Hungry?

One of the most frustrating things to me (minor, I know) when we first moved here was grocery shopping!  It's not that there is a lack of food here.  There's a Chili's, Starbucks, and Pink Berry on every corner.  We have Applebee's, TGI Friday's, McDonald's, Popeye's, Little Ceasars, Papa John's, and of course a million restaurants with delicious arabic food.  Though we have all the above, it doesn't mean it tastes exactly like we are used to in America.  

Ketchup here is cocktail sauce - even though it says Heinz and is packaged like we are used to.  Fruit Loops (even though they say Kellog's) are not Fruit Loops.  If you look at the fine print, a majority of the grocery items say "manufactured in Saudi Arabia" or "Egypt" or somewhere similar.  Yep - if it looks like it and it feels like it, it doesn't mean it tastes like it!  

There are co-ops all over town - and of course some are new and nice and others you wouldn't want to step foot into.  However, no matter how new or nice they are always cheaper than the so called "American" grocery stores.  The Sultan Center and Lulu's are life savers for us, but they sure do put a dent in your pocket!  I go there every 3 weeks or so and can't get out for under about 80KD (about $300!).  All things American (legitimately imported) scream buy me (velveeta cheese, gold fish, and granola bars)!!  Basically, they take the U.S. dollar price and slap a KD on there instead.  So a $3 item become 3KD = $10.50.  Yep! It's expensive!!!

If you see something, you better get a lot of it because it probably won't be there when you go back.  I have learned to make due with what we can find, but it truly makes it stressful for me to cook a lot of things.  I'm not a cook really, so I'm very limited in what to get and substitute for what.   This has resulted in me cooking very little here.  :-)  It's frustrating to visit 5 different stores for one little recipe.  I'm just not gonna do it.  Luckily, my family is probably happy about this because they aren't forced to eat my delicious food as often as I would like for them too.  

Milk comes unrefrigerated and in a box.  You can get it cold, but it expires pretty much the next day or 2 days later so if you don't like going to the store every day to get your milk, you resort to this.  It pretty much taste the same and is not as gross as it sounds.  It just took me a while to get used to the idea, but now I don't think anything about it.

 You can usually only find Honey Cheerios in the local markets, but they are pretty much on target with taste.

 Pringles pretty much taste the same...

 For the low, low price of about $6 a pop, you can have yourself a can of Campbell's soup!  BTW - the majority of these products have English written on the opposite side.

Tuna - I don't eat it because I'm too picky about it, but my maid does.

Guess I should have taken some pictures of actual healthy food, huh?  I must have been hungry for junk food when I took these pictures.  The produce isn't quite as exciting to take pictures of - a carrot is a carrot, right?

I try to buy my eggs at the more Americanized stores because they usually seem to be a little cleaner (like the produce).  I have bought eggs many times with a little bit of poop on them and a few feathers tossed about. :-)  Guess that means their fresh, right?!

Hungry?

Happy 5th Birthday, Jordyn!

Hard to believe that my youngest child turned 5 years old last week!  She is truly a girl who has grown up overseas and is not familiar with words like "Target, Walmart, and Mexican Food."    The best line at her party after she opened up a gift certificate was "What's Toys R Us?!"    There are continual comments that she makes that make Matt and I laugh.  Little things that we don't think about...    Of course, when I'm blogging I can't think of examples.  That's always how it works, isn't it?

My new job has given me the flexibility to be able to leave when I need to which is SO nice!  I got to take Jordyn's class some cupcakes for her birthday and got to snap a few pictures.  It was fun listening to her class sing Happy Birthday to her in English, and then in Arabic. They aren't going to know what to do when we move back to America and there is only one version!  I also got tickled when she opened her card from Kumari and she said, it sings "Sonne Helwa" when typically kids would say "Happy Birthday!"

The following day we had a very low key swimming party at the Embassy.  The kids swam, ate pizza/fruit/goldfish/ & pretzels, and we had cupcakes.  That was it!  Parties and entertaining are not my thing, but Jordyn had fun and was a happy little 5 year old!

Link to Kelly's Korner!

I am not all that faithful to blogging anymore, but I happened to click on Kelly's Korner - which is a blog I used to read daily, and noticed she was looking for some International Flair.  So, I decided to link to her page and say hello!

We are a military family who has been overseas for almost 5 years.  I'm a mom of 3 and not really cut out for this type of life, but I take it one day at a time and I have not only survived, but seen things I never ever dreamed I would get to see.  Prior to moving to Kuwait, we lived in Germany for three years and did some amazing traveling.  If you would like to read about that experience, then go here: http://mjrowland.blogspot.com/.

As a girl growing up in AR, I never imagined that I would be living in the Middle East, but here I am!  I have learned that living overseas is an entirely different beast than visiting for a few weeks.  There are daily challenges that constantly arise in daily life.  I've had the support of my family and friends and am thankful I can stay in touch through the internet!  I have a lot of admiration for people who base their entire career abroad.

