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Busy weekend but super busy Saturday. Lots of things to do but the most popular event is probably the Russell Peters show. If you haven’t bought tickets already you’re out of luck since they’re already sold out. Check out the full list of events for this weekend below:

Thursday
The Honey Bee Exhibition
The Avenues Food Market
Good Vibes Festival
Film Screening: Vanishing of the Bees
Rooftop Movie: A Master Builder

Friday
The Honey Bee Exhibition
The Avenues Food Market
Gingerbread Cookie Decoration
Chill-Out Fridays

Saturday
The Honey Bee Exhibition
The Avenues Food Market
Spark Marathon
Farmers Trip
Guided Tour: Old Kuwait City
Yoga at the Park
Madeenah Tour: An Unexpected Landscape
Protein Sheikhas: Bootcamp
Art and a Burger on the Side
Urban Beekeeping: Talk and Live Demonstration
Rooftop Movie: Mood Indigo
Russell Peters Almost Famous in Kuwait

If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]

Note: Sometimes events get canceled, postponed or have details changed. I try to make sure all the information is accurate but always double check with the organizers to be sure.

Ok since I’ve been drinking in the Abu Dhabi airport for the past few hours and I’ve been listening to David Bowie’s Starman on loop… I’m now in a slightly better mood. So, I figured I’d post what was actually cool about flying with Etihad to Los Angeles. This was my third trip to the U.S. in the past 6 months, the first time I flew British Airways, the second time United Airlines and this third time with Etihad.

I personally prefer as direct a flight as possible since I pop a sleeping pill and xanax combo that basically knocks me out for most of the flight. So 5 hours or 10 or 15 doesn’t make a difference for me. Stopping half way is annoying, I just want to settle down in my seat, sleep and then wake up in my destination. United Airlines was a direct flight but their planes were pretty old and they’re now no longer flying out of Kuwait.

Etihad and Emirates both have direct flights to LA but Etihad has one major advantage over Emirates. U.S. Border Control are located at the Abu Dhabi Airport. It’s so odd I’m not sure why they chose Abu Dhabi, their only other location outside of North America is in Ireland. What this means is you get all your security and visa procedures done at the Abu Dhabi airport and then once you land in the States you don’t have to go through any of it. You actually land in the US as a domestic flight, you walk out of the plane, pick up your bags and leave the airport. This is very convenient especially for those who don’t have US or Canadian passports since the immigration lines on arrival to the U.S are usually super long.

The downside of Etihad is there is a high chance you’re gonna miss a connecting flight. A lot of my friends have missed connecting flights in Abu Dhabi because their flight from Kuwait was delayed or in my case, even when my flight wasn’t delayed I still managed to miss my connecting flight to Kuwait. It’s a gamble so just make sure you know the risk.

A couple of weekends back I borrowed the Lexus NX 200t from the dealership so that I could review it for my blog. I had emailed them requesting it since I’d been admiring the car for awhile now and was curious to try it out. Lexus weren’t really know for exciting or breakthrough designs but the NX completely changed my perception on them.

My favorite color on a car is usually black, but not in this case. I was actually disappointed when I picked up the car to find out it was black. The NX is designed with a lot of sharp lines and black just hides all of them. Not only that but one of the nicest design elements in the car are the rear lights which stretch across the side of the car over the rear tire. But in black that part doesn’t show and instead blends in with the rest of the car. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to show off how beautiful the car really is in my photos because of the color, but I also figured there are tons of them on the road already so more than likely you’ve come across a lighter colored version.

The NX is a cross over vehicle which makes it smaller than a proper SUV but slightly larger than a standard car. They always feel like oversized hatchbacks to me and the NX isn’t any different here. It’s a 4-cylinder turbo engine with front wheel drive but it never felt like it lacked any power on the road. Obviously the fact that we don’t have any mountainous roads helps a lot with that. In the States they have a hybrid model which comes with an electric motor for the rear wheels turning it into an all wheel drive car. Not sure if we have that option in Kuwait, I didn’t see any at the dealership and I forgot to ask them if they had any.

