Universal American School – The Beginning

I am teaching 10^th grade at the Universal American School here in Kuwait.  The school is located right across the street and through a parking lot away from the apartment building (it takes me less than 5 minutes to get to school).  They are both painted two shades of blue, so you know that they are related to one another.  We tell the taxi drivers, “UAS in Hawally.  You know, the big blue box off of 3^rd Ring Road,” and they know right where to take us.  I have attached a photo of the school building for you to look at.

Inside the school, it’s a bit messed up.   I was lost there for quite awhile because I couldn’t get my bearings.  In the center part of the building is a huge staircase going around and around and around for six stories (basement to 4^th floor).  How, you might question, does a building with only four floors have six flights of stairs?   Because we have a “hidden” floor, which is called the Mezzanine that is between the ground floor and the 1^st floor.   Don’t ask me why.  The high school takes up the 3^rd and 4^th floors and my classroom is on the 4^th floor.   I do try to walk up my 5 flights of stairs at least once a day…it about kills my legs, but I figure it’s good for me. 

While the exterior of the building is bright blue, the inside is intense white.  There is white marble tile everywhere.  Let me tell you, marble is very hard on the feet!!  Standing and walking on that hard floor wears me out and makes my feet hurt by the end of the day.   I wear Birks a lot because they are comfortable, and also my tennis shoes. 

When you first get to the building, there is a small white shack in front.  This is where the guards sit around and visit, read the newspaper, and greet people.   I haven’t really seen them do much of anything, but at least they are there.  I guess they watch the BMWs, Mercedes, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, etc. that bring the kids to school….as they are watching they are probably cussing over the fact that they can’t afford any kind of a car due to low wages.

There is a receptionist at the front desk.   I have attached a photo of the desk, but this man is NOT the receptionist!  LOL   She is really beautiful.   He was just there when I had my camera ready.   I am not sure exactly what the receptionist does, as I have not seen her do anything.

From this point, you have to decide what floor you need and how to get there.  You have a choice of the stairs or the elevator.  Once you arrive at your floor, there is a choice of direction, and then there are little hallways that break off from the main ones.   It is a maze, I tell you!  I only just found my friend’s room on the 3^rd floor today.   I had been wandering around there several times trying to find him.  That’s how bad it is.

You can see what my classroom looks like from the photos.   This is before I arranged everything the way I wanted it.   White, white, white.   Well, except for the bright blue window shades!  My room was a bit disappointing when I got there.   I had a computer that didn’t work, an overhead projector (that actually belonged in the room next door and the owner came and retrieved it), no books, nothing in my desk, and nothing on the walls.  Where is the technology that I expected??   The handbook says that they are giving the students a 21^st century education, but it says nothing about giving it to them with 30-year-old equipment!  I finally got a working computer a week after school started, which was like having Christmas….with my mom who couldn’t ever get the gifts quite right.  I discovered that I had to check out a projector from the library.   I could have a podium made if I paid for it myself.  I had to move all my books and files from a room on 3^rd floor myself (I begged for a maid to help me and I got one).  Needless to say, it was a long process to get myself acclimatized and organized, but I think I’m there.

What Ramadan Means to Me

Ramadan is a holy month which includes mandatory worshipping. Not being a Muslim, Ramadan does not have any religious meaning for me, but the way it’s celebrated here definitely affects my life. Here are a few things I know about Ramadan:

