Our month here in Kuwait has been a blur. One day is indistinguishable from the next and it is hard to think of the date and day of the week. What changes is that on Friday and Saturday we are completely unstructured, which is absolutely blissful.
Last Friday, Maria and I spent six hours at the Avenues mall, which is maybe the nicest mall I have been to. We did not want to rush and see what was available there. While there is a more high-end mall nearby, this was a nice mix of boutiques and everyday American mall stores like Gap, Payless, and American Eagle. The building itself is aesthetically pleasing with natural light and sparkling floors. We did some window shopping and also picked up a few work clothes on the sale racks at H&M and some household items from Ikea. Brunch at Le Pain Quotidien, an organic French cafe, was the highlight of the day with omelets, mesculen, fresh bread, and delicious preserves. Shopping is a major pasttime for Kuwaitis; for us it was enjoyable to take our time doing not much of anything.
There were a couple of parties Friday night that we attended. The one by the pool resembled a college frat party with poor-tasting homebrews. The one upstairs in our building was at Cheryl and Brent's apartment. Cheryl is a science colleague of Russ'. Nice music, great mix of people, tasty eats and surprisingly good wine and date rum punch. They also had the Rugby World Cup on. I met a guy from Bloemfontein, South Africa who is attached to one of the teachers here; both of us did not expect to be speaking Afrikaans in Kuwait which was a pretty wild concept. We are blessed by working and living with some amazing people who are also a lot of fun.
We can't help but sleep in to 6:30 or 7:00 on these more carefree weekend mornings, and then putter around for a couple of hours. Our school week is so busy. Traffic has been bad in the mornings and afternoons so our commute is often stretched to 45 minutes each way some days. The school days pass quickly as there is much to be done.
The grass is not always greener (especially when there isn't any growing). I have come to realize that I had a pretty good gig at Lenox High School. At ASK, it is becoming more and more apparent that we are working for the machine. I am a body to fill an office, expected to do my job well, but there is a sense in the high school that no one much cares who we are or how we are doing. That being said, I do enjoy the students and I appreciate our free time away from the school. We are blessed by working and living with some amazing people who are also a lot of fun. It is certainly an interesting place to live, and we will be able to start saving.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wasta
We were warned about wasta from the very beginning. Wasta is influence and that's worth as much as money here, if not more. Wasta is "I know this person who knows that person, and that is why I am important" or "I am related to the doctor who treats the emir's sister". "I am Kuwaiti and will therefore get what I want". I am pretty sure Kuwaiti wasta only extends to within this country, although one could probably find it all over the world. I have not seen it at school yet, but know it exists because of the stories.
Yesterday, forty-four teachers were hurried from school onto two busses to drive across town to be the first ones in line for fingerprinting which needs to happen to send our information to interpol and then process our civil id's. We were indeed the first and filed into chairs at the head of the room. The office was due to open at 4 pm, we were there at 3:00 just to be on the safe side.
It was not too much longer than the room filled up. Slowly we watched one Kuwaiti after another walk in with their workers and go right to the head of the line. The person helping us through the residency process, Adam, is great but Egyptian, so there is no wasta to be had on our part.
5:00, 6:00 roll by and nothing, although Adam is starting to get agitated, which actually is the wrong thing to do in this situation. They ignored him and we continued to wait. The mood of the group was great though - people went out and bought sodas and snacks, and it resembled a cocktail party except for the desperate condition of the building and the lack of alcohol. Around 6:45, we started to move. The attendant grabbed each hand with his own grimy claw and pressed it down on pieces of paper. I am pretty sure I had some smudged prints, but he didn't seem to mind. Who knows if it will actually go to interpol anyway?
We finally got home around 8 pm, ate a snack, and crashed. This should be the last step in the process, but one never knows.
Tomorrow is the start of the weekend. It is amazing how quickly time flies. Some highlights of the week:
We got our first paycheck, and we were reimbursed for shipping costs.
Russ won the football pool, which ended up being like USD 70.
We discovered 6alabet, which is a food delivery service that rivals NYC (www.6alabet.com, type in Mahboulah for our neighborhood). They even deliver ice cream which I think is a fantastic idea.
One of the teachers mentioned to me today that she loves how I dress, and I thought boy, it's just a Goodwill wardrobe I built over the summer, but it was the same feeling one gets with a really good hair day. A couple of the students commented yesterday that they liked my blouse, which always makes me feel young and somehow cool.
Today, there are clouds in the sky with some humidity. It's not going to rain, but it's nice to feel a change in the weather.
With money in our pockets again, we will be upgrading our internet service this weekend at the apartment which will help to normalize things.
Yesterday, forty-four teachers were hurried from school onto two busses to drive across town to be the first ones in line for fingerprinting which needs to happen to send our information to interpol and then process our civil id's. We were indeed the first and filed into chairs at the head of the room. The office was due to open at 4 pm, we were there at 3:00 just to be on the safe side.
It was not too much longer than the room filled up. Slowly we watched one Kuwaiti after another walk in with their workers and go right to the head of the line. The person helping us through the residency process, Adam, is great but Egyptian, so there is no wasta to be had on our part.
