January 2019 | Issue #233 www.bazaar.town
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About the Cover: Nour Flayhan’s illustrations are instantly recognizable. The American Lebanese illustrator has journeyed across the world, leaving her desert home of Kuwait to London, Lebanon, the UAE, and everywhere in between. The self-professed mountain girl utilizes her illustrations to tell a story of the world and our imagination. A foray on to Nour’s Instagram account @Nouriflayhan will take you on a whirlwind adventure filled with incredible characters journeying across pine and cedar filled woods, lavender fields and orange blossom gardens, to warm sandy beaches and back up to breezy mountains, and so much more. Her vivid exploration between nature and humanity has led this storyteller to collaborate with brands like Gucci, Nike, Netflix, Vogue Arabia, Vice, Apple, amongst many others. Our New Year's gift to you is to spark your imagination with one of her talented pieces. We hope that your 2019 is filled with curiosity, wonder and more creative explorations!
January 2019 | Issue #233 www.bazaar.town
January is always a time of reflection on the year that just ended, resolutions for the year ahead, and all sorts of other deep thought processes. Over the years I’ve learnt the hard way that resolutions aren’t easy to stick to, and I’m sure I’m not the only who has wasted large sums of money on gym memberships and the accompanying gear, self help books, hypnotic sessions to quit smoking (eventually I did quit but it had nothing to do with getting hypnotized) and all sorts of other resolutions. When it comes to reflecting back on the year that just ended, now that’s another story. Bazaar Studios, our content creation department that we opened a little over a year ago, has slowly but surely become an indispensable part of what we do, and the way we communicate with our readers and followers in Kuwait and around the world. Videos, social media services, competitions, fashion and lifestyle photo shoots, car reviews (where else could we work where we get to borrow some of the most amazing and most expensive cars in the world for a long weekend?), crafting press releases, creative direction and so much more fun stuff that we get to do on a daily basis! We have also seen our readership grow on all of our channels with more engagement on our digital space and we appreciate all of your interaction with us. It helps us grow in better directions to serve you. And while we love all of the new gimmicks and tricks we can do in the internet age, we are also proud to be one of the last standing freely distributed Kuwaiti-printed magazines. January is special because not only do we get to release a fresh new issue with our 2019 wall planner, but we also release our annual bazaar Dining and Entertainment Guide too, so keep an eye out for it on the newsstands. This is the fourteenth edition of the guide and we could not be prouder of everything that has gone into it. Reviews, interviews with the movers and shakers of the food and entertainment industry, and a guide that can help you figure out what to do and where to dine in Kuwait for the entire year. It is half reference and half fun reading, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed working on it. This issue, we bring you our definitive guide to spending some quality time in the city. Grab a friend and follow in our footsteps. Food-wise, we ordered in some crispy fried chicken from Farm Brown Chicken for an at-work treat end the year on a fun note while also getting to know the creative minds behind the concept (we might have to reconsider our weight loss resolutions). If you are buying a car this year, might we suggest the new Porsche 911? It’s a stunner. Kuwait is full of creative people and this month we introduce you to Krysia Derecki, documentary maker turned podcaster and creative Shadan Al-Hamdan who can help you make 2019 a much-organized year. We also interviewed Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevich whose interactive sculptural murals have graced walls all over the world all in an effort to make our future a better place. And last but definitely least, Sir Patrick Stewart’s exclusive interview about his upcoming movie The Kid Who Would Be King and his role as Merlin the wizard is an absolute must-read! Happy New Year to all of you amazing people! Ahmed El-Adly
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The bazaar team... Boss Ahmed El-Adly
Operations Tim Burns
Business Development Ihab Mokalled
Content Manager Yasmine El Charif
Mixed Media Solutions Jennifer Cádiz
Design Ahmed Al-Ashab
Staff Writer/Online Media Hallah Danbouh Yasmin Gamal
Online Producer/Project Manager Umika Pidaparthy
Communications Hala Y. Sharara
Editor Alia Al Duaij
Cover by Nour Flayhan
Contributing Writers Ayman Nassar Barry Rodrigues Deepa Pant George Tarabay Nejoud Al Yagout Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg
members of:
Contributing Photographers Yousef Al-Nasser
Syndicates & Sources Baraka Bits Fast Company Kingdome.co LA Times MCT International Newsweek
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).
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INDEX JANUARY 2019 50
ERNEST ZACHAREVIC
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SHADAN AL-HAMDAN
A DAY OUT IN K-TOWN
The new Porsche 911 is a continuation of the automotive forerunner's rich history and heritage of sport cars that delight on the road and are a beauty to behold. The new Porsche 911 series arrive as the eighth generation of these amazing sports cars.
Her love for street photography, art, and music all interwine in a themed planner unlike any other. One that sheds light on creativity and local talent, along with collaborations that will inspire. Meet Shadan Al-Hamdan in up close and personal and her journey with prnt.
This glorious weather gave us the urge to walk around Kuwait City and explore the new and trendiest spots in town. We started off from Ahmad Al-Jaber Street, including its hidden turns within. Take a visionary walk and enjoy a day out in K-town with us.
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Basel Al Sulaiman and Ahmad Al Rabeea are the 'breast' of friends when it comes to cooking up the concept of Farm Brown Chicken! Fried chicken made to their very own recipe and exclusively available for delivery, Basel shares how it all came about with us in this feature.
Krysia Derecki spills the tea on her various experiences in Kuwait as mother, producer and citizen of the world. Currently based in Kuwait, get to know the woman behind the podcast series "At My Kuwaiti Table" in conversation with some of Kuwait's leading women.
Drifters, assemble! The exciting Red Bull Car Park Drift Series is finally coming back to Kuwait at SIRBB Circuit, and we have all the information you'll need to attend this exciting National Final on February 1st.
2019 marks the return of the highly anticipated Nuqat conference. But before that, we take two steps back in this collaborative effort that is Nuqat Insights x bazaar to collectively seed and share ideas to adapt our frame of thinking to face the challenges of tomorrow.
Graffiti, as an art form, used to be considered vandalism. But with today's new wave of street artists, murals are celebrated, photographed and go viral in minutes. Ernest Zacharevic takes it one step further by creating art installations that utilize the environment to start a conversation.
FARM BROWN CHICKEN
PORSCHE 911
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TRUTH OR DARE
DRIFT WITH RED BULL
P. 64 A DAY OUT IN K-TOWN 8
NUQAT INSIGHTS X BAZAAR
Ferrari
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ferrari 2
what's on January 2019 JAMAL ABDELRAHIM AT DAR AL FUNOON Date: 14 to 31 January 2019 Location: Dar Al Funoon – Kuwait City A 35-year-old of experimentation in painting, printing and sculpture needs “A Break” for some time and a return to study some outstanding topics in memory. For four years, I have been free to explore the topics I have been associated with since childhood, such as the street scene, the Muharraq alleys and its houses. Of course, I cannot forget the market scene, especially the fish market, which is engraved in the memory since childhood, and I began to think about completing a collection of artworks through my own vision. I worked on this theme and the result was artworks in color paintings, pencil drawings and prints (etchings). This exhibition is just a kind of innovation in my art research project, as it is a future step for more studies in the absolute abstraction. For more information, visit: www.daralfunoon-kw.com. SADI 2019 Date: 15th-19th January, 2019. Opening Night: 6:00 PM on Tuesday 15th January, 2019. Timings: 8AM - 8PM. Location: Sadu House, Arabian Gulf Street, adjacent to the Kuwait National Museum Come and join us in our fourth annual exhibition of SADI 2019, where five resident artists worked on Sadu inspired art pieces. With their modern and creative approach, they have found a way to bridge environmentally sustainable materials with this traditional Kuwaiti textile art. The SADI 2019 exhibition is the perfect place to see how this rich form of textile can be used today in regards to modern day issues like preserving the environment. If you love the arts and would want to learn about this historic form of local textile and craftsmanship come and experience it right here in the Sadu House! For more information, check out @SaduHouse on Instagram. OMAR KHAIRAT CONCERT Date: 17 January, 2019. 8pm Location: Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Culture Centre Listen to the legendary pianist and composer Omar Khairat in person, live on stage at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre. The musician returns for the second cultural season in a row and will be led by Maestro Nader Abbassii. Khairat, most famous for his acclaimed score for Lailat Al-Qabd Ala Fatma (The Night They Arrested Fatima), has composed music for various television shows, films and ballets. Audiences will be regaled by the incredible musical compositions, as Omar Khairat effortlessly moves from one piece to the next. You can’t miss this brilliant performance at JACC! For more information, visit Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center at jack-kw.com and follow them on Instagram @jacc_kw. AHMADI MUSIC GROUP MOZART PERFORMANCE Date: 31 January, 2019. 8pm Location: Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Culture Centre Boasting a roster of 130 musicians and singers from 22 countries the Ahmadi Music Group led by Maestro Richard Bushman, is one of the largest and oldest musical ensembles in Kuwait. The Ahmadi Music Group returns to the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre alongside members of the Kuwait Chamber Chorale to perform Mozart’s Requiem KV 626 and the Clarinet Concerto KV 622. One of the aims of Ahmadi Music Group is to promote the highest standards of live music performance in Kuwait. Both the 30th and 31st performances in the Jaber Al Ali Hall feature the most affordable ticket prices ever seen in JACC from 10 KD to only 35 KD for VIP seats! Do not miss a rare and wonderful opportunity to experience world class musicians and singers performing pieces from one of the world’s most beloved composers in an outstandingly beautiful location. For more information, visit Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center at jack-kw.com and follow them on Instagram @jacc_kw. Visit bazaar.town/events for more on what’s happening in Kuwait! 12
UNWIND
F RO M TH E DI LI G E N CE OF YO U R DAI LY RO U T I N E Your destination for complete relaxation.
Jumeirah
Located at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa +965 22269688 | jumeirah.com | @jumeirahmessilahbeach
what's trending January 2019
What: @Kottonkw Info: Japanese cheesecake and Korean twisted donuts! Editor’s Note: What New Year’s diet?!
What: @lunch_box_q8 Info: Brown bag your lunch in style with a reusable solution. Editor’s Note: Great for your health and environmental resolutions!
What: @objects.kw Info: Waxed and canvas ‘leather’ products made from recycled paper. Editor’s Note: We want the hold-all for stylish weekend getaways.
What: @yasminadolls Info: Handmade custom-made dolls. Editor’s Note: Great to commemorate a special occasion!
www.bazaar.town
What: @bazaargram Info: The 2019 bazaar Dining & Entertainment Guide is out! Editor’s note: Fill your diary with things to do and restaurants to try.
What: @mygarden.kw Info: Terrariums to add greenery to any space. Editor’s Note: No green thumb required.
What: @ayamy_agenda Info: Get organized for the New Year. Editor’s Note: A set of new pens won’t hurt either.
What: @kosakwt Info: Try sailing with the Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association Editor’s Note: Put the wind back in your sails in 2019!
As much as we work our hardest to give you one rocking print issue after the other, we’re socially active (or try our best to be, we are bazaar humans after all) and we love it! Find us online: It makes our day when we see your tweets/mentions/likes/comments/shares about your favorite features and more.
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Toni & guy
January Promotions Buy 1 get 1 FREE on Leonor Greyl Treatments Receive LG Treatment when purchasing 25KD of Leonor Greyl Products 25% OFF on Semi Permanent Lashes (Villa) Opening hours 10:00AM to 7:00PM 7 days a week.
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RUNKUWAIT CROSSES THE FINISH LINE More than 2,900 people came together to support children’s medical care By bazaar staff
It was a beautiful December morning; the skies were blue and clear. The perfect weather for running, jogging or even brisk walking. And the people of Kuwait did just that on the 15th of December to help raise funds for Fawzia Sultan Healthcare Network’s initiative for providing treatment sessions for children with special needs. This race was definitely the biggest one since its inauguration eight years ago. The RunKuwait initiative raised more than KD 60,900 which is estimated to provide more than 1,000 treatment sessions at no cost for the children treated at the non-profit Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC). These free of charge sessions are in addition to the subsidized ones, which are offered on a case-by-case basis, where up to 90% of the costs are also covered by the center. “The community’s response to our cause and their engagement is our driving force to continue offering the utmost levels of medical care and to support raising the awareness on how to maintain an environment where a child with special needs is raised.” commented Dr. Elham Hamdan, President and CEO at FSHN. In its early years, the RunKuwait initiative was successful in gaining the community’s empathy and support, which led the FSHN team to direct all the initiative’s efforts and funds towards the children with special needs treated at CERC. The unit offers services for children in a number of areas which include physical therapy, speech pathology, counselling/behavior therapy and occupational therapy. The race participants and their families, friends and supporters were welcomed with a number of fun-filled activities at the race village including warm-up exercises. All attendees were served refreshments and snacks throughout the day, offered by the event’s sponsors and participating companies. RunKuwait’s race this year was supported with generous contributions from the following sponsors: Agility as the Founding Partner, INTERSPORT and ASAR Legal as the Gold sponsors and EQUATE and KDD as the Silver sponsors. bazaar magazine was also proud to be a media sponsor of the event. First, second and third place winners were awarded across different categories for the 5KM & 10KM race including, Male, Female, Youth (18 years and below) & Masters (55 years and above). The serious athletes were able to complete the 10KM race distance within
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36 minutes. The first-place winners announced were Abdullah Rabeea (Male), Taiba Alnouri (Female), Abdulaziz Alduaij (Youth), Robert Dsilva (Masters). The sports enthusiasts who opted for a shorter race distance, 5KM, were also awarded within the same categories. The first-place winners included, Mohammed Salman (Male), Amal Alroumi (Female), Omar Qanbar (Youth), Abdulla Alsaraf (Masters). Everyone who joined
the race, whether to compete or simply support the cause, received their participation medal as they crossed the finish line and returned to the race village to join in the relaxing sports activities. For additional information about RunKuwait and how to continue contributing to the initiative, please follow the official social media account, @RunKuwait on Instagram and Facebook.
Rocket world
THE 2019 RED BULL CAR PARK DRIFT KICKS OFF IN KUWAIT Sirbb Circuit is set to host the national qualifiers, so mark your calendars!
