Danderma's Blog, page 122

Does Your Married Friend Hide From You When Seen With Her Husband?

How many times did this happen to you? You are in a mall or in a restaurant or even the Co-op. Alone, or with friends, or your family, or your husband. Then you see a married girl friend of yours walk in with her husband, sees you from the corner of her eyes, then either she walks away hurriedly or pretends she didn't see you and walks right by!

You are sure, 100%, that she had seen you. You also know she avoided you just because she is with her husband. The next time you see her husband free she will be all over you kissing and greeting you like the friend you are supposed to be.

Eshda3wa! Ma7ad 3ndah rayel '3airich? Eb naklah? Your actions say one thing and one thing only: you are insecure! I have no problem encountering women with my husband. I have no problem introducing him to my girl friends and saying this is flana and this is flana. You know why? Because I have confidence in myself, my marriage, and most importantly: my husband!

Do you think your husband is blind? or that if he saw a friend of yours who is a woman that he will suddenly cheat on you? What kind of a relationship do you have with this man? You call this a marriage? Where you are afraid of every woman who walks the face of the earth? What about your house keeper? Isn't she a woman too?  What about your sisters? What about his unmarried girl cousins? What about his female work colleagues?

You can't stop your husband seeing other woman. If he is going to be unfaithful to you, he will be unfaithful even if he lives in the land where no females walk on the face of earth. If he meets your girl friends it tells him you have utter confidence in him. If he has to run after you while you flee every female who might say hello to you eventually he might rebel and want to show you that he can and he will cheat on you with another woman if he wants to, just because he could.

Your action just make us laugh incredously at you and pity you and your limited mentality. So grow up. 3aib 3leech. Have confidence in yourself woman! For the love of god believe in yourself and trust your life partner!

What do you think? Did this happen to you before?

Things 2 Do in London: Scoop Gelato

Tucked away in the alleys of Covent Garden sits a tiny yet highly rated gelateria. If you explore the area of Seven Dials you will find a Crocs store on Short Gardens street. If you stand by the sign below, look to your right and you will find Scoop a little further on your right.

Usually it is quite crowded but I was lucky that day to have made it at a time it was not so busy. Maybe because it was almost zero degrees outside and people were freezing?

The place is also a bit tight in space. A long narrow room taken mostly by the Gelato freezers.

Every flavor looks delicious. It is the Chocolate Fondetto however that captures my eyes

While you are waiting you see the flavors and what they are made of written on the wall behind you. Nice!

I've decided that an incredible ice cream deserves something better than an old boring paper cup. I wanted the Waffle cup so I took the waffle cup

My four chosen flavors were the Chocolate Fondetto, Caramello, Straciattella ( Vanilla with chocolate pieces), and Biscotto.

I took my first bite as i stepped out onto the cold frigid winter air of London, soaking in its glory and festive lights. Somehow, I think eating ice cream in the cold weather brings out its flavors better. Plus you know it will not melt while you take your time enjoying every mouthful

For more information and directions to Scoop check their website (link) or their facebook page (link) or follow them on twitter (@ScoopGelato).

Please Welcome My New Sponsors: The Burger Hub

Please join me in welcoming The Burger Hub as my newest blog sponsors.

The Burger Hub and I go a long way back. I loved their Wazoo fries the moment I tasted it when it was just opened five or six years ago. I still consider their Wazoo fries to be my favorite type of fries in Kuwait. They have recently redone all their internal decoration and revamped their menu to include not only burgers and fries but also other dishes including a killer of a Marshmallow Caramel Chocolate cake. So good you wouldn't want to share it with anyone at the table.

Burger Hub, welcome to my blog

Sneak Peek: A Page from The Chronicles of Dathra Volume II

"I twisted my body to look you in the eye and see if you've just witnessed the same thing I did. You were sitting on the table behind me. I looked you in the eye and you were laughing laughing incredously, eyes open wide with amazement. So you did see what've I've just seen! I silently mouth "Oh My God" to you while having screaming flashbacks from Janice's OMG performances in FRIENDS repeating in my ears. Your laugh widens, and you silently mouth back "I KNOW!" and I turn back to sitting forwards in my seat again. Trying to continue the funny scene we've just witnessed.

