The last 2 days everyone has been talking about the weather here. People have their jumpers on and the gardeners and carwashers are wearing hats with earmuffs. I havent been here long enough to have an opinion about anything much (informed at least) and all I've noticed is that it has been cloudy and slightly rainy, and that noone really seems to slow down on wet and greasy roads.
Ofcourse, the cool weather has benefited us greatly because hardly anyone is using their airconditioning, and finally our house is quiet. There is one rogue aircon junkie who seems to put theirs on in the night - not sure why, just open the window I say - and we suffer a bit, but apart from that we are enjoying a deep and restful quiet. Air con servicing and soundproofing has been promised - the last text I got was 'I'm working on it' - so we live in hope.
When it rains, everything gets dirtier for a while, but this morning we woke to a beautiful clear day - it was crisp and fresh. When I went for my walk at 7am, I was struck by the beauty of the gardens - everything was gleaming and sparkling, and the tiny birds were playing a flitting in between trees.
And I noticed that a lot of gardens around here are beautiful - people put a lot of effort into making their gardens green and they are suddenly full of flowers. I suppose now the weather is cooler, the plants have half a hope of surviving. Of all the plants I bought at the plant souq, only one has not survived, and the rest are flourishing. I even took a sprig of rosemary from the house garden and repotted it - it seems to be doing well so far. Our landlord came over yesterday and said people have been talking about my balcony! Well, it's not finished yet, but it is looking nice. I'm planning to buy more plants - a frangipani and some palms - it means another trip to the plant souq, and there are just so many to choose from - which ones are really good?
Enter Nabil - yesterday after my walk I came home and there was a man standing in our garden with a tiny little dog on a leash. And there, in the corner of the garden, was a very scared little dog crouching warily. Being an inquisitive person, I went over to see what was happening, and the man - whose name is Nabil - meaning noble one - told me the little dog had run away from home 3 months ago, and he had been searching for her ever since. He'd put ads in the newspaper, and walked up and down looking for her. Meanwhile, the dog had run two houses away, and then didn't know how to get home. Lisa, my neighbour, and Sharon the landlord had been feeding it, and wondering where it came from, and every day when the kids got off the school bus they went to check on her - she rarely moved from the one spot in the garden. And yesterday, Nabil walked past and found her! He lives only 2 houses down, with his wife and kids, and he was absolutely thrilled and astounded that all this time his dog had been so close to home.
Then we got chatting - he told me he has lived in the same house all his life, and that it was the first house built in our street. He told me how he was run over on the 6 lane highway when he was ten years old, on his way to the mosque, and nearly died, and how now, when he takes his boys to the mosque they stay close to him when crossing the road because they remember the story of how their dad nearly died. He told me he has heard that people in Australia are incredibly friendly - and I hear this a lot - and will go out of their way to help someone. He invited me to come and visit him and his wife, and the kids, and maybe our boys can play together - and that they welcome foreigners to Kuwait - and then said something about wearing the same eye makeup - which I didnt understand, but it was to do with mutual understanding and respect. It was very nice, and I felt welcomed to Kuwait and to the neighbourhood. And it turns out that Nabil is a landscape gardener - I must admit I had already noticed his house - there are lots of trees and garden work in the front of his place. I asked him which is the best plant souq to go to, and he said Adhans. Or a name like that. So next time I go, I will look for that.
Comments