In the Middle of the Night

SO I woke up early today! Yikes it is 2:30 in the morning. I have been wide awake for one hour and it doesn't feel like I am going back to sleep any time soon. What has me awake in the middle of the night?

• This phenomenon probably has something to do with the fact that I went to bed much earlier than normal and I have had my quota of snooze time  
• It could also be that tomorrow is the first day back at work after a relaxing and restful weekend
• Maybe I ate something yesterday that is disagreeing with my system  (gas?)
• Perhaps it is the never ending list of things to do that comes when living and teaching in a foreign country....

All of these reasons are probable, plausible and possible, but  the real reason for my sleeplessness is A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N! In less than 24 hours my "girl" will be arriving at the airport and I will be up again in the middle of the night to meet her. YAY!

My daughter is making a stop-over in Kuwait on her way home from a scuba diving vacation in the Maldives, an island nation located about 600 kilometres south of India in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea. She was on a live-aboard diving boat and having a "great" time. The difficult part for me was that she was offline for many days and it was a brief email and a post on Instagram (which showed up on Facebook) that let us know that she was "safe". What a relief to receive such good news. 

 

Happy Halloween!

So as I write (it is now 3 a.m. local time), I am truly looking forward to more pictures, stories and some quality Kuwait time with my adventurous offspring. 

But, it gets even better!  Not only will my daughter be here for 6 or 7 days, my husband is set to arrive on Thursday!  I may never sleep again! 

Looking forward, until next time, 

Bee Rich 

Keeping Calm and Carrying On

In my last blog I believe I wrote about the ups and the downs of life.  Today I have been thinking a lot about keeping a steady state of mind even when troubles are bubbling.  My history is such that I often over-react and then regret my actions.  That brings me to today's Keep Calm and Carry On theme. I knew I had heard about it before and that it was likely a British invention, as the crown does over arch most of the T-shirts and mugs I have seen on the market.

It wasn't until I "googled" the phrase and found out that it was actually a poster produced in 1939 in preparation for the second world war to help raise the morale of the British public. Even though 2.45 million posters were printed, they were never made public and only rediscovered in the year 2000!

I have noticed many of these lookalikes on our travels and most recently saw one in the school office which exhorted, Keep Calm and See a Guidance Counselor. My interest was piqued and I could not resist a look at some of the thousands of related images. The best, in my opinion are below for your entertainment and encouragement.

The first is dedicated to my friend, a dental hygienist who is currently in Cambodia on a medical mission:

Dedication to Lindsay and Emily, my Kuwait daughters
who always know when it is time for tea!

Still always in the back of my mind...

But then these do show up occasionally

This one is for the Literacy coaches at school-
(yes I do once again have a coach!)

When all else fails....

And who cannot resist a nap with a furry feline? 

This is for everyone I have come to know in the teaching and learning world!

No caption required!

Daily we are reminded!

Never fail calm causer!

Of course just in time for Movember. Now who is in?

We were reminded of this with an email from school administration to
be vigilant and of course, I am doing my best to comply. 

The heart of all is calm

The countdown is on...there are only 48 sleeps.... 

For my favourite bloggers..

 I thought this said "STAY WIRED"- what a weird miscue!

Until next time, 

Bee Rich

Ups and Downs

I was thinking about the ups and downs that sometimes come our way.

The ups are the times to celebrate...the birth of a child, a new job, a special holiday, a goal achieved or anything else that makes you feel excited, happy, proud or appreciated. The positive attitude under these circumstances is always easy peas-y.

However, the downs (which occasionally come and fortunately do go) are times when you may feel sad, overwhelmed, lonely or afraid. It is those times where staying positive is not easy; in fact, sometimes it seems near impossible to stay positive.

Unfortunately, I must have started this blog post when I was feeling down. Fortunately, I do not remember why I was feeling the blues and today I am on the upswing.

It makes me stop to consider the mantras including, ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING, Stop and smell the roses, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, Consider the source... powerful statements that help me to turn my frown upside down.

