When I returned from Kuwait to Dubai, my colleague asked me to sum up my Kuwaiti experience in one sentence. I told him, "Kuwait runs on its own system."
Here's more than one sentence to sum up my one sentence.
Everything is western.
I ate at Potbelly and Dean & Deluca, and there were moments when T.G.I.Friday's seemed like the best choice of fine, casual dining. I think I saw Arabic bread once while in Kuwait.
It's also interesting that there's such a western influence that many locals sound American when they speak. My British colleague described it as a "fake American accent." I was so relieved when he said this because I could finally let my hair down and pronounce my r's like l's the way I'm supposed to.
YOLO - You're in Kuwait.
There seems to be a general sense of entitlement which leads to recklessness. For example, if it rains and the streets flood, this probably means that you're supposed to go tubing in the streets. Safety isn't an issue; money can buy that.
The Radisson is the only hotel worth knowing.
I planned to take a taxi from the airport to my hotel, a seemingly easy task. I was kindly escorted by a nice lady to the taxi line where she told the scheduler, "The Radisson."
I said, "No, The Palms."
She said, "Right, The Palms."
The taxi driver approaches. "Radisson?"
"No, The Palms."
"The Palms?"
"Yes. Palms."
"Radisson?"
"Palms. Do you know it?"
At this point, 3 taxis gather to discuss the location of this elusive Palms Hotel. Unconcerned, I get in the taxi and just wait for them to figure it out. He gets in the taxi too. He says he knows it now.
We drive off and listen to his favorite American top 40 radio station, Triple 8 Marina.
After a long stretch of nothing, we reach some civilization.
"This is the Regency," he says to me.
"Yes, it is."
He points to a few more things. "Radisson. Starbucks. Movenpick."
After a couple times of confirming that he is in fact pointing to these things, I realize that he's actually asking me if I'm going to any of these places. He slows down at the T.G.I.Friday's. "Here?"
"No, that's a T.G.I.Friday's."
"Here?"
"No, that's a beauty salon."
"Radisson?"
"No, The Palms."
Maybe he didn't know where The Palms was. But he did let me wear his hat, so I still consider his ride a win.
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