the end.

today i fly home, in 12 hours to be exact. the other day my mom asked if i was glad i came back to kuwait. well, that's a tough question. on a day-to-day basis the answer would probably be no. but as an overall life experience and chance to travel more in this region of the world, a resounding yes. and so, after two summers in kuwait, i don't claim to have all the answers, nor even many of them, but i do have a few observations. about myself, life, and humanity. in no particular order...

-socialization. we are products of our environment. i am more and more convinced of this each passing day (good thing considering i'm a sociologist). we are often so quick to judge others who live differently than us and fail to see that chances are, if we were raised in that environment, we'd probably be doing the same thing.

-equality. it's essential. across gender, race, class, sexual orientation, nationality origins. the united states still has a long way to go on this one, but i will give the good ol' u.s. of a some credit after living in kuwait.

-workers rights. i have no idea how people can so blatantly dehumanize others on the basis of their nationality. this has been the most disturbing facet of my two summers here.

-cultural relativism. has its limits. i do believe there are certain things that are 'right' and others that are 'wrong.' (see above two statements on equality and workers rights).

-appearances. you cannot judge on the basis of them. at all. covering (wearing a hijab or a burqa) is just as much a cultural representation as it is a religious one. all women who do so are not ignorant and unknowing.

- freedom. i've started to understand what it really means to have it. and why we need it. and why its a privilege. but not why we should go starting wars in the name of it.

-comfort. i see why people cling to it. i often desire it, yet also often find myself in situations that offer little of it. kuwait isn't the most difficult place i've lived (that honor belongs to oakland), but it has been difficult. in the end, however, i do believe the more fulfilling life is that of adventure and risk.

-privilege. wow, do i have it. when asked if i'll return to kuwait, i believe my initial response was, "please let me unemployed in the u.s. before returning to kuwait." hello privilege. you think everyone in kuwait wants to be here?

-self. i've had a bit too much time with it lately. i'm not as independent as you may think. and far more fearful and negative than i'd like to admit. but also, i have realized, so incredibly thankful for amazing people to live my life with. you, by far, make me a better person and my life more enjoyable.

and once again, many thanks for your support, skype calls, emails, facebook messages, throughout the summer. it's made it seem like i wasn't so far away. can't wait for the reunion. see you very soon!

the american.

i'm pretty sure this is how i'll be remembered forever in marsa alam, egypt. well first, apparently not many americans travel to egypt (such a loss), so for many of the hotel staff, i was the first american they'd ever met. and the most common response i got to being american? some praise for obama! that's right. people around the world are stoked for obama (plus, seriously, his policies for the MENA [middle east north africa] region couldn't possibly get any worse than bush).

biggest highlight of the vacation: i went scuba diving. and it was phenomenal! well, i was not phenomenal at it, but the experience itself was. so, a brief synopsis. i decide i'm gonna go diving (thanks to a fantastic birthday present from shauna and joe). i show up at 2 pm to get a brief intro to diving. i am following somewhat, and yet, also distracted by the attractiveness of my diving instructor. ok, so then we go out to the house reef and lagoon. on our walk out we talked about politics and certain people hating others (i was amazed how people responded to be being 'american' without knowing anything else about me). walid gave an example. apparently he was robbed in the town he lives in, but not is from. he said, of course, i don't hate all the people from that town, just the man that robbed me. exactly. at the time, it seemed so painfully obvious. of course you don't generalize your dislike to a whole group of people based on an experience with one of them. yet, how many of us do that consistently? ok, let the diving proceed. i practice breathing and equalizing and all these other terms i don't really understand. and then, let the dive begin. i tell walid, said attractive diving instructor, that i completely trust him, but not myself. and if i were on the oprah show, i think it'd be some 'ah-ha moment.' i trust this man i just met one hour ago but not myself who i have now known for some 29 years. good meredith. ok, so we dive. it's a bit crazy. i freak out a couple more times and we have to surface. walid is laughing. we're joking the whole time. he tells me this is his most memorable first dive (probably cause it's the most difficult). when we finally surface we're talking to another diving guide on the jetty. he asks how it was. i said good, but i was scared. and then, another 'ah-ha moment.' he says, yes, americans are always afraid for no reason--it's difficult to teach them to do anything. seriously.

this vacation was perfect. i was definitely sad to leave, although i realized that leaving meant that many hours closer to flying home. i do believe the countdown is now at 36 hours. can't wait to see many of you soon!

slacker.

friends, sorry i've been a slacker on the blogs as of late. gosh, i don't know how people keep a blog going all year--i can barely manage just for the summer. so, here's some highlights as of late:

- school's out. yesterday was my last day of teaching. woo hoo. had breakfast with students today. peace out.

- vacation. tonight i'm headed to the siani peninsula/red sea for a little vacation--laying on the beach, swimming with fishes, drinking wine. i'm excited. and as some of you have warned me, i'll make sure not to get stuck on my balcony like i did last year.

