Sunday, February 26, 2017

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Review: Breakfast at Assaha Village Lebanese Restaurant, Gulf Road, Bneid Al Gar


























Great value for money. A lovely, authentic-looking setting with lots of interesting pieces. Our table was supported by an old Singer sewing machine stand. The restaurant is full on weekends mainly due to the price and ambiance. A huge breakfast buffet on offer with freshly baked manaeesh (cheese or zaater pizza type bread to cry for). Even though it is full the staff are still very accommodating and charming. You can order your eggs freshly cooked and the variety of buffet dishes is extensive. Tea, coffee or juice is included in the price.

All my Arabic favourites; fried courgette, shanklish, manaeesh, muhamara and muhallabia. Very happy tummies all round.

A 10/10 although I found the eggs and coffee under par but the overall experience was great.

Thank you Assaha Village we'll be back. [Map].



Thursday, February 23, 2017

Early Footage of the Invasion of Kuwait

We remember it well..

Decoupage at The Reading Room Al Shaheed Park

Celebrate With The Kids at Boulevard

Happy National Day Kuwait

Top tips - Traffic will be at a halt on the Gulf Road on 25 &26th, keep your car windows closed or you will get wet, don't order food you may never get it. Quckly rush out today and stock up. Park and walk to Gulf Road if you intend to join in the festivities. Have fun!




Cascade Family Fun Day


LAPA - LOYAC Academy of Performing Arts Announcements

 Announcements 

مسرحية سبيليّات إسماعيل
عن رائعة الكاتب الكبير إسماعيل فهد إسماعيل

نبذة:
اضطرت أم قاسم لترك منزلها في قريتها السّبيليّات مع أولادها و زوجها و ذلك لأنها أصبحت منطقة حرب. تواصل رحلتها بعيداً عن القرية لكن زوجها توفي خلال الرحلة بعد أن أوصاها بدفنه في قريته السّبيليّات.

إعداد: فارعة السقاف
تمثيل: شيرين حجّي
إخراج: رسول الصّغير

سيقام العرض على مدى ثلاثة أيام خلال شهر مارس - 23 و 25 و 26 في مركز اليرموك الثقافي.


The Sabiliyat of Ismail  ̶  Monodrama
An adaptation of the distinguished novelist Ismail Fahd Ismail's masterpiece.
 
Synopsis:
Um Qassem is forced to leave her house in Al Sabiliyat village along with her children and husband after it became a warzone. They travel far away from the village but her husband dies during the journey, having urged her to bury him back in Al Sabiliyat.

Prepared by: Fareah Al Saqqaf
Starring: Shereen Haje
Directed by: Rasoul Al Saghir
 
The production will be presented over three days during the month of March - 23, 25, and 26 at Al Yarmouk Cultural Centre.

الرقص الأفريقي و الهيب هوب
تقدم (لابا) دروس الرقص الأفريقي و الهيب هوب مع المدربة عواش
اليوم: الأحد
الوقت: ٦ - ٧ مساءً
العمر: ١٢ +
الرسوم: ٤٥ د.ك. / ١٠ حصص

للاستفسار اتصلوا على: ٩٧٢٦٧٩٣١

 
Afro and Hip Hop Dance
 
LAPA offers Afro and Hip Hop dance classes by 3wash
Day: Sunday
Time: 6-7 PM
Age: 12 +
Fees: 45 KD / 10 sessions

For more information, call: 97267931

 شاركونا المتعة و انضموا لصفوف لابا للرقص مع مدربينا المعتمدين!
الأطفال:
باليه/ پوپينج (Popping)
الكبار:
رقص معاصر
پوپينج
هيب-هوب
بريك دانسينج (Breakdancing)
بوليوود
هيب-هوب

للاستفسار اتصلوا على: ٩٧٢٣٩٤٠٨
 
Join the excitement and fun in LAPA's dance classes, taught by our certified teachers!
Children:
Ballet / Popping
Adults:
Contemporary
Popping
Hip-hop
Breakdancing
Bollywood/hip-hop

For further information, call: 97239408
شاركوا الآن في أكبر كورال للتراث العربي في تجربة هي الأولى من نوعها، تنقلكم من المحيط إلى الخليج وستقدم بقالب جديد على أبرز مسارح الكويت. أبحروا معنا على متن أجمل القصائد المغناة في التاريخ العربي. سارعوا بالتسجيل اليوم وأعيدوا للحرف العربي صوته.
 
الفئة العمرية: 10+
الرسوم: 45 دك / 10 حصص
#لغتنا_الأم

Join now the biggest Arabic Heritage Choir in Kuwait in a one of a kind experience. Journey with us through the most mesmerizing poetic songs in Arabic history. Register now and let your voice celebrate thousands of years of civilization. For details, call LAPA on 97239408.