The girl who had just passed our tables was a vision in high heels: thighs so thin and sculptured they seem to have been used to mold the skinny jeans she was walking in. Hair so long and smooth like a sheet of chocolate brown silk flying around her skinny tanned shoulders. Walking gracefully like Kate Moss on a runway   she turned every head but that of the man with his wife and kids sitting in table just before hers.

He was busy listening to his seemingly exhausted talking about something. At their table the beautiful girl had tripped, one of her heeled foots made a quick twist behind the other. She seemed to have recovered from her fall rather quickly, not really falling all the way to the ground. How was that possible? Do those girls get trained on how to fall gracefully and recover in a second in diva school?

She recovered quickly, springing up right and resumed her graceful walking like nothing had just happened. She walked away with a little white card in hand that wasn't there before. She didn't even try to hide it from the watchful eyes. She went outside the door with the business card she had collected from the man sitting with his family and pretending to listen to his wife while underneath the table he had extended his business card to the graceful girl who had pretended to fall at their table.

Of course she wouldn't fall just like that! She must have been walking in heels ever since she learned how to walk. It was all an act to collect the business card of the married man. That was the OMG moment that astonished her, sitting at her table by the window behind the family waiting for her food to arrive. That was what she turned to the table behind her to see if the moment had been shared.

'Isn't it weird that we are sitting on tables behind each other, but not together? Laughing silently?' She thought? Why are we all sitting at this restaurant, in tables arranged by the big window behind each other like desks in a classroom? I turn back to look at you, to find an answer to this question but suddenly I am staring  at the roof of my bedroom.

I blink for a second. Where am I? Then it dawns on me. It was a dream! Of course it was! For ever since you've left I am no longer allowed to talk to you. I am no longer able to share these moments with you and laugh with you. I thought I've forgotten you forever, that you've become an old faded memory in my mind. But this dream have just proven me wrong. My heart beat quickens as I remember your laugh in my dream and I close my eyes instantly, trying to capture the remaining shards of what I've just created in my sleep. It was good. I was happy. Please let me be happy again even if just in my dreams.

But the dream was gone forever, just like you are. Sleep however arrived a few minutes later but not before I cried my self to sleep."

This is a little sneak peak for Dathra fans. Book II will be out soon insha2 Allah but is currently being edited. I hope you enjoyed it

Garage Sale: Fred's Funky Kitchen Items

Once upon a time there was a blog called Chill Pill Box who held garage sales and auctions. We became friends and I sold many of my books via her garage sales. Sadly the girl had hanged her blogging boots and called it quits, leaving behind a gap to be frank. I waited patiently for her to return, there are many things to be sold in garage sales, but she wouldn't. So I am thinking of continuing her work here and offering a weekly garage sale post starting with this post here.

A friend of mine tried to venture into commerce once in Kuwait and wasn't successful so she asked me for help. The items she is trying to sell are Fred's item.  A funky brand I am crazy about (post). The sale price for the items is equal to or less that what you would get abroad (check amazon). All items are genuine, new, and never been opened or used before.

Those are the items for sale…

Fred's ABC Cookie Cutters – 1.750 KD

Fred's Party People 6 Colored Chopsticks Box – 2.5 KD

Fred's Ouch Toothpick Holder in Light Grey or Stone Grey – 2.5 KD

Fred's Easy Kids Chopsticks in Red Boy - 1.750 KD

Fred's Easy Kids Chopsticks in Pink Girl – 1.750 KD

Fred's Lift & Shake Salt & Pepper Shaker – KD

Fred's Fred-o-matic Kitchen Timer – 6 KD

If you are interested in one or more items leave me a comment here or send me an email (link). Items must be picked up by the buyer (or their driver) and payment is cash upon pickup. No refunds or exchanges.

