.2)
The Nun II (6.3)

Other Movies Showing:
Blue Beetle (6.8)
Cats Museum (4.4)
Elemental (6.8)
Gran Turismo (7.0)
Meg 2: The Trench (6.0)
Oppenheimer (8.7)
Retribution (5.5)
Sound of Freedom (7.8)
The Dive (5.6)
The Equalizer 3 (6.9)
The Hero of Centopia (6.2)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Bringing Up Baby (7.8)
Space Jam (6.5)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

This is a completely random tidbit that popped up on my feed this morning. Renan Barao, the former UFC bantamweight champion is making his return to the fighting scene after leaving the UFC 4 years ago with a fight next month here in Kuwait. Source

Barao will face Peter Ligier in the main event of Fera Championship’s debut card on October 7. I checked the @ferachampionship Instagram account and it’s still empty as of this post with just a mention in the profile that says the event is on October 6 & 7.

If you’re a UFC fan this looks like it might be a pretty interesting event to go to.

I wasn’t planning to sign up for a new phone line, I was playing around with the Red Bull Mobile app checking out their prices for my post when I decided to just get a new number. Mainly because I wanted to separate my blog number from my personal one, but also because it would give me the opportunity to experience the process for my post.

Red Bull Mobile is Zain and it’s not a secret since it’s plastered in all their communication. It’s also why their prices are pretty similar with Red Bull having a slight edge. Below are the cheapest and most expensive Red Bull Mobile ready plans:

Cheapest:
– 100GB (4G)
– 100 Local Minutes
Price is 6KD a month or 4.2KD a month if you sign up for 6 months

Most Expensive:
– Unlimited GB (5G)
– Unlimited Minutes
– Free Gold Number
Price is 18KD a month or 12.6KD a month if you sign up for 6 months

I went with the unlimited package just so I could pick a gold number that had the digits 248 in it. I don’t really need an unlimited package since I have one with my personal Zain line, so I will be downgrading to the cheapest plan I can get next month.

The process of getting a number was super easy and quick. You just pick a plan in the app and then when you’re ready to check out, the app uses your Mobile ID to authenticate and connect the new number to your Civil ID. You then just pay and choose if you want to install the number as an eSIM, or if you want to have a physical SIM card delivered to you. I chose eSim and a few moments later I got an email with the QR code so I could install the number.

So what are some benefits? If you renew your plan on-time you get double the benefits in the second month, and triple in the third. Your remaining GBs and minutes also rollover to the following month. You get access to special zones at local Red Bull events and access to Red Bull TV. Finally, you also get access to some interesting Red Bull rewards. For example, there is a draw coming up for a trip to Qatar to watch the Formula1 race. So F1 fans like me and sports fans in general will most likely benefit from these rewards.

And that’s pretty much it. If you have any questions about the sign up process or want me to test anything out, let me know in the comments. Here is a link to their website.

The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards announced their list of winners for the Middle East & Africa category, and one of my favorite designed places in Kuwait just won.

Abuelo which was designed by Studio Nesef and is located in The Avenues won the award for the best designed cafe. I’m glad it did because I really do believe it is one of the nicest designed places in Kuwait. When it first opened I actually messaged Studio Nesef to let them know how much I liked the interior, it’s so visually interesting.

If you’ve never come across the place, it’s located in the alleyway adjacent to % Arabica in Avenues Phase 4.

To check out who else won, visit @restaurantandbardesignawards

Whenever I flip through old newspaper there are random things that always catch my attention. Recently while flipping through a 1976 issue of Kuwait Times I came across this ad for what supposedly is (according to the ad), the first Chinese restaurant in Kuwait. Never heard of it and can’t find anything online about it either. I can’t even find the building it was located in.

If anyone has any information about “Golden Nest”, let me know!

Update: I found another ad (above) and this one has a map. So I tried to figure out where the restaurant used to be located and if Al Shuhada Street used to be called Al Hilal Street back in 1976, then I think Golden Nest was located in the same block as where Al Assima Tower and Solo Pizza are located today. I overlapped the map onto Google Maps and if you line up the streets and roundabouts they match. Whoever drew the map though placed Shaab gate on the wrong corner of the intersection though.