- home. we are all anxious to return home. this summer has been good for me. a true realization of the things i do actually value about the united states (never thought you'd hear me say that, huh!? :). we fly home tuesday evening and arrive in blacksburg wednesday night. if you're around the 'burg, there's a little welcome back party at the rivermill thursday (aug 20) at 7 pm. c'mon out.

ok, i think that's all for now. i'll try to take some photos in marsa alam and post them when i return. can't wait to see many of you in just under a week! peace from the middle east.

import/export.

the other night we journeyed on down to the souqs of kuwait. at the souqs you buy scarves, fruits/vegetables, perfume, prayer beads, gold--a traditional market, of sorts. the souqs are an interesting place. first, competition is steep. there really is little variety in what is being sold, yet so many vendors vying for your dollar. second, there are specific areas of the souq just dominated by men. seriously. on our way home we passed a street where there wasn't a woman in sight (except us in the taxi). but third, what i really want to talk about is this. so, in kuwait, as you know, there's shopping malls galore. and within said shopping malls, no matter how 'high end' they may be, american fast food abounds--mcdonalds, kfc, burger king, nathan's--you want it, i'm sure they've probably got it. but, what i was really shocked, and actually, rather appalled to see last night was in the middle of the traditional souqs of kuwait, there they were, peering through the narrow aisles of the souqs--those infamous golden arches. seriously!? in the one area of kuwait where it seems there still is some semblance of traditional arabic culture, freakin mcdonalds!? oh, but look to the right meredith, there's a dunkin' donuts too.

all this has actually got me thinking a lot. in class the other day we talked about the rise of religious fundamentalism in kuwait. it's really important for you to know, if you already don't, that the rise in religious fundamentalism is a relatively recent development. the return to conservative dress, moral laws, and fundamentalist interpretation of the koran is not how kuwait, nor much of the middle east, has always been. and when might you ask did this change? post iraqi-invasion. brief history. iraq invades kuwait. united states comes to aid of kuwait. many years of war. iraq finally leaves kuwait. american culture, including fast food, establishes prominence in kuwait. many kuwaitis embrace it. many religious conservatives reject it. in an effort to resist western cultural infiltration there is a return to fundamentalist rhetoric and governance. insert your understanding of the middle east today.

and on a final tangent, here's some scarves now appropriated for fashion. i was trying to explain my concern for cultural appropriation, or as one of my favorite professors calls 'cultural canibalism' yesterday but seemed to fall short in my explanation. just so interesting, to say the least, that a symbol once associated with the 'other' is now a source of hip. i guess we've seen this pattern before though.

(in)visible (in)justice.

"are you leaving for the day?," he asked.

"yes," i replied. "and you?"

"after 4," he said.

"and her?," i asked.

"not 'till after 9," he said.

in each of the buildings on campus (as well as other businesses in kuwait) there are two types of servants: the a butler, complete with bow-tie and all. he is responsible for serving you coffee, tea, running documents, etc. and the second is the housekeeper. and it's always like this--he is always the butler, she is always the maid. and he, as i found out on thursday, only works the hours people are at work (9 am-4pm) and she works before and after people work (from 6 am to 9 pm). 7 hours versus 16 hours for the same despicable pay all working for this horrific company (this is the only cleaning company in kuwait--there's many monopolies here).

but truth is, these two have it better than most. they work in an american university where some people are at least sympathetic to their plight and treat them with some dignity. in the private sector, this is not the case. you see, most people have a personal maid in their home. the maid not only cleans but also is responsible for caring for the children. chances are she is a southeast asian immigrant forced to wear humiliating uniforms that identify her position (as if there was any question). the maid's quarters, which i'd like to add houses are built with, are often one room with a small bathroom. there's not even enough space for a bed. there's no window, and often no air conditioning. apparently other maids are forced to sleep on the rooftops. i'm dead serious. and how much are they paid? well, first, it depends if they are paid. you see, employers bring the maids over and essentially who is there to hold them accountable to pay them for their labor? no one. and if they are paid it's about 40-50KD a month (about $150 USD). with no days off.

apparently the word is out about kuwait. there are now advertisements running along the bottom of television screens in the philipines warning people not to go to kuwait for work. it seriously is that bad.

but don't worry, this is just the beginning. how about a little government help in the matter. well, first there's really no labor laws (check out this article from last year about workers who actually tried to stand up for their rights). and second, it doesn't really help when the government is partially supporting this. how, might you ask? well, lets start with the weather. as you know, this is kuwait. it's a desert. deserts are hot. but convienetly, this country is never above 50C. why, you might ask? because then it's illegal for workers (mainly bangladeshi men doing construction, yard work) to be outside. and so, the temperature is always taken in the shade and surprisingly never reaches above 50C (although personal thermometers indicate otherwise).

the situation for workers in kuwait is dire. and, as far as i can tell, no one seems to be doing anything about it. the united nations is here. this is clearly a human rights violation. and it's not secret either. everyone knows it. no one does anything about it.

ok, that's about all i can handle on this topic for now. i'll write more later. here's a little preview: lets compare this situation to that of sweatshop workers. are they really any different?

distinction.

i'm pretty sure pierre bourdieu would have a field day in kuwait. for the non sociologists out there, briefly, bourdieu was a cultural sociologist who studied the relationship between taste and social position. at a very basic level, bourdieu argued that taste and social class are intimately related (ever wonder why people in the similar social classes tend to like similar things? this, according to bourdieu, is why). ok, end of brief sociology lesson, onto kuwait.

so, in kuwait, there is the upper middle class and the upper class (the lower class is reserved for the imported foreign national workers which i will get to in my next post). and guess what? everyone likes the same thing. i mean, the same things. to borrow again from bourdieu, there really is no distinction.

