romance in kuwait
I was originally scheduled to leave to Delhi today, but being that my cousin Shalu, Kukku's older sister who is studying in Bangalore, will be arriving in Kuwait on the 9th of April, I felt it would be worthwhile to extend my stay till the 15th of April. The only thing exciting about Kuwait is family. I did get to go out and see much of Kuwait in the past two weeks.
I visited the Sultan Center which is located in the Sharq Seafront Market. It's an entire mall, built on an artificial island. There is a marina in front of the mall; behind it is the Arabian Gulf. Aside from the setting, it's a regular Western style mall. Close to the Sultan Center is the Sharq Fish Market. It's a large warehouse sort of space with many small stalls, and vendors sell fish of all sizes. The entire Seafront Market is a pretty sight at night. Since most of my visits are in the evenings, I only have night shots of all the sights. They're not bad actually.
On another balmy night, we went out to Green Island. It's an artificial island with an amphitheater, a few restaurants, towers from which to view the island, and Kuwait City. Aside from the views of the city, and the somewhat serene atmosphere, there is not much else to do here. There's plenty of grass, topiary, artificial lakes, beaches, etc.
It was a Thursday afternoon when we visited Messila Beach and Salmiyah before we headed to church in the evening. Messila beach is located on the Eastern coastline of Kuwait, the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Again, nothing seems natural out here. There were plenty of rocks, stones, concrete, bricks, pieces of concrete slabs, etc on the shore. On a Thursday afternoon, there were few locals on the beach. Some were barbequing, while the children played in the water; some wandered around aimlessly, and some lay asleep on a mat in the shade.
Many in India would give anything to come and work in Kuwait. It's understandable, but I wonder if they really know the situation out here. Though expatriates make up the majority of the population, they have no political input. They cannot own lands or build homes. Almost all expatriates live in apartment buildings. Most Kuwaitis have no respect for the foreigners, and foreigners are spoken down to. Kuwaiti children walk into foreign owned grocery stores, pick up snacks and leave without paying for it. The foreign owners cannot say or do anything about this. In order to remain in the country, you need a sponsorship that needs to be renewed by the company that is sponsoring your stay, for a maximum of five years. A male expatriate may sponsor his wife and children to live in Kuwait, but a female expatriate may not sponser her husband or male children aged 21 or over. If a male expatriate sponsors his wife, she cannot work for three years. In order to work, she will have to find a sponsor first. There is just so much of bureaucracy and red tape in every procedure. Not too many foreigners living here are happy about life here - especially if they have family back home. When folks working in the Gulf countries head back home to India to visit family, the general mass seems to think that these vacationers are mining gold in the Gulf. It is not at all so. If anything, life in India is so much more peaceful and rewarding - even if you are not earning as much. I have come across several expatriates who feel it was a mistake to come work in the Gulf. Of course for all the heartbreak, though you have nothing to hold on to in the Gulf, if you can manage to save up enough money, you can build a home in India, make sure your children are settled, and enjoy retirement in India. Saving is not so easy if only one member of the family is employed.
Oh, there are just too many injustices to talk about. I've been told that many of the skyscrapers dotting the city have only come up in the past two years - after Saddam Hussein was captured by the U.S. They call us the Liberators. They've put up monuments to remember the liberation. Inside monuments, there are pictures depicting the destruction that the invasion had caused. The captions under these pictures describe the Iraqis as savage invaders. I remember the invasion, and how Kuwait was humbled by the Iraqi Scud Missiles. But for American intervention, there might not be a Kuwait today. I understand that before Kuwait was invaded foreign women were afraid to walk out in the streets alone to get to work, as Kuwaiti men would drive by and assault the women, sometimes kidnapping them. The same atrocities were done to the Kuwaiti women during the invasion. This also was an humbling experience. All the lessons have soon been forgotten. Some of the foreigners who were around during the invasion, and who have gone through the hardships, now say that it was just what was needed for Kuwait. There is a word in Malayalam that describes the attitude of Kuwaitis (of course not all of them are this way, but the general attitude), and I have heard this often since I arrived; the word is Ahangari. In English, it is translated as utter pride and contempt. Several times, while walking along the street, young Kuwaiti boys walked by, mocking me with contorted faces. I am sure if I pulled out the passport, their faces wouldn't be as contorted. But I've got nothing to prove. Even with an American passport, I am Indian nonetheless.
