Stress-athon

I knew right then that things were seriously getting out of hand.
A while back, I was with my little cousin of 12 just being ourselves (i.e. silly:P) when somewhere into our conversation she said: "Oh my God, I was so stressed, you should've seen me".

I think I laughed for at least 15 minutes nonstop!!

Did you hear that? A 12-year-old says she's "so stressed"! (What from I wonder? Is her pyjama not pink enough? or did a girl in school show up in a cuter outfit than hers?)

I mean, of course she wasn't really stressed. That's not why I was so shocked and appalled at hearing that; it's the fact that she used those exact words. I mean, what does this tell you?
I didn't have to use too many brain cells to figure out the answer to this question. She just repeated what she hears everyone saying, all the time.

What with all the stressing flying around in the air, and with everyone taking huge portions and helping themselves for seconds, she simply wanted a piece of the pie as well.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that stress is reaching epidemic levels. It seems to me that everyone around (including me) is constantly on the run, with a million things to do and simply not enough time. During the course of one day how often do you hear people complaining of lack of sleep? How many times a day do you personally have a conversation that has to do with how much work you have, how tired you are, or how little sleep you got?

It seems that bonding with people over how stressed you both are seems to be quite the conversation piece. Just approach anyone with a casual "Boy you look tired", and good luck getting them to shut up! I can almost see it transforming into the newest pickup line by guys....

Stressed-yet-cute yawning guy: Look at you, you could definitely use a cup of coffee. What do you say?
Stressed woman with swollen eyes: Oh I'd kill for a cup of coffee, sure!

That may work actually:P

Well anyway, the reason I'm babbling about all that is cuz I read an article today that I thought was worth sharing. What I found particularly interesting in this article is that it offered a very unique perspective of the situation. I was expecting it to go on about how bad stress is for you and give advice on how to take it easy. Instead, the writer talks about what she calls "competitive stressers"- yep, that would be us:)

I say "us" because I'm just as guilty as your next stressed person. We all do it without thinking...
When a friend says she has only slept for 3 hours last night, we automatically start babbling about the day we only slept for 1.5 hours last week and so on and so forth!

I found particulary true the part describing how we seem to correlate a person's level of stress with their success or importance.

I'm not about to relate the whole article to you, but I do recommend that you do read it. However, in case you don't have time or simply can't be bothered, I'll leave you to ponder the article's grand finale!

And next time you are tempted to one-up an overworked, overwhelmed and overly tired co-worker, ask yourself: Is this a contest I really want to win?

Bedtime Blogging

"If I see ONE more flying eraser, I'll be sending YOU flying out of my classroom!!"- said after the 19th flying eraser nearly missed my eye.
There was a nano second pause as the kids and I visualized Abdulrahman in the air with his arms flailing around- then it was unanimous laughter!

Man, if only I had a penny for every eraser flying around in my classroom, or for every pencil or piece of stationary the kids leave behind. Or maybe for each time I said "raise your hand, don't yell out the answer", or even for the number of "X's" I put beside Abdulaziz's name and the number of stars beside Ahmed's name. Or possibly for every time I seriously considered throwing myself (or one of the kids) out of the window, but couldn't cuz it had metal bars.
Gee, I'd be a VERY rich woman. In fact, I'd be rich enough to buy me new friends who actually comment on my blog:P (Yep, that's right, I've noticed all the "0 comments"- they're not exactly hard to spot you know!!)

It's weekend again, yay!

I know what you must be thinking. You're thinking that I'm just gonna bum out the entire weekend- oh no, not me. I have a very very extensive list of goals for my weekend. And I am ready to share it with y'all, hoping to inspire some of you to have their own productive weekends as well. (yep, I'm all for sharing the wealth!)

1. Go for a run (I haven't all week, it's just that by the time I have lunch and relax it's dark already and umm, well you know, it's just that, yeah, umm, dark and me we don't mix well:P)

2. Take a shower (I'm as stinky as a 9-year-old boy and THAT my friends- and I talk from first hand experience- is as bad as it gets!)

3. Make soup!

4. Eat Soup!

5. Open my socks drawer and just stare idly at it for like 30 minutes, admiring the multitude of color.

6. Catch up on any sleep debt- and maybe even stock up on some;)

Gosh, I'm so sleepy I don't think I'm realising what I'm writing. But it's still 7:30 p.m., there must be a law or something against going to bed that early. But I have been up since 4 am., shouldn't this count for something?

It better, cuz I'm off.

A Time For Happiness!

So... for some reason, these last few days, I'm extra chatty (and you thought that wasn't possible:P), extra bubbly, extra silly, and extra happy!

I'm not sure why though, but I'm not complaining;)

Oh and although my kidos are more than living up to the image of "crazy bouncing objects " that I have painted for them, I do love them. Even more with every passing day!

They are simply so..... cute! They are KIDS. There's no other way to describe it. And the best part is, they are always ready for a laugh. Which is more than fine with me;)

Wow, 3 posts within 30 minutes- I must shut up.

A, B, C, D, E...it's all the same to me!

A conversation during the kids prayer recess:

Me: Oh my God, what's up with 4A these days?
Arabic teacher: I know!! Yesterday they drove me half mad, I ended up calling a bunch of their parents home to complain.
Me: Yeah I must do that as well. I mean, Omar was so good and now he and Ahmed are out of control.
A.T: That's true. What about Mobarak?
Me: Don't get me started about Mobarak.
A.t: And Hassan oh my God Hassan, it's a shame I couldn't get hold of his mom on the phone. Boy do I have a lot to say to her.
Me: Hassan? really? But he's so good in my class...
A.T: HASSAN?
Me: yeah!
A.T: HASSAN in 4E??????
Me: 4E? no I'm talking about 4A, I don't teach 4E!

LOL
And to think it took us that long to discover the error!
But I guess that's expected, when the creativity level in names is nill and most of the kids display advanced stages of ADHD:P

When teaching IS hard labor

As I dashed out of the school gate at 3 p.m., I couldn't but notice something different today. I felt so light on my feet; the pressure and stress were all gone .... It was the first time I experience this going out of school. I mean, sure the thought of going home to my mommy, a comfy couch, hot meal and funny comedies is always awesome- but still, there was an added element today that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Every muscle in my body was relaxed and relieved, as if a heavy burden has just lifted off my shoulders.... quite literally in fact- I had forgotten my canvas bag behind!

ugh. SO CLOSE

I remember surfing the net as the beginning of the year approached for as many "tips for first-time teachers" as I could lay my eyes on. One experienced teacher advised us to "invest in a sturdy canvas bag" since we'll be taking a lot of work home.

That advice was golden, I tell you. My canvas bag is my constant companion, back and forth from my house to my car and from my car to school and vise-versa. It is always stuffed beyond it's normal capacity, with the air of a bag that could burst any second (and prolly will).

What the tips failed to mention though, was that a canvas bag alone can get you through normal days, but sometimes it's simply not enough. More so if you're a science teacher bringing in all kinds of resources to class (from flashlights and cups, to shoe boxes, sponges and rocks!).

Yesterday I had to take home around 40 of the students copybooks in a seperate bag. I believe I heard at least a bone or two in me crack!! I carried them back to school today in an IKEA bag (since they're designed to carry heavy things)- but ended up having blisters on my fingers and a muscle cramp here and there!