Back in 1978, James Brown came to Kuwait and performed over 7 days at Al-Andalus Cinema in Hawalli. The event was organized by a person called Hussein Abul who over the years had brought other performers to Kuwait including Boney M, Demis Roussos, and Santa Esmeralda.

I also heard an unconfirmed story that Hussein had also signed a contract with Michael Jackson to come to Kuwait, but due to cultural changes in Kuwait taking place at that time, concerts started to get banned and Hussein ended up moving to Brazil permanently.

The James Brown event on the other hand was a huge success to the point the organizers had to add more performance slots. Saif Abu Baker from the local band The Scorpions used to be managed by Hussein and ended up getting the job of driving James Brown around since Saif spoke both English and Arabic. That opportunity later got Saif to play bass on the track Super Bad with James Brown on stage.

I’ve previously found newspaper clippings of the concert but only in Arabic. But, thanks to @kuwaittimes giving me access to their archive, I managed to find a few ads for the event as well as two articles.

“Had not the Andalus authorities exercised diplomacy on the audience, the cinema hall would have turned into a dance hall when the celebrated musician James Brown made his debut in Kuwait yesterday. – Kuwait Times, Dec 1978”

The ticket prices for the concert ranged from KD2 to KD10 which in todays money would be around 10KD to 50KD which is actually a pretty good deal.

While writing this post up I realized I haven’t really watched a lot of TV this week, not unless you count TikTok as TV. Other than catching up on shows like Foundation and Physical the only new show I watched this week was Yellowstone. Binge watching it and I’m liking it so far. I kinda was hoping it would be background TV but it does need a bit of focusing.

What have you been watching?

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
Puppy Love (6.3)
Retribution (5.5)
The Hero of Centopia (6.2)
The Dive (5.6)
The Equalizer 3 (6.9)

Other Movies Showing:
Blue Beetle (6.8)
Cats Museum (4.4)
Elemental (6.8)
Gran Turismo (7.0)
Haunting of the Queen Mary (4.9)
Meg 2: The Trench (6.0)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (8.2)
Oppenheimer (8.7)
Sound of Freedom (7.8)
The Adventures of Jurassic Pet (3.7)
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (6.5)
The Secret Kingdom (5.0)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.4)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Bringing Up Baby (7.8)
Space Jam (6.5)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

The building that used to house Elevation Burger and M’EAT on the Seef Strip just got demolished. No idea why, or whats going to take its place but I really like that strip and the area in general so its pretty disappointing it was demolished.

But, as I was discussing with someone on twitter, since the Ice Skating Rink and Entertainment City got demolished I no longer care as much about landmarks getting demolished. It’s become so normalized I’m just like that sucks 🤷🏼‍♂️ and a minute later I’m back to flipping through TikTok aimlessly.

I used to joke with a friend about that location being jinxed since everything that opened there always fails. But, Elevation had some great days there especially when they had their events.

I spent the last week in Paris and I know this sounds cliche, but it’s one of my favorite cities. There is a lot to see and do and its always changing so it never gets old. Here is a quick guide of some of my favorite spots:

Eat
For the best croissant without waiting an hour in line, head to the 2018 winner, La Maison d’Isabelle. If you want a quick and easy bite, Dumbo for smashed burgers or JANET by Homer for the best pastrami sandwich and hotdog ever. If you’re in République, MR. T has a great lunch menu while Candelaria is a taco place with a hidden speakeasy in the back. Mokonuts is my favorite restaurant in Paris run by a husband and wife. Kodawari Ramen is a great ramen spot that looks like a Japanese fish market with fake props and sounds. Cheval d’Or for Chinese food with a twist and finally, Glace Bachir for ice cream.

Drink
Araku, Noir and Partisan for proper coffee. Keep (Café Kitsuné as backup in case you aren’t close to the other three options.

See
For art, Fondation Cartier, Fondation Louis Vuitton and Palais de Tokyo. Sandqvist is my favorite backpack brand and they have a large store in Paris. Do Shinzo for sneakers, Yvon Lambert for art & design books and Deyrolle for the coolest taxidermies. Visit WHITEbIRD and Mad Lords for jewelry and Modes and Tom Greyhound for fashion. Finally, don’t leave Paris without using a vintage Fotoautomat booth.

