Here There and Everywhere

Expat wanderer

Sunrise 5 Feb 2009

Good morning, Kuwait!

It is another gorgeous day, with more to come. Have you noticed the temperatures have taken a jump? No more shivering under heaps of covers at night, no more Qatteri Cat desperate to cuddle with me every time I sit down – and the forecast is for more of the same:

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It is a beautiful sunrise this morning, harbinger of a beautiful day to come – have a great day, Kuwait!

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February 5, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Weather | 1 Comment

Sunrise and Weep

This morning’s sunrise was unspectacular in that it is uniformly spectacular. Most sunrises here are spectacular; spectacular gets to be the standard (for sunrises) in Kuwait.

The translucent cloudy effect is not the fault of the sunrise, it is the result of the rain spots on my window.
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Now, for my friends in Germany, in England, in Seattle and across the Winter Zone, here is what our week in Kuwait will look like – again, uniformly spectacular. The weather I love, light sweater weather, weather that makes you want to get outside and walk or run or drive!

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If you have ever wanted to visit Kuwait, February is the month. 🙂

February 4, 2009 Posted by | Beauty, ExPat Life, Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Travel, Weather | 2 Comments

Tanker Sunrise

I can tell when the air is bad in Kuwait. I wheeze a little when I am lying down, and I wake up with a small headache. It’s such a shame – the weather is so beautiful, I want to go outside and breathe deeply. I have a feeling that might not be such a good idea.

It looks like another beautiful day in the most beautiful month in Kuwait:

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As for the title, if you look at the photo closely, near the horizon you can see all the oil tankers lining up to get into the . . . um. . . er. . . tanker place.

February 3, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Health Issues, Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Technical Issue, Weather | 5 Comments

Bright, Shiny Day

The clouds are gone, and it is looking like a beautiful day in Kuwait. With the schools out for winter break, the roads are even driveable! Wooo HOO, Kuwait, get out there and have yourselves a great day!

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In the hard copy of yesterday’s Kuwait Times (unfortunately, not the electronic edition) there was a small article featuring a Kuwait meteorologist who said that due to the south (easterly?) winds prevailing at this time of year, we could expect rain frequently throughout February. We sure need it. Yesterday was such a treat, but to quote Jewaira we need “More! More!”

February 2, 2009 Posted by | Blogging, Blogroll, ExPat Life, Kuwait, sunrise series, Weather | 4 Comments

Mr. Ken’s Sunrise #2

I love the pinks and blues and purples in this one from Mr. Ken:

 

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Here is what Mr. Ken says:

 

Goodmorning!
 
I am, by nature, a night own who normally would only see a sunrise as he was going to bed. But, since I started a new job last week, I have been getting into work before the sun even casts a glow on the horizon. Yesterday I was off and slept in past the sunrise but not this morning.

January 28, 2009 Posted by | Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series | | Leave a comment

Rainy Sunrise

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Woooo HOOOOO, Kuwait! We have rain! We have rain! Not a heavy, Pacific Northwest kind of rain that will last the whole day – as you can see, the sun is even breaking through from time to time – but rain! Beautiful rain!

The roads will be slick today, my Kuwait friends. Be careful out there.

January 25, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Weather | 5 Comments

Dancing in Qurtuba

Last night, leaving a dinner with special friends, as we exited, we stopped in our tracks. It was raining! It was a gentle rain; we hadn’t heard a thing.

It was a little wet; that wasn’t a clue, sometimes people wash down their garden areas. It was the smell – there is nothing, nothing like the smell of rain, especially in a dusty, dry country, rain has a magical effect on the dust, and a wonderful, clean smell. Rain on the trees, rain on the garden, rain on everything – we danced all the way to the car.

We’re up a little late, this Friday morning, getting ready for church, still smiling from all the fun we had last night, but I haven’t forgotten you. The sun is a little higher in the sky, but with the clouds – still a photo worth taking.

Have a great day, Kuwait!

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January 23, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Friends & Friendship, Kuwait, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Weather | 6 Comments

A New Dawn (and Glimpses from the Inauguration)

“Are you able to watch the inauguration from work?” I type an IM to my son.

“Nah, I’ll have to catch some of it later,” he types back. He has victims to interview and briefs to prepare – it’s a normal day, not a holiday in his state.

I am glued to the screen. AdventureMan comes home and joins me, just in time for the swearing in and Inaugural address. WOW. Our new President is inspirational. He doesn’t tell us it is going to be easy. He says we are all going to have to work hard to turn things around. He reminds us that together, united – we can do it. Wow.

AdventureMan said what was most exciting to him was that we are celebrating 200 years of peaceful transition of power. The pendulum has swung right and left and center, administrations have changed, and by the Grace of God, it has happened peacefully.

Taking the oath of office:
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Crowds watching in Kenya:
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Inaugural speech:
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An estimated 1.4 million Americans stood hours to watch Obama become President in temperatures below freezing:
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Singing the national anthem:
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Signing his first documents as the US President:
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What? You thought I forgot? Here is the new dawn in Kuwait – a pearly morning, another great day in Kuwait. Thanks for your patience. 🙂

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January 21, 2009 Posted by | Adventure, Africa, Bureaucracy, Character, Community, ExPat Life, Interconnected, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Political Issues, Relationships, sunrise series | , , | 8 Comments

Big Blob Sunrise

Good morning, Kuwait!

We almost missed the sunrise this morning; the sky is full of cloudy haze and when the sun came up, there was just this big bright mass, you could hardly tell where the sun was. A few seconds later, the diffusion ended slightly and I grabbed a photo, but my camera had a hard time figuring out where to focus.

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I am not complaining. We need rain. We need rain desperately. We had such a terrible time, last year, when so little rain fell and every small wind picked up soil and whirled it around. When I came to Kuwait, over three years ago, I remember thinking how GREEN it was here, compared to Qatar. So many trees! Even in the desert! Now, I fear for the greenery, I fear for the water table. Kuwait needs rain. Maybe it’s time to organize another big prayer for rain, like they did just before the rains last year?

January 20, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Health Issues, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Qatar, sunrise series, Weather | 2 Comments

Rain Almost Over Kuwait

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We had beautiful rain this morning – but about a kilometer off the coastline. Can you see those lines coming out of the low-lying clouds? Look at how thick and grey those clouds are at sunrise – doesn’t it look like rain? And yet, just an hour later, the clouds have thinned and – yep – it looks like another glorious day in Kuwait.

Warmer, too, did you notice? We threw off one layer of blankets last night.

Have a great day, Kuwait!

January 19, 2009 Posted by | ExPat Life, Living Conditions, sunrise series, Weather | 3 Comments