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Last Thursday I felt like playing a new video game but didn’t feel like heading to Hawalli to pick up a new game. So I decided to order a game online but wanted a place that would deliver in an hour. I mean if you can order food, have it prepared and delivered in under hour, I figured it shouldn’t be difficult to find a place that would have a game delivered that fast as well. Turns out nobody delivers video games in an hour and with some places like Blink who offer express delivery, they charge you a premium for it and you need to order before a certain time. Plus by express delivery they mean under 4 hours which is just too long. I was losing hope until I remembered a reader telling me about an instagram account called @alfuhod. They sell games for prices cheaper than the rest of the market and they offer free delivery. So I called them up and ordered Uncharted 4, they told me they’d deliver it within 2 hours. It was 7:50 when I placed the order so I was expecting to get it by 10PM.

A friend ended up coming over to watch a movie and time flew by and I completely forgot I had ordered a video game until I get a phone call at 11:44PM from a driver asking directions for my house. Nearly 4 hours since I placed the order so obviously I was upset and told the driver I didn’t want the game anymore since it was too late. Next day I got a message from them asking me if I received my game, I told them no I canceled it because the driver was 2 hours late. They didn’t apologize or even respond to me so I’m not ordering from them again.

Which brings me to my question, where do you guys order your games from and who has the quickest delivery time? I’m gonna create a list of all the online places you can order video games from and this is what I have so far:

3Rood Q8
Blink
Digumz
Digumz Store (not related to Digumz)
Game Center
GamesQ8
Mr Babu
ProGaming
Q8 Complex
Taw9eel
Tawsel AlFuhod
VG Gurus
X4 Games
Xcite

Like the Lotus Exige S which I recently wrote about on the blog, theres a lot to love and hate in the Evora 400. I actually ended up having the car over two weekends so I got to spend a pretty good amount of time with the car. I’ll get all the good stuff out of the way first, then talk about a few negatives points before telling you what I think.

When I first got into the Evora 400 and drove off I was really surprised at how civil the car was. Unlike the Exige S, getting into the car didn’t require any acrobatics since it’s like a normal car, you just open the door and get in. The interior was also a lot more fancier with leather all around, beautiful center console with controls for the AC and gear box, and with seats that were super comfy. The Evora has a Supercharged 3.5L V6 producing 400hp but you wouldn’t be able to tell when the car is in regular touring mode. I thought the Evora was too quiet, like nearly electric car quiet since you couldn’t hear the engine or exhaust, just the whine of the supercharger. The car felt too civil which was starting to feel disappointing since the reason I’m in a Lotus is because it’s a sports car and so I wanted it to sound like one. Luckily, the Evora has a cool trick up its sleeve. On regular touring mode, the car doesn’t sound any louder than a Toyota Camry, but as soon as you hit the exhaust button on the dashboard, everything changes. The Evora suddenly comes to life and the sound becomes brutal and violent. If you’re in an indoor parking lot and roll down your windows, you won’t believe how beautiful the Evora can sound.

I think that was my favorite aspect of the Evora, it can be super silent and an unassuming daily driver (just don’t go with bright orange), or it can be the loud in your face track car. Daily driver is how I kept describing the car to my friends whenever they asked me what I thought of it. Then you have the looks, god damn it’s a super hot looking car. Like the Exige S, everywhere I went people wouldn’t stop staring, it’s such an eye catcher.

