Day three in Kuwait.

As I walked home from the gym last night, and I saw the red ring around the full moon, blurred by the sand in the night air, all I could think was how remarkable it is that I am here.  I never thought I would be in the middle east and yet here I am.  I woke up this morning slightly more adjusted than the morning before, and in the very least, the sun at 0700 is far less blinding than at 1400.  As we walked to the DFAC (it means dining facility in army-ese), we walked by the port-a-potties and Starbucks, and I realized that smell of stale day old bread and sand is not all that endearing. 

Excitingly enough, I have found some similarities to Italy to make me feel just like home.  First similarity?  Neither the Italians nor the Kuwaitis wear deodorant.  As I walked through a bazaar complete with hookahs and belly dancing outfits, I smelled a scent as familiar to me as standing in the funicular on Capri.  So if I had just closed my eyes for a second, I could have been in the decadent vacation spot of emperors instead of dusty bazaar inside Camp Arifjan.  Another similarity?  Kuwaiti men love to stare at American women JUST like the Italians!  No shame, they just look...and look right at you when you stare back.  And shocker!  Kuwaitis ALSO throw trash in the street.  They also share a love of Italian techno music.  That was a surprise today.

I have also learned that I like Camp Arifjan better than Camp Virginia because Arifjan has lights in the bathrooms.  I had almost perfected a routine though with the bathrooms in Camp Virginia.  First: Swing open the port a potty door quickly to fully assess if any snakes or scorpions are in there peeing or pooping before me.  Second: after ascertaining that I am indeed alone in the dark port a potty, I hold open the light from my Ipod, holding it in my mouth so as to not touch anything.  Thirdly, I scan once more with the light from the Ipod...(it sounds neurotic but I am so super quick now it is like three seconds.)  These are skills that boy scouts have acquired when they are like 10 years old but I have had to learn it in my old age.  Good thing fear of snakes makes me a fast learner.

Tomorrow is check in at the hospital.  I am just excited that I don't have to wear body armor.