By bazaar staff
On a global level, the story of drifting goes back to the 1960s on the beautiful winding Japanese mountain roads, where a bunch of likeminded racers set out to beat their A to B times by exceeding the grip limit of their tires when taking sharp corners. It did not do much to help their racing times, but instead evolved into an entirely different discipline. Drifting was born, and when a Red Bull manager discovered the exciting sport in 2005, he decided to spark a fire in the Middle East, a fire that still burns to this very day. Forward to present day, the 2019 Red Bull Car Park Drift lights up once again in Kuwait. The global qualifiers will be kicked off from Kuwait, moving from one city to another, with the series final hosted in the city of Istanbul later this year. It’s only been a couple of months since Lebanon welcomed elite drifters competing for the 2018 King of Drift throne. Lebanon have also hosted the first ever Red Bull Car Park Drift event in 2008, making it possible for all underground drifters to put their skills to the test, and placed the spotlight on rally champion Abdo Feghali, making him a drifting legend. Meanwhile, Kuwait is set and ready to revup its engines for the local qualifiers of the 2019 series on February 1 at Sirbb Circuit. The Drift is organized by Basel Salem Al-Sabah Motor Racing Club, and is sponsored by Falken Tyres and Platinum Gym. In celebration of eleven years since the first ever Red Bull Car Park Drift event in Lebanon, drifters will be competing to clinch the crown of the Kuwait 2019 King of Drift. Having had hosted a successful adrenaline-filled Series Final in 2017, Kuwait is, no doubt, in the position to impress thousands of drifting and motorsport fans alike. Over 2,500 spectators will visit Sirbb Circuit on the first of February to witness throne-thirsty drifters go head to head for the coveted title. With only one drifter qualifying from each participating country, Turkey will welcome the 2019 Kuwait King of Drift at the Series Final, where he will compete to claim the Series Final throne. Kuwait’s qualifying drifter will face a fierce challenge for the King of Drift title, competing against drifters from twelve other countries that have participated in the series. 2019 will kick off in Kuwait, and the competition will continue with qualifiers in Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Algeria, Mauritius, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Georgia, and Jordan. The competition continues to provide drifting amateurs and professionals with the opportunity to highlight their skills and compete for the crown, while capturing the crowd’s attention. Last year’s final witnessed an exciting turnout, with Lebanese drifter, Oliver El Kik, securing the King of Drift crown after a stellar performance, one that won’t be forgotten as much as the next one to happen! So gear up for the day of drifters on the first of February to catch a glimpse of fascinating drifting skills at Sirbb Circuit. For more information, visit www.redbullcarparkdrift.com. 18
Zitaat
DON’T LET WET HAIR DAMPEN YOUR STYLE beautique cosmetics intl. launches The Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler in Avenues Phase IV By bazaar staff
There could not have been a location more suited to the promotional launch of the Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler than the one strategically located in front of VOX Cinemas. The glitzy lights of the feature globe gave a glamorous backdrop to the booth situated in front of Debenhams flagship store, where you can now find this musthave beauty tool. There are already devotees in Kuwait who are familiar with Tangle Teezer’s brush designs, but this design is completely new. Satisfying the needs of current customers and winning many new fans to the UK born and made brand, this is a revolutionary detangling invention that has never before been seen, although many have previously tried and failed to create one. The days of sectioning off your hair, carefully working your way up from the ends with a comb are long over. With the Wet Detangler, you can go about your business with wet hair just as you would with a Tangle Teezer on dry hair. There is no need to worry that your wet hair will be broken, pulled or knotted, and the Wet Detangler should be the first brush you use in your hair-care routine. It can be used during a shower to scrub your scalp whilst shampooing, to spread conditioners and masks evenly, and to distribute oil treatments too. The beautique X Debenhams Wet Detangler launch is a natural collaboration which comes from an ongoing successful relationship. Both teams continuously celebrate new products together. During the promotional launch they wanted to pass on those celebrations to the customer with a fantastic offer that brought crowds around the booth eager to discover the newest release! With the promotion being “Purchase any Tangle Teezer brush from Debenhams & Receive a FREE Wet Detangler from the booth” this was a great opportunity for those already used to their Tangle Teezer brushes at home to venture into blow-styling and finishing tools. beautique cosmetics intl. ideally advises a three-step plan for hair care with Tangle Teezer range. Step One: Use an Originals or Compacts tool. Then, Step Two: Blow out using either of the Round or Paddle Blow-Styling tools. Finally Step Three: Complete your styling by using the Tangle Teezer bestseller The Ultimate, which is the Finishing Styling tool along with the Back-Combing Brush. Because the high quality brushes last so long, they do not need to be replaced for years to come, making them a great investment. Tangle Teezers have become collectible items that come in all different shapes and sizes featuring different colors and designs. For color coordinated fashion lovers there is a glam Tangle Teezer that suits any and every occasion!
Keep a lookout for new releases hitting the Debenhams stores and stay up-to-date on all things Tangle Teezer @tangleteezer.gcc on Instagram. Photos courtesy of beautique cosmetics intl. For more information, please visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com, and follow @beautiquecosmetics on Instagram. 20
Mutawa
up close & personal
ORGANIZING THE
CREATIVE MIND WITH SHADAN AL-HAMDAN
NEW YEAR NEW PRNT. PLANNER By bazaar staff
Almost three years ago, and at the age of 19, Shadan Al-Hamdan and Latifa Al-Khaled had an idea whilst in the middle of their Civil Engineering classes at Kuwait University to create a planner. One that attributed to their personalities and aesthetical senses, a planner unlike any other stationary organizer. When prnt. first came into the scene back in 2017, it focused on one theme, street photography. At the time, street photography was booming, and the team decided to take advantage of this passionate and creative trend to turn it into what became the 2017 organizer. 22
With a theme highlighting Kuwait City and Arabic calligraphy, both concepts beautifully intertwine. In addition to the placed organizational features, the planner became an instant hit. “I was into street photography, I used to go on photo walks with several photographers whether they’re amateur or professional photographers, so I was really inspired by street photography back then and I still am now.” Said Shadan. Her passion can be seen from her Instagram profile alone, where she constantly displays her love for the streets, music, art and photography. This passion has turned her profile into visual artistry, where an entire row would include her personal photographs and the fabulous Music Monday hashtag, a weekly ritual that she holds on to ever since the hashtag emerged on social media. “I can shoot something, and be like ‘wow, that’s a good cover for a playlist.’”
The 2019 planner however, introduces a brand-new theme under the title ‘Motion,’ with the new addition of typography. Prnt. really showcases the interest of art all together, along with collaborations of regional local talents who are seeking a platform to shed light on their artworks. For this year’s planner, prnt. collaborated with the Kuwait-based design studio, Multitude, where they asked them to interpret motion through their eyes and typography, which would correspond with the pictures that were originally picked for the 2019 planner. The relationship between motion and typography is explored in detail, where as you attempt to organize your everyday thoughts and plans, the visuals transform from jotting down notes into an interactive experience. “We decided that we didn’t just want this to be a stationary brand, we want this to be a platform
where we collaborate with different graphic designers, photographers, calligraphers to have them showcase their work through our products,” she said. Another inspiring collaboration is the ‘Think Yellow’ campaign, which was created with OX Adventure and three graphic designers to produce a notebook collection with an aim to raise awareness for a cause. Before the trip to Sri Lanka with OX Adventure, Shadan and her partner pinned everything down towards one question: What makes you happy? “It’s a very general question, but when you ask someone and they actually think about it, you can’t just immediately answer it.” During the trip, the volunteers were set for a visit to an all-girls orphanage, and that’s where the ‘Think Yellow’ notebooks and campaign came from, with papers and markers in hand, the volunteers asked the girls at the orphanage to draw what makes them happy. “We didn’t see it coming, they drew the simplest of things, most of them drew us playing with them. Just giving people your time, that [act] goes a long way. Ever since we saw those drawings we were like, okay, this has to be something big, we have to go back to Kuwait, and this isn’t just going to be a notebook collection, it’s going to be a whole campaign,” said Shadan. After organizing a charity event, and launching the colorful and positive campaign, prnt. demonstrates what start-ups in Kuwait are capable of achieving. From a simple planner, to spreading positivity and charity values through a yellow notebook, prnt. is becoming a platform where creativity of all kinds is introduced and welcomed. As Shadan herself said, “The planner itself pushes people to stay organized but at the same time it appreciates art as well.” The next step for prnt. is a collaborative trip with OX Adventure and Artspace Kuwait to Sri Lanka, an art-based trip that will be filled with creative activities for anyone to join. As we’re embarking on a new year, new resolutions and no doubt, tons of plans, it’s wise to remember not to get lost in the chaos. “As contradicting and ironic as this will sound, coming from a person that promotes a planner, this is one of my favorite quotes that I came across to recently, 'Life is what happens when you’re too busy planning it.’ Sometimes I find myself planning, and I forget to just enjoy the moment." said Shadan. This notion also links back to prnt's inspiration for the 2019 'Motion' planner. The balance between planning life instead of just leaving it to happen is not entirely easy. But, achieving your own sense of balance by using tools that creatively inspire you, and planning your time around that notion, will surely help. With prnt., not only are these tools made available, but they are also creatively celebrated.
[Continued...]
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UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE What do you most value in your friends? I think what I value most in a friend is someone that’s easy going, loyal & understanding. What is your idea of perfect happiness? To me happiness is in the little things, whether it’s getting a task done, creating a playlist, or getting lost with my camera. What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is not doing enough or accomplishing the goals i have set for myself. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? If I had to choose one trait I deplore in myself it would be impatience. What is the trait you most deplore in others? What I most deplore in others is dishonesty. Which living person do you most admire? My dad, for the way he sees the world, the way he balances his work life & family/social life, and the constant need to take care of everyone around him. My mom, for the way she deals with things on a daily, how she’s very well organized, and how she shows us all everyday what a boss lady she is. What is your greatest extravagance? I think my greatest extravagance would be for sneakers always. I am not a huge fan of shopping, but when it comes to shoes, sneakers in particular, i allow myself to go crazy. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I think I use the word “chill” a lot, and my friends and family can vouch for that. What is it that you most dislike? I’d have to say vegetables. Which talent would you most like to have? I’d most like to have the talent to mix really cool songs. I think in another life i would definitely be a DJ. If you could have any job, what would it be? I would definitely be my own boss. My dream job would revolve around art, design, and creating more products with talented individuals. You’ll just have to wait and see where I go, or plan to do in the future. What would you consider your greatest achievement? At a young age, I’d have to say my greatest achievement yet is balancing prnt. work, getting
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my degree in civil engineering while still trying to maintain a social life.
I would love to live in New York, and I feel like at one point of my life, i will.
What is your most treasured possession? My most treasured possession would have to be my music library, my playlists to be exact. I’d feel lost if they were to disappear.
What are your favorite words to live by? As of now my favorite words to live by are — “change is good.”
What is your most marked characteristic? My most marked characteristic would be being a good listener. Where would you most like to live?
For more information about prnt. and Shadan, follow @prnt.kw and @mycitystreet_ on Instagram, or visit the website www.shopprnt.com for the latest planners and notebooks. First feature photo by Saud Aljuwaiyan. Other photos courtesy of Shadan.
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IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME A letter to 2019
By Dr. Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg
Dear Future: I am a bit afraid of you. I’m not sure how you’re going to treat me. I don’t know if you’re going to be kind to me, be mean to me, help me accomplish my dreams, or trip me, laugh when I fall, and kick dirt on me as you walk away. I’m feeling anxious that I can’t quite gauge how we’ll get along. In the past, I’ve naively run to greet you – laughing, anticipating how together we’ll do great things. I’ve embraced you, felt the awesome potential we have…and then cried as the potential I was so chuffed about crumbled away to nothing and I limped to the finish line, hoping that next year – you – would be different. It makes me a little bit unwilling to get entirely excited about meeting you again. Remember that time I dreamed we’d change the world you and I, and I threw myself enthusiastically into doing just that? You just melted away. You didn’t help. You didn’t even stay. I thought I worked so hard that year and had almost nothing to show for it at the end except some experiences I hadn’t really planned on and no way to recapture my sense of enthusiasm. I 26
think someone once said, “I am successful, or I learn. I do not fail.” I’m sure he meant well, but I’m also pretty sure he wasn’t talking about how it feels to have a whole lot of learning and not much success. So, you’ll forgive me, I trust, if you notice me looking at you a little bit sideways. It’s not that I blame you, exactly, but I don’t think you were very helpful, either. You marched on, as I floundered and lost my way. I wasted so much time trying to figure out what I was doing wrong that I couldn’t get any traction on all the hopes I had when we first met. Really, we should be invincible together, you and I. There’s so much untapped potential in both of us. You stretch out in front of us, unmarked and full of promise, just waiting for me to get my groove on. I’m feeling a bit bad about hesitating to make the commitment. Isn’t that what you, the Future, needs? A commitment? A plan? Maybe I need to apologize for equivocating here, but let’s face it, every new year I’ve totally embraced our potential, charging toward you with nary a second thought. I’ve been let down so many times; you weren’t the help I thought you’d be, trickling away without any notice while I was trying to solve some problem. If you’d just waited for me, it could have worked out differently a lot of those times, I think. But you didn’t and now I’m hesitant.
As I write this letter, I’m realizing that I don’t have a whole lot of choice but to find some way of trusting you enough to invest in dreams again. In fact, come to think of it, I’m wondering if this struggle is my problem. All that time and nothing accomplished. I had trouble getting started and so I dithered, and you quietly carried on without me. I guess it’s not you, it’s me. You’ve truly been the same every year making no promises except that I can rely upon you, the Future, to offer me the opportunity to accomplish what I said we would do. The same offer you make to everyone to do – or not – what they choose. You’re the one who is reliable, and I’m the one who flakes out. This year, dear Future, let’s make that different. I’ll be mindful and remember that you can’t wait for me. Carpe diem in 2019.
Dr. Susannah is a leading psychologist, registered professional counsellor and Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling based in Canada. For more information, please follow @DrSusannah on Twitter and Instagram and stay tuned for her latest updates. Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash.
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IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES
Carriage’s new category of electronics and gaming makes life easier and more fun By bazaar staff
Carriage has always been about trying new things and breaking boundaries, making this process such a part of their DNA, that they have chosen to have it in their name trycarriage.com. So when they recently announced a new category in their platform, we were pleased but not exactly surprised. Electronics and gaming are now just a couple of taps away. At the time of writing this there are already a dozen stores that sell gadgets, knickknacks, video games and more. And almost all of the stores have a delivery time of just under an hour. Imagine yourself at the office and you’re charging cable dies on you. You no longer need to resort to “borrowing” your coworkers’ cable or scramble to find a cheap knockoff at the corner store either. Just get on the Carriage app and get a genuine replacement from E-Market. You get all of the benefits of using Carriage. Quick, trackable deliveries with no guesswork involved. If you think you might as well just order from a regular electronic store website, most of them offer next day delivery as their standard option or at the very best deliver in four hours. The most competitive one can deliver in two hours and will charge you extra KDs for that service. With Carriage, though, it’s just business as usual. And since you have your address and location on file already, you don’t have to deal with the driver calling you every 5 minutes to get your address or complain that he is lost. Your other alternative is to go to the stores yourself. But let’s be honest, we all want to avoid traffic, looking for a parking space and wasting a couple of hours of our life that you could spend doing things you actually enjoyed. The new category isn’t just for phone accessories or little electronics, it is full of fun things. One of our new favorite stores on the app is Funko. Our inner geeks squealed when we realized we could easily order our favorite licensed character collectibles with the giant heads and small bodies. Funko stocks Marvel, Disney, DC and more original Funko Pop vinyl figurines that would make fantastic gifts for your pop-culture obsessed friends (or yourself). And if said geeky friends suddenly show up at your door for an evening in, just use the app to order a meal from your favorite restaurant and couple of new games so that you can all enjoy 28
competing against each other. Al-Fuhood carries a number of great Playstation titles and even controllers if you need some extras. You can even order a wireless high definition Nebula Capsule Smart projector to cast your epic battles on the figurative big screen. For people who prefer to go old-school, Real Games Arabia stock physical table-top games. We especially love Balo3a and Suicidal Cat. It is all fun and games until the going gets tough and you discover that not all of your friends are graceful losers. Nevertheless, you are all set for the night with food and entertainment. And while it might seem that all of these things are for homebodies who don’t want to leave the house, the DJI store is a godsend for outdoorsy drone videographers who might need a battery or propeller while they are at a location on a shoot. Just enter your location in the app and your missing piece will reach you faster than it would take you to go get it yourself. We have already found so many useful things
that we knew we needed but just haven’t had the time to go buy like high-quality reliable power banks and genuine Bluetooth speakers that won’t make our ears bleed from terrible acoustics. And then there are the things that we didn’t even know we needed that could make our lives easier like the Philips Hue lamps at E-Market and the Robo-Vaccum that we found on A-Store.
Carriage are giving our readers a 1KD discount code, but you have to guess the code, hint: try using the italicized words in the article. You can download Carriage on your iOS or Android device or visit www.trycarriage.com. For more information, follow Carriage on Facebook: trycarriage, Instagram @try.carriage and Twitter @trycarriage.
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5 DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS TO EMBRACE IN 2019 And evolving social media strategies By Barry Rodrigues
While most of us understand the importance of having a proper digital marketing strategy, not many of us have an actual longterm strategy in place. A strategy that has a clear set of goals and a vision that includes digital transformation is key to survival in this millennium. Those of us who don’t have one yet, we are in for a rude awakening and unless you heed my advice and get one, your business will suffer. Here are a few predictions on how digital marketing will evolve in 2019. Digital transformation will be mandatory to survive the new millennium. While many companies out there have adopted technology at various levels, not many of them have a clear-cut strategy of how they plan on using technology to deliver a superior customer experience. Many leading marketers and business thinkers believe that while the primary use of technology should be to help organizations get more productive, the end beneficiary should always be the customers and as such brands don't just need to come up with a digital marketing plan but learn to survive in a market that is digital. An omnichannel approach as opposed to a multichannel approach. To make this point I will simply quote John Bowden, Senior VP of Customer Care at Time Warner Cable who explains how omnichannel strategies are more customer-centric. “Multichannel is an operational view – how you allow the customer to complete transactions in each channel. Omnichannel, however, is viewing the experience through the eyes of your customer, orchestrating the customer experience across all channels so that it is seamless, integrated, and consistent. Omnichannel anticipates that customers may start in one channel and move to another as they progress to a resolution. Making these complex ‘hand-offs’ between channels must be fluid for the customer. Simply put, omni-channel is multi-channel done right!” Sales and marketing funnels will evolve Gone will be the days when you could simply run a Facebook or Google Ads campaign, point to a landing page, gather leads and make sales happen. In a time when customers are inundated with hundreds of marketing messages daily, it will be cost effective for marketers to qualify leads before getting email addresses or other contact information, thereby not only weeding out the time-wasters but also giving customers a better experience once they do sign up. A marketing funnel is the best way of accomplishing this.