5:00, 6:00 roll by and nothing, although Adam is starting to get agitated, which actually is the wrong thing to do in this situation. They ignored him and we continued to wait. The mood of the group was great though - people went out and bought sodas and snacks, and it resembled a cocktail party except for the desperate condition of the building and the lack of alcohol. Around 6:45, we started to move. The attendant grabbed each hand with his own grimy claw and pressed it down on pieces of paper. I am pretty sure I had some smudged prints, but he didn't seem to mind. Who knows if it will actually go to interpol anyway?
We finally got home around 8 pm, ate a snack, and crashed. This should be the last step in the process, but one never knows.
Tomorrow is the start of the weekend. It is amazing how quickly time flies. Some highlights of the week:
We got our first paycheck, and we were reimbursed for shipping costs.
Russ won the football pool, which ended up being like USD 70.
We discovered 6alabet, which is a food delivery service that rivals NYC (www.6alabet.com, type in Mahboulah for our neighborhood). They even deliver ice cream which I think is a fantastic idea.
One of the teachers mentioned to me today that she loves how I dress, and I thought boy, it's just a Goodwill wardrobe I built over the summer, but it was the same feeling one gets with a really good hair day. A couple of the students commented yesterday that they liked my blouse, which always makes me feel young and somehow cool.
Today, there are clouds in the sky with some humidity. It's not going to rain, but it's nice to feel a change in the weather.
With money in our pockets again, we will be upgrading our internet service this weekend at the apartment which will help to normalize things.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
What I learned today
I spent a good amount of time reading the senior bios over the weekend and a few items caught my attention:
Regardless of where they are from, most if not all of the students have traveled extensively and have lived in many different, interesting places around the world. 90% can speak at least two languages, and several speak three or four.
As you might imagine, American students are not homogenous. Many of the Americans and Canadians at the school speak Arabic at home or have hard-to-pronounce names.
Again no surprise, banned books are some of their favorites (there is government censorship). The Hunger Games is popular.
While many students will hope to study in the US, I have students interested in Canada, Australia, Europe, UK, Japan, and the middle east. For the last five geographical areas, I have absolutely no idea so am up on a steep learning curve already.
Money is not an issue. During a meeting on Thursday to discuss the redecoration of the senior lounge, students were offering to bring in new furniture, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and paint. If they want something in or for school, cash will not be a problem.
Other things that I realized:
Always always make a backup of important documents right after you create them. Russ just lost several physics papers when the flashdrive burned out. We do have an external harddrive for this reason (it happened to us before) but he waited too long. Boy, he has been living the life of Job lately with one setback after another.
Knowing Hindi, Urdu, or Bengali seems to be as important as Arabic to try and get things done. I went to three stores before ending up at the right one this morning because of difficulties with English. Quite unfortunately, I do not see myself learning much of any of them.
The call to prayer at 4 am can sometimes be spooky and wake me up from a dead sleep.
It's easy to see why ex-pats make their own moonshine here. There really is nothing else to do sometimes.
I cannot drink enough water to stay hydrated.
Kuwaiti food in and of itself does not exist. It is a mix from other countries, namely Lebanon and Syria, both of which is very good. We eat it about every other day, partly because it is heart-healthy but just so easy to pick up delicious ready-made dishes at the supermarket.
Free time goes by too quickly here. The ten hours we are gone for school is much too long.
Having internet in our apartment is marvelous.
When the wind blows, in comes the fine layer of dust. The building is curved but (I imagine) to save money they put in straight windows, so there are all kinds of cracks. That is enough to drive someone crazy. Stay tuned.
Despite being told that bamboo was extremely resistant and keeping it in the right conditions, I have still managed to kill it. I realize I am best off with artificial foliage. Sigh.
Regardless of where they are from, most if not all of the students have traveled extensively and have lived in many different, interesting places around the world. 90% can speak at least two languages, and several speak three or four.
As you might imagine, American students are not homogenous. Many of the Americans and Canadians at the school speak Arabic at home or have hard-to-pronounce names.
Again no surprise, banned books are some of their favorites (there is government censorship). The Hunger Games is popular.
While many students will hope to study in the US, I have students interested in Canada, Australia, Europe, UK, Japan, and the middle east. For the last five geographical areas, I have absolutely no idea so am up on a steep learning curve already.
Money is not an issue. During a meeting on Thursday to discuss the redecoration of the senior lounge, students were offering to bring in new furniture, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and paint. If they want something in or for school, cash will not be a problem.
Other things that I realized:
Always always make a backup of important documents right after you create them. Russ just lost several physics papers when the flashdrive burned out. We do have an external harddrive for this reason (it happened to us before) but he waited too long. Boy, he has been living the life of Job lately with one setback after another.
Knowing Hindi, Urdu, or Bengali seems to be as important as Arabic to try and get things done. I went to three stores before ending up at the right one this morning because of difficulties with English. Quite unfortunately, I do not see myself learning much of any of them.
The call to prayer at 4 am can sometimes be spooky and wake me up from a dead sleep.
It's easy to see why ex-pats make their own moonshine here. There really is nothing else to do sometimes.
I cannot drink enough water to stay hydrated.
Kuwaiti food in and of itself does not exist. It is a mix from other countries, namely Lebanon and Syria, both of which is very good. We eat it about every other day, partly because it is heart-healthy but just so easy to pick up delicious ready-made dishes at the supermarket.
Free time goes by too quickly here. The ten hours we are gone for school is much too long.
Having internet in our apartment is marvelous.
