Grendizer Kuwait by Ashekman Twins

While visiting Baking Tray we found the Grendizer mural is now the scenery for their outside sitting area. I first saw the Grendizer work by Asekman twins Omar and Mohamed Kabbani in Dubai and I thought how awesome that was to see and now we have our very own in Kuwait. The event was organized by Redbull which took two days to complete. You can find more about the event here with a video of the mural being made.

They also did a collaboration with Monstariam

This is their mural in Dubai

The guys are awesome and have an online shop where you can purchase their art and associated items. Their IG @ashekman

Maidan Clinic Mobile Unit

The other night I went to Jabriya co-op and noticed a motor home parked in front, at first I thought it was for food but in actuality it was a dental clinic on wheels from Maidan Clinic giving out free dental check ups, how awesome is that? 

Dr Moustafa Elmasry was the dentist on hand giving the free check-ups. What a great way to put your business on the map by providing something free and getting to know the community. Maidan Clinic has locations in Sharq, Hawally, Fahaheel, Farwaniya, Jahra and Sabah Al Salem. I usually go to the International Clinic but I might just give Maidan Clinic a try soon.

Telephone: 1-883322 http://www.maidangroup.com/ IG @maidanclinic

Filipina jailed while Kuwaiti boyfriend is Free

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 26: The Criminal Court acquitted a citizen of having an affair with a Filipina and then sentenced the woman to six months in jail with hard labor for engaging in consensual intercourse. Case files indicate a lieutenant from the Morals Department received information from the Maternity Hospital that a pregnant Filipina came to the hospital. She was interrogated and she confessed that the citizen had an affair with her saying he got her pregnant even if he is married. When the citizen was interrogated, he denied the charges asserting that he is married and he merely provided transport services for the woman to her workplace. Further interrogation revealed the woman confessed that she ran away from her sponsor and she was staying in an apartment in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh with the knowledge of the citizen. She admitted having several sexual escapades with the citizen thinking he was going to marry her. She claimed that he did not tell her he is married.

However, Attorney Mohammad Safar, who represented the citizen in court, requested for cancellation of the lawsuit as the wife of his client did not file a complaint against him and he was not caught in the act. He then demanded for acquittal of his client.

----So, if his wife didn't report the affair (she probably didn't know) then he cannot be held accountable for impregnating the Filipina? DNA test on the baby, if it survived? Ladies don't ever believe a man will marry you if he is taking something from you, a lot people in this country are obsessed with sex, women and wealth. Don't fall for their lies, Sabah maternity hospital where unwed mothers are is a jail, I've volunteered there and I can say it's an awful place to have a baby.

You will be on lock down in a room with 20 other women, no supplies, no clothing and you will have to raise your baby in that environment until you are sentenced to jail where you will stay with your child until God knows when.

Kuwaiti cops are out of Control

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 25: A traffic police officer and a Kuwaiti have been referred to a Police Station for verbally abusing each other, reports Al-Rai daily. The officer, not on duty, was in a café off the Arabian Gulf Street and when he left the café, he could not move his car because somebody had blocked his car from behind. When the owner of the car arrived, a Kuwaiti, an argument erupted and the officer issued a traffic citation against the compatriot.

What is this building?

I keep seeing this huge thing being built by the Avenues but no one seems to know what it is? I know it has a masjid and takes up the whole block so what is it exactly?

Dual citizens to vote for their favorite wasta Person

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 24: One hundred thousand Kuwaitis holding dual nationality and residing in Saudi Arabia are expected to enter Kuwait to cast their ballot during the November parliamentary elections, reports Al-Shahed daily.

The daily added, they are expected to enter Kuwait just one day prior to the election date. According to sources they will give cast their vote to the person helped them get the dual nationality or their next of kin if the person who had helped them no longer exists or has decided not to take part in the polls.

The source added instructions have been given to these people to arrive in groups and small buses have been readied to receive them, especially for women who will return immediately after casting their ballot. The source said men and children may ride in cars and also return immediately after casting their ballot.

-----Here's my question....recently they announced they were locating all dual nationals and making them decide which nationality they wanted. This article seems to be bragging about the fact that there are 100,000 dual nationals living in KSA who will return for a few hours to vote for people who gave them their Kuwaiti nationality??? Wow, just wow!

Nasser Sports located in the LuLu Hypermarket building Qurain

Nasser Sports is now open upstairs in the building that houses LuLu Hypermarket in Qurain, exit 208. I think it will be bigger as only half is open now.

 On another note relating to the location, has anyone noticed all of the little restaurant pop up shops have been removed?

It kind of looks like they are trying to rent out some of the stores now as I saw one opened up in the first picture.

Ministry issues new rules on what govt schools can ask for from Parents

It seems as if the ministry of education has issued this document which talks about the teacher not being able to request the parents to pay for extra things, or at least that's what my friend told me.

I hope this happens as I think it's silly to give children projects, which means the parents take their ideas to the copy shop and they do it for them. Usually schools have indoor projects in the classrooms which involves the teacher working with the students so that they are understanding the whole process, instead they are taught at an early age that they can easily have someone do things for them.

