Search: “maki”

SodaStream is a very popular company that makes home carbonation appliances. It’s a small kitchen appliance that allows you to create sparking water by forcing carbon dioxide into regular water making it fizzy. You can also add different flavors to create your very own mix. The only problem is that SodaStream is an Israeli company so we can’t get their machines or CO2 canisters in Kuwait.

But, there is now a local brand that just launched called Gulf Soda that sells a machine that does the same thing. They’re selling the soda machine for 50KD without the gas cylinder and come in three colors. The CO2 gas cylinders cost 15KD each and 5KD to refill. So you’re going to pay an initial cost of 65KD to start making your own home carbonated drinks.

If you want to check out their products, their website is gulfsoda.com and their Instagram is @gulfsoda

The Supra name evokes the power, performance, and handling that defined a succession of world-class cars for a quarter of a century, which built a reputation both as formidable performers on the road and all-conquering machines on the racetrack. The GR Supra is the first Toyota global model developed entirely by GAZOO Racing (GR). The team has been developing its cars and people through its participation in motorsports with the goal of making ‘ever-better’ cars ever since first competing in Germany’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race in 2007. GR’s years of knowledge and expertise have been channeled into bringing the Supra back to life in the form of Toyota GR Supra, an all-new expression of pure sports car performance that people the world over will find fun to drive.

The launch of the all-new GR Supra marked the end of a 17-year hiatus since the production of the previous generation concluded in 2002. As with all previous generations, the GR Supra is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle powered by an inline six-cylinder engine. Extensive attention has also been paid to the fundamental elements of wheelbase, tread, and center of gravity, thus achieving superior handling performance befitting a pure sports car.

GR Supra’s 3.0-liter turbocharged engine produces up to 335 hp and 500 Nm of torque. The torque comes on strong even from very low engine speeds, thanks to a combination of a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection, and continuously variable timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. Engine response is further enhanced thanks to the inline six’s variable intake-valve lift system, which adjusts intake valve timing and duration for optimal performance. The 8-speed automatic transmission delivers speedy up and downshifts, and features paddle shifters for manual control when desired. Short ratios for the lower gears and a launch control function, which is not intended for use on public roads or repeated short interval use, enable powerful acceleration with maximum traction.

The Supra offers two driving modes, Normal and Sport. The Sport Mode sharpens throttle response, increases steering weight, and improves transmission shift crispness. This mode also engages a more aggressive active differential tuning and amplifies the exhaust sound. Meanwhile, Traction Mode can be activated as part of the Vehicle Stability Control System to provide track-driving capability by reducing the intervention of the traction and stability control functions. Launch Control is available only when the vehicle is in Sport and Traction modes.

For performance driving enthusiasts, the all-new GR Supra offers an active differential that uses an electric motor and multi-plate clutches to control lateral torque. The active differential precisely controls torque distribution between the rear wheels when cornering under both acceleration and braking, enabling greater momentum through a corner, with step-less variable locking from 0-100 percent. Excellent handling and stability and superior ride comfort are realized through the vehicle’s optimized construction, which incorporates both front double-joint type MacPherson strut suspension and rear multi-link suspension.

For more information or to book a test drive, click here.

There is a local Instagram account that sells children’s books paired with themed dioramas. I originally thought these themed dioramas came with the books and the account was just reselling them, but it turned out that the person was making each diorama themselves.

It’s a cool idea that can make reading more fun so if you have kids check the account @story.trunks.kw

Over the weekend the US Embassy in Kuwait posted a message by President Joe Biden in support of Pride Month and as you can imagine, that didn’t go well.

As of this post, there are over 21,000 comments under that Instagram post with the majority of people being really upset about it. The story was picked up by the international press and is now making its way around the Internet.

