Pleasantly…
When I was on a ship I used to go to the same resturant in Mexico every time we docked in Cozmel. They had great salsa. I went not just for the salsa but because going to the same place gave me a sense of home when I was so far away from any home I have ever known. New is exciting, fresh and sometimes a little bit of a challenge. Being surrounded by change and different experiences the human mind and the heart starts to crave the pleasantly familiar.
I buy eight dollar dill pickles from the Sultan Center because I know the pleasantly familiar is important to have in your refrigerator. Next year I will import my own Campbell’s Vegetable Beef Soup and Stoned Wheat Thins! Even though it might add extra weight to my luggage and cost me more having the pleasantly familiar is priceless.
When I talk to good friends and family I think I have a physical reaction to talking to someone who is pleasantly familiar. Your heart beat slows, you breath easier and you guard goes down. You aren’t afraid that they will attack you with their words, the sound of their voice, their laughter and the way they love is something you love! It is more then pleasantly familiar, it is pleasantly perfect!
Last night a bunch of us went to Taste of Kuwait. An organized event where patrons had the chance to taste small portions of food from a large cross-section of dining establishments. We ordered a sample size swiss cheese fondue from Fondue Melt Away. It was something new but still reminded me of fun fondue parties of the past. Just for the record, the food from Fondue Melt Away was delicious and delightfully presented. I haven’t been to their actual restaurant (check out the pictures here) yet but their menu looks wonderful and if their small sample of food was any indication of what you will find at their place in Salhiya then I think it might be worth a trip there!
A trip to Fondue Melt Away will be new but if I go with pleasantly familiar people and order green tea, the new will blend together nicely with the familiar, which is a perfect recipe for an enjoyable evening!
Our big moments — where we can change the world — come because so many other people have helped us, and luck has come to us. But our small moments, when no one is watching and no one cares and the only thing that makes us try again is an unreasonable belief that we can get what we want for ourselves —
those are the triumphs that we do all by ourselves.
-Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist-
Point of Origin
This week I have been thinking about the concept of “Point of Origin!” I have been thinking about this because I have been filling out paper work to determine my summer travel plans. The form asks me to list my point of origin. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived. I came from Kingston, Ontario, Canada or for travel purpose the airport coded as YGK. On paper quite a simple question but as I listened to the celebratory gunfire of Kuwait National Day I couldn’t help but think how on many levels my point of origin has changed over the last several years. Yes, I am from Kingston, Ontario, Canada but I am not the same person that arrived here in 2008! I used to worry about the gunfire, now it has become a part of the celebration. Perhaps next year I won’t even consciously hear the gunfire anymore. It will fade into the background like all the other loud noises.
When you travel, when you choose to live, really live, you learn or “upgrade” yourself. It changes who you are. Changes how you exist. You can never actually go back to the point of origin. I recently told someone that as a writer I was “fearless”! My first year in Kuwait I enjoyed finding fearlessness again!
Now as I celebrate with the people of Kuwait this wonderful weekend, to recognize freedom from oppression, I can see how my fearlessness is starting to turn into a thoughtfulness. Kuwait is a country where the people are very interconnected. It is an interesting question to consider when did we come into each others worlds or existence. I mean sure I got off the plane in Kuwait one day in August but when did I meet you? When did we have that point where we came into each others personal existence? When was our point of origin?
“There should be less talk. A preaching point is not a meeting point!”
What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone’s house. That says enough!”
-Mother Teresa-
“The growth of any craft depends on shared practice and honest dialogue among the people who do it.
We grow by private trial and error, to be sure — but our willingness to try, and fail, as individuals is severely limited
when we are not supported by a community that encourages such risks.”
– The Courage to Teach; Palmer, 1998, p. 144
From A Princess on New Year’s Eve
I have decided that from quiet contemplation to dancing like a rock star how you spend your New Year’s Eve really doesn’t matter. That like love and Dick Clark nobody needs to keep records of New Year’s Eve awesomeness. In my mind what really truly matters about New Year’s is taking a moment to reflect on what you learned, who and how you loved and thinking about your next steps. Excellences comes from what you focus on day in and day out.
Over the holidays you might drink a little more, eat a little more and dance a little more but as you easy back into the New Year hopefully your simple daily habits that build beauty into your life return. Today we receive a beautiful Kuwait surprise and found out that we all get an extra day off. So we start back to school on Sunday, instead of Monday. I love these kind of Kuwait surprises.
I feel as if something should be written about the classic New Year’s line, from the song Auld Lang Syne,
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?
People are hard to forget. Wrongs are difficult to let go of but in the end unkind words and unkind thoughts hurt the person that speaks them way more then those spoken about. Living in a Muslim culture I am truly blessed that the stories and ideas of the Muslim faith find their way into my heart. It is amazing to me how living in a Muslim culture makes you a better Christian. One of the stories or hadith’s from the prophet Muhammad is that you should speak a good word or remain silent. I was told that one of the hadith’s is that before you speak you should ask yourself 3 very important questions:
1. Is what you are going to say the truth?
2. Is what you are going to say kind?
3. Will it hurt someone?
Your thoughts, your choices about these questions should then direct your actions. It takes a strong person to hold their tongue when tempted; thankfully no matter what your faith we have help.
Happy New Year. Peace is with us!
What Does Christmas in Kuwait Feel Like?
