Bahrain and Jordan: A Wonderful Holiday

Hello all!

Well, the school year has blasted off to...a start.  I guess one could say that the plane has departed, but we have yet to find out where we are going.  However, time has flown by.  September came and went.  By the month of October, my stress level was a little lower than red alert and before I knew it, Eid Holiday arrived.  Time to travel!  I decided to venture off to Jordan with a group of friends that I met through work.  Eid Holiday break began on Thursday, October 10 at 12:00 when kids were let out early.  However, many families left for vacation prior to Thursday, so I did not have any kids at all on Wednesday or Thursday.  It was a nice way to preface the vacation.

We left for Jordan early Saturday morning and arrived in Bahrain, a small island country lodged between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  Since we had a 9 hour layover, we made our way out into the country, stopping first at Qal'at al-Bahrain, meaning the fort of Bahrain.  It is an old Portuguese fort but was also used by Persians and Kassites (ancient people who controlled Babylonia), and archaeological excavations continue to take place.

After spending some time at Qal'at al-Bahrain, it was time to enjoy a cold glass of beer.  It was delicious and very satisfying being the Kuwait is a dry country!  What a lip smacker!






We arrived in Jordan late Saturday night, made our way to the hostel, ventured about Amman, enjoyed shawarma, and went to bed.  The next morning we spent time around the Roman ruins of Amman, including the theater and the Citadel.  It continues to blow my mind as to how far the Roman Empire expanded.  I have seen ruins in Italy (of course), Spain and Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula, and now the Middle Eastern country of Jordan.  The sites were quite impressive.

At the Citadel

The Roman Theater

View from the Citadel

Madaba was the next stop.  There we were able to enjoy a beautiful view of the Dead Sea and witnessed the rolling hills and mountains of the surrounding land. 

We also got a taste of the lovely mosaics, for which Madaba is known.  We made a stop at the mosaic museum which included the work of what will be the world's largest mosaic...The King's Way.  I was able to glue a stone on one of the panels.  My stone is one of 3.5 million mosaic stones.  When the piece is finished, it will be 30 meters long and 6 meters wide.  I made the record books.
















We stayed one night in Madaba, but would return.  It was time to travel to Wadi Rum.  The sights of Wadi Rum were incredible.  No photo will do justice to the scenery.  I have not seen anything that resembles the landscape of place.  I can imagine that there are locations in southwest United States that are similar, but not to the extent or the extreme.  The plethora of magnificent mountains and rock structures that encircled me were breathtaking.  The red and orange sand dunes that glinted in the sunlight were like that of a different planet.  The stars...bright, clustered, and extravagant.  It was an amazing experience.  The Bedouin food and tea were delicious.  The people were friendly and the time spent at the campsite was relaxing and peaceful.  After one night at the camp, we spent four hours driving around Wadi Rum taking in a few of many amazing rock structures.  It was absolutely beautiful.

 

After Wadi Rum, we journeyed to Petra.  I did not realize how much surface area Petra covered.  We spent two days at Petra enjoying the rock structures, hiking through canyons, and climbing mountains and cliffs to witness incredible views.  During the second day, we set of on the 800-step climb to the Monastery.  It reminded me of the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon.  Again, the orange, brown, and red rock structures were certainly amazing.

 Here are two pictures of the Treasury.  This is one of the main structures that people come to view.  After a mile and a half of amazing canyon, you come upon this sight!!!

Indiana Jone and the Last Crusade was filmed here.  Indy and the gang stroll into the Treasury to find the Holy Grail.  Of course I was humming Raiders March while I was at Petra.

Petra is known as one of the wonders of the world!  It earns the title

A tomb at Petra.

The Monastery!!!  Truly a magnificent wonder!

After Petra, we spent one more night in Madaba and on the final day relaxed at a beach resort on the Dead Sea.  Time to float.  That was a strange feeling.  I literally bobbed like an apple in the water.  It was good, however, that I did not attempt to go under...way too salty.  I experienced the Dead Sea mud on my skin.  After washing it off, one's skin is very smooth.  The resort was a great way to end the trip.  Also, Israel was on the other side of the water.  Pretty cool.

A beautiful view and a great way to end an amazing trip.

Floating...still floating!

Dead Sea mud spa!

We flew out late, late Thursday night and arrived in Kuwait at 2:30 am Friday morning.  The trip was wonderful, refreshing, and needed.  Getting back into the routine of school was challenging, but not excruciating.  I am amazed that October is almost complete.  Time is flying by and I am having wonderful experiences.  Jordan was great and I look forward to traveling again.

