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For the longest time I’ve been able to “guess” the plot of any thriller-style book during my reading and its becoming a tad boring especially when my guess turns out to be right in the end. What’s good about Disclaimer, however, is that whenever I’ve guessed at a plot twist during the course of my reading, which wasn’t very long because I wanted to know what happened, something would come up and negate my guess making me wonder what did happen and when I knew everything in the end, I was in for a good surprise indeed. Read more »
There are spots on earth that seem to preserve older versions of one’s self, of what made them what they used to be in terms of thoughts, dreams, and aspirations. To me, Richmond upon Thames in Surrey, south of London, UK is the spot for I’ve spent most of my summer vacations there when I was growing up. I can literally say that I’ve transformed from a nerdy kid into a stubborn teenager then to a glowing young lady during that time. Glowing young lady cracked me up but I’m not how to describe my 20-something version to be frank so please let that one pass :p Read more »
If you are on Snapchat then you must know that last week was a big day for us for Kuwait City was the city of choice for Snapchat Live! If you are not familiar with the concept, Snapchat chooses a city each day where residents of that city are able to take snaps and add it to the city’s story. Eventually, Snapchat admins get to choose which snaps (videos or pictures) they like the most and publish it for the entire world to see in a story and it stays on for 24 hours. Read more »
When I first stumbled upon what is hailed as “Harper Lee’s long lost unpublished novel” in the library while on my recent trip to the UK I didn’t think twice before picking alongside a fresh new copy of To Kill a Mockingbird then heading to the cash register. I spent my eid/summer/birthday holiday lounging around, relaxing, and reading both books back to back. I thought it was the only proper way to read what was originally the book to be published before Lee’s editors asked her to elaborate more on Scout’s memories and hence To Kill a Mockingbird was born and published and the original not. Read more »
I know the holy month of Ramadan is almost over with less than one week to go, therefore I thought I’d post about this now or else it would be too late. Quraish is an event that takes place on the very last day before the arrival of Ramadan when, in the pre-oil Kuwait era, people used to gather around anything they won’t be consuming during Ramadan and have one last big breakfast. Now in modern day Kuwait many people celebrate several times, at work and with families, by having one last -or several last- breakfast meals. If you haven’t been to Kuwait before or don’t know this already, breakfast is a huge deal in Kuwait and I might very well say that if you are planning to visit, you must plan to have breakfast out every single day for it must be the breakfast capital of the world! Read more »
There is something that I’ve been meaning to say, type down really, but for the longest time I’ve kept my fingers back but I think its time I let it out. Not only for ranting purposes you see, rants always wash your soul somehow, but it will also be a kind of documentation, a stop in the social media history of Kuwait if anyone is keeping track. You never know, maybe someone in the future will want to have a study or thesis or something and noting this down will help them out eventually. Read more »
I cannot claim credit for this salad, I’ve seen a similar combination of ingredients on instagram and it somehow got stuck and for the life of me I cannot recall the exact location of the picture that I’ve seen it from. However, the salad I’ve seen on that sizzling summer afternoon while fasting and browsing instagram for iftar meal inspirations was of a kale and blueberries salad with feta cheese and pecans. I’m not even sure about the pecans, it could have been walnuts or nothing at all, but the moment I saw it I began tasting juicy blueberries bathed in salty feta brine and I knew, I just knew, I had to prepare that salad for my iftar.
For the longest time ever I though my lack of posting on the blog is because of not finding the correct words to put into paragraphs. With the Storehouse apps, I realised that words weren’t my problem, its the pain of having to deal with choosing, editing, and watermarking photographs that’s pulling me back. In any case this post appeared first on Storehouse last Friday when all was slow and peaceful in my world. If anything, I think I long for the peacefulness of a lazy walk even more. How did peace become the rarest commodity in our advanced and supposedly civilised world? Read more »
Initially I didn’t want to write about it, didn’t want a heinous act of terror to have a permenant mark on my memory and my future, but how could it not when we’ve spent an entire weekend in shock, tears streaming down our faces without the slightest attempt to stop them or wipe their residue of my glasses.
