I was wondering around tonight when I stumbled across an old photography store. Some pictures in the display grabbed my attention and when I looked inside I spotted an old man sitting reading the Koran and two other interesting photos. I decided to go in and check the photos out and I ended up spending around an hour there talking to the old man.
I won’t mention the photographers name or the shop location since I want to give him his space and privacy but he’s a Lebanese guy who ran away from an abusive father and took the bus and came to Kuwait in 1959. He hasn’t left since… not even once. He worked a variety of jobs here and there and in the end became a journalist and took some really great photos, some of which many of us have come across in one point in time or another. He ended up opening up his own photography shop and it’s been there ever since. Today the shop doesn’t sell anything, he doesn’t have any customers nor even a store sign. He broke the sign ages ago because to keep it up he would have to pay a fee of KD25 a year which he didn’t want to. He sold all his negatives to a newspapers years ago for KD200 and has a few photos he kept which he was selling framed for KD25 a piece but someone bought his photo and then made copies and started selling them for KD1 so that income stopped.
While there I spotted some old cameras behind an extremely dusty display that looked like it hadn’t been open since the 80s and my God what a beautiful camera collection. He had cameras from the 70’s and early 80’s still boxed brand new! He even had the beautiful rangefinder Konica S3 from 1974 which I had purchased used off eBay for KD60 last year, except he had a brand new one all boxed up and priced at KD45! He also had two brand new Nikon F3’s from 1980, a Vivitar 35EE, a Vivitar 35EF, Mamiya 135AF and boxed up Hasselblad but I couldn’t tell what model it was. I really want to buy them all but I don’t think he wants to sell them. He’s pissed off at the whole world, he’s depressed, he’s really old and he doesn’t want to sell anything. He told me 5 months ago his residency expired and he’s now living in Kuwait illegally. He feels that he’s been forgotten and no one cares about him or remembers him. How could someone who’s been in Kuwait for 50 years non stop still require an ikameh to live here? It made me realize that if I lose my job tomorrow I would have to leave Kuwait as well except I am young and I could always move to Lebanon and start a new life or something but this old man, where would he go? He’s easily at least 80 years old, he doesn’t have any family, never married, no relatives and he hasn’t been to Lebanon in over 50 years neither does he want to go back…
I had to leave but told him I would come back again since I wanted to listen to his life story and maybe give him some recognition with my blog. I also promised him the next time I go back I would bring my laptop along since I was telling him about the Internet and he told me he had heard about it but had no idea what it was. I told him I would come back and show him since he seemed eager to know how it worked and who invented it and how it looked. I asked him what time to what time I could find him at the shop he told me 24 hours. Turns out he lives in the shop.
58 replies on “In Kuwait since 1959”
Touching story .. too bad he sold the negatives, would love to see the old pictures.
And don’t worry about losing your iqama .. I am willing to host you for only 250KD a month.
I recall reading about this guy from a different blog. can’t remember which one or when.
Very touching story, but i LMAO when i heard about you and the eqama, i’m willing to host you for nothing, you just pay all the papers and all the 6awabe3.
Dawerlek m3azzeb mark 😛
very touching … and very stupid system i agree … very rigid that cant differentiate ( the system ) between a good old man who want nothing but to live in the country that he spent his life in and others .
and am glad to see a three updates from u in very short time .. i am a reader for u since miskan .. i dont reply much but i read the forum and the blog daily .. and sometimes i re visit the site two- three times per day .. i like what u post .. keep it up and ur making a difference .
yes .. and we lack a good photography shops in kuwait .. he got a reason for not updating his shop cause he is depressed , and now being illegal .. but all other photography shops are outdated in kuwait or .. sky high expensive ..
thanks again mark
Heartbreaking yet so touching, I can only imagine what kind of life he has lived, to still be that bitter after 50 years, how he managed to survive all this time with such a “surrendering” view to life. What pulled me the most was how much he hates going back to Lebanon! do you think he means it? or still afraid of the idea? It is amazing you got the chance to meet such a person, and good luck with your next time seeing him. I hope you will keep posting his stories, it would be wonderful to know how he was able to make it till now and what he has seen during his life. Good luck!
