Book Review: The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak
http://shinyfastandloud.com/?feed=rss2 By danderma | December 3, 2016
Highly acclaimed and an award winner, I had no second thoughts about picking Elif Shafak’s The Architect’s Apprentice. It took me a while to read through it, so many pages and so much details, tale upon tale you stumble upon and sometimes the details are of little and no consequences, but in the end you put it down and sigh, for this unusual, oriental, mystic tale of old is a telling of the circle of life for Jahan, a little foreign elephant mahout who became the apprentice of Sinan, one of the most renowned Architect’s of his time.
Though at times I was frustrated with the lack of a definite or a thrilling plot and with the amount of details, I adored the personality of master Sinan, who to my delight he is an actual historical character though Read more »
At this moment I’m sitting by the open window, a dark cloud is looming in the horizon and thunder has been rumbling on loudly for about ten minutes now. I’m the dictionary definition of a pluviohile, I literally open my eyes wide and begin to operate on an entirely different level when it rains, rain charges my soul the way Superman charges by the sun, hence this post that has been playing around again again in my mind.
I’ve also decided that perhaps I should have pursued a career in book-publishing. Why didn’t I? I don’t know, perhaps because it doesn’t pay too well? Perhaps I’m going to one day but until then I will stick to writing whatever comes to my mind in my little blog and you, my readers, will be the lucky ones to suffer through :p Read more »
I have not one but two copies of life after life on my bookshelves, for whenever I’ve visited a bookstore for the past few years I’ve seen it on the best seller and highly acclaimed list of novels. I also got its semi-sequel, the second novel “A God in Ruins” that is based on another character but its not necessarily a continuation of the original story. The only reason I’ve put up reading this one was its sheer-volume of 600+ pages. I however finally decided to read it and its semi-sequel, for I’m in desperate need of a book that sucks me into its world and leaves reality behind. Read more »
I’m not a vegan, and can never be for my love of dairy is too great to abandon. In the recent year or so the Vegan movement seem to be taking over the planet for a moment -vegetarians, where are you?- and whenever I browse the social media account of a vegan I happen to come across one version or another of something they call “Nicecream” or “Nice Cream” and they keep raving about it the way they were raving about Read more »
On the cover of this book there is a little sticker stating that reading it will fill the void left behind by the Girl on the Train, or was it Gone Girl? I’m not really sure, but it is being compared to current IT suspenseful crime novel and so I’ve started it with high excpectations. I did enjoy it, it was a good crime with a very gasp-out-loud-surprise kind of twist and a proper ending that lays to rest most of your questions, yet there was something missing from the story that would make it as good as either Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. Read more »
Years ago, I read Rosamund Lupton’s debut novel Sister and was mesmerised instantly. Though I was not a fan of her bestselling second novel Afterwards, I did keep an eye out for anything new by the writer and finally managed get a copy of The Quality of Silence. I read the description on the back and though it wasn’t something I’d usually be picking up on my own, I still had a taste of the delicious writing of sister and I hoped I’d come across it again, hence the eagerness I felt as I started this one. Read more »
Let me start by stating the fact that I do not like cauliflowers.
In fact, I loathe them.
The smell, the taste, the texture. I’m a vegetable loving vegetarian who actually does crave broccoli but never could stand to be within a metre of cauliflower in any shape or form including the very famous fried cauliflower and eggplant sandwich we call Meshakkal in Kuwait. Never was a fan. The same goes for sweet potatoes, I just could never understand their over-sweetened taste nor embrace it as a vegetable. Read more »
A few days back I was invited by Triangle restaurant to try their new and different menu. I like triangle a lot and have seen pictures of their “new” items so needless to say I made sure to go with a good hungry appetite knowing exactly what I wanted to try. Lets say I was not disappointed at all and I’m warning you, dangerous pictures are awaiting you below.
Lucky for me, I arrived on a Saturday during a lull in the lunch service. It was between lunch and dinner and so I had the place to myself and took as many pictures as I’ve liked without bothering other diners. By the time I got to my main course though, the restaurant had filled up and there was a waiting list! So if my colourful pictures make you want to have your next meal over at Triangle, make sure to call before you go to make sure there are available tables. Waiting list I tell you! Read more »
Yes, the title is correct. This post and these pictures are telling the story of an Indian Alphonso mango tree, planted in a farm in Wafra area on the soil of Kuwait. The tree felt at home enough to bear not only regular Alphonso mangoes, no no, JUMBO alphonso mango fruits and there were enough of them to make it into a carton and arrive at my doorsteps about ten days ago! Read more »
I’ve been bored by, well everything really. Do you ever seem to think that everything in life is the same? Same activities, same faces, same places, same routine, same old and nothing is new happening anymore?
Enter the key hunt for the By Parker’s restaurant!