Review: Breakfast at Sawwah

We were invited to have breakfast this morning at Sawwah Restaurant in The Avenues mall by MMC group. I have only tried Sawwah once before when it first opened and to be frank I didn't like it much. The chairs were very uncomfortable and the food didn't live up to Lenotre's quality. So I wasn't expecting a very tasty breakfast to be frank.

The first thing you notice when you sit on the table is how beautiful it is set.

Sawwah is well known for its beautiful interior design. Funky Modernized Arabian Design.

The first thing I ordered was medium French coffee to get my daily caffeine fix. It was good!

As I sipped on my medium French coffee I was presented with the menu.

and noticed the breakfast menu has an "e97a ya nayem" slogan which I would translate to "Wakeup Sleepy Head" plus the words "Menu 2012″ which means it is brand new hence why we were invited.

No sooner had the waiter taken our breakfast orders than the bread baskets landed on our table, just out of the oven fresh and warm. As were little platters of olives and pickles.

Our shared orders didn't take long to arrive. We ordered fool which was very good.

Grilled Halloumi Cheese.

Falafel with tahina dip.

Hummus fatta which was warm and delicious.

Labna with fresh Zaatar. Yummy.

Scrambled eggs with cheese and a hint of green onions. It was good.

We also ordered baked goods: Lahma eb ajeen.

Mashroo7at Jeben.

Manqooshat Zaatar.

I opted for a fresh cup of tea & mint with the breakfast.

After breakfast the girls wanted something sweet so we headed over to the dessert station to choose the dessert.

polov

The chosen desserts were Um Ali which I adore but didn't try.

I did have two spoonfuls of the Muhallabiya and it was really good!

My true dessert however was another cup of coffee. Turkish coffee this time

Thank you MMC for the generous invitation. We had a great time at Sawwah this morning. An unexpectedly great time! The place is the perfect spot for Arabian style breakfast and modernized old Arabian atmosphere! I will sure be coming back again!

Sawwah is located in the Avenues Phase II above Dean & Deluca. For more information you can check their website (link).

Rant: No Photography Allowed?

How many time were you taking some photos with your camera when someone approached you saying "Excuse me, no photography is allowed?".

Today I was having breakfast with my blogger friends in the Avenues, and taking pictures of the dessert display INSIDE the restaurant when the Avenues security guard came to us and said photography is not allowed inside the Avenues! Excuse me?! I complained to the Avenues via Twitter and they immediately apologized and talked to the security guard. Yet it sparked a long talk at the table about this annoying subject: No Photography Allowed.

Sometimes it makes sense: Taking pictures of women in a wedding, taking pictures of a military base, taking pictures of a movie in the cinema, taking pictures of rare objects in a museum that are kept inside controlled conditions and might be hurt by the flash. Other times it totally doesn't make sense!

Sometimes you are taking a picture of what you are eating, minding your own business and lost in your own world, when a waiter approaches you and grilling you about the use of your camera. How is it that I am not take photos of a dish I am about to eat and I am paying for? Now a days a global trend seems to be taking place: No Photography allowed in malls! I was in the Bull Ring mall in Birmingham in December taking a picture of the Xmas decorations -they were lovely- when a security guard not only told me photography is not allowed, he made a public show out of me in front of shoppers when he demanded I hand him over my camera to see what I was taking a picture of and mocking me and insisting even more when I refused. Needless to say my shopping trip was ruined that day and I didn't let it pass without complaint.

I usually "respect" the decision of the place if they state photography is not allowed.   But I do not pretend to understand it nor like it. Bottom line is: we are actually doing you a favor by photographing whether we are bloggers or not. Photographs are taken because they are to be shared. Shared with other people because there is something worth showing, worth being liked, and other people would certainly want to check it out themselves. Even if I was just showing it to my friends.

But if you insist that your place is not available for photography, then please state so with a BIG CLEAR SIGN AT ALL ENTRANCES. Plus, if someone is indeed taking photographs approach them gently, discreetly, and politely. There is no need to be aggressive or to make a scene. We live in the age of digital media and social networking, it is only natural to see people photographing y3ni.

