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Why is socializing in Kuwait so difficult?

Last activity 12 November 2017 by pakonas

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pakonas

Hello everyone!!

Before coming to Kuwait I read some opinions from expats concerning social life here and how difficult can be to find friends and interesting things to do. However, I couldn’t imagine that my experience would confirm these previous ideas. It is normal that at first, when one arrives to a new country, socializing can be a bit complicated for several reasons. But, after being in other places in the World before, I have to say I never felt as I feel now, after two months living here. I think I am a easygoing social person, who likes to meet people, doing outdoors activities, etc., but till now I just met two persons who I can call friends. It seems that there is a kind of lone feeling or spirit which you can find even in other foreigners. I find harder even contacting in internet, as in forums like this, which actually is not really active by the way.

I wonder about what reasons can lead to this effect. I am writing a blog about my experience in Kuwait and all your comments can be very useful indeed. Why do you think is so difficult to make friends and socializing in this country? Can you share your experiences about this? Thank you!!

(And, by the way, if someone would like to meet for having a coffee, running, playing ping pong or badminton, playing guitar or anything else, please let me know!!)

Spaceous

Hello my friend,

I think what you are feeling is normal! It is the culture around here that is not really social in creative ways; it tends to be more traditional and conservative! This should be mentioned in every work contract as one of the articles!

Am always up for a coffee or a run or anything! Cheers bro

Ribosom

I tend to agree with you, and I observed something else. Cultural differences aside, I will be blunt as I am not very good at being politically correct, so here it goes:

A *lot* of people coming to Kuwait from abroad are weirdos. I think it has to do something with a kind of a negative selection going on here, plus the fact that a lot of people have been able to sneak in with fake credentials...that will certainly attract a certain kind of people. Also, a lot of them have strange history or are running away from something and Kuwait is a great place to disappear. And then there are those who came or stayed here only for the money, and their lives revolve around it.

At the end there are relatively few left, but they are around. I met a couple right here on the forum.

It doesn't help that people come and go, so you make some good friends, and next month they might be gone.

fafaru143

Okey then once i come there iam ready for the meet up.... But the problem is i don't know spanish languages.... 😐😐😐

pakonas

Spaceous wrote:

I think what you are feeling is normal! It is the culture around here that is not really social in creative ways; it tends to be more traditional and conservative!


Yes, this is something that I more or less expected and I already read before coming. What is more strange to explain is the fact that, it is not only difficult to socialize with locals but with anyone else, also foreigners. Ribosom gave some interesting explanations about this, I 'd like to discuss :)

Spaceous wrote:

Am always up for a coffee or a run or anything! Cheers bro


See you this Friday? :)

pakonas

Ribosom wrote:

A *lot* of people coming to Kuwait from abroad are weirdos. ...Also, a lot of them have strange history or are running away from something and Kuwait is a great place to disappear.


I remember when I was in China, sometimes I met some peculiar foreigners, who looks kind of weird and actually there were persons who were trying to leave behind some past life.  There were also some particular cases of people with tendency to meet very young girls, and they used the relative permeability in China in terms of checking credentials, to practice their darkest fantasies, it was really disgusting. The same is happening in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. But here in Kuwait, I don't think this can be something related to perverts, but, yes, I already noticed some not very social persons around.

Ribosom wrote:

there are those who came or stayed here only for the money, and their lives revolve around it.


I think I met this case more often than the first one. I know people who can easily spend whole weekend working instead of going out, because they really need the money and they don't really care about socialization. I can understand this. Actually I don't think too many reasons to stay here unless you have a good salary. In my personal case, the reason to come it is not actually the money (I think my salary is quite modest compared to other colleagues) but the experience of being working in the position I want plus personal travel experience (ans learning Arabic!).

Ribosom wrote:

It doesn't help that people come and go, so you make some good friends, and next month they might be gone.