Like all Lexus cars, the interior was plush with leather all around including on the dashboard. The entertainment system interface still feels outdated which is disappointing. They’ve also replaced their finicky joypad with an even more finicky trackpad. I hated the trackpad, it seemed like anytime I accidentally tapped it the car would change a setting or forward a song or perform some other unwanted action. The trackpad along with the outdated interface were the only things I actually didn’t like about the car. Actually come to think of it, the sound system wasn’t that great, mostly because if there was any bass in the track the rear trunk door would loudly rattle annoyingly. For the passengers sitting in the rear, there’s pretty good legroom. I’m over 6ft tall and as you can see in the photo below I didn’t have any space issues.

Like I mentioned at the start of this post the NX is a pretty hot looking car. Lexus have managed to carve out a look that can’t be mistaken for any other car on the road except possibly their larger RX series. The starting price isn’t that bad at KD12,950. It kinda seems like a good deal considering you’re getting a good looking Lexus with a nice all leather interior and Lexus reliability. They have an F-Sport version which looks even better with larger wheels and slightly more aggressive styling, but that’s priced at around KD16,000. It’s a great car overall, but Lexus should definitely give their entertainment system interface a major overhaul. If you’re interested in test driving the car you can do so by contacting the dealer. Here is a link to their [Website]

Last week Huawei sent me to CES 2016 in Las Vegas to cover the experience for my blog. The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the largest electronics shows that takes place during the year and the largest event that takes place in Las Vegas period. If you checked any electronics or gadgets blog last week like Gizmodo or The Verge then you were probably overwhelmed by all the CES related posts that they published. Well I’m not going to do the same here, instead I’m going to highlight just some of my favorite things I saw at CES this year.

The whole experience was insane since the Las Vegas Convention Center is HUMONGOUS. I thought the watch expo Basel World was huge when I visited it in 2013 but CES is so much larger. It’s hard to explain how big it is, I mean just the lobby of one of the halls was larger than any of the halls at the Kuwait International Fair Ground. CES was so huge that it took me more than 2 hours of fast walking to cover all the halls and then after I left I found out I had even missed one hall completely. There was so much stimulation everywhere I looked that I felt like I was having out of body experience at one point.

Anyway, below are some of the things that stuck out for me, if you follow me on twitter (@mark248am) then you’ve probably already seen most of the below but with less details.

Ever since the paleo diet gained popularity, seeds have had a new and profound role in our diet. What was once looked at as a garnish or snack food has now been found to be an essential addition to our diets to reap the benefits they have to offer. Today we’ll be taking a look at the different small but mighty seeds that you can include in your diet to get the much needed nutritional boost.

Chia – we can’t talk about seeds without mentioning the infamous chia seeds. Believe it or not, chia seeds actually come from the mint plant family. What makes chia seeds so versatile is their ability to absorb almost 10 times their weight, therefore they have become a great thickening agent to add to foods like puddings, pancakes or even shakes. Let’s take a look at what makes this seed a number 1 superfood (nutrition facts provided for 1 ounce/28g/2 tablespoons):

Protein: 4g

Fiber: 11g

Fat: 9g (5g are Omega 3)

Calories: 137 kcals

Rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium this tiny seed is a great addition to your daily dietary habits. I would personally add it to water sometimes (but drink up quick or else it’ll form a thick gel), green juices, and salads. Weight loss capabilities of this seed have not been scientifically proven!

Flax – this super oily seed is rich in omega 3’s, fiber Vitamin B1, copper and magnesium. Definitely a must add to your daily eating habits. Flax seeds should be ground before consuming, but do keep in mind that it is a seed rich in fats therefore it can go rancid if ground and not refrigerated. Let’s take a look at the nutritional profile of flax seeds (per 1 ounce/28 grams/4 tablespoons):

Protein: 5g

Fiber: 8g

Fat: 12g (6g are Omega 3)

Calories: 150 kcals

Looking at the nutritional profile, you can see that the flax seed contains more fats that the chia seed yet almost the same amount of omega 3’s; making the chia seed a greater source of omega 3’s with lesser calories.

