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Last week I posted that it’s been 20 years since I started blogging and that got me thinking about all the great things I was able to do because of the blog. My memory isn’t great so I most likely left some out, but here are some of my favorite things I got to experience because of my blog:

Visiting the USS Truman Aircraft Carrier
I was invited to tour the aircraft carrier stationed in the Arabian Gulf. They flew me out to the carrier on a military plane and then we landed on the flight deck. I watched fighter jets take off and land while standing just a few meters away from them, I was then given a tour of the hangar deck, the bridge, the watchtower, and all the other cool areas of the aircraft carrier before finally flying back to Kuwait. As a kid that grew up wanting to be a fighter pilot, this was a dream come true.

Breitling WingWalking Experience
I got to sit on top of a biplane while it flew me around. I mean, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience right there.

Formula 1 – Abu Dhabi
I was invited by the Abu Dhabi tourism board to attend the F1 race and all the events attached to it. I was given a tour of the city by the city, I got front row tickets to every concert including Depeche Mode and Jay-Z, and I even got to attend a yacht party with Maradonna and David Hasselhoff. An insane experience for a huge F1 fan like myself.

Jebel al Jais in a Ferrari
Ferrari sent me to Dubai and gave me keys to one of their cars for a day. Obviously, the first thing I did was drive to Jebel al Jais. It’s a mountain road that many consider being one of the greatest driving roads in the world and so I got to tick that experience off my bucket list.

Visiting Audemars Piguet in Switzerland
Not many people might find this experience interesting, but I’m fascinated with how things are made. I got to visit one of my favorite watch manufacturers, see how the watches were made, and meet some incredibly talented craftsmen. The whole experience was very educational.

Baselworld
Trafalgar sent me to the largest watch show on earth to cover it for my blog. The show which ran from 1917, ended back in 2019 and so I feel very lucky to have experienced it during its prime (before the Apple Watch).

CES – Las Vegas
Huawei sent me to the largest consumer electronics show in the world, CES. For someone who loves tech and grew up reading about CES in magazines, this was another dream come true moment. 

I’m really thankful to all the brands (plus the US Embassy), including the ones not mentioned above, for giving me so many great and fun experiences over the years.

Twenty years ago, I, along with my oldest friend (@nibaq) and my sister (@rampurple), decided to launch a blog together called qhate.com. To give you an idea of how long ago that was, none of the social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter existed back then. Gmail wasn’t even born yet; some of you reading this weren’t born yet either.

After launching Qhate, the blog quickly turned into a war blog covering life in Kuwait during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The blog gave the world a glimpse into our lives during those uncertain and sometimes scary times. If you want to check it out, the blog is still up; it’s a time capsule.

When the war ended, we decided to stop that blog and start different solo projects; mine eventually became 248AM.

I’m incredibly thankful for all the benefits the blog has gotten me over the years, including the relationships I have formed, the memorable experiences I’ve had, and the financial benefits it has provided. (Insert all the cheesy hashtags here)

So thank you for all your support.

Note: It’s so weird that I published this post on Instagram first. When I initially started Instagram it was meant to support the blog but now the blog feels like it’s the Instagram accounts backup.

The annual camel racing tournament starts this Saturday, February 4th, and will last until February 9th. If you’ve been meaning to go to the races but have been putting it off, now would be the best time to go.

There will be races every morning and afternoon except for the last day when it will only be held in the afternoon. Below are the start times of the races:

Sat Feb 4 – 8AM and 3:30PM
Sun Feb 5 – 8AM and 1:30PM
Mon Feb 6 – 8AM and 1:30PM
Tue Feb 7 – 8AM and 1:30PM
Wed Feb 8 – 8AM and 1:30PM
Thu Feb 9 – 3:30PM

There is no entrance fee and you can either watch the races from the track stands or drive up to the starting lines and watch the start of the races.

Here is the location on Google Maps.

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Feb 2
The Promenade Family Fun
Meet Me At The Terrace
Arabian Products Expo
965 Outlet
Trend Exop
Feria De Kuwait
Burger Show 2023
Shrek The Musical
Gala Performance: Twelfth Night
Trivia Night at Al Andalus

Friday, Feb 3
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
Arabian Products Expo
965 Outlet
Trend Exop
Feria De Kuwait
Burger Show 2023
Shrek The Musical
The Stadium – Fitness Challenge
Samra Night at Palama
Trip: Into The Stars

Saturday, Feb 4
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Arabian Products Expo
965 Outlet
Trend Exop
Feria De Kuwait
Burger Show 2023
Kashta Show
Shrek The Musical
Rewire Your Brain & Heart
Workshop: Embroidery & Sewing
Art N Dine: Dreamy Garden
Live Drawing Session
Riso Workshop
German Classic Cars Meetup
Qout Market

Exhibitions
Ala Taraf Lisan Al Ard
Bridging East and West
Surrender

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum

The annual list of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants was revealed last night and for the second year running, White Robata won the award for The Best Restaurant in Kuwait for 2023. They came in 42nd place overall in the Middle East & North Africa, one spot higher than last year.

