100 Days Versus the Kuwait Bucket List

Today is the day that I can say I only have 100 days left on this tour in Kuwait (notice how I left an out there? Life is nothing if not change).  In those 100 days I have a lot of work to do on the job, but I also I have many personal goals that I want to accomplish while I am here.

The items listed below represent what is left of my Kuwait Bucket List – a sort of To Do list of experiences I want to have prior to leaving Kuwait.  Some I can figure out on my own, others will require some help or facilitation to make happen.    I realize that for the ones that I need help on, it will require a person to go out of their way to assist and all I can offer in return is to be an attentive and appreciative attendee and write the experience on my blog.    As there is no material gain for either side, the ultimate benefit will be  a greater understanding  between cultures that will reach far beyond the folks directly involved – that is a good thing as it makes the world a better place in the long run.

If you want to help or have suggestions on how I can best complete my list,  please send me an Email.

Here is the list in no particular order:

*  Tour the oil refinery at Shuaiba.  I would like to be able to take pictures, but I am more interested in learning how all of that stuff works.  I have been driving by it twice daily for the last 18 months and I am curious.

*  Attend a traditional Diwaniya (or Dewaniya).  This is supposed to be a big part of a Kuwaiti man’s social life.  Willing to wear a dishadasha if needed.

*  Tour the Kuwait Towers.  They have been closed for renovation since I arrived here in March 2012,  I hope they will open before I leave.

*  See the inside of the Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait City and St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Ahmadi.  

*  Tour the Kuwait Grand Mosque.  Shortly after I arrived the mosque closed due to some cracks in the structure.  I hear it is open now, just have to set aside some time to go see it.

*  Go to the Friday Market.  Waiting to go with a friend who speaks Arabic in case some bargaining is needed.

*  Take a ride on a Dhow.  It is the traditional watercraft of Arabia.

*  See the oil fields that were set ablaze by the Iraqis at the end of Desert Storm.  The fires were extinguished and years have passed – I think it would be interesting to see how the environment has recovered from the disaster.

*  See the inside of a real Kuwaiti home.  I live in a Kuwaiti house,  but it is an American home – I would be glad to swap tours.

I will write about each of these experiences as they occur, so stay tuned.

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