Grocery Shopping

The longer I'm here, the more I forget prices of shopping for anything in the USA. So I'll post about prices of fruits, vegetables, and meat here in Kuwait and you can make your own comparisons. Let me just brag a little about gas prices first, since groceries here are costly. It's only $10 to fill my car, nah nah nah nah nah. Yet, this less costly convenience doesn't make up for the amount of salary that goes into buying berries or imported goods.

I miss strawberries, and blueberries. These are items that don't even make it into my cart anymore. At a high price of 2KD for one of those small trays--that means $7 for strawberries. I'll take vitamins.

Things I do buy, and must buy are:
Bread: referred to as toast here (at least the bread you and I are both thinking of)..their "bread" means those circle pita pieces, which are insanely cheap at 50fils a bag. I'm pretty sure that's less then 15 cents for 5 pieces of pita. Bread, oh yeah, our "bread". It costs 150 fils for a bag typically AKA 50 cents. I store it in the freezer because we take forever to finish the bag.

Milk: I hate to even admit to this, but we buy the long-lasting milk. You know, the kind you don't 'have' to refrigerate. We get a 4 pack of that for 1.5KD or something. So, probably $5.

Eggs: 1KD for 18 eggs. $3.50 for 18 eggs.

Fruits/Veggies: Here is where you can either win or lose. I've transitioned a lot to the 'arab' style of eating. So lots of zucchini, cucumber, and other cheap things. Anything they can grow here or nearby=cheap. Anything imported=$$$$$$, too expensive for me to even consider on a weekly shopping list. The $$$$ is just for occasional treats for myself. Carrots--$1 for 5 large. Cucumbers--  >$1 for a bag full. Zucchini >1 for a bag full. Seems nice, right? ....Mushrooms pack $2.50, Bell Peppers $1.50











Meat/chicken:  8 chicken wing pack for $1.50; 6 drumsticks $2
Whole chicken (small aka normal non-steroid sized) $3

6 burgers made from fresh 90% lean beef $7
2 packs of beef strips $7

Maybe I should become a vegetarian. All my money goes towards meat.

Sweets: arabic sweets and local sweets you can find decently priced, it's (yet again) the imports. We have doritos, lays, cheetos, hersheys, mars, etc. All of it is here. But...it's all overpriced. So let's avoid them all together.

The cost of living here is decent here. You can get a nice savings over time if you know how to budget. I'm still unsure of how I'll ever leave and be okay with paying taxes. I ponder this often...I'm still not an "adult" it terms of paying taxes and all. Living here I have accommodation and tax free lifestyle. When making the move to USA it'll be major culture shock when having to go to the doctor, paying gas, and all of that. I guess I'll just keep enjoying my youth now. Living in a Kuwait Bubble.

Summer Recap; Finally

Apple from play

A lot has happened since January. The months have escaped me, and every time I attempt to blog, something else comes up. But now: I have a mother whom calls daily and reminds me to post. :/ So, I guess it's about that time.

February: National day. I celebrated this month here and witnessed all of the crazies throwing water
balloons and squirting water guns. And not to mention, the completely-stopped-dead-non-moving-traffic.

May: Completed most of my school activities, including a play with my little ones. We performed "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Of course, any thing you do with this age just looks adorable.

Apartment Living Room

June: Moving month..and let's just throw July in here as well, because let's be realistic; moving takes way more than 1 month. Abboud and I moved into a VERY nice apartment in Shuhada, South Surra (for if you decide to look it up on google earth). 2 Master bedrooms with a personal, rooftop terrace. It's glorious for Kuwait standards.

Shooting Range

August: Finally, someone has actually visited me in Kuwait! I have proof that this country isn't a country made out of sticks and mud. Proof of civilization. :P Krista (a friend from college) happened to stop by last minute on her tour-of-the-world. She stayed for a few days, which in Kuwait left a day to rest. :/ We did all of the touristy things (i.e. saw the Kuwait Towers, trip to Mubarakiya Souk, Green Island, Avenues Mall, Largest sculpted tower in the world, and the house of mirrors.)

During her visit she was offered a relationship and a marriage proposal. Don't come to Kuwait as a single American. HAH. I think the men here can sense you're unattached or something. They aren't overwhelming or anything, but they always find a way to drop the "are you single" "do you want to be my wife" into any normal conversation. For her it was during a trip to Green Island where the ticket booth guy took us on a 'tour' for free. By the end, he was lifting tree branches out of the way for her to pass and not caring about Heather nor me. The second was while shopping at the souk. We bought matching traditional dresses and the salesman offered to marry her in exchange for free dresses. I told her to accept like any good friend would. I wanted free things.

