Sleepless in Kuwait

Normally I am not the best sleeper in the world....unless of course you sit me down after a meal or drinks and then I can 'saw logs' with the best of them...some of my friends know that 'glazed over look I get mid sentence before I nod off' only too well:)...however, since just before school started, i am lucky to get 3 or 3.5 hours a night...too much on my mind, too much new protocol to digest, regurgitate and start again...do i sound a little bitter...lol...maybe somewhat...many of us here are feeling quite overloaded...to give an example of what we are up against...we do not have access to a photocopier...if we want photocopying done, we have to have it in to the photocopy 'guy' up to 4 (school) days before we need it...can you say 'super organization needed'??...so if you decide something isn't working in your class and need to change gears and want to make some last minute copies...NO CAN DO!!...that's just ONE of the many frustrating things to deal with...but as 'they' say "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"...hmmmm...

my last entry indicated that we were going to the Crowne Plaza hotel...that we did and spent a very leisurely 1/2 day using the fitness facilities (which were incredibly HIGH TECH...mind boggling for this brain!!), enjoying an amazing breakfast buffet and, my favourite, lounging by the lovely pool...unfortunately for them,it looks like NONE of us will be joining primarily because it is just too far from where we live and most of us don't have cars...too bad, so sad...

i have become buddies with a young woman from B.C. whose name, coincidently, is Shawna...she and i went down to the JW Marriott hotel on saturday to check out the amazingly expensive...chanel, louis vitton, etc., etc stores....she's a 'high maintenance' girl and loves the finer, expensive things in life...but only occasionally splurges!!...not I on the other hand...too rich for my blood...much to shawna's chagrin, the stores were closed as stores do here in kuwait for a 3 or 4 hour period...kind of like a siesta but i think here it's more for praying purposes...shawna was so disappointed...i assured her we would come again...lol

yesterday...sunday...which is our first day of the school week, we were 'back in the saddle' again...gearing up for ramadan...some of my students were telling me that they love ramadan...in spite of having to fast from sun up to sun down...they were describing the vast array of food that they eat in the evenings...school days are shortened...9 - 1 for them...which they LOVE (so do we!!)...after school they go home and sleep (so as not to eat, i guess) and prepare for their GINORMOUS meal and festivities in the evening...it would be interesting to be invited to one of these feasts but not sure that will ever happen....

life in kuwait is definitely interesting...that's all i can say...

later....