But, not all is great. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I had the Evora 400 over two weekends. The reason for that is the first weekend I ran into issues with the gearbox. Something was wrong with the programming and so when I would give the car a hard kick down, the car would sometimes shift from 1st gear to 2nd to 3rd and then just get stuck there instead of continuing to shift up. On one occasion it even got stuck on 2nd gear. Then one night on my way back home, the gearbox, engine and traction control lights all came on and the car wouldn’t shift anymore and just stayed stuck on 3rd gear. I dropped the car off back to Lotus the next morning and got it back again this past weekend. I guess they reset the software or something but all the issues I had with the gearbox the previous weekend disappeared. Putting that bit of bad luck aside though I did have more issues with the car, ones that a software update couldn’t fix. One of my issues with the Exige S was the lack of storage space, not sure how it’s possible but the Evora has even less space than the Exige. There is a small pocket on the door that might or might not hold your wallet depending on how big it is, and there is also a small glove compartment that can hold your sunglasses, but other than that there is nothing. I had to keep my phone in between my legs or on the passenger seat because there was no room anywhere to put my phone. I should mention there is a back seat in this car that supposedly can hold two passengers, but unless those passengers don’t have any legs I’m not sure how they’ll fit there. The back of my seat literally touches the rear seat so there’s no way anyone can sit behind me thats for sure. Finally the last issue with the car is one that I find mind boggling. I took the car to get it washed and it leaked in water from both doors in the exact same location. If it was one side you could say it might have been a defect or whatever, but both sides? Thats just poor design which is why I don’t understand how Lotus didn’t catch this.

The Evora 400 starts at KD34,000 which puts it right in the Porsche 911 turf. But the question then becomes, do you want a car that everyone has? Or do you want a car that is less common and unique? If I’m paying that much money, I don’t want to blend in so then it becomes about how much issues can I put up with. Personally, with all the issues I had with the more affordable Exige S, I’m in love with that car. Maybe if I ask nicely they’ll let me take the Exige S back out for another weekend.

If you’re interested in test driving a Lotus then pass by them, they have both the Exige S and Evora 400 available. Here is a link to their instagram account @alghanimlotuskw

Last night when I got back to Kuwait from a quick trip to Doha I noticed they changed the queue system at passport control.

When I came down the escalators I noticed majority of the immigration counters were practically empty which was a relief since I really didn’t want to spend an hour in line. But then as I got closer I noticed something odd. On the far left was a large crowd of expats, when I looked carefully I noticed all the empty counters were for GCC nationals and that expats needed to enter a queue on the far left.

So I got into the queue which truthfully was moving fast. It was one long queue that served all the expat counters which is something I prefer over having individual queues for each counter. It’s actually been proven to be more efficient which is why it’s used in other countries. There was an officer at the end of the end of the queue who was directing the expats to available counters as they free up. It’s like finally, a proper system.

But, I had a major issue was with the visual appearance of the passport control area (put aside the floor tiles that wouldn’t look out of place in a bathroom). My big issue was how they had the large wide open space for GCC nationals and then had all the expats squeezed into the far left corner like cattle (check below illustration for an overhead look).

I don’t mind there be more counters for GCC nationals over expats, but at least have the expats queue wider and take up more space. Right now the expats are squeezed into 25% of the space while the other 75% is left open for GCC nationals. It really looked degrading the way we were all squeezed off to the side and it’s definitely not a great first impression for visitors on arrival.

Ok ok so it’s not really an extension but, just to give you an idea of how bad the situation in the long term parking has gotten, they’re now having cars park in the pedestrian walkway in the long term parking lot.

They’re going to have to construct a new multistory parking lot but that would mean they’d have to close the parking lot during that process which will be annoying so I have another idea. How about turning an empty lot of land near the airport into a parking lot and then have a shuttle bus service to and from the airport?

Yesterday afternoon I dropped my Datsun to Omid’s Garage in Shuwaikh to have a few things worked on, mostly installing an AC system as well as replacing all the car’s bushings among other things. After dropping the car off I walked to the main road to find a cab and then not sure what got into my head but I tweeted that maybe I should just walk home since I was already in gym gear. I wasn’t planning to go to the gym, but since my car didn’t have AC and I was expecting the weather to be warm, I figured I would wear my gym gear since I wouldn’t mind sweating in it. I opened up google maps just to get an idea if it was actually doable and it gave an estimated time of around 2 hours and 44 minutes. It was around 6PM then and I was invited to an Audemars Piguet event at 7PM, but other than that didn’t really have any plans for the evening. So I was like fuck it, I’ll ditch the event and walk home. A friend on twitter replied to me saying it would take me three hours, I replied back that I would make it in 2 and a half and so the challenge was on.

