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Kuwait Airways recently launched three weekly non-stop flights to Barcelona. I just checked the ticket prices and they start at 99KD. The flight time is 7 hours going, and 6 hours coming back.

Barcelona is one of my favorite places since the food is great, the city is not too expensive, and there is so much to see and do. If you’ve never been I highly recommend it. Here is a link to my Barcelona Guide.

The Palestinian Culture Center has been operating in Kuwait since the early 1970s. Every year they hold an exhibition with the aim to keep the vibrant Palestinian culture alive, and support underprivileged women and children in the camps.

This will be the 58th exhibition held by the Palestinian Culture Center and all net proceeds from it will be dedicated to humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The exhibition starts tomorrow and will have hand-stitched dresses, shawls, and cushions for sale, as well as handmade ceramics, books, and food aimed to preserve the Palestinian national identity and showcase how it adapts to modern times.

Place: Women’s Cultural & Social Society in Khaldiya
Date: Tuesday Nov 7th – Friday Nov 10th
Time: 10AM – 8PM

For more information or photos, visit @palestiniancc

Photo on top by @prettygreenbullet

Starting tomorrow Sunday, November 5th, the American International University Film Festival 2023 will take place for the second consecutive year.

There are various activities you can participate in during the film festival, including film screenings, lectures, workshops, and discussion panels. Best of all, they’re all free to attend and participate in! Whether you simply want to watch movies or you’re an aspiring filmmaker looking to attend a workshop or watch a lecture, this is an event you definitely shouldn’t miss.

The film festival will be held at the AIU campus from November 5 to 11, 2023. Cinescape is their strategic partner, and as a result, film screenings will take place both on the AIU campus and at selected Cinescape theaters. There is also no registration requirement for any of the Cinescape venues.

There are 12 speakers, 7 lectures, 4 workshops, and over 40 film screenings all scheduled for next week. The director of the Kuwaiti film “How I Got There”, Dr. Zeyad Alhusaini is also going to be one of the lecturers at the festival. His movie got significant international attention making this a great opportunity to pick his brain.

So one more time just to be clear, ALL events during the film festival are open to the public, are free, and do not require prior registration.

For more information visit aiu.edu.kw/film-festival or head over to @aiu_kw

Strategic partner:
@cinescapekuwait

Sponsors:
@debenhamsmiddleeast
@weyaybank
@alialghanimandsons

Earlier this year, I discovered the Sahara Golf Club driving range, and it turned into a fun outdoor activity that I enjoyed a couple of times with friends.

The driving range is located inside the golf course and you are driven to it on their golf carts. You don’t need to know how to play golf to be able to enjoy the driving range, it’s just an open area where you hit balls as far as you can. It’s a popular activity in the States and can be something you do alone or with a group of friends.

The cost for using the driving range is surprisingly affordable considering it’s at the Sahara Golf Club. For non-members, it’s 10KD for 2 hours and that includes 150 balls. If you don’t have a golf club, you can rent one for 3KD while an additional 150 balls are also 3KD.

The Sahara Golf Club is open daily from 5:30 AM, and the last check-in time for the driving range is 8 PM. To use the driving range just head to their golf shop or book ahead by calling them up on 22203410/11.

There is a basic dress code which I’ve shared above. They also offer lessons if you’re interested. At just 13KD, I think this is one of the most affordable and fun outdoor activities in Kuwait. Here is the link to their website.

Photo on top from @itsgee98

You might have noticed that Elevation Burger recently went through a major rebrand. The Elevation identity was given a much needed facelift by Farelo Studio, a design studio based in Portugal. The new look is not only cleaner visually, but also environmentally.

Pedro Farelo, the creative director of Farelo Studio, explains that the central idea was to take the Elevation Burger motto “ingredients matter” and expand it to “everything matters” encompassing health, the environment, and the community. This is because being a market leader comes with a responsibility of setting high standards for everyone else, which is why the new Elevation Burger packaging uses recycled paper, while the new minimalistic design helps reduce ink usage by up to 95%.

Farelo Studio aren’t strangers when it comes to Kuwait based projects, their first client in Kuwait was back in 2015 and since then have helped create several other local brands. If you’re looking for a talented and creative design studio with local experience, reach out to Farelo by sending them an email to [email protected] or check out their website farelo.com

A few weeks ago I got a call asking me if I’d be interested in getting a sneak peek of a new Italian restaurant opening called Piatti. I was hesitant to check it out at first but the person over the phone told me it was a fine dining restaurant and was confident I’d be impressed with the space. Since it’s not everyday we get a fine dining concept opening in Kuwait, I was intrigued. Just a month ago, a video went viral of a Saudi personality stating that unlike Riyadh, Kuwait didn’t have fine dining or an even a fine dining culture. I guess that’s going to change now.

As soon as I walked into the space I realized it was going to be something special. I think it took the walk from the reception area to the waiting area for me to fall in love with the interior, so pretty much instantly. There were so many different layers of materials, textures and colors all somehow working together cohesively to create this visual eye candy. Wherever you looked you’d spot an interesting design detail or beautiful craftsmanship, even the wallpapers were hand painted for Piatti. It had a lot of classical elements, but yet still felt contemporary.

