Never an Ordinary Day

Iranian Bread

a very hot oven!  It was as hot as it looks.

His hands never stopped!

One thing I love about blogging, is that it forces me to keep my eyes open for things that might interest my readers.  Last week my friend and I were hungry for the delicious pomegranate salad they serve downtown at the Old Souk.  You can't possibly order a meal at these open courtyard restaurants without ordering Iranian bread and the best humus you can find anywhere.  Before I came to Kuwait, I likened humus to wallpaper paste.  I now have a new appreciation for humus.  I'm not a food critic by any means, but if you like humus, I can highly recommend the humus they serve here.  But getting back to the Iranian bread...as we were sitting waiting for our order, I noticed the big open hearth where they were baking the special bread they serve with the humus I've been raving about.  I asked one of the waiters if anyone would mind if I took a quick snapshot of the oven.  With a little smile on his face, he said it would cost one dinar, but I knew he was joking, so I took a few more.  Then he said now he would have to charge me two!  Next thing I know, this big man, who was apparently the owner or manager gestured that I should go right inside and take as many pictures as I wanted.  I asked him what they called the bread, and he answered with his thick accent, "Iranian bread." As you can see I got great pictures.

This gentleman was was getting the dough ready for the warming tray where it will rise

If you listen to the news, Iran sounds like a pretty frightening place in the world.  It may well be, but I have met many Iranians and these people couldn't be nicer.  They are choosing to live in Kuwait probably for some of the same reasons I'm here.  I don't know any of their particular political views, but they do know a thing or two about baking bread!

Pomagranate salad.  I will figure out how to make this before I go home!

Expat Maggie Stewart

This is Maggie on the far left.  Her sister is in the middle and good friend stsnds on the right.  They are posing in front of the Guiness Factory in Dublin, Ireland.

Maggie Stewart is my new neighbor.  She has a roommate of the four-pawed variety which has certainly livened things up here on the third floor!  He is an adorable little chihuahua named Mojo.  Maggie is from Gresham, Oregon. She attended Oregon State and graduated with a double major in Elementary Education and Human Development with an emphasis on Early Childhood.  She worked as a substitute teacher for a year and a half in her hometown.  She became somewhat disillusioned with the state of the educational system in the United States, so she decided to apply for a teaching position overseas.  She interviewed via Skype at the International Creative Academy here in Kuwait and was hired to teach Kindergarten.  She taught at the Creative Academy for two years then applied for a position here at UAS.  She was hired for the 2014/2105 school year and UAS is lucky to have this creative and energetic young lady on our staff.  

This is Mojo modeling the latest fashion in eyewear

Despite the fact that our kitchens are microscopic at best, Maggie manages to roll out quite a number of pies each week and I can happily say I have been a lucky recipient of a slice or two of one of her creations.  She has also become quite a seasoned traveler having managed to travel to Cyprus, Jordan, Bethlehem, Dubai, Morocco, Spain, Amsterdam, not to mention Spain, Italy, Dublin, and London.  She spends quite a lot of time in airports, as you can well imagine.  Not one to waste time, she manages to work portrait drawing into her down time between flights.  Her drawings are quite extraordinary.  

Catching a ride on Sancho Panza's donkey.  That's Don Quixote on the left at the monument dedicated to Cervantes Saavedra in Madrid, Spain.  Hope no one was looking!

I am always curious about what drives an individual to leave their country of origin for a career overseas.  For Maggie, it was a chance for a little more freedom to teach in a manner that reflected her personal style.  The ability to travel also factored in to her decision to teach overseas.  Many of the young people who teach overseas are putting a huge dent into their student loans.  UAS offers free housing, utilities and health insurance.  Very few of us teachers own cars.  It is very easy to find a cab, and most of us have a regular driver.  The price for a gallon of gas is only 78 cents, so a cab ride is much cheaper here than in the states.  When Maggie pays off her student loans, she, like many other young people here in Kuwait, will begin a nest egg for a house when the time comes to return home.  

