Entry #10 - More Pictures

Some more pictures of Gurgiyan. The last one is of Isaac and his friends Jackson and Lewis.

Entry #9 Gurgiyan

On the 15th day of Ramadan there is a celebration called Gurgiyan. It is a time for the little ones to dress up and visit their friends and collect sweets. The elementary school organizes a parade around the high school and middle school and all the 'big kids' come out to cheer on the kids.

Gurgiyan fell on the 15th of September this year and Zoe and Isaac had a great time. Zoe got a ridiculous amount of candy and presents. I think the word excessive describes the gifts that the Kuwaiti families brought in for the kids in their class; we ended up giving most of it away.

The pictures are pretty self explainatory. The woman you won't recognize is Zoe's teacher.

Entry #8 Stray Cats, Mobiles, and Harry Potter

So, there are stray cats everywhere. Which means that our chances of running into a rat or mouse are slim. However, these aren't nice little kittens. There are some big mean cats and we often hear cats fighting in and around our building. Some people have tried taking these cats in and some have had some success and others not so much, it all depends on how old the cats are when they are recused. One teacher found a baby kitten that must have only been a few hours old and tried to save it but it died after three days with her.

Mobiles (AKA cell phones) are everywhere. Jamie and I both have one; yet we don't have a landline in our apartment. We are getting used to always being connected. It isn't too bad yet since whenever my phone rings it is usually Jamie. I am always surprised when it rings and Jamie is standing beside me. People text me and I have no idea how to respond to them since I don't know how to text back. It is on my list of things to do...learn how to text. I also get an arabic text at least once a day.

We solved the problem of sharing a room with Isaac; we moved him into the closet. It is actually a small room which is designed for the live-in maid or nanny. We were using it for a storage closet since it didn't seem right putting a person into a windowless tiny room. However, after enough 5:00 a.m. wake ups it did seem right to put a person into a windowless tiny room. He has adjusted well to his new quarters and for the last two days has slept until 6:30. So we have started calling him Harry Potter since he lives in a closet and has a scar on his forehead. This is a picture of Isaac with his new haircut provided by Jamie. This picture is of phase one of a three phase process. It looks much better now.

It looks like we will be traveling on the Eid Holiday. We have booked a trip to Oman to visit a high school friend (Lee Rosky) and his family. We leave on the 30th and arrive back on the 5th. We are looking forward to seeing some new sights and relaxing with some WINE!

This is a picture of the building across from our apartment "The Kuwaiti Blinds Association". We were puzzled by this when we first arrived. I pictured people having serious discussions about blinds and the pros and cons of vertical blinds vs. horizontal blinds. It turns out it is the "The Kuwaiti Blind Association" just a small typo on the sign.

Entry #7 Ramadan

So, we are in the Holy Month of Ramadan and there is a lot to learn and adjust to. Here are a few facts about Ramadan:

• It is the 9th month of Muslim Calendar; which is based on the lunar calendar. This means that it changes every year so next year it will start mid-August. Not a great time to be fasting when it is a million degrees out. :)


• Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and this includes water. At sunset (around 6:00 pm) they eat, drink and visit with friends. They will also get up before sunrise to eat (around 5:00am). And by drink I mean non-alcholic beverages since we are in one of four dry countries in the world! YIKES!


• During Ramadan people are expected to be more generous and just generally better people. It is also intended to give people an idea of what it is like to go without and empathize with the poor.


• School schedules are shortened during Ramadan...my kids are very slow and tired this month.
  
• All resturants and coffee shops are closed and many businesses have short/strange hours


• In Kuwait it is against the law to eat or drink in public during this month and if you are caught you could be put in jail. This is not the case in all Muslim countries.


• Little ones are allowed to eat and drink in public and it just depends on the family when children start fasting for Ramadan.


• Ramadan ends with the Eid celebration which is four days of families gathering together to celebrate. The kids are telling me that I should definitely not assign any homework over Eid since it is similiar to Christmas break. Should probably check into that one with some other teachers.


• The Call to Prayer sounds from the Mosques five times a day. It is surprising how quickly you get used to hearing it. People do not drop to the ground to pray and students do not get to leave the classroom to pray. It is simply a reminder that they should pray and there is a Mosque at the school where students can go pray at lunch or after school. Luckily, we do not live right beside a Mosque as the call is quite loud and the first call sounds at around 4:00 a.m. I have included a picture (a little blurry) of the Mosque near our house lit up at night. Zoe calls it a castle. The second picture is the Mosque at the school.

I have included an article about Ramadan that I think does it more justice than my point form list. Read on if you are interested.