Sesame – very commonly used in our region, yet I for sure never thought twice about the nutritional benefits of this mighty seed. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium, great for your bones and migraines, and zinc, an immune system booster! Definitely worth thinking twice about, before skimping on the zaatar mix or bread with sesame seeds. As for it’s nutritional profile for 1 ounce/28 grams/2 tablespoons, the following is what sesame seeds have to offer:

Protein: 5g

Fiber: 4g

Fat: 13.6g

Calories: 161 kcals

Compared to the previous two seeds, sesame seeds are the fattiest so far, but still has a decent amount of protein in it. Sesame seeds stand out with their iron content, one of the richest seeds in iron, I highly recommend it for vegetarians suffering from anemia.

Pumpkin – who would’ve thought that this nutritious vegetable would also have very nutritious seeds? How nutritious? Let’s start by saying that pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc and manganese, which have huge effects on helping boost your immune system, bone health and possibly help control blood sugar (to a certain degree of course). Looking at the nutritional facts, pumpkin seeds have the following to offer (1 ounce/28 grams/2 tablespoons):

Protein: 10g

Fiber: 2g

Fat: 14g

Calories: 160 kcals

All those seeds provide us with various forms of antioxidants, minerals, fiber, protein and healthy fats! You cannot go wrong by adding them to your diet, just be sure to control your portion by measuring out how the amount you’d like to eat. I love adding them to salads or my oatmeal and my green juice at times. How would you add those seeds to your food?

Post by Hyatt Al Sayegh, a Clinical Dietitian and Dr. Sears Health Coach.
Founder of Fork Fed.

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In a market that offers tenure jobs to any citizen hired in the public sector, the notion of being your own boss and taking responsibility of generating income sounds like sheer madness to most. Only those who are born with an appetite for taking risk, who have a burning desire to bring their vision to life, or who have been groomed slowly into the role, can make the decision to become an entrepreneur. That being said, once you made that decision to start your own business in most cases you need some paper (a.k.a. moola, dough, or cash.) There are many options; here are a few for you to consider:

– If you were an ex-banker or worked in the financial industry in general you could use your contacts to fund your startup by attracting a number of companies to own shares in a new company (your startup) assuming that it’s a large project that can generate the kind of profit such companies look for.

– Taking a bank loan is another option. Bear in mind that when you have monthly installments your business idea must be cash flow positive (i.e. if you supply wholesale and get paid after 90 days you could run out of cash at any month and not be able to cover your loan for that month).

– You can always turn to family and friends for funding. WARNING: If your friends and family are not businesspeople they could either be impatient and push you for faster returns, ask for a buyout because they suddenly need the cash, or feel free to interfere in running the business. If you have no option but to ask friends and family, then make it crystal clear that you want the money as a loan or as investment with potential dividends but not as managing partners. Either way, buy large boxes of Panadol.

– Being funded by a government programme such as the Kuwait Small Projects Development Co. initiative is another option if you were Kuwaiti, know your business and willing to run it yourself. It has an exit option so you can own the business eventually all by yourself.

– Although technically there’s no legal platform for crowdfunding you can always get your commercial license going along with accepting online payments like Knet and credit cards and then use social media to ask your target audience to purchase your developing product in advance in exchange for some unique benefits conditional to the fact that you’re doing something new. Visit Kickstarter to have an idea.

– Partnerships work well only if the partners’ skills complement each other (think Yin-Yang) and be clear from Day Zero what each is responsible for and respect each other’s boundaries even when you disagree about the decision.

– Ultimately, if you can start your own business without giving up any equity then you’re in a sweet spot. If you don’t have the cash yet but you can save it in a year or so, go for it. You’ll be better off.

This week’s tip: before you decide on any type of funding, know what you want to achieve and be clear on why you want to achieve it. Then see if the price you pay for that funding (and there’s always a price) will jeopardize your focus and goals. If it could, either put in place conditions that can protect your vision or walk way from that funding option.

Post by Loaay Ahmed, a strategic business therapist since 1995. He currently lives and works in London, UK, while earning his master’s in Service Design Innovation, and managing knightscapital in Kuwait. For Loaay’s advice on business or work matters, send a short email to [email protected]. Regrettably, only the questions chosen for publishing will be answered.

