November 2016 | Issue # 209
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THE AV E N U ES - M O H A L A B - AL KOUT - MAR INA MALL - PROMENADE - MU THANA
EXTRAORDINARY HEELS FOR EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN
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About the Cover:
November 2016 | Issue # 209
w w w . b a z a a r . t o w n
November is one of our favorite months of the year here in K-town. It's cool enough to dine outside, go for long leisurely walks, check out the parks, stroll around Mubarakiya, and a million other activities that it’s usually too hot for here. That and the start of all the weekend farmers’ markets, outdoor concerts, and desert trips that fill the weekend, keep Kuwait hustling and bustling just the way we like it! This November we’re gearing up for the Nuqat Creative Conference – The Seventh Sense: Powering the Creative Economy. And what says creativity better than speaking to some of the wonderful creative individuals that make Kuwait awesome? We get to know the Beirut-based twin brothers behind the ASHEKMAN art initiative that have given a building in downtown Kuwait a beautiful makeover with their Grendizer mural. If you missed out on the making of it, go check it out – it’s in the Dasman area. We also got up close and personal with Nuqat pop-up shop vendor and maker of Imperfect Tableware, Kawther Alsaffar to find out more about her creations.
The bazaar team... Boss Ahmed El-Adly
Operations Tim Burns
Business Development Ihab Mokalled
Mixed Media Solutions Jennifer Cádiz
Content Coordinator Yasmine El Charif
Design Ahmed Al-Ashab
Staff Writer/Online Media Amira Haroun
Staff Writer
Everyone needs a musical interlude – or five – to make life fun. So who better to speak to than Mr. Fari himself? Having serenaded our office, we got to know the man behind the music. And because the theater is an integral part of Kuwait’s youth scene, we got to know more about the production company headed by Hooda Shawa and Alison Shan Price, TAQA.
Yasmine Dalloul
So much is happening in Kuwait and we got a little hungry along the way, so we stopped by the JW Marriott Kuwait City’s latest restaurant endeavor Crossroads for a decadent bite. But that’s not all! We also indulged at Chef Faisal Al Nashmi’s hot new concept, Table Otto and enjoyed the beautiful weather at Al Shaheed Park along the way.
Contributing Writers
Finally, we want to remind you that market season is making a comeback! With it, we can’t wait for Qout Market’s fourth edition to start the season and the third edition of The Taste of Q8 food festival to end it so perfectly in March 2017! And as always, we’re taking part in The Taste of Q8, so keep your eyes on this space for more information later. Happy reading! Ahmed El-Adly
Happy Movember! This annual ritual - which involves men growing their moustaches from a clean shave to full ‘mo’ throughout November - aims to raise awareness on men's health issues, such as depression in men, prostate cancer, and other male cancer diseases. Encouraging men to get involved, Movember’s ultimate goal is to change the face of men's health. By doing so, it’ll hopefully increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. It's a hugely important issue that we need to discuss and raise awareness of as much as possible, since early detection saves lives. Read more about it on the Infograph in this issue!
Communications Hala Y. Sharara
Editor Alia Al Duaij Ayman Nassar Barry Rodrigues George Tarabay Lynn El Bizri Nejoud Al-Yagout Strawberry Girl Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg
Contributing Photographers
members of:
w w w. b p aw w. c o m The views expressed in bazaar magazine are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff (but sometimes they are).
Yousef Al Nasser
Syndicates & Sources Baraka Bits Fast Company Kingdome.co LA Times MCT International Newsweek
Printing British Industries for Printing and Packaging
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No one likes to be dumped;
recycle me, please.
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Conceived by twin brothers Mohamed and Omar Kabbani, the Beirut-based art movement that is Ashekman has been stirring the minds of spectators ever since its 2001 establishment. In this feature, we discover how the Kabbani twins are on a mission to revive the region’s rich cultural identity through art.
It’s a family affair at Charriol, and they’re taking their namesake brand’s luxurious ethos to new heights. This month, we engage in a memorable conversation with this effervescent father-daughter partnership, Philippe and Coralie Charriol. Read on to find out more!
Up Close and Personal takes an artistic turn in light of the upcoming Nuqat conference! Meet Kawther Alsaffar, creator of Imperfect Tableware – a line of original products made with nostalgia, storytelling, and the bond of collaborating with local craftsmen. Read about Kawther’s journey in this issue.
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What do you get when you combine a healthconscious character, and a passion for biology? Locally grown produce making for a fresher juicing experience! Meet this month’s Truth or Dare candidate, green thumb Fahed Al-Sultan.
If you have an interest in Kuwait’s music scene, then you’ve seen him around. This month, it’s time to get to know him personally. Meet Amin Fari, AKA “Mr. Fari”, who shares his thoughts, secrets and stories of the local music industry, and what it really takes to be a musician in Kuwait.
The launch of the TAQA production company’s new studio space is causing a buzz in the Kuwait theater community! Read about the journey of Hooda Shawa and Alison Shan Price in opening this space, and the great plans they have for it—including a not-to-bemissed upcoming show.
Chef Faisal Al Nashmi has done it again! He just added another gastronomical masterpiece to his list and, as usual, we’re drooling. This month, we had the pleasure of tucking into this American inspired brasserie’s epic creations, and though we left the restaurant full, we’re still pining for more. Get food FOMO in this issue.
Join us on an exquisite culinary journey across cultures in the JW Marriott’s newest dining experience, Crossroads. From authentic Indian to Mediterranean, Japanese and Italian, this eatery offers bespoke meals to tantalize all taste buds. Indulge in this issue!
FAHED AL-SULTAN
ASHEKMAN
MR. FARI
TAQA
ASHEKMAN P.48
Photo Courtesy of Pierre Saliba
TABLE OTTO
It’s time for Christmas magic. TISSOT CHEMIN DES TOURELLES AUTOMATIC.
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TI S S OT WATC H E S .CO M TISSOT, INNOVATORS BY TRADITION
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roberto cavali
what's on November 2016 A FIFTEEN-YEAR JOURNEY: THE ART OF AMIRA BEHBEHANI Date: November 9th– 30th Location: Contemporary Art Platform / The Library Renowned local and international artist Amira Behbehani’s first solo show in seven years is an exhibition that promises to take its visitors on a voyage that started off as an homage to the awakening of all her feelings and senses that transpires into a celebration of trials and errors. You are invited to experience the full range of Amira’s interpretation and evolution as she introduces us to the artists that she discovered throughout the past fifteen years; all the while breaking them into personal fragments of her own self. Drawing from the eternal quest of artistic identity, Amira shatters the limiting expectations and delivers an alternative philosophy that tempts all to embrace the journey…
For more information on this and future events, visit www.capkuwait.com, or on Facebook: capkuwait. Call on 2492 5636. POOR IMAGE Date: November 8th-24th Location: Sultan Gallery This is Khalid al Gharaballi's first solo exhibition after first establishing a duo practice with Fatima Al Qadiri and then co-founding GCC, the artist collective whose work has been exhibited at MoMA PS1, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the New Museum, the Fridericianum, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. The title of the exhibition is taken from German artist Hito Steyerl's 2009 essay "In Defense of the Poor Image." In it she says: "The poor image is a copy in motion. Its quality is bad, its resolution substandard. As it accelerates, it deteriorates. It is a ghost of an image, a preview, a thumbnail, an errant idea, an itinerant image distributed for free, squeezed through slow digital connections, compressed, reproduced, ripped, remixed, as well as copied and pasted into other channels of distribution..."
For more information, visit www.sultangallery.com, Follow them on Twitter @sultangallery or call 2471 4325/6. RED BULL BAR BAHR Date: November 11th Location: Marina Beach Land and water motorsports are different in many ways, mainly the nature of the track consisting of solid ground in the first type and water in the second. In addition to the vehicles and the way they are driven on each track. Nevertheless, a unique event came to combine between the two types once again, in a relay race between competitors racing on Quad bikes and their teammates on Jet Ski: “Red Bull Bar Bahr” which returns to Kuwait for the second time on November 11 at 2:30 PM, on Marina Beach in Salmiya. The race will be preceded by qualifying rounds on November 10 to select those who will participate in the finals. The 24 teams will be vying for “Red Bull Bar Bahr” title, with each team consisting of a Quad bike racer and a Jet Ski driver. The competitions kick off with Quad racing on the sand, and upon reaching the end of the land track, the driver will have to hop out of his bike and run towards his teammate to hand him the key so the latter can begin his Jet Ski race to reach the finish line. Let the race begin! For more information, visit www.redbull.com/barbahr or call 6640 6020. NUQAT: THE SEVENTH SENSE, POWERING THE CREATIVE ECONOMY Date: November 10th– 17th Location: Amricani Cultural Center and various locations Nuqat is one of the largest creative conference events in the MENA region and registration is now open for their seventh annual conference titled “The Seventh Sense”. The week-long program will take place at the Amricani Cultural Centre from the 10th to the 17th of November and include interactive talks, discussion panels, roundtable sessions, workshops, cultural tours, galleries, live performances and more. All lectures and discussion panels are free to attend but you still need to register for a ticket or using the Nuqat app. For more information and schedules, download the Nuqat app via www.eventtus.com. For more on Nuqat, visit www.nuqat.me.
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what's trending November 2016
What: @schonliving Info: Local lifestyle/travel blog. Editor’s Note: Beautify your life.
What: @yousefcam Info: Check out this local talent’s beautiful photography. Editor’s Note: Our new freelance photographer – we snagged him!
What: @Qirdala Info: Gorgeous jewelry boutique in Tilal Complex. Editor’s Note: We want all the jewelry.
What: @mimikuwait Info: Keep up to date with The Secret Garden redevelopment. Editor’s Note: The Secret Garden is still happening!
www.bazaar.town
What: @thecolorrecipe Info: Color therapy for the soul. Editor’s Note: Book your session today!
What: @urbanleaf Info: Producing healthy greens locally. Editor’s Note: Pesticide and herbicide free!
What: @nuqat Info: Follow this account for updates on this year’s conference. Editor’s Note: ‘Tis the season!
What: @zainazumba Info: Zumba Guru right here in Kuwait. Follow for inspiration! Editor’s Note: Classes are ladies only – sorry gentlemen!
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Avenues 22200756 - Arraya 22997755
AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR BAZAAR READERS By bazaar staff
Last month, we introduced you to the innovative adventure travel platform, Rahhalah – a service that provides you an itinerary for an unforgettable trip. Offering detailed adventure travel plans all around the world, Rahhalah makes it their priority to expand your travel horizons and expose you to opportunities you might not have when embarking on adventures by yourself. This November, Rahhalah is offering one bazaar reader the opportunity of a lifetime! Recently, Rahhalah held an adventurous travel experience in beautiful, historic Jordan, and are planning to reconvene with a similar itinerary in the cool, crisp month of December. Jordan, with its scenic location on the east of the Jordan River, is defined by its ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s a home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C.E. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs. Petra is considered to be one of the New Seven wonders of the world, which is why Jordan is part of the “Seven Wonders of Rahhalah” program. On your trip, you will engage in eye opening and heart-pumping activities through the everchanging landscapes of Jordan’s southern regions. You will hike Petra through the back trail; participate in Desert survival skills course in the UN Heritage Site: Wadi Rum camp, enjoy the magnificent sunrise on camel back and visit authentic downtown Amman. This trip is jam packed with all the fun and adventure that could be fit into 3 eventful days. This trip runs on a tight, exciting schedule that commences with a meet and greet by your guide at the Queen Alia International Airport and take you to the Wadi Rum camp, where the fun will begin. From there, you can expect to engage in activities such as an ice-breaker barbecue lunch with your travel companions, followed by hiking and more bonding. Day two offers even more adventure with camel riding at sunrise, hiking through Petra’s mystical back trail, community work with the locals at the Bedouin camp of Petra, and a decadent feast of everyone’s favorite famous Jordanian dish – mansaf. Day three promises you light and enjoyable excursions such as hiking into Little Petra. You will then make your way back to Amman with the group for an authentic downtown culinary experience, sampling some of the best traditional sweets and eats that Amman has to offer, before you’re escorted back to the airport at 6pm for your respective departing flights. Like all Rahhalah journeys, this trip covers your double-occupancy accommodations, listed meals and activities. What isn’t included, however, are 20
any additional food and drink items you may choose to consume, personal shopping items procured, tips and gratuities, additional activities, and international airfare and visa fees. This is why the on-point scheduling of a Rahhalah trip is firm and vital, so that you can book your flight of choice in accordance to the schedule’s arrival period (in this case, 9am on Friday, December 9th with a return flight booking that leaves at least at 8pm on Sunday, December 11). CAN’T FIND THE TIME TO TRAVEL BETWEEN DECEMBER 9TH TO THE 11TH, DON'T WORRY! RAHHALAH IS PLANNING ANOTHER TRIP TO JORDAN SHORTLY AFTER, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAZAAR, RAHHALAH IS OFFERING AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO WIN A COMPLIMENTARY JORDAN EXPERIENCE WITH THEM ON THE WEEKEND OF FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30TH TILL MONDAY, JANUARY 2ND FOR A SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE TRIP – BECAUSE WHAT BETTER WAY TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR THAN TO HIT THE “REFRESH” BUTTON ON YOUR LIFE WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE? TO ENTER THIS COMPETITION, JUST “LIKE” THIS POST ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMENT WITH THE HASHTAG #BAZAARRAHHALAH. WE WILL RANDOMLY SELECT FIVE LUCKY PARTICIPANTS WHO WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH US TO TELL US WHY THEY WOULD BE DESERVING OF RAHHALAH’S JORDAN EXPERIENCE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE AREN’T ANY REAL QUALIFICATIONS TO FULFILL FOR CONSIDERATION, JUST BE MINDFUL THAT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF MODERATE LEVEL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THIS TRIP – AND THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD ALTER THE ITINERARY (BUT TRUST THAT RAHHALAH WILL SAVE THE DAY WITH BACK-UP PLANNING!) BE WILLING, BE OPEN, AND HAVE FUN WITH IT – THAT’S WHO THE IDEAL CANDIDATE IS. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND THE PROSPECTIVE WINNER THAT AIRFARE AND VISA FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED, HOWEVER AS PART OF YOUR PRIZE, RAHHALAH WILL BE COVERING ALL OTHER COSTS OF YOUR TRIP, NOT INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONAL PERSONAL EXPENSES YOU MAY WISH TO TREAT YOURSELF TO. HAPPY TRAVELING, AND WE HOPE YOU’RE AS EXCITED ABOUT THIS TRIP AS WE ARE!
Visit Rahhalah’s website at www.rahhalah.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @rahhalah and check out their YouTube channel: RahhalahExplorers. Don’t forget to #bazaarRahhalah on this post in social media to partake in our exciting competition!
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New Street: 22453927 : • الشارع اجلديدSalmiya Souq: 25718224 : • سوق السامليةThe Avenues: 22597727, 22597728 : • األڤنيوزThe Gate Mall: 22056366: اجليت مول Behbehani Complex: 22406795, 22453863 : • مجمع بهبهانيSouq Sharq: 22433770, 22433500 : • سوق شرقMarina Mall: 22244839, 22244882 :مارينا مول Al-Kout/Fahaheel: 23930338, 23930339 : الفحيحيل/ • مجمع الكوتLaila Gallery: 25719780/1 :ليـلى جاليــري TIK TOK(SoKu, The Avenues): 22200726 :( األڤنيوز،تيك توك (سوكو
truth or dare
FAHED AL-SULTAN
Meeting the man behind Re-Juice By bazaar staff
With an innate interest in how the body works, Fahed Al-Sultan found his calling in biology. Having completed his undergrad in Molecular Biology and his post-grad in Bio-Technology, Fahed gained insight on why certain discomforts and pains occur. With his knowledge and a health conscious family background, it was only natural to find his passion in getting people’s health in check. “I used to make fun of people that used to do juice cleanses, until I went on one when I was living in New York,” Fahed laughed. Reaping the benefits of juicing, Fahed continued to go on monthly cleanses for a year upon his return to Kuwait and his immunity is stronger than ever. After meeting his now founding partner, Dana Al Salem, Re-Juice was born – Kuwait’s first juice cleanse service. Re-Juice provides cleanses for just a single a day or up to seven days, with juices created with zero additives and balancing the nutritional values for each cleanse. Fahed and the Re-Juice team exclusively use a cold-press juicer to ensure that all of the benefits that arrive with consuming fruit and vegetable juices are optimally retained. “People have a misconception that healthy means it won’t taste good,” Fahed smiled, but because healthy can be delicious, a lot of work has gone into creating these concoctions to keep this fallacy at bay. Currently growing as much of their own produce as possible and as organically as they can, Re-Juice creates a premium product for your health benefit. Using locally grown produce means you’re getting the full nutritional value – “Take strawberries as an example,” Fahed explained, “they’re always picked when they’re green and left to ripen in crates on their way here! But we pick the strawberries when they’re fully matured, sweet and ready to be eaten.” Wanting to get to know the man behind the juice a little better, we sat with Chief Juicing Officer – “because why not keep it fun?” – Fahed Sultan for a friendly game of truth or dare. truth or dare How would your mother describe you in one word? Stubborn. How would you describe your mother in one word? Empathetic. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever 22
been asked? Does the sun rise from the east? I then spent 10 minutes in awe and another 10 explaining how that was a ridiculous question, and then refused to even answer it. What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Saw live octopus on a menu in South Korea, and decided to try it... the tentacles were moving, suction cups sticking to the plate; surprisingly it was delicious. What is your theme song? Cat Stevens- “Wild World.” What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? Photosynthesis... something about it makes me smile. Where would you like to live? What is your dream retirement location? To open a bed and breakfast on a small cosy island, with a scuba school, a small vegetable farm in the back and a great restaurant. To be honest I’m about 90% sure it will be in somewhere in Colombia. What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? “Failure is success if we learn from it.” - Malcolm Forbes. What animal best describes the kind of partner you’d be interested in? A Panda. They cuddle well. What do you miss about your childhood? Having time to run wild. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Fred... it’s much easier whilst travelling, and it’s close enough to Fahed to respond to. How would you describe your handshake in one word? The same way I describe them all... “GERMS!” What is the toughest part of your character? My sarcasm and short temperedness; but I’m working on it! Who is your favourite historical figure? Charles Darwin. What in the world do you least desire? Ignorance. What do you think is lacking in the world, which if there was more of would make the world a better place? Critical thinking. I think the educational system is the one system that has stopped evolving over time and has bred regurgitators versus thinkers. If we teach people how to think analytically and critically we can start playing on a level field. Why do you think most girls/guys like you? At first they don’t, they find my sarcasm too intense. But if they stick around they realize I do have a heart, and that the sarcasm comes from a place of love. Finish this sentence: “Happiness is a thing called…” KDD ice-cream sandwich. You can check out their selection of juices and cleanse regimens by going to their website www.re-cleanse.com and following them on Instagram @re_kwt. For orders, call or Whatsapp them on 9911 5662 from 10AM to 9PM.
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EXPRESSING CREATIVITY
The launch of TAQA: a space to be excited about By bazaar staff
“The theatre is certainly a place for learning about the brevity of human glory” – Iris Murdoch This quotation beautifully illustrates the ethos of one of Kuwait’s newest theatrical production spaces – TAQA. A space that once started out as a production company retelling classical fables that had been adapted into Arabic prose by Kuwaiti writer and theater enthusiast, Hooda Shawa. Hooda's journey with TAQA began with a whirlwind of writing and producing original productions, as well as entering her work into international film festivals and finding the best of the best to make her pieces come to life. Her resume is impressive, with works such as Akhnaton, performed at Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah in 2012 with music performed by an 18 piece orchestra composed by Dr Sami Ibrahim of Cairo Opera House, My Pink Room - an original short film for the 2013 Jasmin Call concert, written by Hooda and directed by Vachan Sharma, and of course, Freya: Letters from Kuwait directed by Abdulaziz al Haddad - a play that made the audience see Kuwaiti/British history in a whole new light. “I had also collaborated with LOYAC and other organizations and companies, including UK production company One World Actors Centre, [owned by Alison Shan Price] to present these plays in fairs and events, but we knew after our last production that we needed a space of our own.” Hooda jovially chuckles, pointing out how she just sited Virgina Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. This reference alone shows her love of literature and translating it to a visually pleasing artistic medium. And so, with Hooda’s passion, her penchant for production, and a talent for turning her written work into performance, a room of her own she gained and the space was built. In the heart of Mirqab, on a pocket street which contains Al Shahid Tower, the building where TAQA is housed. Once you walk in, you’re greeted with an impressively graffiti’d wall done by the likes of local artist, Aziz Al Enezi. The space is small, yet manages to be vast at once, with a dedicated area for cast and crew to prepare themselves and a classic black-box-style theater. With Hooda Shawa acting as founder and managing director, joining forces with creative director Alison Shan Price, the space is set to promise great things for Kuwait’s theater community. “We’re interested in telling stories that people might not come across.” Hooda explains. “The current production we’re working on tells the story of Kuwait’s history in the Hellenistic [Continued...] 24
Hooda Shawa and Alison Shan Price
roccobarocco
Tel. 22597497 - 2nd Avenue
[...Continued] era.” Any guesses to where this would be set? Titled IKARA, this play written by Hooda, makes the Hellenistic artifacts and ruins of Failaka Island come alive. “IKARA comes from the word Icarus, which tells the story of the man who flew too close to the sun. It is said that Failaka Island was once named Ikaros, and there was even a stone with Greek inscriptions made to prove this theory. This archaeological piece is housed in the Kuwait National Musem.” TAQA is an acronym for Towards Achieving Quality in Art, but also comes from the Arabic word taqa, which means energy and creativity. This double entendre is appropriate for the troupe and the space, as it embodies the very concept that TAQA reaps towards audiences and performers alike. “When naming TAQA, the Arabic came first” Hooda points out, which is not unlike the performances the company holds. TAQA primarily produces Arabic productions, but isn’t exclusive to them. Though Alison Shan Price insists that the majority of performances being in Arabic will not keep an expat audience away from attending. “Hooda’s stories are made in a way where anyone would understand, regardless of language barrier. There’s a new slant with movement and expression that gives value to more than just language, and international audiences are appreciative of that. We’re giving the audience a new delicacy, and bringing people together in the form of theater.” Though TAQA studios is currently devoting all of its time and their master classes (held by professional choreographers and directors) to the cast and crew of IKARA, the space, owned by TAQA productions, has workshops held by international experts scheduled for 2017. The space is also open for the creative community to use. The accommodating TAQA theater space can be rented for external performances and rehearsals, and they had even recently hosted a rehearsal space for the Arabs Got Talent dancers. This is a space for the community to express artistic creativity, and as TAQA is a supporting member of the community, they are more than happy to reach out and offer a helping hand. TAQA Studios launched in September with emninent artists in the audience, including Emmy Award winning choreographer Adam Darius, and international award winning choreographer Kazimir Kolesnik, both of whom flew into Kuwait specifically to help create the opening performance of the space. Based on the audience's reception of the launch, the extreme appreciation shown gives the team great reason to believe this addition to the community will benefit Kuwait. “We are aware that we aren’t the only Arabic theater representatives in Kuwait – the country is rich with Arabic expression, but we think of TAQA as an addition.” And what a great addition it will be! Interested in TAQA? Call them at 5565 5973 for more information, or visit www.taqaproductions. com. Follow them on Facebook: TAQA Productions, and on Instagram @Taqakuwait.
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marriot
up close & personal
KAWTHER ALSAFFAR
Bridging the gap between art and design By bazaar staff
An Industrial Design BFA and Product Design MA, meshed with a sense of childlike wonder – this is how the creator got started. With a deep-rooted passion for “how things are put together,” Kawther Alsaffar found her fervor at a young age and continued to feed her curiosity and hone her skills well into adulthood. Wanting to bridge the gap between art and design, Kawther’s studies helped her find a story and history in every piece she creates. While her BFA gave her craft insight into mass production, her MA gave her a nudge toward the direction of storytelling and creating with intention. And as one of vendors at the upcoming Nuqat Creative Conference – 28
The Seventh Sense: Powering the Creative Economy, Kawther’s work will shed light on the benefits of creating a bond with the local craftsmen, and the importance of the empowering the local creative economy. “I’ve always had this idea in my head that our instinct as children is our natural inclination,” she started, “Mine was always to paint and draw, while creating things that fulfilled a purpose.” That drive led her into looking at the history of her surname and the trade they come from – Alsaffar translates to "tinker" or "coppersmith," which was their unique trade. Utilizing this knowledge and combining it with her studies gave her the balance she needed to create purposeful art in the form of furniture and household items.
Dedicated to not only sharing her own stories through her designs, Kawther shares the stories of the craftsmen involved as well. While creating her Imperfect Tableware line of products, Kawther envisioned creating a bowl out of dual metals. Seeking the help of a craftsman, Kawther was initially told it couldn’t be done – but it wasn’t until he tried to create it that it all fell into place. “The sense of community that is what I want to get out of this,” Kawther explained, “It’s the pride, passion and drive that each craftsman takes in their work that I want to tell through the work we produce.” In a way, Kawther’s process and creations pays homage to the stories of the craftsmen she works with. “You go through a giant treasure hunt of sorts when you’re in Shuwaikh Industrial talking to the craftsmen,” she laughed, “You basically learn about all the different people working there, because every craftsman leads
you to another while learning about their crafts and their stories.” It’s a sense of nostalgia that helps her create certain pieces through inspecting the originally crafted ones and comparing them to the mass produced ones. The sentiment and the ceremony surrounding the original pieces are enough for Kawther to strive to create similarly thought provoking pieces. With pieces that can be used around the house, Kawther has created stools, coasters, candleholders, bowls and even a whimsical spinning top (to indulge every person’s childhood sense of play) alongside the craftsmen. Kawther is constantly working on new projects – a collaboration with a designer in the UK, and one that would bring her closer to her ancestry: I’m currently making a new set of bowls using a copper sinking technique.” Having exhibited her work at Qout Market in the past, Kawther’s work is going to be showcased in the 2017 edition of the Select coffee-table book. She’ll also be participating in the Nuqat Creative Conference’s curated popup shop where you can get your hands on one of her creations. “I believe that Nuqat’s been crucial to my creative process and I even wrote about the Creative Conference I had attended in my dissertation,” Kawther explained, “Creative workshops and the communities around them are helping shape the future of the arts and crafts in Kuwait. I met a lot of great people and creators from such events.”
