Search: “kuwait”

The Subway brand changed ownership in Kuwait recently. Kout Food Group who have Pizza Hut, Burger King, Taco Bell and Applebee’s have now taken over the Subway brand. According to their Instagram account, they became the new owners starting March 25th.

A couple of days back ago I got back from a 10-day trip to London. Other than a day stopover in 2018 on my way from LA, it was my first time back in London since 2015. I flew Kuwait Airways which btw, is so much better than flying British Airways. Firstly the timings of the flights make a lot more sense (no late night flight so no need to sleep on the plane) but also the overall experience is better because of the Kuwait Airways airport and the less busy flight. Because I was staying for 10 days I needed a reasonably priced hotel that wasn’t a shoebox, was somewhat trendy looking and located in a great area. After doing a ton of research I decided to stay at the Kingsland Locke in Dalston.

I hadn’t heard of Dalston nor had I been to it up until this trip. It’s an area in East London, part of the Hackney borough. If you’ve been to Shoreditch before then it’s around a 30-minute walk up from there. Dalston turned out to be the best place I could imagine staying. I had the award-winning bakery The Dusty Knuckle like a 5-minute walk from my hotel so that sorted out my breakfast and coffee routine every morning. Instead of losing weight on this trip because of all the walking, I think I put on weight because of all the pastries I was having every morning. I was also within walking distance from the bar 🔶🟥🔵 which became my go-to spot for a nightcap and to chill at the end of the day.

I was also surrounded by loads of grocery stores including M&S and Amazon Fresh (post on that coming soon). There was also a Pret-A-Manger, a community garden and an amazing Indian restaurant called Attawa all a few minute’s walk.

The area is connected to the rest of London via Overground and there were two different stations next to the hotel, one that was a 2-minute walk and another a 5-minute walk. Both stations were on different lines so it made getting anywhere rather simple and quick. Shoreditch and Peckham were both reachable without swapping any trains while areas like Oxford Circus or Notting Hill would require swapping to the Underground line which was just 2-stops away.

The hotel itself was pretty cool. It gave off a slight hipster vibe but it was subtle. The interior was nicely designed, and the staff were friendly. The hotel works like a short stay apartment which it what helps keep the costs down. It’s like a tiny studio apartment so you get a fully functioning kitchen in the room and a laundry area in the basement if you need it. There isn’t a daily cleaning service, depending on how long you’re staying you might get a complimentary clean included or you can request it for an extra cost. If you want new towels, shampoos, toilet paper etc, you can just request those at the front desk.

I stayed in their City Studio room which was fairly small but larger than the room I stayed in last year at The Hoxton in Paris (which also cost twice as much). The bed and pillows were super comfy, and the whole room gave a very cozy vibe. Even though this hotel was one of the affordable ones I found, it still cost KD60 a night, so it’s attainable but wouldn’t call it cheap. You can obviously find cheaper rooms but don’t think you can find one that has as cool a personality and vibe that was located in a good area. I’d totally stay there again if I go back.

If you’re traveling to London this Eid and haven’t booked a place to stay in yet then check this place out. Here is a link to the hotel website Link

I found out about Smiths Boutique by mistake recently. Before I traveled on vacation I was in Dasman Complex picking up a burger from Top Bun when I noticed something going on in one of the shops nearby. Turns out it was a small event for a local watch boutique called Smiths. I’m a big fan of watches and so decided to check the event out. The owner was there, a watch guy himself (obviously) so he proceeded to explain to me and my friends his concept, the watch brands he had on display, and why he chose to bring those specific ones to Kuwait.

Smiths carries brands you might never have heard of like Laco, Roue, RZE and HVD but they all have interesting stories. Laco for example is a German watch brand that has been around since 1925 while Roue is a brand inspired by watches in the 60s and 70s. Smiths also carries modified and homage watches, a category that has exploded in popularity recently due to watches like the CasiOak, a mashup where people took an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak replica case and combined it with a Casio. Smiths carries some modified Seiko watches which are interesting, fun, and attainable, but that also pretty much describes all the watches Smiths carry.