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Key characteristics of a funnel will include an opt in page, an explainer page that contains either video, text or imagery that explains the benefits of the product and an upsell page to get a certain percentage of your new customers to spend more money with you. Search will dominate but will become faster and more personalized. Search engines (mainly Google) want to give their users a more personalized and painless experience and utilize data science to deliver this. In addition to this, with Google's Speed Update for 2019 will initially only affect the slowest sites, from past experience, we can expect Google will change the weighting on the algorithm to affect more sites that don’t improve their speed within time. This would be similar to what the search giant did with https encryption earlier this year whereby it ranked websites without encryption way lower than the ones with encryption. Eventually, https will be mandatory for all websites on Google. This level of standardization will help encourage an even playing field and should essentially help marketers who follow the rules and keep up with the latest trends. Additionally, search is gradually moving towards voice and 2019 will see a significant increase in voice activated search thanks to voice assistants like Google, Siri and Alexa. Social media will continue to evolve.
Instagram and Snapchat will continue to dominate the millennial demographic especially with Instagram offering good returns on ad spend to advertisers. Facebook however will decline in this segment but will increase in the 55+ demographic and this will in turn help brands target middle aged and older customers with better engagement. For B2B marketers, LinkedIn and Twitter will continue to provide a good engagement platform. With Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016, I am happy to say that the platform is back on track and provides a more focused approach to not only individuals wanting to network and look for sales and job opportunities but also for brands to create a solid value proposition and create a following. I would feel extremely proud if even three of these five predictions come true so I guess we will have to wait, watch and see what 2019 has to offer. But one question still looms ahead; with trends evolving and customer demographics changing rapidly, is your business ready to embrace what 2019 has to offer? Barry Rodrigues is the founder of NexGen Digital, a London based digital engagement company that uses using creativity, insights and technology to help customers tell better stories. His experience includes 18 years in top marketing positions in the Middle East. He also provides pro-bono consulting services for small businesses. For comments, email barry.nexgen@gmail.com. Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash.
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DISCOVERING KUWAIT WITH KRYSIA DERECKI On the art of storytelling and Hawally explorations By bazaar staff
Of Russian/Polish descent, Krysia Derecki was born and bred in London, and then subsequently moved around, living in Australia, the Philippines and back to London before landing in Kuwait. A truly global citizen, she is well-placed to understand and appreciate different communities, having experienced so many as a result of her father being a chemical engineer in the oil business, and her husband being an ambassador, here at least for the next three years. Krysia humbly acknowledges that her ability to socialize and communicate with Kuwaitis, and
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residents of Kuwait at the top of their professions comes from an almost accidental place of privilege, and is using these opportunities as a force for good. Having read International Relations at the London School of Economics, it would be fair to assume that Krysia would be the diplomat. Who is to say she isn’t, with the wealth of work she is embarking upon to document, through a twenty-minute podcast, the incredible efforts the women she’s had access to are doing in Kuwait to better the community we live in or to live more soulful lives. “There are so many amazing women here” she insists, “and I find them inspirational.” This experienced documentary producer with international TV and Radio production credits from the likes of the BBC and ABC on topics ranging from football to the Victorians, has the slight frame of the trained dancer she was in her youth. Similarly, this belies the strength
within it. It takes sheer determination and guts to survive the media world. A woman, a mother, dropping in out of nowhere into tightknit, oldguard broadcast communities has to essentially restart her career every time. A soon as she’s earned her place Krysia has to leave again, off to place the first bricks for the foundations of a home life so her husband Jonathan is able to have his family around him while working for his country. This keeps their son feeling secure, loved and unafraid of global adventure. So, she has simply put a stop to this staccato career by creating a brand and producing her own content starting with a series of podcasts under the banner: “At My Kuwaiti Table.” Having interviewed both Jonathan and Krysia, it is easy to see that these parents are exactly on the same page. Home is where they all are, a strong [albeit traveling] unit of three, and at six years old their son does not feel the pain
of homesickness. Krysia has stayed in London before, for two years with their toddler son while her husband completed a stint in Bagdhad. The majority of their relatives are in London so there was a lot of support there, but this Kuwait posting has allowed them to be here together as immediate family which is a welcome change. It is thrilling to meet someone who recognizes the beauty and history of Kuwait, is excited to be here, and recognizes the significant cultural experiences to be had. While she finds the sexes are separate, she loves that the women here are autonomous and very strong. Sincerely she declares, “One year in and we’ve had a really great time”. Krysia loves nothing better than going for walks, wandering about and exploring Hawally, her producer’s mind cataloguing nooks, crannies and tidbits for future reference. Krysia also enjoys spending time in Mubarakiya, meandering through the stalls and watching their son discovering his own Kuwait, as well as making their temporary abode as homey as possible with music (Jonathan’s vinyl records collection) and books. “On our first day here…people came up to us and they told us that ‘Kuwait has got its own charms, it’s so friendly, and there’s a real feeling of community’...and it has been [exactly that].”
TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE How would your mother describe you in one word? Vibrant. How would you describe your mother in one word? Nurturing. What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked? Are there birds in Australia? What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Booking Eurostar tickets with my friends to go spend New Year’s Eve in Paris.
What is your dream retirement location? Kew Gardens for six months of the year and as the winter blues hit I’d hot foot it over to Sydney, Australia and hang out there. What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind? “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde. Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life? Border Collie Dog – Faithful, intelligent but still bouncy and fun! Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it? Sherbet Dip Dabs and reruns of Bewitched.
What is your theme song? “Always look on the bright side of life” Eric Idle (Monty Python’s Life of Brian).
If you could change your name, to what would you change it? I have many variants for my name so I am happy with it – Krysia, K, Kiki, Krysh.
What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented? Wabi Sabi.
How would you describe your handshake, in one word? Determined.
Where would you like to live? Kew Gardens, London, England.
What is the toughest part of your character? Determination .
Who is your favorite historical figure? Queen Elizabeth I. What in the world do you least desire? A car – strange I know as everyone in Kuwait has a car or covets them. What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place? More community spirit. Why do you think most people who do, like you? I hope it is because I am fun to be around. Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…” ...out there, sometimes you have to dig around to find it, and sometimes it is hard to hold onto but cherish it when you have it.
Follow AMKT on Instagram @AtMyKuwaitiTable for the ways you can listen to the podcast. Editor’s note: See the article “TABLE TALK” by Nejoud Al Yagout in this issue to meet the entire team behind the AMKT podcast.
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THE ART OF DJING
PART 3: Getting to grips with mixing By bazaar staff
Hello DJs! Following up from part 2 of ‘The Art Of DJing’ in November, now that we have covered the all-important task of finding equipment, it’s time to do what DJ’s do beststart playing music. DJ’s have many different ways of playing music. For example, dance music DJ’s will usually mix tracks together in one continuous set, bringing one track after another with as little disruption to the flow as possible. Hip-Hop DJ’s do a similar thing but include a lot of technical skills like scratching and beat juggling. Pop DJ’s (or wedding/radio DJ’s) will simply play one song after another with minimal mixing effort. Then you have turntablists who are a whole other level of DJing and technical skills…not something I personally can do but they are amazing to watch. For an extreme example of what these guys do, go look online for a DJ called Mr Tape…the true epitome of DJing and its roots. You might already have an idea of what you’d like to do when it comes to DJing; maybe you love a certain genre and simply want to do what your favorite DJs do. Or maybe it’s just that you love music so much that you have to DJ by any means, 34
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and you’ll figure it out along the way. The main thing is, despite what some music snobs might say, there is no wrong music, no wrong way to play, and no set template; play what you love, how you love, and develop your own style. By the same token, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so copy your favorite DJs if that’s what you want. You can even recreate their best sets, track for track-the only rule you need to follow when DJing is to HAVE FUN (that’s what it’s all about!). If you’re a house DJ, it doesn’t mean that’s all you can/should playdrop in some dubstep if that’s your bag too. If you like rock music and drum and bass-bring them together in a mix! People often ask me how I learnt, or who taught me. This was all pre-internet so I had to teach myself. I’d been listening to mix tapes of the big rave DJs, which is what made me want to start myself, so I had an idea of what I wanted to do. I found out what equipment I’d need to start mixing, and luckily found somebody selling theirs locally. Once I got it all home, and brought a few records, I’d play a record and experiment with every button and lever on the turntable to see what it did. If I found something I wasn’t sure about, I’d be sure to ask the expert in my local record shop during my next visit.
Once I understood the full working of the turntable, I did the same with the mixer, playing with every switch and fader in sight until I knew what each one did. Soon I understood how to fade from the music playing on the left turntable to the music on the right one, and I knew how to cut or increase volume, bass and treble in each track. I was halfway there! Once I had these steps down, I figured out how to mix. Since I understood by this point that sliding the pitch controls on the turntables changed the speed, sliding up to slow it down and sliding down to speed it up, that I needed the speed of each record to be the same in order for the beats to match in time. The whole process from buying the equipment to eventually getting two tracks to play together in time took a few months. The first time you get two records to mix at the same speed without clashing is, to music heads, one of the best feelings in the world, and something you’ll never forget. It would be more difficult today for new beginners in that hardware now has much more to it, more features and so much to look at. On the plus side, access to tutorials online is as simple as picking your phone up. There are some great videos
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online that talk you through the basics, however I’d definitely advise that you try and do all you can alone and without help before checking them out. Not only is this the best way to get a full understanding of each piece of the puzzle, but you’ll also feel a great sense of achievement as you progress. So until you pick up some skills on your own equipment, start with the bare minimum by finding out how to get a track to play. As the music is playing, mess around and play with each button, switch and fader to see what happens; music will speed up and slow down, start and stop, get higher and lower in pitch, volume will increase and decrease, and much more. By practicing you’ll quickly find out what everything does and, eventually, how that all fits into bringing a mix together. The next step is to learn about beats and bars, something that I find tricky to explain in writing but I will try my best, using dance music as the example. The 4 beat rule applies to most music though so hopefully fans of other genres can still follow below. Any veteran DJ will tell you that, even while not DJing, when they hear a song, most of the time they will be automatically counting in their head ‘’1, 2, 3, 4’’ in time with the music. A lot of DJ’s even do that with day to day things too; the sound of a car indicator, somebody drilling into a wall next door, the sound of a phone ringing…it’s just how we’re programed! We do this because when mixing, we’re constantly keeping track of the music that’s playing so that we know when we should bring the next track in. A track is made of various sections. For example, if you take an average dance track it starts with a simple buildup of just a kick drum for the intro, after some time you will find some percussion included, a short while later some strings and so on. Each of those sections are made in multiples of 4 beats; if the intro kick drum plays for 16 beats before the percussion comes in, that’s 4 lots of 4 beats. 4 is the magic number. Ideally, you want to start your mixes at the end of a 4 beat sequence. So just picture the above mentioned dance type track now playing from the very beginning. Each thump of the drum is one beat: *thump, thump, thump, thump* (4 beats) *thump thump thump thump* (4 beats) *thump thump thump thump* (4 beats) *thump thump thump thump* (4 beats). You could bring your next track in after any of those sets of 4 beats. The best time is to start when you know a change in the track is coming. So using the above example, after the 16 thumps is when the percussion would start (this would be a change in the track and a nice time to start mixing). Depending on the tunes you’re playing depends on the best time to mix into them. For example, if you have a vocal house track playing and the vocals have just started, you wouldn’t then bring another vocal track into the mix otherwise you’ll end up with two different vocalists playing over each other. There are infinite possibilities because of the dependence on what you’re playing, as well as your 36
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own preferences. This is where, as mentioned in last month’s article, it’s essential you learn the tracks you’re playing so that you know when to end a track and start another. You don’t need any beat matching or technical skills if you can learn the tracks. I fully appreciate that my explanation may not be the best so do go online and check out videos on the matter! But at least know that it is important to learn and know about the 4 beat system. Tip: Once you’ve learnt your equipment, and want to start figuring out how to mix, play the same track on both decks. Because it’s the same track, the BPM (beats per minute), the key and the structure will be the same on both decks and it will
simply be a matter of trying to get the song to meet in time without figuring out the pitch and layout. So with that, everything here is really what you ought to focus on for the beginning. Practice is the key here, and it will take time to learn (even longer to master), but as long as you love what you’re doing you’ll enjoy the whole journey. Next time we will have a look at how to get started planning sets, playing out and more.
If you have any questions, or want advice when it comes to anything in this series of articles, mixing, equipment or anything else to do with DJing, you can hit me up on Instagram @timmybdj.
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bazaar goes cruising
THE NEW PORSCHE 911 Eight generations of powerful, sporty, striking cars on the road By bazaar staff
W W
hen you think of Porsche, what is the image that automatically pops into your head? Most of us have visions of the 911. Sleek, powerful, strong and purrs like a big cat on the tarmac, this car has permeated our collective psyches when it comes to setting the standard for sports cars.
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It’s the most iconic model in the automobile maker’s portfolio of designs. And the eighth generation was just premiered to the world on the eve of this year’s L.A. Auto Show. Two models were unveiled, the 911 Carrera S and 4S Coupé to an excited crowd of car lovers and enthusiasts. It’s tough when your biggest competition is yourself and your own heritage in the industry, but it’s a challenge that Porsche has managed to rise to with every passing generation of 911s. This one boasts more power, speed, control and a redesign of what matters without straying away from the legacy. The 911 is a star in its own right and has starred in many American series and movies over the years like Hawaii Five-O, MacGyver, Bad Boys, No Man’s Land and The Freshman. Celebrities have always loved them, Jerry Seinfeld, Keanu Reeves, Hillary Duff and Miley Cyrus are obsessive about their 911s. But our favorite is Janis Joplin’s popping psychedelic model. True to its DNA, it is a timeless sports car, but with more muscle on the outside and an updated modern interior. With great power, comes the need for more intelligent control, which Porsche have added to the new models. The chassis has also been improved and the assistance systems enhanced for an uncompromising dynamism that the car is renowned for. The engine performance has been dramatically revved up, producing a mighty 450 horsepower. That’s
an added 30 hp to what the previous generation could do. Hit the gas of the turbocharged flat-six engine of the 911 Carrera S and you can go from zero to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds. The 4S, with its allwheel drive can do it in 3.6 seconds. Shaving off 0.4 seconds from their older siblings’ records. And if you really are a speed freak, the Sport Chrono Package is even 0.2 seconds faster. With a top speed of 308 km/h for the 911 Carrera S and 306 km/h for the all-wheel-drive version you need a more efficient engine. Porsche has not overlooked that either, the 911 Carrera S needs 8.9 l/100 km, while the 911 Carrera 4S uses 9.0 l/100 km. Efficiency comes from the new improved injection process and a new layout for the turbochargers and air-cooling system. The newly developed and obsessively engineered eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (dualclutch transmission) delivers the extra power. The assistance systems have been updated to offer more control and safety. Porsche Wet mode is now a standard feature in all the models. The car automatically detects water on the road. The driver is warned, and the control system is automatically adjusted to handle the change in conditions. The person behind the wheel just needs to press a button to let the car do all the work. The standard warning and brake assist system not only detects the risk of colliding with another [Continued...]
