Eid Al Adha

     Tomorrow is the first day of the three-day celebration of Eid Al Adha.  What does this mean to me?  Not really that much, especially spiritual-wise, but I do get a week of vacation time that just happens to correspond with Eid Al Adha.  A welcomed break from school, you can imagine.  I don't really know that much about it, so I won't try to share anything but the things that I actually do know.

     First, this Eid is related to the hajj.  I have seen photos of this majestic ceremony.

    Secondly, this is a time of giving.  Yesterday at school, the Arabic staff gave us a delicious lunch of fatayer, arayes, machboos, a sweet, and a drink.  I love being social over a nice meal.  Isn't that what life is all about?  When I thanked several teachers, they told me that this is their way of sharing their Eid with us as Eid is a time of giving.

     Thirdly, I know that the first day of Eid is fatteh (sp?), a fatted sheep is killed, rather like an offering.  One third of the meat is given away to others and the rest is cooked up for the fatteh feast.  I have been invited to the fatteh feast tomorrow at my friend Inas's house, which I am anticipating very much!

     This morning a pickup pulled up to the apartment building next door and unloaded 4 sheep.  The video I took is too big to upload to this blog, so here is a photo:

Closeup of Construction Practices in Kuwait

Watching construction of all kinds fascinates me, but mostly I love houses and buildings.  I blame it all on my dad; he was a carpenter.  I learned so much about construction by watching him building the houses in our neighborhood as I was growing up.  I saw everything from the excavation to the final finishing touches......and was able to learn by helping him.  

So now I am in Kuwait and seeing construction practices that I have never seen before and which would have my dad turning in his grave.   I want to share some of these things with you, because you never know:  some of you might even be as interested as I am!   I have taken many photos of buildings around here in their various stages, but nothing as complete as the process that is going on at the building next door.

Now keep in mind:  this is Kuwait, a third-world country with first-world money.  And one of the reasons that Kuwaitis are as rich as they are is that they find the cheapest labor they can find to do all the hard work.  These people come from many different countries to earn an honest living, but they are being taken advantage of and put in unsafe conditions just so that Kuwaitis can save a few bucks.  A sad situation, in my mind.

Anyway, to begin.  My story starts last April when I returned from my vacation with Grace in Cairo.  The building next door had a little accident with the brick facade falling off.   I posted a photo on Facebook about it.   There were bricks and debris all over the place over there; every day I would have to look out at it because my window overlooks the roof and the lobby area.  The debris took a little rest over the hot summer until this past week.  I have been photographing and videoing the repair process and that is what I am sharing with you.

One morning I looked out and saw a man digging through the debris and sorting out the salvageable bricks.   He picked out the reusable bricks and put them in his wheelbarrow and wheeled it over to the wall and then stacked the bricks next to the wall.   Here is the video:

Then another morning I saw they were building the scaffolding.  This was such an interesting process.....and very old fashioned.  When is the last time you saw old wood scaffolding that was lashed together with pieces of cloth?  

The next step was to get the bricks up on the scaffolding so they could begin the actual work:

Here is a video showing their manual labor as they are putting up the bricks:   Aw, too bad...the file is too big to upload.   I will have to learn to edit and cut it down to proper size.

Here is a video of them mixing the cement.   Is it any wonder that the bricks don't stay attached to the wall????   Damn.....too big, also.

Did you notice the workman wearing sandals?   There are no safety standards that have to be followed here.   Who cares if someone gets badly hurt?   Workmen are a dime a dozen....okay, a dinar a dozen....almost literally.   There are working people here who make $350-$400 a month and are expected to survive on that.

This was my documentary of the day.   Hope you enjoyed it.   I will get those videos fixed and attached as soon as possible.

Home - Summer 2014

Yes!   I'm finally home!  Grace, Alex, Cassi, and Jeramiah met me at the airport at 8 pm!!!   So happy to see them all, but missed the girls.  We went out for Mexican, since that is what I have been dreaming about.  A very nice homecoming indeed.

Yesterday morning I was awakened by Jill and Brian who had driven up from Laramie on their 34th anniversary!  I'm so glad they came!   We went to Tacos Mexico for lunch, stopped at Big Lots to check out their treasures, then joined Cassi and her mother for Cassi's wedding dress fitting.  Then we went out to Beth and Ed's to see Alex's new baby and Grandpa Richard.  After a long day of visiting in-laws and out-laws, the Blocks drove home.  They needed to get home to have a good rest since they planned to go to the Brooks' new home in Wellington to help them move.  A big day and a happy day for me!!!   I love my sister!!!


This morning I left the house at 5:30 for a walk down to the river.  The sky was overcast and so beautiful; rain was falling to the north, I could see and was hoping it would come our way.  The storm clouds were all shades of navy blue from dark to lightest gray.  There was a silver light shining through a hole in the clouds: the sun wanting to say "Good morning!"  I walked along the path next to the Three Crowns Golf Course and enjoyed the emerald greens.  Quite a few of the trees along the path have died and disappeared, but there were still caraganas, cottonwoods, and elms.  The variety of prairie grasses brought back memories of my childhood and our traipsing up to G-Hill or playing in Mrs. Dye's weeds.  The river was a bit low, but the best part was the white-tail doe on the little island near the bridge.  She was very aware of me, but wasn't afraid enough to run away.  It was only 54F which is only a few degrees warmer than the 50C that I left in Kuwait!  I love it!   

8/25/13 Powerwashing

08/25/2013   POWER WASHING

After my trip and overwhelmingly emotional day, I expected to sleep well the evening of the 24^th.   It was not to be.  I went to bed early, but then woke up at 10:15.  Got up and ate half a sandwich and had a cup of chamomile tea because my stomach was growling.  I thought the tea would help me sleep.   Back to sleep.  Awake at 2:30-ish.  Sleep.  Awake at 3:45 due to wake up call to prayer.  Sleep.  Alarm wakes me at 5:00.  Okay, I can tell it’s going to be a long day.

