This Time Around

Where I'm Meant to be

I'm suppose to be here. At least here, in this place where I am pouring out the moments of my days into the complicated, beautiful lives of others. In this case the complex lives of my precious Kuwaiti, Algerian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Saudi, German, American students. #thisislove

Was wonderful to see my students from last year, too. They were my first class, but I can't imagine how I can care this much every year... and keep it together.

Not allowed to post pictures of students, thus the blur, but that is a student made cup of last year's class.

I Wish

My students keep telling me how kind I am. And I keep telling them, "Just wait, it is only the beginning of the school year." And then they hug me. I wish I was kidding.

The Downside

Today at noon recess duty, it was 102 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 57%, making the heat index 133 degrees. That is the hottest I've ever experienced here, or anywhere. And my students have PE outside. (I'm glad I don't teach PE.)

Focus on the Positives

In an attempt to nurture and cultivate thanksgiving, because I want to bloom where I am planted, I have been intentionally thinking about the good and lovely things about this gulf nation. 

The following link is to a convicting and spot on post: Expat Hate Culture 

Narrated by a Kuwaiti, this is a thoughtfully honest yet, hopeful video about this nation:

 

Easy Street

Everything is so easy this year. Teaching still requires a great deal of energy (and it's still worth it), but everything about my Kuwait life and workplace is pretty stress-free and effortless this time around. Which, I know, is why many people do end up staying. Work will have its occasional frustrations and you will miss home, but life in Kuwait is pretty comfortable for the Western expat. 

Changes

Now I remember why I got into the habit of laying on the couch for hours every workday evening. This is not the habit, I want to call my life. But, after a long day I don't feel up to making plans and then I sit down and I have the fleeting thought... Must. Change. Some... thing... but my apartment is so cozy and my couch so comfortable...and... that is how it happens. Relaxation and isolation are sometimes only separated by a thin line, though. So, I am making plans when I do have energy. Zumba etc. with workout buddies, new bible study(or two), Arabic lessons and game night have been added to the mix. I'm also hosting the first book club of the year, again. And I'm thinking about a membership to the Hilton resort and tutoring. "I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure how seriously." That is my new catch phrase. It is quite the useful sentence. In this birth of busyness, I'm investigating if sleep really is overrated. The verdict is still out.

We're not in Kansas Anymore Toto

Went solo via my trustee taxi driver to grab a few groceries last week. Every woman in the quaint mall was in a chador.


No lie. Except for the clerks who were all Filipino. Okay, I saw one other blonde, so in hindsight she must not have had on a head covering, but total Kuwaiti complete with huge sunglasses on, inside the store. And there I was (without sunglasses on inside the mall), being all me, showing calves hair and elbows. People asked me this summer, "Do you get stared at?" and I'd reply... idk, shoulder shrug... "I think I'm used to it now."... but on this mall day, I can confidently say "Yes.", double takes and all. 

My Other Job as an Ethnographic Researcher
Some things stand out afresh after being out of a culture for a while. Like, for example, having the Islamic call to prayer soundtrack coming from dueling mosques during your, Friday morning, sermon. The one you listen to with 15 other people in the unmarked basement of someone's home. 

The moments after I arrived back in Kuwait I tried to muster up all my ethnography skills, but, again... jet lag. Here is all I got.

Observations recorded from my flight from Frankfurt to Kuwait and while I was waiting by the baggage carousel in Kuwait:

After a prolonged absence, it seems good to take note of obvious cultural observations again.

-That's right. Not everyone speak English. 

-It's hot in Kuwait.

-Taxis are expensive.
- Oh yeah, Kuwait is on the gulf. Sweet.Water.Pretty.

-Teachers are so friendly. Reconnected with some in the airports.

-People here are kinda chubby.

-And kinda pushy.

-There is, very often, a strong woody smell of Arab cologne.

I think I'll keep my day job. ;)

A Day in the Life of this Expat Teacher: A Typical Friday
Lunch, after church.



And (grocery) shopping.

You know, just pushing my own grocery cart in front of a Jimmy Choo.


Our Friday morning taxi driver.

Coming Soon

Athens and Santorini, with friend from Hungary.

#cancrosssantorinioffbucketlist

Spontaneously decided to take a short trip to Jordan, with travel buddies, over Islamic New Year.