Wendy's to open in mid-December

We're already aware of the fact that Wendy's is coming to Kuwait and will be located in Salmiya link..here are some details, looks like it will be open in mid-December.

 Note to Al Ghanim- I would love an invite to the opening :)

``Alghanim Industries has announced plans to open the first Wendy’s restaurant in Kuwait, following the signing of a strategic collaboration to expand the US brand across the MENA region. The restaurant will open by mid-December in Salmiya and will be a stand-alone location, able to seat up to 68 inside and 60 outside with a drive-through and delivery service. While this will be Alghanim Industries’ first Wendy's store in Kuwait, the brand is well established in the UAE, with 17 restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. In June, Alghanim Industries also announced plans to expand the brand into Saudi Arabia in 2017.

The Wendy’s-Alghanim Industries collaboration has already been an active one, with investment in existing restaurants, new products and policy changes, a statement said. Alghanim Industries said it has refurbished four locations and opened three new ones, all in the UAE while Wendy’s has launched new products, including a move to 100 percent Angus beef for all its burgers. Alghanim added that it has increased maternity leave benefits, with an eye to attracting more women to the workplace.

Omar Kutayba Alghanim, CEO of Alghanim Industries, said: “Our first location in Kuwait – and our broader expansion plans – should be taken as a sign of our commitment to bringing Wendy’s to as many people in Kuwait and across the region as possible.” Bob Wright, executive vice president, chief operations officer and International for The Wendy’s Company, added: “We are delighted that the Wendy’s brand will now be in the home country of Alghanim Industries in Kuwait.  We look forward to working closely with the team in Kuwait to grow the Wendy’s brand, bring new jobs to the country and continue to build on our growth in the region.”

The Wendy’s Company is a key part of Alghanim Industries’ food and beverage portfolio, which launched in 2013 with the acquisition of Costa Coffee in Kuwait. Outside F&B, Alghanim partners with many leading global brands, including American Express, British Petroleum, Colgate-Palmolive, General Motors, Honda, Mars, Mondelez, Philips, Toshiba, Hitachi, and Whirlpool.``

Website link

Bloomingdale's opening in 360 Mall

I saw this the other day....

Coming soon to 360......

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease epidemic in Kuwait

There seems to be a recent outbreak of HFM Disease hitting Kuwait now and in the states.

``The virus spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. It can also spread through infected stool, such as when you change a diaper or when a young child gets stool on his or her hands and then touches objects that other children put in their mouths. Often the disease breaks out within a community.

It usually takes 3 to 6 days for a person to get symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease after being exposed to the virus. This is called the incubation period.

At first your child may feel tired, get a sore throat, or have a fever of around 101°F (38°C) to 103°F (39°C). Then in a day or two, sores or blisters may appear in or on the mouth and on the hands, feet, and sometimes the buttocks. In some cases a skin rash may appear before the blisters do. The blisters may break open and crust over.

The sores and blisters usually go away in a week or so.``link

Make sure your children wash their hands and avoid close contact with other children.

Al Shaya- IHOP increases their Prices

Pancakes were calling my name the other night so I stopped by the Jabriya location and was shocked to see that once again the prices have increased. My usual Big Steak Omlette went from 3.750 KD to 4.950 KD. No more regular Lipton ice tea, only something made from a mix and no refills. The sides went from .750 fils to 1.250 KD as well. Here is a link to the old menu prices.

Maybe Al Shaya company needs more money to pay for the new phase they are building.

Kuwaiti schools and Buses

Where do I start? Since I moved I've hesitated in moving the school location as my kids were in Surra and I am in the Abu Halaifa area but now that I'm working I had to enroll the kids in the govt school in my area which means transportation is needed. For most people it's easy as they know a lot of people and can find someone to take their kids easily but when you don't read or write Arabic and don't have any male contacts it is almost impossible. When I registered the kids I asked the principals if there were buses available and both of them looked at me like yeah right. No, there aren't any buses, ok, then what are the yellow buses with school children on them used for?

One morning as I was going to work I spotted a small van with school girls so I chased him down and got his number and the next day I had to hang out at my sons school to find someone willing to take him. So I have two payments for the bus a month. Hey people, here's an idea; Why not use the buses for the kids instead of drivers and individual buses which would cut down on traffic!? I've been told there used to be a bus system before the war and after the war it was never put back in place.

Onto a govt school related issue: what exactly are the kids doing all day at school? Why does my 7 yr old come home everyday with six pages of homework in three different subjects? Why does my daughter not know anything about English? What does the English teacher do all day? Is it fair that we as parents have to pay several tutors 20 KD an hour to do the teachers job? Is it fair that we have to pay 60 KD for each child monthly to go to an after school learning center?

I also have an issue with the ridiculous requests for costumes and outfits required. One time it will be a police uniform or a certain dress etc. that will be used one day for playing. Why is it teachers have to threaten children to get something from their parents? My daughter was freaking out because her teacher told her she needs a red shirt for sports or the teacher will give her all 0's. A teacher is there to nurture and build little humans for the next generation not get a degree for a job that you literally do nothing but eat and Snapchat. It isn't only govt schools as private schools are just as bad and you pay over 3000 KD a year for your child to be taught yet they need tutors as well.

