Tag Archives: Kuwait

May 12 2013
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Challenge

Making The Right Decision

Decisions

I’m always seeking adventure and trying out new things. Sometimes I’m given the chance to do that and I love it. Other times those adventures don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to be. Hence, the risk involved in adventures.

By adventure, I mean doing something new and gaining experience or knowledge from it. It could be anything like traveling somewhere new, joining a gym, or even working at a new place.

What would you do if you thought you had signed up for an adventure, but then it turns out it’s not exciting and very time consuming? Should you continue the “adventure” hoping that some benefit will come out of it? Or, should you quit because it’s pointless?

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May 04 2013
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Health

My Latest Addiction – ZUMBA

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The Zumba trend went viral in Kuwait a few years ago, but only now have I realized what the fuss is about. It’s FUN. I have joined gyms and took up walking in order to exercise, but nothing defines a good workout better than Zumba. I’m taking the classes at Rana Fitness Studio in Al Khaldiyah (MAP). The first time I went there, it was free because it was just a trial. The next time I went there I paid KD40 for 10 classes. It’s very convenient. There are night and morning classes with different certified trainers. The classes offered include the following: Zumba, Yoga, HipHop/Dubstep, Warrior Fitness, Masala Bhangra, Drums Alive, BOSU and Zumba Toning. Follow their account on Instagram (Ranafitness) to know the timings of the classes. Not all classes are offered all the time, but Zumba is always available.

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May 03 2013
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Unavailable in Kuwait

Not Sold in Kuwait – Dogadan Chai

I went to Turkey a few weeks back and if there’s one thing I really miss about the country is their tea. They serve it every where and it’s really good. The day I was coming back, I had some tea in the airport lounge and I fell in love. I saved the tea bag label hoping to find it in Kuwait. I looked for it everywhere here. I even tried ordering it online, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. The problem is whenever I try googling it, the results are in Turkish. If anyone sees this tea sold in Kuwait, please share the location! The brand name is Dogadan and the kind of tea is called Buyulu Bohca Chai.

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May 02 2013
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Food

Perfecting Lemon Sorbet

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I love making desserts, even though I don’t enjoy eating them. I have made ice-cream before, but it was a total disaster. It tasted like ice, without any signs of cream. This time I thought of making sorbet. I fell in love with sorbet the first time I went to Italy in 2008. I remember going to every restaurant and ordering lemon sorbet for dessert. Five years later, I decided to give it a shot and make my own.

Here’s something to empress your friends with at your next gathering.*

Lemon Sorbet:

5-6 lemons

1½ Cup Granulated Sugar**

1½ Cup Water

Preparation:

  1. Zest 2-3 lemons or until you get  ⅓ cup of  lemon zest.
  2. Juice the lemons until you get 1 cup of juice.

Procedure:

  1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar and water until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add the lemon zest.
  3. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
  4. Boil for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the lemon juice and stir the mixture for a minute.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat.
  7. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
  8. Strain the mixture to get rid of the lemon zest.
  9. Pour the mixture into a container, cover it and put it in the freezer.
  10. After 4-5 hours, or when it becomes semi-solid, mash it up with a fork and refreeze again.
  11. When frozen, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
  12. Cover and refreeze until serving time.

*This recipe is from Cuisine Magazine.

**When I first read the recipe, I thought granulated sugar meant powdered sugar, but it’s actually the normal white sugar. I used powdered sugar and the sorbet turned out fine.

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Jan 30 2013
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Books

Kindle Paperwhite Review

Other than watching tv shows and stuffing myself with yummy food, I enjoy reading in my free time. I don’t like ordering books online, so I would usually wait until I travel to buy all the books I want. I would always have a long list prepared and then I would spend hours in book shops indulging in the array of books offered. It’s something I enjoy doing, but it causes a problem later on. Books are heavy and since I’m traveling back to Kuwait I need to make sure my luggage isn’t overweight. That is why I decided to start reading ebooks. There are many ebook devices on the market, including Kindle and Kobo.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I was in London during the Christmas break. I got the chance to check out the different ebooks. I ended up choosing the kindle paperwhite.

What really attracted me to get the paperwhite is how much it was in demand. It was sold out in most electronic stores and bookstores, while the Kobo, for example, was always available. I finally got a hold of it in Waterstones. Price wise, it was around 50 KD. I honestly thought it would cost more.