You see, there is something about having to earn your entry into a new food establishment. I recall once reading something like that in a magazine about a spot in a trendy hipster part of London, that unless you answer the gatekeeper’s riddle you won’t be allowed to climb through the wall into the restaurant or something. I loved the intrigue, the being there but out of reach except for the worthy kind of attitude. Of course its also fun, that’s why I’ve been following the SnapChat of by Parker’s in Dubai forever and deciding that the moment I set foot in Dubai, on the very night I do, I’m not going to rest until I do hunt for the key and actually claim it for myself. Read more »
Back in August 2015, almost six months ago, a little black box from Grand Cinemas inscribed with “Try guessing what’s inside the box!” arrived on my doorstep. I was intrigued, and guessed it was an invitation to a movie premier or something. It was indeed an invitation to a movie premier, plus, there was a card inside with my name on it plus the words “VIP”. Read more »
I wouldn’t usually and willingly go into a cinema to watch a movie about sea pirates, not even pirates of the Caribbean, but if it was a Tom Hanks then it’s a must see movie regardless of the story or the trailer. I went to watch Captain Philips yesterday and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed at all. Read more »
My friend and fellow blogger Ansam has been busy lately. A couple of weeks ago she finally was going to share her love of food with the rest of us with the launch of “Karak Gholam”, Kuwait’s newest Karak cafe where Ansam is a co-owner. Karak is a drink that’s basically tea, milk, sugar, and Indian spices cooked together. Rather, its the equivalent of a spiced chai latte and I’m not sure if Karak is the official Indian name for it but its been forever popular in neighbouring GCC countries like Qatar and the UAE and is currently taking Kuwait by storm. Read more »
I think it was back during the holy month of Ramadan when I first started following the instagram account of GIA cafe. They were testing their dishes and I knew by looking at what they had to offer that I wanted to try them out, really wanted to, for they reminded me of Ottelenghi’s in London. After a long wait, they finally opened their doors yesterday afternoon and I wasted no time heading over to GIA’s for some lunch. Read more »
Last week I went to see the movie Prisoners which I’ve been looking forward to watching for a while since its starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. I did cave and watch a bit of the trailer to know the general feel of the movie I was anticipating and then when I noticed the trailer was going to go on forever I stopped it but I had an idea on what I was going to be watching. Read more »
I’m a big fan of Salad Boutique, always been and always will. I’ve ordered their salads on many occasions before, either to take with me for a gathering or to simplify salad making for gatherings held at my place. I don’t usually order them for my own meals though since the portion is too big and it takes me several days to finish one salad which ends up old and wilted, and wilted salads are not that fun per-say. I always wondered why they don’t introduce individual portion salads suitable for one person and they didn’t until last week when they launched their new corporate solution menu. Read more »
I received an invitation to attend the advanced screening of the movie “Rush” by Cinescape which took place yesterday and since I love everything movie related I was on my seat at 8:15 P.M. sharp waiting for the movie to start. Frankly, I didn’t know what the movie was about because I have a policy regarding not watching trailers anymore but I knew it was about car racing, based on a true story, its soundtrack is composed by Hans Zimmer, is starring Chris Hemsworth, and there is popcorn involved as well. What more could you ask for? Read more »
Back in June I managed to visit the very last Shakshooka pop-up farmers market before the start of summer and I fell in love with everything shakshooka! The concept, the carefree spirit, the mystery of waiting for the next market and not knowing where it’s going to be until just before it happens, and most importantly the food items you could buy: all organic, healthy, natural, and delicious! Then summer came and went and fall arrived, bringing the Shakshooka market back! Read more »
Ever since I began cooking quinoa I really wanted to use it with one particular dish, maraq bamiya (okra stew). You see, if quinoa passes the maraq bamiya test, it can reside their proudly on my pantry for the rest of time, banishing every last morsel of rice from the premises. The dieticians in Kuwait have been urging us to replace rice with quinoa and I already tried that twice with the quinoa mushroom risotto and the quinoa with dill & broad beans (bajela w shbent) and both time quinoa posed as the perfect protein-packed fiber-laden replacement to white rice therefore I Read more »
When Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer star in a movie, you expect it to be one worth watching and their latest movie, Malavita a.k.a. The Family, was one good movie I watched recently. The movie is about the family of an ex-mafia boss who ratted out on his friends therefore the FBI had to change his identity and hide him and his family all they way in Normandy, France where they should be able to live in peace, but their old violent habits happen to sneak back on them and eventually, their old mafia friends discover their whereabouts and come back for revenge. Read more »
Lately I’ve been doing nothing but trying to concentrate on making my diet work and trying to stick to a healthy life style, therefore you will be seeing a few more diet food related posts every now and then on my blog. Earlier this week, I’ve seen Ansam cooking a dish on instagram using quinoa bread she got from J’s Bakery. Read more »
Since I’ve been having quinoa, almost on daily basis, for the past few weeks I always am on the look for new ways of eating it. My favourite quinoa dishes are almost always salads and this one, with grilled bell peppers a.k.a. capsicums. On the day I took these pictures I only had some yellow bell peppers in the fridge but my absolute favourites are grilled red bell peppers. Read more »
Last week was the opening diner, a new burger place in Kuwait City and the newest addition to the thriving and already saturated burger scene in town. Why would I go to another burger place? Because they are the first in Kuwait to serve the Ramen Burger, the latest burger craze that took NYC by a storm, replacing the bun with Ramen noodles.
I’ve always heard that the exhibitions that are held in the UAE were spectacular and amount of effort that goes into those expos was unparalleled. I’ve never had the chance to go to an expo in Dubai before but while I was visiting this past Eid holiday I learned from the instagram account of fellow blogger Karamillah from the Abu Dhabi, that her cookie business, K’s Cookies, will be participating in a Ramadan Night Market expo in Dubai and I knew I had to pass by and check it out. Read more »
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Atari” is the Atari video games we used to play in the very early 80’s, therefore when a new restaurant with the name Atari opened up a while back the name did catch my attention and made me want to dine there, and I finally had the chance to do so last Thursday. Read more »
