The paradise of Arabia

After an erratic and somewhat weird National Day celebration at school, it was a relief to head to the airport and out of Kuwait Thursday evening. Maria and I were apparently not alone in the sentiment, as the dozens of cars snaked along the highway enroute to the airport. The place was packed. Our flight was more than an hour delayed but that was a small inconvenience after we were bumped into first class. How this happened exactly is unclear but what I do know is that I like flying this way. Such a much more civilized way to travel with a four-course dinner, Spanish wine, hot towels, and abundant space. The two-hour flight went by too quickly.

We arrived in Muscat, Oman in the wee hours of the morning, but managed to get to bed by 2:30. We both slept hard that night. The whitewashed Beach Hotel was located in the central part of the city in the Al-shatti Quorm neighborhood, a few minutes from the beach. Our rooms were spacious, clean, and comfortable, with a balcony, and resembled a villa in Greece. In much of Muscat we found white buildings and tiles. Maria and I spent most of the late morning lazily roaming around the beach area with it's picnic areas and outdoor cafes. It really felt more like an island to me than anything else.

We decided to head out to the far end of the city to Al-Bustan Palace, which is a hotel resort, but might as well be a fortress. The lobby resembled an ornate mosque with high ceilings, intricate woodwork and complex chandeliers. We headed out to the beach area and had a light late lunch, while digging our toes into the sand. After walking around the gardens, we took a taxi back through Old Muscat and along the Corniche back to our hotel, where we commenced on happy hour. The night before we bought some alcohol in Duty free, and stopped by the supermarket on the way back from Al-Bustan. For some reason, this market had a wide variety of South African and US foodstuffs. I gleefully bought a box of Ouma rusks, some Lime Tostitos and believe it or not, Santa Barbara salsa. Margaritas, chips and salsa were a fantastic way to spend the afternoon, chilling out on the balcony.

For dinner, we walked across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel which boasted several good restaurants. We chose the dark wood interior of the English pub, ordered a couple of pints, and enjoyed our surroundings. Not only was the beer a draw, but Maria ordered real bacon on her hamburger. There were quite a few Omani men comfortably in the bar, but did not seem out of place. Gone were the sunglasses and head scarves (with their annoying air of arrogance) that are so prevalent with Kuwaiti men. Omani men wear the white dishdasha robe but it is simpler with a fez type hat or turban. It just looks friendlier and we found the people there as a whole much more welcoming and open.

For so many reasons, Oman is the complete opposite of Kuwait. It has a long storied history. We looked at maps from the 1500's and Oman is on there. No where is Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, or Kuwait mentioned. It's culture is varied and valued, at one time the empire stretching north far into the desert and south along the coast of East Africa. So-called Kuwaiti culture is hard to define. We found Muscat to be clean, orderly, and quiet. No honking horns, no crazy drivers. There are signs posted everywhere to respect the country - no littering and please keep the peace (stay quiet), which was much appreciated. Aesthetics is important and everything seemed to be thoughtfully designed. It is a lovely, uncrowded, pleasant city.

We were up surprisingly early on Saturday morning and took a taxi over to old part of the city where the Sultan's palace is located. Ruler for over forty years, he is much beloved. With every other country experiencing some kind of unrest in the Gulf over the past year, Oman has risen above the fray. They genuinely seem to be some of the happiest people around.

I loved walking through the Old City, where small storefronts blended into the neighborhood of immaculate houses, brightly tiled mosques, and tree-lined streets. We stopped off at Beit Al Zubair, a museum showcasing Omani history and culture. It was well-designed and fascinating.

From there we walked several kilometers from the Old City along the waterfront. The temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees with a slight breeze. We arrived at the fabled Mutrah souk tired but exhilarated. After stopping for a quick falafel sandwich and pistachio milkshake, we headed into the shopping area. There were fabric stores, silver shops, storefronts carrying frankicense, myrrh, and other spices. Traditional daggers, hand-knotted carpets, silk scarves, and perfumes were available as were tailors, shoemakers, jewelry makers, and other craftsmen tending their wares and services.

Back by mid-afternoon, we started up with happy hour again, and bemoaned the lack of it in Kuwait. It really is a nice thing to do after work sometimes. For dinner we returned to the InterCon and ate fresh fish and drank tiki bowls at Trader Vic's.