When the wind blows, in comes the fine layer of dust. The building is curved but (I imagine) to save money they put in straight windows, so there are all kinds of cracks. That is enough to drive someone crazy. Stay tuned.
Despite being told that bamboo was extremely resistant and keeping it in the right conditions, I have still managed to kill it. I realize I am best off with artificial foliage. Sigh.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Hydro therapy
As if to purge ourselves from the heat and dust, Maria and I checked into the Hilton spa this afternoon to detox from the mental and physical demands of the week. Let me just say, I could become quite used to this.
We stepped into a large effervescent pool - a Turkish bath - reminiscent of the Caribbean both in color and temperature. As the jets swirled around us, we were brought lemon water in glasses the same color as the pool. A light flower aroma therapy was present in the air. On the weekends, it is open to men and women, and it felt like we were in a Russian immigrant community with large people in small bathing suits. I do not think there were any Russians actually, mostly men and women from the region seeking the respite of the Hilton where social rules are relaxed.
After we stepped out of the pool, we wrapped ourselves in warm towels completely and laid on chaise lounges. After an hour or so, we went into the steam room, the marbled jacuzzi, and then back on the lounges. It was invigorating and completely relaxing at the same time. Even though Russ is not a member, he could come on a guest pass whenever he wanted for a small fee.
Maria and I joked about at some point bringing our cameras and taking photos of everything because it is so schmancy. The thick Egyptian towels are just so heavy; a simple shower feels luxurious.
Tomorrow we will probably go back to our regular gym routine but this was divine. We could do both but probably only have time on the weekends. We are quickly finding out that this is a place to work and save money, but there is not much time for anything else.
Last night, Russ and I slept for ten hours after watching Napolean Dynamite and eating take-out. Just needed to catch up on our sleep and mental energy.
This morning, we had Shawn and Melissa over from Toronto for tea and conversation. They last taught in Korea and have so much young energy. Melissa loves to cook and is mostly vegetarian like us, so we are often trade recipe ideas. Then we decided to make a run to the Lulu Hypermarket. It is the only place I have been able to find almond butter and I bought every jar they had (four). What we have not been able to find is ground cinnamon though! We are rationing the small bottle we brought along. There is such a large olive selection, that every time I am there I try a new one out. This week it is Egyptian olives which are a pale yellow and more mild than the salty black Lebanese ones. I may start taste testing dates soon too.
I have gotten to know one of taxi drivers - Shahul - well, and call him regularly. That way we get a regular rate and he is on time for us. Taxi fares range from USD 4 to 12 for most places. His English isn't great, but he has a swell smile and drives safely (which cannot be said of most people here).
We stepped into a large effervescent pool - a Turkish bath - reminiscent of the Caribbean both in color and temperature. As the jets swirled around us, we were brought lemon water in glasses the same color as the pool. A light flower aroma therapy was present in the air. On the weekends, it is open to men and women, and it felt like we were in a Russian immigrant community with large people in small bathing suits. I do not think there were any Russians actually, mostly men and women from the region seeking the respite of the Hilton where social rules are relaxed.
After we stepped out of the pool, we wrapped ourselves in warm towels completely and laid on chaise lounges. After an hour or so, we went into the steam room, the marbled jacuzzi, and then back on the lounges. It was invigorating and completely relaxing at the same time. Even though Russ is not a member, he could come on a guest pass whenever he wanted for a small fee.
Maria and I joked about at some point bringing our cameras and taking photos of everything because it is so schmancy. The thick Egyptian towels are just so heavy; a simple shower feels luxurious.
Tomorrow we will probably go back to our regular gym routine but this was divine. We could do both but probably only have time on the weekends. We are quickly finding out that this is a place to work and save money, but there is not much time for anything else.
Last night, Russ and I slept for ten hours after watching Napolean Dynamite and eating take-out. Just needed to catch up on our sleep and mental energy.
This morning, we had Shawn and Melissa over from Toronto for tea and conversation. They last taught in Korea and have so much young energy. Melissa loves to cook and is mostly vegetarian like us, so we are often trade recipe ideas. Then we decided to make a run to the Lulu Hypermarket. It is the only place I have been able to find almond butter and I bought every jar they had (four). What we have not been able to find is ground cinnamon though! We are rationing the small bottle we brought along. There is such a large olive selection, that every time I am there I try a new one out. This week it is Egyptian olives which are a pale yellow and more mild than the salty black Lebanese ones. I may start taste testing dates soon too.
I have gotten to know one of taxi drivers - Shahul - well, and call him regularly. That way we get a regular rate and he is on time for us. Taxi fares range from USD 4 to 12 for most places. His English isn't great, but he has a swell smile and drives safely (which cannot be said of most people here).
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Eyes wide open
Having visited all of the junior and senior English classes (with roughly 280 students) to introduce myself, and having met individually with dozens of students in this first week and half, I have already come to some conclusions:
The previous ratio of students (40% American, 40% Kuwaiti, 20% other) is totally inaccurate from what we were previously told. My co-worker Nancy says it is more like 50% Kuwaiti and 50% other including Americans. This senior class is about 90% Kuwaiti however.
