Destination Known
I have made up my mind where I am going to move to... and its [drumroll] back to Kuwait!
Just when I thought I had left it for good, I am going back. Oh God, Why?!
Negativity aside, I think that part of living out my purpose on this planet is to go there. I have a hunch something big is gonna happen, and it is good. Don't ask me what, cause I ain't tellin'! Be nice to me and I just may include you. However I just wish it were somewhere else.
My feelings of dread surrounding Kuwait are based on the following (which date back to 1992 and 1995):
a) Absolutely nothing to do except shop, dine, mingle, work, sleep
b) I loath gossip. Although I have not been a victim of it, and I generally do my utmost to stay out of it, I have had people try to pull me into their gossip sessions, or pry into my life for juicy tid-bits. Disgusting.
c) Sexual Harassement in the form of pervy men practically tailgaiting you to wherever you are going. Bunches of young, newly pubescent boys slurring remarks at you, using their keychains to point red laser beams aimed at your chest or crotch (so friggin annoying), or having phone numbers thrown. Double-Disgusting.
d) A place where majority of people who live there are all transients who come to slave away and all they have to look forward to is getting sloshed on the weekend at one of the "secret parties" being held throughout the country.
e) A lack of ease that I am constantly being observed or judged. Cannot relax with a member of the opposite sex out of concern that an innocent gesture will be taken out of context and grossely misproportioned.
Sigh... so here lies my dilemma. I just hope things in Kuwait have improved since I was last there. What do you think? Has it changed?
Just when I thought I had left it for good, I am going back. Oh God, Why?!
Negativity aside, I think that part of living out my purpose on this planet is to go there. I have a hunch something big is gonna happen, and it is good. Don't ask me what, cause I ain't tellin'! Be nice to me and I just may include you. However I just wish it were somewhere else.
My feelings of dread surrounding Kuwait are based on the following (which date back to 1992 and 1995):
a) Absolutely nothing to do except shop, dine, mingle, work, sleep
b) I loath gossip. Although I have not been a victim of it, and I generally do my utmost to stay out of it, I have had people try to pull me into their gossip sessions, or pry into my life for juicy tid-bits. Disgusting.
c) Sexual Harassement in the form of pervy men practically tailgaiting you to wherever you are going. Bunches of young, newly pubescent boys slurring remarks at you, using their keychains to point red laser beams aimed at your chest or crotch (so friggin annoying), or having phone numbers thrown. Double-Disgusting.
d) A place where majority of people who live there are all transients who come to slave away and all they have to look forward to is getting sloshed on the weekend at one of the "secret parties" being held throughout the country.
e) A lack of ease that I am constantly being observed or judged. Cannot relax with a member of the opposite sex out of concern that an innocent gesture will be taken out of context and grossely misproportioned.
Sigh... so here lies my dilemma. I just hope things in Kuwait have improved since I was last there. What do you think? Has it changed?
posted by Truth Seeker at 12/07/2004 01:11:00 AM
6 Comments:
I have always dreaded being in kuwait for the reasons you've stated. although numbers are no longer being thrown (thank God) sexual harrassment does continue to thrive in the malls during weekends. you just have to basically adjust your schedule to go out on weekdays and you'll be free from the disturbance:)
gossip is an inherent part of kuwaiti society, so what can we do about it? I guess the best way is to avoid low life gossipy people all together. I ignore so many phonecalls for that simple reason.
No girl can ever be her true self in any culturally reserved dense society. (sigh) on the positive side, there is a growing foreign community in the country and people are progressing to be more open mentally.
Phone numbers aren’t thrown anymore with the use of technology like bluetooth and internet. Well maybe only from primitive people :D
You’ve been away for long, are you multi cultural?
Hiya Flamingo,
Multicultural... very much so... mixed heritage, multi-citizenry, and lived in 7 countries.
i guess i am a little outdated on kuwait's "progression" ;-) I have been away for quite a bit. I am very curious to know what's happening, and what's no so happening there.
So far, I've come across blogs expressing people's frustrations with living there. Not a very good mood- setter for me when I am wanting to be optimistic about my move!
What are your thoughts? Give me the good with the bad:-)
Well you said it right. I was going to suggest that you look at Kuwaitis blogs and get an idea. But remember that since blogs are more like a diary where we vent and rant so bad stuff is all what you’re gonna get. Having lived all my life here, it makes no difference to me. I can feel what you feel, or will feel, when I go on vacation and come back. That’s when I start comparing. Loyalty to our country is what keeps us here. Just get used to it and everything will be ok. When foreigners say they love it here, we’ve gotta love it too :p
To me, what bothers me most is being a repressed female. There are lots of things that I want to do, like simply riding a bike. But as you said already, people observe and judge.
Gossip, I got used to it. I do gossip myself. You just can’t take it when you see different kinds of people and keep your mouth shut. But I still hate it and still promise myself not to. So I’m not proud of it.
Point number A is the exact definition of KUWAIT.
Harassment happens but it’s gotten less. Or maybe I grew older?! :p
There are secret parties, but I don’t care as long as I don’t attend! I don’t get invited in the first place aslan.
Regarding the opposite sex, just relax with people of your own kind, if you know what I mean.
There are many people enjoying themselves here. So it all depends on what way you choose. Ignoring people and being confident help a lot. One thing that your attitude won’t be able to change, is the hot weather :)
OMG. i never wrote a comment that long!
Thanks flamingo:-)
The longer the comment, the better one is getting at them;-)
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