Under Construction

Bob and I have this notion that construction projects follow us around. No matter where we live, or where we go on holiday, it seems there’s always a bulldozer, jackhammer, or power saw nearby. By nature, we both love silence, spending hours at a time without turning on the radio or CD player, but we now have a joke that we aren't able to sleep without the buzz of a jackhammer.

Not only the noise but also the rubble reminds us that our neighborhood is one big construction project. Like many streets in the neighborhood, the street in front of our spic and span apartment building has been torn up two times since we moved here a few months ago. Apparently, they are putting in water pipes so that all apartment buildings will have direct access instead of depending on the H2O that is pumped in daily by the noisy water trucks. But based on the number of times the streets have been dug up and then covered over only to be dug up again, they must keep getting things wrong. The first time our street was filled in, we got all excited, thinking the street would be paved any day. Now we realize that paving will likely happen long after we leave Kuwait.

In the meantime, we walk around our dusty neighborhood, dodging sand piles and trenches along the way. We trudge 50 meters through the sand to get a taxi from the main street each morning on our way to work. It’s like walking on the beach. I’ve taken to wearing flip flops through the sand, and then changing into my shoes or sandals in the taxi since there is no way to keep your shoes clean.

So it goes in this neighborhood and this country, which is under construction. It’s a little like life, I guess. My life anyway. I’m always working on something, and I don’t always get things right the first time around.