Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Merry Christmas, everyone! I can't remember what we usually do the day after Christmas, but for me, it usually involves eating cold turkey sandwiches with mayonnaise. That may sound repulsive to some, but I'm pretty sure it's near heavenly. At any rate, I hope you're all having a great day.

We are hanging out in our hotel in Cairo, and just returned from a visit to the Pyramids of Giza. We probably spent a good six hours there, checking out the various angles, the panorama, and the Sphinx. Afterward, we decided we were tired of eating falafel and shwarma, so we went to the Pizza Hut for lunch; I've never been at a Pizza Hut that has such a nice view.

Last night, I had the amazing opportunity to witness part of an Egyptian wedding in the hotel. It was extravagant to say the least, and a really unique experience. Once we're home, I'll post some of the pictures and video, although I was too busy watching what was going on to concentrate on what I was doing. You might get dizzy after watching it.

We will leave for Luxor on Sunday, and then fly out of Egypt on Wednesday morning. Until then, Happy New Year.

To Egypt for Christmas

Well, we're off again, but this time a little less smoothly. Thus far, our flight has been delayed for about 2.5 hours, so we're just relaxing in the airport. At this point, we have an hour until we board, so I have resorted to blogging.

There are a lot of places and activities that I could highlight from our most recent trip, but I want to take time to honor my hubby. Chris and I celebrated our third anniversary on Thursday of this week, and I couldn't be more delighted. Also, I think this is the first time that just the two of us have vacationed together abroad, so we'll get to see how we travel as a pair. I'm grateful that he would be willing to treat us to an Anniversary/Christmas vacation.

Even before we were dating, Chris was setting an example of what a godly person should look like. He's often looking to others' interests first, and is passionate about caring for people from different cultures. Throughout college and in these first years of our marriage, he's wanted to reach out to international students and help them feel some sense of comfort as they were away from their homes. This guy puts his given social skills to good use!

He's also cared for me and put my needs above his own. I remember a week that I was horribly sick after we had been married for only a month or so; even though he was substitute teaching and beginning his Master's degree, Chris dropped everything in the evenings so that he could stay by my side and tend to my every whim. He often still defers to me for our leisure activities and plans. It's so easy to serve a husband this caring.

Happy Anniversary, Chris. I love you, and hope we get to celebrate many more.

We're back!

December WHAT?

I officially have no new pictures, because I didn't use my camera at all during the month of November. Sure, there were lots of occasions when I should have used it, but of course, forgot it. I do have a good number of updates though, and some exciting ones to boot.

First, I am finally a resident of Kuwait! After four months of pushing paperwork and a few less than desirable medical tests, I have three pages of my passport taken up by Kuwaiti stamps and stickers. This will expedite the process of entering/leaving the country, getting my Civil ID card, obtaining a Kuwaiti driver's license, and lets me go to any government hospital for next to nothing in case of an emergency. Chris' residency is also complete.

In order to obtain this piece of gold, I had to go to the Ministry of Something-or-Other last week and have chest x-rays and blood work done. I am apparently free of communicable diseases, so they let me be part of the country. In perfect ESL style, the person that drew my blood could not exactly communicate with me well (sort of laughable now), and left a huge bruise on my inner elbow. The following day, I had to go to the Ministry of Something-Else and have my fingerprints taken. I guess that's in case I ever decide to rob a bank here or something, so I'll have to remember not to do that...

Last weekend, we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. On Friday, we had a luncheon after our church service at the embassy, and on Saturday, we had a potluck Thanksgiving at a friend's house with a number of the Middle and High School teachers from our school. This week, the Social committee (of which I am a part) planned a potluck lunch at the school for in between conferences. I can honestly say that I have never seen so much prepared food in one place in my entire life.

On the same note, Chris and I finished this week with two days of parent/teacher conferences. I found that just like the Americas, Kuwait has a broad spectrum of parent involvement in education. I did end up seeing parents of about 40 students out of the 96 that I teach. Overall, these were extremely pleasant.

Finally, we are going on vacation! Next week, the Muslim world celebrates an Eid holiday and we have the entire week off of school. We'll be making a trip to Jordan (and another nearby place) on Sunday with our friends Kyle and Noah, and then we return to school for December 14th-18th. After that week of school, Chris and I will leave on the 20th to go to Egypt, staying in Sharm el-Sheikh to celebrate our anniversary for a few days, then heading to Cairo and Luxor for about a week. Although it's starting to get a bit too chilly for diving and seaside weather, the views and relaxation time should be beautiful!

We'll, I'm off to the corner store for some ice cream and to buy some minutes for my mobile. Maybe I should get some batteries for my camera, too.

Thanksgiving

So, for what things are you thankful? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving just because of the age-old Pilgrim and Native American story that you don't really know? Because your family does it every year? Because you just HAVE to have enough tryptophan-filled turkey to make you sleep through the football game? I would not only urge you to stop and give thanks for all of the good things that you've been given on the 27th, but to make a practice of reflecting and being thankful throughout the year.

