Search: “kuwait”

Baroue the kids store recently opened a snow park inside their Avenues store called Frostland. I passed by it over the weekend to check it out and was actually impressed. Mostly because I was not expecting their snow park to be so big but also because I didn’t think they would have actual snow.

Frostland is fairly huge considering its located inside a store but the Baroue store was always huge to begin with. The whole top floor of Baroue has now been converted to Frostland with different snow and ice related activities like ice slides, ice cars and the snow dome. Kids and parents are given winter gear to wear because its actually winter in Frostland and you’ll need to be properly dressed to play in the snow.

The ticket price for Frostland is 11KD for 2 hours and 6KD for guardians. If you want to check out some videos and more pictures of their snow park check out Frostland on instagram @baroue_frostland

The Improv Comedy Show by Staged in Kuwait is back again this weekend. If you’ve never been to one of their shows before then you should and there are still some tickets available if you haven’t already booked. Check out the full list of this weekends events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
13th World Bowling Tour – Kuwait International Open 2019
Happy Hour Live at Oktoberfest 2019
Improv Comedy Show

Friday
Discover America Run/Walk 2019
Happy Hour Live at Oktoberfest 2019
Hot Rod Car Show

Saturday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
KTAA Fall Bazaar
Come Play with Us!
Sustainability Event

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 always double-check with the organizers.

Screenshot from Doctor Sleep

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Abigail (5.0)
Doctor Sleep (7.5)
Playing with Fire (5.1)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Abominable (7.3)
Born a King (8.8)
Countdown (5.3)
Dark Encounter (4.4)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Joker (9.4)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Midway (4.9)
Motherless Brooklyn (7.4)
Terminator: Dark Fate (6.5)
The Addams Family (5.8)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.

Last year I posted about how much I hated the housekeeper’s category on the Q8 4Sale website since people were listing their housekeepers for sale. After my post, the 4Sale website started removing those posts and set new rules for the category but I still wished they had closed it down instead. Well it took a thorough BBC investigation and reporting for that to happen.

Over the weekend, BBC published its investigative video below exposing the trade by interviewing a number of people who were selling their housekeepers including a police officer and a woman who was selling her 16-year-old housekeeper!

Posing as a couple newly arrived in Kuwait, the BBC Arabic undercover team spoke to 57 app users and visited more than a dozen people who were trying to sell them their domestic worker via a popular commodity app called 4Sale.

The sellers almost all advocated confiscating the women’s passports, confining them to the house, denying them any time off and giving them little or no access to a phone.

The 4Sale app allowed you to filter by race, with different price brackets clearly on offer, according to category. Source

After the video and article went viral, Kuwait announced that it was cracking down on slave traders and I checked the 4sale website and it looks like they finally completely removed the housekeeper’s category. Hopefully, this will cause the government to consider reforming the kafala (sponsorship) system which in it’s current state is flawed and being abused. Check out the BBC articles on this subject below:

Slave markets found on Instagram and other apps (Oct 31)
Kuwait moves on Instagram slave traders after BBC investigation (Nov 1)

Some fun things happening this weekend including a different musical event taking place every night this weekend. Check out the full list of events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
13th World Bowling Tour – Kuwait International Open 2019
Luna & Boo! Halloween Party
Manifesting Rhythm with Sid & Turk

Friday
Open Track at Kuwait Motor Town
13th World Bowling Tour – Kuwait International Open 2019
Kuwait Rising Music Festival
Saracen Race 2019

Saturday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
13th World Bowling Tour – Kuwait International Open 2019
Japanese Society’s Beach Cleaning-up Campaign “Operation Turtles”
Come Play with Us!
Marketspace
The Peace Festival: Salute Yal Bannot

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 always double-check with the organizers.

Screenshot from Terminator: Dark Fate

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Midway (4.9)
Motherless Brooklyn (7.4)
Terminator: Dark Fate (6.5)
The Addams Family (5.8)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Abominable (7.3)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Born a King (8.8)
Countdown (5.3)
Dark Encounter (4.4)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Joker (9.4)
Killerman (5.2)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Mary (4.4)
Zombieland: Double Tap (7.3)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Journey to Space 3D (6.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.

If you’re itching to buy an interesting book about Kuwait, this is one that came out in 2008 but copies of are still available online. The book deals with the construction of the Kuwait National Assembly building that was designed by Jørn Utzon who was also behind the design of the Sydney Opera House.

Completed in 1982, the Kuwait National Assembly remains one of the outstanding modern buildings completed in the Middle East by a European architect. A tour de force of precast concrete construction, Jørn Utzon’s design also represents the culmination of themes that had preoccupied him throughout his work, notably ways of combining ideas derived from traditional cultures with the ‘additive’ principles of cellular growth found in nature. This beautifully produced book, the latest addition to Edition Bløndal’s acclaimed ‘Utzon Logbook’ series, was developed in close collaboration with Utzon and presents an exceptionally comprehensive account of the Kuwait project through photographs, original drawings and the recollections of key contributors – Utzon’s staff, consulting engineers and contractor, and an extended interview with Utzon himself.

