Search: “kuwait”

I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but it looks like malls are finally starting to enforce the no smoking law. I know this sounds like a broken record but I think they’re serious this time around. I was at The Avenues over the weekend and didn’t catch anyone smoking outside the new glass smoking rooms they’ve installed. Also the restaurant I sat in made it clear from the start that smoking wasn’t allowed even though we were sitting outside the restaurant overlooking Grand Avenues. Last week while having lunch at The Cube food complex in Salmiya, I was also told smoking wasn’t allowed anymore as soon as I sat down. Finally this morning Al Hamra Tower sent out a notice to everyone in the building saying smoking was no longer allowed in the mall and tower.

I’m impressed Kuwait.

Coffee places are becoming the new thing in Kuwait which I don’t mind since we really need to move on from our burger joints craze. As I’ve mentioned before on the blog, I’m not a coffee drinker but, I do like coffee shops and what I found interesting about Richard’s Coffee is that it’s a pop-up.

Starting from tomorrow (Thursday, March 17th), Richard’s Coffee will be located at Bao Cafe for 90 days only. After 90 days? They’ll shutdown and move on to a new location. Bao Cafe is what they’re calling the space next door to Bao the Restaurant, it’s a small empty spot that in 90 days time will be occupied by a new Indian restaurant. But until those 90 days are up, they’ve given the spot to Jarrah, the guy behind the concept Richard’s Coffee. Jarrah is an avid coffee nut who roasts his beans the old fashioned way and is really passionate about his brand. So if you’re a coffee person then you might want to pass by and check his coffees out.

Starting tomorrow and for the next 90 days they’ll be open from 7AM till 10PM except on Fridays when they open from 4PM to 10PM. They’re located right next door to Bao in Sharq, if you don’t know where that is, here is the link on [Google Maps]. They’re also located on instagram @richardscoffeebar.

Since summer is knocking on our doorsteps this is the perfect time to post about the Cuisinart ice cream maker I recently purchased (the Cuisinart ICE-30BC).

I’ve recently been trying out the ketogenic diet after hearing about it on one of the podcasts I listen to and the main principle of the diet is you’re not supposed to consume any sugar or any carbs but you’re supposed to have lots of fat. Avocados are one great way of introducing a lot of fat into your diet but I personally don’t like the way they taste. So I was looking for a simple keto recipe that involved avocados and I found one for an avocado chocolate chunk ice cream that sounded delicious. I had honestly been looking for an excuse to buy an ice cream maker for a while so as soon as I found the recipe I decided to get one.

I kinda already knew what I wanted a Cuisinart ice cream maker since I’m fond of the brand and I knew I had seen them in Kuwait. So I did my research and the only places that carried the ice cream maker were Lakeland, Williams-Sonoma and Tavola (the Cuisinart dealer). Williams-Sonoma only had the dual ice cream maker which I wasn’t interested in since it was too big, Lakeland had the model I wanted but they were selling it for KD42 while Tavola were selling the exact same one for KD32.350. So I ended up picking it up from Tavola and since I was already in Shuwaikh, I decided to pass by Williams-Sonoma to pick up the best ice cream scoop you can buy, the Zeroll 1020.

The way the ice cream maker works is very simple. There are two main parts, the bowl and the main unit. You take the bowl and stick it in the freezer for 12+ hours and only take it out when you want to make ice cream. When your mixture is ready and the bowl frozen, you take the bowl from the freezer and place it in the main unit. You then pour your mixed ingredients into the bowl and let the ice cream maker churn your mixture for around 20 minutes until it turns into ice cream. Thats all there is to it.

I have to say, my avocado chocolate chunk ice cream has been turning out really delicious. And because I am buying the ingredients, I can control how healthy my ice cream is and so I’m having it guilt free. At KD32 this really is a no brainer impulse buy. So if you feel like making your own ice cream this summer, get this. Here is the map to Tavola [Google Maps] and you could call them on 24825761.

I was passing by La Brasa yesterday in Dar Al Awadi when I noticed a new shop that had opened up in the basement called Meatchops. It’s a gourmet butcher shop similar to Prime Cuts except Meatchops is open inside a mall which I found a bit odd.

