I made it to Kuwait!

Here it is - the blog that I have been promising everyone. This is one way I hope to keep those who are interested up to date with how things are going and my experiences living and working in Kuwait.

My journey to Kuwait began Monday afternoon. Both of my parents took the day off from work so not only did I get to spend a little more time with them, they were also able to help me carry my six bags of luggage. After saying goodbye and some additional security screening, I had a short one hour flight from Bradley to Washington D.C where I then had a six hour layover. To pass the time I walked around, found a Dunkin Donuts for one last strawberry frosted donut and bought an Internet pass for a couple hours. My flight from Washington D.C. to Kuwait City ended up being about 11 hours long - I was able to sleep for most of it and ended up watching Chronicles of Narnia and an episode of House. We left Washington at 10 PM on Monday and arrived in Kuwait at 5 PM on Tuesday (9 AM Eastern Standard Time).

Once we landed I made my way through the airport. The temporary work visa which was stamped in my passport allowed me to get through customs without a problem. I was relieved to find that all six of bags made it with me to Kuwait. After fitting all of my luggage on a small cart and having it x-rayed I made my way out of the airport and found the director of Fawzia Sultan International School and the elementary school principal waiting for me.

All the new teachers (there are five of us) are getting settled in and have finished our second day of orientation. The goal for our orientation is to get us used to the heat (today it was 117 degrees), get an idea of what Kuwait is like and ease us into the new culture and lifestyle. Wednesday we spent the morning at the Avenues Mall which is by far the biggest mall I have ever seen. I did a little shopping in Carrefour - mostly for groceries. Today, Thursday, we went to the Souq Sharq mall, which is right next to the waterfront and the Kuwait Towers. Orientation has included lunches out, both very familiar styles of food and restaurant chains - Chili's and Johnny Carrino's. Tomorrow is Friday the weekly holy day. That means that most businesses and restaurants will be closed, especially during the afternoon congregational prayer (zuhr). There is a mosque right next door to my apartment, only one building away. Five times a day you can hear the athan or call to prayer and watch as people drop what they are doing and head inside to pray.

So far I am really happy here in Kuwait. Although the heat is nothing like I have ever experienced before, its bearable. I am looking forward to Sunday when we will get a chance to go to the school for a tour and get to see our classrooms. I've been asked to teach 4th grade this year, a change from what I was originally told. Because of my behavioral and Positive Behavior Support background, the elementary coordinator and director think that I am best suited for their fourth graders. I'm looking forward to the next few days of having very little to do because I can only imagine how busy I will be once I start teaching.