Blogger Mark of 248am.com has received a court order from Benihana

Court order translated into English.. [link]

I've noticed someone is viewing all my restaurant reviews, now I wonder who that could be?

Get ready Mark I think this maybe going global :OD

Update: News media coverage so far...

DubaiEye Radio Interview
Twitter
The National
TNW Social Media
Gulf News
CNN iReport
KippReport
Emirates 24/7
Arabian Business
Emirates 24/7 (2nd)

Ya Gotta Love Cinemagic

I blog about these people all the time. They really have some great movies showing and all for KD 1 including popcorn. Get a blanket and a flask of hot chocolate and go watch one of their movies. They are located on the roof of LG Electronics in Salem Al Mubarak street, Salmiya. Need more details [link]


THURSDAY FEBRUARY 3rd - 7:30 PM

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Director: DANIEL ALFREDSON
Country: Sweden
Release: 2010
Genre: Crime, drama
Running time: 129 minutes
Language: Swedish
English Subtitle
Awards: Winner Best Actress, Best Foreign Film
Rated: R

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. A researcher and a Millennium journalist about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden and a brutal murder and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and violent behavior makes her an official danger to society. Mikael Bloomkvist, Salander's friend and Millennium's publisher, is alone in his belief of Salander's innocence. Digging deeper, Bloomkvist unearths evidence of implicating highly placed members of Swedish Society as well as shocking details about Salander's past. He is desperate to get to her before she is cornered but no one can find her anywhere.


SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5th at 7:30 PM

THE TIME THAT REMAINS
Director: ELIA SULEIMAN
Country: UK, Italy, France
Release: 2010
Genre: Drama
Running time: 109 minutes
Language: Arabic
Hebrew and English Subtitles
Awards: 3 awards, Best DIRECTOR, Best Film...
Rated: PG

"The Time That Remains is a semi-autobiographical film, in four episodes, about a family, my family, from 1948 until recent times. The film is inspired by my father's private diaries, starting from when he was a resistance fighter in 1948, and my mother's letters to family members who were forced to leave the country. Combined with my intimate memories of them and with them, the film attempts to portray the daily life of those Palestinians who remained and were labelled 'Israeli-Arabs' living as a minority in their own homeland." - Elia Suleiman

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10th at 7:30 PM

DEPARTURES
Director: Yôjirô Takita
Country: Japan
Release: 2008
Genre: Drama, music
Running time: 130 minutes
Language: Japanese
English Subtitles
Awards: 34 wins, Best Film, Actors, Cinematography, editing, sound, costume.
Rated: PG

Daigo plays cello in a Tokyo orchestra that dissolves. He is not good enough to find another chair, so he asks his cheerful wife Mika to move to his boyhood home in the shadow of Mt. Fuji. She assents. His mother is dead; his father left them when Daigo was small. He answers an ad, thinking it is for a travel agency, but it is to prepare bodies for burial in a ceremony in front of family and friends. The boss, Sasaki, is quietly forceful; Daigo takes the job, giving Mika no details. As he finds dignity in the ritual and a father figure in Sasaki, Daigo learns how others see this 'unclean' work. Has he found a place in the world; if so, what about Mika and his buried memories?


SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12th  at 7:30 PM

FOUR LIONS
Director: CHRISTOPHER MORRIS
Country: UK
Release: 2010
Genre: Comedy, drama
Running time: 97 minutes
Language: English
English Subtitles
Awards: 7 Nominations, Best Director, Best Film, Best Screenplay
Rated: R

Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point. As the wheels fly off, and their competing ideologies clash, what emerges is an emotionally engaging (and entirely plausible) farce. In a storm of razor-sharp verbal jousting and large-scale set pieces, Four Lions is a comic tour de force; it shows that while terrorism is about ideology-it can also be about idiots.



SATURDAY FEBRUARY 19th - 7:30 PM

NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
Director: BAHMAN GHOBADI
Country: Iran
Release: 2009
Genre: Drama
Running time: 106 minutes
Language: Persian
English Subtitles
Awards: Cannes - Un Certain Regard, Special Jury Prize
Rated: PG

Based on real events, the film follows two young musicians, Negar and Ashkan, who are promised a gig in London and embark on a frantic mission to assemble a backing band. The couple have recently served prison terms for breaching the ban on Western and decadent music , and for Negar, these activities are particularly dangerous: as a female musician, unauthorised public performances can carry savage penalties. Now, they face a search for the elusive and costly paperwork that will permit them to leave for Europe. Teaming up with promoter and bootlegger Nader, their search takes them into Tehran and a vibrant underground culture of rappers, rockers, electro-artists and singer-songwriters...