for instance, in the united states, there are multiple sub-cultures. individuals, particularly on college campuses, attempt to distinguish themselves from their peers in a multitude of ways--clothing , political affiliations, leisure activities, etc. but none of that distinction, that difference, of taste exists in kuwait (i should add in here that many of our students do not wear dishdasha's and burqas so that isn't the explanation). on campus everyone pretty much looks the same and engages in similar forms of leisure activities (as an aside, being bored out of our minds in kuwait we ask the students what they do on the weekends. the resounding answer is always, "we go to the mall."). maybe simplistically, this would be explained by bourdieu's theory that people in similar social classes tend to have similar tastes. but my hunch is that it's far more complex than that.

afterall, using the united states as an example, both the hippie and the hipster movements are comprised mainly of white middle-class individuals who have rejected (or tried to) their privileged social position (and even though i'm probably a part of it, i mean, lets be honest people, the voluntary simplicity movement really is a privilege--how many people have no choice but to live simply?). i digress. point being, in the united states, there are multiple expressions of taste (even if they are just a different mainstream) that i don't see in kuwait.

i'm not really sure what to make of this. perhaps it's all the social emphasis on beauty, on money, on the superficiality of life. but, i would argue, that we find that in the united states too--yet some people still resist. any ideas?

--

oh, and how *sweet* is this truck? talk about the epitome of branding. we discovered this gem in a mall parking lot last night, no less.

unacceptable.

most days i enjoy my walk to school. it's a pleasant way to start the day, a nice scenic view of the arabian gulf, and just enough sweat to feel like i was productive before 8:30 am. so, my journey to school begins like this. i leave the apartment at which time i usually look at my watch--i am obsessed with timing everything (which i blame on running). i cut through some back streets and end up on one of the main shopping streets in kuwait. from there i cut behind a mall, cross the infamous gulf road where cars undoubtedly exceed speeds 100 mph, and then i walk along the gulf until i reach school. all by myself.

well, yesterday on that little road i cut back on behind the mall some punk little teenage boys had words for me (i had words for them too but i thought it would be wise if i kept them to myself). theirs were along the lines of, "five minutes in the back of the car is all you need baby." mine, muttled under my breath, were about every expletive combination you can think of. oh, and one more thing--guys over here often follow you in cars. it's obnoxious. it usually lasts a few minutes, and once they realize they aren't getting anywhere, they leave. this is what happened yesterday.

anyways, today i decided it may be best if i would just stay on the main shopping road and walk to school just in case they decided to see if that was my routine walking pattern. um, mistake number one. meredith, please remember one of the reasons you started walking along the gulf was there was less harassment and people (read: men) to encounter.

so, today, walking to school, i reached that main shopping street. there was a man in an old white car wearing a dishdasha who began to follow me. this is always annoying, let alone unacceptable, but i figured, this too shall pass (afterall, i am walking on a busy street). no suck luck. he followed me the whole way, i mean the whole way, to school. he ducked into side streets, parking lots, and circled around to wait for me to catch up. finally, the university was in sight. but, as i approached school i wasn't sure what to do. do i want him to know this was where he could find me? mohammed, my favorite gate guard (campuses are gated here) saw me walk past the entrance. he signaled me to come back. finally, i did. he asked me what was going on and there it came--the puddle of tears. i told him what had happened, he said he had seen him in this last block too, and that i could call the police since i had his license plate number (and i'll gladly give it to any one of you who would like to chat with this man about his unacceptable behavior :).

this, my friends, might be the straw that breaks the camel's back (an appropriate analogy in kuwait, if i do say so myself). i probably shouldn't be writing this when i am still so upset about it, but i have seriously had enough! my students tell me about men who chase girls in cars--these girls try to flee from them and end up getting in accidents. about their friends being followed in the malls (and not the innocent kind you may be thinking of). really, it's completely unacceptable. it's freaking 8 am in the morning--can you please find something else better to do with your life than follow me 40 minutes to school. not really the start to my day i was hoping for. ughhhh....

wait your turn.

traveling back from amman yesterday, our friend kevin (or was it emily?) asked if we had thought about what we were gonna blog about. i hadn't. it always is so difficult to capture the true essence of experiences on paper. and then, a moment later, as we waited in line to proceed through the third security checkpoint in amman, i decided to write about airports.

airports, afterall, are the literal gatekeepers to new countries and cultures. well, lets just recount our experiences at the amman airport. first, we arrive ridiculously early, like three hours early (in our defense, we were told it would take longer traveling on saturday). apparently, this is two hours and twenty-seven minutes too early. upon entering the airport we are faced with an immediate security checkpoint. the guard tells us it is too early for our flight, we must wait outside until 11 am. we oblige. at 11:10 am we return. nope, he says, wait 30 more minutes. as we begrudgingly return to our seats, another airport employee tells us we can proceed to check in. thank you nice lady.

we check in, go through our first luggage screening, and immigration. next, onwards and upwards for some food and coffee (choices included starbucks, kfc, pizza hut, and world cafe. i chose the later of the bunch). after mingling in the duty free shop for a few, it was time to board. we must proceed through another security screening at the gate. well, it may be a vast overgeneralization to call them security screenings considering the security officer didn't look at my passport or ticket, and probably wasn't watching the scanner either. you may be interested to know that following this checkpoint all women must proceed to a separately partitioned room to be screened/frisked out of the sight of men. interesting indeed.