Great questions have been finding there way into my life these days. I love great questions with thoughtful answers. The last two days have been filled with simple, Christmas joy. I have been on this big kick to bring traditions from my past homes to my home in Kuwait. So gracefully and awkwardly that is what I have been doing to increase the level of holiday fun. From having Chinese food on Christmas Eve, to cooking lemon pancakes, to the great Christmas de-clutter I have been one busy elf! Although I am happy to say my days dressing as an elf, from ships, was not a tradition that got transfered 
Christmas in Kuwait, feels warm with a nice breeze. The temperature has ranged from 15 to 28 degrees Celsius, which when your body adjusts to 40 to 50 degree heat in the summer, anything under 40 seems cool. Although I must admit it has been a mild winter. There is no snow but when the Christmas carolers came around to sing at our apartments on Christmas Eve it slightly amused me to say, ” Don’t worry about taking your shoes off. It is not like there is snow on them.”
Christmas Day was filled with neighbors getting together for potlucks and laughter. Gifts needed only be as simple as smiles and great coffee. As odd as it sounds on Boxing Day we went to the camel races. Like going to an OHL hockey game on a Friday night the locals just sat in their plush leather chairs and watched the races. We, the tourist, to this unique experience took a large number of photos, and sat in awe as eight to ten camels, with tiny electronic jockeys whipped the camels around the track in just under ten minutes. It was a good day at the camel races! Check on the link to get an idea of what we saw. Click here for Camel Video!
I hope where ever you find yourself this holiday season your Christmas was like a good day at the camel races or somehow had a warm gentle breeze, if even just from the glow of a fire or from the love of friends and family.
Mountains
First of all Happy Winter Solstice! Hard to believe that yesterday was actually the shortest day of the year! It was filled with so much! Last year at this time I was climbing up and sleeping in the mountains outside of Dahab, Egypt. This year I have friends who are on a great adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.
Sometimes mountains are in far off exotic places and other times the “mountain” we need to climb is within each of us. We all have are own personal mountains, that we work to find, move, climb or conquer. I am writing this morning because I took a big step on climbing my personal Kuwaiti mountain. I am writing because as I worked to climb my perceived mountain, there have been many people providing encouragement, guidance and support, some people who have experience with this particular mountain. Climbers/drivers who knew about paths to avoid, boulders to watch out for and ravines not to even bother trying to cross. Some kind folk, who had never faced this particular mountain, but knew about facing and over-coming challenges helped me along the way. Reminded me to be careful, cautious and focused while climbing, I mean driving. One wrong move on the Kuwait mountain known as the 30 can lead to a bundle of trouble.
Yesterday I took a huge step and conquered my Kuwait driving mountain. I drove by myself all the way from my apartment to Marina Mall. The journey in climbing this mountain started long before I ever set foot in the car. Pep talks from lots of people.
With help from several people at school I got my driver’s permit. With the permit in my wallet I was and still am officially a legal driver in the country of Kuwait. However, the permits might have just sat there without great directions and the right climbing gear. People who love you know when to push you up the mountain or tell you when to find another mountain to climb.
I set-off early in the morning, and despite the great directions I made a few wrong turns and got gloriously lost. I say gloriously lost because I was lost. Heck, I ended up in Kuwait City, but the beautiful thing about this getting lost is that I kind of always knew where I was. That eventually the lost would turn into found. With a little help I navigated my way to the top of the driving mountain or the Marina Mall parking garage. Happy safe and parked I headed to “Base Camp Starbucks” where I enjoyed coffee and funny conversation.
The drive home was smooth and on this second shortest day of the year I am happy to share this good driving news with you. It is comforting for me to realize that I haven’t forgetten how to climb simple because the mountain changes. Although I have now learned that GPS is available for the Middle East! This is very exciting and I look forward to one day this helping me to find my way around the mountain. Yeah technology! My skills, my character, my work ethic travels with me no matter what mountains I have to face. Thanks all for the continued help and direction.
“Doubt makes the mountain which faith can move.”
-Proverb-
“Today is you day! Your mountain is waiting. So…. on your way.”
-Dr. Seuss-
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock
What a bright time, it is the right time to dance the night away, write the night away or laugh the night away! Jingle bell time is a swell time to go driving, not in a one horse open sleigh, but driving with my evil twin from Texas! So much has happened this week I wouldn’t even know where to begin. It is hard to be on the other side of the world when people you care about are sick. On those days you lean a little more on your family away from family. You give a little less, take a little more and graciously accept the offers of prayer, space and simple friendship. The part I liked the best about this week is that people who were sick are getting better, really at the end of the day, health and happiness are what is most important, no matter what country you are in.
So our Christmas vacation started today. As a traveling soul you might think I’d be taking this break to find to a beach chair or a bar in London but this winter break I am just staying at home. My home in Kuwait. In an international community other people’s reactions to you staying at home is interesting. Although as with most times other’s peoples reactions say more about them then they say about you.
It is the standard question to ask your colleagues at this time of year. Where are you heading for the holidays? When are you coming back? What will you be doing well you are gone? There is a great joy in sharing plans for adventures. I love sharing and hearing about adventures, big or small. For the next two weeks I have no plans but yet lots of plans for simple adventures. Cleaning out my closet, experimenting with cooking, writing, enjoying walks by the water, trips to the spa with girlfriends and plenty of time to rest, relax and explore Kuwait.
I think people who are new to the international community get surprised that you would stay in Kuwait because they don’t yet see Kuwait as home. When you make that transition in thinking you realize that you don’t always have a need to leave your home for the holidays. In fact when you tell someone who has been here a long time that you are staying they sometimes kindly wish they were staying too. Airports, hotels, taxis, luggage, layovers they all take a lot of work. If you are up for the challenge of travel then it is a thrill but sometimes, somedays you just want to stay home. Curl up on your couch and read. As odd as it might sound I just want to stay home and enjoy Kuwait this break.