THURSDAY FEBRUARY 17th at 7:30 PM

THE SECRET OF KELLS
Director: TOMM MOORE
Country: France, Ireland
Release: 2009
Genre: Animation
Running time: 75 minutes
Language: English
English Subtitle
Awards: Best Animation
Rated: PG

Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide..


Seems it's a surprise film on
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 24th  at 7:30 PM

Book Launch and Art Exhibition by Dia Al-Azzawi and Parviz Tanavoli at Dar Al Funoon

Book Launch & Art Exhibition of  Dia Al-Azzawi's most recent works. Sculptures by Iranian artist Parviz Tanavoli. Born in Iraq in 1939, Dia Al-Azzawi studied archeology at the Faculty of Arts in Baghdad. He participated in a major exhibition of Arab Art which toured the Arab States London and Rome. He was instrumental to introducing Arab art to the British public by exhibiting their works. He lives in London and regularly publishes books on Arab art.
Parviz Tanavoli is an Iranian sculptor, painter and author who recently sold a piece of his artwork at a Christie's auction for $2.84 million.

Book Launch - 31st January, 2011
Art Exhibition - 31st January to 10th February, 2011
Dar Al Funoon Gallery
Behbehani Compound, House No. 28, Al Watiah, Kuwait

Exhibition Hours
10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 4:00 - 8:00 pm (Sunday - Thursday)

At other times - by arrangement
Telephone: +965 2243 3138
Fax: +965 2243 3129

Email: lucia@daralfunoon-kw.com
http://www.daralfunoon-kw.com/
 

Due to construction works, please note that the street leading to the gallery is closed.

See the new directions on the map. The new entrance leads you directly to the open parking space opposite the gallery.
We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for visiting Dar Al Funoon.

Well Done Readers!

Almost hit the 1000 pageviews (964) yesterday so thank you all for coming back again and again, please tell your friends about the site if you like it. Your support is very important to me and fuels my desire/need/passion to keep blogging. I love getting the comments and the emails. Please send any interesting stuff in to me at mailto:LWDLIK@gmail.com . A big thank you to those who already have.
Hope you all have a good day :OD

K

I'm going to share my favourite piece of music with you. I have found opera is not for all but it certainly grows on most with age. This is IMHO the best version of Nessun Dorma by Andrea Bocelli. Yes, he's blind but God gave him the blessing of a voice like an angel. Put the sound up and enjoy!



I find it best to try and sing along...ALONE :OD

Hailstones Today in Rawdatain Near Jahra, Kuwait

http://www.twitvid.com/HTRJY

And

http://www.twitvid.com/GTVBP

Benihana is Suing the Blogger of 248am.com

LWDLIK- I am shocked to see this happen anywhere in the world. The blogger's post is a personal opinion of his dining experience and should in no way lead to such a response from a restaurant or company.

Benihana- I'm disappointed in you.

This is the comment left by Benihana on Mark's website in retaliation to a review he did of the restaurant.

Dear Mr. Mark,

We are from Benihana management of Kuwait; my name is Mike Servo the GM of the Company.

Thank You for visiting us in our restaurant and dining in with your wife .I had found your comments and in your web site on Benihana.

I also found it out that our rights and name is being used in a wrong way and broadcasting the video without a proper consent from us is really annoying specially Benihana is just opened up its doors to the public.
We are seeking and consulting our legal dept. on how we can form a type of law suit against your website to be brought up to the Kuwait authorities.
We respect opinion, but we see it in a way that Benihana name have been destroyed and abused on your website.
We are eager to know your name and meet you personally if you don’t have anything to hide.
You mentioned clearly on a detour way on not to go to Benihana and go to Maki or Wasabi or Chocolate Bar and we believe that this is against the law of Kuwait, We respect our rights on not to advertise in your website and if we don’t, this will not mean that we will be hurt by your side and if this done, the court in Kuwait will be in our side to give us our rights. to make this conversation short . We want you to give us your information, your name, your number and your address so our lawyer will take it from there and be sure that you in Kuwait were the jury is 100 % clean and fair.
We also expect that you might be sending people to Benihana to make a play and that is why we have informed the CID about that, In the past we encountered your add in Subway and it is one of our companies franchise, we really didn’t give it any attention, and it very clear now that Subway is an elephant while other competitors are closing down, however this time we will not let it go and we will follow you legally.
This is the last comment from my side and LPRC side; we wish that you will be free to give us your info. BTW are you Lebanese?
Thank for your concern and we have that you are brave to give us your info and we will meet in court soon.

