'Yal Wafed!' Invites You to Walk a Mile in Kuwait as an Egyptian Expat

When one speaks about the Egyptian diaspora, we usually think of Egyptians living in Western countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and so on. Egyptians residing in Gulf countries are perceived as though they never really left, like life on another Arab land can’t really be that different. For her bachelor’s thesis, Egyptian graphic designer Amy Wassily created a board game that explores the experience of Egyptian migrants in Gulf countries, specifically Kuwait.  The game kind of works like Monopoly, except you don’t really win anything. You move on a path by rolling dice, and land on tiles that require you to draw from a deck of cards representing situations you could find yourself in as an Egyptian in Kuwait. The game is entirely satirical. “All of us Gulf kids talk about these situations when we meet up,” Wassily tells CairoScene. “We know we’re not seriously unlucky, and we’re not really complaining about it. But laughing about what happened to us creates a space for acknowledgement and conversation. This game is a way to both make light of and shed light on what we experience.” When she set out on her project, Wassily found a lot of literature on Egyptian diaspora in general, but the specific experience of Gulf diaspora was barely researched. She was able to cite a book by Anthropology Bel 3araby, but not much else. When she set out to do her own research, she found that an overwhelming majority of her sample - about 70% - had migrated to Kuwait. Their experiences, explored through collected qualitative data - interviews, workshops, focus groups - made up the plot for the game. “People think that because you’re still in an Arab country, it’s not really like you’re in diaspora. But that’s not true; there’s still a lot of struggle with identity, a lot of external cultural influence, and a lot of racism.” Wassily’s game is called ‘Yal Wafed’, which is an insult used against expats in Kuwait. It literally translates into ‘expatriate’, but is used by Kuwaitis as it the same way you'd say ‘stupid’ (or something harsher). Wassily’s game essentially reclaims the word as what it simply is. “It’s a very privileged position to be in - I’m very aware of that. But there is still a struggle for identity," Wassily says. "I used to oscillate between trying to hide my Egyptian accent and trying to take pride in it. There was also a lot of instability; every year, your friends go visit their home countries and you don’t know if you’ll see them again. You don’t really notice how it affects you while it’s happening.”  The game’s visual identity represents the Arab diaspora’s dichotomy of identity. Wassily put together a binary perspective on everyday elements: brand of chocolate milk, license plates, traditional dishes, landmarks (the Pyramids and Kuwait Towers). “I wanted to communicate that we are both cultures and neither at the same time.” When asked how one could win Yal Wafed, Wassily reveals, “You can’t win. When you get to the final stage it’s like, Mabrook, you’ve assimilated! Now go back to your country. The instability continues forever.” The point of Yal Wafed lies in the internal exploration of the experience of living in Arab diaspora, and in exploring whether or not people who haven’t experienced it - Egyptians who grew up in Egypt - can walk a mile in their (imported) shoes.