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Allbirds, the popular sustainable footwear brand, opened its second location in Kuwait today at Electra Phase 4, The Avenues.

Allbirds is known for creating some of the world’s most comfortable shoes, flats, and clothing using natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus. The brand is dedicated to sustainability, working to reduce its carbon footprint to near zero. They replace petroleum-based synthetics with natural alternatives, such as wool, tree fiber, and sugar cane. The result? Soft, breathable products that are better for the planet.

Their shoes are lightweight, bouncy, and comfortable, with no flashy logos or unnecessary details. Made from natural materials, they’re designed for practicality.

The new Allbirds store at The Avenues Mall offers a shopping experience with a strong focus on sustainability. You can explore their famously comfortable collections like the Wool Runner, Tree Dasher, and Plant Pacer, while learning about the natural materials that make them unique. The eco-friendly store design also reflects Allbirds’ commitment to the planet.

Allbirds is also participating in the Ya Hala Shopping Festival so pass by and check them out in Electra Phase 4, or follow them on Instagram @allbirdsme

According to my TikTok feed which has become pretty weird recently, making charms is a really popular new trend. This fun activity that has recently gained popularity abroad has now popped up in Kuwait.

For those unfamiliar with charm making, it’s a creative process where you design and assemble personalized jewelry pieces like bracelets, necklaces, or keychains.

Charm Studio is a local small business that started back in October by Fajer Al Owaish who wanted to re-create this existing concept here in Kuwait. Back in high school she used to make charms and jewelry using beads and other accessories, and then sell them to classmates as a side hustle. It’s something she’s always been passionate about, which is why she was able to turn it into a success so quickly.

If you’re looking for something fun to do, she has a few workshops coming up, including one this weekend at the trendy sneaker shop @solelabkw. You can check out her Instagram for more details @charmstudiokw

Ya Hala, the largest shopping festival in Kuwait’s history, is launching in just a few days, and they’ve just announced 120 cars up for grabs!

Over ten weeks, there will be weekly draws for 12 cars, which is pretty insane—and that’s not even counting the millions of dinars in additional prizes.

Stay updated on the festival by following @yahalakuwait and @whatsonyahala.

@dr_diecast_models is a Kuwait-based diorama artist I’ve admired for years. He specializes in driveway dioramas, with my favorites being his incredibly realistic recreations of deserted driveways with abandoned cars. Last week, I reached out to him to learn more about his story and see how he brings these dioramas to life.

Dr. Diecast (he wants to stay anonymous) has loved models and cars since he was young. One day, he built a diorama set for one of his models, and when his friend saw it he was impressed. That friend also happened to run a popular auction account and offered to help sell the dioramas if he could make two sets a week. The dioramas became popular, and his hobby quickly turned into something bigger.

The dioramas are 1:18 scale, meaning everything is 18 times smaller than its real-life counterpart. He builds all his sets in a small room tucked away in the corner of his house. I watched him work on a wall for one of his sets, and the level of detail and weathering he painstakingly applies with a paintbrush is mind-blowing. From the size of newspaper boxes to the dimensions of each brick, everything is accurately measured to stay true to scale.

His most popular sets are those depicting cars parked outside old homes, untouched for years, or cars that have been abandoned near electrical substations in neighborhoods.

The cars are a whole other story. He has his own ‘car bank’ you can choose from, but if he doesn’t have the car you want, he can help you source it. From there, it’s up to you whether the car stays as is or gets customized to look a certain way. My favorite is the red car covered in dust, with its protective cover ripped, the driver’s window smashed, and the typical white sticker with a red ‘X’ on the windshield. It’s such a mundane yet familiar real-life scene, and I love it.

Depending on the diorama, he charges around 65 KD, excluding the car. His customers are mostly in Kuwait but he also gets a lot of orders from around the GCC. If you want to check his work out more of his work head over to his account @dr_diecast_models

White Fortress is a chalet located in Al Khiran and was designed by the local architects TAEP/AAP. I previously posted about two other chalets they designed and this one caught my interest because of the lighthouse-like structure that towers over the compound.

