Categories
Movies

Movies Showing in Kuwait this Weekend


Screenshot from Terminator: Dark Fate

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Midway (4.9)
Motherless Brooklyn (7.4)
Terminator: Dark Fate (6.5)
The Addams Family (5.8)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Abominable (7.3)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Born a King (8.8)
Countdown (5.3)
Dark Encounter (4.4)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Joker (9.4)
Killerman (5.2)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Mary (4.4)
Zombieland: Double Tap (7.3)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Journey to Space 3D (6.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

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




Categories
50s to 90s Design

Jørn Utzon Logbook Vol. IV: Kuwait National Assembly

If you’re itching to buy an interesting book about Kuwait, this is one that came out in 2008 but copies of are still available online. The book deals with the construction of the Kuwait National Assembly building that was designed by Jørn Utzon who was also behind the design of the Sydney Opera House.

Completed in 1982, the Kuwait National Assembly remains one of the outstanding modern buildings completed in the Middle East by a European architect. A tour de force of precast concrete construction, Jørn Utzon’s design also represents the culmination of themes that had preoccupied him throughout his work, notably ways of combining ideas derived from traditional cultures with the ‘additive’ principles of cellular growth found in nature. This beautifully produced book, the latest addition to Edition Bløndal’s acclaimed ‘Utzon Logbook’ series, was developed in close collaboration with Utzon and presents an exceptionally comprehensive account of the Kuwait project through photographs, original drawings and the recollections of key contributors – Utzon’s staff, consulting engineers and contractor, and an extended interview with Utzon himself.

If you check out the publisher’s website they have two videos taken during construction which I had never seen before. You can check those out here.

If you want to buy the book I got my copy from Amazon for $69.




Categories
Cars & Bikes

My 1970 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV

A couple of weeks back I finally got my license plates for my Alfa and since then been trying to drive it as much as possible. Transcrate my shipping company handled all the paperwork and process for me so if you want to know what the process was to get plates I have no idea. The first drive I think was the scariest since I didn’t know if everything was working properly, or if something was broken or would break. Thankfully, everything is running great so far.

I’ve actually been driving the car pretty hard, with old cars things will breakdown its something you just have to accept. Since I want this car to be my winter daily, then I need whatever it is that is about to break to actually break so I can swap the part out for a newer one. One thing that is super weird is the widespread availability of all the parts. Websites like Classic Alfa stock all the parts I need for my car and ship directly to Kuwait with DHL. I love that because I can drive the car and not have to worry about something going wrong because if something does go wrong I can just easily have the part delivered in a few days.

So far the things that have gone wrong with the car have been minor. The fan belt needed replacing and I found a new compatible belt locally, my dashboard lights toggle switch broke so I ordered a new one, and finally, my left turn signal stopped working but I haven’t had time to figure out why. But that’s it so far.

The car is a lot more fun to drive than I was expecting. It’s pretty zippy, sounds great and I love the very minimal interior. I don’t even have a radio in this car and I like that although it means I no longer can listen to podcasts on my way to work in the morning.

On the other hand, my blue Datsun 240z is now getting a full restoration job. Currently, it’s being stripped down to its bare shell so that all the rust can be removed and holes patched before getting a proper paint job. There is a garage called Blue Collar that just opened a new location to handle classic cars and they’re the ones who are doing all the bodywork. Another garage is rebuilding a new engine for me in the meantime while I’ve also been ordering parts online for the past few weeks. The bodywork alone needs around 3 months so I’m hoping to have the car ready before summer since the Datsun will be my summer daily.

If you have a classic car let me know in the comments below and please share a picture!




Categories
Music News

K-Pop Performance Canceled in Kuwait

Last night was the cultural event for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Kuwait. As part of the cultural filled evening, a variety of Korean traditional and modern music performances were meant to take place including a performance by the K-pop group D-Crunch. But just before they were meant to perform, the Ministry of Information ordered a halt to the event.

Meanwhile in Riyad the popular K-pop group BTS performed 2 weeks ago in a packed stadium…

Not only that but the hashtag #dcrunch_come_to_saudiarabia has also been trending with Saudis apologizing to D-Crunch for what happened to them in Kuwait. This is just too weird, how did Saudi Arabia become more liberal than Kuwait overnight?