I really feel for this guy but people know the system in Kuwait.It’s not a place where you can settle for the rest of you life,or retire for that matter if you’re an expat.Sooner or later you have to leave.I’m thankful I own a house back home,investments and retirement policies to cover me later in life.Some people come here to earn a higher salary but some have no other options open to them.
What a sad story. The sponsorship system is modern-day slavery.
What a story … I thought that the laws has changed recently and that if you lived here for over 5 years and had a good financial and no criminal records you don’t need iqamah… but then again with the politics over here lateley u never know .. hope we can help or support in anyway?
poor man ;/ how can we help ?
I know this man,he’s a good man and he helped me once.Someday I want to photograph him for my story.but you made the story already.lol
Lets help this man.
Mark, were you wondering around or wandering around? Where to find this guy? Bet there are quite a few interested to support this guy financially. Hope you show him the new digital SLRs and camcorders. Can we all go with you?
I met this old man 3 months ago and posted his story..
If you get kicked out of Kuwait come to Bahrain. All you do is buy a freehold property (villa/apartment) and you get residency for life. Bahrain needs a good blog lol.
Your best post ever.
My father has also been here for over 50 years and still he needs an iqama. I was born here in Kuwait and love it more than my own country but just can’t understand its inhumane iqama law. Why can’t expats who have lived here for a long time become permanent residents? Can someone please explain why the parliament won’t pass this bill?? I was born here, have lived here for about 40 years now and there’s absolutely no difference between my rights and an expat who walks off an airplane tomorrow morning!! Why??!! Aren’t I entitled to at least a PR card??
Very. Sad very sad
I’d like to visit him too one day
If u think it’s appropriate send me his address Maybe I can cheer him up
I wonder how he pays his shop’s rent? Its a sad story of many expats in Kuwait. It is indeed modern day slavery. Most people I have known or met who have lived in Kuwait for quite sometime actually feel for the country and are as attached (if not more) to Kuwait as a citizen would be. But we all know we are just WORKERS in this country. Sigh! I’m sure things will change someday. But the sad part is it should have been done long back.
besides being old and alone gives me goose bumps. Anyone else?
🙁 so sad.
Allah y3eenah ;/
Really , a touching story . I just donno when this Iqamah system will get over ! and also the Visa probs these days
Great Post. Look forward to know more about this Gentleman.
only if there were no borders :'(
Great post Mark!
What can we do to help him?
He can have a residency on his own name if had spend more then 50 years or so in Kuwait let him know
both of you could make a lot of money out of his story
this is the post of the year
Rather than feeling sorry for the guy call Lebanon embassy and ask for help .. finding his family will be better than asking strangers to help .
Mark, what language were you conversing in?
Awesome post. And just a suggestion, in case it already hasn’t crossed your mind – since you’re not telling us who he is or where this store is, please do lend him some interesting books on photography/cameras to cheer him up. Also, some clothes and food 🙂
really touching story. even i want to meet him. please send me his shop address.
Hi there, good on you for posting this story. I’d like to help him so ask him what his wish list of needs is and I’ll try to see what We can do. Good job mark your heart is in the right place and I’m proud of you. Kinda
Mark, if one of your kind Kuwaiti readers can afford this gentleman a visa, then I could help organize photography classes, where he can impart his knowledge to youngsters and earn a living.
Great post Mark – this is something we like to see on the blog sometimes. If you can only convince him to sell his old stuff, than just maybe you could special auction it on 248am/forum (or ebay) and all the proceeds could go back to him as some form of little financial help. He has some great stuff I think. Could be a little treasure-trove for photography lovers.
Loss of words towards the whole… well, Khaled (above) said it so right “The sponsorship system is modern-day slavery”… in this oil rich land.
He’s really really old. Like he could barely walk around the shop. I don’t think he wants anyone’s help, I don’t think he wants attention and I don’t think he wants people going over to his shop. But I am not sure really since I am not good at reading people. It could be that he actually wants everything he says he doesn’t want. I am going to try and go back this week again and get a better idea of what if anything can be done.
I couldn’t understand what he sells and how he makes a living, thats what I want learn more about. I wouldn’t mind cleaning up his shop and installing a new sign. Its actually something he asked me if I could do (make him a sign) so will probably end up doing that for him and anything else he needs.
Good job Mark for putting the spot light on the life of this old soul.
what to say about this Iqama system. I don’t know about your readers but I hope you guys realize that this system has a lot to do with the basic psychic of Kuwaitis in general. I have lived in Kuwait for a few years and am well aware of how they think.