Yep, definitely the last time I take copybooks home. I'd rather stay in school late and finish my corrections. Otherwise, I'd have to start taking steroids:P

Kid Logic

The best thing about working with kids is that you're often reminded that life is, in fact, far less complicated than we make it seem..

I have this kid, he's very smart. At the start of the year, however, his mom warned me that he's diagnosed with ADHD, and that unless I find a way to click with him, it'll be a hard year for both of us.
Luckily, we hit it off and he has been a joy to have in class- very enthusiastic, and always has something to offer!

For the past week however, I noticed a major change in his attitude in class. The enthusiasm faded and instead he has been spending the entire lesson cutting erasers into tiny pieces and throwing them at the other students!

I voiced my concerns to his mom during the PT conference, she's such a sweet mom. We spent at least 15 minutes worrying about the reason behind his changed behavior. She said it might be that some kids are upsetting him, or maybe he's simply not into the new unit we've started. I wondered if I had accidently upset him since he's extra sensitive. This guessing game went on and on, until we finally decided that she'd better go home and have a talk with him to get down to the root of the problem. I told her I'll be calling her on Saturday to get feedback.

Today in class he was back to his old self, jumping up when he knows the answer and offering stories in the middle of the lesson that have absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand!:) I was very glad.

I called his mom to enquire what the "problem" was and how she dealt with it.

"Oh it's nothing" She said, and went on to relate the conversation she had with her son.

Mom: Is anything upsetting you in the science class?
Khaled: no
Mom: Did the teacher upset you or something?
Khaled: no
Mom: don't you like the new unit you're studying
Khaled: no I like it.
Mom: then why did you spend the last two lessons throwing erasers at the students.
Khaled: Well, a boy started it. He threw a piece of eraser at me and so I had to throw one back at him. Then I discovered it was fun, so I kept on doing it.
Mom: well it's really upsetting your teacher, do you want to upset Ms. Mariam?
Khaled: no
Mom: then can you please stop doing that?
Khaled: okay

Simple. Logical. Honest.

Don't you just love kids?

Music To My Ears

Usually when I go running on the seaside on weekends, the place is buzzing, and the sounds flying around are both loud and versatile (laughs, yells, squeaking see-saws, roller blades on the pavement, tupperwares being opened, you name it).

While running though, I tend to block out any outside noise, and concentrate on the rhythm of my moving legs as I get absorbed into my own realm of thoughts (which could range from the serious and life-altering, to stuff like "Oops, my socks don't match"!).

Today though, both a Friday and early morning, the seaside was my very own. I enjoyed the serenity for a change, and was free to notice the gentle sounds that would've otherwise paled in comparison.

Slam, slam. Slam, slam- my runners inconsiderately hitting the paved path.
Squish, squash. Squish, squash- the same runners only now they're landing on the still moist grass (no doubt the sprinklers were on not too long ago- don't you just adore sprinklers?)

wooooooooshhhhhhhhhh.... the waves, gently yet overwhelmingly, drenching the beach sand.

Chirps of the early birds (happy after getting the worm?;)... my own breathing, fast and heavy.
The sound of leaves dancing to the wind.. a little Meow from the tiny kitten shyly peeking from between the cracks...

It was a totally different relaxing experience. I can't say it's better, but different. When the place is buzzing, it also has it's own unique magic.
As I run past families, kids and all sorts of people, I never hang around enough to hear a complete sentence, so I end up with a very amusing collage of bits and pieces from people's conversations.

It's always enjoyable and interesting, and sometimes, so darn funny!

The Soup Project

Going outside has been utter joy for the past 2 weeks, no more cringing as you get slapped by a wave of heat the second you step outside (or what I like to call the "oven effect"), or gasping for breath as you literally get suffocated by hot humid air. Nope, that's all history!

Now it's gorgeous winter-ish weather here! (YES Nasser, winter. Oh for heaven's sake get over it:P)
It hasn't rained yet, but I can't wait till it does. I love rain.. love walking while it does, feeling the raindrops landing on my head, nose and boots, and eventually getting drenched:)
I love bundling up at home, snug and cozy and eating yummy hot soup- which brings me to the topic of my post!

Soup. I've been craving all sorts of soup!
And thus decided to launch my "Soup Project". For the last couple of days I've been surfing the net for yummy soup recipes and have decided to go ahead and try a new soup every weekend! Yum.

Besides, ever since I moved back with my parents, my cooking skills are getting rusty! So a little bit of polishing would do them good.

I had decided to make chicken noodle soup tomorrow, but when I found out that mom was about to make a light side dish to today's lunch- I seized the golden opportunity and made my soup.
I didn't have any of the chicken noodle ingredients, so I made "Potato Soup", instead.
I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cube chicken bouillon
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan over high heat, add the potatoes, water, onions, celery, carrots and bouillon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Mash slightly.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the milk powder and the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Add the milk/flour mixture to the potato mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until soup is thick and bubbly.

It's very simple and all in all was ready in 1.5 hours (of course that because I'm SUCH a slow vegetable chopper! Chopping the onions into small pieces alone took me maybe 30 minutes!!). If you know what you're doing, it shouldn't take you more than 45 minutes.

I made minor changes, for example I scratched out the celery (didn't have any) and put more carrots and onions instead. I also started by sauteing some garlic with onions and the potatoes and carrots. I also didn't use chicken bouillon cube- just water and added our usual spices (salt, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, etc..), a tip from my sista!

Oh and when I served it, I sprinkled it with a generous amount of finely chopped parsely- which looked nice and added a lot of flavor.

I'm happy to announce it turned out so yummy! Mom and dad loved it (or at least did a very convincing act of liking it, which is fine by me!;P). Very thick and filling, but perfect for the coooold and bitter winters (for those of you in the Americas!)

My next soup will be Chicken Noodle Soup. I'll tell you how that goes. Oh and if any of you have their own tried and tested yummy soup recipes that they can share with me, I'd be very grateful!:)

Oh speaking of yummy things, I just have to share this recipe with you. My mom saw it on Rachel Ray's show and tried it out. It's called Apple Cider Chicken, eaten on top of a base of mashed potatoes.
It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD. You have no idea! You must all try making it- and it's so easy! (that's what my mom said)

Hmm.... for a blog that's supposed to be about my "classroom experiences", I do talk a lot about food, don't I?
Oh well, try to stop me!:D

Vow Of Silence?

Trust me, I never thought I'd say this; but I think I need a break from talking.

Seriously.

Today was the Parent-Teacher conference... OH MY GOD- like OH MY GOD. Seven hours of continuous yammering, one parent after another, without a single pause- it's a real life "parent stampede"!

A day before, as I returned home scornful of my undisciplined kids, I haughtily informed my mom that tomorrow I'm going to be vicious with some parents- REALLY going to give them a piece of my mind and unreservedly tell them that their kids are up to no good!

Come morning, though, I was back to my original nonviolent self, and even managed to think fondly of some of my boys (Aah, the blessing of sleep and forgetfulness!). The parents weren't arriving till 8, but we went at 7 to tidy up the classes and stuff.
I was so very amused when I got a text from my mommy (who had clearly taken my angry outburst seriously!) reminding me of what Mary Poppins said: "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine goes down"- and asking me to apply this when I'm delivering bad news to the parents.