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE What do you most value in your friends? Honesty, empathy, fairness, kindness and a desire to laugh at my jokes. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Having a successful career that I love and makes me happy, while spending time with the people I love the most, and giving back to them. What is your greatest fear? Giving up on my dreams and not doing anything significant with my life and disappointing my family. Losing a loved one, especially before I achieve something significant that would make them proud. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? My ability to not do the things I’m passionate about for long periods of time because I’m scared of failing and scared of starting, and also my indecisiveness. What is the trait you most deplore in others? A lack of emotional intelligence, self criticality, and the ability to be kind and empathize with those who don’t directly benefit you. Which living person do you most admire? My mother.
What is your greatest extravagance? Getting a personal trainer.
What is your most treasured possession? My laptop.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “I don’t know!” “Really?” “Like,” “At the end of the day,” “What’s it called…”
What is your most marked characteristic? Honesty and determination.
What is it that you most dislike? Dishonesty and mean spiritedness. Harming others out of selfishness or because of a lack of caring.
Where would you most like to live? Kuwait. What are your favorite words to live by: Work smart and hard.
Which talent would you most like to have? To dance really well. If you could have any job, what would it be? To run my own successful design firm. What would you consider your greatest achievement? Graduating from RISD and RCA. The top design schools in the world.
For products, updates and more, follow Kawther on Instagram @kalsaff and check out her website www.saffarcrafts.com. Product images by Baptiste Gratzmuller. 29
EVERY STITCH TELLS A STORY
Supporting Palestinian refugee women By Dima Masri
The Social Enterprise Project (SEP) employs skilled Palestinian refugee women at the Gaza refugee camp in Jerash, Jordan as artisans. These artisans make many unique handmade products, including embroidered home and fashion accessories, like shawls, tablecloths, bags, towels and scarves. This is a topic we are revisiting with some exciting updates about the project! But first, here are just a few reasons why we love SEP: •It supports refugee women – The women behind the handmade pieces are all refugees. Working with SEP, they receive above-market rates for their work. SEP empowers less fortunate women through providing them with professional, personal and economic stability. •It is eco-sustainable – All the embroidery is handmade and so is most of the assembling; therefore, minimal machinery is used. SEP also manufactures locally and ensures recycling is a part of the production process. This awareness has not gone unnoticed. SEP was awarded the Butterfly Mark which, according to SEP’s 30
website, “is awarded to luxury lifestyle brands that take pride in their craftsmanship, service and design, whilst protecting our planet and its resources”. •It revives Palestinian heritage – SEP brings a piece of Palestinian heritage into our homes through its various products. Also, SEP introduces more people to the artisans’ work. It brings the Palestinian art of embroidery to the world through partnering with influential ambassadors: Such as Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, a barrister, human rights activist, and founder of Landmark Hotels, and Chaker Khazaal, who is named Arabian Business' Most Influential Young Arab 2016 and Esquire's Man of the Year 2015. The Chaker scarf, one of SEP’s products, is even endorsed by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters! We also have some project updates given by SEP Founder, Roberta Ventura: •SEP embroidered wall art will be on display at a selection of suites at the Landmark hotel in Amman from autumn 2016. •SEP products can be found in a number of cities including Amman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and London. •In April, the SEP-Tamari Academy was launched at the camp, where artists improve their skills,
learn new techniques and receive training. •SEP also has a series of non-profit activities, such as English classes for children and is working on yoga classes for the artists, in collaboration with Amman-based partners. Roberta has said this of the project’s inspiration: “When you have been a refugee for 50 years, you stop dreaming, you stop hoping, you stop planning. This was the the reality when we started working in the Jerash Refugee Camp in Jordan in 2013. And this is why we decided to step in as the private sector and over time, replace the dependence on aid: working with the refugees, accompanying them above the poverty level and enabling them to monetize and celebrate their skills as well as their talent, heritage and culture via a peer-to-peer relationship. We believe that ’aid overdose’ can be counter-productive, as we can see every day in our work.”
For more information: visit SEP’s website: www.sep-jordan.myshopify.com, Facebook Page SEPJordanxx and follow them on Instagram @sepjordan.
ABK
10 TIPS TO STARTUP SUCCESS By Lynn El Bizri
Launching a startup isn’t easy, but if you’ve been dreaming about that great idea and are considering going ahead with it, these 10 tips will help you get started on that road to entrepreneurial success. 1. Follow through A large majority of people come up with great ideas but then convince themselves that it’s not worth the effort to start working on them or that they don’t have the skills to see it through. No matter how big your vision is, success begins at the starting line. Don’t overanalyze, focus on what you know, and take baby steps forward. 2. Create something you’re passionate about By creating something you are passionate about, you’ll have much more motivation to keep going and the temptation to bail won’t be as high. Your startup has to be something you’re willing to work on around the clock and dedicate most of your time to. 3. Choose your target audience Your startup should always have a target audience, and the goods or services you offer must solve some kind of problem for your audience in order to take off. Aim to create something that makes a small group of users very happy, rather than just satisfy some of the needs of a larger user group. 4. Have a business plan A good business plan is key to startup success 32
and should act as both a guide and a springboard. Business plans are essential for mapping out the future, supporting growth and securing funding, developing and communicating your course of action, managing cash flow, and supporting a strategic exit. Business plans will also keep you focused if you start dealing with aggressive growth. 5. Don’t do it alone Starting a company by yourself will most often put you at a direct disadvantage. Cofounders can provide you with the skills you lack, serve as a support system and take both you and your startup further. Venture Capitalists are also most likely to invest in a startup that has a founding team, rather than a founding individual. 6. Perfect your Pitch As you start to plan and launch your business, you’ll need to be able to convey your idea to people in a concise and clear manner. If you can develop an elevator pitch that will intrigue people and show them that your idea has potential, they’ll most likely give you more of their time and consideration. 7. Market yourself Marketing is one of the most important things that you can do for your business and is worth investing in. When you market your product or service, you are exposing it to potential customers. For example, marketing through social media, contacting blogs, and telling everyone willing to listen about your new venture are all great ways to promote your startup.
8. Customers Come First Keep the customer in mind with every decision you make, and you’ll build a product or service they can get excited about. Good customer service should be at the top of your priorities as it engages users and helps you learn about them and from them. Apart from making purchases, customers help you to improve your products and services so that your business can thrive. 9. Raise the right amount of capital In order to keep your bills paid and dreams afloat, you’ll need to find funding at some point. Seeking out investors is always a good idea in the beginning stages and equity crowd-funding can also be a profitable option for your startup. Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business and essential to feed bottom-line profits. 10. Network Make use of the power of social media to connect with potential employees, partners, clients, providers, or people that can promote your product or service. Don’t forget offline opportunities though as the connection you can make with a person face-to-face is naturally stronger than one mediated between screens. Every new connection is an opportunity to be introduced to an investor, advisor or supportive peer, so develop a wide network of connections and make sure you’ve perfected your elevator pitch.
the athletes foot
fashionality
DINA MAGHAWRY
Art and history reimagined through jewelry By bazaar staff
As an artist, Dina Maghawry creates pieces that invoke happiness and simplicity. A jewelry designer by trade, Dina’s designs surpass a normcore culture and speak to the artist within each of her shoppers. Uniting a love of art and jewelry, Dina Maghawry Jewelry is made for everyone. “I put my pieces out there, and just let them find their own homes,” Dina laughed. Having followed her calling in 2002, Dina – who was a fashion editor in a magazine – quit her job and went in pursuit of creating beauty and making art with her hands. “It was a strong urge that I could not resist in any way!” she explained, “So I started studying jewelry making.” Developing her skills over the years, Dina picked up several techniques which she considers revolutionized her work and gave her an edge. Setting herself apart from others, Dina incorporates the use of enamel in her pieces which she believes is underused by most modern jewelry designers. Not following the latest trends, each piece is modelled after a specific theme Dina is inclined towards, where soul searching serves as her inspiration. “Ideas are usually coming from within me as opposed to the outside world,” Dina elaborated. Each piece is created with love and, in a way, is an expression of who she really is. “When I create I do it without a motive, it’s just an expression of myself, and a desire to share myself with the world,” Dina told bazaar smilingly.
How would you describe your style and what inspires it? My style represents and describes me: my likings, my favorite things. And what inspires me is my soul -- anything that my soul is drawn to: It could be a certain culture, heritage, place, nature, or even a thought. What makes jewelry important? Just like any other adornment, it emphasizes one’s beauty; it’s fun and playful.
From your personal collection, what pieces do you hold near and dear? Why? I like all of my collections, and I enjoyed making them all. I am doing what I am doing out of passion, therefore I enjoyed working on all of them. Each collection has a story and a reason behind it, and it’s always a part of me that I want to share with others.
What makes a piece special? That’s relative to each one. A piece could be special to you but not to others; because it resonates with you, speaks to you.
What do you think is the one piece that every fashion lover should own? Why? My answer will again be there are none. It's all personal and relative.
Is there such thing as the essential every-day piece and what qualities would it have? Well I can’t really say that any jewelry item is universally essential, because that goes back to each one’s preference. You could be the type
Who from the fashion world would you love to collaborate with? I’m a fan of so many jewelry designers around the globe, but I wouldn’t want to collaborate with any. They are just purely inspiration. [Continued...]
fashionality questionnaire Does fashion ‘make’ the person or does the person ‘make’ fashion? The person makes the fashion. All the styles and outfits that are in fashion have been determined so by people, i.e. trendsetters. In your opinion, what makes a piece of jewelry a statement piece? Why? What’s certain is that if you love the piece of jewelry that you are wearing, you will make it look special by how you feel about it and wear it, and that’s how you turn it into a statement piece. 34
that only wears jewelry on occasions, others cannot stay without something on.
chilli beans
[...Continued] What does it take to become a style innovator? An open unlimited attitude and a free mind that is willing to be receptive to any innovative idea. Ideas are there, but the key is to be receptive. What’s exciting right now in fashion? Believe it or not, I don’t know! I don’t follow the fashion news – LOL! Who or what has been your greatest fashion influence? I am always inspired by the old, ethnic, romantic styles and eras. Who are your favorite emerging designers, and what is it that you love about them? I really like Egypt’s Okhtein brand for bags and more. They are innovative, and the product quality is excellent. I loved their beach towels last summer!
Yasmina pendants and ear studs with enamels and diamonds
What is the highlight of your ‘style’ career so far? Ethnic, colorful and hippie chic with unusual color mixes. Every fashionality has as a style obsession, what’s yours? I don’t have fashion obsessions, I just wear what I like and feel comfortable in. Do you follow any fashion influencers (Instagram/ Blogs etc)? If so, who are they and which would you recommend? I love Alberta Ferretti dresses, they're the best! I follow their page on Instagram.
Gifts of the Sultan rings with enamels and diamonds
What item of clothing or accessory (if any) do you wish that people wore more often? I wish people would wear what identifies them. They should have their own choice in deciding their style, and not what has been imposed on them by the fashion world. What’s next for Dina Maghawry? [Laughing] I don’t know – I’ll just keep on creating!
Objet d'Art enamelled ring with tourmalinated quartz and rose cut diamonds
Yasmina hammered silver and gold bands with stones and enamels
To be stylish is to be fashionable. True or False and why? False: Because no matter how hard you try to follow the international fashion trends, if they don’t suit you, you will still look unstylish.
You can follow Dina’s stunning creations on Instagram @dina_maghawryjewelry. For those in or visiting Cairo, stop by Dina’s store in Zamalek – call +201 2875 66014 for directions. For custom orders and international inquiries, email Dina at dina.maghawry@gmail. com or Direct Message her on Instagram. 36
Yasmina hammered silver and gold bands with enamels and diamonds
behebahani corprate
GOING IT ALONE – AND WORKING TOGETHER Adel Alansari’s DoubleA Creative Solutions By bazaar staff
We’ve all had that moment when we feel as though we’ve hit a rut in our career path. But how many of us have been brave enough to step into the unknown and start out on our own? Walking out on a secure monthly salary and benefits can be a risky move but giving yourself the freedom to be led by your passion is a liberating experience. So says, Adel Alansari, who launched his own boutique brand consultancy this year. After years of working in creative marketing and fashion, he’s now using his experience and passion to help local and international businesses develop their brands and he’s never been happier. But what prepared him to go it alone? The effervescent Adel admits that he would never have taken the leap without the foundation of experience he’d gained from past work. “My previous roles have provided a 360 degree view of the world of marketing for which I am extremely fortunate.” Following university, Adel began his professional career working as an account executive in an advertising agency. There, he says, he was able to develop his creative skills as well as learn a lot about how the client’s approach and mentality could affect the success of a brand’s marketing strategy. “I saw, again and again, how a company’s corporate culture got in the way of realizing their marketing objectives. Budgets were frittered away, campaigns all too often failed to deliver, and rarely was marketing spend truly evaluated against ROI. It was frustrating.” After a number of years on the agency side of the marketing world, Adel joined Alshaya’s world of fashion, as brand marketing executive for River Island. “Fashion had always been my passion, and being able to combine that with my growing understanding of the marketing process was a perfect match.” His unique approach to the business was hugely successful for River Island and he was quickly promoted within Alshaya to Marketing Manager for Harvey Nichols, Kuwait tasked with launching the new store. “Alshaya is more than a company. It’s an amazing business school– it’s phenomenal.” Admits Adel. “If you want to understand corporate, Alshaya is the best point to start, and I was lucky enough to be trusted to be creative there and make things happen there. It was fantastic.” But in 2013, Adel left Alshaya for a bigger challenge: to head up marketing across Alyasra Fashion’s Fashion and Footwear brands, 38
including ECCO, DKNY, Kenzo, MaxMara, and Jimmy Choo. “I had gone from servicing individual clients as their account manager to making the marketing decisions for a multibrand fashion company. I was dealing with local stakeholders and international brand managers and, at the same time, was still very much a fashion consumer – so I had, without really planning it, developed this very rounded, 360 degree understanding of the marketing and branding process”. So, the question remains - why leave that successful career path and set out on your own? “I loved what I was doing, and was thriving, but Creative Marketing and Corporate Culture often don’t go smoothly hand in hand. Companies are always trying to tighten budgets and support services, such as marketing, are often the first to get hit. Marketing can be done on any budget – but the budget and objectives have to be clearly defined so as not to waste what you have. If you spend more time fighting internally than building your campaigns it dulls the creative sparkle, and then everything starts to fall apart.” “I have a very creative approach to everything in life. I hate routine and love project based work where results are clearly measurable. I had learned so much from working across corporate entities, but I wanted to spend more time doing what I really loved: designing, creating, styling: and less time in corporate meetings. That’s really what led me to launch DoubleA.” DoubleA Creative Solutions is a service that melds his experience of agency work and corporate marketing management. He describes it as a “Boutique Creative Consultancy” where he, as Creative Director, can freely help clients who wish to “tsuj” up their brand image. “I offer everything from brand design or redesign, to creative direction, photo shoot styling, and campaign management. My expertise is in helping your brand get noticed. I have been lucky enough to build up a fantastic contact book over the past few years including suppliers, advertisers, media and influencers. Coupled with my own creative instinct, I am now in a position to be able to support businesses in a more personal way than an ad agency can, but with the expertise of an in-house marketing manager.” And he does it with flair, and uniqueness. “I think it’s essential to dig deep and get to know the client first, to find out [or help them discover] who they are before trying to understand what they want – this not only gives better outcome in the long run, but also builds a bond between us, which is vital in the creative process”. Adel’s service goes beyond helping brands establish the creative flair to make them stand out among others. DoubleA is focused on delivering long term results. His creativity is matched only by his enthusiasm for what he does and talking to him you really get a sense
that he believes every brand can be special in its own way. “Throughout my career, I’ve loved giving brands a face-lift. That’s where I really shine. Every brand offers something unique. The challenge, and the thrill is in finding it – packaging it - and promoting it.” And since leaving the corporate world and setting up on your own what are you enjoying most? “I’ve been working a lot with magazines lately, to do creative styling and creative direction for photo shoots. It’s one of my favorite things to do as it really ticks all my boxes!” Adel’s goal is to “break the mold” of marketing trends in Kuwait by offering something different in the industry. “Agencies in Kuwait are a dime a dozen. There’s a lot of the ‘this is how it’s done’ mentality here, but not a great deal of real creativity and passion. I’m not interested in turning DoubleA into just another agency. Long term, I would like to form a larger collaborative. To have graphic designers, and artists with vastly different styles on call. To have writers and freelancers ready to jump on board for specific projects. A fluid, collaborative, creative consultancy that really serves the individuality of every prospective client.”
This collaborative movement is a message to all talented individuals who have something to offer. As Adel says, “There are other people out there who already do what I do, and many more that would like to. Each of us offers a different perspective and creative style. We don’t need to compete, we need to support each other - and fight for the right to start home-based businesses here in Kuwait. There’s something great about creating a collaborative community outside of the regimented corporate world. And not just for marketing, but for life in general.” And does does he have any regrets about leaving that corporate world and going it alone? "No! It is a bit scary at first, but if you follow your passion and focus on delivering great results to your customers, it is the best thing you can do. I have never been happier." And he looks it.
DoubleA is social media savvy! Find out more about this service by following them on Instagram @doublea.solutions and Facebook: DoubleA Creative Solutions. Contact Adel via email: adel@doublea.solutions for enquiries.
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COMEDY - THERAPY FOR THE CROWD OR THE PERFORMER?
Recommended track for this read: Ivan Torrent, “Human legacy” By George Tarabay
I asked the question, but I do not know the answer, but if you allow me, I would like to figure it out with you (Page turner alert … even though it’s a one pager). Hardship! That big, all-encompassing, theme that covers love, business, family, wrong food delivered to your doorstep, the car not starting, and life in general. However, us Earthlings and Kryptonians are built with short emotional memory. We don’t forget hardship, on the contrary we learn from it. However, we disregard its emotional signature, and that is a key feature to our learning curve. In fact, it is so direly important for us to erase our emotional bank, that without that tool, we cannot zest out any positivity that can be grounds for learning and moving onwards. Thus, the infamous saying “to each, their ways”. Some see a therapist, some seek advice, some change their environment, some change their restaurant delivery service. Each arrive as a noble approach in its own right. Still, I was always fascinated by an exclusive tool that only few utilize: Comedy. If comics know anything others don’t know, is that “the show must go on”. They believe in it, they live it and they depend on it. It is a dogma that rules every aspect of their lives: Finances, emotions, successes, failures, love, break ups, family, even 40
its literal meaning in their shows! It is the most powerful tool a comic possesses, and boy is it expensive to acquire. But let’s take ten steps back and sit amongst the crowd. Why are comics the people with most credibility? Why are they considered as social beacons? Why do crowds flock to comedy clubs across the world every night? Simple: Would you rather be lectured or heard? Comics hear you, they are you, they feel you, they speak on your behalf, they tackle your fears, your anxieties, your financial hardships, your parenting hardships … and the list goes on for hours! They simplify things, to the point where laughter becomes intuitive, they infuse lightness into your hardship by offering their funny perspective. They don’t operate from a book, if anything, they threw the book out the window. They operate from the gut and emotional growth, from experience and resilience! That is why we never second guess their stories, their backgrounds or even their lessons. It’s because, throughout their show, you can see their process and evolution, and though you might not agree with them you respect it because you know it is truthful. Now, let’s jump back up to the stage. What does a comic see? Frankly? Nothing. A comic is there, not because he has to, rather because he needs to. When I often perform, I rarely notice the crowd past that first laugh. Not due to
egocentricity, rather, it is my own relief. I get to be myself, I get to speak out my mind, I get to laugh at my misfortune and most importantly, I get to be unfiltered with myself. It is also not coincidental that most comics suffered from depression: Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Chris Farley . . . These people, found nowhere to go except deeper. The deeper they dug, the more they were able to strip away at their lives’ basic elements to deliver true acts of comedy. Since there is beauty in simplicity, they trained themselves to keep digging until that beauty rose to their perspective. In that sense, comedy is powerful, it pulled me and many others out of depression, and it unlocked my full potential. One that I am happy to share with you today through these lines. Comedy renders the patient a therapist, and the therapist a patient. An amalgam of exchanges between the performer and the crowd, which neither fully understands yet deeply connects through, including this fool, behind his keyboard typing these words. We are sometimes blessed to be the patient and sometimes the therapist. I know I am at least one, especially when I laugh. George Tarabay is a local radio host, comedian, marketing expert and a self-proclaimed average human being. For his latest updates, follow him on Instagram @GeorgeTarabay.
puma
THE MAN BEHIND POTATO NOSE – JAD EL KHOURY
“I search the lines that draws your imagination” By Fay Al-Homoud
Born in Baabda, Lebanon, Jad El Khoury is an artist and interior architect living and working in Kuwait. Through the medium of paper and ink, and a desire for lines and colors, Jad gave birth to the Potato Nose. An artistic creation of fictitious characters floating freely, Potato Nose reflects on family, friends and surrounding, as well as extending to people and places Jad experienced during his travels, dreams and nightmares. When did it all begin? And how did you first become interested in street art/graffiti? I started when I was in school, I don’t remember exactly but maybe around the age of 10. The teachers always used to try to stop me. From the classroom desk this passion has grown inside of me. Where did the name come from? Most of the characters have a nose like a potato. What gave you that initial push to be a street artist? There were many factors that triggered me to go and attack the city walls. Art was booming in Lebanon, and there were many issues prevalent in the society around me that needed to be recognized or highlighted. Personally I felt the need to express feelings. How do you describe the style of your pieces? The technical term for this style is doodle art. Simple lines, creating forms that represent the people I see every day. Which artist is your biggest inspiration? It was actually actor Matthew McConaughey who inspired me when he answered the exact same question with “My biggest inspiration is me in 20 years.” It stuck with me. What are your sources of inspiration? New faces, landscapes, clouds, insects, rocks, waves, music and human interactions. What do your pieces usually focus on? The forms and shapes come together to form a composition that delivers a feeling or a statement. It’s about highlighting the muted truth. I focus on the issues or facts that fall between the gaps. What is the riskiest thing you have even done? Abseiling from a 22-story building illegally when I was highlighting war traces, transforming each missile hole into a Potato Nose character. People used to pass by those scarred buildings everyday, without a second glance. They became normal, part of the scenery. They needed to be highlighted to bring up some big questions: What should we do with these iconic monuments that are still standing since the end of the civil 42
war in Lebanon? Should they be preserved? Demolished? Restored? Are you generally satisfied with your finished pieces? Never. Does music play a big role while you’re working or do you need a quiet environment? What is the one track that would usually be on repeat? Some of the projects are dangerous and you can’t lose focus, so a quiet environment is needed. But when it comes to painting in the studio music is essential. I listen to Beethoven – Triple concerto in C major, Op.56. Where are your pieces usually located? The city. Do you find it difficult to do your work in the streets? In every project and especially before the first line I draw, I feel really scared when I consider the responsibility of the repercussions, this work will stay for a while, people will see it every day, and it will affect them in one way or another. Overcoming this feeling is the most difficult part. Have you had any problems with authority because of being a street artist?
I always do my homework, investigating the walls before commencing any project. Would you rather paint alone? Or do you prefer collaborations? Usually I paint alone, but I have no objection to collaborations if there’s a story or a meaning behind it. Have you ever collaborated with other artists? Yes, on some experimental paintings, trying to mix doodle art with other styles. What do you see as the future of street art / graffiti? In this urban concrete jungle, we invented a consumer society. As Jose Mujica put it “We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs, shopping for new discarding the old.” Greed and obsession to reach the top of this mountain have transformed the people into robots. As long as this ugly reality continues to evolve street art will evolve alongside to remind us of our humanity!