Some of the positive events that have occurred over the past week are (in no particular order):

• Glasses fixed
• Picture Day at school
• Early release and PD Day at school
• Successfully receiving the Pet Import document required for bring our dog into Kuwait
• Acquiring a student for tutoring
• Pay Day
• Dinner out and a show with friends (STOMP!)
• Ordering a mattress for our daughter's visit next week
• Having this coming Sunday OFF due to the Islamic New Year holiday

Soon to be reunited!

Joyful, exhilarating, energetic- STOMP!

My girl spending time underwater.

Kuwait Family

Me and a colleague who celebrated his 33 birthday on October 19

This morning I was talking to my husband on Skype and I was telling him some of the things I love about my job and he reminded me that indeed, I am in a happy place. And for that and all the events on the list above, I am truly thankful!

Until next time,

Bee Rich

PS  Only 13 more sleeps until I see my husband!  

Another Saturday Night

Yay!

My oh my- time is going by so quickly! It is another Saturday night and with the two day weekend almost behind me I am thoughtfully reviewing the events of the past few days. Here goes...

Thursday after school I stayed later than usual because I supposed to keep score for a girls' volleyball game. When I arrived at the the gym at the appointed time, the game was well underway and I was informed that they started early. I was told that the AD (Athletic Director) was in the other gym and that there was another game going on there.

Upon arrival at the other gym I discovered that it was a varsity boys' game and thought to myself, This should be pretty amazing. As I made my way to the scorekeeper's table I was hit in the face with (you guessed it) a very fast moving volleyball. THUMP!  My glasses went flying and I remained vertical. I think I saw stars but was relieved to see one of the players coming to my rescue and picking my glasses up off the floor.

Long story short, the glasses are now unwearable until they are repaired and I am sporting my four year old lenses. Not too bad except I cannot read with them. No worries!  When I checked the internet to find a place where I could go to have them repaired, I discovered that "opticians in Kuwait are as common as coffee shops." In fact there is one located on my way home from school. Hopefully (inshallah) I will have them fixed and ready to wear by tomorrow at this time.

That was just the beginning of a really nice weekend.  On Thursday night I was invited to a Staged in Kuwait Productions presentation of Mad Musicals #10-The Finale.  It was a live theatre musical performance of songs from the top 25 all time biggest musicals of all time, including All That Jazz, I Dreamed a Dream, I Still Believe, Memory, Popular, I Don't Know How to  Love Him, a Grease Medley and Dancing Queen. The music, choreography, blocking, the voices and the people I went with were all just terrific and it was a lovely evening.

Then on Friday I thought I would have a little sleep in, try to get my glasses fixed, shop for groceries and prepare a dish for a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner, which was to be held in the afternoon.  Long story short, the time got away from me and my glasses became a low priority while preparation of sweet potatoes was at the top of the list.  After peeling and cutting and mixing and baking, the final product was pretty tasty.

Oh but the rest of the dinner was fantastic! Appetisers, punch, turkey and dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, then brownies, carrot cake and this amazing pumpkin dump cake rounded out the meal. The event was hosted by friends from our Egypt days who now teach at an American school here in Kuwait and we were introduced to many new ex-pats. The afternoon went by quickly and deliciously. It was a great way to spend time with some very dear friends and to celebrate the changing season. Oh yes, it is getting cooler here.  Instead of highs of 45 C we are enjoying daytime temperatures of 30-35 C and nightly lows of 20 C.

This morning (Saturday) I shopped for groceries for the week at a small market where I picked up everything I need (milk, juice, veggies, fruit, eggs, chicken, etc) for a mere 6 KD (around $20). Then at 10:15 a.m. I was whisked away in a fancy car to the home of a student who requires some assistance with his school work.

After a little school work of my own, I walked to the gym, had a nice workout, got a haircut and then walked back to the apartment for some internet and TV entertainment. Soon it will be time for sleeping in preparation for another busy week at school.

Life is pretty good. I feel so fortunate and am very thankful for the friends that are here.  I must confess, however that I am not myself at the moment. Without my husband with me on a daily I believe I am somewhat incomplete. I am looking forward to his arrival in early November and we will spend the next six months (with our dog) continuing this adventure.

An interesting place to live!