Salute,
Mark Servo

LWDLIK-
1. I think Mr Servo should have commented after receiving full legal counsel first.
2. It's definitely not worth going to court over; in work time lost and legal expenses. I will be amazed if it gets to court.
3. Why not just take his criticism constructively, after all you admit he was a customer; it's not like he never ate there and made all this up?
4. Can you sue people who fill out comment forms honestly in your restaurant?
5. Don't you think the millions of YouTube videos would keep the courts way too busy for centuries?
6. You have single handedly done more for Mark's website with this than any blogger could hope for.

WTG Mark!

Sultan Gallery '50/20 Art Exhibition'

Sultan Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of 50/20, a two-part exhibition featuring a new generation of artists who are challenging the construction of history through visual practice.
As part of its mission to foment critical thinking through visual arts, Sultan Gallery has invited a number of artists, curators and similarly occupied individuals to superimpose their own visions of history in this exhibition commemorating 50 years of sovereignty within the State of Kuwait.
The month-long exhibit will be held in February of 2011, with one opening on February 1st, and the second on February 15th beginning at 7pm.
Sultan Gallery invites you to explore 50 years of independence, and 20 years of liberation through the eyes of the country’s young cultural cohort and protagonists starting February 1st 2011.

Exhibition Schedule:
February 1st
7-9 pm
February 2nd
10am – 4pm & 7-9 pm
February 3rd – 10th
10am – 4pm (Closed on Fridays & Saturdays)
February 15th
7-9 pm
February 16th
10am – 4pm & 7-9 pm
February 17th – 24th
10am – 4pm (Closed on Fridays & Saturdays)

For more information please contact:
Sultangallery1969@gmail.com

Sultan Gallery
South Sabhan
Block 8, Street 105
Building 168
Kuwait

Tel: +965 24714325/26 ext. 111
Mob: +965 60970001


LWDLIK- A thought provoking piece above. An Iraqi anti-tank mine with a Chanel logo on top and the artist is a Kuwaiti.

A Little Craziness to Start the Day Off

Those last few seconds have a great arched-frame idea for the buggies.
Thank you Purple Moonbeam.

Could this be true? Hosni Mubarak Fleeing?

Most of us have been glued to the TV watching the uprising in Egypt. This evening my husband received this by text msg:

At 12:59 pm today, Hosni Mubarak and his son Jamal and their wives along with their grand daughter Ferida escaped to a near by air base west of Cairo to board 2 private planes. 1 carrying the family and the other carrying 97 large suitcases and 36 large containers. In the containers there was said to be over 3 tons of pure gold bricks and in the cases over 80 billion dollars in large bills. The plane was also carrying a number of Hosni's closest friends and high ranking officials.

Can it be true? I've not heard anything yet on the news. Could it be a rumour to incite the protesters? Not sure. Time will tell.

Update: Seems Hosni may still be in Cairo but his son Jamal and wife fled to London. Think they'd better return the 80 billion dollars and gold ASAP with a sorry note. If that's true that they've stolen all that money and gold they deserve to spend the rest of their days in an Egyptian jail. Nice little 8.5 million pound (that's UK sterling not Egyptian)  townhouse in Knightsbridge can also be sold and proceeds returned to the people of Egypt. That would get them into the Guinness book of records for the largest amount ever stolen surely?

14/4/2011- Update # 2 :OD: Seems Hosni and Jamal are in Cairo handcuffed and expected to stand trial.

