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Touch of Hope is a local animal shelter that rescues and rehabilitates cats and dogs. They’re holding a fundraiser next weekend to help the hundreds of rescued animals at the shelter.

If you’re interested in helping, they’re having a karaoke night filled with fun games and prizes as well as a delicious Asian buffet.

Place: Gimikan Restobar, Salmiya
Time & Date: Thursday, Jan 12, 2023, 6-10 pm
Price: 25 KD with ALL proceeds going towards buying food for the animals

If you’re interested in booking, you can WhatsApp them on 99835252

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

Thursday, Dec 29
Meet Me At The Terrace
Rooftop Movie: Home Alone 2
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
The Walk: Kuwait Before Oil
Bugsha Street Food Market
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
The Promenade Family Fun

Friday, Dec 30
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace – Oud Nights
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
KMT: Open Track Day
965 Motor Club Superbike Championship
Bugsha Street Food Market
New Year’s Market

Saturday, Dec 31
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
KMT: Drag Roll Race
New Year Run 2023
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
Beekeeper’s Life Experience
New Year’s Market
Bugsha Street Food Market

Exhibitions
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

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
Tareq Rajab Museum

There are a lot of NYE dinners taking place but here are the 6 hottest ones in my opinion (listed in alphabetical order).

Cure
40 KD per person

Mei li
90 KD per person

MZ by the Sea
75 KD per person

OFK
95 KD per person

Roka
30 KD per person

Upper Street
60 KD per person

My favorite breakfast spot in Istanbul @namligurme is opening here in Kuwait in Avenues Phase 1. Namlı Gurme is a deli-style restaurant in Istanbul which I love because it’s super casual and serves a delicious Turkish breakfast.

The way it works in Istanbul is when you first walk into the place you stand in line at the deli counter and when it’s your turn, you order whatever you want from their fridge displays (cheeses, cold cuts, olives, jams, etc) as well as eggs with whatever you want with it. When your food is ready the waiter will bring it over to your table and I always get a jug of Turkish tea to have with it. It’s my favorite kind of breakfast.

When I say it’s my favorite breakfast spot in Istanbul I’m also not exaggerating, I literally have breakfast there every day, that’s how great this place is. I’m pretty surprised they’re opening in Kuwait because the concept is based of their local produce, but while prepping for this post I found out they’re actually also open in Bahrain (@namlibahrain) so if the concept works there it should work here. @namligurmekuwait

Below is a list of places I found that offer Christmas-themed lunches & dinners as well as cakes. If there is a place you know I haven’t listed, let me know so I can add it:

Dine-In
Courtyard by Marriott @courtyardkuwait
Crowne Plaza @crowneplazakuwaitatc
Hilton Garden Inn @hiltongardeninn_kuwait
Hilton Kuwait Resort @hiltonkuwaitresort
Jumeirah Messilah @jumeirahmessilahbeach
Radisson Blu Hotel @radissonblukuwait
Vigonovo @vigonovo_kw

Take Away
Crowne Plaza @crowneplazakuwaitatc
Dean & Deluca @deandelucame
Little Deli @littledeli
Madison & Heig @madisonandheig

Xmas Cakes
BreadTalk @breadtalkkuwait
J’s Bakery @js_bakery
Madison & Heig @madisonandheig
Mr Baker @mrbakerkwt
November & Co @novemberandco
Sable @sable.kw

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

Thursday, Dec 22
Construction Expo Baytak
Meet Me At The Terrace – DJ Nights

Friday, Dec 23
Construction Expo Baytak
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace – Live Music
Let It Snow Painting Event
Kuwait Rally Championship

Saturday, Dec 24
Construction Expo Baytak
Meet Me At The Terrace
Doll Making Workshop
Art of Life Coaching – Fresh Start Workshop
Trip to Failaka
An Insight into Kuwaiti Films
Al Jahra Nature Reserves Eco Tour
Yoga – Festive Flow by the Pool
ALONE! Mindfulness Session
Bloom – Sustainability Lifestyle & Entertainment Market

Exhibitions
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

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
Tareq Rajab Museum

As you probably know, tickets to Winter Wonderland are completely sold out till March which is when the park will close. But, there is a way to still get tickets.

Winter Wonderland have a lot of different events that taking place inside the park. For example, right now there are three upcoming events, there is a music show on December 22nd and two entertainment shows, one on the 23rd and the second on the 24th. Purchasing tickets to those shows grants you access to the park. The ticket prices vary, the entertainment show costs 5KD (similar to the Winter Wonderland entry ticket cost) but the music show starts at KD20.

