an unusual week

I'm currently in the second day of my three-day vacation this week, which has been relaxing and eventful at the same time.

On the way home from work on Monday, excited about the 5-day weekend I was about to begin, Emily and I were hit by another car. Our scenario was not unlike many others in Kuwait, two foreigners in a small to medium-sized vehicle, generally obeying all traffic laws and courtesies of the road, when along comes a young Kuwaiti guy with a blackberry, an agenda, and a giant car. A Cadillac Escalade, to be precise. Here's some of the damage:

Driver's side rear (you can't see the loose things underneath...)

Driver's side front

Thankfully, neither of us are badly hurt, and we weren't hit again when the Escalade pushed us into other busy lanes of traffic.

We always get beautiful sunsets here, especially in the winter time. Often, the sun looks huge compared to what it looks like in most parts of the States, which is mystifying to me. Maybe one of you science types can explain that. You can't quite see the shape of the sun here, but this was a rare and gorgeous cloudy afternoon.

Yesterday, Chris and I drove down south to Mahboula to meet our friend Rasha for lunch. Afterward, we just drove around because we didn't have anywhere in particular to go. She suggested a little cafe to us, and we laughed when we found it, because we had never actually seen a "Nestle Toll House" cafe before. The coffee was good, and needless to say, the cookie was delicious. Generally, I'm not one for cookies, but who could resist? Besides Chris?

And, there were these cool, potted cacti outside. They looked a little out of place for Kuwait, but cute.

They just started publicity for the Parliamentary elections coming up here in Kuwait. In all of the neighborhoods, there are giant tents that come alive around 8pm at night, places for people to drink tea and "meet and greet" those running for seats. Sometimes I wonder why they have elections, because people always vote for family members or people from the same "clans." Since we don't vote, we westerners judge who has the best billboards with the nicest pictures. Here are a few samples:

This morning, I was walking outside when I spotted this guy in one of the car lots near our house. If I had a Ford Edsel, I don't think I would let it sit outside exposed to the elements, considering that they were only manufactured during a three or four year time period in the 1950s.

Well, those are my days off so far. We'll see what this evening and tomorrow bring!

New and Old

Earlier this week, Chris was happy to have received his new passport. The whole process doesn't actually take that long overseas, I suppose because the US government deems it appropriate for one to have proper documentation at all times while abroad. It's as easy as making an appointment at the embassy online, giving them the old passport and about $110, and going back in 3-5 days to collect it. Finally, we won't have to wait for immigration officials to find the extended expiration date printed in the back of Chris' passport; the new one has 52 pages and is valid until 2022. He plans on breaking it in through next week's trip with friends to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, although we may take a short trip somewhere before that. Since Chris is on semester break from the university, I plan to take a few personal days and hang out with him somewhere in the Middle East, to be determined this weekend. Here's a side-by-side of his passport photos from 2012 and 2001, posted with his permission. I really don't think he's changed at all...

In other news, Chris will be running in his first 10K this Saturday. He thinks he can do it in less than an hour, so we'll just have to see how the race jitters treat him.

Today, on the way home from work, my friend Emily and I were about to pass through a roundabout on our usual route when I spotted the following. I exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, go left," and after some general confusion, she realized I was directing her toward this building, which looks as though it collapsed. We took a few pictures, and it appeared as though the building is being demolished, but one never knows here in Kuwait. After all, they use bamboo scaffolding.

This weekend, I'm finishing report cards ahead of schedule and trying to take care of all my busy work so that I can completely enjoy my days off next week. Pray I finish everything!

The New Year and other random things

Well, here I am back in Kuwait and enjoying all of my own amenities again. I love visiting the States and being around many of my favorite people, but there's something to be said about not living in a suitcase.

I spent the New Year on three different airplanes. This time, my trip back went from Pittsburgh to Chicago, then Abu Dhabi, final destination Kuwait. I'm not sure why, but on my 2 hr. trip from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait, I was upgraded to Business Class. What a great surprise for a 2am flight! I left Christmas and the snow in Chicago, though I understand that the East Coast has actually become cold since I left.

at O'hare International

Since coming back, we've been tutoring students for exams a lot. Many of the American schools in Kuwait have their semester exams in the next week or two, and my bread-winner is out making the dough. That makes our schedules are a little more hectic than usual, but I like finding these little treats when that happens.

We also celebrated our friend Dina's second 29th birthday last week, at a Chinese restaurant called Tang Chao. It's near our house at the Holiday Inn complex, which I've been to twice in two weeks, the other time for a breakfast with my friend Anita. The buildings are less than a block away, but I really haven't had a reason for going there, so that makes three total times since moving here.

Me, Rasha, Dina, Shetha, Chris

When it rains here, it either pours or drips mud, and we've been having a lot of the pouring kind lately. It's the season for it, and it characteristically starts and stops somewhat suddenly. The heavy rains are usually thunderstorms, so sometimes we get to see some spectacular lightning shows. At any rate, it's enjoyable.