An explanation of why it takes me so long to post pics or mail stuff

A Day in the Shoes of Bobo,

I wake up at 4-4:50, depending on if im gonna try to read before work or shower or whatever.  I get up, brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed.  That part might take 10 minutes if i have time, or 3 minutes if i overslept, much like college.

I try to leave the apt by 5, or 5:15 depending on who im riding to work with.

After driving 20 minutes to the base, i spend 20 - 40 minutes in the security check line or getting my car searched.

The goal is to be in the office by 6 where i start fixing stuff, taking a breakfast break around 7.  They have kiwi almost every day and if i get a to-go box, i'll stick 3 or 4 in there and eat them throughout the day.  Free food is only not awesome for my tummy, which likes it a little too much.
Lunch is a little after 12, then sometimes i get a to-go box at 5:30 for dinner or just to snack on during the evenings.

We leave the base around 6:30 and are hopefully back at the apt by 7:15.  This leaves 3-4 hours until i need to get to bed, which is why it takes so long to do anything.  My internet is really slow, but we were told there would be DSL at the new apt which we are moving to next month, but we shall see.

During those 3-4 hours, this is what i do:
Read Network+ or CCNA training books, pretty boring, but required for advancement at work
Hang out with Greg and Becca, always fun
Thurs nights i go to church, im really liking it, very small but close
Read good books (i've knocked out 5 books since leaving TX, its a good feeling finishing a book)
Just got my computer working, but i've spend a few nights working on that
I have the newest, greatest computer game, Modern Warfare 2, but have only played it for about 30 minutes so far, i dont want to get sucked into it, there are so many other things i need to do right now
Work out at least once a week, but like i said, tredmills suck, so do stationary bikes
Chat with or try to skype family, and soon friends, but thats all dependent on the internet.

first kuwait market day

So Greg took me to the friday market last week.   sorry this has taken so long to post. this post will be mostly pics, and im gonna try to edit some of my older posts and add pics.

Here is a pic of one of many overpasses with incorrect spelling.  Not sure

here is a picture of the parking.  this is just a small representation of how dumb this country is when is comes to parking, driving and transportation in general.   notice all the cars on the edges of the pic.  they are all parked correctly, then some guy parks his car in the middle, facing the wrong way.  monkey see, monkey do...

here is a little (maybe 5 ft) guy carrying two seats.  good old philippino workers.  they are everywhere. some will follow you around with a wheel barrel and carry all your stuff.  i also saw a guy carrying three chairs, pretty impressive, but i couldn't pull my camera out before he took off.

here is how many couches they had

 

all of those plastic bags on the table each have a remote in them.  and the TV's are all wrapped in plastic wrap.

here you can get a small idea of how big this place was.  you're looking at most of one roof, and part of another.  there were around 16 of those things.  some with electronics (where all of Americas computers from the 90's went) some had hardware and building supplies.  some had clothing, others rugs, others carpets, others furniture, others couches, others toys, and the rest were just random collections of random crap.

i just thought these water towers looked cool.

and here is a road sign on the way back to my apt.

nothing new

just a quick update to let yall know im still ok. 
oh, and i have another "you know you're in kuwait when...."  there is one radio station that plays garth brooks, then lady gaga, then some arab song that sounds very similar to the intro music of the beloved disney classic, Aladdin.

Weird Kuwait, Part 1

Today i start a mini-series into the odd things Kuwaitis do that may be normal to them, but seem fairly odd to this american.

1)   bandsaws in convenience stores.      last week i stopped at a little shop near my apt to get some instant coffee mix. (i've recently started getting up at 4:10 to read a little before i leave for work at 5 and need coffee and dont wanna wait for brewing or i would make real coffee)   i walk into the shop, its about 10 ft wide and 20 feet long, with two isles, very small and cramped.  I start looking around while hearing a buzzing sound and begin to get a little curious. i reach the end of my isle and turn to see a man cutting a piece of wood on a band saw in the back of the store.  this isn't a lumber store, or at least i didn't see any wood or nails on the shelves next to the food and candy.  I shrug this off and after buying some mix, go to the shop right next door and look around.  it is also very small, and guess what, has a bandsaw chilling in the back.  who knows...

2)  Car party.   i left gregs apt last week after accompanying him and becca to church.  church ended around 9pm and after hanging out at his place for a little over an hour, i head back.  while im walking to my car i hear a bunch of honking and look up to see a guy setting on the window seal of a ford explorer.  one hand holding on the the luggage rack, the other in the air waving with the music.  he's got a bandanna on his head like a thug.  there are two cars next to him who are honking and flashing there headlights and all are going slower than traffic which causes congestion because they are driving side by side.  i catch up with them and like the other drivers, flash my brights to signal "Get the crap out of my way!!!"  (thats a very popular kuwait thing to do, and im certain thats what they are saying when they do it)    i eventually pass them and think, really???


more to come as i witness this strange new world of men in dresses and female ninjas.
(side note: what the men wear is more like pajamas, and im a little jealous.  a lot of americans call the females that dress in all black and seem to sneak around ninjas.  its an awesome nickname if you ask me)