Categories
Interesting

Acquiring Modernity

A couple of weeks back an announcement was made regarding a commission by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters on Kuwait’s pavilion at the 14th Venice International Architecture Biennale that will take place from June 7 until November 23, 2014. I was planning to go to the announcement and ended up missing it but luckily someone shot the whole thing on video and put it online.

Aqcuiring Modernity_Kuwait Pavilion from youraok on Vimeo.

Depending on if you’re interested in Kuwait’s history or not, this video can end up be very boring or very interesting to watch. I personally found it interesting which is why I am posting it here but I might be bit biased since I have friends who’re taking part in this project. If you want to get into the presentation right away just skip to the 3:25 minute mark.




Categories
Food & Drinks Personal Reviews

Review: Udupi Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

udupi1

Udupi is a popular Indian restaurant with a few branches located around Kuwait. I recently found out there was one that was fairly close to my home in Salmiya so I ended up passing by there with a friend for dinner. Even though we went mid week the place was packed and we had to wait for a table to free up. It’s a hole in the wall place with two different seating areas, you have the main area where the entrance is and which also has a large window overlooking the busy kitchen, and then another seating area in the back which I personally think is claustrophobic since there are no windows.

The menu is vegetarian based and and made up mostly of South Indian dishes like Vada, Upma, Dosas and Thalis along with a few rice dishes. We ended up ordering a bunch of things including the Thali (which is unlimited refill) but what had to stick out the most for me was the Gobi Manchurian, a fried cauliflower dish which tasted more Chinese than Indian. It was delicious and I’m not even a cauliflower fan.

udupi2

The waiters don’t really speak English and the menu is just a list of items with their prices so your best bet when ordering is:

1) to go there with someone who knows what everything is
2) use google to try and figure out what everything is
3) order by looking around the restaurant and point at peoples dishes
4) Russian roulette, just choose items off the menu without knowing what you’re ordering

tea

One thing I’m curious about and maybe someone here can answer has to do with the tea. The tea comes in a steel cup with a steel bowl and everybody at the place was using the two to drink the tea. They would pour the tea from the cup into the bowl and then back into the cup and they kept doing that over and over as they were drinking. I figured this was either to keep mixing the tea or it was a way to cool it down.

The place if very affordable with the most expensive dish on the menu being a special Thali which is only available on Fridays and costs KD1.5. In comparison, a regular Thali is just KD1 while the Vada is 300fils, Gobi Manchurian 900fils and a plain Dosa just 550fils. Other than the Gobi Manchurian, everything else I had I thought Saravanaa Bhavan did better. But Udupi is a lot cheaper and it’s also basically walking distance from my house which makes it much more convenient for me. The Udupi I went to was in Salmiya [Map] but as I mentioned earlier they have a bunch of locations around Kuwait and you can check out the full list [Here]. Definitely worth checking out.




Categories
Automotive

Behind the scenes of the Central Control Room

cam

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has started the implementation of a comprehensive plan to ease traffic jams and congestion and lessen road accidents, which includes 15 projects aimed at ensuring smooth flow of traffic throughout the country through the installation of CCTV cameras to closely monitor the traffic movement.

One main aspect of these projects is the functioning of the Central Control Room (CCR) of the Operations Department at the General Department for Traffic Affairs in the Ministry of Interior. Currently, there are more than 300 intersections in Kuwait and the CCR is connected to and can control 180 of the main intersections through 72 cameras, with near future plans to sign a contract to install an additional 100 CCTV cameras at various locations.


[YouTube]

One thing I’m curious about after watching this news report is why nothing is being done to stop people from driving down the emergency lanes on the highways. It’s an issue that happens frequently and one that doesn’t seem to be dwindling down.