Follow Jad El Khoury’s work on Facebook: JadEl5oury. Originally published on www.kingdome.co
solaris
ARE YOU A JACK OF ALL SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AND MASTER OF NONE? By Barry Rodrigues
Marketing has evolved tremendously in the last decade or so and with the advent of so many marketing channels like newspapers, magazines, outdoor media and the big guns – social media, brands have multiple ways to reach out to their customers. But like we all know, too much of something is not always a good thing and marketers are now beginning to realize that not every social media channel provides the right kind of returns for all their efforts. In fact some of them don’t offer any returns at all and are more of a burden than a blessing. How then can marketers utilize social media and other channels to their benefit and ensure that they get the maximum return for their time? The best advice I can give you is – don’t follow the brand bandwagon. What I mean is don’t simply jump into the next big thing without first evaluating its pros and cons and seeing if it is a perfect fit to your business. Sometimes being on one particular social channel like Facebook may be extremely beneficial to a brand but being on another like Instagram or Snapchat does not give it any returns. This doesn’t mean your marketing ideas are bad, it simply means that perhaps that particular channel is not where your customers are. This could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe that particular channel suits a specific segment of users either by age, nationality or user preference. For instance Facebook is one of the most popular social media channels out there and no matter what some people say about its decline, it has definitely had a resurgence in the recent past and is poised to continue being one of the best ways to target consumers. It caters to pretty much everyone in the 25-year-old and above segment so that includes recently married individuals to middle aged women to even grandpas. But if you want to reach out to twenty something techies who are part of the startup community you will have better luck with Instagram or Snapchat. Another noteworthy mention specific to Kuwait for instance, is that Instagram and Snapchat are extremely popular with a majority of the younger generation of Kuwaitis whereas Facebook will help you reach out to most of the expatriates living in Kuwait. So the success of your campaign depends on a variety of things like your intended segment, the age group, the type of product and the type of campaign you want to run. But measuring your returns is extremely important to ascertain whether your time, money and efforts are paying off. If you’re not seeing any results through a marketing channel after repeated attempts, it is better to abandon it and prevent further loss of time and effort. Instead 44
focus on another channel that may help you reach out to your customers better. Another common reason behind marketing failure is having your marketing channels work separately from each other. Your campaign will work only if your channels, as well as tools, are coordinated and integrated into a coherent strategy. Integration will boost the reach of your campaign, too. So engage everyone on your team (and even people outside of it) to create an integrated and well-coordinated and timed marketing push. Instead of multi-channel marketing, opt for omni-channel marketing where all marketing channels and touch-points work in an integrated fashion as one (More on that in my next article). It doesn't matter how much time you spend on crafting your marketing campaign: You have no guarantee at all that your efforts will pay off. Sometimes marketing just doesn't work the way you want it to. If the last campaign failed your expectations, looking at it in search of things that actually did work is a must: If you build a new campaign entirely from scratch, you're guaranteed to lose a lot of time and risk making the
same mistakes again. You also have to learn what didn't work for you, so you can shift your focus and come up with strategies that actually might. Marketing isn’t foolproof. Even the best strategies can fail but what’s important is that if and when they do, look at your data, get your team back to the drawing board and get back on track with a revamped presence.
Barry Rodrigues is Head of Marketing & Product Development at Future Communications and an associate advisor with the International Advisors Group in Kuwait. He has worked for industry leaders like Agility and National Aviation Services in various marketing capacities in addition to delivering marketing projects for the banking, hospitality and petrochemical verticals. For comments, please email Barry at barry@nexgenconsulting.co.uk.
intersport
AFTER 12 CENTURIES, MOROCCO DUSTS OFF THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIBRARY By Eman Hussein
In a world where eBooks and web search replace concrete libraries, the world’s oldest library still holds a critical value. Realizing the historical weight harbored by the walls of Al-Qarawiyyin Library, the Moroccan Ministry of Culture approached Aziza Chaouni, a Canadian-Moroccan architect, to renovate and renew the building. Located in Morocco, the oldest library in the world which was established by a woman in 859 and now restored by another one, now reopens its doors after 12 centuries with a wing for the general public. Al-Qarawiyyin Library was established in Fes, Morocco by Fatima Al-Fihri, a rich Tunisian immigrant who was dedicated to know more about the world. Fatima initially supervised the construction of Al- Qarawiyyin mosque which also worked as an 46
educational institution for many years. Later AlQarawiyyin complex expanded to include a university and a library. Today, the University was moved to another part of Fes, but the mosque and library remain at the ancient complex. The library is home to over 4,000 treasured Islamic manuscripts! The collection includes the original Muqadimma (introduction) by the famous 14th century historian Ibn Khaldun, the original manuscript of the legal system of Islam, and most importantly, the original 9th century Quran. With its deep-rooted history and its unique collection, AlQarawiyyin Library was recognized by UNESCO as the oldest operating educational institution in the world. Built 12 centuries ago, the world’s oldest library suffered from climate changes, humidity and infrastructural deficiencies. By 2012, the history carried by the library was crumbling to dust, until Aziza Chaouni came to the rescue. Chaouni didn’t only restore the old building but
also equipped it for the needs of the current users. She told TED that “[she] didn’t want the building to become an embalmed cadaver!” Instead, she found a balance between preserving the old and serving the new. Chaouni turned the library, which was only accessed by the privileged scholars who had formal permissions, into a place for the public to wander in. Since Al- Qarawiyyin Library was reopened in May, 2016, visitors from all around the world wandered between the book stacks, sat in the reading rooms, and talked about the unique manuscripts while sipping the coffee they got from the newly added small cafe.
With another historical fingerprint, Morocco must now stand at the top of your travel bucket list.
mais
ASHEKMAN IN KUWAIT ON CALLIGRAFFITI, GRENDIZER AND THE EVOLUTION OF MIDDLE EASTERN URBAN CULTURE By bazaar staff
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If you’ve ever roamed the streets of Beirut, you’ve probably passed by one of ASHEKMAN’s iconic murals in Beirut, admiring the spectacular calligraffiti commemorating iconic Lebanese talents such as Sabah, or contemplating the magnitude of how simplistic Arabic-dubbed cartoon characters from your childhood like Captain Majid and Grendizer could mean so much more to you as an adult. That’s the beauty behind ASHEKMAN’s work, as the Beirut-based movement is taking back the streets of Lebanon, along with different walls around the world, in an artistic battle to preserve Arabic culture through calligraffiti. Last month, the people of Kuwait were given the opportunity to witness this movement first hand when ASHEKMAN worked tirelessly for days to put up a stunning piece in the heart of Kuwait City in collaboration with Redbull Kuwait’s Second Urban Culture Week and Jedariyat.
[Continued...]
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[...Continued] Established in 2001, the Beirutbased movement that is Ashekman was conceived by identical twin brothers Mohamed and Omar Kabbani, and has been stirring the minds of spectators ever since. An Arabic street art concept that includes Arabic graffiti, calligraphy, Arabic rap music and Arabic street wear, the Kabbani twins are on a mission to revive the region’s rich cultural identity and history through art, employing their ability to deliver an urban visual twist on our classical Arabic language and calligraphy to make it more appealing in the minds of people worldwide. The twins knew that they had a future in art at an early age, and credit their artsy genes to their mother, who is a painter. When we asked the twins about which of their initiatives came first, they passionately deem that “[it] all came at the same time. We wanted to spread our message through audio and visual mediums, and all the elements eventually complimented each other.” As self-made artists, Mohamed and Omar began their journey with ASHEKMAN from scratch fifteen years ago, and their passion for urban culture fuels their creativity. In constantly creating new materials through visuals or audio, we can see the evolution of their work, and the increasing sharpness in the clarity of their message. At a time where globalization has invaded our perceptions of mainstream media, ASHEKMAN’s work proves to be more important than ever. After attending a French school and graduating from an American university, the twins wanted to preserve their identity and represent Arabic culture in a positive way as a response to the increasing negative propaganda and that our region receives. A real phenomenon that they believe doesn’t represent the reality of what really goes on in our region. Growing up in the midst of the Lebanese civil war in the 80’s, when fighting militias used to control the streets and tag their slogans on walls, the ASHEKMAN twins realized that the streets could be controlled differently to incite positive change, and through their slogan ‘the street is ours’, we see them reinterpreting the tragic norms of days past in replacing rifles with spray cans, believing that art is stronger than any outlaw militias and today’s terrorism. In following ASHEKMAN’s journey, you quickly learn that there is no school that teaches street art, as the movement’s evolution is a product of hard work and experimenting to learn from trials and tribulations. Arriving among the first artists to adopt Arabic graffiti and calligraffiti, the twins noticed that ‘style biting’ is perhaps one of the greatest challenges that they face, humbled when people tag them online on work that isn’t theirs, but emulates all of the ASHEKMAN style elements. In seeing the street art scene grow in diversity, the twins believe that the regional urban culture is now developing its own identity, regardless of flattering re-interpretations of their style. Because ASHEKMAN emerged at a time when street art and graffiti were considered as a form of vandalism, the way in which their work is perceived is changing, as the region’s perception of street art is shifting. Today, we see renowned artists commissioned to 50
create fantastical work. On this, ASHEKMAN noted that “with the Arab Spring, graffiti was utilized as a tool for expression. Nowadays there are different perceptions regarding graffiti, but it’s becoming widely accepted as a form of art especially when big art galleries embraced and endorsed a lot of artists.” While street art might not be officially legitimized, its promotion through endorsements and collaborating with creative entities have helped spread the word. The ASHEKMAN twins believe that their work “mirrors society, and it’s actually a spontaneous reaction to events that surround us.” The ASHEKMAN flair is first triggered by a specific happening or event, where ideas come first, followed by the mediums and how a specific project could come to life. At the heart of their work lies collaboration, whether it is the brothers working together, or when they are working with other creative entities in Lebanon and the region. Their most recent work in Kuwait illustrates this most, as the twins have been planning this collaboration for quite some time. Speaking on their most recent collaboration,
creating the ‘People’s Champ’ in the form of Grendizer using Arabic calligraffiti wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Redbull Kuwait and the local street art initiative Jedariyat, along with the support of Kuwait’s local creative community who came together for this specific project including Jotun Paints, Montana Cans, ArtSpace Kuwait, local photographer Yousef Al Nasser and Frame Rate Production amongst many others. The twins further highlighted that, “the concept, art and execution was solely done by the ASHEKMAN twins, and the great people at Red Bull Kuwait and Jedariayat managed the logistics along with many other creatives to make this happen.” During their short visit to Kuwait during Red Bull Kuwait’s Second Culture week, they met artists and writers alike and got a taste for the local creative scene through the various activities organized at Kuwait Artspace café, and noted how the different styles and backgrounds that make up Kuwait’s scene make for a rich and diverse artistic offering. Also close friends with one of Kuwait’s pioneering graffiti artist Monstariam, who collaborated with the twins on a piece when
he visited Beirut two years ago, ASHEKMAN created a sequel with Monstariam after completing the Grendizer mural in Kuwait. In looking to the future, ambition drives the ASHEKMAN force, and the sky’s the limit for the Kabbani twins. From working on realizing their dream mural location in Beirut’s Burj el Murr, the Lebanese capital’s tallest tower abandoned since the 80s civil war, to plans for new calligraffiti murals in the Middle East and Europe, the twins are also releasing new music and a limited edition clothing line in an effort to further serve their mission— portraying Arabic culture in a positive way.
For more information about ASHEKMAN, visit ashekman.com and follow their updates on Instagram @Ashekman. bazaar would like to thank ASHEKMAN, Red Bull Kuwait and Jedariyat, along with all the local creatives who brought this feature to life. Photography by Karim Sakr, Loukman Nasreddine, and Yousef Al Nasser. 51
A YOUNG INVENTOR
Naser Al-Jemaz By Nejoud Al-Yagout
Naser Al-Jemaz has been a member of The Kuwait Science Club (KSC) since 2008. Granted, he is now sixteen years old, which means he was eight when he joined the club! In addition, he has been a researcher since the tender age of 12. His list of achievements since finding his calling as an environmentalist and inventor is both impressive and flabbergasting, since he is still in high school. Naser, you recently won a silver medal at one of the most important inventors competitions globally. This was at the 44th annual exhibition convention of inventors in Geneva this year. Can you tell us more about your invention? It is a technique to make plastic in a new way that is safer, healthier and protects the environment. My invention collects the excess amount of carbon dioxide - which causes an increase in diseases and weakens the environment - from factories and areas where it is prevalent and converts it successfully using an epoxide, which is a chemical that converts the carbon dioxide and then dries up, forming into a plastic called propylene carbonate. Most children at the age of eight want to watch movies, play computer games or hang out with their friends. You, however, chose to join a prestigious science club. What drove this desire at such a young age? 52
To be honest, there was a time when I was one of those children who would rather play games and watch movies. But what changed my viewpoint was my realization that entertaining oneself will only make you temporarily happy, but feeding your mind with knowledge lasts forever and can help you later on in life. Knowledge can become your daily entertainment. Also, my love of chemistry came about several days after joining the science club. This shows that not everyone knows if they like something until they try it. I want to tell all children and teenagers to try something new, until they find a hobby that will feed their minds and make them accomplish great things in life. You have been actively involved in research for the last four years. What is your field of expertise? In these last four years, I entered a lot of courses to increase my skill sets; and I have a little experience in Robotics, General Biology and Chemistry mostly Environmental Chemistry. I earned these experiences with the help of various scientific organizations in Kuwait, including Kuwait Science Club (KSC). One of your goals is to become the youngest inventor in Kuwait. In fact, you mentioned that you were actually on the verge of fulfilling this dream. What steps are you currently taking to bring this invention to life? Currently, my invention has been postponed until my
certificate comes from abroad. But, with the help of Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SAC), we can hopefully cooperate with a company that produces plastic to apply my invention here in Kuwait. This will fulfill a big part of my dream. Then, one step at a time, I hope we can make it global. Lastly, environmentalism is very important to you. Can you leave us with a few suggestions on how to reduce our carbon footprint? Lately, people are starting to realize the importance of our environment and are starting to take action toward protecting it. As for reducing our carbon footprint, first of all, do not throw waste anywhere else besides the bin, preferably a recycling bin if it is a recyclable material. Secondly, try not to use your vehicle all the time. Walking is much better for our environment. If you have to use a car, though, do not suddenly accelerate, so you do not have carbon monoxide coming out of your exhaust pipe. Thirdly, use both sides of paper instead of one side. Finally, switch off any electrical devices when you are not using them. You can follow Naser Aljemaz on his Instagram account: @naseraljemaz. You can follow Nejoud Al-Yagout on Instagram @nejoud.alyagout and facebook.com/thisisanimprint. Or you can find out more about her books and events on her website www.nejoudalyagout.com.
bridgewater
COAST TO COAST-THE U.S ROADTRIP By Ayman Nasser
There is a great affinity between man and the open road. One of our greatest driving dreams (my brother and I) was a road trip from New York to Los Angeles, stopping at most of the “must-see” destinations along the way. Here is a summary of the highlights from that epic trip that spanned 11 days, 10 states, 9 hotels, 8 major landmarks/attractions. 1. Hollywood misconceptions All our USA knowledge was based on what we’ve seen onscreen. We quickly learnt to forget everything we think we know. People in New York are friendly, the police are helpful and the attractions are much smaller than they appear on the big screen – Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Empire State Building and the Willis Building – not to mention the queues to get in! We visited the Grand Canyon, which was not a barren field of red rock but rather a green gorge. 2. Second place victory I always try to partake in an official run whilst abroad. I specifically search for races with finisher medals, having been stung in Vienna with a medalless race. I signed up for the 9/11 Heroes run, which fell on Arafat day (meaning I was fasting). I was dismayed to discover the medals were for placement (top 3) only. Whilst everyone had two moments of silence for 9/11, I uttered quick prayers to be in the top 3. Luckily, my prayers were answered and I finished 2nd! 3. Running dream denied My second running dream and first road trip stop was Philadelphia, to run up the Art Museum Steps made famous by the Rocky movies. However, a huge crowd with police in every corner awaited us. Turns out President Obama was giving a surprise rally, crushing my dreams in the process – I did pose by the Rocky statue though! 4. Intricate road system I finally understand why Americans are terrified of driving in Kuwait! The road system in the US treats lanes as law, as opposed to street decoration. Solid lines and dotted are different, they do more with less road space. You quickly get in the habit of driving on the right, overtaking from the left, driving the speed limit and paying attention to where you end up at a traffic light, lest you find yourself forced to go where you did not wish to go. Bringing me to my next point…. 5. The Arizona Almost Arrest Twice we had altercations with the law on this adventure. In South Dakota we found a ticket on our windshield. As it turned out, we were parked facing the wrong direction. The lovely hotel manager called up the station who sent an officer over, who after finding out we’re out54
of-towners, cancelled said ticket! The second offence in Arizona, I overtook a trailer and barely squeezed back in my lane, to my misfortune, the car heading towards me was the police. I stared in horror in my rear-view to find the lights turn on, and the cop pull a 180 to follow me. Fortunately, I was able to talk my way out of it, because the cop was understanding and I admitted my mistake immediately. 6. Hollywood X Two Mankind’s creativity seemed to have run low in naming areas by the time they got to the West. Names were recycled and reused, in several places. I became aware of this after booking a hotel in “Hollywood”, which turned out to be in Florida! We found this out when we were 4 hours away from California! 7. Broke beyond broke The problem with a cashless existence is, you get to a point where your credit card reaches its limit. There are no warnings, one minute you’re happily paying for food, the next you’re unable to buy clothes because payment was declined. You realize just how big the USA is when you’re frantically trying to find someone to physically come to your aid, however they’re all at least a
4 hour drive away. We lived the American reality of sleeping in a car between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, due in part to two booking mistakes – wrong location (above) and wrong dates. A call to my wife saw her book a hotel on our behalf, putting a roof over our head! 8. A friendly face A lot happens on your credit card you are not aware of. Rental car companies withhold amounts in case of damage to their car, hotels withhold amounts in case of incidentals. Fortunately, our return flight was from Chicago, and a dear uncle drove all the way from Michigan (4 hours, each way!) just to see us for an hour or so, that was my salvation as my credit card was declined again despite my request to pay cash. In the end, we ended up having one glorious adventure, with twists and turns. Everyone we met, strangers at first and friends seconds later, applauded our adventure and mentioned how we were living the dream they hoped to achieve someday. Don’t delay, live your dream today!
Photography by Dani Dubelaar.
bridgewater
THIS BEDSHEET STARTUP BRANCHED OUT TO LAUNCH A ONE-ROOM HOTEL By Elizabeth Segran
Today's shoppers have made it clear they prefer to buy products online, rather than schlepping to a store. Experts are even predicting that a third of all malls will be shuttered in the next few years. Yet many brands that first started online made the deliberate decision to open physical spaces. Everlane has launched "Shoe Parks," which the company describes as urban retreats where you can kick off your shoes and try on the brand's selection. Luggage brand Away opened a concept store with curated products, live performances, and speaker series related to traveling. And Warby Parker, a brand famously built for the internet, is quickly expanding its retail locations across the country. Bedsheet brand Parachute wanted to come up with its own twist on the brick-and-mortar concept. In May, when Parachute opened its first store, founder and CEO Ariel Kaye noticed how guests would bond by playing around with the bedding and towels together. "Young couples would come in together and spend an hour asking lots of questions and mixing and matching different prints in a way that they would not feel comfortable doing online," she says. Some guests would buy sheets on the spot, while others would do so later, online. The actual purchasing experience though, seemed almost secondary. Guests were much more interested in spending a fun afternoon together, learning about bedding, and relaxing in a cozy place. Kaye was excited that she had created a place where people really seemed to enjoy spending time, and wanted to find other ways to do this. When the loft above Parachute's offices in Venice, California became available, Kaye came up with the idea of turning it into a small boutique hotel. It was so small, in fact, that it would only have one room. "We're using the term 'hotel' very loosely," Kaye says. A number of lifestyle brands have recently announced that they are launching hotel chains. Before that, Restoration Hardware, Equinox, and Shinola all announced they were getting into the hotel business. (They are each partnering with hotel management companies who will actually run the hotels' daily operations.) Parachute's new concept is going to be quite different from these others, which have much more in common with traditional hospitality companies like Hilton or Marriott. At the 2,200-square-foot Parachute Hotel, guests will be able to reserve the space for overnight stays, at a cost of $600 a night, and receive tailored itineraries for their stay in Venice. Since the room will be outfitted with Parachute sheets and towels, it will give these 56
guests an opportunity to experience the product range and live in the brand's world. If all goes well, these guests could become powerful influencers and advocates for Parachute. But Kaye envisions the space as being much more than a hotel. She wants it to be a real home in the middle of the Venice neighborhood that will also serve as a community center. "We're trying to create a narrative about our relationship with this community that is about more than just transaction," she says. As such, the hotel will serve as a gathering place for dinners, workshops, and speaker series that will be open to the local community. Some of these events will be ticketed, which will provide another revenue stream for the brand. But all of these activities will be connected to what the brand stands for: home, comfort, high quality, and a particular design aesthetic. This might mean a flower arranging workshop or event. Or the space might transform into an art gallery featuring the work of a local artist. Kaye says such collaborations with artists and designers are very important. The hotel will
be outfitted with furniture and art from other independent designers that share Parachute's modern, gender-neutral aesthetic. "We're really excited to showcase brands that wouldn't otherwise be able to present their designs or furniture in L.A. because they don't have a store or a showroom," she says. For Kaye, the business value of this space is that it allows her team to get to know the customer in a more intimate way, which will help as they develop new products. It will also help them shape and express the brand's point of view, then allow other people to physically step into it. She believes the space will translate into revenue, both by holding paid events there and because visitors will want to buy a piece of a Parachute lifestyle. There will also be other intangible benefits that are harder to quantify. The Parachute Hotel is one way to move the brick-andmore store into the future, which is really not like a "store" at all. "We see it as a place to creatively express who we are as a brand," says Kaye. "We are a home brand, so creating a one-bedroom home allows people to experience Parachute's values."
Dar Hamad
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MAX & CO IL MIO CAPPOTTO
By bazaar staff
As the colder months make their way to us, we’re all on the hunt for that perfect coat. Known for their beautifully designed, carefully made and easy to wear styles, the contemporary Italian fashion brand, MAX&Co. is our goto destination! With their latest collection of gorgeously made outerwear, you get the best of Italian craftsmanship meshed with international flair. This season, MAX&Co. presents us with their latest Il Mio Cappotto capsule coat collection – and we’re in love. 58
MILAN In a nod to the Milanese woman’s ability to give even the everyday essentials a luxurious spin, the timeless sartorial coat – here in wool beaver fabric – is rendered ultra-lux when worn with rich burgundy and leather accents and printed blouses. Clean, classic lines give the wearer the perfect blank canvas for unleashing her glamorous side. PARIS A perfectly pitched balance between nonchalance and polish is the secret to the Parisienne’s distinctive blend of insouciant chic. Her tomboyish charm is captured in the Paris Il Mio Cappotto coat. Fitted at the top, with a half-belted waist, the coat flares at the bottom, creating an ultra-flattering silhouette. Cut from bonded wool, the design has a hound’s-tooth lining, which chimes with this season’s ’60s mood and brings visions of the era’s ingénues to mind. LONDON Bold, creative and charming but with a devilish sense of humor, the London girl is unapologetically original – something which always comes across in her sense of style. Drawing on the energy of swinging ’60s era London, the city’s Il Mio Cappotto coat comes in a preppy, thigh-length cut, complete with a neat little collar. Flipping the codes of traditional British design on their head, in brushed mohair the coat’s tartan finish is rendered punky rather than prim. TOKYO Perhaps it’s because of the purity of Japanese design – which combines time-honored tradition with the fast pace of the future – but the Tokyo woman is unafraid to take risks with what she wears. For this chapter of the Il Mio Cappotto story, MAX&Co. reimagines the kimono as a felted wool and cashmere coat with wide, 3⁄4 length sleeves and a high collar. With a cocooning silhouette and architectural lines, the coat is hand-cut with raw edges. MOSCOW The most romantic silhouette in the collection, this is the epitome of epic style inspired by the great heroines of Russian literature - with elongated military lines that are just what is needed to protect chic Muscovites from the cold on a shopping day off the Red Square. A tonal chevron design characterizes the fabric, made with a soft blend of wool and alpaca. HONG KONG Cosmopolitan Hong Kong is a true melting pot of influences and aesthetics, and a gateway between the east and the west. This is directly echoed into the city’s eclectic style and MAX&Co.’s take on it. Cut from double wool enriched with diagonal reinforcement, the iconic wrap silhouette is reinterpreted as sleek overcoat with a belted waist and 3⁄4 length sleeves. Designed to be worn casually open, or tied to create a more fitted silhouette, the coat is surprisingly versatile – much like the Hong Kong woman’s style. All the fabrics used are made in Italy by the most prestigious Italian fabric experts guaranteeing you MAX&Co.’s refined quality and finesse. It’s this sort of attention to detail that makes MAX&Co. stand out. Adding to the global mood of the collection, each coat comes with a clothing bag and tags designed by Melbourne-based Instagram calligraphy star, Jasmine Dowling. Now how can we resist that?!
Borrowing style and insight from the stylish women of the world, MAX&Co.’s Il Mio Cappotto coat is considered both classic and contemporary. Each coat brings to life the essence of a major fashion city with all its glory. From Milan to Hong Kong, the brilliant designers at MAX&Co. looked to some of the most stylish women across the globe to bring us a coat so quintessentially representative of their city.
Find the Il Mio Cappotto collection in the MAX&Co. store, 2nd Avenue, The Avenues, Kuwait. You can follow them on Facebook: MaxAndCoOfficial, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest @MaxAndCo or go on their website for the latest news www.maxandco.com. Follow Alyasra Fashion on Instagram @Alyasra. 59
AL MADA: HELPING TRAUMATIZED PALESTINEANS WITH EXPRESSIVE ARTS By Israa Elkhatib
Many people know that music heals the soul. We all have those moments where we just need a good song to make us feel better. Music is known to have therapeutic benefits, especially for older adults. Listening to and/or composing music can reduce stress and even treat pain. In 2009, Palestine opened its very first musical therapy organization, Al-Mada Association for ArtsBased Community Development, which is a nongovernmental organization that uses music and art to ‘advance self expression, inclusion, healing, social justice and advocacy’. After visiting Palestine in 2015, singer John McLaughlin realized that the association’s youth program labeled “For My Identity, I Sing” will fail due 60
to lack of funding. So he took it upon himself to start a funding program to gather enough money to help this program help the youth. So what better way to uplift their spirit than with music? Their “expressive arts therapy” is a more accessible alternative to psychological therapy. They use the creative arts, including but not limited to, music, drama, movement and drawing/painting. Who could benefit from such an organization? For a very long time Palestine has been suffering from occupation, and its people have been the indirect and direct psychological victims of it. This organization is established to "provide services to address the physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs of diverse individuals, including youth in refugee camps, ‘at risk’ youth, people with physical and mental disabilities and other vulnerable members of the community across Palestine."
