Search: “salmiya”

A friend of mine spotted this falcon outside his window in Salmiya. He lives right next to Seef Hospital so I’m guessing it’s their falcon and they use it to keep the pigeons away but that’s just my guess.

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for April. This month they’ve got movies from all over the world. Check out the full list below:

Thursday, April 1st at 07:00 PM
Tekkon kinkurîto, Japan 2006
Director: Michael Arias
Genre: Animation | 111 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, April 3rd at 07:00 PM
Central do Brazil, Brazil 1998
Director: Walter Salles
Genre: Drama | 113 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Thursday, April 8th at 07:00 PM
Vozvrashchenie, Russia 2003
Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
Genre: Drama | 105 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Saturday, April 10th at 07:00 PM
Tuvalu, Germany 1999
Director: Veit Helmer
Genre: Drama | 101 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Thursday, April 15th at 07:00 PM
Offside, Iran 2006
Director: Jafar Panahi
Genre: Drama | 93 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, April 17th at 07:00 PM
SURPRISE FILM – South Korea 2009

Thursday, April 22nd at 07:00 PM
Salmer fra kjøkkenet, Norway 2003
Director: Bent Hamer
Genre: Comedy | 95 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, April 24th at 07:00 PM
Black Cat White Cat, Serbia 1998
Director: Emir Kusturica
Genre: Comedy | 127 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Thursday, April 29th at 07:00 PM
Earth, India 1998
Director: Deepa Mahta
Genre: Drama | 110 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Saturday, May 1st at 07:00 PM
Ali Zaoua, Morocco 2000
Director: Nabil Ayoush
Genre: Drama | 99 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. There is a KD1 charge for the venue fees which includes refreshments, popcorn and much more. Here is a link to their facebook group [Link]

As you know by now the Animal Friends shelter was engulfed by fire and so they now need help rebuilding it again. Animal Friends are going to hold a meeting on Friday to discuss the next steps in this rebuilding process. This is the email I received from them on this subject:

The outpouring of support and generosity since the fire has been overwhelming. Whether it is volunteering, donating, fundraising or fostering, your offers of help are hugely appreciated and will go a long way to help us get the AFL shelter back up and running as soon as possible. We are holding a meeting to give everyone the latest information, to discuss what the next steps are and how we can work together to help the animals.

When: Friday 26th March
Time: 4.00pm to 6.00pm
Location: Moevenpick Al Bida’a. Gulf Road Salmiya
Room Slaysell 2 & 3

Please email Olivia at [email protected] or call on 9737 7867 if you have any questions.

A big thank you to the Moevenpick Al Bida’a who are big supporters of Animal Friends and are allowing us the use of the meeting room and equipment free of charge.

I finally got my veneers installed a couple of days ago at Bayan Dental and my teeth look really great. I also just realized that I used to be a bit self conscious before about my teeth without really knowing it. I only found out now because when I smile or laugh I’m now much more comfortable doing so than I used to be which is great since I spend most of my time smiling or laughing (happy happy joy joy).

I honestly couldn’t imagine getting my veneers done any other place in Kuwait and I’m really glad my dentist (Dr Samer Khaddour) was the one who installed them for me. So if you’re looking for a good dental clinic I highly recommend Bayan Dental. Both me and Nat have been going to their Salmiya branch for over 5 years now and we’ve never had anything to complain about. Here is a link to their website [Link]

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for March. This month it’s Oscar nights! Check out the full list of movies below:

Thursday, March 4th @ 7:00 PM
“Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film 2006”
CORPSE BRIDE, USA 2006
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Animation | 80 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, March 6th @ 7:00 PM
“Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film 2006”
SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS, GERMANY 2005
Director: Mark Rothemund
Genre: Drama | 127 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Thursday, March 11th @ 7:00 PM
“9 Oscar Nominations 2010”
THE HURT LOCKER, USA 2009
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Genre: Drama | 131 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Saturday, March 13th @ 7:00 PM
SURPRISE FILM

Thursday, March 18th @ 7:00 PM
“Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film 1998”
CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, IRAN 1998
Director: Majid Majidi
Genre: Drama | 89 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, March 20th @ 7:00 PM
Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film 1999
CENTRAL DO BRAZIL, BRAZIL 1998
Director: Walter Salles
Genre: Drama | 113 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Thursday, March 25th @ 7:00 PM
“Best Screenplay Based on Published 2010”
IN THE LOOP, UK 2009
Director: Armando Lanucci
Genre: Comedy | 106 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Saturday, March 27th @ 7:00 PM
“Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film 1986”
WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS, YUGOSLAVIA 1985
Director: Emir Kusturica
Genre: Comedy | 136 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. There is a KD1 charge for the venue fees which includes refreshments, popcorn and much more. Here is a link to their facebook group [Link]

