Wednesday, January 25, 2012

RIP Colorful, Sticker-ful Waterbottle

So, I've been going into school everyday to hang out with the rents (mostly my mom because I can actually understand the stuff she's teaching) and then hanging out with KG2.
Today, we were getting ready to go outside for recess and a kid comes up to me and says "Sophia! I know how to spell your name!" And I was all like "Wowww, how do you spell it?!" And he answered, "S-S-H!"
Awww, he saw my initials on my ASA water bottle. I had to take them off, along with all of the stickers, though cos the kids had jam and so, therefore, jamhands and were touching everything! ME! MY WATERBOTTLE! ME! Ugh. So sad, so sad. I miss my stickers. My waterbottle looks so naked and skinny without them. :(
But, in other news, I'm getting used to being here... Sorta making friends, which is a good thing, but still mostly hang with the rents. Random Glee sing-a-longs and dance parties with momma? Okay! Learning about cool Kuwaiti/Arabic facts from daddy? Okay!
That's it for now, folks!

Peace, love, & stickers (send some!)

Sunday, January 22, 2012

High-FIVE!

"Everybody in, everybody out,
everybody turn around,
everybody shout HEY!
Everybody ready cos here we go
Let's do the Pinocchio!"

Spent the day (note: really, morning 730-1230) with KG2 and KG1 (about 4-5 year olds). Um, ADORABLE. All of them. Little kids are fun. And funny. In KG2 today, the teacher asked what they did for the weekend (another note: weekends here are Friday and Saturday) and a kid with glasses and a croakie raised his hand.

Teacher: Yes, Bader, what did you do this weekend?
Bader: I went to London!
T: You went to London for the weekend?? (you could tell she didn't believe him)
B: Yes! I flew in a plane!
T: Are you sure you went to London?
B: I flew in a plane!
T: Okay... what did you see wherever you went?
B: Sharks! Dolphins!
T: Um... I'm pretty sure they don't have sharks or dolphins in London, Bader. Are you sure you went to London?
B: No.
T: *laughs* Okay... so you saw sharks and dolphins? Maybe you went to Dubai?
B: YES! I went to Dubai! I flew on a plane!

Cute. Kid was just stoked to have flown in a plane, which he probably does, like, all the time (rich). The kids were also super stoked when they read their sentence correctly and got high-fives. That's right, HIGH FREAKIN' FIVES! Bam. I rock.

After school, I had a tutoring session with a fifth grader for English. Such. A. Sweetheart. Her dad is the manager of an airline. Pretty cool. But there are more established people that the teachers at the school teach... Like the grand-kids of the Amir.

Anywhos, that's it for nowski!

Peace, love, & Frank Ocean!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Ain't No Party Like a Hawalli Party

I haven't updated in awhile (surprised? I'd hope not...). So I'm just going to skip over the stories about my trip to Kuwait (to NYC: bus driver lectured a passenger & made bffs with an old man from SanFran; to Kuwait: no movies on American Airlines, five hours in Charles de "Dull" airport, & sitting next to a creepy Indian man).

Anyways, so I've been here for a bit over a week and have done little to nothing. This is what I've done:
1. walked around
2. went to the school
3. met people
4. did a tiny bit of "sightseeing"
5. slowly making new friends

This is what I've learned about Kuwait/Kuwaitis
1. Any kind of road signs are just for decoration, like the speed limit, stop signs, and "give way" signs.
2. Kuwaitis are so loud. Like, so so soooo loud. Just when they speak! They speak-yell! They yeak!
3. They go to the mall and drive around for fun.
4. There isn't really Kuwaiti food. People eat everything but Kuwaiti food. I had something like a pakora at the souq last night and it was very bland, good, but very bland.
5. It's cold here.

That's it for now, homies.

Peace, love, & new countries!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Reporting from JFK

Here I am again, traveling. Not really traveling as in hopping from one spot to another a couple weeks at a time, but traveling through the air to land in a foriegn country that I will make my home for a bit.
Most of you know that I will be moving to Kuwait for an unknown amount of time. My parents have lived and worked in Kuwait for about a year and a half now and I have decided to join them. While there, for the remainder of this school year, I will be tutoring (hopefully) and getting started on my Master's! Exciting stuff.

Anywhos, I will be starting up my blog a bit more now since I'll be having more adventures (HOPEFULLY!). As I will be on a visitor's visa that is only valid for 90 days, I will have to leave the country every 3 months or so! Sooooo, DEFINITELY more adventures! New adventures make me so happy and excited! Straight up adrenaline rush starting in the pit of my stomach (weird?) and spreading through the rest of my body. Great, natural buzz.
Yea... that's my update for now. I'm sure I'll have a couple stories about my travel from JFK (where I am now) to Kuwait. I have layovers in Paris and Bahrain, landing in Kuwait about 1:30pm on Thursday east coast time (9:30pm in my new time zone). Already have a few from my trip from DC to JFK... so I'm sure there will be more.

Peace, love, & buzzes