I left the garage at 6:06PM with just a small bottle of water, my wallet, my keys and my phone. The garage is located in the Shuwaikh Industrial area which is the area across from Al Rai and on the other side of highway 60. I started walking towards Canada Dry street cuz I decided I’d take the 3rd Ring Road down towards the Gulf Road and then take the 35 towards Salmiya. Although Canada Dry Street takes just a few seconds to get from the start to the end by car, it took me 20 minutes to walk. I thought that was just too slow of a pace so when I was done from Canada Dry and crossed into Khaldia where I spotted a walking/running track, I decided I would try to run back home. Although I was in my gym gear I didn’t have running shoes on, I had my crossfit ones (Nike Metcon 1) which barely have any padding and are terrible for running. But I’d figure I’d give it a shot since walking was just going to be too slow for me.

I hadn’t really gone running in over two years and I’ve barely been doing any cardio but I just wanted to get home in under 2 and a half hours. I had already run out of water but luckily kept finding public water fountains to keep refilling my bottle (I didn’t get sick!). By the time I got to road 35 in Hawally, I realized there was a big chance I could make it home in under 2 hours so I pressed on. Mentally I was strong but physically I was just starting to break down. Half way down the stretch of the 35 my right foot and right knee were in pain. I wasn’t out of breath even though I was tired but my legs were just not prepared for this. By the time I got to the end of the 35 and crossed into Maidan Hawalli I could barely run and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get home in under 2 hours. It was demoralizing but then I just went back to my original plan of trying to get there in under 2 and a half hours. I tried to run but by the time I got to Salmiya I was limping, my right leg was in so much pain. But once I saw my building I somehow managed to sprint the last 20 meters or so. I ended up making it home in 2 hours and 14 minutes. A total distance of 14KM. Kinda disappointing since I ran a 10K once in 57 minutes, but I did train for that. On the other hand I did get a better time compared to when I walked home from my work in Kuwait City.

I still don’t know why I decided to do that yesterday, this morning I can barely walk up and down stairs due to how sore my legs are. The weather was great yesterday which might have been what pushed me but in any case I did it and I’ve got a few observations I want to highlight.

Kuwait isn’t really a pedestrian friendly place but I was pretty surprised at how the route I took was fairly pedestrian friendly. From the start of the 3rd Ring Road till highway 40 there are proper walking/running paths all along the main road. The only issue is the fact these paths aren’t connected to other paths in adjacent areas. Meaning to cross from Khaldiya to Adailiya wasn’t easy. Not only aren’t the walking/running paths connected, but the normal sidewalks aren’t even connected. In some areas I had to walk over greenery or climb over barriers, and then when there were paths like the one pictured above, they led to the middle of the road instead of the other sidewalk. Each area is isolated from the adjacent ones which is pretty annoying. Then once you pass the 40th into Hawalli, the paths start disappearing. By the time I got to Salmiya I was basically running in the streets trying to avoid cars. Such a contrast to how my run started, even the public water fountains disappeared after the 40.

Still, I was expecting it to be a lot more difficult to make it back to Salmiya on foot so I was actually impressed by the experience. I just wish Kuwait was more pedestrian or bike friendly, I’m sure there are a lot of people who wouldn’t mind walking to places if the weather was good.