There are chain restaurants here (Chili's/Starbucks/ and Krispy Kreme that doesn't open until noon), crazy big malls (with workers trying to spray you with perfume every 10 feet), and lots of sand.  I've seen the results of a lamb slaughtered just outside my door and wake up to prayer music from the Mosque on every corner about 4:00am every day.  Prayer music breaks into the radio just after listening to Lady Gaga or the Black Eyed Peas.  There is a month of Ramadan fasting where everything is closed and it's illegal to eat and drink in public during daylight hours.  The driving is like nothing I've ever seen and kids roam the car without their seat belts while the driver is texting or on the phone.  We spent last Christmas at the Camel Races.

Movie theaters have assigned seating (bachelor or family) or you can choose the VIP section with recliners and waiters.  They edit any kissing or intimate scenes, but have no problem showing all types of violence.  Magazines that are bought have ads blacked out or torn out and alcohol is illegal.   Everyone has domestic help (yes, including me) and Kuwaiti's typically have 3 or more maids employed.  There are street sweepers (Bangledash/Indians) to clean all the litter, baggers to load the groceries in the car, and every time you enter a restaurant you are greeted with "Hi, Sir/Ma'am" (Philipinos).  Stray cats roam the streets and dogs are very rare to see.

My daughter is given a LOT of attention and that has probably been our biggest challenge.  She has long blonde hair and she definitely stands out.  She's had people stop and ask to take a picture with her and they all want to touch/kiss her.  They don't bother my boys near as much.  My boys seem to love it here - especially my oldest.  He has had drivers pick him up to go to his friends houses and has been fairly accepted at school.  He struggles some with a few of the local kids, but overall it's been a very positive experience for him.  My 3rd grader takes Arabic in school and sometimes get frustrated with it.  There is Little League Baseball and with my oldest we have traveled to Dubai, Qatar, and Poland.  He's currently practicing for a trip to Saudi Arabia soon.  

I miss the grass, I miss mexican food, and I miss Target.  I miss not spending the holidays with my family and I miss a church atmosphere that we are accustomed to.  I miss grocery shopping in America with products that I am used to and don't cost an absolute fortune.  I miss sitting out in my yard and watching the kids on the trampoline.  I miss the fall leaves and pumpkin patches and hay rides....  I miss watching football on the weekend and will not miss waking up (usually my husband does) at 3am to watch a game on TV or the Super Bowl.  That being said, I should not complain as much as I do.  We live in a super nice house and have a lot of support.  We've made some great friends and I have gotten to travel and see the world!  My kids lives are SO very different than how I grew up.  I admire them more than anyone for the way they adapt, adjust and overcome.

Thanks for stopping by and spending a few minutes!  You are welcome to browse my blog and read a few post.  Here are a few of the more interesting ones.  I blogged more when I first arrived and am trying to start back up.

http://mjlhj.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-at-camel-races.html
http://mjlhj.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
http://mjlhj.blogspot.com/2010/12/grand-mosque.html
http://mjlhj.blogspot.com/2010/10/meet-kumari.html

http://mjlhj.blogspot.com/2010/10/dhow-cruise-and-kuwait-towers.html

This picture was taken the day after we first arrived and it remains to be my favorite to date....

I'm So Behind!

I realized I never put anything up here about the kids first day of school.  So, I'm gonna throw up a couple of more pictures to remember when I'm old and gray.  Wait, I'm already getting gray and I am definitely no spring chicken anymore!  Hence, why I forgot to add these pictures until now.  I'm starting to think seriously about the early onset of Alzheimer's.  What was I talking about?  Oh yes.  The kids...  here's my 7th grader (is that possible?), 3rd grader and KG2 kid before their second year of school at ASK.

Probably my last picture of the first day of school with me being taller than my Landen!

This year, unlike last has started out fabulously.  No tears from kids or myself - all smiles and happy faces!  Jordyn LOVES it and can't wait to get on the bus every morning.  She let it slip this weekend that she has gotten in trouble one time and had to lay  her head on her desk for a few minutes.  Evidently, she and Abdullah were talking when they weren't supposed to.  Imagine that!!!  Hayden is happy about his teacher and is liking his class so far.  He's going to start karate in a couple of weeks so stay tuned on that.  Landen is just Landen - he very rarely complains about school.  He just goes and does his thing.....  He's such an easy kid (though he does lack some organizational skills, but I guess that will come with time.)  He's taking band this year and I am happy about that.  Can't wait to get back to the US and get him some more guitar lessons.  He's a very musical child and definitely has some talent if he'll stick with it.  However, he usually has only baseball on his brain!

"Waka Waka - This Time for Africa!!!"

