2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003We found 8,163 results for your search.
QCPTV just released their 3rd documentary on Kuwait which will be aired on British Airways flights this coming July. This 3rd part focuses on the changing economic and investment climate of Kuwait, as well as showcasing the lifestyle and vibrant city life Kuwait has to offer. This film will be aired onboard British Airways international long-haul flights across its global network throughout the month of July. [YouTube]
In April of 1991 following Iraqi military setting the Kuwait Oil Fields aflame, photographer Sebastião Salgado documented the environmental disaster. The New York Times featured some of his photos a few days ago which will be featured in his upcoming book, “Kuwait: Desert on Fire” which will be released by Taschen this coming August 2016. Check out his photos [Here]
If you want to purchase original prints of some his photos can you do so from [Here] but expect to pay on upwards of KD2,000 for a print.
For those of you who’ve been using some sort of VPN or proxy service to access the US version of Netflix you’ve probably realized that’s no longer working. Since Netflix has started cracking down on VPN and proxy users a lot of the services stopped working with Netflix. I was personally using StrongDNS and later moved to OverPlay but both now stopped working with Netflix. But after a bit of research and trial and error, I did find one provider which worked with Netflix, Smart DNS Proxy.
They have a page up with the necessary steps you need to take to get Netflix to work with their service. I’ve been using it for a week now and even though it’s slightly buggy it’s been working for me. Basically by buggy I mean sometimes when I want to play a video it gives me an error that I can’t because I’m using a proxy. But after pressing play a few times the warning disappears and the video starts playing. Just an update, the service is working perfectly and it’s now a lot easier to set up. And yes it works with HBO, Hulu and Amazon Video as well.
Smart DNS Proxy costs the same as the other providers which is $4.99 a month but a few days after I signed up to the free trial I got an email offering me a discounted rate and I ended up paying basically $20 for a year which is pretty cheap. So if you’re looking for a DNS service that works with Netflix USA, these are the guys I’m using right now. [Link]
In celebration of 80 years of giving back to Kuwait and it’s people, the Kuwait municipality released a video documenting the history of the municipality using archival footage of Kuwait.
The documentary is in Arabic but contains lots of old footage and photos so its still interesting to skim through even if you don’t understand Arabic. [Vimeo]
Cinemagics is killing it this weekend with two really great (and very current) films, tonight they’ll be showing Anomalisa and Saturday they’ll be showing Brooklyn. Other than that there are a bunch of other interesting events taking place this weekend, check out the full list below:
Thursday
In the Eruptive Mode – Sulayman Al Bassam
Kuwaiti Short Film Festival
Rooftop Movie: Anomalisa
The Dynamics of Change
Friday
In the Eruptive Mode – Sulayman Al Bassam
Throwdown Fighting Championship 2
Relax and Rejuvinate
Taichi in the Park
The Meeting Point Sports Exhibition
Saturday
Yoga at the Park (Yoga with the 3)
Yoga at the Park (Vinyasa Flow – Women Only)
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
BBS Alumni Bazaar
Madeenah Tour: Trading – From Route to Floor
#givemeachanceto – A benefit concert
Rooftop Movie: Brooklyn
If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]
Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so double check info with organizers.
AllSaints, one of my favorite clothing stores has finally opened up in Kuwait. The UAE Majid Al Futtaim group brought the brand to Kuwait and opened their first location at 360 Mall. I passed by yesterday to check it out and I left somewhat disappointed. It’s by far the smallest AllSaints store I’ve ever been to which means we probably won’t be getting all their releases and it’s also the dullest looking AllSaints store as well.
Price wise, everything is more expensive than their online store by exactly 17%. Below are some examples:
Braddock Bomber Jacket
Website: KD85
Kuwait: KD102
Luverne Short Sleeve Shirt
Website: KD34.5
Kuwait: KD41.5
Waycross Short Sleeve Shirt
Website: KD30
Kuwait: KD36
BIXBY Shirt
Website: KD34.5
Kuwait: KD41.5
So although AllSaints Kuwait is more expensive than in the UK, the bright side here is that it’s only 17% and not double the price like with the LEGO Store.
Now that Pret recently opened up their first location in the Middle East inside the Dubai International Airport, does that mean we’ll also get it? According to a friend who was in Dubai recently and spoke to a Pret employee, it seems that might be the case. The employee didn’t reveal much other than to say they will be eventually expanding around the region which logically should include Kuwait.
Pret is a popular sandwich chain based out of the UK and is super convenient for grabbing a bite on the go which is why I’m not so sure it would succeed here in Kuwait. Not unless they do what “Walls” are doing which is setting up small stations in office towers.
Image Source
Here is this weekends list of events that are taking place. There are two events that you should definitely check out this weekend no questions asked. The first is the Shakshooka at Bayt Lothan event, this will be the last event to take place at Bayt Lothan since it’s closing down after tonight. The second event to check out is the REUSE event which I’ve been posting about all week. Check out the rest of the events taking place below:
Thursday
Exhibition: Edge by Abdulrahim Sharif
Red Bull Car Park Drift
Shakshooka at Bayt Lothan
Rooftop Movie: Playtime
Harley Davidson Movie Night: Being Evel
Friday
Red Bull Car Park Drift
REUSE 2016
Taichi in the Park
Toastmasters Area 17 Annual Speech Contest
Saturday
REUSE 2016
Autism Partnership Kuwait Walk-A-Thon
Walks at the Park
Yoga at the Park (Yoga with the 3)
Yoga at the Park (Vinyasa Flow – Women Only)
Madeenah Tour: Harmony & Change in East Hawalli
If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]
Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so double check info with organizers.
