What did you do on your vacation?

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Hi Charlie
(and other blog readers)
It seems the more I promise to keep up my blog this year, the harder it is to actually do it! Part of the problem is that we aren't really doing that much new this year so we don't have a lot of exciting things to tell you.
You probably would yawn to hear our normal lives...wake up at 530 am, in school by 7 am, teach and work throughout the day until about 5 pm (or 6 depending on the day), then comehome, feed the cat, eat, watch TV, look at each other and say how tired we are, go to bed by 9 pm and start all over again the next day. (there doesn't that make an exciting blog post!)
Seriously, we just finished a 5 day "Staycation" where we were on holiday from work, but didn't leave the country.
Here are the things we accomplished
1) Took 26 other teachers on an excursion to Failaka Island which is an island about 20 miles off the coast of Kuwait. We have been there before, but it was fun to show new eyes one of Kuwait's most unique tourist sites.
2) Went to breakfast with my breakfast besties. We always enjoy our Friday morning breakfast. We solve world problems, (and also greater issues at school), talk of world conquest and other smart things. It's a delightful way to spend time in real conversation.
3)I did make it into school one day to work.I had great visions of just how much I would get done, but somehow that didn't happen. Oh well, what I did accomplish was productive.
4) Spent one entire day on the couch watching movies, reading,napping. Just what the doctor ordered.
5) We did have one great unplanned adventure. We ventured out with our eclectic friend KMc and our new friend ER to what was supposed to be the "dhow graveyard"...a collection of unused and forgotten old dhow boats. However, when we arrived we found that most of the boats had already been buried...or sold...or sunk or something. We did manage to have a good time with the limited amount we saw and also found a real genuine dhow craftsman.
6) We spent a lovely dinner and relaxing evening with the person I work the most with (RP the Athletic Director,)his wife SL and our favorite Super Superintendent. We enjoyed dinner at an authentic Kuwaiti restaurant (one of two in the city) and proceeded to talk very smartly with very little conversation centering around work. It was a pleasure.


So it was a great , restful time. This is one of the last Eids that will be celebrated in the school year at AIS in a long time . The holidays of Eid al Adha and Eid al Fitr move up the calendar 11 days each year. I am happy that we made it the best we could.


As soon as I figure out how to add pictures on this blog with my ipad (still challenged) I will have a show and tell.

Trying to make it all work out

My apologies for the changing face of this blog. I am trying to get it to have a unified face without screwing with it too much. I have responded to a request for larger photos
(thanks Uncle Doug) but I am not sure if they are coming across clear enough. Oh well, just pretend that you're seeing it through the dust of Kuwait!
 

In the hour of prayer

While down at my favorite Kuwait hangout Aka the Friday market,we experienced something different even for someone who isn't new anymore.
We were walking to the exit and the call to prayer went off. Suddenly all these men came rushing to place their rugs down and pray. We were actually caught in the middle of an outdoor prayer area. It was a very different experience. We certainly didn't want to offend anyone and we certainly didn't want to cause any problems. So we kept on walking ... But first we snapped a couple of pictures to capture the experience.( I think God will forgive us)
Maybe they were praying for us!