My nephew is in a private school and the teacher told him he was wasting his time because he kept asking him questions and trying to understand the subject. Raising children in Kuwait is definitely a difficult thing to do.

MOI app- took my money, ticket Remains

UPDATE: Ticket still remains and I will have to go to the traffic department in Asma to solve this problem.

So I decided to be lazy and pay my ticket on the MOI application, deep down I knew something would go wrong but I really didn't feel like going to deal with the ministry. I guess I should have because I followed all of the directions, entered my card number and then hit ok. It went to another screen that was blank, after waiting a few minutes I didn't get anything, checked my email it asked for and nothing. I did remember the warning that said check your account before trying again.

I checked my account and it was less 10 KD but when I went back into the app the violation remained. Of course there is no number to contact and I sent an email to the one on the app and of course no response. Normally it wouldn't matter but I have to renew my license and if there is a ticket my transaction will be held up. All I have is a bank transaction record and an account number as proof. Has anyone else dealt with this? My friend says it takes a couple of days but I need it now to be cleared. Does anything ever go right with technology in this country?

This ticket of course is from the incident with the cop in my other post, I should've paid it in the ministry- lesson learned AGAIN!

Egyptian tries to kill 5 US Soldiers

UPDATE: It seems there were actually three soldiers and they pulled the guy out from the burning truck link

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 8, (Agencies) An Egyptian driving a garbage truck loaded with explosives and Islamic State papers rammed into a truck carrying five US soldiers in Kuwait on Saturday, injuring only himself in the attack, authorities said.

The attempted attack is the first by the Islamic State group to target American troops in the tiny, oil-rich emirate that’s a stalwart US ally.

It comes as authorities already increased security ahead of a major Shiite commemoration in the coming days. The state-run Kuwait News Agency identified the attacker as Ibrahim Sulaiman, born in 1988, and published a picture of the alleged assailant in a hospital bed, a bruise beneath his right eye.

KUNA said the five soldiers were not injured. It said Sulaiman had multiple fractures and injuries. It was not immediately clear if the Egyptian had a lawyer.

The KUNA report did not offer a location for the failed attack, though it published pictures of the aftermath of the crash showing a wrecked garbage truck, as well as items it described as a suicide belt loaded with shrapnel. The white pickup truck apparently carrying the soldiers had the left side of its bed smashed in. American forces and others have troops stationed at Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan.

The US military’s Central Command referred a request for comment to US Army Central, based in both South Carolina and Kuwait. The Army did not immediately respond, while the US Embassy in Kuwait City had no immediate comment. Kuwait is a solid US ally following the 1991 American ed Gulf War that ended the Iraqi occupation there. link

----Security on base will be tightened now, thanks a lot moron!

Sabaidee Spa

There are some secrets I really hate sharing because too much attention might change the simple ways that go on. I've found my forever spa and I'm sharing it with my readers. If anyone is familiar with Sabaidee Thai restaurant then you will recognize the name. The same owners have a spa located in Salmiya with very reasonable prices. 

 Almost everything is 10 KD accept the hair cuts and hair mask, I paid 5 KD for the hair mask/steam/head massage and 3 KD for a trim and blow dry. The place is clean and the ladies are very sweet, unfortunately I didn't book a massage appointment and they were booked up so I plan on trying their massage soon and will write about it. Since I had some extra time I had a 45 minute facial for 10 KD and I enjoyed it. I've read different reviews, I'm not a connoisseur of facials or massages, actually this would be my third massage in my life so everyone's experience will vary. The only thing I would change is I might bring my own facial sponges next time.

The facial room before I messed it all up

You can get a package for 50 KD which gives you one free service (10 KD) and can be used by friends and family. Their phone number is 69966165 and here is a link to their website where you can find their prices.

Lost in Translation

I always love reading the translation of menus in Kuwait!

 Mlek Hilbe, Hot Mlek, Bar Bikan

 Anaplasty Heart, Ambrtor, Afacado, Maik Shek

Specification Shrimp Jampo, Specification fication staik, specification chicken skalob

SoMu or South Mubarakiya trendy café area in Kuwait

The girls showed me this area when we visited Mubarakiya last week, the weather was really hot so we didn't stay long but now that it is cooling down I will definitely be going back to check it out, It's called SoMu or South Mubarakiya and it is an updated area with various shops and restaurants.

 Artists have painted murals on several walls

 This is 12 Chutneys restaurant, @12_chutneys / www.12chutneys.com

 7th Heaven café 94490081

 Small Ville café 97701234 @smallville_kw

Brothers St. Hamburger shop 60366253

There is Breo 22091984 and Caffeine coffee shop 22448904 @caffeinekuwait, I've read positive reviews about the coffee shop.

If you're looking for a quiet area to just chill then this area is a great place for it. The area is located on the opposite side of the McDonald's, if you park in the parking structure you can see it when you are going up, it's in the same area as the giant mural of the guy in dishdasha with flowers in his hand.