I’ve been visiting Bayan Dental for over 5 years now. I first found out about them from Zaydoun and ever since me and Nat have been getting all our dental work done there at their Salmiya branch. They were actually featured in my Miskan project back in 2005 as Day 303 which is where the picture above is from. Once every few months I pass by my dentist (Dr Samer Khaddour) for scaling because I know that the longer the gap between my visits the more I am going to suffer during my session so I try to keep the gaps small. My dentist and Nat always seem to team up on me since they find my fear amusing but I’m slowly slowly getting over it.

Anyway I recently got approached by Bayan Dental and got offered veneers for free if in return I could post and explain what veneers were on my blog and also about my experience getting them installed. I didn’t have a clue what veneers were but after a quick google followed by a detailed explanation from Bayan I found these two words the best way to explain them… Hollywood smile. Veneers give you the perfect smile and you get them installed in one hour without any pain or anesthesia and they last forever.

I asked them if my dentist could install them for me and since he specializes in restorative and aesthetic dentistry they told me it shouldn’t be a problem. Since then I’ve already had a couple of visits with my dentist getting a mould of my teeth done so I could see how my teeth currently look and how they will look once I am done. They will be sending me a bunch of pictures of difference cases before and after veneers so I could share them here with some proper information about veneers and how they work. For now I thought I would post this to keep everyone in the loop on whats going on. If you have any questions about veneers (and I guess anything dental related) you can post them below since someone from Bayan will be reading the comments and answering any questions you might have.

Since we’re on the subject of dentistry for those of you who have a fear from dentists you could post what concerns you have below and I could try to answer them from my experience like for example how much pain or discomfort a procedure might have or how long certain things take etc.. I haven’t done all the procedures but I think I’ve done most of the general ones. One thing I’ve learned from my experience is that if you have a dental issue now and you don’t take care of it, it will only get worse tomorrow and the fix becomes more complicated.

Update: If you’ve never been to Bayan Dental before, just mention my blog when you go in and you will get a 17% discount on non cosmetic procedures.

Last month I posted about a drive-through car wash near my house in which they let you sit in the car while it’s getting washed. Well a reader pointed me towards another car wash also nearby that had what he called a LaserWash. So not knowing what exactly a laser wash was I decided to pass by today and check it out.

Turns out LaserWash is a touch free automated car wash which means that it doesn’t contain brushes and nothing except water and soap touch your car. The idea is that since there is no physical contact then there isn’t anything that will scratch your car. I recorded a video of a wash which takes around 5 minutes which you could watch above. My car was just dusty except for a bug stain on the windshield. After the wash the dust was gone and the car was all shiny but the bug stain was still there.

Would I use it again? Maybe, I had to wait an hour and a half today to get the car washed which defeats the whole purpose of a quick drive through. I might have as well driven to Al Falah in Kuwait City, gotten my car washed there properly and gotten back home. But if the place is empty and my car is just dusty why not.

The LaserWash is located at the Oula gas station next to the Jawazat roundabout near Souk Salmiya. The cost was KD1.750 for just an exterior cleaning. [YouTube]

I have two sets of photos to share with you in this post. The first set is taken I think in 1979 on the Gulf Road near the Kuwait Towers. I am assuming they’re taken in 1979 because I was born in 1978 and I think I look like a year old in the pictures. I am not enjoying the fact that I am sharing my baby pictures with strangers but these were the only pictures of a vintage national day parade I could find and I feel its important they be shared.

The second group of photos below were taken in 2005 in Salmiya, Salem Mubarek Street near Sultan Center. The whole street starting from Central Plaza down to Eureka was closed and made pedestrian only. It was like a big carnival mixed in with a parade. Lots of fun and as you can see from the pictures it was pretty packed but not chaotic.

So my question is why have these parades stopped? How did National Day celebration turn from a wonderful event into something that’s gotten completely out of control with foaming. This year I heard a lot of reports of actually spray paint being used instead of foam and I actually saw a car that had been spray painted. Kids and teenagers are still opening your car doors and spraying you and whoever else is inside with you. Many people decide to travel during this holiday so they could avoid this chaos while other people like me try to spend time indoors to avoid being attacked on the streets. And yes I am calling it attacked because when you get foamed against your will that’s harassment. No one has the right to foam you, foam your car and they definitely don’t have the right to open your doors and spray you. I am not even talking about spray paint, urine or any other chemical some kids use.