Working with all types of members of the community helps the organization fulfill its vision of achieving a Palestine where music and art are at the heart of a culturally vibrant and healthy community life. One of their objectives is to strengthen the role of the arts in the Palestinian society, at a time when the arts are overlooked and underfunded. So far, they have reached 63% of the $50,000 goal but any support is welcome, you can still donate by visiting this website: https://www.generosity.com/educationfundraising/for-my-identity-i-sing.
Visit Al Mada’s page on Facebook for more information: Al-Mada Assosciation for Arts Based Community Development.
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SPOTIFY JUST MADE THE "SHUFFLE" BUTTON A THOUSAND TIMES SMARTER By John Paul Titlow
Matthew Ogle wants Spotify to stop feeling so much like a music app. That might sound counterintuitive, since Spotify is pretty much synonymous with streaming music these days, but his quest is simpler than it sounds: More and more, he wants the all-you-can-stream music service to feel like an old friend. When Ogle, a senior product lead at Spotify, oversaw the development of Discover Weekly last year, it was this synthesized feeling of yearslong camaraderie that inspired the feature and its mix tape-esque vibe. Since the unexpectedly explosive success of Discover Weekly, the company has shifted to new personalized music features. First, there was Release Radar, an auto-updated weekly playlist of brand-new music based on your listening habits. Today, Spotify listeners are getting something new: Daily Mix, a fresh stab at music personalization that Ogle and his team hope will keep listeners even more addicted. Daily Mix is an infinite, always-updating playlist (or set of playlists—each user can have up to six of them, depending on how broad their tastes are) that consists of two things: Primarily, it's a shuffling list of songs Spotify already knows you like (because you listen to them a lot), but with new, Discover Weekly-style recommendations woven throughout. Think of it like the "shuffle" button on artificially intelligent steroids. "For every user, we create a picture of their taste, which just looks at all the artists they play and the similarity distance between those artists and try to find some natural groupings," says Ogle. "The idea with Daily Mix is that it takes all the zones of your listening and tries to make a bottomless playlist out of each one." Using Spotify's taste analysis data science—one of the key technologies developed by the Echo Nest before Spotify bought them in 2014—Daily Mix first lumps your frequently played music into stylistically cohesive clusters. These are not quite genres, Ogle is quick to point out, since such human-concocted categorizations of music can be vague, overly broad, or imprecise. In fact, internal user studies showed that naming these lists after genres ("My Daily Hip-Hop Mix," for instance) altered people's expectations and complicated the experience. Instead, successive lists are named as simply as possible: Your Daily Mix 1, Your Daily Mix 2, and so forth. 62
Throughout the playlists, Spotify introduces less familiar (or often, completely new) songs using logic similar to its Discover Weekly algorithm. These songs are, according to the data, likely to scratch a similar itch as the one that their more familiar-sounding counterparts already do. For example, if you've been binging on Paul McCartney's early solo stuff, your Daily Mix might throw in a lesser-known Beach Boys song that has a similar feel. Or if you've been listening to Rihanna's latest album and recently went back to Janet Jackson's Control to relive the album's 30th anniversary, don't be surprised to see an unfamiliar track by Nicki Minaj or an early Whitney Houston song show up next, even if you haven't listened to her music in years. "Our hope is that Daily Mix can help you fill in the gaps and explore around the music you already love," says Ogle. Most Daily Mix playlists should be about 75% music you like and 25% new discoveries, although the ratio will vary depending on your listening habits and how deeply you've already dug into a cluster of related genres. We keep hearing things like "humancurated" and "machine listening," but what does it actually mean for you? For those who aren't familiar, Discover Weekly is a personalized playlist that analyzes your listening history and compares that to the
behavior of a subset of active playlist creators. Scanning millions of playlists, the system finds tracks that are commonly listed alongside music with which a user is already familiar, and then groups those tracks together into a new, personalized list of songs. It essentially takes the classic "people who like that, also like this" logic of collaborative filtering, tapping into Spotify's elaborate web of genres, artists, and musical tastes and crunching that data to create a digital mixtape for each user. The feature was an immediate hit: In less than a year, Discover Weekly reached 40 million listeners (more than all Apple Music and Tidal subscribers combined) and generated 5 billion streams on Spotify. With Daily Mix, Spotify is hoping to keep racking up impressive numbers like these, this time by blending discovery with familiarity. The effort comes at a pivotal time: Apple Music has quickly ballooned into Spotify's biggest competitor over the course of the year, thanks to a blend of exclusive releases from big-name artists (a game that Spotify refuses to play) and superior, human-driven music curation in the form of Beats 1 Radio and hand-curated playlists. The human-focused curation strategy has done well for Apple Music, which recently hit 17 million paying subscribers (compared to Spotify's 40 million), but Spotify's experiments in discovery appear to just be getting started.
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ALL OVER THE WORLD, PEOPLE CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS BY GAINING WEIGHT By Karen Kaplan
Halloween has just passed, which means Thanksgiving and Christmas will be coming up soon. If you’re already worried about putting on extra pounds over the holidays, a new study has some discouraging news: Your fears are justified. Americans who participated in the study saw their weight increase by 0.2 percent during the Thanksgiving holiday and 0.4 percent over Christmas, researchers report in Thursday’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. Though Americans are known to have trouble maintaining a healthy weight — 38 percent of us are obese and another 33 percent are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — this pattern of holiday weight gain is hardly unique to the United States. In Germany, study participants boosted their body weight by 0.6 percent around Christmas and another 0.2 percent around Easter. And in Japan, celebrants got 0.5 percent heavier over Christmas and 0.3 percent heavier during Golden Week, a period that encompasses four national holidays. “Different countries celebrate different holidays, but many such celebration periods have one thing in common: an increased intake of favorite foods,” study authors wrote. The researchers analyzed daily fluctuations in the weight of 2,924 people with Withings wireless scales, which automatically transmit weight measurements to a smartphone app. That prevented study participants from fudging their numbers on days when the scale delivered unwelcome news. The research team — Elina Helander of Tampere University of Technology in Finland, Brian Wansink of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and Angela Chieh of Withings, a consumer electronics company in Paris — examined data collected from the scales between August 2012 and July 2013. The weight readings were converted into daily weight changes, which were used to compute an average for each country. To measure the effects of big holidays, the team determined the highest weight of each participant during the 10 days after a holiday and compared it with his or her weight 10 days before the holiday. That way, the researchers were able to include the extra pounds people put on while drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes (380 calories per 16-ounce serving) in the 64
days leading up to Thanksgiving and eating gingerbread while waiting for Santa. The effect of all this binging was visible on scales in all three countries. The Christmas-to-New-Year’s season was the biggest doozy in the Western nations, causing Germans to put on an average of 1.75 pounds and Americans to gain an average of 1.3 pounds, according to the study. In Japan, the most significant toll came during Golden Week, with study participants gaining an average of 1.1 pounds. Although the absolute amount of weight gain was lower than in the other countries, it represented the same percentage increase as was seen in the U.S. About half of this extra weight was lost relatively soon after it was put on, but the other half persisted “until the summer or beyond,” the researchers wrote. In all three countries, the average weight of the study participants was lower at the end of the study than it was at the start. That’s probably a sign that this group of
people was “more motivated toward weight loss than average,” the researchers noted. And that explains why they invested in Withings scales, which start at about $130 (KD 40). A truly representative sample of Americans, Germans and Japanese might gain even more weight over the holidays, Wansink said. Previous studies have found that people tend to gain 3 to 4 pounds over the holidays and take longer to burn it off, but those results were based on self-reported data that aren’t as reliable as the measurements from the wireless scales. Wansink said he was surprised the Americans didn’t pack on holiday pounds more often. The Fourth of July and Labor Day were two prime candidates, since celebrations often revolve around barbecues. The study findings demonstrate that if you wait until January to overhaul your eating habits, you’re already way behind. “Make an October resolution instead of a New Year’s resolution,” Wansink said.
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FARI SPEAKS
Strumming the day away with musician Amin Abdal By bazaar staff
We’ve all seen him around – playing joyful tunes on his guitar and crooning soulful lyrics at local events. His style is crowd-friendly, accompanying original work with whimsical covers he re-writes to make more relatable. Bursting with a sound that exudes reggae influence melded with the pop-blues genre a la the early years of The Beatles, it isn’t hard to feel good by Amin’s musical makes – as he came to show us when he paraded into our offices with fedora on head and guitar at back. But Amin “Mr. Fari” Abal is so much more than an entertainer. When this Kuwaiti Puerto Rican singer/songwriter isn’t self-producing his work and creating original pieces, he’s involved in many projects to better his craft, as well as the craft of others and the general reputation of music in the region. Growing up surrounded by artists, whether his father, mother, or two sisters, it’s almost as though art were built into his DNA. Of the many projects Amin is involved with, his father’s jewelry line, Jewelry by Fareed Abdal, is one where he gets the chance to explore creativity beyond the realms of music. Through overseeing the implementation of his designs, from renderings to finished pieces with local jewelers around Kuwait, Amin is able to tap into his business background to find ways to better bridge the gap between art and running a business. “The nice thing about [working with jewelry] is that it pushes me to always evaluate art or evaluate the way things are done.” While a life in the arts seemed inevitable, from a very young age it was evident that Amin’s interest leaned more towards the art of music performance than that of the visual arts. After completing a degree in Business Administration from Puerto Rico, Amin packed his bags and head for the land of all things art to pursue his passion for music at the Musicians Institute of Los Angeles. “I learned a lot in LA. I worked with one of Ricky Martin’s top songwriters, as well as the producers of Kings of Leon and Norah Jones.” Behind the happy, sunny, all things glitz of LA, however, is a much darker, harsher reality – the inner cogs, if you will – that, much like the backstage area of a show, takes stamina to endure. While his days in LA taught him a lot about not only the music industry, but himself 66
as an artist, none of those experiences could prepare him for the stark difference that is, living life as a musician in Kuwait. “Before moving back to Kuwait, I never wanted to do covers,” he chuckled as he settled deeper into the plush couch at our headquarters. “I guess it’s because I grew up in a household that was constantly creating original art, so I thought ‘why should I copy anybody’s music?’ but people love covers and so I found a way to make them my own.” One of Amin’s notable covers, as you may have heard him play more recently, is his own rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, (you can also download it off of his bandcamp account - details at the bottom of this article). With lines like, “Imagine there’s no wasta, no mandoob or m’wathafeen, nothing to pay or bribe for, no shady in between,” he brings it home and creates a kinship with his audience by addressing current events in Kuwait and the region. With lyrics like,
“imagine no passports,” he tackles a topic close to many people’s hearts, whether the Palestinian situation, or the ongoing nonstatus of Bedoon in Kuwait, it strikes a chord with the listeners. “Originally, Lennon’s song was written to address issues people were feeling at that time – which made the song more relatable. I feel that expressing issues and current events through song makes it more lighthearted yet thought-provoking,” he explains, “and of course, memorable. If you’re listening to someone playing a cover while you’re having brunch, you don’t want to say ‘oh, I heard a song by (insert mainstream artist here) today,’ you’re going to be more interested to talk about the take on said mainstream song that a local artist ‘remixed’ and made their own.” Nonetheless, with great songwriting, performance and even “remixing”, comes a lot of challenges that even Amin’s creative brilliance can’t avoid. “It’s challenging to
go into unchartered waters – working on music that is so specific, especially when you don’t have mentorship. If you’re going to perform something multilingual or step into another culture, it could totally backfire. You just have to guess and then hope and pray that you’re guessing correctly.” Knowing your audience is another way to overcome challenges in performing, because as we are all aware, there’s a fine line between being a performer who engages his audience and being that guy at the party who won’t put down their guitar and forces a jam session in the room. “You have to think like a DJ: what would the audience want? What kind of vibe does the situation have? Plan in advance, but know that it might not always execute the way you’d hoped: Go with what the moment brings you.” And don’t forget the personality! According to Amin, what you bring to the table as a performer is the most important thing “Wittiness and sharpness is something a lot of artists need to understand.” This is something that, as an artist, Amin, definitely understands. His musical demeanor has rendered him reputable in Kuwait’s oftentimes tumultuous hub of talent. You can’t swing a bat without hearing songs of praise about the musician’s talent and overall vibes. So much so, that the singer/ songwriter is giving back to the community through his new venture, Talent Shop - a “Talent Brokerage” firm, if you will - helping local talents in finding gigs, booking them for events, and visa versa, ensuring that their payment is fair, and that their talent is recognized. Musicians are still very much misunderstood as artists in our region, with most people dubbing them hobbyists rather than professionals. A lot goes into the process of creating an album; there’s a whole world back there “behind the scenes” and seeing that there was a need for people to understand that process to better appreciate their work, Amin started working on putting together a ‘Zine documenting the making of his third electronic production album (EP) Plastic Desert Roots. “The ‘Zine shows what it takes to make an album. It shows the complexity in the process – the messiness and the memories of it all. It’s like a scrapbook of sorts, highlighting the experience and the journey. I want to show that music is a lifestyle and that ‘behind the scenes’ is an everyday occurrence. Musicians here all hang out with each other and support each other and I think that’s very important to share.” It’s a hard-knock life, being a musician in Kuwait, and in the region – especially when you’re part of the New Wave generation coming in and revolutionizing the industry, but to Amin, the ride is well worth it, and the passionate need to keep peacefully proving
their point – he hopes that with his projects and contributions to the local industry, said points will be heard. Music is so much more than a listening experience, something Amin feels is often overlooked. Through working on projects with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), he hopes to shed light on how music has the ability to not only bridge the gap between cultures that often seem so far removed from one another, but to highlight that much of what held cultures, entire societies and even ethnicities together was the way in which they expressed their stories, wrote their histories through music. Before treating us to a private mini-gig, Amin leaves us with pearl of wisdom: “For me, being in Kuwait sharing music started to become more of an important thing because it’s something that is seen so negatively in our
past (culture) it’s important for me to start saying you can be a smart person, a business oriented person and sing at the same time. There are these stereotypes that you’re crazy because you sing or you’re a low class person because you sing. I don’t believe I’m any of those two. I don’t believe I’m shoved into music – it’s not my only way out. I choose to do this and be in a community that shares this passion. It’s needed more here than other places. Music needs to be heard more.” Well said and well sung, Amin. We hear you. Check out Amin’s music at www.mrfari.bandcamp. com. Are you an artist interested in contacting him about a booking? Follow him on Instagram @ xxmrfarixx and email him at Aminfarilive@gmail.com. Also, look out for Amin’s music column on Mark’s 248am to get the latest scoop on local music! Photography by Yousef Al Nasser. 67
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO BE MORE PATIENT By Art Markman
Are you a patient person? Are you sure? Most of think we're pretty good at waiting for the things we want. But in reality, you're probably more impatient than you'd like to admit. It's hard not to get what you want right now—that's just how humans are built. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to improve your patience. The bad news is that before you can implement them, you first need to understand where your impatience comes from. Here's how. HOW YOUR BRAIN'S TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE WIRED Your brain has two distinct systems that work in tandem to help you achieve your goals. On occasion, [your brain] engages goals you no longer want to pursue—or least don’t want to pursue at that moment. You can think of one as the "go system," which involves structures deep in the brain. It engages your goals, gives them energy, and directs you to focus on information related to achieving them. This system is extraordinarily efficient. On occasion, though, it engages goals you no longer want to pursue—or least don’t want to pursue at that moment. When this happens, the second system in your brain kicks in. It involves your brain's frontal lobes inhibits actions the "go system" is suggesting. You can think of this one as the "stop system," and it's generally much less effective by comparison. It's impaired by stress, drugs and alcohol, and even overuse. So when you're impatient to get something done, it means that your "go system" has you strongly fired up to do it right now, and your "stop system" is having a hard time holding you back. The problem is that even if you successfully keep that urge at bay, you're still going to feel the discomfort of impatience—unless you find a way to disengage the go system from its dogged pursuit of the goal. Got it? Great! Now it's time to look at a few ways of doing that . . . thanks for your patience! 1. GET SOME DISTANCE The go system focuses on goals that can be achieved in the world as your brain perceives it to be. The more distant a goal is from you, the less that it motivates you. So if you can create distance between yourself and the goal, you can decrease the energy your brain's go system puts behind it. And luckily, there are lots of ways to create distance. Obviously, physical distance can help; the adage "out of sight, out of mind" really does work. Mental distance can help move yourself out of the direct path of temptation, too. It's no secret that humans enjoy savoring the experience of being tempted, and that can put a lot of pressure on our capacity for patience. You think about all 68
of the juicy details, which increases your desire, making you impatient. But you don't need to become an ascetic who tries to eliminate temptation altogether. Instead, think about those temptations more abstractly. If you're lusting after a new car that you can’t quite afford right now, don’t obsess over its wood trim and efficient engine. It's okay to keep thinking about it, but think about it only as a vehicle or mode of transportation. Your go system will soon start to latch on to something else. 2. DISTRACT YOURSELF In order to help you with goal achievement, your go system also tends to focus you on just one goal at a time. That's why you get impatient. Everything else gets less important when your go system engages a particular goal strongly. That means that if you can compel your brain to fixate on a different goal, the temptation you're fighting will get less strong. So find something else you also enjoy and immerse yourself in it. While you're pursuing that other goal, you won’t feel the strong pull of impatience as badly as you did before.
3. PHONE A FRIEND It can be hard to disengage the go system all by yourself. Your natural cycle of thoughts will often bring you back to the desirable aspects of whatever you're struggling to stay patient about. Your mind creates its own vicious cycle that strengthens the go system's grip on the goal, making it harder and harder for you to avoid acting on it. When this happens, you quite literally need help—from someone else. Humans are a social species. We're wired to give our attention to the people around us and to share their goals. When you find another person (a friend, family member, or colleague) who doesn't share your obsession, your interactions with them will lead your go system to pick up on what they want, which creates an opening for your brain's stop system to pump the brakes. While you're with that person, you won’t be the same impatient soul you were when you were alone. In this sense, anyway, training your brain to be more patient may have an unexpected side effect: it can bring people together.
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TALABAT REVAMPED!
Not just a pretty (inter) face By bazaar staff
Founded in Kuwait, we are no strangers to the home-grown online food ordering service Talabat.com. Here at bazaar, we consider Talabat’s success story as one of our favorite of all time, because the concept has truly shifted the way customers across the region interact with restaurants in an entirely revolutionary, hassle-free format. Today, Talabat operates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan ( known as iFood) boasting a wide network of more than 4,500 partner restaurants and arriving as the one of the region's largest selection of eateries available online. Upon learning that the original one-stop menu shop for fast, fresh online food ordering embarked on a website and app revamp, we explored all of the new changes by ordering our weekly team lunch online. Streamlined and revamped with keeping the customer’s experience in mind, changes to Talabat were firstly implemented in the back-end of the app. Since we used the most updated version of the Talabat app, we immediately noticed that browsing between various restaurants and cuisines is faster than before, making for an entirely seamless and smooth user experience. We also noticed the pleasant integration of a GPS locator. Wherever you are in Kuwait, the Talabat app can now easily locate your position to aid your journey in choosing the restaurants that deliver to your location based on the cuisine of your choice. Simply tap the location icon next to the location filter, and Talabat will sort you out! From a user-interface perspective, the app now exudes a more modern look, where your preferred default location of choice first appears upon logging in, and you can immediately satisfy your hunger cravings by selecting the cuisine of your choice and start drooling at all of the awesome menus available to scroll through. Don’t have a Talabat account yet? Registering yourself with Talabat is also easier and faster. There’s also the addition of an enhanced filter functionality, and a search bar where you can simply type in the name of the restaurant or keywords that you have in mind. Whether you like to order your food based on the highest customer ratings, or you’re too hungry that you’re seeking the fastest delivery option, Talabat now offers new sorting options to refine your search. These include Talabat’s recommended selection of restaurants, ratings, alphabetical listings, minimum order amount, and fastest delivery times. Want to streamline your selection further? Filter your options by payment method, offers, new restaurants 70
for foodies on the hunt for something different, and even open restaurants. Getting lost in a stream of delivery options is now a thing of the past, as all of these new functions bring the user even closer to the dining experience that they mostly crave. Furthermore, customers never need to miss out on the latest offers from their favorite restaurants, as the appearance of an ‘offers’ icon next to any given restaurant not only provides users with an incentive to order, but it also makes ordering for a huge crowd totally budget-friendly! Even the way in which restaurants are listed on Talabat has been re-imagined keeping the customer’s convenience in mind. Today, the best performing restaurants appear higher up on the list, ensuring that customers are provided with an easy way to learn about the best-performing dining concepts available on Talabat. Rather than tap further to check out user reviews, now ratings and reviews are
available at first glance on the restaurant’s info page. Also, you can now access your shopping cart from any page you’re on, so that if you feel like you’ve ordered a tad too much, you can easily amend your order and get right back to where you were. Our overall experience of Talabat’s revamped website and app was, and continues to be, extremely positive. From the nifty GPS locator option, to even checking out using your Facebook account, we can’t stop playing with all of the new smarter functions on Talabat. Using data to explore the challenges faced by the everyday user, Talabat has delivered the region with a truly premier online food ordering service. Order your next meal online by visiting: www.talabat.com. The Talabat app is available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Follow @Talabat on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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ONE ON ONE WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER ARABIQUE By Fay Al-Homoud
Born and raised in Kuwait, Arabique, is a well known name around the city that continues to shine through the music scene in many events around the region. His unique style makes him easily recognizable for his singing and rapping abilities. Kingdome had the pleasure to get to know the person that goes by the name Arabique. When did you first start singing? I started making music back in 2008 while I was studying electrical engineering in the United States at the University of WisconsinMadison. What did your family do to encourage you? My family was always brutally honest whenever I asked for feedback. This honesty was crucial to my improvement and growth as an artist because it helped me analyze my own material from a different perspective. Who is your biggest inspiration? I’m an unapologetic Pan-Africanist so I would have to say Marcus Garvey. Who else in your family sings? I’m the only person in my family making music right now. 72
Who are your musical inspirations? Craig David, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino, Drake, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. What kind of music do you listen to today? I’m not open-minded at all when it comes to music. I exclusively listen to Hip-Hop and R’n’B/Soul. What embarrassing songs might I find on your MP3 player? My roommate from college introduced to country music. I hated it but for some odd reason one song grew on me. It's called “Boots on” by Randy Houser. Where would you most like to perform? I would love to perform in a packed stadium. Have you performed in other countries? Yes, I performed in the United States, Sweden (I opened for Akon) and Bahrain. Who would you most like to open for? I would like to open for Childish Gambino. If you weren’t singing, what would you be doing? I would be working at an animal shelter. Do you play any instruments? No, I don’t. If you could dabble in another genre of music, what would it be? I’ve experimented with dubstep beats and I
loved it. So, I’ll continue to search for good dubstep instrumental tracks. What genre of music can’t you stand to listen to? I can’t stand any Arabic music. What hidden talents do you have? I have the potential to be a skilled sketch artist, but I need to put more time into it. Do you enjoy writing music and/or lyrics? Honestly, I got to the point where my songs right themselves when I listen to instrumentals on repeat. I don’t consciously think about the writing process anymore. Are your lyrics based on your life or general topics? In my opinion art is skillfully created material that moves people through self-expression. Therefore, my lyrics overlap when it comes to my personal experiences and general topics. If you could eternally be stuck on one year’s music scene, which year would it be and why? It would have to be 2009 because I was very inspired to create music at that time. Follow Arabique for more music on Soundcloud @Arabique, videos and updates on YouTube and Instagram @ArabiqueMusic. Originally published on www.kingdom.co.
careem
ON LIVING CHARRIOL
A conversation with Philippe and Coralie Charriol By bazaar staff
With the most recent opening of Kuwait’s first flagship Charriol boutique in partnering up with Trafalgar, the Charrol family is taking the brand’s luxurious ethos to new heights. Daugher of the renowned Philippe Charriol, Coralie is currently Vice President and Creative Director for jewelry and leather goods at the Swiss luxury house created by her father in 1983. Long-loved by fans across the region, the new Charriol boutique promises more luxury and iconic designs for customers in Kuwait. We sit down with the father and daughter duo at the stunning Charriol boutique at The Avenues to learn more about the brand's evolution, its timeless legacy, and how a family business can be both challenging and fun! 74
Coralie, working for the family business is sometimes tricky. How do you creatively work with your father? Philippe: She’s been working with me for many years and her experience is fantastic, and I taught her everything that I could. I simply let Coralie create. The same applies to my son, who manages the visual aspect of our brand. Coralie: [laughs] After 16 years, I can say that I am the most experienced person there aside from my dad and one other person! On a more serious note, however, we are one of the last remaining family businesses in the luxury watch and jewelry industry, and there is a standard that people hold us to. Come Baselworld time, everyone is expecting something new, yet truly Charriol. We could disagree, but we share information much more generously as a family that works together. Our meals always revolve around our personal lives and the business. Through technology, we
are also constantly connected, with my brother based in Los Angeles, me in New York, and my father in Monaco. Can you recount your earliest memory of working with your father? Coralie: I was fifteen-years-old, and I modelled the handbags at a show in St. Tropez. I also remember my father’s fax machine as a child, and I always avoided his office because he would make me send out his faxes to help him with his correspondence. Coralie, you take on various roles at Charriol, from Vice President, Creative Director to Brand Ambassador—which of these do you consider is your favorite role? Coralie: I started with PR in 2000, and I also traveled to Asia, living in the region to learn more about the market. From there, I worked with our in house designers to deliver on all of the consumer trends and tastes that I picked up on, and then
I became involved with the range of handbags. My responsibilities grew with my experience, and I definitely love where I am now! Philippe: Coralie was also born in Hawaii, and we spent many years living between Hong Kong, Paris, London and New York, she is truly an international citizen who is suited for all of these different roles at Charriol. What makes this new Kuwait boutique a destination for all Charriol lovers? Coralie: The arrival of our iconic bags range that is inspired by our classic Charriol, timeless look. The range is current from colors, charms to the placement of our logo. The collection is on trend, with the distinct design of the Charriol hardware handle. All bags are made in Italy, to ensure the use of the best quality of leather and the highest standard of manufacturing. Philippe: The boutique arrives as a one-stop destination for the latest and greatest Charriol
creations, from bags, watches to perfumes. However, you can still find select ranges of jewelry and watches across different Trafalgar stores. Coralie, what inspires your creative direction for any given collection? I always keep Charriol’s DNA in mind—our strong corporate color, the iconic Celtic Cable design and our French heritage. That’s always a part of every collection as that is what people expect. Reinventing it every season is a fun challenge, and I am inspired by my travels, movies, TV, magazines and so much more. Perhaps two brilliant examples include our Celtic bracelets that were launched in 1986. These were reimagined using different stones and colors to give them a modern and updated look with the use of technology. The Forever collection is also truly special to me, as that is the first time that a bangle inspired the design of a time piece for Charriol. What are some of your personal and professional goals? Coralie: As a mother of three, handling my three
children at home and making sure everyone’s happy is on the personal front. Work wise, we are growing our online business for worldwide development, and an all-new gold line that is exclusive to our website. Philippe: We are also working on different liscensees, from perfume to eyewear, and I consider this as a natural progression for the brand to diversify its offerings. We are also looking to enter new markets such as Iran, India and Nigeria. On the personal front, I’d like to keep my passion for race driving alive despite my recent accident, and I am planning on doing so by racing in Portugal this November!