Mesbah Exhibition

When: Jan 29-31
Where: JW Marriott, Opp. Muthana Complex, Kuwait City
Contact: 9921-1911
http://www.mesbahexhibition.com/

What is a mesbah? Mesbahs (rosary or prayer beads) have held a strong significance in this part of the world. Over the years, mesbah have been a symbol of culture, tradition, power, and Arab pride. This status symbol carried a meaning so great that its existence in poetry and prose is overwhelming. However, we have always wondered what makes this string of beads so great? And who else out there can see this piece of art as we do? People from all over the world have interest in misbahas. They can be seen as a link of intimacy between a person and his/her prayers or a luxury of silk string holding smooth onyx beads together. However mesbahas are viewed, the craftsmanship of these handmade wonders is admired by many. Al Mesbah, this art of craftsmanship is values and elevated, and a social platform for mesbah collectors hopes to create a special community that can share the admiration of this common interest.
A mesbah can be as simple as plastic beads strung on cotton, or they can be as delicately exquisite as beads made from patterned ceramics, hardwoods, precious stones, or the bones of rare animals strung on a string of silk.

Entertainment City Spring Festival from 28 Jan – 11 Feb, 2011

The spring festival at Entertainment city will begin this Friday, January 28th, 2011. A special program of fun filled activities and musical performances has been organized for the two week annual event which will run through the 11th of February. The festival will also feature special program of events on Monday and Friday. Special discounts have been offered by reducing entrance tickets from KD 3.5 to KD 2.
Opening Hours: 2:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Mondays are reserved for female visitors only.
For more information, please contact 2487-1875/2287-6639.

Looks as if the Ahmadi lights will be back up and on soon..

I just heard from my friend Michelle that the Ahmadi lights seem to be going back up again. They probably need a few more days to put them all up but if you missed them last year it's a chance to see them. Will keep you posted.
How to get there; Head straight down the 40 expressway towards Ahmadi til you see the turn off to the right for Ahmadi, keep going straight til you pass the Governer's building you'll then see all the lights around the park area. There are parking lots and a great walking area all the way around the park so you get to see all most all of the lights. It's safe and fun. You need to go after sunset of course.

Update: Woohoo! They are looking spectacular this year..




Here's a few pics from last year of the lights decorating the trees and walkways..



Lion Cub Being Sold on Facebook Marketplace for KD 2800

Imagine on FB a lion cub being sold here in Kuwait. Whatever next? [link]

Kimora Lee Simmons Closet Confessions

A diamond hourglass!

How Egypt Turned Off The Internet

Yesterday, something unprecedented happened: Egypt turned off the internet. A nation of 80,000,000 instantly disconnected. So how'd they do it?
There was no giant lever or big red button involved, but in reality it was almost as easy: the Egyptian Government simply issued an order for ISPs to shut down service.
"Under Egyptian legislation the authorities have the right to issue such an order and we are obliged to comply with it," Vodafone Egypt explained in a statement shortly after. Along with Vodafone, Egypt's other three major ISPs, Link Egypt, Telecom Egypt, and Etisalat Misr, all stopped service. 
For the rest of the story [link]

Wataniya's Give Kuwait Competition

A trip for 2 to Italy for free. Upload pictures dedicated to Kuwait here.

I posted about this before so this is a reminder. You can upload a pic to their website and win. There is also a video and audio competition but needs an Arabic speaker. Hurry looks as if competition is closing soon.

50/20 Celebrations Website and Schedule

Seems there was a parade yesterday on Salem Mubarak Street in Salmiya. Sadly there is not always advance info, in English, on these events to share with you.
Found this today http://www.kuwait-fest.com/english/index.asp which is the first time I've seen an English website of the National Day/February activities. It's an interesting site there is a schedule in PDF (go to events and download PDF) however no timings :O( so one should assume fireworks will be in the evening and day events will probably not start before 10AM. If anyone knows where Boulevard is please let me know. I'm assuming it's Kuwait Towers but not 100% sure.

Take a Look Inside the New Hermes Paris Store

The location at 17 rue de Sèvres, which used to house a swimming pool, looks to be one of the chicest brand boutiques that you’ll find anywhere on the planet. From handbags to housewares, it’s all there in perfectly appointed cases and hanging from spotless, hideously expensive racks. This is why a Birkin will set you back KD 3000 – someone has to pay the interior design bill. Luckily, watching the video is free. At least I think it is; if you get a bill in the mail, don’t blame me.

Cuisine Royale gets a thumbs up

I'd seen these a few times when shopping and today was starving and they had free samples which I polished off :O) The chocolate pain was very good, the raisin danish pasty with a little custard was extremely good, I bought the brown sunflower with honey bread and the white chocolate with cranberry cookies; both are excellent. Needless to say I'm stuffed now and feeling quite sick. Will buy again though and soon.
The bread was 0.750 fils and the cookies 0.950 fils for 4 large yummy cookies.
Please CR stick to the same quality you are offering now. So many companies start off well and then start skimping on quality to increase profits. Hope that doesn't happen to CR.

