System? What System? Is basically the motto in Kuwait. Have spent the past week in total disarray with being fed misinformation about my working visa for Kuwait. I have never in my life encountered such total lack of communication and organisation and all I could do was be moved from pillar to post. Let me explain....No to long, let me summarize....
On the first of January we are told that a new law has come into place which forces people wishing to obtain a permanent visa must go back to their country of origin to get the stamp in their pass port. So my boss was in a flurry as sending me back to oz would prove rather expensive and I would be out of action for a week so she bitched and fought her way with every body in government that she could. But no one was willing to help or tell us why I had to go home all they said was to bad she has to go back to Australia. So the next plan was to get her brother a general in the Kuwait to throw his weight around. However just as he was about to try the Emir died (King of Kuwait) so all government departments shutdown and so everyone decides that yes I do need to go so mad rush now to find flights and have everything arranged which of course I do my self, find cheap flights on the net and have everything sorted. I have the go ahead that this is the plan and that I will leave Saturday. Of course I now start to get a little excited at the prospect of seeing Mum and spending some time in a "normal" country. However....This is Kuwait nothing goes to plan!
Saturday morning I am due to fly out that night they get word that there has been no law change just that some nob head in the ministry started telling everyone this after Bahrain said they will nolonger accept people coming over to get their visas! So now my boss decides that even though I have everything booked for Australia I will now just go to Dubai. Grrrrrrrr
She of course is given the personal guarantee from the top immigration minister that all I need to do is rock up to the embassy in Kuwait get them to sign a form to say yes I do exist and stamp my passport...But this is Kuwait so do you think that happens?
Arrive Monday night in Dubai am told they have booked me a hotel in Sharjah an emirate just out of Dubai of course this emirate also does not allow the sale of alcohol...Just my luck so I buy a bottle of real red wine, whooo hoooo, from the airport and get a cab out to the hotel. Of course I arrive and there is no bottle opener at the hotel, ask for one but denied as they bloody hotel doesn't have one. Therefore I had to resort to the old push the cork in the bottle trick which resulted in red wine spurting every where....Talk about desperate. How sad! Finally get some wine in to me and think ahhh all is well now.....NO! Bottle openers prove to be the least of my problems instead I fight with stupid ass taxi drivers who don't know where anything is, am told by the embassy that the top immigration guys guarantee is nothing and I need to get a medical and an xray blah blah blah.
Therefore spent the rest of my time running around Dubai getting all this sorted out. Finally can relax at the Irish Village which is a glorious oasis. A normal looking pub selling real beer and wine ahhhh spent the arvo there drinking booze and eating ham was in heaven. Of course the next day the fiasco begins again with me then being told I need passport photos before they will finish anything run around like a mad woman again. I tell you will someone please educate those taxi drivers in Dubai. I asked one guy to take me to the Kuwait Embassy and was told "but your in Dubai" I am like I know I am in Dubai I want to go to the Kuwait Em..ba..ssy. Jebus! Frustration levels were pretty high at this stage and tolerance levels pretty bloody low!
Finally the dude at the embassy stamps my passport and says please come back and visit us again soon. Ahhh no I don't think so!
Escaped Dubai on a plane that was of course delayed so now I think I have my visa to work in Kuwait, I think, but I am not sure as who knows what story I will be told next. I would like to go back to Dubai again one day to enjoy it for the party town it is known to be but since I was so up to 90 I didn't really get a good chance. My first impression though was that it was clean but everywhere seems clean compared to hear. My second was all the construction. It's kind of spread out a lot so will just have to go back and explore again sometime.
But for now shall continue with life in Kuwait with all the frustrations it brings. If anything this experience shall make me a stronger person and will never again complain about how things are done in Australia, we are so organised let me tell you. Till next time......
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Indians The Goat and Me!
Ok this story I am about to tell you does involve cruelty to animals and some rather graphic pictures so if your not really into seeing a goat being slaughtered well then I don't mind if you don't look at this posting! However now your probably wondering how in gods name I end up with pictures of a slaughtered goat so let me just tell you the story.
Right so last week was the second Eid and with that I scored a two day holiday during the week which is something defiantly to whoo hoo about. Any way so Javier an American friend of mine had just come back to Kuwait after a 2 week stint at home so we decided to catch up and go to the Indian restaurant round the corner from my house. I have actually gotten to know the dudes that run the place as well. I go there at least once a week for chabati which is a really yummy Indian bread not many western women walk into a place like that so I kinda get looked after and when they found out I was Australian they started telling me how fab our cricket team is and have been welcomed there ever since. The restaurant by the way is called Moon Resto Restaurant which I find kinda funny!
Any hoos so Javier and I go there for lunch and out the front is this massive goat. It is a Muslim tradition to slaughter a goat during Eid. I was later told the reason why is because one of their prophets was going to slaughter his son but in the end slaughtered a goat which I say was a pretty good decision especially for the son! So now at Eid Muslims sacrifice a goat and give some of the meat to the poor. There is a particular place you are supposed to cut it and traditional way to how you skin it. But I am not sure if its real protocol to do it in the middle of the street like these guys were planning!!!