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moving object, it can initiate emergency braking. For the first time, Night Vision Assist is available as an option. The thermal imaging camera added to comprehensive connectivity uses swarm intelligence to ensure a smoother and safer drive. And if you love to go cruising, adaptive cruise control includes automatic distance control, stop-and-go function, reversible occupant protection and an innovative autonomous Emergency Assist function. The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed the new exterior design changes which help improve performance without sacrificing the aesthetic identity of the 911. Wheel housings are now wider and arch over the 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels. All of the models have the same width in the rear
highlighting the slimline center. The front is almost 5cm wider with electrical pop-out handles that make the sides like smoother and more tapered. The rear end now has a wider spoiler that can be positioned in several ways was with the seamless light strip that makes sure even people seeing the 911 from behind know that is the boss. And the bonnet, which is always instantly recognizable has been given more pronounced recesses that are a nod to the very first generations of the 911. And you can’t update the exterior without giving the interior a makeover. And the 1970s models inspired the changes in the dashboard. Porsche went back to the clear straight lines with recessed instruments. The rev counter is still in the center,
but now two thin frameless displays give the driver more information. The new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system center screen is now 10.9 inches for better visibility. The system is designed for ease of use and a distraction free drive. Porsche have a respect for their long legacy, but they design for the future in mind. And the 911 models now come digital connected with new functions and services like navigation and Porsche Connect Plus. The 911 Carrera S and 4S are beautiful iconic cars that have proven their merit in the speed, power, control and design departments. But they are also futuristic in their vision, features and capabilities. It is a car that you wanted to drive in the past, the present and definitely in the future.
The 911 Carrera S and 4S models are available for order now. Contact the Porsche Centre Kuwait - Behbehani Motors Company, for more details call 1870 870 or visit www.porschekuwait.com. For the latest updates on social media, follow Porsche Centre Kuwait on Instagram @PorscheCentreKuwait and Facebook: PorscheCentreKuwait. 40
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TABLE TALK
What's cookin' At My Kuwaiti Table? By Nejoud Al-Yagout
Every once in a while, an initiative comes along that is so unique, one gasps. And that's the case with At My Kuwaiti Table (AMKT), a podcast that just launched in Kuwait, the brainchild of Krysia Derecki (KD) – producer of AMKT and wife of H.E. The Ambassador of Australia to Kuwait. At My Kuwaiti Table is presented by (in alphabetical order) Chaitali B. Roy (CBR) - author of Women of Kuwait: Turning Tides and Dr. Lavinia Davenport (LSD) - wife of H.E. The Ambassador of Great Britain to Kuwait. And Anees Backer assists with the technical production of the show. Now, who would think of interviewing local women by asking each guest to introduce her favorite dish? These three ladies would! And as they come face to face with each guest, the questions begin, starting from the significance of the chosen dish and expanding to topics that reflect the guest's interests and contributions to society. This is one of those iconic, original creative platforms that you know is going to resonate. 42
[Continued...]
The marriage of food and conversation, an age-old union. What is it about food that helps a person open up and relax? CBR: I believe food has a direct connection with comfort and relaxation. I am a complete foodie. For me, food is a mood booster. And I like to experiment. When I travel, I have to try the local delicacies. And so when Krysia suggested using food as a conduit, a conversation starter, I felt it would work very well. LSD: Food & relaxation must be linked to being fed as a child when one had not a care in the wide world but was just showered with love & yummies. In my case, those first mouthfuls of goo were put into my newly formed mouth by my Goan nanny Mrs Dan - on the roof of our Nairobi pent-house flat. I rejoice that in coming to Kuwait, I, at last, come across so many people from Goa. So, in that respect, it is like coming home. KD: For me preparing and cooking the evening meal is a necessary joyous daily ritual. Like I did when I was younger with my mother (who is a fabulous cook and baker) my son sits up on the kitchen worktop and is either drawing or chopping something for the meal – he also learns about healthy eating and cooking skills, we chat about our day, sharing stories and jokes. We always sit up at the dining
table to actually eat – so he lays out the cutlery and the mats and plates and I dish up and then we have more conversations while enjoying the meal. I also get him to talk about the food what it looks like and tastes like – it is a good idea as it gets him trying new foods he may refuse to eat otherwise. At My Kuwaiti Table is still in its inception. Will this be a seasonal podcast or are you only presenting one season in a series of episodes? KD: The idea for At My Kuwaiti Table came from my love of listening to one of my favourite podcasts – Honey &Co, The Food Talks – (Honey & Co. is a restaurant in Fitzrovia in London, which serves up delicious Middle Eastern inspired food and their podcast is interviews with chefs, food writers, or food producers). In another life I would have loved to have been a chef so I feel blessed to be able to use my broadcasting skills to produce our own podcast with a foodie angle. And when I moved here in January 2018 I was meeting so many amazing women – ladies who are talented, interesting and inspirational. At My Kuwaiti Table (AMKT) is a celebration of both these things – food and interesting conversations with great women. To give you a taster we have lined up a poet, an activist, an architect and inventor and many more.
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We will produce an initial series of ten interviews and then hopefully, go onto another series of interviews and the podcasts will be available every two weeks from mid-January 2019. Each guest will also offer up their favourite dish, which will mean something to them personally, be it sweet or savoury – one that evokes memories of a special time and gets the conversation flowing. Hopefully AMKT will be a refreshing addition to the Kuwaiti media landscape, supporting and promoting women here in Kuwait as well as being of interest to an international audience. Hopefully, it will really take off and who knows where it will take us. LSD: This is by no means a seasonal podcast- it is an eternal one which we will continue doing together for as long as possible in Kuwait. When we go our separate ways (we are all, alas, only here for a while) with Krysia’s blessing (it was her idea, in the first place), I intend to go on to create other ‘At My Table’ scenarios wherever we land up next. Krysia’s recipe is a recipe for life! CBR: Definitely, it is not a seasonal podcast. I did a Kuwaiti woman-based show for Radio Kuwait for three years, and I felt I could carry on with the show for at least three more years, so huge was the scope. But that show was limited to Kuwaiti women, with AMKT we are reaching out to other nationalities. I believe we can continue with AMKT for a long time. Feminine energy is permeating the planet and the local community. And your show, right on the pulse, is dedicated to highlighting influential women in society. Is the podcast a way for women to inspire women to contribute more or merely a way to highlight the achievements of local women? Or both? LSD: Absolutely both...Hopefully those that listen will reach out to us with their input and be inspired by the unusual discussions with a small precious group of brilliant achieving women - the best Kuwaiti culture can provide. Often hidden in the sands, our task is to winkle these women out and to branch forth from the elite to encourage lesser known women to come out of the woodwork and shine. CBR: Although we are seeking out women who have a standing in the country we will not leave out those who are not so well known, those who spend years silently working behind the scenes without any acknowledgement of their silent contributions. KD: I feel very fortunate to be living here, especially at this time and I have found the women in Kuwait most inspiring. Each interview is special and unique and whilst profiling the wonderful achievements of each guest the food element has really helped the guests to reflect on their lives and their futures. Although the guests are locals, the dishes can be from anywhere. What's the most surprising dish a guest has brought to the table so far? KD: We are at the early stages of recording so we have had delicious Indian dishes and vegan inspired dishes and a magnificent chocolate cake. One common theme is that it is food that is seen as a comfort – that is tasty but simple – one that reflects happy times in life. 44
[...Continued]
CBR: Shall I be frank with you? I was pleasantly surprised by your choice of dish, Nejoud. Palak Paneer is a typical North Indian preparation, and it is not a dish I would expect a Kuwaiti to know well. I mean, it’s like me choosing haggis as my favourite dish. But then, food can open an interesting window into an individual’s likes and dislikes, and you continue to surprise me as usual. Finally, how do you think this era of technology and social media can embolden women and make them less reticent? CBR: Technology and social media have had a remarkable effect on women in recent years. I recall an interview I did with Tawakkal Karman the Nobel Laureate from Yemen, and she told me how she used social media most effectively to harness public opinion in her country and the region during the Arab Spring movement. That was the time when women came out of the shadows with the help of social media and became citizen journalists. And here in Kuwait, the effect of social media like Instagram, Snapchat and the rest has been significant on the emergence and growth of women entrepreneurs. Young women, just out of university,
have started their own businesses some of them small scale with the help of social media. Some women have started successful blogs, evolved into fashionistas and influencers’ and made an impact. Technology and social media has made them less reticent, empowered them to come out of the shadows, express their opinions and become financially independent. KD: Well I think social media offers up wonders and horrors – I really believe in responsible social media application and use. By that I mean social media for a reason and positive endorsement. I have a young child and I am really considering social media’s role in my life and how I want him to see me utilise it and how to that monitor that use. Here in Kuwait – Instagram is queen and I really enjoy using the apps and feel for our podcast it is a vital visual way of complementing the audio interviews. I believe though in thoughtful social media so hopefully our podcast will help foster that environment.
Learn all about At My Kuwaiti table on Instagram @atmykuwaititable.
Carriage
EMBRACE CHANGE IN THE NEW YEAR Amazing tips and tricks for better living spaces with JYSK
By bazaar staff
Another year has come and gone and your New Year's resolutions are set: you might eat more healthy, workout often, and learn to finally deal with stress. But have you gotten around to think about improving your environment? Your home and work environment influences your mood, impacts your behavior and motivation to act, it can facilitate or discourage interactions, and even create or reduce stress.
Declutter to destress
Light up your environment
Sometimes the smallest changes in your living and sleeping environment can positively impact your mood. For some rooms it's an accessory, for others it’s a plant or a new love seat. If you appreciate minimalist surroundings, nobody knows more about functionalism and minimalist living and design than Scandinavians. Scandinavian design is a movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism, and functionality that emerged in the early 20th century, flourished in the 1950s, and remains popular in the 21st century. One of the leaders of this moment is the Scandinavian furniture brand JYSK. JYSK’s sleeping and living products are renowned for their utility, simplicity, affordability, beauty, and center around warm functionality, flawless craftsmanship and understated elegance - all traits we seek to showcase in our homes and exuberate in our lives. So, are you looking to enhance your environment and in return, actually accomplish this year’s New Year's resolutions? Then take a page out of the Scandinavian way of living and follow our tips below: Light up your environment We’ve always known that rooms with bright light, whether natural or artificial, can brighten our day, and studies confirm this (Interested to know more, read “Incandescent affect: Turning on the hot emotional system with bright light” in the April 2014 issue of the Journal of Consumer Psychology). So next time you feel overwhelmed turn on a lamp or open a window before you decide to indulge in a pint of ice cream to calm your nerves. Declutter to destress We all have it, that one chair that also doubles as a coat-hanger and shoes that litter the floor. You’ve tried everything to clear up your space but your hamper just doesn't hold enough and your closet is too small. A clean entryway and living space is the key to a clear mindset, and adequate storage will encourage you to take the time to put things away.
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Start a conversation Get a good night’s sleep
Start a conversation Having more unrestricted spaces and open concepts is beneficial to our mental health and no home is complete without a living room. No, not the “visitor” living room filled with antiques and romanticized cushions - but the one you spend day-in and day-out in with your family and friends. An inviting space with comfortable chairs, decluttered tabletops, and inviting color-tones facilitates interaction and communication with your loved ones which can lighten your mood and start a conversation when things get tough. Get a good night’s sleep Sleeping well directly affects our mental and physical health and the quality of our waking life. Sometimes even small changes to your sleep environment can make a big difference to your quality of sleep. Keeping your room dark, cool and quiet, and making sure your bed is comfortable can help combat those sleepless nights. Choose a suitable mattress and pillows that fit the way you sleep, whether on your back or side, to avoid waking up with a stiff neck or back and refrain from watching TV or using your phone before you sleep.
JYSK is available at AAW Furniture Showrooms in Al-Dhajeej and Shuwaikh Industrial Area. Showroom opening hours are from 10am to 10pm seven days a week. For more information call 2226 1884 or follow @JYSK_KUWAIT on Instagram. 47
ZAHRA AND THE PLATTER OF PERFECTION Meet the Dubai-based culinary talent!
By Deepa Pant
Zahra Abdalla is an incredibly multitalented Dubai-based food blogger, food stylist, brand ambassador and recipe developer. Blurring the lines between modern and traditional food, she is successfully presenting cross-cultural culinary expressions through the lens of her multicultural heritage, by redefining Western dishes peppered with Middle Eastern ingredients and vice versa. Zahra Abdalla is half Iranian, half Sudanese and happily married to a Jordanian. She considers herself a modern day Bedouin who was born in London and has had the luxury of calling Khartoum, Riyadh, Athens, Sacramento, London, Windsor, Vancouver and Toronto home. She now calls Dubai home. With over 60,500 followers on Instagram, Zahra has a remarkable feed: everything from zaatar manakeesh and batata harra to peanut butter date balls. But, if you think her Instagram is impressive, wait till you see her blog that's full of evocative visuals and simple doable recipe collection that perfectly encapsulate Zahra's innovative repertoire. When and why did you decide to start a food blog? I started my blog over 8 years ago. Initially, it was intended to serve as a recipe index for my close circle of friends, however, over the years it has evolved to serve viewers and followers from all over the world. It is such a humbling feeling when I get feedback, emails or messages from people from Latin America, India or Egypt. What is the best part of being a food blogger? I inadvertently stumbled onto a career that I love. It is commonly stated that you should always do what you love - I always knew that I loved food and, more importantly, loved feeding people, so I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to convert my joy of food into a food-related business.
to the art of cooking. She continues to inspire generations of cooks to follow their passion and have fun in the kitchen. How do you infuse cross-cultural flavors into your repertoire? My food is definitely influenced by my travels. Having lived in so many different parts of the world, I have had the opportunity to discover and learn about so many new and beautiful flavors. I love playing around in the kitchen and recreating western recipes with Middle Eastern flavors and vice versa. Favourite ingredient? I absolutely love dates, in all its variations. A kitchen gadget you can't live without? A good, sharp knife and a lemon squeezer.
Who are your cooking inspirations? My mom and grandmother. I have beautiful and fond memories of my childhood and food is always at the center of everything. I love Ina Garten, author of Barefoot Contessa, her cooking style is always so simple yet delicious. I love Jamie Oliver’s drive to inspire a whole new generation to eat well and eat healthy.
What do you always have on hand, either in your fridge, or pantry, for a quick snack? It is important that my children have healthy eating habits. I always stock the fridge with cut vegetable crudités they can much on. The kids like baked Zaatar Pita chips with some labneh on the side – it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to prepare. My eldest son is a sweet tooth so as a healthy alternative, I have a batch of chocolate-dipped energy balls for him to enjoy.
Who is your culinary icon? I don’t think I have one specific person; there are many incredible chefs who have inspired me and influenced my style of cooking. I have a soft spot for Julia Child. I love her passion and commitment
Any two kid-friendly recipes that you would recommend from your blog? My kids' two favourite recipes that they love when I make them are spaghetti with garlic shrimp and coriander, and Basilla (Pea and Lamb Stew).
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What's your signature dish? I have three signature dishes: Yuluanji (Iraqi style stuffed onion and vine leaves), broad bean and dill rice served with braised saffron lamb shanks, and finally Musakhan (Palestinian-style chicken served with braised onions and taboon bread) If you were having a dinner party and you could invite anyone, who would your guests be? Edward Said, Amal Clooney and Lela Abu Leila. What would be your dream destination regarding food? I am torn between Cape Town and Tokyo. When outside the kitchen, how do you spend your time? I am usually with my kids. My guilty indulgence is curling up on the sofa and enjoying a good book that I can read uninterrupted. Once I start reading, I disappear in the book until it is finished. If your current self could give your past self one sage baking advice, what would it be? Don’t stress the small stuff. Be grateful for every roadblock, it is a diversion to something better. What makes Dubai special to you? I love how Dubai is so multi-cultural. Diversity is celebrated and respected. For more on Zahra Abdalla, check out www.cookingwithzahra.com, and follow her on Instagram @CookingwithZahra. Find a special recipe by the talented chef on www.bazaar.town! Images courtesy of Zahra Abdalla.
