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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

Basil Alsalem (@pepperlab), the same person behind our favorite places like Cocoa Room, White Robata and Milk Bun is officially launching his revamped OFK restaurant next week.

OFK located in Al Hamra Tower will officially open on December 15th and reservations will be available through their website ofkkuwait.com

MEI LI is a new Pan Asian fine dining restaurant that is opening at the end of this month at the Grand Hyatt.

I briefly posted about MEI LI in my Grand Hyatt sneak peek post. Back then I wasn’t able to show too many photos of the space but now that they’re getting ready I wanted to share the photos I had taken because it really is a beautiful-looking restaurant.

The restaurant is located near the main lobby of the hotel and their Instagram account is @mei_likw although as of this post there isn’t anything there.

If you’re a fan of Pret you’re probably aware that in the UK, any unsold food is always donated through the Pret Foundation.

So this got me thinking, what about Kuwait? Last week I reached out to Pret to find out and it turns out that in Kuwait it’s no different.

Locally, Pret A Manger has partnered up with the local non-profit organization re:food to try and make a difference. Every day any unsold food is donated by Pret to re:food who then take it and pass it along to the people who need it the most.

It’s a win-win for everybody and so I hope more places start doing this.

Kei, the first and oldest Japanese restaurant in Kuwait is reopening next month outside Assima Mall.

Kei first opened in Kuwait in 1980 and was initially located at the now-demolished Hilton Hotel in Bneid Al Gar. When the hotel got demolished, they moved to JW Marriott where they remained for 20 years until they had to move out again because the hotel was undergoing a major renovation. Kei is now moving to Assima Mall and for those of you who’ve been long-term customers, you’ll be pleased to know the majority of the old staff will be coming back as well.

The new Kei will be called Kei Downtown to differentiate it from the Kei Restaurant that will eventually reopen again at the JW Marriott. The new Kei will be a more casual dining experience with a more relaxed atmosphere.

The new location is in Assima Mall but on the outside and on the back with no mall access and adjacent to the entrance of the soon-to-open Marriott Executive Suites. To stay posted on the opening, follow @kei_downtown

Since Souq Mubarakiya is under renovation due to the fire earlier this year, an architect asked the question, what if we redeveloped it with trams? Using the artificial intelligence program Midjourney, he was able to generate a few images which I think look great.

Souq Mubarakiya might be too small to need a tram but it could work if it started in the old village under construction across from Seef Palace and then continued through the market and back down to the Kuwait National Museum and library. Check out more photos @architect_abdulahad

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

Thursday, Dec 1
Theater: The Tempest
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Meet Me At The Terrace
THRF Pop Up Anniversary
The Avenues Winter Edition
Festival of Art and Dance – FAD 2022
Korean Street Food Festival 2022

Friday, Dec 2
Theater: The Tempest
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Meet Me At The Terrace
Saracen Race 2022
The Gig Battle 2022
Sailing: Friday Sunset Cruising
Festival of Art and Dance – FAD 2022
Kuwait Coffee Festival
THRF Pop Up Anniversary
Hankook 12H Kuwait

Saturday, Dec 3
Theater: The Tempest
WIZARD of OZ – The Panto!
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure & Scavenger Hunts
Jusoor Run 2022
Grounding Park Art
Story Time: The Snail and The Whale
80s Journey Tour
Barba Saturday Brunch
Eco Tours: Mudflats
Kuwait Coffee Festival
Festival of Art and Dance – FAD 2022

Exhibitions
Art Recycle Exhibition
The Divine Agent by Lilia Nour
The Passage by Rouzan Seropian
Ghada Al Kandari x Mercedes Benz

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