This year we'll have our first Thanksgiving without our families; it's kind of a surreal experience to think that we won't be playing cards and enjoying each others company. On a surface level, we are still going to be doing the same things. On Saturday, we're going to a friend's house with lots of others to enjoy the traditional turkey all-you-can-eat feast. On Friday, I'm probably going to a Christmas party/shopping bizarre, and today when I got home from work, I started to download some Christmas music. I'm also downloading some George Strait, just for a taste of home, though Chris doesn't really know who that is. The only thing we are missing is a tree, but to haul in one of the cedars of Lebanon would be a bit expensive! They do sell fake trees at the Sultan Center...

A few things that I'm thankful for:
- the forgiveness of sin and knowledge of the Gospel
- my super husband, who continually puts me before himself
- my family, who has supported my wild ideas since Day #1
- my long-time friends, who are like my family
- a good church in Kuwait
- a good church in the U.S.
- growing friendships in Kuwait
- good health, shelter, and provision
- music
- my education and the ability to read
- the internet, which enables me to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving

I wish I were Kaguya Hime

...maybe not, but Big Bird in Japan is one of my favorite movies about cultural adaptation.



This is my favorite song to sing with my sister :)

Duck, Rabbit, or Both?

Is the whole really different than the sum of its parts?

Nevermind

I actually found out last week, but I decided to wait on blogging about the Kenya trip for a few reasons. One of the reasons is that I wasn't sure about all of the details, and the second is because things here are changed around all of the time. As of today, the safari trip has been canceled because some of the students decided to change their plans. I'm kind of bummed, but it means that I won't have to miss my hubby or get a yellow fever vaccine. For now.

Photo: Sunset from the balcony

Kenya, anyone?

As of this week, I have been afforded the opportunity to go to Kenya on a safari field trip with the high school girls during winter break. It's pretty unbelievable so far, but I will be with three other chaperons and we're taking eight girls. We fly into Nairobi on the 18th, and we'll return on the 24th at 1 or 2 in the morning (Lord willing, and if we all live!).

Pros:
1. Kenya. Hello.
2. I'll get to go on a cool trip that I don't have to pay for.
3. I've always wanted to go to Africa and see some of the things that Chris has seen (i.e. wild lions).
4. It's a short trip, but it will be long enough to enjoy.
5. The flight is four hours long; it will take a lot less time to get to a different continent than it took to get here.

Cons
1. Chris doesn't get to go.
2. I leave the same day as our anniversary.
3. I am en loco parentis for eight teenage girls on a different continent. I guess that's not any different than a trip to Cedar Point, right?
4. I could get killed by an angry hippopotamus.
5. Yellow Fever vaccine. Yuck.

+Photo from dailymail.co.uk

Happy November!

This isn't the greatest picture, but I thought I'd let you all know we do still exist over here, and we still love each other, by God's grace! We are into a pretty good routine as far as school and activities go, and I'm having a blast. School has its difficulties, as does any other job in the world, but we are quickly building relationships with our students and co-workers. Into Week #5 of teaching, I now have a pretty good idea of who's who when it comes to objects flying across the room or those who ask to go to the bathroom EVERYDAY at the same time.

Last night we had a great time at a friend's house, playing a simplified version of Keno and just relaxing in good company. Many of the homes around here that aren't in apartment buildings are large villas, which could sleep a small army, but usually only hold an average size family; they're pretty amazing. I don't have any very good pictures of them, but I will have some other new pictures up from October if you want to check them out.

The weather now is a temperate 65-80F degrees each day, which is a really comfortable change. It should stay like this for a few weeks, but will go down as we approach the "winter" months. We also saw our first rain last week! I hear that in PA there have been some snow flurries; I am SO not jealous.

5 New, Bad Habits

1. Eating hummus out of the container
2. Putting my feet up on the coffee table, which we didn't have before
3. Staying up way too late for the 5:30am alarm
4. Buying Diet Coke instead of water
5. Waiting until the end of the week to submit my grades

I feel like I'm becoming more like Chris everyday.

Just Pray

for the Allens and Haugherys.

In honor of the October birthdays

(Be sure to let it load first for maximum hilarity.)

An old favorite

This skit from the Muppet Show has recently been resurrected in a commercial; I don't exactly recall how it's used or what the product is, but all day today I felt like the little guy with orange hair and kept thinking of the tune. Thanks, Kenny, for singing this over and over and over again.

Chase the mouse

Here's a video showing our hunt for desert creatures, which one of my friends posted recently. I can't actually tell who took it based on the video, but you can hear me in it and can see the mouse crawling on Chris' foot! Come to think of it, I might have actually taken this video...

Note: No mice were hurt in the filming of this project.