To get access to the park you just need to purchase a ticket to a show when they announce them. Currently, the 5KD tickets to the entertainment show are sold out but tickets to the music show are still available. If you want to visit Winter Wonderland, just keep an eye out for their show announcements. @winterland_kw

Back in October Xcite gave me an Apple Watch Ultra to review which I did, and it was a positive review. But, since I got the watch, I haven’t removed it and as someone who loves mechanical watches and vintage Casios, that’s a problem.

The fact I’m now wearing an Apple Watch full-time and no longer putting on different watches depending on my mood or outfit is frustrating. I had the fancy SVN event a couple of weeks ago which I’d usually put on one of my nice watches, but I ended up keeping the Ultra on. When I travel, I usually like wearing my vintage 1978 Casio World Time but instead I wore my Apple Watch to Istanbul last week. It’s not just me, I have friends who are way more into watches than I am who also haven’t worn any other watch since getting the Ultra.

I think the biggest feature about Apple Watches that has me hooked is the ability to change watch faces automatically depending on various variables I’ve set up. Not sure if you’re aware of this but using the Apple Shortcuts App, you can set up automated tasks that can change the watch face based on conditions. So for example, my main watch face has my next event of the day as the main complication, but if I don’t have any more reminders for the day, that prime real estate is being wasted. So I set up an automated shortcut that checks to see if I have any events and if not, it will swap my watch face to a different one. At night before I sleep I have it automatically change my watch face into one with various sleep-related shortcuts like my Pillow app, alarm, moon phases etc, and remove stressful information like the news or the performance of my stocks. Then once I do fall asleep I have my watch face automatically change again to one with just the digital clock in x-large and in red to make it super easy to read the time if I wake up in the middle of the night.

How can any of my other watches compete with that? They can’t, so that’s why my advice is, if you’re into watches, do yourself a favor and don’t get an Apple Watch.

One of the best things about Istanbul is the food, the Turkish cuisine is really great but I’ve also had one of the best pastas I’ve ever had there (@ilcortileistanbul). They know their food and flavors really well which is why I’ve never had a bad experience.

But, my favorite restaurant in Istanbul is a small place called Yeni. I found it by mistake one night on my first trip to Istanbul and it’s now my go-to place while I’m there.

The menu is based on Turkish cuisine but the chef is always deconstructing classical Turkish dishes into more contemporary and exciting versions. Everything I’ve had there was incredibly flavorful and the presentation is always interesting. You can’t go wrong ordering off the menu blindly, even things I wouldn’t usually eat I make an exception for at Yeni since I know I’ll end up loving whatever I try. They have a tasting menu (9 and 7 courses) but I always go the à la carte direction.

The price is considered to be on the high side for Istanbul and so expect to pay around 20KD per person without drinks or 25KD if you go with the 9-course menu. Reservation is required especially on weekends when they’re super busy. Check them out next time you’re there @yeni.lokanta

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

Thursday, Dec 15
International Gold & Jewelry Exhibition
Scientific Center Weekend Activities
Holiday Snow Globe Painting Experience
Makers
Family Fun at The Promenade
Ovo – Cirque du Soleil

Friday, Dec 16
International Gold & Jewelry Exhibition
Scientific Center Weekend Activities
Sailing: Friday Sunset Cruising
Makers
Ovo – Cirque du Soleil
Watch Kites
Looksie Market
Road Rush
Raptors in the Desert

Saturday, Dec 17
International Gold & Jewelry Exhibition
Scientific Center Weekend Activities
Treasure & Scavenger Hunts
Makers
Ovo – Cirque du Soleil
Art in Nature
KMT: Drag Open Day – Roll Race
Keshta Ya Salam
Storytelling with Bader AlMoulah
Trashtag Sulaibekhat Beach Cleanup
BLS Xmas Bazaar
Yoga & Brunch

Exhibitions
Art Recycle Exhibition
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

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
Tareq Rajab Museum

I’m currently in Istanbul for the week, my second visit this year. It’s such a beautiful city with so much to do and see which is why I’m back again.

My favorite place to stay while here is at the Soho House Istanbul. It’s the only Soho House location in the world that I’m aware of where you could stay in without being a Soho House member.

It’s a really beautiful hotel located close to many restaurants and bars but also close to a metro station. The rooms like the rest of the hotel are beautifully designed and have large windows that bring in a lot of daylight. At the end of the day, I tend to retreat to the Soho House Club which is a large mansion next door that once served as the United States Consulate in Istanbul. It can be best described as a really large lounge occupying multiple floors and rooms with a couple of bars, a members-only restaurant, a games room, and usually a DJ playing great music.

The hotel also houses Cecconi’s, the popular Italian restaurant which more people seem to know about than the hotel itself. There really isn’t any other place I’d want to stay in while here so check them out if you’re ever heading to Istanbul sohohouse.com

You’ve probably come across Ahmad Jamal’s (@spaces.in.film) work before, he had a few of his art and videos go viral locally including his Spiderman in Kuwait videos.

