We knew our stuff had arrived in Kuwait from Singapore, but there is quite a procedure before customs will release it. It is a big holiday here from today (Thursday) so we were anxious to get it delivered this week.
Lo and behold, we got a call, requesting Michael to go to the port - it is a requirement here that the owner be present during the final inspection. So we went together, but the official wouldn't let me in, so I stayed in the taxi. The agent told us it could take anywhere between 15 minutes and 4 hours! My friend Carol's husband was there for 4 hours, and this does not seem to be uncommon. Michael was ushered in to a room full of guys hoping to get their shipments, then taken into another room where he was given tea (!!!) and he made a few jokes and the shipment was released immediately. Mahmoud, the agent, said that he had never seen this happen in 17 years of doing this work, and that we were very lucky.
Lucky indeed - I got home and by 12.30 the truck had arrived, and it was like Christmas - all our boxes and I was so thrilled to remember how much beautiful stuff I have collected over the past few years, from Russian lithographs, to Chinese ancestor painting, Thai wooden monks, lovely ceramic vases from Kuching, tiny figurines playing musical instruments from Vietnam, as well as some wonderful furniture from Expat Auctions in Singapore. Only one piece was broken - our Indonesian daybed, but it broke in Singapore as it was moved, so no surprise. I will get the Pakistani furniture maker to fix it when he delivers our new table on Saturday.
Here are some photos.
And you can see the balcony is coming along nicely! Note the new blinds from the Iranian market. Actually, they are Danish...
How wonderful to have your personal items all around you now.. the balcony looks gorgeous can't wait to have a tea on it with you.... my man is working all through Eid.
Posted by: Carol Boots | Friday, 04 November 2011 at 04:42 PM