Search: “kuwait”

Over the past few months I’ve been on a rigorous search for the perfect classic Datsun Z. By perfect I mean one that fit into my budget, had an original and intact interior and one that required some work but not too much. Finding an original series Z was not an easy task since there were so few of them popping up for sale and those that did either had been modified heavily or were in terrible condition. Then last Monday while jumping from one instagram account to another, I found a small car collector who had a beautiful orange 240Z in his possession. I decided to leave him a comment randomly asking if it was for sale and to my surprise, the next morning I woke up to find a reply that if I was serious to give him a call. So I did and after I was done with work I headed over to his place to check the car out.

The car had one owner for the past 11 years, the exterior was in great shape and the interior was all there, even the original tape player. After taking the car for a small drive around the block I knew this was the one for me. The asking price wasn’t very far off from what I thought was reasonable for a 240Z in this condition and after negotiating with the owner for a little bit, he agreed to drop down the price and take my offer with the stipulation that if I was ever to sell the car to let him know in case he wanted to buy it back. And so just like that, next day we got the paperwork done and I was a proud owner of a 1973 Datsun 240Z.

The car is mostly stock except for the engine and gearbox which are from the newer 280z, a common modification since engine and gearbox parts for the 280z are more readily available. For such a physically small car, the interior is actually spacious. I’m 6’1 and don’t feel squeezed in the car at all, in fact its pretty comfortable. I’ve been driving the car non stop since Wednesday and it’s just a ton of fun on the road. As a pretty OCD this car should in fact be driving me insane since there are a ton of rattles and so many imperfections all ovre. It’s like utter chaos but I think thats why I’m loving the experience so much, it’s the opposite of what I usually am.

[YouTube]

Right now I’m not planning any major work on the car, I’m just going to drive it the way it is until the weather gets too hot for it and then will start working on it. I don’t have any plans yet but I did get inspired a lot last night after watching the video above. Come summer I’ll probably do an engine rebuild, replace all the bushings, install an aftermarket AC system and also get a new suspension. I managed to make a deal with ProTech Monte-Carlo and I’ll be dropping the car off to them tomorrow for some extreme detailing. I’m really curious to see how the car comes out after that since it should look factory new especially the interior.

My dad used to have a similar 240Z back in 1973, it was the first car he purchased when he moved to Kuwait and I just recently heard the story on how he got it. My dad’s an interior designer and was working on the interior of one of the properties for Abdulaziz Al Babtain. Al Babtain were the dealers of Datsun and so most of his meetings would take place at the dealership. One day while walking into the dealership he saw them rolling in a 240Z onto the showroom floor. My dad asked Abdulaziz what that car was and he told him it was the new 240Z. He then asked my dad if he liked it and wanted the car. My dad told him it was beautiful but he had just moved to Kuwait and couldn’t afford to buy one right now. Abdulaziz then called the sales manager over and told him to take my dad’s ID and register the car in his name. He told my dad to pay for it whenever he could which my dad ended up doing over time with small installments. The picture above was taken back in 1973 on Plajat street in Salmiya and my dad wants me to reshoot him now in the same spot but with my car. That should be fun.

I hope the weather stays like this for just a little bit more so I can enjoy the car as much as I can. If you see an orange 240Z zooming down the Gulf Road, that is probably me.

Found this video on Vimeo of what looks to be a setup for a wedding or some sort of other event that took place in Kuwait. Whatever the event was, the setup looks magical, like something out of a fairytale. It was done by the UAE based company DesignLab Experience and I’m super impressed. [Vimeo]

There’s something about this instagram account that I find very liberating. The account belongs to a guy called Ahmed Abou Hameed and I found it by chance while looking for old Datsuns in Kuwait. Ahmed owns a beautiful classic Skyline GT and the account is just pictures and videos of him and his car traveling around the region. The guy seems very chill and also a poet since most of his captions are full of poetry.

Just flipping through his account kinda makes me want to take a road trip with him. He seems to love his Skyline and also picnics in the desert. It’s all so odd, I mean most of the photos look vintage because of the car and the way he looks but then you have his choice of music and all this poetry that just tops everything off. I love it and can’t get enough of him and I respect him a lot for actually driving his pristine condition Skyline everywhere instead of parking it to gather dust.

