A slice of Heaven on Earth OR: Just What the Doctor Ordered

I dreamed of this place while in Kuwait. It's my favorite coffeeshop, Riverside Coffee, located on the banks of the Pelican River in downtown PR. Saturday morning, this was the best place on earth to be. From 9-10 am, wonderful, melodic Scottish-Danish folk tunes were skillfully crooned by Sir Rod from Europe. He is a delightful, wise, fun man who made this year's IFF even more fun. From 10-11:30, across the street, the upbeat, jazz sounds of the Red River Dixieland Band could be heard wafting throughout downtown PR. It was a Dewey Berquist Grade A Day* and life couldn't have been better.

For the past week, we've enjoyed reaquainting ourselves with our "home" town, seeing people, catching up, finding out what we missed, and just finding out what being away meant. It's been a good week and even though the locals and vacationers are not pleased with all the rain, we think it's great.

Back in Kuwait,in about January, I had a conversation with DRBFF about what it would be like to return home. He gave me good advice and it seems much of it is coming true. "Just be happy to pick up where everyone's life is and don't try to fill in too many details". He was right.

Today I gave a presentation for the local Rotary, a great service club where I used to be a member before our departure. They listened attentively, asked good questions and seems to stay awake. David came along and filled in the stuff that I left out (he's so much smarter than me on certain items). It was fun, it was nice to have people interested but I think that we may have oversaturated them.

I remember have several "Aha" moments in Kuwait thinking "there's no way I will ever be able to explain this back home". It took me about 6 hours to try and put together a powerpoint a 25 minute presentation. And I'm sure I left out some of the good stuff.

The biggest joy without question has been talking with friends without having it be on skype or via email. We are lucky here to be have such wonderful people in our lives who are willing to pick us up and carry on with our friendship. Our Friends in Kuwait are wonderful and they are doing a great job of keeping up going, but as Dorothy says
"There's no Place Like Home"

Sound Effect: Deep sigh of contentment

NOTE:*Dewey Berquist: Explaination from a blog called "Rocks Off". Edited for my PG audience and my sister in Alaska who is too much of a lady to want to read swearing.

As someone who hasn't regularly watched any local news in years, being a fan of a meteorologist seems downright silly. Growing up in North Dakota on WDAY and WDAZ I was blessed by an honest-to-goodness "weatherman", Dewey Bergquist. He was a weatherman because that's what they were called back then and if memory serves me correctly, Dewey wasn't a certified meteorologist anyway. Dewey was odd and goofy. He gave the next day's weather a letter grade, accompanied by a wacky cartoon. Once at a keg party across the hall in the dorm, those suitemates and a few other of us turned off the music so that we could watch Dewey's weather segment. There was an outcry about the music until we yelled: "@#$% you! We gotta watch Dewey!" This resulted in another handful of guys yelling "!@#$ yeah!" and joining us with beers around the TV set. Dewey Bergquist, now there's a weatherman to fall in love with

Summertime and the livin' is ...FANTASTIC

Photo of Nadine and KT canoe woman taken on beautiful Spirit Lake. Photo of sidewalk mural taken last year at the IFF 11.

Being back in OTC is a surreal experience. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up and it will be March and I'll be surrounded by desert. But so far I'm having a great time and it's not a dream.

Spent a couple days in PR catching up with old and dear friends, laughing, telling stories (and making some up apparently as my friends told me!), enjoying being near lakes and green.

Saturday I MCd the Friendship Festival. It was a great day and the site of Somalians, Mexicans, Bosnians, Americans dancing all together to the steady beat of a somalian song truly made my heart sing. It was a gorgeous sunny day and that made it all better.

Today (Sunday) we spent the day with PapaCB and it was perfectly mellow relaxing family day. The best site was watching my father in law teach my daughter how to use a slide rule. (pictures to follow). The gift of time spent with loved ones is the BEST gift as far as I'm concerned. Also the Browns don't like to "give" gifts so I didn't have to stress in finding the perfect gift for David. Anna made her papa brownies and all was well.

This vacation thing is going well.

