I hate soccer fans

Enough with the car horns!!!!!! I dont care that your silly team won the championship- stop driving around my neighbourhood blaring your horn and shouting!

I honestly think that every Egyptian and his brother living here in Kuwait are circling my building right now in their car and blasting the horn. I would much rather here the sound of the mosque to this-- please make them stop. (crazy, fans! I cant even claim they are drunken fans- just crazy ones)

I hate soccer fans.

Embrace the adventure

Hello!!

I promised my mom I'd write a post (better late then never, right mom!?)

I wanted to share the story of the strangeness of living here in Kuwait and what I've had to go through to get my civil ID. (which is still a long,long way off). So lets begin, shall we....

At the beginning of this week I was summonded by our executive secretary to visit our "Gov Relations" team who were arranging the blood test/finger printing. (Yes, I was surprised that I needed to go thru a blood test here after needing to do it at home). Any how, I arrive promptly at the department desk only to whisked away by one of the paid "Wasta/Mandoob" employees. He spoke very little english but was nice enough to turn on American gangsta music- because aparently all of us westerners like to "bust a cap" back home.

So he drives me over to the "middle of no where" and pulls up infront of this little canteen accross from this tall official looking building. I get out and go to cross the street and he's yelling at me in Arabic ("Stop you silly western girl") that in fact the clinic is behind the canteen. I kid you not, we enter this 1970's cinderblock building that has this long counter with plexi barriers- he goes up to the vending machine and buys a "number" then we proceed to the front of the counters. This "stamp" was given to the reception desk, that was then passed to the men behind the counter. Now to paint the picture- I am the only woman in the building, there are 5 men behind the counter sitting and chatting, the only other customers are this group of men/workers who look at me like Tarzan looked at Jane. After several official stamps on my passport and my "mandoob/wasta" chatting them up, we are done! (oh no, not so fast)

So "mandoob/wasta" (see glossary below) leads me out another door into a courtyard and towards this shabby, run down building. Have you ever had that sinking in the pit of your stomach? I sure did in that moment. This hospital would have looked bleak in the Congo- it had stray cats running through it, thats how bad it was.

We enter the "hospital" for my blood work. The room had 3 staff (1 official to review the documents and 2 nurses to take blood). I honestly thought they were going to strap me down and conduct science experiments- the nurse spoke enough english to say "make a fist""relax hand" "sorry!"

 The last one was when she jabbed me with a needle the size of a ball point pen to draw blood. While trying not to watch the needle thing I couldnt help but notice the shoe prints half way up the wall- either some one tried to make an escape or they were in so much pain their feet shot straight out.

So back into the car and down the road to the Xray hospital. Yup I got a free Xray too!!! (note sarcasm).  Once that was done I gathered up my guy and he drove me back to the office with the tunes of "50 cent" blaring from the stereo. It just doesn't get any stranger than this.

Stay tuned for this week's adventure: fingerprints!


**Glossary: Mandoob- errand boy/gopher. Wasta- Arab person with influence/connections to make things happen.**

SKYPE me baby!

Hello!

I have finally completed my first SKYPE video conversation! (special thx to Jamie for being my Skype mate)

Now I'm sure there are those of you rolling your eyes at me for even blogging about this, but in all fairness SKYPE is not all that well known unless you have need to use it. Being across the world from friends and family qualifies me now to make use of this fantastic web service.

I will admit that I spent the 1/2 hr leading up to the first call getting ready- hair, make up, checked the lighting/camera angle... heaven forbid I look bad when video calling!

Just think about it- most of us carry on phone conversations in our Jammies, when we are sick/tired/nude, or when we are also multi tasking. But with video calling the other person can SEE YOU. Dont think for one second you are going to get away with making faces, rolling your eyes, changing your clothes-- the other person is watching you! And there is also the problem of being "chained" to your web cam. The mic only has so much range ( and dont forget the other person is watching you) which means you need to stay stationary. I will admit that I am notorious when on a regular phone call to wash the dishes while talking- something about talking to friends brings out the urge to clean (or is it the other way around?!)

With video calling there was a bit of a lag which forces you to pause in conversations to let the person talk and there were moments with the sync of the persons action vs sound. But it was only momentary.

When it's all said and done Skype is easy to use, fun, and a simple way to be alittle closer to home.
.....so please sign up to SKYPE and call me!

settling in

OOH HOO! I have finally made it into Kuwait and am settling into my temporary apt. It is located in Salmiya- but curiously enough there are no street names or building addresses. Every one goes by land mark (so heaven forbid you dont know a land mark near you- which I dont!) No phone yet but at least I can get online.

The guys have been fantastic at showing me the "neighbourhood" and answering all my crazy questions about their life here after 2 weeks. The team seem so far ahead and I am trying to catch up while getting onboarded into the company. I am loving the bosses that I work with

My impressions of the first 48 hours in Kuwait: Traffic is a nightmare, Having someone with "wassta" gets you a long way in the closing deals, The city is extremely safe but kinda sketchy, tried hookah on the first night and thought of the marketablity of apple flavored cigarettes, my head office is at the corner of Pepsicola St and Cocacola St (true story), women wear lots of makeup,  the sound of the mosque wakes me up every morning at 5am, and Kuwaitis eat lots of fast food WHILE smoking in the food court.

Missing everyone!!!

the happy couple

Introducing Dr and Mrs Banerjee!

 Congrats to the happy couple

Always a bridesmaid, never the bride

So I am here in Sunny Arizona for my mom's wedding.  The venue was gorgeous and the weather was perfect! Even the ceremony went off with out a hitch (except for forgetting the vows part....hehe)

I am so excited to have shared this experience with them both and to have the chance to meet my new "family"- I have gained 2 sisters, their husbands and children. I also have had the great fortune to meet one of my mom's closest friends and Ajoy's best friend. All of us have had the opportunity over these last 3 days to talk and bond and spend quality time.

Obviously this is not the first for my mom or for her new husband to be.

So my question that I pose dear readers, is what do you get a newly married couple who have everything? Both came with houses, cars, toasters, and a lifetime of "stuff"- they don't even make Hallmark cards that say "Congratulations on your 2nd/3rd/4th wedding! Hope this one's the keeper".

Next post will bring me one step closer to Kuwait- stay tuned!