Non-plussed

Now that I'm back in Kuwait, I am just so not-thrilled by being here. I get depressed when I get back and this time, it has hit me hard.

For one thing, The Man is now on mandatory shift work. I can't believe all the problems he's having at work. So, I may never get to see him. It was bad enough before this. After 15 years of doing work he loved, the ministry sent him and 37 other officers to a totally different type of work. I feel so bad for him.

My work? I love my job. I hate all the peripheral bullshit that goes on. I don't get how so many Kuwaiti companies have taken the global economic crisis and turned it into their own unethical behavior spree. C'mon - are most in Kuwait really that hard hit? I don't think so. Anyways, they pulled some more monkey business on me while I was away and has me wondering why I am still bustin my hump to work as hard as I do.

Slapperella and I checked out PF Changs the other night. There was an hour and a half waiting list, but we found seats immediately at the bar. The food is fantastic and the portions are very large. The service, as usual in Kuwait, was disappointing. It started off good, but then they left dishes sitting in front of us throughout the meal (at the bar, with 3 servers standing there). I told my mom that PF Changs had opened and she said she doesn't understand how restaurants here stay in business without the alcohol sales. Well, at 1.500 for a non-alcoholic iced tea, I can tell you how. We saw a waiter walking by with what appeared to be real cosmos... if only....

When we left and were waiting for the car at the new valet (thank GOD they brought that back!), there were a bunch of hoodlem boys sitting outside, making leud comments at all the women passing by. A Kuwaiti woman stopped and started shouting at them, then shouting at the Egyptian parking guys to get security. Good for her. I get so sick of that kind of behavior. You can immediately tell how low class their families are. Ick.

We were at Starbucks at Bidaa on Friday afternoon and saw a really bad accident right in front of the restaurants. It was like watching a movie. A pick-up was speeding and rear-ended a bus (that never even bothered to stop), flipped in the air (at tree-top level) and landed, knocking over a light post into the traffic. One of the wheels spun across the street and into the parking lot in front of where we were. Surreal and horrific. I couldn't believe that both passengers made it out alive. The ambulance arrived immediately followed by the fire department. 20 minutes later, you wouldn't have known that much happened there. I hope the guys are ok - and that they find the bus driver who took off like a bat out of Hell.