Search: “sti”

OK be prepared for the best post yet on this blog…

I was talking to a friend of mine about Salmiya in the 80s and one thing led to another and I was telling him how strong a brand Tikka was back then. I was telling him about the “I like it spicy” guy (pictured above) and the Tikka commercials and how if you asked anyone who grew up in Kuwait back in the 80s they would remember the commercial and even sing you the jingle. It became a classic like the Pizza Italia and Hungry Bunny commercials.

Anyway I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool to find out who the “I like it spicy” guy was, what happened to him and how he looked like today? Well guess what… After a bit of research and digging around I found out who he was.

The actor who played the “I like it spicy” character was Galal Zaki. He wasn’t an actor, he worked in the ad agency that came up with the idea. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Galal liked to star in his own work and that’s how he ended up becoming the Tikka guy. the picture below is of Galal Zaki which I found on Google and is dated 2007. Although a lot older now you can still see some resemblance.

Today Galal Zaki is the CEO of Perception Communication in Egypt. He was also recently awarded the Rameh IAA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Update: Here is an old Tikka commercial. It’s not the famous one but its better than nothing…

[YouTube]

Update2: And here is the more popular one…

[YouTube]

Even though the weather was horrible on Friday the Red Bull drift challenge still took place and judging by the video it seemed pretty packed. [YouTube]

Animal Friends is holding a fundraiser quiz night on Friday 14th May at the Movenpick Al-Bida’a. A quiz night is like a trivia night. There are about 10 teams of five and they have 6 rounds of questions, ranging from general knowledge, sports, music etc. The cost is a 10KD and this includes a buffet dinner.

When: Friday 14th May
Time: 6.30pm
How much: KD10 donation per person Includes prizes and dinner
RSVP by 13th May
Teams of up to six people
Please email your team details to [email protected] or call 9737 7867

All proceeds go to help rebuild the K’S PATH animal shelter in Wafra

I was supposed to post this a few days ago but completely forgot sorry about that. Call them today if you’re interested. Here is the flyer [Link]

Kotaku (one of the most popular video game sites online) last night posted an article about the arcade scene in Kuwait. They linked to a Kuwait Arcade Database which was put together by a guy called Yousef. Burj Al Abyad is still alive and kicking, leading the pack when it comes to fighting games. They actually hold proper Street Fighter tournaments there. Personally my favorite arcade in Kuwait used to be the Showbiz arcade before they shut down since they had some great old games like Killer Instinct and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker. Anyway here is the link to the Kuwait Arcade Database [Link]

Thanks Yousef

Looks like someone finally got fed up with the Kuwaiti customs and decided to hack their website. They also posted the following message:

Why i did This? Kuwait Customs are Shit & They charge Customs Duty High
We Are: Mafia Hack3rz Group
You are in panic Customs People?
This is a Lesson for you not to charge High Customs Duty! Coward’s!
Gr33tz: M4v3rick – W4n73d – H4D3S – STORM – Contact me? Email: [email protected]
Made in KWWAIT2010 ©

Currently the customs website seems to be back up but the hacked page can still be access by clicking [Here]

Thanks Mariam

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

The Question

Fahad,

I have a question. This may sound really stupid. But, other than weight concerns. What other reasons are there for eating healthy?
What I mean by that is lets say someone does not have any weight issues. What benefits does eating healthy offer them? Apart from like getting all the required nutrients perhaps.

Like if someone is not fat and dont get fat, why shouldn’t they eat sugar? Or why shouldn’t they eat lots of fat? Or white bread? Or cookies? Cakes? Big Macs? Fries? Sodas?

I mean we always look at this from a caloric and weight loss/muscle gain perspective. But, beyond that, what are the long term impact on health of eating well beyond just getting all the required nutrients?

Can you talk a bit about that.

– Ed

The Answer

Well Ed, I am cleared to tell you how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

“Ed: I often wondered about this phenomenon. Do tell.”

A woodchuck could chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could, but really, who gives a damn about a woodchuck?

On a serious note, I found this question too significant to include in the comments below my last post. I will be answering Ed’s questions in the order I see fit.