Jumeirah 1
THE ART IS ON THE WALL Ernest Zacharevic makes a statement with his huge installations all over the world By bazaar staff
Our perception of street art has gone from angst-driven acts of spray paint vandalism to an appreciated form of social commentary. And for Ernest Zacharevic this statement cannot ring truer. Hailing from Lithuania, the artist rose to fame in 2012 after his Mirrors Georgetown project in Penang, Malaysia. His work combines fine art techniques and graffiti, and Ernest has taken it one step further by turning his installations into interactive works that take on a life of their own, being both conversational and inviting. You don’t just want to share them on your social media feeds, you want to become a protagonist in the visual story. When one of Ernest’s friends jokingly suggested that he should include real props for his work, he employed the use of motorcycles and swings, coupled with a painted mural. The result? The public excitedly responded—they wanted to be part of the art. It is public art, after all. Ernest’s education was in Fine Arts, but his 50
Living Walls in Atlanta
Style Wars
aesthetic breaks the rules of the traditional arts while still using the techniques from different mediums to create something new but just as timeless. He looks to create art that speaks to human beings all over the globe. As an artist, he is interested in the relationship between art and the urban landscape. He uses his work to raise awareness for issues he believes in like the Splash and Burn project. The self-initiated, ongoing project brought the unregulated Palm Oil farming practices in Indonesia, also illustrating its secondary effects such as deforestation and wildlife displacement, and how much they harm communities and the environment. He revisits this initiative in an effort to continue the great work being done to bring these issues to light. More recently, Ernest collaborated with various artists for Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the government of Dubai’s media office and municipality to give us Dubai Street Museum, an initiative to bring more color to the facades of buildings in the emirate. The collection features visuals that draw from the country’s heritage and culture and displays them as a reminder of the city’s collective roots. We interviewed Ernest to learn out more about his creative process and thoughts. Your education is in Fine Arts, but you have chosen to pursue a career in the arts that is outside of the field's traditional bounds. What first compelled you to do that? Graffiti used to be my way of balancing out a rather restrictive art education that I went through as a teenager. After graduating there was no longer any pressure to my fine art practice as well as being adult, I no longer felt compelled to follow a conventional graffiti rules so eventually both practices started blending together. How important is it to understand art theory and concepts? I put a lot of thought into my work before I pick up the brush, however I do not expect my audience to receive every aspect of it. I try to keep my work universally relevant to the viewer regardless of their background or knowledge. You recently unveiled some work that was done in Dubai. What was the experience like? Making public art work in the Emirates can be really challenging due to the very conservative rules and regulations that reach every aspect of people’s life, including art. I enjoy that sometimes though, you have to be creative in trying to deliver the idea and message of the work within a very narrow frame of what is considered to be politically correct in the country. What draws you to the use of mixed media? Being educated in a very traditional art school taught me that art is more than just the ability to control the medium. If there is no creative thought behind the process, there is no skill level that can help to turn a picture into art. Therefore, I never limit myself by one medium or another, I try to use what is necessary to deliver the idea and what is available to me at that time.
Ernest Zahcharevic at Magic City in Dresden. Photo Credit Rainer Christian Kurzeder What inspired you to use real life objects with your own art? My good friend suggested it as a joke once and I just thought it was a brilliant idea. I’ve been trained as a painter, however sculpture and other kinds of dimensional mediums have always been a big passion for me. Splash and Burn was a collaborative project with other artists too. Do you prefer working alone or do you enjoy working with other artists? I do enjoy my private time in the studio, but I feel it's necessary for artists to work with other artists and people from different disciplines every once in a while. There’s is just something about sharing your ideas and process that teaches you things you can’t learn on your own. What is the biggest difference between working alone and with others? One thing graffiti teaches you is that you can achieve your goals faster and more efficiently working in a team. Do you feel protective of your art or do you believe that art should be shared and built on in the future?
Working outdoors really makes you learn to let go of your art. The moment I finish my painting I consider it belonging to public. Your installations have varied wildly. From protest/awareness pieces like Splash and Burn to the Norwegian Bubble and there has been a lot of experimentation. What has been your most pleasant surprise after an experiment? Norwegian bubble was a very interesting case. Not a very pleasant surprise but as I was painting the piece there was a house just few blocks away that got caught on fire. It’s those weird moments of serendipity that really inspire me to keep trying new thing. No matter how weird and different it feels at the time it always connects somehow in the end. Do you prefer being commissioned for your work, collaborating on something, or just doing something spontaneous on your own? Definitely my own practice is something I always prefer but commissions often bring interesting challenges and opportunities, so I really don’t mind doing that every once in a while. You have travelled the world putting up your art, how has that changed your views on art? Has
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working globally changed you as an artist? I think that is what built me as an artist to start with. You have used art as a way to raise awareness, why do you think using art and installations succeed in doing so? Art is a powerful visual language. It works for media and government propaganda and it works just as well against it. People love your installations and murals; how do you want people to respond to your work? Public reaction to my pieces can be very hard to predict sometimes. I don’t anticipate much when making my pieces. For me, it is important to keep my mind open about it. Your entire process is on display, unlike an artist who works in the privacy of their own studio. Do you think that creating the installation is also part of your art, like a performance? In some cases, the process is very much a part of the art. However, more often than not, I prefer my privacy even when working in public. I usually try to paint at night or during more quieter times of the day. Which is your favorite finished installation? Which installation did you enjoy working on the most? I don’t really have favorites across my own work. Everything I work on for the Splash and Burn project has a special place in my heart, so perhaps that is something I feel strongly about. What kind of advice would you give to aspiring artists? The biggest mistake that artists do in their careers is when they stop making art. Normally, art does not bring much of a financial return or otherwise for the first ten years of your career or so. It is important to stay motivated and keep up the practice. What project would you love to do in the future? I try to keep my ambitions realistic. Most of the time, my dream project is the one I am working on already. I always get immersed in it and hardly plan anything else until I’m done with it. Any future upcoming plans we can share with our readers? I’m currently working a lot in the studio in anticipation of my solo show next year. After that, I plan to get back to the Splash and Burn project. The impact of the palm oil industry on the planet right now is worse than ever before and it is necessary to address it in every way we can. We have great plans and ambitions for the project, but it is still a little early to give out details.
To see more of Ernest’s work, follow him on Instagram @ernestzacharevic or visit www.ernestzacharevic.com. Images courtesy of Ernest Zacharevic. 52
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Children playing in Dubai
Streetlayers Photo Credit Vinny Cornelli MagicCity in Dresden
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BALANCING LIFE AND WORK IN 2019 The rumors are true, the glorious old days were indeed the best days By Ayman Nassar
Close your eyes. Picture the days when you were young, back in the day, frolicking in the sun, kicking around a football or chasing your friends in a competitive game of hide and seek. Immerse yourself in that life, the scraped elbows and scabbed knees, the toothless grins and the crates of Pepsi delivered to your doorstep. Now, think of your parents. Remember the amount of time you spent in each other’s company, either enjoying the great outdoors (weather permitting), or the “few” mall options that were available in the nineties (back then the majority were called complexes). Notice how you were never staring at the top of your parents’ heads, with an eerie, other-worldly glow streaming from the palm of their hands? If you believe this article is meant to lambast the Smartphone and how it has taken time away from families, turning them into mindless zombies in constant need to satiate their appetite with selfies, likes and comments on all forms of social soap boxes, then you are partially correct. We are analyzing it from a different angle, though. Go back to that image of your parents. Do you recall how vacations were? Specifically, the absence of any screen, whether hand-held or lugged around in a suitcase like a giant handcuff, shackling your mind to Netflix, the internet or worse, email? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the devil is in the details. And the details of the 21st century are morose. We have completely lost the ability to isolate ourselves from the world around us. When I wanted to call my dad, I had to call a switchboard, if he was at his station, hooray, we got to have a conversation. If not, he would call me back. Now, I simply whip out my nifty mobile phone, key in his number (because I am a good son who learns the important numbers off by heart, not just restaurants) and reach him wherever he might be. For family, this might seem like a godsend. However, it can also be used for nefarious purposes – the J O B. Yesteryear, vacations were a time to truly relax, to totally switch off and drop off the grid. Whether you were traipsing about your old stomping grounds, or gawking at unfamiliar sights of unexplored destinations. You were not electronically tethered to your workplace. Which begets the question, what are we teaching our children? Strike up a conversation with any new-age parent, and the drivel that comes out of their mouths is almost identical – we do not allow our children more than 30 minutes of screen time a day, we strive to keep them off Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc. We may be able to dominate them with an iron fist, whilst the sad reality remains. As we strictly keep our
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children off of technology, we are merely present at home in the form of husks; empty shells with minds tied down at the office, where we failed to punch out on time, and instead brought this savage intruder from the workplace and into the home. I stand not upon a soap box preaching, but amongst the masses lamenting the irreplaceable loss of quality time as a result of always being on call. You do not need to be a family man to feel this loss. Every day, everyone around you gets a little bit older, a little bit more tired, whilst you (and I) are always answering emails, always taking phone calls. The age of our parents’ oblivion to technology seems almost like a golden age of quality family time. How can we teach our children to use technology responsibly, as we continue to abuse it both personally and worse, professionally? You can easily take time off of social media when you are posting about yourself,
but when your client requests a last minute change, or a barrage of replies, you find yourself unable to refuse. You will never again have a true and proper vacation, unless you somehow manage to lose your mobile phone and develop selective amnesia which prevents you from remembering your work email password. For the new year, let us not make the same mistake of choosing fitness as the generic resolution. Rather, lets aim to add quality to the time we spend at home, by leaving the office where it is, and occasionally our mobile phones there, too. Like the Rubik’s Cube, Ayman Nassar is multi-colored in his interests, from running to organizing races, stand-up comedy and internal audit, plus a little writing on the side. You can find him on youtube. com/lordaymz or follow him on Instagram @lordaymz. Photo by Harry Sandhu on Unsplash.
Solia
FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS!
Taking care of your children’s eyes with International Optique By bazaar staff
If there is one thing that is stressful to parents, it is maintaining the good health of their children. It’s impossible to not be worried about things that you may have no control over, and then must hand over to the experts. This is why trusted opticians like International Optique are so important to have as part of children’s eyecare from early on. These professionals have invested forty years into making sure they know how to care for your and your children’s eyesight. Now, in the newly refurbished and relocated Kids’ Boutique on the first floor of Salmiya’s Central Plaza your children will be as comfortable and as well-looked after as they can be. bazaar was impressed by the thoughtful and fashionable designs curated by the International Optique team as we explored the brightly colored and spacious new location with Head Optometrist April Habig, eldest daughter of founder Dr. Rolf Habig. Discussing the difference that this new space has made to the International Optique experience April explains, “The kids seem to be happier and the parents are more relaxed too as 56
there is so much more space and you can see the collections much more clearly.” With floor to ceiling windows, the area is bathed in daylight and is a cheery, uplifting place to spend time in. As you approach the Kids’ section you are greeted with a compact play area with a low table and chairs perfect for your little ones to enjoy and be distracted by while you discuss with the optometrists exactly what is needed. There is a huge range of frames on display, from specialty sports frames and swim goggles to ensure that children can resume their favorite activities freely, to super high-fashion mini-me options from Stella McCartney and Gucci, and instantly recognizable trusted eyewear brands like Ray Ban. There are even ultra-lightweight rimless designs that don’t look like you’re wearing glasses at all, and wraparound sunglasses for extra protection! As some people also have smaller width frame requirements there are some sophisticated designs that will suit adult clients too, from high-end brands like German Mykita. And you don’t have to shop in the Kids’ section, the sales staff can bring the designs to you in the main store area if you prefer. International Optique are cognizant that if children are diagnosed with eye problems at a younger age, even babies, this can mean a serious financial consideration for parents over the years. A provision has been made within the ranges of affordable options that look just as stylish as you would expect from these knowledgeable opticians. “Price matters too, as children can break anything from any age. So [we offer] good quality products at affordable prices.” April explains. But glasses can be a little annoying for children unused to having something sit on their face. What can be done to help children wear their necessary glasses? There are frames that you can tell have been specifically designed with young children in mind. Made with hypoallergenic materials, lightweight, rubberized, silicone tips, bendable, and fully wraparound so they don’t fly off with a shake of head in full tantrum. There are even frame arms (known as temples) which are designed to be cut to size, so they can be fitted perfectly to match the length of your child’s head. Even more accurate are the frames with adjustable pieces that run the length of the temples, snugly fitting at the back of the ear. An example of this can be found in the brand Centrostyle, a research and development focused eyewear business designed in Italy and manufactured in the Far East, passing on the savings to the customers but delivering on innovation. International Optique with their years of dealing with children’s needs have even designed and made their own frames for babies and toddlers. It is very impressive. You can tell that this is a family business with decades of experience behind them. The third generation of the Habig family may only be a year old but already she is in the store, playing with the stuffed lions and toys that are strategically placed to distract children while they get fitted for their
[Continued...]
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eyewear needs. Huge puppets can be used to show the children how easy it is to wear glasses, by the puppets looking like they are putting on the glasses themselves. It must be fascinating to watch as a young kid, seeing these child-sized puppets leading by example showing how happy they are to be in the store trying on different kinds of glasses. Children are drawn to characters on branded products they know such as Hello Kitty, but after initially seeing these identifiable characters, because the ranges and the brands are so broad they then have the option, gradually being guided through the entire process, to try on others. They may prefer unique design elements like those seen on Vinyl Factory frames with its iconic guitarhead shaped temple tips. Or they may like the comfort of silicone nose pads, fixed or hinged. Having such a comprehensive display on the walls and with the staff being super knowledgeable about the stock that’s not on display, International Optique gives parents myriad options as well as the tools to customize their child’s look. If they want a certain color frame but with another finish, for example, the opticians will provide these solutions where they can. It takes approximately two to three weeks to get exactly what you have ordered. Colorful frames that your child has chosen for themselves can also make glasses a fun confidence boosting feature accessory for children but if parents prefer to have rimless glasses that are almost invisible to the eye, these are available too from brands such as the Danish eyewear specialist Lindberg. Like all frames, rimless styles also need temples or arms. However the thinnest of these are beautifully sculpted with one frames’ example by MINIMA Kids featuring metallic jewel colors of emerald green and imperial purple that runs along them like an iridescence seen in a spill of petrol on water. The new Kids’ boutique will soon feature a reading corner as well, so your little bookworms can spend even more time happily whiling away the time it takes for the highly trained staff at International Optique to consistently deliver high end service with stylish products at affordable prices. The new corner location is ideal for these young customers, roomy, bright, colorful, and there are several distractions to keep them happy making parents’ visits to the opticians with their beloved little ones a pleasure.
