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You might have noticed recently that Safe Search on Google is turned on by default and can’t be switched off. It seems local internet providers were asked by the MOC to switch it on and lock it so that it can’t be turned off. Luckily for iPhone users, there is an easy way to bypass it on your phone while at the same time being more private. I just found out about this so I’m assuming a lot of people don’t know about it either.

If you have the latest iOS update installed, head to Settings then click on your Apple ID at the top, and then iCloud. In the list, you’ll find an option called “Private Relay (Beta)”. Just turn that on and problem solved, you’ll now be able to use google with Safe Search off.

Thanks Nasser!

A couple of weeks ago when I posted about my Datsun, a reader suggested I install a hidden GPS tracker on it. I thought about it and it kinda made sense so I decided to see how much one would cost. After doing a lot of research, I ended up getting a GPS tracker called Tracki.

There were a number of reasons I chose Tracki including:
– it came with a sim card
– it would work worldwide
– the monthly subscription was around $14
– it has a 4 out 5 rating on Amazon with 24,000+ reviews
– the tracker cost only $10!

Other things I also looked at were battery life and what kind of connection it had, in this case, Tracki charged over normal micro-USB and battery life depended on how often I wanted it to ping back the location. For example, if I wanted to update the location every 2 hours, then the battery life would last 12-15 days. If I wanted the location to be updated every 6 hours then the battery life would last 22-26 days. On the other hand, if I wanted live tracking where the tracker would update the location every few minutes, then battery life would only last 3-5 days.

The battery life clearly isn’t that great but there is a simple workaround. You could either hardwire the tracker into your car either by getting an adapter to plug it into your OBD port (most new cars have it), or you could run a USB cable to the tracker from your cars USB port of fusebox, that way whenever the car is on it’s charging your tracker. In my case, I decided I would just strap a power bank to it. I have a few laying around the house that I don’t use and one is more than enough to keep the tracker running for a couple of months. Even if I have to swap the battery out every month that wouldn’t be too much of an issue.

So does it work? Yeah, it does. At any time I can just launch the Tracki app and check and see where my car is or where it was. So not only can I know where my car is at any given moment, but I can also view the history of where it’s been. That’s useful if say your car was stolen and then taken and parked somewhere underground. You could at least track the car before it went underground. And then if say for some reason the tracker can’t get you an accurate GPS point, it can continue to give you a rough idea of where it is using wifi or cell towers to triangulate its location.

Attaching the tracker to your car is very easy, you can either use the magnet on the back of the unit to attach it to a metal surface, or use the double-sided tape that came with it to stick it somewhere. If you’re connecting it to the collar of your pet, you could use the rubber case which has a lanyard or keychain hole in it.

There are a couple of negatives with Track the first being the Tracki app. It just feels over-complicated and buggy. For example, sometimes I try to save settings and get an error when in reality it actually saved the settings. Also, battery life is probably the biggest issue. Not sure if it’s because I was playing with the settings too much or what exactly, but I have the tracker set up to update the location every 4 hours which means the battery life should last 18-22 days, but it ended up lasting me just a week. It’s not that big of a deal since I’ll be strapping a battery pack to it, but if you’re using the tracker say to track your pet, you can’t really attach a battery pack to it. One more thing that is annoying is that 1 subscription covers 1 device. So if you get a tracker for all your cars you don’t get to share an account or even a discounted rate.

If you’re interested in getting Tracki, the price on Amazon fluctuates between $9.88 and $14.88. Amazon can also ship the device to you directly and that cost me an additional $21.59. You could ship it to your Aramex Shop&Ship account and pay less but I didn’t want to wait that long. Here is the link to Tracki on Amazon.com

This was a surprisingly very interesting and well-put-together short video on showjumping in Kuwait. Lots of interesting tidbits on the history of the sport in Kuwait including info on how it all started. I also had no idea that in 1982 three girls from Kuwait won first, second, AND third place at the Asian Games showjumping competition. That’s pretty wild, and what a year it must have been for sports in Kuwait with the football team also taking part at the World Cup just a few months earlier.

The film is just 7 minutes long so definitely check it out. YouTube

I downloaded the Avenues app years ago but then deleted it from my phone since it was pretty much useless, but turns out a year ago, the app got a major update with some cool features. One useful feature I found out about is called “Park My Car”. Say you want to go to a specific store in Avenues and you want to park as close as possible to it, in the app look for the store you want and once you get to the brand page you’ll find the “Park My Car” option at the bottom. If you click on it, the app will tell you which is the closest parking entrance and you can even have it take you to that entrance with Google Maps. Pretty nifty.

If you want to download the app it’s available on the Apple Store and Google Play.

● Following the success of its #CookWithMe TikTok campaign, talabat has launched a special collection featuring viral TikTok dishes available for order.

● From October 28th, customers can order a variety of viral dishes through the talabat application.