We are finished with our first week of school with students, and boy, it was a doozy. Having a bit more experience than some of the other teachers (I know, right?), I think it went a bit more smoothly for me than some; however, I've learned that I need to get on my organization game. These Kuwaiti kids do not like to be idle, which is the prime reason for misbehavior with most students anyway. Starting next week, you can bet I'll be over-planning for each of my classes and taking care to include a variety of activities.

At the end of Week 1 of teaching and Week 8 of living in Kuwait, I would say I love it! Even though the first week of school was completely nuts-o (as most first weeks are with assemblies, establishing routines, etc.), I feel reassured that this is where we are supposed to be for the time being. We have met a lot of wonderful people and have begun to build relationships which I hope will prove long lasting. All we need now is a bread maker, and we'll be set.

Photos

I finally have some pictures up and ready! If you go to http://picasaweb.google.com/thecsfreemans , you can see the first two albums, as well as some older photos from the summer. Be sure to bookmark it.

Eid Mubarak

Well, today is the first day of Eid al-Fitr, although its official beginning was last night. We were supposed to have only Wednesday and Thursday off of work, but received a text message last night that we didn't have to go in today. Happy Tuesday, and Happy Eid! If you aren't sure what that is, you can read about it here, but it's basically a celebration to end the month of Ramadan. I spent the early hours of Eid talking to one of my good friends until 3am due to the time difference, being sure to take advantage of the day off.

As much as I'd like to say that I slept in until noon and ate cheetos all day, I admit that I still went to school for a few hours. It proved to be a productive, unhurried time to organize and put the last of the fuzzy pink bunnies on my bulletin boards. Just kidding about the bunnies, but I feel pretty ready to go once Sunday comes and brings all of the students. I also had the opportunity to chat with some of the admin., a nice change to the usual hustle and bustle of task-oriented questions. Maybe tomorrow I'll go back and take my swimming suit...but really, the mini-vacation couldn't be more timely. For the past few days, Chris and I have been feeling "squeezed" by the high gear of things. (There's nothing like the task of recreating your lives in a different country- that lets you know what's really inside of you.) God's good to show us his grace in even the smallest of ways.

I do finally have some picture albums up on Facebook, so if you belong to that crowd you can take a look. Also, if you don't know anything about Skype, it's time to learn. Chris and I can make calls back to the States for about .02/min with it, so it's really just the time difference that gets us in a bind. If the people we want to talk to also have a Skype account, we can talk over the internet for pretty much nothing. Though my "sales" skills are lacking, I hope you find this a convincing enough pitch to sign up. We also have the internet in our apartment now, meaning more flexibility to talk!

My alertness is quickly diminishing, so I'll leave you with this final thought: Keep your phones nearby.

Photo: Pepsi Light, for my Dad who will never drink Coke.

Into the Desert

I think it was Thursday night after school that we went into the desert. Now, you may be saying to me, “Stephanie, I thought that all of Kuwait was a desert,” which is very true; however, there is a definite distinguishing between the city and the desert for the locals. If you take a look at a map, you can see an area called “Al Jahra,” which is west of the city and probably 10km south of where we were. Upon invitation, we went out to our friend S’s farm, with farm being a term I use very loosely.

The premise of having a farm seems to be so that one can get away from the city smog, keep some animals like chickens, turkeys, goats, and sheep, take in a good barbecue with friends, and just relax for the weekend. Although they are called farms, many of them are more like desert cabins that have a cement border around them. There are actually dairy and camel farms, but the one we went to was mostly for R&R.

With about six of our apartment friends, our four Kuwaiti friends treated us to a fun evening of grilling, playing sports like volleyball, air hockey, and foosball, and scouting the desert- a new experience altogether. We piled into two large SUVS, and set out for the sand just like we would do doughnuts in an icy parking lot at home. (Did I actually type that?) At one point, our driver got stuck in the sand and we had to wait for the other vehicle to tow us out, an apparently common occurrence. Then, we set out for the nearest camel farm to get up close and personal, after which we went hunting for desert creatures. At this time, I was kicking myself for having forgotten my camera at home, but I will try to get some pictures up from the others.

The highlight of the evening was when we were driving around looking for some critters, and a few of the guys were riding on the sides of the SUVs- standing on the running boards and holding on to the roof racks. I wish I had done it, but at the time we were scouting, and found, a desert mouse. Somebody had to drive once everyone else jumped out of the Tahoe, right?
I think I had enough beef ribs, soda, and falafel to last me the rest of the fall semester, but I think the fun has only just begun.

Photo: At the Fish Market

There's nothing wrong with me

I'm sitting here in the most luxurious hospital lobby I've ever seen. Yep, you read correctly- a luxurious hospital lobby. And, trust me when I say I've seen a few. I'm sure my family would attest that they've seen far more with me than any parent wants to for broken bones, stitches, multiple hornet stings, and chronic influenza among other reasons. But, have no fear; there's nothing wrong with me this time.