#wearesospontaneous

Pen Pals, Swip- Swapped Seasons and Moving Flats

Pen Pals
We are finishing up a writing piece this week. For fast finishers I gave them a couple choices of what they could write about. One of them being, write a letter to my 5 year old nephew, Noah. I said, "Tell him about yourself, ask him questions, or maybe tell him how awesome it is to have his aunt as your teacher." Wink, wink.

Here are a few things my students want to tell/ ask Noah:

How old are you? Do you like to play PS40? What is your favorite food? What is your favorite hobby? I want to go to America like you. Your aunt is helpful and kind. Did you know we are learning about multiplication and division. I end with this, my favorite comment; "Reading is my favorite subject and it so important because you learn words and stuff." (from one of my struggling-est readers.)

Swip- Swaps
Swip- swaps are the most popular, and my least favorite, behavior cards (because they talk to who they choose to sit by).

It takes more Dojo points to earn it, but when you do you can redeem it and sit by whoever you want for the day.

Because of the reward card, my class has the meaning of swip-swap down (If you don't, look it up in Urban Dictionary). We even use it in math. One strategy we practice to help us become Multiplication Masters is the Commutative property (9 X 5 is the same as 5 X 9- this strategy helps because they can all count by 5's even if they can't fluently recall their 9's yet).  So if one student gets stuck, I will prompt, "Can you 'swip-swap' the number to a problem you do know?"

Well, there is another thing that is swip-swapped here, too. In a temperate climates in the northern hemisphere, leaves change colors and fall to the ground in the fall and things bud and start to turn green in the Spring. It is not so here. In Kuwait, in the spring, things start to turn brown and leaves fall from the trees.   

Interesting fact of the day: Our campus is carpeted almost entirely in green AstroTurf instead of grass.

Freedom

Things I miss, besides specific friends and family like these:

Yea for Facetime.

🌳🌷🌾🚴🚶🚘

-My car

-Road Trips

-Trees

-Walking outside

The things I listed above represent freedom and independence to me. Claustrophobia; noun anxiety caused by living in isolation or indoors for a long period of time. Though I don't have claustrophobia, it sometimes feels like I am confined in a small place and I have to struggle for breath; like I have cabin fever. It doesn't help that it is now regularly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, too.

I don't always like being in this dusty, scorched country, but I have gained a lot of invaluable experiences and met some great people.

Looking forward to some freedom this summer and hopeful for an awesome next year in Kuwait.

Church Love

"What is important to you when it comes to a place to worship?" 

"Do they Love Jesus?" 

"Yes." 

"Good, that is foundational." "They play Rend and All Sons and Daughters!?" 

"Yes, they do." 

"Sold!" 

A friend said commented (said is dead), "It feels like a Sunday school class." and I agree.  The church I've settled on is small, low key and ran by the congregation. For example, in the service, someone asks for prayer requests, someone else reads that week's bible passage, someone else gives announcements and so on.  The message is bible based and short.  On the other hand, it takes 25 minutes to get there and we have to schedule a taxi pickup in advance because taxis don't frequent the area, but... I like. 

I love Rend Collective.

It's tricky getting a taxi to and from church because our taxi drivers are Muslim and they have their Friday prayer time at the same time that local Christian churches meet. Yes, church is on Friday here. 'Member the first day of our work week is on Sunday.

Moving Flats

New single teachers usually live in the smaller, not as nice, apartments their first year. The year is almost over and since some teachers are getting ready to move on, their apartments are available. The most desired apartments are usually seaside and as high up as possible. That is also what I wanted, but I got the other side, call the sunset view, on the 11th floor. Picking an apartment is a bit of a gamble because some apartments have better lay outs, nice painted walls or better furniture. I like my current place enough, but I am happy for a little upgrade. The other apartment is in one of the two buildings the school actually owns. I am currently in the one the school rents. The apartment I am moving into will be bigger and has a nice private courtyard. I'm excited though I won't actually get to be in it until after summer break.

Garage Sales
I did a little shopping in my future apartment today. Those leaving threw "garage" sales in their apartment, so I bought a couple of things and just left them over there for when I move in. I am still hunting for games and puzzles though. I have a ton, in America, but I didn't want to pay for the extra weight to bring them over. I might need to bring a couple back on my return trip. I have been puzzl-ing pretty compulsively for the last 2 weeks. If I keep this up, I think I've gathered just enough to last me until the end of the school year.

12 more days of school left.