Thanks for reading and there are many more photos on Facebook!

Peace
-Tony

A Day in a Life

Hello all!  I have decided to dedicate this blog to my daily routine during the school week.  Settle in.

If I am not awakened by morning prayer at 4:30 a.m., my alarm goes off and a new day begins.  As I am getting ready for the school day, I hear the intermittent cooing of the pigeons outside my window, which doesn't offer much of a view, but that is okay.  I am usually out of my door at twenty to seven and calmly stroll to school, located a block away.  As I walk, I wonder about the surprises that will greet me throughout the morning and afternoon, some of which are rewarding...others that don't have the pleasure.

I arrive at school around 6:45 a.m. and make my way up to my room to prepare for my first period class.  On a side note, an interesting thing (one of many) about the school is that everyday is a different schedule.  Three days a week, I have a first period class.  Everyday, I have two 55 minute planning periods...a great gift!  There is break duty that needs to be attended to and if I am lucky enough, I will have the pleasure of substituting for an Arabic class with a group of students I have never had.  Wonderful fun!!!  On Tuesday afternoon, I have a Humanities Department meeting.  Back to the day.  At 7:10 a.m. I make my way down to the playground area where all the boys (grade 1 through 12) are getting ready for flag ceremony and morning assembly.  This is done every morning, which is nice as the boys need routine and consistency.  When the music begins to play, all students line up according to grade level.  When the music stops, three students chant into the microphone.  They chant three different salutes three times.  From what I understand, they salute the flag of Kuwait and the Amir!  All students repeat the chants.  If one is not quite awake, the chants will help.  The soaring voices fill the outside playground area.  After the chants, the national anthem of Kuwait is sung.  At the end of the anthem, passages of the Quran are read and sung.  The young lad who sings is very good and I always enjoy listening to him.  After the morning assembly, the principal greets the boys who politely greet him back.  The principal then dismisses the students grade by grade.  Now, let the day begin.

Basically, the days are very chaotic.  For each lesson in grade 7 and 9, I take some time to settle the boys down, have them do a daily warmup and after 20 minutes, we dig into the daily lesson for the remaining 35 minutes.  It is hectic but after each lesson, I am always able to say to myself, "We got work done!"  I have come to accept the notion that the boys like to talk, enjoy "play fighting", and must have directions repeated 17 times.  They need to be busy.  Bottom line.  Thirty seconds of freedom and the students could be talking to each other, getting out of their seats, and/or walking up to me and asking me questions.  So just like that, the class can be out of control.  After two or three minutes, I get them to sit back down and be quiet and we begin again.  However, as the weeks go on, the students are getting better and better at being on time, completing the warm-up, and sitting still for the lesson to begin.  It is definitely an experience.

At the end of the day, I sit in my room.  Just me!  For about five minutes, I take in the silence.  No pen clicking.  No finger tapping.  No blowing noses and no furniture scraping across the cement floor.  It is beautiful. 

I am able to sign out at 2:30 p.m.  I make my way home and figure out something to do during the evenings.  Fahaheel comes to life after 7 p.m. but that is another blog.  All in all, the job is an experience.  Something different happens everyday and I do enjoy the variety.  However, the days are draining and I really look forward to the weekends!

So, thanks for reading!  Eid holiday begins on Thursday and I am off to Jordan on Saturday!  I will post after the vacation.

-Peace

I have been telling myself to update my blog, update my blog, update my blog!  There are a few reasons why I have stayed away from it. 
1. Nothing really exciting has been happening since my last post
2. To contradict the first reason, I have been very busy and haven't found time
3. To contradict the second reason, I have been lazy.

But in all seriousness, the life routine of Tony Bissen has taken to flight.  I have been looking for things to blog about, but time before and after school is consistent, busy, and normal.  There always is something that needs to be done.  Groceries, laundry, school work, blogging, cooking, cleaning, etc.  After school, most days I want to just sit, play some meditating music on my guitar, drink some orange juice, and stare at the beige colored walls of my cockroach infested, comfortable apartment while drifting off into space.  But life is short and I find it more relaxing to explore Fahaheel, watch people carry on with their lives, visit unique shops and restaurants, and take in all Kuwait has to offer.

The weekends are different, and this past weekend was very much enjoyable.  My friends and I took a trip to Kuwait City to experience the Friday market.  We viewed a football (soccer) match and blasted each other in a game of paintball near the Kuwait Towers.

