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Since we’re on the subject of fried chicken this morning, my favorite chicken sandwich place, CHKN is now on Carriage along with Elevation Burger. CHKN was the only reason I installed and started using Talabat in the first place, so now that its on Carriage, I guess no more Talabat for me. Netflix, CHKN and DOH!, all day and all night!

One of the first modifications I wanted to do for my new Lotus was to swap out the car plates. The car came with the squarish shaped U.S. plates but because of the low and wide stance of my car, I knew the much wider and slimmer Euro plates would look better on it. But I didn’t have any idea on what the process was to swap the plates, nobody I asked had any idea and I figured it probably meant I needed wasta or something. Turns out, all you need is a bit of time and patience.

A reader got in touch with me last week after he reading my Lotus post in which I requested info on plate swapping. He told me he was going to the General Traffic Department to get his damaged Euro plates swapped for new ones, and I could come along and swap my square plates for Euro plates as well. All I needed was:

– Civil ID Copy
– Car Registration Copy
– U.S. Sized Car Plates
– KD5 Stamp
– The Car
– Bdal Talef Loha Orobiya “بدل تالف لوحة اوربية” (you get this from the typing guys outside the traffic department)

I got this done at the Asma branch of the General Traffic Department. Not sure if you could do this anywhere else, the license plate printing facility is located in Asma and I don’t know if they have one located elsewhere. Below is the process to getting your plates swapped:

– First thing you do once you get to the traffic department is visit the container room outside that houses the typists. You need to request “بدل تالف لوحة اوربية” which is the European plates request form. They will request a copy of your car registration and civil ID. They charge KD1 for typing this request out onto the proper form.

– Once you get the form with all the copies stapled, you need to head inside the building and then upstairs. When you’re up you’ll find a stamp machine, buy a KD5 stamp and stick it on the top left of the document.

– Next you need to head over to the the raed’s office “رائد” (Police Major) who will need to sign the document. Now here things might vary for you. As the raed was about to sign my request, he asked what the car was and I told him a Lotus. He didn’t know what that was and so told me to take the car to the vehicle inspection area to have them confirm I could fit Euro plates on the car. I told him I had pictures of the car I could show him, but I think he just wanted me to do a little running around.

– The vehicle inspection area is right next door, so I took my car and headed there, gave them the papers and they just signed and stamped it for me.

– I then headed back to the raed, he took my paper and signed and stamped it as well.

– Now you’re nearly done. The next step is to make a copy of your signed document and then take both the original and copy of the document and head to one of the computers so they could insert your request. Depending on how nice the person handling your papers are, they might have on of the helpers make the photocopy for you which is what happened in our case.

– Once your request is inserted into the computer you need to leave the building and drive over to the car plates section which is located on the side of the main traffic department building.

– Make sure you have a copy of the request along with your old car plates. You need to remove them off your car yourself so make sure you have the correct tools with you. Hand over the final document along with your old plates to the guy sitting behind the desk and in around 10 minutes you will get your brand new plates.

The whole process took nearly 2 hours, it might take you less or more depending on the amount of people there and the steps that they make you take. No wasta is required though which is great and the new Euro plates look much better on my car now.

Barba is a new place that recently opened up in Shuwaikh by Amr Alrefai, the same guy behind Solo Pizza as well as his wife and brother. I love the space which was a warehouse that was converted into the restaurant so you have really high ceilings and lots of space which they’ve filled up with long communal tables. The concept of the restaurant is also interesting, mostly because of the different things going on throughout the week. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, this is the current schedule they have:

Monday: Pasta Night with Susanna (walk-in)
Tuesday: Pizza Party (walk-in)
Wednesday: Pizza Party (walk-in)
Thursday: Guest Chefs (booking)
Friday: Smokey Fridays (BBQ)
Saturday: Currently closed but they’ll open for brunch soon
Sunday: Closed for private events

This Thursday for example their guest chef is Faisal AlNashmi, the guy behind Street and Table Otto so should be an interesting menu. This past Friday was BBQ Chicken night and this upcoming Friday supposedly will be filled with lots of grilled meat. So I really like the fact how there is always something taking place.