So tonight as I moved around from party to party. Sharing jingle bell joy I could not help but smile at all the adventure that is about to unfold, at home and abroad.
Morning!
I should be writing at my Starbucks this morning but it is grey and cold out, well Kuwait cold out. If you go out today in Kuwait you are going to need both a sweater and some type of jacket and a scarf. I should be writing something else this morning but I have got distracted by this possible blog post and the mountain of dishes in my sink. Truth is told this morning: I like the fact that I can control the Christmas music I play. The same track over and over again drives me to want to drink and since that is not possible at Starbucks I need to at least control the Itunes for the morning!
I do like my Starbucks. I am even working on learning the names of the staff. The Arabic names are hard for me but then again so were the Filipino names on a cruise ship. I practice and eventually I will get better or know them well enough to give them a nickname. I like to sit by the window and look over at water that runs under the building. It is quite amazing that they have built a building that includes a stream that runs right underneath it! Whatever you do try to have a fun day!
Disruptive Grace
This week I came face to face with “disruptive grace”. The kind of grace that knocks you flat, causes your head to spin and demands that you stop and think! Disruptive grace forces you to define what you currently want and the things you used to want. You realize the need to open new doors and close old doors. The things that are hidden at the bottom of shoebox end up on the kitchen floor and the truth appears. There is a natural human resistance to change, even small change. However, it is with small daily acts of change that eventually lead to a large scale difference in your life. Through mechanical weathering water will wear down stone. True change works this well as well. Not in one big grand act but in a series of small and repeated actions over time.
I love the good days. Where the sunshines, the birds sing and everything is “peachy” but it is often on the days that it rains and things seem to crackle and pop around you that you find yourself learning the most. Grace isn’t easy to come by and disruptive grace isn’t easy to walk away from. You wish for joy, hope for love but the truth be told sometimes you just need grace.
Like grace that changes you my favorite place in Kuwait seems to continue to change to meet my needs. I know it sounds so shallow to write that the Hilton Kuwait is a place that helps me to find peace but perhaps it isn’t as much about the Hilton as it is about reconnecting with little pieces of nature. The sand, the surf and lying next to the ocean as the waves roll in all helps me to be still so I can hear again.
The images from the Middle East, that flash around the world and on CNN, are in sharp contrast to how I spent last Tuesday. No guns, no war, no violence. Just palm trees, a little moon light and perfection. Like grace that exsists even with disruption beauty flourishes all over the Middle East. You just have to remember to look for it and go after what you truly want.
“We can do no great thing… only small things with great love.”
-Mother Teresa-
360 Degrees of Sparkle!
We went to the 360 Mall last night. All the way around was sparkle, marble and over the top shine!
One of two intricate glass sculptures created by Dale Chihuly
The 360 Mall is full of surprises as with one left turn we found ourselves in an art installation.
“Tamdeen Shopping Centres, in collaboration with the Arab World Institute in Paris has organized the exhibition “Oum Kalsoum- The fourth Pyramid” in the State of Kuwait at 360 MALL.
An interesting vertical garden, with giant gold fish ponds! More detailed information about 360 can be found at 248am.com
Like the the internet community, on-line phone books and directions that have all slowly started to grow in my time here it will be interesting to see how this mall grows and develops. The mall literature talks about how the seven unique zones in the mall will “create seven unique experiences that trigger shopping senses.” Perhaps in years to come it will develop into this. Right now it was just a nice play to watch and movie and window shop. Time does interesting things to places, even malls. Perhaps the more time I spend there they more I would notice the seven zones. Then again perhaps the more time this mall is develop the more exciting these zones will be.
The question was raised if one day these pyramids of homage to the “gods” of commercialism and consumerism will end up hidden beneath the desert sand like the pyramids in Egypt? Would future archeologist end up digging down and sifting through sand to find a pile of Caribou coffee cups and the last pair of Gap Jeans from the Gap store that is schedule to open soon. Only time will tell what is in store for the 360 mall of Kuwait. However if you are looking for a nice way to spend a Friday evening in Kuwait check it out.
One Night in Kuwait City!
Life in the Desert
I danced in the desert,
I swam by the shores,
I spent warm nights under starlit blankets of silver,
I made friends from far-away places
I ate and drank and savored it all
I loved and was loved
What more could anyone ask for?
From streams of teapots seeming to fall like rain from the heavens, to mountains of spices, to perfect piles of hats and blankets, the full moon lit up the night sky in Kuwait city and we explored Souk Mubarakea.
Located in Kuwait City, in the Qibla area, Route 40 ends at the Souk. From fresh meat, to fish, to dairy and fruit anything you need could be found in this traditional shopping market. The fabric souk is found across the main road, filled with things that glitter and sparkle. No major purchases made, just fun conversation and fantastic photo opportunities at each corner. Sometimes it is just nice to admire the shiny things and a enjoy a wonderful vegetarian restaurant located on the edge of the Old Souk, Greenland.
So many of the photos I took tonight will inspire deeper, more interesting stories. Lately travel and life has inspired quick blogs. Now it is time to sitting down with a good cup of coffee, a computer and travel photos and take the time to work through whole stories and ideas.
Shut Up and Shop!
