Street Life Understanding your surroundings |
Oct 2 Buthaina Alothman, Vibeke and Christina C: hallo V: hello B: Hello Christina and Vibeke B: This is Buthaina from Kuwait, but you can call me Buth B: Would you like to use voice, or you prefer to chat using text? B: hello, are you there Christina and Vibeke? V: yes we are here B: hello V: hello, is there problems whit our computer B: ok, would you like to use Voice or Text chat? V: mostly text chat.. B: ok, then I will take off my headset. B: Ok, I am here today to discuss with you cultural beahvior. B: Do you have questions to ask me about Kuwaiti Culture? C: Do you have a welfare state in Kuwait? B: yes, Christina. B: Kuwait is one of the oil-rich states in the Gulf Region. C: So you don't pay to go to school or to the hospital? B: That is correct C: Year we know, we've heared a bit about the Gulf war. V: Do our contry have any problems whit gangs??? B: Education, Health service and Housing are almost free in Kuwait B: oh, Vibeke we have gangs here too. But not very organized like in the western world. B: About the Gulf War. We had a very stressful time here during the months of March and April C: Wasn't it because of president Bush? B: For us here, we think it was because of Saddam Hussain. C: oh okay, I'm not all into what it exactly was about.. B: Saddam Hussain is the former President of Iraq. C: Do you appriciate the war in Iraq? B: never mind, it's a long story guys, if you are interested we can talk about on some other times. C: yes, that would be nice B: No one likes wars, unless it's the last solution. C: Is there any particulare dresscode in schools and at working places? V: Do you known anything about Denmark?? B: yes, Christina, we have dresscode. B: For schools students usually wear a unified uniform. C: We don't do that i Denmark Here you can almost wear what you want.. V: Is school important in Kuwait? B: As at work places, it depends on the company you work with or the institution C: What do you know about Denmark? B: yes, Vibeke education is very important here C: What's your leader called? V: How is the relationship between the employess and the boss. B: And, I think you guys are lucky not to have to wear a uniform for school. C: year, we're also very happy about it. B: Well, at my work, we call the head of the English Unit, a Supervisor V: I am also glad not to wear a school uniform. C: oh, what i meant was what the president is called (do you have a president)? V: Do you talk to your boss at first name. B: And the relationship is friendly, but sometimes it's not. You know like anywhere else in the world. V: Do your contry have problems whit foreigners??? B: oh, Vibeke, got you. Yes we have a president. He is the Amir, i.e. the Prince B: And we have a Parliament. Kuwait is the first Gulf-state to establish Democracy C: so you also have a monarchy? B: Yes, Christina we are actually a Monarchy. C: do vomen wear veils? V: I Denmark women can vote, and have political rights. V: What about religion?? B: Yes, I know Vibeke, and this I think has been going in your country for many years now C: the head of our monarchy is a woman the queen called Magrethe B: Not all women are veiled or cover their heads in Kuwait. V: Yes it have, in Denmark women want equal rights B: oh, right, Christina. And I'm sorry for the death of your foreign minister latlely. B: I meant lately. B: Did your government find out who assassinated her? C: It wasn't our foreign minister, but the foreign minister of Sweden V: Scandinavia is three contries Norway, Sweden and Denmark B: oh, sorry C: but anyway it's very nice of you B: Right, Vibeke, sorry about the confusion. C: that's okay Denmark isn't that big V: It is okay.. But it is very sad about anna lind B: We hear in Kuwait advocate peace. C: ups that's.. B: Kuwaiti people advocate peace. C: Do you have any questions about Denmark?? V: People in Denmark advocate also peace.. I think it is very sad whit all that terrorism B: But tell me about some behaviour that you find unusual to you in Gulf-states C: that the dictatorship is so strong V: That women cannot vote and have political rights. Women in Denmark would go crazy if they couldn't do that. B: oh, not in Kuwait. B: May be other countries. But our problem here in Kuwait is with Moslem fanatics. C: how's your relationship with the western countries. among others the UN, NATO, the EU and the united states.. B: Yes, Vibeke, but we were promised by our Amir to be granted this right soon B: Very good relationship. And we have ties and cooperation on all levels, almost. V: Do you think all the women get use of it? C: Would you like to write something down in your language? B: No, Vibeke, women are not quite about it. B: oh, I disabled Arabic on my pc. C: oh, okay B: By the way B: The law on women Political Rights, were voted against in our Parliament by those Moslem Fanatics. C: we're sorry.. do they rule the country? B: Therefore, we hope this time with the new parliament it will pass, and would be able hopefully by 2007 to vote and nominate. V: What do you think about Moslem Fanatics?? B: No, they used to dominate the parliament. C: What do you know about Denmark? B: I don't like any kind of fanatics. V: I agree.. What do you think about foreingers? B: I know that Denmark is a beautiful country that is famous for dairy