As always don’t forget to check me out through my twitter feed and thanks for thanks for reading. More updates as and when I go along. Hopefully with not so much as a time gap now I am set up here in sunny Kuwait.
Mr NQ8T
Don’t Forget
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Kuwait
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Another photo from Kuwait City
Heartbreak High
I feel it fair to mention at this point that I have found this experience so far all the more interesting for the fact that I of course have my girlfriend waiting for me at home. There are several teachers at the school who are married and a few more who are divorced but have children. I find it very odd why someone who already had wives/husbands/children etc., would chose to work and live in Kuwait. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Kuwait, far from it. I would just suggest that I feel there are plenty of teaching jobs around in the UK and that being so far away with very sketchy internet is difficult. Already I find myself counting down the days until I can return to the UK. Again, not because I want to leave Kuwait, more because of the overwhelming emotional pull to be re-united with my girlfriend. I guess I should add a footnote to my family and friends as well in-case any of them ever find out and think I’ve forgotten them. Not at all- I just Facebook them instead.
Mr NQ8T.
Kuwait City
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A picture of Kuwait city Skyline
The Big City
During a week off for Eid Mubarak, myself and a colleague took a trip into Kuwait city to explore the museums for a trip we would like to plan. This would be great of course considering that it was on my list of things to do whilst here. Unfortunately trying to go to anywhere during the week was like trying to go to shops on Christmas day. They were all shut. Plus, surprisingly as I said with school- if its not science, they don’t care. Try asking a taxi driver in Kuwait city to take you to Kuwait National Museum and I imagine you will get the same response as we did. They have not a bloody clue where it is. Why? They don’t care. The science centre however looks fantastic and modern and has an Imax cinema which currently has a 3D film showing about great white sharks, just next to the aquarium. My colleague went and saw this film after we were in the city and told me it was a must see (which I will next week) and only cost him around 3kd (£6).
In addition to seeing all the sites Kuwait has to offer, despite them being shut, I also visited 360 Mall and Avenues Mall. Avenues being the largest mall in Kuwait. Believe me when I tell you, it is massive! HUGE! Feel free to look them up for yourselves. Whilst at the Avenues I invested in a mini HD projector as the TV in my flat was very dated and the PS3 I brought with me to entertain me was going unused. I managed to get a HD mini projector with speakers and a full size screen for just 80kd (£160). I then got some larger speakers for £12. As I write this blog I am sitting watching Harry Potter on Blu-Ray, through my PS3 and projector. It’s like being in a cinema.
Mr NQ8T.
Al Kout Mall
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The Fountain at Al Kout Mall
Working 7-2
Work. After a short 5 hour sleep I pulled myself out of bed at 6am and was downstairs for 7 to take our school teacher bus to school. It transpired that the other two flats on my floor also had teachers from school in and on a higher floor my head of apartment also lived.
With no clue what I was doing, only that I was teaching 6 lessons that day, I went into school and started trying to sort out what the hell I was doing. In the mornings before the school day begins, the whole school has to say a short prayer and blessing for Kuwait and the Emir, in addition to a rising of flags and singing of the national anthem.
The first week for me at the school was a real chore and I spent the whole time playing a sort of catch up as I had no idea what I was teaching. The main reason for this I now know to be the state of technology in Kuwait. Despite my school being advanced in technology- they are still a little behind the basic state school in the UK. There is no SIMS, no real on-line bank of information and all registers are done the old fashioned way, in a planner. Also, in terms of data- EAL is your main issue (naturally) and SEN is quite a lot trickier. In terms of SEN, no students here in Kuwait have SEN. This is because their culture determines that no parent will admit that their child has any problem. Dyslexia doesn’t exist, Dyspraxia doesn’t exit and nor does ADHD. In reality pupils here in Kuwait do have these things in all their variety, it simply means that you are not going to find any data for them and the only diagnosis or statements for them that you will get is your own personal opinion and judgment. Differentiation can only be aimed toward those you think will need it.
I was taken to a phone shop on my first night in Kuwait and I got a cheap 5kd Nokia phone, pay as you go, and a USB Dongle for internet. For 3 months internet, 3G, 30GB per month I paid 30kd. So 10kd a month (£20) for internet. It works alright as for, little slow at times, but it works and I have been skyping my girlfriend for at least 2 hours a day since I got here, along with downloading stuff and watching things and I’m still well under the 30gb for this month. You can only get the 4G internet or contract phones once you have your Civil ID, bank account as well. This is a measure of making sure lots of expats don’t enter Kuwait and leave without paying their bills. Your accounts are directly linked to your Civil ID so if you tried to leave, you would get flagged at the airport and would not be allowed to exit the country without paying up your bills. Also as part of the civil ID you have your finger prints taken, in case you decide to break the law whilst you’re here as well. In addition to this, you will never find a post-box in Kuwait, nor see a postman. It just doesn’t happen. Buildings have no post boxes and doors have no letter boxes. Because no one pays rates in Kuwait, you don’t need letters. So people don’t send them. For myself, my mail is sent and paid for through the school or through a company like FedEx.
In addition to teaching here in Kuwait, its fair to say that some of the pupils I teach are far richer now that I shall ever be, and with parents who have such vast amounts of wealth and power comes the obvious arrogance and laziness. Try as you like with some of these pupils, they most likely will never make an effort unless they are told to by parents at home. The focus is very much Maths and Science, followed by English. Unless your maths and science, your subject is considered an extra, a chore, or a time filler. Although in defence to students here, we are only ever talking one out of 20 who fall into the rich and powerful and lazy category.
Venturing Out
After around a week of staying in and only shopping in places close, I decided to leave my flat by myself in an attempt to get used to the place. I have found that orientating yourself here can be difficult because the only material they build out of here is concrete, so all buildings look the same. So long as I knew which way the sea was, I was pretty alright with where I was. Just up the road from me is a mall called Al Kout. This mall is pretty good and it has a cinema and some good shops. The best part of Al Kout has to be the outside food court area which overlooks either the sea or a really amazing water fountain which at night is lit up and is often accompanied by music. There is also another food court inside the mall. You get all your usual eaters here, McDonald’s, burger king, pizza hut, subway, as well as all your other big American chains and coffee places like costa and Starbucks. In reality it’s the same as the UK. Only hotter and depending on what you get, a little cheaper.
As a small shopping comparison- I can buy 2.5 litres of Coca-Cola for 300fils, which is 65pence. And a Large burger and chips with a drink in Burger King will cost you around £2.30. Other things like electronics and brand clothes are the same prices as you would get in the UK. So key information acquired here is- food and drink cheaper, brand products- same.
Mr NQ8T
The Flat
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View near my house
Home Sweet Home
My arrival to Kuwait saw me meeting my new principal and fellow department colleague. I cared little for the scenery as we drove to my new apartment, what with being awake for around 36 hours, but what I do remember was the rather ominous welcome I got. When we arrived at one of several buildings the school rents flats, the paint on the lift door was peeling and the general look of the building was a bit neglected. As the lift doors opened up to my floor, the hall light flickered and fritz. This reminded me strongly of one of the hostel movies. However once inside I found the apartment to be basic- but pretty good. So long as there is working air-con in this country I think everything else is just a bonus. But it’s a nice large one bedroom flat, it has a balcony, it has a good shower and it even has a sea view. All in all, I was rather pleased (as an additional comment, the light in the hall still doesn’t work, I believe someone did try to fix it once but it just seemed to fuse all the lights in the stairwell for our floor as well) (it’s alright in the day though).
Mr NQ8T.
Leaving Dodge
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Flying to Kuwait
NQ8T 