K-Climb

Friday night was date night which, for Jordan and I, meant setting out to find Kuwait's one and only climbing wall.  We had read about it before we even moved here (had to at least check if Kuwait had any climbing at all.  Turns out there is--an outdoor, 12.5 meter high wall at the Marina Mall!).  Fortunately for us, the excursion was way better than it sounded because really--spending Friday night at the mall?  How old are we, 12?!

We came, we saw, we conquered!!

It's hard to see, but that's Jordan up at the top!

Emily conquers the wall

It's a surprisingly good-sized wall with 2 autobelay devices on each of its four sides.  There are no set routes but a bunch of holds of various difficulty scattered about so you really can make it as easy or as difficult as you'd like!  For about $7.50 (2 Kuwaiti Dinar or KD) per half hour, we got quite the workout, especially since we were out of shape and climbing in humidity.  Needless to say, we were stoked to find this place and we'll definitely be back!

The view wasn't too bad, either!:

After climbing, we walked along the boardwalk where people of all ages and backgrounds were out enjoying the cool (relatively speaking) night air.  We walked by a skatepark where kids were zooming around on bmx bikes (there were a few brave skateboarders and inline skaters, but not many!):

That blur is a kid on a bmx racing by!

We walked by a huge amount of people swimming in the gulf, lovers sitting side-by-side on benches, teenaged-boys playing soccer on the beach, children bouncing up and down on bouncy-castles and bouncy-slides, women picnicking on blankets with friends, teenaged girls giggling and buying cotton candy--basically, the perfect late-summer evening.  The only difference between here and anywhere else is that many of the women and teenaged girls were wearing abayas and some of the men were wearing dishdashas but otherwise, there was no difference in how people were behaving and enjoying themselves.

I know it sounds obvious, but it's definitely surprising living here and seeing how women negotiate their public selves.  I (erroneously) assumed as most Westerners do that women in the Middle East would be sequestered, quiet, reserved--seen and not heard.  Now, I have to make a HUGE disclaimer here to say that Kuwait does not represent the entire Middle East, nor does any one of the countries in this part of the world.  Each country is different from the others and has different practices, traditions, etc.  But in Kuwait, women are active.  Women are social.  They go out together with friends.  They go shopping.  They spend time with their families.  They eat out in restaurants.  From my extremely limited knowledge and standpoint, they certainly don't seem to be oppressed or unhappy here, even those wearing abaya or veils.  And, of course, not all women or girls even wear abaya.  Many don't or they wear some variation--hijab, for example, instead of the full covering.  I think it's important for me to acknowledge some of my own pre-conceived notions I had in coming here so that I can admit when they are not grounded in truth.  Of course, I have been here for 2 weeks which certainly does not lend one the clarity to know the full story.  But for now, I will have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised to see how actively women participate in daily life here--driving, socializing, and living.

After walking around and seeing all of stands for delicious but no doubt unhealthy beach food, Jordan and I capped off the evening with delicious dinner at a restaurant overlooking the gulf.  All in all, it was a great night and it was fun exploring a little piece of the city we now call home.

At that, I'll leave you with a little taste of Kuwait:

Snack Time, All The Time.  This could easily be Kuwait's national motto.  But that's a story for another post!