Although I think I've caught up on my beer quota for the year,, hhmmm is it time to return to a dry country yet??!

This Scares Me

NOTE: All I can say is that the next generation is going to end up with larger THUMBS than their ancestors.

From YAHOO news services
NEW YORK – The nation's newest texting champion has a message for parents across the land — although they might not want to hear it.

"Let your kid text during dinner! Let your kid text during school! It pays off," 15-year-old Kate Moore said Tuesday after winning the LG U.S. National Texting Championship.

After all, she said: "Your kid could win money and publicity and a phone."

For the Des Moines, Iowa, teenager, her 14,000 texts-per-month habit reaped its own rewards, landing her the competition prize of $50,000 just eight months after she got her first cell phone.

Moore, with a speedy and accurate performance, beat out 20 other finalists from around the country over two days of challenges such as texting blindfolded and texting while maneuvering through a moving obstacle course.

In the final showdown, she outtexted 14-year-old Morgan Dynda, of Savannah, Ga. Both girls had to text three lengthy phrases without making any mistakes on the required abbreviations, capitalization or punctuation. Moore squeaked through by a few seconds on the tiebreaking text, getting the best two out of three. As she anxiously waited for confirmation of her win, tears streamed down her face.

The teen dismisses the idea that she focuses too much on virtual communications, saying that while she has sometimes had her phone taken away from her in school, she keeps good grades, performs in school plays and socializes with friends — in person — on the weekends.

In between, she finds time to send about 400 to 470 texts a day. Among her uses of the text messages? Studying for exams with friends, which she says is better done by text because she can look back at the messages to review.

Scenes from Lake Lida

The arrival of the new family party boat, the SS Maxine.

Also new this summer is the cool hammock chair.

My first sunset of 2009 with lots more to come.

You say Goodbye, I say Hello

Our beautiful lab, Angel, enjoying being at the lake probably as much as we do.

Anna and her PR pals. They remained good friends to her this past year via email, facebook and skype calls. And to prove their friendship, they came to the Fargo airport to meet us, even though we were five hours late. This group has been friends since they were in 2nd grade. True friendship at this young age is a great thing to see.

And speaking one last time of True Friends, The BFFs and the Browns pose for one last "family" picture in the Kuwait airport. They were WONDERFUL friends to us this past year and we look forward to a continued friendship as they conquer Korea. Good Luck and stay away from the Bombs.

Question of the Day

As I walked near the shores of Lake Lida this morning, with my beautiful lab, Angel and I see an eagle soaring, a baby deer leaping through the grass, and hear the calls of the loons. I wonder:

Did God invent the desert so that we would appreciate green, open spaces more?

Under the Radar

Yes I am "home". But you might now know it because we're been Under the Radar, not visible, staying hidden, keeping quiet...whatever term you want to use.

We've been here for three days and except for a morning trip to my favorite coffee spot in PR, I have stayed safe and sound at PapaCBs house about one hour away. No running down mainstreet PR knocking on all doors, no talking on the phone for hours, no purchases of mass quantites at the local liquor store...just quietly and contently with my boys--David, PapaCB, Uncle Doug AND my dog Angel (I had to go get her!)
.

Anna is somewhere.. well I know where she is, she's re-connecting with friends. Having a great time, although I did catch her facebook entry yesterday saying "I'm sooo bored". I think her friends are working. Ah, the highs and lows of teenage life.

I guess I'm surprising myself. It's weird, this is something (being home) I wanted for so long, and now that I'm here, I am just content without need for fanfare.

Maybe it's jetlag. I am still taking naps at odd times of day (at least for Central Standard Time). Maybe it's fear that if I party too hard I'll wake up and I'll still be back in the desert! Maybe it's maturity (oh that made even me laugh!)

Whatever it is, it's all good. At least for now.

Tomorrow we head back to our lil town with a cement pelican in the middle. We'll see friends and start to tell the stories of our past year. We're been "warned" by other international teachers that people will want to listen for about 20 minutes and then, (as we were told) "you'll see their eyes glaze over and you know you've lost them". I can sort of understand that, it's so different where we live our lives now, it would be hard to relate.