I decided am going to create a new category on the blog called “Activities” or “Things to do”. I was discussing with Nat the other day about the activities available in Kuwait and we were going through the comments left on the blog and she brought up the point that there are more male activities than female activities and that most of the cool activities are outdoor and so pretty useless during the hot summer days. I don’t think that’s true and this is why I want to start gathering activities and start posting them on the blog. I already have a lot of activities in mind but please if you know of an activity that you think I might not be aware of please leave a comment below or [Email Me]

A reader sent me the picture above which he took at Dubai Festival City. Looks like Wendy’s and Arby’s opened up there and hopefully we’re next.

Thanks xeonali

Update: A reader passed by and tried them out. Turns out they opened up yesterday the 9th of May but the official opening will be on the 11th. Both Wendy’s and Arby’s are the same restaurant with one combined menu which is pretty strange. Below are some pictures he took. (thanks mohammed)

[YouTube]

I hate it when people say there isn’t much to do in Kuwait because from my experience there are a ton of cool activities here. One new activity I found out about is Milsim. This has to be one of the coolest things to do in Kuwait and its now going to be something I will do as often as I can.

Milsim is a military simulation that has a lot of strategy and some very cool realistic weapons. Unlike paintball which uses paint pellets, Milsim uses powder pellets. Also unlike the paintball here in Kuwait where you run around hiding behind inflatable balloons, Milsim uses real life locations for their games. I got invited to participate in a game today and I’m now in love with Milsim. Todays location was an abandoned prison in Doha near Entertainment City. They have different locations for different sized groups for example when there are 40 guys they like going and play at an abandoned residential compound that’s around 3 blocks large. Since we were 16 guys they decided on the prison location due to its close combat nature. Judging by the video above it seems they also have a very cool abandoned farm they use.

[YouTube]

First thing they do is split everyone into teams, todays mission involved the Marines and Delta Force vs the Taliban’s. I was placed in the Taliban team. We were then briefed on the mission which was the following… Marine One crashed and it was carrying the President of the United States. The Marines were with the president and the game starts off at their crash site. They have 15 minutes to defend their zone and protect the president before the Delta team reinforcement arrives. After an hour into play they would receive a radio call with the location of the landing in which they then have 30 minutes to get to that point and evacuate. As Talibans, our aim was to capture their president or capture a box that contained nuclear keys, if we captured any of the two we would win. Everyone was limited to just 4 magazines and each contained 20 rounds. There are no refills and although the weapons can fire at full auto its highly discouraged because you will run out of ammo very quickly. We also all had 3 lives, if you get shot (anywhere) you have to put your hands over your head and walk to the medical zone where you have to remain for 10 minutes before you go back and join your team.

How was it? A lot of fun that’s for sure and very exhausting. My team ended up losing, not sure how since we had a ex Austrian military guy, a local special forces guy and the Milsim owner, while the opposing team were made up mostly of newbies like me. We even had flares and smoke grenades! Oh well it was still a lot of fun and its something as I said I’m going to do a lot more of.

I took some pictures which you can check out below. The first video on top is a video they created to show the kind of weapons and gameplay style. Unlike paintball their games aren’t only about shooting but its about accomplishing missions and involves strategy. The second video above is one I shot today when me and some guys were getting briefed on how to use the weapons. This is seriously one very cool activity, and they say there isn’t anything to do in Kuwait…

If you’re interested to participate in Milsim its KD10 per person. That includes the weapon, gun magazines, vests, helmet, goggles, water and pelets. I think its actually pretty cheap for what you get. They cater to groups, individuals and even for corporate outings. For contact information you can visit their website at www.milsimkuwait.com.

This is a comedy I can’t wait to watch.

Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point. As the wheels fly off, and their competing ideologies clash, what emerges is an emotionally engaging (and entirely plausible) farce. In a storm of razor-sharp verbal jousting and large-scale set pieces, Four Lions is a comic tour de force; it shows that-while terrorism is about ideology-it can also be about idiots.

[YouTube]

Here is the calendar for Cinemagic’s rooftop movie nights for May. This month they’ve got movies from the Cannes Festival. Check out the full list below:

Thursday, May 6 at 07:00 PM
Ali Zaoua, Morocco 2000
Director: Nabil Ayoush
Genre: Drama | 99 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

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

Thursday, May 13 at 07:00 PM
“Winner for Best Director, Cannes 2008”
Three Monkeys, Turkey 2008
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Genre: Drama | 109 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 15

Saturday, May 15 at 07:00 PM
“Winner of Golden Palm 2009”
The White Ribbon, Sweden 2009
Director: Michael Haneke
Genre: Drama | 144 min | English Subtitle
Rated: R 18