1) It is a religious occasion where followers are required to fast (refraining from food, drink, and smoking) from sunup to sundown. As soon as the dusk Call to Prayer is called, families gather together to break the fast. This is a huge event! The fasting is imposed on everyone, which means that there is no eating or drinking in public. (The exceptions: babies, pregnant women, elderly, and sick.) This is hard because the temperature is 114F or so, and it is difficult to stay hydrated when we’re out and about so much. I have heard that if you are caught on the street eating or drinking (and this includes gum or breath mints), that you will be thrown in jail and/or fined! We carry bags with our water bottles in them and then go to the bathroom, lock ourselves in a stall, and have a drink!
2) In the same manner as Easter, the dates of Ramadan are determined by the phases of the moon. This year, Ramadan has been throughout the month of August, which is early. How does this affect us? Well, after Ramadan ends, there is an actual holiday called Eid al Fitr. Usually this falls somewhere in September after school starts, but this year it is early and we have our holiday right before school – actually, next week.
3) During Ramadan, businesses close down during the afternoon. I am assuming this is because they rest to conserve their energy while fasting. Not all businesses, but many. For instance, I can walk to my food co-op and get groceries, but I cannot go to the money changer. All restaurants are closed. Also, we went to a large mall one afternoon, and the majority of businesses were closed, even IKEA. All the grocery stores were open. During Ramadan, you can buy food, you just can’t eat it in public.
4) We live near a very busy commercial street and once the sun goes down, the traffic increases! People are out and about. I live in a neighborhood where computer shops, jewelry shops, and cell phone stores abound. You can find most anything you want on this street (no bookstore, darn it!). It gets lively and is a fun place to walk around and watch people. So once the sun goes down, anyone who is not with their family breaking fast is downtown having a good time!
5) And lastly, during Ramadan, the street cleaners (trash picker-uppers) have not been working and so there is trash all over the place!

Now, a few other things about Islam

1) Call to Prayer. This happens five times a day, the first being around 3:30 am. All the mosques have loudspeakers on them so it is broadcast very loudly. And since there is a mosque on every corner (this is only a slight exaggeration), no one misses the call. First, there is a short warning announcement and then about 15 minutes later is the actual prayer. Interestingly, while other places have a “recorded” call, Kuwait requires a real, live person do it. It reminds me of the old days when our churches actually rang bells. Now, the Catholic church that is near my house has recorded rings that rings on the hour and half hour.
2) "Women may choose to cover due to religious belief, tribal tradition, family expectation, or fashion trend. Women have a wide range of head coverings they may choose to wear. The hair can be covered by a colorful scarf (hijab) that matches the outfit, or a solid black hijab. There is even variety among the black hijabs, since some are plain and simple, while others are decorated. Hijabs can be short, covering only the hair, or long to cover the entire upper body. Women may also choose to cover part of all of their face with a cloth “nakab.” The black body wrap is called an abaya and may be worn with or without a hijab." This information came from our psychologist, who is married to a Kuwaiti man and is a convert to Islam. I just want to add the following: The burka that we all seem familiar with is one piece which covers the woman from head to toe. These are seldom seen here in Kuwait. They are common in the stricter, more conservative countries. Women here are free to choose what they wear.

After All, It’s a Small World (I changed this a little so I wouldn’t get in trouble with Disney!)

I love, love, love serendipity! Discovering those connections that couldn’t possibly be. The six degrees of separation. Those funny coincidences that amaze. Wyomingites always say that Wyoming is a small town because it seems like everyone knows everyone else, so maybe we do, but I still consider it serendipity when I run into someone somewhere they aren't "supposed" to be. Closer to home, my sister seems to run into someone she knows every single place we go, even if it’s in Colorado. Well, I have a new story to share and it will prove that “It’s a Small World After All.”

One day, we new teachers were herded into a bus and taken to a photography shop to get our pictures taken. We were standing/sitting around in groups visiting, and I happened to overhear a woman saying that she grew up in South Dakota. Of course, I insinuated myself into her conversation so I could introduce myself and find out who she was (Karen). It turned out that she was born in Rapid City (yay, west river!!) but ended up in Sioux Falls, where her family still is. I am always happy to find a fellow South Dakotian….it’s a good place to be from!

Karen was (is) a great visitor, so we kept talking and pretty soon she mentioned that she had taught school in Philip, SD. Well, I have several contacts there so I mentioned my cousin, who she did not know, and then I mentioned the Pekron family, which is my best friend Beth’s family. Voila! A contact! She said that she knew Teresa (she knew her from school and may have even taught her, I can't remember)! Later, she asked about Beth’s little brother, Joe. She even knew Beth’s parents!