I have a love of international travel that oddly enough is combined with a passion for home decorating. The magnificent, yet oversized Kuwait door, is perfect art for my current living room, yet someday will lead to a ridiculous shipping bill. The 3.4 pounds of fridge magnets don’t need to travel with me to each new country I live in, but somehow it isn’t home until they are here. Great pillows aren’t easy to pack and the quilt from Turkey shouldn’t have to be hung on the wall of each place I live however what makes you happy can’t always be explained. Trying to fight or figure out why you like something or why it inspires you kills the enjoyment. You are a gamer because you want to, a baller because you have to, a writer because you need to and a traveller because that is just who you are.
I never thought that carmel and cream cheese mixed together would make a wonderful dip for apples but it does and tastes great. Shopping in 36 degree heat, during Ramadan, where you can’t eat or drink in public, was also something I didn’t think would every be that pleasurable but somehow today that too turned out to be a fun experience.
Walking around the computer souk today we found a new printer, fans to cool our Macbooks and sparkly mouse pads. A side trip to the Kuwaiti Sears, lead to us getting a 20 KD gift certificate (currently if you spend 20 Kd at Sears you get a voucher for 20KD for your next purchase) Sears in Kuwait, is not linked to the Sears in Canada or America. The last time I went to Sears in Kuwait it was a disorganized and chaotic. However today the Sears in Salmyia was clean, organized and filled with great dresses for a Kuwait ball season. If there hadn’t been a large pile of stuffed camels with Christmas hats you very well could have been at a Sears in North America.
Round one of shopping was productive but on a day that was all about the “shut up and shop” experience so one round was not enough. After a quick cruise through the nice but over-priced Marina mall we headed outside and started shopping in the back streets of Kuwait. The statue of the Eiffel tower led us to a shoe souk and a right turn instead of a left had us trying on skirts for 75% of the cost of H&M. Just like in Daffy’s or Marshall’s in New York, a good deal or a perfect purchase will make loud crowds and outrageous heat almost disappear.
So as I install my new printer, charge the batteries for my new camera and decide where to put the new candle holders I can’t help but think how lucky I am to have great girlfriends to shop with, no matter what country I am in. Thanks ladies!
”The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.”
-Lost in Translation-
Sometimes
Sometimes you don’t need to be told to “get over yourself!” a simple trip to the grocery store reminds you of how blessed you really are. Tonight I roamed kind of aimlessly around the Sultan Center. Looking for things I didn’t really need but just kind of wanted. A kettle for my classroom, a bamboo rack to hold up my earrings and a few more candles. I had picked up some red peppers and was waiting in line to get them weighed. The man at the scale in front of me had just one pear. When the scale printed out that the pear cost 400 fils, he took the sticker from the scale, folded it in half and put the pear back on the shelf.
This man didn’t have a cart full of food, he barely had shoes on his feet. 400 fils, which is about $1.50 Canadian, was too much for a piece of fruit for dinner. I stopped dead in my tracks and just like that got over myself, my worries and my superficial problems. I walked up to him, handed him a couple KD and told him he had dropped it. He asked me if I was sure and I said, “Yes.”
Later on I saw him check out one pear, one bag of pita bread and some yogurt. As I left the store he came up to me and said,” God bless you.” I just smiled. He already had. He reminded me to get over myself!
Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.
Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us.
-Marianne Williamson-
Hard To Imagine…
When I came through Canadian customs this week I was a little confused, which by the way is not a place you want to be confused in! I am and always will be a Canadian citizen but I live in Kuwait. I am a resident of Kuwait. So for the first time in my life when asked for my residence on a Canadian customs form I had to write another address. It made me think.
This morning I read and saw some powerful photos of Kuwait right after the war, posted on www.248am.com
these photos were captured by B. Dietrich, AIA. They tell a store of a country that thankfully I never knew. I am a resident of growing, diverse and safe country. A country that not so long ago was devastated but quickly rebuilt. That sometimes challenges me with the driving, the lack of clean air and public transit but never fails to make me thankful for the experience of being and learning from a new culture.
Avoiding the count down!
This week we signed our itineraries for our plane tickets home!!! For me there is only about a month left in year one of the grand Kuwaiti adventure. There is a natural pull as you move from one place to the next, get ready for vacation or start to prepare for a big move to count down the days left. Sometimes the great countdown helps motivate you to do all the things you need to accomplish before you leave. Creating a sense of urgency that motivates you to do the things you really don’t want to do, like pack, write report cards or sort out your cluttered office. However I was once asked the brilliant question, ” Why would you want to count down any piece of your life?”
A valid question that sparks one to think about the importance of living in the now! Enjoying each moment for what it is and finding the beauty in it. Loving the fantastic conversation in the car as opposed to knowing this is the last time I will be stuck in Kuwait traffic. Enjoying the music and wine as opposed to worrying over construction and apartments. The things you can’t control anyways.
I do also like the idea of reflecting on each day. Celebrating what you have learned, remembering the magical moments and growing from the pain. There is a fine line between get caught up in complaining about what you don’t have (Check out A Complaint Free World.org) and not being able to keep it real. So as I plan out some of the wonder that my 32nd last day in Kuwait will hold I am thrilled that it will involve celebration, art, books, friends, great mash potatoes and wonderful conversation. Here is to day 32!
A look at the food culture in Kuwait!
“A food culture is not something that gets sold to people.
It arises out of a place, a soil, a climate, a history, a temperament, a collective sense of belonging.”
-Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle-
I would never have read Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable Miracle if it was not one of this months book club selections. With a diverse group of people picking the book selection of books we have read this year I knew I would be challenged as a reader. This month with each page I read I learned a new trick, a new tip and found a new love for cooking.
As I walked into the book club meeting I was looking forward to trading stories about the challenges of finding fresh produce in Kuwait. I hoped perhaps I’d learn the secret to where to find a tomato that would be suitable for eating instead of being tossed in the trash. What I wasn’t prepared for, yet totally loved, was how the book had inspired the book club to become so much more than the sharing of words.