The Charriol boutique is located at 2nd Avenue, The Avenues. and is open from 10 a.m to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.charriol.com, call 2259 7477 and follow @Trafalgar and @CharriolME on Instagram. 75
MOVEMBER ‘Movember’ is when men grow moustaches to raise awareness for men’s mental health issues, in addition to prostate and testicular cancer.
ARE YOU A MO BRO?
Men who support the Movember movement are called Mo Bros. WANT TO BECOME A MO BRO? Start by signing up on Movember.com
Begin Movember clean and shaven
In 2003 Movember
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%
of men are less likely to go to the doctor compared to women
was born in Melbourne, Australia with two guys who simply wanted to see a revival of the moustache trend and raise money for prostate cancer.
1in 8
men who suffer from mental health illnesses actually seek help
Then grow and groom your moustache for the rest of the month of November
Raise money along the way!
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Mario
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bio oil “I was first introduced to Bio-Oil after I cut my leg while hiking. A friend recommended using Bio-Oil as soon as the wound had healed and I am so grateful for her advice! Thanks to Bio-Oil, the scar is now just a faint line which I rarely think about. Then, 3 or 4 weeks back, I decided to try it on my face – I’ve been an outdoors person all my life and have more than my share of dry, tired-looking skin. Well, my skin feels much smoother and looks positively radiant! Needless to say, Bio-Oil now has a permanent place in my medicine cabinet!” Fiona Stewart
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WHY SELF-DRIVING UBER CARS LOOK SO GEEKY By Russ Mitchell
Qawiyah Muhammad can see her own future. Literally. An Uber driver in Pittsburgh, she knows that one day her job will be replaced by a robot car. She knows the robot cars are coming because she sometimes spots experimental models driving themselves around town. “You can tell them apart,” she said, “because they have a thing on the top of the car, like Back to the Future.” There’s a reason they stand out so much, and it’s not because Uber or anybody else thinks they look cool. On top of Uber’s new driverless cars is an array of bulky sensors — cameras, radars, lidars — that eventually will be shrunk into a more discreet system that will replace Muhammad and thousands of other Uber drivers. Inside the cars is a computer, which, when sufficiently advanced, will stand in for a human’s thinking, steering and pedal pushing. Although the cars look geeky now, the driverless cars of the next decade won’t look anything like the clumsy agglomeration on the rooftop of Uber’s early-iteration driverless Fords. “Over time, it will be harder and harder to differentiate an autonomous car from a conventional car,” said Aaron Steinfeld, an associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. 78
The fast-shrinking nature of tech stretches back to the transistor and the computer chip after World War II. Over the decades, more and more computer power has been crammed into less and less space, until it in effect suffuses the object itself. The hardware then can take whatever form works (or looks) best. The first computers filled large rooms; they even scared some people. Today, a Fitbit fitness tracker is more powerful than any of them. Computer processing power in large part allows tiny iPhone speakers to sound as good as they do. The examples are endless. Likewise, the rooftop sensors on autonomous cars will become smaller and cheaper; some won’t even be needed as “perception software” gets better at seeing and interpreting the world outside the car, Steinfeld said. The bulkiest single item on the roof is also the newest technology: 3-D lidar. Lidar is similar to radar but instead of electromagnetic radiation, it beams out laser light. Those beams are bounced off objects to measure distance with enough accuracy to create three-dimensional images of anything from a face to a fire hydrant. They’re mounted high up to see over pedestrians and other cars. More versatile than radars and less prone to error than optical cameras, which can be fooled by light, they’re also bigger and a lot more expensive.
By the time the cars are ready for prime time — five years from now at least, according to automakers — all this scientific equipment will be shrunk down and integrated into the look of the vehicle. Uber didn’t want to wait until then. In Pittsburgh earlier this month, the San Francisco company unveiled to media its tech-laden experimental driverless cars. The San Francisco company showed off a small fleet of driverless Ford Fusions and said it will soon add Volvos featuring a more streamlined look to the mix. Eventually Uber’s driverless fleet will expand to other cities and the cars won’t need a human chaperone anymore. For now, the main purpose of Uber’s cars is research: mapping Pittsburgh; identifying objects; figuring out how to program the car’s computer so it knows what’s in front of it, what’s coming in from the side and how fast; and how to react to it all. There might be an unintended bonus too: The very visible nature of the car’s tech capabilities perched on the rooftop will clearly indicate to passengers, drivers and pedestrians that Uber’s newest cars are robots. “People around those cars can see them coming,” Steinfeld said. “For people who are feeling a little nervous about being around such a vehicle, it makes it easier to avoid them.”
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bazaar eats in
ABUELA WOULD BE PROUD Eating in with Chili Pepper By bazaar staff
What better way to celebrate the end of the week than with a nice, hearty burrito? Or maybe you’re going through a phase where you find yourself constantly craving tacos. Perhaps you’re looking to bulk up on clean protein and fiber before or after the gym? We can tell you firsthand, since all of the above applies to our hungry team at bazaar that Chili Pepper by Slice is a great option to satisfy any of your needs. From the same geniuses who brought us Slice and Just C (no wonder this place is so good) this little Mexican eatery makes all dreams come true. Chili Pepper isn’t heavy – their bespoke service of being able to “make your own” meal means that you can pick and choose anything that goes into your tortilla or bowl, ensuring that you have full control over how you will feel afterward. If you’re opting for a taco, you have the option to choose between soft or crispy shells to sandwich your choice of protein or veggie base, and all the fun add-ons from salsas to veggies, to beans, rice and cheese. Glorious. The same make-your-own function applies to all the dishes offered on the menu, which is simple and delightfully Tex-Mex traditional: burritos, burrito bowls, tacos and quesadillas. All you have to do is choose what you 80
want, and pile it on – simple as that. My dining counterpart is a more responsible person than I am, and opted for a burrito bowl. She made it nice and carb free, by omitting rice and beans, piling up on veggies and some of that succulent barbacoa protein. Her other protein options were the same that apply to that of other items on the menu: chicken, steak, Chili con carne and shrimp. She was extremely pleased with her creation, saying it was a “pleasant experience.” Yours truly, the resident taco enthusiast, obviously ordered two tacos – under the assumption that I was to keep it “light.” The tacos I created were light and tasted extremely fresh: My barbacoa taco contained the slow cooked style of shredded beef, succulent and seasoned to perfection, topped with a tangy red salsa and mixed veggies. My shrimp taco, however, was the true showstopper here. You see, seafood tacos are a huge pleasure of mine. Ever since I read about fish tacos in a teen magazine when I was 11 and marveled at the possibility of them, I was hooked. For my shrimp taco, I chose their Pico de Gallo, which tasted homemade, lime, and a green salsa so spicy, you know that abuela is giving it a nod of approval after having made it in her kitchen. These flavors only enhanced the already-delicious-on-their-own, beautifully grilled pieces of shrimp and the cheeky layer of Mexican rice at the bottom of the tortilla. Though the tacos were light and I was doing so well
with controlling myself, everything went down the drain after being faced with the nachos. If you love tortilla chips like I do, then you’re going to adore the thoughtful way Chili Pepper delivers this loveable appetizer. But be warned, as you might eat yourself into a stupor. (They’re just so good! That crunch!) The chips come separately, in a bag, and all the condiments accompany them in separate compartments. With these condiments, Chili Pepper thinks of everything! Cheese, sour cream, green and red salsas, Pico de Gallo and of course, their wonderfully creamy guacamole. This is ideal for sharing, and can also be used as add-ons to make your meal a little more fun. Think your taco needs a little more salsa? No problem! Dip and enjoy! So if you’re a Mexican food enthusiast like me, Chili Pepper is a win. It will satisfy your cravings and you’ll be going back for more. They travel well, so there shouldn’t be any qualms about being able to enjoy them from your own home. If you’re not that into Mexican food, give Chili Pepper a try – you don’t have to fully love the cuisine, but you’ll definitely be more open to it when you taste the flavors of Mexico the Chili Pepper way.
Chili Pepper is located in Qibla on Ali Al Salem Street in Kuwait City and 360 Mall. Follow them on Instagram @chilipepper_kw or call 2243 6865 or 2208 3421 ext. 312 for more details.
just ask
bazaar goes dining
ONE PLACE, MANY FLAVORS
Taking the road less traveled at JW Marriott Kuwait City’s Crossroads By bazaar staff
Imagine a place where all your favorite cuisines meet and dance in harmony. Where every craving you have can be satisfied, and combined with anything else you could possibly want. Enter Crossroads, the prestigious JW Marriott’s newest addition to their list of esteemed dining destinations. Once you walk through the grand doors of the restaurant, you know you’re in for something special. Through the intricate Morroccan-inspired intricate mosaic design sweeping edges of ceiling, mixed with an oriental, yet European art-deco motif, the “International” theme croons soulfully with every step you take, and every corner you find yourself in. From food to ambiance, it’s global, and done with taste. Crossroads was crafted with even the pickiest of eaters in mind, giving diners options they never even thought they had. From buffet to a la carte, the restaurant boasts a range of options specializing in Italian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, Japanese and Chinese, with sections dedicated to each cuisine, along with continental essentials enjoyed by all. Upon entering the restaurant, to your left, you will notice the beautiful stone tagines on display, housing Middle Eastern comfort food favorites to be accompanied with rice. The next section shows an impressive, authentic tandoor, encased behind a clear glass barrier to shield diners from the impressive flames that appear when the tandoor is in full action, which is a show in and of itself, transforming you to the likes of the Mughal Empire. And obviously – tandoori isn’t tandoori unless it’s prepared with authenticity. Next, we embark on a tour of Italy, where special ordered pasta is made fresh before your eyes, in any style that your palate desires. What’s even more impressive is the authentic brick-wood pizza oven used to make some of the best, mouthwateringly crusty pizza you will ever have the pleasure of biting into. A buffet-style salad bar is abundant, placed invitingly on a crisply designed island that holds plates heaping generously with expertly mixed salads, crudité, and dressings and dips that are favored in the region. Have a hankering for sushi and beautifully smoked salmon with delicate lemon wedges, ginger, wasabi and tangy capers? Enjoy their bar containing in-house made fresh on the spot sushi, mussels and exquisitely prepared 82
squid, only to name a few of the delicacies they have on offer, encased behind a protective sliding glass window to maintain freshness. Though we were tempted beyond belief, we had to resist the urge to pile our plates high with displayed delicacies galore, as we were about to tuck into a culinary experience prepared on a whole other level by key team member of Crossroad’s talented culinary team, Chef Amlesh Domee. Chef Amlesh generally guides Crossroad’s team of chefs under the patronage of Executive Chef Joseph Dcosta when preparing the vast dishes
offered at the buffet and the a la carte menu We were seated at the upper level dining area, which by a few short steps divides a lower level area that greets flooding light with its floor-to-ceiling windows lining the tables. Sat on the plush, comfortable and intimate booth, we picked at the fresh salads, salmon and sushi procured from the buffet line. And then, our attention was drawn to Chef’s first great creation, a bleu cheese and parmesan salad on a bed of mixed greens with perfect wedges of tender avocado and halved cherry tomatoes sprinkled throughout.
Paired with a glazed dressing of tangy balsamic, presentation and taste were at a match for this beautiful appetizer, and its burst of flavor prepped our palates for more goodness to come. Next, we were presented with a platter of tempura-style jumbo prawns. What was most surprising about this dish was the usage of the angel-haired Kataifi pastry encasing the crustacean. Kataifi, which is most commonly used for regionally loved sweets such as Kunafa or Greek-style Baklava, provided a crunch that produced a sound so loud it could possibly be heard from the other side of the room. Paired with the plumpness of the prawn, this combination guarantees satisfaction and the fusion between Asian and Middle Eastern Mediterranean emulates the ethos of Crossroads’ international fare. We were then invited to try Chef’s excellence in preparing meat dishes, and were given three different types of protein to sample: a beautifully crisp, roasted duck accompanying market vegetables, a succulent, slow cooked beef short-rib with a demi glace and meat so tender, it falls off the bone with even the slightest prod of your fork, and of course – an exquisite sea bass, paired with a delicate pile of potato au gratin, made from potatoes sliced so finely with a thin crust of parmesan cheese atop, baked to perfection: this dish provided a burst of flavor in the form of airy lightness, providing minimal heft for an otherwise indulgent concoction. And of course, how could we pass up concluding such a gastronomically pleasing experience with an array of delicious desserts prepared by the resident pastry chef of the restaurant. We indulged in a rich slice of chocolate cake smeared with a thin layer of raspberry jam on top. Accompanied with a small jar of kumquat confit, the combination emulated a deconstructed take on the love of combining fruit with chocolate, and created a taste that is sure to satisfy all generations at the dining table. Before leaving Crossroads, we rushed to the hypnotizing chocolate fountain placed near the dessert section of the buffet. Like children, we gaily perched with mounds of fruit upon skewers as we dipped, munched, and fantasized about ending every great meal this way. Next time, breakfast – with of course, a sneaky poke at the chocolate fountain to end our experience on the sweetest note possible.
Crossroads is located on the ground floor of the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuwait City, Al Shuhada Street and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make a reservation today by calling 2245 5550, and follow @JWMarriottKuwait on Instagram. Photography by Yousef Al Nasser. 83
JUNKYARD
Keeping it simple! By bazaar staff
Nothing beats a delightful, freshly prepared meal and with Junkyard, you’re guaranteed just that! As Kuwait London Company’s (KLC) second concept, Junkyard’s menu is simple and appealing as they continue to serve quality street-food at its finest. We at bazaar are very familiar with Junkyard’s mouth-watering offerings, but instead of ordering in as usual, I decided to pay them a visit! Amid all the restaurants in Al-Hamra Tower and Luxury Center’s Café Court, Junkyard is located off to the side with seating near the window. With delectable food and natural light, this location is a solid win in our books. If you work in the offices at Al-Hamra or are simply heading there to catch a movie at the cinema, Junkyard is definitely a food destination. I approached the counter and grabbed a menu to pick out my lunch before I picked out a seat by the giant windows. Their menu, to my entertainment, looked and felt like a newspaper of 84
sorts. With blown up images of some of their best-sellers I was able to catch a glance of some of the dishes I was ordering from the menu. Just make sure to go with an appetite – you’ll want to order everything and this bazaarite may have over ordered in the best way possible. From the starter menu I went with their Skins – crispy, deliciously packed potato skins. Twice cooked (baked and deep-fried) the potato skins are stuffed with herbed potato flesh, a layer of mixed cheese and topped with parsley and served with a side of sour cream dip. From the drinks menu, I went with one of their Premium Shakes and I whole-heartedly recommend you do too. My shake-of-choice was the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – YUM! I sipped on my shake and enjoyed my skins – then the rest of my meal arrived. I decided on the usual side order of deliciously golden fries topped with various goodies -- their Street Fries. Freshly made fries with mixed cheeses, bacon and onion tanglers served with their signature sauce, Junkyard’s Street fries are absolutely delicious – not to mention they complimented my burger brilliantly. From their Street Burger options, I went for Junkyard’s signature: The Junky. Be warned, if you order the standard you will get a double-patty burger, which I
totally indulged in – but you can order most of their burgers in a single, double or slider option. Two freshly prepared, quality beef patties, yellow cheddar, shredded lettuce and grilled onions the burger is finished off with their signature “yard” sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet with a tangy finish, complimenting this burger’s experience wonderfully. Though I ate my weight in delicious savories and enjoyed the shake to the very last drop – I couldn’t help but order dessert. So I made my way to the counter – which I counted as a brisk jog that completely justifies my desire for dessert – and ordered KLC’s signature dessert, Chubby Balls. Creamy and crumbly as ever, the Chubby Balls hit the spot and satiated my sweet tooth in the best way possible. A perfect end to the perfect meal – Junkyard will forever remain one of our go-to places for quality street-food. Junkyard is located in The Village (2390 1022), AlHamra Tower and Luxury Center (2227 0292) and Ardhiya (2239 9133). For more, follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @JunkyardKw or visit their website www.junkyard.com.kw. Get your Junkyard fix at home by ordering from Talabat.com.
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TASTE BUDS GET READY
Announcing the 2017 Taste of Q8! By bazaar staff
It’s the most delicious time of the year, and it’s almost here! (Or, it’s at least on its way.) That’s right, it’s November, which means that The Taste of Q8 is right around the corner! Only five months to go till we’re filling our bellies with the delicious delicacies decorating the aisles of Marina Crescent, where the event is set to take place for the second year in a row. Last year’s Taste of Q8 was an unforgettable experience. Three days filled with food, fun, entertainment and more, made for a truly perfect weekend activity to indulge in, and we do mean indulge! We ate, laughed, watched great chefs teach us how to make some incredible, mouthwatering dishes, and of course – lounged in our bazaar sponsored Shisha lounge, partnered with the mystical Meduse shisha pipes, provided by Ibis Hotel’s Il Terrazzo café. It was a perfect fit for the vast Marina Crescent grounds, overlooking the harbor and Kuwait’s impressive urban skyline, and we’re beyond excited to relive the experience this year. The Third Annual Taste of Q8 is fast tracking, scheduled to take place from March 86
16 to 18 2017, at the same time and place as last year’s event. Though we are not at liberty to disclose the list of celebrity chefs who will be appearing in the 2017 Taste of Q8 festival, we will be keeping you on your toes as we announce the lineup in the coming months! Staying true to tradition, the festival will include 16 shows per day, housed in two different tents: The Celebrity Demo Tent, where you can watch celebrity chefs whip up their signature dishes, and the Interactive Cooking School tent, where lucky participants will learn tips and trick firsthand from local culinary experts. Last year, dozens of restaurants, caterers and food companies showcased their signature dishes, and interacted with Celebrity Chefs from Food Network, the BBC and KTV Kuwait. 2017’s Taste of Q8 promises even more Celebrity demos, as well as an increase in interactive cooking classes. That’s definitely something to be hungry for! And speaking of hunger, we’re extremely excited to discover the delicious restaurants who will be setting up shop for you to purchase munchies to enjoy throughout your delicious day’s excursion. 2016 brought us
amazing local concepts such as Al Nata, La Brasa, Pizzeria Amami and The Pie Shop, (to name a few) – we’re looking forward to seeing (and eating) what 2017 will have in store for us! Stay tuned for updates. For those of you who will have children accompanying your day of fun, you can rest assured that your tiny counterparts will be entertained. As always, The Taste of Q8 will be providing a Kid Zone with child-friendly activities for them to keep busy and refrain from whining about how bored they are while you’re busy shopping around food heaven. Live musical entertainment will also be available, creating a fun ambiance to heighten the experience of a perfect day out for the whole family. We hope you’re excited as we are, Kuwait! We can’t wait to see what The Taste of Q8 has planned this year, so we’ll be updating you throughout the next few months. Stay tuned! Don’t miss out on showcasing your company’s latest and greatest dishes. Contact the organizers today, because space is limited. For more information email info@Q8Productions. com and visit www.TheTasteofQ8.com. Check out their Instagram at @TheTasteofQ8.
bistro
geeks & gamers
GEEKS AND GAMERS: GEARS OF WAR 4 REVIEW By bazaar staff
Here we are in Q4, the end of the year and historically the busiest time for blockbuster games to be released. As I write, we already have Rise Of The Tomb Raider for PS4, Battlefield 1, The Last Guardian, Watchdogs 2, Return to Arkham, Call Of Duty and Titanfall 2 due to land in the next couple of weeks, oh and Mafia 3 is fresh on the shelves. This month, it’s time to finally head back into the locust horde with Gears of War 4. Part sequel, part reboot, GOW4 takes place 25 years after the 3rd installment in the series and puts you in control of JD Fenix, son of Marcus (the main character from Gears of War 1, 2 and 3) and his crew. The world is apparently free of the evil that plagued it 25 years ago, and the government has created walled off cities to protect citizens, protecting them from outside dangers and population decline. You begin the story by raiding an old COG settlement with the aim of finding resources that will be of use to your village. It isn’t long before you encounter trouble and the adventure begins. Beyond that, I will not reveal. I’m not a spoiler guy! That said, this review covers the story mode only. In a nutshell, the online modes are great fun, but 1) I don’t have enough space to go into them and 2) I’m more into my single player games than I am online. Anybody that’s played GOW before will be instantly at home with the controls here. Run and cover, active reloads and weapon types are all retained in GOW4 and it will take you no time to feel comfortable playing. For new players, it won’t feel any different to any new game before you get used to the control system. Controls are intuitive and not over complicated, and moving, shooting and reloading are all extremely fluid. There are some new control options in this installment, for example, running and leaping over cover right away rather than taking cover and then leaping over. For me, as a GOW fan, I never used these new tweaks while playing; I don’t feel the need, being used to the old controls, but having these options is nice. Speaking of new, you will encounter some freaky new enemy types and are also treated to some original and interesting weapons. While the classic Lancer, Gnasher, Frag Grenades, Boltok pistol and many more make a return, you can also find some cool new guns on your way like the Dropshot and the Buzzkill. Rather than describe them, I’ll let you discover those for yourself! There is also a weather mechanic in place now; basically a storm system during outside sections of the game which varies in severity, and can affect battles and movement. The storms look amazing, in fact the entire game does (as is typical from GOW during its 10 year 90
history). Everything runs at a smooth 60 FPS, and as I understand, up to 120 FPS on PC. During my play through on Xbox One, I didn’t find any bugs, nor did I suffer any crashes, and I have only heard similar great things from PC players. It’s rare these days to find a perfect PC port, but it seems GOW4 has accomplished that and even excelled in it. I love this game, and had a blast playing through it and I plan a replay some day on the hardest mode, ‘insane’, perhaps as co-op with a friend. One thing I especially loved was the variety of the levels and direction the game takes you. It really prevents things from becoming stale. One moment you could be fighting through a wave of enemies, the next you’re out in a storm riding a ‘mule’ (you’ll see), followed by a frantic attempt to build defense resources in order to protect your team from a locust breach. It plays out really well and keeps you hooked! Additionally, with this game, you get free
download codes for the 4 other games in the GOW series (1, 2, 3 and Judgement) as part of the Xbox One’s backward compatibility program which is really cool, and a huge extra added value. Oh and you get some awesome GOW stickers in the box. The simple things really please me! What didn’t I like with this game? Not much, to be honest. If anything, I might mention that although I played on hardcore (one of the hardest options), I didn’t find it that difficult. But maybe that’s just because I’m a GOW fan, and there’s always the afore mentioned insane mode. Also, the story is a little short, I’d have liked it to be longer. But that does seem to be the standard with games these days, and perhaps more so since I enjoyed it so much. After a Playstation heavy release schedule over the last couple of months, it’s the Xbox’s time to shine and you should absolutely get this game, no matter if you’re a newbie or a veteran to the series.
proper sliders
TABLE OTTO THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN BRASSERIE IN KUWAIT’S AL SHAHEED PARK By bazaar staff
Establishing his place in Kuwait’s culinary scene with the success of Street at Almakan, Chef Faisal Al Nashmi has done it again with Table Otto.