Well, she left Kuwait with knowledge of a kind people, crazy drivers...no, asshole drivers, good food, and really really hot weather.

Arckie and Chansey

Side note: I've been taking up hobbies during this summer in Kuwait and discovered that...hmm...maybe I can draw.

"Do You Know Someone ______?"

"Do you know someone ______". The most commonly asked question here in Kuwait, I'm sure. Now it's no surprise to me, or probably you, that this happens here (it happens everywhere), but not to the extent it's happening. Ooooof. For nearly everything you need, you first have first to ask around to see if somebody knows someone that can help you. This is known as having a Wasta, or a middle-man.

Say you are getting your driving license. You would think, okay..there must be set procedure, rules, and steps to going about this. Well, you would be wrong. I know because I got my license here a few months back. The amount of paperwork you need to go through is endless...and that still won't even get you the license. Not until you know someone. The only reason, absolute only reason, I was able to finally get my license was because just as someone was telling us "no, I'm sorry. You still need to have a signature from blah-blah on this document", a friend of Abboud's father walked by. "Oh hey! How have you been. I haven't seen you since ___. What are you doing? Oh, a license! Come this way." He signs some papers of mine and tells us to take it downstairs and they'll print the license.

WHAT?! It's that simple?! I could've just seen you from the beginning...not gone through the months of court, to ministry, back to court, to DMV, to medical eye-check, to court, to.....If only I knew that before I started this process.

Well this practice, of nothing being processed until you know someone is so common here that you even use it with getting your computer fixed. In a friend of mine's case, people were telling her 100KD to fix it, 75KD there until her taxi driver knew this guy that knew another guy that since she uses him as a taxi would give her a discount--15kd.

Ever needed an apartment? Did you know that people will tell you the building is full--no openings--even if it has 5 openings! Until you know someone who knows the haras (security), you'll just keep hearing they have no empty rooms available.

How about residency (since in this county, only kuwaitis remain kuwaitis. Everyone else keeps their own nationality. No one can take the kuwaiti nationality). Every year you must update your residency--you must work, have somewhere you're renting, a family here, etc to be able to stay here. Which, btw, you aren't able to buy land unless you're a kuwaiti, own a store unless you are kuwaiti. So, if you do have things like this--it means a Kuwaiti signed off on it (aka wasta). -_-

Luckily, being in a school community where everyone helps each other, I have plenty of people willing to connect me to their wasta for this or that. Even though it sounds hard, especially with only knowing English in an Arabic country, but this wasta system--somehow--is working for me. I've adapted and made it work at least. But for those newbies here, make sure you build those connections fast. They're more important than you'd think. And remember that one time we met 3 years ago, could you please help me with _____? Doesn't matter...they'd probably still help you!  :D

Christmas in Kuwait.

Christmas "vacation" started of nicely. I only had a few days off, while others had weeks. Luckily, most of my friends were spending Christmas in Kuwait. We started off the month right by having a cookie decorating party/movie marathon. Rolled out the sugar cookies and cut/decorated our own ones. After finishing that, and having them cool, we ate them right up and watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas--the Jim Carrey version.

We also got to go to a Christmas festival...in Kuwait! WHAT? An international school hosted a market/concert/etc dedicated to santa. Weird snowmen and snowflakes wandered around for pictures, local stores and handmade artists sold items for charities or to advertise, and there was a gift raffle. Which I entered, and WON! Score. A haircut and blowdry. Hey, it's still a win! Even if i'm horrified to get my hair cut here and just need a trim.

Well, this was my first year, ever, spending Christmas away from my family. I was sure I'd be sulking under a snuggie watching A Christmas Story alone, but surprisingly that wasn't the case! Abboud and I had our Tree up since before Thanksgiving; the spirit wasn't the problem. We had santa hats, stockings, wrapped presents, etc. I was just worried Abboud would have work (since christmas isn't celebrated by the majority, they don't have off for it) and everyone else would travel.

Well, he ended up having work except he took off! :D So, even though I was away from everyone, he made it a very special Christmas. Our first one together and his first celebrated. On Christmas Eve we watched Christmas movies, snuggled up with our animals and stayed in. When we woke up, we opened presents!!! A new ipod for him, piano keyboard for me...and of course a bone for the dog and catnip toy for the kitty. We made a grilled lunch on his new toy (steak and ribs...couldn't get the oink oink ordered.) Did you know the US base here sells pork? So if you know someone there, they have anything and everything that oinks. But little did I know that everyone buys up the ham immediately around Christmas. Whomp. And at night we went to a game night over a friends.

