Sorry it's been a while

SOOOOO sorry it's been a while! Gosh it's been so busy! Between unpacking (yes still) going out shopping to get things for the house, myself & the baby, taking care of the baby (so time consuming) meeting people and exploring it's been a jam packed time. But an awesome time! I'm slowly discovering more about Kuwait & it's a pretty cool place. It has a lot of what the Western world has to offer as well as all the Arab world which is cool. How cool is it that i can go into a supermarket & have everything that is available in America as well as everything I need for an Arabic household? Usually I would have to go to 2 separate locations but nope all in one! I love that.
Living in Kuwait offers a VERYYYYY easy lifestyle. It has such a large labor workforce (mostly Indian & Phillipinos) that everything can & is done for you. Need dry cleaning? Just call & they will pick up from your home, dry clean it & bring it to your doorsetps the next day! Any  (okay MOST) restaurant offers home delivery. Yup they will deliver it for you. All for a very minimal fee...like $.50 equivilant. yes fifty cents lol
Housemaids & Nanny's are a plenty. And they are cheap. I have someone coming weekly to clean now. But am looking for full time. Just gotta find the right one. So far what I've discovered..Labor is cheap, restaraunt food is a bit more expensive but the increase is justified since you don't pay taxes and you BARELY tip, i mean like 200 fils which is like $.50.  SO I guess you could say it's almost equal as the states (once you add taxes & tip) Maybe a 10% markup. Grocery food is a bit higher as well. Depends on where you go. I like the Sultan center which is an upscale grocery store, kind of like a Bush's or Vons. They have all the American brands & if they don't have it you can order it & they will get it for you! How cool is that. Clothing & house stuff is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more expensive. I miss HomeGoods LOL I'm shocked at the mark up. I'm disappointed in the baby stuff selection. They have some American brands but overall disappointed :( I wish I would of brought more with me. I'll just have to deal & BEG whoever is making a trip to the states to bring me stuff back.
I finally got ViVi a crib!! I ended up paying more & getting one from Pottery Barn Kids...yes they have one here. The cribs in Kuwait are weird. They are all like mini cribs and i felt she would jump out of it in a few months lol So I ended up getting an American brand crib..but I LOVE it! and yes they deliver it & set it up for you in the room for free! So again i guess the service part makes up for the increase in prices.
This past week I have been consumed with getting stuff for the house & Victoria. Ikea is my new best friend. So weird in the states I would of been like eowwww IKEA? but LOVE it here lol
I've started driving! & OMG!! That will be a blog on it's own!

We've gone out to eat..A LOT but I've also cooked a lot. I now have a gas stove again vs an electric..LOVE it. I've shopped a lot, met a lot of people. The malls are crazy! Can't get over them. That will be an entire blog on its own. Also they have like these HUGE super centers in the malls. Compare them to a super Walmart or Target. LOVE them. Also at al lthe super centers & grocery stores a clerk walks your shopping out to your car & loads them for you :) EASY!
Things I miss from the U.S. not in Kuwait..Coupons! No coupons lol No discount retailers like HomeGoods or TJ Max. GARBAGE disposals!! LOL OMG I miss my garbage disposal. Those are the few things I can think of now.
Ill write more tomorrow but here is a few pics for now :)

Arabic grains, Freeke, Burgol, Lentils

Sushi? Yes please! At Sultan Center..ON a belt :)

Spices from all around the world

Nuts, Nuts & more Nuts!

Driving

Vivi @ the Avenues!

Awesome Cafe. Dean & Deluca's!

Amazing Meat Pie

Eggs Benedict. No ham LOL

Omlett, Salad & Mushroom Melody

Lamb Freeka!

Desert! Pinkberry is EVERYWHERE in Kuwait

Nice Brunch. Paul, Me, ViVi, Kaitlyn & Rami

Dean & Deluca..So Fancy

Flat Escalator to take your shopping carts & strollers on

Geant! & some Khaleegis

Duncan Donuts!