Anyway no idea what kinds of meats they have since I asked for a list or menu and they told me to check their instagram account. I don’t have time to check each and every single photo in their account looking for what they have to offer but if you’ve got the time, their instagram account is @meatchops_kw

My advice? At least have a small printed takeaway menu of all your items I can take home with me, or a website similar to Prime Cuts. A website is a lot more practical compared to an instagram account since not only can I navigate and see all your items much easier, but with Prime Cuts I can even order directly from their website. I hate how businesses try to use instagram to accomplish everything.

I was at Souk Sharq yesterday and passed by to check out the new restaurant that opened in place of Breadz called Baker & Spice. I didn’t get to try it since I had already had lunch but the place inside looked really good and the outdoor vibe felt very un-Kuwait like. They opened around two weeks back and I’ll most likely be passing by next week to try it out. For now you can check out their instagram account [Here]

Photo by Jassim Alshehab

TEDxAlShuwaikh is taking place this month on March 24th under the theme of “greater than me”. The list of speakers for this event is finally out and I’ve shared it below. If you’re interested in attending TEDx, tickets are free but you need to apply for them on the TEDx website [Here]

The Speakers:

Ali Hussain Al-Youha
Secretary General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL)
Ali Al Youha is the Secretary General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters in Kuwait. Ali is a Kuwaiti who has invested his life and energy is promoting and highlighting art and culture, locally, regionally and globally. He believes strongly in bridging communication gaps through the promotion of cultural and media cooperation. Ali is at the helm of an ambitious cultural movement in Kuwait to create spaces for collaboration and cooperation.

Balsam AlAyoub
Social Entrepeneur
Balsam grew up in an athletic family that believed in sports as tool for self development. Balsam was a professional fencer and champion, and today has turned her energy towards being a ‘human investor’ empowering young people in the Gulf region- especially young women.

Catherine Silliman
International Relations
Catherine is an American born in New York City. She spent her childhood moving around the USA, and also lived in Vicenza, Italy while her father served as a medical doctor in the U.S. Army. Her family eventually settled in the small town of Harvard, Massachusetts. Her horizons were further expanded after she participated in a high school summer exchange program in Turkey in 1976. She studied International Relations at Tufts University, and obtained a Masters degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. She worked as a reporter for the Saudi newspapers Arab News and Asharq Al-Awsat. After more than 30 years with the U.S. State Department, as a diplomat and diplomatic family member, she has lived in seven predominantly Muslim countries, and is writing a book about her experiences. She and her husband have raised two remarkable young men who share an openness to learn about the world and understand global perspectives.

Fatemah AlMosawi
Sustainability, Youth Development, Growing Communities
Fatemah AlMosawi is a community investor and has earned her doctorate in the genetics of familiar intellectual disability. She grew up in London, and returned to Kuwait bringing with her a passion for connecting people to things they are passionate about. She established Spread the Passion, a non profit organization that connects volunteers to opportunities while developing their skills in serving the community. Her youth initiative entitled “Spread the Passion Ambassador” won her the first prize with the National Youth Project in 2012 and a position in the executive office where she was recruited to manage volunteers and mentor the preparatory youth council to out reach to other youth in Kuwait. She received the first class distinction medal from His Highness the Amir of Kuwait in 2014 for youth care.

Hilal Al-Sayer
President of Kuwait Red Crescent Society & Chairperson and Medical Director of and Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice
Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer is the President of Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH) and Chairperson and Medical Director of and Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice (BACH). He is a former Minister of Health, Dean of the Medical School in Kuwait, President of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, and Chairperson of Dasman Diabetic Institute.

Margaret Al-Sayer
Director of the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital and Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice
Margaret Al-Sayer is the Founding Director of the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH) and Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice (BACH). She is a former biology teacher and has devoted twenty-five years to raising awareness in Kuwait and the Middle East on the necessity of developing palliative care services for children.

Last April I managed to sneak in and get some photos of the Boulevard while it was still under construction but on Thursday I was given an official tour of the project along with some new information.

A couple of months back I posted that Boulevard in Salmiya was going to be opening up in 3 months time but that is no longer the case. Originally the plan was to open the park on National Day and the rest of the project (the mall and outdoor restaurants) would open by the end of the year. Now though the plan is to have the whole project open up at the same time around Q3 or Q4 of 2016.

