Surviving paperwork hell

Starting a business in Kuwait is relatively easy (easier still if you have some capital). You can find and hire people to get your paper work done, or use “wasta” to get it done for you. However, if you don’t have either, you could take a few days off, do some stress-relieving breathing exercises, try yoga for a week, have a 90 minute massage, take a hot bath and drink some calming chamomile tea and then try to finish the paper work on your own.

As for me personally, every time I am called on by my employees to go to a certain ministry or another to get a paper that will be filed and lost somewhere in a dusty cabinet, I remind myself of a funny scene from one of my favorite 90’s movies: As Good As It Gets. In this scene, a female receptionist happens to be a huge fan of writer Melvin Udall (lead character played by Jack Nicholson), and of his ability to write about women so genuinely. She goes to Melvin with the desire to understand how a man like him can understand and know how a woman thinks, feels and acts, and so she asks him:

“How do you write (about) women so well?”

Melvin annoyingly responds to her by saying:

“I think of a man. And I take away reason and accountability.”

If you ever find yourself having to go and get some paperwork done in Kuwait City or in any other governmental institution and you don’t know how to deal with the people, the process and the unending requests of civil ID copies, think of this. Think of an award winning multi national corporation; now take away efficiency and customer care…oh, and take away reason and accountability too. Now you’re ready to face any and all pointless time wasting paperwork requests.

Good Luck!