I am also told that it is only because of the appeals of the senior Bush that there are churches still in Kuwait. I was handed a paper clipping of an article in one of Kuwait's newspapers. The article published on Thursday, March 23rd announces "No More Churches Allowed in Kuwait." "MP Fahad Al-Khannah said it is not allowed to construct temples and churches in Kuwait because the Prophet (PBUH) said, "No two religions will meet in the Arab Peninsula." "MP Badir Sheikhan Al-Farisi said "we must respect all religions and beliefs, adding that we are demanding that the West allow Muslims build mosques and temples so we must treat them alike." Such is the case with dialog in this country - as I described in the incident in my last update. This contradiction stems from something deeper. In the same article: "The presence of churches and temples in Kuwait...is in violation of Allah's book and the Sunna of His Prophet (PBUH)." ... "The scholar Yousuf Al-Sana said: 'They should be granted their rights as ordered by Islam, but with conditions.'" One thing comes to mind: "Let my people go!" "...I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mat. 16:18). Wouldn't it be grand?
Speaking of religion and politics, I hear that Charles Taylor has been surrendered. That bit of news caught my interest. I'd like to see what happens next.
Today, I played parent and visited my cousins school to pick up her grades and new books for the next year. She's got 5th rank in her class. That blows me out of the water as I've never had any rank in any of my academic years; yet somehow, 5th rank doesn't seem satisfactory to me. I must be getting old. Soon I will be asking where the other three points went. "Why do you only have a 97 and not a 100?" She's a brilliant girl and I am sure she'll do better next year. I was about her age when I immigrated to the U.S. She has just completed her first year in Kuwait. I had to cover all of her textbooks for her with laminated brown paper. I remembered I used to do that when studying in Bangalore. In Kuwait, I've traveled back quite a bit; speaking exclusively in Malayalam, listening to Tamil and Hindi translations in church, singing Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi songs, and reminiscing with the family about life in Bangalore and Kerala. It's all been good. It should be exciting to see Shalu once again.
Let me end this sad epic with some humor about Kuwait. I picked up the December 2005 issue of Bazaar magazine, a Kuwaiti magazine, while waiting at my uncle's workplace. I read through some of the articles and came across one titled "Celibacy In The City" written by a Mimi Ali. Of all the rants of the women, this one was a bit funny. Here's an excerpt:
"Men in Kuwait have realized that there is one critical impediment to dating - they have no way of meeting women. After all, schools are segregated, the university is segregated, weddings, parties, and all other social events are segregated. And if you walk up to a woman in a bookstore and try to chat, you will probably end up in jail. So they have adopted a two pronged technique to deal with this issue. During traffic jams, they abandon the driver's seat in favour of strolling among the cars and chatting with women sitting alone. They often hand out little cards embossed with their phone numbers and charming entreaties like, 'call me, sweet honey.' An added bonus to the titillating pleasure of these window conversations is watching them scramble back hastily when the light turns green.
"Men have also started painting their email addresses on the back of their sports cars in bright letters. You like the looks of the tall dark man in the red Mercedes coupe? Well, just send an email to 'Mr_Virgin@hotmail.com' (That is a genuine email address by the way, feel free to use it). I guess it is not a bad idea though; in other countries, you have to pay to meet your match on-line..."
There you go; now you know how romance works in Kuwait.
