Things I Will Miss About Kuwait

In about a week and a half, I will be back in Canada! Ma'a salaama, Kuwait! Despite the fact that I'm leaving, I've decided to make a list of all the things I will miss about this tiny Gulf country! Here it goes:

THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT KUWAIT

1. My friends. I have met so many wonderful people in Kuwait in the past two years, and have become close friends with many of them. It will be weird to not see the people I've seen literally every day (minus the summer months) for the last two years, and even weirder to not be able to just run across the hall or up the stairs to tell them something. Even worse - who am I going to borrow random things from (eggs, sugar, clothes, diet coke, etc etc.) when I'm in need? I'm going to miss my friends. For sure.
2. The heat. Even though the culture prohibits me from wearing shorts and a tank top when it's 40+ degrees outside, I'm going to miss the heat. I hate cold. I hate snow.
3. The easiness of life. Life is easy in Kuwait. Life is comfortable. You can get "wasta" for pretty much anything. I have few bills (just my phone and my student loans) and no tax. If I want to go somewhere, I just hop in a cab for a few KD and I'm there.
4. The food. There is not much to do in Kuwait, so people eat. They eat lots. I eat lots. Kuwait has a million great restaurants, which is no doubt why I've put on some weight living here. It's just so easy to eat. You can't go anywhere without there being food around. And you can get anything here: Italian, Mexican, cupcakes...anything your little heart desires. And for the most part, it's all delicious.
5. The call to prayer. Yes, it's annoying at 3 or 4 in the morning, but the rest of the time it's actually pretty nice to hear. 
6. The Arabian Gulf. I love living so close to the sea, and I have yet to find another sea/ocean/large body of water that is as warm as bath water at the beginning of June, making it perfect for weekend beach days!
7. Shopping. Just like the food, there isn't a ton to do in Kuwait, so people shop, and they love their shopping malls. For someone who enjoys shopping, I'm going to miss that!
8. Dishdashas. Men wearing dish dashas always look so smart and intellectual and clean. They probably are the opposite of that, but there is nothing that reminds me more that I'm in the Middle East than seeing a group of dish dasha men walking down the street.
9. The ridiculous outfits that can be spotted at the Avenues or 360 on a Thursday night: There are no clubs or many social places where both men and women can interact, so if you go to any of the two large malls late on a Thursday night, you will get to see the most ridiculous outfits. Ridiculous outfits are things I absolutely love.
10. How safe I feel in Kuwait. I have never felt unsafe in Kuwait. I have never run into any problems in Kuwait, and have never felt like I might be suddenly mugged or raped walking down the street, much unlike the streets of Toronto or elsewhere. People don't cat-call and for the most part, I'm left alone. It's nice.
11. Politeness. I like going to stores and restaurants and people being polite to me. I like being helped when I ask for it. You don't always get that in Canada. I understand that it's largely due to forced politeness rather than genuine kindness, but nonetheless, it's nice.
12. Saloons. Saloons are what salons are called in Kuwait, due to the way it's spelled in Arabic. You can get your nails done, get waxed, or get your hair done for super cheap. NOT looking forward to paying the regular prices back home...yikes! A "saloon" is also a funny little jab at the non-alcoholic culture of Kuwait, as well.
13. Dumpster cats. Street cats are like squirrels in Canada. They are everywhere. And they're awesome...if only because they're cats and not squirrels. Yes, they're mangey and probably diseased, but I like cats. I don't care for squirrrels much.

THINGS I WILL NOT MISS ABOUT KUWAIT

I feel I should also write an opposite list about things I will not miss about Kuwait, so here it is:

1. Being stared at. The Middle East isn't know for its cultural diversity, so being white AND blonde is definitely reason to be stared at while out in Kuwait. I've become very good at avoiding eye contact and pretending I don't notice people are looking at me. 
2. Being "attacked" by a million sales people at the mall and being called "ma'am" a million times. Yes, sales people here are told to be extremely helpful, but I do not need someone leering over my every move when I'm shopping. Please, just let me have my space!
3. Kuwaiti parents. Enough said.
4. Garbage in the streets. Despite the fact that I've noticed garbage cans being put up at bus stops and smalls parks, there is still a ridiculous amount of garbage in Kuwait. For example, I can't go swimming without running into litter of some sort. And I don't think it's the fish eating those bags of chips, or the dumpster cats littering all over the place. C'mon, guys, with such national pride, one would think you'd take better care of your country!
5. Construction starting outside your apartment as soon as the sun rises and lasting late into the night. It's too hot to work during the day, so why not get a start at the crack of dawn (literally).
6. Not being able to wear shorts when it's so hot out!!!!! I can feel my pants stick to every part of my leg. Yuck.
7. Not having a dyer. Plain and simple.
8. Not having drinkable tap water. When I'm really thirsty, I like just turning on my tap and drinking the freshness that comes out of it. I don't want to worry about if it's polluted or full of sodium or not.
9. Not having parks with green grass. Grass is great.
10. Being at work at 6:30am. Dreadful hour to start a job, when I'm barely functioning.