Thoughts...

According to Kuwait:

1. City planning is unneccesary--- when asked why hydro and electricity are not layed out before building begins the answer seems so obvious: "how would you know where to put the water and underground systems in? You wouldn't know where you were going to build a building before it was built"...hmmm....zoning?

2. Traffic signs and signals are a suggestion....why on earth would you always need to stop for a red light....also although cars will beep constantly if you go over the speed limit people seem to be especially good at ignoring these noises

3. Why build something right the first time when you can spend years replacing and repairing things that will work just fine for a while.... this sounds frustrating but is actually very humerous

4. Some of the most effective ways to pick-up women are: honking, following them around on foot or by car, staring, stealing their shopping to make them talk to you, oh and blatantly accosting them with clever lines like "I like you....can I give you my phone number or have yours".....I have yet to see it work....but i'm waiting for it

Things í've realized:
1. I left my common sense in Colorado....or maybe I never had any:
Things i've done thus far that may have not be the best idea-
a) walked through sketchy dark dirt lots while lost in search of places I "know" must be around here somewhere
b) tresspassed in order to swim in the gulf (in my bathing suit) at night....we got caught....oops...but the water is phenomenal
c) began a thing of sorts with a person who I really shouldn't have... (read: totally worth it?)
d) found a hook-up for hard alchohol (made from ethanol...yum) and began preperations to start making my own wine

2. Being blond in the middle east is very different then being blond elsewhere.....I get free stuff (thus far dessert)....people look at me all the time....and the sea's part when I want to walk somewhere...as a result it has been suggested that I am responsible for several activities as far a meeting people and getting stuff is concerned

3. If your idea of a good time is shopping....move here...move here now....or vacation here frequently....the shopping here is crazy

4. I have a male equivalent-- he's here and we are literally the same person...its very odd....but really fun....the two of us and another girl who is hilarious are responsible for the english education of all 9th grade students at ASK....we have a motto already....are rarely seperated and most of our conversation is inappropriote....oh boy....this should be an interesting year .... "And then there were three"

Also....this is going to be phenomenal....I have met some awesome people here already who i've really connected with....how fun that I get a whole new group of great people to add to my social network of pre-existing fabulousness

I'm here...I'm here

I'm here, I'm here. Everything went well on my trip...all of us arrived on time with all our luggage- amazing. The stop in Germany was a bit long..and boring...that airport kinda sucks but whatever...I arrived. I love the people I work with, everyone is super nice and we all live close together which is awsome. I think the living situation is going to be ideal. Already i've been introduced to the world of making your own booze, a process which most teachers partake in and I will soon start (wine first). All the 9th grade english teachers are new and we're all young and its going to be a really fun year working with them- we already have a healthy level of competition. We're betting on our kids and haven't even met them yet- its going to be a hilarious work environment. I love my apartment- its very cute and i'm looking forward to unpacking my stuff and making it look more homey. Thus far i've managed to throw alot of clothing on my floor but thats about all i've accomplished....its a mess right now. I'm on the 6th floor and you can't see the sea from my apartment but at night my view of the city lights is really beautiful- I have a ton of windows. I fact one whole wall of my living room is windows and it makes it a really great space. I did groceries this morning but haven't done any of my other shopping yet. It was kinda fun to go to the grocery store and discover all my options and check it out. I even got hit-on my a local on this adventure- I recieved free desert as a result (very funny). Unfortunatly the main grocery is not especially close to my house but we have a corner store and a few vegetable markets within a few blocks so I will only need to go to the store-store every few weeks. I have only slept for like 5-6 hours in the last 48 hours....running on adrenaline at this point. I'm looking forward to getting a good night sleep tonight. I''m at the school now- its enormous....and under construction finishing some things before the kids arrive but I have a brand new classroom (finished last week- my white boards and furniture will arrive this week) and its absolutely gorgeous....huge, windows on two walls with views of trees and its right beside the classrooms of the other 9th grade english teachers. I can't wait to get in and get set-up. We have some time tommorow to get things done at the school, today was just a tour. Kuwait looks exactly like you would think- the buildings (many of them extreamly beautifully decorated on the outside) are all tans and beige...everything blends in with the sand and palm trees- its different....its like a "real desert". I haven't spent any time at the beach yet but i've seen it and its really pretty. We are going to walk down tonight- its very close to my apartment. On another note- people here drive like maniacs....we had a car do a 360 like 5 ft in front of our moving bus on the road last night- it appeared this was done for fun....wow!! Glad i'm not driving around but letting someone else do that. Anyways....I'll update everyone later this week when I have more info and a few more hours of sleep...I love all of you.
-Chels

Moving!?

It's simply amazing how you can make a decision, talk about about it for months and then when the result of the decision hits, you can still end up slightly shocked. I leave for Kuwait on Thursday which I have recently decided is very soon. My bags are packed- all four of them and I even sent myself one box of goodies yesterday which is set to arrive in Kuwait sometime after I do but before I return home for a visit in a year. Hey- I suppose its fairly amazing that you can send a box of stuff halfway around the world for $100 even if it isn't especially quick in its arrival. The arrival of the ability to get phone and internet service in my new building in Kuwait, however, has been unexpectedly prompt. There had been a suggestion that phone and internet service may not have been possible for several months but I got the news this week that I will have a phone upon my arrival which is great news. Although this will aid me in communicating with others in Kuwait, if anybody in other parts of the world wants to chat I can be reached at my email ChelseaLWilson08@gmail.com or my Skype chelsea.leigh.wilson. I look forward to providing my first impressions of Kuwait in just a few days.