Equate. This is the name of a petrochemical company right outside of Kuwait City. We dropped off our cameras and phones, because they were not allowed into the building facility. We were escorted onto the premises after turning in our passports for this cool extendable clip on plastic cards to get into all the buildings. I felt important. I want one of those when I grow up. We were given an information video and the entire time I could not help but think, I have no way of contacting anyone, I am in an environment surrounded by chemicals, I have no form of identification, oh and I am stuck inside a closed room. Yes, I feel REAL safe right now.
We were lead to another board room where we were introduced to two engineers and to our host and tour guide, but before we started asking questions he told us to take a break. There was a HUGE display of tea, coffee, snacks, and sandwiches and of course…fruit tarts. I literally out did myself. I probably ate 5 little mini tarts, it was bad. But, they were so good! I also had a deliciously yummy apple tart. I seriously will be rolling. The food is too good here.
We talked about the plant and what they produced. They created all different types of products from plastics to other things that they sent mostly to Asia. It was really interesting to learn about it, but some of the things I could not really relate to everything. It was literally an engineer’s dream. We asked them a bunch of questions about how they were environmentally conscious, which basically…they were not. I found that really interesting. We were given a whole big tour of the plant which was interesting, but you could smell and taste the chemicals and I was ready to get out of there. We eventually left and headed back to the hotel where all of us went to grab some lunch. Then Jessica and I started craving another chocolate dipped cone from McDonalds. I really hope I never go there when I get back to Boulder. It would be weird if I come back from study abroad addicted to McDonalds. How sad. So, this is number three now? Oye. We walked back and just chilled while Pamela and Jaris went to a Kuwaiti News station for an interview. The U.S. Embassy set it up and asked our professor to send two students to be interviewed. They said it went well and would be shown within the G.C.C. area and in the Middle-East. So that was pretty cool, we all went out that night back to “The Chocolate Bar” for fondue with the whole group. It was SO MUCH FUN. We just all went out and dipped chocolately fondue and had a blast. One of the guys from Equate wanted to show us around the city, but because we are leaving so soon, we do not have time in our schedule, so he met up with us at the fondue place to bring us all Kuwaiti flags. He felt so bad that we had not visited the company earlier so he could have showed us around and then offered to pay for the chocolate! The people here are so generous, unlike most stereotypes of Americans who are stingy and cheap when it comes to money. It was really nice of him, we walked back to the hotel, then John and I hung out while I organized all the stuff I would leave and bring with me back to Boulder. We have so much fun. I counted five calendars we received and just from Equate they gave us a four GB flash drive, a mouse pad, shirt and a really nice leather bound planner. It was incredible. I will definitely miss this place.
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