It started like any other happy weekend morning, I indulged in sleep that I was deprived off during the week, I woke up for prayers and read Surat Al-Kahf from the Holy Quran. My husband was just back from the mosque when I sat on my couch next to him, thinking about what to cook for iftar and deciding to check out a recipe I’ve seen earlier on Instagram, when I saw the video. Read more »
I had very high hopes for SJ Watson’s second novel after my enjoying her debut, before I go to sleep, both on paper and on screen. In my recent haul of books from my trip abroad, Second Life was my most anticipated read and when I finally had the time to grab a book to read I didn’t hesitate twice and chose it, wishing for another really enjoyable read. Read more »
It feels like its only yesterday when I celebrated my 25th birthday and felt like I was a grown up mature adult. It also feels like five minutes ago when I turned 30 and was crying to anyone who would listen that I was now old and no longer in my twenties. In a few weeks, I will be turning 35 by god’s will! 35, half way through my thirties, the best decade anyone could live and the last where you could count yourself as “young” and “youthful”. The minute you turn 40 people would start to use phrases like “she looks young for 40″ instead of “she is still young, only 40″ but lets obsess about that when we are granted to live until then. Now, the truth remains that I’m turning 35 and I still cannot believe it. Read more »
I didn’t want an eventful May month to sneak away before I’ve had the chance to write something in my beloved blog. I am not stuck in a state with nothing to say, on the contrary, I am suffering from having just too much to say to the point that I’m not sure where to start!
I have two things to consider and finish up in the next couple of weeks, one is something I cannot wait to do and another is something I am reluctant to do but will open up quite a good path in life for me, I only wish I am considering because I really wanted to do it rather than being almost forced to do it. The moment I considered the latter decision, I felt a click and something fell into place, something that I didn’t know was missing for a decade or so, therefore I think its eventually going to be all right but both things will have a lot of paperwork involved and you know how hot it is outside and unbearable the paperwork chores are in Kuwait.
What’s up with the heat by the way? Why is it already 48C when its only May! I was on my way to visit my grandmother in the hospital, she’s been there for about a week now, and I almost melted in the heat! It doesn’t help that I’m trying to fast these days before the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, which something I am really and truly looking forwards to. I only wish my grandmother is better and out of the hospital soon, pray with me if you could spare a minute please.
Speaking of the Holy month of Ramadan, preparations for its joyous arrival are on full gear! I’ve actually started a 30 days countdown on instagram and each day I post something I’m doing in preparations for the anticipated day, its the best time of the year and I cannot wait for it to be here. Did that rhyme? It wasn’t intended but it does sound a bit corny.
So what’s up with you? These days I’m relaxing at home during the weekends and experimenting a bit in the kitchen -hence the display picture- and with a little DIY project that I really wish would be completed in two weeks. I spent an hour yesterday in Shuwaikh trying to find something that would help me out but I couldn’t so I have to build the thing from scratch. The moment I’m done I promise I will share it with you, perhaps here before on any other social media outlet, so stay tuned!
P.S. Where did 2015 fly to! We are almost half way through! Phew!