Who would ever believe that halfway across the world, I would meet someone who knows people that I know in the tiny town of Philip, SD, in the middle of the prairie in the middle of the US??? God is funny like that.

Potpourri for August 25, 2011

Calling All Cars!!!

You can’t believe how many SUVs there are in Kuwait! They do love their Land Cruisers; I’ve also been seeing Jeeps, Denalis (who makes Denali???), Cadillacs. As for cars, many are large, such as Chryslers, BMWs, anything with lots of horsepower. We saw a cool Mustang the other day. Of course, gas guzzlers are okay over here because gas is cheap; I’ve heard $.85 up to $1.00/gallon. Even cheap gas can get expensive in a guzzler, but so many people here have money that it really doesn’t matter. Bigger IS better!

Trash

I take my trash out to the stairwell and put it down a garbage chute…where it goes from there is anybody’s guess!

As for other people’s trash, it is in the street, on the sidewalk, and in the parking lots. People here do not feel that it is important to put trash in its place, and so they don’t. I remember the first Earth Day (yeah, yeah, yeah, try to count THAT on your fingers!), and made myself a pledge that I would not be a litterer, and I'm not. I pick up trash around me, even when it isn’t mine. I remember how important it was to me to keep the Black Hills looking beautiful….that thought just wove its way into my value system. I wish Kuwaitis thought the same way.

Ooooh ooh ooh, Baby Baby

I am surrounded by girl babies! My friend Jennifer had one two months ago; Amanda, my niece is due in September as is my friend Erica – both with girls. Now, I have a friend here, Wedad, who is also due in September with a girl. It must have been a cold January this year, and girl germs were spreading all over the place!!!

Wedad is a young woman from Lebanon who teaches physical and environmental science. She is new to the school, and we met at new teacher orientation. She’s 28, the same age as Amanda, which is cool. I told her that I would be her baby's “grandmother” and babysitter. That is how I intend to get the baby “fix” that I will be missing back home! She also has an older son, just like Erica, Amanda, and me!

Housekeepers

Yes, I now have a housekeeper. My apartment is so small that it would not take me very long to clean it myself, since I am not a messy person, but the housekeepers at the school make so little money that it is a good idea to spread around some of my “wealth.” So, when I was asked if I needed help, I said yes, and it helped someone else.

Our school has housekeepers rather than custodians. There are maintenance men who actually keep the physical plant (for want of a better word) up and running, but the housekeepers do all the day to day things like cleaning and moving things. Which brings me to the story I want to tell: “How I Almost Got in a Fistfight with a Housekeeper.” I had to move all the tenth grade materials from a room on the 3rd floor to my room on the 4th floor. I had a housekeeper with a trolley helping me. When we were finished with the books and files, we had a bookshelf that needed to be moved, also; it was kind of big, but it wasn’t a heavy, wooden bookcase. We loaded it (sort of) onto the trolley and got as far as the elevator. There was no way that we were going to get this thing on the elevator. Along came Tim, a new MS vice principal, who looked at the situation and said that it would be much simpler to carry this up the stairs. I agreed and asked if he would help me, meaning that I would carry my end, of which I am perfectly capable. Yep, that was the plan. Well, Tim picked up his end which left the housekeeper and me at the other end. I reached for it and she reached for it. I said no, I was going to do it, but she wouldn’t let go. I elbowed her and said, “Let me do it.” We struggled like that for a few seconds and she finally backed off when I used my teacher voice. We carried the shelf unit up the stairs with no problems. I have to say, she looked kind of scrawny to me and probably couldn’t have done as good a job as I did! LOL The end.

Hey, I’ve already done that! And paid big bucks to do it!

Moving to Kuwait has been an eye-opening experience. Things that should be easy (in my opinion), have turned out to be quite difficult. Just the paperwork in preparation was exhausting and confusing – but I got it done. I WAS beginning to wonder if it would all be finished in time, though. I did fingerprinting and a police clearance through Wyoming’s DCI; received an apostille from the Secretary of State; got my blood tests, a chest x-ray, and then inoculations; and then waited on my clearance from the State Department and the Kuwait Embassy. It was overwhelming.

