Danderma's Blog, page 57

How Do you Drink your Water?

I went to see a dietitian a few years back and the first thing he told me after finally making it through the doors of his office is the following “Fat + H2o = burn”. A coffee addict and not much of a water fan myself, I began drinking more and more, sometimes forcing myself to drink water even if I’m not thirsty and I have to say it did make a differance.

If I’m not on a diet and I don’t drink enough water, then I don’t lose weight. If I get a sudden headache, I try to drink at least half a litre of water and on most occasions that works. I sometimes trick myself into skipping meals without feeling hungry by eating a small piece of chocolate followed by half a litre of water and my appetite would be suppressed at once. Water is good for me even though I’m skeptical regarding the forcing yourself to drink two or more litres of water when you are not thirsty. I wouldn’t mind drinking it all in the form of coffee but apparently coffee does the opposite of what water is supposed to do and you have to double your intake of water or something.

My point is, water is good for me, I don’t have to drink 2 litres everyday but I do have to drink some. I drink mine at room temperature and I hate cold water. I currently drink Volvic bottled water as its my favourite but some say don’t drink bottled water because it causes kidney stones or whatever. I’m thankful we have good clean water to drink at all to be frank when people on other parts of the world live in draughts and famine. However, there are days when I don’t drink a single cup and I look at the cup/bottle and I need to be coaxed into drinking it and that doesn’t make me happy.

Sometimes I add a few slices of lime and mint leaves to the water and the water flavour would have a mojito like tang, albeit a very faint one. A friend of mine once told me she workouts with water that has two or three drops of apple juice in it to help flavour the water and gives a hint of sugar. There are also flavoured water bottles available in the Co-ops but for some reason I don’t feel like trying them out, I’m not a fan of artificial flavourings and sweeteners in my water. I find out that keeping a bottle of water in my bag helps a lot on days when I don’t feel like drinking any but I need more ideas.

So, if you are a water drinker, do you have any tips/ideas/variations on drinking water? Please do share.

Breakfast at Cafe Bazza in the Avenues

One of the places I’ve been waiting to try for breakfast is the Avenues branch of Cafe Bazza. I’m already a fan of their food/theme/atmosphere and I’ve tried them for dinner/lunch/breakfast many times but I’ve never been to the Avenues branch which is located in the traditional Souk section. Whenever I arrive there at 10 or 9:30 A.M. I find it pretty crowded and the outdoors tables are all taken so last week I made it there at 9:20 A.M. and to my luck there was one last table outside available for breakfast.

They have plenty of options for a traditional Kuwaiti breakfast and most of them come in a package deal like platters of different things with a basket of hot bread and a basket of Kuwaiti dunking biscuits (darabeel, lsan el thoor, baq9am, etc.). Of course we ordered Chai 7aleeb (tea with milk) for breakfast and we also ordered Saffron milk to mix and match. It didn’t take long at all for our drinks to arrive.

We chose one of the breakfast deals, I think it was Dasman or Sharq breakfast which comes with eggs, foul, white cheese, hummus, and a bread basket. We also ordered some bread with qaymar (clotted cream) on the side. Cafe Bazza’s foul is excellent by the way.

I asked for the eggs to be scrambled and they came sleeping inside a big fluffy hot loaf of bread. They were very good and just like the eggs you find on top of balalee6, another Kuwaiti favourite dish of sweet saffron noodles topped with eggs.

By 9:45 A.M. we were digging into our breakfast but also people had arrived, all hungry and wanting to have breakfast. The seating area inside was full, the best seating area outside overlooking the Avenues souk was also full and there was a one hour waiting list for the tables by 10 A.M. What I didn’t like and it wasn’t really Cafe Bazza’s fault was the fact that our table was right by the entrance which meant there was a long line of hungry people waiting to speak to the restaurant manager and passing time by oogling our food. Also, some people who were waiting around for their turn found it OK to stand over your head and stare you down while you were trying to eat so you’d finish up and go and they get their table and sadly that worked. We took our good breakfast for takeaway and escaped. I didn’t even get to take proper pictures or even take one of my qaymar and bread

To get a table for breakfast at Cafe Bazza, be there early on a weekend before 9:30 A.M. and make sure you take a table away from the entrance and between tables so waiting people won’t be able to pass time by staring at you chewing away. If you can have breakfast out during the days of the week, go then. The food is good, the portions are generous, the service is quick, the the location is excellent and fits right into the modernised traditional Kuwaiti theme.