Earlier last month I was browsing the aisles of Waitrose in London when I came upon a small jar or “Balsamic Pearls”. It was my first encounter with them, frankly I almost dismissed them as just another caviar pot, and I haven’t exactly seen or tasted them before so I decided to take them home with me and wait together until the perfect opportunity showed itself. A few weeks later and the perfect opportunity came galloping towards me in the form of a small Stracciatela Mozzarella jar, that is the creamy stringy kind, and I knew it was time. Read more »
Its been a while, I know, since I’ve last opened up my beloved blog and written something. I wasn’t being lazy I swear, I was travelling then was swamped with work upon my return plus, surprise surprise, my attention has been taken captive by one of the newest social media application to hit your resident app store: Storehouse! Read more »
If you recall in my post about SoMu district of Mubarkiya souq area in Kuwait, I mentioned Caffeine, a new place that looked about to open soon. Last Thursday I was dining in SoMu when I saw people sitting outside Caffeine and, though I was full after dinner, I decided to stop by Caffeine and check the place out for the next time I passed by SuMo. Read more »
For a while now all I’ve been hearing is “clarisonic” this and “clarisonic” that. Girls all over Instagram have been raving about it, Clarisonic being an electric brush that cleanses and exfoliates your face or body. I didn’t intend to go get it myself but I happened to be shopping in Sephora and I was in a credit card burning mood and one thing led to another and I found myself buying a colourful clarisonic with both body and face brush attachments. Read more »
Are you feeling blue in the bleak period between the National day holiday the summer holiday? Perhaps you are already researching your summer vacation trip? I am currently travel-sick and day-dreaming of roaming the world and I think there are many who share my current state of mind, longing for their next gateway and counting the days. That’s why I’m going through my travel pictures and thought I’d share this experience -and a few others to come- with you. Lets start with my stay at the W Hotel located in Leicester Square, London. Read more »
Growing up, Japanese anime was a very big part of my childhood and of many of my peers as well. My love for the anime we watched made me adore everything Japanese to the point of dreaming of moving to Japan to live and to join my favourite characters in their daily lives. The rain, the quaint little neat houses, the walk to school, strolling by the sea after school, the train rides sitting by big windows with a view of Mount. Fuji, eating chow mein with chopsticks, if you share my same vision and I won’t be surprised if you do then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Read more »
In the very last days of January I had the chance to get a sneak peek inside the location of a new bakery in Kuwait City that was due to open very soon. The name is Days Boutique, an artisan desserts bakery located in Dar Al-Awadhi right next door to the famous Karak Gholam. The decor of the coming-soon Days Boutique is quite lovely, modern with a huge studded revolving door, patterned tiles, and endless gorgeous light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Read more »
Hello March! Winter is supposedly officially over and its time to embrace the insatiable beauty of spring, or so it feels! Though I’m a winter person myself I cannot help but be a bit excited at the prospect of iced lattes and the warmth of sunshine and I have just the caffeine drink to celebrate spring, pictured above and more about it later, for now let me stick to inflicting my opinion of one of my latest reads on my still faithful blog readers. Shall we? Read more »
1- Once you install Snap Chat it will eat up your iPhone battery which will disappear faster than the contents of a Nutella jar placed on a table of hungry people on their diet-free day.
2- People, for some reason, think that Snap Chat is a synonym for circus act therefore its OK to frighten you with strange poses and silly actions because it will be gone in 10 seconds or less. I understand Read more »
I came home one day last week to find a huge basket of fresh farm and dairy goodies from Alban Dairy, my favourite local dairy company. Among the fresh goodies that promised at least a week of nutritious sustenance was a invitation card from Ghaliah Technology to join a Saturday weekend trip to the very farm where the produce and dairy products of Alban Dairy and the Farmer’s Market corner of Sultan Center come from, Yasmine Farms in Wafra. Read more »
I love museums, and history, and everything related to previous civilisations from bygone eras! I have this thirst to know how people used to live in the old days, before our modern day inventions, and what impact did their surroundings have on their lives. Were they different persons, or just like us, and how? What was daily life to them, and was it enjoyable? How did they come about knowledge, and what did they do if they were sick or sad? The past is a mystery to me that I’d love to unlock, I actually wanted to be an archaeologist when I was younger, that’s how much I love history. Read more »
If you know me personally and like me enough, you’d know that I really cannot distinguish unfamiliar faces until I’ve met them 3 4 up to 5 times sometimes. I’ve come to start meeting people by apologising in advance for not recognising them in the future, very rude I know but I really cannot register facial features in my face from meeting only once especially in this day and age when everyone looks like everyone else for some reason. However, I’ve only come to realise a new social problem I’m encountering recently: I can no longer distinguish people if they are wearing sunglasses! Read more »
The other day I was invited for a tasting dinner in Nutri, one of Kuwait City’s newest restaurants located in Dar Al-Awadhi and specialising in providing light and healthy meals in a restaurant setting. Don’t you wish there were more health-oriented restaurants around in the land of 1001 restaurants? Please let it be the next trend, we are so tired of burger joints! Read more »