There we are having a lovely lunch with a farm animal just hanging around at the front door when Javier asked the dude who runs the place if they were going to slaughter the animal here. He said yup in about an hour. So we politely asked them to wait for us to scoot home a grab the camera. Which they did cos they are just cool guys! So we get back with camera at the ready. I couldn't really get in there and take the photos so I let Javier have the honors as I was often covering my eyes! It was actually a pretty interesting experience just to see it happen however have decided to maybe take up vegetarianism since. But at least I kinda got to get involved in a little bit of the culture here and once again reconfirmed how good it is to have sanitized butchers at home!
The Indian dudes, me and the goat! Notice how we are out the front of a bridal shop hahaha you certainly wouldn't see this at home!
The Indian Dudes, Javier and the Goat! 
The end result! Oh poor billy goat!
Right so last week was the second Eid and with that I scored a two day holiday during the week which is something defiantly to whoo hoo about. Any way so Javier an American friend of mine had just come back to Kuwait after a 2 week stint at home so we decided to catch up and go to the Indian restaurant round the corner from my house. I have actually gotten to know the dudes that run the place as well. I go there at least once a week for chabati which is a really yummy Indian bread not many western women walk into a place like that so I kinda get looked after and when they found out I was Australian they started telling me how fab our cricket team is and have been welcomed there ever since. The restaurant by the way is called Moon Resto Restaurant which I find kinda funny!
Any hoos so Javier and I go there for lunch and out the front is this massive goat. It is a Muslim tradition to slaughter a goat during Eid. I was later told the reason why is because one of their prophets was going to slaughter his son but in the end slaughtered a goat which I say was a pretty good decision especially for the son! So now at Eid Muslims sacrifice a goat and give some of the meat to the poor. There is a particular place you are supposed to cut it and traditional way to how you skin it. But I am not sure if its real protocol to do it in the middle of the street like these guys were planning!!!
There we are having a lovely lunch with a farm animal just hanging around at the front door when Javier asked the dude who runs the place if they were going to slaughter the animal here. He said yup in about an hour. So we politely asked them to wait for us to scoot home a grab the camera. Which they did cos they are just cool guys! So we get back with camera at the ready. I couldn't really get in there and take the photos so I let Javier have the honors as I was often covering my eyes! It was actually a pretty interesting experience just to see it happen however have decided to maybe take up vegetarianism since. But at least I kinda got to get involved in a little bit of the culture here and once again reconfirmed how good it is to have sanitized butchers at home!
The Indian dudes, me and the goat! Notice how we are out the front of a bridal shop hahaha you certainly wouldn't see this at home!
The Indian Dudes, Javier and the Goat! 
All the Indian dudes holding the goat down ready to cut his throat. This came after they all yelled at each other for about 5 minutes first. I don't know what they were saying but I can imagine it was some thing like: "you grab his leg, no not that leg you moron the other leg."
Poor Billy's throat cut. :( what was funny was that they guy with the apron on just did the holding while the guy in the business shirt did the cutting. He ended up with blood on his nice shirt. I'm sure his wife had a thing or two to say about that!
Ok now they start to skin him. Of course out on the foot path in the middle of the street!!!!
They covered his head with a garbage bag then proceeded to finish skinning him.
Like the safety footwear?
The skinning brought on entertainment for the whole neighbourhood. The local kids came to check it out! At one point all the men were standing around the goat laughing them selves silly. I couldn't work out what was so funny when Javier pointed out that they just cut of his penis....ahh men are the same everywhere!
The end result! Oh poor billy goat!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Photo Update!
Wade after your email of imagining me working in a building half falling down and sand blowing in my eyes I decided I should show you where I actually work! Its a nice new building equipped with excellent equipment. We even have a tennis/basketball court on the roof! 
My work mate Solange and next to her is her niece Stephanie. They are from the African country Cameroon. Lovely people and bloody funny! Solange speaks French, Cameroon and English so along with some Arabic from the locals I am also picking up a few other interesting words from her :) 
Solange's son Anthony. He is at the gym as much as we are so he gets to play on the equipment all day long and constantly keeps us entertained he is such a groovy kid!
Anthony about to attempt a straddle forward roll. This kid is only 1.5 and his skill level is amazing!! 
Anthony after his straddle forward roll! He's such a cutie :)
Me at work. Yes folks this is my job to do handstands! As you can see behind me this is our gym where we teach the kids to do cool things on the bars, beam and vault, not to mention the handstands. Am still working on the flips but when I master it I will be sure to send you photos :)
Upside down again, this time a handstand with out socks hahaha!
Me doing a handstand over the trap. You jump from the spring board up into a handstand then flip over to the other side! Has taken me a lot of practice but I've mastered it now, next is to do it with no hands!!
A perfect cartwheel from Solange! 
Some Indian dudes fishing! 
A lovely Kuwait sunset! See the black dot at the second umbrella? Well that's a group of three women in their lovely black get up. Covered from head to toe! Yes that's what I call essential beach wear! 
