It's six months since someone suggested I start writing a blog and nine months since I arrived in Kuwait. After six pondering long and hard whether or not anyone would be vaguely interested in what I had to say or share, here I am with my first blog entry. A momentous occasion, or not. A lot of people seem to be aspirational authors or columnists and embrace this idea of being literary exhibitionists and sharing their thoughts with the world. I am not one of them. I have been persuaded by the powers that be that people will be interested in my thoughts and insights. My doubts are fuelled by the fact:
- I'm a foreigner in Kuwait, working on relief and development projects in Iraq, neither of which seem particularly engaging topics; and
- There are far more informed people than me when it comes to Kuwait, Iraq and relief and development.
With the exception of a few brave, stupid and / or naive individuals, most westerners working on relief and development projects in Iraq are currently holed up in Jordan or Kuwait. I am one of them. So we look in because our common sense, fear, mothers, bosses and insurance policies prevent us entering Iraq. Sometimes craving to actually see first hand the work and the context. Sometimes relieved we're not there but frustrated at the detachment.
The blog is an opportunity to speak out and share some day to day experiences and insights from my life and work, the Iraqis I work with, and the Iraqis we work for. For those of you unfamiliar with Iraq and Kuwait I hope it proves interesting. For those of you who fall into the huge group of "far more informed people than me" that I referred to above, I apologise in advance for my ignorance. Please feel free to correct any misunderstanding I have.
No comments:
Post a Comment