I think I’m the only guy who writes in English on his account although most of the time I’m tagging my friends who don’t understand what I find so fascinating about this guy. I like him, I love his car and he seems like a cool guy so check out his instagram account @a.a7mad.1973

Update: Ahmed somehow found out about my post and shared it with his followers on his instagram account along with the poem below. Now I need to give a call and see if I could have tea with him somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

IKEA Kuwait now have their wireless charging range available including their wireless charging pads and furniture with built-in wireless charging spots. I read about these products last year but didn’t think they were launching them so soon. You can now for example buy a bedside lamp that includes a wireless charging spot so in the evening all you need to do is put your phone on the lamp base and it will start charging. It’s simpler than having to plug your phone into a charger and it also means less wire clutter.

Some phones already have wireless charging built in but if your phone doesn’t (like iPhones) then you’re going to have to purchase one of their covers to use with their furniture. If this interests you, here is a link to the IKEA Kuwait product page which has more information on it. [Link]

Over the weekend I had the strangest encounter with someone on Facebook. A girl who I’ll just call “F” added me as a friend and I accepted thinking I knew her because we had a lot of friends in common. But, after flipping through her photos I realized we had never met so I unfriended her. She didn’t take that very well and sadly, this isn’t the first time where my none offensive or aggressive actions were misunderstood. I don’t know what it is about me but it’s really weird how I tend to piss people off pretty frequently without even trying, check out the conversation below:

(Warning: May contain drama)

F: I recall adding you. and i recall an accept but thank you for the unfriendship

Mark: hey, just saw this message, sorry i accepted your friend request thinking we had met before but when i realized we hadn’t i unfriended.

F: sure no worries. my intention was to get to meet everyone in Kuwait so far everyone i added on fb from kuwait i had met
sure good luck !

Mark: i hope you didn’t take it personally, its just with my facebook account i only add or accept people i’ve met in person before.

F: no i don’t take it personally i dont even know you 😉

***** Next day a friend sent me the message above so I messaged her back *****

Mark: ummm why are you asking my friends about me?

F: because i dont trust ur answer and i thought it is weird and odd

Mark: ?

Mark: Which answer

F: and ur enttiled to do what ever u want just i like i am

F: i use facebook differently and now i m sure 100% u have a problem with me
so i got my answer it is not because you do not know me

Mark: Lady I have no clue who you are, Don’t take it personally

F: what bothers me is how people are easily lie to one another without confronting the truth
it is not taking it personally too to ask about it
i cant trust you

Mark: I think you’re mistaking me for someone else
We’ve never met

F: oka i think you r are violating my personal space ..
maybe ur right. i think your someone else.

Mark: Listen not sure what your problem is but I just thought it was weird you were asking people about me.

F: not asking them im questioning your credibility
and your honesty
and what i got is that your weird.

Mark: What does my credibility and honesty have to do with me unfriending u cuz I don’t know u?

F: because i have 5000 friends and i always use facebook to get know people .. i use it for many reasons .. and i found your justtification totally odd

Mark: Wtf

F: okay i have to go back to work..
take care..

F: you know whats funny ? is that i added like 41 people who are friends with ****** because im back home to kuwait and i didnt know anyone .. and thought of making a film about their work and get to to know their life and discover the new kuwait i have been absent from.. so i thought you are one of those open minded people who are trying to create a good mood here and social life.. with your blog.. but again.. your atittude is strange to me and i never saw it from anyone of the 41 pees i added so hence the shock..

F: now it is not your fault it is my fault for thinking you are like me.. open to socializing and new friendships. please refrain from talking to me and sorry about bothering you 🙂
have a wonderful night.

Tamdeen are developing a new residential project called Tamdeen Square which will be located near Messilah on the Fahaheel Expressway (rendering above). They’re betting on the fact that skyrocketing house prices, a huge waiting list for government-issued houses and their distance from the city centre means that many Kuwaitis will prefer the convenience of apartment life. But how much will these apartments cost? They’ll start from KD265,000. Is it me or does nearly a million US dollars for an apartment in a huge complex that really isn’t in a prime location sound absurd? And that’s just the starting price so it would be the smallest apartment on the lowest floor.

Source

I tend to be very loyal to the brands I use and like, and Aramex Shop & Ship is no exception. I’ve had a Shop & Ship account with them since 2001 (thats 15 years!) and although I use other similar US mailbox forwarding services (like MyUS.com) for some packages, Aramex has always been the service I use for the majority of my items.