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Working alongside his creative partners at Almakan for almost two years to bring the concept to life, Faisal switches up the game completely at Table Otto, allowing his experimental side to truly flourish with exceptional dishes. With simplicity at the core of the concept, expect an incredible attention to detail, and a beautiful melting pot of Italian and French delicacies with American roots. Hence begins the story of a New York-inspired brasserie, envisioned and realized right here in Kuwait. Located in Al Shaheed Park, Table Otto offers diners in Kuwait an elevated dining experience that is inspired by the nature that surrounds it. To be exact, Table Otto is located in an area of the park that is currently experimental, with various plants making the park their new home. Table Otto’s menu emulates this adaptive ethos, and it comes alive with new techniques and practices. Expect to see Sous-Vide tenderloin and coffee-infused garlic butter amongst the select culinary creations on offer. Faisal speaks about his vision for Table Otto with such fervor, that I couldn’t help but listen, “This space really spoke to me and my partners. When
I first saw this part of the park, I was in awe, as it reminded me of NYC’s MOMA. More importantly, we now feel that the concept and its menu fit its surrounding habitat, and upon completing work on this location, we know that Table Otto is finally home.” The name, which translates to ‘table of eight’ from Italian, pays homage to the concept’s Italian roots. Each side of the Otto table carries with it a meaning: Restaurant, art (alluding to Almakan's artistic soul), garden (the space is located in the heart of nature), artisanal high quality coffee, culture (reviving the cultural aspect of food elements, soul, events etc.), laboratory (being located in an original plant lab, Faisal also considers this location as a food lab with natural experimentations), elevate (the widelydesigned stairs leading to the sky is thought as an elevation of thought, serenity, and hope) and bakery (showcasing a deep focus on providing artisanal technicalities of modern vs traditional baking). The design of Table Otto alone should elicit a visit. The first thing I noticed was the colors of the commanding mural done by Italian artist BASIK that line an entire wall at the restaurant. Then, a medley of gorgeous marble
slabs and mahogany form panels and table tops, with accents in black, white, copper tones and teal decorating the space. From porcelain planters, Kilim rugs, to bowls of fresh fruit that beckon you to come inside, my eyes were pleased, and my mind was instantly intrigued. The Otto experience began with an offering of freshly baked sourdough bread, alongside a plateful of perfect rounds of garlic, coffee-infused butter seasoned with fresh sea salt. While this was only the start of my meal, it was a refreshingly different one. I sampled this butter concoction, and let the flavors do all the talking. The butter tasted extra rich, perhaps due to the coffee, the garlic gave it a twist in the best of ways, and the salt simply made it all come together. Upon examining the menu, the bazaar team and I immediately noticed the Burrata + Bresaola Salad, Raclette Garlic Bread, NY Fried Quail and of course, the NY style Sourdough Pizza. Deciding on sharing these dishes, we sipped on cleverly thought-out drinks such as the Sour Lychee, with palm water, pineapple and togarashi while our food was being prepared. As soon as these dishes arrived, the presentation alone blew us away. [Continued...]
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[...Continued] Expertly deboned, we admire and commend the skill it took to prepare the deep fried quail. I was initially worried that frying the quail would dry it out, but the batter was beautiful and the meat itself, so tender. As for the combination of both burrata and bresaola in a salad, I totally assure you that it’s a match made in heaven, especially with the employment of sliced beets, green chili chimichurri, pistachio powder, za’atar, and a sneaky espresso vinaigrette (you know that Faisal loves his coffee). I think what I loved most about this dish is that every ingredient is there for a reason, whether it is to achieve a balance in flavors, or to provide the diner with an appetizing texture. When it came to Otto’s true test, the sourdough NY style pizza, the crust did not disappoint, and the quality of the simple yet flavorful pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, freshly prepared pomodoro tomato sauce and chili oil dominate and shine through. 94
I knew I couldn’t leave Table Otto without sampling a certain dish on the menu that jumped at me—the Sous-Vide Tenderloin. Employing more than one cooking method, I felt that Faisal really honors nature, and the fine ingredients used at Table Otto, with this specific dish. Firstly preparing the beef in a vacuum-sealed bag and placing it in a water bath or combi oven at a certain temperature, it is then seared off and cooked to perfection a la sousvide. Served alongside the creamiest cheesy Aligot potato, hazelnut and Parmesan, this dish will truly delight your senses. If it’s burgers that you’re after, then I highly recommend the garlic-cheese stuffed Chicken Kiev Burger, fried to golden perfection and finished with pickled Jalapeno, wholegrain honey mustard, dill and a crunchy slaw. The dessert offerings at Table Otto tickled our fancies, and while we didn’t order everything off of the menu, we allowed Faisal to regale us some
more with his inspiration behind the hazelnut MilleFeuille, and that the idea for Otto’s came to him after the original delicacy in Paris. Prepared with salted caramel, hazelnut-infused pastry cream and mixed berries to balance out the sweetness of the cream, every bite of the expertly prepared millefeuille pastry made our taste buds sing with joy. By the time our visit ended, the dinner service was due to promptly begin, and upon exiting, we noticed the impressive line of hungry diners quickly forming outside the restaurant. Stomachs and souls truly satiated, we left Table Otto with an honestly memorable dining experience that we can’t wait to repeat. Table Otto is located in Al Shaheed Park and current operating hours are from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Call 2246 4201 or visit www.almakan-kw.com for more information and follow @table.otto on Instagram. Photography by Yousef Al Nasser.
fanatsy world
THE HIGHLIGHT REEL
The reason we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. ~Steve Furtick By Dr Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg
If there’s any commonality to the process of therapy, it is the personal sense of insecurity that almost all my clients bring with them. Whatever the presenting problem is, it is nearly always made worse by profound feelings of worthlessness or insignificance. Sometimes, that pervading sense of being somehow fundamentally flawed is the issue. At our very core, we desire to be known and accepted by others as we are. The problem is, almost all of us believe that the hot mess of our inner landscape has no place on the stage of life with all those other perfect people. You know, the ones who have the perfect family, the right job, the best car, the hottest looks, the most glorious hair, or the greatest smile? Really, all those people who aren’t you. The discrepancy between our own sense of Self, and how we believe others live becomes a huge and paralyzing chasm that can’t be crossed. Over there, are the wonderful people who have no problems, everything always goes right for them, and no one ever makes mistakes, says stupid things or acts ridiculous …all things we know we do really well. Comparison is probably the national pastime in Kuwait. Possibly, it should be classified as a blood sport. The truth is, when we compare the reality of our internal sense of self to someone else’s external show, we die a little. What’s that 96
quote… ‘The death of a thousand cuts? It’s not very often that we come out on the happy end of the deal when we do this comparison thing. Mostly, we watch someone else’s show and think, “Why don’t I have hair like that?” “Life would be better if I had his looks,” or “I could be anything I wanted if I had that much money,” and we feel less than; insignificant and unable to interact with others from a place of equality. The sad thing about all these mental games is that we have judged ourselves to be less than. The truth is that we can’t really make accurate comparisons. We can only compare the observable in others with the internal in ourselves. We don’t have a magic wand or an allseeing eye that allows us to see into the internal landscape of someone else (this is a very good thing!) and so we must imagine what life is like for that person based on what we see or hear. Guess what? We’re watching the highlight reel. Those people we’re envying? They’ve got their game faces on. We can’t shut off the mental chaos in our heads, we feel like crap, and we know that when we go home, it’s likely to be a night full of family dysfunction. We imagine that friend, …that girl, …that guy over there goes home to a perfect little family, in a perfect little house, in a perfect little neighbourhood, and has a perfect little life. Ironically, others think exactly the same thing about us.
Because, get this, they can’t see our internal landscape either. They can only see the game face we wear, as we navigate the stage that is life, and people envy our hair, our eyes, our jobs, our family, our life believing it to be so so so much more than their own. Ask one of those enviable people if she has a perfect life. Be prepared for her to laugh …or cry. No one has a perfect life. Did you get that? NO.ONE. IS.PERFECT. That belief that ‘I’m flawed while the rest of the world is very nearly perfect’ is the source of so much mental and emotional pain. The cure is to admit what we’re doing and ruthlessly refuse to compare. Tell ourselves the truth – comparing their highlight reel with our blooper reel is ridiculous. And while we stand here telling ourselves this, someone else is looking at our highlight reel, feeling like a loser. We spend our time ruthlessly criticizing ourselves for failing to measure up, and the person we’re holding up as the ideal is ruthlessly doing exactly the same thing, with the same outcome. Self-criticism, feelings of unworthiness, and a crippling sense of insecurity. The very epitome of irony. Be kind to yourself. There are 7+ billion people on this earth, and there is only ONE of you. How do we compare a single, priceless, irreplaceable individual with anything? We don’t. No, we do not. Follow @DrSusannah on Twitter and Instagram.
debs roman
THE RAREST RECORD IN THE UNIVERSE IS COMING BACK IN PRINT By John Brownlee
The rarest records in the universe are made of gold-plated copper. They are the farthest human-made objects in the universe, at 11.7 billion and 9 billion miles from Earth respectively, along with the two Voyager spacecraft that carry them deeper into space every day. Filled with an audio sampling of Earth's distinctive sounds, as well as 115 images of life on our planet, these records—launched in 1977 and known as the Voyager Golden Records—were never meant for human ears. They were made to be heard by interstellar aliens, billions of years from now. But thanks to a new Kickstarter, you can finally own a copy for yourself. Produced by the new record label Ozma Records, this version isn't made of quite so rare a material. Instead of actual gold, this "Golden Record" is more of a shiny yellow. But otherwise, it contains all of the material of the original, and better yet, you don't need to catch up to Voyager 1 on your Jefferson Starship to own it. It's a steal compared to the $865 million (KD 260 million) the Voyager mission cost NASA. The contents of the original Voyager Golden 98
Record were selected for NASA with the help of turtlenecked astronomer Carl Sagan of Cosmos fame. He spent over a year leading a committee with the goal of "bottling" the Earthling experience, then casting it out into the cosmos on the back of NASA's then-new spacecrafts. The completed record is no mere mixtape. It contains spoken greetings in 55 different languages, an eclectic selections of ambient sounds from Earth (like the sound of crickets, or a mother kissing her child), compositions from Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Blind Willie Johnson, and Chuck Berry (but not the Beatles, whose then-label, EMI, turned down the honor of being included on the Golden Record). Other content included a selection of digital images of day-to-day Earth scenes, and, in the ultimate romantic gesture, an hour-long recording of the brainwaves of Carl Sagan's future wife, Ann Druyan. Given the eclectic array of content, clearing the legal rights to mass-produce the original record has long been a difficult challenge. Even in its heyday of the late '70s, it has never been released on vinyl before. If you wanted to listen to the Golden Record, you needed to either break out a copy of the 1992 CD-ROM, or listen to it courtesy of NASA's SoundCloud. But nostalgiafueled reissues of vintage materials are huge
right now, from the MTA Standards Manual to NASA's own design guide; the time was ripe for Ozma, a label from Boing Boing's David Pescovitz and Tim Daly of Amoeba Records, to bring the Golden Record back into print. They're doing it right, too. In honor of the Golden Record's 40th anniversary, the reissue is being produced by the original producer who gave the Golden Record its sound, Timothy Ferris, guaranteeing it sounds better than ever. It is also being designed by Lawrence Azerrad, who creates packaging for the likes of Wilco, Best Coast, and Sting. Gold-plated copper is out in favor of traditional vinyl, and it looks like the digital images—which were contained as files on the original record itself—will be printed out and published in a companion book. This book will also trace the history of the Voyager space program, how the record was put together, and an overview of the images that the two spacecraft have sent back to Earth on their multi-billion dollar space trek so far. Not bad, although expect this to be more expensive than your traditional vinyl: pre-orders for the Golden Record reprint start at $98, and they'll only ship if Ozma Records can crowdsource $200,000 in the next month. But hey, look at it this way: that's practically a steal compared to the $865 million the Voyager mission cost NASA!
the kitchen
BOCCINI
Revisiting the modern Italian eatery By bazaar staff
There’s nothing more delicious than a well prepared meal, and at Boccini you’re guaranteed to get exactly that. With our minds set on having a good hearty meal, we made our way to Boccini at The Avenues to indulge in their unique take on modern Italian cuisine. Their beautifully reimagined space, with stunning light fixtures and typography-adorned wall, makes for a stylishly cool space. Looking past the décor, you get wafts of freshly prepared pastas and the unmistakable aroma of a wood fire oven with baking pizzas – our ears and eyes were tantalized and we were more than were ready to eat. Flipping through their menu, we knew that we were going to be in good hands. Every creation is fantastically curated to exude an air of contemporary elegance and finesse, mixed with some Italian spices and beautifully finished with cheese. After we were seated by Boccini’s friendly staff, our food started to make its way to us. To start us off, we went with their wonderful Burrata Salad – fresh burrata, grilled asparagus, leafy greens and a thick slice of juicy tomato topped off with a basil pistachio vinaigrette and balsamic glaze. As for their appetizers, we went with two – the Fried Tortellini and the Boccini Nachos (the house special). The Fried Tortellini was gloriously stuffed with succulently spiced braised short rib and chili beef mix and topped with cheese sauce and finished with barbecue aioli and a drop of Sriracha. Every bite brought new flavor profiles that enhanced the experience further. As for the Boccini Nachos – if you’ve never had them, we suggest you drop everything and make your way to Boccini NOW! Unlike traditional nachos, the Boccini Nachos are created from towering triangles of fried, fluffy pasta dough amid layers of cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions and finished with Parmesan cheese sauce, pistachio pesto and an Italian spice mix. Having demolished our salad and starters, we couldn’t wait to see what else they had prepared for us! For our mains, we got two kinds of pasta, a risotto dish and a pizza – we knew we were in for a treat. Our first main was the Chicken Porcini Penne and it was delectable! The penne, topped with a porcini mushroom cream sauce, is mixed beautifully with basil chicken, porcini mushrooms and fried portobello mushrooms then finished with a generous helping of shaved parmesan. Wonderfully balanced, the flavors complimented one another brilliantly. The next 100
pasta dish came in the form of a Spicy Shrimp Fettuccini: The pasta, mixed in a spicy pepper cream sauce is adorned with perfectly cooked shrimp, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil then sprinkled with parmesan. This pasta dish had the perfect amount of heat and came packed with zest. But the real kicker here was the risotto – the Vioccini Risotto. The vibrant, violet risotto is topped with their very own house-smoked mozzarella, chicken, mushroom, asparagus and finished with a beautiful dill foam and parmesan. Molecular gastronomy, vivacious colors and knockout flavors combine to create this beautifully presented dish – and the taste, spectacular! Our final main came in the form of a not-so-Italian pizza, the Chicago Style Pizza. Served in a deeper-than-deep pan with more cheese than you can imagine, this pizza is not for the faint of heart. To start, the crust is fluffy and the edges rise to the top of the pan, then the layers are as such: tangy pizza sauce, magnificent cheese, more sauce and more cheese and – you get the picture. Baked to perfection, this pizza requires proper maneuvering to get the slice from pan to plate with minimal cheese loss. As our meal came to an end, we had to try one of their desserts – after all, we had already cheated on our diets, so what’s the harm in ending the meal on a sweet note. We flipped through the menu, contemplating which dessert to pick. While they have a sinfully delicious tiramisu, we opted to try something new: The Dulce De Leche Brownie Pan. Let’s just start by saying that we were jumping with joy when we were presented by it! Perfectly accompanying our coffee, this wonderful creation combines a dulce de leche coconut sponge with a chocolate brownie. It is then smothered in caramel and topped with coconut, hazelnuts and pecans is finished with superbly toasted marshmallows and lotus biscuits. Make sure to dig right in to get the full experience – although the flavors are extremely palatable as a whole or on their own. And with the last toasted marshmallow, our splendid meal came to an end, but we know that we’ll be coming back for more!
Boccini is located at SoKu – The Avenues. For more information, call 2220 0669, and follow them on Instagram @boccinikw. 101
WHY THIS DIET APP IS USING COMPUTER VISION TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT By Neal Ungerleider
One of America’s most popular diet apps is trying something new—computer vision—in its quest to help you keep off the pounds. Lose It, a freemium weight loss app with over 3 million active monthly members, is rolling out "Snap It," a new beta featurethat automatically identifies the foods that users eat. The idea is that, eventually, customers can photograph their meal instead of manually entering it. It’s the latest innovation in a cutthroat marketplace, and one that even outflanks much larger rivals like Google. COMPUTER VISION AND WEIGHT LOSS I tried out a beta version of the functionality. You choose a meal inside Lose It’s app, and take a picture. The app then analyzes a photo of the meal, and compares it against models from external databases as well as Lose It’s internal database. The app then provides what the company calls "food suggestions based on what it sees." For instance, a photograph of sushi brings up sushi listings, and the user tweaks the entr y to explain just what type of sushi it was. For Lose It, the idea is to let users enter meals into the app more quickly. Lose It’s image recognition feature, which CEO Charles Teague told me in an interview is designed to "semi-automate tracking," is a less sophisticated version of the holy grail of diet apps—a feature that estimates the calories in a meal when you point a phone at it. Teague repeatedly brought up the metaphor of Tesla Autopilot in our interview, and emphasized how data would be used to improve the product over time. Last year, Google began work on Im2Calories, an experimental app that estimates the calories in a user’s meal based on a photograph of it. Another tech-forward think tank, SRI International, is working on a similar project called Ceres, which uses images of meals to provide nutritional information and por tion estimates. By comparison, Lose It’s feature identifies only the food itself, rather than nutritional information. The challenge is that computer vision is a young field, and is hard to implement in commercial settings without the massive research budgets available to tech giants like Google and 102
Microsoft. That difficulty became clear when I star ted taking pictures of my food. Despite the fact that Lose It puts out a great product—with pretty much the best user interface of any calorie-tracking app— this is, well, an obstacle. AN OMELETTE IS NOT AN ALMOND In order to take the image recognition for a test drive, I tried a highly unscientific breakfast test for the app. I would photograph an easy target (a banana), a slightly more challenging target (coffee in a mug), and a difficult challenge (breakfast from the Whole Foods buffet counter), and see how the app would perform. Lose It identified the banana almost as soon as I snapped it. However, the coffee and the full breakfast presented challenges. Coffee in a mug was misidentified right away as a soup or a milkshake. An admittedly complicated plate with an egg-white omelette, vegetable hash, bacon, ham, and sautéed vegetables registered as either almonds, a salad, or a Caprese salad. This is one of the biggest problems with computer vision: It works great in controlled environments, using easily identifiable items. In the real world, things get messier. DIET APPS ARE BIG BUSINESS The weight loss app market is insanely
crowded… and ver y profitable. A 2015 study by research firm Marketdata estimates the size of the U.S. weight loss market at $64 billion (KD 20 billion) in 2014. Apps and software are a big par t of that mix. MyFitnessPal, an app that has much of the same functionality as Lose It, was acquired by Under Armour for $475 million (KD 143 million) last year. Weight Watchers, meanwhile, has been doing more than those iconic Oprah Winfrey "I love bread!" adver tisements; they’ve also pivoted their business strategy to emphasize their app and online community groups alongside inperson meetings. The challenge for Lose It is that customers have a short attention span. Their app already has a barcode scanning feature. Keeping users hooked (and more importantly, converted into paying subscribers) depends on making the app so easy to use that it becomes a part of daily life. The next step for Lose It and their competitors is refining this computer-vision product, and creating something that works equally well with your lunchtime grilled chicken salad or an elaborate multi-course restaurant meal. Your phone might not recognize your dinner now, but it will ver y, ver y soon.
humble
فريق إمياجن أللعاب الخفة
ألعاب الخفة التي يظن البعض أنها سحر ليست منترشة كثريا يف الكويت .قبل بضع أشهر تكون فريق من شباب كويتيني موهوبني وقدموا عروض الخفة والخدع البرصية ،وقد القت هذه العروض نجاحا منقطع النظري بني مختلف فئات املجتمع .ويضم الفريق كل من عبد اللطيف الصالح (املؤسس) ،عايد عبد الله ،خالد املحارب وغريهم ،وميتاز كل عضو من الفريق بتقديم نوع مختلف من الخدع وألعاب الخفة. يقدم الفريق عروض الخفة والخدع بطريقة فكاهية .وعلق عبد اللطيف قائال" :نحن الوحيدون يف الرشق األوسط الذين نقدم عروض خفة اليد والخدع بطريقة كوميدية .كذلك نستخدم التفاعل مع الجمهور ضمن العرض .عروضنا موجهة للكبار إال أن األطفال فوق العرش سنوات ممكن أيضا أن يستمتعوا بها ،حيث أن العروض تحتوي عىل الحيوانات وكذلك الخدع البرصية". عبد اللطيف أىت بفكرة إنشاء فريق إماجن ( )Imagineيف العام 2014ونفذ الفكرة يف العام ،2015وآخر فرد انضم إىل الفريق يف يناير .2016ويعترب عبد اللطيف الفريق كامال اآلن ،إال أنه ال ميانع من انضامم فرد جديد إىل الفريق .و يرى أن كل فرد من فريقه هو األفضل فيام يقدم ،لكن ال ميانع انضامم فرد جديد ان كان لديه مواهب خاصة ومهارات جديدة ومختلفة عن باقي أفراد الفريق. يعترب تقديم عروض الخفة والخدع مصدرا للرزق لبعض األعضاء
By Strawberry Girl
بينام أعضاء أخرون يأخذونها مبثابة عمل إضايف أو هواية إىل جانب دراستهم أو عملهم الرئييس يف مكان آخر .قبل أن يبدأ عبد اللطيف هذا النشاط كان موظفا ثم قدم استقالته من عمله حتى يتفرغ متاما لهوايته التي يعشقها .ويرشح قائال" :يف البداية كان األمر صعبا ،لكن األمور تحسنت األن ،وأنا ميكن أن أعيش من مردود هذا النشاط .ويف العام 2015كنت أيضا أقدم الستاند أب كوميدي والتي حصدت نجاحا كبريا". منذ تأسيسه قدم فريق إماجن عروضا يف أماكن مختلفة .باإلضافة إىل املرسح قدم الفريق عروضا يف كل من مجمع الراية ،فندق ومنتجع الهيلتون ،مجمع الحمرا ،ومجمع الديسكفري .كام قدموا عروضا يف قطر خالل املهرجان الوطني املقام هناك .الفريق يحرض اآلن إلقامة عروض يف كل من لندن ودبلن والواليات املتحدة األمريكية. أغلب الخدع التي تقدم خالل العرض هي خدع عاملية مشهورة لكن فريق أماجن يقدمها بطريقة كويتية .ويضيف عبد اللطيف: "نحن نستخدم بعض األدوات املستخدمه يف عروض الخفه العاملية مثل الصندوق الكبري لتقطيع األشخاص ،أدوات الطريان ،وغريها من الخدع املشهورة .لكن نحن نقدم هذه الخدع بأسلوب محيل مثل استخدام األغاين أو املوسيقى الكويتية ،أو ارتداء األزياء املحلية ،باإلضافة إىل استخدام أضواء خاصة".
وقال عبد اللطيف أنه ال ميانع من كشف رس بعض الخدع حيث أنه ليس ساحر بل يقدم خدع برصية وخفة يد" .فمثال يف خدعة اخفاء األشخاص ،نأثر عىل الجمهور باإلضاءة ،وعندما يختفي أحدنا يستبدله شخص آخر من وراء الكواليس ،لكن الجمهور ال يالحظ .الكثريون يعتقدون أن هناك أشباح أو جن يساعدوننا يف اإلختفاء ،لكن عليهم أن يفهموا أنها مجرد خدع". خالد املحارب هو عضو آخر من فريق إماجن و هو اليزال طالب يف الجامعة ويشارك مع الفريق يف العروض املسائية .هو يقدم الخدع املتعلقة بأوراق اللعب (الجنجفة) والتي تعلمها من مصادر مختلفة بينها عروض الخفة العاملية ،واإلنرتنت وكذلك الكتب .وألنه أحب هذه الهواية فسوف يستمر مع الفريق حتى بعد تخرجه من الجامعة. أما عايد عبدالله فهو يتوىل اإلخراج لكنه أيضا يشارك يف تقديم بعض العروض .إن عائلته وعائلة عبد اللطيف كانوا معرتضني يف البداية عىل مشاركتهم يف هذه العروض حيث كانوا يظنون أنها سحر وهذا يش غري مقبول يف مجتمعنا ،لكنهم بعد ذلك فهموا الوضع ،واآلن أصبحوا يحرضون جميع العروض. ميكن متابعة الفريق عىل وسائل التواصل اإلجتامعي :اإلنستغرام، تويرت ،وفيس بوك تحت نفس اإلسم .ImagineKUW :وأيضا عىل موقعهم اإلكرتوينwww.imaginekuw.com : 104
SBX
bazaar movie night
The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in November
TROLLS
DOCTOR STRANGE
OPERATION CHROMITE
KILL KANE
THE 9TH LIFE OF LOUIS DRAX
MORRIS FROM AMERICA
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Cast: Anna Kendrick/Zooey Deschanel/Justin Timberlake Synopsis: 20 years after the Trolls escaped from the Bergens, who eat Trolls as they believe it will make them happy, Poppy throws a party that attracts the attention of banished Bergen Chef, who captures Biggie, DJ Suki, Satin and Chenille, Cooper, Guy Diamond and Creek. Feeling responsible, Poppy enlists Branch to go along with her on a quest to save Troll Town's population from the Bergens. Their Prince, Gristle, plans to serve the trolls to his kingdom, oblivious to the infatuation of his scullery maid Bridget. The film stars the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and Zooey Deschanel.
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Crime, Thriller Cast: Vinnie Jones/Nicole Faraday/Sebastian Street Synopsis: Teacher Ray Brookes (Jones) lives in a small UK town with his family (wife, son, daughter). Ray is a simple teacher. Just a teacher, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing a killing. The gangsters who committed the crime find out where Ray lives and invade his home. After finishing off his family, Ray somehow survives the bullet wound to the chest and awakens from the coma three months later. Left for dead and with no one to turn to, he takes matters into his own hands and hits the streets in search of justice.
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Cast: Rachel McAdams/Benedict Cumberbatch/Amy Landecker Synopsis: In one moment, Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he looks for healing in a mysterious enclave. He quickly learns that the enclave is at the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long, Strange is forced to choose between his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Mystery, Thriller Cast: Jamie Dornan/Aiden Longworth/Sarah Gadon Synopsis: The 9th Life of Louis Drax begins on Louis Drax's 9th birthday, when he miraculously survives a near fatal fall. His doctor Allan Pascal finds himself tangled between his professional responsibility and his growing affections for the boy's mother, a fragile young beauty. When Louis' father comes under suspicion, Pascal realizes other mysterious forces may be at work. With echoes of The Sixth Sense and Gone Girl, The 9th Life of Louis Drax is a supernatural thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns.