P.S. I promise I will put up the pictures of Kuwait as soon as I complete my stay in Kuwait. The Africa pictures are a bit more complicated. I am sure you will understand - especially after all what went down before my departure. I will sort those pictures out as soon as I get a chance.
rules? in the desert?
It's been a little over two weeks since I arrived in Kuwait, and Iam still trying to get used to the Arabic week where my Thursdays become Saturdays and my Fridays become Sundays. Aside from the treacherous dust storms (I missed the Harmattan in Sierra Leone, but caught the storms in Kuwait), there's really not much going on out here. I drove around Kuwait City and took in some of the Arabic architecture, I have been to the Kuwait Towers, and had Caesers Pizza (not the Little Caesers "Pizza, Pizza"). I was told their pizza was worth trying. It's not bad for little bite-sized pizzas, but nothing spectacular. Aside from that, I've been in church at least four times a week. Going to church in a Middle Eastern country is quite interesting. Of all the Middle Eastern countries, Kuwait is considered rather liberal when it comes to tolerance towards other religions. However, the tolerance comes with segregation. There are about five churches in Kuwait (by church in this instance, I mean, built structures). There is the St. Paul's Anglican Church, the Catholic Church of Kuwait, right next to which is the Vatican embassy, the Orthodox Church, a Coptic church, and the National Evangelical Church in Kuwait (NECK). The Anglican and Catholic churches from what I understand, are for Kuwaiti nationals only and not for expatriates. All expats and some nationals attend church either at the Orthodox church building, or at the NECK facilities. There are about 37 different churches meeting at the NECK. The campus consists of several small halls each given a different name ("Hall of Joy", "Hall or Peace", etc). Each hall has to be reserved in advance for a church to be able to meet there. Services are scheduled throughout the week, and at different times each day to be able to accommodate all the churches. Someone who is not a "member" of any church can choose to attend an English service with the Pilipino population, an English service with Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi interpretations with the Indian population, or any of the various expat congregations. The halls are usually tightly packed, and in the New Testament Church in Kuwait, we always sit on the floor. I can't help but think of Indian Reservations when I attend church at the NECK. It's not so with the expats in Kuwait; they are grateful that they are allowed to gather together.
There are separate public schools for Kuwaiti nationals, and separate private schools for expats. The public schools all have an Arabic curriculum while the private schools use the curriculum from their local countries (Indian, Iranian, Pakistani, American, British, and Australian). Private schools are open to anyone, and students are admitted in through an interview process and the results of a written test. Both public and private schools are regulated by the government. The government supervises the schools, and regulates the fees. Arabic public school education is offered free of charge to Kuwaiti nationals, and only Kuwaiti nationals and the children of teachers in those schools are allowed admission. All foreign students must attend private schools. These private schools are obligated to incorporate Arabic culture and the Arabic language into their curriculums. Private Arabic schools receive government support in the form of free textbooks, or land to build the school upon. All other private schools receive little or no support from the government.
At workplaces, Kuwaiti nationals, and Americans are paid significantly higher than any of the other foreigners - even if the job is same or much easier. Foreigners take up jobs in every area - from cleaning streets, being maids to the Kuwaitis, to becoming managers, but they never really have authority over a Kuwaiti national. All foreign residents are required to carry their "Civil ID" cards, and all visitors are required to carry their passports and visa with them where ever they go. If caught without such identification, you could be questioned and detained. There are regular checks, and you could be approached for a check while waiting for a haircut, or sitting in your car.
From reading the Kuwait Pocket Guide (www.kuwaitpocketguide.com), one can ascertain the various laws and rules that govern Kuwaiti nationals, residents, and visitors. Though it may not be an entirely accurate picture, images of America in the 1800's come to mind; along with George Orwell's 1984. It's a weird mixture of the past and the future.
