Bringing the Heat

Okay, I feel like it’s finally time to talk about the heat.  Now, I know it can get pretty hot in the Midwest.  I’ve experienced those hot, humid days in Kansas, and if you aren’t from there, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about.  I mean there were days in Kansas when it gets over 100 degrees and the humidity around 90%.  It’s hot!  I’ve been there.  I know that.  BUT,there is nothing in comparison to the heat in Kuwait.  Today, I think I can officially say it was the hottest day I’ve experienced. 

On our mission to explore the city, we were up and out the door by 8:30 a.m.  Our first stop was the Friday Market (I’ll explain later).  At 9:00 a.m., the temperature at Friday Market was 41 degrees C.  If you do a basic conversion, you’ll see that is approximately 106 degrees F.  This is at 9 in the morning!  The longer we were out, the hotter it got, and the sun is so intense.  The humidity is pretty low, but when you factor in the sun, it’s miserable.

You can tell when those in our group start to get hot.  First, we usually get pretty quiet.  We just keep walking.  Then, we begin to find any type of shade possible.  We keep walking.  Next, it usually ends up with someone mentioning the possible sighting of a mall or other indoor area.  We keep walking.  By the time we reach an air-conditioned building, we are drenched.  To quote Emily, “I think I am sweating in places that I didn’t know could sweat.”  Yes, it’s hot. 

I can’t complain about the heat too much.  I at least get to wear shorts, and I can’t help but think of our military that are in places just as hot wearing long pants and long sleeves.  Needless to say, I think today I will stay inside. 

The first week of class

We all survived week one!  I can report that there have been no major issues in class.  My students appear engaged and invested in the learning process.  Their first presentations were on Thursday, and they ranged from very good to very poor.  The same principles exist here as they do in the states…if you prepare adequately, you’ll give a good presentation.  If you do not, your presentation   will suffer. 

It’s been somewhat challenging to adjust to a different workweek.  The Muslim holy day is Friday, so our workweeks are Sunday-Thursday.   It’s a very small thing,but I still catch myself talking about the wrong day of the week. 

Jill and I are requiring that each of our students meet with us at least once during the term for individual “coaching.”  During that time, we will sit down with our students and watch their presentation (they are recorded) and offer verbal feedback.  I am anxious to see how many students take advantage of that this week.  I believe that the students are very open to feedback, so I have a feeling I’ll see quite a few.

Exploring Kuwait

We’ve learned that it’s best to do plenty of research prior to heading out into the city.  Now that we are wired at our apartments, we have the means to make sure places are open, get addresses, and check times for the sights we’d like to see.  With that being said, we decided that we’d explore some of downtown Kuwait City this weekend.  Our main points of interest were the Friday Markets and the Kuwait National Museum.

Friday Market.  We were pretty excited about making our way to the Friday Market (or souk).  I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty overwhelming.  All five of us crammed into a cab for the 2KD ride to the market that was held at the fairgrounds.  The best way to describe it is the biggest flea market you have ever seen.  You could buy anything you wanted at this place:  irons, perfume, rugs, tools, dogs, birds, pigeons, monkeys, goats…ANYTHING.  It didn’t take long for us to realize that we didn’t need to spend a long time here.  We stuck out like sore thumbs; hence we didn’t feel the need to take any pictures.  Why make ourselves look more obvious?  Time to look for another cab.

Kuwait National Museum.  We thought the museum would be a great way learn about the history of Kuwait.  Sadly, we were wrong.  Unfortunately, during the Iraqi invasion, it was looted and mostly destroyed.  All that is left is two rooms.  There is a room with about eight large wooden doors on display, and then another room that houses archaeological items.  The grounds of the museum are quite large, but most of it is closed.  It’s actually sad when you think about it.  I was slightly amazed that there had not been more rebuilding of the museum.  It seems like the rebuilding of the country has been more commercial than historical.

At this point, we are hot.  We decided to walk towards the palace of the Kuwaiti Emir (ruler). Across the street from this beautiful palace was a very old, run-down building.  Such a contrast, but that contrast seems very prevalent in Kuwait.  We passed the Grand Mosque on the way.  The Grand Mosque is Kuwait’s largest mosque and can hold 10,000 men at prayer time.  Because it was Friday (the holy day) we knew that we were not going to be able to go inside, so we simply observed it in passing.  We are still really hot and the day is only getting hotter at this point.

Finally, we see our saving grace…a mall!  We knew this would be our refuge for air conditioning and a drink.  This mall had quite a food court.  We could choose from any fast food restaurants even Chili’s or Applebee’s.  We finally cooled down and cleaned ourselves up a bit before lunch.

The Burger Hub.  In Jill’s research, she came across a place called the “Burger Hub.”  After taking a look at the menu, we decided that a burger and fries was the weekend treat we needed.  We caught a cab to the Burger Hub and gorged ourselves with burgers, fries, and pumpkin chips.  I know what you are thinking.  It definitely wasn’t traditional Kuwaiti food, but at this point in the week, we felt that we deserved a treat.  Again, Emily said it best “I could eat the crap out of a burger and fries.”  She’s so wise.

After our delicious burger, we called it a day and began the process of looking for a cab.  This proves challenging during the heat of the day.  We finally found one and made our way home.  It was a short, but very exhausting experience. 

Other items of interest

No progress to report on the Dunkin’ Donuts.  There was a crane out front the other day, but sadly it was not working on the store.  I can taste the donuts.  I know it’s close to opening.

I got my hair cut for the first time in Kuwait.  Jill cut it for me.  My brother gave me a pair of clippers, and I convinced Jill that she couldn’t screw up my hair.  Actually, I think my exact words were “It’s like shearing a sheep.  If you can do that, you can do this.”  With only one little “oopsie” it’s a good job.  Thanks, Jill.  You’ll have your own salon before you know it.

Our Thursday night activity was a “make your own pizza” night.  It was very tasty…lots of fresh veggies and homemade pita pizzas.  We topped off our crazy night with three episodes of Weeds. 

Today, we booked our travel excursion.  It looks like we’ll be exploring Jordan.  Jill and I will spend our week off in Aqaba, Jordan and then Meredith and Emily will join us in Amman.  I can’t wait!