Categories
Activities Sports Things to do

Something to do: Ice Skating

iceskating

Although it was a lot more popular in the 80s and 90s, ice skating can still be fun if you go with a group of friends and when you want to escape the summer heat. The place is usually empty and theres a McDonalds there plus Fat Burger and Maki across the street if you want to combine it with lunch or dinner. Below are the timings and prices:

Skating Sessions:
8:30AM to 10:00AM
10:30AM to 12:00PM
12:30PM to 2:00PM
2:30PM to 4:00PM
4:30PM to 6:00PM
6:30PM to 8:00PM
8:30PM to 10:00PM

Fees:
Entrance + Ice Skates – KD1.500
None Skating Escort – KD0.500
Monthly Membership – KD40.000
Lessons – KD10 for 4×30 minute lessons
Skate sharpening – KD1.000
Lockers small/large – KD0.250/KD0.500

Telephone: 22411151/2/3




Categories
Kuwait Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

cinemagics

Thursday
Exhibition: 50 Years of Printmaking
GAME Expo 2014
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Frances Ha
*CANCELED*
Friday
GAME Expo 2014

Saturday
GAME Expo 2014
3rd French Short Movie Festival
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Nostalghia

Photo above by Allan Santiago




Categories
Automotive Personal Reviews

The Ferrari 458 Spider

458-1

First I need to make a confession, I haven’t been in a Ferrari since my dad had one back in the mid 80s. It was a gorgeous silver Ferrari 308 but I was too young to appreciate the car back then, I just remember it was loud and it looked like the one on Magnum P.I. Strangely I hadn’t been in a Ferrari ever since which is weird because Ferraris are pretty common in Kuwait. A few months ago when I went to test drive the Jaguar F-Type I found out the same dealer (Zayani) had a Ferrari 458 Spider to test drive as well. I started harassing them to loan me the car for the weekend to test drive until last week I finally got the phone call telling me I could pass by and pick up the car but I would have it only from 10AM to 5PM. After a bit of negotiation I was able to extend that from 9AM to 7PM. It wasn’t the weekend I had wanted, but a full day with the Spider was still going to be a great day.

458-5

Sunday morning I got up early and headed to the dealership where after giving me a short tour of the showroom I was taken to the car which was waiting for me in a large pristine white room. The car was in silver blue (Grigio Alloy) fitted with a custom two tone leather and suede interior. I got in the car and the salesman showed me where everything was and how to work them. It’s not complicated to say, it’s just that majority of the options are not in their usual place (spoiler: they’re all on the steering wheel). For example, the turn signals are located on the steering wheel as well as the wipers, high beam switch, the cars start/stop button, the “bumpy road” button, the horn and most importantly the Manettino dial which allows you to control the cars settings with a flick of a switch. I’m not sure why they haven’t adapted this idea to all cars yet but after spending a day with the 458 I started wishing all my FJ’s controls were on the steering wheel, it just makes a lot more sense than having all these nobs spread out behind it.

458-3

Once he was done showing me all the controls we drove out of the dealership for a ride around the block just so I could get a feel for the car before heading out. I then dropped him back off to the dealership and headed out on my own… without a chaperon. There I was sitting in a brand new Ferrari 458 Spider all on my own, free to do with it whatever I pleased. First thing I did was send the mandatory snapchat to my friends and then I decided to head out to the desert where I had previously shot the Porsche Cayman. I figured the roads would be empty there and I wanted to get rid of the photography so I could enjoy the car the rest of the day.

Driving the car was a lot easier than I was expecting it to be even though the car produces 570hp out of its mid-mounted naturally-aspirated 4.5l V8 engine. I spent the first 20 minutes of the drive keeping my eye out on the speedometer since the car just wanted to speed and in the end I couldn’t resist the urge not to and just gave up and started keeping my eye out for cops and speed traps instead. When I finally got to my destination I realized it might not have been the best day to be out in the open desert since there was a pretty nasty dusty storm. But since it took me 40 minutes to get there I was not going to turn back now and kept on going even though at some points I could barely see the road because it was covered with sand. Finally I arrived to the location and got out of the car to snap my photos. It was really windy and I ended up getting sand in every crevice of my body but I also ended up with two fantastic photos especially once I converted them to black and white. I packed up my gear and headed back to the city but not before making a quick stop at home to shower and change.

