Rosalee's new gig...

Hello, everyone:

We have more big news: Rosalee has been hired as AIS's Middle Years Program co-ordinator for next year. This opportunity is a promotion that will make use of Rosalee's exceptional adminsitrative skills as our school continues to develop our MYP program, for which we received accreditation last year (the MYP is part of the International Baccalaureate program).

Well done, my love--congratulations!

B.

Happy Birthday, Sean!

Yep, we were pretty excited too.

Happy birhday, Blaine!

B&R

Updates...

Hello, All:

Kuwait is as quiet as ever... quiet in a strange mix of craziness on the roads and busy, busy days, of course!

We're in report-card season, which saw exams and grade data-entry last week. Today the kids get their report-cards, followed by parent-teacher conferences tonight and tomorrow. Although the conferences are largely enjoyable and it means only a half-day tomorrow, report card day's always a little stressful as well, as inevitably we apend a good chunk of it trying to get Mohammed/Abdullah/Jasmine/Muneera/etc. to understand that not doing their work should result in a lesser grade!

We've been busy at church as well. Rosalee continues to help run church school, and Brent has been spending many of his free hours working on church publications (you can check out his newly-designed and posted website: www.stpaulskuwait.com).

But by far our biggest news is our two-year extension with AIS. After much prayer and consideration, we've decided to stay an extra two years (for a total of four). We've enjoyed puting down roots here with home, work, and school, and have had our financial/benefit/bonus concerns addressed by the school, which has put together an attractive new employee-retention package. So, we're excited about having a stable base for another couple of years.

As for Brent's cast, the doc says it has almost fully healed but prefers that the cast stays on because it's an old injury and he doesn't want to take any chances. It's also back in blue.

Anyhow, it's off to report-card day--take care, all!

B&R

We spent our last night (New Year's Evev) in Alexandria. It was very pleasant, although very busy due to the new year and Eid. 

Eid Ul-Adha celebrates the prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to sacrifice Ishmael. Muslim tradition dictates that whoever can afford to must slaughter an animal and give half to the needy. We were in Cairo on the big day, and the streets were quite literally awash in animal blood, as Halal butchering involves cutting the animal's throat with a sharp knife and ensuring the meat is well-bled. 

In addition to the bloody hides and carcasses of sheep, goats, and cows we saw everywhere, we saw a few cars decorated "Eid style." 

Smoggy view of Islamic Cairo from the south gate's minaret. 

That's Rosalee in the other minaret. 

 

We couldn't resist... check out the view, eh? 

We switched off between the camel and horse, as the cast on my hand makes riding the lurching camels rather difficult. Us. Camels. Pyramids of Giza. Wow. 

Darn thumb... 

 

Limestone casement layer. At some point, many of the pyramids were encased in such stone, quite the conrast to what we see today! 

Step pyramid of Djoser. Wow, such history: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/dsteppyramid2.htm 

Meat vendor, Cairo. 

Fancy dinner, last night in Luxor before boarding the sleeper-train to Cairo. 5 degrees, no heat, but fabulous, fabulous food. 

The view from Queen Nefertari's tomb. Nice picture contrasting the desert with the fertile Nile valley. 

 

Tomb of Queen Nefertari (restored). 

Doorway to...? Valley of the Queens, Luxor. 

 

This is a colossal statue of Ramesses II. Shelley wrote about this statue in a sonnet entitled "Ozymandias." 

Valley of the Queens, Luxor. 

 

Feluccas, Luxor. 

Koshari, an Egyptian staple: noodles, onion, tomato sauce, garlic, lentils. Fantastic. 

The faces of many of the reliefs have been chiselled out over the years by invading rulers. 

 

Obelisk, Karnak. 5000 years--look how keen those edges are. 

Karnak temple. If you look really closely, you can see 5000-year-old paint. 

Pharaoh somebody-or-other from about 4500 years ago. 

Avenue of the sphinxes, Karnak Temple, Luxor. 

 

First Nile sighting! 

We were presented with a very different Middle East when we arrived in Luxor. Away from the wealthy environs of oil-rich Kuwait and into Luxor's poor neighbourhoods. 

Mmmm.... Rosa's bling-bling...

Yep, them be some fab earrings there, Cher-o-lyn.

Well done! 

Happy New Year!

Howdy!

We're back from Egypt... well, actually we were back a few dyas ago but have been laying low and enjoying our final days of vacation. In about an hour and a half, we'll find ourselves back in our classrooms. Ah, reality...

Brent's laptop now requires a constant hand on its power cord to function, so he'll be getting another machine up to speed to fulfill his computing needs--Egypt photos will be posted as soon as that happens.

Oh, Brent's hand seems to be healing fine... another couple weeks with the cast (now blue) and it will not likely require surgery. PTL! Thanks for all your prayers.

Talk to you soon,

B&R