Will I ever adjust to life in America?

I never thought I would say I hate rain. But OMG I hate it so much now. Since I've been in Florida all it does is rain, rain and more rain. I found out it's hurricane season until God knows when and it has rained for 24 hours straight. I got caught in it today while shopping at Wal-Mart. I was soaked from it and driving is horrible.

Something I've never dealt with are the religious people here. I know they seem to live their life around the church and are very proud to be surrounded by it but I can't stand the fact that they will try to push their religion onto you. My daughter wears hijab and is having difficulties in high school with everything being referred to the Bible. They were talking about the crusades over Islam and my daughter said she was waiting for the whole class to turn around and point to her.

Today my daughter was waiting for me to park the car and some guy walked by and said 'Jesus Christ is the son of God'. I was so angry that my child has to deal with ignorance. He's lucky I wasn't there as I would have given him a peace of my mind. In California people are more tolerant of things but here in the south it's almost as if you're an alien unless you wear short shorts and are tanned, if not you don't belong.

School will be over in June and Inshallah I will be heading back to Kuwait. I love the shopping and variety of things but I wouldn't stay here and put up with people's one sided opinion just for a Slurpee. I've learned a lot since being here and I appreciate Kuwait.

I think I miss Kuwait

OMG did I say that I miss Kuwait already? Am I sick? Do I have a fever? I've only been here less than 3 weeks and I kinda miss Kuwait. I grew so lazy living there and now I have to do everything myself. I have to follow the speed limit, pump my own gas and do domestic housework!

Don't let me talk about taxes, boy do they suck. I bought a car that was so expensive compared to Kuwait and then having to pay taxes, registration and insurance. AHHH! Every time I see a police officer I'm totally paranoid they might pull me over. I thought food was expensive in Kuwait, guess I was wrong as I'm thinking it may be more here.

Today thunder hit so hard it turned off the t.v. and I felt it. Scared the crap out of me. Rain, rain and more rain. I like the rain as long as I don't have to drive in it. I love Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A and Krystals but money goes quick here. Registering for school is complicated here. Being in a small town they look at the transcripts with a blank stare. Is she a foreign exchange student? Nope. Are you in the military? Nope. You lived in Kuwait? Um yeah. I guess it's good that this place is a military town so some people know about traveling but the others just can't understand why I would live there. I won't even begin to explain.

I found an apartment that's so old but still cheaper than California, my hometown. The manager happens to be from California which is one of the reasons I took the place. I can relate to him more than the other Southern folks. The people look at me then look at the kids and then back to me. I feel like a freak sometimes. I guess we are just different being from Cali and Kuwait and not having a southern accent sets us apart. I have to get used to people smiling and being polite. It sometimes catches me off guard and I try to smile but it's hard.

Across the street they are building a couple Habitat for Humanity houses. I've always heard of the organization and now I see them at work. They are mostly teenagers which I think is cool. At least they are staying out of trouble and doing something to help people.

I love the grilling part. Steaks, carne asada and tonight chicken. So much fun.

Made it to the States

Wow what a ride. I hate the trip to the U.S.A. it is so rough. But made it to Florida Alhumdulilah. Things are so different I have to keep remembering. First trip out directly to Taco Bell then to Wal-Mart. That was enough for me as the jet lag quickly caught up with me.

It has rained and I forgot how much I missed the sound and smell of it. Biggest thing to get used to is rules. I'm so used to having everything done for me that I have to remember how to get things done here. So how are things in Kuwait? I'm sure not much has changed except for Ramadan timings.

Ramadan in the states is so much harder than in Kuwait. It's easy when almost everyone is fasting and it seems the days pass by faster in Kuwait. I'm in the Bible belt so everything is Church affiliated. The biggest thing I miss is my maid. I have to teach my kids how to clean but my daughter loves the lawnmower.

Next step is school registration. I think I forgot everything about living in the states. I kinda feel like an outsider. Being in Florida is difficult as I'm originally from California which is completely different than here. People drive so slow and we have to wear seat belts. Wow so many rules to follow.

My daughter called 911 and the police came to the door. How embarrassing was that. I guess she saw it on t.v. and wondered what would happen if she called. I hope everyone in Kuwait is doing good. Once I'm over jet lag I will be able to write on a regular basis. It's overwhelming being a newbie here so stay tuned for more adventures.......

Heading Home

Well I'll be leaving tomorrow night heading back to the states. The cost of schooling my kids has finally become too much so the only thing to do is head home where school is free. I look at is as a learning experience for my kids who have been in British schools for the last 6 years not learning anything about their own country. All of this due to the British guy in the school who has a personal vendetta against me and decided he didn't want my kids in his school.

The only reason my kids were in that school was the pay plan, we could pay up until the last day of school which was the only way to do it. The new school needed half of the fees by Aug 25 and the remaining balance by December. Sorry I can't come up with 8000 KD in that time frame. It will be a break for us from Kuwait and a chance for the kids to experience the simple things in life and Wal-Mart.

They will have the chance to see parks with grass and white beaches. Inshallah I will be back at some point but for now it's time to go. I will keep posts coming as I have given access a couple people here and they will take over. I will still read the online newspapers and comment as well as posting pics of what's going on in the states.

I thank all of those who have visited my blog and I hope you continue to visit as I will not let it die but take it in a new direction. Who knows, maybe I will get contracted and come back.

To the British guy who took things personally here's a big fat "010" and remember KARMA is a "b" so watch out.

Ramadan 2010

Ramadan 2010 is right around the corner which means people will start heading to the grocery stores to stock up on food so beware of the crowds heading to the stores during the early evening hours as it's too hot to go during the day. A lot of stores get empty during this time so start heading out now to get food to last for at least a week until it calms down.

Be prepared for extremely dangerous driving conditions during the sunset hours. People will run over anyone in their path in order to make it home. If you see someone flashing move out of their way immediately as they will not think twice about running you off the road. Things will be calm until around 8 then people head outside so it will get crowded then.

DO NOT eat outside during fasting hours! If you are caught you will go to jail until the end of Ramadan, no questions asked. Even a citizen can report you so don't think you can be slick. Women please dress modestly during this time. Don't bring attention to yourself. Everyone should speak softer too. People who are fasting can be easily irritated.

Of course those who work on base follow base rules. But remember once you leave the Ramadan rules apply. Don't be shocked if you find people not fasting. A lot of them hide out in their offices and do as they please. Majority of people fast but of course there are exceptions. Businessmen who deal with foreign employees tend to relax around them and eat and drink as if it were a normal day.

If you go to a restaraunt before time to break the fast you will have to wait. I've seen people being served before time to break the fast and it irritated me. Remember people are watching and one phone call will have the police at your table. If you don't like the way the country is during Ramadan take a trip back home or to a non-Muslim country. Countries like Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain follow the same rules during Ramadan so it's not a good idea to visit them.

Ramadan is a spiritual month in which people of all classes are living equally. The rich as well as the poor are all the same. We feel the stomach pains of the hungry and we give to the needy. Tents are put up to feed the poor. It's a time for families to visit and spend time together. I love the food during Ramdan as everyone is cooking, even those who never cook during the year.

I will miss the Moroccan food my husbands mom cooks and spending time with my family as I will be moving back home next week due to outrageous school fees. Inshallah I will be back to join my family after some time. I will celebrate Ramadan in the states which is extremely hard especially now with the anti-Muslim uprising there.

To those that apply Happy Ramadan!