Update - They've gone, disappeared, not to be found anywhere. Strange!

TripAdvisor's 2011 List of Dirtiest Hotels

I really like to check out hotels online before I book so tripadvisor.com has been very handy for doing that. I like that it's based on guests' opinions rather than a media company's hype. I had to check out their  latest list for dirtiest hotels it reads like a horror story. These hotels I shall be avoiding like the plague. The visitors comments are both hilarious and nightmare provoking. Like the winning hotel in Turkey where

“Pool was tainted by the sewer flooding into it whenever it rained.”

'Live a Life Without Limits' Nick Vujicic

” Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about not having limbs, or I can be thankful that I have a purpose. I choose gratitude. You can too.” - Nick Vujicic

For booking and more information email: abdulaziz@binhouhou.com or Tel. 94924666
Vigor-Enterprise Nick Vujicic will be at GULF University on 9th February, 2011. For bookings you can contact their partner in Kuwait on 94924555 / 666

LWDLIK- I saw Nick last time he was here. He is without a doubt the most inspirational speaker out there. He can have you wondering what the hell you're moaning about in seconds and leave you humbled, better focused and thankful.

Take a look...


Be patient with the download takes a little while. This video clip can change your day, right Anon  ;O)

'Woman in Mind' at Kuwait Little Theatre

The show opens at the theatre on Wednesday March 9th and runs for three nights till March 11th. Curtain rises at 7.30pm and tickets go on sale from February 1st 2011 and can be booked online http://www.theklt.com/

PAWS Annual Dog Show

http://www.paws-kuwait.org/

Marilyn Manson's Artwork

I've never really listened to his controversial music just didn't appeal to me but am quite astounded by his artwork. Some are a little dark and disturbing but I liked these watercolours.

A Must See..

Fab! Thanx Lorraine.

Amiri Grant to be Deposited in Bank Accounts Feb 24

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25, (KUNA): The Amir’s grant will be deposited in the bank accounts of every Kuwaiti citizen over 21 years of age on February 24, the higher committee supervising disbursing of the Amiri grant announced Tuesday.

LWDLIK- Oh no, the very same account where our ailing credit card account lives LOL. But thank you Baba Sabah. Round of coffees on me girlies :O) May even throw in slice of cheesecake :O)

My Mother-in-Law

Had a lovely afternoon yesterday with my adorable mother-in-law. We have a family get together every Thursday but sometimes I pop by and we have breakfast, lunch or just tea together and I really enjoy myself. She is such a wise, interesting old lady. Very open-minded, extremely kind and thoughtful. She has a charm and magnetism that is so very rare.

So, fortunately, yesterday my niece was there to help translate (I manage quite nicely usually but it does help when I get the full picture). Oh, we did laugh to hear about my MIL's youth, marriage offers and how her husband (God bless his soul) used to try and catch her eye before they were married.

She is over 80 years old, she won't tell anyone her real age not even doctors, her health is not always good but, for sure, laughter is her best medicine. She has the sharpest memory for names and family tree (a hobby of old Kuwaiti ladies here) it is quite amazing to hear her roll off names that others in their 40's have long forgotten. I do love her dearly, as do all her devoted family.

When I was first pregnant with my daughter I had wanted to choose an unusual name but my husband really wanted to call our child after his mother. I am so very glad we did.

I try to avoid all the weddings, receptions, tea parties etc. And only do close family.
# 1. Because I don't have time.
# 2. I'd need a new wardrobe every week.
But if my MIL calls me then I know it's important to her that I go, and along I trot.

I remember when I attended my first Kuwaiti wedding she sat me next to her on the sofa, closest to the bride and groom, and introduced me to everyone who came to greet/congratulate her at the wedding party. She had the biggest proudest smile on her face whilst introducing her new daughter-in-law 'me' to all; it touched my heart and from that moment on... I've been  smitten.

Click-o-Print

Now available in Kuwait Click-o-Print an online printing service where you can design your own photobooks and calendars using your own digital photos. Use super-easy software for the design, upload it on the net and they will process it, print it and deliver it to you.

LWDLIK- I did a beautiful photobook of my daughter's younger years with another US based company and had to pay an extra $40 for shipping. So having someone local is a bonus. Think I might do a calendar.