Outfits to celebrate Kuwait National & Liberation Days

Mojitos! Got so excited then realized they were virgin :(

Manjisteen fruit..Thailand..avail in Kuwait

So small & SO delicious!

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Stroll through the neighborhood

As I'm looking outside at how sunny, clear & crisp today is I decide that it would be a good day to take a walk through the neighborhood. I've been working so hard trying to organize, STILL unpack & take care of the baby. I need a BREAK damn it! I've been wanting to explore the neighborhood but have been a bit apprehensive as I see NO ONE in the streets lol I guess people will just think I'm the MAID taking the kid out for a stroll LOL oh well...
There aren't many sidewalks around here & the stroller is in the car so I decide on the Baby Ergo. I know most people have a baby Bjorn but if you've never heard of the ERGO...let me tell you...GET IT! So comfortable & doesn't hurt your back as it's designed to carry all the weight on your hips & I gots HIPS for DAYS!! This 45 minute walk was a breeze & Victoria LOVED it!

Don't mind the mess in the background..Still unpacking & Organizing!

In the Elevator going down...Vivi is obsessed with mirrors these days. Love the ERGO

The houses directly across from me. Do you understand how much I'm DYING to see whats inside? LOL I bet they are beautiful! One thing I've noticed is the majority of house windows in Kuwait have like reflective glass or sticker or I don't know what it actually is but it's so you can't see inside! All you will see is your reflection when looking at the windows. SMART! I'm sure they have curtains and all but they want their sunlight too!
I have the urge to knock on the door of the house on the left with a basket of Muffins & introduce myself. LMAO imagine! Dude I just might..Gotta work up the courage. I'll start with a hello first..baby steps :) These are the only neighbors i really see as I watch them from the balcony. They love American Cars, have like 7 cars & 2 maids oh & a few toddler children. Pretty sure it's just one BIG house.




More pretty Houses & Fancy Cars in the neighborhood

ViVi LOVING the Walk!

How sick is that house to the left with the HUGE Kuwaiti Flag? I call it the White house. 
So Kuwait National Day & Liberation Day is coming at the end of February. So I am seeing A LOT of flags & decorations going up on houses & buildings. From what I've heard its a HUGE celebration in the streets & also Paul gets a 4 day weekend! Yaye! 








Typical layout...Houses & parking garages in front of them.

Drinking fountains? I've seen these often around Kuwait.

The local Mosque. Yes I hear it but just get used to it.

Such Detail!

And this is my building! We have the middle Floor with the Balcony :) Love sitting out on it especially at night with the lights & breezy air. So relaxing...



And Vivi fell asleep <3 Habibti..I gotta do this more often!Now mama can write her blog.
All in all it was a nice walk. Got to see the neighborhood. No one bothered me but I did get a few looks like who the hell is that & WHAT is SHE doing! Umm HELLO!!! It's the Real Housewife of Kuwait!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Great News!

I got an iPhone APP! Now I can post from anywhere, anytime!
Ya Farhitna!

I bet your soooo excited!!

Here's a few pics of
ViVi just because :)









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Road 53,Kuwait,Kuwait

We've Arrived!!!!

Okay so we've been here a few days now...Don't ask how long I have no concept of time. I'm still in a daze & extremely Jet lagged. My Days and nites are are all a blurr. We've already had the downstairs neighbor complain as to why we are moving around so much at 3 & 4 A.M. lol
Sorry Abu Ali...well settle down real soon!

The flight was pretty good. A lot of screaming babies but ViVi did GREAT for the most part. A little fussy here & there but who wouldn't be traveling like a total of 30 hours! We spent the nite in Amman at the airport hotel. Very nice hotel actually, pleasantly surprised. We were hostages lol as we had to get a Visa to leave the damn place.

