Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Kuwait - week 3

We're into our 3rd week here. Last week was a busy week getting ready for the Eid holiday and preparing report card scores...Report cards will go home after the break. I finished out the week teaching Math. After the break, the science block will become social studies. So, I will take over Math and Social Studies in the classroom. But for now....we are on the Eid break....so there is no school. We have been tourists this week so far. We visited the Scientific Center (aquarium), the national museum (which was closed - so we couldn't go in), and Failaka Island. We took the ferry over to the island. It's a 1.5 hour ride....with no seating! However, I feel very lucky that we found some shade! It's still pretty hot here...mostly in the upper 80's to 90 degrees. Although there was hardly anything on the Island, it was an eerie feeling being in a place where people used to live. There are bullet holes in all the buildings...some are completely destroyed. The Iraq army seized control of the island during the invasion and forced the people off. Then they used the buildings as target practice and as a command center. I stepped inside what used to be an apartment. There was no roof...and pieces of sheet rock were falling off the walls. Among the rubble, was a high top man's boot and a child's toy. Remnants of what would have been a beautiful courtyard all done in blue tiles could be seen from the doorway! Such waste...it was hearbreaking! We hear that there is an effort being made to re-do the island and make it habitable. The mines on the beaches placed by the Iraqi's have been removed and a new hotel has been built further inland (we didn't see this part). The part we visited is called the Village. There is a man made lake where you can rent paddle boats and a small display of live animals....and 3 restaurants attached to a motel - that looked vacant. On the beachside, there is a nice area to rent jet ski's on the beach. There's tables and sofa's that you can enjoy with a picnic lunch! Other than that, there is nothing to see....except the devestation. Our ferry was to leave the island at 5:30...but was cancelled! I wondered if we would have to spend the night! But alas...a ferry arrived at 7:30 and we started the 1.5 hour ride back to the mainland! The gulf was beautiful in the moonlight. We had the best view coming back - on the front of the boat - watching as the city landscape got bigger and bigger! I was glad to have taken that journey...but glad to be heading back to civilization!
Today I visited the "titanic" mall. I was told that the building was built to the exact specifications of the ship The Titanic! It is huge! There are 5 floors all opening to a central courtyard so you can see all the floors. There were stores that you would recognize...Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, McDonalds, KFC...and I had lunch at Fuddruckers! Yes, I had the best hamburger I've had in 3 weeks! I've posted a picture of 1/2 of the building....
I've also posted a picture I called the "Solitary Man". I wondered what he was thinking as he gazed into the gulf....the wind blowing his disdasha?

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