Many of them are children of incredible privilege. All Kuwaitis are promised jobs, so there is not a huge emphasis on college. One student told me that he wanted to go to law school but also wanted to drop an academic course for PE. With a 1.5 gpa, I told him it would be impossible to enter a four-year university. He replied that if it didn't work out, it was ok, because he really wanted to take gym. This is not uncommon. Obviously, there are some bright motivated students who will be applying early decision to selective colleges, but its rather the exception with this particular class.
95% of them (even the boy stuck in detention for two days) turned in their senior bio's to me on time though. Many of them have lovely personalities and seem eager to please.
I love working with the young women who yearn to go the US to study and live outside the confines of their culture. They are utterly delightful.
Coming back for a semester after graduation to finish up credits is not uncommon.
Many students plan on going to community college in the States which is definitely more realistic for many of them.
Arguing is part of the culture here I'm told, although they never see it as something negative. So far, I have kept my cool.
In the end, many of them are like teenagers the world over. Same goes for helicopter parents.
Tutoring is lucrative here. It is not uncommon to make USD 80 an hour for simple high school homework help. And the family's driver will pick you up and drop you off, often with dinner. We have been told some teachers double their salary this way, but it is incomprehensible to us to take on that much.
Faculty meetings are as boring and unproductive as I remember in the States. But the food served during these meetings is terrific so that counts for something.
Other things I've noticed:
My hair loves this super-dry weather. It can lay totally straight without much fussing, which is a very good thing.
Waking up before the sunrise is quite amazing. Today we watched the near full moon set while eating breakfast.
40 degrees Celsius today felt pleasant; it was a "cool day". I think this climate is going to forever spoil me for summers back in the Berkshires.
I really don't like averting my eyes in deference to Arab men, so we will see how long that lasts.
It helpful to read a book on the long ride to and from work. I just started "The Help", and I think some of us may begin a book club over it.
Takeout can sometimes be the very best thing in the world.
The previous ratio of students (40% American, 40% Kuwaiti, 20% other) is totally inaccurate from what we were previously told. My co-worker Nancy says it is more like 50% Kuwaiti and 50% other including Americans. This senior class is about 90% Kuwaiti however.
Many of them are children of incredible privilege. All Kuwaitis are promised jobs, so there is not a huge emphasis on college. One student told me that he wanted to go to law school but also wanted to drop an academic course for PE. With a 1.5 gpa, I told him it would be impossible to enter a four-year university. He replied that if it didn't work out, it was ok, because he really wanted to take gym. This is not uncommon. Obviously, there are some bright motivated students who will be applying early decision to selective colleges, but its rather the exception with this particular class.
95% of them (even the boy stuck in detention for two days) turned in their senior bio's to me on time though. Many of them have lovely personalities and seem eager to please.
I love working with the young women who yearn to go the US to study and live outside the confines of their culture. They are utterly delightful.
Coming back for a semester after graduation to finish up credits is not uncommon.
Many students plan on going to community college in the States which is definitely more realistic for many of them.
Arguing is part of the culture here I'm told, although they never see it as something negative. So far, I have kept my cool.
In the end, many of them are like teenagers the world over. Same goes for helicopter parents.
Tutoring is lucrative here. It is not uncommon to make USD 80 an hour for simple high school homework help. And the family's driver will pick you up and drop you off, often with dinner. We have been told some teachers double their salary this way, but it is incomprehensible to us to take on that much.
Faculty meetings are as boring and unproductive as I remember in the States. But the food served during these meetings is terrific so that counts for something.
Other things I've noticed:
My hair loves this super-dry weather. It can lay totally straight without much fussing, which is a very good thing.
Waking up before the sunrise is quite amazing. Today we watched the near full moon set while eating breakfast.
40 degrees Celsius today felt pleasant; it was a "cool day". I think this climate is going to forever spoil me for summers back in the Berkshires.
I really don't like averting my eyes in deference to Arab men, so we will see how long that lasts.
It helpful to read a book on the long ride to and from work. I just started "The Help", and I think some of us may begin a book club over it.
Takeout can sometimes be the very best thing in the world.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The end of a very long day
I am finally at home after a very long day of standing in line. Even though we already did our extensive bloodwork and chest xrays in the US, we went through the entire process again at the Ministry of Health.
To start things off, the two buses designated to transport forty-eight of us were an hour and half late in picking us up at 6:00 am, but we did not know when it would arrive so we waited in the hot sun (it seems like the temperatures rise as soon as the sun comes up). When we did arrive at the first office, men and women were segregated and each group went to the head of their respective lines, ahead of dozens of other people already waiting there, simply because we are Americans and they are (mostly) from the Indian sub-continent region. It's an uncomfortable feeling of privilege.
The privilege ended when the women were bussed to a separate building on the other side of town where females could be screened separately. This was completely chaotic from the minute we walked in the door with what seemed to be an United Nations conglomerate of people from twenty different countries. Fortunately, we had a representative from the school who could speak Arabic. We waited in one room, standing room only. Then we were moved to another so-called line in small groups. That's when the herd mentality and pushing began. Kuwaiti women in abayas forced their way to the front, with hardly an "excuse me". It was more "I'm Kuwaiti" which translates "I'm first". Then the hordes of other people started making a loud commotion. A group of six of us had snuck in just before the door was locked behind us, but then it was still another hour before we took off our bras, donned gowns, and went into the completely unprotected xray room (no lead aprons, multiple people in the room). This may be a so-called first-world country but I've been told it has a third-world (or to be pc,developing country) mentality in many areas.
