In many ways.

Due to some unexpected changes I have moved the closing of the house up a few weeks to the middle of October. I'll be in the states for this, and will also have the opportunity to move everything in, get unpacked, and enjoy my new home for a period of time before heading back to this side of the world. Moving is never a great adventure, but I'm actually looking forward to it this time.

Other than coming overseas for work, I am not a person who moves a lot. I have always preferred to keep my sons in the same school district with their friends during their childhood. Though they're a bit older now, my new home is in the same district. I still won't stray from the stability which has been so important through the years.

The plan is fairly simple this time -- fly in on a Saturday, close on Monday, start moving. If I can lure a couple of my son's friends to help out, we should have this done in no time at all.

Life in Kuwait has been pretty much the same. A friend of mine and I went to Jahra yesterday to squeeze in a little shopping and get some chapatti. We managed to find these awesome Indian throws -- like something you would just leave sitting on the couch in case you get chilly by the fireplace, or while watching television. They're a really good quality material, tightly woven, really soft after a good washing, and only 2KD (approx. $7). I think I'm going to head up there again this weekend, take the Kuwaiti with me, and see if we can get them even cheaper. Negotiating is always left up to the locals (though I'm pretty good at it myself). And it always feels good to know I got an even better deal than I set out to get. I really need to pick up about 4 more of these to keep around the house. Kuwait definitely has the highest quality bedding and the lowest cost of anywhere I've been in the world.

I'm really excited about the upcoming weeks and the new journey I'm about to embark on. I have no idea what it's going to consist of, but I have no doubt it's going to be equally as wonderful as the one I was just on. There's so much on the agenda and I'm looking forward to being so busy with life -- but right now I'm in the last stretch of the waiting game. Packing, itinerary, etc. It's a slow process... and I'm not the most patient woman.

Below is an article from my local newspaper back home in the states. It's great to see the Eid celebration taking place on both sides of the world.

DURHAM -- Chaotic as it was inside the Durham Armory on Sunday, where some 800 men, women and energetic children gathered, when the prayer began, the 30 or so Duke University students who were in attendance knelt calmly.

They clasped their hands, then put their heads to their prayer rugs, and then sat as Amr Dabbour, imam of the mosque Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman in Durham, gave his sermon for Eid al-Fitr, beseeching everyone to stay on the straight path.

Speaking of Allah, Jesus and others, Ar-Rahman said, "We do not follow any person on Earth other than these. These are the true examples for humanity to follow."

He urged everyone to contribute to their community -- for women to take the lead in their homes, for men to take care of their families and for the young to be happy and look to the future.

"The hearts of youths are like the hearts of birds," he said.

Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, and focuses on unity within the family and unity in the community at large.

After Dabbour's sermon, the crowd stood, gathered their belongings and turned to hug friends and family and kiss each other on the cheeks.

The breaking of the fast was also marked by ample quantities of food and drinks at the armory. The group of Duke students, led by Abdullah Antepli, the Muslim chaplain and a professor of Islamic Studies at Duke, also headed to Elmo's Diner afterward.

The students said the holiday is much like Christmas for them. Many members of the organization, the Center for Muslim Life, actually headed home to be with family for the holiday. Those who stayed at Duke were from places too far away to go for a weekend trip.

Dima Ikhwan, a senior economics major who wore a purple, white and gold robe called the jalabiah, is from Saudi Arabia.

The ceremony in Durham was similar to the one back home, she said, except for the size and the diversity. Muslims of different nationalities gathered at the armory on Sunday morning, with some women donning jalabiahs like Ikhwan, others putting on headscarves before praying, and still others who were covered head to toe in black burqas.

Some of the men came wearing suits, while others wore sweaters and khakis.

Attendance within the Center for Muslim Life has increased since Antepli's arrival about two years ago, said Yousef Abugharbieh, also a senior.

The group had taken a bus to the ceremony, originally planning to attend the Raleigh festivities held on the state fairgrounds. They had arrived too late for the first prayer there, so they turned the bus around and went to the armory in Durham instead.

Ahmad Jitan, a senior, and others prayed on the bus together in advance of the ceremony. Jitan played emcee for the trip, cracking jokes and stirring up the crowd.

"This holiday is about fixing bonds in the community," he said.

Though I currently live in a country where many things are against the 'law' though they shouldn't necessarily be -- especially considering the limited number of law enforcement personnel here -- I don't always agree with everything they impose on others.

Below is an article about a woman who caught her husband holding another woman's hand in public and filed a case against him. Personally, I think one should be filed against her for creating a public nuisance.

People are going to do what they're going to do. You can call in the 'morality police' all day long -- it's not going to stop your husband from cheating, people from ripping you off, or men from posting your pictures on the internet (especially when you have given them your pictures). In my opinion, if you're not smart enough to hide your cheating, prevent someone from ripping you off in a scam that sounds way too good to be true, or to deny a man your pictures -- then you probably deserve what you get. In America we call this 'learning lessons' and getting more wisdom with age. It's about growing up, being an adult, and taking responsibility for our own actions. This doesn't happen often in Kuwait.

