English Playgroup Jobs

So no degree needed, only high school? How is that possible when I know they are one of the famous schools who ask for degrees from administrative position applicants?

Sugar Revolution

'An American and two Kuwaiti revolutionizing your sweet tooth one bite at a time' is the quote for the ladies of @sugarrevolutionq8 (96001535) now located in Shuhada Co Op. Their grand opening was today so we decided to stop by and check it out, everyone needs a sno ball on a hot day!

 They have the cutest little cakes!

 So many flavors to choose from

 Sno-Balltender

 I had blackberry, sour apple and pink lemonade

 My sister tried out Piña colada and condensed milk, something that is famous in Louisiana according to the ladies

 Mini cakes, this one is vanilla

 This one is chocolate, both with meringue toppings

Two of the founding ladies, Nicole and Farah. The cake business was from home and their new idea of sno balls was brought to Shuhada, future plans include their own sno ball delivery truck....stay tuned!

I really love seeing women owned businesses in Kuwait, let's show our support by stopping by their shop.

Promenade Mall Hawally

My friend and I stopped by the Promenade Mall to check out the @trampokuwait trampoline area and the Promenade ice skating rink. There are only a few shops open with Sultan Center opening in the past few days, most of the foot traffic is for the entertainment areas. 

I learned of the history of the mall, it is actually Kuwait's first 'charity mall' and the biggest one in the Arabic and Islamic world. It is owned by the Al Othman Charity Fund, a private fund that actively supports various humanitarian projects throughout the Arab world and internationally. The fund is managed by Engineer Adnan Abdullah Al-Othman, son (I assume) of the "Great Philanthropist"  Abdulla Abdullatif Al-Othman of the museum Bait Al Othman (my favorite museum in Kuwait).link

 "Every dinar the customer spends in this mall will go to charity' The Al Othman Charity Fund is paying for various charity projects inside and outside of Kuwait.

 The ice skating rink is 1,200 square meters and focuses on training children, it's around 6KD per hour which includes skates and helmets, the plastic push toy is an additional 2KD rental which can be used to push small children around in as well as used for balancing.

 Trampo and Clip n' Climb is another entertainment area which includes huge trampolines for visitors to use. You can call 60694352 for more information on prices.

It's a really huge mall that will include GEOX, On Time, DKNY, Make Up Forever, Life with Cacao, Choowy Goowy, Tim Hortons (already open),Cafe Bazza (already open) and Chili's as well as Kuwait's largest MANGO store. It will also have the 'Promenade Cultural Centre' (PCC) which will host a variety of events dedicated to art, theater, live music and performances. The mall lies on an area of 18,000 sqm which also includes the Al Othman Tower with 13 floors of offices, three floors in the basement for parking.

The grand opening is set for some time in September.

Parking Meters- Kuwait's new source of Revenue

Everyone should start saving your change from now on!

A ministerial source said the government will begin to privatize parking meters for cars in the country. He said the responsibilities of organizing public and private parking will be added to the duties of the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport.

He said this move agrees with what was mentioned in the government’s working program, to diversify the economic structure and non-oil revenues, and activate the role of the private sector in economic activities. He said the authority’s board of directors will be formed soon. The source said, the privatization of the parking meters will represent a new income source for the general budget and will create new job opportunities for inspectors.

Does that mean soon there will be job openings for 'Meter Maids'?

I'd like to see how many citizens sign up for that!

Here's what meter police look like in USA.

English masjid in Fintas

With the growing numbers of English speaking Muslims on the rise I can't understand why there aren't more masjids with English sermons. This particular one is in Fintas and this part of Kuwait has a large number of English speaking Muslims. I'm sure when this was built there weren't that many people in the area and that's why it's so small. There is a huge number of attendees on Friday and no room for women. Everyone has to squash inside and there is no room for overflow. I don't know who is responsible for the upkeep or expansion but I wish someone would take note of the needs of this masjid.

 Cracking paint

 Only two bathrooms but no one really uses the floor models anymore

 Garbage

 Someone left their boat parked in front of it

 More garbage

It is visited by many nationalities, even Kuwaitis and yet no one is willing to ask for help in upgrading or 'adopting' this masjid to renew it.