If you like watches you’ll appreciate what Smiths is trying to do. With most of the watch stores sticking to popular and generic big names, it’s refreshing to see one thats trying to be a bit more unique and offer something more curated. The Smiths Instagram is pretty active and informative so make sure you check that out @smiths.oclock but their website is also mobile phone friendly with all their watches displayed along with their prices, you can check that out at smiths.boutique

I’ve been in London for the past 10 days but heading back to Kuwait today. I wasn’t planning to not post while here but I just didn’t have the time or mindset to do so. I think I just needed a break.

Things should be back to normal here starting tomorrow.

To celebrate the month of Ramadan, Off-White™ has released an exclusive capsule collection that will only be available at their stores in Kuwait, Dubai, and Riyadh. The 17-pieces take on various interpretations of relaxed silhouettes and modest dressing in honor of the holiday.

If you don’t live in Kuwait, Dubai, or Riyadh, the items can still be purchased from Off-White™ but only through their website. The Off-White™ store in Kuwait is located in the Prestige section of the Avenues. Their local Instagram account is @off___white___kuwait

Around 3:15 PM I was heading back to the office from Shuwaikh when I spotted a fire in the distance. As I got closer I realized it was in Souk Mubarakiya, so I parked my car behind the old Central Bank of Kuwait building and walked over to where the fire was. The scene was pretty unreal when I got there since it was mostly business as usual. Like you can see the HUGE smoke rising in the background a couple of alleyways down, but everyone was pretty casual going about their day like it wasn’t a big deal.

Once I got to the alley closer to the fire, things were completely different. The fire was pretty loud with lots of pops and bangs, and there was the sound of glass breaking everywhere. You can also feel the heat of the flames from where I was standing which was at the main entrance to the alleyway that has Shamam and the fish market on the right, the bukhour, and the fragrance market on the left. The left side was on fire at that point but the fire was creeping towards the Shamam side via the roof.

View from Shamam

The firefighters were still not on this side of the market and there was a huge amount of onlookers as well as regular folks who were trying to put the fire out themselves with water hoses and extinguishers. Lots of food shops had moved their gas cylinders into an open square along with wooden benches and seating that I guess were from one of the tea shops.

By the time I left around 6:30 PM, the police had shut down the area and had forced people out of the market. I don’t know why it took them so long to close the market, it might be because they were initially understaffed, but by 6:30 there were hundreds of police and firefighters on the scene and I even saw firetrucks from the National Guard arriving.

I was sharing everything live on my Instagram account so if you want to see the videos and photos I took, I’ve created a temporary highlight on @mark248am

Back in 2019 I bought my first RIMOWA bag, a medium-sized check-in Original which is part of their aluminum series. Since then I’ve fallen more in love with the brand and ended up purchasing two more, a cabin version of the bag and a large check-in.

I bought the large bag recently, back in October when I was in Europe. I ended up shopping a lot more than I expected and so couldn’t fit all my stuff in my medium-sized bag and so decided to buy the large one to match my other two. I used the bag once on that trip to fly back to Kuwait, and then I used it again when I went to Istanbul last month.

When I got to Istanbul I removed the sticky luggage tag from the handle and noticed the paint peeled off the handle. I don’t mind my bag getting dented and scratched up, it’s part of the reason I got a metal suitcase to begin with, but paint peeling off the plastic handle just looked bad. It was also weird because it didn’t happen with my other two bags which I’ve owned for longer and traveled with a lot more. I figured it must be a production issue so once I got back to Kuwait I shot off an email to customer support on the main RIMOWA website to get the problem sorted under warranty.

