Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came Down

What would you say if you were a 14 year old unmarried virgin, and God asked you to have a baby? Mary said “yes.”

December 24, 2008 Posted by | Adventure, Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Christmas, Music | 3 Comments

Airport Art – SeaTac Airport

Way way down at the end of B concourse, someone has painted the windows. It looks Christmas-y to me, or at the very least, wintery, but I can’t imagine they painted this beautiful painting just for a temporary display, so it must be permanent, or semi-permanent. Having pieces like this on display for people – public art – thrills my heart. It caught the eye, even of people rushing from the plane to their next gate. Even if it were only a second or two, it’s worth it, isn’t it, to have art in unexpected places?

I don’t understand exactly how this all fits together. There are three pieces, the forest and eagle, the night sky with constellations, and the people dreaming in their cottage bed. I tried to get an overview, and then broke it down into sections so you could see it better.

00airportpaintingoverview

00airportpaintingeagledetail

00airportconstellationssunmoon

00airportmuralpeoplesleeping

Even posting the photos, I see new details. It is as if the artist is playing a game with us, challenging us to spot the countless little details s/he included to catch our eye and delight us unexpectedly. Look at the little owls in the trees to the right of the cabin! Look at the way the artist disguised/included the doors on the left as part of the mural! Look at the stars, drifting down toward earth – or are they becoming snowflakes? Look at the comfortable couple, wrapped up warmly on a cold winter’s night. Look at the sun and the moon in their carriage, the moon pouring out the milky way stars . . . so many details! Draco the dragon! Ursa Major! I love the scope of this mural!

December 18, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Communication, ExPat Life, Interconnected, Public Art, Seattle, Travel | 3 Comments

Leafing Seattle

A quick stop by the bank to stock up on cash before we leave for Kuwait, and although it is raining furiously, we take delight in the gorgeous leaves all over the pavement (dangerously slick but oh so beautiful.)

00leafing-seattle

December 17, 2008 Posted by | Beauty, ExPat Life, Financial Issues, Photos, Seattle | 8 Comments

New Doha Museum – International Herald Tribune

It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world, hearing from old friends, even old friends you have never met. Blogger Kinan is one of those dear friends – I always enjoyed his blog entries, and I miss him, as he enjoys his new life in Sweden, working towards his advanced degrees.

But oh what joy, getting a note this morning with encouragement to read an article he found on the New Doha Museum of Islamic Art in the International Herald Tribune. You can read it too, by clicking on the blue type. 🙂

December 9, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Community, Doha, Living Conditions, News | 1 Comment

Q8Geek Sparkles

The Q8Geek sent me a photo to make me miss Kuwait – and oh WOW – I am a total sucker for SPARKLES and look at his SPARKLES!

00q8geeksparkles

AdventureMan and I are so COLD! Kuwait looks so nice and warm!

December 7, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Kuwait, Photos, Weather | 4 Comments

Trinity Collection in Pensacola

We were talking about low sales-resistance . . . this is not about being in Kuwait. This is about my lack of resistance to buying beautiful jewelry!

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As we were driving around in Pensacola, I spotted The Trinity Collection. There is a lot of very mediocre jewelry out there, but I had seen the Trinity ads earlier, and they had caught my eye.

“AdventureMan! Pull over! Pull over! It’s the Trinity Collection!” and I’m fighting him for the wheel so he can turn right and park and I can run into the store.

VERY smart store. So many beautiful things, AND a seating area for guys like AdventureMan.

I can’t blame Kuwait. I have found beautiful pieces in Kuwait. (Hint to any blogging friends who want to honor me with jewelry – look in your grandmother’s old collections! I love the old stuff, and the original Gulf pearls, and those tiny tiny pearls and gem pieces that the Qatteris are buying up for their museums.)

(Just kidding, by the way. DO NOT bring me jewelry! I can’t accept it!)

Anyway, I also found wonderful pieces in this beautiful shop, full of gems, and employing several original jewelers, who specialize particularly in religious jewelry, but also other beautiful pieces.

If you get to Pensacola – this shop has a lot of variety, in goods and in prices, and many exquisitely crafted jewelry pieces. This shop is worth a special trip.

December 5, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Florida, Living Conditions, Shopping, Spiritual | | 6 Comments

December Great Kuwait Holiday Challenge

Yes, I know, we are not even totally finished with the Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Challenge, but the holidays are coming – this year for many of us at the same time, with the big Eid and Christmas both falling in December.

If you are celebrating, be sure to have your cameras with you. This next challenge is more inclusive – The Great Kuwait Holiday Challenge is coming up next!

November 25, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Cross Cultural, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos, Relationships | | 10 Comments

The Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Contest: Your Turn to Vote!

The deadline is here! The Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Contest is closed, and here are the entrants:

Ansam!

Q8Dutchie!

Q8Geek!

Teagirl!

MacaholicQ8!

Onlooker!

Someday/Red!

Check out their Sand and Surf photos, and then – you choose which photographer wins this round of the Great Kuwait Challenges.

November 22, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Community, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Photos | | 17 Comments

GKS&S Challenge: You Can Do Better!

See, it’s my challenge, I make up the rules, and wow. I am so glad I did. The first challenge came because I truly could not find a decent sunset photo, and you showed me they exist, and you showed me they could be totally WOW.

The second challenge, Sand and Surf, is because I love Sand and Surf, and I am so glad I cannot compete (it’s my contest, remember? Like it would be dirty pool for me to compete, and how would you know if I won fair and square, or if I used wasta with myself?

So just to encourage you, I am going to show some of my favorite sand and surf photos, but now that I have seen yours, I know that these are not particularly good, I just like them. YOU can do better. It’s OK with me. 🙂

Here is sand and surf and everything I love on Mnemba Island, a CCAfrica camp, off the coast of Zanzibar:
00mnemba1

Here is a scene I found here in Kuwait:
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Here is another shot from Kuwait . . . well there is surf . . .
00fehaheelfishermen

Here is a shot from another favorite place I visit, Oman, near Sur:
00ssoman

Here is a shot taken in Seattle:
00ssseattle

And here is a shot from the Oregon beaches with a little bit of everything – sand, surf, sunset and even a dancing dog:
00oregonbeachsssunset

Have a great weekend, Kuwait.

You still have time to get your photos in. The contest will close this coming Saturday, and the poll will go up, insh’allah, the same day. (Are you thinking of ideas for the next one? I am! 🙂 )

November 20, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Blogging, Community, Cross Cultural, ExPat Life, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Oman, Photos, Seattle, Zanzibar | | 8 Comments

Someday(Red) Challenges the Pros! Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Challenge

Just when I thought nothing more was going to happen – Someday(Red) sends in this total WOW and asks if it is appropriate for the Great Kuwait Sand and Surf Challenge.

somedayredsandandsurf

Appropriate? Readers, what do you think? Remember, in this round, it does not have to be taken in Kuwait (remember the last one it was a CHALLENGE to find a great sunset in Kuwait) but it has to be taken by someone connected in some way to Kuwait. Or living here. Or Kuwaiti. Or someone who lived here and is now away at school. It’s a little looser this time.

As for me, it just totally knocks my socks off. I feel like I am THERE. Someday(Red), where is this taken? I can hear the waves!

November 16, 2008 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Community, Holiday, Photos | | 7 Comments