Aren't mommies the best?:)

Apart from the fact that I lost all sensation in my throat, it was a success, thank God.
I mean, I heard some teachers talking about getting some really really rude or annoying parents. I thank God a million times I didn't, I don't think I would've handled that- I'm still not strong enough, but getting there!
The parents I got today, for the most part, were sweethearts.

I must admit that although I believe that stereotyping is wrong, I am guilty of having a LOT of preconceived notions about a typical Kuwaiti family. I'm pretty sure most of us have the same stereotype, when it comes to people from the gulf. You know, uninvolved parents, too many servants cooks and drivers, who take over the role of "mom" and "dad", you know what I'm talking about.

Today though I was forced to change it (or at least acknowledge that although there is some truth to it, there are considerable exceptions). I've met fathers who seemed more involved and concerned about their son's well being than actual mothers I know!
The parents were so understanding, sweet and appreciative. And considering I was telling them things like "your kid has absolutely no idea what's happening in class- I could switch to a history lesson and he wouldn't notice"- they took it pretty well and promised to cooperate.

I had one dad, who totally made me smile, he was so cute! We were talking about his son's behavior in class, and discussing how he's smart, but playful and keeps getting distracted- next thing I know, he pauses and tells me "but you know, he's a good kid..." and goes on to relate a long weird story that has something to do with visiting his auntie and going to the supermarket- I'm not quite sure I understood it, but the way he was talking about his kid, so lovingly and fondly, it was such a heart-warming thing to see!

And another mother told me that her kid says that he gets distracted because "Fawaz iyla3wizni".
I was like "Oh my God YES he told me that! WHAT THE HECK IS "iyla3wizni"?

I swear to God, when I hear those kids speak in Arabic, they make me doubt it's my mother tongue!! Weird weird words, I'm telling you! I just crack up and say something like "Fawaz! Stop la3wizing him, it's not nice"- and hope for the best.

All in all, it went well. No blood shed, which is always a good thing;)

I went home beat up, cuz my day started at 4 am. I woke up that early to write down all the comments I want to say- I was kind of afraid I'd just totally go blank when a parent comes and says his son's name! NOT COOL.
The comments helped alot to remind me of important pointers, but I didn't have any trouble remembering the kids, I know them only too well by now:)

Well except for the very confident mom who came in and sat down and with all the seriousness in the world looked at me and said "I'm mohammad's mom".
Never mind that I teach 4 classes, and no it's not important that I have like 10 Mohammad's, and is it her problem that I have absolutely no psychic powers??
You can't imagine the effort it took me to swallow back the sacrastic comment and leave it at a "You know, I do have more than one Mohammad".

Oh and I had fun trying to guess who's mom is that from facial resemblence. I got better with time (but didn't dare guess out loud- I tried it once and it wasn't pretty!)

When I got home I crashed from 5-8 p.m., yep I was that tired! But it felt good when I woke up:)

I wonder, is there such a thing as a vocal cord cramp? Yeah, cuz I'm preeetty sure I've got that!

United Colors Of Kindergarten

On any typical school day, I go on countless trips up and down the stairs to the photocopying and resource rooms or the library. Such occasions would've been just another mindless- albeit physically demanding- routine of my day, had it not been for the one thing that makes them special: I pass through the KG department.

If I was allowed only one word to describe it, I wouldn't have to think twice: Colorful.

It's like entering into your favorite cartoon; where everything is cute, fun and extra funky!

I always pause when I reach the KG, and if by some miracle I could spare a few minutes, I'd go around for a quick peek. Everything has one theme: Bright and Cute.

The bulletin boards have displays of adorable things clearly made by the kids themselves- even the wooden lockers, which would've looked like any other wooden locker, if they weren't filled with minute and cute-looking school and lunch bags!

Sometimes I'm even lucky enough to run into a KG class moving in a wobbly line on their way to their next lesson. How cute they look, holding on to each other's shoulders to keep their balance! One tiny step at a time, they recite a nursery rhyme with their English teacher (I always join in:P), or some Qoran verses with their Qoran teacher. I can't get over how tiny they are:)

Was I ever this tiny myself? It's hard to imagine...

I try to recall my very own KG days.. though it's just one year not two! I went to Grade 1 a year earlier, right after KG1 (I choose to believe that's cuz I'm a genius!). I still like to give my parents a hard time about that every now and then, demanding I get that "lost KG year" back- and claiming that my obvious childishness is a direct outcome of my KG2 deprivation... Sad, eh?;P

My most vivid memory of KG1 is going down to the music room and singing our hearts out..
"You are my sunshine... my only sunshine
You make me happy.. when skies are grey
You'll never know dear.. how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away...."

Up till this very day, this song remains my favorite:)

The one thing that sets our school's KG apart from other KGs (which I'm sure are equally cute), is their choice of the different classes' names. Since our school is islamic, they had chosen to name all the KG classes after the islamic values the school hopes to instill in those kidos. Off the top of my head, I recall: Bravery, forgiveness, charity, confidence and justice.

I totally adore this idea!

I got to school early today and took a few pictures. I'm sharing a few, hoping to add a little sparkle to your day, by reminding you that if you ever need a doze of cuteness- you'll find more than enough in your average KG room!:)

Oh and speaking of "cute and colorful", I had announced earlier the arrival of a new addition to my "happiness dozes": Ms. Nadine the giraffe:)

I feel it is time for you to meet her in person.....

Isn't she the cutest thing? Just look how well she fit in with the rest of my collection!

When it rains....

Finally, I have a second to myself. I want to sit in a corner and drink some tea and honey to de-stress and find my smile again.. Something to help me get through the rest of the school day. But I can't- not without my mug and spoon.
Poof- no trace of them.

Yep. It's one of those days....

Picture Perfect- almost!:)

It was the closest thing to a perfect afternoon...

I spent it with my friend Samar back from high school, in a cafe overlooking a marina. The weather can only be described with one word: PERFECT.
It was insane to go anywhere near an enclosed space. Nope, not for at least another 2-3 months of heavenly weather!

I love that place. It's called "Marina Crescent" cuz, well, it has the shape of a crescent surrounding a marina (the word 'duh' comes to mind!). The whole place is filled with cute cafes and yummy restaurants- and stretches into a very long and gorgeous walking path, bright green grass for picnics, basketball courts and bicycle tracks along the sea...
And NOW is the time to enjoy it. It is during this time of year, as I take a stroll along the path, breathing in the cool refreshing breeze, or sitting in a cute cafe sipping something hot and yummy, that I almost feel glad I'm in Kuwait (hey- I said ALMOST:P).

Of course, the rest of the population had the same idea- the place was buzzing with families, friends, aimless teenagers, couples, and babies running wild!

