Update

It's been a while since I've last written!!!

Ok, well the temp is REALLY cooling down now! It's in the high 90's. In the desert, it's starting to get chilly at night. Started wearing layers & sweaters.

So I had some things to write about.... But now that I learned I can blog from my iPhone and I'm sitting here @ work ready to go..... I don't remember all I was going to say!

Well, for one thing, here at work we have been laboring by putting together a big haunted house for the soldiers. At the same time the tour through the haunted house takes place, there will also be a Halloween party & costume contest that I have to host. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Regarding leading worship, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to lead worship on Sunday nights for the first 20 mins of the service, during my break. Then I rush back to my facility & run the evening's event. Last week though, 2 of our Eastern staff called in so I was unable to leave my facility unattended- which meant I was unable to lead worship.

I finally went to the movie theater out here in the city. They have VIP seating which I most definitely took part of. I saw the movie 'Devil' while reclining on a leather seat and having a waiter bring me my concessions. It wasn't crowded, but comfortable.... Until the Kuwaiti men behind me started
Flatulating! Although I don't like scary movies, this movie had me all tense & scared.... And confused. Confused because Kuwait actually cuts out parts or scenes that are not appropriate for their culture. You know the movie, 'Eat Pray Love' with Julia Roberts? It was banned here but some people were asking
The cinema giants to reconsider the ban. I think they now allow it since
Last night I saw the advertising for it when I passed
A theater.

I was told that late October/early November kuwaitis go out into the desert and camp there for a few weeks. I'm already starting to see mobile bakalas, or convenient stores in back of trucks. I can't wait to see how packed it will get. I wonder if that means there will be traffic on the desert roads
On our way to work?

Speaking of driving....it looks like pretty soon- in a matter of days- I'm going to have to start driving. It didn't help that during orientation driving they informed us of all the deaths of our fellow contractors & kuwaiti's bc of the reckless driving. I'm kind of excited to drive but also REALLY nervous. Here, they hardly abide by traffic laws. Most cities don't have traffic lights, stop signs, or yield signs. They have roundabouts and it's a mad housesitting through those circles. But my REAL
Concern is......well....let me confess an embarrassing phobia that
I developed in the year 2007. I don't know how or why this happened, all I know is that it's crippled me psychologically & getting over this fear is frightening.
I developed anxiety/panic attacks while driving on the highways. I feel trapped if I'm surrounded by a sea of cars. I hyperventilate, get dizzy, shaky, my heart pounds, and feel like I need to pull over. Cars that drive slow in front of me make me panic & cars driving at the same speed as me next to me freak me out bc I feel
Trapped. It has gotten worse since 2007. I am able to drive if other people are w/ me.... But alone.....God help me lol. So whenever I'm designated to drive for work, I may have to pick up some co-workers who live in the next city over, Jabriya, and would have to take the highway.
Gosh I sound like a pathetic little chicken.... Lol. I know that the only way to get over it is to just do it.... But even THINKING of getting on the highway raises
My heart beat, gives me butterflies, and my breathing gets shorter. It's a mind thing and I wish I could be hypnotized to not be afraid.

As paranoid as this will sound... Sometimes, in my insanity of course,
I think that maybe I came here to die- since I've always had this notion that I would die in a car accident.

But the opposite also runs through my mind- maybe I came here to be healed
From this ridiculous,crippling, phobia? And this thought is the reason that I actually
Look forward to driving- that & also bc I may be able to keep the car
Between shifts which means if I wanted to go out I wouldn't have to take a cab.

Anyway, enough with my drama. So far, I'm enjoying the weather and I'm still enjoying my time here in Kuwait.

Next week I will spending a day in Failaka Island! I'm really excited about that. I do plan on going to Dubai & Bahrain as weekend trips, but I still haven't gotten my passport back. But I already went through the medical evaluation
For the Ministry and supposedly I got an extension on my temporary Visa. I'm still waiting for my residency Visa & swear-in.