The "Royale Hayat Hospital" just happens to be the only place within walking distance of our apartment building that has free internet. At least that's what we think. So, Chris and I have started to make visits where we can enjoy a relaxing, smoke-free atmosphere complete with waterfalls, mint tea, cozy furniture, and free internet. This is what I call surfing the web, so hopefully I'll get to catch up with some of you on a more frequent basis.

On another note, activities at the school have calmed down a bit. I believe I mentioned in a previous post that all of the teachers were scrambling to submit a syllabus and tentative year plan for each class. Although my schedule changed again today, I don't feel much pressure to complete everything. My principal has been extremely gracious (seeing as he's the one changing the schedules around), which helps. Currently, Chris is teaching four sections of English 8 and two sections of English 6, while I am teaching two English "7s," one English 8, and two World History classes for 10th grade. I was praying that what I teach would be exciting; God has a sense of humor.

Having been in Kuwait for over four weeks, we've had the chance to go on some good excursions. Two nights ago, we went to the Aqua Park with four others and had a blast. Although we went on a school night, we were catching the water slides and the lazy river until about 11p.m. Surprisingly, we were chilled once we got out of the water. The week before last, we went to an amazing local restaurant, where we were served traditional Kuwaiti food by traditionally dressed men. If there are two things to do in Kuwait, they are eating and shopping.

Chris and I are picking up some Arabic, which is rather easy to do conversationally. Reading it is an entirely different story. We plan to take some classes in the future, but for now we are making due with what we hear people saying around us and what the other teachers at school are telling us. Maybe by this coming summer we'll dazzle you all with our skills.

Convinced by several others, I am now creating a Facebook account. I can't believe I'm finally joining, but if you're on, make me your friend. Also, I decided that it would be easier to upload my photos through Picasa web albums, so I'll let you know when you can see them. For now, Happy Monday.

Kuwait Towers: Revised

Sorry that I posted some random pictures the other day. Everything became a hurry all of a sudden because our principal told us on Sunday that we would need to turn in the rough draft of our curriculum, year, semester, and quarter plans, as well as introductory parent letters by Thursday. Needless to say, we are busy now, but I only have three separate classes for which I have to write a syllabus. Praise God! I will be teaching five classes total, but only three different preps. I will probably have to cover a few other class occasionally during my break periods, but I think that won't be too much extra work. It's always kind of fun to be a substitute.

As far as the pictures, they are pretty much self-explanatory. It was fun to go at night and see all of the city lights, though we can't do too much during the day anyway because of the heat. REad about them here: http://www.kuwaittowers.com/indexEN.aspx
Playing in the grasses
From the bottom
You can see: the central rotary- (at 4 lanes wide but usually six cars across, things get interesting), the Sheraton, Mariott, and other hotels, the Liberation Tower
You can see: a spot on my camera lens, the main gulf road (far right) that runs along Kuwait Bay and Arabian Gulf, and the tip of the 3rd tower
Inside the largest tower
From far away

Ramadan Kareem

Yesterday was the first day of Ramadan for the Muslim world, and it makes this country look very different. Of course, I'm making a lot of generalizations, but from what I can tell a number of things change. Everyone changes their business hours, that is if they don't go on vacation for most of the month, and many stores and businesses aren't open until around 8pm. Supermarkets appear to stay open all of the time, and we are still going to school for training from 9am-2:30pm, but virtually everything is closed during the day. According to their religion, muslims do not eat, drink (even water), smoke, chew gum, or consume anything during daylight hours, so it is important to get home for the feast! The insane rush to get home and break the fast makes the traffic here even more scary than it usually is, affectionately called "Ramadan rush hour," but the freeway that we live next to was bare right after the sun went down yesterday.

The city was even more brilliantly lit last night, as it appears people hang lights and celebrate in a fashion that we do during the Christmas season. The culture also seems more generous to give bargains and courtesies during this time. Hopefully, that will continue past Ramadan. Last week at the supermarket, some of the management was having a pre-Ramadan celebration by cutting a HUGE cake and passing it out to many of the customers. The Arab world sure knows how to do pastries!

We have a good number of teachers living in our apartment building now, about 15, and one of them is good friends with a family in the area. "A" came to hang out with us last night and share his Ramadan chocolates at our pizza party- maybe part of his "zakat," or charity. Who knows. But, it was really interesting to talk very personally with someone about his family's customs for this season.

Thanks for continuing to check in with us. I know the blog hasn't been updated too often, so if you subscribe to it via RSS feed or through your email (I recommend the Yahoo Beta or Google Reader versions), you won't have to check back all of the time. If you need to know how to do that, there are plenty of web tutorials. We still don't have the internet- a bummer- but hopefully we will shortly. Check in later this week for a post on our visit to the Kuwait Towers.

Being Patient

No news is good news, right? From, us you can pretty much expect that. We have done two days of orientation now, pretty much a lot of sitting and waiting, with a few little signatures here and there. Apparently there is a nice mall that is shaped like the Titanic in Hawally (the area where we live), so we might check that out this afternoon.