Yes, this can be also a reason why people don't want to be so much involved in other people's lives. My first two years in China I really enjoyed meeting newcomers, and with some of them I got a really good friendship and I still keep in touch with them. But then, when these first friends start to leave, and other go, and then others leave and so on, I tended to be also less social than before. Maybe people who stayed here too long, they also became tired of this process.

pakonas

fafaru143 wrote:

Okey then once i come there iam ready for the meet up.... But the problem is i don't know spanish languages.... 😐😐😐


No problem, I think my English is not bad :)

Ribosom

We can ponder over this on Friday...in any case, you are faring much better, I got a total of 2 friends in two years. :)

fafaru143

😂😂😂😂😂

fafaru143

😂

fafaru143

pakonas wrote:
fafaru143 wrote:

Okey then once i come there iam ready for the meet up.... But the problem is i don't know spanish languages.... 😐😐😐


No problem, I think my English is not bad :)


😂😂😂😂😂😉😉 Hope your english is better than mine....


So we will meet when i arrive ther at kuwait right???..... Need to make friends there.....

pakonas

fafaru143 wrote:

So we will meet when i arrive ther at kuwait right???..... Need to make friends there.....


No problem, always ready for a coffee during weekends ;)

meekmimi

i have been here for so long n although my work is about meeting new people daily i hardly get friends. most of the people here r for working n making money from it so i guess that explains why.

Ribosom

I suspect you are right, but is that life? Problem is that most people who end up here do so because they don't have any choice and/or they ended up in a financial trouble back home so they don't particularly care about other aspects of life.  This is just my impression from the limited number of people I has a pleasure to interact with.

There are exceptions though, but that's what they are - exceptions. :)

clementdsouza

Im in salmiya , in case u want to meet . up , just give me a shout

Spaceous

I think let’s all meet over a cup of coffee to discuss this and get to know each other more

pakonas

Spaceous wrote:

I think let’s all meet over a cup of coffee to discuss this and get to know each other more


Hehe, right, that's good idea :) Maybe some place in Salmiya area? I think many people here live and/or work there.

clementdsouza

pakonas wrote:
Spaceous wrote:

I think let’s all meet over a cup of coffee to discuss this and get to know each other more


Hehe, right, that's good idea :) Maybe some place in Salmiya area? I think many people here live and/or work there.


Yup , Sounds good

Spaceous

We can set next weekend as the time for the great expat gathering!

Lets discuss Friday or Saturday and whereabouts depending on everyone’s availability! Who’s in

clementdsouza

Spaceous wrote:

We can set next weekend as the time for the great expat gathering!

Lets discuss Friday or Saturday and whereabouts depending on everyone’s availability! Who’s in


Thursday Night ? Hookah and coffee ?

pakonas

For me Thursday night sounds better. Let´s do it!

clementdsouza

pakonas wrote:

For me Thursday night sounds better. Let´s do it!


Ok , decide the venue

Spaceous

Thursday night is fine by me as well!

Hendrikus Stander Jordaan

In my opinion, there is nothing to do except to shop, eat food or drink (none alcohol) drinks, it is too hot to really want to do anything during summer and spending the day under the a/c is best, holding hands while not married is probably illegal, kissing in public is a big no no, this making dating in general just hard to do, I went on a couple of dates with a girl I met online through an app, not really sure where to go to meet single women?  That is probably also illegal in Kuwait, in all honesty, Kuwait is not great and not much to do, if I could, I would move in a heart beat

You come here to make money and that is about it, it is not as bad as Saudi Arabia tho

gmannion

Embrace the weirdos ;) were not all dangerous

Ribosom

:) Well, there certainly are good kind of weirdos! I do prefer those compared to bland people.

Tramy Do

Hello friend,

I am Vietnamese, I am going to Kuwait for working on December. I dont have friends in kuwait, so that I hope i can contact with you for sharing experience or just for coffee only :)

Spaceous

Well we tried meeting through this website alot, this post and other ones, but it never works out!

Suddenly people stop answering! Am up for a coffee and chats anytime (not office hours for sure), anywhere, with anyone

Ribosom

That's because you are a weirdo™!  :P

pakonas

We are running weirdos, but still weirdos :))

Ribosom

We are running from each other! :)

legacy

speaking of run, lets all get together for the gulf bank marathon next saturday!

Riba, i'll see you there ;)

Ribosom

I'm in if they have something for women and children level!

pakonas

legacy wrote:

speaking of run, lets all get together for the gulf bank marathon next saturday!

Riba, i'll see you there ;)


I am in too, see you soon!!

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