And it was.  Boring PD about ELL students.  Excited about shwaerma for lunch, but turns out they don’t make it until 4:00, so settled for a falafel sandwich.  Afternoon visiting with friends and PD on curriculum mapping.  Work in room.  What?  It’s 3:00?   YAY   I’m outta here!   At 5:15 I am going to go to Eric and Whitney’s party:  engagement and Whitney’s birthday. That should be fun!

I sit down on the couch with a book.  The next thing I know, I wake up and it’s dark.  It’s 7:00 p.m.   My book was on the floor, and I had covered myself with a blanket.   Boy, exhaustion took an iron hold on me.  I took my medicine and crawled into bed.  At 3:00 a.m. I woke, hearing a weird noise.  It sounded like rain…..but that can’t be…..can it???   I got up -- amazed that I had now slept about 11 hours – and looked out the window.  Raindrops???  Can it be?  Bathroom and a chance to really wake up….plus some light.  I saw some water leaking down the wall from the window corner.  WTF?  I look out again and finally it all becomes clear:   they are powerwashing our building at 3:00 in the morning!!!!  My bedroom window leaked on both corners and I had to clean it up. The bathroom window leaked and I had to clean it up.   The living room window leaked and I had to clean it up.  Sheeeeessshhhh!  Now, why on earth would they wait until the teachers are all back at work to powerwash the building in the middle of the night?  Why not do it a few days before we come back?

Now, things are becoming clear in my head.   God is giving me lessons to remind me that I must embrace the concept of suspending my common sense….because there is a completely different way of thinking that goes on here.  It’s a cultural thing and my American way of thinking just doesn’t fit here.  

8/24/13 My Dramatic Life

     I arrived back in Kuwait on the evening of August 23.  I was exhausted – exhausted, I say!   I ran into Patrick as we disembarked from the plane….he was only sitting three rows ahead of me, but we had no idea this was happening!  It was so nice to see a smiling familiar face after such a long trip.  I told him that Michelle was coming to pick me up, and she would take us home.  We got into the GCC line to go through the VISA process because there were no other people there, and we needed to be done.  The agent couldn’t speak much English and got us through in quick order.  My bags were 50# and 70#, so it was nice to have Patrick to help me, rather than paying a porter.

I knew that I had no keys to my apartment.  I had left them with Bob and Karen who were going to leave them in Michelle’s storage unit for her.  Through lots of texts between Karen, Michelle, and I, I knew that staying in my apartment that night was out of the question.  Michelle told me that she would stay at her sister Tammy’s house and I could have her apartment.   What a generous offer!  She got me settled into the apartment, gave me her key, and left for the night.

I had no telephone because I had either accidentally lost my SIM card or put it away for safe keeping somewhere so safe that it couldn't be found.  It must have been in the same place that my Kuwaiti cash was because I couldn’t find that, either.  

Tense change:  It’s now about 8:00 so I decide to go out to purchase a new SIM card so that I don't feel so isolated from the world.  As I am ready to leave, one of the guards tells me that there is a new gate key and gives me one.  Now I have two keys:  Michelle’s apartment key and the gate key.  I head down to bin Khaldoon and buy a SIM card.  Of course, I had forgotten my phone, but I knew how to install it into my phone.  How hard could it be?  Mission accomplished – or so I thought.

BED!  All I can think of now is having a nice, hot shower and getting into clean linens on Michelle’s bed.  I am a tired, dirty mess.  Getting back to the apartments, I discover the new key to the gate doesn’t work.  I ring the bell, and one of the guards comes to let me in.  When I say that my new key doesn’t work, he gives me a key and I give him a key back, then go up to Michelle’s.  When I get there, I discover that I have two gates keys!  I had given him back the wrong key!  Damn!   Down I go again.

In this short time, I discover that there is now no key to Michelle’s apartment and no one appears to understand anything that I am explaining.  One of the guards calls a friend who can speak both Arabic and English, but she wouldn’t listen to me.  He then calls Mr. Rashwan, our business manager, who comes to the school and gets an apartment key for the guard to let me into my apartment.  Never mind that my phone and carry-on bag with the keys to my large luggage (left in the foyer) are in Michelle’s apartment.   So I have nothing now but a SIM card, a gate key, and some money.  BUT I do get a hot shower and sleep in my own bed. 

The highlight of my evening was running into my good friend Tess as I was exploring the basement.  We made arrangements to go to breakfast and take a little walk around the neighborhood.

The next morning is Saturday.  Exhaustion is still my friend because I woke up at 3:30 listening to the wake up call to prayer….and yes, it did its job. I read in bed for awhile, hoping that I was still tired enough to go back to sleep, but no luck.  I decide to get ready for the day.  I have to wet my hair a bit and finger comb it due to lack of comb.  I dress in my dirty, smelly clothes and get ready to get Tess and get the day started.  Before I am ready to leave, I make a horrible discovery:  my passport is no longer in my wallet!!  OH NO!!

No passport.  In my tired delirium, I think back to the last time I had it:  the airport!   I must have been talking to Patrick (because we checked in together) and forgot it!  What a dumbhead!  I cannot think of anything but the bad ramifications this means.  I get Tess for our breakfast, and we decide to ask Samir to take me to the airport to see if I can’t retrieve it.  Good plan.  She has a meeting with him at 11:00 so I go over about 10:30 to wait for him.  My plan is to beg him to take me to the airport and help me retrieve it.  Since he speaks Arabic and English, it should be a piece of cake for him to help.