Age: 10+
Price: KD 45 / 10 classes.
#لغتنا_الأم

انضموا إلى حملة لوياك الوطنية لتعزيز استخدام اللغة العربية وشاركوا في ورش عمل الصّحافة الخضراء للصغار!
تقدم (لابا) الورش بالتعاون مع الأستاذ شريف صالح و بدعم من مجموعة الراي الإعلامية.
سيتعلم الصغار أساسيات العمل الصحفي ومهارات الكتابة والحوار باللغة العربية. و في نهاية الدورة سيتم إصدار 'الجريدة الخضراء' التي ستحوي مقالات بأقلام الأطفال المشاركين وستوزع كملحق مع جريدة الراي.

الفئة العمرية: 12- 16
الرسوم: 45 دك / 12 حصة
#لغتنا_الأم

Join LOYAC's national campaign to reinforce the usage of Arabic and participate in LAPA's Green Journalism workshops!
They are offered in collaboration with Mr. Sharif Saleh and sponsored by Al Rai Media Group.
Children will learn the basics of journalism, and the skills of writing and conversing in Arabic. By the end of the course, 'The Green Newspaper' containing articles written by the children will be published and distributed with Al Rai newspaper.

Age: 12-16
Price: KD 45 / 12 classes.
#لغتنا_الأم

صفوف غناء شرقي وغربي بالإضافة الى سولفيج مع مدرب الأصوات
يوسف بارا
ابتداءً من ١٠ سنوات.

رسوم التسجيل:
الصفوف الجماعية: ٥٠ دينار / ٨ حصص
الصفوف االفردية: ٧٠ دينار / ٨ حصص
للاستفسار اتصلوا على: ٩٧٢٣٩٤٠٨

Classes for western and oriental singing, including solfege
.offered by vocal coach Yousef Bara
The program is open for students
starting from 10 years old
Registration fees:
Group classes: 50 KD / 8 sessions
Private classes: 70 KD / 8 sessions

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Musicians Required for Taste of Q8

Taming the Fear of Education



EEK! My 13 year old precious has got to try to defend Israel and its Nuclear Energy Programme at  a Model United Nations in March - In a region where Israel isn't even on the maps. Daunting, but I have no doubt she will do her best.


On a higher note today she borrowed someone's phone at school to call me and tell me she just got another A for her mid-term math assessment and 100% on her exam paper. Bam! Diddly Bam Bam! Not bad at all considering she got an E last year but WE (yes that's a capital W and E) did some serious daily revision throughout the summer and consequently she is now rocking it. She's come a long way from the overwhelmed and unsure 12 year old of last year.  


I can thoroughly recommend IXL for math it was, and still is, fantastic. Sadly, the other websites were boring or confusing (Khan Academy) or not really working so well (Study Ladder). BBC Bitesize is also excellent for all subjects.


For languages you really must try Duolingo it's truly amazing and is really fun. Download the app to your phone and do it in the car or over a latte in Starbucks.


A good Arabic language site is Busuu.



A few important lessons I've learned along the way:


You can not just rely on the school you need to be very involved.


Kids will mature and get more responsible about their school work as they age.


It is important to be real with your kids. Hard work equals good grades.


There will be a lot of tears and frustration but it does pay off. Seeing my child finally get math was a crowning moment in both our lives.


All kids are good at something. Don't beat them down or they will give up. Encouragement, perseverance and bribes work really well.


Tell your kid to pay attention in class because 90% of what is being taught will be coming in the exams. Teachers don't normally waffle on about unnecessary stuff. If kids can pay attention in class then homework and exams will be a whole lot easier.


Babygirl has just chosen her IGCSEs for next year and depending on her teachers we shall see which subjects she'll need extra tuition in. Sadly, not all teachers have the gift of sharing the information in a way that kids can readily absorb it. And if kids aren't understanding then they will start to tune out and get lost. Watch for those signs. Go through schoolwork with them or Google and find one of the plentiful resources on the web to help them understand (see above).


There are many kids at our school that are getting fantastic grades and they are all different kids with completely different attitudes. Some kids are already very mature, focused and super smart with undoubtedly very bright futures ahead of them. Some need more time.


I'm just so happy my sweety is starting to get it. She still has a long way to go and I don't claim to know it all, far from it, but we have learned some valuable lessons which I've shared with you. If I had a penny for every time my kid said she couldn't do math I'd be a very wealthy woman... albeit grey-haired and still doubling my BP meds. 


A big thank you to the fabulous teachers at her school and even the not-so-fabulous ones who have taught my child valuable life lessons. One science teacher who was unavailable for several lessons and when they were there my kid did not understand a thing. But as in life one has to rely on oneself and find a solution. My daughter went to the year head and asked for a new course booklet but requested he write all the correct answers in it (she was unsure if hers was corrected properly and it was incomplete). The year head obliged and gave them out to anyone who asked. My daughter duly learned it from front to back in a few days and got herself a B which was a great lesson for her in taking responsibility, working hard and being independent.

We're getting there.....




Very proud of my daughter and a huge thank you to Mr Kaimakkami who is the most awesome of math teachers.



