What Can You Buy with a 10 Fils Coin?

A year or so ago when I did the “What can you buy with a 5 fils coin” (post) I thought that the 5 fils were the only coins you couldn’t use on their own to purchase something in Kuwait and you had to at least have 10 fils to buy something. Then I went looking around for something to buy for 10 fils and here is a list of things you can buy with a 10 fils coin:

Photocopy one page in a student centre in Kuwait city. That’s a very cheap centre by the way.
The price of minutes in a phone call made by a cell phone according to a telecom company’s package.

Bs!

Not even a piece of bubble gum is worth 10 fils! I couldn’t even find a stamp, or a any other service, or a lousy SMS! The 10 fils is as worthless on its own, I repeat, on its own, unless you group it with another coins to make a bigger value. Why then do we have a wallet full of coins that have no actual purchase values? Why have a five fils coins when we can’t find a thing to buy for ten fils coin, let alone five? I wonder if the little coins are made of gold though.

So, my dear readers, do you know of anything you can buy with ONE 10 fils coin, on its own, in Kuwait, without having to group it with any other coin? If you do please share.

New finds in P2BK Village…

If February was the month of festivities in Kuwait, then March is the month of exhibitions! All I’m doing these days is going to work, going home, and going to one exhibition after the other. I realize that must sound a bit limited but its so much fun walking around, watching and meeting people, eating, and enjoying the last remaining days of the good weather! I’ve been to Proud to be Kuwaiti’s exhibition village three times already and I still am finding new stuff I haven’t seen before! For example, I realized there is a store by the door called “Al-Nokhba” translated as “The Chosen” or something like that and it serves as a gift shop for the P2BK Village.

The store provides a service where you can drop your shopping bags and packages and they will keep it for you until you are ready to go for the price of KD 2. They also sell various items like shirts, mugs, books, and art work.

I like how the shelves are decorated by traditional Kuwaiti items like coffee cups, mesabee7, and 3eqel.

Books and other stuff to purchase.

Namleet Boteela (post)! Also available in the Nokhba store.

Need to sit down? I like the chairs, the chanel no. 5 side table, and the fake grass carpet!

I loved those T-Shirts by Faneela by Ri7bi!

The shirts are so funny and selling out really fast. I went back to buy me some shirts and they were gone! I did buy this gorgeous green and black skull T-shirt but I don’t know who designed it. I have an addiction to T-Shirts by the way.

Walking out of the Nokhba store, which is located right at the left of the P2BK village entrance, I went to have some lunch in the restaurants section and look what I found.

I was so hungry I couldn’t move, I love exhibitions and exhibitions food is the best. Check that one out, lunch that day was saj of course.

Had my lunch walking around, and then I saw that. Of course I had some soft serve ice cream, I could barely stop to take a photograph!

I walked around some more with my beloved ice cream cone, I love what the different businesses had done to the seif palace structure thing.

I walked around taking pictures until night had fallen and then it began getting too crowded to stay.

There are still some stores that I didn’t know of and hadn’t checked out yet so I’m planning to go back again. The P2BK village opens at 10 A.M. but visitors say most stores don’t open until 11 or so and they close again at 1 P.M., the stores and not the village. If you want to go for some photographs you can go from 10 A.M. before the crowds. If you are going shopping 3 P.M. is a good time as its less crowded and most stores are open by 4 P.M.

The Proud to be Kuwaiti village will stay open to the public until 19 March. For more information and pictures you can check P2BK’s website (link), facebook page (link), Twitter (@P2bKuwaiti) or Instagram (@P2BKuwaiti).

