‘Kuwait somewhat resembles California’
US professors return home
KUWAIT CITY, March 26: Following her recent week-long trip to Kuwait with her husband Dr Ed Simone, Dr Leigh Simone said the trip offered her the opportunity to experience Kuwait in all aspects and live the true local lifestyle, affirming, “Kuwait is surprisingly cosmopolitan and liberal, somewhat resembling California. Kuwaitis love Americans because we helped liberate them from the Iraqis”, reports Bonaventure newspaper.
A professor of Spanish Leigh Simone, PhD, loves travelling and has visited many countries. She therefore did not hesitate to tag along with her husband when he was invited by the Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of United States of America in Kuwait Zennia Paganini, PhD, to introduce American art and culture to the people of Kuwait.
She said he presented poems of American poets such as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and others, revealing that the reaction of the Kuwaiti people to the poems was quite interesting, as they were attentive and understood the poems, and even asked him questions.
Even though she experienced the usual apprehensions concerning safety and jet lag, Dr Leigh Simone revealed that the kindness of the people of Kuwait stripped away any unease she felt, affirming that they were kind, generous and offered her water and sweets.
She indicated that Kuwait is not all that different from America, besides the easily polarized cultural differences, such that it visually resembles the West Coast of the United States of America and the people are very friendly.
During her stay in Kuwait, Dr Leigh Simone attended seminars in several local places from the Grand Mosque to an affluent American high school, indicating that the seminar at the Grand Mosque was “most impactful”.
She revealed that she wore a traditional hijab and garments such that she visually appeared like majority of Kuwaiti women and even felt like a Kuwaiti citizen when she sat inside the mosque, which is said to have capacity of holding more than 10,000 people.
Regarding local artwork, Dr Leigh Simone explained that it is different from American art, as Islamic art is prevalent across the cities of Kuwait. Quran verses and Islamic calligraphy represent the art form for visual artwork in the country. Galleries are almost non-existent as well as ballet. There was a showing of ‘CATS” during her visit but other than that, musical shows are not common in Kuwait.
In conclusion, Dr Leigh Simone affirmed that experiencing a culture firsthand provides an unparalleled understanding of that culture and some new customs to adopt.