Very well spend Christmas, though of course I was missing everyone :(

Halloween in Kuwait

While it's not celebrated here in Kuwait, that doesn't mean there aren't parties!! A friend of ours hosted a costume party on his rooftop. The weather here is perfect right now, so of course this was a great idea. Abboud and I went as Wilma and Fred (Flinstones).

We arrived early to help set up and came out into a mostly done arrange of decorations. There are few things here that make me feel at home, but this moment of seeing all the cut out bats, pumpkin carvings, cider drinks, and Halloween candy was just like being in the states. And to top it off, when everyone arrived, they were just as done up in costumes.

The party went on for hours, full of treats, beer games and playing cards. With off course, some monster mash music. I highly recommend to anyone living here from a western country... Make sure you still celebrate your holidays as well as the cultures' you're in. Duh, twice the amount of parties! :)

Tutoring in Kuwait and setting up my Classroom

It's a very different experience tutoring in Kuwait than it is in the states. It's an extremely lucrative career choice. They have certain rules against it here, that must be followed. You may not tutor a student from your class, and should probably refrain all together from tutoring a student from your school.

Well, have you ever seen the movie Au Pair? The one where the young girl gets swept up into a huge mansion of a house working as a fancy babysitter for some wealthy man...*spoiler alert* They fall madly in love, etc, etc. This is the tutoring life of kuwait.

Last year I tried in once. It was a nightmare. I took a taxi to their house, got lost along the way, couldn't find their door because it was an awkward lay-out, and just all-around had a weird time. They paid well, but I think the boy should be in an arabic only school--he was so behind and barely knew english that I don't know how he was in 4th grade!

But this year, oh boy, this year I'm already having an AMAZING tutoring experience. I'm in a more open-minded, wealthier, and respectful area. So, I've been approached by 2 separate families to tutor not just once or twice, but on a weekly long-term basis. OH, THE MONEY!

So yesterday I met with the one family that I'll be working with. They want me 2 times a week for 2-hour sessions. I make about 40USD an hour! WHAT?! For tutoring. That's unheard of in the states...but it's even better than that! They send their driver to pick me up and drop me off.

My first day with them, this is how it went: I got a phone call at precisely 4pm saying the driver is downstairs. I go looking for him and I see him in front of an infinity van wearing a black and white suit. Fancy, huh? He opens the door for me, drives me to their mansion that is in the process of being built still and escorts me to the tutoring room. Maids come in and out asking if I want papers, pencils, beverages, etc. The grandmother came to introduce herself and tell me about the childrens behaviors. Then, I did their homework with them, helped them write stories, and the driver took me home. 0.0 I could do this every day, but hey..twice a week..I'll take that, too!

On a side note, I've started work (setting up my classroom). It's a brand new building, and it's PRETTY! I've had the opportunity to design my classroom. Where I want nails for hanging string across the ceiling, where I want bulletin boards, my whiteboard, if everything is new/fixed/working. So much better than last year. And the staff, my co-workers, and perfect. No complaints at all from me! The students arrive the 22nd, and I'll be off to what seems like a great school year already. :)

Moving On Up: New Apartment

Before I came home for the summer, I moved into a new apartment in a more hip and upcoming city. When you think of places to go in Kuwait you think of 3 cities; Kuwait City, Salmiya, and Hawally. Each are good for different things. 'Oh, you need to go clothes shopping/need handmade/travel plans/any sort of office like job' 'Go to Kuwait City'. You need games, electronics, new floors/tiles, anything in these categories: Hawallly. You want to have shisha with friends, play pool, coffee place, beach side walks, malls, or just street shopping: Salmiya--and that's where I am.

I'm centrally located, 10 minute walk from the main road here, 2 min walk from a grocery store, 1 min walk from a Quick Chek type of store, across the street from an about to open bowling alley/sports arena, and in a set of buildings full of other teachers and Americans.

It's a lovely 2 bed, 2 bath with a balcony. Not really anything else to ask for when it comes to Kuwait apartments. It's twice the size of where I used to live and in an area that is thriving with entertainment. I'd say this is going to be a good year. Once the temperature started to cool down--aka get to the high 80s/low 90s--I'll be walking all over to really discover the area. Currently, we're typically ranging from 107degrees to 118 degrees here! The only times I can go outside without my glasses fogging up immediately from the current humidity are anytime after 6pm to before 10am. Once noon hits, forget it...don't even wear your glasses because you won't be able to see until you step back into AC.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. One more week until orientation...Two weeks until school!








Side note: My college sent me an email requesting for current information. They wanted to add me to their alumni list since I was recommended as someone who went off to do interesting things since college. :) Here is that link... Renee Lycoming Website