We are in one of the computer labs in the school right, just waiting for the minibus to take all of us newcomers back to the apartment buildings. I'm feeling a little crazy, like I want to go to the beach or bungee jumping or something today, but I doubt that will happen. Maybe we'll just try to get some lunch first! Tomorrow we are supposed to get our room assignments and our materials. In reference to my last post, that will hopefully happen. We've found that people are fairly fluid in their scheduling. Someone can say that something will happen tomorrow, but it will probably happen in about a week. We laugh because everyone says that they will see us in 10 minutes, or something will happen in 10 minutes, but it really happens in a few hours. We are learning to be patient!

10 minutes

Ten minutes here usually means about three hours or the following day, and forget about an hour from now. You're looking at two days. We've had a few funny experiences waiting for things.

+Photo by quitelucid

another day

I'm spending some time at the cafe while Chris and the boys are having poker night, complete with a recently purchased hookah. I had fun tonight making pizza in my new pan for dinner, and then kettle corn for the guys. I also came to the conclusion that I will never be able to make it like my friend Krista. If only I had a Whirly Pop!

We have tried some new foods lately, like garlic pickle for spice and are now using powdered milk. It seems more economical and can last longer; just add water and go! I don't really drink milk, and Chris seems to love it, so I think we'll stick with that for awhile. We also ate freshly made shwarmas at the market the other day. Check out all the juicy details about them on wikipedia.

I know that we've done a lot lately, but I feel like there isn't too much to tell. Last night, Chris and I took a long stroll through our block and walked through many of the local shops. It was interesting to do at night because they all have these wacky neon signs. I'll try to get a picture up soon. On Sunday night, we wanted to go to a church service and it took about 2 hours to figure out where we were going. They sure don't make them easy to find...Alas, we made it after walking through a construction zone, and actually met up with a really nice lady who was the information officer of the American Women's league here. She's also a teacher at a different school, and she plays the French horn, so she and Chris hit it off. We are all supposed to do something tomorrow night, but I can't remember what. I'd better call her!

Thursday is our first orientation day at school. I'm really looking forward to having something to work on consistently. Surely, I enjoy being able to do whatever, whenever, but I like routines, too. We'll keep you posted.

-Photo from the rail trail near West Boylston, MA

Coffee, anyone?

Thanks for your comments! Also, thanks for being patient as we don't quite have the internet yet. There's nothing better than running down the street to hop in a smoky, pink 3 feet by 3 feet cubicle to type away, so I'll try to it more often. Seriously, I enjoy doing this, but we haven't been able to get here too much.

Someone asked, "Why is everything white tile?" Well, to the best of my knowledge, I think it's to keep things clean and efficient. Due to the excess amount of sand laying about outside, it's really easy to clean and also doesn't absorb the heat of the sun throughout the day. Actually, there are three different shades of tile, but you'd never be able to tell unless you're standing on it. (hint: Come visit!)

The past few days have been kind of a whirlwind. Everyday, we awake at one of the calls to prayer around 3:45am, which is still somewhat disorienting. Each mosque has a minaret, a tall tower with louspeakers hooked to it, from which the mullahs (muslim priests) announce to the neighborhood that it's time to wake up. Right now there are 6 calls each day, and we are usually getting out of bed by the 2nd (around 5:30). Despite getting used to that, I'm on a somewhat regular sleeping schedule, though it seems I can't stay up past 9:00 or so. Anyone who knows me well may have already guessed that I am getting about 8-9 hours a night and holding a regular sleeping pattern. Chris still doesn't sleep...

We are having a lot of fun with the new teachers moving into our building, and it makes for quite a group. There are six of us- I'm still the only girl- and we hail from Boston, Detroit, the UK, and good ol' Indiana, PA. My imitation of a middle-class British accent is steadily improving.

For anyone who's wondering, we now have a lime green shower curtain. I intend to accent that with a lime green wall clock :)

Cheers,
Stephanie

The 10th floor

Our HUGE bed
We have a dresser and two wardrobes
the white aparatus on the wall is a water filter
the stove and into the laundry room (where the refrigerator is)
Our friend T McK adorns the fridge
Bathroom- still needs a shower curtain
Living room and balcony complete with Chris on the computer
Our windows are reflective to keep the sun out during the day. I'm standing about 3 feet away from the balcony doors looking "in."
The view by day with the city center in the distance
The view at night; I'll try to get some better shots.

In Kuwait

By my best count, I think we arrived in Kuwait at 2:40am local time, Saturday. I guess that makes today Day 3? This has already turned out to be quite an adventure, starting with our luggage being lost, supposedly sent to Addis Ababa (spelling check, please). Thankfully, we received it yesterday afternoon, and now have more than two changes of clothes each.

