The Nonsensical Journal

Dust Storm devouring Kuwait... Football anyone?

In a relentless display of sadism Mother Nature has been bombarding us with dust storms over the past week. It started with an epic display of force when a dust storm hit us and it seemed like something out of the apocalypse. I have to admit it was a very cinematic and grand entrance for it, and it did take us all by surprise… even the authorities (which was no surprise that they were surprised)

As it descended upon the city it covered the entirety of Kuwait and left visibility at a definite zero if not even below zero. It was no exaggeration that I could not see not half a meter around me, and this was at around 5pm (it was light and then there was dark… kind of like the opposite of “let there be light”)

It was impressive I will give you that… yet what was more impressive was the local population’s reaction of fear and panic. Yes it is something that would scare you, and drive panic in your heart… if you were a person who is very new and recent to this region… now the rest of you I say, COME ON!!!

It was as if all of a sudden the entire population of Kuwait, people born and raised here, were in denial about where they grew up. It’s like we grew up on the French countryside, skipping on grass fields after school, and taking dips in the local river on a nice summers eve… we grew up in Kuwait, dust storms are quite a norm, the only difference is the intensity of this storm hasn’t occurred for 25 years (which means I was 8 at the time)

What’s with all the panic? What’s with people suddenly sealing their windows, and running around in apprehension and prayer? Were you not there when we were children playing football under a sun that was raping our skulls and in dust storms that left us looking like New Guinea mud men when we returned home?

People even started blaming authorities on why they were not warned and how it was negligent for them not to tell anyone. Okay, I do agree with that point, it is after all a very valid and clear objective of the authorities to alert the public of any and all incoming disaster… however, just to be fair; I understand why the authorities didn’t really bother.

1. We are in Kuwait (it’s a city built on a desert you idiots)
2. They only knew about it just two hours ahead of time (although in the spirit of fairness it probably takes less than half an hour to get everyone into their homes, and maybe an hour to evacuate all of Kuwait)

I have to say I was mostly surprised at the majority of the public’s reaction as if it was something unseen or unheard of in this country or region. It seems a lot of you have lost touch with reality, and your childhood, from the constant walking around in Avenues Mall or Marina Mall as you sip your Starbucks, stuffing yourself with Pinkberry while chatting on your blackberry.

A few days later the Ministry of Interior released a statement that Kuwait will be under dust storms and possibility of rain in the next few days, to which the weather bureau responded “Ummm… says who? We never said that” which in turn left the public confused and therefore just went on about their day. I applaud this very clever psychological maneuver to get you idiots to shut up

Whether that idea was intentional or not, we shall never know… if I was a betting man though, and being a man who has been in many ministries here, I would say it was a miscommunication that turned out quite beneficial…

Stop whining and go on about your day, its Kuwait and dust has been a given since before Kuwait was even around.