The best restaurant this year was Dubai’s Orfali Bros Bistro. For the full top 50 list, check out @theworlds50best

The Red Bull Half Court is a 3×3 basketball tournament that takes place in 29 different countries including Kuwait. This year the tournament will be taking place in Kuwait from February 3rd to the 11th and there are still spots for teams available to sign up.

If you and your friends want to compete, it’s free to register. The tournament winners will get an all-expense paid trip to Serbia later this year to compete in the world finals.

To register your team simply go to redbullhalfcourt.com and sign up.

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Jan 26
The Promenade Family Fun
Meet Me At The Terrace
The Kuwait Motor Show
1st International Shopping Expo
Artists Hangout
Bugsha Market
FoodBuzz
Kuwait Show Jumping Festival
Men’s International 25K Tournament
The Stadium – GCC Masters
The Assima Beats
The Open Season Pop Up
The Improvengers Comedy Night

Friday, Jan 27
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
The Kuwait Motor Show
1st International Shopping Expo
Murouj Market
Bugsha Market
FoodBuzz
Kuwait Show Jumping Festival
Men’s International 25K Tournament
The Stadium – GCC Masters
The Assima Beats
Kashta Expo
Trash Tag Beach Cleanup
Trip: Into the Stars
KMT Formula Series
Winter Festival

Saturday, Jan 28
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
The Kuwait Motor Show
Arabian Products Expo
Kuwait Marathon
Bugsha Market
FoodBuzz
Dubaiyah Desert Cleanup
Sunset & Coffee Cruise
Men’s International 25K Tournament
The Stadium – GCC Masters
Kashta Expo
Kuwait Show Jumping Festival
Murouj Market
KMT Formula Series
An Insight into Kuwaiti Films

Exhibitions
Bridging East and West
Surrender by Bader Qabazard

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum

Kuwait will be hosting the “Formula 4 UAE” and “Formula Regional Middle East” Championship this weekend for the first time ever. Both these events are governed by FIA, the same sporting federation that governs “Formula One”.

This is the second time that Kuwait Motor Town is hosting an international event this season and because this is a FIA event, it’s pretty big. The way the organizers are handling things behind the scenes is extremely professional and they’re being very strict. I just left the media briefing and safety is being prioritized above everything else with every decision being made, even with simple things like track access for the media which for this event is only being given to media who’ve participated in previous KMT events.

You can watch these races at the track!

These races are open to spectators to come and watch and there will be various activities happening at the track for all ages ranging from food trucks to bouncy castles. This event should be fun to watch.

The ticket price is KD2 for the day or if you want to attend all 4 days including testing and qualifying its KD5. The full detailed schedule is available on the KMT website but here are the race start times:

Friday, January 27
2:30 pm – F4 UAE (Race 1)
3:45 pm – FRME (Race 1)

Saturday, January 28
9:40 am- F4 UAE (Race 2)
10:30 am – FRMEC (Race 2)
2:25 pm – F4 UAE (Race 3)
3:20 pm – FRMEC (Race 3)

For tickets or more information, visit @kmtkw or kmt.kw/events

Tickets can also be purchased at the gate if they aren’t sold out.

It wasn’t easy putting this list together with so many great-looking coffee shops in Kuwait, here click on more below to see the 6 most beautifully designed ones. If I missed a place, let me know in the comments.

I always imagined it would be crazy expensive to play golf at the Sahara Kuwait Golf Club but turns out that’s not the case. Earlier this week I got in touch with the golf coach there and after a bit of back and forth I managed to figure out the cheapest way to have fun at the golf club.

If like me you just want to go alone or with friends and hit balls at the driving range, then you can do that for just 13KD. The cost to use the driving range for a non-member is 10KD for 2 hours and that includes 150 balls. If you don’t have a golf club which I’m assuming you don’t then you can rent a 7-iron for 3KD. If you want more balls, its 3KD for an additional 150.

Another great option is booking a 30-minute lesson with a professional PGA coach. The lesson costs 35KD and once you’re done with it you then get 2 hours of practice at the driving range with 150 balls to hit. The golf club is included at this price.

I went yesterday to the driving range to try it out and it’s definitely a very fun thing to do. I went just before sunset and the place was very chill. The range can hold 11 people but there was just one person when I was there. 150 balls lasted me nearly an hour of basically non-stop swinging.

If you want to play at the driving range you can either go as a walk-in or book ahead by calling them up on 22203411 or 22203410. There is a basic dress code, for guys, it’s like no jeans or shorts, no flip flops, and wear a top with a collar. When you call them they’ll fill you in. When you get to the Sahara Club, head downstairs to the golf shop, that’s where you pay and go in from.

At 13KD, this could be one of the most affordable and fun outdoor activities in Kuwait.

Photo on top from @itsgee98

Last year I posted about Flora, a hidden wholesale florist in Salmiya that I used to get my flowers from. Tahani is another similar wholesale florist but since I found out about it, it’s become my new go-to flower shop.

Tahani Flowers have multiple locations but I’ve only been to the ones in Salmiya and Hawally. The Salmiya one is larger and has a bigger variety so that’s the one I frequent the most. The store is located in the basement of a building on the same street as Jothen Cosmetics, Barakat, and Tibawi Sweets. The store is divided into two areas, the large main area is where you’ll find pots, plant accessories, dried flowers, and some plants and flowers like Orchids. But, the most important area is their extremely large walk-in fridge.

