Let's Talk About Kuwait

Things We Like/Love About Kuwait

·     Restaurant Clusters: The best invention ever! Multiple restaurants in one location with one parking lot. Who doesn't love options? 

·     Customer Service: Workers go ABOVE and beyond to make sure you are completely satisfied and that all of your needs are met. 

·     No Tipping: What a refreshing sight to see employees working hard without expecting something in return. You can still obviously tip them if you choose!

·     No Tax: The price you see on the tag is the price you pay.

·     No Trump or Hillary: Do you even remember what life was like before these two completely changed American politics? Aside from Facebook, we don’t even hear what stupid comments Trump has made. Why? Because no one cares here. They have other (and BETTER) things to discuss.

·     Custom Made Clothing: Hate shopping? Us too. We have two difficult body types to shop for which is why we both completely hate buying clothes. (It is also why we live in Nike shorts!) You can buy whatever fabric you want and have anything made for you in a few days. Pants, dresses, and shirts...oh my!
·     Food: Kuwait is a big melting pot when it comes to food categories. They have influences from India, Lebanon, America, European, etc. We haven’t had a bad meal yet!

Things We Dislike About Kuwait

·     Wasta: Simply put, it means using favoritism/influence to get what you want. That sense of privilege is ingrained in Kuwaiti culture from a young age. They can say what they want and do what they want because they are above following the rules. (This concept can be seen in America with a different racial group. #justsaying)

·     Heat: There are days where you can actually feel your face melting off. Open your oven that is set to 450 degrees and stick your face in it. That’s exactly what it feels like here in the summer. We keep hearing that better days are coming and I can’t wait.

Things That Are Just Different

·     Food Portions: Everything really is bigger in Texas. Unfortunately, that means that AJ is often starving after he finishes a meal here. Good thing he always has my leftovers!
·     Baby Chicken: Big, juicy, hormone injected chicken doesn't exist here. The whole chicken fits in your hand, which is probably how it should be. Small chicken strips anyone? 

·     Male Dominance: Kuwait is very liberal in comparison to other Arab countries; however, men typically lead when walking and they do the talking. This has been quite the adjustment for us! Go with the flow, AJ, has had to be the take care of business type since men won’t even acknowledge me on occasion.

·     "Maids": Just saying the word is weird to me. Possibly because I was taught how to take out the trash and do my own laundry. Everyone here has a "maid" though, including my classroom! I, being the lazy girl that I am, love the idea of having someone clean up after me. I just need to find a different word for "maid."
·     Prayer Calls: The mosques have LOUD speakers that signal the time for prayer 5 times a day. This can be heard throughout the country in all directions. The first call, which wakes everyone up, is around 3:30-4 a.m. (sunrise). I have yet to hear it because I can sleep through anything. Others have had to purchase ear plugs and noise machines to drown out the sound.   

We'd love to answer any questions you have in the next post, so send them to us!