 

Cheesecake Factory is a-coming...

Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) shares jumped Tuesday morning after the casual dining chain said it plans to open restaurants in the Middle East.

Cheesecake Factory said late Monday it entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the Kuwait-based Alshaya group to build and operate 22 of its namesake restaurants over the next five years in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

LWDLIK- Yessssssssss!

Delicates for Cleaning, Fixing and Altering your Designer Clothes, Bags and Shoes.

Delicates specialise in fixing, altering & cleaning your precious items including designer bags, shoes and clothes. The solvents they use are the best available and so gentle that they keep your delicate garments looking brand new. The same solvents used for high-end brands in the fashion industry. Their team go annually to Italy to acquire the latest technology and techniques.
Located on Hamad Al Mubarak Street, Salmiya opposite Sable (along Salmiya Co-op Road). Telephone: 25721115/ Mobile: 65667777

Webite http://www.delicates.me/

They can work miracles with your broken bags, scuffed heels, torn dresses.

Kuwait Charity Run for Bayt Abdullah Children's Hospice

21 Km/ 10 Km/ Fun Run on March 19th, 2011 at 8AM on the Gulf Road. Registration has begun at C club and Extreme Sports stores.

Kuwait Charity Run has teamed up with Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice to raise funds and awareness within the Kuwait community, bringing you Kuwait’s 1st Half-Marathon Run.
Kuwait Charity Run is a non-profit group founded to encourage community members, runners, and athletes to raise funds and donations for good causes and engage in outdoor sports activities

InfoConnect 2011

Venue: Hall 5 & 6, Kuwait International Fair Ground, Mishref off the 6th ring.
Start Date: 30-JAN-11 End Date: 05-FEB-11
Industry: Computer & IT

EVENT PROFILE
International Information Technology, Office Systems & Communications Exhibition  will serve as a bridge to pass the latest global technologies and developments to Kuwait. The event gives best opportunities to international and regional vendors and manufacturers to present their latest technology products and services upon its global launch, to high potential buyers in Kuwait.
Exhibitors include hardware vendors, suppliers and manufacturers, accessories and peripherals vendors & manufacturers, application developers, B2C solutions, content management, data warehousing, E-learning, IT consultancy, outsourcing services, security management, software developers & vendors, system integration, IP technology, ISPs and dealers, portal software, web services.

Kuwait International Fair P. O. Box 656, Safat, Kuwait
Tel:+(965)-(5)-387100/387101/387102/387103/387104/
Fax:+(965)-(5)-398123


INFOBIZ Trade show
Start Date: 30-JAN-11 End Date: 03-FEB-11
Venue: Kuwait International Fair Ground, Kuwait, Kuwait
“Infobiz Tradeshows is a platform for making new contacts and developing broader business opportunities. It focuses on integrating wireless technologies into the enterprise and vertical business...”

Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association

KOSA hosts a wealth of sailing opportunities. Whether you wish to learn to sail, crew during a race or simply cruise the club has many options for you to explore. KOSA in Fahaheel sail every Tuesday evening, race every second Friday and you can take sailing lessons on Friday and Saturdays, anybody interested please contact sail-kosa@live.com and ask for more info.

Facebook: Kosa - Kuwait Sailing
Instagram: @KOSAKWT

Who's for Banning Foam this National Day Holiday?

ME!



Yay!.... 2012 Update KD 50 fine for spraying foam.

To Place Ads or Not!

I have decided that this is a blogmag not sure if the term exists but that's what it seems to be.
It is a free social service for expats and anyone else to find out info on local events, entertainment, restaurant reviews, shopping, Kuwaiti culture, chit-chat, and generally help people feel connected and part of the community. It's been a great pastime for a while. Even though posting, blogging, uploading, downloading on some days can be very, v-e-r-y slow and downright blinking frustrating. And now there are many up and coming English blogs. So I suppose the question is whether to carry on and try to make it worthwhile or find another hobby?

My dilemma, today, is should I place ads? How do I place them here? Will anyone advertise here? Would an iPhone application be the next step? I may just be talking to myself here as I know I have approx 700 views per day but not so many comments- If that's due to technicalities "sorry :OD"  seems you just have to be persistent with the comment process they do post just don't give up on the first try :OD It really is great to get comments they at least make me feel that people are reading the blogmag. (Not sure about my new word it's starting to irritate me already :O) How about blag?

