Kuwait citizens Bahrain accuses Sharapova, urged to avoid Qatar of luring and Serena Ebola-infested citizens to switch advance in countries8 nationality11 Montreal45 Max 48º Min 33º NO: 16248- Friday, August 8, 2014 KuwaitKuwait crackscracks downdown onon tteerrorrror sspponsorsonsors PAGE 9 Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 Scribbler’s Notebook 10 tips for new expats moving to Kuwait By Jamie Etheridge [email protected] remember when I first arrived in Kuwait how incredibly alien things here, so many ways of doing things that can drive you you might but it’s best not to count on it. Do what you can, ask everything seemed. The strange sand colored landscape crazy. Just relax, take a deep breath and accept that things may help from your employer and the company mandoub and then Imostly devoid of trees and grass are shocking for someone take longer or be done differently than you are used to. just wait - seriously, you will drive yourself nuts worrying about visiting the arid Gulf region for the first time. Over the days, 2. Find a few places - a local coffee shop, a bookstore, a spot paperwork in Kuwait but believe me, it’s really out of your hands. weeks and months to come I acculturated to the point that after on the seaside, a park or a favorite mall - that you like and get to 6. There will be many things here that are not done the way a few years things like going to the ‘saloon’ to get your hair cut know the area and the people who work there. Familiarity helps they do them back in your home country. But that’s sort of the now seem perfectly normal to me. (Does anyone but me think it’s a lot when starting a new life so make some friends - even coffee point, right? Remember you are here for a reason - a job, follow- ironic that in the States, a ‘saloon’ is a place in the Old West shop acquaintances that you can greet each day and who will ing a spouse, whatever and its best to focus on the bright side. where they sold beer and liquor?) I don’t even hesitate when recognize you too. 7. Respect the local customs, language and religion. Courtesy ordering mushakil at Canary (although my accent leaves much to 3. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Yes, I know it’s cur- and respect work in almost every situation. be desired) and I can take my child to the public hospital without rently 50+ C outside and that the cars on Kuwait roads are notori- 8. Enjoy the strangeness. You may eventually become a lifer losing my mind. ously disrespectful of pedestrians. Do it anyway. Perhaps in the expat. I realize now how much I enjoyed my early years in Kuwait For the novice expat, arrival in a new country like Kuwait can evening. You will be surprised at what you see and you’ll begin and I wish I had fought less against the strangeness and explored be both exciting and daunting. There are so many challenges to to appreciate all the interesting and lovely things that can be more. living here. Whether you hail from Belgium or Bangladesh, found in your neighborhood. 9. Be homesick. But don’t let it get you down. Instead book adjusting to an alien culture, land and society takes time. There 4. Explore Kuwait. When I first arrived, I used the Gulf Road as time to chat online with family and friends back home but also will be a million questions on everything from how to find a flat a baseline and would drive around in increasingly larger concen- make plans to get out and meet people in Kuwait and build a life (realtor, classifieds or driving around for hours in the areas of tric circles - always working my way back to the Gulf Road - as a for yourself here regardless of the circumstances. your choice) to how to get a driver’s license. Some things your way to explore new areas. This can also help you find the small 10. Smile. It’s not easy and for women it can be viewed as flir- employer will take care of for you but for the most expats, when grocery, dry cleaners, mobile phone shop, gas station and other tation but still do it. Just be careful and keep walking if someone it comes to daily life, they’re on their own. daily life services you may need. starts to harass you. 5. Don’t stress the bureaucracy and the paperwork. If you If you are new to Kuwait or a long time expat, what do you think So here’s a few tips from an old timer to new expats now have a deadline for anything - a paper that needs a stamp or a is missing from this list? Email me at [email protected] . calling Kuwait home: visit visa about to expire, rest assured it will NOT come through (Only respectful replies will be published. No vulgarity and no spam 1. Start every day with patience. Seriously there are so many on time. That’s just the reality of life here. If you are very lucky, please.) Local Spotlight Kaffeeklatsch Clean up Jleeb An overabundance of ‘screen time’ By Muna Al-Fuzai By Shakir Reshamwala [email protected] [email protected] leeb Al-Shuyoukh is hardly more than area a haven for violators of the country’s a large work camp for Asian expatri- laws. When a woman is abducted, this is his generation of children is surround- their own). Gone are the days when kids Jates. Unfortunately, this area needs to usually the first area that comes to every- ed by screens - from the ubiquitous TV wanted trucks or dolls - now they demand be cleaned up from its roots because its one’s minds, justifiably. Tand computers to smart phones and tablets and videogame consoles. reputation had been damaged. It now During an MoI campaign against viola- tablets. The proliferation of mindless enter- Even schools have not been spared, with seems to be a nest for runaway maids, tors there, 139 persons were arrested, tainment on a plethora of devices has invari- “smart boards” now a common feature in prostitution gangs and violators of resi- most of them for violating residence and ably reduced the time children spend on most schools. Watching videos used to be a dence law, who hide there until they get labor laws and were referred to the intellectual activities like reading, playing taboo at schools, but now students regularly arrested - or maybe not. authorities for deportation from the coun- board games, art or building models. see cartoons, films and programs during According to statistics by the civil try. Al-Qabas daily recently reported that Physical activities too have taken a hit as school hours on these smart boards. information authority, residents of this a 6-hour police campaign in Farwaniya children spend more time indoors sitting This has not gone down well with some area numbered 265,000 in 2010. I assume led to the arrest of 96 people for violating inert for hours, which in turn has seen a parents, who would rather see their children this figure has grown now. I wonder if the residency laws. spike in obesity rates and other health read or engage in activities like drawing or authority is doing enough to confront the I believe we have a problem with issues. crafting during free hours rather than do problems of this area, either from the regards to Asian expats in Kuwait. The law As children, we had to wait the whole day something they do at home all the time. At large number of actual residents or those is the same for all - Asians or Westerners. who hide in this area, because they add But when all the problems seem to be in for cartoons to air on TV - usually in the the same time, parents are also secretly no value to this location but put extra the circle of Asians, then there is some- evenings on weekdays and mornings on pleased at the mastery their children have pressure and cause problems such as thing wrong and needs to be examined weekends - and had no option but to watch over complex technology, stuff they as kids theft and harassment. and corrected. Maybe setting a percent- what was showing. If you wanted to see Tom would have had difficulty even comprehend- I know this area has many decent peo- age for needy Asian expats is a solution, and Jerry and Pink Panther was playing, you ing. ple who stay there because rents are or preventing wasta that brings in these watched Pink Panther. And you couldn’t The genie now cannot be put back into cheaper compared to other areas like marginal workers. There should be daily even change channels - Kuwait TV was all the bottle, and all we can do is make sure Salmiya and Hawally, but they suffer a lot checks by the police on suspicious spots there was. our children are involved in other pursuits from the mess over there. They can’t in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Fast forward to today, and kids are spoilt too. In this harried existence of ours, it feels afford to move out, and are stuck there An area with a large population needs for choice. Any show they want to see is only great to have the kids sitting quietly in the and deserve help. There are schools and extra effort by the MoI, the municipality, a few clicks away.