And always remember: no one has the right to confiscate your pictures or view them except the authorities. And by authorities I mean the police. When the security guard wanted to take my camera in the Bull Ring, Birmingham I was prepared to call the police myself for him all because of one lousy picture of a snowflake xmas decoration.

Were you ever in a situation where you were told off for taking a photograph? Did your blood boil?

Shino '3adakom Elyoom?

Thursday is here and the weekend is about to start! What are your plans for lunch? Eating in the office? Bel zwara? At home? Skipping lunch? The village in Bul7a9ani? It is still coldish but mostly rainy out there.

I'm craving something warm and wintery. I want to get out my Raclette oven that I haven't used in years. Boil some baby potatoes, cut some fresh veggies, slice some soft bread, and melt some slices of Raclette cheese using my oven.

I want to see the bubbles form on the surface of the Raclette slice. I want to pour the gooey goodness on top of my potatoes and season with herbs and take a delicious bite that will warm my insides and make me feel both content and happy. Oh how I love Raclette.

I once posted about my Raclette oven in my very early days of blogging (post). Going back to that post made me nostalgic to the old blogging days. Horrible pictures though.

New: Starbucks's Fresh Yogurt & Mango Granola

A few days back I heard that Starbucks had a new Yogurt and Mango Granola cups available. Ever since I wanted to try them but everywhere I go I ask for it and its sold out! Finally this morning I was able to find it in Starbucks el Kaneesa at the crack of dawn before going to work.

Finally! I went to work very happy and as soon as I could I took a bite. It was still fresh and cold.

The cup has a layer of mango compote, topped with a layer of fresh yogurt, and finished off with a layer of crumbled granola.

The granola has almost every seed and dried fruit available. A LOT of Raisins and Cranberries were present. I struggled hard to get the mango compote from the bottom and to mix it with the dry granola to make a nice gooey messy breakfast with a crunch.

How was it? That's the question.

Taste wise it was nice. I believe it Mango Compote? Good. Granola? Good. Yogurt? Good.

Would I order it again? No. Why?

First, the portion is too big. It is suitable for one hungry male or two hungry females. If it was in a smaller cup it would have been better -and easier to mix-.

Second, I could feel the raisins with every bite! I hate raisins. It totally ruined the taste of the granola for me because it was the most dominant flavor. If you like raisins you will love this concotion. Its not bad, its just not for me. My husband on the other hand would be very happy consuming this for breakfast or as a snack. If it had the same granola as Pinkberry for example it would have been AMAZING!

Last but not least,I don't really think it was is healthy. The yogurt is not low fat -didn't say and didn't feel like it. Mango is not really the healthiest fruit plus the compote contains sugar. The ingredients list also contains wheat and butter. Take a look.

If you like raisins, try it. Just don't take it for granted that its the lightest thing. It is better than a fat laden croissant though. The Starbucks barista told me that they will be having more flavors like berries very soon. It is quite popular and sells out quickly too so if you want to taste one get to Starbucks quickly and get there early.

New: f2o Hoodies

A while back and while I was still in the UK I learned that f2o was selling hoodies! If you know me you would know that I am crazy about 3 things; Denim Jackets, T-Shirts, and Hoodies! I can never have enough of those three. Its like an addiction. A hoodie from f2o? A MUST HAVE! So I contacted the owner and told her I want one in fear of it being sold out before I arrive back to Kuwait.

I finally had the chance to pass by f2o's shop this week to get my lovely new hoodie I am planning to go back as there are many new things to buy (polo shirts, magnets!). For now look at my lovely new chwaiha hoodie -confiscated by my Bu Tootee as always!-.

Price tag? 17 KD only! A steal to be frank for such a lovely hoodie!

I also got these 3 magnets -another thing I cannot get enough of btw-. Eyshawgoon and very interesting

By the way if you pass by f2o's shop in Burj Jassim you will find something new, decor wise. An old TV set playing old cartoons or shows! On the day of my visit it was playing an old favorite of mine: Ka3bool! I love Ka3bool al Kalb al Akool

I must go back again for some Hoodies and polos and magnets! I didn't have enough the last time I was there! f2o? You make us proud girl! Keep up the good work