ok, but let me back up a minute. so, this security checkpoint line gets long and chaotic. quick. luckily we made near the front of the mahem. well, for a few minutes. and then, out of no where comes this family. mother, father, and four children who convienently position themselves right in front of us. now, i'm not a fighter (i'm a lover), but i was close. i wanted to ask them if they had ever learned the middle school lunch line lesson called wait your turn. another one of my fellow travelers, who shall remain nameless, remarked, "they must be kuwaiti." yep. (disclaimer: kuwait is vastly different than the surrounding gulf countries. just think of it as being from beverly hills when strolling through long beach...)

now, now, i know that you are thinking this could happen anywhere. and it could, and it probably does. but seriously, it is this sense of entitlement, that i am better than you that i, frankly, cannot stand. some of you know that i am anxious to return home. and i am. the heat here is bearable, the boredom even tolerable, but the sense of entitlement is, well, frankly unacceptable.

---

ok, on a happier note, here's some pics from the trip...

street in amman.

floating in the dead sea.

you know what these are.

at petra.

traditional masks.

the whole crew (l to r: emily, cory, me, jill, kevin)

vacation.

tomorrow morning jordan awaits our arrival. these past few days i've pondered whether it's jordan i'm really excited about, or getting out of kuwait for a few days. probably a bit of both. i imagine a vacation to see my first wonder of the world, petra, and the dead sea can't be all that bad. and, truth be told, i'm kinda anxious to have a beer...so, all that said, i'll be out of touch for the rest of the week, buy will definitely post pics and stories upon my return.

and one final shout out to my dear friend, DOCTOR linsey barker, who defended her dissertation in industrial and systems engineering today! it pains me not to be there to celebrate this monumental success with you in person! until our big roadtrip to CoMo to visit you in the fall, i shall celebrate remotely with you in jordan...

beach.

it's quite possibly one of my favorite places in the world. the ocean (or arabian gulf in this case) reminds me of how inconsequential i really am in this whole life. whenever i'm near the ocean it's my greatest desire to spend as much time there as possible. in kuwait, however, i face two specific obstacles (in no particular order). first, the heat. second, my gender.

well, the first one is easier to remedy than the second. after much discussion justin and i arose early this past saturday and hit the beach by 8:30 am. it made my day. really. being at the beach refreshed my soul in a way that made me question why i didn't do it more often. oh yeah, that second obstacle--my gender.

as justin aptly noted, it was odd to be at the beach with only guys--my sentiments exactly. well, correction. there were two women--both tending to children, and then there was me (if you'd like to see my swimsuit look no further than the picture on the left-- my running clothes doubled as a swimsuit). for those of you wondering, yes i swam in that, and no, it was not comfortable.

but honestly, i can get over the heat, and if i have some male to accompany me (i would feel pretty uncomfortable there by myself), i can get over the whole gender obstacle. but what i cannot get over is this--the trash.

you'd think the sand doubled as a trash can. well, it kinda did. justin and i sat in awe as we watched people just let food wrappers, and even an entire newspaper, fly away without second thought (don't worry, the crazy americans went and chased down the newspaper). and so,the beautiful aqua waters of the arabian gulf are littered with trash. and here's the thing--it's not really about the trash at all. it's indicative of an overall attitude, one of privilege and entitlement, that someone else (i.e. some slave-wage foreign national worker which i'll discuss in an upcoming post) will pick it up. and they do. see below for evidence.

resistance.

they were all fired up. openly discussing the corruption of kuwait, how despite what the united states likes to think, kuwait is not a democracy! there is little, if any, room for resistance. its not that the people are ignorant--they know. my students understand how their country and government operates--i'd say, much greater than many americans understand theirs. and so, i ask, where's the opposition? who is fighting the power/'the man'? well, in a word (or two), no one.

our coversation in class the past few days centered around globalization and the impacts of the WTO and IMF (which they quickly learned i am not fans of. i tried to be somewhat non-partisan, i did. it just didn't work). did you know one-third of the world's assets are controlled by the 100 largest multinational corporations?! and from this we divulged into the ruling corporations/families (often one in the same) of kuwait.

i've never seen them so engaged in conversation! the ladies were outraged. how the corruption and the desire for the almighty dollar (or KD, as the case may be) controls all. how, as one student said, "if kuwait were to burn tomorrow, some wouldn't care as long as they had their money."and, let me tell you, these are no low-income students were talking about (one gave me a ride home in her brand new mercedes yesterday). and yet, they realize that the pursuit of money corrupts their country. i asked, perhaps ignorantly, if there was any organized opposition to government corruption. immediately and simultaneously the response: of course not.

you oppose, you are an infidel. and in this part of the world, that's not taken lightly. essentially, being labeled an infidel is justification to kill you. and so, the people remain silent not out of lack of knowledge or even desire for change, but of fear.

i came across this quote not too long ago and i love it: "if you don't like the way the world is, you change it. you have an obligation to change it. you just do it one step at a time"--marian wright edelman. and today, i was reminded, that being the change you wish to see in the world is actually a privilege.

trust.

