Abdallah from Kuwait

My name is Abdallah and I'm Kuwaiti. My mother is Iraqi and my father is Persian so I'm a mixture of two amazing cultures and traditions. I have one older brother and three younger sisters, it is a typical family number here in Kuwait. I live with my parents as it's really common for boys to live with their parents even after they are married. Usually, when girls marry, they live with their husbands in their father-in-law's house. It is hard to buy a house at the beginning of a couple's life together, and it's also very expensive to rent an apartment. My sisters visit us most evenings and at the weekend - either Friday or Saturday - all the family gather for lunch and stay till late at night. This is a typical tradition here. We talk about everything; what people have been doing in the week, any problems anybody has, and we play with the kids.

Kuwait is next to the Persian Sea, Iraq is to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south and Iran is to the east. It is a very small country and a lot of the country is desert. Kuwait has two long seasons, winter and summer; spring and autumn are very short. In the summer, many people travel to get away from the hot weather because the temperature can reach over 50 degrees! But, in the winter, the temperature can go down to two degrees! Some people say it is colder than Europe, even at the same temperature, because the air is very dry. 

Kuwait has many interesting places to visit. Top of the list should be Mubarkeya Souq, a local market, it is very traditional and shows how Kuwait was in the past. You can find local food and desserts, a fish market, a vegetable market and traditional clothes. I always go there at weekends. Tourists can go to shopping malls, international restaurants, cafes, skating, museums, the science centre (which has a 3D cinema and aquarium), the opera or Kuwait's many towers. On my birthday I went to Dubai to skydive, it was a memorable and amazing experience. This is the photo you can see at the top of the page. I am in my Chelsea shirt!! 

Food in Kuwait mainly comes from...

...India because, in the past, Kuwaitis sailed to India to trade in pearls, which are small white balls found inside oysters (a type of shellfish) and are considered to be valuable jewels. Many of the people who sailed to India decided to stay and they married and learnt about Indian food and cuisine. This knowledge was brought back to Kuwait. Most of this food is rice and I don't think it is that healthy because it is always cooked with fat such as corn oil or fried. I prefer healthy and organic food.

My football hero...

...is Paolo Maldini. I admire him because I like the kind of players who are loyal to their clubs and their fans. Maldini never moved clubs and played 902 times for AC Milan over 15 years. He could have moved clubs for more money but decided to stay. Locally, I admire a player named Jasem Sultan. He was a Kuwaiti international although he retired in 1988. Recently he has been recognised as one of the best ever players from Asia by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). His goal against Czechoslavakia in the 1982 World Cup is considered to be one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup by FIFA. This is the only time Kuwait have qualified for a World Cup, but they have won the Asian Cup (1980) and are the most successful team in the Gulf region - they have won the Gulf Cup of Nations a record 10 times. In 1998, Kuwait was ranked 24 in the world by FIFA.

I support...

...Chelsea. The story started back in 1994, when I saw some Italy matches. I saw Gianfranco Zola play only one minute as as a subtitute and he got a red card! Despite this, he got my attention so I watched him playing for Chelsea and I enjoyed his performances.

My favourite football quote is...

Chelsea FC - Pride of London.

Written on flags inside Stamford Bridge Stadium.

Six things you might not know about Kuwait!

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