Given the tough time getting here, we are loving everything so far. It's hot. And when I say hot, I mean it hurts to open your eyes sometimes because the air automatically dries them out. We aren't outside that much though, and everything here is air-conditioned, from the apartment, to taxis, to the supermarket. Yesterday I did a load of laundry (we have our own machines), and the dryer just didn't seem to be doing the job. So, I put the clothes over the rail on the balcony, waited for about 10 minutes, and presto! Completely dry.

We have a new friend, too. He's a recent graduate from Detroit and will teach English with us at the school. He lives just a few floors up from us, so the three of us went out to supper last night at a place called the Fish Market. There, you walk along a counter that has fresh fish, pick one out, and they cook it for you however you like. I can't even remember the names of the fish, but we had Thai noodles and saffron rice along with it- a very satisfying meal.

We've also made it to the supermarket. Our new favorite buy is flatbread, costing a mere 50fils per pack of five (that's about 20cents per pack). We also stocked up on known favorites like eggs, apples, hummus, rice, and onions, and picked a few new things to try. Something we really like is called Labneh, a yogurty/pungent spread that's like cream cheese. Something we don't care for too much is called Halawa, a sweet, sesame base spread that you are supposed to use on toast. I don't care for it at all, but Chris thinks that it tastes like a cross between fluffer nutter and peanut butter. I don't taste either.

At the school, we just took a basic tour of where everything is. The campus takes up an entire block, so I can count on getting lost once or twice when I have to navigate it on my own. We are about to go on a downtown adventure, though I'm not quite sure where yet. We'll see!

+Photo by creativesam

In Dubai

I guess we're finally in the Middle East. Our plane trip from NYC to Dubai was about 12 hours, although getting on that flight was quite a challenge. It's about 10:30pm in Dubai, one hour behind Kuwait time, and we arrived about an hour ago. Here are some of the "boring" details.

Our first flight from Pitt to NYC was canceled due to weather, but not until after 11pm. The airline gave us a hotel voucher, but sent us to a hotel that was already booked solid. We headed across the street and did end up staying in a nice room, not going to bed until about 1:30am EST. Yesterday (Was it yesterday? I'm a bit lost.), we took the 6:15am out of Pitt, which didn't actually leave until 9:30am. Needless to say, we missed our 11:00am connection in NYC, but after the re-booking process, we got to spend the day with our great friends Erin and Megan, who live in Manhattan. We didn't have to be back at the airport until about 9pm EST, so we spent the majority of the day hanging out in Chinatown and being pampered by Erin; at that point, we really needed it.

We caught the NYC to Dubai flight last evening at 11pm EST. The Emirates flight was the best international flight I've ever taken; it provided good food and services, I watched Nim's Island, 21, Prince Caspian, and I am Legend, and slept for about six hours. Chris did not really sleep. We didn't sit right next to each other, but in the same row with two seats and an aisle between us. We could call each other on the in-flight phone and occasionally make faces, so I was grateful. I shared an end row with a girl whose parents are from Afghanistan, but they have lived in Dubai for the last 12 years. Each summer, they travel to the States to visit extended family for a few months. It was cool to get some insider commentary on the Middle East.

We leave Dubai at 1am here, and are to be in Kuwait at 2:30. Once the welcome service helps us with our visa, etc., our school's van driver will take us to our apartment. I'm really excited to sleep and shower!

We'll try to update again soon.
Were in good Hands.
Love to all,
Steph

Picture Wednesday

Enjoying a family wedding
+ Photo taken by Cindy Guile, edited by me

Kayak Extravaganza- Part II

Right, so we're trapped in the middle of a river with lightning ever-approaching. What should we do but keep going?

My efforts to have Chris escape the same swift current that Erin and I faced were successful, as he steered clear of the trees in which we were caught; however, he was unable to stop himself and kept moving downstream without us and with my paddle. At some point he was able to pull up on a bank, and waited for what he remembers as nearly an hour.

In the meantime, Erin and I tried to figure how to get back into the kayaks while still in the water. It was literally impossible for us to wade to the opposite bank without being swept away, so we painfully managed to balance ourselves against each other and both made it in. Since I had no paddle, I was at the mercies of Erin's steering capabilities and held on to the front of her kayak while facing backwards to maintain our balance. I'm sure there was an easier way to do this.

We caught up to Chris in about 1/4 mile and were all able to portage at a low bank. The damage was assessed, which turned out to be just a few soggy snacks and some lost water bottles.

We headed back out, and the river was basically quick-water from then on, with the exception of one more set of rapids. First, Chris- fine. Then, Erin- fine. Finally, Steph- capsized. This time I took on the rapids feeling confident, but obviously too confident. I don't even know how I turned over, but I was able to dump the water out of my kayak and get back in with only a few minor cuts and scrapes.

The rest of the trip was easy, and we even spotted a few of what we thought were Great Blue Herons before it ended. Pretty Amazing.

+ Photo by tsiya

Kayak Extravaganza: Part I

Since I was up until the wee hours of the morning, I must have forgotten picture Wednesday. Here it is.

Now to the kayaking extravaganza...the extended version.