Now I have a plan; it’s time for breakfast.  We walk around the neighborhood and I introduce her to kanafe, Lebanon’s answer to sweet rolls…and one of my favorite treats.  We go to Caribou for coffee.  We visit the bakery and get some flaxseed bread, Egyptian bread, and my favorite little cookies (the top is covered in sesame seeds and the bottom in pistachios – YUM!).   Tess is scheduled to have a meeting at 11:00 at the school with Samir, so I arrive at 10:30, hoping to catch him.

When he finally shows up (late, as usual), Samir suggested that I go to Sawsan, the HR director, and tell her that I need her to find someone to take me to the airport.  Please please please!   She breaks down and arranges for Emad to take me.   We get to the airport, he drops me close to the place he says we need to be, and then goes to park.   I find the office, but the door is shut and locked.  Damn.  I wait and wait, until I see someone who looks like he might be able to help me.  He tells me that the office is closed because it is Saturday and they are only open Sunday through Thursday.  This makes sense because this is their workweek.  I finally see Emad and tell him and we go back to the school.

 In the afternoon, Michelle comes home and finds the note I left on her door:  no key.  She comes down to my apartment and we go to the guards.   She tries to explain the situation using a combination of English and Arabic, but no luck.  It’s about 3:30 or 4:00 and she runs to the school to catch Mr. Rashwan and get a key for her apartment.  Luckily, he was there to help her and now we’re happy as clams.  I retrieve my belongings and promise to get copies of the keys made because I know where there are several key places….plus, I owe her!!

I am now in bad shape.  I decide to read a little bit but am too tired.  So I lay down and think about a nap.  Soon after I doze off, there is a knock on the door:  Michelle.  Guess what!  She’s an angel on a mission:   she has my passport!!!   She found it on her couch!  How I ended up putting it there is anyone’s guess, but it probably had to do with my extreme exhaustion.   But I am one happy camper and life is looking up!!!

And that’s my first day back in Kuwait.

Egypt Serendipity

The strangest thing happened this morning.  Judy and I went to breakfast with one of Judy's friends, Marie.  At breakfast we talked up a storm about anything and everything.  Then I said something about Wyoming which made Marie perk up and ask, "What town are you from?"  

I answered, "Casper."

"I love Casper!!" she gushed.

Ugh.  Um....."How do you know Casper?"

"I'm from the Black Hills!" she said so happily.

"Well, I'm from the Black Hills, too.  I was born in Belle Fourche."

"My first teaching job was in Belle!"

And so it went.  She was raised in Rapid City, which is only a hop, skip,and a jump away from all the places that I love in the Black Hills.

Who would ever think that this type of coincidence would happen:   I travel a gazillion miles away from home only to run into someone from 'back home.'  

It happened when I first arrived in Kuwait and overheard a woman say that she was from South Dakota.  I went over to speak with her and then discovered that we had a lot in common.  The most serendipitous was that my new friend Karen once taught school in Philip, SD, where my dear friend, Beth, was raised.  As if that's not coincidental enough, it turns out that that Karen once taught Beth's sister!   Serendipity!!  

Now, when I hear that old saying, "It's a small world," I truly believe that it is!!!

Schools: Wyoming vs. Kuwait - My Experience

This entry has to begin with a disclaimer:   The following comments are the result of my own experiences in both Wyoming and Kuwait.  With all the money available in Kuwait, I find the school lacking in so many areas that I am used to.  Educators in Wyoming may not know how lucky they are to have the resources and tools that are available for them to do their jobs.  Universal American School is among the top three schools in Kuwait in regards to the fees that they charge for students.  They are also among the top three regarding the quality of education.  BUT with that said, they are sadly lacking in many areas when compared to Wyoming.  We are very lucky.

I was just thinking about the lack of a paper cutter in my room and how much time I waste while running down to the office to do simple chores.  It was that thought that incited me to write about the differences between my teaching experiences in Wyoming and here in Kuwait.

Here is my list of things lacking and how they compare:

1)  No help for IEP students.   UAS is not equipped to help IEP students, so it places a large burden on teachers.  The school supposedly is a college prep school and many of our students are never going to have the ability to attend college.   They would benefit from a school that is focused on providing the services that the student needs.  In the States, public schools have to take any and all students.  BUT there are programs to help them.  In WY, I had aides to help with classes with IEP students.  I had a special ed. department with teachers who were properly trained and who were so helpful to me when I had questions and problems and needed to discuss issues.

2) Lack of book sets.  In WY, there were books of all kinds available.   I could have all of my students reading the same book at the same time.  Here in Kuwait, I have several (not many) small sets of books that are strange, considering the culture.  And some previous teacher ordered a small number of Julius Caesar books, even though the play is in our textbook.  What a waste of money.  I could have my 10th graders reading Huckleberry Finn but that is a hard book for American kids to read, much less ESL students who don't even have knowledge of the historical background.

3)  Hard to get supplies.  For office supplies, I have to fill out a request for every little thing I need.  And all I can get is a small box of staples at any one time.  The secretary makes me count out the number of hanging file folders I can get....cannot just get a box at a time and use them.   I had to bring my own manila file folder labels because the school had none.  Am I the only teacher who reuses folders???   As for supplies such as posters, DVDs, and language resources, they are hard to get in Kuwait because they have to be ordered through an international ordering company and many of the suppliers don't play nice.   I was unable to get 6 Traits of Writing posters through one of the companies that I have done business with before because they don't send to the Middle East.  In WY, I received a budget and was able to order any items that I deemed needed.  If I needed 10 boxes of markers or colored pencils, I ordered them.  If I ran out of whiteboard markers, I went to the supply cupboard and got some.  So different.