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action, Drama, History Cast: Liam Neeson/Jung-jae Lee/Beom-su Lee Synopsis: Operation Chromite, also know by In-cheon sang-ryuk jak-jeon, is a 2016 South Korean war drama film directed by John H. Lee and based on the real-life events of the Battle of Inchon. American General Douglas MacArthur (Liam Neeson) sends eight members of the Korean Liaison Office, led by a South Korean Navy Lieutenant (Lee Jung-Jae) on a secret mission far behind North Korean lines to carry out Operation "X-ray". This covert operation must succeed so that MacArthur can launch the daring Incheon Landing Operation. This is a fictionalized version of the historical CIA/military intelligence operation "Trudy Jackson", part of Operation Chromite.
Release Date: November 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance Cast: Craig Robinson/Carla Juri/Lina Keller Synopsis: A coming-of-age adventure story of a 13-year-old American boy Morris who is currently living in Germany with his father Curtis, a soccer coach. Mo faces rejection from his peer group, finds himself impinged on boundaries of trust with his language tutor, infatuation and drug use, finds niche in his rapping skills, learns to accept unexpected and odd experiences without taxing himself. His father also struggles to fit in with German culture and tries to be a stand up man for his son while grieving for his recently passed away wife.
For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, visit: Cinescape: www.cinescape.com.kw or Facebook: Cinescape – Kuwait National Cinema Company. *Above programs are subject to change without prior notice. 106
junkyard
MARKETING CAREEM
A conversation with Careem’s marketing guru Matea Malikanovic By bazaar staff
That moment when you’re stranded for a ride in an area that isn’t usually covered by a taxi service is never a good one. You’re flapping your arms around looking for a cab, and if you’re lucky, your fare won’t be based on the driver’s whim. For Matea Malikanovic, hailing her first Careem two years ago in Doha when she was stuck without a ride in just a few minutes was a welcome surprise that soon after changed her career path. A truly global citizen, Matea moved to the Middle East five years ago, leaving her life in Sarajevo to make Doha her new home. After her first Careem experience in Doha that turned the Economics graduate from Georgetown University into a loyal Careem customer, Matea connected 108
with the company’s General Manager and joined the Careem team as Marketing Manager in the GCC. Today, she heads all things fun at the company that is bringing stress-free rides to everyone here in Kuwait, and Matea is constantly thinking of new and bold ways to live the startup’s ethos and be Careem to customers and captains alike. When she’s not working, Matea is learning Arabic or soaking up the sun. A typical day for the marketer at the Careem HQ in Dubai is usually very hectic but always exciting. Matea usually starts off her mornings by first catching up on emails and connecting with colleagues, she explains, “Our central marketing team a.k.a. 'Basecamp' works with us on the cities, or 'Mountain Peaks', on network-wide initiatives like our most recent stunt video with a man being ‘catapulted’ from a rooftop in Dubai.” Upon assuring us here at bazaar that no humans
were harmed during the filming of this fun stunt, Matea highlights the importance of utilizing digital marketing and working closely with a talented digital team to check on the performance of Careem’s advertisements and social media channels. Fun and games aside, Matea’s responsibilities also include strategizing with Careem’s team to assess the company’s strengths and pinpoint how they could always improve their services, “scouting for new opportunities and ways to impress our users is a daily goal for me.” In working with a company that focuses on the well-being of its employees to always deliver an impeccable service to its customers, Matea tells us that Careem Captains, the wonderful drivers you meet on a regular basis in Kuwait who come from all walks of life, are offered high monthly performance bonuses to supplement their income on a purely merit-based approach. Because Careem
prides itself on the value of the people they work with, captains are vetted carefully, given extensive training on customer satisfaction, and Matea, along with other Careem employees, actually ride with Captains on a regular basis to provide them with feedback and support. Matea explains, “The initial training session [given to Careem captains] is followed by a four-week onboarding process. Each week focuses on a different aspect of customer service and maintaining high operational efficiency, which, in turn, ensures that customers get a ride quickly and smoothly.” Social activities for Careem Captains are organized on a monthly basis as well. From a game of football or cricket to breakfast and lunch meets, hard working captains are always recognized and rewarded for their hard work. Perhaps an awesome example that illustrates this point best is Careem’s ‘ANACAREEM’ campaign that was launched during Eid Al Fitr in a way to say thank you to the valued Captains. Matea adds, “During this campaign, we doubled the value of trips taken during Eid and passed them on as a tip to our captains.” As a marketer, Matea truly believes in transparency, and this is reflected in the usage of the Careem app. Matea informs us that users can track their rides in-app, have access to their full trip history and receive a detailed fare breakdown by email. “Additionally, our website allows users to make bookings on behalf of others and get updates on their trip status. We see instances where parents make such bookings for their kids on school days. Quality management is our key metric and is something we are very vigilant about. Our fleet team gets live updates on all complaints or low ratings and ensures any problems are resolved; We strive to ensure that both our customers and captains have a great experience.” As for us users in Kuwait, Matea tells bazaar that a big part of Careem’s mission is to listen to customers, which is predominantly why Careem rolled out their cash payment feature and is planning on introducing K-NET as a payment feature for Kuwait customers to further enhance ease of payment. Matea also says that the company is working on expanding its availability across all areas in Kuwait, with more offers coming to users in our beloved K-town. At this point in our conversation, Matea begins raving about her Kuwait visits, especially focusing on Kuwait’s fantastic foodie scene, and we ended up quickly arranging for a Careem Captain to take us to the bustling Avenues for a meal. While choosing between sushi or pizza for lunch, Matea leaves us with this note, “At Careem, we are very excited about growth prospects in Kuwait and making it easier for everyone to get around. But for now, I say we settle on pizza.”
Yo u can reach Matea and the C reem tea m on teamkuwait@careem.com. For more information about Careem, visit www.careem.com. 109
bazaar apps
DESK DOCK
ALLO
DIGIT
RUN MO RUN!
GOOGLE DUO
INDX: THE MAKERS DIRECTORY
As mobile phones become more and more like mini pocket computers, we find ourselves pushing and demanding even more out of them. If you’ve ever wanted to use your phone as an extended monitor, look no more. DeskDock allows you to share your computer’s mouse with your Android devices via a USB cable. The app enables you to control your Android device as if it was an additional monitor for your computer. Simply move your computer’s mouse cursor over the screen boundaries to use it with your Android devices.
For once, an app that will actually try and give you money instead of taking it. Digit is a financing app that makes it easy to save money without thinking about it. Every few days, Digit checks your spending habits and saves a few dollars from your checking account if you can afford it. You likely won’t even notice it’s happening, but at the end of the month you’ll have a nice little stash built up. If the app reviews are anything to go by, people are loving this and finding it financially rewarding!
Duo is easily one of the coolest apps released in the last month. Developed by Google, this free video-calling app has one trick that makes it immediately exciting. When you make a call, Duo will begin video capture and display this on the receivers screen before they have even answered. It's a subtle addition to video calling that makes the process feel a little nicer. That said Duo doesn't offer much else in the way of innovation, it's a typical, easy Google app that just works and there's no good reason not to give it a try.
If you ever saw the movie Her and wished for a similar, artificial intelligence relationship, you could be one step closer this month. Allo is Google’s new (and controversial) messaging app. All you need to use Allo is a phone number and a phone. No login or sign-up required. The special feature of Allo is Google Assistant, which is like talking to someone who has all the information you can find on Google. It can answer a huge variety of questions and interactions, some obvious and many that you’d never imagine. Allo is free and works on Android and iOS.
This month is November, but among the men in your life, it may be better known as Movember. The Movember Foundation, which promotes growing a mustache to raise awareness for men’s health charities, created a free app, Run Mo Run to go along with its month-long facial-hair-growing effort. In the app, your mustachioed character runs and jumps through various mustachethemed worlds as you collect coins and turn regular bros into “mo bros” (yep). If the idea of a whole Tom Selleck-style-mustache world tickles your fancy, you should check out this game; inapp purchase proceeds go towards charities.
Indx: The Makers Directory aims to facilitate people's access to tools and industrial materials in Kuwait. Indx is mainly aimed at (but not limited to) designers and artists, factories and workshops, entrepreneurs, home businesses and hobbyists, and was created with the vision of adding value to the Kuwait economy by increasing youth job opportunities in the industrial sector by showing how products are made, as well as exposing existing youth industrial businesses to the society. Indx is sponsored by The Ministry Of State For Youth Affairs. You can download the app from www.indxapp.com, the Apple App Store, or the Google Play Store.
tomsguide.com androidauthority.com 110
Raising canes
bazaar books
TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT
WINTER STORMS
By Sabaa Tahir
by Elin Hilderbrand
Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir's An Ember In The Ashes told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom. Now, Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars' survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom. But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn's old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan. That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon for the Quinns. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can't quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail; and Ava still can't decide between the two partners that she's been juggling with limited success. However, if there's one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it's going to be Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other.
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SMALL GREAT THINGS By Jodi Picoult
Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family as the case becomes a media sensation.
MOONGLOW
By Michael Chabon
Moonglow unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as “my grandfather.” It is a tale of madness, of war and adventure, marriage and desire, of existential doubt and model rocketry, of the shining aspirations and demonic underpinnings of American technological accomplishments during the midcentury, and, above all, of the destructive impact— and the creative power—of keeping secrets and telling lies. It is a portrait of the difficult but passionate love between the narrator’s grandfather and his grandmother, an enigmatic woman broken by her experience growing up in wartorn France. From the slums of prewar South Philadelphia to the invasion of Germany, from a Florida retirement village to the penal utopia of New York’s Wallkill prison, from the heyday of the space program to the twilight of the “American Century,” the novel revisits an entire era through a single life and collapses a lifetime into a single week.
THE CHEMIST By Stephenie Meyer
In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. Choosing to keep the protagonist's name a secret, 'She' used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation way more dangerous.
Source: www.amazon.co.uk
alkout
bazaar techno
GOOGLE PIXEL SMARTPHONE
KLEVER X ELECTRIC BIKE
BLUE RASPBERRY MICROPHONE
DJI MAVIC PRO FOLDABLE DRONE
SNAPCHAT SPECTACLES
ROKU ULTRA
There are a ton of Android phones on the market, but if you want the purest expression of Google's world-beating OS, you want the Google Pixel. The first direct-from-Google phone without Nexus branding, the Pixel is built by HTC but designed exclusively in Mountain View. It has either a 5-inch 1080p or 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display and a 12.3 megapixel camera that got the highest score of any phone on DxOMark, as well as unlimited cloud storage for photos and 4K videos. The specialized version of Android it runs supports the company's new Daydream VR headset, and unlike most 'droids, it will actually get future software updates on time. Available in silver, black, or blue.
The DJI Mavic Pro Foldable Drone offers a stabilized 4K camera, a range of 4.3 miles, and a flight time of 27 minutes, yet folds down into a package not much larger than a water bottle. The new FlightAutonomy system, outfitted with a slew of cameras, range finders, and sensors, can position, navigate and plan routes for the drone, avoiding obstacles at speeds up to 22 mph. A Sport Mode lets you hit speeds of up to 40 mph, and a new, optional dedicated controller has a built-in touchscreen, an improved video link system, and likewise folds down to let you carry the whole system in a normal bag instead of a dedicated case.
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Many electric bikes graft their propulsion solutions onto existing drive systems. Not the Klever X Electric Bike. Designed around the company's proprietary Biactron rear drive system, this bike is at once quieter, more powerful, and more reliable than most of its peers. Its signature "loop frame" integrates the battery within its structure, while the brake/ gear cables and electronics are hidden entirely inside. The bike also has a Bluetooth-enabled LCD display that links with your phone to let you choose your riding profile and serve as a theft deterrent. Available in several models ranging from the 250W Commuter to the 600W Speed.
If taking your phone out to film a snap is just too much for you, throw on a pair of Snapchat Spectacles. They look as if they might actually be something people want to wear (hello, Google Glass). These camera-laden sunglasses let you film a ten-second snap with a single button press, wirelessly sending it to your phone and up to the cloud. Not to mention that it might make it easier for promoters to Snap from events. A ring of lights around the camera lets others know you're filming, and the included carrying case keeps the shades charged up on the go. The future is clearly here, folks!
Our mobile devices keep getting more powerful. Their microphones don't. The Blue Raspberry Microphone fills this gap with excellent audio quality in a highly portable package. It does so with proven microphone technology and a new, patent-pending Internal Acoustic Diffuser that mimics the acoustic treatments found in studios and concert halls to focus on your voice or instrument and ignore unwanted noise. The folding, integrated stand also helps in this regard, minimizing surface contact and isolating the mic from vibrations and other noise. It connects over USB or Lightning, works with a host of both mobile and desktop recording apps, and comes with a soft carrying pouch.
It's easy to find an Ultra HD 4K TV. It's not easy to find 4K content to watch on it. The Roku Ultra aims to make it easier. The venerable streaming box's latest flagship supports 60fps 4K content in HDR and upscales lower-res content with a quad-core processor that also helps the interface speed along. There's fast Wi-Fi for clear streams, Ethernet for those who want a wired connection, a microSD slot for added storage, and Dolby Digital decoding for better surround sound. The remote has voice search, a headphone jack for private watching, and gaming buttons, plus the always handy feature that lets you easily find it when it's been eaten by your couch. www.blessthisstuff.com www.uncrate.com
The Promenade mall is your neighbourhood destination. In the heart of the city.
promenade Proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of RunQ8 2016 Register online at www.runq8.org by November 6th Be part of something great!
NETWORKING WHERE IT MATTERS
Meeting with Ooredoo’s own Shaimaa Al-Najdi By bazaar staff
Shaimaa Al-Najdi
Have you ever heard the term “behind every great man is an even greater woman?” Times are changing, and educated, strong minded women are climbing their way up the ladder of success, catching up to said man for an even greater collaboration. And in the case of Ooredoo’s Senior Director of Access Network and Sites Rollout Shaimaa Al-Najdi, the saying should go “behind every great Network connection is an even greater woman.” With Her educational background holds an engineering degree from Kuwait University, and a certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, Shaimaa has been working in Ooredoo since the establishment of the company as the second telecom operator in Kuwait in 1999. She holds passion in what she does and explains the updates, upgrades 116
and general ethos of Ooreedo’s esteemed establishment in a manner that makes even the technologically vapid easy to understand. What is it like to be a professional woman working in the field of engineering, which is a male-dominated industry? Working for Ooredoo, under the umbrella of the international Ooredoo Group, is a very rewarding experience. There are certainly some challenges being a Kuwaiti woman working in a male-dominated environment such as telecom engineering, but that’s beginning to change. Working within the Ooredoo Group is very empowering – in fact, female empowerment is one of Ooredoo’s main pillars of its corporate social responsibility values. Additionally, gender equality is one of the United Nations sponsored Global Goals, which Ooredoo Group pledged its name for and contributes to. Ooredoo is invested greatly in its employees’ talent. There are ongoing training courses from
reputable institutes with international standards, both inside and outside Kuwait, to ensure that all employees are up to date with the latest technologies and international trends. In that regards, all employees in Ooredoo are treated equally regardless of their gender. Ooredoo Kuwait also benefits from the exchange of experience between different departments within its operating companies. Ooredoo Kuwait is one of three telecom providers in a highly competitive market. What sets you apart from competition in Kuwait? The telecom sector in Kuwait is very challenging and dynamic. In general, telecom is one of the fastest developing sectors around the world. This is especially true in Kuwait and the GCC region, where most customers are tech-savvy and demand international trends to be available in the local market. The challenge today is to keep up with the expectations of customers, providing services and solutions that suit their needs
I’m very fortunate to be working in such a dynamic and challenging environment. Ooredoo Kuwait is part of the international Ooredoo Group, and ranks among the Middle East's leading companies in terms of investment in its network. We’re continuously working to enrich our network even further in order to meet the demands of our customers and give them a truly enriching experience on our network. Our network in Kuwait is currently undergoing an infrastructure upgrade that began in late 2014, and is scheduled to complete by 2017. Our aim from this is to deploy the latest technologies in order to give our customers the best in-class services. Currently, our LTE network sites cover 100% of the residential areas of Kuwait, and our LTE-A high-speed Internet covers over 80% of Kuwait’s residential areas. How has the effect of this network renovation been so far? Our network development project had significant impact on our network speed. We recently won the title “Speedtest Awards Winner 2016” by Ookla, the company that operates the famous website Speedtest.net, a tool that measures network speed on users’ devices. The awards are based on speed test results conducted by hundreds of thousands of actual smartphone users in Kuwait. We’re proud of this achievement, which reiterates our belief in our values of caring, connecting and challenging. We have adopted a very customercentric policy in recent years to enrich their experience and fulfill their needs, and this policy translates in all our efforts and strategies. We regularly benchmark our services in relation to all competition, and results have indicated that our network scores higher than competition in terms of speed. The tests were conducted in various locations and under different conditions across Kuwait to better measure the network’s strength. What is Ooredoo’s level of investment in its network? Our investment in our network infrastructure aims to sustain a strong core for our network, to ensure that we are able to meet the demands of customers and deploy the latest technologies efficiently. The company invested more than KD 20 million in 2015, and we have more than KD 16 million for the next phase of our network infrastructure upgrade. We’re very eager to deploy the latest services as soon as they are available, and it is of great importance for us to have a reliable infrastructure to do so. We have expanded our fibre optics network to guarantee stronger coverage in network, and increased the number of our towers by 150 annually to maximize our coverage. Ooredoo Kuwait currently has more than 1850 deployed LTE sites across Kuwait, covering the entire country. We are continuously working with reputable partners with international experience to introduce the future 5G Internet to our customers.
Network Monitoring technichal support room
Ooredoo building When do you think you’ll be able to launch 5G mobile Network in Kuwait? According to the International Telecommunication Union, the vision for 5G to be launched worldwide in 2020. We are working to upgrade and empower our infrastructure in order to be able to deploy 5G mobile in time. We finished the first phase of our infrastructure upgrade, which includes better fibre optics connections. However, our current customers can benefit from the network upgrade that we are working on currently, which enables customers to get up to 450 megabits per second on their devices. This is made possible by our Netgear routers, and we are proud to be the first to offer these routers in
Kuwait, which are able to offer LTE Category 11 capabilities to users.
You can stay in touch with the latest updates from Ooredoo, and participate in their competitions through our social media channels, @ooerdookuwait on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook. 117
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GODFATHER
WELCOME TO SIDEWAYS By Simian Mobile Disco
By The Rolling Stones
Although he had briefly considered scrapping the whole thing altogether (in a tweet which has since been deleted), Wiley is releasing Godfather this month. "This is the album that I'm most proud of and it shows who I really am," said Wiley. "This is for all the massive and crew." With that kind of confidence and such an impressive roll call of producers (including Darq E Freaker, Jme, Preditah, JLSXND7RS, Zeph Ellis, Teeza, Rude Kid, Swifta Beater, Kid D, Morfius, CJ Beatz and Mucky), Wiley looks set to cap the year off with the album we've all been waiting for.
James Ford and Jas Shaw, aka Simian Mobile Disco, have unveiled their new album Welcome To Sideways. The album will be released November 11 via Delicacies, being the follow-up to Whorl in 2014. Over the past year the pair have taken a turn in their music. “It can seem like we change quite radically with every album we do,” says James, hence why ʻWelcome To Sidewaysʼ moves towards a fresh direction into techno territory. The album itself will feature an hour-long DJ mix, edits, loops and remixes from the singles - all created from a minimal setup of two synthesizers, two hardware sequencers and a mixer.
Earlier this year, The Rolling Stones embarked on a 10-city Latin American tour. The tour culminated with a March 25th concert in Havana, Cuba, marking the first time a major international rock band performed in the country since the United States lifted embargo sanctions. Already, the band has announced a full-length documentary chronicling that historic outing: Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Now, this month see’s the release of a live album and concert film centered around the Cuba performance in particular.
WOMAN
ETERNALLY EVEN
THE FALL OF A REBEL ANGEL
In July, French electronic duo Justice announced their return with a new single, “Safe and Sound.” Last October, Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay released a second single, “Randy,” and announced their third studio album would be called . Now, the band has detailed their follow-up to Audio, Video, Disco. It’s out on November 18 via Ed Banger/Because Music. It will feature vocal contributions from Morgan Phalen, French singer Romuald, and Johnny Blake of Zoot Woman, as well as collaborations with London Contemporary Orchestra.
My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James second solo album, Eternally Even, arrives via ATO/Capitol Records this November, just four days before Election Day. The release date is intentional, with Eternally Even acting as a call to action regarding today's political climate. "I wanted to make an album that hopefully speaks to the issues of the day, many of which, sadly, are issues we have been dealing with since the beginning of time," James said in a statement. James co-produced Eternally Even, his follow-up to 2013's Regions of Light and Sound of God, with Alabama Shakes producer Blake Mills.
The long-awaited eighth studio album by multimillion-selling, genre-defying act Enigma, founded by producer Michael Cretu, has been confirmed by Universal Music. The Fall Of A Rebel Angel is set for global release on Island, Decca, Mercury and Republic Records this month. Michael Cretu has amassed staggering worldwide album sales of more than 70 million over the last 26 years, since the emergence of the debut release MCMXC a.D. That 1990 album went quadruple platinum in the US, triple platinum in the UK and won countless sales awards around the world, as did every subsequent album. The Fall Of A Rebel Angel is Enigma's first new studio set since 2008's Seven Lives Many Faces.
By Wiley
By Justice
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By Jim James
HAVANA MOON
By Enigma
Today a Reader Tomorrow a Leader
Margaret Fuller
that alsalasil
Thatalsalasil
Thatalsalasilbookstore
www.thatalsalasil.com.kw
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مستشفى دار الشفاء يرحب مبشرتيك وثيقة التأمني الصحي للمتقاعدين أعلن مستشفى دار الشفاء مؤخرا ً عن ترحيبه باستقبال مشرتيك وثيقة التأمني الصحي للمتقاعدين الكويتيني "عافية" وذلك كجزء من سياسة املستشفى ،الطيبة تجاه كل مرضاه وبشكل خاص لكبار السن لتقديم أفضل رعاية صحية ممكنه لهم ممثله يف طاقمه الطبي ذو الخربه الواسعه من أطباء واستخدام أحدث األجهزة والتقنيات املتعارف عليها عاملياً باإلضافه إىل أفضل مستوى،وهيئة متريضية وفنيني ومزودي الرعاية الصحية عىل اختالفهم وغريها من الخدمات املتكاملة ذات، فريق اإلستقبال وخدمة العمالء، أجنحة وغرف املرىض،من الخدمات للمرىض متمثله يف الخدمات املساندة ويف هذا الصدد رصح الدكتور يوسف الظفريي – رئيس الهيئة الطبية.الجودة العالية التي تعد استكامالً ملسرية التميز التي يحرص عليها دار الشفاء وتعد هذه املرحلة، كونه يُصاحب بأمراض عديدة، "إن التقدم بالعمر يعترب الفرته األكرث حرجاً يف حياة اإلنسان: حيث قال- يف مستشفى دار الشفاء ظاهرة طبيعية تتفاوت يف الظهور بني شخص وآخر حيث أنها ال تُقدر فقط بسنوات العمر بل للواقع الصحي للمتقاعد ومدى شعور الفرد بقدرته عىل "وضعنا عىل عاتقنا مسئولية توفري أعىل مستويات الجودة يف الخدمات الصحية التي يتم تقدميها ملرضانا حتى:وأضاف."التعامل مع متطلبات الحياة " تتضمن املبادرة حصول جميع مشرتيك وثيقة التأمني الصحي للمتقاعدين الكويتيني "عافية.نحقق لهم رفاهية اإلستمتاع بحياة ملؤها الصحة والعافية مجدي النواوي – املدير الطبي يف مستشفى. رصح د، ويف نفس السياق."ًعىل استشارة مجانية يف العيادات الخارجية باإلضافه إىل فتح امللف مجانا "ال تزال مسرية النجاحات واإلنفرادات مستمرة يف مستشفى دار الشفاء كونه رصحاً طبياُ متكامالُ حقق الريادة والتفرد عىل:دار الشفاء – حيث قال مستوى القطاع الصحي الخاص يف دولة الكويت ملا يتجاوز الخمسني عاماً ليضع أسمه عىل قمة قامئة أفضل املستشفيات الخاصة يف الكويت والرشق "األوسط MANGO AND GRAZIA MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE SHOWCASED AUTUMN/WINTER COLLECTION AT THE PROMENADE MANGO and Grazia Middle East magazine hosted MANGO’s 2016 Autumn/Winter collection launched at an allstudded event at the fashion retailers store at The Promenade mall. The evening cocktail event took place on October 13, at MANGO’s store, located on the ground floor at The Promenade, the neighborhood destination in the heart of Kuwait, Grazia Middle East Editor-In-Chief Alison Tay presented key pieces and looks for the coming season. Attendees met the Kuwaiti fashionista Yalda Golsharifi, celebrity bloggers, members of the media and VIP guests. The event took place at The Promenade mall was part of a wider GCC campaign that launched in September across MANGO’s regional stores promoting its latest clothing ranges to consumers and the media. The Barcelona-based brand has an extensive store network of 2,200 stores in 109 countries stocking its MANGO Woman, Man, Kids and Violeta lines. Featuring five floors of shopping and entertainment, The Promenade mall provides top fashion brands, a gourmet supermarket and a variety of cafes and dining restaurants, while offering dedicated entertainment and health & leisure options such as a spa and ice skating rink. Head to The Promenade in Hawally for Mango, and more. Find them on Facebook: thepromenadekw or Instagram @thepromenadekw.