                                                   Petra

Posing in front of the Jordan river at the baptismal sight

Maggie admits that she was pretty homesick her first year in Kuwait.  Life in the Middle East is a huge culture shock and there is little you can do but take each day as it comes and have an open mind and an open heart to the people and new experiences that come at you in every direction.  The second year was much better because she made the decision to bring her beloved pet back to Kuwait in the fall. It made all the difference to her state of mind, and she began to feel much more at home.  Having a pet doesn't come cheap.  There are import and export permits  and the airlines charge extra to bring a pet.  But I'm sure Maggie would tell you that having her furry companion to snuggle up with at night is well worth it!

   Aren't You Scared?

That was the question I was frequently asked when I told friends and family that I was going to teach in the Middle East.  Actually, some people (I promise I won't say who!) asked me, "Where is Kuwait, Iowa?......or Nebraska" and I would patiently tell them that Kuwait is in the Middle East.  Then I would watch their jaws drop.  That was two years ago and since then stories of ISIS and beheadings have filled the news and I have not been immune to a gnawing sense of fear in my heart.  In December an American teacher was stabbed to death in Abu Dhabi by a man dressed in an abaya who was hiding in a women's restroom in an upscale shopping mall.  The American Embassy has raised the terror alert twice since August. 

Maybe I am foolishly naive, but aside from the initial worry regarding the safety of the expat community here in Kuwait, I rarely sit and worry about my safety.  I am one of a handful of people I know who take public transportation on a regular basis and most of the time I am clearly the only American on the bus.  My fellow passengers are people from among the many poor countries in the Middle East and Asia who supply manual labor or work in the service industry here in Kuwait.  I make a point of not traveling alone at night if I can help it.  If I need to take a taxi, I have a regular taxi driver who I can count also as a friend.  Raju can find anyplace in Kuwait and he is a very safe driver, which is important in a city with so many crazy drivers and constant traffic congestion.  I am lucky to have him!

I am half-way through my second year here in Kuwait, and that certainly does not make me an expert in Middle Eastern politics.  But I can tell you about the many countless kindnesses that I encounter here in Kuwait on a daily basis.  I don't always know if the people I have contact with are Muslim or Christian, but if if a woman is covered or a man is wearing a dishdasha, they most certainly are Muslim.  Some people are extremely friendly and some indifferent.  Not so different than what you would encounter in my hometown back in Iowa.  There are mentally unbalanced people anywhere you choose to live.

I went back to the Old Souk this afternoon to get a picture of that beautiful pomegranate salad.  The manager remembered me and showed me to table and waited on me himself.  We chatted about his life here in Kuwait.  Everyone has a story to tell if you take the time to listen.

I won't lie and tell you that I am never afraid, but I use common sense and try not to draw attention to myself, which isn't always possible when you are clearly the only Caucasian on a public bus.  I will tell you that when I felt myself becoming very fearful, I prayed about it and asked others to pray with me.  Since then, my fear has gone and when I'm out in the city and feel slightly uneasy, I can feel God's presence and I know I am under the shelter of his wing. 

Home For The Holidays

A view of my backyard after a recent snowstorm.

I know that title is such a cliche.  But I never truly understood the meaning of the phrase until I spent Christmas in a Muslim country.  Please don't take these remarks regarding the Middle East as a criticism of their lack of holiday spirit.  People who practice the Muslim faith in the states don't see too many Westerners getting excited about the holy month of Ramadan.  There are Christmas trees and decorations all over the school and a few Christmas trees are displayed in store windows.  And I must add that I am very thankful to be living in Kuwait where Christians are allowed to worship in peace, especially now.  

