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Review: Jumeirah Messilah Beach

22 May

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Yesterday we were invited to have alook inside the new Jumeirah Messilah Beach. Everyone was eager to see what we have been long waiting for to open, and now it’s here, and it’s really something! Too bad Cheeky wasn’t here (she left 2 days back to Dubai) though she would have liked the tour :)

I was greeted by the generous team of Jumeirah who took us around the place. Everyone was nice and sweet, so before I go on, just wanted to say thank you!

The tour included the following: Lobby, Executive Rooms, Residential Apartments, Wedding and events ballrooms, Bridal Suite, Restaurants, and the amazing pool and beach. It will take me forever to tell you details about what I have seen, and am not sure it would be easy to describe to begin with, but I will be letting you know my opinion in general, and you can see all the pictures below.

Overall Look & Feel:

Exotic! This is the feeling that i got from the whole place (excluding the rooms). The whole atmosphere, luxurious space, big pieces of artistic statues everywhere, ceiling and floors, all gave me that kind of feeling.

Rooms and Suites:

Just like any other 5 stars hotel, you expect something and that’s what you get, nothing more, nothing less. However, I haven’t stayed in the hotel and got to experience it, so it maybe different once you live in it, but from what I have seen, nothing caught my attention except probably the extra space. The only thing that I really liked was the front door camera, where you get to see whose knocking at your door through your tv, that’s cool :P

Wedding and Events ballrooms:

These were definitely spacious, crazy spacious! Amazing ceiling, decoration details and with a private door leading towards it, so if you have an event, you wouldn’t have to walk through the lobby to reach it. A cool idea is that they have a bridal suite (only for the bride) to celebrate with her family and friends before the wedding. Big spacious suite with one bed only :P so you party and leave :P I loved the idea, however it felt really big but not cozy at all!

Restaurants:

It would be difficult to judge based on walking through them only! but I liked the atmosphere of each, different styles and felt unique. Will definitely visit again and give some of them a try.

The Pool & Beach Area:

Now this is where ALL the luxury is! Amazing decoration, huge pools, kids area, humongous fish statue in the middle with a fountain, bar inside the pool, i mean what can I say, I absolutely loved it, will be definitely visiting VERY soon and get to experience it. We had dinner outside (though the weather was bad) but it was kinda worth it.

My thoughts? I HAVE to visit again, maybe spend a weekend to really get the experience of this great place. Thanks again for the invite guys, keep up the good work :)

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Review: The Great Gatsby

17 May

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i was super lucky to be able to watch The Great Gatsby before it was officially came out in Dubai – thanks to Tiffany & Co that had an event and had a private cinema viewing for everyone invited to the event… (you can read about that here)

now…

The Great Gatsby – originally a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald – now a movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan.

the official synopsis of the movie is:

“The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

my thoughts – it is an captivating movie with bold characters and portrayal of a time in America where the country was thriving and it was the life of excess and excitement – the flapper era! oh how i wish i could experience that time!

what i loved was how that period was represented – it was beautifully done! the costumes, the glamour, the houses.. i really felt consumed by the movie… it was almost if i was there and looking in…

i don’t want to reveal too much – but the change in your feelings towards the characters changes drastically throughout the movie, and towards the end, you don’t see most of the characters in the same way you did in the beginning…

what i didn’t like s much was the ending – just because you have more hope that people are less selfish and less self centered…

for me, i loved the first hour and a half a lot more than the last bit… but all in all.. i would say a definite must watch – a gripping tale of love, lust, desire, selfishness and purity…

if you have seen it – let me know what you think :)

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TV: Goodbye Spartacus :(

23 Apr

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If you are a fan of Spartacus, then you probably know that the show has come to an end. Sadly, after 3 seasons only, the story has ended and we will no longer see those pretty faces or their six packs :P

This show had a lot of ups and downs since the role actor passed away and had to find another suitable for the character. Not only that, but the first season had so much drama, killing, revenge and action going on that we barely saw in the next seasons. I wasnt expecting much of it, but it was too late to stop as I was already hooked, so I just had to finish it and am glad that I did.