Can this year please be the last year National and Liberation Day turn into a horrifying foam fest and instead can we please go back to fun for the family street parades?

update: A reader sent me this link to news article on Arab Times, it seems there were 200 injuries and 1 death due to foaming this year. [Link]

update2: Tonight (Sunday 28th) Nat was on her way back from the gym, she was driving on the Gulf Road casually when suddenly just before Texas Chicken a kid jumps out into the street and sprays her while another kid throws a can of foam at the car scratching the paint job. WTF?

A new and small drive through car wash opened up at the gas station near my house. It’s an Oula gas station at the end of 4th Ring Road towards Salmiya. What’s cool about the car wash is the fact you don’t leave your car while it’s getting washed. It’s more fun that way and the sound of the machines and water around the car makes the whole experience sound like a Nine Inch Nails song. Very cool!

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for February. Starting this month they will start charging KD1 for the venue fees including refreshments, popcorn and much more. There are lots of good movies this month, here is the list:

Thursday, February 4th
OUTSOURCED, USA/CANADA 2006
Director: John Jeffcoat
Genre: Comedy | 103 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, February 6th
WHEN MARIAM SPOKE, LEBANON 2001
Director: Asad Fouladkar
Genre: Drama | 98 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Thursday, February 11th
UNDERGROUND, SERBIA 1995
Director: Emir Kusturica
Genre: Comedy | 170 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 15

Saturday, February 13th
SURPRISE FILM

Thursday, February 18th
HOUSE OF GAMES, USA 1987
Director: David Mamet
Genre: Thriller | 102 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, February 20th
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, USA 2000
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Genre: Adventure | Mystery | 102 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 18

Thursday, February 25th
CORPSE BRIDE, USA 2005
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Animation | Drama | 80 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, February 27th
SOPHIE SCHOLL: THE FINAL DAYS, GERMANY 2005
Director: Mark Rothemund
Genre: Drama | 127 min | English Subtitle
Rated: 15+

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Here is a link to their facebook group [Link]

A reader called Haresh sent me the picture above which he took last night around 8:45PM. I checked and the picture isn’t retouched, its straight out of the camera. That looks like a pretty big lightning strike.

Picture was taken with an Olympus E-520 with an f-stop of 5.6 and shutter speed of 5 seconds. Location is Salmiya.

Well this post was going to be the ultimate water review but after drinking around 2 liters of water I threw in the towel. Other than the fact that I think I overdosed on water, they all started tasting the same after the third bottle. BUT, it didn’t go all to waste. I was able to answer the most important question… Does a KD5 bottle of water taste better than a 100fils bottle?

I picked up my bottles of water from four different sources, Dean & Deluca, Carrefour, Sultan Center Souk Sharq and Sultan Center Salmiya and I paid a total of KD17.330 for 19 bottles of water. I actually spent the bulk of that at Dean & Deluca purchasing 4 bottles of water which came out to KD11. I’ve listed all the bottles below with their prices but the KD5 bottle I will be reviewing is the one I got from Dean & Deluca called 10 Thousand BC. This is what it says on the back of the bottle:

Locked in an icy vault for over 10,000 years, this water comes from the remote and sheltered Coastal Glacier Range, that literally vibrates with the rich fragrance of health and vitality. Experience the pure, natural taste captured in 10 THOUSAND BC.

The competition? Our very own locally produced Al Rawdatain. It’s my favorite water and I like the brand a lot probably because it reminds me of my childhood. So how was it going to do against the water that comes from the beautiful coastal glacier range of British Columbia, Canada? Not very good.

You can take what I am about to say with a grain of salt since I am no water expert but the 10 Thousand BC water did taste better. I really felt like I was drinking snow, it smelled like snow and tasted like snow. Nat thinks I am losing it but I still have a bit of water left in the bottle (saving it for a special occasion like when Prince Charles comes over) to prove her wrong. The bottle looks great and the story behind the water is breathtaking. Al Rawdatain on the other hand tasted pretty normal but at 60fils its over 500 times cheaper. The Al Rawdatain water also came in a plastic bottle which although not as pretty as the 10 Thousand BC glass bottle can at least handle a fall without breaking.

So 10 Thousand BC tasted better but seriously who would buy a KD5 bottle of water to drink regularly? It’s actually one of the most expensive bottles of water in the world. I mean KD5 is an affordable luxury, anyone can afford it if they want to try it but does anyone drink it casually?

Check out the list of prices below.