Thursday, May 20 at 07:00 PM
“Un certain Nominee 2009”
Precious, USA 2009
Director: Lee Daniels
Genre: Drama | 109 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 15

Saturday, May 22nd at 07:00 PM
“Golden Palm Nominee 2008”
Promise Me This, Serbia 2008
Director: Emir Kusturica
Genre: Comedy | 127 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Thursday, May 27 at 07:00 PM
“Opening Ceremony, Cannes 2001”
LOTR: The Fellowship of the ring, USA 2001
Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Fantasy | 178 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Friday, May 28 at 07:00 PM
LOTR: The Two Towers, USA 2003
Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Fantasy | 179 min | English Subtitle
Rated: PG 13

Saturday, May 29 at 07:00 PM
LOTR: The Returm Of The King, USA 2004
Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Fantasy | 201 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]

After reading Fahad’s post below I felt like finally passing by Baking Tray in Kuwait City and trying it out. I had heard a lot about the place but hadn’t had the chance to try it out yet. The place is located in Kuwait City near the Wataniya Telecom building and opposite Saso Lounge (Google Map). The interior is cozy and the display of food was very appetizing. They have pies, sandwiches, pizza’s, pastas and a variety of pastries and desserts.

Everything looked really good but I managed to stay away from all the sweets and ordered some sandwiches. I was with Nat and so we ordered two sandwiches to share. She had the garlic chicken avocado sandwich with rye bread while I tried the Philly steak also with rye bread. The sandwiches took around 20 minutes to reach us and they looked very good. I tried both sandwiches and I have to say the garlic chicken avocado was really good and the garlic flavor was very light. The Philly steak on the other hand I didn’t like at all. In the menu it mentioned all the ingredients except for one which is Dijon mustard. I am not a fan of Dijon mustard and the whole sandwich was just plastered with it. I couldn’t taste anything except the mustard, the sandwich was just literally dripping with mustard and I hated it. Not sure why they didn’t mention it as an ingredient. Even the Philly steak picture on their website doesn’t look like it had any Dijon mustard in it so I am guessing its something they decided to add at a later stage after the menus were printed and pictures taken. Below you can see my sandwich on the left with the Dijon mustard dripping out while the one on the right is taken from their website.

Even though I was disappointed with the Philly steak I would still go back. I liked the atmosphere and I liked the large variety of healthy dishes they had. Prices are very reasonable except for the Philly steak. The garlic chicken avocado sandwich was KD2 which I think was the average price for their sandwiches. The Philly steak on the other hand was KD3.3 which was not worth it. For 500 more fils I could have had my favorite “NY Thing” sandwich from Napket. But as I mentioned, they had a whole bunch of items I still want to try so I’m going back again. Here is a link to their website [Link]

Update: Went back today for lunch. Ordered the EBT which according to their menu online says that it contains Fried eggs, Bacon, tomatoes (roasted). This time the order took under 10 minutes to get to me but when I took my first bite it turned out the sandwich contained Dijon mustard as well! Not really sure whats going on and why Dijon mustard is never mentioned in their menu but this time I sent it back and asked for an EBT without mustard. When I got the sandwich back it turned out to be really really good. It’s three simple ingredients but it tasted great and the place has now officially become my favorite lunch spot. I just need to remember to tell them no Dijon mustard every time I order something.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

Your world rocked in 3, 2, 1….

And we’re back with part 2 of my original post (Herro Prease!) that seemed to cause more racial and homophobic controversy than health and fitness orientation and guidance.

Taste Buds
I’m often criticized for my diminishing taste buds. When on a strict diet, the food consumed tends to taste awful and total caloric intake is extremely low. I’m eating 6-8 small portions per day of gooky old-fashioned oatmeal, funky-smelling boiled eggs, cold and barely chewable chicken breasts, tasteless and dry brown rice, and a lightly sweetened protein shake that tries its best to taste like a Johnny Rockets milkshake, but is actually one notch above dirt, and dirt can taste like ice cream when dieting.

So Masta of da Universe, if taste bud BAD, how can we trust you, haaaa!?
Have you ever sat next to a person who has been dieting more than 3 weeks? He/she will stare at you eating that burger and those fries. Moreover, they’ll tell you how to lightly dip your food in ketchup. What’s even more annoying, they’ll screw you over for not eating your entire meal; I should know, since I’m that annoying person. Lastly, I base the meals I eat on the ingredients used and how I feel after consumption. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered how long it takes my body to clean itself out if I just ate a fatty and carby meal.