The architects designed the White Fortress with privacy and discretion as the main priorities of the project. The space is surrounded by tall, thick walls that offer protection from the harsh climate and arid surroundings, while providing a serene and inviting interior. The enclosure contains a series of patios and gardens, each assigned a distinct role, such as greeting, resting, or celebrating, to provide a variety of experiences.

Within the center of this “oasis,” a tall lighthouse-like structure creates a place for meditation and seclusion while providing endless panoramic views of the house gardens, the dunes, and the sea. The roof is also accessible from the tower, transforming into a contemplative walking space with an endless horizon view of the sea.

At first I wasn’t too sure about having the walls so high on both sides of the compound, but with neighbors popping up next door eventually, I think I can see the appeal of a fortress like structure. To see more work photos of this project, click here.

Not sure if the website is new or not but @q8nitro has been posting about it recently so I just found out about it. It’s a much better site than Q8Car thats for sure, and the cars on it are more interesting. Only weird thing is that I don’t think they remove cars after they’ve sold. There are cars there listed back in 2019, not sure why they’re just leaving them since it makes the overall website less useful and misleading. Link

This weekend, Kuwait will be hosting the Nawi Wellness Summit 2025, a three-day event focused on health, fitness, and wellness. The event will run from January 9th to 11th and take place at The Arena in 360 Mall. It will be open daily from 10:00 AM  to 10:00 PM and is free to attend.

The summit won’t be a typical event; instead, it will feature engaging and immersive experiences, including:

Exhibition Hall: Explore top companies and brands showing their newest health and wellness products and services.

Interactive Workshops, Seminars, and Panels: Join activities for adults and families, including hands-on workshops, educational talks, and inspiring discussions.

Nawi Museum: Discover Kuwait’s sports history through a unique and immersive installation that takes you on a journey from Kuwait’s pearl diving days, to modern sports achievements.

Entry is free to the exhibition hall which has all the participating booths, retail area as well as food and drinks.

If you’d like access to the workshops, panel discussions, and NAWI Museum, then you need to purchase a VIP ticket. The VIP ticket costs KD25 and gives you 3-days access to the summit and allows you to register in any workshop or panel discussion. The workshops and panels will be held in English or Arabic, with translation provided in English for Arabic discussions and in Arabic for English discussions.

Nawi aims to inspire healthier living, bring people together, and highlight Kuwait’s role in wellness. If you want to register for the event or find out more, head over to yallanawi.com or check out @yalla.nawi

This week I finished Yellowstone. I was up to date before this last season started, but since my wife hadn’t watched Yellowstone before we binged watched all 5 seasons over a period of around 3 weeks. It’s such a great show with such a good last season and finale. If I had a Top 10 tv shows list it would be in it for sure.

Other than that I watched the movie Anora this week. What a great movie, so chaotic and funny, I loved it. The trailer doesn’t really do it any justice, nor does the movie description. Just watch it.

Let me know in the comments what you recently watched or planning to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Arthur the King (7.0)
Boonie Bears: Time Twist (6.1)
Nosferatu (7.8)
The Man in the White Van (6.0)

Other Movies Showing:
Better Man (7.0)
Gladiator II (7.0)
Gunner (3.2)
Home Alone (classic) (7.7)
Kraven the Hunter (5.7)
Moana 2 (7.1)
Mufasa: The Lion King (6.7)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (7.5)
The Bridge Curse: Ritual (5.3)
Wicked (8.1)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

Yesterday I started receiving forwards to my @248am account from followers. They were sending me a video created by four content creators (@bukhaleefa,@oalthuwaini,@bo6aleb,@dr_m_alkandari) who had essentially taken my post about the story of Haydo, translated it to Arabic, and then used it as a script for their video on the same subject. It’s basically a word for word copy of my post with no mention of where they got their script from. They even used the exact same footage I had dug out for my post.