● These viral dishes have received an astonishing 750,000 likes, 19,000 reshares and over 6,000 comments.

talabat, the region’s leading food delivery and q-commerce platform has launched a special collection of dishes from its viral #CookWithMe campaign, due to overwhelming demand from consumers eager to experience the TikTok creations.

The dishes, PB&J smoothies, Nutella treats combined with mozzarella cheese (AKA, Bella Mozza-tella) and chip-crusted chickenare only available at Everyday Coffee, Kofe, Steers, All Things Acai, 32 Burger, and respectively – and can only be ordered for a limited time.

These dishes have received an astonishing 750,000 likes, 19,000 reshares, and over 6,000 comments, once again proving that amazing food does in fact break the internet.

The special edition TikTok collection will be available for a limited amount of time on talabat. Consumers can download the talabat application from the iOS Store, Google Play Store or Huawei App Gallery. Link

For the first time in the Middle East, six writers from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will have the opportunity to turn their dream project into an Arabic-language TV show. The National Creative Industries Group (NCIG) in partnership with Netflix have created an intensive program designed to incubate six creators to turn their TV series ideas into pitch decks ready to present to Netflix in six weeks.

If you have a TV series idea you think would be great for Netflix, submissions to apply for this program opens tomorrow (November 1st).

Selected participants will receive:⁣
– Mentoring and masterclasses led by best-in-class industry professionals⁣
– Sessions with the Netflix development team⁣
– Training and certification by the world-renowned New York Film Academy⁣
– The opportunity to pitch final projects to the Netflix team⁣
– For Saudi-based participants, all travel and accommodation in Kuwait will be covered⁣
⁣
For more information, click here.

Note: This is open to people residing in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, expats included.

BBC published the video above a few hours ago on life in Kuwait during the summer. Not sure why the music had to be so dramatic, it made the whole video sound like we are suffering and dying because of the heat. One thing that caught my interest is the lady planting trees. I don’t know what her day job is but someone should put her in charge of saving Kuwait’s trees.

In case you can’t watch the video above, here is the Link

The Palestinian Culture Center has been operating in Kuwait since the early 1970s. Every year they hold an exhibition with the aim to support needy families as well as preserving the rich and vibrant culture of Palestine. Starting tomorrow and going on till Thursday, the center will be holding an exhibit at Dar Al Funoon.

The exhibit will have hand-stitched dresses, shawls, and cushions for sale, as well as handmade ceramics, books, and food aimed to preserve the Palestinian national identity and showcase how it adapts to modern times.

If you’re interested in passing by, here is the info:

Location: Dar Al Funoon
Date: Monday Oct. 18th – Thursday Oct. 21th 2021
Time: 10 am to 8 pm

They’re also on instagram @palestiniancc

This is such an 80s sport which is why I think it would be great fun to get into. The Kuwait Sailing School offers windsurfing classes and the next one is set for October 15th. It’s a 2 part beginners course that will teach you how to lift the sail up from the water to do your first rides in both directions.

The cost is KD75 and if you’re interested you can book a spot by visiting their website kwtsailing.com/learn-to-windsurf

A lot of Alshaya restaurants closed down during the pandemic last year and most of those locations got picked up by local concepts. The latest two local concepts to open are Doh! and Thick, they both opened up in place of where IHOP used to be in Grand Avenues. Also, Little Ruby’s and Roto are about to open up where Katsuya used to be leaving only the 400 Gradi location in The Forum area that still hasn’t reopened. That large spot got taken over by Burger Boutique and I’m hoping it’s going to be a new OFK location or a Burger Boutique Black. If you want to see a list of all the Alshaya restaurants that closed down, check out my previous post here.

I’ve been meaning to try Bonjiri ever since they opened a few months ago but only got around to passing by last night. Bonjiri is located a couple of streets down from my place in Salmiya, right next to Tampopo. It’s actually for the same owner as Tampopo, Chef Maryam Alnusif (or just Mimi).

Yakitori means grilled bird in Japanese and that’s what the menu at Bonjiri mainly revolves around. The menu has a small appetizer section and a main section featuring a large selection of skewers, each made using a different part of the chicken. For example, you can order a chicken skewer that is made of inner thighs, or back meat, or breasts. If you’re really adventurous you can choose chicken tail, liver, or knee cartilage. There is no meat on the menu but there is duck, and sometimes, depending on her supplier, there could be seafood (there was octopus last night).

Since I hadn’t tried 90% of the chicken parts on the menu I had Mimi choose the skewers for me which resulted in a fairly exciting experience. I didn’t know what I would get until it was served to me and I was down to eat whatever she grilled as long as it wasn’t chicken wings (I’d rather eat chicken ass -which I did last night- but not eat chicken wings). Looking at my bill now, I had a total of 6 or 7 skewers with my favorite easily being the Tsukune Don. Tsukune is a chicken and duck meatball and comes with a side of tare egg yolk. You’re meant to burst the egg yolk using the tip of the skewer and then mix the sauce up before dropping and rolling your skewer into it. Once you’re done with your skewers, you pour the remaining sauce over a small bowl of butter rice and eat that. It was really delicious and like everything else I tried last night, it was a new flavor I hadn’t experience before.