Breakfass!
I am not a morning person at all. I hate the sun and anything associated with looking at the sun. I’ll even wear sun-glasses indoors in the morning, and I could care less if it made me look douchey. (If anyone has any job offerings somewhere cold and dark, please let me know.) In the meantime, I can’t deny the sensation of breakfast food. Once in a while, I’d wake up early on weekends and just have this strong urge to ditch my gooky oatmeal and boiled eggs for some tasty restaurant-served breakfast food. Before I begin, you need to take these points into consideration:

• Upon waking from 8-10 hours of sleep, our bodies are deprived of nutrients and water.
• Our inner functions tend to work optimally in the A.M., providing a challenge to any calorie intake; you can actually get away with a large thick pizza for breakfast and it’ll have a hard time storing itself as fat (assuming your healthy and fit).
• Eating breakfast at a maximum of 1 hour after waking up will provide your metabolism with a boost from heaven. The earlier you eat breakfast, the better.
• Eating breakfast more than 90 minutes after waking up will skyrocket your chances of obesity by 150%!

The Discovery show Build it Bigger aired an episode featuring the Al Hamra Tower and I’m downloading it now from my favorite torrent site as I am typing this. The reason it featured Al Hamra Tower is because it’s the world’s tallest twisting structure and so makes it very unique. You can watch a snippet from the show [Here]

Thanks misz

Update: The full episode is on YouTube divided into 8 parts, here is a link to part 1 [YouTube]

If I was forced to keep just one app on my iPad it would have to be Zinio. Zinio has made me owning an iPad logical. I’ve already posted previously about the fact that I didn’t know what exactly I would use the iPad for but with Zinio its become very clear… magazines. I love magazines and I hate books (short stories are fine). Maybe if I was stuck on an Island with just a library I would take up reading but with my already hectic life I need to make the best of my time and books just take too much of it. It’s the same reason I don’t watch many movies, for the same amount of time it takes me to watch 1 movie I could watch 4 episodes from my favorite TV show. The problem we have in Kuwait is magazines are expensive costing KD3 and up per issue every month. In the US you could subscribe to a full year for the same price we pay for just a single issue here. I’ve tried subscribing to US magazines and having them shipped with Aramex but magazines can be heavy and in the end I was paying 10$ a year to subscribe to 12 issues of a magazine and then paying KD3 or KD5.500 to ship a single issue to Kuwait.

With Zinio I no longer have that problem. Zinio originally was a website which allowed you to subscribe to digital versions of magazines so you could view them on your computer. Now they’ve created an iPad app which allows you to view the magazines on your iPad. The magazines on the iPad look like the print version except it has a few advantages. For example I was flipping through an article in Car & Driver about a car and on one of the pages I noticed an icon, when I clicked the icon it opened up a gallery full of pictures of the car.. ones that weren’t available in the print version. Other nifty features is the ability to open the contents page and then click on the headline of the article you want to go to or view all the spreads as thumbnails and then select the spread you want to see. There was a Honda ad in the magazine with a button click here for a test drive, when I clicked the button it played a video commercial of the ad (which was actually a good one). You can also view the magazine as a spread (two pages side by side) or if you hold the iPad vertically you can view the magazine page by page. You can zoom into the page to enlarge the copy by other double tapping a location or by pinching the screen. Another cool feature is the fact that you can view a purely text version of the magazine in case you’re having issues for some reason reading the regular print version. Articles in the text format can also be emailed to friends or to yourself to print out and you can even control the font size.

When you run the app you have three main sections, featured articles, your library and shop. Featured articles is basically samples of articles from some of the popular magazines which you could read for free. Your Library is where all your magazine issues are stored. You can view your magazines either by titles or by date. It’s very organized and easy to navigate. Finally the shop section is where you can flip through the magazines available to subscribe to and order them. Once you download a magazine you don’t need Internet access to view them. Magazine sizes vary from around 20MB to 40MB per issue. The prices for most US magazines like Car & Driver, Maxim, Cosmopolitan etc.. are around $10 to $15 for a yearly subscription (similar to their print counterparts) while some magazines that are European imports cost a lot more. You can use your Kuwaiti credit card without any problems.

The Zinio app is free and available in the App Store (on both the iPhone and iPad). Here is a link to the Zinio website where you can check all the magazines they have available with their prices. [Link]