But recently I’ve started disliking Aramex since they weren’t being honest and transparent with me. Packages from my Shop & Ship mailbox used to take around 7 days to get to me once they shipped but with my last three packages it took twice as long. In fact, they’ve been spending around 7 days just to get from Bahrain (their regional hub) to Kuwait! I kept pressing them for a reason, I just wanted to know why suddenly things were taking twice as long and nobody would give me an answer. I harassed them on twitter, I harassed them over the phone and using their live chat service yet nobody would tell me. They just acted like it was business as usual when it clearly wasn’t. So I posted about my frustration on the blog and thats when the guys at Posta Plus contacted me and asked me to try their service. At first I replied back thanking them for emailing me but that I was loyal to Aramex. But then I thought to myself, why the loyalty? I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dinars with Aramex, I’ve been a customer for over 15 years, I was one of their first Shop & Ship customers in Kuwait and yet I have the same benefits of a customer that would sign up today. So if I’m not important enough a client for Aramex, why should I be loyal to them? So I decided to sign up to the Posta Plus US mail forwarding service called MyBox and give them a shot.

Other than a few quibbles which I’ll discuss below, I’ve decided that I will be using Posta Plus from now on instead of Aramex for a number of reasons.

The Good Stuff

– Posta Plus is considerably cheaper as you can see in the shipping cost comparison above.

– You can get a hold of their customer support instantly. Their hotline is very simple, you call, it asks you what language you prefer and then you’re connected to the support person who in my case picked up the phone instantly as soon as I pressed “2” for English. If you’ve ever tried calling Aramex for support you know how difficult and how long it takes to get a hold of someone.

– Like Aramex, Posta Plus also charge KD1 custom clearance fee. But, unlike Aramex, if you have a number of packages arriving at the same time, you have the option to consolidate them during the customs process and that way you’ll pay KD1 custom clearance fee for all the packages combined.

– In case you don’t want a package to be delivered, you have the option to “Hold” that package one package from within your Posta Plus dashboard so you could go pick it up yourself.

– Their delivery guys contact you before they head over to deliver the package to make sure you’re home.

– Their delivery speed is much faster than Aramex. So far the two packages that I shipped using Posta Plus, the first one was delivered 4 days after it left the States while the second one took 5 days. Thats 3x faster than my last few shipments with Aramex!

As I mentioned earlier, I did have a few issues with Posta Plus, none were deal breakers to me but I’ll mention them anyway.

The Not So Good Stuff

– I ran into an issue when signing up to their service. I went through the sign up process to setup an account but when it came time to pay my card got declined. I then couldn’t try again with another card since there was no try again option. So, I went through the processes of setting up the account again but it told me I couldn’t because the email was already in use. I tried logging into my account but their website told me the account didn’t exist. So I was stuck not being able to create and account because their system thought I had an account which in fact didn’t exist. I had to contact support to fix this.

– Right now you can’t pay for your packages online (it’s cash on delivery), but they’ll be offering this service soon. I really prefer paying for my stuff online with Knet.

– You can only track your Posta Plus packages via their website. I usually track all my packages with the “Deliveries” app on my iPhone and Mac (pictured above) but the app doesn’t recognize Posta Plus tracking numbers. It recognizes Aramex on the other hand.

– This next one could be a plus for some people but was a negative for me. They notify you constantly by email and SMS on the status of your packages. You get an email and SMS when your package arrives to your mailbox, and then an email and SMS when it ships from your mailbox, when it goes to clearance you get an email and then when its out for delivery an email and SMS. The issue I had is there is no way to turn on or off the notifications and it was annoying to get an email and an SMS telling me the exact same thing. What made things worst in my case was I was getting two or three duplicate emails from their server by mistake. After complaining to them about it I think I don’t get any notification at all now which is also not something I want.

– Every time I log into their dashboard I get a pop up informing me they now have Canada as a mailbox location. I got it the first time, I don’t need to keep seeing the pop up every single time I want to log in to my account. Pop ups are really annoying.

In Conclusion

Before Posta Plus I was using Shop & Ship for packages I wasn’t in a hurry to get and MyUS for packages I wanted ASAP. I was using Shop & Ship because they were cheaper than MyUS and since I didn’t need every item ASAP, the amount I was saving was worth it. But now I’m going to stop using both Shop & Ship and MyUS since Posta Plus is a much cheaper alternative to Aramex and nearly as fast as MyUS (+1/-1 day). Posta Plus is also a local brand and I like support local brands that are actually good. They kinda feel like Aramex in the early days which is a very good thing. They do have a bunch of issues they need to get sorted and so far they seem to be very accepting of my criticism and willing to improve things.