The four content creators combined have a total of over 4 million followers so I’m assuming they’re popular although I only recognize one of them. Based on their names I think two of them are doctors? I don’t know, but it’s just so weird that “content creators” seem to think it’s ok to copy someones work and not even credit them. It’s what I posted about recently, we live in a society where copying other peoples work is normalized. I remember watching a video a few months back where a “content creator” was responding to accusations that he was copying other peoples videos by saying its normal to copy and everyone does it. No it’s not normal.

The Haydo story isn’t mine to own obviously, it’s a historical event. But, the story they chose to share is mine. It’s my post, I did the research, I wrote and put the article together picking what I thought were the most important details to share. I edited the article so that it was fun and interesting to read, and then I spent two days looking for videos and photos that I thought were the best to go with it. So to have 4 established “content creators” to just translate my post and turn it into their script two days later because they ran out of their own creative ideas is frustrating.

Anyone that copies my content I usually report straight to Instagram. Sometimes I contact the person directly and ask them to remove the post, other times I just head straight to Instagram. Although Instagram are a bit slow, so far every time they’ve removed the infringing post and given a strike to the person that copied it. I think once they get two strikes they get some restrictions. I’ve already reported their post, but in this case I feel Instagram won’t be able to do anything since their post is in spoken Arabic while my post is written and in English. So it will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Actually, as I wrote the last sentence, I realized a much simpler way for instgram to realize they’ve copied my post. Without going into too much details for now, they essentially used something they could have only gotten from me. So I just submitted a second complaint to Instagram so that way in case the first one doesn’t work, the second one should.

I’ll post an update once I hear back from Instagram.

I originally posted about Haydo back in 2006. But, this is the story again with some details corrected. I no longer know what the original source of my information was, but there were some timeline inaccuracies and some exaggerated details. So this is as accurate as the story can be with the information I found.

Back in October 1981, Kuwait played a World Cup qualifying match in New Zealand. Just before kickoff, some Kiwi fans displayed an offensive banner reading “Stick to ya camels” as the Kuwaiti team came onto the field. Kuwait went on to win that match, 2–1.

A couple of months later, the two teams met again, this time in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti Football Association adopted a camel named Haydo as its mascot, and just before the game started, they brought out a few camels to parade around the stadium—demonstrating Kuwait’s pride in its heritage. Kuwait drew the match and secured qualification for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Kuwait was the first Arab country from Asia to qualify for the tournament. A Spanish newspaper later claimed the Kuwaiti national team would be late to the World Cup because they would be “traveling on the backs of their camels!” Contrary to that prediction, Kuwait arrived early—so early that neither journalists nor locals knew they were even in Spain.

In an effort to gain attention, the head of the Kuwaiti Football Association told a French journalist (who was there to cover the arrival of the French team) that “the Kuwaiti team would withdraw from the competition unless they could bring their mascot, Haydo.” Within hours, the hotel was packed with reporters keen to find out more about the camel mascot.

Eventually, the Spanish authorities and the hotel manager agreed, allowing the Kuwaiti team to bring their camel as long as it stayed in the hotel’s backyard. The head of the Kuwaiti Football Association then called the Moroccan Minister of Sport, requesting that a camel be sent to Spain as soon as possible. He also ordered a custom T-shirt for it.

All the buzz surrounding the camel drew a lot of attention from locals and journalists, making Kuwait’s presence truly felt. From that point on, Haydo became the official mascot of the Kuwaiti national team.

This week I watched half of Deadpool & Wolverine, and also half of Fly Me to the Moon. Still need to finish both just been pretty busy. Barely watched anything else. It turns out the second half of Yellowstone season 5 isn’t on Peacock or Paramount+ and instead I need to buy it from the AppleTV store (or any digital store basically). Haven’t started it yet.

New Superman trailer is out and it looks really good. Other than that I’ve added a bunch of movies to my watch list for this coming week:

Anora
Juror #2
Saturday Night
Small Things Like These

Let me know in the comments what you recently watched or planning to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Better Man (7.0)
Get Away (5.9)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (7.5)
The Bridge Curse: Ritual (5.3)

Other Movies Showing:
Gladiator II (7.0)
Gunner (3.2)
Home Alone (classic) (7.7)
Kraven the Hunter (5.7)
Moana 2 (7.1)
Mufasa: The Lion King (6.7)
Survive (4.6)
The Painted (6.1)
Wicked (8.1)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

Pantone recently announced its Color of the Year—Mocha Mousse, a warm brown hue. Personally, I’m over brown and beige, which is why I love the new Matchbox eatery.