Dinner at Véranda of Harvey Nichols

I was invited to try the soon to be opened Véranda restaurant in Harvey Nichols yesterday. The invitation was set for 7 P.M. and on 7 P.M. on the dot I was standing outside of Harvey Nichols in the Grand Avenues. Véranda’s entrance is through an elevator/staircase at the rightmost section of Harvey from the outside. 

We chose to go up the the mirror walled staircase to the waiting area where we were greeted warmly, served juice cocktails, and led to a table.

We chose a table overlooking the Grand Avenues walkway through the balcony or veranda. We could see people but we were hidden from view. The location and view are excellent.

The restaurant’s interior is gorgeous: all white, beige, and very modern with protruding waves on the ceiling and walls. Elegant but modern and not at all stuffy.

The restaurant is also very big with lots of different seating areas but the best ones in my opinion are the ones overlooking the Grand Avenues walkway.

After a quick tour to photograph the restaurant, we settled down on our table with our juices waiting for dinner. The juices were good, fresh, and unsweetened.

Next came the bread basket with the butter. Véranda serves freshly baked bread made in their kitchen on daily basis.

The manager of the restaurant arrived at the table and explained to us that Véranda will provide an upscale dining experience for both breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus they use organic ingredients in their dishes. The first of which came right afterwards: mini crostini with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and pesto sauce.

I loved the crostini, I also heard people raving about the shrimp.

The duck rolls, also highly recommended by my fellow diners.

Hummus served on top of a grilled yellow capsicum. This I can tell is is very delicious. You have to take a bite of both the Hummus and the capsicum together, I could have dined on this alone all night.

The moutabbal on top of a grilled aubergine was excellent! It is really really good and I love the presentation.

Next came the main dishes. First, a hammour fish medallion my fellow diners enjoyed very much.

Lobster ravioli.

And a plate covered with a bell-shaped glass dome served that way at the table.

When that plate is served, the waiter will take off the glass cover and lots of steam/fumes will be let loose, revealing a plate of smoked salmon. The salmon is actually cured salmon that is smoked in the fumes beneath the glass dome in the time it takes to make the journey from the kitchen to your table. Very Heston Blumenthal!

However, the star of my fellow diner’s evening was this dish. Meat cooked slowly for seven  hours and served in a gravy like sauce. I don’t know its name but I know they kept raving about it with every bite.

Vegetarian me didn’t touch the meat/fish dishes, which I’m usually used to by the way I don’t mind really. But Véranda’s chef prepared a vegetarian goats cheese tart just for me. I was touched really. Creamy goat cheese with pesto on a bed of cooked skinned tomatoes and olive tapenade all enclosed inside a flakey crunchy square of puff pastry. It was lip-smacking! I love goat’s cheese

By the time we finished our main courses we were full but of course we had to try the desserts. I ordered Earl Grey White tea which is provided by Tevana in the Avenues by the way and the tea was brewed on my table for a few minutes before being poured for me to enjoy. It was very good, light, and didn’t keep me from falling asleep two hours later.

The desserts? Raspberry mille-feuille served with a side of pineapple and passion fruit compote. I adore mille-feuilles and didn’t waste any time polishing off my plate. It was fresh, creamy, and gone in a blink.

The second dessert was a thick dark chocolate mousse. The texture of the mousse was thick and as smooth as velvet. If you make it to the centre of the mousse, you will be surprised with a cherry sauce surprise. If you are a black forest cake fan, that this is the dessert for you.

By the time we were finished we didn’t want to leave, we were having too much fun people watching while enjoying the contemporary decor and the food was really good. Thank you Veranda’s team for showing us an excellent time and for your warm hospitality throughout the night. We can’t wait for Véranda to open so we can come back again. Thank you Al-Shayaa and Rawan Farhat for extending the generous invitation.

Véranda will be opening its doors to the diners tomorrow Tuesday 12 March 2013. No reservation is necessary but it is adviasable. For more information and pictures you can follow Harvey Nichols Kuwait on instagram (@HarveyNicholsKuwait).