I was curious about whether the US Embassy in other Arab countries also posted a similar message supporting Pride Month, and if they did, what kind of reaction people had to it. Below are two lists, one relating to Instagram posts and another relating to Twitter:

US Embassies Pride Post on Instagram
US Embassy in Bahrain – Yes (633 Likes – 4.8K Comments)
US Embassy in Egypt – No
US Embassy in Jordan – No
US Embassy in Kuwait – Yes (2,930 Likes – 21.8K Comments)
US Embassy in KSA – No
US Embassy in Lebanon – No
US Embassy in Qatar – No
US Embassy in the UAE – Yes (609 Likes – 1K Comments)

US Embassies Pride Post on Twitter
US Embassy in Bahrain – Yes and Banner (18 Likes – 73 Comments)
US Embassy in Egypt – No
US Embassy in Jordan – No
US Embassy in Kuwait – Yes (1,009 Likes – 2.3K Comments)
US Embassy in KSA – Yes (560 Likes – 1K Comments)
US Embassy in Lebanon – Yes Retweet (39 Likes – 99 Comments)
US Embassy in Qatar – No
US Embassy in the UAE – Yes (41 Likes – 156 Comments)

A few interesting things. Firstly this wasn’t a universal message posted on all the embassies’ social media accounts. The US Embassy in Bahrain went a step further and replaced its Twitter banner with a Pride Month one. Finally, one thing is pretty apparent from the lists above, Kuwait’s social media response completely shattered the other Arab countries when it came to comments and likes. I’m now curious to see what’s going to happen next if the US Embassy doesn’t remove the post, are we going to boycott US products? Doubt it.

Tim Hortons, the popular Canadian coffee chain is making a comeback in Kuwait after closing down all its locations a few years ago. They’re now coming back to the market with at least two new locations, one in Bida’a next to Melenzane and a second in Kuwait City next to Muthana Complex.

The UAE company Apparel Group is the master franchisee of the Tim Hortons brand in the Middle East. They also have a number of other brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Aldo, Jamie’s Italian, Cold Stone Creamery, and Rituals.

Thanks Basel

Zahra Marwan is an extremely talented visual artist who was born in Kuwait. When the British rule ended in 1961, her father failed to register his citizenship and so was considered stateless (Bedoun). Although her mother was Kuwaiti, Kuwaiti law stipulates that the citizenship of the children is passed on from their father so Zahra was born stateless. As more and more rights of Bedouns were removed, Zahra and her family left Kuwait and immigrated to the United States.

Zahra’s Instagram account is filled with beautifully painted memories and dreams, many of which are related to her time growing up in Kuwait. I’ve got one of her illustrations hanging on my wall and I love it along with the story behind it. I actually met Zahra a few months ago when she was visiting Kuwait and she’s as bubbly and imaginative in real life as her illustrations depict her to be. She’s a great storyteller, not only with her illustrations but also with her captions which is why when she recently published a children’s book, I ordered a copy right away.

“Where Butterflies Fill the Sky” is a book based on the true story of her and her family’s immigration from Kuwait. Her story and memories are beautifully illustrated and written making it as fun to go through for adults as it is for children. Sadly, I just checked all the online English bookshops in Kuwait and none of them seem to carry the book. I ordered mine from Amazon so I guess you’d also have to get it from there. She has a Kindle version available if you don’t want to wait, but I’d definitely recommend the hardcover edition. Here is the link to the book on Amazon.

Also make sure you check out Zahra’s Instagram account @zahra_marwan

A couple of months back I got a new iPad Mini from Xcite and posted a review about it. I spoke about how it would most likely replace my 12.9″ iPad Pro for traveling because of it’s small form factor, and since that post, I’ve actually done just that. I’ve taken my iPad Mini on three trips so far and here is a quick followup review.

Firstly, as I had predicted, the size of the iPad Mini is perfect for traveling. It’s light so it doesn’t add much weight to my backpack, and it’s small enough to fit on the plane’s dropdown table even when not fully extended. I wish I had a photo but I also managed to fit it right next to my food tray, I just had it angled on a corner so I could eat and watch my shows at the same time. The battery life has also been great, unless you’re on a long-haul 16-hour flight from Dubai to LA, you’re not going to need to charge the iPad Mini for the whole trip.