Sleep
I love staying at The Hoxton in Paris. If you have a car there is a multistory parking lot across the street while the Metro station is just a 2 minute walk. The area isn’t busy with tourists and the hotel is also always poppin since the restaurants and bar are popular.

This beautiful chalet is located in Al Khiran and was designed by the architecture firm TAEP/AAP. It’s been completed for awhile now but this weekend it popped up on my news feed and I just loved the design and all the various cozy-looking interior nooks.

The design of the house was inspired by the importance of shade in our desert climate so an oversized roof was designed over two internal units to provide protection from the sun and wind. The roof is also perforated so it could bring daylight into the interior spaces as well as offer views of the sky.

Another cool feature I liked is how open the house is while still being very private. A lot of homes usually have windows facing the main road and neighbors but then stay closed the whole time. The tent house was designed from the get-go to maintain privacy from the main road and neighbors while maximizing openness and transparency to the private beach and garden terraces.

If you want to see more of this house and other cool looking ones designed by the same firm, check out their website.

So last week I asked for recommendations of shows to watch on my 6 hour flight to Paris. I ended up watching two things, Cocaine Bear and binge watching Poker Face. Cocaine Bear was one of the best movies I’ve watched in a long time, it was hilarious, really silly, had lots of famous actors and was a lot of fun to watch. It’s extremely underrated! Highly recommended.

Poker Face is a Peacock original show and I started watching the first episode just to see if I liked it or not and surprisingly it was great. Not sure how many episodes I ended up watching back to back, maybe 4 before I finally arrived to Paris. I’m heading back to Kuwait today and I’m hoping to continue binge watching it on the way back.

Now Barbie. I watched it a few days ago here in Paris, obviously the uncensored version although now that I watched it I have no clue what was censored and why it was banned to begin with. I focused so hard throughout the film trying to figure out what was so controversial and I have no idea honestly, like zero clue. There wasn’t even a kiss in the whole movie, no gay characters or lesbians, there was nothing! Maybe one scene with a rainbow in the sky in the background but no flags, trans or even bad language. WHY WAS THIS BANNED? I am so confused!

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
Blue Beetle (6.8)
Haunting of the Queen Mary (4.9)
I’ll Be Watching (3.9)
Retribution (5.7)

Other Movies Showing:
Cats Museum (4.4)
Elemental (6.8)
Gran Turismo (7.0)
Haunted Mansion (6.3)
Meg 2: The Trench (6.0)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (8.2)
Oppenheimer (8.7)
Sound of Freedom (7.8)
The Adventures of Jurassic Pet (3.7)
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (6.5)
The Secret Kingdom (5.0)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.4)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Inside Man (6.6)
Flubber (5.3)
Training Day (7.7)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

I was planning to rent Wes Anderson’s most recent movie Asteroid City but then it got released on Peacock for free so didn’t have to pay for it. Thank god for that because it was such a boring film, it had to be the worst Wes Anderson film I’ve ever watched. Would not recommend. I also randomly ended up watching the chick flick Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret a few days ago and that was so much more entertaining than Asteroid City.

Other than those two movies I’m still binge watching Schitt’s Creek. I’m traveling tomorrow to Paris and since its a nearly 6 hour flight I’ve been downloading shows to watch on the plane. So far I’ve got the following shows I haven’t watched lined up:

Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Poker Face
Twisted Metal
Yellowstone

I still need to add more shows so if you have anything thats good and doesn’t start slow please let me know. I’ve run out of stuff to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Weekend:
Shrapnel (6.7)
Sound of Freedom (7.8)
The Adventures of Jurassic Pet (3.7)
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (6.5)

Other Movies Showing:
Cats Museum (4.4)
Elemental (6.8)
Gran Turismo (7.0)
Haunted Mansion (6.3)
Hidden Strike (5.8)
Meg 2: The Trench (6.0)
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (8.2)
Oppenheimer (8.7)
Run Rabbit Run (5.0)
The Secret Kingdom (5.0)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.4)
Til Death Do Us Part (5.8)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Inside Man (6.6)
Flubber (5.3)
Training Day (7.7)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.