Categories
50s to 90s

Andy Warhol Signed Catalog from Kuwait Exhibit

Back in 1977, Andy Warhol came to Kuwait under the invitation of the National Council of Arts, Culture, and Letters and his work was exhibited at the Dhaiat Abdullah Al Salem Gallery. I’ve posted about his visit a number of times before and you can read more about it in my previous post here.

Earlier in the month, I was made aware that a signed copy of his catalog from his exhibit in Kuwait was up for auction in Germany. The first thing I wanted to do was share it with people but since I wanted to bid on it myself I decided not to. The auction house had estimated that the signed catalog would sell for €250 – €360 so I figured I’d play it safe and put a bid of €1005.

The auction took place this past Friday and because the site was in German and I’ve never really taken part in a live auction similar to this, I didn’t know how it would work exactly. To summarize, I was at the race track taking part in the KMT Open Track event on Friday when the auction went live and someone ended up topping my bid and winning the item for €1200.

It sucks because I really wanted it, but I’m guessing whoever bid on it really wanted it to and most likely had a deeper pocket so I’m kinda glad I missed the auction. I’ve been in bidding wars before and things can get out of hand very quickly. In any case, now that auction is over I’m sharing pictures of the signed catalog. Even without the signature, the catalog would have been an interesting purchase. The description for the item on the auction site was in German but here is the rough translation:

Andy Warhol. Catalog for the exhibition in the MAYOR Gallery London and the Dhaiat Abdulla al Salem Gallery in Kuwait 1977. 7 pages each in English and Arabic with staple stitching. 35.5 x 23 cm. Illustrated original cardboard cover and signed on the back by Andy Warhol (a little bit at the edge of the bend, front cover with small paper abrasion in the edge, back cover a little rubbed).

Very rare catalog for the exhibition in London and Kuwait. – Paper slightly creased.

Here is the link to the item on the auction website and below are links to the high res images in case they get deleted from the auction website.

Front Cover
Back Cover




Categories
Food & Drinks

M’EAT in the City

Middle Eastern Eatery or M’EAT for short is opening a second location, right across from Little Ruby’s and PICK in the city. Their current location on the Seef Strip opened up back in 2017 but it was a pretty small space and not really walking distance from much. This new location looks to be bigger and right in the heart of the city.

M’EAT is a build your own bowl place created by the guys behind PICK. If you missed my previous post on them then click here.




Categories
Design

The Wafra Tower by OMA

OMA, the legendary architectural firm based in Rotterdam has won the design for a tower that will be located in the new Hessa Al Mubarak District. I actually passed by their offices in Rotterdam years ago because I was hoping to get one of my books signed by one of the founders, Rem Koolhaas. When completed the Wafra Tower will be the first project by OMA in Kuwait.

The tower looks great and all but the seafront design in their renderings grabbed my attention more than the tower honestly. Their interpretation of our Gulf Road is way nicer in their renderings than what we have in reality.

For more details on this project click here.




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

If you’re into sports then there is a lot going on this weekend, check out the full list of events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Al Yasra Bazaar

Friday
Al Yasra Bazaar
Flying Start – Junior Duathlon 2019
Open Track at Kuwait Motor Town

Saturday
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Al Yasra Bazaar
Come Play with Us!
Circle Kuwait Bus Tour
Art for Sudan: Silent Auction and Exhibition
Flying Start Triathlon XII
TFW Superhero Deadlift Party
Hala’ween

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

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double-check with the organizers.




Categories
Movies

Movies Showing in Kuwait this Weekend


Screenshot from The Farewell

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Countdown (N/A)
Dark Encounter (4.4)
Killerman (5.2)
Mary (4.4)
Princess Emmy (5.5)
The Farewell (8.1)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Abominable (7.3)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Born a King (8.8)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Joker (9.4)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
The Lion King (6.2)
Zombieland: Double Tap (7.3)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Journey to Space 3D (6.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

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




Categories
Kuwait

Salmiya is a Garbage Dump

If pictures weren’t enough to show you how bad things are in Salmiya, here is a video of the garbage dump right outside my apartment building.