Have just spoken to a very nice man called Saleem at DartMedia to see how I can place ads on here to generate some income. Trouble with that is I'm very picky and don't want the 'Find-a-girl' ads or the other odd ads that get automatically placed on your website if you sign up for ads with Google. Nice man at DartMedia seems to think I would be better off having an Arabic interface (which means an Arabic version of LWDLIK ..Hmmmm..) My first concern would be how it would translate and would my posts be of interest to the non-English speaking community even if they are in Arabic? The whole idea of me starting this blog in English was because there was so little info out there for us, never thought it would appeal to Arabic speakers.

Have also introduced a simple rating system which will give me an idea which posts you like and which you don't.

Whaddya think?

Ps. Thank you very nice man at DartMedia for the compliment on the blog and your surprise to know I do it all myself. Pat on my back :O)

Living Values Parenting at KAS

Dr. Tillman is a US licensed psychologist and author of the award winning 'Living Values; An Education Book Series.' Which gave birth to a Living Values Education Program.
She will give a lecture on Tuesday, 25 January at 6.45PM-8.30PM  in Kuwait American School, Salmiya. Tel. 25720920/25712921.

Hermes Birkin Tongue-in-Cheek Bag $35

"Spring is shaping up to be the season of the basic Parisian shopper. And of all the lo-fi carryalls about to hit stores, we’re partial to the Together Bag from Thursday Friday… this season's anti-status symbol"

NY Times

To order and for more details on the cute bags [link].

LWDLIK- Me too, love them :OD Saw something quite similar in Centrepoint, Kuwait.

Kuwait's 2nd Concours d' Elegance

The second Concours d' Elegance is to be held at Marina Mall and Crescent (seaside) 2-6 February, 2011. More than 50 vintage and classic cars will be on show to the general public. Here's a link to the fab photos of last year's event.

Mr Delivery

A delivery or pick-up service for food, medications, gifts, groceries, documents, etc. Charges are from KD 2. Tel 22494944 or 99175400
Website

Chocolate & Macaroon at Avenues Phase 2 :O)

Enter site

My daughter loves this place..

Warning don't go to the website it will make you hungry/crave and they don't deliver..However there is a delivery service in Kuwait who for a fee of KD2 will deliver or pick up food, documents, etc. Tel. 22494944 or 99175400...Where's my phone?

UPDATE:

26/1/11
Still hasn't fully opened yet. It's located down near Dean & Deluca, keep D&D behind you pass on your left Sephora, Reiss and Shoebox keep going til you almost exit the mall it's on your left last store.

31/1/11
Still not opened??

1/2/11
Ok they answered me, at present it's from 7-11PM but this weekend from 3-11PM :-)

Gossip or Fact?

I received this as an email and don't normally believe everything I read on the net. However this is difficult to both verify or dispute as so little is known about these ladies. What does surprise me is how they have been tolerated for so long if this is what they've been up to. Good riddance to the Ben Alis...

As per email circulated from unknown source..

Suha Arafat. Oh, she's a piece! Coming from a rich Palestinian Christian family (her father was an Oxford-educated banker), she married PLO leader Yasser Arafat, 44 years her senior, in 1990. However, they rarely spent much time together as Suha much prefered living in Paris. She did give birth to a daughter with the Palestinian leader - Zahwa in 1995. Despite most Palestinians living in abject poverty, Suha was notorious for her extravagant lifestyle and expensive shopping excursions, funded from the alleged US$100,000 a month stipend she was receiving from the Palestinian Authority coffers, which in turn was financed from generous aid packages provided by Western countries.

Yasser, Zahwa and Suha Arafat

With the French prosecutors starting to investigate the large sums of money being transferred to her account and the death of her husband in 2004, Suha and daughter quickly made their way to Tunis, where they were greeted with open arms by the Ben Alis and later given Tunisian citizenship in 2006. This is where the soap opera really takes off. As the US cable explains, Suha had a long association with Tunisia and even held a Tunisian diplomatic passport, but still embassy officials were puzzled as to why she would go for citizenship. The only reason they could see for this was "that Tunisian law forbids foreigners to own agricultural land", which the US ambassador Robert Godec cattily (but correctly) added that La Arafat "is not known to be an aspiring farmer". The most likely reason why is that La Arafat was setting up a company to build an international school in the country and Tunisian laws (when applied) only allow for citizens to have majority shares in such undertakings.