The fridge is where all the fresh flowers are displayed and is divided into two large sections with a corridor connecting the two areas. The fridge is filled to the brim with flowers, from popular and common, to rarer and harder-to-find ones. Since they’re wholesalers, the prices of the flowers are cheaper than anywhere else and their collection is the largest I’ve seen so far in Kuwait (if you know a place with a larger collection let me know!).

Here is the location on Google Maps, and they’re also on Instagram @tahaniflowersalmiya

Over the weekend I passed by the Solelab location in Shuwaikh and it’s HUGE. The place looks as good as it does in the photos and there’s even a beautiful coffee bar in one corner. Actually, if there were more seats and tables, it would also be a great-looking coffee shop.

I didn’t end up buying anything but they did have a pretty large selection of sneakers as well as some clothes from brands like Carhartt, Butter Goods, and Huff. There’s also a cool-looking sneaker laundry in case you want to get your sneakers cleaned.

If you want to check the place out, the store is located in Shuwaikh in the same complex as Spark and Pet Lobby. They’ve also got more photos on their account if you want to check them out @solelabkw

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Jan 19
Meet Me At The Terrace
Light Expo
The Promenade Family Fun
The Kuwait Motor Show
The Valley Market

Friday, Jan 20
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
Light Expo
Kuwait Duathlon 2023
A Weekend Downtown
BNK Padel Open Finals
Drag Race Round 2
The Kuwait Motor Show
965 MX Junior Championship
Workshop: Embroidery Basics
Music Night at Palama
The Valley Market
Trip to Jahra Reserve

Saturday, Jan 21
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Light Expo
EO at Cinema Hall
BNK Padel Open Finals
Drag Race Round 2
KMT Open-Cockpit Car Track Day
The Kuwait Motor Show
Art N Dine: Take me to Saturn
Asherij Beach Cleanup
The Valley Market
A Weekend Downtown

Exhibitions
Bridging East and West
Building Prints
Mona Al-Qanai Letting Go
Surrender by Bader Qabazard

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum

For the past couple of months, I’ve been forcing myself to try a new place every week. I had gotten a bit too comfortable just eating at the places I liked but also there were very few new places I was interested in trying anyway.

Ode is one of the spots that did get my attention. I knew all the talented people behind the project and loved their work so I had been meaning to pass by it ever since it opened.

The menu isn’t very large, most of the sweet and savory items are out on display but there are a handful of other items that are prepared in the kitchen. The display is visually very appetizing so it’s pretty hard to pick what to eat. Go in a larger group so you could order a wider range of items. The prices are slightly on the expensive side but the portions are fairly large so it does balance out.

I went with a friend so we didn’t order too many items. We had mama’s zaatar rolls with whipped feta, the avocado on sourdough with scrambled eggs (I didn’t pick this), and the flan tart with tonka and kumquat compote. From the three I wouldn’t order the avocado and scrambled eggs again since it turned out to be too basic, but the zaatar roll and specifically the flan tart were both delicious. Add a coffee to the order and our bill came out to 13KD.

If you’re looking for a small trendy brunch spot with a variety of interesting and unique dishes, they’re located in Salmiya near Pet Zone and are open from 10AM to 7PM daily except for Sundays. Here is their location Google Maps and they’re on Instagram @ode.eatery

Shakir just launched the chicken shawarma a couple of days ago and it made me realize just how strange it was that they didn’t have chicken as an option to begin with. If it was me opening a shawarma place and someone suggested to me to only sell meat I’d be like wtf? The number 1 rule of a shawarma place is the fact that you have chicken and meat, that’s basic Shawarma 101. But that’s the power of Shakir, since the start they’ve been doing things differently and it’s worked out really well for them.

I passed by their Salmiya location yesterday which tends to be fairly quiet, but when I got there it was really busy with delivery drivers and people waiting to order the new chicken shawarma. I’m a big fan of Shakir but had recently gotten bored of it, the fact they have chicken now has re-sparked my interest in the brand and I’m guessing it’s done the same with other people.

Was it worth the wait?

So their chicken shawarma is actually pretty good, better than I was expecting it to be, not that I was thinking it was going to be bad. I think it’s their nicely balanced garlic sauce combined with the freshly baked bread that gives it a slight edge over my other favorite places like Ebn 3my and Shawarma Arabi. The only issue is the ratio of chicken to bread, they’re pretty stingy with the filling. After having two sandwiches, I went back for a third and asked for extra chicken (it’s an option with the meat shawarma for an extra fee if you didn’t know). But, according to the cashier, the IT guys hadn’t set up that option yet on their system. When it does become an option, that’s how I’d recommend you have it, order the sandwich with extra chicken or else it will mostly feel like you’re eating bread as you can see in my photo.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The price of the chicken shawarma is 750fils similar to their meat. They also have the platter for 2.750KD. I had my sandwich with just garlic inside because that’s how I like it but it usually comes with greens, sweet potato chips, and pickles.