how insightful

I'm currently teaching my students about organization and sequence in writing. I gave them a small assignment to practice these ideas. Each student needed to choose something that he or she is an expert at. Then, he or she needed to write a one page "How To ____________" paper giving me step-by-step directions on how to do that particular skill. Here was my favorite:

How to Annoy Children

Hello everyone!
First I will tell you how to annoy and bother a child and make him cry. In the beginning hold someone from his head, then start making crazy faces. Tell him that he's stupid and he has cheap clothes. Later, take an ice and put it inside his shirt. When he goes to sleep take a tissue and make it a small curl, after that place the tissue inside his nose or ear and tickle them to bother them. Eventually, run away!

made in the....USA????

local pottery

my favorite food

chicken tikka. small pieces of spicy chicken, grilled. eaten with fresh, flat bread. (naan)

Also, at the restaurant there is something called the "family section." Tables are surrounded by a curtain so women can remove the head cover and enjoy a meal with their family. (first pic)

Happy Thanksgiving

Things in Bahrain I'm thankful for:
1. always sunny skies
2. leaving the window open day and night
3. fresh juice stands
4. stinky fish vendors on the corner (I don't actually buy anything, but it makes me laugh!)
5. blooming bougainvilllea
6. peppermint tea
7. shawarma
8. Coke in glass bottles
9. my pet fish
10. the smell of shisha
11. evenings sitting on the corniche looking at the city
12. mini marathons (only 5K!)
13. environmentally friendly jute shopping bags
14. the one and only beach that we only go to at night :)
15. afternoon nap time

my balcony garden

My plants were growing splendidly. I was so excited to come home after school and see their progress. Then one day when I opened the curtains, all I saw were stalks. Some hungry bird must have found one of the only green things on the island and had a feast.

Now it's back to square one.

Women Who Know Their Place

A point of view.

Barbara Walters, of TV's 20/20, did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands.

She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From Ms. Walters' vantage point, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands and are happy to maintain the old custom.

Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, "Why do you now seem happy with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?"

The woman looked Miss Walters straight in the eyes and without hesitation said, "Land mines."