I know we've been tracking spring here in Copenhagen like it was the great migration but what if we didn't have any seasons at all? So happy that Jamie is joining us today on Notes from the Field to give us a glimpse into life in Kuwait City.
I met Jamie in DC during a workshop and instantly loved her sense of style - and appreciation for wine and the arts. She blogs over at High Heeled Traveler but can also be found on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook chronicling her adventures in the great sands with her new little son in tow. I remember when the Lonely Planet book on Kuwait came out and there was literally a water tower on the cover - looks like Kuwait City has come a long way since then. One thing is for sure, they don't complain about the cold!
Read further for Jamie's take on life in Kuwait City!
Diplo-mat or Diplo-spouse (or other)? Diplo-spouse
Current Post: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Three words to describe your current post:
Muslim, hot, dry (both in weather and alcohol is illegal)
Best thing about Kuwait City?
You can get almost anything you want locally! This includes most American products, restaurants, and food at the grocery store. Pretty much anything that is packaged and can stand being shipped in 120-degree heat is available. For example, downstairs from my apartment there is a Starbucks, McDonald’s, Johnny Rocket’s, Subway, Sbarro, Hardy’s, Krispy Kreme, KFC, Baskin Robins… and a mall with Zara, Caribou Coffee, Marble Slab, and Shake Shack. There is also a sports store next door with Adidas, Nike, Rebook, etc.
You have visitors in town for the weekend, what does the weekend look like?
We don’t get many visitors (actually no one has visited us except my parents in almost two years) because the other Gulf countries have more historical sights, tourist attractions, and a more liberal stance on alcohol and nightlife (Dubai or Oman). But if we were to get a visitor, we would do pretty much anything one might do in an American suburb. We’d go the mall (there are at least 20 to choose from), go out to dinner or brunch, have a picnic on the water or at the beach, and just hangout at home. From November to April when the weather is bearable there is a fresh market the first Saturday of the month and rooftop movies around town at night. Sometimes there are also cultural events put on by various embassies.
If you’re in Kuwait City, you must try:
There really isn’t anything here that you can’t get anywhere else (except for alcohol and pork which are illegal) and most of the traditional food and dress are similar to any other Middle Eastern country. However, there are some regional things I just can’t get enough of:
1) fresh juice everywhere we go
2) honey pastries, think variations on baklava
3) I can’t pronounce the real name, but I’m completely obsessed with these fried dough fingers that are soaked (dripping!) with syrup. They are perfect with coffee and tea.
4) Shakshuka, a baked egg brunch dish that usually has red peppers and tomatoes swimming in sauce and runny yolks, topped with fresh herbs and usually served with soft bread for dipping. I had one in Jerusalem that had eggplants and a white sauce and it was out of this world!
5) Middle Easter mezze staples like hummus, foul (baked beans), taboule, falafel, and other salads.
What are your go-to sources for learning about the culture or things to do/experience while you’re at your post city?
There is a blog called 248am that is my go-to. Mark, who writes it and is a long time Kuwait resident, is very well spoken and includes posts on what’s going on around town as well as tid-bits about what it’s like to live here. I always get so much from reading, even if I’m housebound with baby!
Most difficult about living in Kuwait City:
Being (pretty much) a city-state between the desert and gulf, Kuwait is geographically isolated. If you want a break from post you have to fly. We were used to being able to jump in the car for a quick day trip out of town somewhere in every other place we’ve lived. So with plane flights, hotels, and rental cars, etc. taking a breather from the daily grind doesn’t come cheap.
Biggest adventure at post?
As we were packing up to move here I found out I was pregnant with our first child. Being pregnant and traveling to and from the US to give birth (it’s perfectly fine to give birth here), then raising my son here has been quite an adventure!
When did you realize you were far from home?