When I first started my relationship with David, he would come out with statements like "when we went to Russia for Christmas" or "when we were in 5th grade we took a cruise around Spain"...and I would either want to barf or tell him that he was being "snooty". There was no way I could relate to that...well, I guess MY 6th grade class trip to St. Paul WAS a highlight!

Now I realize that he wasn't trying to be a snob, it was just his reality. Two weeks ago I had a pedicure (that's another story) with three fabulous women and we had all been to Australis at various times in our lives and we were talking about it as if we had just gone down the road. I had one of those surreal moments when I took myself our of the conversation and listened to what was being said and thought
" Wow Nadine, you aren't from the farm anymore!"

But I am. Deep down, I am still shaking my head at the knowledge that I survived a year in a completely foreign country. On the last day of school, a couple of the newbies (Formerly new teachers, now we've got experience!) were talking and we would look at each other and just say "Can you believe we did this?" Which was quickly followed by a shout of "WE ARE GOING HOME
TODAY"

From the sounds of this entry, I must still be on the plane because I'm zooming all over the place. Please be patient with me and if you don't see me, don't panic. I'm okay I'm just taking time re-entering.

OR maybe it's the affects of ham and beer that have gotten into my deprived system!

What I'll be doing next weekend

My good Friend JO is an angel on earth. She does many, many wonderful things for our small town, but the best thing she does is to organize the International Friendship Festival during the third weekend in June. I've been MCing for a couple years now and I'm back on deck for this year (tried to give it up last year but the Trainee I had moved to Seattle! Miss you Ashley!)

Now that I've moved to Kuwait for the school year, JO decided that I deserved to be put on the advertisement ("Emcee Nadine Wagner Brown of the American International School of Kuwait") She's always trying to make things look "international"!

Today I had coffee with JO and she's in her regular pre-Festival spin. But it's all good, she's organized, she's got a plan and she's got a TON OF FAITH. This woman can move mountains and people..mainly because as we know in PR, you just don't say no to JO!!

God Bless you Sister...This is THE DAY! Go forth and conquer.

PS God won't let you down, I know it will be sun for the Festival. If not, then we'll have to find Nate and his accordian to play for us in the rain.

We have a WINNER!!!(ding! Ding! ding!)

Congrats to the 10,000 "hit" person!! As I looked at this blog at 329 am CST (it's the jetlag insomnia combined with the menopause insomnia) I see that there are 10,011 hits on this blog. Counting backwards (and taking myself out at the end) it's either the lucky reader in WASILLA, Alaska (home of the Iditirod, Sarah Pallin AND my fabulous family!) OR MOORHEAD, MN (sister city to Fargo (hate the movie but it's a great place to tell people overseas where we're from)..Hmmm, that means it could be EITHER crazy Cuz OR favneice.

SO you three fight it out, email me who you think won and I'll have the fabulous Kuwaiti prize waiting for you.
NOW knowing all three of you (being Norvegian and all) You'll say
"uffda,it can't be me....no, no give it to the other person"
SO how about this...I just give a prize to each of you.
Okay so I've got a gift for you already.

Sorry folks, but this does definately "smack" of nepotism!

The Real WINNER is ME. We arrived at 11 pm Saturday morning. HUGE KUDOS to UncleDoug and PapaCB who waited for 5 hours in the Fargo airport (not the hotbed of entertainment that Chicago O Hare was, that's for sure) while enduring the aches and pains of bad colds.
There were honest to goodness fireworks as we landed. I was thinking "Wow," my family and friends spared no expense to welcome us home.! Then I found out it was for the local baseball team's victory. Oh well, IN MY STORY, it's fireworks for us!

When we got to our summer home, my Favorite Father in Law told me to open the refridgerator...and there was a HUGE Ham. He does love me.

Life IS GOOD here-it's green, there's lakes and people I love. AAhhhh, doesn't get any better than this!

PS no photos of reunions because there have been too many tears in my eyes to focus the camera!!