Interestingly, I discovered when I got here that I had to repeat a lot of that process, specifically fingerprinting, blood tests, and chest x-ray! On Monday morning, a small group of us were loaded into two small Kias and driven quite a distance away to be fingerprinted again. We followed our drivers (like baby geese follow their mothers. We probably looked ridiculous) into a seedy alleyway to a government building where immigrants were completing various levels of paperwork. First we waited in a small storefront-type building. There was a man and a woman working there, typing away on old, clacking typewriters. We were given our passports and visas and then taken outside and around to a set of stairs to another room where we waited some more. Our drivers had “wasta” or influence, because we were definitely moved to the front of the line in order to get our fingerprints taken. The police officers were young (and I mean young) men, who merely said, “Relax your fingers” and “Relax.” Not much English spoken there. They used the old fashioned black ink which then covered almost my whole palm. One of the ladies in my group pointed me to the bathroom where I could wash.

I wish I could do justice to the description of this room. I was disconcerted because there was no door. Underneath the Toilet sign, you entered a hallway; the sink was at the end. Then, if you wanted to use a toilet, you would turn a corner to the left where there were several stalls. In the hallway there were black fingerprints of hundreds of people who went before all over the walls and low ceiling. The sink was filthy with ink and there was a single bar of soap on a shelf. I admit that I used the communal bar! I was also happy that Bob, the sole man in our group of teachers, was there with me. We washed and washed, but it was virtually impossible to remove all the ink. Of course, there were no towels or hand dryers there; someone in our group had wet wipes so that helped. And that was the end of our fingerprinting excursion.

After lunch, it was on to blood tests and chest x-rays. We had a long drive to a building where the signs were all about TB prevention. Again, it was good to be American as we were hurried right along. When we checked in, the official stamped my paperwork about ten times. These officials love to stamp things and mark them up. They also staple, staple, staple. We were all told to report to room 20, where we lined up yet again. There were about six or seven technicians in the room, plus a man at a table who checked our paperwork and got the vials ready. Everything has to be checked and doubled checked. Anyway, the needles were large, but it didn’t hurt. What was weird is that I have a huge bruise and red spot where they drew my blood…..I never have that back home.

We then went to the x-ray room. There were eight dressing rooms with curtains hanging over them. We were given gowns and told to change. Well, Ashley said that as long as we took our underwire bras off that we could just keep our t-shirts on, which was a good thing. The dressing room opened directly into the x-ray room, and many women were lined up waiting for their turn. An admitting woman let us in one-by-one. Then there was another woman at a desk behind a window who was hollering at us if we didn’t get positioned correctly for the machine. I was told to come in and give my papers to the desk woman….get this: Bea was getting her x-ray as I was standing at the desk! Here is the situation: the admitting woman is always in the x-ray room, as is the desk woman. We are herded into the x-ray room as x-rays are being taken. The waiting women are lined up at a door that is always open. Talk about scary! We were being bombarded by x-rays!! This is nothing at all like getting an x-ray in the States!!

That is my saga for this day.

“How Dry I Am, How Dry I Am, Nobody Knows How Dry I Am”

Water. Those of us from Wyoming know that Wyoming has had water rights issues for centuries. We are angry about sending our water to other states when we could use it ourselves. Then there are stories we hear about Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles and their water (or, rather, lack of) issues. Water is a valuable commodity because it is the basis for life. This spring the big water issue was flooding throughout many of the states. Water can be precious and also vicious. One thing we know for sure: we would not be here if not for water. This brings me to the topic of water in the desert and how the Kuwaitis handle the problem. I have been thinking about water a lot lately, and here are several observations that I want to make about this.

First, in my apartment I have two temperatures of water that comes from my faucet: hot and hotter. There is no cold. Why? Because water for our building is held in tanks on the roof. These tanks are similar to our propane tanks, but much larger. You can see them if you look at the rooftop photo in my “Apartment Life” entry. When the temperature outside is 114F, it is no wonder that our water is warm! It is perfect for showering, at least for me, because I love a good, hot shower. Some of the others have complained that it’s too hot for them. So, it’s good for showering and hand washing, but not so good for brushing teeth or drinking. The water heaters will not be turned on until the weather begins to cool down in the winter.