As I mentioned the car is really easy to drive and can actually be very civil if you keep it in sport mode (Ferrari’s version of “comfort”) and aren’t heavy on the peddle. On the other hand if you’re a hooligan you’re also gonna love this car. Once I was back in the city I realized I could still have a lot of fun without breaking any laws (kinda) just by accelerating at full speed out of traffic lights, drifting slightly around corners and roundabouts and down shifting to second gear when going under bridges. Actually by switching the cars gearbox from auto to manual made a world of a difference because I could keep the gears low and have the car scream its beautiful loud Ferrari tones without even trying. But the car isn’t loud unless you want it to be and the interior can be pretty quiet while cruising at normal speeds. Speaking of the interior I was pretty surprised at how spacious it was. I LOVE the center console layout, it’s basically non existent with just AC controls and nothing else. In an age where center consoles are filled with large screens and buttons beyond buttons, it was great to see they kept the interior to a bare minimum.

458-6

What differentiates the Ferrari 458 Spider from the regular Ferrari 458 is the fact it’s a hard top convertible. With just a press of the button the roof folds away into the trunk and thats what I did once the sun started setting. Driving the car with the roof down is a whole different experiencing, if you really want to hear the engine sound that’s the best way of experiencing it. As the sun set I knew I would have to drive the car back to the dealer and I think it was the first time where I was both happy and sad to return a car. I was sad because I was obviously returning the Ferrari but also happy because at the end of the day I was driving an KD80,000 Ferrari and I was just relieved to be handing it back in one piece.

So what didn’t I like about the car? Not a lot honestly. The trunk is practically non existent if you opt to have a spare tire, like you might be able to fit one or two grocery bags there and thats it. The sound system also wouldn’t let me stream music over bluetooth which sucks although it did have iPod connectivity via USB. Finally I thought the gas pedal was too close to the brake pedal and so my sneakers kept getting clipped every time I was moving from one pedal to the other to the point I thought my sneakers might get ruined. But by the end of the day I got used to it and just shifted my foot far right so that wouldn’t keep happening. Even though I wasn’t expecting the car to be a disappointment it did surprise me in a lot of ways. I wasn’t expecting it to be such a drivable car and one which could be so civil. I didn’t even have issues going over speed bumps or parallel parking (thank you rear view camera) so I could totally drive this car every day if Ferrari agree on that 90% discount I asked for (pretty please).

The Ferrari 458 Spider starts at KD81,900 and is available at the dealers Zayani.




Categories
Music

Fatima Al Qadiri – Asiatisch

fatima

The Guardian have a pretty long article on Kuwaiti musician Fatima Al Qadiri who just launched a new album yesterday. Her new album is called ‘Asiatisch’ and from the songs I heard off it I didn’t really like any of them and I’m not the only one either. But, its still cool she’s doing what she’s doing and you can check out the article on her [Here]

Thanks Simon




Categories
Activities Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Thursday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Shakshooka Nomadic Farmers Market
Announcement and Discussion of Acquiring Modernity
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: A Brief History of Time

Friday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Armenian Dance & Music Evening

Saturday
Paragliding Festival
Alice in Wonderland
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Persona

If you’d like to share an event on the blog click [Here]

Photo above by @faisalthef




Categories
Fitness Healthier Lifestyle Travel

Vacation Training and Fat loss

pushups

This week I am traveling to the USA for a vacation so I have had to think of some really smart ways to train while I’m away, as a gym won’t always be available. On top of this a lot of my clients are about to travel and have been asking for the best ways to train while they have limited resources. So here you go.