International Optique newly refurbished Kids Boutique is found on the right-side corner of the first floor of Central Plaza, Salmiya as you look out on to Salem Al Mubarak. Visit the website www. intoptic.com to see all the locations in Kuwait and follow them on Instagram @intoptique for their latest news. Photography by Yousef Al Nasser, @ yousefcam on Instagram for bazaar Studios. 58
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JAR
JYSK NOW IN SHUWAIKH! By bazaar staff
Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co. (AAW) and JYSK celebrated the launch of the second JYSK furniture store in Kuwait, a grand opening event was held at their new showroom in Shuwaikh on December 19. The launch of the second JYSK branch comes one year after the brand launched its first flagship showroom in Kuwait and in the Middle East, following high customer demand on furniture and accessories from the world-renowned Scandinavian brand. With over 23,000 employees and 2,700 stores operating worldwide, JYSK is now available in 51 countries. The new JYSK branch occupies 1,100 sqm and showcases high-quality Scandinavian furniture and accessories including living room, dining room, outdoor furniture, home accessories bedrooms, home textiles and carpets. The evening featured a variety of activities, competitions and live entertainment including live coverage in-store on Kuwait Pulse 88.8 radio station’s “Diwaniya Show” hosted by Mr. Talal Al Yaqout and Mr. Khaled AL Ansari. The grand opening event was also attended by AAW Chairman and CEO Mr. Faisal Ali Al Mutawa, JYSK Franchise Director Frederik Kroun, JYSK Country Manager Mr. Georges Abou Haidar, and AAW Marketing Manager Miss. Ayaat Morgan. In addition to selected members from the interior design community, social media influencers, and the general public. AAW Chairman and CEO Faisal Ali Al Mutawa said: "Around a year ago we introduced and celebrated the launch of our first JYSK branch in Kuwait in Al-Dhajeej. Building on the success of the branch, we are proud today to officially launch our second location in Kuwait. This opening continues our expansion plan into the furniture sector and it also comes in response to high customer demand on simple, modern, tasteful and affordable Scandinavian inspired furniture. We promise to continue to seek ways to further enrich the Kuwaiti furniture market with more leading international brands.” JYSK Franchise Director Frederik Kroun said: “We are delighted to be here today to celebrate the success of JYSK in Kuwait with the launch of our second branch in the country. We’ve grown together over the last year and this expansion demonstrates the success, hard-work, and our care to quality and meeting customer demand. AAW has a long-standing track record of meeting these standards and a strong position in the market for delivering high-quality products and services to the community, and we look forward to continue to strengthen our partnership and cooperation with one of Kuwait’s leading retail and distribution conglomerates.” AAW is one of the largest trading and commercial companies in the Middle East, with business operations across a range of growing sectors, such as Consumer Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Furniture and Carpets, Real Estate, Kitchen Furniture, Home Appliances, Outdoor Gear, Sports and Fashion and Food & Beverages. The company operates over 100 different global brands in the Middle East's surging retail and consumer goods market. JYSK is available at AAW Furniture Showrooms in Al-Dhajeej and Shuwaikh Industrial Area. Showroom opening hours are from 10am to 10pm seven days a week. For more information call 2226 1884 or follow @JYSK_KUWAIT on Instagram. 60
SHAKE SHACK
CREATIVITY REWARDED: MCDONALD’S KUWAIT NABS FIVE MEPRA AWARDS McDonald’s continues to push the boundaries of traditional marketing By bazaar staff
The days of talking at your audience are long over. Any marketing, advertising or public relations executive will quickly tell you that the word of the day is engagement. No brand looking to standout in the clutter and build long-term brand equity is usually satisfied with carrying on a one-sided monologue with an audience. Rather, it wants to engage, generate buzz and get the conversation going with the public. One brand that continues to excel in that is McDonald’s. Over the past few years, McDonald’s Kuwait has been on a mission to push the boundaries of traditional marketing, eschewing run-of-themill tactics for the sake of buzzy stunts and standout campaigns. This year proved to be an especially rewarding one for the brand, creatively 62
speaking, as it saw its creative partnership with Weber Shandwick Kuwait - its long-time communications agency - produce not one, but two, award-winning, viral campaigns. “World Cup Drive-Thru Experience” and “Ramadan Memories Made Together”, two innovative campaigns produced earlier this year, became two of the brand’s most talked about and popular efforts to date. Dramatically different, yet equally impressive, they became instant conversation fodder and social media sensations. “Neither campaign was traditional in any sense of the word. They were different. They were bold. They were risky. But we wanted to continue pushing the envelope, and we had complete faith that our risks will be well rewarded,’” said Sherif Coutry, Senior Marketing Director at McDonald’s Kuwait. In fact, McDonald’s was more than well rewarded, as it recently won big at the 2018
Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards, nabbing two Gold and three Bronze honors at the tenth edition of the annual communications awards, during a ceremony which was held in Dubai. The “World Cup Drive-Thru Experience” campaign kicked off the awards ceremony with the very first win of the evening, grabbing the Bronze Award for “Best Sports & Entertainment Campaign”, before winning Gold for “Best Use of Sponsorship”. On the other hand, the “Ramadan Memories Made Together” campaign won Bronze for “Best Corporate Reputation Campaign”. In the “Best in Kuwait” category, “World Cup DriveThru Experience” walked away with the Gold, whilst “Ramadan Memories Made Together” was honored with a Bronze. Speaking about the award wins, Coutry said: “These five awards are a true testament to our continued efforts to be creative and original in every way. Along with our agency partners, we
work to deliver our messages in an innovative, standout way that truly resonates with the audience.” He added: “We produced two excellent campaigns that we are extremely proud of, and nothing makes us happier than seeing them get recognized on a regional level.” “World Cup Drive-Thru Experience” was a creative activation that delivered a one-of-a-kind experience for football fans in celebration of the FIFA World Cup 2018 – with the help of legendary sports commentator Raouf Khlaif. Manning the drive-thru window for a night, Khalif proceeded to take customers’ orders, transforming an ordinary Drive-Thru experience into something else entirely – bringing a little bit of that football action and game atmosphere right into McDonald’s. The campaign became a viral sensation, with an estimated reach of 20 million people. Going down a more emotional route, “Ramadan Memories Made Together” skipped traditional tactics to create a standout activation: bringing together families for a special one-night Ramadan celebration. McDonald’s decided to help some students studying abroad make some special Ramadan memories, flying them into Kuwait to spend some quality time with their completely oblivious families. “It took hectic tightlyscheduled days of preparation, three production crews, intricate logistical planning and a passion to see it through, but the end result was so worth it, as we were able to draw genuine smiles on these people’s faces,” said Faisal Khazal, Associate Director at Weber Shandwick Kuwait. Khazal further added: “For us as a creative agency, McDonald’s is truly the dream client. Their desire to constantly go further, do more and be even more creative is the ultimate motivator for us. It is a challenge to always do even better, but it is a challenge we thrive on. We are simply humbled by the trust that McDonald’s has placed in us. It’s been a decade-long partnership and creative collaboration that has allowed us to produce one stunning campaign after another, as we continue to look beyond the norm and challenge conventions to produce ideas that really get people talking and make McDonald’s the subject of conversations.” “World Cup Drive-Thru Experience” and “Ramadan Memories Made Together” are not the first awardwinning campaigns for McDonald’s Kuwait. This marks the second consecutive year that McDonald’s and Weber Shandwick have been honored for their creative campaigns at MEPRA. In the 2017 ceremony, the creative social experiment campaign, “Beef Nation”, walked away with the top honor in the “Crisis Communications” category, in addition to being named “Best in Kuwait”. “These campaigns have been two of our biggest and best efforts to date. Our self-set challenge now is to beat our own personal best and come back next year with something absolutely incredible. And we’re determined to do just that,” concluded Coutry.
For more information about McDonald’s Kuwait, please visit the website www.mcdonalds.com/kw. For the latest updates and news, follow McDonald’s Kuwait on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @mcdonaldskuwait. 63
ALL THOSE TECH MOMENTS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED And a recap of the past three decades By George Tarabay
I have written several articles about a multitude of subjects that piqued my interest: Mental health, comedy, marketing. They all stem from my experiences and my opinions (not that they matter). I have bashed social media, I have spoken about the bad practices in marketing, I wrote about mental health. I was so caught up in trying to alter people’s perspective around these subjects, that I missed a huge event: Technology advancing forward. I just took it for granted. I am perplexed by how far technology has come. It grew in baby steps with us that we missed to see how far it has come. 1994, I was eight-years-old. I remember how my mum and I would drive for 20 minutes to my uncle’s house in Lebanon to be able to receive a call from my Dad who lived in Kuwait at precisely 8 p.m. on the land line. My mum would get to speak to him for exactly nine minutes and spare me the last minute. He called us using international call cards that had a 10 minute cap and cost 6 KD. Cheap today, but for a struggling family like ours back then, it was a luxury. The other way I spoke to my dad consisted of me sitting at our coffee table and jotting down all the things I want to tell my him on a draft paper, before structuring it and locking it down on fancy paper, which I would often decorate with the “good behavior stickers” I got from my teachers. My mum would then have to drive for an hour to drop her and my letters to a friend who is returning to Kuwait from vacation. My dad would visit us once a year. His trip was something we planned. We made sure all the family knew so we planned his vacation down to the minute. We would decide who will be receiving him at the airport and who would get the food ready at home. My dad had to re-confirm his airplane seat twice or thrice prior to the trip driving 30 or 40 minutes from his house all the way to Kuwait City to the travel agent’s office. Then came the return date, which often meant tears and sadness at home, my mum would hug my dad for 10 minutes and I would do the same. It was agony disguised under “opportunity”. That was my dad’s sacrifice and ours. They were magical times that we lived in. Six years ago, I moved in to Kuwait. Yet, only recently, I have realized how far things have changed. At any given moment, I can pick up a tiny small device that lives in my pocket and video call my queen back home, and speak with her for hours. I get to see her face, hear her voice and ask her for guidance as I attempt to cook a Lebanese dish to impress my Argentinean wife. I do it all at almost no direct cost. My mum, who once dreaded the day my father has to travel, and lived for that one day a year when he returns, now replaced that behavior by a simple kiss
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What did your childhood stationary look like? on the cheek to her only son and the phrase “see you soon”. I travel so often back home that it just transformed the situation from “he lives far” to “he lives just under two hours away.” I can book a trip on the spot wherever I am on the earliest flight out without having to worry about any logistics other than: How fast can I finish the job at hand to head to the airport? In that sense, I see that what was once a cause of grief and sadness (migration), has today been softened with technology. I find myself unaware that I am completely unaware that I live in an entirely different
region than my mum, on the contrary, I often think of it as just a two hour trip. I lost my awesome dad four years ago. But I have often felt that I lost him way earlier because of distance, and while that is something I will live with forever, I can rest assured that, at least, with my mum… I’ll always see her “soon.” And for this, I will always be grateful. George Tarabay is a marketing expert/ Filmmaker/ comedian/Podcaster. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, SoundCloud @GeorgeTarabay.
Five Guys
THIS IS NO POULTRY FRIENDSHIP
Buddies become business partners to deliver Farm Brown Chicken By bazaar staff
Fresh-faced local entrepreneurs Ahmad Al Rabeea and Basel Al Sulaiman originally met in 1994, each instantly finding the other’s personality to be somewhat challenging as they squared up to each other outside of their shared music class. They eventually overcame their immediate differences becoming staunch friends, forging a lasting relationship stronger than most. But, life took the young men in polar opposite directions. Ahmed moved into the creative industries as a graphic and interior designer, and Basel won his wings as a pilot; impressively he’s now an aviation instructor. Years later life threw them together again and they founded Farm Brown Chicken (FBC), the delivery-only fried yard chicken concept. Basel explains to bazaar more about the FBC journey starting with his love of food. “I’m a traveler for food!” Basel exclaims, a huge smile on his face. There must be others reading this who feel something similar; those of you who want to travel to Japan for fugu, or Scotland for haggis, or…New Orleans for the fried chicken! This is what happened to Basel, whose friends insisted on his last night visiting the French Quarter being spent dining on the battered poultry, half a fried chicken plated before him. He rolled his eyes in frustration thinking to himself, “What am I doing here, [when I could be eating so many other delicious things]” until he took his cutlery to the chicken. To his surprise and delight the juicy meat was fork tender, the outside having a crunch so satisfying that the aural experience translated quickly to one infused with dopamine. “I paused for about ten seconds trying to chew this as slow as I can so I can find out what’s in it. Absolutely amazing!” Returning to his place of study, down south in Alabama where he was completing his certification to become an instructor, Basel desperately wanted to taste more of this fried chicken but New Orleans was eight hours drive away, too far. Searching the internet for the top ten burgers, by accident the results returned the top ten fried chicken places in Atlanta, closer in only half the drive time. Basel was eating fried chicken for two months, every weekend, learning the flavor profiles, textures and everything else that he could about fried chicken, through his own experiences. Even though Basel still had 66
time left studying in the States he called Ahmad as he couldn’t wait to share his fried chicken idea with his friend. “The good thing about Ahmad is that he believes in me without even trying, and I believe in him too” explains Basel. 2013 saw them back in Kuwait together, going to a local electrical goods retailer and buying the largest home fryer they could find. Balancing it precariously on the steps outside of the house with an extension cord running through the home plugging into the electricity, they fired it up and started frying chicken. Every Saturday Basel and Ahmad set up a laboratory at home
trying new marinades and breading. They hit a wall when they tried to find the best way to cook the chicken without burning the breading. It also took a year to find the best marinade recipe be it with butter milk, salt solution or dry mix, and for how exactly long the meat should be marinated. Basel still mixes the sauce himself to this day, trusting only in his three years’ experience with the Farm Brown marinades. Ahmad’s palate also helps the duo, as it is highly sensitive, and he is adept at pinpointing what needs to be added to the concoction to perfect it. The next challenge was to train the six hired chefs to
keep the Farm Brown Chicken standard across the board. After the chicken though, what is next? The bun of course! Basel went to a local bakery to ask them to create a bun, and was immediately told, “use a potato bun.” He felt the potato bun overexaggerated though, and despite its common use, actually more preferable for beef, and not for chicken. Next, they tried the milk bun but it didn’t handle the sauce well, nor the foil packaging (becoming soggy), and so did not make the cut for delivery. The next step of course, as you do, was flying to London to garner the best advice from renowned bakers there. And thus, Basel discovered the cream bun. Described on the Farm Brown website as brioche really this special recipe bun is a mixture of recipes for brioche and milk buns with cream added to enhance the flavor and texture. All the Farm Brown Chicken buns are the same high quality, with the FB Black having that additional ingredient of charcoal, adding a little something extra to the flavorsome burger built up of FBC recipe candied chicken and Asian vinaigrette coleslaw. The Farm Brown Chicken kitchen is currently in Shuwaikh and the partners are building a front of house so that people can enjoy FBC on site or complete self-pick up instead of only home delivery. Farm Brown Chicken currently only delivers to certain areas and given that the kitchens are in Al Rai, Basel sagely says that this can adversely affect the quality of the FBC experience, especially when ordering from very far away. If you fancy trying a bit of the “yard brown” chicken offerings you should visit the Farm Brown Chicken website to check if they deliver to your location. This way, when you’re visiting friends or happen to be within a certain delivery area, you can place your order secure in the knowledge that the food will deliver well. Keep an eye out for updates online and in social media as FBC will soon be using car delivery too. FBC also prides itself on taking part in the seasonal markets you get in Kuwait, and you can find the Farm Brown Chicken mobile division at esteemed foodie gatherings such as Qout Market. We finish the interview by asking the two friends which food item unique to Farm Brown Chicken would they use to describe the other? Basel says of Ahmad immediately without even thinking, “Farm Brown Black! Because it’s complicated, like his sensitive palate, and even his character.” Ahmad says that Basel would be the “November” Farm Brown Lab limited time only burger, [Basel was born in November] and, “Because it’s Farm Brown Lab it’s different and Basel always aims to be different.” To view the Farm Brown Chicken menu and order delivery visit www.farmbrown.com and keep up-to-date with FBC by following them on Instagram @farmbrownchicken. 67
bazaar movie night
The latest from the big screen playing in cinemas across Kuwait in January
SPEED KILLS
THE MULE
THE SUPER
GLASS
ALL THE DEVILS MEN
A DOGS WAY HOME
Release Date: Jan 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Cast: Katheryn Winnick, John Travolta, Jennifer Esposito Synopsis: In the Miami of the 80s, it was the ultimate symbol of power and wealth: the roaring muscle speed boat known as the Cigarette. And the undisputed king of the Cigarette Boat was Don Aronow, the man who built the million-dollar playtoys for presidents, princes and the privileged. Aronow was a man with an appetite for ravishing women and the exquisite feel of money washing through his fingers. He had it all. Then on February 3, 1987, an unknown assailant gunned Aronow down a Miami street, a few hundred yards from his own boatyard.
Release Date: Jan 17th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi Cast: Bruce Willis, Luke Kirby, Anya Taylor-Joy Synopsis: M. Night Shyamalan brings together the narratives of two of his standout originals, 2000’s Unbreakable, from Touchstone, and 2016’s Split, from Universal, in one explosive, all-new comic-book thriller: Glass. From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast.
Release Date: Jan 3rd Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Taissa Farmiga Synopsis: Earl Stone, a man in his 80s who is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he's just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well -- so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl's past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him.
Release Date: Jan 24th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Action Cast: Sylvia Hoeks, William Fichtner, Milo Gibson Synopsis: All the Devil’s Men starts very much as it means to go on. Tense, well filmed action scenes, coupled with some ambiguity and a light dash of the cliché. The movie follows a team of hardened military operatives on a relentless manhunt through the backstreets of London. The explosive actionthriller finds a battle-scarred mercenary in the War on Terror who is forced to go to London on a manhunt for a disavowed CIA operative, which leads him into a deadly running battle with a former military comrade and his private army.