4)  No printer in rooms.  I was spoiled by having a printer in my room in WY.  Here, it is not available unless we purchase our own.  That means that every piece of paper I print requires a trip to the office.  This is time consuming and also can disrupt class if a student needs a particular item.  On a positive note, I do get my exercise.  On a negative note, my shoes wear out faster! 

5) Lack of technology.  My computer is an old, recycled one from the middle school.  I am on my third monitor because the first two were older than Grace and were hard for me to look at for any length of time due to the "flickering" of the screen.  I am used to having a Smartboard or Promethean board and had converted many of my powerpoints to Promethean.  I do have a projector, so I can project information, but cannot do anything interactive.   I cannot even have my projector focused on the white board so we can write things because it is too hard to focus, so the maintenance men have it projecting on the wall near the ceiling.  We have no computer lab in the high school.  There are computers in the library, but not with student files, so all students have to have a flashdrive, but they don't usually have one available.  Plus, the computers are spread out all over the library, so it's hard for the teacher to keep an eye on what everyone is doing.  Students cannot use technology in our rooms because there is no wi-fi available. 

6)  No carpet.   Everything is marble: floors and walls halfway up.  Any noise echoes through the room horribly.  It's amazing how much sound is stifled by carpet.  Plus, I really like to have the ability for my students to be able to work in groups on the floor, if they choose.   In GHS, I supplied beanbags and pillows for the kids to sit on to do their silent reading.  The desks are uncomfortable old things and the students have to sit in them for 7 hours/day.

That's the end of my rant for the day.

American Teacher in Kuwait: The Continuing Saga

August 27, 2012 - I have been back for two days already.

I arrived at the Kuwait Airport Friday night at 7:30.  The nicest thing happened when I got there....a call from one of my students, Sarah.  I said, "I have just now arrived and am still at the airport."  To which she replied, "I just had this 'feeling' and needed to call to see how you are doing."   What a sweetie and what a nice way to begin my new year.

Things went well in the airport and I was quickly into a cab...a fancier one than usual, but with a very nice, chatty Pakistani driver.  He told me how he appreciated teachers and respected them.  Then he said that his wife works at one of the Pakistani schools here and that his three daughters are in colleges around the world:  one in Australia, one in Pakistan, and I can't remember the other.  He has good English and probably is educated, yet works as a cab driver in Kuwait.  Something's wrong here.

My apartment was clean and tidy when I got here.  Bindu does such a nice job of taking care of me.   She even left me a gift...wall hangings from Sri Lanka.  

Everything is now unpacked and put away.  Saturday was spent socializing with friends the whole day and resting in between times.  As long as they came to me, I was happy.  I had no energy to do much of anything.

Back to school yesterday, Sunday.  The day was so broken up with small meetings that I didn't have much time to get things done, so most of the day was spent socializing.   Hmmm....it sounds like a recurring theme, doesn't it?   I had intended to go out and do some shopping in the neighborhood last night, but didn't get anything done.   I came home about 3:30, did a few little chores and then decided to watch a movie.  Well, I made it about 1/2 way through and then fell asleep.  I woke up long enough to turn off the TV and then laid down again at 5:30 and promptly resumed snoring.  At 8:35 I woke up again and could only make it as far as the bed.  I took off my clothes and crashed.   I did wake up at 3:30 this morning, but that's okay.  I got a good night's sleep and hopefully am all caught up on the jet lag and can get back on schedule.  I just hope that Sheila is not upset that I did not get her coffee from King's!!!

That's the report from my first two days back in Kuwait.  It's not too exciting, but it is wonderful to connect with my friends.   I can hardly wait to see Nikki and her new digs....and hear about her trip to Paris.   I am also needing to get in touch with Vicky and hear about her summer cruises.  I'm not going to say it's nice to be home, but it is nice to be here.


 

Kuwaiti Homes I Have Known (part 2)

One day Karen Ackerman and I were invited to tour Samir's house.  Samir is not a Kuwaiti, so cannot own one of these beauties, but he does live in one.  It was amazing.  These people really know how to spend their money.  This is the view of his neighbors across the street.  Yes, the tall building is a house:

Samir's landlord is very patriotic:

Here is the front porch:

And down the side yard:

The home is beautiful; easily the most beautifully decorated home I have ever seen.  And the first large, palatial home I've ever seen.   Here is one living room:

Here is another living area, a sunken conversation pit:

Multiple dining tables in the dining area:

And my favorite part:  the garden.  Kuwaitis enjoy a little slice of heaven in the big sandbox:

I didn't get photos of the rooftop patio where they have parties. Yes, parties.  With illegal alcohol even.  It's similar to our Prohibition.  When you are forced to go without something, you seem to want it more.  These people have access to all types of illegal products, if they have the money to purchase it.   I heard today that a single bottle of Carlsberg gets 10KD, which is equivalent to $35.00.   YIKES! 

I wish that the man who owns this house would marry me so that I can live here. 









Kuwaiti Homes I Have Known (part 1)

Last night, Thea Nixon and I visited the home of one of my students.   Sarah has been asking me for quite some time and it never has worked out, for one reason or another.   Last night, when Sheila Anderson couldn't accept the invitation, I asked Thea to go with me, because I didn't feel right going by myself.  Thea proved to be a most excellent companion for this particular excursion.

The first fun thing that happened was that Sarah and her driver picked us up at the accomodations at 4:15 in a Lexus, no less.  A friend of Sarah's, May, was also along for the ride.  May was my student last semester.  When we arrived at the house, the driver opened the automatic garage door, pulled in, let us out, and then backed out to park elsewhere.  Service to the door!!  Talk about being pampered!

Then, we entered the house and Sarah asked if we wanted to see some of the house.  Of course we did!  It was beautiful and so huge!  Here is a photo of one of the living rooms (yes, I said one -- there were multiple!):

This room was beautiful and full of this furniture.  It is old and the design is inset mother-of pearl.