products, particularly milk. V: Have you ever been to Denmark??? C: Do you knoe H.C. Andersen? B: I like foreigners. We have a lot of foreigners in my country. C: know V: Foreigners is a very big issue in Denmark.. B: I'm not sure. Could you tell me please? B: Are they, Vibeke? Why? C: he's a fairytale writer B: Is he from Denmark? C: Yes B: Interesting. And do you like fairtales? C: What about Carl Nielsen? C: yes his fairytales are very good. some of the best V: Because of the politician and the media They have give Denmark that impression the foreigners is bad. But they are wrong, we need foringers in Denmark I think. B: Oh, nice to hear this Vibeke. So you are friendly and peaceful. V: How is your streetlife in Kuwait??? B: By the way, did you know that we have special places where men gather socially? B: We call these places Diwania. C: year, I think I've heard of it B: Oh, you did? What do you know about it? V: I am just interested in other culture.. I would like to travel all over the world.. B: Like which culture, Vibeke? B: I think you will like Kuwait. We have a lovely sea, great for water sports and fishing. B: We have nice places for entertainment, such as modern movie theatres, shopping malls etc.. B: And shopping is not very expensive here compared with countries, since we don't have to pay tax B: Vibeke is logged out. C: year, she don't know why. V: Sorry my computer is stupid. C: the computer is very strange at the moment.. B: wb, Vibeke V: I would like to visit Africa, China, Kuwait and many moreJ B: Yes, and I'm having a problem too. My writing is slow because of the lag iposting the text. B: Wow, nice places, Vibeke. I went to Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985. C: Not to offend you, but we do not know much about Kuwait, and before speaking to you we thought it was lacking og modernism, but now we know that'a not true.. C: I was born i 1985 B: China, I didn't go but have it in mind for a future trip. V: Hoe is the streetlife in Kuwait? C: Just don't go to China as long as they have SARS :0) V: I mean how B: oh, I'm glad that you learned something new guys. Actually Kuwait is a global country. B: oh, right, Sars.. C: okay, we didn't knew. So you also have McDonalds.. V: Yes SARS was a big problem. V: Do you know that we have a Queen in Denmark? B: sorry, I mean SARS. I gave my students an assignment about it last week. B: yes, Vibeke, I know. V: Do your students know what Denmark is? B: And, Christina, you are younger than my son by three years only. C: we've gotten an assignment about the problems with the old people in Denmark. V: Do you have freedom of speech in Kuwait? B: Well yes, of course. Last year, I invited a teacher from Denmark to chat with them. C: In these years the number of old people are growing rapidly, and the number of young people to support them is dropping.. B: Oh, so you have a problem with the elderly in Denmark? V: Oh, okay. What did they then think about Denmark? There are many who don't know what Denmark is? C: year, kind of.. B: I see C: the welfare state gives them a pension, but C: these days C: the number of people to pay taxes to the welfare system is dropping B: They liked it a lot. But they were discussing the problem of segregating classes in Kuwait University. C: so there isn't enough money to support the elderly C: so the government is working to find a solution..' V: Do the young people in Kuwait drink a lot? V: I mean alcohol B: I see. It's a pity, and how could your government or the people think to solve this problem, Christina? B: Oh, no! Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait. It's not allowed. C: getting more people to work and making it less attractive to go on pension.. B: see, Kuwait is a Moslem country. In Islam Alcohol is forbidden. V: Oh, I didn't know. In Denmark young people is drinking too much, and also taking illegal druks. It is a big problem in Denmark C: so you believe in Allah B: Oh, sounds like a good solution Christina. C: Denmark is a Christien country B: Yes, Christina, Allah means God, and I believe in God B: What about you? Do you believe in god/Allah? C: not in your God, but in our own God, who's son was called Jesus C: Do you know anything about Christianity? B: By the way if you are interested in contacting me later, or learn more about other things here, feel free to contact. My Yahoo ID is : buthaina_3 V: how do you clebrate Christmas??? C: sorry B: Yes, I know, I have many Kuwaiti Christian friends. C: one of Vibekes mistakes:0) B: Christams, we celebrate with our Christian friends. they invite us for dinner. B: Sometimes, we have dinner outside in a restaurant. C: oh okay, but you don't belive in Christmas, do you??? Do you V: What time at the year do you celebrate Christmas? C: know why we celebrate Christmas? B: Of course we do. Moslem believe in Jesus, and by the way we have the same God. C: we don't quite understand, but okay.. C: well. we have to go now. but thank you very much C: greetings from Vibeke and Christina B: No, we don't celebrate Christmas as you, or as part of our religion. We celebrate with our Christian friends, out of courtesy. B: Ok, thank you very much and hope to meet you again. B: Bye B: Christina, should we go to Room 1 now? C: no, we have to go now. Our teachers said so B: ok, I will log off. Bye C: bye |
