Dubai Day 1

As mentioned in our last post, it was just Liberation/National Day here in Kuwait. While that means days of celebrations for Kuwaitis, it meant a five day weekend for us. We had heard that there would be a wide variety of tantalizing activities for us if we decided to stay in country. We were promised drag racing up Gulf Road, a country wide water fight that lasted for days and did not take into account willing participation, the worst traffic ever, along with many other things. As good as all of those things sounded we opted to leave Kuwait and liberate ourselves from the mayhem.

Our liberation of choice was a trip to Dubai. Dubai as a destination has been on our radar for awhile. Now, if asked if we could explain why it is on our radar, not sure if we could do that. We had always heard that it is this strange city of the future and that it has sprung up just over the last ten years. With not a huge agenda we set out to explore Dubai and see what it had to offer.

After a evening of travel we arrived into Dubai safe and sound. Our first stop was at the duty free to pick up some beverages since we had a feeling that we might get thirsty from our sightseeing. We tasted a few of our beverages upon arrival at our hotel just to make sure that the Jim Beam that we had purchased was not poison, or a mirage. Good news, it was neither. With a little burboun in our bellies we headed to bed as we had a big day.

We slept in nice an late on our first day of vacation until 4:30. We had signed up to participate in the Dubai Desert Run 10k race and had to get ourselves out to the starting line. Flash forward a 40 minute cab ride into the desert and we are at the starting line. The race was a overall great success. It was a beautiful morning, we made great time, and there were camels running beside us. At one point in time during the race Heidi commented out loud, "camels, really?? camels? what is my life?" After crossing the finish line and receiving our medals (you have to love a race where everyone medals), we rehydrated with a cup of coffee and got a cab back to the city.

The rest of day one was spent just the way it should be. We were able to go out to a great lunch and enjoy a meal that revolved heavy around pork and beer while sitting outside in a wonderful and green setting. We took a serious mid day nap and followed that by an evening of exploring downtown Dubai. In an evening we saw the worlds tallest building, saw an amazing water show, and then rode home in maybe the worlds most crowded metro. Overall it was a wonderful way to start our trip.

Day two will be on the way tomorrow.

Duty free shopping in Dubai makes Adam a very happy guy.

Dubai has a clean, efficient, and useful metro. It became our way to navigate the city.

Post Desert Race face. All smiles with our medals.

After our race we headed to the Irish Village to refuel and to partake in all activities that are illegal in Kuwait. Heidi rocked the free hat like nobody's business.

The Burj Khalifa made Adam feel even shorter than he normally does.

Heidi waiting for the water show to start outside of the Burj.

Even if the water show was only about 39 seconds long, it was still cool.

National & Liberation Days

Currently Kuwait is celebrating two very important national holidays -- National Day and Liberation Day.  Due to February 25 and 26th being important days for the Kuwaiti people, we have been given a very long (5 day) weekend.  On Thursday our school hosted a celebration for all the students and staff to honor the great nation of Kuwait and their liberation from Iraq.  To show our support for the country we now call home, we headed out to our local convenience store to stock up on Kuwait attire.  Thursday morning we rolled into school ready to celebrate only to find our school awash in Kuwait flag colors and national dress (little 4 year olds in full dishdashas?  Yes please!).  We fully enjoyed the mayhem of the day and even more fully enjoyed the quitting bell ringing to signal the start of our five day weekend.  Happy Liberation, indeed.

Adam in his Kuwait polo.  One sleeve has an embroidered 25 and the other a 26.  Classy.

Heidi showing that we are all a piece of the Kuwait puzzle.  Despite her shirt being ridiculously ugly, it received a lot of compliments.

Some of the girls so very excited to celebrate the holidays.  Note:  not one of them is actually Kuwaiti but any excuse to wear fun clothes and eat excessive amounts of sugar at school is welcomed.

These second graders know how to rock their National/Liberation Day gear.

Heidi found her shirt twin. 

Little Mohammed.  He can't spell his full name yet but he can sing the national anthem like whoa!

Old News

You know you have acclimated to life in Kuwait when these cars parked outside your _____ (gym, grocery store, school, falafel stand, road-side flea market), do not phase you anymore.  Look twice?  No thanks!  We've seen better.

When you can afford this car you park in the "no parking zone" at the gym and just take the $30 ticket.  NBD.

No, no.  Don't worry.  There is a helmet to wear as you race this car up and down the gulf road.  Safety first.

Hypocrisy

Definition of HYPOCRISY

1: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion 

 

We know that every nation and religion has its fair share of hypocrites.  We also know that those that talk the loudest often act the worst.  It is no different here in Kuwait.  The direct clash between the teachings of Islam and the practice of the people is apparent everywhere.  Not everyone who claims to follow the holy teachings actually does so (just like any other religion in the world -- Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and the list can go on).

Normally as we see the hypocrisy we chuckle and move on.  This week, though, things reached a new level of low.  As Heidi was walking to school, a car drove by where two men slowed to yell at her to come over and act as their prostitute (in not so kind words, mind you but due to the nature, actual words will not be repeated).  On the heels of that, Heidi left the gym to find this fine empty bottle of whiskey (?) just chilling right in front of her car.  Let's just say it was a tipping point.  The chuckling was replaced by anger and frustration.  Just like in any other part of the world, we wish for people to be transparent, honest, and real.  Please do not hide behind religion and claim to be holy if your idea of a good time is an educator dressed in a skirt and cardigan carrying a backpack and a to-go coffee cup and a bottle of cheap booze.  And, if y'all are going to live a lie, please -- keep us out of it!

Proof is in the picture.