The great book club hostess had turned her kitchen into a cooking show. As we talked about the book she made cheese. Yep, right from scratch she took whole milk and within minutes had magically turned it into marvelous mozzarella.
As the cheese curdled we vented about produce that had more airmiles than many of us. Someone brought locally grown tomatoes and the power of the book club changed my shopping habits. (Hint: Yasmine Farms in Kuwait has a section in the Sultan Center and there produce is fresh and lovely ) As we talked about how are eating has changed in the country of Kuwait it dawned on me that I am know surrounded by a wide variety of very different and distinct food cultures.
“I would be exhausted after that long plane trip. Never mind if I was a tomato.”
One section of the community I live in has a food culture is loosely based around eating and drinking just like they are at home. This means the large circular import sticker is a sign indicating that this item is a part of your food world. How long it took to get to your dinner table it is not important. It is about eating the food that comes from home. I will be the first to admit that there is something very comforting about eating the pickles that are just like the ones you ate when you were six. The eight Canadian dollar price tag is worth the sense of joy it brings me to feel like even though my whole world has changed somethings haven’t.
Part of this food culture has also invested significant time into the technology and technic of making sure the beverages on your table are just like home. I once had this apple drink that was spectacular. It is amazing how your food culture, like your love of hockey, travels with you.
In addition Kuwait has developed a very unique food culture involving delivery services. Pretty much anything you want can be ordered by telephone or internet . Why there is even internet sites like 6alabat.com , where you can use your bank card to order from a large variety of restaurants. Several mouse clicks later and within a Kuwait minute the delivery person is knocking at your door. Every Saturday morning a man selling boxes of water or cases of coke arrives at my door to see if I need any beverages.
A new trend that has appeared in Kuwait is the box dieters. This food culture is based on healthier choices and exact portion size. Box dieters pay to have a green box filled with their meals delivered to their door each day. They work with a dietician and plan their weekly menus. It is also interesting to see how this box food culture is spreading. With people sharing weight loss success stories and the benefits of having someone else cook your meals the box culture has grown quite quickly in our small community. Why today I even saw the old boxes being painted by students as part of their art project.
“But approaching mealtimes as a creative opportunity, rather than a chore, is a option.”
-Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle-
For me one of the most entertaining parts of the food culture here has been the fine folks from southern America. They brought along their love of grilling, BBQ, smoking and cooking meat. Quite honestly what can be done with a BBQ, the right sauce and some chicken is nothing short of amazing. In addition the process of cooking, socializing and listening to lively stories makes this culture very entertaining.
“I like cooking as a social event. Friends always seem happy to share the work of putting together a do-it-yourself pizza, tacos or vegetarian wraps. Potluck dinner parties are salvation.”
-Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle-
When we first arrived in Kuwait the culture of the potluck was based on necessity. Everybody was still filling up their cabinets and refrigerators. People we sorting out their appliances and piecing their kitchens together. When morning coffee came around someone had sugar, someone else had a coffee and a coffee maker and before you knew it two people showed up with enough mugs for everyone.The quality of our potlucks in this culture has improved drastically since the beginning days but the premise behind them stays the same. The coming together of people in a collective sense of belonging.
Your Favorite Thing to do in Kuwait?
Now that I have lived in Kuwait for almost 7 months it is more challenging to find new and exciting things to do in this country. After you have done the standard Kuwait tourist things like going up to the top of the Kuwait towers, ventured to Failaka and Green island, see the Scientific Center and watched the 3-D movies you start to realize you are going to have to put some effort into finding the fun.
Never one to back down from the challenge of finding fun I have started asking people who have been here for several years what is their favorite thing to do in Kuwait. The answers seem to be as varied as the people I have asked.
Tonight my evil twin from Texas and I went for a walk along the Corniche, a lovely ocean front boulevard. Why as the gentle breeze blew off the gulf, the sounding of crashing waves filled the air and I admired the palm trees for a moment I really did feel like I could have been in South Beach, Miami. The men in leopard print speedos had only been replaced with the thankfully more conservative men in dishdashas.
Tonight on the Kuwait Corniche the sky scrapers shone with bright lights, the teenagers ran in and out of the Kuwait Hard Rock Cafe and the ice cream vendors sat on the sea wall waiting to sell to the people walking by. Miles and miles of flat pavement. A perfect walking, biking or roller blading path. Beside the playground equipment men took time out to pray. The families sat on the ground, some barbecuing and some simply enjoying each others company.
It was a lovely night on the Kuwait waterfront! I think I may have found a new favorite thing to do in the country of Kuwait.
From The Kingston Whig Standard
Sometimes the world is big and sometimes it feels very small.
The below post was published in the Kingston Whig Standard on Friday March 13th 2009.
Living in the Middle East, people often ask if I feel safe living here. It is an understandable question. I wish I could just say “Yes” and be done with the discussion and the unfair stereotypes that some people have about the Arab world and the Middle East.
My hometown is Kingston, Ontario, a town that has nine prisons in the city and surrounding area. In Kingston, I grew up knowing that when someone escapes from a local prison you will hear the helicopters, perhaps see the search dogs and eventually there will be a radio announcement about the missing convict.