The men by this time had long returned to school. We were not finished until the end of the school day but the bus brought us back to school anyway. We were given the ok to leave but had to battle the traffic of cars waiting to pick up students. Not many parents pick up their children but rather send their drivers who created a parking lot out of city streets surrounding the school.
Luckily, three of us found a taxi but then dealt with traffic on the highway home. I met with a woman who will be our new maid, and then waited outside for the school bus to arrive to take us to the Hilton. That bus was thirty minutes late and what I am coming to realize is that Kuwaiti time is not a whole different than Africa time. Things will always take much longer than we think. It was ok though; I got through about half of a book I started reading.
We had a light meal of hummus, baba gannoush, pita, and veggies for dinner. It's not even 7:30 now and I am ready to crash. A quick peak at my school email showed 42 messages waiting for my attention tomorrow morning. I am glad to have the Hilton to unwind.
To start things off, the two buses designated to transport forty-eight of us were an hour and half late in picking us up at 6:00 am, but we did not know when it would arrive so we waited in the hot sun (it seems like the temperatures rise as soon as the sun comes up). When we did arrive at the first office, men and women were segregated and each group went to the head of their respective lines, ahead of dozens of other people already waiting there, simply because we are Americans and they are (mostly) from the Indian sub-continent region. It's an uncomfortable feeling of privilege.
The privilege ended when the women were bussed to a separate building on the other side of town where females could be screened separately. This was completely chaotic from the minute we walked in the door with what seemed to be an United Nations conglomerate of people from twenty different countries. Fortunately, we had a representative from the school who could speak Arabic. We waited in one room, standing room only. Then we were moved to another so-called line in small groups. That's when the herd mentality and pushing began. Kuwaiti women in abayas forced their way to the front, with hardly an "excuse me". It was more "I'm Kuwaiti" which translates "I'm first". Then the hordes of other people started making a loud commotion. A group of six of us had snuck in just before the door was locked behind us, but then it was still another hour before we took off our bras, donned gowns, and went into the completely unprotected xray room (no lead aprons, multiple people in the room). This may be a so-called first-world country but I've been told it has a third-world (or to be pc,developing country) mentality in many areas.
The men by this time had long returned to school. We were not finished until the end of the school day but the bus brought us back to school anyway. We were given the ok to leave but had to battle the traffic of cars waiting to pick up students. Not many parents pick up their children but rather send their drivers who created a parking lot out of city streets surrounding the school.
Luckily, three of us found a taxi but then dealt with traffic on the highway home. I met with a woman who will be our new maid, and then waited outside for the school bus to arrive to take us to the Hilton. That bus was thirty minutes late and what I am coming to realize is that Kuwaiti time is not a whole different than Africa time. Things will always take much longer than we think. It was ok though; I got through about half of a book I started reading.
We had a light meal of hummus, baba gannoush, pita, and veggies for dinner. It's not even 7:30 now and I am ready to crash. A quick peak at my school email showed 42 messages waiting for my attention tomorrow morning. I am glad to have the Hilton to unwind.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
It's a wonderful world
Every Thursday at 1:55 pm, Dr. Mitchell (Bernie), the superintendent, gives his end-of-the-week announcement and then plays Louis Armstrong for a few minutes. I have to say, at some point the song will probably drive me nuts, but in this first crazy busy week, it was a blissful way to end the day. The students were quick to leave and there was a good forty-five minutes to close things out before heading home.
The bus made a quick stop at the local supermarket on the way home. This was another Sultan Center located close to school (nothing in this heat is within walking distance). What I am discovering is that some items are not available consistently. For example, I have not found almond butter since our first shopping trip. I did however find canned pumpkin, and what people told me was that I got lucky. Items like that will come and go without notice so buy a couple if you like what you see. The other lucky find was there was a “farmer’s market” section in the store with locally grown produce. I found a whole flat of beautiful butter lettuce for only a couple dollars, and was able to share with our neighbors. We are enjoying the salad mix quite a bit.
The complex had a bbq Thursday night down at the pool, although it was too hot to grill. We were fine to graze on salads and other cold dishes. It’s really a nice eclectic group of people, a mix of families, couples, and singles mostly from the US and Canada.
Yesterday, I went over to the Friday Market with a few people. This was an amazing shopping experience (except I was resigned to just looking until payday next week). There were a dozen outside covered pavilions, each about the size of a football field. One pavilion had bedding, another had furniture, another had rugs and curtains, another had clothes (which assuaged my doubt that there wouldn’t be any second hand stores). It was phenomenal and something I would like to spend more time at. We also went over the plant souk where I did buy a couple of plants to hopefully fill in our apartment. We miss having green living things around us.
Later in the day, Russ and I went over to the Hilton to walk at the beach. It is a good four kilometer loop that gives us something somewhat pleasant to look at. We then used the internet for about an hour. We are trying out a new internet service here at the apartment, 3G technology sharing with another apartment. So far so good.
After spending the morning today prepping food for the week and puttering around the apartment, I went back to the Hilton with my friend Maria for our workout. Maria is about my age from Nova Scotia. She is easy to shop with and we're on the same workout philosophy. Even though I am friendly with a lot of other people, it's great having someone (other than Russ) to call up and hang out with.