Release Date: Jan 10th Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Horror, Thriller Cast: Patrick John Flueger, Val Kilmer, Louisa Krause Synopsis: Val Kilmer plays a possibly homicidal building superintendent in Stephan Rick's Manhattanset horror film. The Super centers on the mysterious disappearance of several tenants at a luxury New York City apartment building. Phil Lodge (Patrick John Flueger), the building's new superintendent and former NYPD officer, immediately suspects Walter (Val Kilmer), the strange maintenance man. With his daughters' lives on the line, Phil must decipher the cryptic riddles in which Walter speaks to solve the disappearances before it's too late.
Release Date: Jan 31st Theaters: Cinescape Kuwait-wide Genre: Adventure, Family Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Barry Watson Synopsis: A Dog's Way Home is a family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, based on the book by Cameron. The film stars Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, Chris Bauer, Barry Watson and Jonah Hauer-King. Separated from her owner, a dog sets off on an 400mile journey to get back to the safety and security of the place she calls home. Along the way, she meets a series of new friends and manages to bring a little bit of comfort and joy to their lives.
For more details on movie timings and the cinema nearest you, visit Cinescape at www.cinescape.com.kw. *Above programs are subject to change without prior notice. 68
Rethink The way BLAZE You pIzza #FastFired #180Seconds #AnyToppings #AllOnePrice Grand Plaza - The Avenues Ahmadi Park Murouj Customer Service: 182-12-12
A DAY OUT IN K TOWN FROM MUST-TRY RESTAURANTS TO TRENDY COFFEE SPOTS, THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO DO By bazaar staff IN THE CITY!
The start of a new year is usually marked by the lovely weather in Kuwait City, and with all of the new spots to enjoy, we couldn’t help the urge to simply go on a walk in K-town for the sole purpose of exploring every nook and cranny within the city streets. As much as complaining about the traffic, or trying to find a good parking spot in town, is tempting, these rants will quickly pass and fade because at the end, the turnout is actually worth it. 70
Now, as trendy as the hit spots can be, everyone has a certain preference or curiosity as to what the city has to offer. In terms of location, specifically Ahmad Al-Jaber Street, slowly developed into one of the busiest main roads filled with restaurants and coffee shops that continue to thrive and bring life to this street within town, including its hidden treasures at every turn. The start of this walk began with an art piece, where a few years back, a team of talented artists began displaying murals in the city. The Jedareyat initiative truly elevated street art with their tagline ‘Let’s color the town’, giving the city walls and buildings a life of their own, plus, the perfect Instagram post. One of their fantastic murals can be spotted once you’re on the traffic light making your way to Ahmad Al-Jaber street from Dasman, where a hint of the iconic animation Grendizer is seen. Every mural Jedareyat has displayed is a tribute to the city’s cultural heritage, be it displayed as a loved animated character from older times to Arabic calligraphy, you will surely end up with a shot or two for your Instagram profile. Before the Jedareyat mural, on Jaber AlMubarak Street, is a lane dedicated to all-new local concepts. From Peko Peko, where East Asian Japanese flavors are served inventively at this eatery, to Lunch Room that introduces an all-day brunch from chef Ahmed Al-Bader. A lane with just the right hangout spot for both a weekend brunch with your family and friends, or a refreshing dinner experience where you might start obsessing over one or two items from the menu. For those of you after a hint of nostalgia, just around the corner of the mural where the main road of Ahmad Al-Jaber Street starts, and across from Dasman Complex, lies an extremely popular shop that is filled with vintage vibes. Falafel Sharaf is an establishment that’s been in town for decades, loved by both older and younger generations, they have continued to serve only the best Falafel sandwiches in town. The action of just stopping for a quick bite will take you on a major throwback journey, where pickups were a thing rather than instant deliveries, so having Falafel while being surrounded by the city’s skyline is an extra bonus point. You get the best of the old and the new, in one delicious experience. After passing the first corner, you might just miss the sight of The Bistro in a second, but the outdoors seating area with an open window might not allow you to miss it either. Literally placed in the middle of Kuwait City’s busiest street, The Bistro is just the spot for a quick lunch break, or a night breather filled with delicious food and a joyful weather. A few minutes away from The Bistro, however, lies another popular lane with a diverse chain of restaurants that really depends on your mood of the day. From door to door, there is Lavan for a taste of India, Bao where the trendiest East
Asian-inspired dishes are served, and finally Haute, the place for a juicy and fulfilling gourmet hot dogs. All you have to do is consider the kind of meal you’d like to have on that day, and you wouldn’t even have to worry about the distance between them. Our next stop on this exploration walk is what we like to call as the ‘caffeinated road’. Specialty coffee starting with the classical Arabica, Yours, Roasters and Baristas, Bon, and rounding the end of the street at a turn with Mukha, and Toby’s Estate. Each one of them has its own vibe, and of course, your kind and type of coffee. For example, Mukha recently opened a rooftop section, talk about views and levels! Who wouldn’t enjoy their
hot coffee on a rooftop in the middle of K-town? Count us in for another visit. Finally, our day out in the city had to be paused at Moo Milk Bar, for that perfect cone of ice-cream to chill and end this walk with. Choosing and picking our toppings had to be the best part of this tour. But, this is not the end of our city exploration walk. Ahmed Al-Jaber Street is just one of many other streets with treasurable spots in K-town, so sit back and wait for our next issue which will feature a walk entirely focused on Mubarak Al-Kabeer Street and the little alleys of Mubarakiya. For more information, head to www.bazaar.town. 71
NUQAT
INSIGHTS ON REFRAMING MINDSETS, AND REFLECTIONS ON 2018 By Nuqat and bazaar staff
Nuqat Insights x bazaar With Nuqat’s recent announcement of this year’s 10-daylong conference set to take place between the 20th to 29th of November, we are all gearing up for a series of engaging, interactive talks, panel discussions, performances, multidisciplinary workshops, book readings, films screenings and so much more. We’ve marked our calendars, have you? Nuqat’s previous conferences have raised great awareness on the importance of the creative industries and education, the human capital, as well as shedding light on the success of the collaborative process. This year poses an ambitious theme, aimed at resetting the mindsets that have shaped our personal, social, and structural understandings of the world in order to face the challenges of tomorrow. A set mindset, for the most part, arrives as a result of cumulative experiences, as well as societal norms, innately embraced as our own, without a second thought. Once again, Nuqat is utilizing collaboration in an effort to explore, seed, and share ideas on how to collectively require and adapt our frame of thinking in the face of the implications of tomorrow. As part of Nuqat’s efforts to share stories connecting society, art and economy, Nuqat’s Insights, published bi-monthly in the pages of bazaar, is aimed
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to stimulate debate amongst readers, as well as counting down to this year’s Nuqat Conference, so watch this space! 2018: A Year in Review Early this year, Nuqat held a forum out of concern of the national urgency to develop alternative resources. Nuqat believes that in this light, the human capital takes center stage, with the creative mind playing a leading role. The forum was comprised of talks and panels that explored our innate human abilities to create, intuit and progress. Calls were made for a reframing of the mindset that has shaped the prevailing structures - in planning, in the creative sector, in education and more. The emphasis here is not solely on a need to restructure but also on the development of a culture of thinking that is responsive and grounded in its reality. One that is effective and proactive in change. Policy Shifts, Mindset Shifts In a discussion led by Mishaal Algergawi Laying Down the Foundations for Creativity to Thrive, the panelists looked at the conditions necessary to reap the rewards from the development of the human capital. The conditions listed had both a knowledge aspect and what Dr. Amani Albedah referred to as
an abilities aspect. Under the aspect of knowledge, human capital development is dependent on a form of education that values humanities and the arts, an acceptance of diversity, and a focus on skilllearning that involves diligence and time dedication. An overwhelming public negligence of these three points is clear. Dr Amani posed the questions about school curriculums particularly in Kuwait, “Do our students learn music? Or poetry? Or arts?” In public schools, there are at least 640 music and theatre rooms that are either not properly maintained, or not used. What happens to our youth’s ability to think critically and engage with their daily reality when humanities and arts are excluded from the formative years spent in education? The second set of conditions listed needed to nurture the development of a human capital base focused on an ‘abilities’ aspect. Dr. Amani first noted the vital role that individual freedom to knowledge and freedom to be curious holds in enabling a creative culture. The second note, one that is often overlooked in the dialogue on policy, is the ability to have hope. One cannot be motivated to work, create, and think differently when there is no hope to add value and meaning in the world they live in.
Dr. Khaled Mahdi, the Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development of Kuwait, pointed out that no steps can be taken towards a ‘new intellectual wave’ without a change in the collective mindset. Currently, there are a set of policies present that cater to the development of human capital led by the Government that is informed by global standard practices. This path, however, is not linear. The path does not solely correspond to reforms in education policy or the environment for an innovative economy. The policies alone are not a sufficient condition to enable this change. There are various conditions and social indicators that need to be looked at, including those that Dr. Amani previously mentioned, with regards to promoting a culture of diversity, of debate, of growth. What the panelists called for was the creation of importance, vigor, and a chance to have ownership over one’s future. This is fundamentally a social issue that is embedded in the collective mindset. Beyond a “Hypothetical Existence” Tying closely to the discussion above, in her talk The Emergence and Development of a Cultural Subcurrent, Munira Al Sayegh described the precarious sentiments of expectation and entitlement she witnessed when working in the creative sector in the United Arab Emirates. Munira observed that there is an unfounded belief among creative youth a belief that the already pre-existing and hypothetical institutions of the future are capable of addressing the vital issues of community-building, critical thinking and the development of a “grassroots cultural subcurrent”. The sense of importance and ownership over the future that was referred to in the first discussion will struggle to take shape when the youth, in strictly creative fields or others, are constantly living in a state of expectation. She stated, “We are constantly in a state of existing in the future. We are constantly looking out for hypothetical museums to open up, to different institutions to take shape. But we are not concentrating on toiling the earth beneath us now.” As Munira noted, it is the responsibility of every creative worker to direct their efforts to add depth and substance to the existing cultural landscape. Institutions in existence can secure their relevance and connection with the community through active efforts in responding to and reflecting the local context. Depth, connectivity, and growth in the cultural landscape can take place in spaces outside of these institutions. The label ‘grassroots’ can only be applied when such cultural movements are taking place independent of any state-led initiatives such as through informal gatherings and exchange. Top-down and bottom-up cultural initiatives can work in cohesion and the existence of independence in practice between the two should not translate to disconnect. Education Beyond Indoctrination The Arab Youth Survey is conducted annually to provide evidence-based insights into the aspirations, hopes and fears of Arab youth. In the 2018 report,
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it was overwhelmingly clear that national education systems have offered inadequate preparation for an increasingly globalized labor market. Arab youth unemployment lies at 25% - the current global high. Ineffective education systems are a root cause of this rate. The goals of the education system should lie beyond meeting the current demands of the labor market. An education system that neglects the development of critical thinking skills has been a frequent subject matter in Nuqat’s past conferences. In a panel discussion curated by Hikma, panelist Dr. Ebetehal Alkhateeb noted that students are instead being spoon-fed philosophy and modes of reasoning which has a clear effect on their abilities to think outside the box at an older age. Panelist Hashem Alwazzan, founder of WazzanMath, shared what he believed are four essential skills to the critical learning process. Firstly, the power in observation is of utmost importance particularly during a time where we are all - children and adults - constantly being bombarded with information via the screens of our phones, tablets, computers and televisions. Secondly, the exercise of imagination which can be nurtured through storytelling, reading, writing, drawing and so on. Thirdly, the practice of experimentation which requires students to be fearless in their decisions, as there are lessons to be learnt from losses as well as gains. After all this, memorization and practice would come naturally - something that is overlooked when we are taught to memorize first, and think later. This calls for a new form of education for children and young adults, one where their minds are engaged and stirred, excited to learn, rather than undergoing an indoctrination process of understanding. Experimental Education: Nuqat’s Experience Something perhaps most demonstrative of Nuqat’s efforts towards nurturing creative education is the kids’ program IN•DIG•GO conducted in collaboration with the telecommunications company, Zain Group. In this experimental education program, Nuqat matched creative professionals with teachers from different schools in Kuwait. Four practical themes - the garden, filmmaking, furniture design, and textile design - formed the content of the program. At the core of the program was a focus on actively nurturing skills such as creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. By the end of the 12-week program, 34 children between the ages of six to 11 had completed the program. A creativity test based on the ‘Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking’ was conducted at the start and finish of the program to evaluate the efficacy of this form of learning. In the written component of the exam, Nuqat found a remarkable improvement between both genders in all ages. It was clear that students had a greater command of language and increased confidence in their creative expression. The program was conducted with the relentless support and contribution of the participating teachers and instructors. This year, Nuqat hopes to apply all that they have learnt from the pilot run to the second round of IN•DIG•GO. To get in touch with Nuqat, or to send across comments and suggestions, email insights@nuqat.me. 74
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Elevation Burger
THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING Exclusive Interview with Sir Patrick Stewart By bazaar staff
Sir Patrick Stewart is a legend of stage, TV and cinema. His latest role is the iconic wizard Merlin in The Kid Who Would Be King, a new fantasy adventure that throws old school magic into a very contemporary world and watches the sparks fly. Sporting rubber boots and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, Stewart’s eccentric Merlin offers guidance to four British school kids who, armed with King Arthur’s magical sword Excalibur, battle evil sorceress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson) for the not insignificant matter of the fate of the world as we know it. Full of huge action, big laughs and a whole lot of heart, The Kid Who Would Be King takes the legends of chivalry and honour and makes them modern as a new breed of knight swaps an iPhone for a broadsword. 76
In an exclusive interview, Stewart discusses his unique take on the mythical character, working with writer and director Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), his delight at finally playing a Wizard and the significance the story has for the younger generation. How would you describe Merlin’s role in the film? He is a rather unconventional Merlin and that was a particular delight for me. I wanted to make him as un-magician like as possible. My approach was to find a strong, persuasive, impressive character, more based on what he achieved than in how he behaved. So I didn’t do much “wizard” acting as such. At times I enjoyed appearing a little confused and not certain what to do next rather than being the all powerful, all knowing great medieval wizard. It is surprising you have never played a wizard before. The Kid Who Would Be King allows me to enter this exclusive club of British actors who have played wizards. I was beginning to feel a little overlooked. My dear friend Ian McKellen became a living legend
with his performance as Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings. And then there are the Harry Potter stories which Michael Gambon has done so brilliantly. But nobody had ever come to me and said, ‘How do you feel about playing a wizard?’ until Joe came along. As soon as he began to describe the story, I knew it was something I was not able to resist and it would at long last be my opportunity to create my own wizard. My Merlin is pretty whacky. For one thing, he looks a little strange but he is a fun, energetic and surprising character. In every respect, it was a delight to work on it. Joe Cornish has said one of the reasons he cast you is that you have a playfulness. Do you think that is vital for Merlin? It certainly is in this story. To have humour, irony, wit and some jokes thrown in, this has been a brilliant move. I am flattered that Joe said that. As my career has gone from stage to stage, I now find myself in a stage where comedy plays a bigger and bigger role in what I do. And I love it so much.
What are your memories of working with the young cast? Their commitment to the work, their seriousness, their determination to hear Joe Cornish’s advice and try to move what they were doing in that direction it was all so impressive. I enjoyed their company very much. How did you find working with Joe? He’s very script based, which is fine for me after all my years of Shakespeare, Stoppard and Pinter. To me the script is everything, not just the narrative but what the script says about the character. Joe was very intent on the script revealing who Merlin was and what his objectives were. And that for me was very important. He had this idea since he was a child so I want to listen, I want to say, “What is your feeling about this?” Those are insights that you can’t replicate. The ambition of his storytelling is huge. The Kid Who Would Be King has more scale to it than I first anticipated on first reading the script. It has a drama on such a scale that was completely unexpected and will be very, very exciting. There are really quite scary elements of danger in the movie but they are also surrounded by a world of fantasy. Even though we are in the 21st Century, there is a sense that just around the corner is a medieval world of magic.
