Costa Fortuna Cruise

Want to do something different for your next holiday? Check out this cruise from Costa Fortuna, a friend of mine and his wife took a 3-day cruise back in June and he told me they had a great time. I've seen the big ship at the port in Khasab, Oman when I visited there a few years ago. That was the first time I ever saw a cruise ship close up.

Has anyone taken this trip?

Violence at the Park

My mom took the grand kids out to the park in Fintas for McDonald's and some play time. She took their big wheels we got them from the states for them to ride. I guess there aren't any big wheels in this country as the kids in the park surrounded our kids and were eyeing their rides. One little Egyptian boy grabbed my daughter by her hair and pulled her off her bike so my nephew came over to save her and got called "hywan" (animal) by this little boy. These kids are 3 and 4 year olds and already have violent tendencies?

When they were eating inside the restaurant they had left their bikes outside and my family watched as another Egyptian boy inched his way to my son's bike and then jumped on it and took off so my mom had to chase him down. The sad thing is the parents don't even discipline their kids they just say "sorry" and walk off. All I can say is it's a good thing my sister and I weren't there because we would have ended up at the police station.

How are these children being raised? They think it's ok to pull another child off their bike and steal it? Is this a look into the crimes of the future? Kuwaiti children in their own country being harassed and attacked by children of expats?

When I first came to Kuwait in 2003 it was so much better than it is now. I came to visit during the Kuwaiti Liberation holidays and it was so cool at that time to go and foam people and get sprayed because it was FUN but not anymore. Kids attack people now and open up car doors and pull people out. It's sad when Kuwaiti citizens would rather go on vacation during this time than to be in their own country. I saw pictures of the celebrations back in the 80's, there were parades and joy back then.

I'm afraid to ask what's next?

Today's Ministry adventure

Oh man, I would much rather walk over hot coals than deal with the ministries, especially those that inlove dealing with Kuwaiti females. Unfortunately some braniac in the immigration had at some point combined my first and middle name. My husband then changed it back to my 3 names. When he went to register my son he was told the marriage cert and my name didn't match and we would have to get it changed, until then we can't get the document.

Seriously? He could have let it slip by but he wanted to be a jerk. Today was my appointment in Hawally at some name change ministry place. This is also where all of the bedoon people are going to get their marriage/birth certificates since they have been allowed to have them issued.

This means the people are used to dealing with bedoons and have the crappiest attitudes. My husband has to walk around with his civil id to show them he's Kuwaiti.

When the women see me they get attitudes immediately. We waited for about 20 minutes. The Kuwaiti lady called my name. We sit down and the she asks if I speak Arabic. Well I do to some degree but not all the technical mumbo jumbo. She tells us we must have a translater and my husband can't do it. WTH? I' started contracting again ( another story ) so I have no time to keep going here and there. My husband talked to the manager and he said it's ok if he translates.

That pissed off the Kuwaiti chick. We sat down again and she was like sorry it's 12 and time for me to get off. I don't work overtime. OMG! We did finally have her majesty do the swear in and writing for us but she was pissed off. When we got down to the car the time was 12:08 which means she was trying to get off work early and we messed up her schedule.

While talking to the lady the other Kuwaiti chick was talking on the phone to her mom about purple, black and beige purses. The old bedoon guy came in and she was totally yelling at him. I couldn't even hear the questions being asked. I felt bad for the guy. She was totally rude and so loud. We finished the first step and hopefully my husband can finish the rest. I don't feel like dealing with ministries on my only day off.

I had to get a new number for work because my new company is damn cheap and wants us to have contact with them all the time but they don't want to give us phones or lines. I guess we are responsible for the bill too. I didn't read that in my offer letter. Anyhoo we went to Mangaf to get a work number. As we are finalizing the paperwork in comes a niqabi chick yelling/asking how much the Iphone is. She came in and stood almost on top of me asking about the phone.

Hello! Don't you see me? I really hate when they walk up on you when you are waiting in line or something. It's called PERSONAL SPACE so back off!! So as we are standing there she decides she wants the phone. She gives him some sob story about how her daughter lost her phone and he should give her a good price because she was crying about it WTH? She then told him to hurry up because she had to go to work. Obviously we were invisble or something. All of this on my first day off since I started working.

Like I said I would rather walk across hot coal than deal with b.s. But it seems I always have something that needs ministry attention. I wonder what the next thing will be.