Read An American Woman in Kuwait

An American Woman in Kuwait

Stephanie C. Fox

4.9/5 (33429 ratings)

Description:An American Woman in Kuwait is a travelogue written by an American lawyer who accompanied her husband, a Ph.D. immunologist, to Kuwait. The trip spanned almost six months, during the cooler parts of the year, from November 2004 to May 2005. This is an account that is academic rather than light armchair reading.Kuwait is a tiny nation covered almost entirely by barren desert. Its huge petroleum reserves and strategic location have made it a playing field on which great military conflicts have been settled during the past two decades. The country, located at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, became one of the wealthiest nations in history following discovery of oil in 1938 and development of the oil fields brought its citizens an unparalleled level of personal comfort.During the time span of a single generation, Kuwaitis made the transition from a society based on animal herding, fishing and local trade, to an ultra-modern welfare state, offering its citizens lifetime security and comfort at a level unimaginable to most of the world’s population.This remarkable rags-to-riches transformation has had adverse consequences. One particularly ugly effect of wealth on Kuwaitis and their culture is a sense of entitlement, which has evolved into arrogance and contempt for people who are less fortunate. Unskilled laborers, primarily from Bangladesh and Pakistan, hired on contract to perform menial jobs, are paid subsistence level wages and often treated brutally. Brutality towards those who are perceived as inferiors, including women, is an aspect of Kuwait masked by the veneer of modernity.Stephanie C. Fox strips away this veneer to explore features of the nation not widely known or appreciated by the public worldwide. A major focus of her work is the degree to which the traditions and prejudices of the tribes from which Kuwaitis claim ancestry act to maintain an inferior status for women. Outwardly, Kuwait appears enlightened with respect to issues of women’s rights. The rigid dress codes and other restrictive laws regulating the behavior of women in Saudi Arabia are absent. Many Kuwaiti women hold prestigious and high profile positions, particularly in academia. Inwardly, many of these same Kuwaiti women live their private lives much as they have for centuries, entirely available to their husbands while at home.The author lived among Kuwaitis, ate traditional foods, mingled with Kuwaitis, studied Kuwaiti history, visited most of its museums, and spent a weekend with her husband at the Wafra Farms Oasis as Kuwaitis celebrated their Independence and Liberation Day holidays. She was even lucky enough to meet Kuwait’s most famous woman suffragist, Rola A. Al-Dashti, Ph.D.Stephanie made friends with Kuwaitis. She and David met people from Kuwait’s large community of expatriates – Egyptians, Turks, Syrians, even one man from Saudi Arabia, which led to a hilarious encounter.The author, armed with a digital camera and a laptop, recorded everything she saw, heard, tasted, smelled and touched. Keeping a detailed journal of her experiences led to a book full of photographs that catalogues various aspects of Kuwaiti life and history. The book includes a glossary of Arabic words with a bibliography of the books and articles she read while in Kuwait.Kuwaitis business customs are described as the author had a rare opportunity to attend a diwaniya, something that is usually closed off to women. Kuwaiti hospitality is also detailed, as she was able to visit many homes, some of them on several occasions.The restaurants of Kuwait range from casual to formal, fast food to gourmet, and open to closed – in small rooms along the perimeter of a given establishment. The food varies widely in cuisine, quality and presentation, the most memorable item being one called “Genius Meal” – in homage to American liberators.Their cat, Scheherazade, a Kuwaiti war veteran herself, accompanied Stephanie to Kuwait. An American Woman in Kuwait is also the perfect guide for anyone traveling with a pet in the Middle East.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with An American Woman in Kuwait. To get started finding An American Woman in Kuwait, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Pages: 681

