Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Upon the urging of many others, including my husband, I am finally able to put up some more pictures this week. We've had a lot happening recently, so here is a short run-down and the first of several links that you'll get to see.

To Begin the Beguine, Chris traveled to Yemen during the last weekend in January. Because different parts of the country are restricted (due to obvious reasons), he mostly visited the Sana'a area, which is the capital.

The Saturday that he was gone in Yemen, I went to my first camel race here in Kuwait. A bunch of girls that I work with went out with a group of people from the AWARE Center (Advocates for Western Arab Relations), to enjoy the desert sights and take in a dinner and diwaniya at a local "farm." Your idea and their idea of farms are probably a little different...Here are some pictures

Chris was back for a few days after his short jaunt to Yemen, but then left again with our friend, Kyle, to see the sights of Greece. They spent most of their time around Athens and on the island of Santorini, and it just so happened that the Greek public sector went on one of its predictable 24-hour strikes while they were there. What is it with places he travels to?

In the mean time, I started a new semester with 33 new students. Currently, I'm teaching three English blocks (hooray!- all one subject), one of which is Advanced English for 11th graders. If any of you real English teachers out there have any hints or fun activities to pass along, please do so.

Our niece, Rebekah, was born on February 12th- just short of Chris' 27th birthday, which was February 14th, and two of my friends' birthdays on February 16th. My cousin, Tiffany, also had a baby on the 16th, increasing the number of celebrations held each February. I guess it's a good month!

Finally, because we hadn't seen much of each other in the previous 2 1/2 weeks, Chris and I both took personal days from school on Thursday and headed to Doha, Qatar for a 3-day weekend. Doha is the capital of this small country located an hour's flight from Kuwait, just north of the UAE. We spent much of our time milling around without much purpose but to spend time together and take in a few sights. Fortunate enough to be there during a festival weekend, we were able to take in a concert, some street performers, and some amazing food in addition to the regular Old Souk (market). It was so relaxing!

An addition

Yesterday, around 6:30 pm EST, we welcomed an addition to the Shankle family. My new niece, Rebekah Grace Tew, made her appearance as a much bigger baby than my nephew, Nick.


Rebekah, Day 1

Nick, A few weeks old

Hala February

Each February since Kuwait's celebrated day of liberation, there is a series of festivals and events that are part of "Hala February," or, "Welcome/Hello February." This ranges from large arts' festival type events to having vacation days at school for the national and liberation holidays.

Each year, National Day is celebrated on February 25th, commemorating the day that Kuwait transitioned from being a British protectorate (thanks to World War I) to an independent country in 1961. Liberation Day is celebrated the following day, February 26th, when most Iraqi forces retreated from their occupation of Kuwait in 1991, although some sources say that the official day of liberation was the 28th. If you're too young to remember the "Persian Gulf War," do a little research on it. (Persian is in quotations because around here, the Gulf belongs to the Arabians.) I found it quite interesting to learn what America has said about it, and to be able to compare that with first-hand stories from a few Kuwaitis. Just fascinating...but then again, I like history!

In light of these events, February is a month for celebrating. Before the early days even arrive, festivals are held at shopping malls and parks to welcome the month. Throughout the 28 days, but most especially on the weekend that falls nearest to the 25th and 26th, exhibitions are held by locals; concerts, art exhibits, and craft shows can all be seen. In addition, people seem to be out more, cooking out and walking in parks and along the seaside. On National Day weekend, the public generally goes crazy. In the spirit of fun and celebration, people flock to the coast to gather for a time of pranks and merry-making. Many of the young adults and teenagers will run down the street with silly foam and spray people in their cars, while adults will dress up their small children in red, white, green, and black gear. The U.S. has nothing on these guys when it comes creating national clothing paraphernalia. All month long, extra decorations can be seen by hanging flags on the sides of buildings, weaving lights into hedges, and changing office/restaurant designs to patriotic logos and phrases. Kuwait has the money, and they go all out.