Monday, February 20, 2017

Review: Fitbit Charge HR From Xcite.Com

 I was in awe of my BFF's new Fitbit and when I realised they were on sale at Xcite I hurried along to get me one. At KD 24.900 for the teal blue colour I was well chuffed with my half-priced bargain and couldn't wait to get it on and clocking up steps. Really simple to use, comes with it's own USB charger, syncs with any android phone. I was adding and competing with friends in no time. I was so excited to see my steps reaching the 1000s. I found it very motivating and satisfying. I started notching up the awards in no time. All the while it's measuring your heartbeat, steps. distance, calories burned, hours of sleep, length of exercise time and estimated weight loss. You can also challenge your Fitbit friends, keep track of your calorie intake and water consumption by just adding the details in as you go on your Fitbit phone app.I LOVE IT 10/10 Just ordered another for my 13 year old princess because she keeps asking me if she can have mine.For more details or to buy the Fitbit Charge HR from Xcite.com [link]. 




Thursday, February 16, 2017

American Girl Now Has a Boy Doll


Logan Everett, American Girl's first boy character, has gray eyes and brown hair, and wears sneakers and a T-shirt. Logan is also musically inclined — the company will release a drum set as the doll's accessory.

We loved American Girl Store in NY and had a super time [link]. A must visit if you're in the States and have young girls and now boys too who want a boy doll. 

Interesting. Having never been in the situation of having a male child want a doll I'm not sure how I would deal with it. But nice to know there are options.







.  

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Review: CATS The Musical at Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre, Kuwait


A wonderful performance such a treat for us here in Kuwait. The JACC is a stunning venue.
We had bought four tickets online prior to the day and then I needed to buy a fifth ticket a few hours before the show but had difficulty using the app and selecting a seat. The JACC website was saying there was a problem with my card. We took a chance as there were a few seats showing availability on the app/website and I luckily managed to purchase the fifth ticket at JACC very easily.
A little confusion over door opening times as tickets stated 2pm but we were not permitted into the main theatre until 2.30pm. Even so things went quite smoothly although my friend got directed to the ground level KD 100 seats but couldn't find me and realised she was on the wrong level. She managed to get up to level 2 just in time for curtain up. If they had done that to me I would have stayed down there.
B-level 2 was way up in the Gods and the stage looked very small. We felt that the seats were overpriced and that they should reassess prices if they are to fill the house for every show. And how about a discount outlet for last minute purchases like they do in New York?
The show was fabulous but the sound could have been a bit louder. I'm not sure I would ever pay KD 40 for those seats again and can't see me paying KD60/80/100 for better seats so I really hope they reconsider their prices.
At the interval the queue for the cafe was really, really long and by the time we got our drinks we had to hurry back to our seats. Only to find the doors closed and we had to wait for an appropriate time to enter which I entirely agree with but was a bit miffed that we had missed a part of the show. So I hope JACC can either open another cafe or increase service speed of current one. Also the ladies bathroom queue was pretty crazy too. Not sure if there are alternative loos available nearby but if there are perhaps they are not clearly marked and/or maybe the ushers could inform those waiting on line of their whereabouts.
We decided to have dinner at the Dancing Fountains but could not see it signposted anywhere and when we asked how to get there we were directed by two different security personnel to walk outside along the road for ten minutes to get to the restaurant area. Very inconvenient, we were all wearing heels and the cobbled pavements plus the pebbled areas were torturous. Isn't there a shortcut? 


Thursday, February 9, 2017

Abolish Article 153



Abolish Article 153 is hosting a multi-media awareness production on violence against women. 

Come watch a live theater performance, hear a story, and share the experience with local activists.



Friday February 10, 2017
7pm-8:30pm
CAP Gallery Rooftop

Help our community grow.



Sunday, February 5, 2017

Quote of the Week



A Glorious Day at Qout Market in Al Shaheed Park with Family, Friends and Food











Photo credit to my dear talented friend Michelle who has a great eye for photos and oodles more patience than me.

Sadly, the last Qout Market of the season. Gorgeous weather, family, friends and fabulous food. Does it get much better?









Thursday, February 2, 2017

Snow in Shamiya, Kuwait



Celebrate Kuwait National Day at Boulevard

Boulevard Fun Time

Budweiser's Super Bowl 2017 Commercial - We Are All Immigrants


Qout Market at Al Shaheed Park on Saturday

Al Shaheed Park February 2017 Events & Activities


(Click on the photos for more information)​
Qout Market
Saturday 4th 
9 am - 5 pm
at the Circle of Peace

 
Digital Poetry Night امسية شعر الكترونية
Saturday 5th
7pm -8pm
at the Multipurpose Hall
KNPC Walkathon
Thursday 16th
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
at the Core A Building
 
Hikma Stories حكمة
Saturday 4th  
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
at the Multipurpose Hall
The Cultural Saloon الصالون الثقافي
حوار مفتوح
Monday 6th
 7:30pm - 8:30pm
at the Multipurpose Hall

 
"لامس و غادر"
أمسية اجتماعية
Feb 20th & 21st 

at the Gate Lounge
*Registration Required
 
FITNESS & WELLBEING 
Sessions at the Park
February 1st - 28th
Word of Mouth
Tuesday 7th
 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
at the Circle of Peace
Children's Interactive Book Reading
Feb 6th & 22nd
at the Circle of peace
*Registration required