Not to give out too many spoilers, but the last season has more drama and action than the one before. They definitely took it to another level and got us all excited and waiting in the last 2 episodes. It didn’t end the way that I wanted, but I guess it was ok, though it could have been better.

Now since I was watching Spartacus a lot of people have told me to watch Game of Thrones and to be honest I wasnt very interested since I watched the trailer. But since Spartacus is over, maybe I should give it a shot after all!

Any shows you recommend?

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Review: Figs by Todd English

28 Mar

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We were invited yesterday by Figs for their new branch opening at the Avenues (Grand Avenues). It was my first time to try out figs, and I refused to read about it and know more before I go there, just wanted to surprise myself..and sure I did :)

Its located right above Texas RoadHouse, the place isn’t huge, but sure takes agood number of people. My first impression is that I liked the decoration of the place, calm and modern atmosphere, comfortable seating and great music playing in the background. 

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We had a special menu waiting for us, which i understood that had many new items and some of their best sellers on. We tried to go out of our comfort zone while picking things out of the menu, and it wasnt the wrong thing to do at all! Their dishes were different, new, and delicious. Before we started ordering, we were offered some fresh bread with black olives in olive oil. As for the drinks, we tried the Strawberry Mojito and the Apple Martini which were very refreshing. However, I would have less mint in the mojito, it’s just very annoying when it gets stuck in your straw :P

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As for the appetizers, we had the Rhode Island Calamari (Very tasty, the sauce is really good and salted nicely), the Chicken Pastrami with Avocado salad (I wouldn’t say it was my favourite, I love avocado but somehow it has a lot fo garlic flavor. but the overall seasoning was great), and the Chicken Pie (now this one was awesome, it has chicken with vegetables inside which tasted really good, i would have this anytime!). Overall, great appetizers, the Calamari is highly recommended if you like fried food, the Chicken Pie for something lighter.

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We were also offered by the chef a cheese pizza for appetizers. I don’t have special feelings towards pizza in general, but i would say this one was good. Not too oily, the crust was soft and the cheese was good! Maybe next time I will give their pizzas a try.

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Now for the main courses, we tried the meat, the chicken, and the fish! Lets get into more details:

For the meat, we tried the Veal Tenderloin, which was cooked perfectly just like how we ordered (medium well). It comes with mashed potato, spinach and I believe some fried onion on the top. I forgot what the chicken was called but I believe it was Chicken Scallopini. Its grilled chicken also spread on mashed potatoes, asparagus and some delicious mushrooms, not sure what kind but it just tasted so good! The third is the Hamour fish, same thing with the mashed potato, topped with fried greeny stuff and great sauce. Very soft and well cooked.

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We were done by that time, until the dessert menu came in and we had a look at whats on. It was a must I guess! The names and the description of each was mouth-watering, so we had to give it a try. The first one was Camp Fire S’mores and the second was the Butterscotch. I don’t think I need to say more, the name says it all, and the pictures are not even close to how good they taste. It’s just so many flavors hit you all at once! I don’t know what I liked about them, all I know is they were good…REALLY GOOD!

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Final verdict? I loved the place. The food is good quality, the dessert was a killer, and the atmosphere is great! I would give it a try again soon and pick different dishes and let you know! Thank you to all the team behind Figs and special thanks to Nancy :)

You can follow them to know more on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Review: Ubon

7 Mar

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We have been invited awhile ago to try out Ubon and we finally got the chance. I had no idea what to expect, specially that I have never had Thai food before, but I have heard some good reviews about it, so it was a bit exciting for me. The place is located in Al Jawhara Tower in Kuwait City right beside Triangle Restaurant, right on the main road, would be hard to miss. We arrived on lunch time, the staff were very welcoming and very well-educated when it came to the menu. Knowing how clueless I was, it was easy for me to pick out as everything looked absolutely delicious. We started out with the soup, salad and appetizers.

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Tom Kha – The soup was absolutely amazing! all I can say is that it had so many flavours that makes your taste buds go wild! Its spicy, sweet and salty at the same time. Highly recommended. As for the salad, we had Nam Tok Salad which has slices of beef and a great sauce on the side. As for the appetizers, we had the fried Tempura and the fried Calamari. Both came with fried onion rings. What I loved about them is that they were not oily at all! that’s not easy to find. Recommended too.

