Arabian Peninsula: Kuwait

Many of you know I'm in the Middle East, in the Arabian Peninsula, visiting friends and exploring a part of the world that I am not very familiar with. The time difference is nine hours and it took two overnight flights to get here, first I flew from Chicago to London, spent some time walking around in London, then had another night flight of five and a half hours to Kuwait with British Air. Upon arrival at the airport I needed to purchase a visa for about $10.

I came to Kuwait almost a week ago and I am staying in the home of my second cousin, Paul, his wife, Michelle, and their two teenagers, Karl and Holly. Paul and Michelle both work for the State Department and have had many assignments in the Middle East. (Paul grew up in Arabia, the son of medical missionaries with the Dutch Reformed Church.) They live on the very secure and sterile compound of the American Embassy. Upon entering, we pass many guards and zig zag around concrete barricades. The best part about being here has been getting to know Paul and his family. The swimming pool two minutes from the house has also been a bonus.

There was a day of rain, but since, the sky has been clear blue and the sun bright; the gulf is a brilliant turquoise. It's cool, in the 60's, but very pleasant compared to the sub zero temperatures of Minnesota, and I've exchanged snow for sand. Highways are everywhere and crowded - people drive crazily and race around unconcerned about gasoline because it is so cheap. Two thirds of the 3.4 million population are foreign workers, primarily Indian, Pakistani and Filipino. They are the ones that do all the work and live in the high rises around town, while the Kuwaitis live off the oil in huge modern extended family houses which they build with zero per cent interest loans. There is constant building and many of the new skyscrapers downtown are architecturally exceptionally beautiful and modern. The Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, who designed the Sydney Opera House, designed the National Assembly Building here.

Kuwaitis love to shop in their ultra modern shopping centers and they love to socialize. We went to a restaurant early Saturday evening, at about six because it was a school and work night; the weekend here is Friday and Saturday. There were few people there, but I was told that much later it would be packed. We ate veggies, hummus, lamb kabobs, lentil soup, flat bread, and thick yogurt. Eating out is cheap and can be very good.

Mosques are everywhere and of course one hears the call to worship coming from all directions at the various prayer times throughout the day and night. Education is free for Kuwaitis and there are plenty of new universities, even going to school in the States is paid for by the government. There is a world famous autism center here. Medical care is free also of course. There is no natural water, but water is available because of desalination. There are public water faucets in interesting structures on residential streets. Before ships went to Iraq to fetch fresh water.

Living here is cheap and everything is available (except alcohol and pork), although the Kuwaitis like to go to London to shop. I was in a supermarket where the produce was very impressive, fresh and abundant. The cabbage is especially sweet and there are small Persian cucumbers which taste delicious. The variety of olives is even better than in Spain and of course there is a huge selection of dates. American fast food restaurants are everywhere as is Starbucks.

Pearls, shipbuilding and fishing were the first industries. The Greeks were here, actually on Failaka Island off the coast, from the third to the first century BC trading pearls and incense. Kuwait became a real city in 1760 when a city wall was built. At the Science Museum I saw copies of old wooden ships, "dhows," which were used for pearl diving. Natural pearls were a huge industry until the Japanese introduced cultured pearls in the 30's. Oil began to be exploited after WWII.

We visited a museum, Tareq Rajab, in the basement of a home where there were ancient handmade copies of the Koran with tiny detailed geometric designs in gold, red, blue, and other bright colors. There was also endless displays of jewelry from many Arab cultures, and pottery, knives, firearms and musical instruments. Though not displayed impressively, the items were.

The Kuwaiti women wear headscarves and sometimes veils and black robes called abayas. The men wear floor length shirt-dresses called thobes and cover their heads with scarves.

The American Mission built a hospital here in 1912 which is a wonderfully preserved structure which now serves as the National Archives. Paul's parents lived and worked at this hospital from 1946 to 1948; later they were in Bahrain. Adjacent to this structure is a church and the headquarters of the Christian church in Kuwait. Services are held here constantly throughout the week.

My next stop will be Qatar to visit Becca, a friend who is teaching in Doha, and then I will go on to explore Oman.