Back in March, Ahmad was hired by Sony Pictures Imageworks as a character animator for a VFX movie, specifically for the MARVEL movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and the holiday special. He moved to Vancouver and became part of the animation crew under the direction of James Gun for both these movies.

As an animator, Ahmad is responsible for the movement and acting of the characters for the shots that he’s working on. He films his own reference videos of how they behave in those shots and then animates them.

It’s a great example of how dreams can come true. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 comes out next summer but the trailer is out now. If you want to see some of Ahmad’s work then definitely also check out his Instagram account @spaces.in.film

Yesterday was the official opening of Winter Wonderland and I was lucky enough to get tickets when they first went on sale. I ended up passing last night and it wasn’t what I was expecting, mostly in a good way.

I parked a full block down from Winter Wonderland and decided to walk the rest of the way because I was expecting crazy traffic. It was opening day and tickets were sold out so I was pretty surprised when I got to the Winter Wonderland street and realized there wasn’t any traffic and parking was available.

The second surprise was the lack of a queue to get into the park. There were two gates, the first gate checks to see if you have a ticket and for the correct date, then the second gate is a metal detector which once you go through, staff on the other side scan your QR code.

Once inside, the park also felt empty. I was there around 6:30-7:00 PM and it didn’t feel busy at all. I think because the area of the park is huge and the few rides they have are spread out, the place didn’t feel crowded at all. A lot of rides, especially the ones further out from the center were empty while some, mostly the interesting ones had queues. I kinda wish they had squeezed Winter Wonderland into an area half the size so it would feel cozier and busier.

The whole thing was really organized with lots of staff around in case you needed anything as well as lots of cops everywhere (both inside and outside the park). Tickets for December are already sold out so if you’re interested in going, the earliest tickets are for January. Booking is through winterland.kw

SVN, the new wellness luxury resort opening in place of Corniche Club is officially opening on January 1st.

The resort is really really beautiful I can’t emphasize that enough, everything about it from the color palette to the material choices and furniture was well thought out with no expense spared.

The resort is split up into various sections, the top floor has the main gym which includes all the best equipment from Technogym and a 270-degree view of the sea and resort. The top floor also has a women-only gym and separate PT training areas. It’s a very chill vibe but if you’re into heavy lifting or Crossfit, there is a second gym on the lower floor which they’ve nicknamed the dungeon.

The lower floor gym has a completely different look and feel from the rest of the resort with an all-black color scheme and flashing LED lights. This is where you’ll find all the free weights as well as a separate spinning room and a Les Mills studio. On the opposite end of the resort also on the lower floor are the yoga and pilates studios which once inside feels very calming with green grass outside and the tall LA-like palm trees lined up outside the windows.

You also have indoor and outdoor racket courts, a one-hoop basketball court, an indoor pool, two outdoor swimming pools, and various other facilities. The main pool is the one near the main building and allows children but the second pool is an adults-only infinity pool located at the far end of the resort and surrounded by cabanas.

So what are the prices?

Single Male: KD3,000 per year
Single Female: KD2,600 per year
Married Couple: KD4,000 per year
Family (Couple + 2 kids): KD4,900 per year

There really isn’t any place like this in Kuwait. The price puts it out of the reach of a lot of people, but for those who can afford it, they’re going to love the fact a place this nice exists now. If you’re interested in signing up or getting a tour of the resort you can apply through their website svnkw.com

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

Thursday, Dec 8
Meet Me At The Terrace
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Bazzar Expo
Mirzaam Interior Design Expo
The Magic Of Rob Lake
KMT: Car Open Track Day
Classic Trucks Show
Workshop: Graffiti 101 – The Basics
Korean Street Food & Thrifting

Friday, Dec 9
Meet Me At The Terrace
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Mirzaam Interior Design Expo
Sailing: Friday Sunset Cruising
Christmas Market
Classic Trucks Show
alo x dar atma
Korean Street Food & Thrifting
The Magic Of Rob Lake

Saturday, Dec 10
Meet Me At The Terrace
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Treasure & Scavenger Hunts
Mirzaam Interior Design Expo
NBK Run 2022
Active Mindfulness: Monkey Puzzle
Kasawalks: Uncovering Kuwait City
U.S. Embassy: Live Public Auction
Winter Festival
Classic Trucks Show
OTM Cooking Class: Kuwaiti Dishes
ART N FIFA
The Magic Of Rob Lake

Exhibitions
Art Recycle Exhibition
The Divine Agent by Lilia Nour
The Passage by Rouzan Seropian

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
Tareq Rajab Museum