professors rarely shut there doors here. even when they're teaching. there's been numerous times i've walked by an office with purses on full display with no one in sight. in kuwait there's a level of trust (and if we're being honest, severe punishment) that no one would steal, so why lock it up? it's kind of refreshing actually--to not live in some sort of self-created prison we're accustomed to in the united states. i still feel a bit uneasy at times--just leaving my stuff (especially my lifeline--passport) out knowing that no one will take it. as if our pale skin didn't give us away as americans, i'm pretty sure our compulsion to lock every door at all times does...
----
in other news, i think we've all kinda hit that point. the, "i'm ready to go home" (but not face school quite yet) point. according to jill's countdown, 34 days until we depart for the good ole us of a. next weekend we're headed to jordan for a long weekend--here's hoping that'll give us the extra energy we need to push through to the end.

lesson of the day.

know your audience.

in class today we began a discussion on economics. and seeing as about the most detailed description i know of economics is systems of allocation based on production and distribution, i decided to focus on something i know a bit more about: economic inequality. we watched a short video on the grameen bank (microlending) and did a little web surfing of kiva.org. so for those of you who may wonder if i'm at all 'holding back' my thoughts/opinions while teaching in kuwait--apparently not :).

after said fun-filled media extravaganza we discussed some terms associated with economics, specifically one called division of labor (i.e. who does what in society. this normally isn't arbitrary--usually divided along racial, class, gender, age lines...). it's actually quite fascinating in kuwait where division of labor along racial and ethnic lines is so pronounced. for example, all the coffee shop workers are asian; the lawncare men are bangladeshi; the maids are bangladeshi--you can almost look at someone and know their job. so, back to class-- thought i would use an example to illustrate. i asked, for example, who does the cooking in your house (assuming the answer would be my mother)? not so fast meredith. the first response i heard, "well actually it's a man." i was confused--a man? does she mean her father? i inquired further. oh no, she means her family has a male cook (what!?). other students chimed in and discussed the gender of their family chef. and yet another example of me forgetting where exactly i am. it's not the women who cook--it's the hired help. welcome to kuwait.

29.

i was half joking last year when i said that maybe i'd spend my 29th birthday in kuwait too. so yes, yesterday i turned what shall be the age i think you're supposed to hold onto forever--29. and perhaps in one last attempt to save my youth (or just to seek some respite from the heat), i spent part of my birthday at the largest water park in the arab gulf region: aqua park.

lucky for me my birthday fell on a tuesday. and well, tuesday's at aqua park are ladies days. let me tell you what that means. it means there's only ladies allowed at the park (shocker, huh?). but it also means that ladies are allowed to wear swimsuits/bikinis/whatever because there are no men present (interesting side note: aqua park is located right beneath the kuwait towers. on tuesdays the towers are closed so that no one can see the ladies at the water park). and so you'd think this would be a relatively easy admission procedure, right? ladies admitted, fellas not. well, not so fast...

so, after purchasing our tickets for a mere 3.5 KWD (around $15) we found ourselves standing in line. and nope, it wasn't a line to the park entarance, it was a line to get searched/bags checked. although it was a ladies only day there were strict precautions to ensure that no one had a camera or camera phone to ensure that women would not be photographed. once jill, emily and i made it through that line we were in. let the fun begin.

well, first, let me tell you. i have never been so excited to be in a swimsuit in my entire life. it was such a beautiful thing to be outside in kuwait not dripping of sweat. and so we headed straight for our first water slide (which would end up being mine and jill's last slide). um, so apparently, you have to cover your head at the water park. and no, it's not for cultural or religious reasons, but for sanitary. well, let me tell you what constitutes as 'cover'--a bandana just slung on your head, a swim cap, a baseball cap, or in emily's case--a tank top tied around your head. this is actually a fabulous insight into kuwait. there are a lot of rules here which, if thought about, don't really fulfill their objective (i.e. is emily's makeshift bandana really gonna keep the water clean? doubtful, especially considering if you saw this water or jill's allergic eye reaction..). but rules for the sake of rules is how it goes over here sometimes...

we spent about 3 hours at the water park. making friends with the lifeguards who allowed us in the pool and the lazy river despite our lack of head coverings. i think by then we'd had enough. the big 29 concluded with a little birthday dinner with justin and cory, along with our new friends kevin and amy (also work at AUK and live in our building). we ate at a tasty little lebanese resteraunt (pic below) and then got some ice cream at baskin robins (can you believe they still exist?). thanks for all the love you sent from afar yesterday, but i'm serious this time when i say i'm celebrating my next birthday in the states!

dress code.

below is the direct text of an email from the dean of student affairs to all students, faculty and staff regarding the campus dress code. might not be such a bad idea to implement similar rules on some college campuses in the states too ...

For AUK world, I am going to provide some dress code boundaries to keep the drama to a minimum. The campus fashion police (those on campus tasked with pulling you to the side to talk about your outfit of the day) blow their whistle for those who are blatantly over the edge. Students have not been hired to be fashion police! However, we still have rules and you wanted me to give examples. So here goes…

1. No offensive pictures or writing on your t-shirts. Mind you FCUK cuts it really close. That is about as edgy as one should get! When you wear the t-shirts that have explicit sexual references; that is unacceptable.

2. Guys, if you wear short-shorts, that in and of itself is a violation. Please don’t hurt our eyes!!

3. Ladies you are wearing low-rise jeans, we do not need to see the G-string (as attractive as it may be in your opinion). This means your t-shirt or blouse must be a bit longer.

