Been here for a year and the nice weather never gets old. I’m sitting outside at a New York based burger joint in the middle east. The outdoor dining is warmed by a few patio heaters but they are more for ambiance than really needing them.
A pair of quads just scooted by in front of the place as it is on a the main road bordering the Arabian gulf. The police are nowhere in sight and they don’t seem to care about such things anyway. Back home, you would expect a full on police chase of those quads. An example of the carefree life here when compared to the United Nanny States of America.
The smell of oud is in the air. Its pleasant fragrance is something that before I lived here, I never knew. I will miss it when I leave.
Kuwait is a wealthy country with the black gold in the ground and a world wide demand for it, it appears that as long as it flows, they will prosper. You can’t blame then for selling it rather than giving it away. We tend to want to maximize the products we produce in the U.S. In much the same way.
It is the luck of the draw in life and the middle east has hit it big. So I figure if you can enjoy a little of the result of the wealth, why not. It is part of why I am here.
Back home I keep hearing of cold wet rainy days and I am trying to figure out where the draw, at least weather wise is to go back. The 3 week summers are beautiful there but the length of summerlike weather is a joke.
Meanwhile, the quads go buzzing by again and shake me from the contemplation of a colder time in the northwest. I’m in the middle east! Its warm, the food is good and I’m happy today. I live in a shared apartment and sleep on a tiny bed in a cramped room…but I sleep well and life is good. I find that sometimes these times serve to remind us of what is important.
I am one who needs to regroup quietly and plan a little. Tonight its night 29 in a countdown before I go home. In many ways I don’t want to but I know that for now it is time. I will never look at life the same after having lived here and I think I may want to take on another job that will allow for another experience like this one.
With bills paid, bags packed and a new outlook on life, I bid you fairwell Kuwait and as strange as it may sound, I welcome another opportunity to return if you should see fit.
Rowland Ramble - 