OSIM Message Equipments Store

Another weekend shopping stop of mine was one at the very end of the Grand Avenues walkway, the recently opened OSIM shop. I’ve seen OSIM message and relaxation products once in a commercial booth in 360 Mall and my husband wanted to try them while I stood by, skeptic and totally not interested but finally caved in and when I did, not only did we leave with a message pad but I went back to get a message belt as well and ever since I’ve literally been glued to my message pad on my chair. Now, OSIM finally opened a store to showcase their products.

When you walk through the doors to the airy shop you will find my favourite message pad waiting for someone to try on the chair. From my experience, its lightweight and very portable. We’ve used it on our car seats and we move it around the different chairs at home and its absolutely amazing especially the shiatsu back message. Highly recommended and worth every KD.

My husband has his heart set on one of the foot massagers. He’s been trying them for over a year now and has yet to make up his mind. He tried it again yesterday and loved it. The idea of putting my feet in a place I cannot see creeps me out so I don’t know how it feels but he says its very good.

There are smaller equipments to message everything, from your tired eyes to your temples and back and shoulder, the works! All very light and portable for say your car or on a plane.

There are also the big message chairs, two of which are inside a makeshift living room in the back of the store.

I saw this little device that produces soothing sounds to get you to relax or go to sleep. You can time the sound to play for 30, 60, or 90 minutes and you can plug in your headphones. When I passed by it was playing the sound of waves breaking on a sea shore.

I know there are smart phone apps that produces the same sound, wallah I know. But I have trouble keeping my iPhone batter up as it is and I usually use mine as an alarm clock so I don’t want to use it to produce relaxing sounds. Therefore, I bought myself a treat to battle my insomnia and help me relax before I go to sleep.

I might review my new toy after using it for a few days and seeing how affective it is. OSIM products would make a great gift for someone with muscle pains or working a lot and would love a bit of relief. Their design is sleek and compact, and most importantly they work! They are located in The Avenues mall at the very end of the Grand Avenues Walkway right below the big screen. You can check the range of their products from their website (link). 

Review: Capital District’s Store

Last weekend I went to have breakfast in the Avenues Mall and when I was done I walked around for a bit of shopping. To my delight, I found that the Kuwaiti brand “Capital District” had opened their first branch in the Avenues Souk. I love Capital District’s designs, they have a distinctive touch you cannot find elsewhere, an urbanised Kuwaiti classic style like my Pizza Italia T-Shirt (post). Luckily I had my camera with me so I took a few shots of their new, albeit tiny, store.

Inside the T-shirts, hoodies, and vests where either hanging or folded up on lightening bolt shaped mesh shelves that for some reason made me feel I was back in Zahra Complex in the 80′s! Retro!

I liked the ceiling very much!

See what I mean by their distinctive designs? I loved each and every one!

Looking for a vest?

Of course I couldn’t leave empty handed! I’m so glad Capital District finally have a shop, I wish you the best of luck and keep up the good work.

Capital District’s first shop is located in the Souk area of the Avenues Mall, right down the alley from Cafe Bazza. For more information and to order online you can check their website (link) or follow them on instagram (@CapitalDistrict).

Proud to be Kuwaiti’s VIP Opening Night – Part 3

Continuing the third part of my visit to the Proud to be Kuwaiti (P2bK) village VIP night from parts (one) and (two). I’m covering more of my favourite booths in the exhibition. I stopped by Addoy’s Sugar booth, quite striking in rainbow shades of box after box of sugars in every size, shape, and flavour imaginable.

If you are looking for the perfect partner for your tea cup in a gathering or a reception, look no further. There are even little tubes filled with coloured sugar and topped with a jewelled stopper! Addoy’s Sugar, I’m impressed! Keep up the good work

Next booth was Jamrat Ghadha, a new business selling modern “dowwa” traditionaly a coal burner used in the winter for warmth, making tea, or cooking delicious things like chestnuts.  JG’s dowwa can however be used with both coal or candles which means its suitable for both winter and summer time usage in Kuwait.

