10 Years of Blogging

This month I celebrate 10 years of blogging about Kuwait, time passes by so fast. When I started blogging it was during a time when writing was fun, bloggers were the influencers and Kuwait was a great place full of activities. There were a lot of bloggers, most of whom were Arab so having an English blog set me apart from the others but isolated me at the same time.

I was invited to openings and celebrations by companies and it was awesome. However I was never really accepted by the Arab bloggers and once I tried to mingle with a group of Kuwaiti female bloggers but was rejected. I felt I was in high school, I wasn't wearing the name brand clothing or carrying an expensive purse so I was ignored.

Forward ahead to today where blogging is an old fashioned past time. All of the bloggers that I followed have moved on to Instagram or Snapchat showing off the latest trends and cosmetic surgeries. I've also chose to remain anonymous as it's a cruel world out there and everyone is judged for their looks so if a female isn't showing off something or faking it til they make it then you are not worthy of being followed.

Once in a while there's an invite but most of those invitations go to people who don't care about the actual product but show up because they are paid thousands of KD. Sadly that is what sells today, fake people selling a fake lifestyle supported by people who long to imitate them.

I still post occasionally but the feeling is not there like it was before and I know no one cares to read either, they want to see Instagram stories not surf the internet for information. There really isn't much to post about any more either. The only thing that a person can write about is the opening of another restaurant, that's about it.

If you've followed me from the beginning I want to thank you for your support, especially those with positive comments, those really brighten up my day. Until the next post....

Trashtag Kuwait - Kubbar Island clean Up

Looking for an adventure while helping the environment? Trashtag Kuwait will be having a clean up on Kubbar Island, the fee is 3 KD.

January 31
7:30 am  - 8 pm
3 KD fee
@trashtagkuwait for more information and registration

Kuwait Skydive has their first Death

I actually came across this story on FB where a supposed friend of the family was posting about it on a Western expat page. She said the victim was a young 24 year old Irani male who left his house to try out skydiving with Kuwait skydive and that the victim was sent to fly alone, she said he was inexperienced and both of his parachutes didn't open so he died on impact. She also said his family had no idea and was calling his phone not knowing he had died.

The above post was in one of the comments, I don't read Arabic so not sure what it says. She also said the company was trying to cover it up and blame the victim, no stories about the incident had been posted until I saw it on IG today, the accident is under investigation.

Prfct Boutique

Dear reader,

A little about me…

I am a student looking for a change. I have always had a devotion for beautiful clothing in any color or shade.

As a little girl, I spend countless hours in my little dressing room trying all my clothes and putting together cute outfits; and to be honest, nothing has really changed.

I hope that prfct Boutique could provide little girls and women a place to collect inspiration and styling tips.

prfct Boutique is owned by me Celina, living in Kuwait but with love and hope for the world. I would like to prove to you that you can wear cute and trendy outfits without leaving a damaging mark on Mother Nature.

With this in mind, I am striving to be as non harmful as possible while loving used and previously loved clothing that has been fixed and refurbished to meet its full potential.

All of my earnings will go towards kids with cancer, so I think about these little boys and girls, while pitching our fun new loved clothing.

Celina

 @prfctboutique

This is from a student who started this IG page for a school project, show some support :)

Autism in Kuwait

Autism is still new in Kuwait although many children and adults have been suffering from this disorder for many years but were probably labeled as shy or a problematic child. I've trained to work with Autistic children so I am familiar with the basics. There are many centers in Kuwait but unfortunately they are so expensive most families cannot afford it and so their children suffer in silence. If you're lucky enough to work for KOC and its affiliate companies the children of employees can be evaluated and receive minimal treatment up until the age of 5 years.

The program is in the beginning stages in KOC and most children receive outpatient care in the approved centers. There are age restrictions so adults or older children may not be able to have the treatment they deserve and will most likely be labeled as disabled if they're Kuwaiti. Austism can be treated with great results if the child is diagnosed from the beginning, with proper treatment they can go on to live a fulfilling life.

Autism is still a secret here because families don't want their Kuwaiti children labeled as disabled, that's a stigma. Having an autistic child is extremely hard and can ruin relationships due to the overwhelming feeling of not understand fully what your child is going through, your child may be acting out, having trouble concentrating, non verbal and yelling because they can't verbalize their feelings.

Imagine wanting to tell someone you're hungry or thirsty but you don't know how to process your feelings or can't get the words out, you will end up being frustrated and doing something wrong just to get attention, that's the life of autistic children. There is minimal awareness in Kuwait although a lot more ads are on Instagram regarding mental health and social problems.

The cost of treatment can start at 800 KD and upwards of 1800 KD per month for 20 hours a week of treatment which means most struggling families will never be able to afford it. I'm not sure about Kuwaiti children, I think they have to be tested and once they are found to suffer from some type of disorder will then be known as disabled, they receive a card and get certain benefits including payments for specialized private schools which is in the range of 6000 KD so there are many schools popping up with 'special needs' teachers so they can benefit from that 6000 KD. I once worked in a school where there was a sweet Kuwaiti boy who was 'disabled' because he was a hemophiliac which means his blood will not clot of he has a cut. In Western countries this is not a disability but a genetic disease and children go to normal schools but the school is notified of the child's medical case.

If anyone is seeking treatment for Autism here is a list of centers/schools that offer ABA therapy and treatment:

Autism Partnership Kuwait 2296-9868

Kuwait Association for Learning Differences 2491-2974

Kuwait Counseling Center 2535-6444

Malak Special Needs Services 2202-0456

Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute 2572-0338

Stepping Stones 2256-0790

ABC Center 2296-0992

All of these centers will have a charge for testing children for disorders so make sure you ask about their fees before booking an appointment.

Gulf War | The liberation of Kuwait | This Week | 1991

WARNING: Contains graphic images

I found this video about the Kuwait war and it was full of interesting information I didn't know about before.

Emergency lanes Removed

I travel to Ahmadi on highway 40 to go to work and I noticed where the newly paved roads are that there isn't an emergency lane any more. I guess that's their solution for traffic jams? I hope no one gets into and accident or their car breaks down in that lane because no one is stopping any more and it is now another fast lane. What happens to all of the debris that gathers against the median? I don't know if it's a good idea or not.

Important Numbers