20 more days till I take a jet plane.

Prague Vacation

Christmas in Budapest

Christmas in Budapest was nice. It seems it is not traditional, in this part of the world (I'm writing this from Budapest), to have a Christmas Eve service but a Christmas morning service.  We enjoyed broccoli cheese soup and Its a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve and headed to the Hungarian/English service on Christmas morning. 

We also enjoyed a post-service coffee at the beautifully restored New York Kavehaz.

It was built at the end of the 19th century and was frequented by the elite of Hungary's literary world. One anecdote tells of how the famous writer Ferenc Molnár, on the day the café opened, threw the keys into the Danube so that it would never close.

Traveling in Style

On Boxing Day, December 26th, we boarded a bus to Prague (pronounced Praha in Hungarian and Czech), Czech Republic. 

On the way, our bus had personal screens for movies and television and served free hot drinks. 

Arrival

It took 7 1/2 hours, with one break and 3 other stops, to get from Budapest to Prague.  After arrival, we checked out the local cuisine. Prague goulash with homemade dumplings is pictured below. 

It was quite a bit different than the Hungarian version, pictured here:

A Tour in Photos

Christmas markets were still in full swing.  

It was very cold ( around 30 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time). We bundled up and began our 46 hour Prague tour.  We spent a lot of time outdoors, so we constantly consumed hot beverages.

Below is the famous Charles bridge, a walking bridge.

The tradition of padlocks, with the initials of couples carved into them, is here as well.

Chimney cakes, also, are in Prague. I ate 2. I also sampled sausages and mulled wine. Sarah said the homemade potato chips were amazing. And she liked the schnitzel (breaded meat cutlets).

One of our many hot beverages.

We also made our way up to the castle district.

Climbing around 380 steps to the top of one of the castle towers, was tough.

But, we were rewarded with some breathtaking views.

Observation and Such

- Rye bread is the staple. When you order a sausage or soup you get rye bread. 

- Cobble stones are everywhere. Even new side walks are cobblestone. Because of this I didn't see very many heeled boots.

- Lots. Of. Tourists. There are more tourists in Prague than Budapest. 

- Even though it was bitter cold we all ate outside at the markets.

- The architecture and statues seemed sort of dark and mysterious.

- It seems the whole world does big, sparkly shopping malls now. Starbucks, H&M and Costa Coffee have overtaken the world.

- Czechs love pizza and Italian food.

- We went to a English speaking church in Prague. It was special to worship, next to the castle, with people from all over the world. 

Final Thoughts

I have wanted to go to Prague for a long time, so I am really thankful I was able to experience it. I understand why everyone loves it.  It's delightful!

And then it feels like coming home, again, when arriving back in Budapest.

Winter Break

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Treats.

I asked for treats for our Christmas party and wow. I got to try some fancy snacks. At least 12 of my students brought treats. Yeah. I also got a couple special gifts. Need any dates? I got a very large box full.

Made my day.

Even with all their treats the kids were still delighted they got to decorate the sugar cookies I made. They had their choice of frosting and sprinkles.  

NICE SMOOTH TRAVEL

On a jet plane.

I had to get up just a bit earlier than a normal school day, at 2 am, to start my winter holiday.

A tasty surprise. 

Turkish cheese pastry is the same as Burek (it is Burek) my favorite Albanian and Macedonian food, which btw is very similar to my favorite Bulgarian food, Banitsa. Almond cake is also amazing. Both were served on my flight to Istanbul. Food wise, I could live in Turkey. 

Burek

I had no idea.

When I booked my tickets to Budapest, I purchased two tickets. I got one to Istanbul and one from there to Budapest. Who would have thought two tickets from the same airline would leave from different airports.  I flew into Asia Istanbul then, after making my own way across the city(including buying a visa), out of Europe Istanbul. And why there is no direct shuttle from one airport to the other is beyond me.  I was going to take a public shuttle to the city center and then transfer to another going to the other airport, but last second I booked a private shuttle from one airport to the other. Like literally last second. I booked it as I was boarding my flight from kuwait to Istanbul. 75 bucks was worth the peace of mind, this time. And good thing I made that desicion because I don't think I would have had enough time the other way.

VACATION

Made it.

Now I'm in Budapest. Felt like coming home. I love this city.

View from the top of St. Stephen'sChurch

Gulyas (Hungarian goulash)

I ❤️ Budapest.