It is now Sunday noon and I am back in school, completing this post because my internet at the apartment was unable to handle the saving of this post. I was reminded about an incident that occurred on Thursday evening while I was at the theatre...my phone unintentionally called one of my friends (it is called a "butt call") and when she picked up all she heard was a gurgling sound. Assuming it was me and I was in trouble she immediately alerted several other people on staff and two teachers went to my apartment to make sure I was okay. It was an embarrassing situation but I now am assured that the people at my school really do care about the health and safety of our colleagues. That is nice to know!  And I learned how to lock my keypad so that it doesn't happen again.

Lock that keypad!

Until next time,


Bee Rich

Funny thing happened on the way home from school...

It was late. 6 p.m. At 4 o'clock when my alarm went off to tell me it was time to go to the gym I decided that I would skip the workout and get all those little annoying jobs done. Besides, I thought to myself.  I can always walk home....

At 6:05 I let myself out of the locked elementary school building.  It was dark inside and outside and I thought, Drat, I forgot to change into my running shoes. Now going to the gym was out of the question and walking home would further aggravate a big blister on the bottom of my right foot, so when a taxi tooted at me before I hit the main street, I thought, Guess I'll grab that cab! So I hopped in and for the first time all day actually took a deep breath and relaxed into the comfortable seat.

Fortunately the cab driver spoke English and knew where to go and the traffic was lighter than usual so the trip was quicker than normal. I said, "Just drop me off at that red sign...the sweet shop." As I emerged from the back seat of the taxi I looked in the window of the shop and a man who I had spoken to several times waved and smiled.  I knew that he worked at the shop because he had invited me in several times already. Always just a bit too rushed and afraid of the excess calorie intake, I had politely refrained from entering the shop.

Until that moment. I opened the door and was greeted warmly with a "Welcome Barbara!" and the delicious smells of honeyed sweets. The sights and sounds reminded me of the shops in Egypt. I poked around the shop looking for a familiar dessert and spotted several.

Sweet treats, right next door!

"What would you like to try?" asked my host.

"I'm not sure," I replied cautiously. "What is that?" and pointed to a familiar looking pastry.

"This is a special Arabian sweet from Syria," he said as offered me a small rectangular piece.

And yes it tasted just as I had remembered, Yummy, delicious and s-w-e-e-t!

Well, long story short, the price was right just 3.5 Kuwaiti dinars for one kilogram.  I told him that one kilo was way too much and that I would like 250 grams. So we agreed on one quarter kilo. While he wrapped up my purchase, which is now out of sight and temptation in the freezer, his colleague offered me another honey coated pastry. And it too was yummy, delicious and s-w-e-e-t! I resisted a second purchase.

During the course of the transaction I found out that the store recently opened and is their first business venture. Apparently they are opening another shop in Kuwait City shortly. Mohammed, the owner, is from and area in Cairo not too far from where we lived and worked in 2008-2010

I will have to go easy on the sweets.  It is going to be pretty tempting to pop in especially after a busy day at work. I rationalized my purchase tonight by thinking that if company comes for tea, I will something tasty on hand to share. So, if you are in the neighbourhood, do drop by!

Until next time,


Bee Rich

Sometimes it is the little things that mean A LOT!

Late for Canada, Early for USA

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday in Canada.  Today our school had a regular school day.  I wrote a note on the board for the Morning Message welcoming back the students after their Eid and slipped in that it was a special day in Canada- Thanksgiving Day.

Every Sunday we have class meeting so that the students can tell their friends how they spent their weekend or any other news that pops into their heads. One of my thoughtful students had brought a book from home to share with the class.  It was a small American poetry book basically told the story of an extended family who gathers on Thanksgiving Day and each person tells for what he/she is thankful.

It was a really cute book.  I won't go in to details but the dog actually barks a poem and the adopted daughter from China tells that she is thankful for the dog. As I was reading the story to the children and helping them to make connections with other books, themselves and the world, I thought  about all the things for which I am thankful on this Thanksgiving weekend, 2014.

I am thankful that my brother and two sisters gathered in Toronto for a Thanksgiving dinner and took the time to call me here in Kuwait (that was yesterday).

I am thankful that my husband is cooking Thanksgiving dinner at our home in Ontario and hosting his brother and sisters.  I think I may get a call from them tonight too!

