Danderma's Blog, page 93

Yawmyat Wa7da Q8ya Dathra, Volume II, is Published!

Today, 7 June 2012, marks the first anniversary of my first book signing. It is also the day the second volume of The Chronicles of Dathra is published

This time the book came with the work: editing, proofreading, and a lovely book cover! Its not available online yet though but it will be soon. Just a matter of printing, a few days and I will announce its sell date which shouldn’t take long insha2 Allah

So, to all Dathra fans out there who have been asking about the book, it is published and will be sold very very soon so stay tuned

P.S. What do you think of the cover? Like it?

This Day Last Year… This Day Today!

Do you know the feeling when you have smiled for too long, your facial muscles begin to ache? Yet you wouldn’t stop smiling? I felt that way this day last year.

7 June 2011 was one of the top ten most cherished nights in the history of my, er, 19-years-old life. It was the night of my Dathra book signing in 52 Degrees (post). It was a night I still recall with contentment.

Why not? When you’ve been treated like a VIP for one night? Like you are loved and cherished and that many others think highly of you and the scribbles you jot down on paper? Who wouldn’t be delighted at focused attention, flowers, chocolates, and most importantly support in kind words of encouragement? I remember being scared to the point of breaking down in tears – I don’t miss that feeling-. I remember the long queue, the happy smiling faces, the TV crew, and the delicious dinner that followed.

A year on and I’m still overjoyed by my book signing night. I am at loss of words for I cannot express myself the way I truly want to, but I do want to say, for everyone who took a night of their valuable life to come to that book signing so they can support me, to think that there was nothing more important to do that night than to attend my book signing, I want to say a big fat thank you. I cannot even begin to describe to you how much that meant to me.

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, given that this date, 7/6, is a lovely one… expect another Dathra book related announcement within the next twelve hours… Stay tuned

Ramadan 2012: The Upcoming 4th White Expo

A few days ago I received an email from the ladies behind the annual White Expo inviting me to a small meeting to familiarize the bloggers with their exhibition. Not that their exhibition needs any familiarizing, who hadn’t heard about The White Expo? Frankly it is one of the expos I look forward to every year.

The meeting was held in the basement of The Danish Bakery, which was a happy thing for me given that I’m a loyal Danish bakery fan. Their sandwiches and breads are to die for -specifically the falafel one they now make on demand-. The meeting was casual, and we were served mini bites while we waited for everyone to arrive.

The three sisters, May, Mariam, and Shaikha Al-Hajeri, the ladies behind the White Expo started explaining about their beginning back in Ramadan 2009 in a family hall. When they realized the potential behind their expo given the popularity and the interesting number of attendees, they decided to expand the expo and therefore it was in 360 Mall during Ramadan 2010, Ramadan 2011, and insha2 Allah Ramadan 2012.

White expo is not only about showcasing local businesses and helping them get exposure. They also have a mission: granting wishes! Yes, the expo usually revolves around a “Make a Wish Tree” where orphan children’s wishes are hanged on the tree and exhibition visitors can help out by granting those children their wishes.

What do you think those orphans wishes are? Toys w3liya! A toy, given to an orphan child causes a beam to shine on their tiny lonely faces. Those children had performed a song live during the opening of Ramadan 2011 where the make a wish tree held wishes for Bayt Abdulla’s cancer children. According to Al-Hajeri sisters, all the kids wishes were granted.

There was a power point show but I think I was a bit late arriving to actually see it.

Before the meeting was concluded we were handed sleek grey boxes with the expo’s logo on them.

Inside was the slide show and information of the White Expo plus yummy melt in your mouth chocolates.

Needless to say I enjoyed the chocolates very much :p

Thank you May, Mariam, and Shaikha for your invitation and for accommodating me.  It was nice meeting you! Can’t wait for the White Expo. I left feeling Ramadan in the air.

The next White Expo’s event will be held on the 7th of Ramadan and until the 10th of Ramadan 2012 in 360 Mall. There will be a “Make a Wish Tree” and the wishes will granted to the orphans once again.

For more information regarding White Expo and if you need to contact them you can  email them on whiteexhibition@gmail.com . Please note that the booths have already been reserved though. Best of luck White Expo.

Are you Afraid of Having Your Picture Appear in Blogs?

I have a general rule in my blog: I don’t put pictures of people unless in very narrow circumstances. I don’t wait around for the people in the event to gather around so I can take pictures of them. When I take a shot I take extreme care in making sure people do not appear in pictures. If they do I try not to use the picture at all or distort their features. Its just the way I do things.

Most other blogs do the same. blogs that I know and respect that is, I can’t talk for the 500+ blogs out there popping everyday. Some of the blogs do not care especially if its a public event with the media, TV, and newspapers around. I once saw an event post on a fellow bloggers blog where my face was stupidly beaming out of the crowds and very obvious. It bothered me for a second then I thought to myself so what? How is this different from a picture of mine in a daily newspaper? So I said nothing and I cannot even remember which blog b3d.