Then Sarah showed us the diwaniya.  This is a large room with couches all around it where the men gather to eat, discuss, and generally make merry.  No women allowed.

We saw several more living areas and a kitchen, and then we saw the main kitchen.  Who knew that houses would have more than one kitchen?   I didn't, until I came here and saw these homes.  In addition to kitchens, there was a butler's pantry with a dumbwaiter, and then I saw a wet bar, but it was huge!

We had been invited to swim, jacuzzi, and eat, so Sarah then led us to the pool room.  There was a table set for us already:

I wish I had thought to take a photo of the lovely lunch we had.  Yes, lunch is late in the afternoon.  These are people of the night.  They tend to stay up to socialize and enjoy life during the cooler time of the day.  The school kids come home and take a short nap, then get up for lunch.  They then spend the evening studying, socializing, and shopping, then eat a dinner and go to bed in the wee hours of the morning.  Anyway, we were served a lovely salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a light, sweet vinaigrette.  The main entre was machboos, or chicken with rice.  The rice is cooked with small currants, dal, and spices (one was a cinnamon stick).  It is served with various sauces of differing spicyness.   Yum!

Then we got on our swimming suits and enjoyed an evening swimming and sitting in the jacuzzi.  Hanging with teenagers made me feel like one again!   It was refreshing to see these girls letting their hair down -- literally.  Sarah usually keeps her hair in a bun at school!

The house was huge and beautiful.  Sarah was a marvelous little hostess.  Futoon joined us soon after lunch, so there were three of them.  We laughed and talked and generally just had a good time.  The evening ended with Turkish coffee with dates on the side.  I left a very happy teacher, and also with an invitation to visit the seaside chalet!

The Chest Hospital - April 23, 2012

I wish I had photos to attach to this entry, it was such an interesting day.   I hope that I can give you a verbal snapshot of my day.  This is based on notes that I was taking on my phone, so understand that it’s basically chronological sequencing and I’m just transcribing my thoughts as they were occurring.

Today I am at the Chest Hospital.  Our business manager at school assigned me a school driver, Emad, because I was so afraid of going to a government hospital.  My experiences at New Mowasat clinic have been so good, but everyone told me how different it would be at a government hospital.  I am nervous because everything is written in Arabic.  Thank god for Emad.  Right now I am in the waiting room “female waiting area” and Emad is in the male waiting area.  The ladies’ toilet had two squatters and one toilet…no paper.  Thank heaven I put a new package of tissue in my purse this morning.  It has taken us an hour to get to this point, what with horrible morning traffic and a wrong stop at a hospital.  Everyone at our school has been confused, even the doctor.  The only one that seems to know anything is my referring doctor….and where is he when I need him?  LOL    Is it any wonder that my blood pressure is a little high?

Most of the ladies here are covered in full abayas.  Some of the more conservative ones are also wearing gloves and the face shield.  Also I have to comment that a lot of people here have cankles…men and women.  This hospital is so huge that there are porters to take you where you need to go.  It’s a very old building that is not very pretty but I understand that they practice good medicine here.

The nurses here in Kuwait wear the standard nursing whites with the old type of hat.  White stockings and all.

 There are so many patients here that the hospital has gone high tech.  You are given a number and you wait for the lit up sign; it shows your number and the room that you are to go to.  Then I was amazed to see people standing in the hallway, passing their paperwork to nurses through half-closed doors. What a mess and definitely not Western!  Emad is with me and we were directed to another hall and another office where we repeated the process.  The nurse took my referral letter and my file and told us to wait again.  Damn…..I forgot my Kindle.

The majority of men are wearing sandals. What really bugs me is when their feet hang over the edge of their sandal.  Can’t they buy them to fit???   Also, they have very rough bottoms of their feet especially around the edges, ugly calluses.  Barefoot all the way!!

I am waiting and waiting and waiting.  I am becoming sick to my stomach and beginning to feel the need to cry.  I feel so alone and scared.

I see an army man whose pants end above his boots (not tucked in) and he is bare legged.  Who would wear army boots without tall socks???

Holy shit.  The doctor wants to do the ablation.  I had to go and start a file with the receptionist.  The first woman I spoke to said she didn’t know what I was talking about.   I had to fetch Emad to help me   After that ordeal, I am back to waiting.

I am in a small waiting room with five ninjas.  That’s what my students call the women who are fully covered in black abayas.  Not one of them will even smile at me, much less engage in conversation.

I met a very nice lady from India who has severe back problems. It did make me think of Grace who gets so mad at me for visiting with anyone who gets close to me because I made a comment to her about looking like she was in pain.  That’s how our nice conversation began. Then, I was able to refer her to Rosie my massage therapist at Amendar.  This little lady was delightful.    She told me that she and her husband are Roman Catholics and that he works at the church compound.  Interesting.   And ironic.

So…..the doctor set up the procedure for May 24.  It is not a simple procedure (in my mind, anyway), but neither is it as drastic as surgery.   I will have to take 1 day off from work (Thursday) and then rest before returning to work on Sunday. 

Richard and Rachel, if you read this, rest assured that you were with me at the very beginning of this ordeal years ago and now it’s going to be over.   I wish you were here at the conclusion! 

Istanbul, not Constantinople

Friday, March 30, 2012   Day 1

Shawki, my taxi driver friend from Lebanon, picked up Ashlie, Kelli, and me at 5:00 a.m. to take us to the airport.  As we were visiting on the way out there, he kept telling me about “Turkish” instead of Turkey.  Maybe that’s the way that Lebanese translates into English?  LOL

The flight was only a few hours and Turkish Airlines took good care of us.  The lunch was lavish and even had real, metal utensils, not the plastic that U.S. airlines give you in economy.  I guess that Turkish Airlines isn’t worried about plane hijackings…..