Airport...the sequel to the sequel

Flying from Kuwait to Frankfurt was great, even if KWI was on full speed wackiness with every person possible leaving on the Freedom flights out of the country.
Breakfast in Frankfurt one last time with the BFFs was great fun, mmmm saugsage and beer at 630 am, doesn't get any better.
Flying to Chicago was good, even slept a couple hours. The joy of being short is that I can curl up almost anywhere. The floor worked well for some solid winks.
Getting to Chicago, going through customs was piece of cake, took less time than it took to stand in line in Kuwait.

We were at the gate a 1:15 for our 3:14 flight. Life was good. We were happy seeing green and flying over the Great Lakes.

HOWEVER, it was not in our flying gods to make it to Fargo on time. Here's a brief, all true version of what happened.

1:15 pm Flight to Fargo loading at F1
2:00 pm Flight to Fargo moved to F11
2:25 pm Flight to Fargo moved back to F1
3:00 pm Flight to Fargo all go, plane has landed
3:15 pm Flight to Fargo cancelled. Take next flight out at 830 pm
5:00 pm Flight to Fargo moved to F12
6:00 pm Flight to Fargo moved to F11
7:15 pm Flight to Fargo delayed to 9:10 pm
7:35 pm Flight to Fargo moved to F1 (*original gate)
8:15 pm Flight to Fargo on the ground, flight time changed to 830 pm
8:19 pm NWB signs off on this computer and hops to get getting on plane

It's good to be home (!?)

6-11-09--9864

This will be my last official post from Kuwait this school year. We're packing up and heading out. The next time I write (unless something REALLY COOL happens in the Kuwait, Frankfurt or Chicago airports) I will be in MN. Aahh...

The blog Counter is officially at 9,864 "hits"...amazing that people spent their time reading about my life. I'm touched,and thrilled (and feel a slight sense of pressure)

Remember, the 10,000 HIT get a prize. We'll see who the lucky winner is on Sunday.

Cheers
NWB and fam

PS if you're of the praying type, keep Luftansha and United aircarriers in your prayers.

On to Minnesota...Hats off to thee!!! (which is the first line of the U of MN fight song, even though I didn't attend that prestigious University, I know the first line of their song!)

Betcha Never Thought You'd See This...

David has worn a suit exactly 3 times in the 31 years I've known him. Once for our wedding, once for our interview for this job and now tonight at AIS graduation. Looks good doesn't he?!

Unbelievable

It's my last night in Kuwait. I can't believe it. A school year has gone by and I'm still standing, still smiling and after a great summer break, I will be happy to return to my new job as Activities Director at AIS. Unbelievable. If someone had told me in October that I'd be happy here, I would have asked them if they were drinking something. But this being Kuwait, I know that wasn't true (wink! wink! nod! nod!)

Seriously, it's been a very full year. If you've been reading this blog, you know the ups and downs that we went through. If you're just stopping by on the web, then let's just say that we're learned and grown...a lot.

We've got 24 hours of flying time before we touchdown at Hector International so I'll have some time to put together my thoughts more coherently. I think I'm a little in shock.

We've been "warned" that we will experience Culture Shock in reverse when we return home--things won't have changed OR they will have changed and we won't have been a part of it. A good friend warned me this morning not to think that it's all "wonderland" back home. I'm trying to be "cool" about the whole thing, but I will probably fall down and kiss the ground. At least the green, NATURAL grass when I see it.

Keep tuned over the summer, I'll have updates of the Browns lives and adventures in Pelican Rapids. If you want to take a summer break, then you'll know that we'll be back in Q8 in August. But I'm really not thinking about that.

Riverside Coffee here I come...**

**for those not residing in 56572, it's THE best coffee shop in the world. At least in my world. And that's speaking for two continents!!!

Announcing the departure of the Freedom Flight

We are leaving Thursday night (Friday at 055 am) on what is affectionately called the "Freedom Flight"...the first flight out of Kuwait to Frankfurt. The majority of teachers heading to North America will be on this flight. I've heard stories that the plane actually runs out of "beverages" before the cart gets to the back of the plane. That's why my seat is up front!