I noticed that people are starting to realize that if a person who looks like a guest at an event but is with an SDLR and taking pictures of everything, then they must a blogger. When that happens however, people tend to freak and run out of the way, or shoot us with the most murderous gaze whenever we took a picture. There was once a lady who covered her face with the veil in the buffet of a restaurant who nearly fought with me because I was taking a picture of some dish and she was behind me and no where near the camera. Even if she was in the camera’s range, nothing would show of her because all you can see is be yulack!

I don’t really understand the problem. Its not like we collect pictures of people from around Kuwait, put them on display at home, make some popcorn, and show them to our men or something. If you are out in public, there are one million cameras out there who can take pictures of you. Why is it OK to have your picture appear in newspapers or jump out of joy if you appear on TV by accident but its not OK to appear in a picture taking by a blogger,or in Instagram? I’m just trying to understand.  I’m not talking about people who refuse their picture being taken at all, I’m talking about those who allow everyone except blogs.

In any case and regardless of why you feel that way, ladies and gentlemen, rest assured that this blogger does her absolute best so you don’t appear in her pictures and that if you do, in Kuwait or abroad, covered or not covered, man or woman, local or expat, your face won’t show here unless you ask for it and then maaaaybbeeee I’d do it. You have my word, OK? Don’t worry.

Book Review: Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

While reading the last book I reviewed (post), it got very heavy at times so I needed a light read to lift up my mood. Thanfully I had my second Randa Abdel Fattah novel with me to accomplish that task.

After reading Randa’s debut novel “Does my head look big in this?” (post) I went back to Jarir bookstore specifically to get her second novel, that’s how much Ioved the first one. It was a light witty intelligent read filled with ironic laughter. What about the second novel then?

Well, it was good and drastically different from the first one. Jamela, a Lebanese Muslim girl living in Australia is known as Jamie in among her high school mates, who by the way do not now about her background nor that she is a Muslim from middle eastern origins. Protecting her identity is very crucial from Jamie especially given that her father is very strict and uptight. You can say that Jam is having an identity crisis -taking you back to the yucky high school years- and her way of facing discrimination in her home land is to try and blend in, be one of the crowd walking in the background, and laying low.

The writing is superb, the story is good, but its not as witty as the first book was. Nor did I like the ending that much. I felt that there could have been more to it, a few chapters perhaps. However, I did enjoy the book a lot and will keep it on my bookshelf. I’m seeking out the rest of Randa’s books for sure. It would be a perfect read in a busy day or maybe for summer lounging by the pool while being interrupted one million times.

Breakfast at Cafe Meem

A few weeks ago I was browsing Instagram when MMC Kuwait posted a picture of the newest branch of Cafe Meem and asked a question regarding the location.

When I answered I was told that I’m the first to answer correctly and that awards a prize: a complementary breakfast from Cafe Meem, Avenues! I was surprised and happy, I don’t really get to win stuff. Plus, I prefer the first correct answer wins method as an instagram competition rather than having people beg for votes and the one with the biggest family -or begged the most- wins.

Did I mention that I am a big fan of Cafe Meem in 360 mall? I actually prefer it to Lenotre 360 mall. They have the best Turkish coffee in Kuwait, period.

Back to reclaiming my prize, last week we had the chance to finally pass by for breakfast.

We started with drinks: tea with mint,

and pomegranate, pineapple, and apricot syrup juice.

 Next to arrive, a basket of freshly baked bread. 

Then our order arrived: Labna balls.

One of my favorite dishes: the fried halloum cheese covered in vermicelli.

The inside is filled with olives

I had the chance to look at their oven, or as we call it “Fern”. They bake most of their food, including the egg dishes, using that fern in order to maintain a low level of fat in the dishes they serve.

The first thing that came baked out of the oven is the Rosemary, mushroom, and parmesan omelet.

Next the Vegetables, harrisa, and halloum cheese omelet.

Fatayer came as well: cheese, labna, and za3tar.

It was quite a spread!

The food was good, fresh, colorful, and very light. we truly enjoyed our breakfast at Cafe Meem.

Thank you MMC Kuwait and Meem’s manager Mr. Richard for your hospitality. Cafe Meem is located in 360 mall and the first floor of the Avenues phase I. They will be soon opening in Alhamra mall as well.

For more information regarding MMC Kuwait and to win some of their competition prizes you can follow them on Twitter (@MMCKuwait) or Instagram (MMCKuwait) or visit their website (link) of like their facebook page (link).

Movie Review: Men in Black III

The year was 1996 or 1997, I’m not really sure, but we were spending out long summer vacation in the UK when suddenly the world was taken by storm. Men in Black and Men in Black. There was that wretched song that still plays when I hear the phrase Men in Black, here come the men in black blah blah blah…

I was never a fan. I didn’t like MIB or MIBII. Its perhaps the only two movies of Will Smith that I didn’t like. So when MIB III came out I didn’t want to go. But my husband insisted and there was nothing better to see and we were bored so we went.

Usually sequels that arrive a long time after a movie has ended tends to be pathetic. In the case of MIB III however, the third installment was better than both movie one and two combined! I was really surprised to have thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The story line is very good, the actors don’t look too weird -Will Smith didn’t age and Tommy Lee Jones was already old and wrinkled the first time around- and in the end something happens that makes you understand something that happened in movie one, with a few tears of course.