Celebrating the Christmas Cheer! Wayne, Ted, Paul Steve, Cobbs, Me and Vicky
More of the gang, this time with Sherry at the end of the table!
This is the famous Gulf Road, its a view from Sherry and Steve's balcony. Its actually a pretty quiet day here but usually this vantage point is great for witnessing the mad drivers of Kuwait!Sunday, January 01, 2006
Who Would Have Thought....
....That I would be in Kuwait at the start of 2006!! Certainly not I. Boy what an adventure 2005 was for me. I got started on this crazy traveling business and now here I am in a country that I would never have imagined I would visit let alone stay! I have survived 3 months here now and as 2006 gets underway I can let you all know that I will be staying on in madnessville. The madness must be rubbing off on me! But I had such a fantastic new years eve that well I am in good spirits and figure it aint that bad here after all.
New years was a fairly unplanned event I sent an SOS email to some friends on the Thursday as I was looking down the barrel of a new years eve of sitting at home drinking home made red wine and watching a Kylie Minoque concert on telly. Yes you can feel my desperation can't you? So after a few ums and ahs in the end Cobbs offered to invite us along to a party that he knew was happeing. So Sherry, Steve and I followed the worst map ever written to this party. Thankfully Steve's army training and problem solving skills managed to break the code that the map was written in and we found the place with out to much drama. So we rock up at this place where Cobbs was supposed to be however he was running late so we basically just gate crashed! But in the true ex pat spirit we were welcomed and asked straight away "So what are you drinking?" and was served a lovely beverage!
It was an Aussie guy who was having the party...obe I think his name was. It was mostly Aussies and Americans, however I did meet the first Irish people I have seen here and believe it or not she was from cork! Small world. Most of the people I have meet here have been here for yonks which just amazes me! Most people at the party had been in Kuwait from 3-7 years! I am like yeah I've been here 3 months I must seem so naive and green to them all!! So the party was going quite well, a guy in a sheik turned up (traditional Muslim dress) which Sherry and I just thought hilarious, what happened to the evils of drink??? He perched him self at the bar drank his rum and coke and played with his pray beads at the same time...Hello??? If your going to drink at least take off ya bloody religious dress!! Of course it wouldn't be a party either with out one guy wanting to beat up another guy over some chick. So when that happened it kinda ended the party as everyone went out into the car park to watch the fight hahaha. Every one just piled out of the room and left Sherry Steve and I there was so funny, we owned the party in the end and I celebrated by doing very bad druken cartwheels across the room!
So I brought the New year in with plenty of style! I hope every one else had a splendid one as well. We have a two day break coming up this week with the second Eid (a religious holiday) I think its a great idea why can't we have second christmases? Any ways I won't be going any where as I am still waiting on my visa to be sorted although I have been promised it will be done by Feb so I am planning trip to Jordan then. But till that time I shall continue with the same old work routine here in Kuwait. Any hoos peoples I think that's enough rambling from this little rooster so shall leave you be! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
New years was a fairly unplanned event I sent an SOS email to some friends on the Thursday as I was looking down the barrel of a new years eve of sitting at home drinking home made red wine and watching a Kylie Minoque concert on telly. Yes you can feel my desperation can't you? So after a few ums and ahs in the end Cobbs offered to invite us along to a party that he knew was happeing. So Sherry, Steve and I followed the worst map ever written to this party. Thankfully Steve's army training and problem solving skills managed to break the code that the map was written in and we found the place with out to much drama. So we rock up at this place where Cobbs was supposed to be however he was running late so we basically just gate crashed! But in the true ex pat spirit we were welcomed and asked straight away "So what are you drinking?" and was served a lovely beverage!
It was an Aussie guy who was having the party...obe I think his name was. It was mostly Aussies and Americans, however I did meet the first Irish people I have seen here and believe it or not she was from cork! Small world. Most of the people I have meet here have been here for yonks which just amazes me! Most people at the party had been in Kuwait from 3-7 years! I am like yeah I've been here 3 months I must seem so naive and green to them all!! So the party was going quite well, a guy in a sheik turned up (traditional Muslim dress) which Sherry and I just thought hilarious, what happened to the evils of drink??? He perched him self at the bar drank his rum and coke and played with his pray beads at the same time...Hello??? If your going to drink at least take off ya bloody religious dress!! Of course it wouldn't be a party either with out one guy wanting to beat up another guy over some chick. So when that happened it kinda ended the party as everyone went out into the car park to watch the fight hahaha. Every one just piled out of the room and left Sherry Steve and I there was so funny, we owned the party in the end and I celebrated by doing very bad druken cartwheels across the room!
So I brought the New year in with plenty of style! I hope every one else had a splendid one as well. We have a two day break coming up this week with the second Eid (a religious holiday) I think its a great idea why can't we have second christmases? Any ways I won't be going any where as I am still waiting on my visa to be sorted although I have been promised it will be done by Feb so I am planning trip to Jordan then. But till that time I shall continue with the same old work routine here in Kuwait. Any hoos peoples I think that's enough rambling from this little rooster so shall leave you be! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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