Ok, so I got away from posting to this blog for a very long time. I apologize to those who were faithfully following me here. I can make the excuse that I was busy with school, I can say that I began using facebook to post to because so many people were on that it became a convenient way to stay in touch with many people, and all would be true, but whatever my reason, I have decided that I will try again and attempt to be a bit more consistent. Partly, because I think about experiences and then I forget about them later, and this is a good way to keep track and take notes.
My daughter Elaine says it is also a good way for her to know about what is happening and follow me because the pictures and posts give her a better idea of my life here, so Elaine, this is for you, and for everyone else who has commented that I have neglected my blog.
I returened to Kuwait on September 2, 2010. I left the US on the 1st. Returning was quite different than the first time I arrived. To be honest, I hadn't really expected for there to be a big culture shock for me the first time I came, because I had travelled quite a bit, but from the moment I stepped off the plane it was very different from my past experiences and it was a challenge I am the first to admit. This year, the familiarity made it so much easier from arrival in the airport, to school, to knowing people here, to knowing where I lived and seeing friends and familiar faces.
The weather of course is the same "hot", the dust and sand are the same "dusty and sandy", the school is the same, my classes are mostly the same, but I have many more 9th grade and many fewer older students.
The taxis are the same and the drivers are the same. Most taxis that I take on "the run" are usually run down, decorated with some individual (sometimes ornate) expression of the driver and generally reflects whatever country he is from. They seem to have a common theme and are usually questionable as to: Will they make it to their destination? So far (since I have been here) I have had drivers from Yemen, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Most are nice, but occasionally you meet one who is very cranky. Good thing I don't understand their language at times. I had one taxi driver yelling at me all the way from one of the outlying malls to near my apartment. I finally talked him in to stopping and I walked the rest of the way. He was giving me a headache. If you find a driver you like, it is best to keep their number and use them whenever you can. The driving habits of some are crazy even on the Kuwait driving scale which has it's own system of degrees of craziness. One of my friends says that when you take a random taxi you better start praying!
As crazy as the driving is here, I don't see a lot of road rage, and there does seem to be some method to the madness. They understand the system and they all follow the same unspoken rules (for the most part). They would all be issued tickets at home. Your sense of normal completely changes.
more to come...
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