What I've been up to

Not all the other teachers are as lucky (the English teachers are swamped with work still), but I really have nothing to do in school these days. It's been so boring. I've packed the boxes, finished all the necessary filings, and curriculum work. My productivity level is now subzero. In the sense that I distract the hardworking teachers when I'm bored, with stuff like barging in with my batch of muffins and announcing an impromptu muffin party. What fun!

But when I found myself staring intensely at a "steak, chicken and kabob" recipes on allrecipes.com, I knew I had to do something. This cannot continue. I don't even like meat all that much. I picked up my cell and made an urgent phone call.

Me: morning! So I have a proposal. If you agree to come around my place after you're done with your training, I'll take a leave from work early and we'll spend the day. I didn't use up all my leaves yet.
Fatima: oh I wish. But I don't have a car today, that's why I didn't even go to train. I'm at home.
Me: just as well, I'll pick you up right now. Be ready.
Fatima: uh, okay!

And that is how I called it a day at work four hours earlier, in favor of a much more interesting day. We treated ourselves to a homemade breakfast, with tea and all. Then sat, armed with platefuls of cheesecake, and watched "March of the penguins". It is such an amazing documentary. Now I understand why each time I used to complain to mama, she'd say "just go and watch the penguin DVD and you'll see what's worth complaining about". I have never been more grateful that I am not a penguin than this morning. Oh and the tiny chicks are so fluffy and adorable, they make you wanna jump into the screen and hug them flat! I want my own tiny penguin:)

Fatima (after hearing what most probably is my 107th cough in the last 2 hours): are you going to die?
Me: umm. Well. I dunno really. I was kinda hoping to stick around a bit longer.

I finally went to my doctor's appointment. Last time I saw him was almost a year ago, and I forgot what an absolutely amazing refined person he is. Dr. Khaled Al-Subaih. He is the gentlest of gentlemen. The way he talks to you, treats you, and takes the time to explain and hear you out and even engage you in small talk. He's such a genteel and gracious person. And of course an amazing well-reputed doctor (hey I had to wait a whole week for an appointment). But it's so worth it. It's not everyday you meet such a person. It's so refreshing. They make the world seem like such a wonderful wonderful place!

I always leave his clinic with a feeling of intense guilt because of the stereotypes I admit I foster with regards to male Kuwaitis. But then I drive back home and I'm almost thrown off the road by the lunatic tailgating me, or the zigzagging freak who seems to mistake the road for his prom dance floor, and suddenly I'm not feeling so guilty. Just plain terrified for my life.

He gave me a new cough medicine to consume. Let's hope this one will work and make the agony of drinking it worthwhile. Okay I'm not being truthful since I've perfected a method that guarantees minimal exposure to taste. I begin by closing my nose tight (so tight in fact that when I finally let go it's always red and a bit swollen), then instantly after drinking it (and with my nose still pressed shut) I rinse my mouth to rid it of any remaining droplets, drink water, then quickly gulp in things that have very strong tastes. When I feel that the chances of any stray cough droplets still lurking inside my mouth is slim to none, I venture open my now bright red nose and smile in satisfaction when I taste nothing.

Not the most dignified approach to cough medicine consumption, granted. But it works, and that's all that counts really.