It's always great to hang out with new friends, but nothing beats an evening with an old friend whom you haven't seen for a while. We laughed nonstop as we recalled silly old stories, and caught up on our news. It was just what I needed after a stressful week with the mons- I mean boys!;)

We both ordered lattes, but Samar ordered hers with caramel flavor. So when we took our orders (and since they came in the exact same mugs) we made sure to ask the guy to point out the difference. By the time we chose our table and put down the tray, we had completely forgotten what he said. We had quite some fun innovating ways to discover which is which without actually tasting them! We first tried the "staring test" (I really dunno what we were hoping to see- floating caramel?), then the smelling test (a failure as well). Yeah- I didn't say "successfully":P

There's something about a marina that is so pretty. Boats of all sizes and shapes, afloat on a background of deep blue sea- you can never get bored of watching it.
But if you think about it, it's a parking lot for boats! Can you imagine having a cafe with a view of the car park? I hardly think anyone would want to go there!! But boats are pretty, and the sea is prettier....

Silly me. I keep forgetting that I'm in Kuwait; the country where even if you are going out for 5 minutes to get something from the grocery store you'll dress up like you're off to a wedding!!

I was planning on taking a walk before meeting Samar, so I just threw on some pants, a tee, sweatshirt and my comfy Skechers (I mention those in name, cuz I've always thought skechers were so cute but never actually got one, and now I did! Yay!) and off I went.

I keep getting surprised- you'd think I'm used to it by now, but oh no. It's a sight to see really. EVERY single girl is fit to take part in a fashion show!
I shudder to think how long it took each girl to get ready to- get that- go to the MALL. Not a wedding, not her prom, but the MALL for crying out loud. How much time do these people have on their hands?
I've gone to actual weddings not looking half as dressy or stylish as they do for a day at the mall. Goodness.

Oh Krispy Kreme has opened! Yum. I tasted it back when I visited Canada- GOOD STUFF. I wanted to take some home, but the queue was like 20 meters long. And although I DO love my doughnuts, it's not enough to entice me to wait for 30 minutes to get some. I'll prolly pass by early morning on a weekend, I bet it'll be deserted.

Ah, it's good to be an early bird!

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

I'm not even sure how it happened, now that I think about it.
One second I'm excitedly heading to my third session of the day entitled "Emotional Intelligence in the classroom" which according to the session guide I carried is

The ability to withstand emotional flooding when teachers are triggered by students or events that occur within the school setting. Unlike the skills gained in higher education, which help teachers get their jobs, emotional intelligence helps teachers to keep their jobs.

Juuuust what I need!

Next thing I know I'm on a chair with my eyes closed and is asked to "let go of all my thoughts and concentrate on my little toe". FOR A WHOLE HOUR.
Oh and it gets better, we were taught how to "meditate while walking"- which basically makes you look like a crazy person (even the instructor advised us not to do it in public!)
And then picture our "enemy" (the closest thing I could think of is my most pain in the neck kid!) and say stuff like "may you have health and wealth and be happy and eat frog legs" or something, OVER AND OVER.

I won't lie to you, I kept my eyes shut maybe for the first 10 minutes (BARELY- I was dying there). And spent the rest of the hour contemplating if I could sneak out of the room without anyone noticing. I woulda fell asleep but the AC was on too cold and was hitting me directly.

It's just so funny cuz I'm like SOOOOO NOT the meditating type. I mentioned that in earlier posts, I'm so fidgety and hyperactive to the point of driving the people around me crazy.

So being cooped up in a small room "meditating" and offered advice about the best "meditation retreats" around the world- where she claims they do THAT, like, ALL DAY- isn't exactly my cup of tea.

Misery loves company, one of my friends at school attended it with me (I talked her into it. Poor thing). When we got home she called me and we spent like 30 minutes cracking up as we remembered the session. I'm sure we'll have plenty more to laugh about as the year passes!

Oh well, I guess that's the silver lining!

Toilets Toilets Toilets

I'm not quite sure, it is me? Is it because my classroom AC is on too strong? Does my face remind them of a toilet seat? Who knows!!

All I know is that the minute the boys enter my classroom, I am drowned with an endless flood of "Can I go to the bathroom? pleeeezzzzz teacher pleeeeeeeeeez" nags, and they are SO darn persistent. I mean, the nerve of that kid, after hearing me turn back 3 other bathroom-seeking kids barely half a second ago, asks me if he could please go to the bathroom, AND actually looks surprised when I say no!!

Today I had enough and snapped.

"OKAY LISTEN YOU ALL- What's up with all that bathroom stuff? You've got THREE recesses which is more than enough time to go to the bathroom again and again, I don't want you to keep skipping around and asking for a bathroom, get a grip, what are you like TEN?????"

*awkward pause*

The funny part is, they're not EVEN ten.

They are 9.

Oh well.

Speaking of bathrooms- today after school I went with the teachers to the annual PEAK conference; it's a two day event with lots of sessions given by teachers from bilingual and international schools to the rest of us teachers. Every year it takes place in a different school.

We got to the school and the building which had the two sessions I was attending today was the KG's department. It was a joy walking around the colorful corridors and checking out the cute classrooms! I couldn't get over how tiny everything was:)
In my first session we even sat on the KG chairs! Which is like, so not enough:P but cute nonetheless..

It was fine and dandy until I had to use the bathroom myself. I went in and took one look at the minute toilet seat and I was like "You GOTTA be kidding me".

They weren't.

Do What You Like

I can officially say I'm addicted to lattes.

Now that "winter" is at our doorsteps, there is something oddly irresistable in a mug of hot milk with a tad of sugar and coffee to add flavor. Aahhh, Life Is Good.

Speaking of which, I had mentioned earlier that before leaving Boston my awesome sis bought me a bunch of stuff from my favorite shop in the whole wide world: Life Is Good.

One of these items was an adorable mug, like the one you can see in this picture (only with a much prettier orangie color).

This mug has officially become my default mug- I use it for almost everything, lattes, green tea, hot choco, and even in my attempts to water and revive my long-dead plant (I think we're in the "rotting stage" now), which I am very hesitant to pronounce dead (sorry Lana!!).

I mean, nothing yells 'Be Happy' more than a mug with your fave hot drink that keeps on reminding you that (though it may be less apparent sometimes) life is, in fact, good.

But the part of the mug that I love the most is its back. It simply says: "Do what you like. Like what you do".

I think we all need this reminder from time to time. I am lucky enough to get it with my every sip, every morning:)

So for all of you out there, this is a little reminder... Do what you like. Like what you do.

Only then will your life feel good!

Comment Censoring

I've spent the last couple of hours writing comments on the kids' report cards. My neck and shoulders are aching (but this could easily be from yesterday's Ju-Jitsu class, I lost count of how many push ups Nadine made us do- the woman's evil!:P).

So anyway, I was provided with a list of comments to serve as a "guideline", I'm supposed to try to stick to them. Gee, so much for freedom of speech.

But I've worked out a system (at least in my brain!), there are two categories:
1. What the ready-made comment says
2. What I REALLY mean.

Examples include:

Ready comment:
Needs to take more active part in class discussion

What I really mean:
The boy's in a completely different dimension!

Ready comment:
He is easily distracted.

What I really mean:
He'd rather count the knots in the carpet than listen to what I say

Ready comment:
Needs constant supervision

What I really mean:
Soon I'll be gluing him to his seat!!!

Ready comment:
Must use time to his advantage.

What I really mean:
Constantly talks to his imaginary friend.

Course, there's the positive as well.....