I sat next to a nice little Kuwaiti girl.   I guessed her age at 17 or 18, but she said that she is at university.  We visited for awhile before I read my Kindle (forced to read because my movie player didn’t work).  She was very nice and was also traveling to Istanbul (with her family) for the first time.

After we arrived at the airport, the three of us got our visas, went through passport check, and on to baggage.  I couldn’t believe my luck…I walked up to the carousel and there was my bag!   That has never happened to me ever before!  When we were walking out of the airport to look for a cab, there was a guy with a sign, “Ashlie Moody!”   Ashlie didn’t order pick up service, but we were very happy.   For a few Turkish lira, he also dropped me at my hotel.

 Our room is very small, but clean and nice.  The concierge, Rebi, is delightful and very helpful.  I had heard that finding English-speaking people is more difficult in Turkey, so I am happy that he speaks very well.  Not only that, but he’s cute!  I could with for some room in our room to turn around in, but I guess that this will work. 

 I had a few hours to kill before I had to go back to the airport to pick up Grace, so I decided to take a walk.  I only went a few steps when a street “hustler” invited me into a restaurant.   Since I did need lunch, I said yes.  Now, I call him a “hustler” because I don’t know a better word for it.  He stands out at the main intersection at our corner and tries to talk people into choosing this restaurant over all the other restaurants in the neighborhood.  I didn’t know this when I was approached; I thought he was just a nice guy trying to suggest a good eating place!  It turns out that his name is Ozzy, and he became our "friend." 

Anyhow, my lunch was delicious.  I tried a variety of cold beginners and discovered that my beloved warak enab (stuffed grape leaves) is made differently here.  All in all, it was a great way to taste Turkish cuisine.  The highlight of the lunch was a delightful stewy thing cooked in a ceramic pot shaped like a vase. 

As soon as I was finished and walked back to my hotel, Ashlie and Kelli were there and we proceeded to pick up Grace at the airport.   First, we had to get on the tram and figure out which stop to exit at; what an experience.  Because it was lightly raining and because commuters were getting off work, the tram was cram packed.  I am not just saying that….literally, it was like being a sardine.  I was worried because I was short and everyone had their arm raised to hold onto the handles, and I was afraid that I would be smelling dirty armpits.  But thankfully, I avoided that problem. 

 Then we had to get on the subway and ride to the end of the line.  The tram was a little less packed and more comfortable.  We made it through the metal detectors into the airport, which was packed!  And even though we were late, Grace was nowhere to be found.  I walked around and around, looking all over the place.  Ashlie and Kelli were having no luck, either.  I was about ready to cry, wondering where in the world she could be, when the girls told me to be patient and wait…what if something happened and the flight was late?  Anything could happen, so we needed to be patient.   They waited on one side of the entrance and I waited on the other, hoping and praying that the next person through would be Grace.  I got distracted and she came through the door and the girls found her!   When I saw them, I almost cried from happiness!  My Gracie is a beautiful young woman!!  My vacation could have ended right then and I would have been happy….I can’t believe how much I have missed her.

January 1, 2012

Today there was a big fire not too far away from here.  This photo was taken from my living room window. We saw the smoke billowing over the rooftops and heard all the fire alarms clanging and clanging.  And then it was all over.  I don’t know what building burned, but discovering it might be an adventure for another day.

The Good and the Bad

Bad:  A pesky fly got into my apartment today.  It must be at the end of its life cycle because it’s moving very slowly.   I wish I had a flyswatter….. 

Good:   I see very few bugs here anywhere, much less in my apartment.  Because we’re in a desert, I thought there might be scorpions or something exotic like that, but I never see anything.  Maybe the birds are so hungry they eat every bug in sight?  I have heard that some people have had a sugar ant problem, but I haven’t seen any in my apartment.  YAY!

Random Musings in Sri Lanka

Sitting at a restaurant.  Sign says “There is a Complain Book to note your suggestions and or Complains.”  I want to be the proofreader to the world!

Saw a man on the beach with a big kite.  The wind was strong enough that it would lift him off the ground and made handling the kite virtually impossible.   He quickly took it down and went off.  Later, I saw that it was actually a kiteboarding kite and he was skimming across the ocean!

It is nice to see young lovers on the beach.  These young people are not making out, but are cuddling and being close.   In Kuwait, there should be no romantic exhibitions in public.   Here in Sri Lanka, it is merely a fact of life….just like back home.   BUT I should also say that there was a prostitution ring in Kuwait that was recently broken.   Damn those Filipinos!  LOL 

Bathrooms in Sri Lanka are very similar to ones found in Kuwait.  Depending on where you are, you might find a squatter.   Also, they use sprayers to clean.  One woman told me that using the sprayer is much cleaner than using tissue.   That might be, but I cannot tell you how icky the bathrooms are when water gets sprayed all over!  I cannot figure out how to use the sprayer, so I make sure to carry tissue all the time because some toilets don’t have toilet paper.   A girl doesn’t want to be caught unprepared!    Oh, wait, I’m not a Girl Scout…..well, I’m prepared anyway!  Here is a photo of my bathroom in my apartment, so you will see the sprayer:

I don’t have to keep my eyes down all the time when I’m walking down the street.   The people here are very friendly and the men will look you in the eye and say hello, unlike in Kuwait.