I did come across a downside though and that’s the storage space. I have the 64GB version which I thought would be more than enough for storing shows and movies for my flights but that’s not the case. Well, I also like to take a lot more shows and movies than there is time to watch because I like to have options. So for a two-hour trip I’d like to have around 20 hours worth of content to watch and I can just choose what I want. I mix it up with different genres as well as durations, so some 20min shows, some longer 50min ones, some comedy, some drama etc. But now I’m traveling to London tomorrow and I don’t have enough space to carry the ratio of content to trip duration (In my case it’s like 10:1 I guess 😅). So far this is the content I have downloaded for my trip:

Amazon Video
The Outlaws – 6 Episodes

Apple TV+
CODA – Movie
Severance – 1 Episode
Slow Horses – 1 Episode
The Afterparty – 4 Episodes

HBO MAX
Julia – 3 Episodes
Raised by Wolves – 4 Episodes

Netflix
Indian Matchmaking – 4 Episodes
Formula 1: Drive to Survive – 3 Episodes
Cobra Kai – 6 Episodes
Space Force – 6 Episodes
The Tinder Swindler – Movie
Kate – Movie
Murderville – 6 Episodes

Paramount+
Star Trek: Picard – 4 Episodes
Mayor of Kingstown – 4 Episodes

Showtime
American Rust – 4 Episodes

Not sure if you think that’s a lot or not but for a 6+ hour trip that’s not enough content for me to pick and choose from. In addition to the above, I have around 21 magazines downloaded and I just tried downloading one more and it’s telling me I don’t have enough space. So unlike what I originally stated in my review, 64GB actually isn’t enough and I’d now recommend the 256GB version instead. Other than that, the iPad Mini is the perfect media companion on flights. Here is a link to my previous review.

In May 1960, an international competition was held for the architectural project for the Kuwait National Museum which would be located in the cultural district of the 1952 Master Plan of Kuwait. The competition was won by French architect Michel Écochard and the museum was finally opened in 1983 where it stayed open up until the 1990 invasion. The museum was badly damaged during the war and most of the buildings remained closed (some photos of the destruction here). There were talks at one point of demolishing the museum and building a new one but thankfully in 2014, it was decided to save the existing museum by restoring it.

The restoration project is now complete and the museum is currently in the process of getting ready to reopen. I got invited to a sneak peek of the museum, something that I’ve been wanting for years. I was lucky enough to visit the museum back in the 80s, and although I don’t remember much of it, I do appreciate the fact that they decided to restore the landmark building instead of demolishing it as is the case most of the time.

The Kuwait National Museum is part of the Qibla Cultural District (Google Maps) which includes the Sadu House, the National Library, and Al-Qibla School for Girls Education. The main museum complex comprises of four buildings each housing a different part of Kuwait’s history:

Building 1 – Archeology of Kuwait
Building 2 – Ethnographic History of Kuwait
Building 3 – Ancient East
Building 4 – Ancient East

Buildings 1 and 2 are already open while buildings 3 and 4 are the ones heavily damaged during the war and the ones I got to tour. Buildings 3 and 4 are the largest buildings and will cover art in the Ancient East starting in the 3rd millennium BC going through Arabia before Islam, then the beginning of Islam, followed by the full chronology of Islamic Art.

All four buildings are connected by closed bridges. This means once you enter a building you can navigate the whole museum without stepping outside making it very convenient during the hot summer months.

Minor changes were made to the structure of the buildings, large semi-opaque windows were installed to bring in more daylight, and some minor new stairs and walkways were added due to updated fire safety requirements. All the work looked very tasteful and well-executed although I do wish they had kept the original pink brick facade.

There is also a planetarium outside the museum which you’ve most likely seen driving by on the Gulf Road since it’s the building closest to the road and its round spherical shape is hard to miss.

The planetarium is also in the final stages of renovation and will be reopening soon.