Second, water processing in Kuwait is desalinizing sea water. It is safe to drink in most places, but not necessarily healthy because it does not contain the minerals that we depend on. The unsafe water comes from pipes that are old and unsafe, not from the process. We have been assured by engineers that the water in our building is clean and safe. Even so, for general drinking purposes we drink bottled water. Surprisingly, we drink Aquafina which is bottled by Pepsi! Once a week, I leave money outside my apartment door, and the water man leaves me however many cases of water I order. What a great service! I use this for general drinking, but use the tap water for cooking and brushing teeth.

Third, I see many places that are trying to landscape using plants. Many of these plants are dying because they don’t get enough water. Everything has to be irrigated. It is very beautiful to see a few green things in the middle of all the sand and sand-colored architecture, in those places where they have good luck with their plantings. At the Avenues mall, there are two walls-o-water outside, which I was surprised to see. I always think that in desert areas outside water displays are a waste, but that is the hugest mall I have seen (and getting larger at the moment – but more about malls later!), and there must be some money there. I have to admit, it is gorgeous….I guess I will call it an oasis.

I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the Gulf. I understand that we can see it from our rooftop, but it has been hazy enough that the view is blocked. Perhaps I can get there during our first vacation which is going to be next week! Imagine that…a vacation before school actually begins!

Apartment Life

Kuwait Apartment Life

The apartment complex that houses the teachers is eight stories tall (painted blue to match the school…which is important since it is directly across the street). You can see what my apartment looked like as soon as I got here…later I will post photos after I have decorated and made it comfortable. All the basics have been provided, standard IKEA fare. (The couches and the chair are super Uncomfortable, I can tell you that!) I am struggling with the fact that the kitchen has only one electrical outlet, meaning that I have to buy a power strip which will take up some of my valuable (read almost non-existent) counter space! LOL The oven is very small compared to what we are used to in the states, but very cute. The floors are marble, which reminds me of the wonderful resort we stayed at in Mexico. My bed only had a flat sheet on it, along with one of those blankets that used to be the craze in the states….I think they were called silk blankets or something like that. Kuwaitis love them…I have seen them in various stores now. I hurried up and got a fitted sheet so I could sleep between clean sheets!

There are six apartments on each floor. We have a great commons area in the basement with a big screen TV (yes, we do get some American channels), a few exercise machines, bookcases full of books, tables and chairs for large gatherings, and groups of couches for visiting. We also have storage units down there for things that we don’t want to keep in our tiny apartments. There is also a laundry room where we can do our laundry for free…no paid machines here! The lobby of this building is very interesting in that it is all glassed in which makes it feel very open. We have two elevators.

Teachers here socialize quite a bit. One day Kim invited everyone to her apartment for pancakes; yesterday five people stopped by my apartment to visit and eat cake; one couple has had game night. Now, I don’t know if this is only because school hasn’t started yet, or if this is an on-going thing, but I am enjoying it while I can!

The story of my microwave

The only reason this gets its own heading is because shopping here is so interesting that I have to tell you about my experience in purchasing a microwave. There is an electronics store located within walking distance of the apartment, so we decided to check there for a very small microwave. The store is located in a smallish mall-type building and is broken up into two different stores; one part of it is upstairs and one part downstairs, but not together, one above the other. We had to go downstairs for the kitchen appliances, and it was great; the selection was awesome. Of course, there were no familiar brands! LOL There were sales people everywhere. We found the one I wanted, and it was on sale for only 11KD, which is about $37 or so – a great deal. A sales person takes the tag over to a desk and another one enters your name, telephone number, and purchase into the computer. Then you have to go to the store that is upstairs, give another sales person your telephone number, he generates the receipt and takes your money, and gives you your purchase. Even better, yet another sales person carried the microwave out to the curb and hailed us a taxi! It was a convoluted process, but it was very satisfying!