It’s the 21^st and I still haven’t tried to haggle with anyone.   I just pay the price they ask.   It is such a poor place and I feel like I have so much, that I don’t begrudge their prices, which are reasonable enough.   What I hate, though, is that you can’t just want down the street and look at shops.   Some of the storekeepers just won’t let you be.  And then there are the beggars.   I feel so sorry for the ones who are physically disabled (and I mean really in bad shape) and want to give them money, but then where do you draw the line?   I can’t give everyone money.   It’s a sad state of affairs

12/21   Today I got a tub from housekeeping in which to do laundry.   I moved a drying rack out onto the balcony, but it’s so humid here I am afraid that it will take days for my clothes to dry!  Today I walked 2.2 miles (appx) to Negombo town itself because Nikki wanted to shop.   We ate a traditional lunch of rice and curry (R350 – cheap!) and then went to one shop before Nikki gave up!  LOL   Made me laugh!   I told her that shopping with her was no fun!  We caught a tuc tuc back to the hotel, where I have been vegetating ever since!

When we go out for dinner in the evening, it doesn’t matter what restaurant we are in, groups of little boys come around costumed up singing “Jingle Bells” looking for donations.   It could be their way of contributing to the family income, a form of entertainment, or a way to get some spending loot.

You know you’re in Sri Lanka when your waiter serves you in bare feet (and I don’t mean yours!).  There are lots of bare feet here, lots of flip flops and sandals, and fewer full shoes.  Of course, we are in the tropics!

12/25 Watched several young men kiteboarding in the strong wind today!  The wind moved them along very quickly and every once in awhile lifted them out of the water so it looked like they were flying!  Were offered a catamaran ride but decided against it since we were going to be on the water for a goodly portion of the next day taking our canal/river/lagoon trip.

It's interesting that the family car here seems to be a motorcycle.  The dad drives with one small child in front of him and the mother rides behind holding a baby in a bundle!  This is a common scene.  There are many old bicycles....lots of them as old as me!  You see many bikes with a pedaler and a rider.  Getting good exercise, I guess.  Cars are not a common sight.

A Day on the Negombo Lagoon

     Today I began the day by taking a short walk.   I was looking for a shop to be open where I could buy a floppy hat to shade me from the sun.  Most stores were still closed at 8:00 a.m. but down the road aways there was one where the proprietor and his grandson were out cleaning the sidewalk.  Believe me, the sidewalks needed it;  there was a lot of trash strewn about during the festivities of the night before.  Anyway, this old man greeted me and I asked if he had a lightweight hat…and guess what?   Of course he did! 

     At 9:00 Naushad picked us up to take us to our boat ride.   As we were driving through town, Naushad stopped and made us get out for a most interesting photo opportunity:   a man with a cow cart!

     Further on, we stopped to see where the canal empties into the lagoon.   The 100 km canal is a great historical fixture because the Danish built it years and years ago.   

      Then we were off to the Barramundi resort where we drank the milk of a king coconut before boarding our little watercraft. 

We cruised around the islands of the lagoon for about 1-1/2 hours.  I got a few nice shots of herons, some birds that I thought were a type of cormorant, and of course the neverending ravens.  Everywhere were a lot of little silver fishes jumping in the water.  We viewed mangrove trees on almost every island; these are an interesting species living in so much water. 

There were a lot of shallow reefs where people were fishing and looked like they were walking on water.  One little island had a nice clearing and there were men out there playing cricket!  Several marinas were full of boats....Naushad said that the fishermen were taking a holiday for Christmas, so the boats stayed in the marinas!

It was so pleasant on the water and was a great ending to our vacation.  

We also ventured into the fish market to see what there was to see.   And what was that?   Fish, fish, and more fish!!   Okay, there were some crabs and shrimp, too.

Another tourist attraction that we stopped at was the ruins of the Danish Fort that was built in 1672.  All that’s left is the tower, in which a clock was placed, so now they call it the Clock Tower.  This tower is all that’s left of the original fort, and not it’s an entrance for a prison.  There were many people there, obviously visiting their incarcerated loved ones.

Day 256 of Our Sri Lanka Trip

     Okay, so it has only been seven days in reality, but it feels like SO much more!   This is nothing like I expected (not exactly sure what I expected), but this trip has totally worn me out, physically and mentally.  We came to relax, but it seems that doing anything we like is hard work.   Internet access?  Have to walk to find a place.  Any walking?  Have to fight off the tuc tuc drivers, the store owners, and the beggars.   Walking?  Too humid.   Eating?  Afraid to eat now due to sickness.  Tired of fighting off the teeming hoards of humanity.  Don’t want to take naps, because then I can’t sleep at night (which is hard anyway because the bed is so uncomfortable and there is always noise).  

      I found out that my beloved Aunt Shirl passed away yesterday.   I can’t believe that I am so far away from the life and death matters in my family.   It makes me totally homesick….I can’t even believe how much. 

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day in Sri Lanka (2011)

     I can’t begin to tell you how homesick I am right now.  I miss my family and friends, and I also miss my own holiday traditions.  I hadn’t realized how hard it would be to give up those things in order to live overseas.  I never have taken those things for granted, but I can tell you that I never, ever will.  It’s the smaller things in life that make our daily survival bearable.  If Santa Claus showed up right now with a ticket for me to fly home, I’d take it in a heartbeat….and forget anything here on the other side of the world. 

     Sri Lanka is a blend of Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists; Nikki read something that called Negombo the “Little Rome” of Sri Lanka because of the number of Christians here.  There are Christmas lights all over the place.  Little bands of boys run through the streets at night singing “Jingle Bells” while begging for donations.  There are shops full of Christmas schtick like blow up Santas, red plush Santa hats, and fat, colorful garland.  This is a place that definitely loves its holiday.  There are creches everywhere.   Here is an example of someone getting too excited about putting up the Nativity scene, put it up in front of the crucifixion statue:

     On Christmas Eve, we went to dinner at our local WiFi hangout.  I was able to Skype for a little while with my sister and her family.   That was delightful!   I got to say “Merry Christmas” to a fat, jolly, naked, little elf named Charleigh Jo…..the newest sweetie in our family!  Nikki ate fruit salad and I had a bowl of chicken/egg drop soup with ginger ale.  Then we were beat so we came back, read a little, and hit the sack.  Alas, sleep was not my friend.  The natives were celebrating Christmas Eve by shooting off fireworks for a good portion of the night.  On top of that, our air conditioning was working too well and my sheet just wasn’t up to the job of keeping me warm.  I got up twice to turn it up before I discovered the magic number.

