Inshallah, Habibi!

This is preeettty much my favorite Arabic phrase. Not because it's said so frequently that I hear it approximately 371 times a day, and not because I only know about ten words... but because A- super fun to say (and doesn't sound like you're about to cough up a lung or are really angry), B- I can actually pronounce it correctly and C- it means "God willing, my love"... and I think that's very sweet (sweet like presh. not sweet like rad).

All of the family members at the family lunch today were asking me how I was liking Kuwait, if I was experiencing culture shock, and wanted to know what was my favorite thing about Kuwait. (It is tradition that every Thursday the mother's side of the family that I am with will get together at her parent's house for brunch with her brother and sister's families and all of their kids for lunch. In Kuwait, as I may have mentioned, socializing usually revolves around meals/coffee and family is very important, so they will generally have extended family meals several times a week.) Anyway, I typically say that I really like it here, which is true and that I haven't felt that much of a culture shock (I was chatting with the cousins about Gossip Girl all afternoon, come on). I would say the biggest shock primarily revolves around the religious aspects of the culture, and even so I would say it was more of a "difference" rather than a "shock".  Kuwait is very westernized, so I feel like I've been so happy here primarily because there are enough things that are familiar (restaurants, shopping, primarily everyone speaking/signage being both in English and Arabic) that I feel comfortable and enough differences (traditions, clothing, etiquette, religion, politics) that I am always learning (and taking notes/photos on my iphone to the point of embarrassing people I am with) and excited to be experiencing new things.

Most of the extended family on the mother's side lives on a compound in a "city" or "district" of Kuwait called Messila where all of the extended family have property together. It's pretty much right on the water so the view from many of the houses is just gorge.

The family that I am working for lives in Qortuba, which is probably a 15-20 minute drive. As I mentioned before, they live closer to the father's side of the family. Side note--- (I have a lot of random facts and I don't know where to put them): out of respect, you call parents by "Mother of ____" or "Father of _____" fill in the blank.. the eldest son of the family. If there are only daughters and no sons... you call the parents by the name of what the father would have wanted to his son to be named had he had one. Also, which is also something you can change. For instance, I was told one family had all girls, and the father had wanted his son to be named Saad, if he had had one. So therefore everyone called him Father of Saad, up until the time his father passed away. At the time he changed it to his father's name, so people called him Father of Hamad, instead. Very interesting.  Anyway, This is my view from my window in the house. It looks out to this home across the street.  Which is considered to be a middle class home. To me, many of the houses look like either apartment buildings or government buildings because of their shape or how grandiose and over the top they are with detail.

Middle Class Home

Not-So- Middle Class Home/Princess Jasmine lives here?

Every "city" --I feel like they're not cities.. like in LA every place is called a "city", outside Chicago is a "suburb", in Connecticut we'd say "town", New york has "boroughs"... I mean, I feel more comfortable, based on my own judgment, to called it a "Suburban Borough"-- anyway, they each have a little Co-Op, almost like mini-mall areas which are really central and convenient and have things like a dry cleaner, pharmacy, bank, grocery, nail salon, dollar store-like place, etc. Also there are usually a few mosques in each "suburban borough", which I have yet to get a decent photo of one.

Oh-- I probably sounded like the biggest brown noser, but I was actually serious... when asked about what my favorite thing about Kuwait was, I said I really like the "Call of Prayer" or the Adhan. As you may know, Muslims pray five times per day. The times change slightly throughout the year based on the length of days. The minarets, which are the tall spires on the top of the mosques,  these days have loudspeakers attached to them as to amplify the "Call of Prayer" to notify everyone that it is time to pray.  It's actually really soothing and has a melodic quality to it, even though it's all in Arabic and I have no idea what they are saying. After the Call of Prayer, men will go to the mosques to pray. There is something about that time that I really think is cool to see all the men walking to the mosques in their traditional garb going to pray. Traditionally, women do not typically pray in the mosques except during the month of Ramadan, so they will pray in their homes. Little fact- women wearing a burka with a veil (the veil covering the front of their face) is actually not traditional, because actually in the mosques you are not allowed to wear a veil, you have to show your entire face. During prayer, even women who do not typically wear burkas or traditional clothing, must cover most of their bodies and cover their heads (not faces) with scarves. One day the mother of the family had to pray, and her sister explained to me what each phase of the prayer was about. Essentially there are mandatory verses you say each time, and then part of the prayer you can pick your own verses from the Quran.  You have until before the next Call of Prayer to pray... so maybe a window of few hours or less to get in each prayer. 

Thanks to my model and special friend, "A", which we'll call him for now, I have nice photo of two ways to wear the traditional headwear for men. I saw him on his way out to pray and asked him why the scarf-like head pieces are either white, or red and white checkered. Clearly these were the only two types I saw and I was thinking of all the different possibilities and patterns these men were missing out on and how they could really ring in spring with a pop of color. As I've learned... the white colored piece (as featured below on this handout I received about the upcoming elections. Based on the flyer, all that I've really gathered is that this gentleman, is running for an office of some sort) he is sporting is called a Ghatra, which is always white, and light for summer or warm weather. (note: this is not my special friend "A")

This photo below, however, is. He is Jordanian and has lived in Kuwait for quite some time. He's close with the family and also lives in the house. I primarily see him for coffee and breakfast in the morning, and he's been begging for me to take him to Thailand with my friend from high school and me in a few weeks. He also thinks LA is the best place on earth, and I think he's a doll. He also pretty much thinks I'm Nancy Drew since I'm constantly asking him a bazillion questions. "A" (which is a terrible nickname I've realized as I'm typing this especially when "A" is a word itself, and when I try to use this nickname at the beginning of a sentence it's really difficult to get my point across sans quotations) is sporting the red and white version which is known as an Eshmagh and is made of a heavier material, better suited for the winter months. (I've actually been very cold here). The black rope worn around the top is called an Igal.

My favorite part about this was when I went to put my camera down, and "A" stopped me, flipped up the two sides of his Eshmagh and insisted I take another photo of him. When I asked why/when people wear it like that sometimes he said, in the cutest accent you've ever heard in your entire life, "you know, for fashion."

Oh, in case you were wondering what I usually have for breakfast in the morning when I see "A", it's nothing really that special. Pretty much just normal toast, with butter, a banana and coffee.

xo Mary