To understand the Friday market is simple.  You can get almost everything and anything there! 'Tis true.  My buddy told me last year, he and his friend bought back his friend's stolen hockey gear. So...you get the picture.  Whether you would like a floor mat, a Persian rug, a shower head, pots and pans, some new (and used) shoes, a turkey, an extremely large parrot, or some pink and yellow chicks, you can find it all at the Friday market.  Apparently, my friend has also seen monkeys being sold at the market, and every now and then, one may be lucky enough to see a cheetah or tiger being sold.  I have heard that lately the police have begun to put a stop to the illegality of the selling of wild cats.  However, many people who work at my school for some years have seen people driving on the road with a cheetah in the passenger seat.  I bet many of the kids I teach have some sort of exotic pet.

Anyway, during or after a busy day of buying 'stuff,' people can relax with some tea, shisha, or shawarma.  And you guessed right!  All of the food, drinks, and tobacco are located at the market.  Even if it is call to prayer, people will not hesitate to remove their shoes and pray.  Afterwards, they can go and bargain for some pigeons or pillows.  All in all, the Friday market was great.  It is easy to get lost but is a wonderful area to see many people interact with each other.  I aim to go back with some large bags to fill up.  Mom and siblings, do not ask where you get your Christmas presents from.

On Friday evening, after the market, I was fortunate enough to watch a soccer match between two local club teams.  The players for the club teams are professionals and do get paid.  It was a unique experience.  I was served tea and interacted with many Kuwaiti fans.  Even though Fahaheel lost, the event was rewarding.  

Finally, on Saturday evening, I enjoyed a friendly game of paintball for a friend's birthday celebration.  The place was right next to the Kuwait Towers on the Arabian Gulf.  What a beautiful evening and a fantastic end to the weekend. 

Enjoy the photos.  Thank you all for reading.  My next blog, I will update on specifics about my school day.  Please prepare yourselves.  
-Peace

 Good food all over the place!

Multicolored chicks are always nice pets to have.

 A typical crowd at a soccer game in Kuwait!

The mosque at the Friday market

 If one would like to buy a parrot...

The bird was huge!!!

Bargaining for birds.

 The Kuwait Towers.

Lock and load!  Guess which one is me.

 

Friday the 13 marked the two week anniversary of my stay in Kuwait.  A lot has happened since August 30, from settling into my apartment to getting a classroom set up to exploring around Fahaheel and meeting many new people, things have been crazy, chaotic, relaxing, and enjoyable.

The first week of school was definitely an experience. I won't go into much detail but it consisted of two groups of rowdy 7th grade boys who enjoy talking, talking, and talking some more.  The 9th graders are a bit more relaxed and the 11th graders are very easy to work with, respectful and enjoy being in school.  At least, this is all based on my observation from the first week.

During the weekend, I enjoyed some beach time in Salmiya.  There was great company, wonderful food, shisha, and relaxation.  It was much needed after the first week of school.  On Saturday, I traveled to Kuwait City with some friends.  We dined at a delicious Egyptian restaurant and strolled through the grand souk of Kuwait City.  The night ended with some lemon mint shisha.

Today marked the second full week of school.  I will admit, it is tough getting into a routine that is much different than that of the United States.  Therefore, it was really hard getting up this morning to go to school.  However, the days go by fast, I have acquired a gym membership not too far from my apartment, and I am constantly in the mood to just walk around and explore Fahaheel.  In the same breathe, I have almost become an expert at ironing.  Point is...there is plenty to do to stay busy and enjoy the time in Kuwait.  I look forward to traveling during Eid which is in October.  Right now the options are Sri Lanka, Jordan, Lebanon, or Oman.  Plenty of choices! 

It is an easy lifestyle in Kuwait and that really is nice for a stressful guy like me.  I have tasted delicious food, conversed with great people, and have taken the time to appreciate what Kuwait and the Middle East has to offer.  I know this is a quick update but posts will continue to come.  Thanks for reading.

 A couple of the buddies buying some stuff at the souk.

 Everyone is always willing to get their picture taken.  This man was happy to show his fish.

 Plenty of fresh fruit.

 When the souk is not busy, the sellers find time to sleep.

 I love the simplicity of the country.

 The Liberation Tower in Kuwait City.

 Making bread, which is absolutely delicious.

 Checking the shisha coals.

Arrival

I arrived in Kuwait on Friday, August 30, 2013.  As the United Airlines jet was flying into the Kuwait International Airport, I was able to get a wonderful view of Kuwait City.  My mind was racing with thoughts of excitement, anxiety, and comfort as I new this was for real...I was beginning a new adventure in the Middle East.