If you check out the publisher’s website they have two videos taken during construction which I had never seen before. You can check those out here.

If you want to buy the book I got my copy from Amazon for $69.

Last night was the cultural event for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Kuwait. As part of the cultural filled evening, a variety of Korean traditional and modern music performances were meant to take place including a performance by the K-pop group D-Crunch. But just before they were meant to perform, the Ministry of Information ordered a halt to the event.

Meanwhile in Riyad the popular K-pop group BTS performed 2 weeks ago in a packed stadium…

Not only that but the hashtag #dcrunch_come_to_saudiarabia has also been trending with Saudis apologizing to D-Crunch for what happened to them in Kuwait. This is just too weird, how did Saudi Arabia become more liberal than Kuwait overnight?

Back in 1977, Andy Warhol came to Kuwait under the invitation of the National Council of Arts, Culture, and Letters and his work was exhibited at the Dhaiat Abdullah Al Salem Gallery. I’ve posted about his visit a number of times before and you can read more about it in my previous post here.

Earlier in the month, I was made aware that a signed copy of his catalog from his exhibit in Kuwait was up for auction in Germany. The first thing I wanted to do was share it with people but since I wanted to bid on it myself I decided not to. The auction house had estimated that the signed catalog would sell for €250 – €360 so I figured I’d play it safe and put a bid of €1005.

The auction took place this past Friday and because the site was in German and I’ve never really taken part in a live auction similar to this, I didn’t know how it would work exactly. To summarize, I was at the race track taking part in the KMT Open Track event on Friday when the auction went live and someone ended up topping my bid and winning the item for €1200.

It sucks because I really wanted it, but I’m guessing whoever bid on it really wanted it to and most likely had a deeper pocket so I’m kinda glad I missed the auction. I’ve been in bidding wars before and things can get out of hand very quickly. In any case, now that auction is over I’m sharing pictures of the signed catalog. Even without the signature, the catalog would have been an interesting purchase. The description for the item on the auction site was in German but here is the rough translation:

Andy Warhol. Catalog for the exhibition in the MAYOR Gallery London and the Dhaiat Abdulla al Salem Gallery in Kuwait 1977. 7 pages each in English and Arabic with staple stitching. 35.5 x 23 cm. Illustrated original cardboard cover and signed on the back by Andy Warhol (a little bit at the edge of the bend, front cover with small paper abrasion in the edge, back cover a little rubbed).

Very rare catalog for the exhibition in London and Kuwait. – Paper slightly creased.

Here is the link to the item on the auction website and below are links to the high res images in case they get deleted from the auction website.

Front Cover
Back Cover

If you’re into sports then there is a lot going on this weekend, check out the full list of events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Al Yasra Bazaar

Friday
Al Yasra Bazaar
Flying Start – Junior Duathlon 2019
Open Track at Kuwait Motor Town

Saturday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Al Yasra Bazaar
Come Play with Us!
Circle Kuwait Bus Tour
Art for Sudan: Silent Auction and Exhibition
Flying Start Triathlon XII
TFW Superhero Deadlift Party
Hala’ween

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 always double-check with the organizers.

Screenshot from The Farewell

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Countdown (N/A)
Dark Encounter (4.4)
Killerman (5.2)
Mary (4.4)
Princess Emmy (5.5)
The Farewell (8.1)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Abominable (7.3)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Born a King (8.8)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Joker (9.4)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
The Lion King (6.2)
Zombieland: Double Tap (7.3)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Journey to Space 3D (6.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.

This is my view every morning when I wake up.

I know this sounds weird but there is an Irish Pub opening down the street from my place in Salmiya. According to their instagram (@irishpub.kwt) they’re going to be opening up any day now so I’m obviously going to have to pass by and check it out. I hope me reviewing pubs is going to be a thing soon!

Thanks Sharan!

There is a new reality show on Dubai TV called The Astronauts where 12 candidates from different nationalities compete to become a real life astronaut. One of the candidates who is also the youngest competitor on the show is Bader Al Moulah, a Kuwaiti architect.

The Astronauts reality show is done in cooperation with the BBC and led by the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. It’s in Arabic and airs on Sundays at 9PM on Dubai TV and Wednesdays at 9PM on Dubai One with English subtitles.

You can follow Bader on instagram @the.travelling.architect and the show @theastronautsar

There’s something for everybody this weekend from live music to yoga with dogs so check out this weekends full list of events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Conversations in Colour
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Ultimate LEGO Experience
Mr. D0ne’s Game On Kuwait
French Institute of Kuwait Cinema club – “Edmond”
October Open Mic Night
Live in K-City

Friday
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Ultimate LEGO Experience

Saturday
Exhibition: Conversations in Colour
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Yoga at the Park
Ultimate LEGO Experience
Come Play with Us!
Droga at Luna & Beau

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 always double-check with the organizers.