In less than 24 hours I got a response back from RIMOWA asking for my bag’s serial number as well as asking me some questions and if I could share a photo. Then the next day I got a phone call from the RIMOWA dealer in Kuwait who were super nice and asked me to drop off the bag whenever I was free to their store in Avenues. When I did drop the bag off they even offered to fix the dents on my bag which I told them to not to. A day or two later I got a call back telling me the bag was ready to pick up, they had replaced the handle with a new one.

It was super easy, probably the easiest warranty fix experience I’ve ever had with any brand which is why I wanted to write about it. After living with the RIMOWA bags for a few years now, and after having dealt with the local dealer, I can’t recommend the brand enough. No competition, they’re the best travel luggage you can get.

Arby’s in Kuwait closed down a couple of years ago but it looks like it might be coming back. The previous Head of Food & Beverage for the Emirati company Majid Al Futtaim has just joined the company Inspire Brands and taken over the role of Director for International Business for the Middle East.

Inspire Brands is an American company and the owner and franchisor of Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic Drive-In, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins.

I’m a huge Arby’s fan so hopefully this does mean it’s coming back. Also, it would be completely random if they opened Sonic here.

Thanks Moey

Looks like a fire broke out early this morning at the new Kuwait Airport terminal that’s currently under construction. Going by the videos and photos on Snapchat the fire looked pretty big.

The photo below was taken from the adjacent highway which helps show the scale of the fire. Hopefully nobody was injured.

The National Geographic Ultimate Explorer experience is now open in Assima Mall. It’s kind of a mix between a museum and entertainment park targeting children:

Designed to inspire children to become the next generation of scientists, engineers, astronauts, biologists, thinkers and explorers, National Geographic Ultimate Explorer blends augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D technology to create a fully immersive play-based learning experience for children between 5-12.

The Kuwait Ultimate Explorer is composed of 14 different experiences but as of this post, only 10 are open. The prices are the following:

Baby 0-2: Free
Toddler 3-4: KD6
Child: KD12
Adult: KD10

I didn’t go in so if you want a peek of whats inside, check out some of the tagged videos on Instagram. There is also a gift shop which you can visit without having to buy a ticket.

If you went to the Staged in Kuwait improv show this past weekend and you had a good time and want more of the same, this coming weekend they’ve got a comedy production called “Arms and the Man” taking place. Tickets are currently on sale and the good seats are quickly going. It’s playing for just two nights, Thursday and Friday, March 24 and 25th at the Kaifan Theater.

Support your community theater, for more information and to book tickets, click here.

The Palestinian Culture Center has been operating in Kuwait since the early 1970s. Every year they hold an exhibition with the aim to keep this vibrant culture alive and support underprivileged women and children in the camps. Starting today till Friday the center will be holding its heritage exhibition at the Sadu House.

The exhibit 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.

If you’re interested in passing by, here is the info:

Location: Sadu House
Date: Tuesday March 15th – Friday March 18 2022
Time: 10 am to 8 pm

They’re also on instagram @palestiniancc

If you’re planning to visit the Comic Festival Convention this year tickets are currently for sale on The Arena website. The event is taking place from March 29 to April 1st and they are currently selling a 4-day pass for KD20. On the actual COMFEST days, you can also purchase a 1-day pass for KD10 or you could cosplay and go in for free since there is free entry to cosplayers.

If you want to purchase a ticket, here is the link.

Note: The website has a bug where when you try to purchase a ticket the website turns Arabic with no option to switch back to English. So maybe have someone translate for you or use Google Translate.

Photo by @lensfoxq8

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. To mark the occasion tonight there is a musical event taking place at the French Institute’s garden that will feature some of the best female musicians and artists in Kuwait.

If you’re interested in an outdoor music event tonight, tickets are still on sale at Eventat.

The Staged in Kuwait improv comedy night is back for the first time in 2 years. They’re going to be performing at the AUS auditorium on March 18th with a brand new team and a brand new show. They’re my favorite local comedy troupe and if you haven’t been to one of their shows before you should definitely take this opportunity to do so.

Tickets went on sale yesterday and start at 7.5KD, for more information and to book a ticket, click here.