Goodness gracious, has it ever been storming today! We’re loving the rain, but I’m not so sure Grae loves the thunder that’s so loud our windows vibrate.
Tag Archives: Kuwait life
iPhoneography // Fahaheel Bouncy Castle
Miss G and I go to Fahaheel often in the mornings and always see two bouncy castles, side-by-side, laying deflated on the ground. She asks about them constantly during our visits – why they’re there, who they belong to, when they’ll be up – and I never have the answers because there is no one around to ask. Today, however, when we went with friends a little later than usual, we were very surprised to see them inflated and just waiting for little jumpers. Can you tell how thrilled she was?!
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iPhoneography // Biker Babe
Friday Morning in Fahaheel
A November Beach Picnic
iPhoneography // Oh, Kuwait.
I must say, our usual day-to-day life here in Kuwait is pretty peachy… We’ve got a giant apartment that houses all sorts of fun things for Miss G to explore, we’re part of a pretty awesome expat community, we have a housekeeper that comes five days a week, and we can very comfortably afford for me to be at home with Gracen full-time.
But days like today…. Ugh. Days like today remind me of what a challenge it can be to live here sometimes. And today that feels like an understatement.
The day started off great. Grae and I got ready and were out the door by 8:25 a.m. We met up with a lovely group of expat moms and dads and enjoyed good coffee and a delicious breakfast at Dean & Deluca. We picked up a few things for the Halloween goodies we’re making this year and stopped by Pottery Barn Kids to ooh and ahh at all of the pretty things. Then we headed home with one teeny errand to do on the way – pick up cupcake liners from the hardware store. (Weird, yes. But that’s the only place I’ve found in Kuwait that carries Wilton supplies and we were in search of very specific colours.)
A Walk Along the Gulf…
After giving birth in Canada and returning to Kuwait with a 20 day old baby girl, I was very lucky to find myself in the company of 4 friends / fellow teachers who were also brand new moms {or very soon-to-be}. All living in the same school-provided apartments was a huge blessing as a freshly minted mama {and a stay-at-home one at that} and the ladies and babes that Miss G and I spent our days with very quickly became like a second family. Throughout the year, us mamas took turns hosting brunches, housing baby play dates, and organizing fun outings for us all to enjoy. One of our weekly staples was a walk along the Arabian Gulf with a pitstop at Starbucks before heading back the opposite way again. Comprised of saltwater air, sunshine, a palm-lined path, and a promise of a midpoint coffee, it was always a favourite outing of mine.
Fast forward three years.
Though {sadly} no longer snuggled up in a wrap and accompanied by a posse of adorable baby friends, today Grae and I did our favourite walk once again for the first time since being back in Kuwait. It was a little too hot for comfort, but we parked in the shade of a tree at the sea club like we always do, made our way along the gulf, cooled down with some a/c and a cold drink, and even popped by Al-Kout to watch the dancing fountains before heading back.
Grae’s new fascinations now include magenta trash bins, searching for squirrels in the bushes along the water {sorry kid, not gonna happen!}, the roughness of palm trunks, and echo of the call to prayer. Here’s our morning in photos…
iPhoneography // Around Mahboula
Life back in Kuwait is treating us well. Our apartment is slowly starting to look like a home, Gracen and I have fallen into a nice routine despite the fact that we have very little mobility right now, Brad’s enjoying his new job, and I’m tutoring 4 afternoons a week, which is perfect. Here’s a peek at our new {old} life in Mahboula… It’s not one of the country’s loveliest areas, but strangely enough, it feels a lot like home.
early morning sunrise over the Gulf
Mission Accomplished
Today Gracen and I headed out on a mission. Flash drive in hand, we left the apartment on foot in search of a photography studio to develop some pictures for us. I’m pleased to say that our mission was successful and the combination of the walk, the heat, and the air (I almost always automatically type ‘fresh’ in front of ‘air’ and then have to go back and change it when I realize we’re talking about Kuwait where the air is almost always too hot and/or dusty to have the title ‘fresh’ ) earned us a great nap for Miss G, our recently reluctant napper. A few shots from our adventure…
blow up toys at the bacala // i spy a construction site
iPhoneography // Moseying Around Mahboula
She may be 3 now, but this little monkey still needs her afternoon nap. The trouble is, It’s happening maybe 3 out of 7 days a week right now. I’m fairly certain that it’s due to the fact that we’re not out and about burning off energy and soaking in fresh air right now like we usually are… Case and point – every single time we journey down to the Gulf Road for a Starbucks date, she goes down for her nap super quickly and without a issue. We’ll have a vehicle and more freedom very soon, but in the meantime, we’re working with what we have. Some days, like today, that means making laps around our apartment complex while observing all of the construction going on around us. Did it earn us a nap today? Nope, it certainly didn’t. But it was worth a shot. ☺
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iPhoneography // Bacala Run
Gracen’s new favourite thing to do? Walk to one of the nearby bacalas (tiny little hole-in-the-wall corner stores of sorts). We could need absolutely nothing at all, but she begs to go, even if it’s just to look. Really want to make her day? Take her and let her pick out a little package of nuts as a treat – nothing beats it.
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iPhoneography // Desert Trekking
For the time being, we’re still without a vehicle. We’re very lucky to have a super spacious apartment and many common areas around the complex (we have a big courtyard, a kid’s play area in one of the lobbies, a book exchange and games lobby, a gym, and a pool which is currently green, but hopefully being fixed soon), but both Miss G and get out and explore people, so staying at home day after day sometimes gets a bit repetitive. Mahboula, the area of Kuwait we live in, isn’t walker friendly (we’re still in the process of getting roads and street lamps, and hopefully one day in the near future we’ll get waterlines too), so it’s quite an effort to make it to any sort of destination. Add in the heat and the fact that I need to push my little lady and our Bob through sand, construction sites, piles of trash, and groups of stray animals, and it makes for quite the adventure.
iPhoneography // Friday Mornings As They Should Be
During our first stint here in Kuwait, my Friday ritual was to go to The Avenues first thing in the morning when the mall was nice and quiet (Fridays mark the beginning of the weekend here). I’d pick up a coffee, browse the shops, visit Dean & Deluca, and leave before noon when things began to get crazy. When Grae arrived, the tradition continued, only now as a mama and Grae date. Brad would get a morning to himself to sleep in and have some downtime, and Gracen would snuggle up with me in the Cuddly Wrap or Ergo as we cruised along. It was always one of favourite parts of the week… A little piece of calm civility in a country that can sometimes be chaotic and overwhelming.