Last week I posted about the LEGO store officially opening in Kuwait and a lot of readers were curious to know how the prices were compared to the U.S. So I decided to pass by the store and randomly pick out a few items from the different LEGO collections to compare. Below is a list of 18 different items with their prices in Kuwait as well as their prices on Amazon.

LEGO Star Wars 75095 Tie Fighter
Kuwait: KD149.950
Amazon: KD61

LEGO Star Wars 75059 Sandcrawler
Kuwait: KD159.950
Amazon: KD91

LEGO Star Wars 10240 Red Five X-Wing Starfighter
Kuwait: KD129.950
Amazon: KD78

LEGO Star Wars 75054 AT-AT Building Toy
Kuwait: KD97.950
Amazon: KD48

LEGO Minecraft 21118 The Mine
Kuwait: KD73.950
Amazon: KD38

LEGO Pirates 70413 The Brick Bounty
Kuwait: KD72.950
Amazon: KD45

LEGO Architecture 21019 The Eiffel Tower
Kuwait: KD18.950
Amazon: KD10

LEGO Architecture 21017 Imperial Hotel
Kuwait: KD69.950
Amazon: KD39

LEGO City Police 60068 Crooks’ Hideout
Kuwait: KD32.950
Amazon: KD16

LEGO City Police 60047 Police Station
Kuwait: KD65.950
Amazon: KD24

LEGO City Space Port 60080 Spaceport
Kuwait: KD60.950
Amazon: KD29

LEGO Simpsons 71006 The Simpsons House
Kuwait: KD134.950
Amazon: KD61

LEGO Creator Expert 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper
Kuwait: KD69.500
Amazon: KD39

LEGO Creator Expert 10246 Detective’s Office
Kuwait: KD99.500
Amazon: KD48

LEGO Creator 10232 Palace Cinema
Kuwait: KD79.950
Amazon: KD45

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 31313
Kuwait: KD249.950
Amazon: KD106

LEGO Technic 42039 24 Hours Race Car
Kuwait: KD76.950
Amazon: KD33

LEGO Technic 42030 VOLVO L350F Wheel Load
Kuwait: KD169.950
Amazon: KD74

As you probably noticed, the prices in Kuwait are double that of Amazon and in one case triple. It’s pretty ridiculous considering this is an official store. One of my readers made the extra effort and contacted LEGO to complain about the prices. They replied to him with the following:

Dear Quintin,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.

I’m sorry you’re not happy with the price of LEGO® sets in Kuwait. We know we’re lucky to have so many loyal LEGO fans around the world and we’re always pleased to get feedback – especially when it’s about how we can improve.

Finding the right price for a toy isn’t easy and depends on a lot of considerations. To name a few, our marketing team looks at statistical data about a country’s population, transportation costs, currency exchange rates, local laws and taxes and the prices of other toys. No two countries are exactly the same, so the price may be different from country to country.

Futhermore, to date we do not have any official LEGO® stores in the either Kuwait and Dubai. Therefore, it is not the LEGO group who have set the prices in the particular stores you are referring to, but the individual stores themselves

Please let us know if you need anything else.

Kind regards,

Onno
LEGO® Service

What do they mean they don’t have an official LEGO store in Kuwait? My guess is the customer support person hasn’t been updated on new store openings. In any case, based on their response I’m guessing the reason LEGO costs twice as much in Kuwait is because people here can afford to pay that much. Sucks I know.

One of the theories behind why The Address fire in Dubai spread so quickly was because of the flammable exterior building panels. The panels are similar to the ones seen all over Kuwait on many skyscrapers and other buildings like Coops and Hospitals. I personally think the grey colored panels should be banned for esthetic reasons. They’re like white Toyota Corollas, practical and affordable but look bland and lack any kind of personality.

