|
Kuwait: Book store:
I've been meaning to suggest a book swap / exchange meet for quite some time ....
either that or I need to follow up on how to donate my reread books to the local prison .....
Kuwait: Dogs in Kuwait:
http://www.worldofislam.netfirms.com/dogs.html
.. I do some a few ppl walking dogs - but it's generally not a dog friendly country ...
Kuwait: Where to live in Kuwait?:
I've been here +2 years and live on Gulf road (Salmiya) overlooking the ocean. Small place sharing with another expat and we're both leaving within the next few months.
Sure - it's noisy what with SharaMaTam (restaurant street) next to us and gulf road in front of us but the only noise that bothers me is the unruly kids in our block that are left to runaround at night now that school is out.
I walk to City Centre and catch the 999 bus to Sultant Centre, Marina Mall and work so the convenience factor is a major plus.
The sea view makes up for apartment size and definitely helps ones' sanity in a drab and dusty country that offers no scenic beauty.
My flatmate takes evening strolls on the beach front to keep fit and I hit the Platinum gym down the road.
Kuwait: Regional Travel / Banking / Cell Phone:
Everything revolves around a Civil Id so once you get that, onlythen will you be able to sort most of your business needs out i.e. I've been here for 2 years on a Vistors visa and had to buy a sim card on the 'side' and then I just top it up with pay as you go. I consult to NBK and have a normal customer account and they've been pretty good as far as transfers etc.
I leave Q8 every month to renew my visa and can advise as to the following:
Don't purchase tickets at the airport - way more expensive.
I purchase online - be carefull as to the carrier as some don't allow refunds or changes!!!
Sometimes the online booking systems are non functional so I then use a travel agency.
The days just before the weekend are extremely difficult to get tickets.
booking +2 weeks before will have you pay between KD40 and KD60 - after that you could pay up to KD100 depending.
Be carefull of holiday and summer vacation times re ticket availablity - and the airport cannot handle the volumes of returning expats (india etc) and locals going on vacation so make sure you get to the airport early!
The traffic laws require accidents to wait for the police and as there are 3 main roads to the airport, if you're on one of them and there's an accident you can add another 20 to 40 minutes on your running time.
The easiest run place for a visa run is Bahrain - depending on your passport you might need a transit visa which won't allow you out of the airport.
Overstaying your visa ia KD10 per day - payable at the airport - you will not be allowed to leave without paying this or any other fines etc.
You can get cold beer in the Bahrain and Dubai airports - best don't arrive in Q8 smelling of booze.
Local sims are roaming enabled out to Dubai and Bahrain etc - I use Wataniya pay as you go.
My Zain wireless net access does not work outside Q8 - costs KD27 pm - get skype sorted before you arrive. There are quite a few places that offer skype services at a very reasonable cost - basically a shed or small room packed with compters and net access with headphones etc.
Kuwait: Reporting a crime in Kuwait:
Huh? Are u insane?!
Lets see if I understand this - u want to report someone else employing a runaway maid?
Do you have any idea how most of them are treated - where do you think you are - Alabama?
Look - most expats live the life out here and take the money but the vast majority of expats are underpaid and ill treated to the point of having the UN and various civil rights organizations still trying to get the Middle East to conform to basic human rights.
Now you might consider it your civil duty to report this 'crime' but take a long hard swig from the reality jar and make sure it's in the best interest of the concerned parties prior to doing so.
If you knew how runaways were treated after being caught u'd think twice before pulling this do goody stunt - best mind your own business and steer clear if you value your conscience ...
Kuwait: Internet and Skype in Kuwait:
As mentioned Skype does not require a landline - just an install and an account.
As to downloading issues - it has to do with the Q8 P2P wall etc so to address this - and other site access issues - purchase something like http://www.softwarecasa.com/ghostsurf.html?gclid=CP-3u-TdqKICFQQOHAodKHq7SA
- then u can go where u want online by anonymous surfing ....
Or speak to the guys in Hawally - they will source or configure anything related to software - and cheaper than any official version too lol
Kuwait: Priscilla - Queen(s) of the Desert:
3 young gay Kuwaiti's had me in stiches on the 999 bus this morning - proving that there are some aspects of life that remain constant - regardless of the culture or the environment.
I am probably less homophobic than most as I have a brother in Cape Town that is openly gay and have attended the annual Mother City Queer Project a few times. I.e. Run around in an all night rave in the Cape Town castle wearing blue feather armbands and a loin cloth and you soon lose all phobia's lol (the theme was 'Camp' Safari so we went as Bitch Doctors ..)
Anyway - I had these guys camping and primping for attention and the rest of the bus was either horrified or trying xtremely hard to ignore the antiics of these guys. The body moves, expressions and quick retorts were exaclty like any young queens anywhere else on the planet and they were a simple joy on a bus full of surly workers.
It ended with me having to tell them which was the prettiest and then they swung off the bus blowing kisses at all and generally ignoring peoples reactions in a bid to outdo one another ...
Way to go Kuwait .... you made me smile today !
Kuwait: Tech & Stuff:
U've all bought bootleg movie DVD's but the trick is to find a supplier that has the DVD printed with the movie poster on it. Took me a while but it's worth it.
Hawally is known for laptops, cell phones and software - and there is something insanely right about paying 2 or 3 KWD for the latest software. I have been using the same guy since I arrived and have never had a problem (and I work with high tech stuff so buy more of the non-personal s/w)
There IS only one dude worth visiting re music - he's down some backsteet not far from Sultan centre and has the eccentric persona and collection that makes any visit worthwhile.