I've lost a little weight, stopped wearing makeup (it's too darn hot) but I'm still the same person. Well, maybe I'm a little quieter and a little more patient (I've learned)

It'll be good to get home.

In PR, they say this as well as "Uffda"

"assalamu alaikum"

From a Yahoo news article


President Obama made a highly anticipated visit to the Middle East earlier this week. Folks around the world listened closely to his speeches. In the end, a few words and phrases stood out, either because they were said or because they weren't even alluded to.

There were no fist bumps, but there were many interesting moments during Obama's speech in Cairo. The moment that got the most attention, in Search anyway, was Obama's use of "assalamu alaikum." Said the President: "I'm also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: Assalaamu alaykum." After the speech, searches soared on the greeting, its meaning, and translation. According to the Islamic Dictionary, it literally means: "Peace be upon you." It is a shortened form of a phrase that translates to "Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings."

o-bam-a, o-bam-a

I mentioned last year that people here were very excited about the US elections and were thrilled that Barrack Obama won. I voted for him (for my card carrying Republican family members, I still love you and hope you love me!) but I really wouldn't call myself a Zealot about the man. There's no way I'd want to be President.

He (Obama) is now here, well not here here, but in the Middle East. That, in itself, is a right step. I think people are "listening"...at least I hope so.

Please go online and read the content of his speech (it's on Yahoo or google or dogpile or any search engine). I would imagine that it's being carried on television news.

From the Speech given by the US President at Cairo University, June 4, 2009--
He's speaking about the "negative" attitude toward Muslims...

Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.

So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.

I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Quran tells us, Be conscious of God and speak always the truth. That is what I will try to do - to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.


It brought tears to my eyes. Amen, Mr President, Amen
My prayers, and the prayers of the Muslims I know, are with you.

Still Smilin' (even with sand in our teeth!)

This picture was taken at the Farewell Banquet at the beautiful Safir International Hotel. We look pretty darn happy...because we SURVIVED our first year in Kuwait (and dare I say, "thrived"?)

We'll be back next year at AIS...David continues as Theatre teacher for grades 10-12 and he'll also probably ref soccer, help out with Anna's team, be involved in the winter play, tutor occassional lost students and probably build a set or two.

I'll be changing jobs...I'm saying "farewell" to 6th and 8th graders(though they were great) and moving into the fast and furious world of coordinating Activities for the school (Activities Director). I'll get to schedule events, work with student travel and other "duties as assigned". Who knows how much fun I'll have (only the person who I am replacing...DR the BFF)

We're also smiling because it's (as the Canadians say) 7 more sleeps until we board the plane and come back home. Start cooking the ham now please!

School's Out for Summer!!!

Pictured are
My advisory group (6th graders I've had all year)

The beautiful 18th floor view from the restaurant where the Farewell Dinner was held

T and J--two Minnesodaites who kept me in good spirits, they are moving on (sniff)

MissMona and Lovely Stephanie enjoying dinner

We were treated to a lovely farewell dinner by our owners last night. The food was great, the view was spectacular and the laughs and tears were sincere and heartfelt. Here's a couple pictures of people that won't be returning that I will surely miss. SO long and thanks for all the...well, you know what you did!

1st Place Winner in AWARE Expat Writing Contest

BVS teachs at AIS until next week when he and his lovely wife, the smart RVS, will move on to Korea. Here's a picture of her "watching" him speak (she's got the ponytail, he's on the screen). He deserved to win. Wish I could write like this.

A Fire in the Desert
Mr. Brent van Staalduinen (Entry 9-04)
First Place Winner

I have seen the fire in the desert.