The bus made a quick stop at the local supermarket on the way home. This was another Sultan Center located close to school (nothing in this heat is within walking distance). What I am discovering is that some items are not available consistently. For example, I have not found almond butter since our first shopping trip. I did however find canned pumpkin, and what people told me was that I got lucky. Items like that will come and go without notice so buy a couple if you like what you see. The other lucky find was there was a “farmer’s market” section in the store with locally grown produce. I found a whole flat of beautiful butter lettuce for only a couple dollars, and was able to share with our neighbors. We are enjoying the salad mix quite a bit.
The complex had a bbq Thursday night down at the pool, although it was too hot to grill. We were fine to graze on salads and other cold dishes. It’s really a nice eclectic group of people, a mix of families, couples, and singles mostly from the US and Canada.
Yesterday, I went over to the Friday Market with a few people. This was an amazing shopping experience (except I was resigned to just looking until payday next week). There were a dozen outside covered pavilions, each about the size of a football field. One pavilion had bedding, another had furniture, another had rugs and curtains, another had clothes (which assuaged my doubt that there wouldn’t be any second hand stores). It was phenomenal and something I would like to spend more time at. We also went over the plant souk where I did buy a couple of plants to hopefully fill in our apartment. We miss having green living things around us.
Later in the day, Russ and I went over to the Hilton to walk at the beach. It is a good four kilometer loop that gives us something somewhat pleasant to look at. We then used the internet for about an hour. We are trying out a new internet service here at the apartment, 3G technology sharing with another apartment. So far so good.
After spending the morning today prepping food for the week and puttering around the apartment, I went back to the Hilton with my friend Maria for our workout. Maria is about my age from Nova Scotia. She is easy to shop with and we're on the same workout philosophy. Even though I am friendly with a lot of other people, it's great having someone (other than Russ) to call up and hang out with.
Monday, September 5, 2011
A good decision
After three days of hoofing it around the track at our complex, doing stairs at the Annex (singles building in which the stairs are cooler than our building) and jump rope, I broke down and joined the Hilton. Even thought I enjoyed the company of three other women, the pervasive dust, smell of sewage, and the heat (even after the sun goes down, it’s incredibly hot with only about 15% humidity), made me stop and ask “Why am I putting myself through this?” Life is too short to be miserable. Instead, the school bus dropped me and three other teachers off at the Hilton, where I had a locker to store my things, towels to shower, and satellite television while I walked on the treadmill. In fact, I watched the Colbert Report and Martha Stewart, which gave me enough tv for the day. One of the best things was that I could exercise in shorts and a tank top and nobody cares. Even more than the physical workout, it was a complete de-stressor from the day.
Russ discovered a great find at his gym - there is a healthy affordable take-out restaurant on the top floor. So he can put in a request for dinner when he goes in and then pick it up when he heads out. Not something we will do every day but a nice option when both of us are to tired to cook. Tandoori chicken wraps sound good for tonight!
The days end up being extremely long and then very short. The long part is getting up at 5:00 am to catch the 5:45 bus and only returning at 3:30 (we decided the 5:15 bus was too early). School happens between 7 am and 2 pm, but the half hour commute each way stretches things out. Between 3:30 and 9:00 is our free time, where two and half hours at the gym (including transport to get to and from there) only leaves three hours to do everything else, which includes at least an hour to prep for the next day. For the time being, we will be going to bed on the early side.
We have little sense of time. The work week is Sunday through Thursday, and we are a bit robotic in just waking up, getting on the bus, and going to school regardless of what day it is. One thing about getting up early is that it is cooler. However, BBC world weather predicted that Kuwait will be the hottest inhabited place on the planet today. There is a huge difference between the 41 degrees Celsius yesterday and the 48 it will reach later on.
The school has a doctor and he re-wrote all of Russ’ prescriptions today, called them into the pharmacy which then delivered. Unfortunately, the insurance does not cover Crestor so we are paying market value for that, but not on anything else. He has an appointment with a doctor tomorrow at 6:30 pm (like everything else here, doctors keep late office hours). Taking time off from work seems to be frowned upon so there are these helpful accomodations.
Russ has a great schedule, with a large break around lunch time that serves as his planning time. We eat lunch together every day. Never thought we could work at the same school but we actually rarely see each other. I am on the second floor and he is on the fourth at the opposite end. We have different friends on the bus ride and then our own workout times, so it feels balanced. I enjoy my co-workers but just found out that one of them will be leaving in the next few weeks, which will totally complicate my life as I work with 150 seniors to get into college over the next four month. Oh, and the assistant principal goes on maternity leave next month so things should be very very interesting.
I could be stressed out with this recent news, but we are trying hard to take things one day at time, and it feels pretty good. Tomorrow's worries are not today's concerns because there is enough going on today.
Russ discovered a great find at his gym - there is a healthy affordable take-out restaurant on the top floor. So he can put in a request for dinner when he goes in and then pick it up when he heads out. Not something we will do every day but a nice option when both of us are to tired to cook. Tandoori chicken wraps sound good for tonight!
The days end up being extremely long and then very short. The long part is getting up at 5:00 am to catch the 5:45 bus and only returning at 3:30 (we decided the 5:15 bus was too early). School happens between 7 am and 2 pm, but the half hour commute each way stretches things out. Between 3:30 and 9:00 is our free time, where two and half hours at the gym (including transport to get to and from there) only leaves three hours to do everything else, which includes at least an hour to prep for the next day. For the time being, we will be going to bed on the early side.
