Here we go ...
3. The sun rises between 4:00 and 4:30am every morning. Imagine that. Your eyeballs fly open at 5:00 and it's all over ... immediately your brain computes the rise of the sun in the sky and has its Central Time clock determine that it's time to get the day started. Just TRY to go back to sleep after that. And, even if you can roll over and continue the snooze-fest, the kids can't. When the light hits monkey eyes, there is no more rest, for the weary or otherwise.
4. I was surprised the first time I heard a commercial on TV and the nostalgia almost moved me to tears. The television options here are, well, we'll say "lacking". We have one channel that shows cartoons and every once in a while we may stumble over a Tom and Jerry where there is no dialog, otherwise the cartoons are in Arabic. In addition to that channel, we have a Fox Movies channel that seems to have a fondness for war movies, and another American show channel out of Dubai that has stuff like Boston Legal, the Gilmore Girls, and pre-Whoopie the View. We have a buttload of movies ripped onto the computer, so we watch those a lot. Also Van recorded a bunch of shows from television onto the computer before we left, which he had gone through and edited most of the commercials out of. Basically, we watch a lot of "canned" stuff. BUT, the first day I heard an ad for Woolite in the middle of the kids watching Spongebob, I ran into the room to see it. HOME! Just like regular life. I didn't know until that moment how artificial I felt. It was nice to see real people doing things like laundry and playing at Chuck E Cheese's.
5. I am surprised at how much work it is to keep everyone's days and times straight in my head. The weekends here are different from home. In Bahrain, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. In Saudi (where Van works) the weekend is Thursday and Friday. So, he is off from work tomorrow, but the kids still go to school because their weekend doesn't start until Friday. So, it follows that Van goes back to work on Saturday, and the kids and I have a day alone because their week doesn't start until Sunday. Keeping all that straight along with what you folks are doing at home on YOUR weekend, Saturday and Sunday ... well, it gets kind of crazy in my head. To make it MORE interesting ... I am constantly trying to keep the time in check with us being 8 hours ahead of y'all. Sunday morning for us, when we're getting kids out to school, and Van is already on his 2nd day of the work week, y'all are still watching Saturday Night Live.
6. I am surprised by the attention Kayleigh gets. Everywhere we go, at least one person stops and touches her. Certainly more than that will come over to talk to her. There have been a couple of people who even kissed her on the face. It's crazy. And it's EVERYWHERE. We can't walk out of the house without people wanting to touch and talk to her ... even just wave at her through a window. I feel bad for Connor, because no one gives him the time of day. They completely ignore him and he's the social one. HE'S the one who has never met a stranger. The other day the guy at the Ford dealership took Kayleigh by the hand and asked her if she wanted to go with him to make some copies and Connor was running behind them saying "I want to make copies" over and over again, and the guy just kept looking at Kayleigh and didn't even acknowledge him. But, it's really strange the way people are with her. Those of you who will be visiting us here will see what I mean. Weird.
Okay ... that's enough surprises for today. Don't want to wear you guys out just yet.
... stay tuned for the next installment of the "Things That Surprise Me" Chronicles.
2 comments:
It's the blonde, blue-eyed thing. My first husband and his sister got the same treatment overseas when they were kids (lived in Singapore, travelled in Asia). Apparently, it is "good luck" to touch, kiss, or just be around a blonde-haired, blue-eyed child. Well, I suppose it's like a blue moon being special you know? It's just not a genetic likelihood in that part of the world. Poor Connor. Or not...it may start to wear after a while on Kayleigh! (I suppose that explains how my ex's ego got so darn big, no? hehe)
Ok, so have a great weekend(s)! =)
You need to tell them to keep their hands off LuLu.....It is the light complexion and blue eyes but it also cause she is so darn cute and doesn't have to wear a rag on her head to cover herself up!! LOL
Conner needs to stay in the sun more and his hair will be blonde in no time.....can't understand why people can overlook those awesome eyes of his and he is a very social young man.
Keep up the very interesting posts....love it! Keeps us thinking you are just down the street and not halfway around the world.
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