Lurking behind all this was the rumour that not only had Suha been in a relationship with her best friend Leila Ben Ali's brother, Belhassen, they had secretly married. Oooh! Check out the stud muffin....

However, as in all soap operas, things aren't what they seem to be. The Tunisian government quietly revoked Suha Arafat's Tunisian citizenship less than a year after awarding it. As this wikileak cable shows, the possible reasons for this are numerous. There had been a major falling out between best friends Suha and Leila, partly to do with the repercussions of the new international school they founded (and Suha had invested 2.5 million euros in). In true greedy, power-mad style, La Ben Ali closed a rival, prestigious private school so as to force Tunisia's elite to send their little darlings to the new school started by her first ladies club. This resulted in a major backlash by the students' parents. Suha Arafat apparently told her best friend that she had crossed the line by doing this, to which a furious La Ben Ali retaliated by ordering her (now former) best friend's citizenship be taken away from her. Arafat at the time was on a visit to her brother in Malta who happens to be the Palestinian ambassador there.

Suha Arafat

In another twist to the story, the word has it that it wasn't Leila Ben Ali who ordered the rival school to close but Suha Arafat herself! And Leila was so, so, so mad about this that she took it out on Suha, who responded with a 'talk to the hand'. Then other 'theories' (i.e. gossip circulating around Tunis - you know, what the hairdresser had heard but promised to not tell anyone) that Suha Arafat had called Qaddafi and said 'gimme money', to which Qaddafi then called Ben Ali and told him off for not looking after Suha. Then there's the rumour that Suha ran off with loads of the Ben Ali's assets (which they had stolen anyway, but that's beside the point). Finally, this whole citizenship revoking saga could all be revenge for Suha having broken the heart of Leila's brother Belhassen. Wow, Krystle and Alexis on Dynasty have nothing on this!

With Suha stuck in Malta with her ambassador brother after being betrayed by her best friend Leila, what's a gal supposed to do? Of course, blab all the insider info of the Ben Alis to the US embassy. Don't tell anyone but Suha said that: the Tunisian president remained weakened by his battle with cancer; he simply does what his wife asks him to do; Leila Ben Ali and her family are stealing everything of value in the country; madame Ben Ali believes that she will succeed her husband as President of Tunisia and she dropped the American curriculum that had been planned for the international school because she fundamentally wants nothing to do with Americans, among other tidbits. The claws were out!

Leila Trabelsi wife of former Tunisian President Ben Ali

That's where the story is so far. Suha and her daughter remain in Malta, in a house apparently funded by Qaddafi, and has been very quiet. Perhaps she may make a surprise reappearance in a later episode of Desperate Dictator Housewives?

I don't know why the US State Department have been embarrassed by these cables when you have ambassadors like Godec making points in their cables like in this case that " Suha Arafat has an ax to grind with the Ben Ali clan, so her allegations must be taken with a big grain of salt." The US State Department is reporting it as it is. What is embarrassing is that the US government continues to support these countries, in contradiction to the principles it allegedly stands for and promotes. As these cables allude, much to the frustration of the ambassadors involved, the US government though sees the only alternative type of government ever cultivating in these types of client states are mini-Irans. So it's the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Fair enough. Please, could you just be honest that that is the case then. Otherwise don't go taking the moral high road of 'promoting democracy and freedom of expression' if these principles are not actively promoted in those client states that need them.

Trabelsi was brought up with 10 brothers in the heart of the Tunis medina, the daughter of a fruit and nut seller. She was working as a hairdresser when she met her future husband and gave birth to their first daughter while he was married to his first wife

Hip Hop Classes for Kids

Learn the steps in hip hop dancing from professional instructors. Fill out your details here and they will contact you.
- 8 years & above
- Every Sat. 11am - 12:15pm (Girls Only)
- 12:30 pm - 1:45pm (Mixed Classes)
- 6 Sessions for KD8 at Bayt Lothan - Next to Sultan Centre- Salmiya - Contact: 55559488

Pottery Barn has Gift Registry

Baby & Gift Registry

Whether you need help designing a nursery, buying a gift or starting a registry, we offer unparalleled service and convenience so that you have a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
To register, give a gift or find a store near you, call:  Kuwait +965 22233733

Guess where?

Thank you Eissa. My husband got this in an email.