I have often been told it's not good to go into something having expectations beforehand; be it relationships, going into a new job, exploring a new country, etc. Just dive in, go with the flow, and enjoy the ride. Here in Kuwait, diving in was not a problem; it's the enjoy the ride part that's a bit hard to do. The drivers on Kuwait's roads are maniacal!! While London was just plain confusion, Kuwait is a bit more of an organized confusion. I am sorry, but when you see beautiful roads, clear road markings, and damn good cars, you would expect people to drive a bit more civilized - this is coming from a New Yorker with road rage, so I hope you can feel the gravity of the matter.
There are long enough lanes designed to allow a driver to merge smoothly into the highways, but merging is a concept that just doesn't work well out here. No one bothers to yield while merging, and it's literally an inch by inch battle to the end of the lane; and then you close your eyes and dive into free flowing traffic. That's just what goes on. The lane at the extreme left is the fast lane; the speed limit on that lane is 120km/h. All other lanes move at 80+km/h. The exits are on the extreme right. I have seen cars fly in from the extreme left all the way out to the exit, past three lanes, without signaling, while on their mobile phones.
If you're driving above 120km/h - on any lane - and there are people who do this even on the right lane, and someone else behind you wants to drive faster, they either tailgate you, flash their headlights, and honk, or they cut into the next lane even if there is another car just slightly behind on that lane. If you're a foreigner driving at a decent speed, and a Kuwaiti national wants to get past you, you get all of the above, and once they get to your side, they'll gesture as if to spit at you. Intersections are a whole other story. I barely see motorbikes on the roads. Bikes are for rebels and misfits. Besides, why would you need a bike when you can drive a car just like you would drive a bike? Somehow, none of this comes across as road rage. It's just their way of life.
The other day, my uncle and I walked out to the car and found a grocery delivery truck parked perpendicularly just behind our car. He had his trailer door swung open and had slightly nicked the paint off the "dikki" (that's trunk for Indians. Called "boot" in England) of our car. My uncle yelled at him in English and the driver of the truck yelled back in Arabic. Neither of them understood each other and both knew that to go on would be futile. The day went on as usual - with slight agitation of course. It doesn't really matter if the foreigner knows Arabic or not. The result is the same. You always think the other person is alien.
Kuwait depends on foreigners to fulfill their human resources needs, and foreigners come to Kuwait only because they get paid relatively better than they would in their own countries. The foreigners in essence, take home peanuts compared to what their Kuwaiti coworkers take home. Somehow, both sides seem happy. But when you speak to the Indians, they just want to save up enough money to build a nice home back in India, get their daughters married off, and then jump off the wheel and retire back home. It's quite a life to look forward to.
off to a developed desert
I have left the Third World. My continued journey has led me to Kuwait, a country with one of the highest GDP's in the world. To put that in perspective, an haircut costs KD1, massage included. That's just 1 Kuwaiti Dinar. They don't do the tapering up job too well, but it works for now. A haircut in London cost me £10. Upon landing, everything looked familiar; the roads, the road signs, the cars. It's America with a better economy. They drive on the right side of the road, and the driver sits on the left side of the car, and that's a breath of fresh air compared to the confusion in Britain. Since I only arrived last night at 7PM, there's not much I can say just yet except that this place is an extension of India with the Infrastructure of America. Outside, every where I've turned, I've seen Indians speaking in their native languages. I see posters and flyers in Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi. In the airport, a gentleman had a one way conversation with me in Urdu. I understood only a few words (because of the similarity to Hindi), and I told him so, but he kept on anyway.
My uncle lives in an apartment with his family. It's a modest little place, and the toilet reminds me of India. It's a small stand up shower stall with no covering to contain the water. So the entire bathroom is wet when you have a shower. The commode, sink, and washing machine take up the rest of the space in the toilet. Yet, they have faucets that dispense a controllable mixture of hot and cold water which is a deviation from the Third World standards of some of Britain's W.C.'s (I think it stands for Washing Closets or Water Closets). Let me explain as I failed to do so while I was in Britain.