The first thing I usually do is pick exercises that give you the biggest bang for your buck. Meaning, they work the most amount of muscles at once to get the biggest muscular and metabolic response. I also put emphasis on volume training, as it is one of the best ways to train for fat loss and if you have limited time, it will leave you in a pool of sweat.

In terms of most bang for your buck, a bodyweight circuit including squats, push-ups, lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, sit-ups or any other core variation. These could be done with body weight only or moderate additional weight if it’s available.

Here is an example of something I would do for a bodyweight circuit:

A1: squats

A2: alternating lunges

A3: push-ups

A4: burpees (chest to floor or regular)

A5: mountain climbers

A6: core variation

This could be done as a timed circuit e.g. 30-60 seconds per station (depending on ability) with a 60-90 second rest before repeating the cycle 3-5 times.

Another option is to do 15-20 reps per exercise moving through as fast as you can, with a 60-90 second rest before repeating 3-5 times.

In terms of conditioning, this could include running sprints, stair runs or even intervals on any piece of traditional cardio equipment. Short intervals of maximal work are the key and you want to aim for roughly 25-30 minutes.

Here is an example of something I would do for conditioning type work:

Running on a Treadmill, in the park, jump rope, stairs or using any cardio equipment that is available (or Burpees if your brave)

20-30 sec max work with 30 sec rest

Repeat 4 times. Rest 2 min

Do this sequence 6-8 times

So there is one example of what you can do with limited resources and limited time.

I usually alternate between resistance training one day and cardio conditioning the other day this is quick for when you are time poor and gives the metabolism a push in the right direction. With that in mind…

To finish I want to include some nutrition tips for Fat loss when on vacation. Here are some simple things you can implement:

– Drink water 2-3L per day. I have to admit I am a bad water drinker, so to help me get my daily intake I add slices of lime or lemon and it really helps.

– Up the intensity of your workouts. One way is by reducing the weight slightly, increasing the reps and reducing rest. I’ve found this makes a big difference.

– Eat your veges, these are a great detoxifier with all the antioxidants they contain.

– Lastly, when you indulge try not to overeat till you almost burst. Its vacation so of course you want to be able to enjoy yourself, just try to avoid overeating.

Lastly remember you are on vacation so do what you can with the time you have available. Happy Training Kuwait.

Post by Amy Freeman, a Strength and Conditioning Coach from New Zealand and currently a Personal Trainer at Inspire Pure Fitness in Kuwait.

References
Trapp, E., Chisholm, D., et al. The Effects of High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Training and Fat Loss and Fasting Insulin Levels of Young Women. International Journal of Obesity. 2008. 32(4), 684-691.

Kosola, J., Ahotupa, M., et al. Good Aerobic or Muscular Fitness Prevents Overweight Men from Elevated Oxidized LDL. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. September 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Dunham, C., Harms, C. Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Pulmonary Function. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011. Published Ahead of Print

Boutcher, Stephen. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. Journal of Obesity. 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

[Image Source]




Categories
Video Games

Side Wheel Hero – ملك الترفيع

sidewheelhero

A friend of mine told me about this game last night and I can’t stop playing it. Side Wheel Hero is an indie game developed by an Emirati developer named Ammar Harfoush. The game is inspired by the popular pastime in the Gulf which consists of balancing an SUV on two wheels and in this game you also try to pick up coins while trying to avoid other cars.

The game is pretty fun and the location, cars and even the music are all very authentic to the real videos you’d find on YouTube. My only issue is with the ad banner. Because the game is free to download it’s ad supported which is fine except for the fact the ad is just randomly placed on the top left part of the screen as you can see in the screenshot above. It’s pretty distracting and I wish there was an option to pay to get rid of the banner.

sidewheelhero2

It’s a simple fun game based on a regional phenomenon which is why I love it so much. If you’re interested in Side Wheel Hero it’s available on all mobile platforms and you can download it using the links below:

