It's Time to Say Goodbye. Masalama, Kuwait.

Saying Goodbye
You want to have closure when you leave a place. You want to be ready; not weeping because you aren't, or doubting you are making the right choice. On the other hand, you don't want to leave hating a place either; getting a bad taste in your mouth when you remember your time there. It is a precarious balance and much of it seems out of your control. I have definitely had my ups and downs in Kuwait, even within this last year.

Looking back to my first year, it was a time of focusing on being a new teacher, of mourning trees and sidewalks and a lot of time spent watching television. I found cultural things to do, I did some traveling and made a few friends, but I was much more home bound than I liked.

 

This year, in contrast, I haven't watched any television and I traveled more than ever before. I started this year determined to do things differently. I intentionally cultivated thanksgiving for Kuwait, and at the same time, I deliberately became more social and more busy. It was good at first, and needed, I think, but I did become weary and I think I missed out on more depth in a few relationships, because I was spread so thin. My life is a pendulum. I'm constantly in the process of swinging from one extreme to the other, occasionally reaching equilibrium. But isn't that just the way of things?



Thankful
I, fortunately, feel very confident about my decision to leave Kuwait, though it wasn't an easy one. I feel it is the right time to move on, but good things are happening here and kindred spirits are present.



 

 

I appreciate the different experiences I've had while being here. I am thankful for what I have learned in the classroom about student engagement and management. I have loved living among a population that speaks a different native tongue than me, practices a different religion than me and dresses differently than I do. And I'm amazed, again, that wherever I go I find like minded people from every tribe and nation who I can connect with.

Different
I am grateful to have lived in a Muslim country that bans pork and alcohol and enforces fasting during the daylight hours of Ramadan. Some may be taken aback by such a statement, but I am intrigued by the sociology of it all and I love trying to grasp cultural norms and religious mindsets. Islam is a major world religion. Roughly a fifth of our world identifies themselves with it. I'd go so far as to say it's improving my character to try to understand more about it and how it manifests in people's lives.



Ramadan
Ramadan will begin the day after my last Kuwaiti teaching day. I will be here for 3 days of it before I say goodbye to Kuwait. This year will be the first time I will be in Kuwait during it, because it has happened over summer break for the last few years. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday where the revelation of the Quran to Mohammad, peace be upon him, (that is a complimentary phrase used when you mention an Islamic prophet) is celebrated. The dates of the festival is based on the position of the crescent moon.

Ramadan is a time of fasting and feasting. Muslims fast for the entire month from food, drink and smoking, though only during daylight hours. The idea of no beverages when temperatures are daily in the triple digits, is startling. From what I understand, its purpose is similar to why I, as a Christian, occasionally, fast. It is meant to be sacrificial/ it clears time to pray and read the scriptures/ helps you hunger for spiritual things.

In the hours of darkness, feasting occurs. Long time foreign residents have commented that, many people in Kuwait just change their sleeping pattern during Ramadan but to be fair I doubt they sleep from 330A to 700P (the hours of daylight in Kuwait right now) so some restraint from eating is being shown. I do worry for the migrant workers, many of who do construction work, in the sun. I believe their working days are shortened to accommodate. Arab residence's working hours are shortened for the length of Ramadan. There are some exceptions to who must fast. Young children, the elderly, and pregnant and menstruating women are excused from fasting. Though I hear menstruating women 'should' make up those days. During this time, you can be thrown in jail (for a day) if you consume food or beverages in public while the sun is up. Restaurants are closed during the day and open late into the night.

Remembering Kuwait
Kuwait has honestly been a tough place for me in some arenas. At times I've felt overlooked and the need to second guess my actions and words, but I've learned a lot about human nature and myself. In contrast, I've realized how lucky I have been, in my life to have been loved so well.

At the same time, Kuwait has truthfully been a great place for me. A place where I found some kindred spirits and I thrived.

Kuwait will always be home to the first school I taught in. Kuwait will always be the place where I did the majority of my graduate classes, studied Arabic, and got more of an understanding of Middle Eastern culture than most. It will be the country I was in when I started running, got my first smartphone (monumental) and a place where I was in some great, fun groups. Kuwait will be what afforded me the money and locality to travel to beautiful places like Cambodia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Kuwait will also be the move that prompted me to start writing a blog.

 

 

  

Kuwait will likewise be where I spent very little time outside and a very dirty place that I lived. And I hope it will become one of my toughest teaching jobs, because it has not always been easy.

It's been dark at times, but there has been light, too. And light is what extinguishes darkness. It's not clear yet how I will look back at this time, but I feel as sure I was meant to be here, as I do that it's time to move on, for now at least.

*My time here is very inadequately represented by photos. Many people not pictured have made a lasting, positive, impression on me during my time in K-town, Kuwait. Noticeably absent are my wonderful Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday families. 

Qatar

Fun Facts.

I took one last, quick, trip to another gulf nation. We visited Doha, the capital of the "State of Qatar".  It's home to about 2 million people, less than half of whom are nationals. People I have talked to, have mixed opinions about Qatar. Some say it's not worth checking out. I really liked it and I think they may have the best souk in the Middle East. 

Qatar has made headlines for winning the 2022 World Cup bid. They have also fallen under scrutiny for their treatment of migrant workers.  

Qatar has a lot of large green parks, which is hard to do it such a hot place. The places we went were modern, clean and green.

Our experiences.

We ate breakfast on a man-made island, called The Pearl, that is home to over 12,000 residents. 

We went to a mall, the Villagio, designed to resemble Italy, complete with a gondola laden river running through the middle. 