I recall just two years ago, when I was in Lancashire, England on a business trip. I stayed at the Preston Marriott - a very high class hotel. I think it used to be a royal manor before it was converted into a hotel. At such a posh place, I came across sleek brass faucets on either side of the sink; one to dispense hot water, and one to dispense cold. I am supposed to plug the drain, and fill up the sink with warm water so I can wash my face. That's the British way. I chalked it off to Lancashire being the country side, but I forgot that at my aunts place in London, England, it's not much different. Sure, they've sorted it down to a single faucet dispensing a mixture of hot and cold water, but this is done by splitting up the single faucet into two halves. So if I were to cup my palms together under the faucet, one palm would be scalding while the other would be frozen. That's just a single example of why I feel Britain is so Third World. I have come across many Brits who feel the same way. "I just live here" exclaims one cousin, while the other is very upset with me because I "take the piss" out of her country. I used to involve myself in such debates and conversations with Brits who could handle the criticism; namely, my work mates at The Vine Project, and several random new friends I made while I was there. It's all in good, clean fun.
In England, I came across more drop-outs and delinquents than I ever have in all my life in The Bronx. Many young people are just not interested in, and cannot handle school. The classic BBC style, refined, clean, and noble English seems to be a thing of the past. If you attempt to understand what a group of kids on the street are speaking about, you're in for a surprise. (Now I understand that there are many different dialects of English in many parts of the world, and I appreciate language, but the British dialects along with the Australian, are a bit tough to understand.) Aside from all of the swearing, you'd wonder if it was English they were really speaking. It's a land full of Eliza Doolittles with just a dwindling population of Higgins and Pickerings. (Say it with me: "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain".) Most of the refined are hired by the BBC ;). (This reminds me of the song I discussed on BlueRadius titled, "Why can't a woman be more like a man." I won't go any further. I'll safely leave that discussion alone. ;)) You get the sense that future generations in Britain will end up being degenerates and social misfits.
I did not travel around much in England though I had planned to. The volunteering kept me busy, and the weather was just too depressing. Towards the end of my stay, I wandered around a bit - mostly on my own. I dragged my cousin along to climb the 311 steps of the Monument built to commemorate the Great Fire of London. It's the tallest free standing Doric column in the world and stands at 160ft. We wandered along the South Bank and the London Eye. Never rode on the thing. I wandered alone into the Museum of Natural History, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and through Hyde Park. I was impressed with the architecture on the Natural Museum, and the Ironworks displays in V&A. I picked up a list of all the free museums in London, but never got to visit all of them. I did visit a public toilet in Hyde Park and was amused by tiles printed with a message providing information about Venereal Diseases. That was my last solo tour of London.
Aside from attending services in the Brixton church, I had the opportunity to visit the churches in Edgeware and Liverpool. I also attended the All Nations Revival Church with my cousin. They were a really wonderful group of people. A few of them took me out for bowling. My stay in London wasn't as exciting as I expected. A lot has changed since I last visited. Since this was my longest visit, I mostly felt I had overstayed my welcome. The Vine Project was my saving grace. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the folks there. I felt a sense of accomplishment after each day. Even on days I was sick and just could not wake up in the morning, and though all of my joints were in pain, I happily went into work. I will remember Keith, Graham, Alex, Suzanne, Jennie, Anna, Wendy, and many others who went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
I don't think I'll be volunteering here in Kuwait. I will remain here for a month, then travel to Delhi for two months. I hope to find some place to volunteer while in Delhi. From Delhi, I will return finally to U.S. soil. I will be in Dallas for a month before I return to the good old Bronx. Please do keep me in your prayers through all of my travels.
To my darling friends who wrote saying, "Dude, you must update your blog!": I hope to be inspired while in Kuwait and Delhi. I'll stay in touch.
To any of you know anyone in these places, or know any place that could use me while I am there, or know people who could show me around: Introductions please!