Apple iOS | Android | Blackberry 10 | Windows Phone 8




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this weekend

Thursday
Remal Sand Sculpting Festival
The Palestinian Culture Exhibition
Paragliding Festival
Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music
Rainbow at the Amricani Cultural Centre
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: George Washington
Open Mic Show: Let it Out

Friday
Remal Sand Sculpting Festival
Paragliding Festival
Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music
Shakshooka Nomadic Farmers Market
Gulf Jazz Festival: A Dutch Jazz Night

Saturday
Remal Sand Sculpting Festival
Paragliding Festival
Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music
Cinemagics Rooftop Movie: Certified Copy

The Remal Sand Sculpting Festival is ending this weekend so if you haven’t checked it out yet this is your last chance. Also, check out the Events page for more upcoming events. [Link]




Categories
Events Music

Zahed Sultan LIVE in 3D X 248AM

zahedposter

It has been three years since Zahed Sultan released his debut album and after playing live in various countries around the world, Zahed is finally going to perform in Kuwait for one night only. On April 30th 2014, Zahed will be debuting a one of a kind audio-visual performance in 3D to coincide with the release of his second full-length album ‘Eye Am Sound.’ Zahed’s audio-visual performance will include a roster of international and local artists who will be announced in the days to come. You can learn more about Zahed’s upcoming performance on my Events page [Here]

zahedsultangiveaway

248AM has teamed up with Zahed to giveaway the following for one lucky winner:
– 2 tickets for Zahed Sultan’s debut performance in Kuwait on April 30th
– 1 limited edition ‘Eye Am Sound’ t-shirt
– 1 copy of the limited edition ‘Eye Am Sound’ coffee table book that also includes a digital download card for the new album

To participate, all you need to do is answer the following question as a comment below this post:

‘What was the name of Zahed Sultan’s first album?’

I will stop accepting entries in the comments section by Wednesday at midnight and then randomly choose one winner and notify you via email.

Rules: Only one entry per person and please make sure you use a working email since the winner will be contacted by email. If winner doesn’t respond, another winner will be randomly chosen.

Update: According to random.org the winner is #63, Jhonybravo.

random




Categories
Food & Drinks

How to get free coffee

coffee

Costa just emailed me about this thing they have going on for Earth Day:

In an hour, we’ll be posting a picture of one of our locations on Instagram (@CostaKuwait) as part of our ‘Follow the Frog KW’ campaign. If you go to that branch today and say “I follow the frog” you’ll get a free coffee! It’s Earth Day and our Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is kind to the forest and supports farmers and farm workers worldwide who are working to improve their livelihoods and those of their families.

So, in honour of Earth Day, enjoy a coffee on us! We’ll have free coffee at another branch tomorrow, and at a third branch on Thursday. The locations will be revealed on the day, so stay tuned!

So if you want to get free coffee, just find out where the frog is.




Categories
Blog Info

Health and fitness posts coming back

healtylifestyle

Every now and then I invite professionals to contribute to this blog to help me cover subjects I personally cannot do myself. One subject I used to enjoy reading were the health and fitness posts which were written by Fahad AlYehya (thedietninja). Since Fahad moved on from the blog a long time ago, I’ve invited a new contributor to take over that subject, Amy Freeman.

I was introduced to Amy by a friend of mine a couple of weeks back and after first meeting her I realized she could provide a lot of interesting content for the blog which I’d personally love to read. Amy just published her first post below and I’m now looking forward to reading more of her stuff on a weekly basis. I hope everyone else will too.




Categories
Fitness Guest Bloggers Healthier Lifestyle

Toxicity and Results: Why dieting and exercising in Kuwait just isn’t cutting it

plasticbottle

This is something that myself, my clients and I’m sure most people reading this will relate to. You eat well, you exercise at least 3 times per week, sometimes you may even use a trainer, but no matter how hard you train and how clean your diet is, getting those desired results you are working so hard for is so damn hard.