Ready made:
Excellent classroom behavior

What I mean:
boy's an angel!

Ready made:
Grasps new concepts readily

What I mean:
boy's a genius!

Ready made:
A pleasure to have in class.

What I mean:
He's the cutest thing! Can I take him?:D

Hmmm, I must say, I can see why they'd go for their version!

Tickling Gone Bad

It's a site to see really. Every time the kids go down to their praying recess, and just as soon as they take off their shoes, hell breaks loose! With only socks on and a slippery floor underneath their little feet, there's only one possible outcome: a major sliding fiasco!

In each and every direction kids are sliding and bumping into each other, the teachers, AND walls. Oh and the laughing- I truly believe it's their favorite time of day!
While every day, at this same time, 10 desperate teachers are running after the kids trying to shoo them off the floor and onto the praying mats for the prayer to start, using a combination of yells, frowns and empty threats, which I am a pro at (e.g. "You over there, quickly join the prayer or YOU WON'T BE HAPPY I'm telling you"). I mean, as it is, kids weasel out of your hands masterfully- try SLIDING KIDS, and you don't stand a chance.

I was in a bubbly mood today and thought I'd try something different with my kids. I told them I'd tickle the boy who's off the mats and started with the tickling! The boys had such a laugh and so did I, as they ran away from me towards the mats, stood in a perfect row, and proceeded with the praying like the little angels they are.

The End.

Such a beautiful story, right? Well, regretfully it doesn't end this way. Apparently, the rest of the kids found the idea very appealing and all of a sudden kids who were on the mat left the mat and started running in the direction of none other than, yep you guessed it, yours truly!!
I was now facing more than a dozen kids jumping around and yelling "tickle me teacher! tickle me teacher!"- heck some of those kids I didn't even recognise (must be third graders).

I thought it was hilarious and cracked up- until I looked around and found nine not-so-happy teachers frowning at me. Yikes.

I couldn't think of anything to do, so I just grinned at them and well... ran for it!

Sheeeesh. Sure did not think that one through!!

On Being a Scaredy cat

So guess what, I discovered today that the deadline for entering all students' marks into the school network is the 14th instead of the 16th- you'd think I'd make use of the huge calender I have glued on my desk, but oh no! Have to rely on my shabby memory!

With piles of other work to do during my supposedly "free periods", I truly didn't have time to enter the marks in the system before today. So when today passed just as crazily as the rest, I was left with no choice but to stay after school.

We get off at 3, but I stayed till a bit after 5. At around 4, I left my classroom to get water and I found another teacher in her classroom still, it was nice to have company.
Then I went back to work, and when I was finally ready and packed, I opened my classroom door to be greeted with complete and UTTER darkness.

The whole school was turned off, and I *gulp* alone *double gulp* had to walk through the endless maze of corridors and staircases (it didn't help that the bathroom was at one end, the place were I sign out another and the only open gate at the other end of school).

I'm telling ya, I had to summon all the courage I ever pocessed to stop myself from running while I yelled my heart out!
So I walked, faking an air of bravery as I muttered my mantra: "Get a grip woman. Get a grip woman. You are no longer 9, in fact you TEACH 9-year-olds. Get a grip woman. Woman, GET A GRIP".

"Who's there?" Came the voice of the janitor.
I practically jumped out of my skin! (he didn't notice though- the blessing of darkness).
"Me, I'm just about to leave."
"Are there any other teachers left?"
"I don't suppose. The whole school is turned off" (as "nonchalantly" as I could muster).
"Yep, we don't leave any lights on, you scared?"
"Huh! ME? Scared?- TERRIFIED GET ME OUT OF HERE"

Oh well, I guess once a scaredy cat, always a scaredy cat!

High Risk Job

I know what you guys must be thinking now: "Gosh Mariam is such a drama queen. Fine so the kids are a handful, but to actually call it a high risk job!!! That's pushing it".

And I have to agree. While the kids sure are a handful, and cause serious damage to one's vocal cords (among numerous other things!), they hardly qualify as a "risk" (at least not officially:P).

The aspect of my job that truly could be the death of me is my... Abaya!!
Yep, since our school is bilingual and strongly Islamic, the dress code has to include Abayas.
Mind you I'm all for loose-fitting clothes that fulfill Islamic requirements, it's just that Abayas totally put me off. It must be the fact that they are so BLACK and, well, shapeless!!
Very unflattering. And in summer (KUWAIT summer no less!) they do an amazing job of absorbing the sun, and making a desperate situation, even more so! (That alone could kill you, take my word on it.)

That said, it's not really beauty concerns that bother me right this moment; it's more the fact that I might soon end up battered and maimed because of it!!

A little background knowledge on me so you'd view this in context:
I absolutely and utterly do not have any sense of balance, and that thing they call "center of gravity"- yep, I'm missing that too.
Those of you who were unlucky enough to go on hiking/camping trips with me, know that mariam+ backpack the size of a hippo (we do tend to over pack when it comes to goodies, don't we sis?:P) and a sleeping bag= DANGER. I'd be swaying back and fourth with my load, bumping into anything and everything within a 5 meter radius! Come to think of it, I'd be swaying back and forth even without the hippo-sized backpack.

So you see, I'm awkward as it is. With a Abaya, I'm a disaster waiting to happen. As I run up and down the stairs, I'm always ALWAYS tripping over my Abaya and barely avoiding a head concussion. (I end up grabbing my Abaya and tying it up my waist- which is kinda frowned upon, not that I care!). And in class, the seam always gets caught on pointy edges, which result in me being jerked in the opposite direction and nearly flipping over- incidents that never fail to amuse my students.

I'm telling ya, my obituary is gonna say:
"22- year-old science teacher, life had to be cut short due to a very very unfortunate Abaya incident. Students are still heard laughing"

I'm tellin ya, high risk job!!

Why we should all become teachers- fast:P

I just realised the most awesome thing.
You know how I teach in the Elementary Department, in which all the teachers are females. So even though in my subconscious I DO know that teachers can be male and female, in my daily life, when I say teacher I picture the female teachers in our department.

Today was Thursday, but we had to go to work anyway (In-service day). We've been divided into committies and stuff, cuz our school is trying to get Accreditation and there's loads to do.

So anyway, to make a long story short, I've had the chance to meet some of the other teachers in school (middle and high school) where you'd find teachers from both genders. And since I'm the youngest in the group (which is not surprising since I'm the youngest in the whole school!) I had to sit and hear all the teachers talking about their families and kids, with little contribution from my part. (Unless you count the remarks I said under my breath to the teachers next to me, resulting in sudden outbursts of laughter from our end of the table, followed by me eyeing them disapprovingly and blinking my eyes innocently- denying any involvement:P)

Then it hit me: I wonder if those teachers were married to teachers?
Just think with me for a sec. How awesome would it be if you've got a family where both parents are teachers along with school-aged kids?
The WHOLE family has the entire summer to go wild!
Do you realise the amount of stuff you can fit in 2 whole months of holiday? Backpacking through europe, Safaris in Africa, a trip around the world! A whole LOT of boardgames, cookie baking, couch snuggling, book reading, projects in the backyard, bizarre family rituals- the sky's the limit!

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, no?

Completely and Utterly....

