So yet another two weeks have passed since my last post. What can I say? I have never been very consistent as a writer. Suffice it to say, I got better. Chest cold…obliterated! As far as teaching goes, I don't have anything new to report. The simple fact of the matter is (and all teachers know) that teaching is hard work. The week is spent working well beyond 8 hours a day and exhaustion is an occupational hazard. Then the weekend is usually spent working as well. I have made a contentious point to not work at least one day of the week which is usually Friday. As my Mother was a teacher for over 25 years, I have always taken great exception to people who think teaching is a cake walk due to the long summer break. Believe me when I tell you, that break is well deserved and necessary for sanity.
Now while I know this blog is titled A Year of Teaching (which implies that I should be discussing teaching) I am really just writing about the whole experience and/or whatever I feel like writing about…so there.
This morning I woke up in that lovely lazy way one does when one has been allowed to sleep in. The sun was up; I stretched a long stretch, made some French Press coffee and then decided to blog. Before I got to work though, I was suddenly struck with the desire to do my make up and try wearing a headscarf I bought at the Old Souq my first week in Kuwait but has remained in the closet. I admit freely to having headscarf envy. Many women here always look so polished and put together. The scarves are beautiful and frame the face in a way where the eyes become much more of a focal point. Having a conversation with a woman who has her hair covered feels more direct. Subtle expressions that can be hidden behind hair are not hidden here. So I did my face and wrapped my head in a gorgeous dark plum scarf and teal headband. The process of covering my head felt like a ritual. It may sound strange but when I was done and I looked in the mirror, I felt more confident. Staring back at me was a very intelligent, put together woman. When I took the scarf off I still felt beautiful and while I will not be adopting the hijab in my daily life I appreciate why women choose to. It didn't feel oppressive, more like a serious statement on self-respect.
No adventure to a foreign land is complete without challenges. It has not been all roses (although I did have one of my students bring me a rose the other day). Kuwait and Kuwaiti culture are not for everyone. It can be especially difficult for a Westerner. Unlike Dubai, Kuwait is not a city on the edge of a desert; the desert is in the city. The traffic is bad. The driving is crazy. People stare and sometimes follow you around. I always stay covered and modestly dressed but men here have a way of making you feel naked anyway. Things are beige and dusty. Dilapidated buildings with too many people living in them are everywhere and a brand new shiny but unfinished building might stand empty right next door. The summer weather is fairly dreadful and there are times when looking at all of the gigantic Chalets around town I wonder how people even live here. It is also very expensive! I mean really expensive! Fresh produce is especially pricy and it is no wonder given the geography. As a California girl I am extremely spoiled in this department.
Things also taste different to a Western palate. Gyms memberships are ridiculously priced and walking here can be downright hazardous to your health. Salons will put you out several hundreds of US dollars if not a hundred KD. As a result I have put on some weight and my skin is drier than it was before (and as an eczema sufferer...that is saying something)!
Now as I am on a rant, I must also admit that the Insha'Allah culture is also unnerving. When someone says Insha'Allah (God Willing) it is usually after every other sentence and lends itself to an entire existence of maybes, who knows, and good luck with that one darlings.
I am used to working my rear end off and getting things done. I don't expect anyone else to do things for me. If I need help I ask for it but it is not expected. It also means that as such I am used to things happening within a reasonable amount of time. In the States if the cable guy doesn't show up during his scheduled time, it is a customer service issue and if you play your cards right with the cable company (usually done through heated discussions with management) you might not have to pay the cable bill for a month or two. Here if the cable guy doesn't show up...he'll be there tomorrow Insha'Allah (which could be somewhere between one or thirty days...or so).
Realistic observations aside...life is what you make it after all. So I could spend all of my time complaining or I can spend some of my time complaining and the rest of it getting things done. I have met some really cool people and I have developed a social life. I am also planning on traveling to some pretty exotic places. Kuwait is in a wonderfully convenient spot for travel. Eid is almost here which means I get a five day break! I will let you know where I am going on the next post Insha’Allah (or knowing me, my next post might happen while I am on break).
Now however I must get to work. Lesson plans to do and Truffula Trees to make. Next week is Reading Week at school and my class is reading Dr. Seuss books. My room looks like a wonderful tissue paper flower explosion. I will post some pictures of the bulletin boards my assistant and I are working on. I am proud to say that while we may be at the end of the hall, our decorations are amazing!
Ma'Salaam
Michele