It brought me an odd sense of comfort to know that the escaped convict is looking to get out of town as soon as possible. If nine correctional facilities weren’t enough the city of Kingston has plenty of half way houses to help rehabilitate the men and previously the women who were recently guests of the local institutions. I used to volunteer in a homeless shelter that often helped ex-convicts. I remember a guest saying to me, ” I just got out of prison. My previous life of crime, before I got caught, paid very well. Who wants to work at 7-11 for minimum wage? It really isn’t that much of a choice to make. Crime pays. However I have enjoyed my time in Kingston. I think I will stay in the city.”
Kingston also has an active bar scene with fights and drunken Queen’s street parties that has in the past led to cars being flipped and incidents of violence. However people rarely ask the citizen of Kingston if they feel safe living there.
When I lived in Renfrew, Ontario it was a 45-minute commute to the tiny school in Denbigh, Ontario where I worked. In the winter the roads were icy and snow covered. Sometimes, even with my fantastic snow tires, I’d feel my car slip backwards. If you are looking for things to be afraid of, ice covered roads in Canada is certainly something to fear.
Driving in parts of Ontario you are prepared for the reality that one day you might hit a deer. Regardless, if you are driving in the morning fog or heading home late at night, when a deer suddenly appears in front of your car it can do a lot of damage–to you, the car and the deer!
In deer hunting season I used to wear an orange sweatshirt into work in the morning. Listening to the locals fire off their riffles in search of their big trophy buck put a special kind of fear in my heart.
For a time I also I lived and worked on a cruise ship, traveling in international waters brought about its own special challenges. Out running hurricanes, leaving a port when a government was being overthrown, waking up to Miami drug dogs searching your room and listening to safety officers talk about the hundreds of ways you could die at sea and what we needed to do to be prepared all made you appreciate your afternoon off at the beach.
My point is this. There are challenges no matter where you live. Kuwait is no different. It is a country filled with interesting people, new experiences, a lot of adventure and like every country or city around the globe it has some issues. No deer to watch out for, no threat of hurricanes and no drunken, fighting Queen’s students though.
For me the challenges living in Kuwait is that the driving here can be fast, furious and gives new meaning to the term road rage. People often drive with their lights off at night. Then when they get ridiculously close to your bumper they flash their high beams at you. Honk their horns as you move over they speed past your car coming dangerous close to side swiping you.
As well sometimes men in this country can be a little bit forward. Let me please stress–not all men and not all the time. However, like driving on snow covered roads you learn to deal with unwanted attention as a part of the country. When I walk in the city I get this look on my face that I refer to as the “Washed Out Western Women look.” It is the empty glazed over eyes. My facial expression says, “I am so not looking at you or remotely interested in you.” Without words I am trying to communicate the message that will clearly tell you,”don’t even think about telling me that you like my eyes or blond hair because I didn’t just get off the plane yesterday. I like to think of it like defensive driving, defensive walking keeps you safe before trouble occurs.
I enjoy Kuwait, the culture, the people and the new adventures. I feel just as safe here as I have felt anywhere else in the world.
National Parties?
This week Kuwait celebrates two national holidays: Independence Day and Liberation Day.
Though Kuwait officially became independent on June 19, 1961, National Day is celebrated in February in honor of Sheikh Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah (1895-1965) who came to power in February 1950. [And possibly because it's too hot to go outdoors in June.] The Emir guided Kuwait during its transformation to modern statehood and earned the moniker “Father of the Constitution.”
What does Kuwait National Day look like? A four day weekend, lots of flags, trees and houses decorated with giant house size flags. Sparkling lights hanging from lamp posts and everywhere you turn pictures of the Emir. In many respects it is simply a country celebrating its national holiday. Cars covered in flags, I love Kuwait hats and T-Shirts on sale everywhere and lots of barbeques and parties. However somehow, somewhere along the way Kuwait National Day became more then a celebration of culture and traditional food and dress. A part of Kuwait National Day is now about foam. Yes cans and cans of foam and sticky string in the hands of hoards and hoards of teenagers, kids and even some full grown adults. Just like Halloween candy is sold in Canada, the stores here stock their shelves and make giant mountains of foam cans. All to sell or arm the people of Kuwait for National Day.
In the early evening and late into the night people line the streets, drive around in their cars all with the goal of spraying people with foam.
This photo from breitbart.com shows just one moment of foam in action on Kuwait National Day.
As with any giant national party there are a group of people who take things to far. You here stories and see bald men who got sprayed with cans of Nair, hair remover, instead of foam. You hear about people who mixed white paint with foam and destroyed cars and you have to wonder why do a few people have to ruin a good time?
Kuwait isn’t the only country that has a wild national event that sometimes becomes the cause for debate. Spain has the running of the bulls which each year has animal rights activists up in arms about the treatment of animals. Since 1924 15 people have died during this event, with hundreds more injured. The last death at the running of the bulls was in 1995 when Matthew Tassio, aged 22, died while trying to run with the bulls at the Pamplona Running of the Bulls at the San Fermin Festival. Yet like the foam that continues to fly the bulls continue to run and the people continue to run from them.
This is my first Kuwait National Day. I have stuck close to the comforts of home. The limited foaming I have seen does seem to have some level of mutual agreement by the foamers. Like the bull riders who get into the race, the foamers seems to know what they have signed up for. Each foamer holds up their can of foam and from there the battle commences. However with the fringe extereme element of foamers this is not the case. The randomly attack anyone and this is what sparks the debate about if foam should even be sold.
The other challenge is similar to the issues faced in Thailand during Songkran – The Thai New Year and Water-throwing festival. The sheer amount of foam that is sprayed makes the roads slick. The Kuwait emergency services prepare for this event.
Besides the police points spread all over the Gulf Road, there are 12 emergency points and five emergency clinics, 18 ambulances, and dealing with four hospitals. The main point is located in Salmiya besides the Sultan Centre.