Christmas 2014 at the Lighthouse Church of Kuwait

This year I decided I would come home.  It was so nice to walk in my door and smell the scent of a fresh evergreen tree sitting in the corner of my living room and walking into St. Paul Lutheran in Eldora, Iowa and seeing the magnificent live Christmas tree and and all the beautiful red poinsettias surrounding the altar.  My daughter greeted me with the most gorgeous poinsettia when she met me at the airport.  It was such a joy unpacking the Christmas ornaments and decorations I have collected over the years.  And cooking in my OWN kitchen was pure delight....still not too excited about the clean-up part!  It was fun making all the Christmas cookies and candy, but my waistline isn't too happy with me!  

Many of my friends visited exotic locations all over the world. I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly jealous, but seeing my granddaughter open her gifts and put out her little arms and say "Up, up!" are priceless memories, not to mention the joy of being surrounded by family and friends once again.  

Souk Al-Mubarakiya

One of the many entances to the Souk Al-Mubarakia

This is one of my favorite places in Kuwait.  A souk is an open-air market in the Middle East.  In the west they are better known as bazaars.  This souq is located in downtown Kuwait, just a short bus ride from my apartment in Hawally.  The souq is roofed over and there a many long narrow alleys.  I have gotten myself lost a time or two!  The souq is divided into specialized areas such as the fabric or gold souk.

My first visit to the Old Souk (a nickname used by the locals) was a memorable experience.  We stepped off the bus and in a few short steps I felt like I was in some kind of a time warp.  Suddenly I was walking down narrow ancient cobble stone streets and everyone around me was dressed in traditional clothing.  Here was this old market right in the middle of ultra modern skyscrapers.  It was like stepping into a time machine.  I stayed very close to my friend who was showing me around.  It doesn't take much to get me lost and the Old Souk with all its twists and turns is not a good place to get lost for someone without a good sense of direction!

I made my first purchase at this gentleman's little basket shop.  He enjoyed posing for the camera!

I love the way these teapots are displayed....so colorful!

A view of the Liberation Tower from a street in the Old Souk.  It always makes me think of the old Jetson cartoons I watched when I was little.

These dresses are gorgeuos.  There are many dress designers in the city.

I had never eaten fresh dates before.  He is standing right in front of a box of fresh dates.  They actually tasted pretty good.

This is the fruit market as you can see.  Everything is always displayed so beautifully.

My friend, Linda, took this interesting shot.

This bench sits outside our favorite tea shop.

You could spend several thousand dollars on this authentic silk rug hand made in Iran.

I bought a dress for my granddaughter made in Iran from this gentleman's shop.

This is a portion of my UAS Singers.  We did eight shows in two days. This was our last performance.  They were getting a little tired!

Enjoying a much deserved pizza party!

Back to the Sandbox!

I fly back to Kuwait in a couple of days.  It's hard to think about leaving Iowa and going back to the Middle East.  I'm still not quite sure how my life turned upside down in a matter of weeks.  One day I am teaching in small town Iowa and before I can blink, I'm employed at one of the largest international schools in the world.  I have nearly 800 students.  I have three or four boys named Abdullah in each class.  God seems to have quite a sense of humor!

The Liberation Tower at night as seen from one of the many streets in the Souk Al-Mubabarkiya

Amazing Architecture in Kuwait

Arab Organization Headquarters Building

On this elaborate inlaid table from Morocco, you can see a scale model of the bulilding.

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the the Arab Fund Organization Building.  It was one of those blistering hot days of 120 degrees plus heat and I was tempted to stay home, but I'm so glad I went.  The outside of the building didn't look all that unusual, but when I stepped inside, I knew that I was looking at a building where every space was filled with a perfect blend of the old and new in the Arab world and I was about to be amazed.

The following is a quote from the Arab Organization Building website; arabfund.org/aohq

"The Arab Organization Headquarters Building, situated outside Kuwait City in Shuwaik, blends modern architectural techniques with traditional artisan crafts. Completed in 1994, it is home to four major Arab organizations: the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development, OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), the Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation and the Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company.

Considered one of the most acclaimed buildings in the Middle East, it draws thousands of visitors from across the globe."