OK so first impressions of Kuwait (the areas I've been to)
REALLY Clean! I've been told there are dirty areas but thus far I'm in a clean bubble. As I was in Michigan LOL Didn't know how ghetto Michigan really was until I went to the boogie that one Halloween & it was like aha! That's what I had originally thought Michigan People were like LMAO
Anyways, they pick up the garbage EVERYDAY! I saw the garbage man from my balcony picking up trash every day.
Kuwait so far is REALLY nice! I live in an area called  Salem Al Sabah which is primarily a Kuwaiti neighborhood. Paul picked this area as it's quieter, cleaner & more of a suburb. He lived in a place in Salwa originally where it was really loud & kinda congested even though the main city that people live in is Salmiya & from what I've heard WAYYYYY overcrowded, loud & obnoxious to deal with the traffic.

I compare Salem Al Sabah to Beverly Hills lol NO really...REALLY BIG houses & complexes. Beautiful iron gates & parking garages filled with really expensive cars. Oh ya were rolling big in our rented KIA! lol We're still in a rental as you need a Civil ID to buy a car that we still don't have :(
Each home is custom built. Really intresting designs. One house down the street looks very modern & chic, another is very Gaudy & Flamboyant & another looks like the white house lol
I'll post Pics ASAP!

Ok my house is huge...ok Flat or Villa as they call it. It's huge compared to my house in Michigan.
It's 4 bedrooms (like huge) 3 bathrooms, a huge sitting area, a closed off Kitchen, and a laundry/mudroom/maids quarter oh & my favorite part of the house...The balcony or Baranda as Shadia reminded me LOL
I promise to post pics as soon as I get settled in. I still have barely unpacked anything due to my Jet Lag & constant care for Victoria.

The house is really really nice. I like it a lot. All Tile (which reminds me I need rugs!) Very Clean, recessed lights, AWESOME custom built His & Hers closet (in Master bedroom) Vivi has a nice closet as well. My poor Refuge Baby traveling from state to State & country to country. Gonna make her the BEST room ever. It's been 4 months! She deserves it. The kitchen is kinda Jankidyyyy (ghetto) It's closed off from the house, like a separate room with a door. I love nice big fancy Kitchens that overlook the general living room area. But I guess that's not how it its in the middle east. The kitchen is not a room that is generally nice as it's not meant to show or be in. As it was explained to me the maids are in there doing the cooking & cleaning so why spend on it to make it nice if your not the one in it...makes sense right? Gotta get me a maid! LOL when in Rome do as the Romans & guess what I'ma do it Kuwaiti style!

God I have SOOOO much to do!!! Still gotta unpack, do shopping to make this place homey & cozy. I'm literally starting all over again in making a home for our family. All I gots is TIME here right? lol
I'm starting a list of things to do & get as I type right now.

Dude Kuwait is COLD! I'm freezing over here. No built in heat in Kuwait homes so we use portable heaters. I guess it's not normally this cold but it is what it is. I'm sure I'm gonna miss the cold in a few months considering it will be like 130 degrees in the summer. FML. But hey id rather have heat than cold!

Okay so I've been out to the malls like everyday to do random shopping for things. OMG so many malls! BEAUTIFUL AMAZING malls. Name any store from the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America & it's probably here! (no Macys though Pat LOL) & restaurants! CRAZY.  I'll write an entire blog about that topic lol

Okay I'm getting sick or writing for now & gotta start unpacking some things as Vivi is Sleeping. Until next time!

XOXO,
The real Housewife of Kuwait

P.S. BREAKING NEWS! Victoria got her first tooth in!!! YA I know... She wont be 4 months until February 11th but it's here! I'll write about the details later...Gotta make her a snooneya!

OMFG were leaving tomorrow!!!!

Why did it just hit me this morning? I don't think its even REALLY hit me, only at how much we still have to do! ughh.

I'm feeling indifferent. Is that weird? Like I'm neither sad nor excited nor nervous or anything. Just kinda okay...were moving to Kuwait tomorrow. BUT OMFG were moving T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Does that sound like panic? lol

So weird...It's all like a dream