KUWAIT MARRIOTT HOTELS CELEBRATE MARRIOTT AND STARWOOD MERGER The JW Marriott Kuwait, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait, Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait and the prestigious Arraya Ballroom held “Together we’re better” Event to celebrate the Marriott and Starwood merger. The celebration took place on October 9, at Arraya Ballroom and was attended by more than 200 associates from the different Marriott properties in Kuwait. The acquisition of Starwood makes Marriott International the world’s largest and best hotel company. Marriott now offers the most comprehensive portfolio of brands including leading lifestyle brands, a significant global footprint, and leadership in the luxury and select-service tiers as well as the convention and resort segment. In addition, the company now has best-in-Class Loyalty Programs. Marriott Rewards – which includes the Ritz-Carlton Rewards – and SPG are the most recognized and awarded loyalty programs in hospitality. Together, these programs will offer members more benefits when they link their accounts, as well as new destinations such as Aruba, Tuscany’s Serchio Valley and Kruger National Park in South Africa for SPG members and the Maldives, Bora Bora and Santorini, Greece for Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards members. Marriott is located at Al Shuhada Street in Kuwait City. For more information, visit www.marriott.com or call 2245 5550.
ALMULTAQA ARABIC SHORT STORY PRIZE ANNOUNCES THE 2016 SHORTLIST The AlMultaqa Arabic Short Story Prize jury has announced the ten shortlisted authors for the 2016 prize. Over the past few months, a jury comprised of accomplished writers, critics, and academicians reviewed 189 collections of short stories from published authors from 15 different countries; Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Sudan, Oman, Kuwait, and Algeria. The ten AlMultaqa Prize nominees came as follows (listed in alphabetical order): Abdessamia Bensaber, Ahmed Omar, Anis Arrafai, Haider Abdulmohsen, Issa Jabli, Khadija Alnemer, Lutf Alsarary, Mazen Maarouf, Mohamed Rafie and Ziad Khadash. The committee also looked at the spirit of innovation, novelty, and consistency of form and content, as well as the presence of an integrated humanitarian aspect in the selected short story collections. The jury will continue its work to announce the five shortlisted authors in November, 2016. The 2016 winner will be announced in December, 2016 at a ceremony that is to be held at the American University of Kuwait that brings together the five shortlisted authors and well-known figures from the literary world. More information on the American University of Kuwait can be found at www.auk.edu.kw. 120
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“YUBA” GOURMET JAPANESE CUISINE WITH A LOCAL TWIST Yuba - the name given to a unique new restaurant created by Mohammed Bseiso; CEO of Gourmania international. A company specialized in bringing us some of the most successful restaurants in Kuwait (such as Fauchon Paris, Burger & Lobster, Cereal Killer, Sakura, etc). The newest addition to the Gourmania portfolio is Yuba. A high end Japanese gourmet sushi and robata grill bar infused with a local twist of flavors and ingredients from Kuwait and the region. A truly unique experience awaits its patrons as even though Kuwait has tens of Japanese restaurants; none have aquariums with live seafood and none have a culinary "sushi tour" where the chef takes you on a culinary journey experiencing and learning things you never knew about these Japanese delicacies. Apart from the high quality ingredients, Yuba prides itself in being able to create a unique balance of flavors between Arabian and the Japanese cuisines in select signature dishes. You even have the option of having your sushi and rolls using Japanese quzi style rice! Need we say more. Yuba is now in Crystal Tower – Kuwait City. For more information call 2297 0021.
BRIGITTE KHOURY BEAUTY LOUNGE GRAND OPENING A wonderful beauty lounge, great wonderfully talented staff, and great customer service. BRIGITTE KHOURY Beauty Lounge arrives as a true gem. Boasting a nationwide network with an award-winning network in Kuwait, a dedication through years of experience to express inner beauty outwardly, BRIGITTE Beauty Lounge aims to transform the way customers look and feel, each and every day. Whether through a cut, color or beauty & hair treatment, Brigitte Beauty Lounge & Spa experts get to the heart of what clients want to achieve. The result? They walk out of the Beauty Lounge feeling more confident, more beautiful and, thanks to top tips and best in the business hair and skincare products, more able to recreate their special look and feeling day after day, at home. The team of caring and professional beauty therapists will make you feel at ease as they combine their knowledge and skills with beautiful products. You will enjoy personal and luxurious treatments. Whether your visit is for beauty maintenance, relaxation or just self- indulgence, the results will leave you feeling and looking amazing. Check out Brigitte Beauty Lounge and Spa at Al Shaab Al Bahry, Arabian Gulf Street, Block 8, Building 8. Follow them online at Instagram @Brigittebeautys and Facebook: Brigitte Beautys.
THE CONVENTION CENTER & ROYAL SUITE HOTEL The Convention Center & Royal Suite Hotel Kuwait is an ideal place to host all conferences, exhibitions, meetings and event needs. The space also has 54 luxurious rooms and arrives as the only hotel in Kuwait that has suites with a private swimming pool. It houses two big ballrooms with total space of 1,700 sqm and a capacity of 1,200 guests each, depending on the set-up you choose. Each ballroom has a private prayer room. The hydraulic stage in “Noura” Ballroom ensures the most impressive presentation. This hydraulic stage is used for wedding parties and car exhibitions, where the car is placed inside the stage elevator and lifted to the exhibition hall. Whether your event is casual or formal, large or intimate, you’ll receive a personalized service and special attention from a team of experienced professionals. The Convention Center also showcases creative skills in the kitchen and in planning the outside catering events wherever you are. A professional team will work hand in hand with each customer and will look after every detail to ensure that your event is truly exceptional. Their uncompromising hospitality and efficiency means you can relax while we take care of any kind of event you are hosting. You can find the CCRS at the Shuwaikh Free Trade Zone (facing the Mövenpick Hotel). Call on 2461 3103 for more information.
KERASTRAIGHT ULTIMATE RANGE Is unruly, frizzy hair the bane of your life? Struggling with dry, weak and damaged hair? Does drying and styling steal valuable hours of your week? Determined to make gorgeous hair accessible to all, KeraStraight developed KS Ultimate, a semi-permanent straightening and repair system which provides unrivalled condition, strength and shine. Adaptable to every hair type, thanks to KeraStraight’s advanced protein technology, it’s the ultimate solution to weak, disobedient, damaged hair, transforming it into repaired, stronger and smoother strands that are both easy to manage, luxuriously soft and radiantly shiny after just one treatment. What’s more, you can shampoo your hair after just 30 minutes and there’s no awkward growing out period, as the results naturally fade away. With results lasting up to 4 months, you can look forward to glossy, gorgeous strands with minimal styling required! KeraStraight is formulated with a unique low pH protein, (eliminating the unpleasant vapors normally associated with smoothing treatments) and synthesised urea, which allows hair to be reshaped by softening the keratin molecules, then set using heat. It provides glossy smooth results instantly, so there’s no more avoiding the gym or shower for days! Exclusively distributed by beau-tique cosmetics international. Call 2225 1285 for more info or visit www.beau-tiqueonline.com 122
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Tel: 22204140
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BE AT THE CENTER STAGE OF FASHION WITH CENTREPOINT’S AUTUMN WINTER 2016 COLLECTION Autumn in the Middle East heralds the start of the festive season and Centrepoint’s womenswear collections will leave you looking for occasions to step out in style. Splash’s silhouettes and textures for the season are reflective of the free- spirited gypsy-vibe of the 70s influenced by artisanal craftsmanship using spice shades of cinnamon, saffron and mustard blend. Midseason the color palette becomes much richer using the jewel tones of deep burgundy, bright crimson, emerald, teal and celestial blue. Moving into peak Winter the color palette is offset by pale parfait pink, subdued grey and soft winter white. Taking inspiration from the season’s runways, the brand’s womenswear offers knitted capes, pleated skirts with cold shoulder detailing. Fringe details, eyelets and ruffled sleeves make its way in to the collection giving it a romantic Victorian vibe. Our glamorous evening wear dresses form an integral part of the range. The women’s footwear range from Shoe Mart includes stylish trends in ‘Rag and Bone Girl’, ‘Radical Rustic’ and ‘Royal Goth’ that are here to wow you with an array of must-have silhouettes for the new season. Get your hands on the seasonal collection at Centrepoint stores located in Al Rai, Avenues, Hawally, Salmiya, Fintas, Jahra, Fahaheel, Sulaibhikhat, Kuwait City and Khaitan.
ALGHANIM INDUSTRIES TO OPEN WENDY’S IN KUWAIT Alghanim Industries and The Wendy’s Company, which last year formed a strategic collaboration to expand the hamburger company across the MENA region, today announced plans to open their first Wendy’s restaurant in Kuwait. The restaurant will open by mid-December on Blajat Street in Salmiya. It will be a stand-alone location, able to seat up to 68 inside and 60 outside, open daily from 7am till 3am, 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. Alghanim Industries has refurbished four locations and opened three new ones, all in the UAE. Wendy’s has launched new products, conducted intensive staff training and has improved the quality of food and ingredients used, including a move to 100 percent Angus beef for all its burgers. The signature Wendy’s burger, Dave’s Hot N Juicy will be renamed to Dave’s Single, Double or Triple depending on size. Finally, Alghanim has increased maternity leave benefits, with an eye to attracting more women to the workplace and making Wendy’s – and Alghanim Industries – a more competitive company. For more information about Wendy’s in the Middle East log onto www.wendysme.com
THE COMPACT SUV, REDEFINED: THE NEW TIGUAN IS NOW AVAILABLE IN KUWAIT The sporty and powerful new Tiguan - an SUV that redefines the compact SUV class - is now available in Volkswagen Kuwait. The new Tiguan is packed with cutting-edge technology and offered in five model configurations - S 1.4L, SE 1.4L, SE 2.0L, SEL 2.0L and Sport 2.0L with 220 HP. The new model is the first Volkswagen SUV built on the state-ofthe-art MQB platform and features new technology, completely unique in the compact class; including Active Info Display, Adaptive Cruise Control and Head-Up Display. With passenger comfort and convenience prioritised, the new Tiguan offers optional leather seats with memory function, an additional 145 litres of cargo space and easy open trunk available as an option, in addition to adaptive cruise control, 4MOTION Active Control, front assist and AppConnect. The numerous technical innovations, combined with its authentic SUV design, make the new Tiguan one of the most attractive SUVs in its segment. Moreover, the new Tiguan offers a wide range of safety features – active bonnet and six airbags as standard, and an additional knee airbag on the driver’s side as an option, and forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking system for adaptive cruise control – underpinning the Tiguan’s benchmark as a leader in safety. For more information, visit www.volkswagen.com.kw or the VW showroom in Al Rai.
CUCINA’S LAVISH BUFFET JUST GOT EVEN MORE AFFORDABLE Cucina, the golden heart of Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait, offering a lavish buffet with views across the Arabian Gulf, has now become even more affordable with the iconic restaurant providing all-inclusive lunch or dinner buffet at KWD10. A venue for all occasions, Cucina prides itself with serving the freshest à la minute seasonal menus that appeals to every palate. Featuring fine gourmet treats, exquisite homemade pastas, enticing fish and meat specialities, all complimented by a large array of mouth-watering desserts, guests will not be able to hold back from the restaurant’s buffet. Whether looking to celebrate a special occasion, enjoy a meal with friends, or host business clients, the restaurant’s classic cooking and relaxed contemporary décor is matched by unparalleled views of Kuwait’s skyline and glittering gulf. Adding extra jazz to the weekend, diners can enjoy the soulful notes on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as the restaurant’s saxophonist takes to the stage, adding to Cucina’s enlivening ambiance. Cucina is located in Symphony Style Hotel Kuwait. Call them on 2246 4014.
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FANTASY WORLD REMINDS ALL MOTHERS THAT THEIR HEALTH IS THEIR ULTIMATE WEALTH Since the month of October is recognized as International breast cancer awareness month, supporting this campaign Fantasy World reminds mothers about what should be one of their first priorities: their very own health. Throughout the month of October, the Staff of Fantasy World Toys were sporting pink ribbons in support of the global campaign. Fantasy World has taken up an initiative where its objective is to make all women and mothers of Kuwait aware of the importance of taking care of their health. Thanking the mothers for taking such good care of the future of Kuwait, it is now time she needs to take care of herself as well, and remind them that their own health is as important as their children’s wellbeing. Taking part in this global initiative highlights Fantasy World’s social responsibilities towards the people of Kuwait, and strengthens the bond it has built over the last 20 years. This initiative is an outreach program to spread awareness of breast cancer among women in Kuwait as the disease is very widespread just due to lack of breast exam checkups. To know more about Fantasy World’s on-going activities, visit any of their social media platforms, Facebook: fantasyworldtoyskuwait, Instagram @fantasyworldtoys and YouTube: fantasyworld Kuwait.
AUS STUDENTS VISIT THE PORSCHE ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS Over one hundred Grade One students from the American University School of Kuwait recently participated in the Porsche Road Safety Program for schools at the Kuwait Historic, Vintage and Classic Cars Museum. With the new 2016-17 Academic Year well underway, the roads of Kuwait are straining with heavy traffic. The importance of road safety education is once again a primary concern. Now entering its fifth successful year, the Porsche Kids Driving School and its Road Safety Program aims to provide a foundation for safer driving and road traffic safety to future generations. The program is delivered by a team of experienced educators specialized in early years’ education. During their visit each participant will learn to drive a Porsche 911 Carrera pedal car safely around the specially designed indoor road circuit in the museum, complete with working traffic lights, junctions, road signs, speed bumps and a pedestrian crossing. Schools and nurseries are invited to participate in this program that is free of charge and subject to availability. Instruction is available in both English or Arabic and visits can be scheduled by contacting the Porsche Road Safety Program Manager, Aisha, on 9982 6552 or by email on info@pkds.org. For more information visit www.PKDS.org.
360 MALL UNVEILS THE LATEST COLE HAAN STORE IN KUWAIT 360 MALL – Tamdeen Group’s iconic mall – has announced the opening of a new fashion retail store, Cole Haan - the premier luxury footwear and accessories brand. Spread across 92.51 sq.mtr of space, the new store will exude the elements of the latest collection for the visitors to have a 360-degree brand experience. Appealing to men and women, the Cole Haan store is fashioned with a distinct design aesthetic that speaks contemporary luxury. The new store at 360 MALL will add to the destination offering for men and women who shop at the mall, offering them dedicated customer service to help make their shopping experience as enjoyable as possible. This American fashion label, now reaches out to its loyal customers in Kuwait by bringing closer to them products that are an amalgamation of innovation and elegance. With the opening of its 11th store in the Middle East, the new store represents its continued growth in the region for the brand. The brand is introduced in an exclusive franchise partnership with Alyasra Fashion, a regional fashion retail leader, with a world-class portfolio of over 60 high-end fashion, footwear and accessories brands across Middle East. For more information on Cole Haan in Kuwait, visit www.alyasra.com. You can also visit ColeHaan.com and follow @ColeHaan.
"مستشفى طيبة" يستقبل حاميل بطاقات «عافية» التأمينية عن جهوزيته إلستقبال مختلف الحاالت الطبية التي كانت تلجأ للعالج يف، الرائد يف تقديم الخدمات الطبية املتنوعة يف الكويت،أعلن مستشفى طيبة ، ويف هذا الصدد. " حيث حرضت من أجل استقبال املتقاعدين املندرجني تحت إطار مرشوع التأمني الصحي "عافية، السيام من فئة املتقاعدين،الخارج أن الطاقم الطبي الحايل يف "طيبة" يضم باقة متميزة من اإلستشاريني واألطباء الكويتيني املتخصصني،أكد رئيس القطاع الطبي الدكتور وليد السليم واألمراض، مرورا ً بأقسام جراحة املخ واألعصاب، والجهاز الهضمي، وجراحة العظام،يف مجاالت الجراحة املختلفة انطالقاً من أقسام الجراحة العامة األنف، أمراض النساء والوالدة، التغذية العالجية، وصوالً اىل جراحات التجميل والرتميم، والباطنية، والغدد الصامء والسكر، والعناية املركزة،الصدرية والجدير بالذكر أن. وختاماً بقسم األشعة التشخيصية والتصوير الطبي، التحاليل املخربية والباثولوجية، جراحة الفم واألسنان،واألذن والحنجرة أحدث غرف العناية املركزة لرعاية وراحة،مستشفى طيبة ىف تطور مستمر لراحة وإسعاد مراجعيها حيث تتميز املستشفى بأحدث األجهزة الطبية ،املرىض ويف صدد تطوير أحدث غرف العمليات واألوىل من نوعها ىف الكويت ويتوج كل ذلك بطاقم طبي من خرية األطباء يف التخصصات املتنوعة تم انتقائهم بعناية وتدريبهم عىل أعىل مستوى لتلبية احتياجات املرىض العالجية وللتأكد من تقديم أفضل،فضالً عن فريق مساعد من التمريض والجدير بالذكر ان بطاقة "عافية" والتي أعلنت عنها وزارة الصحة مؤخرا ً تتيح للمواطنني املتقاعدين الحصول عىل الرعاية الطبية.مستويات الرعاية .التي يريدونها من مستشفى طيبة والتي تشمل الخدمات الطبية املختلفة والفحوصات التشخيصية والعالج الداخيل باملستشفى 126
taste of Q8
bazaar around town
OMD OPENS ITS DOORS IN KUWAIT As part of its regional expansion plan, OMD has opened its newest office in the Sharq district of the Kuwaiti capital. This will enable the marketing performance company to better meet the growing needs of current and future clients in Kuwait and strengthen its relationships with its local stakeholders further. As well as several regional advertisers, OMD manages a growing portfolio of Kuwaiti clients, including the recent addition of Al Babtain Group, whose businesses include the Nissan and Infiniti dealerships. The new office provides all of OMD’s services, from insights to planning, from buying to performance marketing and from content marketing to advanced analytics, across the full spectrum of brand communications. The new office is headed by Tro Taslakian, a 15-year veteran of the media industry. A long-term resident in Kuwait, he has progressed from assistant planner in 2001 to acting GM of a leading media agency in Kuwait, working on both local and international brands in a wide range of sectors. These include automotive, confectionery, casual dining and food products. Taslakian reports to Wissam Najjar, OMD’s regional managing director for the Lower Gulf, Levant and Emerging Markets. For more information on OMD, visit their website: www.omd.com.
AL KOUT GREETS THE WINTER SEASON WITH SURPRISES EVERY WEEKEND! This Winter season, Al Kout Mall is set to host two months of exciting weekend activities and events for its visitors, from young to old, during November and December. The winter program will feature a variety of family geared activities and entertainment shows around the Al Kout fountains, helping its visitors enjoy Kuwait’s winter season in a beautiful waterfront outdoor setting. Starting from November 3rd, and running all the way to the New Year, Al Kout will be hosting different musical performances, Kid’s entertainment shows, expos, snow themed events, with a finale of a larger than life Circus performance set for New Year’s weekend. And as is customary during Al Kout’s events, a range of prizes and giveaways will be distributed during the weekend festivities, from games and toys for the young ones, to shopping vouchers and valuable gifts from Al Kout’s retail stores for the adults. Al Kout mall is part of AL KOUT and under the overarching umbrella of the Tamdeen Group – Kuwait’s leading mixed-use property developer. AL KOUT is transforming the Al-Fahaheel area into a vibrant social and economic center that is truly iconic, reflecting the architectural heritage of Kuwait and the region. You can visit Al Kout Mall at Fahaheel Coastal Road, or call them for information on 2393 0101.
ECCO LAUNCHES EXTRAORDINARY HEELS WITH NEW SHAPE COLLECTION The Autumn/Winter 2016 ECCO SHAPE Collection presents a true revolution for high heel wearers. This season, the new ‘magic’ heel takes center stage with a design allowing 75mm heels to increase an extra 15mm. With cutting-edge, minimalist designs and extraordinary technology, the ECCO SHAPE Collection ensures ultimate comfort without compromising on style. ECCO’s philosophy is simple: form should follow function. The design of the new ECCO SHAPE Collection heel demonstrates the commitment to innovation at the heart of everything ECCO creates. Engineered to keep up with the day-to-day needs of modern, busy, and fashion-savvy women, each heel design in the collection has a foot bed which lowers the heel of the foot within the shank. This enables the 75mm heel to ‘grow’ an extra 15mm to give women an elegant 90mm heel without the discomfort. ECCO’s passion for leather-making is echoed across the entire ECCO SHAPE Collection. The upper of each shoe, crafted with rich, soft calf leather and molded with premium leather on the interior, provides optimum comfort and timeless style, while the shoe’s simple silhouette conveys the distinctive Scandinavian design simplicity for which ECCO is renowned. For more information, please visit ecco.com or contact on @eccoarabia.
OVO BAR Great news for all the Asian food lovers as OVO BAR has finally opened its first chain restaurant in Kuwait in Salmiya, Baghdad St., Byblos complex. In an ambiance full of glamour and originality with the presence of the journalist and public figures in Kuwait, the grand opening had place where the top model Lexy Stevens from Australia and model and actor Leo from Dubai greeted the attendees. What’s so special about #ovobarkuwait you ask!!! Ovo Bar has taken Asian cuisine to a whole new level, with collaborating a taste of Japanese, Chinese, and Thai all under one roof. No matter what you are craving OVO has it. It is obvious that OVO bar takes much pride in using the finest freshly imported ingredients, such as U.S. Angus tenderloin for beef dishes, Al Youm Saudi Chicken, blue fin tuna, and the list goes on. As for the atmosphere, the love and passion is clearly shown throughout the restaurant, from its fine décor, beautifully selected music, outstanding service, and most importantly its cleanliness. Ovo bar is definitely one of a kind and will surely leave an imprint. Keep up with Ovo online. Instagram @ovobarand Facebook: OVO bar. Call them on 2227 2171/2.
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VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22 You don't normally tend toward frugality, Virgo, but this month you could go overboard with your spending. Frustration from all sides makes you want to release it all at once by acquiring new possessions. This is fine up to a point. Treat yourself, but take care that you curb the impulse buying. You don't want to waste any time later taking unwanted items back to the store.
LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22 Some failures that you may have experienced over the past few days could have you beating yourself up Libra. Perhaps you feel that you were too hasty or too sloppy and could have done things better. Don't obsess over it. Figure out what went wrong, learn from it, and let it go. Too much negativity directed at yourself is likely to sabotage future efforts rather than help them..
SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21 Group activities are probably very much on your agenda, Sagittarius. You could go to a meeting or lecture and later go out on the town with a group of friends. Don't be tempted to eat too much. You'll likely regret it tomorrow. An unexpected sum of extra money could come your way. Don't spend it all in one place. This is a great day to concentrate on having fun - within limits.
CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 Too much pressure on the job could have you feeling like chucking it all and going somewhere by yourself. You might be tempted to go on a spending spree or overindulge in food or drink. This may spill over into your personal relationships, causing disagreements with friends or family. It might be a good idea to be alone for a few hours, Capricorn. You will feel much better once you clear your head.
AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 Inner conflict regarding spiritual matters might have you questioning your and others' beliefs. You might doubt just about everything, Aquarius, and you could be tempted into angry debates over different concepts. Books or TV documentaries on whatever is bothering you might spark your curiosity and calm you down a little. A legal matter might come to the forefront. It's a hassle, but it needs to be handled.
dumps. This is an overreaction, Aries. You might need to get away for a while before you can make sense of it all. Too many demands from others could have you feeling used, and you might be tempted to tell them off. Try to avoid others long enough to gain control of yourself.
TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 Pressures on the job may be mounting. You might feel so disgruntled that you want to chuck it all and run away. Foreign countries and distant states may suddenly seem far more appealing than usual. Maybe it's a good idea to plan a vacation, Taurus. The stresses you've been experiencing could adversely affect your health. You need to release them somehow. Give it some thought.
GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21 A Taurus from your past resurfaces. You’ll find the bull a little deeper than you remember. A mid-month break from your busy schedule brightens your mood. Don’t be afraid to give in to relaxation. It’s really not so bad! Scorpio plays a role. Decisive action is key this month.
CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22 A number of visitors, deliveries, service people, emails, or phone calls might keep you jumping this month, Cancer, right when you're in the mood for a quiet one. It may take all your effort to keep your cool. Try to get a family member to intercede for you with some of these people or you might lose your temper. In the evening, go to a movie and relax.
SCORPIO
OCT 23 – NOV 22 You might be able to tune in to the thoughts and feelings of others, Scorpio, but you aren't likely to know exactly how to handle the situation. Should you say something or just tailor your own behavior to suit the moods of others? Reflect on the situation before doing either. This is a great day to meditate or read books or attend lectures on spiritual matters.
LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22 A close friend might pass along some seemingly harmless but nonetheless untrue gossip, Leo. Don't accept anything you hear until you check the facts for yourself. Any information you receive is likely to be exaggerated if not totally false. You might find a lot of material on subjects that interest you - too much for you to read all at once, although you might wish you could!
PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 20 Although your financial situation appears to be on the upswing, you still might be feeling pessimistic and indifferent about money and life in general. You might want to soothe your discontent by overspending, overindulging in food or drink, or both. Don't let this feeling get the better of you, Pisces. Get together with some friends and have a good time. Treat yourself to a little something without going over the top!
ARIES MAR 21 – APR 19 A minor and rather silly quarrel with a friend or romantic partner could have you down in the www.horoscope.com 132
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behbehani bomberg watches Al Kout Mall: 23930338/9 - The Avenues: 22597727 Souq Sharq: 22433770/22433500 Marina Mall: 22244839
TIK TOK(SoKu, The Avenues): 22200726 Al Hamra Luxury Center: 22270207
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