I loved MIB III. I would go to it again if I had the opportunity. I’d want to watch it again and perhaps add it to my DVD collection. A good movie is a good movie even if his prequels were awful and come with a soundtrack that won’t leave your head irritating you for a decade in a half.

Recipe: Spaghetti Pomodoro

I’ve always been a fan of Spaghetti Pomodoro, or in English, Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce. I remember a year in my life when I ate spaghetti pomodoro for lunch for an entire year. I can never read/smell/see spaghetti in any medium without craving spaghetti pomodoro immediately.

Yesterday on instagram I posted the pictures of my preparing then eating spaghetti pomodoro and I was asked for the recipe so I posted a picture of the apron with my recipe. Dear Ansam asked me to post about it, I said to myself chinna ma yeswa then I thought why not? So there goes, you have the recipe, all it takes is a few minutes and voila! Its ready to devour on your plate.

It was no surprise then that when I went to Italy on my honeymoon that I snatched this apron because it had the classic Spaghetti pomodoro recipe written on it. I’ve used that apron to cook ever since I got married and I’ve used that recipe for all the tomato sauces I made ever since.

The problem in Kuwaiti households is that they think the tomato sauce used in Italian dishes is the same as “daqqos”, which is simply horrible! I even heard someone before actually state that why bother with a tomato sauce when there is daqqos on the table, ugh! And don’t get me started on how the “Ma3karooniya” is overcooked until its mushy, like cerelac!

You can add vegetables before the tomatoes, you can add tomato paste, you can add cherry tomatoes during the cooking process, the world is your oyster! In Kuwait people would rather used mashed fresh tomatoes or tomatoes with peels and you end up with shriveled tomato peels in the sauce which is disgusting. Italians use canned tomatoes, not real tomatoes, that’s what makes all the difference! Mafeha shay tra. If your concerned about the health benefits and such, use the organic ones available in TSC and Dean & Deluca.

My husband is never satisfied unless he uses one of his pasta mixes on top of the cheese. If he could go to restaurants with this, he would. Kinda insulting to my culinary skills though.

You can top the spaghetti with any cheese you like: mozzarella, freshly grated parmesan, cheddar, a mix of cheeses. You can also top it with any herbs: oregano, basil, etc. You can add chili flakes to the sauce and you’ve got an Arabiata. You can top it with herby breadcrumbs if you want to add a crunch to it. You can even add a dolop of greek yoghurt and mix it -it would taste awesome!- or add a little cream while it cooks to have pink pasta! A simple dish can go a long way, and it only needs a few ingredients. You can make gluten free spaghetti pomodoro by using gluten free noodles! Easy, mo?

If you decide to try it, let me know how it goes, oh and in Italian, buon appetito :)

I like my tomato sauce thick, herby, fragrant, with a touch of sweetness. I like my spaghetti firm and aldente. The thinner the spaghetti the better too, like no. 3 or no. 1 which I believe is called angel hair pasta. How do you eat your Spaghetti?

Edge Boutique’s Ramadan Collection Launch

My friend the designer behind Qumar 14 collection has is showcasing her Ramadan collection in collaboration with Edges Boutique in an upcoming event going taking place… tonight!

Let me show you a sample of her work. Last year I bought from her my favorite winter bisht (post) and I’ve practically lived in it ever since. Its so soft, so warm, so practical against the icy weather sitting in front of the dowwa and now in the summer for protection against the cold AC.

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When Qumar 14 participated in Alwan exhibition in Dar Alfunoon (post). She told me she had a new collection of bishts made from colorful much lighter material for the summer! She had the one in beige ready.

It was so pretty, so light, so perfect for snuggling into while watching TV or going somewhere when you have your pajamas on, all you have to do is throw it on and voila, your are well dressed again!

I almost ordered the beige, then she showed me a picture of the lime green one in the collection. If you know me, you would know that lime green is my absolute favorite color in the entire world and if I see it, I cannot resist it. So I ordered it on the spot.

Only when I received my new lime green summer bisht did I let go of my old winter bisht. Now I live in my lime green one. Can you blame me?

Even Bo Throos loved it and snuggled warmly in it :p

Some of Qumar 14′s newest items include.

Qumar 14 collection, alongside five other different designers from the region showcasing their Ramadan collection, will take place at Edge’s Boutique in Burj Jassim at 7 PM. If you still didn’t fully prepare for this Ramadan’s outfits, its your chance to do so tonight.

Kuwait Music launches SCENE The Events Portal

Our friends over at Kuwait Music have launched Scene, Kuwait’s first ever self serve events portal with an already huge and dedicated following given that its backed by the popular Kuwait Music network.

“The Scene” is officially launched and ready for you to publish and promote your events instantaneously! Some cool features such as Google map integration, event registration, social sharing, event image galleries and much more are all available!

Get on and start promoting your events to Kuwait’s largest event loving community, now. Start by visiting www.kuwaitscene.com

 Best of luck guys!