KSAA Champs for the Second Year in a Row!!

Anna's soccer team captured the local Kuwait Schools Athletics and Activities Varsity Girls Soccer Championship last week with a 7-0 win over their opponent. Anna scored the opening goal in the first 15 seconds of the game.

The team is off in Abu Dhabi this weekend vying for the Middle Eastern championship. We couldn't go (work got in the way,,,bummer) but we are certainly cheering for them in our hearts.

L-I-ONS--LI, LI, ONS, let's GO LIONS (it's a cheer from you...duh, bet you figured that out!)

The lady pictured with Anna and the Banner is her coach, SVD. Tough chick, great coach, good friend.

Fashion Decisions

Trying to decide what to wear to Ben's upcoming wedding and reception, I am debating over these fashion statements...The suit might be a little chilly but certainly would be memorable (photo taken in Eqypt, not bad for 50 right?)

The second outfit is from today's (Nov.11) Wacky Tacky Wednesday, a part of our Spirit Week at school. I'm pictured here with our BritSon, Jake. We were both in the "spirit" of the moment.

As you can tell, even if we don't write as often as last year, we are doing well here in the Middle East. Even if our fashion sense may be a bit questionable!!

Cheers from the Sand!

Dressing for Success: Kuwaiti style

Today I went out for some retail therapy with girlfriends H, C and K. We hit a couple antique stores near our school and then headed down south to an older part of Kuwait.

On the way there, we were laughing about how we were dressed like we would be in any other summer day in North America for women in their mid-30s to late 40s (I was the oldest) . Meaning that some of us had short sleeves and others were sleeveless. None of us had shorts on. Our destination was in a southern part of Kuwait City which is known for being conservative. As we got out of the car, we took about 15 steps and discovered we were WAY underdressed...meaning that we were the only women who weren't wearing black abayas and hejabs. A majority of the women also had their face and hands covered.

As we were walking, H says to K--hey we're getting stared at. And K replied:
That's because I have a sleeveless top on AND I am blonde...duh! ( she was the ONLY blonde we saw in the hour)
It was a bit disconserting. We weren't hassled, just stared at.

We went about our business and enjoyed a lovely lunch. However, we noticed a few inconsistencies to the standard conservative mindset. Like the site of the woman who came into the restaurant and then took off her abaya (clothes on underneath of course) while she ate. Normally, women remained covered up until they are in the privacy of their own homes. We also were surprised to see women smoking...not a common site at all, other than shesha pipes. (hubbly bubbly).

As we were leaving, a car drove by and this man had a huge grin on his face and put his thumb in the air, kissed it and waved to us (as if to say "thumbs up babes"). K said "okay I've had enough of being misinterpreted as a whore today, let's get out of here". K is a lawyer by profession and she is definitely NOT what you would describe as a loose woman. She just happens to be from Western Canada with the prettiest blue eyes and curly blonde hair I've ever seen.

This is a strange place. I still feel safe, so safe in fact that sometimes I forget that I really don't live here. I now know what it must be like to be dressed in an abaya in North America and stand out as you walk down the street. After a while, you just ignor the stares and carry on with your business. That is, until someone points at you and brings attention to the fact that you really do stand out.

I own an abaya but I haven't got the courage to wear it because I am afraid I will stand out. Now I have learned that because I DON'T wear one, I stand out. Guess it's time to try it out. I'll let you know how it works next time I am shopping.

Update on the Browns

Dateline Kuwait
November 5, 2009

YES we are still alive! NO we aren't sick! No, we haven't been stricken by h1n1! NO I am not wearing a burka..

We are well, we are just up to our eyeballs in work and events.

Anna's soccer team won the Kuwait Girls championship on Monday evening! She kicked the first goal within 15 seconds of the game starting.

David has been coaching the Forensics team (speech). We had a meet today with another Kuwait school. unfortunately Anna's duet partner is recooperating from an emergency appendix operation. We are hoping he will be well for the big competition in two weeks.

Nadine has been busy coordinating the big speech meet in two weeks. I am learning more about Visas, Immigration, Embassies etc than I ever thought possible. Again, remember our comment about standing on sand. It appears that if I don't like something, I just have to patiently wait for a couple days and the sands shift and things change!

Pictures to follow of soccer and other fun stuff.
Thanks for your patience in keeping checking this site.

PS after a few "liquid refreshments" tonight, our friend JL called me boring (okay so I was yawning like crazy and almost fell asleep in his comfy big chair) It could be true that Kuwait is working me to sleep but BORING...I don't think so...

Things you wouldn't find in Pelican Rapids (or would you??)

From Middle East News Services
Thanks Intlxpatr for still keeping me "in the know"

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 3: Police have arrested a Sri Lankan housemaid who allegedly duped a Kuwaiti man in his 70s, and lured him into selling his home, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

It is reported the woman, who was working for the old man, induced him to sell his home, and then took the money from him. She is said to be worth about KD 120,000. She has also built a mansion in her home country.

A security source said the man’s mother, who is about 108 years old, and his family have lodged a complaint at the police station. However, the maid claims the man had given the money to her of his own free will.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 28: Eight Kuwaitis have filed complaints with the Al-Shaab Police Station accusing a compatriot and his Arab wife of cheating them, reports Al-Rai daily. The complainants said they bought apartments overlooking the sea from the compatriot and the wife received money on behalf of the husband. The complainants said each of them paid KD 100,000 in advance upon receipts and contracts only to discover the apartments have been sold to other people. The daily did not say in which country the complainants purchased the apartments.