When I stepped through the massive front doors my eyes were immediately drawn to the Moroccan water wall.  The perfection and beauty of the intricate tile work reminded me of the tile-work I saw on the walls of the Grand Mosque.  Water is gently cascading down the back wall into the pool below.  

We walked into the library through this wonderful intricately carved screen.  There was so much to see in the library to tell you about, but what really caught my eye was this spiral staircase.  The workmanship is remarkable.

The Tunisian room was beautiful; ceramic tile panels and decorative wood and stone patterns that repeat the design,Tunisian carved stone walls and columns and arches cut from Jordanian stone.

Can you see the repeat of the tile design above in this carved wooden screen?

On the next level we walked onto an atrium nine stories high.  The Egyptian Mashrabiya towers over the the entire nine stories.  There were huge potted trees, a suspended glass wall and a Syrian fountain.

I could write a book about all the wonders of this desert oasis located in the outskirts Kuwait, but if you are truly interested in discovering more about the innovative architecture you can find in the Middle East and traditional Arabic Artisan skills, I encourage you to go to their website and take a virtual tour.  Besides, their pictures are much better than mine!

Detail of hand painted door from Morocco

I'm always looking for decorating ideas.....

A Baby Quilt

Besides teaching music, I have two passions.  One is gardening, which is almost impossible to do here in Kuwait.  The other is making quilts, which I most definitely can do over here, although it gets a bit messy in my little apartment.  One thing I have a lot more of here in Kuwait is time.  I used to spend almost two hours a day commuting and in the winter that could easily double when the roads were bad.  There's nothing more relaxing for me than coming home after a long day at school than pushing a needle in and out of the layers of a quilt.

This quilt was made for my granddaughter, Julia.  Her mother picked out the double pinwheel design and the colors, so I can't take full credit for the design, but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  I pieced the top last spring and started quilting it in July.  I finally put in the last few stitches a week ago.  I can't wait to give it to Julia when I get home this Christmas.

Second Grade Program

We had our first program of the school year a couple of weeks ago.  Since it was in October, I chose a Halloween theme.  You would think there would be lots of Halloween songs out there, but it was a challenge to find enough Halloween songs and fingerplays to fill a half hour program with two groups of classes (five sections). So I filled in with "The Good Ship Lollipop" which I thought was relevant because the song is all about candy and a Raffi song called "One Light One Sun."  Raffi is all about creating a world of peace, so his music always plays well here in Kuwait.

Working their little tails off during rehearsal!

Our programs are always in the afternoon, which is pretty nice for me since I live just across the parking lot from the school and I can just put up my feet and relax after a long day at school, but unfortunately, for about one quarter of my students, their parents aren't able to get away to watch their children perform. I'm used to small town Iowa where nearly the entire town shows up to watch the kids put on the yearly Christmas and Spring programs.  People come to those programs who don't even have children performing.  Back in Baxter, Iowa, the attendance got so large, we had to divide the programs into two parts so we could accommodate everyone who wanted to come, and that was in a large high school gym.  Our auditorium here at UAS is somewhat small, but we haven't quite managed to fill it yet.  Our students are drawn from a city of about four million people.  As you can well imagine, traffic is a huge issue.  Traffic on the main thorough fares at night is terrible, so I understand why our programs are scheduled during the day, but I have to say I do miss small town USA where the most exciting event of the year might be seeing your little one shine as she sings her heart out on yet another rendition of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer."

They loved making a scary face for the big ending!

Fiirst Nine Weeks

This first quarter was much smoother sailing than a year ago.  There was so much to learn about this culture and how I fit into the greater scheme of things here at UAS.  I'm still learning and there is never a dull moment, that is guarranteed!  One thing I did learn is that I never want to spend another Christmas in a desert in Kuwait, so my neighbors here on the third floor will probably get tired of hearing me sing, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" because I booked my flight for United Airlines back in January and Des Moines International Airport here I come!