Jamrat Ghadha‘s dowwa is sleek, modern, compact, and very easy to clean and use. I can totally see myself hosting a gathering or a reception and using it to serve coal tea. It comes in many vibrant colours, something unusual for traditional dowwas, and you can also customise your very own dowwa too by order. Good luck Jamrat Ghadha, keep up the good work!

On my way to a different section of the village I noticed these big white futuristic domes. I came closer, only to find they were actually tent-like and very nice! There were many of them scattered around the village and each was furnished differently. This one for example had chandeliers! This is perfect for, say, a big garden or a rooftop. A cross between a tent and a glass house. Very cool.

More pictures from around the village while walking around. See the domes in the distance?

Next, the Baraka designs booth by the talented Salah Zamani. I reviewed his work a while back (post) and I was still impressed by his latest design, the couch with the accessories sewed on the cushions. Gorgeous! Keep up the good work Salah!

Last but not least, one of the most creative booths around the P2BK village, The Fortune Cookie Booth! So traditional, so retro, so colourful, so wacky, and so much fun!

Those are packaged sugars by the way. Yes they are in the shape of KDD ice creams. Where do you find these things Areej? Keep up the good work girl!

While walking I saw these cartoon boards! You can take pictures with cartoon version of the favorite oldies like 7saino, 3alqam, Agra3 mogaira3, Khalty Gmasha, and more! It took forever until I got two semi-decent shots. People were happily exclaiming and taking pictures with every character!

Last but not least, we had to sit down for something to eat and get some energy so we headed to the restaurants section with plenty of options to choose from.

The girls settled on the Kuwaiti Chef Shawarma where skewers of grilled mean and chicken shawarmas were being prepared into sandwiches by three Kuwaiti guys. There was a very long queue for the shawarmas and from what I saw this was the most popular booth in the food section for sure.

And that concludes my coverage of the P2BK village! I am planning to go back for sure during day light and take my time at each and every booth. It is truly worth the visit! The Proud to be Kuwaiti village will be open to the public starting today 6 March 2013 and will stay open for two weeks from 10 A.M. till 10 P. M. For more information and pictures you can check P2BK’s website (link), facebook page (link), Twitter (@P2bKuwaiti) or Instagram (@P2BKuwaiti).

Proud to be Kuwaiti’s VIP Opening Night – Part 2

Continuing the second part of my visit to the Proud to be Kuwaiti (P2bK) village VIP night from this (post). When I finally tore myself -and my lens- away from the striking village buildings and decor, I decided to check the participants out.

I left out all the big companies because and decided to concentrate on the smaller businesses. First stop was the booth of the artist Basma Al-Saeed whom I’ve met before in The Dark Room restaurant (post). She was displaying her art talent but I didn’t have time to say a proper hello for people kept coming into the booth to say hello.

Next stop, Patla Florists. I have to say that for a newly opened flower business, they are very active and their flower arrangements are very tasteful and modern. I’ve reviewed them in my blog before (post). Best of luck girls! I wanted to stay longer but it was getting too crowded. 

Next stop, a booth by a group of young Kuwaitis with the nam Q8 Cosplayers. They were all dressed up in costumes like Harry Potter for example and it had all these Japanese signs and lanterns. I waited to get closer and take better pictures, inquire what they did exactly, but there was a very big group of guys huddled at the doorway whenever I went by.  I only managed to get a shot of this sign.

Nearby, there was a production company and a very good loud happy group of people dancing. Can you see the dancing ghost-like guy in the middle? It was very fun .

Nearby, there was a camel! I’ve never been so close to a camel before in my life. The dude is huge and intimidating.

He, by the way, wasn’t very happy about the dancers nearby. He kept staring at them, obviously disturbed.

Next stop, Pieces by Farah! If you follow my blog, you will know how much I adore PbF (post) (post) and I almost have the entire collection of home accessories! It was nice meeting you in person Farah, keep up the good work

The guys from Ezgrt were there too. They sell phone and laptop skins and hardcases, holders, bags, and much more.

