This is what it takes to run my laptop in Kuwait...Moncton to Montreal:
The trip was cramped but uneventful...it was only and hour and twenty minute flight so not much could happen even if it wanted to.
The Montreal airport is HUGE...you could walk for days and never have to leave for anything.
I was hoping to find a McDondalds or something quick and cheap....what I found was quick but not exactly a $3 value meal. Chicken fingers and plum sauce: $10, the conversation I ended up having with a Guatemalan woman and her kids who now live in LA who were on their way to Paris: priceless. Those kids had SUMMER HOMEWORK! What's up with that?
Montreal to Frankfurt:
I caught my flight to Frankfurt fine, it was much less cramped but very cold...BTW Air Canada, your food sucks. Your male flight attendant that had the jump seat in front of me? Not sucky at all. Yeah, I had the emergency exit seat...in case of emergency...find someone else, I'll be saving me, myself and I!
We flew over night to Frankfurt, where I am while I write this, everything hurts- there is no way to sleep on a plane without hurting- not that I slept anyway.
Now, I'm waiting to see what gate I leave from in a couple hours (it boards around 3:30 pm and it's 9:30 am) apparently they (and I) wont know what gate it is until an hour and a half before it boards...I'm going to go find some place to sleep.
So not sleeping, even though I want to...there's a lady next to me listening to music, they're called headphones lady, use them!
Ohhh, just saw two guys from the UN walk by in their uniforms, cool.
Frankfurt to Kuwait:
I spent upwards of 7 hours alone in an airport/country where I don't speak the language. I was super tired and trying to rest without sleeping, so I didn't miss my boarding call, and this lady has like 5 kids under 12 running around yelling...nice.
Anyway, I eventually found out what gate my plane was leaving from (B23) and went to wait at the gate...almost every white kid there works with me. I ended up sitting with Andrew, he teaches grade 5, with 3 other co-workers in front of us.
We got in at around midnight Kuwaiti time, I think...we were all zombies. Russ (our Superintendent) and a whole host of other staff met us at the airport with snacks and vans for us and a truck for all of our stuff...there was a lot of it.
I finally got to bed around 1:30 and was up again at 7:30...yawn.
Day One:
Got up EARLY...and made it outside just in time to walk with the others to school.
We met each other (again...last night wasn't nobody remembering no names), got introduced to the main staff and had an ice breaker activity. We each got a frame from a Calvin and Hobbs comic strip (YAY!) and had to find the other couple people who had the rest of it- then we had to act out the strip for the rest of the room. LOL
We got our Ministry photos taken, signed our contracts and got $300 KD (about $1000 CDN) and got a tour of the elementary part of the school...heh heh my library is a mess because they've been renovating all summer and I get to plan and put it all back together again...at least they left all the books on the shelves!
Next we went out for lunch and then grocery shopping. I got a cart full of stuff for $42 KD...about $120 CDN...I'm not sure how I feel about this money thing. Tomorrow were going to IKEA...its rough I want to save as much as I can for bills and such since we dont get paid until
the end of September but there's a ton of stuff I need- like a desk, chair and bookshelf to fill the empty room in my apartment. Yeah, I have an empty room and an empty walk-in closet, but no dreser yet. I have a full size kitchen (complete with propane stove O.o) TWO balconies, a full bathroom, a laundry room, a combined dining-living room and a bedroom that has a king size bed. Oh well, it is a settling in allowance might as well use it for that...its not like Im blowing it on comic books and CDs.
I got a step up & down transformer so I could finally run my laptop, I don't do well with silence...no internet yet...tomorrow I believe, phones and such as well.
I still haven't unpacked.
Shopping was...an experience. Sarah and I got all the normal stuff wed get at home (including familiar brands) and I got a guys phone number...and I didn't even have to try! I passed him half a dozen times, the 1st time he smiled, the 2nd he mumbled hello, the 3rd he mumbled and asked if I had a phone number- I didn't really hear what he said but when I did, I said no...so he gave me
his, sans name, and told me he'd call my number when I called him...I've been in this country less than 24 hours! LMAO
My power converter freaks me out. To run my laptop I plug the converter into the wall, plug a European plug into it, and into the European converter I plug the converter that turns my 3 pronged laptop plug into 2 prongs...it looks crazy...I wonder if its still grounded. Maybe I should get a surge protector and plug IT into the prong converter and the laptop into it...IKEA, I need you!
Im going to unpack and hang EVERYTHING up...lots of wrinkly clothes...I'll throw what I can in the dryer with a wet towel as I don't have an iron yet.
We are being treated to supper tonight by Building #2's host which is good because I'm starving...again.
FYI: There are pigeons in Kuwait.
Day Two:
We started training today...it was alright.
I have a problem...'member how I was happy 300 KD went so far? It doesn't...I have maybe half of what I need and I get my Canadian money into a bank account, so about 500-700KD to live on untill the END OF SEPTEMBER- I'm planning on 265KDs (or less) of expenses between now and the end of Sept (25KD for internet and 20-40KD a week for food/supplies for six weeks.
Keep in mind that I have bought very little and only what I really really need. I'm hoping to get mom to send me a Visa for backup...not that I don't already owe her $500
...what the hell have I gotten myself into? We can get advances from work, but I'd rather not. My cell phone is nice but expensive 60KD (250CDN) just so I could be sure it would work in Canada too...at least the bill comes directly out of our pay...don't have to worry about the bill so much.
I have no money and literally no idea what I'm doing at work...I don't know my curriculem, I have to know the whole crriculum for K-5 and my library has ben dismantled! Well...the books are still on the shelves but it's not a pretty sight...they might have warned me.
I'm tired, jet lagged and cranky...and super stressed AND I have to be at school by 6:45am tomorrow so that we can get the blood work and chest x-rays we all had done at home done again to get our Civil IDs...and I still don't know how to use my propane stove.
Dinner was good- BBQ. Had a great time with my friends.
Day...? I have no idea what day it is...I think it's Thursday.
Okay my melt down from Monday is over...yes, my library is still a mess but my assistants (I GET PEOPLE TO BOSS AROUND!) are coming in on Sunday so I'll have some direction in what I'm doing.
The money sitch isn't as bad as I thought (so long as the KD doesn't fluctuate too much) and I know what I'm doing (mostly) in terms of curriculum.
AND I have the internet, at a 3rd of the cost it would be if I hadn't split it with my 2 floormates!
What have I done in the last couple days...?
LOTS!
I've had my blood work and x-rays done (the same one's I did at home before I came here). I've learned a lot from a DVD by Harry Wong (no, you're not immature to laugh at his name, we all do too).
In addition to the phone number I got in the supermarket I had a guy pull over to the side of the road and offer me a lift...yeah, I know it's hot out, but no.
I've learned a lot about the curriculum and what I'm supposed to do...not the every day routines but in working with the teachers and coordinators.
Today we were fingerprinted (I think I got all the ink off). The fingerprint guy liked my tattoos...i think when they found out I was Canadian it suddenly made sense to them...they may also have called me crazy...I'm not sure.
Tonight we're eating Lebanese food at The Palm Palace, tomorrow is grocery/supply shopping and Saturday we're going to the Old Market.
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