Expect the Unexpected!

Baby Shower Kuwaiti Style

We gathered in Maria's beautiful villa.

Last night I had a delightful time at a baby shower for one of our para educators here at UAS in the KG department.  The last couple of baby showers I attended here were your typical baby showers held after school in someone's classroom like most of us are accustomed to in the states.  They were really nice with all those neat theme decorating and food preparation ideas you can find on Pintrest these days.  This particular shower was nothing like that at all.  It was held in a beautiful villa In Kuwait on a Friday evening.  I assumed that anything I would typically wear to school would be fancy enough for this baby shower.  Boy, was I wrong!  Many of the women I work with are women who practice the Moslem faith.  They adhere to a strict dress code which requires them to wear clothing that is loose and thick enough so as to not disclose body shape and attract attention.  So at school they will always wear a hijab, which is a scarf wrapped around the head and neck, leaving the entire face exposed. The hijab can be many different styles, depending upon where these women have lived and they are worn with the beauty and grace befitting a princess.  When our hostess opened the door, I hardly recognized my coworkers!  Gone were the hijabs and conservative clothing.  These women were dressed in all the beautiful colors of the Middle East.  Long hair was flowing and exotic jewelry hung around their necks. My mouth must have been gaping because they were laughing at me as I looked around because they knew I could barely recognize most of them!  It was too late for me to go home and change, so I decided to enjoy myself although I felt terribly underdressed.  The buffet was loaded down with many of the delicious dishes we usually see here in Kuwait, but there were also many Mexican dishes served because our hostess is an expat from Mexico and Elly,our expectant mother, is also Hispanic.  The cake was a heavenly four-layer concoction with caramel filling.  We played "pin the bottle on the baby" and another familiar baby shower game where the participants collect clothespins from other ladies they catch crossing their legs.  I didn't last very long!

Where else to play "Pin the Bottle on the Baby?"

A lovely table for party favors

Just relaxing around the table enjoying some after dinner conversation.

It was a lovely evening spent at the beautiful home of my friend, Maria.  I live in a little shoebox apartment here at the teacher accommodations, so it is a real treat to be invited into the beautiful home of a friend and coworker.  These lovely women were from Canada, the US, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, India, Palestine, Mexico, Bulgaria, Armenia, Cuba and Venezuela.  No one spoke of war and ISIS threats.  Nothing could have been further from from anyone's mind.  We were women sharing the time honored tradition of celebrating a precious life soon to be born into a loving family.  The joy and camaraderie I experienced with these beautiful women will be a cherished memory I will hold for a lifetime.

This little alcove sits out a bit from the dining room.  When I come home, I need to do some serious redecorating!

A Visit to the Grand Mosque of Kuwait

Here I am in my hijab and abaya, ipad in hand!

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege to take a tour of the Grand Mosque of Kuwait, the eighth largest mosque in the world.  When we arrived at the mosque, we were directed to to the visitors center where we women were fitted with abayas and hijabs so as to cover our heads, arms, and legs.  Everyone took off their shoes before entering the mosque itself.

My first glimpse...

Around the base of this dome is painted the words "Ama al-hosana," the 99 names of God.

The Grand Mosque of Kuwait, a national treasure, is considered the most important sight in the country.  Our tour guide, Khalil Habash, is clearly a goodwill ambassador for the Muslim faith.  Most of us in the tour were Christians, and we were made to feel very welcome in this house of his God, Allah. 

Our wise and gentle guide, Khalil Habash

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One of the many vaults that line the perimeter of the mosque

The inside of the mosque was quite spectacular.  The mosque encompasses 45,000 square feet and can accommodate 11,450 worshippers.  The construction of the mosque which began in 1979 was completed in 1986 at a cost of 490 million dollars.  My attention was immediately drawn to the beautiful dome.  In this dome are painted the words "Ama al-hosana" which are the 99 names of God as revealed in the Quran.  The mosque contains 122 stained glass windows which came from France, Italian marble, ornately carved teakwood doors from India and four 18 carat gold chandeliers from Italy.  We were told not stand under them because they each weigh a ton!  The walls were covered with intricate mosaics which were done by hand by special artisans from Morocco.

