Photos and a Few Thoughts, From Kuwait.

Thanksgiving.
Enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with some of my sweet, fun colleagues.

Good people, good food and games = smiles.

Two Monthly Book clubs. 

Participating in two clubs gets me reading books I may not otherwise choose to read on my own.

My apartment building's (I can go in my slippers!), last month's, book club read: City of Lies: Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran. Yeah, I only made it half way. That was enough of those true stories for me.

This month's read: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I know, we DO read a wide range of books. I've never read an Agatha Christie book.   

Heading to the in-my-apartment-building book club.

In the other club, last month, we read The Paradise Guest House, a novel that takes place in Bali, Indonesia. This month: The Snow Child by Ivey Eowyn.

Of course we eat at both meetings.

The Novelty of Running.

I'm still enjoying running. It still feels novel and like a major accomplishment. But, my sensitive knee, has been limiting me. 

In November, I ran my first 10K.

Really Random Stuff.

I am not creative enough to even try to tie this stuff together.

Tim Horton's now sets up a stand at our school every Thursday morning, before school!

I snapped this, from my window, at the end of September.

January 8th. I'm not thrilled.

Wherever they are, I love sunsets.

My school has an amazing canteen.
"I say cafeteria, you say canteen."
I eat these stuffed grape leaves a lot! 

Arabic.

This, beautiful, language is Arabic!

Graduation from another class.  I am still a beginning beginner though.
(You just don't need to see me that up close, again!)

How awesome is this. I haven't made the purchase, yet, though. Hmm...

Christmas.

Got to do a small service project with friends. The note below is in, beautiful, Sinhalese. A language spoken in Sri Lanka.

The things that amuse me. The tree in my classroom.

My adorable, not-so-secret, admirer.

Wrapping it Up.

I wish I was at Pizza Express now.
I ♥️ food pictures.

I'm Actually here: at the new Starbuck's, in my neighborhood.

Next up: Home for the Holidays. Nebraska.

Keep Calm and Culture Shock On

C-c-cold

One of the things that got me on the plane headed back to Kuwait and responsibility was knowing my destination was warmer.  It was over 70 degrees Fahrenheit in Kuwait during winter break and for the first few days I was back. But right now my neck and head are bundled up in an attempt to stay warm in my apartment. The high tomorrow is only 59 degrees Fahrenheit. There is central heating in my apartment but it's not working. I need to get someone up here to fix it.  It is 60.8 degrees in my apartment according to my thermostat and I'm c-c-cold.

Not me, but pretty similar.

NOT ME, in any way.

Culture shock
I think I am past the honeymoon phase of culture shock in Kuwait.  Things don't seem as exciting as when I first arrived.  Since a few things are ruffling my feathers; getting under my skin; rubbing me the wrong way, I will steer clear of sharing too much, Kuwait, this week. 

Looks like it may get worst if this graph is accurate. 

Very relevant for short term trips

Book Club
There is a new book club in our community.  I am hosting the first meeting. We are reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. You know the movie that just came out with Reese Witherspoon- that book. Here is the way we are running it: since I volunteered to host this month, I get to pick the book we read, come up with a few questions and invite the members to my apartment for the meeting.  We read the book before we meet.  Next month we repeat with a new host and book.  I'm curious how many of those initially interested will turn out.  It is understandably hard to read during the school year for a lot of teachers. 

Secret Group
We have a secret group for our community where we share info, ask questions about the city/ school and sell/buy things.  I asked if anyone would be interested in selling a treadmill.  I knew it was the worst time to ask, at the beginning of the year, with New Year's resolutions and such. But I got one! I guess it is a gift to myself for Christmas.  Let's not point out the many other things I could consider gifts to myself including trips to Hungary and The Czech Republic. 
(Why do I always want to say The Czech Republic?)

Random picture. See the Egyptian pillow cases?
Gift from a student. Love how colorful they are. 

My spare bedroom with my treadmill.

Trying to use the panorama to capture the teeny room.
BTW, no closets thus the wardrobes.

Gifts
This was a week of gifts.  I got some more extravagant chocolate, Turkish delight and homemade Christmas cookies(from Nebraska!). They were late Christmas(my sister and her family and my grandpa) and New Years gifts(I think) from students. The Fitbit I got from my sister, came the day after I bought my treadmill. It's a tiny pedometer that counts the steps you walk. What a great match. So, now I can go walking in Kuwait. I could also RUN on it, but...   

Also, not me.

This is my type of Fitbit.

Until next time,