Now, because of The Address fire I found out that theres even a better reason to ban them, they’re extremely flammable. According to the Daily Mail, the metal cladding has a very flammable plastic core and has been banned in the UK since 1980. In the UAE they were banned on new buildings in 2013 after a high-rise caught fire in 2012. So if its not for cosmetic reasons, I hope the panels get banned in Kuwait for safety reasons.

Update: Gizmodo have an article on this as well [Link]

In case you missed it, a selfie taken by a Kuwaiti couple in Dubai with The Address Hotel in the background up in flames went viral this weekend and not for good reason. Loads of people thought the photo was in bad taste and started commenting about it on social media. Personally I didn’t think it was funny, but I also didn’t find it offensive or anything of the sort. If anything I thought the Burj Khalifa fireworks show next door while The Address was still on fire was more inappropriate but I guess to each his own. The Daily Mail posted an article on the photo earlier today and you can read that [Here]

As we’re approaching the end of 2015 and going onto 2016; I thought it would be interesting to go through some of the food/nutrition trends that have emerged this year and discuss whether or not we should take them with us onto 2016. Quinoa was a big hit in 2013, that year was even declared as the “International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations; while gluten-free products became a hit in 2014. Reflecting back at the year 2015, many nutritional trends have been adopted, some are great while others are not so great. Let’s take a look at the top 5 nutrition trends for this year and you can decide whether or not they are worth keeping in your diet.

Kale – I would have to say that nothing made it big this year as much as kale did. Loaded with vitamins A, C and K this leafy green vegetable is a great addition to any diet; but so are most leafy greens! Kale is not the only veggie that is a nutrient powerhouse; therefore if you like the taste and enjoy it keep it, otherwise just stick to locally grown seasonal veggies like spinach, jute leaves (molokhiya), parsley and coriander leaves.

Greek Yogurt – This dairy food is one of the most versatile out there. Used as a snack or accompanied with a main dish, Greek yogurt is very high in protein and low in carbohydrates making it a favorite food among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. You do have to be cautious with Greek yogurt as it can be very high in fat. My recommendation is to choose a low fat option and aim for around 2 servings of dairy a day.

Green Tea – This has been a trend for a while and I have yet to understand why. Yes, green tea is loaded with antioxidants but so is black and white teas. Green tea does have a high amount of polyohenols (antioxidants) which can be absorbed at higher amounts by adding lemon to it. So if you can have your green tea without any sugar and add a lemon to it, you’ll be doing your body a huge favor! But don’t worry if you haven’t developed a liking to green tea as research shows black and white teas are just as good as long as you have them sans the sugar!

Avocados – My favorite trend of the year! I have been a fan of avocados ever since my freshman year at university; creamy, delicious and a great addition to any meal to help boost that good cholesterol in your body. Definitely a keeper in my book! Loaded with healthy fats, potassium and fiber this fruit is a great daily addition to anybody’s diet. Add it to your salads, your breakfasts or even shakes but be careful to not over do it – 1/2 an avocado is all you need as it is a very nutrient and calorie dense food.

Coconut Oil – This craze, in my opinion, will go on to 2016 in the nutrition world. Researchers have not reached a conclusion as to whether or not it does cause heart disease, increase weight loss, or even suppress your appetite, but the research is still going on, and it will take time before any conclusions will be made. Coconut oil is high in saturated fats (the heart disease causing kind) and therefore we should be a bit more cautious when using them, despite the fact that many argue otherwise. I think olive oil seems to be the safest fat to use in moderation, so until I hear more from research I’ll be using coconut oil as a beauty product and hold off on using it in my food.

What do you think of this year’s nutrition trends? Are there any that you are planning to keep? I think the best advice I can give is for you to test foods out yourself and see how your body reacts to them. What could be beneficial to one person might not be to another. I, for example, have tried adding in quinoa to my diet several times but was not successful because of my sensitive colon. Just remember that no one knows their body better than you do. I wish you all a very happy new year filled with health and happiness!

Post by Hyatt Al Sayegh, a Clinical Dietitian and Dr. Sears Health Coach.
Founder of Fork Fed.