They had wanted me to take some sneak peek photos, but after seeing the place I told them I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t feel I’d be able to do the interior justice, so instead, I connected them with my favorite architectural photographer @mashkanani who was able to take these beautiful photos in this post.

I haven’t tasted or even seen the food yet and I’m already excited about the place. The average paycheck per person isn’t going to be over the top crazy, from what I understood it’s going to be similar to Cipriani, probably a bit less, so fairly reasonable in the scheme of things.

The restaurant location is interesting as well. It’s located across from Seef Palace, right above Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Google Maps) and has a beautiful view of the sea and the palace. There will also be an outdoor terrace but it wasn’t ready when I passed by.

They’re starting private dinners tonight and then opening to the public on November 1st. If you’re interested in booking you can do so through their website piattiofficial.com starting October 31st. Their instagram is @piatti.official

Give is a local non-profit organization that aims to improve the process of donating to charities. Their online platform connects people with registered Kuwaiti charities in order to make it easier to discover what projects are available and to donate to them all from one place.

In light of the atrocities taking place in Palestine right now, Give has over a dozen Palestine missions listed aimed squarely at urgent relief efforts.

The process of donating is really simple and fast, the easiest I’ve personally ever encountered. You don’t have to create an account or input any personal information, all you have to do is select the relief mission you want to donate to, select the amount and then pay using one of the many different options available. If you have Apple Pay set up, the whole process from selecting a relief project to donating will take you less than a minute.

To donate right now to the relief efforts, just click here.

Etihad Airways have a ridiculous promotion right now. A return flight from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi is only KD19.950 including tax. It’s 8KD to go there and 12KD to come back which is so cheap! This doesn’t include any checked baggage but if you’re going for a weekend you can just fly with your carry on.

There is UFC 294 taking place in Abu Dhabi this weekend which is why I think they have this promotion. Even if you don’t end up going to the @ufc event there is still a lot to do and see in Abu Dhabi.

I wasn’t planning to review the iPhone 15 Pro this year and mainly because I didn’t think people were still interested in the iPhone anymore, but I was wrong. After watching countless TikTok’s of the long queues in Dubai and then similar long queues in Kuwait of people lining up to get their hands on the new iPhone, I realized, people still care a lot.

Full disclosure, I have a long-standing relationship with Xcite who provided me with this iPhone to review. They’ve been very supportive from the very early days of the blog and I’m a huge Xcite fan.

I’ve been using the phone for over a week now after upgrading from my iPhone 13 Pro, and to be honest, it doesn’t feel any different. This isn’t a phone that’s going to make Android users want to switch over, and it also isn’t a phone that’s going to make existing iPhone users run out and buy one.

But, this is the best iPhone ever made.

People complain about Apple’s incremental updates but I don’t understand why they make it sound like it’s a bad thing. The new iPhone is faster, has a better screen, better camera, better battery life, is lighter, and now even has USB-C. It’s better in every way compared to the previous iPhone but that doesn’t seem enough.

I tend to want to upgrade to a new phone because of the camera which I use a lot for my blog. I do have my Fuji X100V always nearby, but the iPhone’s standard 28mm and the ultra wide lens tend to be more useful than my Fuji’s 35mm and the iPhone is always on me while the Fuji isn’t. So any extra bit of improvement in the camera is always beneficial for me.

So, should you upgrade?

I upgraded from an iPhone 13 Pro and didn’t really notice much of a difference overall. If a friend with a 13 Pro asked me if they should upgrade, I’d tell them they didn’t have to. On the other hand, if you’re an iPhone Max user, the weight difference alone might be worth the upgrade. A friend who uses a Max felt a huge difference moving to the 15 Pro Max.

In any case, as of right now it’s still difficult to get a hold of an iPhone 15 Pro in the color and size you want from an authorized reseller. So good luck with that.

One of my favorite museums in Kuwait is the Tareq Rajab Museum. I always found the museum interesting since it was packed with a vast variety of objects covering many different subjects. They have an incredible collection of over 30,000 pieces many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Over a year ago, the museum closed for renovations but they’re now finally reopening again tomorrow (Oct 17).

The museum was originally founded in 1980 by Tareq S. Rajab and his wife, Jehan S. Rajab. A couple of years ago their grandson Tareq N. Rajab took over the responsibility of the family museum and started the process of rejuvenating it. He originally started with the website and Instagram account, that was followed by the creation of the new Arms & Armor wing of the museum before being handed the rest of the museum to renovate.

Tareq invited me to visit the museum for a sneak peek and although before visiting I was worried it might have lost its charm with the renovation, I’m pleased to say it hasn’t.