As I mentioned early on in the post, buildings3 and 4 of the museum are currently in the process of getting ready to reopen. They’re expecting that would happen in two years’ time, around 2024. In the meantime, buildings 1 and 2 are open and you can visit those now, here is my previous post about them. Link

Washington Post published a not-so-nice article today about Kuwait that has been making its way around the web. The article, in summary, talks about how Kuwait is a significant polluter, has poor plans in eliminating emissions, and how nobody really cares, yada yada yada. One thing that did catch my attention though was in this paragraph:

An hour drive outside the dingy suburbs of Jahra, wind turbines and solar panels rise from clouds of sand — the fruit of Kuwait’s energy transition ambitions. source

What turbines?? I was pretty surprised I hadn’t heard of it before or seen any pictures. A quick search on Google Maps for “Shagaya Energy Park“, the name of the project, quickly pops up with imagery showing the turbines as well as the solar panels.

It’s on highway 70 which I’ve taken multiple times but I’ve only ever been as far as the Salmi scrapyard. The energy park is a short distance after which is why I never came across it. It might be worth checking out since it seems you can just drive up to the turbines if you go off-road. Here is the location on Google Maps

iHop shut down all their locations in Kuwait earlier this year but it looks like now they’re making a come back again. A few days ago iHop updated their instagram page saying were back.. but only as a delivery brand on Talabat.

Hopefully, they’ll eventually reopen a physical location since I always liked their breakfast.

Good espresso machines aren’t cheap and if you’ve never used one before you might be hesitant to invest in one which is why getting a used machine could be a good idea for a lot of people. There is a local Instagram account that specializes in selling used coffee machines, grinders and various accessories that usually are pretty expensive like Acaia scales. A lot of the items available for sale aren’t even available locally so most likely they were ordered online like I did with my setup.

Some cool brands of machines and grinders I spotted for sale include Baratza, Breville, Eureka, Profetic, La Marzocco, Niche, and Rocket. If you’re interested in making your own coffee at home but don’t want to invest a lot of money, check out what’s for sale on @coffee_market_kw

Thanks radaaitor

The 1976 movie “The Message” is one of the classics currently playing at Cinescape’s 1954 movie theater. What not a lot of people know is that the star of the film, Anthony Quinn came to Kuwait back then because of the movie. Kuwait, Libya and Morocco had originally promised to support the making of the film financially, but when it was rejected by the Muslim World League in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait still kept its financial support which is why I think the press conference was held here.

Above is a short clip from the conference which starts with Anthony Quinn and then is followed by the director Moustapha Akkad. If someone knows where I can find the full video, let me know.

Sitting two seats down to the left of Anthony Quinn is also Farouq Abdul-Aziz, the creator and host of the Kuwait Television cultural show “Cine Club” which aired from 1977 to 1992. According to a recent interview I found with Farouq, turns out he was later hired to document the making of Anthony Quinn’s movie “Lion of the Desert“. You can watch a short clip from that interview above.

And completely random but related, I just found out while researching the info above that Farouq was also responsible for the Kuwait scenes in Ron Fricke’s award-winning movie documentary “Baraka”. He had researched and produced those scenes which you can view above. If you haven’t watched “Baraka” or the follow up film “Samsara“, then you’re missing out.

Kuwait Karting has been under construction for a pretty long time but it’s finally open. Located inside Kout Mall, Kuwait Karting is an indoor track that is composed of multi-levels with an overall length of 512m making it the largest of its kind in the region.

There are two tracks, a small junior track for kids and a larger one for adults. The junior track is for children 7+ and can hold up to 5 cars at a time with sessions that are 6 minutes long. The adult track is for ages 13+, can hold 16 cars at a time and the sessions last slightly longer at 8 minutes. Both tracks use electric karts.

They’re open Saturday to Wednesday from 1pm to 10pm and 2pm to 11pm on Thursdays and Fridays. They’re opening later today for the first time so I don’t have their prices yet, but once I get them I’ll update this post. For more info they’re on Instagram @q8karting

Update: Here are the prices

Adult Track
Weekday: KD 6
Weekend: KD 8

Juniors Track
Weekday: KD 3
Weekend: KD 4

Yesterday I finally left Kuwait for a vacation, my first trip since the pandemic started and the experience turned out to be much more simpler than I had anticipated.