After a few hours of research and a few days to ponder the best choice, I handed Chris a list of kayak rental shops and rivers to forge while in Massachusetts. Although it would be $32/day for each of us to rent the necessary equipment, my hubbie decided to bless me by taking me up on a crazy idea. I should preface this story with the fact that a few weekends ago, he experienced what he describes as a long, arduous-paddle-of-15 miles-on-flat-water-with-a-strong-head-wind trip. I also convinced our friend Erin of the joys to behold from a 9-mile rough river experience, to which she agreed whole-heartedly.

We headed to the Fin & Feather Sports shop in Upton, strapped our gear to the roof of one car, and sought our put-in location. After passing it twice and unloading everything we'd need for the journey, we took one car to the portage point and drove the other back to the beginning. The turtle picture indicates the glimpse of nature we took in while paddling down a flat canal, the first stretch of our trip.

After going about a mile, we had to portage over to the river (get out and carry our kayaks about 20 yds. across land). We pressed on in a "swimming" fashion until I decided it might be a good idea to put on my life jacket, due to the upcoming rough water and the looming dark clouds. We passed through like pros, but came upon a series of tributaries that challenged our navigational prowess. Erin finally figured out that we had to pass over A TREE to get going in the right direction, a task which she conquered first and then helped Chris and I.

Once through, we paddled around the bend to another sticking point. Erin was the first to break free, and as I looked back for Chris, then looked back at Erin, I saw her kayak filling with water as she caught under a tree. I don't know how she escaped, but in another three seconds she was no longer to be seen. I didn't want to experience the same fate, so I paddled with all of my might away from the tree; I didn't succeed and was caught under the same tree with my kayak filling with water at a rapid rate. I made a few quick decisions that went something like this:
1. If I don't get out, I'm going to get sucked under and probably cut my head open on a rock. I need to get out of my kayak.
2. My shoes are missing. If I try to walk on the rock bed I will probably cut my feet and be miserable. I think I'm supposed to float with the current.
3. This paddle is pulling me under. I'll give it to Chris as he goes by.

As I was being rushed away, I yelled with everything I had back to Chris, in hopes that he would escape the same tragedy as Erin and I. Did I mention that by this time, we were in the middle of a torrential downpour that included thunder and lightning?

To be continued...

Explanation

After a few days of recovery and another handful of mini-adventures, here is the abridged version of the story behind the pictures.

The first picture is from a store in North Market, a hall in historic Boston. This is right next to Quincy Market, an entire building filled with every kind of cuisine one could imagine. The three of us (Erin, Chris, and myself) ate lunch and then ventured over into this touristy gift shop characterized by giant lobsters on the outside. Once inside, we snapped a shot with Barack Obama and will always try to pass it off as real.

After the shop, we strolled around a bit and walked out the long wharf to check out the sailboats and water taxis; this proved for some delightful pictures. Long ago, Chris and I pledged to try and stay away from the Freedom Trail, a path of sorts that runs through many of the historic sights of the North End of Boston. Once again, we found ourselves on it, but on this occasion it proved enjoyable and leisurely with a good friend.

Just off of the trail on Union Street is a series of large glass columns that act as a memorial, hollowed out so that a walkway runs through them. The six columns represent the six million Jews that were killed during the Holocaust; on each column are the numbers 0000000 through 6000000 in semi-random order, again representing the six million. There were some piercing quotes by Holocaust survivors that proved to be thought-provoking for us, etched in the walkway stone and on nearby granite monuments.

Then, we strolled through the Old Granary cemetery where the remains of your favorite patriot/brewer and mine, Sam Adams, are laid. A few blocks from there is Boston Common, half the size but twice the cleanliness and beauty of Central Park in NYC. And that was just Friday.

On Saturday, we had an intense kayaking trip (which is poorly illustrated by the last four pictures) that deserves a blog entry all to itself.
Until tomorrow...

Too short

At this point in the weekend, my body is revolting because of the things I've put it through. With that disclaimer, I will leave you with a short story through pictures of our friend Erin's visit in Massachusetts.

Picture Wednesday

Keep praying for Matt and Cyndi!
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+Photo borrowed from the Holutas

Adventure #2

Our second endeavor in MA proved to be a less arduous task, as we decided to visit the local Charlton Orchards Farm & Winery on Sunday afternoon. This quaint, family-run farm is attractive to both locals and tourists due to availability of fresh produce and food products, as well as the award-winning wine and berry picking opportunities.

My initial misgivings about the choice we made (due to the abundance of goats, chickens, and children running amok) were quickly assuaged by the cleanliness and beautiful craftsmanship inside the winery. Here, we were able to sample some of the most popular picks, and even found a nice Merlot to bring home. At the farm store, we picked up a gallon of cider and a pint of blueberries, and made small talk with the farm owners. I found it satisfying to buy great products locally, and to be able to converse with a real "mom and pop" about their harvest.