At first glance, the museum’s aesthetics remain largely unchanged, but there have been significant improvements. The displays, previously overcrowded and lacking descriptions, have been completely revamped. They are now curated with clear descriptions for every item. There is also a new and HUGE diorama in the museum depicting the famous “Battle of Hattin”. The diorama is composed of 3,500 tiny soldiers that were hand painted individually by Tareq, his dad and three other colleagues over a period of 14 months. There was clearly a lot of time and passion involved in the museum renovation.

If you’re looking for an interesting place to visit then I can’t recommend this museum enough. The entrance fee is still only 2KD and it also gives you access to the “Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Calligraphy” that’s located in the same neighborhood.

The opening hours are:
Saturday to Thursday: 9AM – 1PM & 4:30PM – 8:30PM
Friday: 9AM – 1PM

The museum is in Jabriya and here is the location on Google Maps.

Pixel House was designed by the Kuwait and Madrid based firm AGi Architects. It was completed this year and designed around two main features, privacy and temperature filters.

The garden which looks visually amazing serves as the first barrier to the warm air and the retention of dust. This first thermal filter is followed by the swimming pool which is covered with a perforated slab that will eventually be covered with climbing plants. The living room next to the garden area has openings to the shaded outdoor space, minimizing heat gain caused by solar radiation. Finally the courtyards in the middle act as thermal filters for the interior of the house.

When it comes to privacy, the living and entertaining areas are located in the most public part of the house, near the entrance. On the other hand, the private rooms are tucked away but are still attached to the outside area through gaps, patios and courtyards. The whole facade surrounding the pool also opens and closes for privacy.

For more photos, click here.

Photos by @ngphoto.com.pt

Drops, my favorite groceries delivery app just received the iPhone 15 Pro Max and they’re launching them on their app tonight.

They just have one model, the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB and in the hard to find “Natural” color. If you order before 10PM you’ll get the phone delivered within two hours or else you’ll get it the next day.

I’ve been using Drops for nearly 2 years now, and I’m a pretty loyal customer but I only recently found out they also sell electronics and home appliances. They have a lot of different Apple products available on their app and even TVs.

The phones are available in limited supply for 464.9 KD, so don’t miss out! @dropskuwait

A couple of hours ago the Sadu House officially revealed the Sadu brick road which they’re calling “AlSadu Street”. The street is located adjacent to the Sadu House and was inspired by their appreciation and deep comprehensive study of the Sadu techniques and patterns.

Here are some interesting facts about the street:

• AlSadu Street consists of 190,000 custom-made bricks.

• AlSadu Street took 10 workers and 300 hours to complete.

• The bricks used in AlSadu Street are custom made multi-purpose Kuwaiti bricks in colors that match the Sadu pieces.

• The Sadu patterns were transferred digitally and rendered in a graphic design to meet the nature and shape of the street without altering the motifs and patterns.

• During the design process, a graphic structure was created for the street to shape the Sadu motifs to match the shape and size of the bricks.

• AlSadu Street is located within the Qibla area and connects four prominent cultural museums and centers.

• The street draws inspiration from AlSadu‘s vibrant design motifs, specifically “the Shajarah pattern” 

• The Shajarah pattern is the one of the most complicated design of the Bedouin weaving.

• The Shajarah pattern consists of a vertical strip of geometric patterns in the center of the rug, usually woven with black thread within specific squares. each showing a geometric pattern depicting some aspect of Bedouin life.

They have more photos on their instagram account but if you want to check it out in person here is the location on Google Maps.

Chops is a new restaurant located in the city and it’s opening its doors tonight.

They preferred not to showcase much of the interior, as they want to provide customers with an in-person experience. However, I can mention that they have a nice seating area right on the main road that resembles an indoor garden, which I think will be a popular spot this winter.

The food is described as being American influenced, but instead of offering typical menu items, they’ve created a fusion by introducing unique and fresh flavors into familiar dishes.

The opening hours to begin with is from 6PM to 10PM and it’s walk-ins only, so no bookings required. They’re located on Ahmed Al Jaber Street, across from Dar Al Awadhi, so check them out. @chopskuwait

One of my favorite places to order Mexican food when I’m at work is Holy Guacamole. I don’t remember how I found out about them but I know that it was their neon green and pink branding that initially caught my attention. Their main location is near my office in Kuwait City, right across from the Liberation Tower which is why I like ordering from them since the food always arrives quick and hot. Recently, they opened two new locations, one at the new Blajat beach project, and the other inside the Food Hall at 360 Mall.

Not a lot of people know this but Holy Guacamole have two Mexican Chefs running their kitchens which is why their food is pretty authentic. Chef Rafael Vega is currently stationed at the Food Hall while Chef Fernanda Barrera at Balajat.

The Blajat location is permanently there but their 360 spot is only a pop-up untill the end of the month. Their space is in the back corner and they’re selling some of the merch there (lots of pink) and also their new menu items including the Hamour Taco and the Smash Taco Burger.

If you’ve never tried them you really should. Their main Kuwait City branch is open 24 hours while their Blajat and 360 Food Hall locations are open from 11AM to 11PM. Check them out @holyguacamolekw