Matchbox just opened a new location at Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Cultural Centre (JACC) and it’s visually everything I want a place to look like, just full of color and packed with details. You’ve probably noticed from my recent design highlights that I’m over minimal design and far more into places like this, which feel cozier and more visually interesting.

The new Matchbox was collaborative effort put together between the Matchbox team and Studio Nama. The design was executed by Creative International and the photos were taken by Mohammad Ashkanani.

I love it. For more photos, click here.

Frank’s, the go-to spot for authentic Philly Cheesesteaks, has just raised the bar with an exciting new menu item, the Frank’s Philly Burger. Known for their bold flavors and quality ingredients, they’ve managed to combine two all-time favorites into one irresistible creation. Imagine their iconic Cheesesteak, loaded with tender beef and melty cheese, now paired with a juicy Angus beef patty.

This game-changing combo delivers the best of both worlds in every bite. Whether you’re a Cheesesteak purist or a burger enthusiast, the Frank’s Philly Burger promises to satisfy your cravings and leave you coming back for more.

If you want to try it out, Frank’s is available on all major delivery platforms. Check them out @tryfranks

Below is a list of places I found that offer Christmas-themed lunches & dinners as well as cakes. If there is a place you know I haven’t listed, let me know so I can add it:

Courtyard by Marriott
Christmas Eve Dinner: 24KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 20KD (Buffet)

Crowne Plaza Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 17KD (Buffet)

Grand Majestic Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 7.9KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 7.9KD (Buffet)

Holiday Inn Salmiya
Christmas Day Lunch: 16.9KD (Buffet)

Jumeirah Messilah Beach
Christmas Eve Dinner: 24KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 24KD (Buffet)

Radisson Blu Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 19.5KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 21KD (Buffet)

Ramada Encore Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 9.5KD (Set Menu)

Safir Fintas Kuwait Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 9.9KD (Buffet)

Symphony Style Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 18KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 20KD (Buffet)

Vigonovo
Christmas Eve Dinner: 15KD (Set Menu)
Christmas Day Lunch: 15KD (Set Menu)

Call ahead to book. Prices are per person and I’ve mentioned if it’s a buffet or set menu. Crowne Plaza offers two restaurants for Christmas Eve dinner, while Jumeirah has one restaurant for Christmas dinner and another for Christmas lunch.

Gourmet Grocers is a new premium grocery store that recently opened a boutique at the Nasco building in Shuwaikh. They offer a curated selection of high-quality gourmet products to cater to customers with particular tastes. It’s like walking into a boutique where every shelf and corner is packed with the finest gourmet selections; a foodie’s dream come true.

Their product range spans various categories, including cereals and grains, condiments, snacks, beverages, and lifestyle items. They are resellers for notable brands like Bjorg, Lune de Miel, Nicholas Alziari, but they also carry other premium brands like Seggiano, François Doucet, Meurisse, and more. This extensive selection ensures that customers have access to exclusive and premium items not commonly found in the local market.

They also just launched their festive selection comprising of Panettone, Panforte, in addition to a Festive Gift Box and other products.

Speaking of gifts, if you’re looking for something truly unique, their custom gift boxes are a hit if you’re going to a gathering or want to gift something thoughtful to a food lover. Customers can pick from ready-made boxes or create their own by choosing from the store’s premium products to make the gift more personal and special. The packaging is also elegant which adds a touch of luxury to every gift.

In addition to their physical boutique in Shuwaikh, Gourmet Grocers provides an online shopping platform with complimentary delivery across Kuwait. Customers can place orders through their website gourmet-grocers.com, with same-day delivery available for orders placed before 2pm.

If you want to pass by their store, here is their location on Google Maps. For the latest updates, product highlights, or to start shopping, visit their Instagram @gourmetgrocers or head to their website gourmet-grocers.com