Last night I went and watched Avatar in 3D at the movies here in Lebanon. I’ve been trying to watch it the past few nights but it’s always sold out except for yesterday when I managed to find two seats empty.. first row on the left. Horrible location but I figured if it was really bad I could just walk out and come back another time.

It was the first time I watch a movie in 3D, actually the second time since the first was JAWS when it was released in Cinema Salmiya back in the early 80s. I wasn’t looking forward to wearing 3D glasses and actually wanted to watch Avatar in 2D because of the stupid glasses but it was only showing in 3D so I didn’t have a choice. That turned out to be a good thing.

I loved the movie and I loved the 3D. 3D theater technology has come a long way since JAWS that’s for sure. Even though I was sitting on the first row and to the side I still managed to enjoy the movie and the 3D effects. I had a major neck cramp by the end of the movie and I really wished I was sitting in a better location but that still didn’t change the fact that this movie is EPIC. I wasn’t expecting to be impressed since from the trailers the movie looked normal but honestly the trailer doesn’t do it any justice. You need to watch the movie on a big screen and you NEED to watch it in 3D.

I heard that Cinescape is having technical problems with Avatar in 3D and so they’re only playing the 2D version for now. I think I read on Gizmodo that a lot of theaters worldwide are having similar technical issues so its really not their fault. I personally think you should wait until they fix their problem and then watch it in 3D. It would be a shame to watch it in 2D especially if you haven’t watched any 3D movie before because this would be the perfect one to start with.

I didn’t have any problems with the movie, nothing to complain about. The story was great, the length was perfect and passed by quickly, the movie was just perfect. The final score is a 5 out of 5. Keep in mind I watched this movie from the worse location possible so everyone else should have a much better experience. [YouTube]

Got this from the MOI website (fixed some spelling mistakes but too lazy to fix the grammar). Looks like its going to be one crappy week:

In preparation for the GCC summit some roads will be closed starting from Monday 14/12/2009 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM

1. King Faisal motorway will be closed from the Airport to Fifth Ring Road.
2. King Faisal main motorway the side coming from Kuwait city after Yarmok area towards the Airport will be closed and diverted to Fifth Ring Road as an alternative road for both sides to Jahra and Salmiya.
3. King Fahad main motorway coming from the city will be closed and diverted to Fifth Ring Road both toward Jahra and Salmiya.
4. King Fahad main motorway coming from Fahaheel will be closed and diverted to Six Ring Road of both sides left side to Jahra and right side to Salmiya.
5. Side road of the Fifth Ring Road going to King Fahad motorway which coming from Salmiya towards Ahmadi will be closed only but towards city is permitted.
6. King Khaled bin Abdulaziz with all intersections will be completely closed starts from Khaitan Club bridge to Mishref bridge of King Fahad motorway.
7. Sabhan road, from Seventh Ring Road to Sabah Airport road will be completely closed for both sides.

For all who want to go to Kuwait International Airport, they either to take airport road towards Six Ring Road on the right side to cargo station or through Ghazali motorway to cargo station then to the airport.

And for all who want to go to Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Airport terminal have to go towards Sabhan Qurain bridge road and King Fahad motorway and take road (208) the military show road.

Alternative roads
All road users in case of close of all previously mentioned closed roads can use the following routs:
– All seven ring roads (First Ring Road-Second Ring Road-Third Ring Road-Fourth Ring Road-Fifth Ring Road-Sixth Ring Road-Seventh Ring Road) of both sides are open towards Jahra and Salmiya.
– Ghazali motorway.
– King Abdulaziz (Fahaheel motorway) both sides.
– Airport road, Farwaniya side.

The Traffic General Department is calling upon road users to cooperate with policemen and follow the issued instructions for the success of the summit events.

[source]

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for December:

Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 PM
BRODRE, DENMARK 2004
Director: Susan Bier
Genre: Drama | 146 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 PM
COUSCOUS, TUNISIA 2007
Director: Abdellatif Kecheiche
Genre: Drama | 148 min | English Subtitle

Thursday, December 10th at 7:00 PM
DEATH NOTE – THE LAST NAME, JAPAN 2007
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Genre: Adventure | Mystery | 141 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 12th at 7:00 PM
SURPRISE FILM

Thursday, December 17th at 7:00 pm
A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, USA 1993
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Comedy | Musical | 80 min | English Subtitle

Saturday, December 19th at 7:00 pm
UN CONTE DE NOEL, FRANCE 2008
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Genre: Drama | 150 min | English Subtitle

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. Attendance is free of charge and snacks and refreshments will be served.

Here is a link to their facebook group [Link]