"Do you know someone ______". The most commonly asked question here in Kuwait, I'm sure. Now it's no surprise to me, or probably you, that this happens here (it happens everywhere), but not to the extent it's happening. Ooooof. For nearly everything you need, you first have first to ask around to see if somebody knows someone that can help you. This is known as having a Wasta, or a middle-man.
Say you are getting your driving license. You would think, okay..there must be set procedure, rules, and steps to going about this. Well, you would be wrong. I know because I got my license here a few months back. The amount of paperwork you need to go through is endless...and that still won't even get you the license. Not until you know someone. The only reason, absolute only reason, I was able to finally get my license was because just as someone was telling us "no, I'm sorry. You still need to have a signature from blah-blah on this document", a friend of Abboud's father walked by. "Oh hey! How have you been. I haven't seen you since ___. What are you doing? Oh, a license! Come this way." He signs some papers of mine and tells us to take it downstairs and they'll print the license.
WHAT?! It's that simple?! I could've just seen you from the beginning...not gone through the months of court, to ministry, back to court, to DMV, to medical eye-check, to court, to.....If only I knew that before I started this process.
Well this practice, of nothing being processed until you know someone is so common here that you even use it with getting your computer fixed. In a friend of mine's case, people were telling her 100KD to fix it, 75KD there until her taxi driver knew this guy that knew another guy that since she uses him as a taxi would give her a discount--15kd.
Ever needed an apartment? Did you know that people will tell you the building is full--no openings--even if it has 5 openings! Until you know someone who knows the haras (security), you'll just keep hearing they have no empty rooms available.
How about residency (since in this county, only kuwaitis remain kuwaitis. Everyone else keeps their own nationality. No one can take the kuwaiti nationality). Every year you must update your residency--you must work, have somewhere you're renting, a family here, etc to be able to stay here. Which, btw, you aren't able to buy land unless you're a kuwaiti, own a store unless you are kuwaiti. So, if you do have things like this--it means a Kuwaiti signed off on it (aka wasta). -_-
Luckily, being in a school community where everyone helps each other, I have plenty of people willing to connect me to their wasta for this or that. Even though it sounds hard, especially with only knowing English in an Arabic country, but this wasta system--somehow--is working for me. I've adapted and made it work at least. But for those newbies here, make sure you build those connections fast. They're more important than you'd think. And remember that one time we met 3 years ago, could you please help me with _____? Doesn't matter...they'd probably still help you! :D
Say you are getting your driving license. You would think, okay..there must be set procedure, rules, and steps to going about this. Well, you would be wrong. I know because I got my license here a few months back. The amount of paperwork you need to go through is endless...and that still won't even get you the license. Not until you know someone. The only reason, absolute only reason, I was able to finally get my license was because just as someone was telling us "no, I'm sorry. You still need to have a signature from blah-blah on this document", a friend of Abboud's father walked by. "Oh hey! How have you been. I haven't seen you since ___. What are you doing? Oh, a license! Come this way." He signs some papers of mine and tells us to take it downstairs and they'll print the license.
WHAT?! It's that simple?! I could've just seen you from the beginning...not gone through the months of court, to ministry, back to court, to DMV, to medical eye-check, to court, to.....If only I knew that before I started this process.
Well this practice, of nothing being processed until you know someone is so common here that you even use it with getting your computer fixed. In a friend of mine's case, people were telling her 100KD to fix it, 75KD there until her taxi driver knew this guy that knew another guy that since she uses him as a taxi would give her a discount--15kd.
Ever needed an apartment? Did you know that people will tell you the building is full--no openings--even if it has 5 openings! Until you know someone who knows the haras (security), you'll just keep hearing they have no empty rooms available.
How about residency (since in this county, only kuwaitis remain kuwaitis. Everyone else keeps their own nationality. No one can take the kuwaiti nationality). Every year you must update your residency--you must work, have somewhere you're renting, a family here, etc to be able to stay here. Which, btw, you aren't able to buy land unless you're a kuwaiti, own a store unless you are kuwaiti. So, if you do have things like this--it means a Kuwaiti signed off on it (aka wasta). -_-
Luckily, being in a school community where everyone helps each other, I have plenty of people willing to connect me to their wasta for this or that. Even though it sounds hard, especially with only knowing English in an Arabic country, but this wasta system--somehow--is working for me. I've adapted and made it work at least. But for those newbies here, make sure you build those connections fast. They're more important than you'd think. And remember that one time we met 3 years ago, could you please help me with _____? Doesn't matter...they'd probably still help you! :D
