No, we don't ride camels over here!

Not a site you'll actually see here.






The day of parent-teacher conferences some of us were having a conversation during our break. M was talking about how when she's chatting on Yahoo someone will ask her if she has internet over here. Duh! How do you think she's chatting? They wondered how they got access in their tent. She's like, "what tent?" I said, "Yes, and you have a camel running in a wheel to power the computer!" People just see the Middle East as Bedouins living in tents, riding camels, without modern conveniences. And, let's face it, Hollywood doesn't always help to update that image. So, just so you know, Kuwait (and the other Gulf countries) are modern countries. We have paved streets, killer highways (literally), shopping malls out the whazoo, all the typical fast food restaurants (except I'd love to have a Wendy's), and big, modern supermarkets that you need a map to find your way through. I have a microwave, refrigerator, big screen TV (DH got a great deal on that one), and all the conveniences of home. In fact I much prefer the way cell phones work over here. You don't sign up for any particular plan. You buy your phone and your SIM card. Whatever company your card is, that's what card you buy but that's the only restriction. You just go to almost any little bakala (a small grocery you find within a few blocks of wherever you live, except where we live where there are about as many bakalas as apartment buildings), decide how many credits you want to buy, and recharge your phone. If another cell phone is calling, you're not charged. The only camels you see here are few and far between but no one's riding them (unless you've gone out to the desert to watch a camel race). I've seen one tied up outside a building (don't ask me why) and I've seen them in the back of a truck, going down the highway. You might see them in a pen outside of a big tent where they're having a wedding. But you don't see them used as transportation. The only Bedouins I know personally live in apartments (2 families lived across the hall from us in our old building) and they drive cars, not camels.

The pictures above show a place like anywhere in the world, except you will see them still dressed in their traditional attire. Though not all of them. Yes, many women still cover, but many of them have careers as well, the 2 most popular being teachers and doctors. This year I'm enjoying it much more than last year. Much of it has to do with this school being much better than the last one, but I'm also more used to things this year and have my own car so I'm not dependent on DH being home to get to go anywhere and we're not stuck in the house because he's at work. Doesn't mean we leave much, but at least it's a choice, not because we can't. If anyone is interested in working overseas, I'd recommend Kuwait. Yes, life here can be a pain when you have to deal with their ministries and their innane laws, mainly put in place to preserver their Kuwaiti-ness. They are a minority in their own country so they enjoy making expats jump through hoops. But it's a neat place and you encounter many different peoples and cultures here. The food is great and if you stick to more traditional, local fast food, it's healthy and much cheaper than the American variety.

There are things I miss about home but I'm certainly enjoying being here (most days).