10/06/2025
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10/06/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, Jun 10: When Efe Şen boarded his flight from Istanbul to Kuwait, he wasn’t chasing anything big. Just a few peaceful days — some sightseeing, good food, maybe a little shopping. But what he ended up carrying back home wasn’t a souvenir you can buy. It was a story — one he never saw coming.
“I came to Kuwait just to explore,” Efe says, smiling as he recalls the trip. “I wanted to see the culture, meet the people. But the first thing that caught my eye? The way people dressed. There was something so elegant and proud about it. It moved me.”
Inspired by what he saw, Efe decided to try something different. He put together an outfit that reflected the traditional Kuwaiti men’s attire, with a bit of his Turkish style mixed in. It wasn’t for attention. It was a quiet nod of respect. A way to say, I see you. I admire this.
And then something beautiful happened.
“As I walked through the streets in my outfit, the air was warm and carried the scent of cardamom from a nearby café. People just lit up,” he says. “Cars honked — but not in a bad way. People were smiling and waving. Kids came up and asked to take pictures. I no longer felt like a tourist. I felt like I was part of the place.”
Then came the moment that stuck with him.
A police car slowed down next to him. Efe admits his heart jumped a little — Was I doing something wrong? he wondered. Did I make a mistake without realizing it?
But instead of trouble, he found kindness.
“The officer got out of the car, smiled at me, and said, ‘No problem.’ Then he reached out and gently adjusted my keffiyeh/ghutra (traditional square cotton scarf worn head) with the same care you’d use for a friend — made sure it looked just right. That was it. He didn’t ask for anything. Just wanted to help me look my best.”
It was such a small thing. But to Efe, it meant the world.
“That moment hit me hard. Here was someone — a police officer — taking time out of his day just to help a foreigner feel more at home. It wasn’t just about clothes. It was about respect. Humanity. Connection.”
The story didn’t end there. A Turkish news outlet reported on the incident and shared it. Soon, Efe’s phone was buzzing with messages from friends and strangers. People were genuinely touched by the story. A Kuwaiti TV channel even reached out for an interview — though, sadly, Efe had to fly home before it could happen.
“I didn’t want to leave,” he laughs. “Honestly, a part of me stayed behind in Kuwait.”
Now back in Istanbul, Efe shares his experience whenever he can. Not because it went viral. But because it reminded him — and reminds others — of how powerful a single act of kindness can be.
“The people of Kuwait — from the families in the streets to that one amazing officer — made me feel so welcomed. I’ll never forget that. I hope to return in July. And if I’m lucky, I’ll get to meet that officer again.”
In a time where the world often feels divided, Efe’s story is a reminder of what can happen when someone, somewhere, chooses kindness. You don’t need to speak the same language to make someone feel seen. And sometimes, he realized, the most important journeys are the ones that take place within us.
Some souvenirs are bought. But the best ones? They stay with you, quietly, forever.
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Special to Arab Times - by JCF