4. Guys, when you wear jeans and your Calvin’s are showing, that is unacceptable. Pull ‘em up and get a belt!

5. When you wear those cutie shorts, minis, etc. you must put on leggings. It may be HOT as the dickens and you may have fantastic legs but…

6. If you have on a shrift and when you bend over, your goodies can be seen, that is not good! Get a longer shrift (won’t be as fashionable but get a longer one or wear leggings!)

7. If your blouse is cut so low that the “girls” are noticed before your beautiful smile, it will make others frown!

8. Sleeves! Not sleeveless; tanks must have an over-shirt. Guys this goes for you too. Don’t want your pecks peeking!

The end.

offices.

well, it's confirmed. i hate working in an office. hate. loathe. despise. so that confirms it--bollo's (a local blacksburg coffee shop) will remain my office until the end of graduate school (which, for those of you who are wondering, could be only just another year---ahhh!). so, i wasn't sure if i just tended to drift to bollo's all these years because the graduate cubes in the sociology department were more conducive to conversation than work (as if a coffee shop where you know everyone isn't). but nope, that must not have been it. it must be the fact that well, it's kind of an office. and in kuwait, sitting here blogging in my own private office (complete with both door and window), i'm reminded of this simple fact. i don't like working in an office. at all. ever.

perhaps this realization/affirmation is a timely one. there is a possibility, although i'm not sure how grand, that i may graduate one day. and then what? meredith, in case you forgot, academics do tend to work in these four enclosed walls you despise. so now, as if turning 29 tomorrow wasn't enough stress in my life, i'm left to wonder what exactly i want to do when i grow up. suggestions are welcome :)

glamorous.

that's the kuwaiti life. the five us often joke that we feel like we are teaching at some 90210 meets the hills kind of university. it's a high class fashion show five days a week. and i should have known. seriously, if students dress like runway models at university then how will they dress for a party? well, last night i found out. one word: glamorous.

i had the pleasure of accompanying mona to a family friend's graduation party. the party was held in their house--a modest flat from the outside but a marble filled palace inside. the first observation: this party was only for women (as many parties are gender-segregated). the second observation: the clothes and jewelry. first, let me tell you, every piece of it was real. second, the diamonds were huge enough to feed entire nations, i am sure of it. now, onto the clothes. think ridiculously nice cocktail dress to black-tie wedding apparel (and there i was in my favorite little skirt from my favorite thrift store in san fran). oh, and the most perplexing thing--these dresses weren't necessarily what you'd call 'modest' (even by u.s. standards).

the party, and especially the dancing, was fabulous (especially the palestinian dancing, of which there was much of). it was a strange feeling to be there in the presence with people where clearly i was 'the other.' but this is always a good feeling--to remember how uncomfortable, despite generous hospitality, that feels. the party continued on until almost midnight--replete with dancing, conversation, and food.

then it was time to leave--the most interesting part of the night. all of a sudden i saw women who were dressed, if i might say, quite scantily clad cover themselves again. first came hijab and then the abaya and off they went. you probably would have never guessed it. neither would i. i'm not sure what we think women wear under their abayas-but sometimes it's not what we'd think.

--

p.s. sorry i don't have any pics of the night. given my outsider status it would have been less than appropriate.

technology.

stepped foot in a college classroom in the united states lately? if so, chances are you probably won't see students without this (ok, time for you to guess). if you guessed a laptop (and if you guessed a mac you get double bonus points), you're correct. but not in kuwait.


now, now, don't misread what i'm saying. the students are still little technological fenes, but their obsession seems to center more on their blackberries than on their laptops (and yes, even this luddite knows you can get internet on a blackberry). but in class, it's note taking the good ol' fashioned way--pen and paper. none of that electronic business for these wildcats (the school mascot). but maybe the reason there are no laptops is because there's no wireless on campus (i know!). oh wait, i'm sorry there is, but here's the process you must go through...


first, you must text (or SMS as they call it over here) a specific number at the phone company. second, you must wait for a responsive SMS from the company with a pass code. third, you must then enter said code when prompted to sign on. and fourth, said code only works for one hour. this ain't no VT-WLAN people!

but that's why everyone (and i mean everyone) has a blackberry. but never fear, there's no verizon contracts over here to subsidize the astronomical cost for a phone (i mean, it's a phone people!? enough ranting, meredith). ok, so as i was saying, there's actually no cell phone contracts over here. nope. you just buy the phone at retail price (around 150 KD= $500 USD) and then buy minutes on phone cards from these guys. oh right, but in order to actually have your phone work you have to have a sim card. and who can get the sim card? not just jenny from the block. you must be a citizen or permanent resident of kuwait. oh, don't worry, the five of us are sharing a cell phone (compliments of the university), although, seriously, who are we gonna call!? (if the first thing that came to your mind was ghostbusters subtract those earlier points you may have earned from correctly answering laptop :)

pictures galore.

friends, please forgive me for only posting pictures on facebook. i realize some of you do not choose to spend your lives on facebook, (and this is a good thing) . so, here's some pics to highlight some of the journey so far...

below is a picture of the arabian gulf which i walk along on my 2.5 mile walk to school each morning. don't worry, it's already 100 degrees by 8 am, but the beautiful scenery makes all the sweatiness worth it.