The pictures here are a few that I took during last February, so I will try to take some more this month and post them. We've seen some neat things so far!

It's really almost February?

This morning, Chris left to Yemen for a short stay, nearly completing his quest to visit all of the countries on the Arabian Peninsula. "While we're here, why not?" is a motto that I think I've heard more than once. After this trip, that leaves him Qatar (where we plan to go at the end of the month), Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. That last one is going to be a bit tricky if we both go, so I'll post details if I go along. After Yemen, he will here for a few days and head off to Greece with our friend, Kyle, who is currently teaching at a school in northern Iraq.

Since I don't have the same vacation time and already took my jaunt to France, the guys are going to check out the "old rocks" (as I call ancient ruins) without me.

Tomorrow I begin the new semester with a new set of students. I will still be teaching three 11th Grade English classes, but because we have the same block schedule everyday at my school, the courses are completed in one semester instead of over a whole year. I'm going to miss the girls I had first semester like crazy, but I think I will like the classes coming up just as much. I also have plans in the works to do a photography club this semester, though I don't know all that much about it myself. I am hoping that by having to teach it and work with others, I will learn a lot and build my own skills. If nothing else, it will be fun!

Around Kuwait this weekend, one can see the signs of "Hala February," or "Welcome/Hello February." This is a great time of year because there are lots of store sales and festival-type celebrations. I don't know why exactly they have it, but I think it has something to do with the national holiday and liberation holiday being the 25th and 26th of the month. I will investigate further and provide details if I find any...

There are about five months until we return to the States for some summer fun, Lord willing and if we both live that long! I'm especially looking forward to it this time around, because I will have a new niece/nephew to cuddle in addition to the rambunctious 2 yr old family comedian. There should be a few new friend babies to hold, too, so I'm sure I will find lots to do with my time. Before we actually get there, Chris and I have decided to stop in Italy for two weeks, and perhaps a neighboring post-communist country or two. "While we're here, why not?"

Failaka Island

On Saturday of this past weekend, we went out to Failaka Island, about a 30 minute boat ride into the Gulf from the east coast of Kuwait City. We enjoyed a classic car show before we left, clear skies and waters on the way to and from, a great Arabic lunch when we got there, checking out old and broken pianos, and visiting with friends, horses, and camels for seven or eight hours. We were surprised at how quiet everything seemed compared to the regular noise of the city, and enjoyed our time immensely. I think my friend Anita and I are going to head out a few times a month for riding lessons, so that should prove an enjoyable weekend diversion. Here are a few pictures: Failaka and Car Show

What are my thoughts on Paris?

Gosh, so I never finished posting about France. A lot of times I think, "Wow, I should really do that," but as one can see, that hasn't happened. Time to give a concise answer to the question, "What did you think of France?"

First, the weather was amazing. Although my sinuses suffered a little from it, I loved the snow and the 35F and below temperatures (around 1C).
Second, the sights and lights are gorgeous at night, especially because it was the Christmas season. I suppose there's a reason for calling it the City of Lights.
Third, the food (and coffee, because that's its own food group) was delightful. I was particularly fond of fresh French baguettes, Camembert cheese, Chardonnay, and cured ham. And, that's solely what I ate for breakfast and dinner one day, minus the wine.
Fourth, the public transportation is cheap, clean, and easy to navigate, albeit fairly crowded at night.
Finally, the city's architecture has an aesthetically pleasing blend of medieval and modern styles, due to the rich history and preservation of many areas.

All and all, it's a place worth going at least once. Because it's Western Europe, the cost factor comes into play when thinking about a vacation there. It's certainly not the cheapest place to travel, but for a week in a nice (for Paris) hotel, visiting most of the tourist spots, transportation, food, and splurging on a few gift items, I spent less than 300Euros (not including airfare). All that to say, I loved it!

Students

Some cuties from my 4th Block class
photo courtesy of D.Bell