We have little sense of time. The work week is Sunday through Thursday, and we are a bit robotic in just waking up, getting on the bus, and going to school regardless of what day it is. One thing about getting up early is that it is cooler. However, BBC world weather predicted that Kuwait will be the hottest inhabited place on the planet today. There is a huge difference between the 41 degrees Celsius yesterday and the 48 it will reach later on.
The school has a doctor and he re-wrote all of Russ’ prescriptions today, called them into the pharmacy which then delivered. Unfortunately, the insurance does not cover Crestor so we are paying market value for that, but not on anything else. He has an appointment with a doctor tomorrow at 6:30 pm (like everything else here, doctors keep late office hours). Taking time off from work seems to be frowned upon so there are these helpful accomodations.
Russ has a great schedule, with a large break around lunch time that serves as his planning time. We eat lunch together every day. Never thought we could work at the same school but we actually rarely see each other. I am on the second floor and he is on the fourth at the opposite end. We have different friends on the bus ride and then our own workout times, so it feels balanced. I enjoy my co-workers but just found out that one of them will be leaving in the next few weeks, which will totally complicate my life as I work with 150 seniors to get into college over the next four month. Oh, and the assistant principal goes on maternity leave next month so things should be very very interesting.
I could be stressed out with this recent news, but we are trying hard to take things one day at time, and it feels pretty good. Tomorrow's worries are not today's concerns because there is enough going on today.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Ready or not
Russ thinks we live in India (or Bangladesh). I am pretty sure this is better than a lot of India. As the city grows, there is more and more construction, and we are right in the middle of it. Towers and buildings around us were not here two years ago. Our apartment complex is modern, but to step outside is to step into another world in this new country we’re in. A block away, there is open sewage. There is trash strewn about the shifting sand dunes that moves with the construction activity. And everyone we see on the streets in this part of town seems to be from the Indian sub-continent. All of the small businesses are operated by them which provide basic grocery and takeout services nearly eighteen hours a day. With a twenty minute walk or five minute taxi ride away however, we are back in Kuwait.
School starts in two days, but students have been on campus to fix their schedules or test in. Today is Chevron day, when all the new American students take placement tests. Tomorrow is new student orientation. Work has most definitely begun! Fortunately, I am familiar with the scheduling software.
There are three buses that leave the complex in the morning - 5:15, 5:45, and 6:15. School starts at 7:00 and continues until 2:00 (teachers must stay until at least 2:30). Buses then return at 3:00, 3:45, and 4:15. This seems to make for a long work day with not much free time if we plan on getting up at 4:30 am every day!
Russ started going to the “Platinum” gym about a half mile away. It is fully equipped, and the jacuzzi is also quite relaxing for him. I am debating between a DIY routine here at the complex and joining the Hilton where I would team up with another teacher.
Last night, there was an organized trip to the Heritage Souk in the center of Kuwait City. We found street after street of stalls selling perfumes, fabrics, gold jewelry and bling, tailoring services, and food. There were also clothes. What I have found interesting both in the souks and the malls is the availability of scantily covered clothes, which must be what women wear either under their abayas or in the comfort of their homes. A lot of it is kind of over-the-top glitzy, but some of it is quite fashionable. Even if a woman does not wear the abaya,she is most likely wearing pants and long sleeves. It does not seem to matter that both of these can be super tight-fitting.
I think I brought over the right amount of school clothes. But I did not anticipate workout and especially just casual going out clothes. It looks like a lot of laundry or finding a few things here.
School starts in two days, but students have been on campus to fix their schedules or test in. Today is Chevron day, when all the new American students take placement tests. Tomorrow is new student orientation. Work has most definitely begun! Fortunately, I am familiar with the scheduling software.
There are three buses that leave the complex in the morning - 5:15, 5:45, and 6:15. School starts at 7:00 and continues until 2:00 (teachers must stay until at least 2:30). Buses then return at 3:00, 3:45, and 4:15. This seems to make for a long work day with not much free time if we plan on getting up at 4:30 am every day!
Russ started going to the “Platinum” gym about a half mile away. It is fully equipped, and the jacuzzi is also quite relaxing for him. I am debating between a DIY routine here at the complex and joining the Hilton where I would team up with another teacher.
Last night, there was an organized trip to the Heritage Souk in the center of Kuwait City. We found street after street of stalls selling perfumes, fabrics, gold jewelry and bling, tailoring services, and food. There were also clothes. What I have found interesting both in the souks and the malls is the availability of scantily covered clothes, which must be what women wear either under their abayas or in the comfort of their homes. A lot of it is kind of over-the-top glitzy, but some of it is quite fashionable. Even if a woman does not wear the abaya,she is most likely wearing pants and long sleeves. It does not seem to matter that both of these can be super tight-fitting.
I think I brought over the right amount of school clothes. But I did not anticipate workout and especially just casual going out clothes. It looks like a lot of laundry or finding a few things here.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A few observations
Within this five day holiday, we have managed to unpack everything and start putting things up on the walls. Our ginormous penthouse on the fourteenth floor is starting to feel more like a home. I am pretty sure it has more square footage than the Old Windsor Road house.
