Kuwait: Garbage Cats

The Area: Hawally is a dirty area that used to be the Palestinian district of Kuwait. However, all 400,00 of them were forcefully kicked out of Kuwait after the Gulf War, due to Yasser Arafat’s support of Saddam Hussein. Hawally has stayed true to its expat roots and now houses (Indians, Bangladeshi’s, Egyptians and a small collection of Westerners). Cars overflow on the roads, sidewalks are non-existent and garbage blows freely on the streets. New dumpsters were purchased in 2013 for the street corners, creating new habitats for the feral cats. 

The Cats: Why are there so many cats in Kuwait? The story goes that after the Gulf War in 1990, many public services were destroyed. As the garbage began to stack up and rot in the streets, the rats took over. The solution was to bring in Egyptian cats. The cats rid the streets of vermin and then started to multiply in numbers. The cats have stayed and flourished, due to a never ending supply of garbage. I have yet to see a single rat in Kuwait thanks to the garbage cats. 

Rambo - RIP (Sept 2003 - Jan 2014)

Rambo Spending Time with Family - Beatrice (Top Left), Rupert (Bottom Left) and Cindy (Bottom Right)

Weasel R. King (KNES School Cat)

Randy Houser 

Jimmy 

Lucy 

Luuucy

Adopted Garbage Kittens that Colleagues Rescued - Penny (left) and Heinz (right)

Kuwait: Water Use

Water Use Kuwait 

Once upon a time humans lived in the desert. They conserved water and the other scarce resources they had. When oil was struck, all this changed. 

1Litre Gasoline: 70fils/27centsCDN (May 2014)

As a result of the oil, energy became dirt cheap in the Gulf States. In 1951 the first desalination plant was built in Kuwait. Since then, other desalinization plants have been going online. 

‘Murica’ is fading and with it the traditional American dream. Affording a big house and two cars is no longer viable for many Americans. Californians are facing widespread drought and it is not uncommon for some suburban residents to spend $500/month on their water bill. Don’t worry ‘Murica’ – Kuwait is keeping your dream of living big alive. One way of doing this is using as much energy/water as possible. 

Why do people use so much water in Kuwait? 

“While 1,000 imperial gallons (4,545 m3) of water costs the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) (US$ 11.00) to produce, the customer is charged (US$ 2.72) for it. Furthermore, water metering and billing are only loosely applied to nationals. Some Kuwaitis have not been paying their water bills for over fifteen years and no action has been taken by the ministry yet. Moreover, to make matters worse, recently the ministry has accredited (US$ 6,800.00) to every Kuwaiti household on their water bill.” (1)

Drinking Desalinized Water:

During my first 6 months in Kuwait, I drank tap water. My kidneys hurt and my urine stank like a street blanket. Since then, I have switched to bottled water. Most people in Kuwait cough up the money and drink bottled water that has been imported into the country. Sometimes I wish my body ran on gasoline, as it would be cheaper.

Bottled Water Cost: 43cents/L (In Bulk using 1.5L jugs)

Gasoline: 27cents/L  (May 2014)

Kuwait: Obesity

McDonald's Locations in Kuwait 

Obesity in Kuwait 

Although reports differ due to the inability to accurately track the BMI of countries, one thing is for certain; Kuwait is one of the top 5 fattest countries in the world. Personally, I would argue it is both the laziest and this fattest.

But Why? 

1. Cradle to grave welfare system. Over 90% of Kuwaitis are employed in the government sector. Although the workday is 7:30 – 2:30, many only work around 3 hours a day. 
2. Traditional clothing is ‘one size fits all’ in the waist. Men wear a white dish dasha, women a black Abaya. These pieces of clothing are better than maternity wear and also work well in hiding the girth. 
3. A Kuwaiti household is not complete without live-in maids (usually Filipino) . They act as nanny, cook and cleaner.
4. Drive everywhere. Sidewalks/bike trails are almost non-existent. 
5. More American fast food outlets than Canada (17 Krispie Kremes, 69+ McDonalds’). 
6. Kuwaitis don’t like to get out of their vehicles. When you got to a convenience store you lay the horn down, until a worker comes out to take your order. 
7. No taxes. Fast food is quite cheap. A Big Mac Meal will run you $5.80. 

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Cattle

Ethiopia 

“Africa” – Upon hearing the word, a slew of images come to mind, many of which are shaped by Western media. To name a few: Serengeti plains, lions, hippos, poverty, starvation and war. Travelling to Ethiopia has never crossed my mind and I knew little about the country. The knowledge I did have revolved around the Rastafarian movement or the character ‘Starvin’ Marvin’ from South Park. Last minute flight checking for the EID October break revealed a direct flight to Ethiopia for $350. Why not?