The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) is planning to increase the tickets of the Kuwait Zoo from 250 fils to KD 2, reports Al-Rai daily quoting informed sources.
They revealed that the Director of PAAAFR Eng. Faisal Al-Hasawi said this decision is part of a policy aimed to reduce the financial losses resulted from the bad behaviors of some visitors which affect the animals so badly that money is required for treating the animals and maintaining the zoo. [Source]
I would generally be against raising ticket prices since it would make the zoo less accessible to the lower income bracket. But, when I published my article “Why the Kuwait Zoo is a disaster“, the conclusion was that the biggest problem at the zoo were the visitors and one of the solutions I had suggested was to increase the ticket price. Not because the lower income visitors were the cause of the problems but by increasing the ticket prices, less visitors would end up going to the zoo overall which would be more beneficial for the animals.
Also aren’t ticket prices currently 500fils and not 250fils?
I have no idea who the “fashionista” is, actually while we are at it, I have no idea what a fashionista is. But, I was inspired by Mark’s post and a few of the comments to write about this.
Hang on, just 10 days for traveling on a forged passport? Am I missing something here?
Yeah you’re missing quite a bit, you’re missing the legal system!! Let’s get a few things straight:
– She didn’t forge a passport she used another persons passport, forging a passport is her printing or changing a name on a passport
– 10 days is not her sentence. She is being held for 10 days “detained” and at this stage, it’s likely there is a investigation by the public prosecution. In other words she is just being held so they can investigate.
The next step would be for the prosecution to start at court where a judge will look into the facts presented by the public prosecutor. We don’t have a jury system in Kuwait, instead we have a “public prosecutor”. If you have been in a car accident in Kuwait, and you were taken to the nearest police station for an investigation, remember the guy you had to talk to (and I am going to stereotype)? The guy sitting inside an office, with the real nice dishdasha, stale cigarettes, Arabic coffee and an attitude, yep it is that guy. So in conclusion, those accused of crimes are usually held for an investigation and then taken to court until they are proven guilty.
As for the reader that commented:
Another Kuwaiti who thinks they are above the rules for the rest of us. problem is, Kuwait itself teaches that lesson
I will have to openly disagree with you… Take a stroll down the court rooms and see how many Kuwaitis are being prosecuted. The law is there, the foundations of the law in Kuwait are there, we have a competent and fair judicial system, a democratic parliament and our systems are better than anywhere else in the Middle East!
What went wrong? I know there’s a lot of idiots in Kuwait that think they are above the law, but trust me and I say this from experience, they aren’t just Kuwaitis, they come from all walks of life (except Israel) and the authorities are doing all they can to prevent this. But what really went wrong? I will tell you. What went wrong is that we allow people to say comments such as “Kuwait teaches you not to follow the law” when it doesn’t! Don’t believe everything you read in the media. If anything I should be saying that, I receive 20-30 emails a day from readers about legal issues. But I don’t say that! Cause I believe in the system. I just believe that we need to change our attitudes. Change the way we perceive things and we shouldn’t allow people to say such comments.
P.S. She’s looking at a fine or/and up to 7 years jail, as mentioned in the Kuwait Penal Law!
Feel free to email me on [email protected] with any legal questions. I do not have the capacity to answer everyone for free (but I try), and I am happy to announce that I am currently working with a great team and therefore we are able to reply back to all emails with a reasonable time frame.
Post by Fajer Ahmed – Legal Counsel
The legal opinions expressed in this post are those of the author Fajer. Opinions expressed by Mark or any other writer on mark248am1.wpenginepowered.com are those of the individual’s and in no way reflect Fajer’s opinion.
It’s a sports filled weekend with rugby, volleyball and show jumping competitions. No markets oddly this weekend even though the weather is perfect for one. Check out this weekends events below:
Thursday
Exhibition: Edge by Abdulrahim Sharif
TedxAlShuwaikh
Show Jumping Competition
Rooftop Movie: Ai Weiwei – Never Sorry
Friday
Show Jumping Competition
Taichi in the Park
Yoga at the Park (Hatha Yoga)
Kuwait Men’s Local 7’s Rugby Tournament
Mamaste: Mother’s Day Restorative Workshop
International Men’s Volleyball Tournament
Saturday
Farmers Trip
Yoga at the Park (Vinyasa Flow – Women Only)
Guided Tour: Arab Organization Headquarters
Yoga at the Park (Yoga with the 3)
Madeenah Tour: Made in Kuwait – Subhan Tour
K’S PATH Shelter Open Day
Gardening at The Secret Garden
Rooftop Movie: Samba
If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]
Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so double check info with organizers.