Image Source

I don’t follow any “fashionistas” on instagram but every now and then a few appear on my explore page and I usually end up flipping through their accounts just to check them out. Majority don’t really capture my attention or stick out but @theurbananalyst is one of the accounts I actually spend more than a second on just because she has a sort of emo look I like as well as her photos having a great color grading style. So last week I ran into her and asked her what she did for a living and she told me she was a student and that she was only 15. I was like say whaaaaaaaaat?

I don’t think I had any talents or skills when I was 15 so I thought it was pretty cool that she’s managed to create a look and style that separates her from the rest. So if you’re looking for a cool fashion account to follow, check her out @theurbananalyst

As far as the regular Uber cars (a.k.a. uberX) the experience in London can be mostly described as no frills. The driver takes you from A to B and you’re done. A few drivers from a certain ethnic background try to cheat the system. The platform is designed in a way that the driver doesn’t know the destination until he starts the trip. To avoid accepting a short trip that won’t make them a lot of money, some drivers call you to ask about where you’re going or falsely start the trip on the system and either way if they don’t like it, they’ll cancel or worse ask you to cancel because they’re “stuck on the road”. According to Uber rules, if you cancel the request when the car is less than five minutes away from you, you’re charged £5.00. Of course, I complain through the app and within minutes they apologise in an email and refund me. Not that much of a pleasant experience, and that’s in London. Strange enough, the driver’s attitude in New York is much better.

I don’t claim to know how Uber will legally operate in Kuwait – that’s if they manage to make it happen. However, if they open the door to individuals as they do elsewhere I am concerned about the quality of the experience customers will have. The Kuwaiti market suffers a great deal from poor customer experiences caused by both sides: untrained and/or unfriendly staff and rude or unresponsive customers. I know I’m generalising but this is the mainstream scene. With immature consumer behaviour and a lack of professionalism from drivers who feel empowered to treat you anyway they like when they’re hiding behind the app’s platform the experience can be rigged or ruined in spite of regulations. That being said, Uber claims to be strict with drivers who receive poor ratings. Regardless of the business model Uber chooses, it would be better for the Kuwaiti market if Uber offers existing taxi companies to join their system conditional to following strict regulations that can be monitored. At least, we’ll have less horn-honking on the streets from taxis trying to get the attention of people walking by. This week’s tip: Expanding from one location to another is a sound move, if and only if, you can consistently maintain the standards of operation everywhere.

Post by Loaay Ahmed, a strategic business therapist since 1995. He currently lives and works in London, UK, while earning his master’s in Service Design Innovation, and managing knightscapital in Kuwait. For Loaay’s advice on business or work matters, send a short email to [email protected]. Regrettably, only the questions chosen for publishing will be answered.

With the release of Star Wars Force Awaken, a lot of new Star Wars merchandise has gone on sale like clothing, Lego’s (the Millennium Falcon is KD170!), new figurines and now a new addition, the Sphero BB-8. Being a big Star Wars I’m pretty much on cloud nine. Not only was The Force Awakens a great movie, the new toys look great and even the clothing isn’t bad at all. So I was excited to test out the BB-8 and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked.

So what’s so cool about the Sphero BB-8? You can control it using your smartphone and it’s compatible with both iOS and Android devices so no one is left out. This little guy can move fast and can take a beating. When I first tested it out, the first thing that popped into my head was that BB-8 would make a great (albeit expensive) toy for my cat. It was impressive watching it speed across the floor especially that the BB-8’s head is attached to the body using a magnet and two little wheels so it stays in place while the rest of the body rolls. It has barely fallen off, even as I’ve hit the wall multiple times and the legs of chairs. The body itself has an “upright” position that corrects itself with the help of the stabilizers that are part of the internal mechanism. There’s also a gyroscope and accelerometer that will assist in controlling BB-8 by being aware of its movements and make subtle and slight adjustments to help you out.

If you get tired of controlling it you can set it to patrol mode. Patrol mode works similar to the way a Roomba does. The BB-8 will roam around your room on its own and will move around objects, like chair legs or people. What’s cool is that there is an event log that that lets you know if BB-8 hit a wall or detected an object.

