Kuwait update

Hello!

I guess I got out of the habit of posting this summer and now am still out of the habit. I am feeling swamped, in a good way, with work and trying to exercise and maintain a little social life outside of school.

Here are a few surprises:

1. I was astonishingly happy to return to Kuwait to my own space. The summer of relocating every week or two, or day or two while travelling, was invigorating but to be in my apartment with my yoga room and guitars and my own kitchen is sweet!

2. I was, and still am, thrilled to be back at work. I have a crop of new students and many kids in the middle school, which is awesome. Really cool new kids and I am absolutely taken with all of them.

3. I am enjoying being department chair but was shocked to note how insecure I feel in the role and how much I want everyone to like me in that role.

4. I am coaching forensics again even though it takes a lot of time! I was convinced I was not going to do it but when I saw the students I used to coach, I could not resist. Plus I could not leave two new teachers in a position of not knowing what to do.

5. I have been exercising like a maniac (well, a few times per week) and actually enjoy the elliptical trainer now. Who knew?

6. I tried, and loved, tai chi. Yoga will always be my first love but I have a good (and very attractive) tai chi teacher who is absolutely passionate about it. I guess I connect better with people who wear their passions on their sleeve.

7. I feel like the school is going in a better direction and am beginning to consider staying another year. What? Who said that?

and other news:

I really miss my friend Jenna, as who I am I going to have mis-adventures with now? But I am going to Beirut for our four day Eid with a couple friends, and that will be lovely.

I have been showing the new hires around and enjoying getting to make some new friends. What a coincidence that most of the ones I really connect with are Canadian.

I am doing Kuwait Little Theatre Mad Musicals again, like my first year here. The rehearsal last week was so much fun! Singing and dancing and being on stage...good times.

I love the series LOST and watched the entire first season in a week. I am saving the second season for, well, now, Ramadan, when I have a little more time to watch.

I am getting better at driving here, I refer to it as road tetris. High speed, high stakes Tetris. I swore for about one minute straight last night when this idiot realized he had missed his turn and was trying to back up to correct his mistake. He almost backed right into my car. Luckily there was only one other person behind me so we were able to back up enough to let him turn right instead of getting back on the freeway and turning around at the next exit. He could have just gone right at the light instead of taking the right turn. It would have been more correct than backing up but I am pretty sure he would have backed right into my car had I not moved.


To summarise, I am doing very well and enjoying life. Work is good, my friends are lovely and I couldn't be happier. Or maybe I could be, but I cannot imagine how.