Categories
Television

Competing to be Kuwait’s First Astronaut

There is a new reality show on Dubai TV called The Astronauts where 12 candidates from different nationalities compete to become a real life astronaut. One of the candidates who is also the youngest competitor on the show is Bader Al Moulah, a Kuwaiti architect.

The Astronauts reality show is done in cooperation with the BBC and led by the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. It’s in Arabic and airs on Sundays at 9PM on Dubai TV and Wednesdays at 9PM on Dubai One with English subtitles.

You can follow Bader on instagram @the.travelling.architect and the show @theastronautsar




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

There’s something for everybody this weekend from live music to yoga with dogs so check out this weekends full list of events below:

Thursday
Exhibition: Conversations in Colour
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Ultimate LEGO Experience
Mr. D0ne’s Game On Kuwait
French Institute of Kuwait Cinema club – “Edmond”
October Open Mic Night
Live in K-City

Friday
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Ultimate LEGO Experience

Saturday
Exhibition: Conversations in Colour
Exhibition: The Place I Call Home
Exhibition: Halal Nights by Mohammad Al-Hemd
Yoga at the Park
Ultimate LEGO Experience
Come Play with Us!
Droga at Luna & Beau

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

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double-check with the organizers.




Categories
Movies

Movies Showing in Kuwait this Weekend


Screenshot from Zombieland: Double Tap

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Abduction (6.0)
Killers Anonymous (6.2)
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (7.0)
Zombieland: Double Tap (7.3)

Other Movies Showing Now:
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (7.2)
Abominable (7.3)
Ad Astra (7.4)
Angel Has Fallen (7.0)
Born a King (8.8)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (5.9)
Downton Abbey (7.8)
Joker (9.4)
Gemini Man (5.2)
Little Monsters (5.9)
Rambo: Last Blood (8.1)
The Lion King (6.2)

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

Movies Showing Now:
Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Backyard Wilderness 3D (8.4)
Journey to Space 3D (6.4)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Volcanoes 3D (6.6)

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




Categories
Promoted

PROMOTED: Run for a Cause with RunKuwait

Fawzia Sultan Healthcare Network (FSHN), a non-profit multidisciplinary healthcare provider, is pleased to announce the return of its annual charity sporting event, RunKuwait, in its ninth edition.

The event, which will be held on November 23rd, invites interested participants and RunKuwait returning friends to register for the race and contribute to improving the lives of children with special needs.

RunKuwait is a charitable initiative aiming to raise awareness and funds towards the rehabilitative treatment of vulnerable children with special needs. Since 2013, all registration proceeds are channeled directly towards the non-profit Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), founded by FSHN. Last year’s event with more than 2,900 registrations successfully contributed towards offering a total of 1000 treatment sessions to children with special needs.

RunKuwait is a community based fun sporting event for all family members who can join a 5KM or 10KM run or walk. The event’s race village will host different warm-up exercises, activities for children and exciting activities for family members and friends who will join the event to cheer for the participants.

RunKuwait is supported by generous contributions from the following sponsors: Agility as a Founding Partner, INTERSPORT and ASAR Legal as Gold sponsors, and EQUATE as Silver sponsor. The media sponsors for the RunKuwait initiative this year are Alanba newspaper, Alrai newspaper, Alseyassah newspaper, Arab Times newspaper, Kuwait Times newspaper, bazaar magazine, The talk magazine, Alhadaf magazine, M2R company and 248am as a social media sponsor.

Interested participants, athletes, and continuous supporters of RunKuwait can find more information about the race, and can register through the RunKuwait official social media channels, @RunKuwait on Instagram and Facebook.




Categories
Music Shopping

The Vintage Radio Shop Has a New Location

A few years ago I posted about a vintage radio shop called “Moqtanayaty”. When I first wrote about them they were located in Kuwait City but since then they’ve moved their shop three times, first to blockat, then to Hawalli, and now they’re back in the city again but this time across the street from Mubarakiya in a building called Burj Al Hamam Tower.

The place sells old vintage radios, boomboxes, record players and even some cameras. Everything they sell works and if you have an old radio that needs repairing they even have a repair guy. If you’re interested in checking the place out, here is their location on [Google Maps] and you can find them on instagram @vintage_radio_

Also, here is the link to my previous post.