Of jetlag and other delights~

It is 3AM on Friday, so it seems it is going to be awhile before I sleep normally. I awoke around the same time last night. The past 24 hours have been a crash course indoctrination into the life and culture here in Kuwait, which would be and will be more fun when I feel rested and get back into an exercise routine...(TOMORROW FIRST THING!)

I've lived in two apartments already...first I was whisked to a hotel to check in and spend the night...upon arrival, I brushed my teeth, crawled beneath the covers and fell into a dead sleep for an hour only to be awakened abruptly by the ringing telephone. It was my new co-worker Julio, stating he was there to take me to my apartment. So I very groggily got up and schlepped my bags downstairs to be greeted by the Marine and the Floridian aka Ricky and Lucy. Nice folks - he has been here off and on since 1991 when he was a Marine, and she has been here around 6 weeks.

Fast forward to going to housing and checking out keys and being reminded of checkin / move in day all those years ago at NCSU....I was then briefed for a bit by my new boss who then drove me to my apartment. I ordered some mediocre chinese food from a nearby restaurant, caught up with friends on Facebook, then promptly went to sleep again. I awoke naturally and refreshed around 3AM...did a little more "facebooking" and went back to sleep around 5AM....and was again awakened by a loud knocking on the door and simultaneous telephone ring. The knocking was my new roommate and her sponsor, getting her moved in....the phone call was my boss asking "are you ready to move?"..... I asked for time for a shower, got repacked and went through the housing deal all over again and moved to another apartment to be shared with "Lucy" mentioned before. Lucy is from Florida and is a recruiter here as well, so we will be well suited to coexist and work together.

My first apartment was quite nice with a decent view of the ocean through and around several buildings as well as a view of a dusty and construction debris-laden parking lot..... my second apartment....well! Let's just say it is AWESOME! I am oceanfront, literally, with a perfect running path out front (which I don't think I will utilize till the weather changes in September or October...), a Starbucks in the basement...a Lebanese restaurant across the street that looks like a casino....a huge window in my bedroom and the living room facing the ocean. We have four bathrooms (nice...), a decent size kitchen, and all the comforts of home - almost. I must buy a coffeepot tomorrow as there is none here, and sadly, Starbucks doesn't open till 6AM and I have to be at work during the week at 6AM... (oh yeah - I forgot to mention - the workdays are 11 hours...6AM-5PM...but that is ok. The rewards are worth it and the weekends are free!!

So a day of moving, and cleaning and putting clothes away and a trip with Lorraine to the Sultan Center (an incredible mall with world class shopping that is not even considered the NICE mall - yikes!) - a fantastic dinner in the mall at a Japanese restaurant called Wasabi....edamame, sushi, miso soup, and the most delicious green tea. Yum...

I finally went to sleep here on day 2 and slept soundly for all of 3.5 hours and am now awake typing this blog....

Tomorrow is Friday - the holy day here, so I will get to make an event free run to the grocery store. We tried going tonight and it was impossible to even park at the LuLu Hypermarket (yep - hyper, instead of super...I like it..) I look forward to getting some soups and fruits and veggies to stock my fridge with so that I can be a little more self reliant.

anywho....I am going to try to sleep again....a few things I learned and saw over the past few days...
Men hold hands here with each other when walking or talking, but homosexuality is strictly forbidden. It is simply a gesture of friendship...and a way to convey the importance of what they are trying to say.   Women can hold hands and link arms here for the same reasons - but as a rule, men and women do not hold hands in public...although this is getting a little more lax....but there is NO hugging or kissing in public by members of the opposite sex. No way, no how.

From what I have been told, the people are very rich and many do not work because they have no real need to and have not grown up with our drive and hunger for success. They are provided housing by the government and get a monthly living allowance as well- much more if they are married with children. The housing is NICE housing also. And- sometimes, in a particularly profitable year, if a citizen has taken out a loan for a house or a Ferrari and the end of the year arrives and the government sees fit - they pay off the citizen's debt and they own their car or house, etc and are debt free. How 'bout them apples?  It makes the "welfare state" really sound pretty good.  It is fascinating to me to learn about the differences in our culture and the cultures of others.  So often we think that others are "just like us" or should "act like us" when really - we do what we do because of what we know and how we are raised, in many cases.  Nurture/Nature - both play their parts, but an entire culture and way of life contribute significantly.

Fifty years ago, these folks lived in tents in the desert....I cannot even imagine.  Fascinating!

My roommate, "Lucy", likes the men here, alot. She is open about giving her number to the many younger men who ask for it to entertain herself and because she has an attraction for the dark, dangerous looking type, as she described it. This may end up being our biggest area of separation, especially when together, as I do not wish to nor plan to give out my number nor be followed by any of the hungry young or older fellows who have noone to date because it is not allowed and because their marriages are prearranged. Just not my cup of tea... ah well, c'est la vie.

It is 3:41AM now and I am going to attempt to go back to sleep~