A couple of days back I headed with a friend to AAB World in Symphony Mall to check out the Sony A7R II camera. She wasn’t planning on buying the camera from them since we figured it would be much cheaper from Amazon, but she did want to check it out in person before placing the order. When we got to AAB World to our surprise we found out it was actually considerably cheaper to buy the camera locally, which she ended up doing. Below are some popular camera price comparisons from three brands to Amazon, keep in mind with the Amazon prices below you still need to add around 8% tax and the shipping fee to Kuwait in addition to Kuwait customs. So the actual cost is even higher. AAB World is also slightly flexible with their prices, if you’re buying other stuff along with the camera they’ll more than likely give you a small discount.
Sony A7S II (Body Only)
Amazon: KD 962
AAB World: KD 949
Nikon D810 (Body Only)
Amazon: KD 841
AAB World: KD 799
Canon EOS 5D Mark III (Body Only)
Amazon: KD 752
AAB World: KD 649.950
If only more things were priced like this in Kuwait.
Yesterday evening I was invited to the launch of the book “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949-1989” that was held at Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah in Yarmouk. I really didn’t ask any questions about the event before I went since I’ve been wanting to get my hands on the book ever since I found out about it last year. So when one of the book authors invited me to the launch, I just went no questions asked. What I didn’t know was that there was going to be a presentation by Mr. Khalid al-Essa, the former Minister of Public Works and Dr. Ibrahim al-Shaheen, the former General Director of Public Authority of Housing and former Minister of Municipal Affairs. Both those presenters were around and involved during Kuwait’s architectural rise and once their presentation was over they took part in a panel discussion.
For those of you that have following the blog for awhile now you already know my obsession with Kuwait’s past and so I felt extremely lucky to be in attendance last night listening to the stories of how Kuwait went from mud buildings to having world renowned architects like Kenzo Tange, Jørn Utzon and I. M. Pei involved in local projects. Listening to the two of them talk last night reminded me again how truly young Kuwait is.
The book “Modern Architecture Kuwait 1949-1989” is a combined effort by Roberto Fabbri, Sara Saragoça Soares and Ricardo Camacho. It involves over two years of investigative research as well as gorgeous photography taken by the gifted architectural photographer Nelson Garrido who travelled across Kuwait to document over 150 buildings that are featured in the book. The buildings are divided into four categories:
Specimens I – building as infrastructure: 1949-1960
Specimens II – building as national identity: 1961-1979
Specimens III – building as cityscape: 1971-1979
Specimens IV – building as programme: 1980-1989
As you can imagine, the book if fairly thick but with the amount of constant demolishing of old buildings taking place in Kuwait, its important to document as many buildings as possible before it’s too late.
The book costs KD22 and is available on Amazon [Link] and also at the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah bookshop in Yarmouk [Map]. If you have the slightest interest in architecture, design or Kuwait’s past then you should definitely get one.
This morning the architectural and design magazine Dezeen ran a piece on the book along with around 20 photos. Check it out, their article has a lot more details and the photos will give you a general idea of what to expect inside the book. Here is the [Link]
If you’ve ever used the dating app Tinder in Kuwait then you’re bound to have come across odd profiles which is why I found an article by a British girl in Kuwait so entertaining to read. Here is an excerpt:
It’s no revelation that dating in Kuwait can be rather tricky. I am not a fan of internet dating, I find it unnatural and a playground for creeps, but the alternatives are very limited here. Sitting in a shisha cafe twirling my hair is not my thing and, let’s face it, the type of guys who approach girls in shisha bars, Sultan Centre or the Gulf Road are mostly players. No thanks. So I gave Tinder a go — I was curious and liked the idea of being able to swipe left and never have to hear from him. Also, there is the option to be offline so people can only see you when you’re swiping — which I’d do really quickly, then turn my profile to off. After looking at the photos below, you will see why I only swiped right 5 times. Of those 5, I spoke to one for more than five minutes.
When looking at the profile photos and descriptions, one minute I’d be completely bewildered and the next laughing out loud, taking a screen shot and sending it to my bestie. It may seem mean, but some, no not some — many of the profiles are just plain weird and creepy. Is it really so hard to have a normal profile photo? Just smile? Do men really believe that by putting a photo of their erection (see above if you happened to miss it), sucking toes, a blue eyeball, a gun in your crotch, a headless photo with their wedding ring and/or wife that we’re going to swipe right? I was shocked to find a fellow teacher I work with, posing on Tinder, whilst he is married with kids. What is he thinking? He is on my Facebook posting photos of him and his wife whilst fishing on Tinder for a bit on the side. Creep. When I saw him at work, I couldn’t even say ‘good morning’ — just nodded and rushed past. I also saw one of my 14 year old students pretending to be 28. Scary.
So, I’m sharing with you just some of the strange profiles that I came across (I’ve left my colleague out even though he is clearly a douche — karma will bite his bum). To protect their identities, I have blurred out names, faces and any personal info. Kuwait is a very small bubble after all. However, it should give you a good idea of what tinder has in store for us lucky girls here in Kuwait:
Check out her article along with some screenshots of the funny profiles she’s come across on her Medium page [Here]