We visited The Museum of Islamic Art which had art from different time periods, from all over the Islamic world. The art was insightful and interesting and I loved the museum's cafe view. The air conditioning was also highly appreciated by me and my two traveling companions. 

The souk we explored was tidy and contemporary, yet looked like a traditional souk. It was extensive, had cultural goods and many regional and international places to eat. We wandered through an animal section with parrots and other exotic birds.

An Iraqi restaurant, at the Waqif souk.

Expensive. 

It is hard to say because we did eat at hotels and the airport, but Qatar seemed even more pricey than Kuwait.  And that is saying a lot. It only makes sense though since most lists place it as the richest country in the world. 


Friends.

We were able to visit another teacher friend we made on a trip we took last month, to Ethiopia. 

 

Recommending Qatar.

Most of those people who say Qatar isn't worth seeing, when pressed, will admit they have never even been there. Well, I have been there. And I say country number 37, Qatar, is definitely worth a visit.  

Recommending Ethiopia

The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay

Ethiopia was amazing. However, writing about it seemed like a daunting task. If you haven't noticed the pattern yet, the fact that I'm publishing a new blog post means another trip is quickly approaching. If that wasn't the case, I would not have been able to get this out yet.  

I had a 3-day weekend and a friend posted a trip she was taking on Facebook. And the next thing I knew, I was joining her. We met up with a small tour group that hired a local guide and planned everything for us. Our group included 11 tourists and a leader. We were all expats (people who chose to leave their country to work in another) who picked the Middle East to reside and desired to take a vacation in Ethiopia. You might want to reread that sentence. A group that includes those characteristics isn't huge. Though it should be, of course. Though I know the dynamics of every trip is probably different, our mutual commonalities created a comradely and comfortable feel. 

Natural Beauty.

We took a day trip to see the countryside, and a little hiking to see this pretty scenery.

Injera.
They use teft, a gluten free grain, is used to make this large injera bread. You eat with your hands. You use the bread to pick up beans, veggies and meat. 

Welcoming people. 

We literally just walked into a small village and started talking with people. We ended up sharing smiles and songs. 

We also got to see traditional dancing and Africa's largest open market.

Learning by Experience

So many interesting things. I love visiting places, even really heartbreaking places (amidst cultural and aesthetic beauty) because I learn so much. And learning a little makes me more curious to learn even more. 

A few of the things I found the most intriguing are as follows: 

The House of Solomon and The Arc of the Covenant.

Did you know that Solomon and the Queen of Sheba had a son, and he brought the arc of the covenant to Ethiopia. At first I dismissed the notion, but really Solomon did have a lot of wives and concubines. Someone from the house of Solomon is believed to have been on Ethiopia's throne, until 1974. 

From what I understand, no other country claims to have the Arc of the Covenant. I don't hold that it has any special power, like some do. (When God's ultimate plan, his biggest sacrifice, was paid, the curtain to the Holy of Holies was ripped open and God's holy presence became available to those who desire it. So, I guess I'm sort of an arc of a covenant now.) Regardless, it is intriguing and I'd like to see it. Oddly enough the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has some very pre-Messiah elements. The church doesn't eat pork and each church building has a replica of the Holy of Holies where only special people can enter.

Eucalyptus Trees.

Many years ago, with good intentions to replenish trees, after most had been used for fuel, the non-native, quick growing Eucalyptus tree was transplanted to Ethiopia, from Australia. Unfortunately the tree also drinks a lot of water and spreads rapidly. The loss of moisture was an unwanted consequence so they have since begun working on removing them and replacing them with native trees. We still saw many.

Red Terror.

My visit to the Red Terror museum was very reminiscent of the Killing Fields in Cambodia. A movement fueled by the communist ideology of raising up the underdog- gone horribly wrong. It was horrific to hear about the thousands of deaths and inconceivable torture that occurred at the hands of many of their own countrymen between 1976 and 1978. The terror came about after the last emperor of Ethiopia was removed from power. With no one to take over... This is a repeating pattern in history.

Chinese Investment. 

Chinese investment is overtly apparent in Ethiopia. There were many large construction sites covered with Chinese characters. Though the immediate investment benefits Ethiopia, I sensed some skepticism about it as well.

Lucy. 

If you visit Addis you will no doubt hear about Lucy. She is not the oldest human thought to be uncovered, but the oldest that is so complete, having 40% of her bones are in one location. The thing I found really interesting is that she is named Lucy because archeologists were listening to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, by the Beatles, when they found her. 

No Food Franchises and Coffee Ceremonies.

There are no chains in the whole country. No Pizza Hut, Subway, McDonald's and definitely no Starbucks. But they do have coffee...

Coffee is such a tradition here that they call the whole presentation a 'coffee ceremony'. From the ritual, I gleaned coffee is brewed over coals, they burn nice smelling incense, spread out grass on the ground and serve strong coffee with sugar in small handless cups, poured from traditional coffee pots.

Cutting for Stone. 

It's been recommended, and it has been on and off my reading list over the last few years, but when it was pointed out to me that the setting of the book was the eastern African country I was about to visit, I committed and downloaded it. Since it's not my typical children's or young adult choice, it isn't a quick read. In fact, I only made it to 10% before our trip. Now a couple weeks after, I'm returning to it. It's so much the richer now because I have been to the Addis the author is describing in detail. I'm making good reader connections right and left. 

Though I'm still not far enough to recommend the book, I do recommend visiting Ethiopia if you get a chance. And there is more, for me to return to see, as well.