Chickens hatch in the Saudi desert Heat

Hundreds of eggs thrown out in the Saudi desert are hatched by the summer heat!

Four Seasons Hotel- Burj Al Shaya Centre

The Burj Al Shaya- Gensler (also responsible for the Avenues III construction) project which includes 'three distinct' buildings including an office tower, hotel and podium. I found some new renderings for the project. As most people know, the build is no way being completed any time soon but when it is finished it looks pretty spectacular. 

"Appointed to lead the design of this mixed-use development in Kuwait City for Alshaya Incorporated, Gensler developed its design concept around a regional architectural tradition, resulting in a contextual building that successfully represents the Four Seasons brand, as well as the local environment. Composed of three distinct buildings including an office tower, hotel tower and podium, the development is unified by a traditional Arabian carved wood latticework window treatment that offers significant solar control and air circulation. The geometry of the wood shading fins covers multiple building façades, creating a strong, visual distinction from neighboring buildings, while enhancing climatic performance for the occupied spaces. The new 250-room Four Seasons Hotel will feature two large ballrooms, an expansive pool-level terrace, three restaurants, and world-class spa and fitness facilities."

There will be 45 floors in the commercial tower and 23 floors in the hotel complex.

On a side note: Maybe Gensler should have been in on the new airport deal considering they've built several already? Maybe Al Shaya should open his own airport using that company, it might be completed before the 'new one' ever gets started.

Grand Cinema- The Gate Mall

Thanks to Grand Cinemas, certain people were given VIP passes for unlimited movies for 2 people for a year which is about the best gift I have received to date. We got it last Wednesday and previewed The man from U.N.C.L.E during the event. My son is my partner and we hit the movies yesterday and today. The cutting of the movies still bothers me though.

The location is on the third floor, you have to go up both escalators to get to it, the cinema is straight ahead of the escalator next to Tim Horton's coffee. This is the second Gran Cinema to open, the first was in Al Hamra from which I've heard has a better Grand Class seating area than Gate Mall. The cinema has 9 theaters including the VIP.

We went the next day and saw Mission Impossible, the first one I've ever seen, unfortunately they cut a lot of parts from the movie. I wonder if they will bring Magic Mike? Will it be a 15 minute movie?

Nice, clean theaters but the mall parking is a headache so get there early, I try to get there at least 30 min to and hour early to be safe. The following day we say Sinister 2 which was pretty good and only a few kisses were cut, my friend told me I should start doing movie reviews now that I will be going to the cinema more often.

A big thanks to the marketing group!

On a side note: I think it's messed up that some people who received their VIP card failed to show up, not cool!

Online Education

Is anyone educating their children online? The cost of schools here are outrageous for the quality of teaching so I'm looking at alternatives and I've heard some people are using an online platform for education but I'm not too sure how it works. If anyone has any info let me know.

American Skillet Restaurant- Fintas

Has anyone visited this restaurant? I thought it was so cute so I stopped and took a few pictures, the owner is Kuwaiti and it has been open around six months.

 I love the decor!

 They are open from 6am-11pm, Fintas, block 1 street 6 Tel: 23901904 and IG @americanskilletkw

Welcome to Kuwait- from AWARE Center

These orientations are free of charge & provide an opportunity for newly arriving Westerners to meet the AWARE team & discover the many services designed to assist with cultural adjustment & settling comfortably in Kuwait. The Orientation is divided into 3 segments; which are: (1) About AWARE: in this segment, we will talk about the AWARE Center & the activities that we offer & how these activities can help benefit the Western Expatriate to make their stay in Kuwait more comfortable. (2) About the Local Culture: this segment is entitled “Know Thy Kuwaiti Neighbor”. In this segment, we will talk about Life in Kuwait & share some tips regarding socializing with the locals, their beliefs & values, safety tips, Culture Do’s & Don’ts, etiquette when visiting Kuwaiti Homes, & much more. (3) Questions & Answers: in this segment, we will answer any questions that our audience may have related to the AWARE Center, Kuwait or the local culture. **Dinner Buffet is included. ***If you wish to register for our Orientation, you are kindly requested to choose one date and email us: the selected date, your full name & expected number of guests to joumana@aware.com.kw

Dates:Aug 26, Aug 31 and Sept 2 @7 pm