Daej, 34
Born in Kuwait City, Kuwait
Came to Australia in February 2007
What is your occupation?
I’m a biologist by trade. I finished my PHD in Biology last year but I’m currently working at University of Sydney as an Education Design Support Officer in the Medicine & Health faculty. My job is providing solutions to course coordinators and helping facilitate the teaching of material.
I have a Bachelor of Genetics from the University of Queensland. I then moved to Sydney to study a Masters of Science and I studied evolution of termites. My termite research led me to study cockroaches, as they belong to the same family taxonomically. Some people think they’re disgusting creatures but I personally find them cute.
This is an article by The Guardian Australia which talks about an academic paper I wrote.
I’ve moved around quite a bit in my career. I think it’s fair to say that people working in academia have very diverse backgrounds. I am happy with where I am at the moment though as I didn’t want to become a professor.
Why did you come to Australia?
In Kuwait, if you excel in high school, the government can sponsor you to study overseas for university. We could go to either the US, UK, Canada or Australia.
I didn’t want to go to the US or UK because I was too familiar with them. I was brought up watching their movies and TV shows. Contrastingly, I knew nothing about Australia except that Mad Max was filmed there. I couldn’t even name another Australian city besides Sydney, which I also thought was the capital.
I chose to study in Brisbane because it had the lowest cost of living.
What do you like about Sydney?
When I was living in Brisbane, I constantly felt homesick because I couldn’t easily access any Middle Eastern food. As soon as I moved to Sydney, my homesickness disappeared. It’s absolutely incredible that I can go to Arabic film festivals, Ramadan night markets and authentic Iranian restaurants right here in Sydney.
I don’t understand why people say Sydneysiders are rude; I feel like Sydney’s the first place where I actually got to meet real Australian friends. They were the ones who taught me how to go to a pub. I got into drinking wine after visiting the Hunter Valley.
I feel like Sydney is a great introduction to Australia and Australian culture.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
F*ck the police.
When I first arrived in Sydney, I was stopped by a sniffer dog at George Street during evening peak hour. I didn’t know that it was a sniffer dog and I went to pet him before I was harassed by four plain-clothes officers who wanted to search my bags (which were full of important papers and students’ assignments). I didn’t believe that they were real police as I had only just arrived in Sydney and had no idea what police badges looked like. It could’ve been a fake police ID and badge for what all I knew.
I got the plain-clothes officers to call a police car so that their colleagues could verify that they were real police officers. It was even worse because this could’ve been easily avoided; sniffer dogs are inaccurate 75% of the time so I don’t know why they are continuously used as a police resource. I just don’t like how police, who are supposed to protect the community, have preconceived notions towards people who haven’t committed any crime whatsoever, but just look a certain way.
As a proud dog owner, I would like to see more dog-friendly places. This is just a personal gripe from me.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
Be kind to dogs! There are heaps of new dog owners during the pandemic and show them some compassion. My whole well-being has changed ever since owning a dog and all they need in return is love and care.
Please adopt a dog if you can!
What languages do you speak?
Arabic, Kurdish, English
Kurdistan is a region in Western Asia currently within the confines of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. My mother is from northern Iraq or the southern Kurdistan region. This is why I speak Kurdish.
Kuwaiti Arabic is similar to other dialects of Gulf Arabic, like the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman etc.
When I moved to Australia, I couldn’t speak much English at all. I could understand a bit as I was used to watching movies.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
Øياك
Hyak
It means Welcome in Kuwait. I think this word encapsulates the Kuwaiti spirit perfectly as the hospitality in the country is second to none.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
It’s amazing how fast-paced and dynamic it is. I am optimistic about the future of the country. It is absolutely ridiculous that government websites state it as a country where the risk of terrorist activity is high. That is simply not true and I am willing to bet my life on it.
Kuwaiti food is one of the most diverse in the world. For a country of 4 million, Kuwaitis are actually the ethnic minority. I had friends from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia etc. If you are a foodie, you will gain a lot of weight if you visit as the food is amazing. I guarantee that.
Make sure to visit the Souq Al Mubarakeya. It is one of the oldest souks in Kuwait, and was a centre of trade prior to the discovery of oil.
Kuwait is not overly touristy which makes it more authentic for tourists. I’ve been to touristy countries like Mexico and Brazil, where vendors will harass you to buy something. This will never happen in Kuwait.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
Humood AlKhudher
He’s a famous Kuwaiti singer and music producer.
I see videos of Indonesians and Malaysians singing his songs which is cool as he sings in Traditional Arabic.
I really cannot think of any other famous Kuwaitis as we’re a tiny country. We do produce a lot of art, music and theatre though.
What is the best dish in your native country?
Machboos Laham
These dishes are usually made with rice (usually basmati), meat, vegetables, and a mixture of spices.
This is the dish people think of when they think of Kuwaiti cuisine. It is said to be the national dish and the name refers to the way rice is cooked in this dish: in the broth from the meat, making it rich and flavorful. It is best cooked with lamb; Kuwaiti lamb is phenomenal and a must-try. It is quite hard to make however, and unfortunately you cannot eat it here in Sydney as there aren’t any Kuwaiti restaurants. However, some Lebanese restaurants have kabsa, which is a similar dish.
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