Greed – they have billions yet they want to still make money out of those expats who have given them years of their sweat and blood.
Insecurity – no matter how affluent you are in society, you are still an expat and not an equal. i used to hate the countless checkings and god forbid if you are not carrying your civil id.
i can go on and on but seriously its not wort it.
thanks mark again for doing this.
As I was reading, it felt like scenes from an old movies, except it’s not.
I can understand why he wouldn’t want to sell his old cam, it’s -almost- all he’s got left; living with his memories.
Your best post yet.
Waiting for the continuation of this old man’s story, Mark.
aah.. a human interest story! …very welcome from the usual food outlet and electronic gizmo reviews.. perhaps a few other local blogs could take inspiration !
Why do people get the impression i post about food and gadgets a lot? I barely post about gadgets and food is just randomly every now and then!
Probably I ought not to have put that comment here of all the places given your blog’s relatively varied content! My apologies.
However given your readership numbers, I hope a few of the local English language bloggers realise that the average Kuwaiti blog reader is open to more than just the usual review of a food outlet and the likes.. …The local English press here hardly covers human interest stories. For an expat these blogs can help bridge that gap… …well, my two cents!
my god what an incredible story, Are we that Heartless?
he doesn’t have neighbors? not even Friends?
he could be my grandpa!
My parents came in the 60s to Kuwait as well
& never heard of a such law!
it also touches some vital issue!
Us Expats! some of us are really Loyal to Kuwait!
instantcravings: Well you need to give the local bloggers some credit, its really not easy to blog in Kuwait since there is very little much going on here other than food and new shops. I have no idea how I’ve managed to blog for so long and on a daily basis, I just take it day by day. Blogging in Kuwait is not easy.
Life’s crossroads are full interesting Turns and Junctions…
people like this make you take a step back and re-think your life through, they’re an inspiration to everyone, and we have to learn from them.
great story Mark!
A sad touching story
And yes Mark, you do post a lot about gadgets and food. Even new fast food outlets, which frankly don’t need to be mentioned
Interesting story, hope to read the sequel.
Mark, the first sentence of the story should read ‘wandering’ not ‘wondering’.
Bless you Mark for sharing time – something people seem to have so little of nowadays – with a stranger.
If there is any way in which one can help him, let us know.
he was here before some kuwaitis!
Thank you Mark for posting this article. I have never seen such a article here in kuwait times or arab times and I have thought that the media is quite heartless here. I am sure the old man is penniless which is why he can’t renew his iqama or fix a sign. I am pretty sure he must be eking out a living and may not have any income at all. As for selling his stuff, its like selling your kids….that would be too unkind…. We expats all could be in that situation when we grow old. Its a sad story that happens all too frequently in this oil rich country. Mark I would like to contribute a small amount what I can contribute from my meager income. Something to help this old man. I don’t think all of us barging in this man’s privacy is going to help but you could collect money from us and give it to the poor old man. Please let us know.
hey mark … ok so i read ur story its really touching .. and i feel sorry for the man i really do … well since u wont mention the store’s name .. can u ask him if they’re for sale (cameras) and for how much i really like to buy them and help this guy out 🙂 thanks
sad story, reminds me of the movie Cinema Paradiso
Poor guy! I dont Know but we have a guy living in our area with same discription you gave but he moved like two years ago to i dont know where! Because the department store where he works were selling the whole place! He had old polaroids and really really old pictures! I used to go there alot when i was a kid!
i think i know that place somewhere in Kuwait City. He is an old man as same with your description. If i am not mistaken he is the one i asked if he is selling those vintage cameras displayed on his shop. He is a little snobbish during our conversation, he has also filipina assistant in his shop. well, maybe, i dunno if he is the one you are referring here.
please do let us know if he needs help
God bless you, Mark.
sad yet interesting story…
and definitely one of your blog’s top post.
Wow, very interesting story. Sounds like he’s been through a lot and is very lonely. Nice of u to spend time with him
I’m speechless.
He should write a book about his Life…
kuwait isnt a touristic country so get over it people .. theres no reason to give out visas unless we open up tourism in kuwait.
PLZ ANY ONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN FIND HIS STORE !!!!!!!
HELP 🙁