Day 7 - Kuwait
First off, it's nice to see the concern about sand getting in my lunch smoothie. Several of you asked whether I had a lid on it. I did, but the sand is so powdery and plentiful that it can get into just about anything.
This morning I woke up to the beeping of Skype as Basma called to say hello. The way the time difference works she wakes me up so I can tuck her in. After a pleasant chat without the kids climbing all over her, commandeering the keyboard and pulling the camera (that's mostly Samuel), I managed to get dressed and have breakfast before making the 30-minute drive into the desert. I'll never forget how I was taught to remember the spelling difference between barren wastelands of sand and a sweet, after dinner treat: You want more dessert and less desert. Clever, isn't it? That's what higher taxes in Canada can get your child in terms of an education.
The road to the office is, for the most part, a pleasant drive. After leaving the hotel I drive about a mile to the freeway which is a newly paved, limited access road with three lanes in each direction. I head south for about 15-20 minutes to my exit, and follow that road to the main entrance of my workplace. This road transitions from being the offramp into a 4-lane road and eventually narrows to a 2-lane road. That doesn't stop most people from treating it as if it were a 4-lane road. Although I'm supposed to drive it as a 2-lane road, I've determined that the only way I will survive this corridor I've dubbed "The NASCAR Simulator" is if I employ a technique I call, "Driving Native." Driving Native follows the wisdom heard in the expression, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." If I see someone approaching my rear bumper 20 miles an hour faster than I'm driving, I can make one of two choices: Move over and let them by, or speed up and pray that I don't catch a bump draft. Oh, and this road has all shapes and sizes of vehicles from my little Toyota Corolla to vans, SUVs, minibusses, touring busses, vegetable trucks and heavy machinery transports. Sometimes I look out my window and see the center of the hubcap at eye level. That's when Driving Native comes in handy. No turn signals necessary; just an accelerator and the will to use it for the sake of survival.
Class ran smoothly today. A couple of my students were up at 2:00am today for work before class, and others were just generally tired. I've tried to be more interactive to keep them from pressing the Space Bar with their foreheads, but I think they'll need the weekend to catch up on sleep. I'll recommend that and hope that they do.
After class I came back to the hotel and woke my family up with a phone call. We video chatted for about an hour before I decided to head out for dinner. After grabbing some food at a local place I made my way a couple of miles down the road to the luxurious Al Kout Mall.
This place has everything. I'm not kidding.
If I were ever asked to name one place where I could go and purchase cell phones, air conditioners, Chanel, fresh caught fish, incense, hi-def TVs, dress shirts, vegetables, spices, Dolce & Gabbana, French pastries, designer shoes and live chickens - I could. I didn't have my camera with me tonight, so I won't tell you anything else about this place except that I'll come back to it to assemble another photo montage. Hey, I might even capture some video of the chickens...
Back in the hotel room the books are beckoning. I'm resisting with all my might, but tonight they win. But before I go I'm pressed to ask myself, "Where did I see God today?" I'm sure you can identify his hand of protection on the road, but there's more. God loves me so much that he provided more than vehicular safety. A full stomach, video messaging to the family back home and a clean, comfortable room in which to rest at the end of the night are all reminders that even when I don't see some grand lesson, God is still there. And his goodness to me has nothing to do with whether I've earned it or deserved it. His goodness is simply who he is. And I am blessed to be able to call him, "My Father in Heaven."
Good night for now. Talk with you all tomorrow!
Blessings,
Khalaf.
This morning I woke up to the beeping of Skype as Basma called to say hello. The way the time difference works she wakes me up so I can tuck her in. After a pleasant chat without the kids climbing all over her, commandeering the keyboard and pulling the camera (that's mostly Samuel), I managed to get dressed and have breakfast before making the 30-minute drive into the desert. I'll never forget how I was taught to remember the spelling difference between barren wastelands of sand and a sweet, after dinner treat: You want more dessert and less desert. Clever, isn't it? That's what higher taxes in Canada can get your child in terms of an education.
The road to the office is, for the most part, a pleasant drive. After leaving the hotel I drive about a mile to the freeway which is a newly paved, limited access road with three lanes in each direction. I head south for about 15-20 minutes to my exit, and follow that road to the main entrance of my workplace. This road transitions from being the offramp into a 4-lane road and eventually narrows to a 2-lane road. That doesn't stop most people from treating it as if it were a 4-lane road. Although I'm supposed to drive it as a 2-lane road, I've determined that the only way I will survive this corridor I've dubbed "The NASCAR Simulator" is if I employ a technique I call, "Driving Native." Driving Native follows the wisdom heard in the expression, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." If I see someone approaching my rear bumper 20 miles an hour faster than I'm driving, I can make one of two choices: Move over and let them by, or speed up and pray that I don't catch a bump draft. Oh, and this road has all shapes and sizes of vehicles from my little Toyota Corolla to vans, SUVs, minibusses, touring busses, vegetable trucks and heavy machinery transports. Sometimes I look out my window and see the center of the hubcap at eye level. That's when Driving Native comes in handy. No turn signals necessary; just an accelerator and the will to use it for the sake of survival.
Class ran smoothly today. A couple of my students were up at 2:00am today for work before class, and others were just generally tired. I've tried to be more interactive to keep them from pressing the Space Bar with their foreheads, but I think they'll need the weekend to catch up on sleep. I'll recommend that and hope that they do.
After class I came back to the hotel and woke my family up with a phone call. We video chatted for about an hour before I decided to head out for dinner. After grabbing some food at a local place I made my way a couple of miles down the road to the luxurious Al Kout Mall.
This place has everything. I'm not kidding.
If I were ever asked to name one place where I could go and purchase cell phones, air conditioners, Chanel, fresh caught fish, incense, hi-def TVs, dress shirts, vegetables, spices, Dolce & Gabbana, French pastries, designer shoes and live chickens - I could. I didn't have my camera with me tonight, so I won't tell you anything else about this place except that I'll come back to it to assemble another photo montage. Hey, I might even capture some video of the chickens...
Back in the hotel room the books are beckoning. I'm resisting with all my might, but tonight they win. But before I go I'm pressed to ask myself, "Where did I see God today?" I'm sure you can identify his hand of protection on the road, but there's more. God loves me so much that he provided more than vehicular safety. A full stomach, video messaging to the family back home and a clean, comfortable room in which to rest at the end of the night are all reminders that even when I don't see some grand lesson, God is still there. And his goodness to me has nothing to do with whether I've earned it or deserved it. His goodness is simply who he is. And I am blessed to be able to call him, "My Father in Heaven."
Good night for now. Talk with you all tomorrow!
Blessings,
Khalaf.
