24 Hours in the Life of Khalaf: 18 October 2010

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This is the first of an occasional series where I document a 24-hour period for you. Last week Monday. I was starting the second of two classes that I was teaching from my basement for students in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Because of this, I was up kinda early. Well, take a look:

0015h - It's 15 minutes after midnight and I have to be at "work" in 45 minutes. I roll out of bed, change into whatever clothes are laying around the bed that I can find and I turn on my computer monitor. I sign into the online class, go upstairs and down a bowl of cereal. A banana and an apple later and I'm done with breakfast.

0100h - "Good morning Kuwait!" It's "go" time and so far only 4 people are in class. The roster says there will be 17 students. I'll give them a few more minutes.

0120h - Up to 9 students; going to start anyways.

0430h - Lunch break. I'm having another bowl of cereal.

0530h - Right before class starts my beautiful wife surprises me with a plate of fruit and a warm mug of mint tea. Good thing too; the basement is kind of chilly. I think she's telling me she loves me and will gladly bring me fruit plates if I keep teaching from the basement. Maybe she wants to see me with pale skin...can't be - she hasn't seen "Twilight" yet. I think she likes it when I'm home.

0645h - I can hear a lot more footsteps upstairs; the kids are up and getting ready for school. Benjamin comes down and gets a shirt from his bedroom, my old office which I have taken over for these two weeks.

0740h - Samuel pops his head in the room. Fortunately the students are doing a lab exercise so we both get some Good Morning Hugs. Nice touch; definitely could get used to teaching from the basement.

1000h - Class is over for the day. I turn off my monitor and head upstairs. Kids are at school, Basma is at work. It's quiet. I think about eating something but I'm kind of tired. Eventually settle on another bowl of cereal.

1100h - Very sleepy; I go downstairs, turn off the lights in Benjamin's room and fall asleep. (Obviously I typed this after I woke up.)

1530h - Wake up to find people moving upstairs. Basma is preparing dinner. Juju is home and ready to pick the boys up from the bus stop.

1645h - Pick up Benjamin from football practice. He's a big, strong kid. I love him.

1730h - Eat dinner together. Basma leaves for school. I try to help kids with homework, but I feel like I'm in a perpetual state of jetlag.

1930h - Family Time: I round up the family in the living room where we read the Bible, pray for one another and talk about the day.

2030h - I half-heartedly send the kids to bed, reminding them that in less than 4 hours I have to wake up and go to work.

2031h - ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz........

0015h - Alarm on cell phone goes off: Day 2 of class

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