Matt converts to Islam.... (Blog 2)

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I hope someone read that title and freaked out…...

I have been on my little journey for about 3 weeks now o an update is well over due.

So, everything is going……. (drumroll) really rather well. I will sum up some basic stuff/events in a few witty-ish bulletpoints:

- 45 degrees weather does feel quite normal after a couple of days, I play football sometimes in the midday heat - "Mad dogs and Englishmen" etc, but you get used to it. As long as your're downing 3/4 litres per hour of sport everything seems OK, only collapsed once during sport activities.

- Have joined lots of clubs to keep myself busy and sporty (lack of alcohol DOES actually make you more active - I always thought that was a myth). Clubs including Tennis club, local footy team and gym (this gym is sensational - you could be in the Seychelles almost when your at their sea side pool).

- Oh, got lost in Kuwaitee city last weekend, that was funny - ended up taking about 9 buses and about 5 hours to find my way home. Twas almost a good way to explore etc, buses cost like 15p for a fare so pretty harmless. Ended up in the Pakistani district for a long time, which was cool, but nobody spoke any English. I live in a district called Salwa, which is about 30 mins outside the main city and quite exclusive. The King of Kuwait lives only about 10 minutes walk from me so I am in good company. Actually on my second day I got stopped by one of his armed guards for getting too near to his palace, which is actually quite an ugly building. Anyhows, so I guess I'm in the Windsor of Kuwait….

- Have been within 12 miles of the Iraqi boarder, my friends claim that the city we could see on the desert skyline was adjacent to Basra, but I'm not convinced. We were only nearer the border to hire some quad bikes to do a desert trek - I think that the main route does slightly go into Iraq so I will have to see if I can get a pic taken on the border line.

- My school seems sorted. Have 25 different classes to teach each week of Y3-6 children (7-11 year olds). So just over 700 faces/names to learn. Am putting on a Talent show in December and the big school production of hopefully 'Robin Hood' in March...

- Ramadan kicks off on 24th September, so my timetable will be a little shorter each day. God bless allah, am loving religious holidays!!!!

- Golf is hysterical here, you take a piece of carpet around a desert and put your ball on that each shot. They don't have greens either so they have an oil like substance so tis a most bizarre experience.

- Alcohol is gettable over here, but nobody feels the need to go crazy, have had homebrew wine a few times and I am currently fermenting my own batch, but no real need to knock it back like at home.

- Am kind of learning to drive out here via very quick go karts at a local club - none of the cars have manual gears over here so the go karts are pretty much the best way to get used to driving. The roads round here are horrific, traffic signs and lanes count for nothing. The man who breaks last gets what he wants - tis a relief to get out of the car at the end of some journeys. I actually live quite near the 5th most dangerous road in the world. Whenever we travel on it we literally just watch and count the amount of deadly car wrecks we can see in a bout 2 miles - most bizarre.

So, basically, all is cool with me. Dare I say it I actually feel quite at home here after just 3 weeks. Lots of guys similar age to me live in my block and its been fun. Am heading off to Jordan and then into Jeruslam on the 19th october. Some mates are doing Sri Lanka this xmas, but I think I will probably still come home, this year anyway - although the prospect of xmas in Thailand or somewhere does sound cool for 2007 maybe.

Thanks for those who have written via this travel blog site or my cromweillius@yahoo.com
Tis very cool to here from people, I will reply to all as soon as I can…..

Hope everyone having lovely Autumn back home. If it's getting you down try not to think of me in 40 degrees weather by a private beach healthclub each day.

Take care


MATT

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