Wednesday/Thursday
The days have been blurring a bit into one, long period of waiting. I am writing this on Friday morning, because I couldn't access the internet yesterday, and I can't actually remember what we did on Wednesday, apart from a big grocery shop.
I've been gathering information from my two friends about best shopping practices here. This is the story so far. There is one huge Carrefours which sells most things including homeware - I bought a couple of Middle Eastern stools the other day from there.
There are big supermarkets everywhere, in every suburb, called co ops. This is where the locals seem to shop, and I believe the food is subsidised by the governement, so is a bit cheaper (perhaps). They are good for big items, laundry detergent, toilet paper, that kind of thing. And then there are the Sultan Centres - there are a few of these around, and they stock a lot of western stuff - vegetables and fruit from all around the world, and meat from New Zealand and Australia. There is a huge Sultan Centre in Salmiya, which is just one suburb away from us, and this is where we went on Wednesday. I even found vegemite, which was a nice surprise. Pomegranites from Tunisia, pears from the US, mandarins from Australia, and for those interested in such things, a pomegranite costs 0.505 Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) which is about $1.80, 4 rib eyes steaks from NZ cost 3.62 KD, which is $12.80, and a baguette costs 0.250 - 88cents. The checkout is the same as Australia, but there is always someone to pack the food into bags, put it in a trolley, push it to the car and unload it - I usually give them half a dinar - about $1.70 - though I have no idea if this is standard tipping amount. And when I get home, Amir the trusty taxi driver, gets the trolley which is usually in the courtyard somewhere, puts all my groceries in it, and takes it to the lift for me.
Thursday - much paperwork to be done for the school enrolment, and today was the day. Lenny and I went to Avenues first, to get our refund from Jumbo travel (from the Holiday Inn debacle - Jumbo travel agent Nesma was really helpful, and organised cash refund for 3 nights, which amounted to 255KD - not to be sneezed at). While we were there, Lenny saw an ad for a holiday in Singapore, and he got really upset and started to cry - we are both being so strong every day here, but it just takes a little thing like that to set us both off, and it was all I could do not to fall apart there and then, in front of the travel agency in Avenues! We both miss Singapore, our lovely house and all our friends there....
Anyway, onward we go - this time to KES, where Lenny started school here a few weeks ago. Picked up a refund for the term, and the all important transfer letter, and then made our way to the Ministry for Private Education - no mean feat because there are no signs in English. But I found room 1 - a large room - to find out that they closed at 1.30pm. This is normal for Kuwait public service - they start at around 8am and finish (on the dot, as we discovered) at 1.30pm. Some places reopen in the evening - I believe the Motor Registry does, according to Lisa who had her own drama today - but not the Ministry for Private Education. Michael and Lenny raced down the hall at 1.25 with the required photocopies - to be told that we had to see the manager, right back down the other end. We went there, and the secretary said what we had was fine, but by the time we went back, bags had been packed and everybody was leaving the building. There was no way we were going to get the necessary paper. I can't really blame the staff - it is the weekend now, and everyone has plans - and our mistake, and lesson of the day, was to be late, and not give ourselves enough time. Things just don't get done at the last minute here.
All's well, though - Lenny can still start on Sunday, and I'll pick up the paperwork on Sunday morning when they reopen. Bought his uniform, and he is in Windsor House! Oh so English - the other houses are Sandringham, Buckingham and Balmoral - I suppose I could have requested Balmoral, but I think they mean the castle, not the beach. (Oh, the beach - sparkling blue gorgeous cool waters of Balmoral, Sydney, and a coffee with Carol at the local cafe on a clear spring morning. Please Carol, send me a poem about Balmoral!)
Now here are a few photos documenting the evolution of our house, which will be our oasis, our sanctuary, for the time we are here in Kuwait.
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