There is a burning, a blazing. Wahee, a heat, ever-present, fed by a thousand years of blinding summer sun. There are mirages, waves and shimmers, bending the light across the horizon, fooling wanderers with visions of water, promises of cool relief.
In July, shames il sahra, the sun, dominates daylight hours. Nothing stirs at the height of the its path across the sky, having been driven into holes and forced into crevices where elusive coolness waits. In the afternoon, Arabia sleeps. After dark, oil-wells dot the horizon with star-points as Arabs come to life, assembling in their homes, the diwaniyas, the malls, the restaurants, the streetside shisha-corners.
And the people ignite, bursting into flames, honed by millennia of desert life.
The giza begin, the sowallif, recited in language forged in the wastelands and wadis. The outsiders listen and wonder at the sounds and roughness of the Arabic tongue, and make jokes at the stops, the breaths, the glottals, and the emphatic uvular throws.
But Arabic is not a language; it is the song of the heat of the desert, and it is not soft. It burns with the passion of endless wandering and tent-dwellings, of tribal battles and the preservation of family honor. Arabic, the spoken torch, is passed from generation to the next.
And the tribe gathers to laugh, sing, dance traditional dances, and gorge on tamer dipped in camel’s milk. One cannot be separate from one’s tribe, and its members seek comfort around it. At once inviting yet impenetrable, the family is the ultimate source of protection and hospitality. But dare to challenge its borders, and the outsider is scalded by the rebuke of its elders. One cannot truly glimpse Arabia without passing through the rites of the tribal unit: tribe and family are everything from which the desert tradition springs.
Yet tradition’s embers can be elusive, difficult to rekindle. The simplicity of eons of nomadic life once bound the Arab to his desert. As the sun sparked on the waves, the dhow plied the waves and brought the catch to the fires lit onshore. The pearl diver disappeared for minutes at a time then surfaced, lungs burning. Today the merchants still lure customers with scalding tea and the promise of elusive bargains. Souks bustle, the fiery markets and stalls giving way to computer shops and mobile-phone stores. In the malls, young people gather, preferring the Italian espresso to the bitter, scorched coffee of the dallah. A gentle, Gulf wind carries the smell of the refineries into the city, where the new marketplace and the new wealth temper the Arab spirit and remake the tradition, the ritual.
I have felt the new fire burning in the desert.
From the pyres and pillars of ritual, faith’s fire leaps heavenward, pointing Arabs to paradise and beyond. Infused and one with its very soul like an Arab home is infused with bakhour,Islam is to surrender everything, and all of life is faith.
The passion of Islam cannot be mistaken for mere belief, and those who dare to make assumptions about its place in the Arabian soul are corrected quickly, decisively. Separation is never contemplated, and one can not—should not—imagine today’s Arabia as being distinct from its core. When a faithful land is the custodian of its most holy places, nationhood and political borders are put aside in the common pursuit of truth and surrender: all of Arabia will defend and honor the kaba’a, recognizing that pilgrimage and passionate defense are called for, expected.
Islam was not born in the desert, yet the desert hones its fervent soul.
This is the fire in the desert. There is har Arabi, the dazzling heat of Arabian summer and a way of life crafted around its unforgiving, unblinking fire. The tribes chant to welcome the world-burned wanderer home.
To speak to an Arab is to sample the passion of a desert-refined tongue; to listen to an Arab is to listen to a proud, passionate heritage given its life by its very fire. To witness Islam in Arabia is to witness how meaning and faith are branded to the very core of a person.
There is a fire in the desert, and I have bathed in its warmth.

Wacky Wagners (see post below for explanation)

Crazy Crazy Family

There are few times in my life when I am speechless. This was one of them.

If you've been reading this blog, you know that I was whining about not being able to be at the wedding of my best friend and nephew this past weekend. It was really tough being here when I knew the action was happening "there".

The day before, my neice Peggy (!) told me that they had a surprise for me. My family is TOO GOOD at keeping surprises, I didn't know a thing. I couldn't figure out what. I thought maybe they had sang to me and I was going to receive a video from my photoneice Di.

But no...
They (Scott and Peggy)with the "help" of other sneaky, talented family members, had a life-size photo made of me, put it on a cardboard and "passed" me around at the wedding and reception (I won't publish the picture of me "passed out on the floor")

It looks like "I" had a great time.

THANK YOU THANK YOU wonderful family for making me feel like I was a part of the event, for loving me even though I've left you and, most of all, for having a WONDERFUL WACKY sense of humor.

Here's a couple photos for fun.