Yesterday offered another whole day before our flight left in the evening. We walked over to the Royal Opera House which was awe-inspiring (and that was only the lobby which we were allowed to see). We strolled through the gardens at the Intercon before finding a couple of lounges to enjoy the tranquility. We each had a delightful gelato and then walked through the Embassy neighborhood over to the Hyatt hotel. Lonely Planet talked about this place in Disney like terms; what we found was an Ali Baba atmosphere, over the top but still tastefully done. There was a hopping pool scene and we found a shady spot to enjoy one last beer (Corona no less). We finished off our afternoon and time in Muscat with high tea in the lobby and were not disappointed in the finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and tea. To say we ate well on this trip is an understatement.

Maria was a wonderful travel companion; we liked to do a lot of the same things and had a blast. No surprise there. Everything went smoothly, and we felt like we had the best hotel in the best location. Coming back to Kuwait was the hard part last night, but we'll manage...April vacation is only a month away.

It was great to see Russ again and we spent most of today together.

Hearts, (jeans,) and flags

After almost a year of cardiac-related issues, it was nice to turn to another type of heart last week. The entire week was lovely. On Monday night, I came home to find a stack of photos that Russ had reprinted. There were older photos of us and recent photos of family members. We created a montage on one of the kitchen walls. It was very thoughtful of him since this is something I never seem to have time to do. Tuesday we had a group of people over for chili, guacamole, drinks, and great conversation. Steph Willocks made cornbread which was just so perfect. Maria brought over a big box of chocolates one of her students gave her. Valentine's Day is celebrated here as Friendship Day so this was the perfect context to spend time with our friends. It was too bad that we had school the next day as we stayed up way past our bedtime. In fact the major disturbance in our sleep schedule affected us the rest of the week. Friday was our major day of rest. Russ and I went to the spa for the afternoon and then out for sushi. It was a really wonderful day. We also skyped with people back home and watched a movie.

My spirits were raised last week as I wore jeans every single day to work. Student Council organized spirit week which encouraged dressing in a specific theme every day. My theme was jeans and I never thought I could get so excited over something as simple as that. Apparently, it is what my life has come to.

All of this week, the school has been winding up for Kuwait National Day, which happens this weekend. Flags and photos of the Emir have been hung everywhere in the school hallways, which mirror everywhere else in the country. Students have routinely been out of class to decorate, practice traditional dance routines, and act out skits. There is a great deal of nationalism at this combined Independence from Britain and Liberation from Iraq day. If they were not in long flowing robes or embroidered dresses, everyone seemed to be dressed in the national colors of black, red, green, and white (again for me, a black tee, jeans and a scarf with the Emir's image that was given to me worked just fine).

The assembly was mostly in Arabic, and much was lost in translation. The party afterwards was incredibly festive. The courtyard was transformed into a large diwaniya (center of Kuwaiti social time) with large carpets, tents, and cushions. There was an elaborate catered lunch for all the students and staff and extremely loud live music that forced many of the teachers into the quieter middle school courtyard.

There is a real niche for event planners here - the banner makers, balloon sculptures, tent structures, elaborate flower displays - everything is about going over the top.

Because it was a largely unstructured day, I snuck down to the Elementary school ("the happy place") in the morning where their entire field was comprised of International Day sponsored by the parents. I had never seen anything like it, and of course this is one of the best parts of being in an international school. Elaborate displays and extensive food offerings were presented by parents in costume from countries like Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela, Mexico, Indonesia, France, US, Lebanon, Palestine, Canada, and Kuwait. Completely over the top. The Lebanon booth had a sheet cake four feet by six. Egypt had dancers and a massive flag. There was a professional photographer at the Kuwait booth, and an interactive video screen at the Mexican table.

Now on the edge of a four day weekend, I am so ready to leave with Maria for Muscat, Oman tonight. Russ decided to stay behind, rest up, and get a few projects done. Kuwait is a tough place to live, and I am hoping the change of scenery will provide a much-needed mental break.

Senioritis has already settled in. This time of year in a high school is always tough. Obviously, it's not just the seniors who are losing focus. Russ and I have started to count down days too. Time is going by really quickly.