There was an arranged shopping trip so I went to another grocery store, The Sultan Center, which was right on the water. While no longer overwhelmed, I am continually surprised at the availability of things. Most anything can be found for a price. While there are local staples like produce, dairy, and meat, most everything else is imported from the US, Australia, and Germany (I love their design items). So items like toiletries are imported and there is not a local equivalent like we found in Southern Africa. USD 4 for Gillette deodorant, USD 7.50 for a medium Jergens lotion, $8 for a small bottle of Pantene shampoo. While most produce is reasonable, I did see a pint of raspberries for USD 9!
Pleasant surprises included finding almond butter, refried beans, soy milk, and delicious whole wheat bread. What I have been unable to find is: canned pumpkin, black beans, pretzels, and corn tortillas (but even Pittsfield did not have corn tortillas ten years ago). This is all ok, because to make up for it, I have found readily made baba gannoush, fava beans, and an expansive array of spices, olives, nuts, and dried fruit. The non-alcholic beer is from Germany and is quite good. Every trip to the supermarket is like going into an international store back home, because of the diverse mix of Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Philipinos, Europeans, and Americans who live here.
There is a nearby market - a bakala - about a block away which like a Seven Eleven but better stocked. In fact, it more closely resembles a corner market in New York. Especially when I look out our windows at night, it feels like we live in the city, with its’ twinkling lights, our taxi runs, central air and heat, and un-air conditioned elevators taking us hundreds of feet into the air. On the other hand, there is not nearly the bustle of a real city because we live on the outskirts.
Mahboulah is the name of the neighborhood we live in, which was recently turned into a major construction site. The phone lines were dug up in the spring, and we may never have landline service again. There are mounds of sand everywhere and sewage pops up in places (not close to where we live but we can see it from the apartment). No Kuwaiti’s live out here; our neighborhood is filled with workers from the Sub-continent and Southeast Asia region. They regularly play cricket in the late afternoon.
There are lots of little restaurants within walking distance and every place delivers. We are close to shopping centers by taxi, and there seems to be a Starbucks on most corners.
It’s easy to tell who the Kuwaiti’s are - the men are almost always dressed in dishdashahs and the women are usually covered in some way. Not all Kuwaiti’s are dressed this way, but they are the only ones who will dress like this. which seems to convey a status. There are obviously Muslims from other Arab countries, like taxi drivers, who most often wear Western clothes.
From what I can tell, Kuwaiti’s never work in any kind of retail or manual labor situation. Their positions, if they do work, seem to be relegated to upper professional work.
Unlike Southern Africa where we greeted everyone when we walked past them and sometime got involved in lengthy conversations, I divert my eyes with men and there is no greeting even between them and Russ. The school environment is different where everyone is friendly.
There was an arranged shopping trip so I went to another grocery store, The Sultan Center, which was right on the water. While no longer overwhelmed, I am continually surprised at the availability of things. Most anything can be found for a price. While there are local staples like produce, dairy, and meat, most everything else is imported from the US, Australia, and Germany (I love their design items). So items like toiletries are imported and there is not a local equivalent like we found in Southern Africa. USD 4 for Gillette deodorant, USD 7.50 for a medium Jergens lotion, $8 for a small bottle of Pantene shampoo. While most produce is reasonable, I did see a pint of raspberries for USD 9!
Pleasant surprises included finding almond butter, refried beans, soy milk, and delicious whole wheat bread. What I have been unable to find is: canned pumpkin, black beans, pretzels, and corn tortillas (but even Pittsfield did not have corn tortillas ten years ago). This is all ok, because to make up for it, I have found readily made baba gannoush, fava beans, and an expansive array of spices, olives, nuts, and dried fruit. The non-alcholic beer is from Germany and is quite good. Every trip to the supermarket is like going into an international store back home, because of the diverse mix of Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Philipinos, Europeans, and Americans who live here.
There is a nearby market - a bakala - about a block away which like a Seven Eleven but better stocked. In fact, it more closely resembles a corner market in New York. Especially when I look out our windows at night, it feels like we live in the city, with its’ twinkling lights, our taxi runs, central air and heat, and un-air conditioned elevators taking us hundreds of feet into the air. On the other hand, there is not nearly the bustle of a real city because we live on the outskirts.
Mahboulah is the name of the neighborhood we live in, which was recently turned into a major construction site. The phone lines were dug up in the spring, and we may never have landline service again. There are mounds of sand everywhere and sewage pops up in places (not close to where we live but we can see it from the apartment). No Kuwaiti’s live out here; our neighborhood is filled with workers from the Sub-continent and Southeast Asia region. They regularly play cricket in the late afternoon.
There are lots of little restaurants within walking distance and every place delivers. We are close to shopping centers by taxi, and there seems to be a Starbucks on most corners.
It’s easy to tell who the Kuwaiti’s are - the men are almost always dressed in dishdashahs and the women are usually covered in some way. Not all Kuwaiti’s are dressed this way, but they are the only ones who will dress like this. which seems to convey a status. There are obviously Muslims from other Arab countries, like taxi drivers, who most often wear Western clothes.
From what I can tell, Kuwaiti’s never work in any kind of retail or manual labor situation. Their positions, if they do work, seem to be relegated to upper professional work.
Unlike Southern Africa where we greeted everyone when we walked past them and sometime got involved in lengthy conversations, I divert my eyes with men and there is no greeting even between them and Russ. The school environment is different where everyone is friendly.
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