The interior to Bonjiri is also one of my favorite parts. Mimi took everything she learned with Tampopo and created a new space that was similar in concept, just with all the bottlenecks and issues of Tampopo sorted out. The interior has a bar on both sides surrounding the kitchen which is now located in the middle of the space. Visually it looks like nothing else in Kuwait and as busy as the place will get, it won’t feel overcrowded and tight like it does at Tampopo.

Bonjiri has two prices for the skewers, KD1.750 for the main ones and KD1.500 for the “bold” skewers. There are also a few appetizers to choose from and an Eton Mess dessert to finish up with. If you’re interested to check the place out, they currently open only on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays from 3 to 9 PM. So if you can’t make it today, you’re going to have to wait till next Sunday to pass by. Here is their location on Google Maps and you can find them on Instagram @bonjiri.yakitori

Around 12 years ago I was introduced to a restaurant that had Korean BBQ, the only condition was I wouldn’t be allowed to post about it. I didn’t mind that, I had a few places that were just mine and not to share and just added Golden Dragon to that list. It was one of my favorite places and I used to frequent it a lot. It used to always be busy since the Huawei staff lived in a building nearby and they’d always pack the place. But, a few years ago I just stopped going, no particular reason, maybe because it was too far or some other reason I forgot, but I only went back again for the first time last week.

Golden Dragon is a small hole-in-the-wall Chinese/Korean restaurant in Mahboula. It used to be an interesting-looking space because of the network of DIY-looking vents that ran around the ceiling and would drop down to the table (the picture above is an old picture I took). These vents could be pulled down onto the table and be used to extract all the smoke and carbon monoxide coming out of the charcoal grill located in the middle of every table.

The place looks a lot different now, based on images posted up on Google it looks like the change happened 3 years ago around the time I stopped going. The interior is a lot darker than it used to be and the walls are now covered in wood with all the seating replaced with wooden benches and tables. It kinda looks more like a steakhouse than a Korean grill. The other major change is the fact the charcoal grills are no longer in the middle of the table but off to the side with the smoke extraction system built into the grill. It doesn’t work as efficiently as the previous system but does look more professional. I personally don’t like the way the place looks like now, and because the vents don’t work as well, you will 100% leave smelling like a BBQ.

I’ve only tried one thing on their menu, the beef. That’s it, never tried anything else on the menu nor am I interested to try anything else. I just like getting the raw beef and grilling it on the charcoal grill. I hate that the grill is off to the side now since previously when I’d go with friends everyone would grill their own food in the middle of the table. With the new set up you now need to assign a griller to do the grilling and that person is going to be the one closest to the grill.

The beef is still as good as I remember it being. They slice the beef a bit thicker now but it still tastes the same. The price of the dish is KD3.5 and you would need one per person plus maybe veggies on the side to grill (I go for sweet potato). I’m not aware of any other place in Kuwait that has a charcoal grill built into the table so Golden Dragon is unique in that. If you want to check the place out, here is their location on Google Maps.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend you should consider passing by the Amricani Cultural Centre and check out their museum. Amricani is part of the Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah who have a collection of more than 20,000 items of rare Islamic art. Some of these rare items are displayed at the Amricani in rotation, changing every couple of years.

The exhibition area is located on the top floor and spans countless rooms, a lot bigger then you would expect it to be. You can choose to book a tour or just walk in and explore by yourself.

Here are their timings:

Monday to Thursday and Saturday: 10 AM to 7 PM
Friday: 2 PM to 7 PM
Sunday: closed

If you want to book a tour, send an email to both: [email protected] and [email protected]

Here is the location of the Amricani Cultural Center on Google Maps.

Just a quick update on my previous post on the Grand Mosque Tours. You now no longer need to pre-book a Saturday tour, walk-in tours are now available. Check the previous post for more details.

Since last week’s list proved to be popular, here are some more new places for you to try out.

Baba G – A shawerma place located in the city
Beef & Liberty – A smashed wagyu burger concept
Chickz – A delivery only fried chicken concept
Crust Pizza – A tiny pick-up and delivery only Neapolitan pizza concept
Eli’s Burgers – I don’t get their instagram account 🤔
Frank’s Steak Sandwiches – A delivery only concept based around Philly cheesesteaks
Good Fillings Pie Shop – They have 3 kinds of pies (definitely need to try this)
Robin’s – A European style cafe & bistro located in Massaleh Towers

If you want to share any new places, please do so in the comments.