Some cases are only light injuries, and others require transfer to the hospital. “The most common cases are the run over cases by cars especially of kids running in the road. Then come the allergy and infection cases of eyes caused by foam sprayed by children during the celebrations. We also received some cases of asthma, and injuries caused by fighting,” said Abdulredha Abass, the assistant director of the Emergency Medical Service at the Ministry of Health.
In Thailand traffic deaths hit a yearly high due to a combination of motorcycles, alcohol and roads slick from talcum powder and water. I can’t even begin to imagine staying in Thailand and reading the headline’s provided by state news that says, “ The Road Accident Prevention and Reduction Center reveals that the recorded number of road accidents during the first two days of the seven-day road accident close watch period for the Songkran Festival reached 1,220, with the death toll reported at 104. The number of injuries has already reached 1,411.” Yet millions of people visit family and celebrate the tradition of throwing water at each other to wash away bad spirits and wish for plentiful rain for the coming rice growing season. Something about a national party seems to make the threat of physical harm inconsequential.
Kuwait, Thailand and Spain are not alone in the national party that has an edge. New Orleans has Mardi Gras and Rio has Carnival.The question if you live in one of these countries or cities is not really if festivities will occur but will you join in? Someone also asked me the other day how come the Canadians don’t have a holiday with such a wild and crazy twist? For that I have no answer but perhaps it is only a matter of time before one is invented.
She sells seashells by the seashore..
Today as the sun shone down on the Kuwait seashore we walked along the waterfront. As we walked we came along a group of children laughing, smiling and selling seashells. What a resourceful group of small entrepreneurs! No lemonade needed and thus no overhead. The beach front was just outside their houses and stocked with plenty of seashells. They played, laughed and enjoyed raking in the dinar from the local tourists.
Sure we could have picked up our own seashells and several times before I have but today the seashells had a special twist. They came with pure joy and smile from a six year old!
Fabulous Fountain
After a long but wonderful day we headed out for a little evening shopping trip! Being that Kuwait National Day is fast approaching some green, black, white and red attire was needed. After shopping we stopped to get a little ice cream and found ourselves sitting in front of a beautiful water fountain. As the lights glittered off the water as it danced through the night sky we could have been anywhere. Enjoying a water show at Disney or sitting in front of the Bellagio, waiting from George and Brad to walk by. Tonight we were simple hanging out in Fahaheel, Kuwait. Eating ice ceam, watching the fabulous fountain and loving Kuwait for just what it is.
The Ordinary and the Extraordinary!
As the weeks get busier I have quickly come to find that to keep laughing in the land of sand and camels it is important to make the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary seem ordinary. By this I mean that the weekend trip to the mall becomes a very civilized and delightful shopping adventure with the lovely ladies. That every once and a while an ordinary day at work is spiced up with birthday celebrations and beautiful pancakes. That flowers in your kitchen and candles in the hallway are just as important as milk for your coffee. That the walk on the sea wall always holds breath taking beauty. That the random funny text messages, emails and listening to someone share the wonders of their day is really what is important. When you start to overlook the healing power of a cup of tea or how marvelous it is that you work with people who make you laugh every day you are in trouble. The way you appreciate and celebrate the ordinary, the daily wonder brings you a sense of inner peace.
To keep that sense of inner peace sometimes the extraordinary, like wind and sand storms, bomb threats at other schools or mad Kuwait drivers need to seem ordinary. That things you never imagined would be part of your life are just the things that happen on Wednesday. That when the place you live kind of looks like pictures you have seen from Mars the best this to do is take funny photos. Living with the extraordinary can be tiring. It is much easier to think that seeing a camel is just part of your daily life rather then getting excited about every darn camel that crosses your path.
My First Sand Storm!
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I grew up with snow. I don’t remember the first time I saw snow but I will always remember my first sand storm in Kuwait. It started on the evening of Tuesday February 10th 2009. The wind was fierce. It made a howling noise that was a cross between a consistent high pitched scream and some out of control whirling child’s toy. All night long the wind whipped through the country of Kuwait. It interesting how you can sleep through a snow storm and then have to dig your way out but depending on where you live the wind from a sand storm makes it much harder to sleep.
The next morning there were signs of wind damage from downed cables to windshield wipers ripped off. Visibility on the morning commute wasn’t great but traffic moved along. However by mid afternoon the sand clouds had rolled in. The above photo was taken at around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday February 11th 2009. Hopefully things clear up tomorrow and the wind doesn’t sound that bad tonight. We have snow days in Canada but I don’t think sand days in Kuwait are in my future, although you never do know!
Red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in morning, sailors take warning. What do you do with an orange sky?
From the Associated Press:
The state-owned Kuwait National Petroleum Co. says it has temporarily halted its oil exports because of a sandstorm that has been sweeping the desert country. KNPC spokesman Ahmed al-Mezaiel said Wednesday that no tankers have been loaded since the night before. But he says operations at ports are expected to resume Thursday morning after the storm clears.
From Wiki:
A dust storm or sandstorm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions and arises when a gust front passes or when the wind force exceeds the threshold value where loose sand and dust are removed from the dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil erosion from one place and deposition in another. The Sahara anddrylands around the Arabian peninsula are the main source of airborne dust, with some contributions from Iran, Pakistan and Indiainto the Arabian Sea, and China’s storms deposit dust in the Pacific. It has been argued that recently, poor management of the Earth’s drylands, such as neglecting the fallow system, are increasing dust storms from desert margins and changing both the local and global climate, and also impacting local economies.[1]
The term sandstorm is used most often in the context of desert sandstorms, especially in the Sahara, when, in addition to fine particles obscuring visibility, a considerable amount of larger sand particles are blown closer to the surface. The term dust storm is more likely to be used when finer particles are blown long distances, especially when the dust storm affects urban areas.
