You Know You’ve Been In Kuwait Too Long When….
You Know You’ve Been In Kuwait Too Long When….
By Caroline Head
- You judge the season by the color of the dishdashes;
- You no longer yield or stop at the entrance to roundabouts, you just drive and hope for the best;
- You know where all the speed cameras are located;
- 60-degree temperatures call for a scarf, hat and mittens;
- You know all the hiding places where you can have a cigarette during Ramadan and all the discreet places where you can buy food;
- Making dinner consists of choosing a restaurant from 6alabat.com and having it delivered;
- You can hum the entire call-to-prayer song on the radio;
- Having a maid is normal;
- You speak in acronyms;
- Someone being polite to you on the road is a talking point for days;
- Going to bed at 8:30 is a late night;
- You end up eating more pork products than you ever did before Kuwait because it makes you feel naughty;
- Your alcohol tolerance level has plummeted and you end up getting as drunk as you did in high school on a weekend trip to Dubai.
- You say Inshallah after every sentence;
- The definition of a nano-second is the time difference between a traffic light turning from red to green and the car behind sounding its horn;
A funny list but so very true.
If you have anymore ideas to add feel free to send them along!
A Picture Says A Thousand Words! Driving in Kuwait
So driving down the Kuwait highway this is what we saw. Road safety is still developing within Kuwait!
On the Road Again…Driving in Kuwait!
Okay so driving in Kuwait may be one of the things people talk about like the weather or more specifically the snow in Canada. People have a wide variety of responses to the driving in Kuwait. Some people yell, swear and take off their shoes and raise it in anger at the other driver. Horn honking in this country is also a popular way to communicate at 120 km per hour. As well drivers here often drive on the 30 (Highway) with their ights off. The highway is well lit so they only flick their lights on and off as a way of telling someone off. In addition people also flick their back signal lights in a specific pattern to indicate displeasure with another driver.
The government has recently added snazzy new signs on bridges that have slogans like, “Speed = Death” or “Your Family Needs You!” On the local radio or in the government controlled paper there are stories and editorials about the need for careful, respectful driving.
The wrecked cars on the side of the road don’t seem to serve as much of a deterrent but simply as an added part of the conversation. “Did you see that burning blue car on the way to work this morning?”
So far the highlights or perhaps lowlights that I have witnessed are two young children, not wearing any sort of seatbelt, turned around in their car seats and stuffing their little brother in the truck, via the access pass in the back seat. I have also seen several people driving while watching portable DVD players . They attach the DVD players to the sun visor on the driver side pop in a movie and drive on!
The other day my driver asked me if I knew how to drive a car and I explained that, “ Yes, I did but that I think knowing how to drive and being brave enough to drive in Kuwait are two different things!”
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!