It’s a family film in the true sense of the word. It’s not just for children, it’s for every member of the family? Yes. Sometimes “family film” has an unfortunate connotation. It can be a bit soppy and soft and silly. This movie is about very serious matters. It’s a film about duty, responsibility, believing in yourself, taking actions that will help society become better. These are important messages for young people to hear. The characters are taking serious risks in order to achieve this good outcome for its country and its people.
people are under so much pressure these days. It overwhelms me when I talk to my granddaughter who is sixteen and my grandson who is twelve: the lives they have are so intense and they are under so much pressure from school, from parents, from society, from contemporaries around them. This is a film that could leave a really big impression on children in that it can show them how meaningful their lives might be and how they can contribute to society. It would be very nice if symbolically this would become an important film for young people.
Despite the motifs of Arthurian myth and magic, it’s a very contemporary story. This is recognisably present day England, certainly London. These children are already fighting challenges in their life around them but they now have a responsibility to save the planet. That is a delightful prospect. It’s not politicians or generals saving the world but children. It’s not just a source of humour, it’s a source of profound seriousness both politically and philosophically that it is children who have to deal with this.
What would you like audiences to take away from it? I’ve always believed from the very beginning that the primary job of an actor is to entertain. If you are not entertaining, you are not doing your job. But entertainment has a multitude of meanings. I would like this audience to be captured by the story, sometimes alarmed by it, sometimes amused by it. When I saw the film, we were all very touched by different aspects of it. I do believe there is a possibility it can have quite an impact on the way parents and their children view the world and their place in it.
One of the themes of the film is that any kid can be a king. That’s an empowering idea, isn’t it? It is so totally empowering. In that sense, it is proper and exciting that we have children of different races and genders. I can’t wait to sit in a cinema full of kids and see how they respond. I hope to take my grandchildren to the opening night. I think young
Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox. This interview is exclusive to bazaar publishing in Kuwait and is courtesy of 20th Century Fox Middle East, @20CenturyFoxMe on Instagram. Catch The Kid Who Would be King from the 24th of January.
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bazaar around town
BLAZE IT YOUR WAY AT MUROUJ Blaze Pizza, the recognized world leader in build-your-own (BYO) artisanal pizza, expands its presence in Kuwait with the opening of its highly-awaited third branch at Phase 3, Murouj, following the successful opening in The Avenues and Ahmadi Park. Blaze Pizza customers can now enjoy customizing their pizzas, or choose from one of the eight signature pizzas, salads, dessert and refreshing flavored lemonades at Murouj, all day long. Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free pizza dough as well and customers can select all the ingredients that match their dietary preferences. Every pizza features made-from-scratch dough crafted in house daily, premium meats and fresh vegetables, and is finished in an open flame oven which cooks pizzas in 180 seconds flat. Guests are welcome to enjoy their Blaze Pizza experience at Murouj from Saturday - Wednesday between 10:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. and Thursday and Friday 10:30 a.m. until midnight. Follow @blazepizzame on Instagram or Facebook at facebook.com/BlazePizzaMiddleEast to stay updated with all the exciting Blaze Pizza news.
SHAKIN’ IT UP AT MUROUJ! SHAKE SHACK LAUNCHES ITS 10TH BRANCH IN KUWAIT Shake Shack, the New York-styled modern day “roadside” burger stand is thrilled to announce the opening of its newest branch in Murouj last month, marking a total of 10 Shacks in Kuwait alone. Shake Shack is proud to open their 10th branch in Kuwait to cater to the growing Shake Shack fan base and give diners the opportunity to share the same dining excitement as experienced across the country. With its spacious outdoor area, the new Shack will offer memorable dining experiences amongst exceptional ambiances. The new branch located in Phase 3 - Murouj offers Shake Shack fanatics its famous 100% allnatural Angus beef and all-natural chicken burgers selections, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fires, flavored custards and lemonades, and limited-time menus which are highly anticipated by the customers. Shake Shack welcomes guests at Murouj from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. every day. Follow @ShakeShackme on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates about Shake Shack, or head to www.shakeshack.com.
THIS GIFTING SEASON, HAVE FUN SHOPPING AT FANTASY WORLD Take your Tween daughter to Fantasy World to look for some exciting gifts this gifting season. Caution! Your daughter might go on a shopping rampage, as the newly revamped Tweens and Lifestyle section in the Avenues store has so many new choices and varieties at display. When Creativity Starts to Have Fun! That is the best way to describe this section. Choose from a wide variety of toys and crafts featuring fashion accessories, beauty supplies and clothing, as well as arty kits, chapter books, stationary and more. It's a perfect way for girls to explorer their creativity, be active and enjoy fun games with their peers. Fantasy World ensures to deliver the fun lifestyle products making the ordinary a little more extra ordinary, be its reversible sequin pillows like mermaids, unicorns to the cutest blinged-out crossbody bags, cool holographic bags, glitter-filled water bottle, Tweens and Lifestyle has it all. For all the budding fashionistas, Tweens and Lifestyle is for you. For convenient shopping Fantasy World has an online shopping website (www.fntasyworldtoys.com) known for its on-time home delivery. To learn more about Fantasy World, visit any of Fantasy World’s social media platforms, Facebook (fantasyworldtoyskuwait), Instagram (fantasyworldtoys) and YouTube (fantasyworld Kuwait).
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bazaar around town
ALYASRA FASHION UNVEILS THE RENOVATED KENZO STORE AT THE AVENUES MALL Alyasra Fashion, the regional fashion retail leader, announced the grand reveal of KENZO’s newly renovated store at the Avenues. The celebratory event took place last month in the presence of local media members, fashion and lifestyle influencers, and customers. Guests were drawn to the new layout, exquisite decor and features of the newly renovated store. The store’s meticulously designed fixtures brought out the colorful shades of KENZO’s ‘Holiday Capsule’ which featured a unique dragon theme. As a trend-setter in the world of fashion, the new KENZO store concept aims to connect local ambiance with the realms of creativity, technology and the future. The innovative space will feature works of local art inspired by local architecture and uses indigenous materials. The event featured exclusive Japanese catering, where customers enjoyed specialty sushi and various delicious finger food, all while trying to solve the custom-made live-size dragon puzzle to celebrate the new ‘Holiday Capsule’ in parallel to the new head-turning KENZO boutique. The new KENZO store at the Avenues is now open and is located at Phase 2. To find out more about KENZO visit their new store at The Avenues or at 360 Mall. For further updates, please follow KENZO on Instagram @Alyasra.
NEW ANTI-FRIZZ COLLECTION FROM LABEL.M Keep your New Year’s Hair resolutions intact and fight the frizz with the newest addition to the label.m family – the Anti-Frizz collection. Created by professionals, the high performance formulations with naturally derived ingredients work together to target unwanted, frizzy hair. Developed to replenish moisture and help correct hair damage by smoothing and sealing the hair cuticles for water-proof, strong and long-lasting frizz-free results. With unique ingredients such as Green Mandarin Extract to moisturise and refresh, and Baobab Seed Extract to leave you with lasting hydration making Frizz a thing of the past. Distributed by beautique cosmetics intl. For more information, visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com, or call 2225 1285.
Al Kout Mall Hosts World’s Top Makeup Artists Al Kout Mall, one of Al Kout Project’s six bespoke experiences, launched of Kohl festival—the biggest beauty event in Kuwait. Beauty and Makeup enthusiasts and hobbyists alike are participated in this first of its kind event. Makeup aficionados met top international makeup artists, such as Nikkie de Jager of Nikkie Tutorials from Europe, and sisters Sonia and Fyza from the United Kingdom amongst many more on the main stage area at the mall. They enjoyed several special beauty-related tutorials, fun activities, interacted with top makeup brands, as received valuable giveaways. During the two-day festival, the mall provided several activities showcasing the latest in makeup trends, skin care and beauty tips. Brands such as Make Up For Ever, L'Occitane, Kiko, Milano, and SKINFOOD also participated with fun activities, product showcases and makeup sessions. Several lucky winners from the festival’s social media competitions got the chance to attend a private masterclass with Nikkie Tutorials, and sisters Sonia and Fyza in a Cinescape hall at Al Kout Mall. Al Kout Mall is located in Fahaheel. For their latest updates, follow them on Instagram @Alkoutmall.
ELETTARIA BODY MILK AND ESPALIER SHOWER MILK FROM & OTHER STORIES PARIS & Other Stories has introduced a new Body and Shower Milk to their Paris Bath and Body range: Elettaria Body Milk and Espalier Shower Milk. The Shower Milk is to be used while showering or bathing, gently cleansing the skin, and the Body Milk on damp skin. Both the Body Milk and Shower Milk provide nourishing silky hydration, replenishing the skin with almond milk and cardamom extract. The milks have a nutty and spicy scent together with floral woody notes. The ingredients in the Body Milk are 96% natural origin and in the Shower Milk 95% natural origin and certifiably sourced in France. The fragrance’s top notes include Cardamom, Coconut Water, with heart notes including Dewy Orchid, Heliotrope and base notes includes whipped Vanilla, Sandalwood. Find & Other Stories at Grand Avenue—The Avenues.
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MAC
Now boarding! Get your taste buds ready for our next delicious destination with the new Indian Menu from McDonald’s Tastes of the World.
Enjoy a taste of India with the succulent Chicken & Chutney Burger and a side of crispy Tandoori Veg Bites, refresh yourself with a Mango McFizz, and satisfy your sweet tooth with a tasty Mango Sundae. Hurry, it’s all for a limited time!
bazaar around town
DEAN & DELUCA LAUNCHES NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPT AT MUROUJ DEAN & DELUCA, one of the world’s most loved and iconic gourmet restaurants, opened its highly-anticipated second branch in Kuwait at Murouj. The newly opened restaurant features a modern and contemporary ambiance, coupled with a new menu that introduces a variety of artisan-crafted international cuisines, enhancing the customer’s dining experience. The seating style, decor and lighting were carefully designed to ensure that guests are able to enjoy the bright sunshine in the morning, while the cozy atmosphere is reserved for the evening dinner plans. The new restaurant features a spacious terrace seating area that overlooks the equestrian club. Experience the breakfast menu consisting of a variety of sumptuous dishes like the signature Fatayers available in five different toppings, or their eggs benedict choices. The main café menu has something for everyone for both lunch and dinner from American classics such as the Beef Burger made with premium beef patty and Grilled Ribeye Steak made with prime ribeye. The new DEAN & DELUCA store is located at Phase 3 in Murouj and welcomes guests every day from 8:30 a.m. until 12 midnight. For the latest updates, follow @BlazePizzaMe on Instagram.
BEAUTIQUE COSMETICS INTL INTRODUCES THE NEW KITOKO ARTE STYLE EXTEND DRY SHAMPOO No, you don’t need to wash your hair every day! Instantly refresh normal to dry oily hair with the all new Kitoko Arte Style Extrend Dry Shampoo! This thermo protection spray shields hair from damage from straighteners, dryers and curling tongs. We also love how it extends the life of your style between washes, refreshes and revitalizes your hair, absorbs oil and leaves it feeling clean and fresh while still boosting body and texture. This amazing product contains Fire Tulip, Karite, Green Tea & Vitamins A & E. Distributed by beautique cosmetics intil. For more information, visit www.beautiquecosmeticsintl.com, or call 2225 1285.
JUMEIRAH MESSILAH BEACH HOTEL & SPA APPOINTS NEW SPA MANAGER Highly skilled and accomplished Spa, Salon and Fitness Centre Director, Adele Osborne, joins Talise Spa team as the new British Spa Manager at Kuwait’s idyllic resort. Adele’s team leadership, training and development with diversity are some of the capabilities that earned her the recognition gained in award winning spas such as ESPA at the G Hotel & Spa, and her newly landed job. Through the immaculate Talise premises, the recently appointed manager aims to provide a memorable world-class spa journey, in which guests experience beauty, comfort and personalized attention all combined to deliver a rejuvenating experience. Adele’s clarity of vision entails the creation of enduring and rewarding relationships with all clients and local community through knowledge, wellness and flawless service. For more information on Talise Spa’s luxurious, beauty enriching and health boosting services, please call the team directly on 2226 9688 or visit @JumeirahMessilahbeach on Instagram.
TRAIN IN ANY FORM WITH H&M SPORT! It’s a New Year, and we all have a new resolution. With the H&M Sport 2019 collection, we are all inspired to start and keep training in any form. It doesn’t matter if you are training at the gym, running, exercising body movement/yoga – it´s about everybody training. H&M wants to show the diversity in training and how to maintain a sporty life style. With H&M Sport, you will continue to be inspired and enjoy your training, feel and look good! “H&M sportswear is all about function, support and fashion, making you look good while performing at your very best. For this season campaign we wanted the DNA and values of our company shine through; a diverse mix of people getting together, having fun and inspiring each other" says Daniel Herrmann, marketing director H&M. Find the H&M Sport 2019 collection across H&M stores in Kuwait. For more information, check out their website www.hm.com.
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bazaar scopes
LIBRA SEP 23 – OCT 22 Self-control is the word for now. Others' unethical behavior could trigger some long-buried anger that might make you want to lash out at those responsible. This won't solve anything. The best way to handle these rather explosive emotions is honest communication, but it could deteriorate into arguments. Try counting to ten before confronting anyone.
GEMINI MAY 21 – JUN 21
SCORPIO OCT 23 – NOV 22
CANCER JUN 22 – JUL 22
Anger and resentment caused by past hurts could come up, at times tempting you to burst into tears. Don't fight it. Just find someplace where you can be alone and let it out. This is only a symptom of personal and spiritual growth on your part. Releasing the past clears the way for breakthroughs in the future.
Gossip you hear might make you angry. You're likely to sense it isn't true. Take nothing at face value. Check the facts before making any judgments. Discontent is in the air, and when people are disgruntled, they tend to say things they don't mean. Avoid the temptation to be confrontational. It will only make things worse.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 – DEC 21
LEO JUL 23 – AUG 22
Someone you think of as a friend may prove less than trustworthy. There are indications of deception all around you. Perhaps someone is keeping something from you or telling outright lies. Don't be too suspicious of anyone, but check the facts of a situation before you take someone's word.
There is more than meets the eye to a money situation. There could be errors in your financial records, or someone may not be telling the truth about an important item. You're a caring, trusting person, but this isn't the time to blindly accept anyone's statements. Check the facts and see for yourself, then act accordingly in order to see to your own best interests.
CAPRICORN DEC 22 – JAN 19 Something underhanded is going on. Unethical people could be trying to manipulate certain situations in order to turn them to their own benefit. Be careful! Steer clear of any "political" conversations, and refrain from commenting on any situation or listening to gossip. On the positive side, your intuition is sharp, so you should be able to sense the trustworthy.
PISCES FEB 19 – MAR 19
You might get the feeling that someone in your family is hiding something. The atmosphere might be strained and somewhat tense. Your natural inclination is to try to spread oil on troubled waters to return the situation to normal, but this isn't likely to be the right course of action. Let things ride.
VIRGO AUG 23 – SEP 22 You probably aren't going to feel very friendly. You're most likely to want to sequester yourself at home and not see or speak to anyone. If your need for solitude is that strong, indulge it. You won't do yourself any good by forcing contact with others. You might feel a little out of sorts physically, so it's especially important to eat right and get lots of vitamin C.
AQUARIUS JAN 20 – FEB 18 If you've been thinking about executing legal papers of any kind, this isn't the time to do it. Any contract entered into is likely to have confusing clauses and obscure language that you may not understand and that potentially could be used against you. This also isn't the time to start or even plan a journey of any kind. However, it's a great time for reading or meditation.
Money matters look uncertain and a bit deceptive. This isn't a good time to enter into any kind of investment program, negotiate salaries or commissions, or change banks. Your dreams may be a bit disturbing, but this likely reflects fears from the past rather than dangers in the future. Write them down, you may learn a lot about yourself by studying the symbols.
ARIES MAR 20 – APR 19
New people may come into your life. If you get bad vibes from one of them, trust your instincts! Signs are that you will meet at least one new acquaintance who isn't trustworthy. This isn't a good time to enter into any kind of partnership, nor is it a good time to get married or even propose marriage. Put all plans for cementing partnerships on hold for a few days!
TAURUS APR 20 – MAY 20 You might wake up feeling a little under the weather, perhaps too tired to go anywhere, and you'll want to stay in. Perhaps this is the best course of action for now. You may be tired and a bit stressed out, and more vulnerable than usual to any bugs may be going around at this time. Drink lots of juices and get some rest.
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