I got some kick@ass trance from him - he will download and burn anything for you.
Sure - I have the s/w and h/w to do it myself but getting the right torrent re sound volumes and then burning it with the best settings takes way too much time. He has a special on concert DVD's at the moment:
White House / 667107 89 / whitehouseq8@yahoo.com - or contact me for directions.
For a fun browsing experience:
City Centre Salmiya / lower flloor behind the ladies wear there is a Japanese shop. You WILL buy something there - they have a knack for design and wait until i step off the plane and my dear old mom see's the full sleeve arm tattoo's lol - skin coloured sleeves with cool tribal tattoo's - looks pretty real too ..
I should bought the glass engraving tool - had visions of dragging my inner artist out against a glass or mirror but am holding off in contemplation of a small drill to make patterns on empty egg shells (notice how white they are here ..) - i saw a web site where someone had drilled these patterns into eggshells - very intricate ... beautiful.
I tried the japanese herbal plasters that u place overnight under your feet - supposed to draw all sorts of toxins out ... well .. I think I should have that yellow and black toxic siign that you find on nuclear waste drums tattoo'd on me ... the plasters must of visited the dark side of my toxcicity.
There's a guy selling jewelery etc behind a bakalla at the friday market - he sells by weight - no matter how intracate the design and stones etc He also has an antique shop in Salmiya - you might have seen the odd stuffed cobra at his st
Kuwait: Q8 - the musical:
This your movie set and your friends and family are the public - one could even be so bold as to suggest that some of you probably would not have considered coming out here if it were not for the fact that it does give the impression of 'doing something' with your life (And it felt really cool telling everyone ....and omg facetiousbook ..)
In a sense you're absolutely right - just existing in Q8 sounds exotic to most - so kudos to you for actually making the decision and trip.
Now the fun part - there is no soundtrack, no scene editing, no fast forwarding through time and your role is somewhat limited!
Every movie has boundaries: budget/scenary/props/egos' etc
Well - out here western expats have it better than most and are respected more than most but that's a fine line if you don't conform to the concept of an above average income earner and a sense of wordly indifference.
Anything less is contemptuous to a culture that is fixated on set parameters - for life and the after life.
You will hear the common non-western expat workers rant about the 'zero heads' (That round black rope on top of the head holding down that lame cotton substitute for long hair - and if u think that's harsh, watch them always flicking it just right and fiddling with it in front of every reflective surface - kinda butch/gay in one).
And on the flipside, you will hear the middleclass non-western expats rave about the place (India is a facinating country but, like China, the constant fear of sliding back into the great morass of poverty makes any place where you earn a decent wage and don't have to worry about an unruly mob, totally corrupt officials and a wacky caste system get in the way of elevating your lot against the roulette wheel of the global economy, seem like Bollywood in your backyard.
Then we have the 'other arabs' - and here one has to tread carefully as some are NOT arabs but persian (iranian) lol
They all have one thing in common - a 'thing' about egyptians and those of 'dark' hues. It has been said that my south african background is one of racism - lol - u aint seen nothing - I know some that won't buy a bootleg DVD with any 'people of colour' in it.
The Lebanese, Syrians and 'persians' have very large communities here - and 'home' is just a quick flight away - so to them this place is liveable and very economically beneficial to them.
But - give any of them the same job and salary back home and they'd flood the airport.
S0 - u will probably never be invited to a Kuwaiti home and your lack of arabic will keep you aliented from most of the rest of the 'arabic' cultures, whilst the well off indians will totally ignore the poorer indians/bangladeshi's/pakistani's but not really make a major effort to expand outside their own groups.
The Fillipino's are facinating in the sense that they're here to make money to send home - and yet they still have a great sense of humor and a sense of pride about them - they also love name brands - I know, I have to be quick to grab the 2nd hand Oakley t-shirts for gymn from the Friday market.
Just a pity these damn locals have a hormonal and dysfunctional ethical problem with the girls.
Now here's the thing - explore and expand as much as possible BUT never forget WHY you came and that for all the time spent here it's up to you to make the most of it.
You can't really experiment out here - drugs are too riskay - but I've had kick out of bouncing around the gym running on Ignite tabs and my ipod lol.
But - Istanbul is 3 hours away and regardless of the tourist warnings, I've had some good times with the gypsies that hang around preying on .... uh .. others. They know where EVERYTHING is and no cab driver will rip you off when accompanied by one of them hehe
Choices - that's the crux to life - u just don't have many here ...
Truth be told - this place sux compared to Oman etc but is waay better than Saudi - as an adventurer i'd probably prefer living in a gated community in Yemen (emailing home about a mortar attack has gotta beat bitchin about young idiots in fast cars with an attitude so large it would take a baseball bat, a sack and at least a week to sort out).
I set my own scene / i have an ipod full of kick @ss sound (i get a kick outta listening to the soundtrack from BlackHawk Down on the bus to work lol) and I intend leaving here richer and fitter than when I arrived ...
Simple .... hold the popcorn .. and the cold beer ....
Kuwait: Making Friends...:
The British Ladies society has a weekly cards and their own library on the premises.
You need a standing member to invite you to join but it couldn't hurt to contact them for details etc.
I've also heard that there are quite a few ladies doing Taebo aerobics at one of the hotels near Salwa ...
| 
Login to Contact MikeD
About MikeD