The price tag for the BB-8 is steep, it costs KD69. Ultimately, this is a cool piece of tech, but it’s not something I would play with everyday. Right now I have it on my shelf next to my Samus figurine and my Super Mario Amiibo and sometimes I’ll tease my cat with it once in a while, but at the end of the day it’s a glorified figurine. House guests will find it impressive and it makes for an interesting topic of discussion. I love the BB-8 and it’s unique in a world of cheap toys. It’s a Star Wars toy that can be enjoyed by kids and adults.

If you’re interested in the Sphero BB-8, it’s available at the Avenue’s branch of Fantasy World which has a new section catered towards adults called THE EDGE. Fantasy World also has the largest collection of Star Wars toys that I’ve seen in Kuwait so far, including nice figurines of Kylo Ren, Finn and Rey.

Post by Patrick

Full Disclosure: The Sphero BB-8 was provided by Fantasy World to review on the blog.

A reader emailed me a few days ago letting me know they had found another Korean supermarket in Kuwait. According to the reader they were trying to find danmuji so they went to Singarea Supermarket and couldn’t find it there. So they asked their favorite Korean restaurant if they knew where they could get it from and they were told about another Korean supermarket in Shuwaikh called Ginza Market. So I passed by over the weekend to check it out. The store is small and seems to be catered more to restaurants than consumers since I was offered a list of all their items to keep with me in case I needed to order anything. But as a consumer you can also pick up whatever you want from their shelves. They’re open from 8AM to 8PM and their phone number is 22205091. Here is their location on [Google Maps]

While looking for Ginza Market I also ended up finding a Chinese Supermarket called Chinese Food House. It’s located in the same building block as Ginza and the store specializes in food products imported directly from China. I couldn’t figure out what they had since everything was written in Chinese but I did find some odd items like century eggs and salt baked chicken feet. They’re open from 8AM to 5PM and their phone number is 97533702. Here is their location on [Google Maps]

Both those stores have very friendly and helpful staff so don’t be afraid to ask them newbie questions.

Update: Ginza Supermarket has moved and the Google Maps link above has been updated.

Last week, a solopreneur in Kuwait approached me for help after reading my Business Therapy intro post. Her main product is gift boxes containing genuine gold, frankincense and myrrh (a.k.a. in a Christianity context as the gifts given by the three kings or wise men). Apart from how niche her business is being in a Muslims-dominated country selling to Christians, her problem is quite common to many solopreneurs I met before. For what it’s worth, let’s call her Jane. She came across the products accidentally. She was emotionally engaged. Jane felt she could purchase the raw material and package it herself and make it available for others whom would appreciate what the items stand for – a classic lightbulb moment.

Quickly, Jane learned about what really meets the standards of gold, frankincense and myrrh. She worked on the packaging and started to sell at local seasonal bazaars with modest revenue and managed to have her products displayed at an important cultural centre. A basic website for the EU market was setup. Her social media accounts got activated. Yet, so far not so good: no sales. What Jane did, as many small businesses do, is spend great energy on the product or service side and not much, if any, time on understanding who the key customers are, where they are, what they want, and how to reach them. Controlling quality is essential to offer good value. However, what’s the point of the greatest service ever designed if nobody is aware of it and using it?

In celebration of being in business for 20 years I’ve been giving away one-hour strategic business therapy sessions to micro businesses and charities that can’t afford it. Jane and I had a session online and discussed a few possible directions. For the Kuwaiti market Jane is targeting churches, embassies and cultural centres that target foreign newcomers to Kuwait. She’s also seeking out a low-cost chain management services provider to store some stock in the EU and ship directly from within the EU considering how slow and costly shipping from Kuwait to the EU would be. And finally she’s also arranging to meet a few churches in the UK during her summer trip next year. This week’s tip: Knowing your own industry is one thing, knowing how to grow a business is another. You need both to make it.

Post by Loaay Ahmed, a strategic business therapist since 1995. He currently lives and works in London, UK, while earning his master’s in Service Design Innovation, and managing knightscapital in Kuwait. For Loaay’s advice on business or work matters, send a short email to [email protected]. Regrettably, only the questions chosen for publishing will be answered.