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For the main course, we had the Baby Corn Shrimps and the Cashew Nut Chicken. What I loved about the chicken is that it was sliced and very well cooked. It wasnt cut in squares like what usually restaurant do. Again, can’t say anything wrong about it, and maybe next time I would ask for it to be more spicy!

On the side, we had the Pink Curry Noodles which was almost like the Pink Pasta with little pieces of shrimps. Very tasty!

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After all of this delicious food we thought we were done! But it wouldn’t be the perfect meal without something to drink and dessert! We were offered a wide collection of tea flavours and we went for the carrot cake. We werent wrong…at all! The carrot cake was delicious, very soft and creamy.

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Whats the verdict? Would definitely visit again, loved the food, the atmosphere and the staff! Never thought I would say this, but Thai food rocked at Ubon!

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Review: Call of Duty – Black Ops II

21 Jan

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Back in October, I wrote a post about Call of Duty – Black Ops and how hooked I was. Today I’m writing about Call of Duty -  Black Ops II, even though that its been out for a while, but I was too busy playing it to actually write about it :P

I have always liked video games but I never thought that I will EVER preorder any game just cuz I can’t wait for it! And that’s what I did, I preordered Black Ops II and couldn’t wait to put my hands on it. I didn’t even give the campaign a chance, I started playing online right away and I absolutely LOVED IT!

I was kinda worried of how advanced it would be as I have seen in the trailer, and specially that I didn’t like Modern Warfare 2 either, but I wasnt disappointed, the game was amazing. First of all, the maps are way more advanced and better quality with more hiding places. There are a couple of Arab countries included with people speaking funny Arabic :P They have definitely worked on the sounds and how realistic it can be. And finally, and the best part is the new NukeTown 2025.

A lot of people have recommended battlefield and I donno what, but so far am sticking to Black Ops II for now cuz am definitely enjoying it! I have reached Prestige 3 so far, maybe when I become a master ill get bored :P

So whats your favourite shooting game? and if you do play Black Ops II, hit me with your user name to kick you ass and show you how girls can play too :P

PS: I have heard a cool new map pack is coming out soon, what do you think?

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Review: Canon 7D + DigitalRev

15 Jan

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A month ago I have finally took a step forward into something I have been wanting to do for such a long time, which is buying a new camera. I have been very much into photography but sadly never had the right equipment nor the time to practice it.

And because there are so many camera options out there, confusion was taking over the idea every time I wanna make a decision. But I have been using Canon for awhile now, so that was definitely my first option. And because cameras and their equipment are too expensive here in Kuwait, I also took a leap of faith and ordered one online through DigitalRev.

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I have read so many good reviews about DigitalRev, actually none of them were negative in any way! The problem is it was my first time to order ANYTHING online, so I was abit scared. However, the process couldn’t be any smoother, I placed the order and received it in a week, just cuz it was held in customs for 2 days, I would have got it in no time.

So what did I order?

Canon 7D

After a lot of research, it was down to Canon 7D and Canon 60D. I didn’t really know what I want at that time, but I was willing to invest into a good camera that would serve me well for a long time. The 5D would be definitely on the list next time, unless something better comes along.

I chose not to take the kit lens (18-55mm) and instead bought the (50mm f/1.4 USM) which is supposed to be good for portraits and gives you a nice depth of field.

Since then, I’ve been happy using my new camera, can’t say much about it cuz I still didn’t use it fully, but I would highly recommend it if you are trying to take your photography skills a step forward, even when it comes to video shooting.

Now what am planning to do is to buy more photography gear that would help me in photo shooting. So far the only place that I found with reasonable prices is AAB where I’ll be heading very soon to get my gear. Do you know any other places that you recommend?

I will be posting some pictures from my new camera, so stay tuned!

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Review: Smash Burger

26 Dec

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This week we were invited to check out the 3rd branch of Smash Burger opening in Al Mahboula (on the other side of Spoons). I have always wanted to try their burgers (get smashed) but I never had the chance before. I’m just glad that I did this time!