No Matter Where In the World…
“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable.
It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” -
Living in the Middle East, people often ask if I feel safe living here. It is an understandable question. I wish I could just say “Yes” and be done with the discussion and the unfair stereotypes that some people have about the Arab world and the Middle East.
My hometown is Kingston, Ontario, a town that has nine prisons in the city and surrounding area. In Kingston, I grew up knowing that when someone escapes from a local prison you will hear the helicopters, perhaps see the search dogs and eventually there will be a radio announcement about the missing convict.
It brought me an odd sense of comfort to know that the escaped convict is looking to get out of town as soon as possible. If nine correctional facilities weren’t enough the city of Kingston has plenty of half way houses to help rehabilitate the men and previously the women who were recently guests of the local institutions. I used to volunteer in a homeless shelter that often helped ex-convicts. I remember a guest saying to me, ” I just got out of prison. My previous life of crime, before I got caught, paid very well. Who wants to work at 7-11 for minimum wage? It really isn’t that much of a choice to make. Crime pays. However I have enjoyed my time in Kingston. I think I will stay in the city.”
Kingston also has an active bar scene with fights and drunken Queen’s street parties that has in the past led to cars being flipped and incidents of violence. However people rarely ask the citizen of Kingston if they feel safe living there.
When I lived in Renfrew, Ontario it was a 45-minute commute to the tiny school in Denbigh, Ontario where I worked. In the winter the roads were icy and snow covered. Sometimes, even with my fantastic snow tires, I’d feel my car slip backwards. If you are looking for things to be afraid of, ice covered roads in Canada is certainly something to fear.
Driving in parts of Ontario you are prepared for the reality that one day you might hit a deer. Regardless, if you are driving in the morning fog or heading home late at night, when a deer suddenly appears in front of your car it can do a lot of damage–to you, the car and the deer!
In deer hunting season I used to wear an orange sweatshirt into work in the morning. Listening to the locals fire off their riffles in search of their big trophy buck put a special kind of fear in my heart.
For a time I also I lived and worked on a cruise ship, traveling in international waters brought about its own special challenges. Out running hurricanes, leaving a port when a government was being overthrown, waking up to Miami drug dogs searching your room and listening to safety officers talk about the hundreds of ways you could die at sea and what we needed to do to be prepared all made you appreciate your afternoon off at the beach.
My point is this. There are challenges no matter where you live. Kuwait is no different. It is a country filled with interesting people, new experiences, a lot of adventure and like every country or city around the globe it has some issues. No deer to watch out for, no threat of hurricanes and no drunken, fighting Queen’s students though.
For me the challenges living in Kuwait is that the driving here can be fast, furious and gives new meaning to the term road rage. People often drive with their lights off at night. Then when they get ridiculously close to your bumper they flash their high beams at you. Honk their horns as you move over they speed past your car coming dangerous close to side swiping you.
As well sometimes men in this country can be a little bit forward. Let me please stress–not all men and not all the time. However, like driving on snow covered roads you learn to deal with unwanted attention as a part of the country. When I walk in the city I get this look on my face that I refer to as the “Washed Out Western Women look.” It is the empty glazed over eyes. My facial expression says, “I am so not looking at you or remotely interested in you.” Without words I am trying to communicate the message that will clearly tell you,”don’t even think about telling me that you like my eyes or blond hair because I didn’t just get off the plane yesterday. I like to think of it like defensive driving, defensive walking keeps you safe before trouble occurs.
I enjoy Kuwait, the culture, the people and the new adventures. I feel just as safe here as I have felt anywhere else in the world.
The Souk
Gold Souks, Art Souks, Heritage Souks, Plant Souks, Silver Souks, Fabric Souks and Candy Souks, here a souk there a souk everywhere a souk, souk! If you have never been to much less heard of a souk the experience is kind of like a flea market, mixed with auction and sprinkled with a little does of crazy. The dictionary definition reads something along the lines of, ” an open-air market in an Arabian city.” The name of the Souk pretty much defines what you can find at each location. Why should you have the need there is even a market to find yourself childcare, aptly titled The Nanny Souk.
Last weekend we headed to the Animal Souk. I don’t know why and when I left I had this very empty feeling. In between the rows and rows of birds in cages sit men selling packs and packs of fireworks. A tiny monkey dressed in a green jumpsuit eats cereal from the floor of a white van. Random men are selling knock off purses. The mountain of colored baby chickens remains constant until the pudgy hand of a child reaches into the mountain, pulls out a chicken and then tosses it into the air. The baby chicken goes up into the air only to then come down on the heads of the other chickens. A puppy cries in a cage and the smell is so overwhelming that some of the people who sell animals wear masks to cover their face. When we left the Animal Souk, the sound of silence, instead of bird squawking, was much appreciated.
In sharp contrast, yet oddly enough just around the corner, the plant souk is filled with great green and lovely flowers. As you walk down the rows of rows of plants your feet are sometimes water by the green house sprinkler systems. All types, shapes and sizes of plants are found at the Plant Souk. From beautiful bonsai trees to bamboo, house plants to high growing hibiscus it is a greenhouse of wonder. Resting in one corner I fell in love with a metal framed bike with plant baskets on each side.
No matter which souk you head to each new souk is sure to bring a unique experience.
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!