This weekend is surprisingly busy and there are a few interesting events taking place. I’ll personally be trying to connect to my roots by attending the Armenian Dance Show on Friday night. Been wanting to go to one of their shows for some time now but they used to be held in Mangaf which was too out of my way. This Friday though they’re going to be at the Salmiya Theater which is close to where I live. The comedy show Urban City Tour was supposed to take place this weekend as well featuring Marlon Wayans, but it sadly got canceled. Anyway, check out the full list of events take place this weekend below:

Thursday
Exhibition: It’s a Mad World
Exhibition: What’s Your Location?
Japanese Modern Art Exhibition
Exhibition: F160 – Only Byrds Move The Skies
Exhibition: Tensile Modulus By Omar Khouri
Mindfulness for a Healthy Mind Workshop (Meditation and Yoga)
The Divan Movie Night: Sherlock Holmes
Spinal Dance
Rooftop Movie: The Elephant Man

Friday
Japanese Modern Art Exhibition
Urban City Tour – Kuwait
Taichi in the Park
Yoga at the Park (Hatha Yoga)
Catomania (Cat Quiz Night)
Armenian Dance Show

Saturday
Japanese Modern Art Exhibition
Yoga with the 3
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
Reclaim Your Voice; Reclaim Your Life
Mental Health Movie Night
Walks at the Park
Rooftop Movie: What We Do in the Shadows

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 double check info with organizers.

Ricardo Camacho, one of the leading architects behind Al Shaheed Park posted some more information on Phase II which I posted on yesterday. Ricardo mostly discusses the thinking process behind Phase II and the numerous obstacles they had to be aware of.

Following the research survey of numerous youth-related facility units within Kuwait City’s urban perimeter, the Al Shaheed Park extension (phaseII) assumes a mixed program along the following facilities: a. Educational; b. Social/Culture; c. Health; d. Food+Beverage; e. Retail; f.Sports. The majority of the program typologies assumed for this site, encompass a range of facilities (outdoor and indoor) that in Kuwait are usually in centralized locations within a residential neighborhood and directly connected to institutional facilities such as schools, mosques and Coops.

His full post is on Linkedin and you can check it out [Here]

This accident took place yesterday in Hawalli. Super nasty, no idea why that guy took the turn so fast. On the other hand with dashcams becoming prevalent, we’re bound to see more WTF videos like this.

Back in March while driving on the 40th I nearly ran over a body lying in the middle of the road. It was a scary moment which I was able to capture on my dashcam. You can watch that video above, it’s not graphic, but there is a dead body involved so you might want to skip it if you’re squeamish.

via Frankom

Construction of Phase II of Al Shaheed Park started in February and is expected to be completed before summer of next year. The new phase will be more than just a park and include the following: A Parkour area, a miniature new Kuwait, a miniature old Kuwait, a multipurpose youth complex, tree top climbing obstacles, board and interactive games area, an open air performance center and a skate park.

If you drive by Al Shaheed you can spot the area under construction, it’s located between where Al Shaheed Park is right now and Discovery Mall. If it’s anything like Phase I then we should be in for a treat. Check out the higher resolution version of the map above [Here]

The two hottest video games launching this month are already out in Kuwait. Uncharted 4 launched in Kuwait two days before the US release and Doom which is supposed to launch this Friday is already out in Kuwait since yesterday. Both games are available at Rihab Complex or if you’d rather not go to Hawalli you can always get them online from GamesQ8.

I was planning on getting both but I just downloaded OpenRA, the fan improved C&C Red Alert project and I’m currently addicted to it. Me and my friends used to play Red Alert all day long back when I was in university so it looks like I’m going to busy with this for the next few days. If you’re a Red Alert fan you need to check this out [Here]

This is part of the last bunch of photos I have from my last trip to the KOC photography archive. I should pass by and get some more but for now, here are some old photos of the old Kuwait airport. Not sure where this airport was located so if someone could let us know that would be great.

Responding to complaints filed by citizens living in block 12 in Salmiya concerning being surrounded by ‘bachelors,’ the municipality recently launched a campaign in the area, giving bachelors three-day eviction ultimatums before disconnecting electricity as instructed by municipality director Ahmad Al-Manfouhi.

