Carpet Folklore with Hussain.

We are lucky this year to know about Hussain and Ali's so early on in the year. Every summer Hussain goes back to his hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan and searches out the best carpets he can find. He also travels to Iran and collects more authentic, hand woven carpets by women of the various villages. Once back in Kuwait, they primarily focus their sales on teachers, either because we are suckers for their prices or they just genuinely like us because we're truly interested in how the carpets are made, where they come from and the stories that are embedded in the designs. Hussain is an amazing story teller and educator of carpets himself, so it is a timeless experience when you walk through their doors up the uneven stairs & land in their small loft stuffed floor to ceiling with exotic carpets. On Friday night Geoff and I went down for our first visit since being back. We ended up leaving 3 hours later at 11:30p.m. (our Sunday night) with 4 carpets to try out back home. Hussain let's us bring carpets back that we like, lay them around the place and then decide if we truly desire any or not. No strings attached. I am loving having all these carpets around the place. Nice carpets made from neck of lambs wool are so soft it's like petting your favorite cat or dog. I think they're starting to take the place of not having animals for us.
Tonight we learned the difference between 'inshallah' and 'mashallah'. Inshallah is if God wills me to be there or have something happen that I am saying yes to, then I will be there and it will happen, otherwise it may not. Mashallah is when you see something very beautiful and you pay a compliment to the person, such as "I love your gorgeous carpet!" you say afterwards, mashallah. Meaning that God now protects your carpet from anything evil or awful happening to it. Next time we will bring our camera and get some shots of this wonderful storytelling experience.
I wish all of you strong health in body and mind and may the beauty around you soak into your pores and feed your spirit, ma'al salama, Leslie, Geoff and tribe.

RAMADAN KAREEM!

Once again Ramadan has rolled around the lunar calendar and officially been declared as of Sept. 23rd except if you're Shite and then it will begin on the 25th as stated in the Globe. Geoff and I were wondering why the Shite mosque next to our building, one of the largest in Kuwait, has been so quiet these last two nights. I was feeling lucky thinking that they were not as busy at the mosque this year for some reason. The reason is because they have not officially begun. Tomorrow night will tell. This picture is not the mosque next to our building, it is a small prayer mosque along the corniche that people can use while out for a stroll. These types of prayer mosques are all over for people to use should you be shopping in the mall or out at the Friday market, you are never without a proper place to pray.
We have started Ramadan Acts of Kindness for this month in the middle school. The students play 'the Smile Game' and hand over their smile card when they tag another student with a kind deed they did for them. I took the idea from the random acts of kindness and adopted to our school population. It's fun and helps us all focus on how much we help each other all the time and don't even realize it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to stop the bullying and fighting.
To keep life balanced, there's always Starbucks for a cafe break. While the holy month of Ramadan is in effect all shops are closed until the fast is broken at sundown, including all cafes. Luckily, this year we hauled our espresso machine back with us, so we are never without.

Backtrack to Summer in Canada!

Heading back home after our first year abroad was a welcome plane flight! We were all tired and ready for some fresh air, reconnecting with family and friends, and general lazing around. There was so much we did I can't capture all in one post. I will put together another album you can access online (stay tuned). We had fabulous weather the whole summer and it made me love Canada even more. Everywhere we went was so beautiful. The Kootenays, West Coast, Gulf Islands, & across to the East and onto a small, rock island tucked away in Georgian Bay were all stops for us this summer. Geoff finally actualized his wish to ressurrect our tipi at the Starbelly Music Festival in Crawford Bay. It looked awesome! If it hadn't been so hot and buggy we could've spent more time inside it.
This was the first summer in a long time where I really didn't have much I 'had' to do. It was so nice to do a lot of nothing. I must admit it took me a bit to get used to it and not feel guilty about being the productive virgo I usually am (or think I am!). Once I got into the swing of having my own time to ride my bike, swim, wake up when my body wanted to, visit with all of you (which never felt like enough time), I couldn't imagine going back to work. If it wasn't for the ol' bank account dropping, I might be somewhere else right now. It was so wonderful to see as many of you as we did. I never felt like there was enough time though and for those of you we missed, I hope next summer will bring us together. We split our time between West and East so it makes planning a challenge sometimes.
We did something different this year and rented a solar powered cottage in Georgian Bay with Geoff's brother, Michael this year for 2 weeks. It was absolutely beautiful there. Endless waters, sunshine, warm lake temperatures, cousins playing, boatrides out to fabulous rock islands where you could lounge around like otters sunning on the smooth, heated rocks and then slip into the natural rock pools to cool off. Summer is the time to charge up the 'nature battery' and store it inside so when I'm feeling deprived of nature, I can give myself a charge from the storehouse. One strategy for surviving life in a desert.
I can't recount the events of the summer without mentioning that significant changes impacted the larger Peake family. This was the very unfortunate passing of our dearest and sweetest sister in law, Bev. I found a quote that helps me to grapple with the changes and accept that which does not come easily ~ "sorrow comes to stretch out spaces in the heart....for joy." For those of us left with the gift of our breath, we find ways to keep moving on. Move forward with joy and a zest for life that allows you to have nothing to regret when the angels come for you.
Our family wishes all of you the best of health and that your days are filled with love and joy. Allow yourself to be surprised!

Start fresh with a new school year! Sept. 2006

Welcome back to sunny, hot Kuwait! We have just completed 2 weeks of school and life is starting to get into a rhythm, one that starts too early for my liking, but something I have no say in. I've moved offices so I'm not in the thick of students anymore which gives me more breathing space during the day. We have a new middle school principal and a new systems and programs in place that are designed to support students socially and behaviourally before they get to me. I'm overseeing the new advisory program that we've started which is exciting because it will allow me to support the teachers in helping the students with their day to day social/academic problems. I can have more time to focus on student learning issues and monitoring other programs like peer mentoring and career stuff. I'm really hoping for a different experience this year as the middle school counselor. This year I feel a lot more 'in the know' than I did last year, which is a good thing.
Geoff was fortunate to get moved to high school and is digging into the Grade 10, 11 IB, and 12 english courses. Once again, he's putting together the curriculum for this year. More late nights, too much marking, and brand new material to deliver. So far, he's loving the switch to HS. and counting his blessings he's not dealing with all the complaining from students that goes with MS. territory.
Megin is in grade 9, Brendan in grade 7. The years are moving by quickly. The transition this year into AIS for them has definitely been easier, although I can't pretend that going to school with 95% Arab kids who speak Arabic outside the classroom is easy for them. The experience will leave profound memories for them, I hope positive as they grow up and integrate the best of all worlds.