Speechless.

(Yes, it is a first actually;)

Less than 48 hours after I casually mentioned in my post that "as a gift, I'd like nothing more than to get flowers, but rarely ever do" and as I walked into our apartment today, there it was (not even my dimmed observation skills could miss THAT)- the hugest, prettiest thing I've ever laid my eyes on:

And it was for me!

ME ME ME!

A bouquet of gorgeous flowers for me!

Being halfway across the globe didn't stop Dalia and Nuha from showing me yet again, that they are the AWESOMEST sis and friend that I could ever wish to have:)

I mean, when I wrote that sentence, my best case scenario was that maybe in the upcoming years someone somewhere will remember this and maybe I'll get a small bouquet on my birthday!)

But THAT just totally and completely blew me away...

Not in a million years, not with a trillion thank you's and hugs will I be able to show them how amazing they are..

Gosh... How do I start to describe my feelings?

Disbelief, at first. Then uncontrollable excitement, as my heart fluttered like a thousand butterflies! Followed by a seizure of mad ecstasy while I hopped around the apartment teasing my parents with stuff like: "do YOU have a bouquet of your own? I DON'T THINK SO:P".

It's the prettiest thing ever, just take a look at how PERFECT the flower looks like... Sobhan Allah...

As if the bouquet alone wasn't enough to flip my world upside down with happiness, attached to it was a "note" that sent me into a fit of laughter that is likely to last at least a year:D

The girls made it look like this bouquet was sent from (and I quote:P) "sa3oodi yablogh min al-3umr sab3an wa sitteena 3aman, mutazawwij min thalath, yab7ath 3an rabi3a" (a 67 Saudi man, married to 3, searching for the fourth:P). He claims to be looking for someone who (among other equally hilarious traits) can "tisra7 ma3 il mi3eez, ou ta7lib il noog, ou taktob bil 3angaleezi, ou tgoolli ya 3azeezi".

OH MY GOD.

I've got stiches in my tummy from all the laughter. This is the prettiest gift I've ever received in my entire life, and the fact that it came as a completely unexpected surprise just makes it better and better!:)

Dalia..Nuha... you ROCK!

I love you

I love you

I love you!

I can't say it enough. You're angels! You're super!

I challenge anyone to find me a more thoughful, awesome sis or friend IN THE WHOLE WORLD. I would like to see them try!!

Whatever I say, it's not gonna half show what this surprise meant to me..

I need a HUGE gesture to show my appreciation, something big, something - Oh I think I know just what to do;)

Dalool, Nuhitta... As hard as it is for me to do so, I am going to decline that extremely tempting marriage proposal and instead, ask one of you to take him! After all, I think you both can "tisra7o bil mi3eez" just as well as I can;)

How selfless am I, eh?

Gosh, you two are completely out of it! I truly can't stop laughing!

I was always content to expressing myself in writing, but now suddenly it seems insufficient, so not enough. I wish for nothing more than to be around you both now and start babbling on how amazing you guys are, until you beg me to shut up or you'll have to take the bouquet back:P

As I write this, I keep getting up for a peek at my bouquet, just to make sure it's really truly there:)

Maybe it's just me, but it keeps getting prettier and prettier:)

I'm knackered

See, a year ago, not only wouldn't I have used such an expression- I wouldn't have even recognized it as English!

But after a year and a half hanging with Nadine, my British Ju-Jitsu instructor, I not only recognize British slang, but am even comfortable enough to use it from time to time;P

It was no easy task though, and the fact that Nadine is like the fastest talker in the whole wide world (and the most hilarious- throws a joke every 2 seconds) meant that most of my first month training was spent with me smiling and nodding dumbly and laughing 30 minutes after the actual joke!!

That's history now. Actually I'm now so used to hearing British at a rate of 7 words per second, that slow British is hard for me to understand!
And now that I actually hear the jokes, I'm cracking up the entire lesson. Man, I love class.

For a while there I thought I cracked the British code and will live happily ever after. Right.
Emma had to join class! I'm not even sure where she's from, but I'm guessing also England but a different part- she has a very different and strong accent that I suck at deciphering still!

We were putting the mats out for class today and they found a tiny rubber ball just laying there and started tossing it around. I laughed saying that I could swear I took the same ball from one of my students today (he was playing with it in class- delightful kids). So Emma goes like "Oh so you are also a teacher?". I told her indeed I was, at which point Nadine felt the need to tell her that I was an "embroidery and knitting teacher". Those who know me would no doubt find that an exteremely amusing thought!

So I asked her if she was also a teacher, and she said she was.
"What do you teach?".
I swear that's what I heard her say:
"bad language".

Do I even wanna ask?

My Cheerfulness Recipe

My day was, well, let's just say I've seen better days (WAY better days!).

And it sort of got to me and I went home feeling very much down. Which meant I needed some serious emergency cheering up! And since my sis and best friends are in other countries, I had to rely on myself- ugh.
Which meant I had to choose one of my two tried and tested methods:

1. Change into my PJ's and snuggle on the couch, and spend an evening watching funny comedies and drinking something hot and having a good laugh- completely disconnecting from the outside world if only for a coupla hours!

2. Jump into my runners, and go for a good long run, all the while thinking hard and doing some serious soul searching:P After which I go home and pour my heart out into a piece of writing.

Hmm, I think it's pretty obvious which course of action I chose to follow today.

So, brace yourself, for you are about to witness some serious soul-delving. I'm just gonna write some random info about me- you know bits and pieces of unrelated stuff. It's always good to keep a realistic perspective of yourself. Who knows, maybe I'll even run into something of substance while I'm at it (I wouldn't count too much on that one though;P)

So let the randomness begin!