Ramadam Kareem! (or Happy Ramadan)

More than one billion Muslims around the world welcomed the start of the holy month of Ramadan on September 1st. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar marks a time when Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other indulgences in order to renew their devotion to God. The month is meant to not only allow Muslims to identify with those starving across the world but to teach self-restraint and patience. Ramadan provides an opportunity for both Muslims and non-Muslims to uncover their similarities in human nature and experiences. The days of Ramadan are filled with blessings; Muslims believe that every good deed done in the month will be multiplied and that it's imperative to engage in acts that are beneficial spiritually, as in reading and pondering the words of the Quran, as well as contributing to the well-being of the community through charity. Fasting is required for those who are physically and mentally able and is marked by the abstention of food and drink form sunrise to sunset. The word Ramadan is derived from the Arabic root word ramida or ar-ramad meaning an intense scorching heat; when used in the context of Ramadan fasting, it indicates the heating sensation in the stomach
that comes about due to thirst. The lack of sustenance is not always the most difficult aspect of the fast; for many, the accompanying behaviors—abstaining from lying, refining one's manners, being more charitable and disciplining one's self—are the toughest to maintain. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that if a person does not avoid false talk and false conduct while fasting, then God does not care if he abstains from food and drink. In a society of excess, fasting provides a breath of fresh air. It is an opportunity to rejuvenate our spirits and cleanse our souls from the frivolousness that is present in our daily lives. These journeys of introspection, spiritual cleansing, and charity are not unique to Ramadan but prevalent across all religious traditions. Many Christians exhibit their self-control during Lent, and establishing harmony within the soul and body is stressed in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It is this that highlights the true beauty of Ramadan: the ability to unite communities and to encourage an attitude of peace and generosity. When we fast, we are members of a community of more than a billion people who are all engaging in the same spiritual purification. But we are also a part of a larger community that is trying to find the meaning in our lives, increase charity, and accept social responsibility.
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/09/13/OpinionColumns/
Ramadan.Brings.Beauty.Meaning.And.Community-2965398.shtml

Entry #6 Random Thoughts

Small World:

Another teacher started this year at our school and she is from Halifax. Of course we asked whereabouts in Halifax. Ends up she is from Dartmouth...from Elwin Cresent which is the street you drive on to get to Mom's! She is younger than me but knew some of the kids on the street that I taught at Ellenvale.

As the year starts I get the students to write me an introduction letter and it turns out not one but two of my students have lived in Halifax. One in Clayton Park and the other..yes, in Dartmouth on Montebello Drive. It is a crazy small world.

Garbage:

There is a lot of it everywhere!! Litter everywhere...it is quite disgusting. A teacher at school has started composting and recycling at school so I am going to help out with that. Jamie just loves that I am carting our leftover food to school. Our Nanny thinks I am nuts.

Nanny:

Our Nanny (Flora) has really worked out. We are into week three with her and Isaac now goes to her with open arms in the morning and cries when she leaves; I almost wept the first time this happened. Zoe is still a little reluctant with Flora but she spends most of the day at school so we are not too stressed about this. (She still misses her Tammy!)

Zoe at school:

She loves it and I don't want to brag but she is one of the best students in the class. Of course this might have something to do with the fact that most of the other kids have never been away from their mothers/nannies before so they stand at the door wailing. So I think Zoe is one of the best in the class by default. :)

Weather:

It feels like it is starting to cool down...so it was only 35 today!

Pictures:

I have included a few more pictures. The first three are from the "Friday Market"but it is actually open everyday. I bought a rug for our apartment. As you can see there is quite a selection. These are not real Persion Rugs but lovely copies. I was able to bargin down from 15 KD (Kuwaiti Dinar) to 14 KD (about 56.00 Canadian). I am amazing...actually the women I was with did the bargining but I supported her 100%.

And the last picture is Flora and Isaac.

Entry #5 More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures.

They are from a cruise on the Arabian Gulf we took on a Saturday morning with some of the staff from the school. You can see Kuwait City in the background.

Entry #4 Just Pictures

I am sure you are tired of reading my ramblings.

So I will include a few more pictures of Zoe's first day of school and our trip to the camel market.

Entry #3 The First Two Weeks

We have been here a little over two weeks, yet it feels more like two years. There is so much to learn and take in. We have been super busy with school, setting the kids up and setting up the apartment. We are looking forward to things slowing down a bit and getting a chance to catch our breath and actually enjoy our adventure.