Currently Barba is in it’s soft launch phase, so their opening hours are from 7PM to 10PM. They’re located in Shuwaikh in the same building as ARABICA and Healthy Feast but in the back (take the side alleyway). Here is the location on [Google Maps] and you can also follow them on instagram @lets.barba

The Origami House is a project by AGi Architects whom I’ve posted about a number of times before. This home is currently featured in this month’s issue of the popular Wallpaper* magazine and is currently the top story on their main page. It’s a house located in Abdulla Al-Salem designed by AGi for a discreet couple who wanted complete privacy but also wanted to distinguish their house within the neighborhood. Wallpaper* have a full writeup on this project as well as some photos so check it out [Here]

Thanks Sulaiman

Every so often something happens to my iPhone and I end up having to head to Hawalli to get it repaired. For the past two years I’ve been going to a place called U.S. Workshop and I didn’t really think they were that special, until recently. A couple of weeks ago I broke my iPhone screen again but this time I really wasn’t in the mood to drive to Hawalli, so I called up FixAid and had them come over and replace my screen at home. When the repair guy handed me the phone, the color tone of my screen was very blue, but I thought maybe it was just my eyes getting adjusted to a crackless screen. Then for the next couple of days the touch screen was being weird and unresponsive. Since they have a 10 day warranty period, I took the phone back to FixAid and explained to them the problem. We tried another screen on and ended up facing a similar issue with the screen color so I told them I didn’t want it anymore and they were professional enough to refund me the money minus a service charge.

I took the cash and headed to U.S. Workshop in Hawalli. They always ask you what kind of quality screen you want to replace it with, the low quality for KD20 or the high quality KD30 screen? (I have an iPhone 6s). I went with the KD30 screen which is basically identical to the original iPhone screen color tone wise and responsiveness. Once I got my phone back and realized it was perfect again I told them how I used a home service because I didn’t want to drive down to Hawalli all the time. Thats when I found out they also offer home service as well for an extra KD5 charge. So, below are the details in case you ever need an iPhone/iPad repair shop.

Location: Bin Khaldoun Street, around 3 buildings after Blink, inside the building before KFH. There are some steep steps you climb up to get into the building, thats how you’ll recognize it. [Google Maps]

Telephone: 22610042

Living in Kuwait there are two kinds of dealers every person needs, a Munchos dealer and a mango dealer. My mango guy is like the best mango dealer in Kuwait, been using him for over 6 years now and he really does import the best mangoes into Kuwait. Every year when Alphonso season is about to start he sends out a message to all his customers letting them know that he’s getting a shipment and to message him if they’re interested in a box. Well I got that message yesterday, his first shipment of mangos is arriving end of this month and pre-orders are now open. A box costs KD11 and includes a dozen mangos. So if you love mangos, you can contact him on whatsapp at 99880008 or on instagram @gourmetmangos.

A friend showed me this instagram account yesterday for a local Japanese restaurant called Yamamoto and I found it the most bizarre thing ever. The restaurant is meant to serve Japanese street food but their menu from what I can tell is mostly composed of British Fish and Chips and Spanish Churros for dessert.

So weird. Check it out yourself @yamamoto_kw

I found out about AL MAADAN recently when I tagged along with a friend who needed to get some items for his place. It’s a home accessories and furniture shop thats located in Shuwaikh but they also have a tiny store in Avenues.

Although it doesn’t sound the part, AL MAADAN actually have some pretty cool looking and tastefully designed items. When I was there, I found a bunch of things I would have wanted for my place if I actually had the room for them. The main reason they have some very cool looking items is because they carry the Danish brand House Doctor, which to me is kinda like a Danish version of WestElm.

So if you’re looking for furniture or accessories for your place then they’re definitely worth checking out. Here is their location on [Google Maps] and their instagram account is @almaadankw

There are currently a bunch of new hospitals being constructed and designed at the moment in Kuwait and thanks to a reader, I was able to get a bit of information on them. Below is a list of some of the hospitals currently in the pipeline along with their current status and links with more details on the projects:

Al-Adan Women and Children’s Hospital
Already under construction

Al-Razi Hospital
Under tender but paused right now due to budget constraints

Al-Sabah Hospital
Already under construction

Amiri Hospital
Already under construction

Kuwait Cancer Control Centre
Already under construction

Kuwait Children’s Hospital
Currently in design phase

NBK Cancer Hospital (Oncology and Hematology)
Already complete and awaiting commissioning

New Farwaniya Hospital
Already under construction

New Ibn Sina Hospital
On hold, awaiting budget and likely to kick off 2017-2018

New Jahra Hospital
Already under construction

New Maternity Hospital
Construction to begin any day now

Police Hospital
Was tendered and awarded and now awaiting contract signature to kick off

Sheikh Jaber Hospital
Construction nearly complete

Sheikha Salwa Al-Sabah Center for Stem Cell and Umbilical Cord
Already under construction

Thanks Jassim

As you’re probably aware by now, cops are resorting to remove the license plates of illegally parked cars in an effort to stop the habit. A reader last week left a comment under one of my old posts detailing the process involved in getting back the plates and I’ve went ahead and summarized it into bullets points below:

– Cops took his car plates after he illegally parked in old Salmiya

– They left a ticket and a sticker on the windshield with information on which traffic station to go to

– After waiting for a few days he went to the traffic station in Jabriya where he presented them with his traffic ticket and paid a fine of KD20. He then had to get a signature from the supervisor and after that was told to come back the next day

– Next day he headed back to Jabriya where they told him to go to the Salmiya traffic station instead

– After getting to the Salmiya traffic station he had to get another signature from the supervisor there

– After getting the signature he then had to go to another room where an officer gave him back his plates and asked him to sign a document stating he received his car plates

– You don’t get your screws back so you need to pass by a hardware store before you head back to your car with your plates to screw them back on

The process seems like such a hassle I hope I never get my plates taken. Not that I park illegally anyway, but in Salmiya there are some parking spot you might think are legal but are most likely illegal (Exhibit A).