While touring the mall I managed to find a list of all the stores that are currently due to open at Boulevard and I’ve listed them all down below. Some interesting ones to note are Sears, Sultan Center and Jarir Bookstore. Oh and the old school Iranian restaurant Baba Taher is planning to open there as well.

Check out the full list of stores below.

Since summer is coming and a lot of people will be trying to lose weight for beach season, I figured it would be the perfect time to post about this subject. I recently started a Ketogenic diet and wanted to measure my body fat so I could compare it again a few months down the line and the most accurate way to get your body fat measured is with a Bod Pod.

A couple of years back I posted briefly about the Bod Pod when I passed by the then recently opened SPARK Athletic Center. The Bod Pod is much more accurate than biolectric anaylysis (the paddles you hold while standing on a scale) and much more accurate than skinfold calipers which a lot of people seem to think is very accurate. Recently I was made aware by a reader of a small nutrition center in Shaab that also has a Bod Pod and the best part is, it’s available for both men and women.

The picture on top is of the Bod Pod, you basically sit in it for a few seconds while the machine uses air pressure to calculate everything. Some of the information the Bod Pod will be able to provide you with is your body fat percentage, your fat mass, your lung capacity and your resting metabolic rate.

The whole process takes a few minutes and you could be in and out of there in less than 30 minutes. The cost of getting your measurements taken is KD20. If you’re interested the place is called Your Choice and they’re located next to where Edo used to in Shaab (Same building as Ryoog). You need to call for an appointment on 22621117 and here is the location on [Google Maps]

Henley & Partners released their Visa Restrictions Index for 2016 and the list hasn’t really changed much from last year with Kuwait still trailing behind UAE as the second best Arab passport with visa free access to 82 countries. Here are some highlights:

1 – Germany (177)
6 – Canada (172)
38 – United Arab Emirates (122)
57 – Kuwait (82)
60 – Qatar (79)
65 – Bahrain (73)
67 – Oman (71)
69 – Saudi Arabia (69)
85 – India (52)
88 – Egypt (49)
90 – Jordan (47)
96 – Lebanon (39)
104 – Afghanistan (25)

So glad I have the Canadian passport and not the Lebanese one! If you want to see how powerful your passport is, check out the full list [Here]

via Exotic Kuwait

It’s been just over two weeks since I started looking for a classic Datsun Z and what an experience it has been. I’ve been mostly using the 4Sale app to find a car and I’ve noticed a few things in common between all the sellers:

– None speak english no matter how basic I kept my language as you can see above. So, I resorted to installing the Arabic keyboard on my phone and with the help of Google Translate communicate with them. In the end I realized it’s just easier to call them since I talk better than I write Arabic.

– All the Z sellers I called up (and by all I mean ALL) had the Koran play when you called them up instead of the usual dial tone

– They all lived in areas I had never really been to like Omairiya, Dahar, Qurain etc..

Qurain is one of the areas I went to twice, first time to meet an owner of one of the cars I wanted to check out and the second time to the used car lots in “Aswaq Qurain”. Those car lots had a bunch of interesting cars for sale from the latest Range Rovers and Ferraris to classic 70s Porsches and 60s Stingray.

While there I spotted a like new condition red 1983 Datsun 280z with only 52km on the clock which is basically 0 mileage (pictured above). The price? KD7,000 which honestly isn’t THAT expensive for what is essentially a brand new car from the 80s.

But while I was originally looking for an 80s Z, during my search I started falling in love with the older 70s Z. The simple wooden steering wheel by itself was enough of a reason but combined with the much simpler interior with less electronics and what I now think is a nicer exterior, I knew thats what I wanted. But they’re also harder to find, I just found 4 over the past two weeks and neither one of them were in great condition with all needing a lot of work. I was actually pulling the trigger on the silver blue one pictured on top of this post but backed out an hour before I finalized the paperwork because I realized it would need a lot more work (aka $$$$) than I was willing to put into it.

So right now I’m going to continue looking for the perfect Z. I’ve heard their prices are going to increase since they recently allegedly got banned from being imported into Kuwait because of the shenanigans involved with the cars. But hopefully I’ll end up finding what I’m looking for.