So if you’re frustrated with Aramex and are looking for an alternative thats cheaper and faster, Posta Plus is the way to go. The sign up fee is KD8 and here is a link to their [Website]

Note: The rate calculator on the Posta Plus website is completely in accurate.

Last month I posted about a rumor that Alghanim was acquiring the Ford dealership for Kuwait and now it turns out that rumor was true. Ford sent out an email over the weekend letting their customers know that Alghanim is now the official dealer for their cars in Kuwait. Here is a link to that [Letter]

This means Alghanim now have the following car brands split between their two three automotive divisions:

Alghanim Automotive
Chevrolet
Cadillac

Alghanim Auto
Ford
Lincoln

Alghanim Motors
Honda
Lotus

Update: Added Lincoln to the list. Also a reader made me realize that Alghanim Auto is not short for Alghanim Automotive but is in fact a completely different division. So updated post now reflects that.

Thanks Osama

Todays the last day for the REUSE event. I passed by yesterday and my favorite installations were mostly local ones. The one pictured above is a collab by my friends supersoulxxx + kickstq. The installation was called YEEZY-NOMICS and they had every Yeezey sneaker ever released from the LV’s to Nikes to Adidas on display along with their current market prices.

My other favorite installation was also by two friends of mine who are launching a storytelling platform in Kuwait called Hababa. It was a cute installation where people could go in and record their stories.

Another installation I really liked was by the Dutch artist Maurice Mikkers who combines art with science by collecting tears from people and then magnifying them under a microscope. Really fascinating stuff.

So if you haven’t passed by yet do so, it’s at DAI Yarmouk and it’s free. For more details click [Here]

I got my hands on the schedule for the musical performances taking place this coming weekend at REUSE. Check it out below and click the names of the artists if you want to find out more about them:

Friday 1st April
Altersal 5.15 pm (45 mins max)
Maotik 6.15 pm (40 mins max)
Nicholson 7.30 pm (45 mins max)
Nonotak 8.30 pm (40 mins max)
The ERA 9.15pm (45 mins max)

Saturday 2nd April
Fari B & Chris Weaver 5.15 pm (30 mins max)
Karim Sultan 6.15 pm (45 mins max)
Magic Island 7.30 pm (45 mins max)
Maotik 8.30 pm (40 mins max)

Just a reminder, this is for REUSE (Night) which requires a purchase of a ticket, REUSE (Day) is free to attend by everyone. For more details on the REUSE event click [Here]

Alghanim Motors have officially opened the Lotus dealership in Kuwait. I passed by yesterday to check it out and they’ve got two models in stock, the Lotus Exige and the Lotus Evora. The Exige starts at KD27,000 while the Evora starts at KD34,000.

For those interested, according to the salesman they’ll have two test drive vehicles available in the next couple of days (pictured above). Here is their location on [Google Maps]

REUSE 2016, is a huge interactive event experience thats going to be taking place this weekend. REUSE will feature over 20 local and international artists who will be hosting a two day event on April 1st and 2nd at DAI Yarmouk. The artist that will be taking part in this event include:

Nonotak (France)
Maurice Mikkers (Netherlands)
Fari Bradley (Iran) + Chris Weaver (UK)
THE ERA (USA)
Altersal (Kuwait)
Norimichi Hirakawa (Japan)
TACIT (Germany)
Empty1/4 (Kuwait)
Maotik (Canada)
REFUNC (Netherlands)
Daan Brinkmann (Netherlands)
Tim Terpstra (Netherlands)
MagicIsland (Poland)
Nicholson (India)
soul xxx kicks (Kuwait)
David Munir Nabti (Lebanon)
Cheb Moha (Iraq)
Wolff (Germany)
A.S.N Rao (India)
Karim Sultan (UAE)
SALT (Kuwait)
Hababa (Kuwait)
Aaron Kim (Korea)

The event consists of three parts, (Day), (Night) and (LAB) with all three offering different experiences:

REUSE (Day)
April 1 – 2 / 1PM to 9PM / Free
REUSE (Day) will be an immersive audience experiences that includes interactive art, impromptu discussions, engaging collaborations and more. These interactive experiences will take place in the various open spaces at DAI and is free to the public, no registration required just walk right in.