Thanks RJP

The Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Center is the second cultural center that is being constructed next to Shaab Park on the Gulf Road. Last night when I drove by I noticed they had their multicolored roof lights on so figured I’d try to sneak in and take some shots. That failed since there was security stationed at every entrance.

I then tried to hop over the wall from the Women’s organization building right next door but as soon as I stepped onto their property, their building security stopped me as well. Need to go back in a full black ninja outfit and try again.

Anyway I still managed to take some shots from the outside which I’ve shared in this post.

After taking the video above I realized the rainbow roof lights look like a real life version of the Rainbow Road from the Mario Kart game. So someone needs to fly a drone over this “track” ASAP pretending they’re racing in Mario Kart and then add the Rainbow Road soundtrack to the video so we can share it on Reddit.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this project, it’s located on the Gulf Road right before Shaab Park. The project consist of six main buildings:

– A Natural History Museum
– A Science Museum
– A Museum of Islamic History
– A Space Museum
– A Fine Arts Center
– A 350 seat Theatre

The cultural center is expected to be completed by the end of this year. For previous posts on this cultural center with renderings and more information, click [Here]

Photo by @kuwait1

Damn.

Update: Here is a video, looks like it could be just the roof.

For more videos, I’m retweeting a bunch on my twitter account @mark248am

Update2: Looks like fire is out and was only exterior superficial damage to one of the four main structures which hadn’t opened yet. The main theater building wasn’t affected.

Update3: Below is a video from inside the building that was on fire. As you can see there doesn’t look like there was any interior damage.

Update4: I drove by the cultural centre an hour ago and there were like 50 workers on the roof already working on it.

None of the shipping companies are consistent so every few months I like to check and see which one of them is currently performing better.

I’ve been using MyBox exclusively for the past few months and they’ve been so slow that I might end up moving back to Shop & Ship if they’re doing better. Some examples of my recent shipments:

MacBook Pro (21 Days)
– Arrived to MyBox on December 14th
– Delivered to me in Kuwait on January 4th

Sneakers (11 Days)
– Arrived to MyBox on December 28th
– Delivered to me in Kuwait on January 8th

Laptop Case (13 Days)
– Arrived to MyBox on January 13th
– Delivered to me in Kuwait on January 26th

So what US mail forwarding company are you guys currently using and whats the average time it taking to get your items delivered to Kuwait from the US?

Mubarak Almubarak is a Kuwaiti director who I’ve actually posted about before since he’s also a special effects artist and a pretty good one. His previous short film I posted was called “My Life” which I’ve gone ahead and embedded again below. I loved that short film because the crumbling and destroyed Kuwait City landscape reminded me of a scene from the movie “I Am Legend”.

Well Mubarak is back with another short this time featuring our favorite Japanese super robot, Grendizer. In the short film which I’ve shared above, you’ll see a destroyed Kuwaiti neighborhood as well as a bunch of short robot battle scenes that takes place in the middle of Kuwait City.

According to Mubarak he’s going to start working on a bunch of new fun personal projects and fan films and he’s starting off with this one. I love it, makes me wish it was a much longer film. His production house by the way is called [NGU Productions]

My life (Spec ad) from Mubarak Almubarak on Vimeo.

An incident was recorded in a famous shopping mall in the Fahaheel area last night as two locals and their wives fought over a disabled parking spot, causing them both grievous bodily harm and permanent disabilities. A report was filed for two counts, including illegal theft and occupancy of disabled parking and fighting.

The concerned authorities were dispatched over the bloody row and arrived to find both parties had been fighting with sticks, egals, handbags and slippers until passers-by intervened and stopped the fighting by immediately brandishing guns and shooting in the air until the situation was under control. A small boy was injured nearby by a stray bullet but was treated by emergency services and only suffered minor injuries along with no sight in his right eye.

The standoff occurred when one side claimed to have more right to park in the spot due to their significant other being too heavy to walk too much and needed the close spot. The other local denied the claim by the first party stating that it was “impossible” since his wife was for sure heavier because “she just eat dinner”, the argument then escalated to dangerous levels.

Authorities are issuing serious warnings to all citizens that disability parking theft has increased to alarming levels since the beginning of this year and the only-serious offenders will face major penalties that include a stern talk and a possible KD5 fine for locals, while expats will receive a 2 year jail sentence and deportation for this heinous crime.

Post by Holla