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Another reason why I got it is because it’s only an ebook and not a tablet. It doesn’t have applications and the internet is very limited. I want to be able to read without any distractions from applications. Everything about it was inviting, but when I actually bought it and turned it on I faced an annoying problem. The problem was is that the amazon market has very limited books if you live in the Middle East. I literally couldn’t download anything. I slyly changed my address to the US. I thought that I can outsmart them. The next day I got an email saying that I have to have proof that I live there. I was stuck again. But then I realized I have an address in England that I can use and I wouldn’t be lying.

That worked out great and from then on I was able to download ebooks! Then I faced another problem. I need a credit card to download books that aren’t free. I can borrow my dads credit card, but I don’t think I can use the Kuwaiti address on it, since I supposedly live in England. No idea what to do now. Any help would be appreciated.

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Jan 21 2013
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Video

Camping in Kuwait

The video gives some tips on how to eat the food you love without regretting it afterwards. It’s easy to get tempted into eating fatty and juicy foods because they “taste” good. That is not an excuse. There are much healthier alternatives. It’s all about making the right decisions, especially when it comes to portion sizes.

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Jan 12 2013
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Excerpt

Yo

Saying that I have been busy the past couple of weeks is a lie. I have been lazy. I have been somewhat busier than usual, but I know I had enough time to blog. It just seems that I’m never in the mood to blog anymore. That and because my laptop is becoming extremely slow and annoying. Wait, scratch that. I shouldn’t blame my laziness on my laptop. I would just like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR. I’m twelve days late, but it still counts. I will not promise to start posting like I used to in the past, but whenever I do just know that it was a good day for me. A really good day. And today was a good day. Kuwait has won against KSA in the and has advanced to the semi-finals. GO KUWAIT.

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Nov 05 2012
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Fashion

The Avenues Phase 3

From experience, there is one thing that Kuwait does best: food. When franchises open up in Kuwait, they usually taste better than they do in the countries they originally came from. There have been countless times where I’d try a restaurant abroad and compare it to my tasting experience in Kuwait. Kuwait always wins me over. When it comes to food, we’re excellent, but when it comes to retail, we’re not as experienced. Shops always seem to be out of stock and the available items are usually a couple of months old. From my personal experience, I bought a couple of shirts from a clothing store in London (whose name I won’t mention). This same store is also found in Kuwait. When I came back to Kuwait, the shirts weren’t sold there. Three months later…the shirts were there, out of fashion and nowhere near the realm of trending fashion fads. Once again, I was disappointed.

Enough with that. SO, I haven’t been to the newly opened phase at The Avenues Mall. Judging from the innumerable photos on Instagram, the place looks beyond amazing. I was only able to view the new project from the exterior just a few days ago. It seems like there are a lot of new restaurants opened there, which I really hope are going to give Kuwait an all-new and extraordinary experience. Aside from the restaurants, there are new RETAIL stores. Hallelujah. It’s about time. Let’s just hope they don’t get ruined and continue to hold their glamorous fashionable touches.

P.S.: This means: less coincidences where people would be wearing the EXACT same outfits.

Awk-waaaaaaard.

Edited by: BNM

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Oct 14 2012
2 Comments
Art

Smile!

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I spotted this sticker next to Burger Hub and it actually made me smile. I have been noticing a lot of street/sticker art emerging in Kuwait. The best part is that they hold meaningful messages that truly has an effect on people passing by. I really respect the fact that whoever is doing this is not ruining any new buildings or walls. They are placing them on ruined places or on walls that already contain art. This sticker has truly conveyed a positive message, it translates into “smile and the world will smile back”. There should be more of this around Kuwait!

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Oct 03 2012
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Technology

I Miss Disposable Cameras

I want a KODAK disposable camera NOW! I have been searching for it all over Kuwait, but I couldn’t find any. They used to be sold in all Co-Ops, but apparently they stopped selling them a long time ago. The KODAK disposable or single-use camera brings back so many memories from my childhood. Every summer, I would buy 2 or 3 and I would be taking pictures throughout the entire break. The best part was getting the film developed and seeing how all the pictures turned out! Then, I would get a photo album and place all the pictures in it and show the pictures to my family and friends. It’s a long process compared to printing digitally, but the excitement and fun behind it is much more. I posted earlier about my new HOLGA camera, but things didn’t work out well. The pictures couldn’t be printed because for some reason they were out of focus. It’s annoying that I don’t even know how to fix it. The good thing about it is that I realized that my 4-year-old nephew needed a camera because he was always trying to get a hold of my HOLGA and take pictures. If I ever find a place that sells the KODAK disposable camera, then I’m getting one for my nephew and one for me!

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