We arrived right on time, the place looked really good, and they had a nice seating area outside, which was perfect for this weather. We were warmly welcomed by the team behind Smash burger and taken inside for a sneak peak.

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What I noticed is that everyone was all smiley and happy, and it felt genuine (which we don’t see much often around here anymore). Even the guys who are behind preparing the order back in the kitchen were all smiley and happy to see us.

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We even got the chance to get inside the kitchen and see how the proper smash burger gets SMASHED! I never really knew that’s what they meant by it :P But it was actually cool.

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Our order was probably enough for 6 people (thanks guys for being generous) and consisted of the following:

Our own burger creation (it had beef, double cheese, mushroom, onion, bacon, avocado, and an amazing sauce that I can’t remember)

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I wasn’t very hungry but I was VERY happy to finish it. It was really juicy (which I love), the bun did not break or anything (which they bring all the way from the States), the bacon maybe a little bit dry but that’s ok cuz I simply LOVE bacon. The burger might look abit greasy, but to me it didn’t taste greasy at all.

As for the fries, we tried the regular fries, chili cheese fries and the smash fries (which has rosemary, olive oil and garlic). Am an original fries lover so I would vote for the original.

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We also tried the fried pickles (I know this might sound weird to some if you haven’t tried it before, but it just taste like pickles!) which were good and not oily. Fried jalapenos and the sweet potatoes fries. What did I think? I would go for the fried pickles again.  As for the hotdog, well hotdog is hotdog I guess :P

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I have always wondered how can someone eat a burger and have a milkshake with it. Well the wondering stopped that day when I took a leap of faith and tried it, not bad…not bad at all!!!!

We tried 2 kinds of milkshakes, one of them had Oreo, the other probably vanilla if am not mistaken.

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After that huge meal, we were happy to sit with the team behind Smash Burger to chit chat. We got to know a little bit about Smash Burger history and what’s their future plan. I was surprised to know that it’s the first Smash Burger to open outside the US! They have over 200 stores in the US and 3 already in Kuwait. Don’t worry guys if you think the place is far from your house, it will be very close to you before you know it!

A big thank you to the CEO Khalid Hajjar, Jillian & Sophie For being sweet and helpful. We shall visit again :)

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To know more about Smash Burger, checkout their Facebook Page, Instagram & Twitter.

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TV series: SUITS

16 Dec

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well i am so far behind on all series!

but i am in love – SUITs

this is what it’s about: On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers.

I love Harvey – he is so cocky and so sure of himself – but he knows what he’s doing..

Mike on the other hand, tries to emulate him, and in doing so, due to his super high intelligence and amazing memory, is pretty successful, but on occasion gauges situations wrong and creates situations for himself and Harvey!

All this wouldn’t be complete without an ‘enemy’ – enter Harvey’s law firm partner, and arch nemesis, Louis Litt. An odd character, sleazy and kiss ass-ey – not anyone would aspire to be…

i am addicted to this series and i am desperately looking for season 2!

Harvey and Mike are so likeable that you end up slightly supporting them through their adversities!

watch it! i’m sure u’ll love it!

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Call of Duty Addict

21 Oct

I have been always into video games, but I would say I was into the mystery type, horror and some of the car games. However, I never thought I would like the shooting type of games, maybe cuz I never really tried it, until now!

Not very long time ago, me and my brother decided to get a PS3 just to see what we are missing on. It came with 2 games, Uncharted (which I absolutely LOVED, checkout my past review here) and Call of Duty. I tried it out and got stuck somewhere in its levels and completely lost interest, just until I was exposed to the online gaming!!!

I just didn’t think it can get addictive, I was thinking maybe because am a competitive person to begin with, but that all changed when I introduced it to my friend who also got too into it! PS: Last thing she was into was SEGA!

So right now, am on level 40, sticking to Team Deathmatch, very annoyed by those Saudi kids playing and talking trash on the mic, but it’s definitely an addictive game. I have tried also to play with MW3, but I thought the colors are too pale somehow and way more difficult! do you think it can get better?

Right now everyone is waiting for Black Ops 2 I guess, for me, I think ill stick to this for a while.

Are you an addict too? tell us more about it.

Do you have any video game recommendations?

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