One of the four 18 carat gold chandeliers from Italy weighing in at one ton.  Now I know where to find a  nice chandelier when I decide to do some redecorating when I get back home to Iowa!

This is what we in the west would call the altar area.  You can see an ornately carved pulpit on either side of the vault.

The building is truly massive and a classic example of traditional Islamic architecture with its  beautiful dome, arches, and vaults covered with intricate patterns of mosaics.  A visit to Kuwait wouldn't be complete without a side trip to the Al-Masjid Al-Kabir, otherwise known as the Grand Mosque of Kuwait.

Panic Attack!

At our tour of the mosque, my friend Linda and I met an expat teacher from the states and she invited us to come with her to take a tour of the Liberty Towers.  That didn't work out too well because contrary to the information on their website, they were closed.  We then decided to go out for lunch and get to know each other a little better.  On the way to the restaurant I was digging into my purse and much to my absolute horror, I discovered that my pocketbook was missing!  The last thing you want to do in a foreign country is to lose your civil ID and your bank card.  It's not quite as bad as losing your passport, but it ranks right up there with all the sticky situations expats can find themselves in, not to mention identity theft.  I was pretty sure it had fallen out of my purse at the mosque because I was reaching into it quite a bit pulling out my iPad mini to take pictures.  I couldn't imagine traipsing all over that massive building hunting for a black pocketbook.  We looked up the phone number for the mosque and, of course, no answer.  We even had the phone number of our tour guide, but there was no answer there either.  And on top of that, my friend, Linda, had forgotten her purse, so between the two of us, we had no money for a taxi or bus fare.  Our new friend, Kristen, whom we had just met a couple of hours before, had only been in this country one week and she only had six KD to her name and I had to ask her for 1/2 KD so we could pay for bus fare to get us home.  It doesn't take too long to discover who your true friends are in Kuwait!  So after waiting for what seemed like a lifetime, our bus finally came, picked us up and dropped us off in Hawally.  We still had well over a mile to walk back to our apartment in the 106 degree heat.  I'm sure I wasn't very pleasant company!  We finally got back to our building.  Getting off the elevator, I see a note taped to my door.  It read, "Hi, Did you leave your civil ID in Sameer's taxi?  Here's his number.... He will come back, Maggie."  I kid you not, Maggie is my next door neighbor and Sameer is her regular taxi driver!  What are the chances in this city of 2.5 million people that a random taxi Linda and I got into this morning just happened to be my neighbor's regular taxi driver?  I carry a laminated card in my pocketbook that gives directions to the apartment I live in, so thanks to that little card I've been carrying around for over a year, Sameer knew where to find me.  When he discovered that I had left my pocketbook in his taxi, he brought my civil ID to the building to give to one of the guards to give to me, but then he came back after I could contact him to give me my pocketbook in person.  He insisted I look through it to make sure everything was there.  I was glad I had cash in it to give him for all his trouble.  Unbelievable!  On top of that, it was a very good thing Linda had forgotten her purse that day because had she money on her for cab fare, we would have been at that mosque aimlessly wandering around looking for a pocketbook that was never there!

I am constantly amazed at God's loving kindness He has shown to me over and over in so many ways in my life.  I'm sure in the greater scheme of things happening in this world with constant war, injustice and the ebola outbreak, my little everyday problems rank pretty low.  But nevertheless, God in His infinite mercy and grace continues to guard and protect me and keep me from getting into too much mischief!  And this story also speaks to the basic goodness of human beings all over the world and particularly in this little corner of the Middle East!

This is a selfie I took at the Arab Organizations Headquarters Building, home of OAPEC.  I will tell you all about it in my next blog.