I met a wonderful lady on the plane.  She was sitting next to me.  She is originally from Kuwait but grew up in the states.  She was going back to Kuwait as a teacher and was very helpful in assisting me with the long process of the arrival of an international flight.  She also gave me some wonderful advice about teaching in the schools and interacting with the locals of Kuwait.  As we waited for our luggage (my two checked bags were near the end), we walked out to find the drivers.  Sure enough, I spotted three men holding a sign that read, "Future Bilingual Schools."  I said goodbye to Amna and walked over to meet my principal and some new staff.

Our first order of business was to get SIM cards.  Go figure.  Cell phones are a necessity in the Middle East.  After an hour of waiting for five people to get SIM cards, we drove for 30 minutes to the apartment complex in Fahaheel.  It was a quick transaction from getting the bags out of the car, into the apartment, and me falling into bed for a wonderful sleep.

The next day, Saturday, after unpacking and getting the apartment into some kind of order, I explored around Fahaheel.  It was hot, sunny, and much different from Austin, MN and Barrow, AK.  I found some local markets to buy groceries and necessities for the apartment such as an ironing board.  School was starting the next day and I needed to make sure that the dress shirts were looking spiffy.  I will admit, Saturday was a tough day.  I knew that it was going to be difficult adjusting to the new apartment, location, lifestyle, etc.  The list goes on and on.  However, Sunday came quick and I was so eager to see the school, meet new people and begin the job as an English teacher for grades seven, nine, and eleven.

The returning staff were all so helpful.  My HOD (Head of Department), a wonderful lady from India assisted me, as well as the new staff, in getting textbooks, yearly plans, classroom resources, etc.  I was happy to see that the seventh grade text was Bridges to Literature, a curriculum that I am very familiar with from Barrow.  As, I opened up the book, I saw that the first story in Unit 1 was Baseball Saved Us.  It is a wonderful story about  Japanese boy in the internment camps during WWII.  I read the book many times as a kid.  Then, I found out that I would be teaching a novel study for the ninth grade and the book will be The Outsiders.   Again, a favorite book of mine.  Things were looking up.

On Tuesday, school started for grades 7-12.  Just like that.  Two days of class preparation, department and staff meetings and you are thrown into "the wolves' den" (a staff member's words, not mine).  While I am thinking about the first day with students, I was also wondering about when I was going to get a shower curtain and internet in the apartment?  When was I going to get a stove cord?  When was my toilet in the apartment going to flush?  I was so flustered, under a great deal of pressure but I kept telling myself, "Everyone is feeling this way."  So, eleven 7th graders showed up the first day, zero 9th graders, and zero 11th graders.  Good news came when Mr. Tony (the boys school principal) told all the boys to go home and don't come back until Sunday.  By the way, since all the students refer to the teachers as Mr. or Mrs. Firstname, I cannot be Mr. Tony because that would confuse the kids.  So I am adjusting to Mr. Anthony.  27 years of being called Tony and now Anthony.  That will be the biggest change.  Anyway, what a relief?  Now I had all week to prepare my classroom and ask a zillion questions to the HOD and the returning staff.

After school was out, the new staff members and I would walk around Fahaheel, exploring, shopping, getting to know each other.  It was great.  Another roadblock occurred when I was cutting some cucumbers for dinner on Wednesday night.  A stupid mistake left me with two stitches in my left index finger!  That's all that has to be said about that.  On Thursday, the school treated the new staff members to dinner.  We ate some wonderful Arabic food...grilled meats, kabobs, delicious salad called fattoush, hummus, and all the Arabic bread you could eat.  Delicious!

The weekend was great, relaxing and hot.  On Friday, I spent the day and night with the new staff members at Salmiya (Sal-MEE-yuh), a more populated and wealthier area of Kuwait.  We ate Arabic food, walked along the beaches, strolled through the malls, smoked shisha, and ate more Arabic food.  I was also introduced to some other teachers who are teaching at a school in Salmiya.  It is not hard to meet people in Kuwait.  Overall, it was a great evening and wonderful first weekend.  That brings me to today (Saturday, September 7).

Tomorrow, is the first "official" day of school.  I think I am ready but we will see.  Everyone in the school, and I mean everyone, has expressed the same message to all the new staff.  Be strict on the first day.  Be firm on the first day.  Keep the kids busy all the time...especially the boys.  If you don't, it will be a long, long year.  We will see how it goes.

So far, it has been very busy and to be honest, I haven't taken many pictures.  This starting post is just an introduction and many more posts will come.  After a week of being in Kuwait, I have enjoyed myself immensely.  School is starting tomorrow and I should get to work reviewing my lesson plans.  Thanks for reading.  I will keep you all updated.