Unpopular opinion

One of the recurring topics which usually appear when two or more foreigners meet for the first time in Kuwait is the general opinion about life here and how each one is coping with it. It is very interesting the way in which each person addresses the issue depending on the length of time living here. Even though this country is always in the last positions in the surveys about the favorite countries for expats, sometimes there are people with more favorable perceptions who wouldn’t mind staying in this place some years more. They mainly value the possibility to save some money, the safety and the tranquility. Personally, this is not the ideal country where I would like to settle down, but I already reached a point at which most of the negative aspects I highlighted one year ago upset me less and less and I have been learning to appreciate more the positive factors.

If someone read at that time my first posts in this blog, he or she would remember that my thoughts about Kuwait were not hopeful at all. I especially felt annoyed because of the distance between my residence and my work, the time I spent on the bus, the extreme heat, and the absence of areas for walking and going out. Once I also mentioned the difficulty for socializing, something related to the previous factors. All this made me think about the idea of leaving after the winter holidays. It is good that I didn’t give up and I decided to finish my contract, because otherwise I couldn’t meet who is today my wife and the main reason why I started to change my attitude towards my life in this place.

Benditas carreras de camellos

At that moment, I still thought it was a joke when someone said that Kuwait is not so bad. Now I understand that, at the end, it is not the country but the circumstances around each person what condition our opinions. In my case, I already commented at the beginning of this school year how my conditions improved at every level, both economically and professionally. Of course, there are still some annoying things here but they almost don’t upset me.

On the other hand, I have been widening my social network and discovering areas and places where it is possible to spend a good time.

Regarding boredom, which is the main complaint among expats, I actually I almost have no time to feel it since I don’t stop doing things but, talking about leisure activities, you just have to investigate a bit to find something to do every weekend.

I talked once about Aware association, which organize a lot of activities for both locals and foreigners. It is very convenient subscribing to their newsletter to be informed about their program. Besides, there are some websites compiling different cultural, sport and entertainment events for all kind of people. I usually check the agendas of 248AM or Kuwait Upto Date. It is also important to review some groups in social media where people publish some interesting things.

As I said, I don’t see Kuwait as the best place in the World to live, regardless how each one is doing, but it is true that at the end each person decides how to cope with it. It is possible to live with a negative attitude, complaining every time for everything and missing better times, either trying to value the positive aspects that we still have (even living in Fintas). And if you can´t find anything good, there are still 193 countries else where you can try to have a better life, although I think that who is pessimist will be pessimist here and in the Bahamas.

All the best for everyone and try to see life with more optimism and humor.