Kuwaiti Customs
As we came in through Kuwaiti Customs, I had a few seconds concern – would the vanilla I had packed among my cosmetics be detected? Would my vanilla be confiscated (it contains a tiny bit of alcohol)? Would my DVD’s be objectionable? Would my books be a problem (in addition to the fact that I can barely lift my suitcase)?
I needn’t have worried. Everyone is so well trained, the bags are loaded on the conveyer belt, into the machine, and gathered on the other side. My husband is chuckling and I ask “what’s so funny?” and he says:
“There’s no one checking the bags.”
And he was right. Bags were going through the screening machine – and there was NO ONE there watching the screen.
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In spite of all the NO SMOKING signs in the airport, I smelled like cigarettes when I got home, just from the time waiting in the airport for the bags to arrive. I hate it. One guy waiting for his bags made it a point to blow his smoke in my direction. Pure evil or just bad manners?
And at the exit, pure chaos. Huge police presence – squad cars, lights flashing, lots of police – and they are doing nothing! They are greeting their friends, chatting – but no traffic flow control, and we all know how quickly the airport arrivals and departure areas can gridlock.
Our taxi driver was an older guy, not friendly. He got us home in nine minutes, normally a 20 – 30 minute drive. Ahhhh, Kuwait!
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Welcome Home š
welcome back hehehee
welcome home š
yayyyyyyyy hamdella 3alsalameh I’m so glad you are back on this side of the world again š š š
They were there watching your bags but you couldn’t see them! š
Welcome home.
I always fret about DVD’s and stuff I bring back but Kuwaiti customs guys are pretty cool and very knowledegeable about whom to pick out from the crowd.
Taxi got you home in 9 minutes? Pretty good I say. You should have gotten his number in case you need to get somewhere fast š
Elijah! Thank you! Have you won your battle? Still fighting?
Princess! Thank you! Everything going well in the Princess-dom?
EniGma! Thank you!
Little Diamond – thank you! Have you figured out when you will come see me?
Jewaira – Thank you, and yes, I might have gotten his number but I was busy cleaning myself up after that ride!
I agree that the Customs guys are both cool and knowledgeable, but they were not watching the screen! I guess they were all busy doing bag checks of people who fit their profile – thank God, not me! I get the super inspection when I go back to Seattle. š¦
Welcome back “Home” Dear š
Thank you, Abdulaziz! I am disappointed in ONE thing – you ALWAYS pick up on the smallest thing, anything to do with health. But you didn’t say a think about the second hand smoke!
Iām glad you got your things in, and it seems over 10 years and Kuwait is still where it was before I left! Sad for a great country to be so slow!!
Welcome back š
Noracassandra – It’s just one of those long transition times, I think, for Kuwait. My own country went through it, and continues to go through it. Kuwait still has the best resource of all – fine people.
Kinan – thanks, and I hope all is well with you!
To tell you the truth, when i read that sentence i was upset at people not respecting the ban on smoking in the airport or not respecting other people for that matter !!. second hand smoking never came to my mind š
WELCOME Home. We miss you very much…Hugs..Hayfa
i hope no ones watching today when i land cos i got quite a bit of bacon in my bags š
Good Morning, Hayfa! See you tomorrow!
Hey SKUNK! So you are “living high on the hog!”
Good morning, Abdulaziz – I agree – it is the not-respecting others or the law that is so offensive. Also that it makes my head stuffy and it makes people’s clothes stink even if they are not smokers.
Uuuh which battle are you referring to now?? LOL so many I forgot. I’m doing fine hun thanx a lot. š
hello there. i’d like to link with your blog as i’d be interested to know more about living in kuwait. i’m from manila and will be soon going to kuwait in two weeks time..
thank u.
Hello, studentme, here is a great link to start getting to know Kuwait: KuwaitBlogs. There are all kinds of people blogging from Kuwait, and you can get a variety of ideas reading through the blogs aggregated on this site. Good luck!
[…] been – I hope you’re sitting down – Scalloped Potatoes. I mean like whoda thunk?? Second is Kuwaiti Customs, which I am guessing is of interest mostly to my non-Kuwaiti readers who are fascinated by the […]