When I was a kid, my brother, sister, and I would spend weekends and some afternoons at a friend's farm with my dad. From what I remember, we were always put to work by helping out on the hay wagons or working in the house. I also remember that we were often sidetracked from our work, due to chasing the dogs, riding the ATV, shooting pigeons in the barn, or trying to scare the cows. These are some of the best memories (and funniest videos) I have from my childhood.

If the opportunity presents itself, spending time on a farm would be a great family activity; it's not everyday that one can just gather the kiddos and head to the haystacks, but the work put into an afternoon gathering berries together is satisfying. Check out the local farms or farmers' markets in your area to plan a day of fun.

Adventure #1

First, a note: In case you haven't noticed, I have been changing the blog around a lot. In light of the coming months, when I suspect that many more people will be reading along, I have wanted to make the blog more reader-friendly. I hope you find it as such!

While Chris and I are in Massachusetts, we are planning several excursions so that we don't slip into total sedentary/couch potato mode. Our first adventure occurred yesterday when our friends Simon and Tiffani invited us to hike up Mt. Monadnock with them. I was expecting a tough, rocky hike, but nothing like we actually experienced. It was amazing!

Planning to watch the sunrise at the summit, we left the Freemans' house at 2am on Saturday morning. To the mountain in New Hampshire, it's about an hour drive, and we began our hike with nothing but the moonlight and a few flashlights to guide us at around 3:20am. At this point, I am grateful that we decided to do the hike in the dark, otherwise, I may have turned back before we began...

We hiked at a moderate pace, with a few water breaks along the way. At around 5:10, we reached what we thought was the top, only to realize we had a good stretch of seventy-five degree climb in front of us. We missed the initial sunrise, but when we did make it to the summit, I couldn't believe my eyes; a 360 view of the mist and fog below that made the land appear as a lake was before me. The red-orange sun had only begun to rise above the horizon, and the half moon still hung bright above us.

After we had taken in all that was around us, we picked some wild blueberries (not poisonous, thanks to my eagle scout) and ate the fruit and snacks we brought along for breakfast. It was truly amazing. We rested for about an hour, and then straightened our weary knees for the 2-mile hike back down the mountain. Never before this day had I wished for the sure feet of a horse or a goat...

3 Weeks

Three weeks. That's the amount of time I have until the rolling hills of green become tan, sandy dunes, my bread choice is unleavened, I'm in the religious, racial, and language minority, and all the creature comforts of home are gone. Am I excited? More than you might think.

It's a bit to think about really, that is, what exactly it will be like to live long-term in a place where all of the aforementioned changes will take place. I don't know how exactly to prepare for these changes, or if I could be "ready" if I wanted to be, but I know that God gives us his grace when we need it; he doesn't provide it a moment too soon or too late. It's also helpful to know that there is a cluster of saints, our friends and family in Christ, that are committed to praying for us each day that we are away. Since I am confident that the Lord is faithful, his love is never changing, and his mercies never cease, I can be excited and eager about moving away.

Speaking of friends and family, I know that the hardest part of moving will be parting from those we love. As I think about when Chris and I started attending our church (I think in 2001 and 2000, respectively), we have had about seven years to grow with our family in Christ. We have seen and experienced several phases of life with many of them (ahem, you), all of which have been a joy to experience alongside of you. You've seen me come to know God, helped both of us grow in our walk with Christ, shared countless laughs, encouraged us in times of heartache, made fun of us, and counseled us in the way to go. We could not be who we are without you all.

I don't know what it will be like to have extended time away from my nuclear family, either. Chris knows what it is like to have to spend months away from his family, so in one sense he will be "used" to that, but the longest I've been away from Indiana is for two months. It's hard to think that I will miss a lot of my nephew's firsts, or that I can't just raid my parent's refrigerator whenever I'm cleaning or doing laundry at their house. Our parents have also shared many years of wisdom with us, as well as been our biggest cheerleaders. They've enabled us to reach beyond the narrow dreams we once held. Thank you.

Well, this blog post is turning sappy, but these are the realities that I face. At this point, I also want to put a plug in for the album Come Weary Saints. Though you can generally expect the same musical styling that characterizes the other recent SGM albums, I would venture to say this is my favorite. Some of the lines that I keep singing over and over come from Stephen's song, "So I Will Trust You."

"King of Glory, I know You love me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust You
God Almighty, You have saved me
So I will trust You, yes I will trust in You"

"How could I not trust my King
The One who has formed me and shaped me
I will rejoice and will sing
For the One who has made me has saved me"

Have a listen! In addition to my quiet times, the doctrinally sound lyrics of these songwriters have helped to guide my heart to the place of worship where it should be.

I know that God will bless us with countless opportunities to share the joys of Christ that we know. He'll also give us new friends and colleagues, so I can be excited for that, too. It will just be different.

Picture Wednesday

my nephew at 3months

There's no time for blogging when there's cleaning to be done...
+Photo by dr_loplop