DOHA: Qatari divorcees are entitled to free government housing only if they remain unmarried (after divorce) for five years in a row, so many of them with no job and children to support are urging the authorities to review this rule.

The divorce rate being very high in Qatar and many divorcees taking custody of their children as well prefer to live away from their parents in rented accommodation.

And since not all divorcees are employed and financially independent they struggle to make ends meet with meager monthly maintenance amounts they receive from their former husbands.

Government housing rules in the country specify that Qatari women who remain unmarried up to the age of 35 are entitled to free state housing.

One of the divorcees told Al Sharq on grounds of anonymity that life for her and her children had become miserable as the monthly rent she had to pay for the rented accommodation was quite high.

Living off meager maintenance amount, she said she was finding it extremely hard to make ends meet, especially as children’s education is to be taken care of which is an expensive affair.

“We, therefore, want the government to review its housing rules and consider our plight on humanitarian grounds,” she said emphatically.

“More than the spinsters, we need a government house because spinsters can anyway stay with their parents,” said the woman.

According to her, living in rented accommodation with children for five years consecutively after divorce is near-impossible due to the fact that the maintenance amounts given by their former husbands are fixed while rents have been going up.

With Love from the Desert

Photo taken at sunrise in Eqypt, fall 2009


Hello one and all...I am sorry for lack of communication. Almost 10 days without a post is too long. I will try to update you on our lives...

GOOD NEWS is that nothing is wrong, we are all healthy, happy and working...hard.

ANNA is busy with soccer, Academic Games (She heads to Abu Dhabi tomorrow for the weekend tournament),Forensics (speech) school and life. We went shopping last night for some clothes (the second time this year! As in 2009, my lil one is not a shopper girl) It was productive and provided us with some good bonding time.

DAVID is busy with school (we just finished a report card period here so lots of midnight oil) and soccer. He helps out occassionally with Anna's team (they are 3-0) and keeps a bit of spending money flowing by reffing. He's also coaching the Forensics teams so has lots of after school practices.

NADINE is busy with her new job (getting things ready for Anna's team to go to Abu Dhabi) and also preparing for the hosting of the Forensics meet here next month. Also I've started teaching piano lessons so a bit of spending money is flowing that way. I've got five students--four young men and one very excited young woman. It's fun, a stretch and interesting. But also exhausting.

FUN THINGS WE'VE DONE

David and I went bowling last weekend. We did it to check out a possible team activity for Forensics. It was great fun and reminded me of our college days.I almost beat David with three strikes at the end, but still couldn't score more than my usual 107.

I rode the Kuwait Public Transportation Bus system last week for the first time. I was a little freaked out, but found it to be fast, clean and very affordable. We don't own a car in Kuwait so rely on taxis and friends. The bus could be an option for us more in the future.

I'm getting a colonscopy on Saturday (yeah we are hard up for fun if this is on the list right?) The Wagner genes pre-dispose me to the "c" word so I'm getting it checked on. Suffice it to say, I won't be writing a blog about my experiences. Although last time I had a colonoscopy I woke up from the anesthesia with my cellphone in hand and noticed that I had made 5 calls.
Don't remember them...if I try to call YOU, do not answer!!

AGAIN
sorry for the delay in writing. I'll try to have more fun things to tell later.

Weather is beautiful, wish YOU were here!!
Love from the Desert
The Browns

That Darn Cat

Germo rests in the sun after a hard night

Our lead story tonight
The little Kuwait family of four almost became three when Germo, the Arabian Mow street cat, disappeared for approximately three hours this evening.

Mrs Brown, kind hearted but not always so bright, domestic goddess of the Brown home explains it like this:
"Well, I often open the kitchen window so Germo can sit out on the ledge and look longingly at the street cats gathering below. As he is declawed, he would never survive in the outside of the apartment life, so I feel sorry for him and allow him on the ledge once a day while I am doing dishes or other domestic duties".

Tonight however, Nadine got careless and left the window open. Her cold hearted husband David, who has admitted in the past to not ever liking the cat (although he has been seen often with the cat on his lap!), shut the window at approximately 8:30 pm.
The family got involved in their regular nightly routine and it wasn't until about 11 pm when Nadine noticed the cat was missing.

After a thorough search of the apartment, and all 8 floors of the apartment building, Nadine set off on foot around the building, not even daunted by the fact that the local Kuwaitis and neighborhood teachers would be amused by the site of her in her old football shirt and striped pajama pants.

Alas, no luck in searching. Finally the Grinch, aka David, remembered that he had shut the window to the kitchen and he opened it and looked below. Sure enough, there was the cat calmly resting on the roof of the storage shed about a half story below.
Nadine climbed into the kitchen sink, stuck her body half way out the window and talked to the cat while David and Anna found a tall ladder and climbed up on the roof to rescue the cat.

Germo's only comment was that there wasn't any catfood on the roof and that the great excape only proved to remind him how lucky he truly is to live in the style to which he's become accustomed.

When asked for a comment, Anna said "Stupid Cat. This should teach us all a mighty lesson about leaving windows open."

2008--Zowie the dog chanting that age old rhyme "Dogs Rule, Cats Drool"