I am glimpsing a different world- one I was not aware of emotionally prior to this time. Intellectually , we recognise the difference in cultures and many people are open to those differences. Others fear the exposure to diversity and remain cocooned in a world of sameness, no moving, no changing and stagnating.
Last night we ( the new hires) went to a presentation by a cultural awareness group [ AWARE) and showed us the differences and encouraged all to remain open and to listen and to understand that as cultures , we are different. Our culture is so foreign to the Kuwaiti- our social mores and norms, our behaviours, the food we eat and our ways of being. These are all things that create our beliefs and values---- and we all know what values are don't we Ogilvie staff???????? Well we know what they arent anyway!
And then we ate- the most delicious feast and it was a feast- meats( chicken, lamb and beef) rices, salads and the sweets and deserts were absoute heaven. If you love fruit, pistachios, custardy things and nutty things and honeyed cakes... we all ate to overflowing cos it was pure heaven then emerged from this beautiful, marble floored building back into the heat, onto the bus and home to our own little homes.
ON our way out to the AWARE place, we went through Kuwaiti neighbourhoods , where there is so much building happening. There are huge mansions being constructed in the sandy surrounds- it looks so hot and it is burning ground. I believe that the beauty happens inside the huidlings and I am yet to see that - it will happen when I am invited!
Prior to this we had visited the schools. The girls' school, where I will be , is quite old- the oldest building of them all . However , we still have marble floors! I am teaching right up the top, Floor three!. I am keen to begin!
And beautiful mosaic floors on the outside of the Girls' Campus
The Boys campus is new and looks pretty good - more marble floors! And they have a small grassy area outside the primary area... lucky them as that is such a rarity here!
And so here we are... and today is an introduction to the Mosque with a visit to the Grand Mosque- i am really keen ... then off to the Old Souq...
Have to head back to IKEA this morning though as my bed needs a little bit of love- the mattress is HARD.. and I mean hard!
Last night we ( the new hires) went to a presentation by a cultural awareness group [ AWARE) and showed us the differences and encouraged all to remain open and to listen and to understand that as cultures , we are different. Our culture is so foreign to the Kuwaiti- our social mores and norms, our behaviours, the food we eat and our ways of being. These are all things that create our beliefs and values---- and we all know what values are don't we Ogilvie staff???????? Well we know what they arent anyway!
And then we ate- the most delicious feast and it was a feast- meats( chicken, lamb and beef) rices, salads and the sweets and deserts were absoute heaven. If you love fruit, pistachios, custardy things and nutty things and honeyed cakes... we all ate to overflowing cos it was pure heaven then emerged from this beautiful, marble floored building back into the heat, onto the bus and home to our own little homes.
ON our way out to the AWARE place, we went through Kuwaiti neighbourhoods , where there is so much building happening. There are huge mansions being constructed in the sandy surrounds- it looks so hot and it is burning ground. I believe that the beauty happens inside the huidlings and I am yet to see that - it will happen when I am invited!
Prior to this we had visited the schools. The girls' school, where I will be , is quite old- the oldest building of them all . However , we still have marble floors! I am teaching right up the top, Floor three!. I am keen to begin!
And beautiful mosaic floors on the outside of the Girls' Campus
The Boys campus is new and looks pretty good - more marble floors! And they have a small grassy area outside the primary area... lucky them as that is such a rarity here!
And so here we are... and today is an introduction to the Mosque with a visit to the Grand Mosque- i am really keen ... then off to the Old Souq...
Have to head back to IKEA this morning though as my bed needs a little bit of love- the mattress is HARD.. and I mean hard!
The buildings are amazing. Not a weatherboard in sight!
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