and in case you ever wanted to know what a fig tree looks like...

the ladies (left to right: jill, me, emily) getting some ice cream (i'm not gonna tell you where from but it was tasty).

below is a view from our apt building at night. one of our favorite things to do is just people watch. thing really start to get lively in kuwait at night (no, seriously...)

more to come soon. we're planning a little 4th of july celebration which i'm sure will have plenty of kodak moments. much love from the middle east.

subversion.

chances are you probably know about kuwait because of the iraqi invasion (and subsequent gulf war(s) which followed). and no doubt, kuwait is still recovering. there's buildings that remained bombed out, an economy that had a huge portion of its assets (oil, of course) burned, and a people who have lived through unimaginable war. but still, what remains in the media depictions, particularly of the women, are these veiled (read: oppressed) women who are second class citizens in their own society. well, as i found out in class today, these head scarfs have come in handy, particularly during tims of war.

so, the iraqi occupation of kuwait began in 1990. soon following many of the men were sent to war. and similar to women elsewhere during times of war, the women of kuwait (not kuwaiti women, again that whole citizenship thing) assumed traditionally masculine roles. but, due to the occupation, basic necessities (medicine, money, etc) were stollen or prohibited. but the women had a plan. women who covered used their hijab or burqa as a hiding place for documents, money, medicine, etc. subsequently, at checkpoints maintained by iraqi forces, the women of kuwait managed to smuggle necessary items. and so, the veil, so often conceived of in the west a sign of oppression became a sign of patriotism and courage.

if you're interested in more, check out this great article a friend just forwarded me on women wearing hijabs and burqas.

education.

get this. for many students at AUK english is not their second language, it's their first! but meredith, aren't you in kuwait!? yep, exactly. so, what in the world is going on here? well, for starters, it matters if you are a kuwaiti citizen, or not. you see, in kuwait, you are a citizen by family origin, not by birth. therefore, it's feasible, and highly probable, that you could live your entire life in kuwait and never be a citizen (which, citizens by the way, get a ridiculous amount of benefits--free government housing, money when married, free education--now that's what i call welfare :). but, if you aren't a citizen you also aren't entitled to free public education--you must attend a private school. and these schools, well, they're primarily british and english. and the result, high school graduates are fluent in english, but barely know how to read and write arabic. does anyone else find this slightly problematic?

second issue. as you may also be aware, classes are gender segregated (which, btw, the rise of religious conservatism directly coincides with western presence post gulf-war--think about that for a second). so, as i was saying... in the united states, there's ample research to show that women actually fair better in gender segregated learning environments (this in large part is due to teacher bias towards male students). but in kuwait the gender segregation is really hurting men. let me explain. so, the men in kuwait, pretty much well, have it made. they occupy positions of dominance and power--due in large part to coming from the 'right' family. the women, however, do not. women thus see education as a vehicle for upward and maybe outward (leaving kuwait) mobility. as a result, the women overall perform at much higher levels and the men are left with no one to compete with, or impress, in class.

flabbergasted.

i am. in class today we did this little exercise that went something like this--pretend you just landed at a mcdonald's (i know, lovely) in kuwait or the united states. then, tell me some of the things you can observe about the values, norms, and beliefs of the culture(s) in the restaurant. that part went fine. and you might be interested to know that mcdonald's here serves halal food and a sandwich called McArabia (how culturally sensitive of them). but then the discussion continued. somehow we went there, and no i didn't bring it up :). but one of my students then said that boys and girls get different toys in their happy meals! and that is when my jaw dropped. literally. what!? and that, my friends, is a perfect example of gender socialization (or another reason not to take your kid to mcdonald's). next stop--a little investigation at the golden arches. i'll report back later.

scarcity principle.

apparently this is what it's called. you know, the desire to have what we can not acquire. this may manifest itself in many forms, as you may be well aware, but for this summer it seems to have manifested itself in food and 'adult beverage.'

now it's almost comical to the five of us sitting around the apartment (don't worry, we're gender segregated) joking about our first meal back in the states. and yes, we have been here not even a week. emily is already planing her trip to cabo or el rod's for a tasty lime-flavored 'adult beverage'; jill can't wait until her mexican options expand beyond taco time and the old el paso selection at the grocery; cory is amped about getting some pork back into his diet; and i think justin is just happy he found some skippy natural at the grocery . hysterical it is. really.

but for now, we'll settle for a little family meal made from veggies justin and i procured at the local co-op (it's not a co-op as we may understand it; just another name for grocery) and some of justin's two kilo bag of jasmine rice. oh right, and after the family meal, we did what has quickly become our favorite activity--watched a few episodes of weeds.

so, that's about all. nothing too exciting to report. but that's kuwait...

