Kuwait

The Internet is Coming!

Posted By: Mitch, Leave a comment
We are so excited to announce that we are getting internet soon!
Perhaps the biggest adjustment that we have had to deal with thus far during our life in Kuwait, is not having high speed internet in our apartment!  Back home, we are so used to having the fastest possible internet at all times, streaming Netflix 24 hours a day at our fingertips wherever we are. When we see that little wheel spinning on our screen and the word “buffering”, we just cringe.
Since arriving in Kuwait, finding an internet provider has been mission #1 for us! We can live without cell phones, groceries, money, etc., but internet is non-negotiable. We have been constantly talking to veteran teachers and other Kuwaiti expats trying to get some insight on the best internet possibly. After all of our conversations, we have settled on a company called WiMD. Apparently it is the only high speed internet available in the county, and not everyone is able to get it. We were lucky enough to find out that we are eligible, because our apartment building is tall enough and already has a certain kind of satellite on top of it.  Some of the teachers in the apartment building next to us are not as fortunate, because there building isn’t tall enough.  Their building is only 6 stories tall, and is surrounded by buildings that are 15+ stories tall, so they cannot get a strong enough satellite reception because of all the buildings around it. We were super excited to find out that we were able to get WiMD at our apartment!
The interesting thing about WiMD is that you have to pay for a full year of service, UP-FRONT!  The price for a full year of internet with unlimited data is 375 KD (the local currency) which is about $1,200 US dollars. At first we thought that price was outrageous, but when we broke it down by month we realized that it really wasn’t that bad. Back home in the States, we paid about $90 a month for internet and cable, and since our internet here is also going to serve as our cable TV, we thought it was very comparable to the prices back home.
Once we have internet access in our apartment, things will be glorious! Not only will we have unlimited access to search for things around Kuwait, but we will also be able to connect with our friends and families through FaceTime, Skype, Email, etc. at all times of the day. Currently we have to walk over to the Game Room at our apartment complex and access the slowest possible internet ever, if it’s working! Once we have internet access in our apartment, we will also be able to update our blog more frequently. We can’t wait to share photos of our apartment, school, and the other sights around Kuwait.
Our days without internet our numbered, we can’t wait!

The Things Mitch Misses Most – Volume I

Posted By: Mitch, , View all 4 comments
We have officially been in Kuwait City now for about a week, and it doesn’t really seem real yet that this is our permanent residence for the next 2 years!  It still seems like we are just here on vacation, and will be back in Minnesota in the next week or so. Before we departed the States, we talked about each of us doing a blog post about what we will miss most about living there. Well, I apparently came up with a good enough excuse not to complete my part of that post. So instead, I’ve decided to do a quick version of what I miss thus far since we have been in Kuwait.
 
1. 80 Degree Weather
 
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On the lake, and wearing long sleeve shirts. Perfect weather!

 
I cannot begin to describe how freaking hot it is here in Kuwait City!  The temperatures that last few days have ranged from about 109-119 degrees Fahrenheit. Frankly though, anything over 90 degrees to a Minnesotan is unbearably hot. Before we left, we joked with friends that it was a “dry heat” in Kuwait. However when we arrived to the airport, the members of the school who were there to greet us, informed everyone that a wave of humidity moved into the area and it would be a few days before it moved out. Lucky for us, the temperature Gods provided a little welcome gift for us! Regardless of the humidity, it is smoking hot here. The other day there was a slight breeze off of the Gulf, and it was not pleasant like one would think. It felt like when you are sitting in a sauna and someone blows a small stream of hot air at you, but instead it was over your entire body!
 
2. Green Grass
 
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Green Grass, Green Trees, & Green Bushes

 
From the color of the buildings to the ground, everything in Kuwait is brown.  In kind of reminds me of some of the new residential neighborhoods in the suburbs of Minnesota, where all of the houses are one of three shades of tan. It’s hard here to tell the taxi driver, “drive down the street, and my house is the brown one on the left,” because everything is brown! There are a few palm trees and other green plants around some of the neighborhoods and freeways, but they are far and few between.  At the school though, we are lucky enough to have 3 beautiful outdoor courtyards. They are covered with trees, bushes, vines and other lush green plants and foliage. It is a great place to have lunch or just gather to enjoy the colors.
 
3. iPhone
 
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I heart my iPhone

 
I never thought I would be the kind of guy who would admit that they miss their iPhone, but I officially think I have become one. A few days before we left the States, my phone was shut off, so I have gone about a week and a half without it. I don’t miss the access to email, Facebook, or Twitter, but rather the ability of having a map showing my location or the internet accessibility to find the answer to a simple question. As soon as Rachel gets her Civilian ID in October, we will be able to get a cell phone package with iPhones.
 
4. Mountain Dew
 
 
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I think I miss Mountain Dew more than booze!

 
More than missing the ability to drink booze, I miss drinking Mountain Dew even more! A couple of times a week, usually about 3pm in the afternoon when I would hit a wall, a 12 oz can of Mountain Dew is all I needed to perk up for the rest of the night. The thought of its refreshing taste and carbonation is making my mouth water as I type this. Multiple times over the years, I have tried giving up pop with zero success, however maybe this trip to Kuwait is all I need to make it a reality.
 
5. Friends & Family
 
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Our Little Triplet Nieces & Nephew

 
It has to be a given, that I miss our family and friends. We have been able to connect with a few people over FaceTime so far, but its definitely not the same as a face-to-face conversation, or the simplicity of sending a quick text message. Wherever we are in the world, we will miss them dearly, however knowing that they support our decision to move overseas, we feel their love wherever we are!

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?