The Good 

• Calm and relaxed atmosphere. Car honks/minute paled in comparison to the Middle East and the Rasta influence was strong.   
• The Ethiopian people are proud of their heritage and have every right to be. Ethiopia remains the only African country to have never been colonized.
• The capital Addis Ababa is referred to as the “political capital of Africa” due its significance. UN vehicles are plentiful. 
• Mountainous country with stunning landscapes. 
• Most UNESCO World Heritage sites out of any African country. 
• Over 80 unique ethnic groups, with many tribal groups still intact, especially in the southern Omo Valley.  
• Low cost services/good. 
• Unspoiled tourist scene. Ethiopia is a relatively new tourist stop.
• Unique wildlife interactions, like feeding the spotted hyenas in Harar. 
• Ethiopia is a Christian country in a sea of Muslim neighbors (Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea all border it). Alcohol is legal and khat plentiful. 

Streets if Harar, Ethiopia

The Bad

• Difficult to get around for tourists. Tourism is not developed and it can be hard to reach many destinations without hiring a driver. For example, there are no trains in the country and travelling by public bus can be….uncomfortable. 

Harar - Hyena Feeding

The Ugly

• White and travelling to Ethiopia? Expect to draw crowds of beggars, almost wherever you go. With the second highest population in Africa, there seemed to be children everywhere. The countryside was the worst for it and without exaggerating there were upwards of 200 children per day shouting “money, money, money, money!” or “one, one, one, one” at our vehicle. Some would get creative and do special dances for money. Others would get testy and block roads. The brave ones would even smack sticks against the vehicle. Piss breaks, would be rushed, since you never knew when a child would come creeping out of the bush asking for money. Impoverished? Definitely…Starving? I never did see a ‘Starvin’ Marvin” belly. By all means give what you can, but do it in a constructive manner. Volunteer your time or give money directly to an orphanage (which we did). Tossing money out of the car to impoverished children only serves to help with their next Coca Cola purchase and trains them to be beggars.
  

The last week of October was welcoming, since it brought with it the EID Holiday - where able bodied Muslims make the trek to Mecca , in Saudi Arabia. After much deliberation I decided to head to Sri Lanka, since I was able to get my hands on some cheap airline tickets. It was my first trip travelling solo and I decided to wing it without any planning, or Lonely Planet guide. I was fortunate to have a 22hr layover in Bahrain, en route to Sri Lanka, which I used to hire a driver for the day and explore the dessert.

Bahrain Highlights

- The National museum was closed on the holy day of Friday, so I hired a cab driver to be my tour guide for the day. After an hours drive, we made it to the first oil well on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf (circa 1931!) . It was interesting to see where it all started and view the industrial mess of an oil field.

- The 'tree of life' was by far the most interesting stop. In the middle of the barren dessert rises a large planet Pandora style 'home tree'. After seeing only low lying grubs and burnt grass in the dessert, the tree was out of place. It is said to be over a 1000years old - it's survival and longevity a testament to the power of nature.

The next morning it was off to the airport to make the trip to Sri Lanka. The flight was the most enjoyable one yet, since a drinking party started at the back of the plane with a group of Westerners. The complimentary drinks kept coming, until the beers, vodka, wine and whisky ran dry. I was invited to join an American and Syrian working out of Qatar on their Sri Lankan tour. They had a private driver, fully booked accommodation and a backpackers thirst to see the 'whole island' during the short 6day stay. All I had to do was show up with my Visa card! After covering over 1500kms (at an average speed of roughly 40km/h) it was the most packed vacation imaginable.

Sri Lanka Highlights

- Sigiriya Rock (UNESCO World Heritage Site) was impressive. It's basically a downsized version of Ayers rock in Australia. On the top of the rock and surrounding it lies the ruins of an ancient kingdom. The most interesting part of its history is that King Kashyapa lived on the top of the rock with his 500 mistresses. During the day he would be carried down from his rock, where he would bathe with his women in one of the many artificial swimming pools. It was basically an early day Playboy mansion, with a moat, drawbridge and fortified rock, to protect the Kings bunnies.

- The Temple of the Tooth in Kandi was worth seeing. It can be described as the Vatican of the Buddhist religion, since it houses the only remaining piece of the Buddha (his tooth!). The tooth was tucked away behind locked doors, so we never got the chance to see it.