     Then, Christmas morning, we got up early and headed off to our WiFi hangout.  I know that they normally don’t open until 11:00am but we saw someone there and asked if we could simply sit by the back gate and use their WiFi; of course, in all his niceness, he said yes.  I was so hoping that Grace would have been up so I could have wished her a Merry Christmas eve and see what was happening.  But apparently the festivities were in full swing at the Block household and no one was thinking about getting on the computer.   I don’t blame them….I know how much fun Christmas Eve is there with all the family gathering together!!

     We then came back to our hotel for breakfast and then I purchased a sarong from a beach vendor lady…..she was stick thin, so I figured that she didn’t eat very regularly.  We got offered a ride in a catamaran, which we declined since we will be on the water for a few hours tomorrow; two days in a row is a little much for my pale skin.  Then a little R&R before going back to the beach for swimming.  How many people can say they swam in the Indian Ocean on Christmas Day???   Oh wait…I can tell you….a whole bunch!   The beach was full of people walking, swimming, eating, laughing, visiting, and having fun.   It is a beautiful day in paradise!!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

First Day of Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

     We found a tuc tuc driver, Naushad.   This was a good find.   He has been exceedingly helpful and speaks very good English.  He has helped us out in several ways so far.

     First of all, I needed to have a blood test for a new medication that I recently started.  I asked Naushad if he would take me to a clinic to have it done.  He took us to the Ave Maria Clinic/Hospital.   I told the receptionist what I needed and was directed to see a doctor.  I waited for less than 5 minutes before being showed in.   He wrote the directions for the laboratory and we were on our way.  It only cost R185 for that visit.  I was delighted to get into the laboratory immediately and the technician quickly got the job completed.  Of course, at home the test is a finger prick; here it was a blood draw which only cost R850.  I was directed to come back the next day for the results.  As we had plans, it took an extra day to return, but I did and all was well (after talking to a doctor again). 

     My experience at the hospital was a very pleasant one.  One surprise was that the building was open all around -- so that the air could circulate.  In order to pay for the blood test, we were directed to go down a hall, turn to the right, and then go ahead.   Well, it didn’t quite work that way and we did get to view some of the hospital rooms.   Very ugly, plain little rooms with doors wide open.  Very poor looking.  I wish I had taken photos here!

     Then off to find phone cards.   Good thing that Naushad was with us, because this was not an English speaking store.  I bought a SIM card and was told that it comes automatically with a few minutes, but this turned out to be false.  Nikki bought minutes for a phone card that Roman had given use from his previous trip, but we never could manage to get them loaded.   It turned out that they were for another provider – none of us noticed THAT!  The good thing, so we thought, is that they were for the SIM card I purchased.   Unfortunately, the phone wouldn’t accept that particular kind of card, whatever that means.  I never did get my phone to work.

     Of course, we did not have the correct adapters for our various electronics.  Our next stop was at an electrical store.  These guys were very helpful and we found exactly what we needed for cheap!

     Then it was time to go to Colombo!!  Nikki knew that Arthur C. Clark was buried in Colombo and viewing his grave was a must.  The trip to Colombo in a tuc tuc took awhile, but we certainly did get to see lot of things on the way.  They are building a new highway from the airport to the city and we saw two different portions of the construction.  I was interested to see that the const. equipment was very small compared to the Caterpillars I am used to back home!

     Arthur C. Clark’s grave is located in the largest cemetery in Colombo.  It is very beautiful, if you are interested in cemeteries and graves.

 We were interested to see this gravestone with the swastika on top….the gentleman passed away in 1938.

Here was a fun place to visit:  the Colombo Municipal Park.  It’s 42 acres of gorgeous greenery.  It was built approximately 250 years ago by the English.  There are many varieties of trees, bushes, and flowers, as you can see by the photos.  A very large golden statue of Queen Viharamahadevi greets you at the entrance.  The park is actually named after this queen (after originally being named Victoria Park).

Across the street is the municipal building, which is built to look like the U.S. Capitol!

     We had lunch in a downtown mall, which was pretty much like any other mall, except that this place was packed!

     The Independence Memorial was interesting.  This monument celebrates the Sri Lankan independence from England.  I had an experience there where I wanted to purchase a cool gift for my friend, Bob Geary, from a street vendor who didn’t have change for my large bill.  “Come, come,” he said while motioning me to follow him.   I was a little nervous, but Naushad came to my rescue and followed along.  We went out to the street to another man who also didn’t have enough cash.   I kept saying, “Forget it.   I don’t want it anymore,” but they were desperate for a sale.  Finally, one man dug into his secret stash and found a few more bills…..all I know is that I wasn’t going to pay anything more for this item!

     Our last stop in Colombo was a tour of the largest Buddhist temple in the world. 

Supposedly Prince Siddhartha Gautama’s tooth, a sacred relic, is stored here.  A little man who showed us his badge claiming that he is a certified tour guide took us on a tour. We had to remove our shoes before entering and checked them with the claim agent.  We entered the building with many people, many of whom were dressed in white.  Many also carried lotus flowers, which I later discovered is the holy flower that they placed on the altar. 

We saw the place where the tooth is housed; behind the door are seven golden caskets, the very top one is the one that holds the tooth.  Above this are 100 golden lotus blossoms in the ceiling; this is very beautiful.  The whole building was beautiful and very spiritual.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.