Posted By: Rachel, One comment

Anyone else play Where in the World is Carmen San Diego as a kid?  No, just me?  Did I just solidify that I was a 90’s child through and through?  Imagine an an 11 year old Rachel saddled up to the computer playing a quick game of Oregon Trail, once I killed off all my family and friends to either a rattlesnake bite or typhoid fever, I would grab the next floppy disk and try and find that ever elusive Carmen San Diego.  Unfortunately, you aren’t going to be chasing the lady in the red trench coat around this blog post, instead you are going to have me as your tour guide to learn Where in the World is Kuwait!  

Let’s start out nice and wide and zoom on in.Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.03.23 PM Now let’s take it in a notch to just look at Europe, Africa & Asia.  Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.03.52 PM…and even tighter now as we focus more clearly and narrow in on the Middle East.
Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.04.43 PMNow we are getting our first glimpse at Kuwait.  Check out that little chunk of land tucked between Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran…that’s our new home!
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We are hoping to get to explore quite a bit of the Middle Eastern region this year, especially Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Dubai & Abu Dhabi in the UAE. From this view you can check out how quick of a plane ride these trips would be.Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.05.38 PM

Kuwait City is a coastal city…YAY!  Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.06.07 PM We are hoping to get into scuba diving and snorkeling.Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.06.43 PM We made it to the end of our tour; Kuwait City, Kuwait.  Home to 3 million people and for the next couple of years us.  Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 10.07.11 PM

Scared?

Posted By: Rachel, Leave a comment

In the last post I wrote about some of the questions we have gotten from family & friends since sharing with them that we were moving to the Middle East, however; I didn’t write about the one question that I have received more than any other: “Are you scared?”  I thought I would take a moment to answer that question.

Yes, I am very scared.

I think that most people are asking me this question thinking that I am scared of living and working in Kuwait, and at this point I feel really great about that decision. I am not scared of immersing myself into a new culture and learning about a new religion, I welcome that aspect of our move.  I am not scared of the current political situation in Kuwait.  Kuwait’s neighbors have been politically unstable for quite a long time but Kuwait itself has been doing great.  

All that said, I am scared.  I am deeply terrified of missing my family and friends.

I don’t know how you move 6,746 miles away from the people you love without being scared. 

As the days get closer I feel that pit in my stomach grow and grow. As I was telling Mitch about this fear the other day he looked at me and said “Home is always just a plane ride away.” and it made my pit shrink at least a tiny bit.  

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My nieces and nephew….wouldn’t you miss these cute little faces too?

FAQ’s

Posted By: Rachel, Leave a comment

Since telling our family and friends that we are moving to Kuwait we have gotten quite a few questions. Here are some of the most common & the answers:

1. Is it safe in Kuwait?

That is really a personal question.  From all the research and reading that we have done we feel that it is a safe decision for us.  It is however a big city, and just like I wouldn’t go walking around Minneapolis by myself at 3:00 a.m. I will not be walking around by myself in Kuwait at 3:00 a.m.

2. Why Kuwait?

Mitch and a I really targeted in on the Middle East for a variety of reasons but one of the biggest reasons was the travel opportunites.  The Middle East is called the middle for a reason it has such easy access to Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia and we wanted to be able to explore all of those areas.  Once we nailed down that we wanted to be in the Middle East we started to look for countries that fit in what we were looking for.  It was important for me that women would have certain rights such as driving and wearing western clothes and we really needed to find a place that both of us could secure jobs, Kuwait just seemed to check all of those boxes.  

3. What will you be doing over there?

Mitch and I will both be working on an American school.  

4. Will you come home to visit?

Ummmmm, ya, I mean we just became an Aunt and Uncle to some super awesome triplets. It will be hard to keep us away from those babies.  The school we will be working for has a very typical American school schedule so we will be spending June, July, and August in Minnesota.  

5. What language do they speak there?

Arabic is the official language.  I spent time trying to learn Arabic and quickly realized that I am very glad that English is also very widely spoken.

6. Do women have to be covered?

As an American woman I do not need to be covered in Kuwait.  I of course will respect local customs and dress conservatively and cover my head if/when I tour a Mosque.  

7. Will you live on a compound?

Nope, we will live in an apartment complex with the other teachers from our school. 

8. Are you allowed to be open Christians?

Yes, Christianity is allowed and accepted.  We are interested to see if we find a church that fits our belief system while we are in Kuwait.  I don’t assume for a second that will be an easy feat as we struggle with that immensely in the US as well.   

 

Work Visa…uuuugggghhhh

Posted By: Rachel, Leave a comment

Getting a work visa has officially become the bane of my existence and that is only slightly exaggerating….seriously.

I gather a bunch of paperwork and send it off to an agency only to have it sit there and have nothing done with it (I’m talking to you FBI, its not like you are busy finding the serial killers of the world or anything, process my dang finger prints!)

I can’t move forward to the next step in the process until the step before it is completed….it is a giant game of hurry up and wait…ugh!  It is killing me.

If any one has a magical formula to teach yourself patience I would greatly appreciate you passing it along to me.

 

Might As Well

Posted By: Rachel Leave a comment

Two years ago Mitch and I started seriously talking about looking for jobs overseas.  We loved the idea of moving our lives overseas, exploring a new culture, and having a new airport to be able to travel from.  We realized that it would take a major alignment of the stars to make this dream a reality. Fast forward 2 years and those stars aligned. Mitch and I both received job offers working at an American school in the Middle East.  As we weighed the pros and cons of making a move to the other side of the world, Mitch turned and looked at me and said; “might as well.”  We made the decision to move to Kuwait City, Kuwait.