Format: PDF, EPUB & Kindle Edition

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Release: 2012

ISBN

Description: An American Woman in Kuwait is a travelogue written by an American lawyer who accompanied her husband, a Ph.D. immunologist, to Kuwait. The trip spanned almost six months, during the cooler parts of the year, from November 2004 to May 2005. This is an account that is academic rather than light armchair reading.Kuwait is a tiny nation covered almost entirely by barren desert. Its huge petroleum reserves and strategic location have made it a playing field on which great military conflicts have been settled during the past two decades. The country, located at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, became one of the wealthiest nations in history following discovery of oil in 1938 and development of the oil fields brought its citizens an unparalleled level of personal comfort.During the time span of a single generation, Kuwaitis made the transition from a society based on animal herding, fishing and local trade, to an ultra-modern welfare state, offering its citizens lifetime security and comfort at a level unimaginable to most of the world’s population.This remarkable rags-to-riches transformation has had adverse consequences. One particularly ugly effect of wealth on Kuwaitis and their culture is a sense of entitlement, which has evolved into arrogance and contempt for people who are less fortunate. Unskilled laborers, primarily from Bangladesh and Pakistan, hired on contract to perform menial jobs, are paid subsistence level wages and often treated brutally. Brutality towards those who are perceived as inferiors, including women, is an aspect of Kuwait masked by the veneer of modernity.Stephanie C. Fox strips away this veneer to explore features of the nation not widely known or appreciated by the public worldwide. A major focus of her work is the degree to which the traditions and prejudices of the tribes from which Kuwaitis claim ancestry act to maintain an inferior status for women. Outwardly, Kuwait appears enlightened with respect to issues of women’s rights. The rigid dress codes and other restrictive laws regulating the behavior of women in Saudi Arabia are absent. Many Kuwaiti women hold prestigious and high profile positions, particularly in academia. Inwardly, many of these same Kuwaiti women live their private lives much as they have for centuries, entirely available to their husbands while at home.The author lived among Kuwaitis, ate traditional foods, mingled with Kuwaitis, studied Kuwaiti history, visited most of its museums, and spent a weekend with her husband at the Wafra Farms Oasis as Kuwaitis celebrated their Independence and Liberation Day holidays. She was even lucky enough to meet Kuwait’s most famous woman suffragist, Rola A. Al-Dashti, Ph.D.Stephanie made friends with Kuwaitis. She and David met people from Kuwait’s large community of expatriates – Egyptians, Turks, Syrians, even one man from Saudi Arabia, which led to a hilarious encounter.The author, armed with a digital camera and a laptop, recorded everything she saw, heard, tasted, smelled and touched. Keeping a detailed journal of her experiences led to a book full of photographs that catalogues various aspects of Kuwaiti life and history. The book includes a glossary of Arabic words with a bibliography of the books and articles she read while in Kuwait.Kuwaitis business customs are described as the author had a rare opportunity to attend a diwaniya, something that is usually closed off to women. Kuwaiti hospitality is also detailed, as she was able to visit many homes, some of them on several occasions.The restaurants of Kuwait range from casual to formal, fast food to gourmet, and open to closed – in small rooms along the perimeter of a given establishment. The food varies widely in cuisine, quality and presentation, the most memorable item being one called “Genius Meal” – in homage to American liberators.Their cat, Scheherazade, a Kuwaiti war veteran herself, accompanied Stephanie to Kuwait. An American Woman in Kuwait is also the perfect guide for anyone traveling with a pet in the Middle East.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with An American Woman in Kuwait. To get started finding An American Woman in Kuwait, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Special Offer | $0.00

Special Offer! | $0.00

An American Woman in Kuwait

An American Woman in Kuwait

More Books

An American Woman in Kuwait by Stephanie C. Fox (2014-05-19)

An American Woman in Kuwait by Stephanie C. Fox (2014-05-19)

Elephant's Kitchen - An Aspergirl's Study in Difference

Elephant's Kitchen - An Aspergirl's Study in Difference

The Book of Thieves by Stephanie C. Fox (2015-08-19)

The Book of Thieves by Stephanie C. Fox (2015-08-19)

Nae-Née - Birth Control: Infalllible, with Nanites and Convenience for All

Nae-Née - Birth Control: Infalllible, with Nanites and Convenience for All

The Book of Thieves

The Book of Thieves

Dissent: A Charity Romance Anthology

Dissent: A Charity Romance Anthology

Vaccine: The Cull - Nae-Nee Wasn't Enough

Vaccine: The Cull - Nae-Nee Wasn't Enough

Scheherazade Cat - The Story of a War Hero

Scheherazade Cat - The Story of a War Hero

What the Small Gray Visitor Said

What the Small Gray Visitor Said