- Adams Peak proved to be the most illusive attraction. It took over 5 hours to get to the base of the mountain from Kandi. The mountainous roads we took to get there were extremely poor. To complicate matters, we drove through the tail end of a hurricane, with fallen trees, blocked roads and tangled high tension wires. We planned on climbing to the peak during the night (starting at 2am) and we even purchased gear for the 5000+ step climb. The tropical storm raged all night and we had to abandon the climb. It was unfortunate, but will give me a reason to return to Sri Lanka one day to finish the climb.

- Prices! The civil war in Sri Lanka (Tamil Tigers VS Government forces) only ended in 2009. As a result, the tourism industry is still recoverning. Accommodation, food and transportation costs are quite reasonable - even cheaper than Thailand.

- You can go a full day in the backcountry without seeing other tourists. Even the capital of Colombo has a low numbers of foreigners. Visit while you can - Lonely Planet just ranked Sri Lanka as the #1 travel destination of 2013. The floodgates are about to open and wash much of the authenticity away.

Overall, Sri Lanka was an excellent country to visit and I would highly recommend it to others. Most locals know basic English and run their lives on 'island time'. The country has a rich history stretching back 1000's of years and it is even said to have been the location of the 'Garden of Eden'. It's Buddhist roots and mountainous topography make it a uniquely spiritual land.

A Few Weeks In

There's a popular saying throughout the Muslim world, which is Insha'Allah. Translated it means ‘God Willing’. The Qur'an states that no Muslim should talk about the future without adding a dash of Insha'Allah into the statement. Kuwait seems to run off of 'Gods will'. With 94% of Kuwaitis employed in the government sector (cradle to grave welfare state) you can imagine how slowly the government runs. When do I get my civil ID? In Insha'Allah, it will come. It is all in the plan, Allah says so.

 

As for teaching, it seems every day is a new learning experience. In the classroom I feel like a cross between Cesar Milan and a UN Peace Keeper (Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Palestinian and Kuwaiti students make up the classroom demographic). On the streets of Hawally (a district I live in), I feel like a displaced refugee circa Gulf War 91'. Garbage, sand and decay blanket the streets, with garbage kitties prowling for chicken snacks wraps. I live in the immigrant section of town and aesthetic beauty seems to be the last thing on the residents and governments minds. It makes the streets of China and Vietnam look like 1st world countries. I'm fortunate to live here though, as food is cheap, the cultures rife and people are friendly.

The collection of co-workers at my school is excellent and I've been pleased with the expat/embassy socials. Time is passing quickly and I look forward to heading to Sri Lanka for a week’s holiday in late October!

Arriving in Kuwait

Downtown Kuwait City

I flew into Kuwait the night of August 25th and was picked up by the schools driver. Orientation started the next morning, so I crashed upon arrival in the new apartment. A year spent living in China and travelling through Southeast Asia did little to prepare me for the rising sun. Prayer speakers blasted at 4:30am in the name of Allah and Islamic world immersion kicked off. By the time I left at 7 to walk to the school, it was already 30degrees. Sand and garbage lined the streets and next to the school lay a complex that was bombed out during the Gulf War. For over 20 years it had sat, bullet encrusted and collecting stray animals – as the neighbourhood went about its usual business. When I finally arrived at the school, it was like reaching an oasis in a sea of decay. Since it's a British International School, they didn't skimp on the facilities - indoor pool, basketball courts, science labs, and a 15foot concrete wall around the property – even though it resembles a jail, it should be a great work environment!

Some observations and inquiries made thus far:

- The car culture in Kuwait puts America to shame. Everyone seems to drive a full size SUV since gas is about 40cents/litre. There's also a reckless disregard for safety, with drivers speeding around like little Mario Andretti's.

- The bulk of the fresh water in Kuwait comes from desalinization plants on the coast of the Persian Gulf. On almost every block there's water taps for drinking water. A good government initiative to keep the low income workers hydrated and in line.

- Foreigners outnumber Kuwaitis 3-1. Gaining Kuwaiti citizenship is next to impossible.

- Every foreigner living in Kuwait is here for one primary purpose: the money. The saying goes “Another day another Dinar.”

- Kuwaitis are among the most privileged citizens in the world. Health care and education (post-secondary included) are free. Taxes are next to nothing, food stamps are distributed regardless of income and government checks are handed out to citizens based on oil revenues. It's not uncommon for a Kuwaiti man to have 6+ children and/or 3 different wives.

- Alcohol is illegal and pork products are banned. There's a lucrative black market for these products, but expect to pay a premium.

- Embassy parties occur frequently and serve liquor. The property belongs to the home countries and are thus outside the 'eye of Allah’ / exempt from Islamic law.

As with any country, adjusting to the culture will take some time. I hope to learn as much as I can about the Middle East and Islam during my stay.