1. If I start babbling, good luck shutting me up.
2. I'm the easiest person to reduce to tears.
3. I'm athletic. Working out is my ultimate high!
4. A terrible terrible singer/dancer. Can't carry a tune or perform a step to save my life.
5. I never hold a grudge, it's too tiring.
6. My family and friends say I'm stubborn, but I "stubbornly" deny that.
7. I think the sound of kids giggling is the most beautiful sound in the whole wide world.
8. I'm a die-hard animal lover, between me, my siblings and cousins, we've had pets that included: cats, dogs, ducks, turtles, goats, pigeons, birds and fish (That's something considering we've always lived in an apartment and our parents have strict "No Pets" policies- for the most part anyway!)
9. I used to strongly believe in soul mates, now I think it's bull.
10. I'm make-up challenged, and proud of it!
11. I never wear heals, and think it's stupid what girls do to themselves to look "pretty".
12. I'm so unsophisticated.
13. I'm such a bad liar, but pretend not to be.
14. I'm a people-pleaser, I hate to upset anyone.
15. If you ask me "does this look pretty?", I would always say yes, even if I think it's too hideous. Again, hate to hurt feelings.
16. My family is my most precious thing in the whole wide world.
17. Without them, I don't think I can go on for a day.
18. I get my drive from knowing that my dad believes in me infinitely.
19. My greatest joy is when I make him proud.
20. My greatest fear is to let him down.
21. The three women I admire most in my life are my mom, sister and auntie.
22. The person I would like to be is a combination of the three of them!
23. My favorite song ever is "I can show you the world" from the soundtrack of Aladdin.
24. My favorite comedy (besides Friends, which is a no-brainer) is "What I Like About You"- cuz it reminds me so much of my sis and I.
25. If I had to eat the same thing for the rest of my life, it'd be pizza.
26. With extra cheese.
27. I love cheese, did I mention that?
28. I'm such a scaredy cat- I'm 23 and still scared of dark.
29. The idea of watching a horror movie terrifies me to the bones.
30. I love surprises. (But then again, who doesn't?)
31. I'm very emotional, I could get upset so fast, but calm down faster.
32. When upset I can say things I don't mean, and feel terribly terribly guilty later on.
33. I love it when the people I love pretend like it didn't happen, cuz I truly wish it didn't.
34. I cannot stomach: mint chocolate, apricot jam, and powder milk.
35. As a gift, I would love nothing more than to get flowers, but rarely ever do.
36. I'm childish, no guarantees I'll ever outgrow it.
37. I've changed from being the messiest person on earth to an almost tidy person- yay!
38. My handwriting is aweful.
39. I don't know the first thing about cars- even though my bro is an encyclopedia.
40. If I could meet any person I want, alive or dead, real or fictitious- it'd be Dumbledore in Harry Potter books:P (sad, I know)
41. I believe a glass of mango juice in Cairo is one of the yummiest things on earth.
42. I'm willing to live in Cairo just for the mango juice.
43. And the cheerful people!
44. I secretly wish I was a professional athlete.
45. I think watching sports (as opposed to actually playing them) is mind-numbingly boring, except for gymnastics.
46. I make really yummy chocolate chip cookies.
47. I bribe people with my chocolate chip cookies;)
48. Blue is my favorite color, most of my wardrobe is blue.
49. I love corny chick flick movies.
50. I love happy endings.

Yep, that's me:)

What your contract never mentions- not even in fineprint!

I type this with fingers smudged with red food coloring and white corrector stains. Yep, that is the price of being an elementary teacher- compromised beauty (or actually, the lack of it!!)
And if my typing mirrored the state of my vocal cords, then it would be s-o dis-conn-ec-ted an-d oh so hoarse.
Sheesh, there goes my hand-modeling and singing career ambitions!

I have yet to venture a look in the mirror to see the state of my face- I won't lie to you, I'm very apprehensive about this particular step.

But lets not talk about beauty issues (again, or the lack of them).

As I rushed to get to my duty down at the playground, I overheard a teacher who apparently was trying to break a fight between some kids as to who gets to be the line leader.
She was saying "So what will happen if you weren't the line leader for once? what's the big deal?"
I smiled knowingly, I would never use this argument with the kids. I know better.

But last year I didn't. As you work with kids, slowly you will discover that their brains work in a completely different manner- what to you is a solid logical argument, may not (and prolly would not) mean a thing to them. And what is total mumbo-jumbo to you, could be as logical as 1+1= 2 to them! Sometimes, it works to treat kids like adults, but sometimes this plan can go bad. You have to look at things from their perspective, which is usually nothing like yours.

I remember the first time I told one of the 1st graders "What's so important about being the line leader anyway? Is it worth all that crying?".
You shoulda seen the look she gave me. Not only were we on different pages, we weren't even in the same book!

In their little cute minds, being the line leader is huge. It may well be the highlight of their day! Something to brag about at home or to tease friends about. And you dare ask them what the big fuss is about?
If being the line leader is not worth the tears (in the case of girls) or the punches, lunges and kicks (in the case of boys), then pray tell me, what is?

Silly silly teachers, we are.

This I have learnt from trial and error and many stares from the kids that clearly read "Which planet is she from?", yet I am far from being the expert.

But I'm learning something new each day. Just now I learnt this very very valuable lesson:

"If you leave food coloring laying on the demonstration table behind the kids, you're practically begging for trouble."

They should mention these things in the teachers manuals you know.

The Spring Effect

After weeks of observing the kids in the playground at recess, I have finally found the perfect analogy.

I want you to think of a spring, and I want you to imagine squeezing this spring reeeeeally hard to trap as much energy as possible, then let go of the spring... What will happen? All the energy will be released of course and the spring will, well, SPRING out!

Now I want you to picture springs, only instead of a single one, I want you to think of 300 springs released at the same time. And instead of this spring, springing out once and settling down, I want you to image that all these springs, once released, would go on and on and on springing around ad infinitum.

That is recess time my friends.

The things I see in recess leave me in shock. Boys have absolutely no verbal communication to speak of (unless yelling out names at each other could be counted as such!). They primarily rely on communication via the limbs- and no I do not mean sign language.

From the second they set foot into the playground (okay who am I kidding, from the second they set foot out of class), the frenzy begins! It's running faster than the wind, while simultaneously punching, poking, tripping and kicking every other boy in the playground.
And I'm talking EACH AND EVERY KID is doing that. There are no exceptions! Even a boy who might be considered a "loner" (and in civilized society would be expected to sit alone in the corner) would be found alone yes, but kicking and punching the air around him! (Imaginary friends? I hate to think).

And the funny part is, they are not doing that aggressively- this is their way of bonding and having fun!
Now don't take my word for it (cuz I'm still in my early stages of observing and hypothesising about the complex social behaviors of crazy 8 and 9 year olds!:P), but I think the more kicks and punches are aimed at you, the more popular you are or something. Ouch, I would hate to be popular myself.

My last year was spent at the girls' playground, so you can see why I'm still in a state of shock.

So, basically if you take a typical girly conversation and translate it into boys-in-playground language, you'd get something close to this:

Girl1: My mom is going to get me the new Fulla doll!
(Translation in boy language: lunch bag thrown at friend)

Girl2: Well, I have a new huuuuge sticker book.
(Translation in boy language: bag thrown back followed by a whack on the head)

Girl1: eeeeee, Fatima is here. I don't like her, she's such a taddle tale in class.
(Translation in boy language: a sprint, followed by a lunge at the boy's feet, knocking him almost unconscious)

Girl2: Lets not let her play with your doll or take my stickers.
(Translation in boy language: grabbing friend's shirt hard, tearing 2 buttons then dragging him on the floor, while both are laughing)

But I gotta hand it to them, the are resourceful. Anything (and I mean ANYTHING) could serve as a soccer ball. Juice boxes, tupperwares, chocolate wrappers, and if necessary a stray 1st grader!!!

I just marvel at the amount of pent-up energy these kids have. Seriously, what do their parents' feed them in the morning?
Peanutbutter-chocolatechip-sugarcandy-coated brownies? (ahhhh, wouldn't that be sweeeeet- quite literally!!)

My kids, though, will only be eating BROCCOLI.

A Journey Back In Time

It was during a Omra trip to Saudi with my parents many years back. I couldn't have been older than 9. It was a long long drive, more so I'm sure for my mom and dad who were driving with three cranky kids on board!
"You're taking my space, move away"
"Ouch! moooom she pinched me"
"no I didn't!"
"moooom are we there yet??"

You get the picture.

As my dad drove, it was sand dunes as far as the eye can see... it was mesmerising..
We stopped for a breakfast break, unloaded our tupperwares and off we went to find a cozy spot on one of the many sand dunes. I remember we had Mana'ish. I recall feeling totally bewildered and awed- I've never seen so much sand in one place! And it wasn't just piles of sand. They were waves of sand, constantly moving and ever-changing. I remember never wanting to leave the place. Who knew sand can be so magical?