The first week was tough since we were expected to be at school for orientation and meetings and leave the kids with a group of nannies. We did a lot of running back and forth to the apartment to check on them...which isn't fun when it is 40+ degrees. Our nanny, that we hired on a probationary basis from Canada, arrived on our second day and right away I did not have a good feeling. She did not interact with the kids and seemed more concerned with cleaning. She referred to the kids as the big one and the little one. I was physically ill most of the first week as we peeled the kids off us to go to school. I knew that they were safe but miserable. On some days we would take them with us to school with our nanny so they could play in the gym while we were at meetings. By the end of the week I knew that we had to let her go. It was not a fun job and not something I want to repeat anytime soon. She kept asking Why? Why? and she really didn't understand when I said she wasn't the right "fit" for our family. It took a few hours for me to start feeling better but I knew that it was the right decision. Our VP called a few other nannies and had an open call for available nannies and we interviewed about 6 the next day. There we met Flora and we both decided she was the one for us. She is from Goa, India, is young and has a son Isaac's age. Her English is excellent and she has energy and spunk. Isaac has warmed up to her quite a bit and Zoe is coming around slowly. (She is still missing Tammy; her babysitter from home.) Zoe only spends half the day with her as she has started school and is extremely happy there. Flora then picks Zoe up from school and they spend the afternoon together. We are definitely much happier now as the kids become settled in their new surroundings.

Once we got the kids settled we could start focusing on school. It is a huge staff..over 150 teachers; there are days that I see someone that I have never seen before in my life. It is divided into High School, Middle School and Elementary. Jamie and I are both in the High School so we don't get a chance to meet too many people from the other departments. I am teaching Grade 9 and 10 English and Jamie is teaching Grade 9 and 10 Information Technology and Theory of Knowledge (or as they call it TOK). I have been teaching for 11 years and I have never come across so many acronyms. HOD, MYP, DP, IB, AP...the list goes on and on. I thought I was going to run out of one of the meetings screaming FU to see if they could figure out that acronym. I think I am starting to get it all worked out. It was nice to actually stop the meetings and start teaching. The kids are great and very polite...haven't been told off once yet and we are into our second week! I have a lot of Mohammed's, Abudullahs, Noors, and Ahmeds. I am sure I am mispronouncing most names. My largest class has 20 and my smallest has 13. It is nice change from 30!! So far Jamie and I are both enjoying this part of life in Kuwait.

We are in a two bedroom apartment about five minutes form school but this is only temporary. We are waiting for a three bedroom apartment to be completed and hope it will be done at the end of the month. Jamie and I are sharing a room with Isaac and when he wakes up at five o'clock in the morning and starts yelling at us to play we aren't exactly excited. Hopefully, this new building will be done at the end of Ramadan (October 1ish) but apparently nothing really happens quickly in this country so we have been told not to really get our hopes up. We can see the new building from our apartment now and Zoe keeps asking when they will turn the lights on our new house.

I think if someone had offered me a plane ticket home in our first week I would have taken it and run all the way to the airport with the kids on my back. However, every day is getting better and better as we get used to our new surroundings, new schedule and most importantly see that the kids are happy.

I have included some pictures of the school, the view from our apartment (the blue building in these shots will be our new apartment).

Entry #2 Flight and Arrival

We left Jen and Bruce's house at 6:00 am on Tuesday to catch our flight. We checked it with no difficulties since Etihad seems to deal with large amounts of luggage being checked in on a regular basis. We said our goodbyes to Jen, Bruce and Ewan and were off. The flight went extremely well. We had the bulkhead so there were no passengers in front of us and that gave us more room. We had booked the bassinet that attaches to the wall but Isaac ended up being to heavy for it so it became more of a storage bin. Zoe watched a few movies and napped two different times and Isaac napped for about 5 hours. The food was great and service was good. When we were landing in Abu Dhabi the sun was coming up so we just told Zoe it was morning and away we went. We had an hour wait in Abu Dhabi before catching our hour long flight to Kuwait. We did manage to leave two carry-ons at the Abu Dhabi airport (all my fault). Once in Kuwait we had to get the kids a visa to enter the country so we had to do some paper work and more waiting. We got our first glimpse at the Kuwait bureaucracy at work. The visa guys were taking their time chatting and smoking while at least 30 people sat waiting. We waited for about an hour and when it was our turn and the guy started another conversation with his buddy. I almost came across the desk at him...but I restrained myself..no need to get kicked out of the country before stepping foot in it. But besides the luggage issue and visa wait everything went very smoothly and Jamie and I were quite kind to one another. :)

Russ McLean (the person who hired us) and the principal of the High School were there to meet us. I was thrilled to see a Starbucks right away. They offered to get us a coffee. Of course I requested a tall chai latte no foam...well, I almost got back on the plane when they came back to report that they did not carry them. I decided instead to consider my time in Kuwait as a rehab program for my chai latte addiction. Jamie got his coffee and the luggage was whisked away and we stepped out of the airport into 40 + temperatures to begin our adventure.