Last week I had a disaster of an experience with Aramex since they had misplaced a package of mine. What actually pissed me off was the lack of transparency from their support team. My package was coming from Germany and like all Shop & Ship packages stop in Bahrain before heading to Kuwait. On February 13th my package left Bahrain and after no updates for a few days I decided to contact support via their live chat. According to Aramex, my package was clearing customs, no biggie so I continued to wait. By February 21st, over a week after my package left Bahrain my tracking number had still not been updated. So I contacted support again and they told me they’ll check on my package and have someone call me.

Since I was frustrated, I decided to vent my frustration to Aramex on their twitter account. They replied back telling me they had checked on my package and it was currently clearing customs. That didn’t help with my frustration since my package was just a pair of sneakers and I didn’t know why it needed 8 days to clear. Since it wasn’t urgent though I was like whatever. Then, a few minutes later I get a call from Aramex telling me that they can’t find my package and they needed a few days to try and figure out where it was. I was like WTF? You guys just told me on twitter that my package was in customs. The guy over the phone told me the people managing the twitter account didn’t have access to check my package status.

So I went back on twitter now noticeably upset since I couldn’t understand why they would tell me my package was in customs while I was also being told my package was lost. In the end though it looked like the twitter account people were right while the person that called me was wrong since my package ended up getting it’s status updated then then delivered the following day.

For some reason, Aramex have recently turned into a big mess and I just wish they were more transparent. Things happen and consumers are mostly understanding. When my internet connection at home is down, first thing I do when I call support up is ask them if the problem is from their side or mine. If they’re facing issues I just reply telling them ok just wanted to check and then hang up. If my package usually takes 3 days from Bahrain to arrive to my door in Kuwait and now suddenly it’s been 8 days and my package was still not delivered, something is clearly wrong so fill me in and don’t act like it’s business as usual. If you’re having issues with flights from Bahrain, local customs officials being lazy or whatever the reason, I’d like to know so I can be understanding.

In any case the reason I wanted to post about Aramex in the first place is that we can now finally pay online with Knet. You’d think this would have been their first feature on their website but up until now we could only pay by credit card or PayPal. Knet obviously makes things a lot more convenient.

Hala Yummah is a new track by the duo Issa Hashemi and Ali Habib. It came out over the holidays and has been quickly gaining popularity with it’s fusion of electronic and Kuwaiti music. Check out the video on top. [YouTube]

Mercer’s 2016 Quality of Living rankings were just released and it’s not that much different from last years. Nearly everyone in the region dropped a couple of spots but Kuwait managed to move up one point to 124th place world wide. Regionally though Kuwait still trails behind UAE, Oman and Qatar.

1 – Vienna, Austria
75 – Dubai, UAE (-1)
81 – Abu Dhabi, UAE (-4)
107 – Muscat, Oman (-3)
110 – Doha, Qatar (-2)
124 – Kuwait City, Kuwait (+1)
133 – Manama, Bahrain (-3)
164 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (+1)
165 – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (+1)
230 – Baghdad, Iraq

Check out the full list over [Here]

Photo by Mohammed Al Sultan

So this past Friday (February 19th) was my blogs 11 year anniversary. I published my first post here back in February 19th 2005, a really odd post which I find hilarious now since my blog has become what it is today. If I had known my blog would end up here I would have probably posted something a bit less… crude.

But, what I just realized a few moments ago is that this February also marks the 13th anniversary of my first post on my first blog ever. Back in 2003 me and a few friends launch a blog called Qhate and my first post there was published on February 6th, 2003. At that time we were the first blog based in Kuwait and unlike my early posts on 248AM, I actually enjoy reading my old stuff on Qhate. For those of you who don’t know, Qhate started off as a war blog in which we were posting about life in Kuwait during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. So reading through my old posts there just takes me back in time during the volatile period. If you’ve never gone through some of the posts there you should, it’s like an untouched time capsule. [Link]

Someone put up a petition in a bid to stop the demolition of Bayt Lothan. Not being pessimistic here but I highly doubt a petition will make a difference, I mean when they were going to demolish the original Chamber of Commerce and Industry building two years ago, there were protests and it was all over the media yet the building still got demolished in the end. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to at least try so here is the link to the petition [Link]