They also have a new card game, Al-Soor Game, that will be available for sale soon and have just been released. Best of luck Ezgrt!

Next stop, The 99! The 99 are a group of superheros created by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa and basic on Islamic & Arabic culture. They have comics, a movie, animated series, and a theme park! It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday Dr. Naif, keep up the good work.

I passed by CircusBC, the innovative design and branding company behind the P2BK designs this year. A few days back they’ve sent up a mask with an invitation card and told us to pass by their booth to participate in the “Surprise”. I passed by several times but each time it was insanely crowded with people taking pictures and wearing the masks so I couldn’t make it. Sorry guys!

Next stop, the Hail and Saffron booth. I love Hail and Saffron and I’m a loyal customer. They sell tins and trays of bite sized traditional Kuwaiti desserts like Gers Ogili Cake, Samsamiya, Ghoraiba, Rahash, Darabeel, and more. I never get on a plane without little tins of their sweets for me to consume and to give away to friends. This year they have colourful new tins with different writings and designs on their lids.

I was passing by a booth when I saw this T-Shirt, I think it was from Boutike Casual Chic. Nice!

More wall art from around the village.

Am I finished yet? I think I have one or two more posts before I’m done! So stay tuned!

The Proud to be Kuwaiti village will be open to the public starting today 6 March 2013 at 10 A.M. which is around an hour away. The village will stay open for two weeks from 10 A.M. till 10 P. M. For more information and pictures you can check P2BK’s website (link), facebook page (link), Twitter (@P2bKuwaiti) or Instagram (@P2BKuwaiti).

Proud to be Kuwaiti’s VIP Opening Night – Part 1

Tonight was the opening night for the Proud to be Kuwaiti exhibition and I was invited as a blogger to attend the event. Based on what I saw on my tour to the P2BK village earlier this week (post) I was really looking forward to see how the village would turn out to be and I have to say, it didn’t disappoint!

We were told that unless you brought your VIP invite with you, you will not be allowed entry and from what I saw, that what true even though it was a bit too crowded at the entrance of the village and at the parking lot. However, we made it almost in time and I even had my own P2BK blogger badge that I sported while walking around the village and taking pictures.

The Kuwait Towers look alike did turn out to be an information booth after all! There were all these road signs around, and I didn’t know where to start! So many things to see: color, light, people, music, and so much action!

I wanted to see the sand sculptures! With the lights display directed on them, they were even more magnificent. You wouldn’t want to miss them, they are simply striking!

Look what I found in one of the sand sculptures! Two guys covered in sand and sitting as still as statues! I actually thought they were sand sculptures themselves but one of them blinked! Very cool!

Media people were everywhere! Radio, TV, Reporters, etc. Here I found KTV doing a live segment on P2BK. I hope I don’t appear behind them on TV taking pictures.

Aside from the shops, there were plenty of things to see! Traditional Kuwaiti items in every corner plus the Seif palace statues that are decorated by different individuals. They are sort of like the P2BK 2013 mascot.

More Kuwaiti stuff, the bucket from the well “Jleeb”, the dhow, the wall art and posters, plus the naughty boys learning at the old style teacher “Mutawa” and being all naughty. Cool and funny skits like these were happening all around the village.

Also, there is a wall in the village with pictures of Kuwaitis with notable achievements. I liked the idea very much and had a great time checking the high achievers out. Maybe one day I’d have a notable achievement myself and get my picture hanged on that wall.

By the way, the P2BK village is a “No Smoking” zone! You have my respect P2BK, way to go!

I had taken many pictures tonight, which wasn’t easy considering the mulling crowds and the flashy lights but I have many more to share and I will do so tomorrow insha2 Allah in one or two more posts. Stay tuned!

The Proud to be Kuwaiti village will be open to the public starting tomorrow 6 March 2013 and will stay open for two weeks from 10 A.M. till 10 P. M. For more information and pictures you can check P2BK’s website (link), facebook page (link), Twitter (@P2bKuwaiti) or Instagram (@P2BKuwaiti).