Well for the last 2.5 years I have been in Kuwait, I have noticed something that, at first, baffled me. The first 6 months I was in Kuwait I gained 6kg. I was exercising more than I ever did back in New Zealand and very cautious with my eating habits but no matter what I did I couldn’t shift this weight (and I’m a midget at 5ft3.5 so 6kg is very noticeable)

Then something strange happened. I went on vacation and came back lighter and leaner. Now, I can assure you right now; I wasn’t on vacation eating celery sticks and lettuce leaves that’s for sure. So what happened?

After becoming Bio Signature Practitioner almost 2 years ago, all these questions started to get answered.

After asking my coach on Bio Signature (who has trained Olympic Athletes and has over 20 years experience). He said to me ‘Where do you live?’ I said ‘Kuwait’. He said ‘KUWAIT! Hmmm, I’ve been asked to go do courses in the Middle East and turned them down because of how toxic it is, that’s your culprit right there’.

He then went on to explain to me that with so much toxicity entering the body, the pathways for nutrients and hormones get blocked by toxicity bonds that attach to fat cells which causes stubborn fat, like cellulite, that is hard to break down.

This also result’s in low Testosterone levels and a healthy amount of Testosterone is important for reducing body fat in both female and male and is absolutely imperative for male health and wellbeing.

After hearing this I started to notice things in Kuwait that backed up his claims:

1- I started to notice how many males in Kuwait have female body types. Such as, bigger hips and legs and smaller upper-bodies. Low Testosterone right there.

2- Low Testosterone in men causes a lower sperm count. Men with a lower sperm count are more likely to father girls. There are a significantly larger proportion of Females in Kuwait than Males. Last I was told the ratio of females to males here is 4:1.

3- Most people drink out of plastic bottles, which have Pseudo Estrogens, which act as female hormones when they enter our body.

4- Almost every Bio Signature I have done on men and woman in Kuwait has shown their first priority (highest reading) as their Hamstring (at the top of the back of the leg). The Estrogen Sight of the body.

healtylifestyle

So how can you rectify this?

1- Include weight training in your gym routine, everyone and anyone needs a healthy amount of Testosterone, even the ladies. Low Testosterone=High Body Fat.

2- Drink your water from glass bottles and drink at least 2L per day. Say ‘NO’ to plastic.

3- Eat your greens. Veges have antioxidant’s that help break the bonds of the toxins so you can break down the fat.

4- Take supplements that help your body detoxify. Below is what I suggest and I’ve also included the link from where you can purchase them if you choose.

The Poliquin Supplements in my opinion are the best in the world hands down, I love them, my clients love them and for me that’s a home run. (No I’m not affiliated with them I just love their products)

1- Zinc PX: Zinc is an essential mineral that helps with all functions of the body. It has been said if you are deficient in Zinc you are deficient in everything. Fatloss, healthy immune system, healthy Testosterone levels and detoxification are all assisted by Zinc.

2- Multi Intense (with Iron for woman): essential for us here in Kuwait as our fresh produce is rarely local so lacks nutrients making it impossible for us to get our daily-required vitamins and minerals. More Antioxidants= less Toxins
Multi Intense (without Iron for men)- Same as the above minus the Iron as men usually cover this in their diet and can cause liver damage with too much.

3- Uber Mag Px: Magnesium is similar to Zinc, as it assists with many functions of the human body including detoxification, better quality sleep, stable mood, muscle recovery and growth, healthy Testosterone levels, cardiovascular health and brain function.

4- Fish Oil EPA-DHA 720: Assists in detoxification, the increase in healthy fats helps with counteracting bad fats from fast food (they cause toxicity), helps with brain function and fat loss.

This is a topic that I’m really passionate about because whether or not you have fitness goals, this will impact you in some way and even if you don’t implement all the changes I have mentioned, even implementing 1 or 2 things means you are one step closer to a more healthy, less toxic body.

Post by Amy Freeman, a Strength and Conditioning Coach from New Zealand and currently a Personal Trainer at Inspire Pure Fitness in Kuwait.