I chose to fly Kuwait Airways to Amsterdam. I’ll be staying here for a couple of nights before I start making my way down to Paris over the next few days driving through Bruges (Brussels on the way back), then hitting up some spots in the North of France before heading down to Paris. When planning the trip I looked at direct flights, I didn’t want to deal with hubs and changing planes so my options were really limited. But, picking Kuwait Airways turned out to be the best idea.

The airport in Kuwait was fairly busy but lots of empty spots in the long term parking. A lot of people including security officers weren’t wearing masks so the atmosphere was fairly laid back. On the plane we also didn’t have to wear masks which was great. I did two PCR tests before I traveled. I did the first one and then realized for Amsterdam I needed a test taken 48 hours before the trip and mine would have expired by the time I landed so I took another one to be safe. Nobody even checked them, not in Kuwait nor in Amsterdam.

In Amsterdam nobody is even wearing masks, it feels so weird, feels like everything is normal again and I’m loving it. Places are super busy, restaurants packed and nobody has a mask on except for a the odd tourist here and there, I love it. The only two places so far that have checked to see if I’m vaccinated or not was passport control at the airport, and a restaurant I had dinner at last night. For both I just showed them my immune app.

I’ll be posting about my trip while I’m here, I haven’t done that sort of posting in forever so I’m looking forward to it. If anyone has any questions about the process of flying out of Kuwait, let me know in the comments.

The game-changing all-new Peugeot 508 GT 2022 has been completely re-imagined to emphasise Peugeot’s new sharp, futuristic design language. Its exemplary road-handling, efficient new engines, and, countless technology features is a quantum leap in terms of quality and innovation, making the new Peugeot 508 a game-changer in the executive salon segment, challenging premium automotive brands.

A bold design

The designers behind the new Peugeot 508 stated their aim clearly; to move away from the conventional boot-lid, four-door shape and evolve the design towards a five-door fastback.

The front end’s purposeful stance is highlighted by the radiator grill, complete with a chrome-plated chequerboard effect, it sits between the LED headlights with the famous Peugeot Lion centered on its grill and the 508 logo on the bonnet.

Vertical LED daytime running lights provide a distinct identity, and the bonnet has been lowered to enhance the dynamic look perfectly aligned with modern Peugeot design language, as well as the roof line of the new Peugeot 508 is low and sleek – following premium sector design cues.

Cutting-edge technology: PEUGEOT i-Cockpit®

Inside the new Peugeot 508, the focus is on quality and originality. The premium instrument panel is centred around the latest version of the exemplary Peugeot i-Cockpit® which is now in its third generation.

PEUGEOT i-Cockpit® includes:
• A compact steering wheel
• 8-10-inch HD touch-screen
• Head-up display unit with a high-resolution 12.3-inch digital screen
Entirely customizable with six different display modes, the i-Cockpit® head up display unit is positioned above the steering wheel and presents driving information within the eye line of the driver.

High-end/ sporty finishing and first-class quality

The 508 GT features a refined, yet sporty interior and is fitted with comfortable AGR certified, red Nappa leather seats- or optionally black Alcantara & Nappa leather seats which envelops passengers in a soft, modern, refined environment. The car is also equipped with a wide-opening panoramic sunroof that floods the cabin with light, a hands free tailgate with a foot sensor and a premium audio system by Focal® for unmatched acoustics.

An intense driving experience

The new Peugeot 508 is faithful to its DNA and benefits from technology and dynamic expertise developed by the PSA Group ensuring a sensational driving experience and breath-taking performance.

The new Peugeot 508 features the PureTech turbo engine with six-speed EAT6 automatic gearbox has an electric gear-lever with one-touch control and electric power-steering ensures the perfect balance between smooth and firm handling for all driving situations.

Exclusive offer for Peugeot 2022 models

Peugeot is offering exclusive offers that you don’t want to miss out on, ranging from Lease to Own programs to 6 yrs offer for your peace of mind!

Lease to own program starting from 145 KD monthly!

6 years peace of mind exclusive offer:
• Starting from 6,950 KD
• 6 years warranty or 150,000 km
• 6 years maintenance or 100,000 km
• 1 year comprehensive insurance
• Highest trade in value

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