After my sis, bro and I finished eating we started running around exploring. We then fell upon an ant hill buried into one of the sand dunes. It would've been easily missed if it wasn't for the few ants outside it.

Coming from a family of die-hard animal lovers, we ran to get the Man'ish leftovers and started cutting them into small pieces and laying them on the ground nearby. For what seemed like hours, we watched as every ant picked up a piece and marched in to store it inside. As the ants entered with food, more ants came out. Soon we were talking hundreds of ants all over the place! I even remember seeing a huuuuge ant coming out as well- which I thought must be their queen. Ah, the excitement at meeting the queen! And knowing that she thought our Mana'ish feast deserved her appearance:)
One by one, piece by piece, they all worked without a pause until every piece was in. The air was drenched with excitement, the ants' and ours!!!

After we were sure they have enough food to last them at least a year, we started packing to get ready to move.
I remember approaching my mom and asking "Mom, you always say that God never forgets about any of the humans and animals he created. But there isn't any food at all in this desert. How can these ants eat?".

I will never forget my mom's words as she said "Well, he just sent you to feed them, hasn't he?".

I was awe-struck. A minute ago, feeding the ants to my little mind was nothing more than an exciting fun experience that I enjoyed immensely and would be relating to all my friends once I'm back.
It's funny how a thing you do absent-mindedly without much thought, can suddenly become an enlightening experience if viewed from a new angle.
I just witnessed a miracle. I just saw with my own eyes proof of how God is All-knowing, All-powerful. I didn't just witness that, I was part of it! God chose me to play a part, I felt so thrilled.

I remember thinking, if God could remember about a small ant hill between an endless maze of sand dunes, in a small part of the whole wide world, then surely I was in good hands. I remember feeling so safe, knowing that God would never forget me- after all I was much more easily spotted than an ant:)

You may wonder what the point of my story is.. or why I chose to share it with everyone.
I was not yet 9 then, and now I'm almost 23. I still recall this story as if it was yesterday. I was brought up in a religious atmosphere, but I can assure you nothing I learnt at home or in Religion class stuck in my brain as this single episode did.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that if you are blessed enough to have kids around you that you can affect, know that you have a golden opportunity that you must treasure.
Never brush a kid off, thinking you have more pressing issues to handle. It's at this tender age that we are most impressionable, that our future identities are being formed. We are molded into what we'll become by every word thrown at us, every memory left in our brains. It is at this age that our brains are like sponges, sucking up everything in sight.

You cannot control everything your kids experience nowadays, you can't be the only influence, but you can surly be the best influence.

I wouldn't be who I am if I was brought up differently as a kid. My beliefs wouldn't be as solid if it wasn't for that simple ant hill episode.... and many more!

What's YOUR time zone?

According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, a Time Zone is "a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time."

Time zones are what cause conversations like this:
Me: Why do you sound so "imsatleh"?
Sis: Maybe it's cuz I only just woke up!!
Me: Only just? How come?
Sis: Hello, it's morning here.
Me: OH. Right. Sorry.

Time zones are also what cause our home phone to ring in unearthly hours, only to find my brother's enthusiastic voice at the other end.
"SISTER! What's up!"
"Other than the fact that it's 3 a.m. and we are ALL ASLEEP- nothing much. You?"

With 8 hours' difference between me and my sister and brother, the above situations are normal.
What I find extremely NOT normal is when I have such conversations with my friends in the same country. Someone who lives maybe 5 minutes away from me. Let me explain.

I am a morning person. I take after both my mom and dad. Dad goes for a walk at 5 am. before work!! (I used to join him sometimes for a run) And mom's day starts at 6 am.
My brother is so NOT a morning person, as for my sister we will never know. Her sleeping schedule is so incorrigibly messed up, it's hard to find patterns:P

Even when it's a holiday, we'd all be up at 8ish, 9ish max. And at night, you prolly won't find anyone awake if you call after 11 p.m.

But shouldn't that be normal? I mean, people are supposed to sleep when it's dark and wake up when the sun is up! It's been that way since the stone age. I hardly think any caveman overslept.

Shouldn't the word "morning" refer to the time from sun dawn to around 11 a.m.? Anything after that should fall under "noon". I never thought anyone would think differently. Boy was I wrong.

A week ago, I was joyfully surprised to find out that one of my best friends from high school has returned from Egypt after graduating as an architect (hmmm, I shoulda seen that coming when I heard the word "architect"). We decided to get together on the weekend.
I called her yesterday afternoon to set a time. I explained that Thursday afternoon is our so-called "Family day" (but it's not the same without you sis and bro- COME BACK), so suggested we meet up in the morning, maybe have breakfast together or something.

Samar: Oh sure! That would be awesome. Well, I'm not really a morning person.. but I haven't seen you in ages and you have something in the afternoon, so I guess I'll have to wake up early. So pick me up at 12?

hehehehehehe
I cracked up on the phone!!! That's Samar making an EFFORT to wake up early.

And it's not just this isolated incident with this specific friend. I have friends telling me they go to bed at 6 a.m. on weekends!!! Call me crazy, but I'm sorry I just cannot see how this is normal.

The thing is, if such people were the exceptions, then I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, you'll always find people marching to their own drum. But this seems to be the norm these days.
People staying up all night and sleeping in till 1 or 2 p.m.

When dealing with those people, you can see how we truly live in different time zones, even though technically we aren't.

Hasn't anyone told them what my mom always used to say:
"nam bakkeer ou fee2 bakkeer ou shoof il si77a keef bitseer":)

Or haven't they heard that "the early bird gets the worm?"
Actually, maybe they heard this version: "The early bird gets the worm, but the early worm gets eaten"!
Which is actually funny.

But still.

Gotta Invest In A Pillow

I barely had any sleep last night cuz I had tons of work. Getting up this morning was no easy feat- in fact it was an agonizing and almost impossible task. Man that alarm clock sure is annoyingly persistant.

I've driven to school sleepily before but this time was by far the worst. I was actually falling asleep, it was scary.

I literally dragged myself to class and once I was there (since I had no class the first period), I entered, left the curtains closed and the lights off, layed the praying carpet on the floor in a corner and instantly collapsed on it.

It was pretty sad really. Sleeping on the floor is no picnic I tell you (I try to be a "down to earth person" but now I'm thinking that's not always a good idea!!).
The AC was on and the classroom was freezing- I had to make a choice: should I use the only soft object I have (my sweater) as a pillow or to cover at least part of my freezing body? It was a tough call. At the end I decided to wear the sweater and use a stack of books as a pillow. Boy that sure was a failure!! I doubt it would surprise you to know I woke up with a sore neck- ouch.

For the rest of the day, everytime someone caught me flexing my neck in obvious discomfort, they'd ask me what's wrong. I always answered: "I twisted it sleeping on my classroom floor". They'd laugh, say something about me being funny and walk away. No one seemed to even consider it was for real!

That's the beauty of doing something outrageous. You can totally get away with it, simply by admitting it. Aint that sweet?:)