Q8 UP-D8

It's been almost two weeks since I moved to Kuwait. It started off doe-eyed and wander-lust and suddenly I feel thrown into the nitty gritty ... let's just say, it was a long first day of school!

Anyways, rewind to our new staff dinner! It was an amazing night of Lebanese food, sheesha, and friends. I have quickly found a core group of people (basically all the newcomers) and we have bonded quite nicely. Everyone is so friendly and supportive... and just as confused as me! :)

After dinner, I actually smoked sheesha with my superintendent. I was the only female to do so. At first, I thought it was too risky. However, after sitting and talking with Dr. Moras, he reassured me that he liked how I wasn't afraid to try something new and that I had the spirit to teach abroad. Phew! I needed to hear that. All in all, it was an fantastic evening.

We started school today (Sunday) and it was my return to middle school after three years. These kids are from everywhere and most are better travelled than I am! I was really surprised how much they reminded me of kids in the states, just with VERY heavy accents and names that I failed to pronounce correctly. I had my rough moments being "the new teacher" and all, but overall, I felt like I had a successful first day. Everything has the chance to get better with time and a little TLC. Luckily, God blessed me with an amazing bunch of students my last period, so I ended the day with a very positive note. Also, ALL the kids asked me these two things: 1) If I was from Germany. 2) If I was related to Thomas Muller the soccer player. (I told them we were cousins and they freaked out. Then, I told them I lied and dashed their hopes and dreams.)

Palm Palace Lebanese Restaurant.

A mint and lemon concoction. 

BREADDD!

An awesome dip, but I won't pretend to remember the name. It was similar to hummus, but had a very smoky flavor.

Hummus. 

Tabbouleh. 

Yummy salad of sorts.

Kebabs, chicken, and fries. 

Muhallabieh... not a huge fan. It's a middle eastern rice pudding. 

Handful of newbies. 

Kent and I were sheesha buddies. 

We probably took a dozen photos each trying to get the "perfect" shot. 

Andrew, Kent, and Dr. Moras. 

I'm a huge fan of this picture and these people. 

New friends! I like them. 

Upscale mall in Kuwait called The Avenues. They have an IKEA and Shake Shack... that's all that matters to me. 

Lunch at IKEA. I think the woman serving the food was impressed that I chose to get the Indian dish that she gave me heaps of it... all with the BIGGEST smile on her face. 

Non-alcoholic malt beverage... it hit the spot... sort of... meh, not really. 

Stunning view from our apartment roof. 

And the school, in all it's glory, right in front of it. 

Hawally. 

I spent the entire day preparing my room for students on Saturday. Here are some before photos. 

After!

"Think like a proton and stay positive!" 

"You have mass, you take up space, you matter!" I know Amanda Neel has this somewhere in her classroom as well :)

Desk with family pictures. 

And some other stuff:

Since my couches are blue and Andrew's are red, he and I made an armchair switch. I open the door and there he is just chillin' in my hallway. 

First day of school breakfast! Oh yeah :D

Mr. Loach, the 7th grade Social Studies teacher, gave me a tumbler and candy for my first day. A huge encouragement! And I've been wanting a tumblr too! 

Day one is done!

Cheers! And if you have a moment, pray for my kids and this year. That they will come into the classroom confident, ready to learn, and encouraged. Pray that I will help support and guide them to success in everything they do. Thank you!

Welcome to Kuwait

Here we go again! Another life chapter, another blog. I was trying to be clever and thought, "Sun, Sun, and Sarah" would be a funny title... it might just sound dumb though. Anyways, welcome! I'm excited to share these stories and pictures with you. Many of you have been so supportive of me and just as clueless about Kuwait. So, we'll learn together! 

I'll start it off with the plane trip. I got to fly Emirates for the first time. It was brilliant. The giant 747 was hardly full and I had two open seats next to me. I got to lay down to sleep! They had an awesome entertainment selection and fantastic food. I flew into Dubai and then to Kuwait City. It took a bit longer than flying to Korea, but flying those distances in general just feels plain longggg.  

First time to fly out from the international terminal at Bush. It wasn't a very exciting place. 

Open seats next to me! Weeeee!

Lamb Biryani for dinner. So, so good. 

Eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast. Sorry for the weird color, the whole cabin was lit with red lights. 

When I landed, I luckily ran into other UAS workers. They helped me get my visitor visa and exchange money. We waited forever for our luggage. I have no idea why. When we walked through customs, we had a large group of staff from the school waiting for us. THEY WERE SO NICE. Everyone I have met at that school thus far has been so friendly and welcoming. I am so pumped to work there. They took us on a tour of the school yesterday and I absolutely love it. My classroom is tucked away in a corner, but that's okay because it's a beautiful science lab with an awesome view. 

Other than that, we've taken some walks around the neighborhood, gone shopping, and set up our rooms. It's been a very pleasant and positive experience so far. 

My apartment. Wayyy bigger than my Korean apartment. 

King size! Oh yeah! 

Night walk with fellow employees. 

View from my bedroom window. 

You can often hear the prayer calls coming from the mosque (the far left in this picture). 

I can't wait to show you the view from our rooftop. It's unbelievable.  Once I get a sim card, this picture sharing business will be easier. 

Starbucks adventure to get WiFi. They don't know about this picture, but they will get used to my really creepy ways.