Head of the inspection team Ritadh Al-Rabee’ said that the team distributed 20 warning notices to house inhabited by bachelors and said that electricity would be disconnected and owners would be fined. He added that once the ultimatum is over, the municipality teams would be escorted by a police force to evict residents. “The law will be equally applied to everyone without any wasta,” he stressed, noting that if any officials intervene, their names and positions would be reported to the municipality director. [Source]

This doesn’t make any sense at all plus is really unfair and then to top it off they’re giving them just 3 days to move out? WTF?

Back in 1993 when the first ever UFC fight was held (UFC 1), the main idea was that they wanted to match up the different martial arts against each other to see which one of the combat practices would dominate. So they got 8 different fighters from different fighting backgrounds, like one was a sumo wrestler, another was a kick boxer, another a jujitsu master etc.. and made them fight each other in a tournament. In the end Royce Gracie the jujitsu master won the tournament but all the fighters became pretty much recognized because of the fact they took part in what became the first mixed martial arts event.

One of the fighters that probably stood out the most though was Art Jimmerson, a boxer who went into the fight wearing just one boxing glove. The image on top became pretty memorable so it was a pretty cool surprise to find out that Art is in Kuwait coaching at a new boxing gym. How random is that? The new gym is called The Hook and I just called them up and they told me they’re opening up tomorrow (Monday, May 9th). You can check out their instagram account @thehook.kw or check out Art Jimmerson’s account @artjimmerson

Since it’s a holiday tomorrow I figured I’d share this list today. The standouts this weekend are the AlSalmi Meteor Shower Trip, Matilda the Musical, the Kuwait National Triathlon Championships and the Cross Cultural Diwaniya. Check out the full list of events taking place over this long weekend below:

Wednesday
Conference: Women in the Corporate World
Exhibition: It’s a Mad World
Exhibition: What’s Your Location?
The Art of Yoga 2

Thursday
Exhibition: It’s a Mad World
Exhibition: What’s Your Location?
Profoto Light Shaping Seminar
AlSalmi Meteor Shower Trip
Aim High Toastmasters Club 4th Anniversary Celebration
Kuwait Vape Festival

Friday
Matilda the Musical
Taichi in the Park
Toastmasters Division “I” Annual Speech Contest

Saturday
Matilda the Musical
Kuwait National Triathlon Championships
Cross Cultural Diwaniya

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 double check info with organizers.

Collaborative workspaces aren’t something new in Kuwait, Niu for example has been around for over a year now so when I was approached by the newly opened collaborative workspace Reyada to pass by and check them out, I was a bit hesitant. I personally don’t really see a benefit for these spaces, the private offices usually start from around KD300 for something really tiny and you usually can’t get a business license with them. On the other hand me and a couple of friends where able to rent a small office in the city in a pretty prime location for just KD350… and most importantly, it was licensable.

But I decided to pass by Reyada anyway since I had a bit of time to kill plus I wanted to check out Crystal Tower where they’re located since my gym (Core Fitness) will be moving there pretty soon.

Reyada has two different kinds of spaces available, private and open. Private is basically your own office which starts at KD300 and fits two people. They also have something called dedicated desk, which is basically your own desk in a private room but that private room you share with other tenants. Both these options really didn’t excite me much but the next thing did.

Their open coworking space is what I found interesting, not just because the space looked pretty nice but because of the affordable entry point. You can become a “permanent resident”, meaning you can use the coworking space daily for KD100 a month OR, become an “originator” for just KD15 a day. Their originator plan is a pay as you go one where you sign up, pay KD15 a month and get access to the coworking space for a day and their conference rooms for an hour. When you use up your day you can top up with more days at KD10 per day. I do a bit of design freelance every now and then and my meetings usually take place at the clients office or Starbucks. Having the option to hold my meetings in a pretty fancy tower (with plenty of parking) and inside a private meeting room is very convenient. And because I don’t do this often, KD15 is a reasonable price to pay.

Reyada is still in a soft launch phase until their website launches in the next few days, then you’ll be able to sign up to their packages, book your days etc.. all from their website. For now, if you want more information on them you can check out their instagram account @reyada_co