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.

Exploring Lebanon (and IV): Sidon

The last day of 2018 I went to the South, to the city of Sidon (or “Saida” in Arabic), the third most important city in the country, in the Mediterranean coast. That day I was planning to continue towards South and visit Tyre too, but finally I decided to take it easy since I felt a bit stomach ache and I wanted to return Beirut on time to meet another traveller I met in Byblos and eat the 12 grapes (according to the Spanish tradition in New Year Eve) together. So I enjoyed a relaxed morning in Tyre, without hurries.

As Byblos or Tripoli, Sidon was another important Phoenician settlement 3000 years B.C. Its most important vestige, the Sea Castle, doesn´t belong to this period, but thirteenth century, when the Crusaders built their fortress in this point. Other interesting spots are the Debbamne Palace, the soap museum and the Khan al-Frani, or “inn of the foreigners”, from seventeenth century.

But the part I liked the most was the maze of narrow streets in the old town, around the old souk. One of the exits of this labyrinthine place leads to the remains of Saint Louis Castle, also from the Crusade period. The site is completely in ruins and almost abandoned, but from the top of the hill where the castle is located, you can see some good views of the old town when the sea in the background.

And this is the end of my Lebanese chronicles. I hope that they can be helpful for you in case you would like to visit this country in the future, for example, during the coming holidays in Kuwait. This trip was highly satisfactory for me and I wished I could stay a few more days more (I couldn’t have time for Baalbek or Qadisha valley among other places). I hope there will be more opportunities in the future.

See you in next posts!

Exploring Lebanon (III): Batroun and Tripoli

One of the two days I stayed in Byblos, I decided to take a bus and explore a bit more the North, arriving to the city of Tripoli. Before this, I stopped for a while in Batroun, other historic Phoenician city in the Lebanese coast, very popular in summer, when many tourists landing there. In winter, however, it is a very quiet place, with almost no one in the streets. At times and in some concrete areas, I felts as the only wayfarer in that day.

The main points of interest in Batroun are near the old harbor, such as the Phoenician wall and the Maronite Cathedral of St Stephen. It is also worthy to follow the coast line and stop at the small Orthodox church of Our Lady of the Seas and watching the views from its terrace.

As an anecdote of the day, I have to say that I found a restaurant called “Córdoba”, the name of my hometown in Spain, and I couldn’t avoid stopping there and investigate a bit. When I asked the waiter about why that name, he said that the owner was in my city and he liked so much, so he decided to put its distinguished name to his businesss.

 

After Batroun, I took another bus to Tripoli, 30 kilometers away from Syrian border. This close distance can be worrying, but, contrary to what I was told, Tripoli didn’t seem an unsafe place for me. Till few years ago, the violence of the war reached here and people say that there are still jihadists hiding in this place. However, the inconveniences are minimum for the visitors walking around in this interesting city..

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A good spot to start the visit in Tripoli is the citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, old crusader castle, renewed in several posterior periods by the Mamluks and Ottomans. From here you can enjoy some extraordinary views of the city. Walking down to the old souk, it is possible to discover several “khan”(which could be translated as “inn”), which was allocated to a concrete guild in the past. A good example is the Khan Al Khayyatin (khan of the tailors).

I really enjoyed this part of my trip, probably one of the most intense, especially in Tripoli. Here I discovered other side of this country, closer to my expectations when I think about Middle East, with more hustle in the street, people who spontaneously come to you to ask where you are from, odors of spices, etc. Nothing to do with Beirut, much more like any western city.