REUSE (Night)
April 1 – 2 / 5PM to 10PM / KD15 (single entry) or KD20 (weekend pass)
REUSE (Night) will consist of a series of live multimedia performances in partnership with the Red Bull Music Academy. This musical event is taking place at the DAI Yarmouk theater and requires tickets which can be purchased online [Here]

REUSE (LAB)
April 3 / 5PM to 9PM / Free (Registration Required)
REUSE (LAB) will be held on the final evening and it will take place Shaheed Park. The last night will engage the public through informal chats, panels and workshops. This event is free to attend but registration is required. To register click [Here]

It’s going to be a massive event with a lot going on so I’ve tried to simplify it as best as I can. I’ll be posting more about the event until it takes place but for now check out the links below for more details:

Website: www.reuselabs.com

Facebook Links:
REUSE (Day)
REUSE (Night)
REUSE (LAB)

My good friends at Al Nata have started selling their baked goods on Talabat. They’re the guys behind the addictive Portuguese tart pastries (pictured above) which I posted about on the blog. Previously you could only catch them at various food markets on weekends with also a limited product placement at Sultan Center. But now their full product line is available on Talabat and that includes the Al Nata tart pastries, the Claudinos and their fluffy croissants. Check them out [Here]

I just found out via Kuwait Times that the Sawaber complexes are being prepared for demolition soon. I think I’m more sad about Sawaber getting demolished than I am about Bayt Lothan. Why demolish the buildings instead of restoring them? They’re beautiful buildings, with huge apartments (295 square meters), lots of outdoor space and most importantly, they’re located right in the heart of the city. I’d love to live there and I’m sure many others would as well.

You can check out the article on Kuwait Times [Here], but if you’re looking for an interesting historical read on Sawaber, check out this research paper called “The Destruction of Modernist Heritage: The Myth of Al-Sawaber” by Asseel Al-Ragam [PDF]

The Division has been out for quite some time now and it’s taken me this long to write about it because I wanted to make sure my opinions didn’t change the longer I played the game. The game has generally been received well by critics, but as always that doesn’t reveal the extent of a games quality. If you don’t know what the Division is, it’s a cover based shooter with RPG mechanics, that’s a quasi MMO. Think of Destiny, yeah. It’s sort of like that.

The set up for the Division is simple. A lethal virus breaks out during Black Friday and spreads across New York City, ravaging the city and killing thousands. Manhattan is quarantined and the US Government activates sleeper agents known as the Division to assist emergency responders to bring stability and order to the city.

The game puts you in the shoes of an unnamed Division agent. You create your character and you’re forced into action. After a few missions you unlock your base which is split into 4 distinct sections. You have the general area where the stores and your stash are located. You have the medical, the security and a tech area. Whenever you upgrade each section you’ll see your base grow, with more personal and more people populating the base. It’s a great thing to see and very satisfying to observe. Each base upgrade also helps your character by adding perks or abilities. So you have more then one reason to upgrade your base. It also makes you think about what upgrade to choose first. Think of these three sections and the abilities they unlock as different play styles: If you focus on the medical section you should consider yourself a healer, if you focus on the tech, a rogue and if you focus on security a tank. Obviously you can mix and match, but generally this is how I thought of it.

I enjoy enemy A.I. that is dynamic and that are smart. Bar some inconsistent moments the A.I. in this game is that. The enemies will try to outflank you so seeking cover in one place isn’t going to guarantee you safety. Your best bet is to shoot, cover and move. Staying out in the open will most likely lead to your death. The game features different groups of gangs that each offer different challenges. Within these gangs you’ll come to be familiar with the different types of enemies you’ll face. There are your melee enemies, who are probably the dumbest of all enemy types. They’ll just run up to you and try to hit you with a bat. They’re easy to kill, but if they do end up hitting you, they’ll deal a lot of damage. Then you have the other typical enemy types: a sniper, a shotgun, and regular grunt who uses automatic rifles. Depending on what gang you’re facing you’ll face more types of enemies. For example there is a gang called the Cleaners. They usually come equipped with flame-throwers and will burn anything that comes close to them. Then you have the boss-type characters who have a ton of armor and take some time to kill. Sometimes you’ll have to fight more than one and these fights can be pretty intense.