Travel Plans

The weather continues to be lovely here. We may not see the leaves change but fall is definitely in the air.

My trip to Sri Lanka is set for 17 December. There will be tea plantations to visit, gems to be mined and working elephants to watch. It is a haven for mosquitoes, this island nation. Luckily I took a swim in the proper gene pool, so malaria has no power over me. There is, however, a typhoid shot in my future. While most who travel there do not worry about these things, I do not wish to go down in history as Typhoid Nikki.

The week was dominated by the sad loss of Steve Jobs. I mentioned this to the computer teacher, who said she had no idea who he was. I only wish I was making that up. I particularly loved what the President said, that the greatest tribute to him is that so many people found out about his death on a machine he himself invented (or at least vastly improved on.)

A word, finally, about the caste system here in Kuwait. This is a culture where groups do not intermingle. Each nationality, or region of nationalities, keeps to themselves. This is particularly true about the working class. Even if you make friends with someone perceived to be of a lower class, you cannot really be friends. They cannot and will not allow it. To Westerners this is a tough concept. Kuwaitis keep to Kuwaitis, Filipinos keep to Filipinos, etc. Westerners who are used to having friends across the boundaries struggle with this, but that is the way things work here. We had a Canadian teacher who started to date one of our Arab bus drivers. He eventually made his way up the ladder to become head of transportation. They got married, had two adorable kids and are very happy together. She had to leave the school, of course, to avoid the continuing scandal. This was a great exception to the rules. For many Westerners, especially people like me, the Filipinos and others like them are the fun people. They have great food, great family get-togethers, and great fun. They do not, however, mix with those perceived to be above them.

There are different tribes of Kuwaitis and different tribes of others. I must admit to some boredom with my particular tribe. Change, as I keep saying, is in the air.

Oh, and on a totally different note - the local McDonald's is closed for three weeks for renovation and many of us are actually sad about this. Perhaps I need to broaden my horizons just a tad, wouldn't you say!