Its the weekend!

Its Friday which means its the weekend here in Kuwait.  I needed the day off, I needed to just think and write as the week has been so full on and I have not had the time to post properly, so here is todays……

I lazed around for a couple of hours this morning, tuned into to Radio 5 Live and listened to some jabbering about British tennis…  I have heard most of what was said so many times but really I wish them all luck. Cinically, I know its the next bunch who will be gone in around 4.5 years…

I then tuned into Radio 4 as I thought that as a British citizen I should know the results of the elections..  Not being a fan of politicians, I cringed at each of their spoken words, promises of how they would fix the economy. How the other party would fail us. All smelling of bull shit really and very sickening to hear most of the time. But I listened all the same because we do have that luxury of voting that so many countries still don’t have although I am also wary of a system so rife with hidden corruption and deals that I sometimes wonder what democracy actually means.

Anyway, I couldn’t listen for long. I was eager to get out and walk. Walk the city of Kuwait and explore a little. It is only 38 degrees today so not too bad and definitely walkable.  I needed to think of home and not work.  I have been Skyping home each day which is beautiful but not enough. I needed to give home some real time.

I also need to capture what is around me. Kuwait is a strangely beautiful city. It is old and new. Its dirty yet clean. Its full of character and yet can be boring if you do not open yours eyes…..  The contradictions here are what make it so interesting. My walk has taken a break…..

I am currently in a cafe that I walked to from my apartment. It took around an hour to get here (although I was told yesterday it was a 20 minute walk!) On the way I felt like I was in Baghdad, then India, then the Middle East, now I could be on the Champs Elysee. Well, almost. My cafe is very French, with Asian waiters and waitresses, a mix of strong French Culture with Asian mixed in. Its full of French, Arabic, English, Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanians. Opposite me on the other side of the highway is an old Kuwaiti building with a beautiful wind tower.  Looks a bit like a municipal building of some kind.  The streets are full of families, people shopping or returning from the mosque. Its beautiful. I just looked through my lens and its a supermarket!

I have now been here a week and I have so much to explore and find. The people are lovely and the culture is very different to what I expected.  I looked out of the window this morning and was surprised to see the beach filling up at around 0830 with families, water scooters and normal things you would find on any beach.

There are some very “not normal” things here too! One of my funniest moment this week was driving into the American Univeristy and parking yesterday. I was in shock for a few seconds. Surrey Univeristy near where I live in UK is full of 10 year old plus cars, VW’s, Skoda’s, old Land Rovers, Minis and so on.  This car park was like a display room for Hunters in Guildford or in Mayfair London.  I think the smallest car I saw was a GMC Yukon! C’est la vie! Student life in Kuwait looks good…..

Kuwait has it all.  Really just about everything.

I am off now to complete my journey for the day. I will post later with some images too….  Have a good weekend..