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)

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!