I am thankful for my daughter who is working very hard in Romania and is about to embark on a journey to the Maldives to do some scuba diving. I chatted with her on Facebook and she sent me a picture of her most recent purchase.  Yes!  She bought the leg! Just one more thing to be thankful for!

A friend from Canada wrote that this was probably
 for a person with a below the knee amputation.
Imagine! 

I am thankful for my son, his wife and their two children and happy that they are part of our lives.

I am grateful for friends near and far, old and new, especially those who have helped me find my way in this new country.

I am thankful that I am gainfully employed and that I look forward to going to work every single day.

I am thankful for the opportunities to live in various countries and cultures.

I am thankful that soon my hubby and doggy will be joining me and we are expecting a visit from our daughter in November.

For now, that is enough.  I am very fortunate indeed.

Until next time,


Bee Rich

Thanksgiving in Canada and Around the World

My five days in Romania at my daughter's home was very a welcome respite from the 35 degree C. temperature days in Kuwait. I actually saw clouds and rain for the first time in well over a month. For that experience I am thankful!

Today marks the beginning of the three day long weekend in Canada.  It is one holiday in the fall where families gather together to enjoy a hearty feast and give thanks. Originally Thanksgiving was celebrated in the autumn and was a traditional time to be thankful for the harvest.

Canada's Thanksgiving occurs earlier in the year than in the USA, mainly because the harvest is earlier. And although some parts of Canada are actually more southern that the USA, Canadian Thanksgiving.

Wikipedia mentions Canadian Thanksgiving as an annual cultural holiday. It is a celebration of being thankful for what one has and the bounty of the previous year.  The celebrations include spending time with family, feasting and religious practice.  Thanksgiving occurs on the second Monday in October.

Here in Kuwait the Muslim people have just completed a week of celebrating the Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of the Sacrifice.  Again Wikipedia has given the following information about this solemn holiday:

Men, woman and children are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation in and open field or mosque....Affluent Muslims who can afford to sacrifice their best halal domestic animals (usually a cow, but can also be a camel, goat, sheep or ram depending on the region) as a symbol of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice this only son...The sacrificed animals called adihya, have to meet certain age and quality standards or...the animal is considered an unacceptable sacrifice. This tradition accounts for the slaughter of more than 100 million animals in only two days of Eid. 

Often the meat from the animal is divided into three parts.  The family keeps one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy.

Accordingly, no impoverished person is left without an opportunity to partake in the sacrificial meal during these days....Families that do not own livestock can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meet to those who are in need. 
  

This Thanksgiving I will be missing two significant celebrations, which is the result of my decision to teach overseas. My two sisters and one brother are gathering in Mississauga today for a special Thanksgiving together.  According to a Facebook message, I may be able to talk to them on Skype later today.  It is 3 pm here but only 8 am in Ontario, so I thinking I will have to stay up late to get in on the conversation!

The second Thanksgiving celebration will be held at my home in Ontario tomorrow with my husband hosting his two sisters, a brother and brother-in-law for a dinner of turkey and all of the fixings. By the time they gather at the table I will be back at school recalling the events of the past ten days of the Eid vacation and preparing for the first of four report cards.  

Between now and then I will be visiting a Kuwait family to tutor their son, preparing a mini-Thanksgiving meal of my own (chicken stir fry) and falling asleep in anticipation of speaking to my husband on Skype in the morning before trekking off to school.

Now one celebration that I may be a part of is a special Canadian Thanksgiving meal at the home of some Canadian friends here in Kuwait,  Thinking that I need to prepare some sweet potatoes for that meal which will be held next weekend!

Today I am also thinking of this chosen part of the world where I am living and making connections to the people I love.  While out and about yesterday morning, I snapped a photograph of a firetruck that I am hoping will capture the imagination of my grandson.  He loves fire trucks and his mom treated him to a themed birthday party in July.  Every day on the way to school I pass the Hawally Fire station.

This mural reminds me of my grandson!

To family members and friends everywhere, May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very special day, whether is it Thanksgiving or not. Remember to show gratitude in every situation on every day because life is good!

Until next time,


Bee Rich