The first weekend we were here, and still jet-lagged, we went to Texas Roadhouse in the Avenues Mall for lunch. Start with something familiar, right? Kuwait is a dry country, but when the hostess went to seat us she asked if we wanted to sit at the bar and have the happy hour margarita special. We were completely thrown off. Was alcohol indeed illegal? It is and the drinks were all mocktails. We declined and just had hamburgers and tea at a regular table. Such a strange experience! (And in case you’re wondering, you can’t throw your peanut shells on the floor here. So many people have asked! Ha).
What’s the most important thing about re-creating your home at post?
Some people put their personal belongings in storage when they travel abroad. I realized pretty quickly that my stuff makes me feel at home and had to bring everything with me. So as soon as I get the sheets on the bed, my coffee maker set up, and pictures on the wall I start feeling at home. Having the familiar objects and a familiar routine help me feel settled.
Three things you can’t live without at post?
Fast, reliable Internet, Cloak box (so we can watch Netflix, HBO Plus, etc.), and living within walking distance of a grocery store.
One thing you thought you couldn’t live without but have had to?
The obvious answer is pork. But I’m going to go with: a car. Having a car here is crucial. We only have one for my husband to commute in. We chose housing near lots of things in walking distance (and with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Gulf!) so I have been able to get around pretty well with baby in tow. However, I can’t really go to playgroups, meet-ups, or even to a mall on hot days. I’ve had to be creative about things to do with the baby in the house and make friends with the women living in my building and building next door (luckily there are many!).
What’s the best advice someone ever gave you about the diplomatic life?
As many have said before me: be open-minded. You go into this lifestyle with certain expectations, like living in glamorous cities or mingling with a bunch of Jackie-O’s but in reality living in a foreign country is really taxing day to day. You suddenly become the minority and the foreigner. You sound awful trying to communicate in a foreign language and have the humiliating experience of having to order from a picture menu because you can’t read. But if you are open-minded to these happenings, they are extremely enriching. That and have a sense of humor because you are going to need it!
What’s your daily uniform?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned living here is that dressing conservatively doesn’t have to mean dressing dumpy. I was very concerned about how to dress in a Muslim country. Would I need to wear a hijab or buy special clothes? I wish someone told me not to buy a bunch of maxi skirts and cardigans. No one wears that here! I usually wear black skinny pants, a comfortable button up (tailored but breezy), and ballet flats or sandals. You’ll see some dramatic peplums, killer knee-length knitwear, and pretty much everyone wears Nikes (or sky high heels!). Most women have their bodies covered knees to elbows to collar bone, but otherwise how conservative you want to go seems like personal preference.
You’re having guests over on Saturday night, what’s on the menu?
A big salad, lamb meatballs, yogurt, rice, hummus, and mac & cheese…
Dream post for next assignment? Why?
We’d like to go somewhere with four seasons (as hot as the surface of the sun, less hot, cool and it wants to rain but never does, and extra dry/sandstorm season do not count as seasons), grassy parks with safe playgrounds, and somewhere we can take easy weekend trips out of town with a toddler.
One thing you wished someone had told you before arriving?
The sand (dust) storms aren’t as dramatic looking as they are in the movie The Mummy though they are powerful and that orange dust gets into everything!
Parting thoughts?
Kuwait has been a great first overseas tour for our family. They love children here and I feel comfortable leaving the house to go for a walk every day with my baby son. Everywhere we go there is a smiling face to greet us and coo at him (many people ask to take his picture). What I didn’t expect is those faces to also be foreign and speak English (mostly Filipino, Indian, Egyptian, and Pakistani). We have not knowingly met and talked to a Kuwaiti, which we find strange. We never got used to having a Sunday – Thursday workweek, the call to prayer waking us up at 5am (now 4:30) every morning, or the insanely dangerous traffic. We’ll miss our views of the sea and having Starbucks only a few steps away.
If you have your own blog, what are three of your own favorite posts? (So hard to choose three! I hope these show the breadth of content from four years of writing!)
1) This is a post I did with more details about Kuwait and links to more resources:
2) I like this one about Florida Thunderstorms
3) I’m proud of this story I wrote about a visit to Dogfish Head Brewery