-----

p.s. we're supposed to have internet at home within the week. this shall hopefully increase my blogging, skyping, and overall communicative abilities.

iran

in case you didn't know, iran had their elections a week ago today. and the people aren't happy. i must admit i am happy to see people 'taking to the streets' to stand up for their rights, albeit under less than favorable circumstances. and yesterday, while hanging out with mona, i had the most fascinating conversation.

i asked mona what she thought of the iranian election. and her response, "well, i don't like politics." but she didn't stop there. mona is more concerned with the issues behind the politics rather than the manifestation of them in the formalized realm. mona told me she sees politics as a play, and there's a stage, and there are actors. and right now, the leading actor is iran. so, everyone turns their eyes to watch the main actor, which distracts us from what may be happening in the lives of other actors (i see a hint of marx in all of this :). but oh, the key here is that the actors are often adversaries (or positioned as such) of the united states. and we all know what happens if someone defies the united states...i should note that mona is not at all 'anti-american,' or anything, but her point is well-taken. we often focus on one 'issue' or country and then jump to the next. meanwhile, it's not necessarily that any of the issues are necessarily resolved, per se, it's just that another actor takes center stage. so very true.

and as an aside, the highlight of my day yesterday: when we were getting ready to leave the house, nabeel (mona's son) couldn't find his shoes. i said to him, "well, i'm sure you have another pair." he responded, "no, actually i only have two pairs now. one to wear everyday and one for dress." once he found them, he showed me that they weren't even a brand name. nabeel proceeded to tell me that he has gotten rid of a lot of clothes (and showed me his closet to prove it). he also bragged about his 'new' shirt, which was actually a hand-me-down from his oldest brother, adnan. when i asked nabeel what caused this switch he just shrugged his shoulders. whatever it is, i'll take it. now, if only i could follow my own advice and rid myself of all but two pairs of shoes...

arrived.

7000 miles and almost 24 hours later we have arrived in kuwait. i could ask for a better flight, really. i'm still not sure how this happened but i pretty much slept 10 hours of the 12 hour flight from atlanta to kuwait. this was lovely at the time. last night, however, when i tried to (unsuccessfully) go to sleep, it was not. so, i'm thinking my 10 hours may average out with my 3 i got last night for two good nights of sleep. we're staying in a new, although equally as swank, pad this year. hopefully i'll be able to post some pics soon. we'll hopefully have internet at home in the next couple days (i'm at the university right now where facebook is blocked--can you imagine that!?). alright, time to gear up for the trek home. it's only 12:45 pm, how hot can it be!?

farewell.

one of the best things about leaving for two months is the short period of time in which i get to see a lot of friends. one of the worst is that when i return many of them will have left blacksburg (i would like to also note i have a strong disdain for places that begin with the letter 'm' as many people will move to those places--linsey to missouri, callie to maryland, jp to minneapolis, and sher to a peace corps assignment which we have a hunch begins with the letter 'm'). here are some pics from a fun-filled weekend with friends (since i know many of you don't know others i'll caption them for ya). farewell for now. next stop, kuwait.

(above: linsey, i.e. switzerland trip friend. your move is traumatic.)
(above: happy hour ladies, minus alyce and jamie).

(above: ed, maya and adaijah. how thankful i am that you all are back to stay!)

(above: the infamous god squad, minus jp).

much love to you all. don't have too much fun without me.

the mall. already.

(above pic  is from adnan's graduation brunch with my favorite family. you'll hear me talk them ridiculous amounts. this is mona and nael--parents of adnan, adeeb, and nabeel. they're my favorite. yes.)

is it possible i've already made a trip to the mall with mona and i'm not even in kuwait yet? sad, but true. in case you don't know, malls are all the rage in kuwait. and they are nice. ridiculously nice. and in case you didn't know, i don't like malls. at all. 

but last week in richmond, virginia, mona and i had some time to kill and where did we head? you guessed it. the mall. and so, as we strolled through suburban richmond's short pump town center (a 'nice' mall by american standards, but not by kuwaiti, fyi) i might have solidified my dissertation topic. or clarified it at least. 

so, brief rundown of dissertation topic: undefined. okay, not completely true. i'm interested, although have not quite solidified how i'm gonna measure this, the relationship between consumerism and political activism/engagement. i'm toying with the idea of ethical consumerism as a new form of political participation, or something along those lines. so, i digress...

we approach victoria's secret and mona (a palestinian) tells me that victoria's secret is owned by an israeli and so she doesn't shop there. she proceeds to tell me other stores owned by israeli's that she and others she knows boycott. whether you agree or not, woah. the lightbulb went off. for so long i thought of ethical consumerism in terms of ethical production and treatment of workers, not in terms of the politics and ethnicity of the owner. i don't know why i never thought of this before. and so i guess the lesson of the day: something good can come from a trip to the mall. 

back to kuwait.

on june 14 to be exact. and i am pumped. for the second summer i have the privilege of teaching cultural anthropology at the american university of kuwait. it's a great gig that i'm still not sure how i landed. many thanks to those of you that journeyed and supported me last summer. some of you may wonder why i would venture to kuwait for one, let alone, two summers. well, one of my favorite books, high fidelity, is notorious for a little thing known as the top 5 list. so, here's my top 5 reasons i'm excited about returning to kuwait. 

5. language. maybe i'll actually learn some more arabic. to date, i know approximately six words. ridiculous. 

4. culture and history. there is so much more i've yet to learn. 

3. challenge. not always pleasant, but necessary. living in another culture facilitates this process for me. 

2. side travel trips. i'm going to prioritize these this year (turkey, jordan, india, perhaps?)

1. people. specifically, adnan's family (my friend from virginia tech whose family pretty much adopted me last summer), students from last summer,  random adventures with jill, emily, cory, and justin (fellow graduate students teaching as well), and all the new faces i'll meet along the way.  

i can't wait to begin the journey. until then, asalam alaykum.