Caribou Coffee

I am not a regular coffee drinker, but I used to be and in the past week have probably had more coffee than in the past ten years. Part of it is extreme lack of sleep from guns going off outside to watching the Superbowl in real time to an extremely hectic week of work. I felt inexplicable cravings for coffee...and then found out that (Upper Midwest-based) Caribou Coffee delivers to the school. Turns out our whole office loves this service too so it has become a regular fixation. Coffee is much appreciated here and there seems to be one US franchise or another on most street corners. Even in Little Bangladesh where we live, it is possible to walk to a Starbucks.

The coffee is good, but I don't feel psychologically or physically addicted to it (I am making a conscious effort to drink decaf most of the time). A regular tea drinker for years, there is still a comfort quality to a skim vanilla latte. What I love most about this company is their marketing - "Life is short. Stay awake for it." So cheesy as it might be, in the spirit of "Life lessons learned in kindergarten", the rest of this blog is borrowed from the cups that they so whimsically decorate. It makes me smile so much more than what is inside and maybe that is what will propel me to continue buying their coffee (plus it is worker-friendly and fair trade).

Each size cup has a different message. On the small size are listed the following words of wisdom and I have added my own two cents:
continue more conversations offline - a good reminder
take all your vacation days - do not need to be reminded
smile first, ask questions later - the aha! moment
make time for silly
eat when you are hungry, nap when you are tired - does anyone have a problem with this?
be a hero without the dorky cape - but I like the cape
enter a pie eating contest - does not need to be competitive;I am ok just eating pie
make today special - finding joy in the small things
and my favorite...grow older without ever growing up

The medium cup asks the question - What do you stay awake for? Some of the more entertaining ones...
velociraptors lurking in the shadows - best to look under the bed too
wheelin' and dealin' at garage sales - a good bargain can make my day
socks, fresh from the dryer - I prefer sheets hung on the line in the middle of summer
nights that turn into sunrises - I love sunrises but also love my sleep. Staying up all night to watch the sun rise no longer holds appeal.

The cardboard carrying containers reads:
max out your passport - except don't travel just to collect stamps in your book
be the first to apologize - at some times easier than others
give someone a hand - helping out as well as applause
dance in the rain - a nice idea but completely impractical, which I guess is the point
hold hands, not grudges - yes
take the stairs - makes for great looking legs
take a deep breath and then a few more - its amazing how often we forget to breathe
don't let your taste go to waste - homemade is always better than store bought
technology is good but people are better
take lots of photos

I haven't seen the large cup container, which is probably a good thing given my long-standing relationship with 44 oz Diet Cokes.

Now, isn't the day just a little bit brighter?

The gun show

Last night, we awoke suddenly to several fully automatic rifles going off. There may have also been a cannon of some sorts (promptly a lively discussion this morning in our complex about how that sort of weaponry can be bought around here. But then we all remembered that in some states back home you can also buy AK-47's without a problem). The racket must have lasted for a couple of hours. We figured it meant that someone in the neighborhood had won the parliamentary election yesterday, which was cause for a national holiday and a day off from school. It is amazing though how close the guns seemed to be shooting into the air, even though it probably happened across the 30 highway, a half mile away. Anyway, it was enough to keep us from sleeping and we are dragging today.

I love three-day weekends. It has been incredibly restful and there is seemingly so much time. Wednesday night we went bowling, while outside the weather was squalling. The unprecedented torrential rain left puddles that still cover our neighborhood. On Thursday after staying in my pjs for most of the morning, Russ and I went to the Hilton spa. He got a massage while I worked out, and then we wrapped ourselves in thick warm towels and lounged by the Turkish bath for a couple of hours. It was so relaxing. A few friends joined us for Chinese food later on.

After church today, we went out to lunch with Nancy at Le Pain Quotidien, which is one of my favorite places to eat. It has just been a very chill weekend, which is only half over. I think we are settling in to watch a movie tonight, but then we still have all of tomorrow before going back to school on Sunday! It is a well-earned break. Grades were just submitted and it will be rocky as students and parents complain and despair (I've got some seniors who will be coming back for a fifth year, which will not be pleasant). But that's still more than a day away and I am keen to live in this moment.