Before I let too much time go by, I wanted to blog about my recent trip to Johannesburg, South Africa!  Yep, I got to travel on business.  Not Matt.  ME!  I watched 4 entire movies on the airplane, read several magazines, got room service, 8 hours of sleep at night, and did a little shopping.  I'll probably never get that opportunity again, but it certainly was fun while it lasted!  Matt dropped ME at the airport and he stayed behind with the kids.  (I won't mention that he had Kumari to help him and it was only 7 nights.  :-)  He did great with the kids and they were all happy and healthy when I returned home.  Boy, I really did miss them and it felt really strange to be out there on my own.  Thanks, honey, for not complaining about being a single parent and not saying a single word about all the money I spent.   The kids needed some souvenirs, didn't they?  Of course, I needed some too.

I was actually not alone, as I had the advantage of going with one of my co-workers.  That was a good thing for both of us as neither of us had traveled much without our husband right beside us to take care of all that important stuff.  We did fine though, but were glad we could cling to each other.

Due to Kuwait's work week being Sunday - Thursday, Betty and I (yes, for those of you who know my family her name is Betty Jo!) got to travel two days before the convention started.   The first day after we arrived, we went on a day trip safari to Pilanesburg Park.  It was great!!!  Hot, but great.  Our tour guide picked us up from the hotel and we headed about 2 hours outside of Johannesburg.  I have to say that the drive to the park was every bit as interesting, and sad, as the safari itself.  Here's a few pictures of what we saw along the way:

Heartbreaking, isn't it?  It was a beautiful drive, which I didn't expect.  But, it was just heartbreaking to see all of those sheds that people were living in.  They were everywhere - too many to even begin counting.  There were little kids running around, women and men walking around.  The sheds were literally that - dirt floors, no running water, and one room for the entire family.  I just can't even imagine....  we are SO incredibly blessed in America.  I felt a sick guilty feeling passing all of that up and going on my "safari" while I stayed the week in a nice 5 star hotel and got my room service.  It really got me to thinking.  I haven't brought this up to my sister yet, but I think I might like to go back on a mission trip there one day.  Never in my life would I have ever thought I would have that desire, but I just kept thinking how fun it would be to walk around in those villages and try to help those people in some way.  I'm not sure what I would have to offer, other than a warm smile and a hug, but they need people like that right?  Terri - put it on your bucket list!  I think it would be a fun thing to do together...  what do ya think???

I have to mention our tour driver.  He was a man who has driven Oprah and Gayle around the same park!  Yes, in the same exact vehicle we were in.  He told us all about their day together and everything they saw.  He also has worked on several movie sets on location in Africa.  He scouts the place, then meets with the Director for approval and has everything catered while the crew is there.  He also had a small wreck with Nicole Kidman, lol!  Pretty interesting, huh?!  We thought so.  He was very knowledgeable and had lots of stories to tell.  He also showed us (as we were driving through the intersection) where he was hijacked 2 years earlier.  Did I mention we got a speeding ticket on the way there?  Oops!

So, onto the park we went.  We basically drove around all day, stopped for a quick bite of lunch and then drove some more.  We saw Giraffes, a huge heard of Elephants, Hippos, Monkeys, and a lot more.  Wart Hogs were everywhere!

This is turning out to be a long post!  The next day, we went to a local market and bought some souvenirs. The second you walk in you are hounded to "look at my stuff!"  They know you have money and they want you to spend it.  Of course, they all have the same items and it gets a little old after a while.  Everyone was friendly and you definitely have to bargain with them.  I found I could pretty much chew them down to half of what they initially told me. We also got to watch some African dancers which was really fascinating.  They were really good singers and dancers!!  I had fun watching that.

The rest of the week was pretty much spent in our hotel.  We were unable to go out at night, due to the crime.  The hotel was attached to a nice mall area, but by 5:30 pm the shops were closed down and everyone was gone.  Due to the high crime, people try to get home before dark.  We stayed in a nice area, but there are still gates and barbed wire around EVERY house.    See below...

Besides being in training all week and learning a WHOLE lot, the last fun thing we got to do was attend a dinner at the Lion Park and watch a night feeding.  It had more of a zoo feel, but it was still a lot of fun.  My pictures didn't really turn out very well, but we actually got to go inside a cage and play with some baby cubs. I didn't get too close, but did have my picture snapped a few times with them.  My camera setting doesn't work well at night (or maybe I don't know how to work my camera) so I'm still waiting on a few of those pictures.  Here's one picture of Betty and I at the mall, then the others from the Lion Park.

This was interesting to watch.  That male is just down right mean!!!!  It was unreal.  There were about 7 other lioness lurking around.  You can see a few of them in the shadow.  Obviously, there was plenty of food for all of them but he wasn't going to have it.  The male dominance really showed and was interesting to watch.  A few of the females were brave and would try to sneak on the other side of the stump for a bite, but as soon as he saw them he would roar and chase them down.  Poor little ladies...  He needs to learn to mind his manners!

 Just thought this one was cute of the baby on the woman's back.  It was the last picture I snapped.

In honor of Matt and his obsession with Shakira, I named this post "Waka Waka" for her song about Africa!  Sorry I wasn't able to bring her back as a souvenir!