My advice to the woman with the cheating husband? Make a decision and stick with it. Apparently he has poor taste in women -- no offense. However, if your husband is a cheater and you can deal with this for the rest of your life, then so be it. If not, then perhaps you should consider a life without him. Chances of him actually changing (especially because of a police report) are slim to none. Unless, of course, he learns his lessons and grows up. You can't make him, you can't force him, and you certainly can't scare him into doing so.

Woman insults ‘cheat’ husband in shopping mall

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 4 : An Egyptian woman, whose identity has not been disclosed has filed a complaint with the police accusing her husband with flirting with an Asian woman, reports Arrouiah daily. In her complaint to the police the woman said she saw her husband walking hand in hand with the woman while she was shopping in Hawalli and when she surprised him he could not face her. She also said she publicly insulted him for cheating on her. The husband has been summoned by the police for interrogation.

Below is an article from the Arab Times today. She was afraid to be seen in the car with a man as it could tarnish her reputation -- wonder how grand theft auto is going to look?

Unfortunately, we never get follow up reports from the media here. The best we can hope for is that someone we know has information never released. But, like many things I read in the news here, I am rather curious as to whether or not the man got his car back.

Pretty woman missing with ‘chivalrous’ man’s car

Kuwait City, Sep 2: A Kuwaiti man has filed a complaint with the police accusing an unidentified woman of ‘stealing’ his car, reports Al-Anba daily. According to the complainant he saw a pretty looking woman looking for her car in the parking lot of the Fahaheel market. Seeing the woman in a pitiful condition he offered to help her. When he learned her car had gone missing from the parking lot, he offered to drive her home but the latter refused saying if someone saw her driving with a man, it would be bad for her reputation. So he lent her his vehicle and told her he would collect it from her the next day but the call never came through.

I found out last night the woman who has been accused, and admitted, to setting the tent fire at the wedding in Jahra has retracted her confession. This comes as no surprise to me at all. She states she was under duress and coerced to confess. Perhaps this is true.

In my opinion (other than a confession) there's not enough information to determine this woman is actually the person who set the fire. Of course I only know the bit that has been shared with me 'off the record' and what has been published in the news. But it just seems there are too many unanswered questions which I would like to see detective pursue.

1. A confession? We have a 23 year old woman with 2 small children, a husband who just married another woman, and an accusation of premeditated murder of 46 people looming over her head. If there was even a hint of "Just admit you did this and it will all be OK", I can certainly see how she would have confessed.

2. There's a statement from a taxi driver who took this woman to Farwaniya to a salon, but where's the statement from the driver who took her to Jahra and to the gas station? Was he ever found?

3. The maid has made a statement which has been loosely shared by the media. No offense to maids all over Kuwait, but this woman's account of what really took place is probably as skewed as the young woman's mind was the night her husband was marrying another woman. Not that this maid wasn't being honest, or doesn't have the ability to be honest -- but I find it more likely she was willing to share what she was forced to share, or told to share. After all, she has a lot to lose as well. Additionally, was this maid present at the time? Did she ride along in the taxi? One report says yes, another doesn't mention her being there. Have we followed up on this?

4. Siblings and a food delivery man state the suspect was at home eating with them 20 minutes prior to the time the fire was started. Nothing more was added about their statements, but I found this to be significant.

5. The drive from the area she lives, to Farwaniya (where we have a witness who dropped her off there), and then to Jahra with a stop at the gas station at that time of night, on a weekend -- 40 minutes minimum. This would have put her in the area almost an hour after the crime allegedly took place.

6. A maid stated she asked her for newspapers (not her maid -- one at the wedding). How does this maid know 100% the woman who asked her for newspapers was the suspect? Was the suspect wearing niqab? Perhaps the maid was confused by who she thought she saw. Has anyone checked further into this?

7. A family member of the suspect was not home for several hours during all of this. This same family member I initially heard the maid (from the wedding) had witnessed according to a friend. As a matter of fact, I heard there were 3 witnesses who all identified this person as the suspect. However, the next morning it was reported the suspect had confessed, and not the other family member. Has this family member just been overlooked based on the statement they weren't home at the time? Perhaps there's more and I am unaware. Perhaps there's more here that should be reviewed.

No, I am not Nancy Drew, or the little old lady who shows up at all the murders and solves them (can't recall the name of that show). Not a detective, never have been, no desire to be. But part of what I do on a daily basis is gather evidence, determine facts, and establish a conclusion -- on a much less forensic level.

I'm certainly not implying the Kuwait investigators are failing to do their job, but what I am saying is someone is failing to provide information to the media. Of course we don't need every detail of the case, but we certainly need enough pieces to complete a puzzle.

Reporting really is about facts, accuracy, and being thorough. Don't tell us part 1 today, and part 7 tomorrow with nothing in between. This is just very poor reporting. Furthermore, why should we have to seek out 3 different newspapers to get a complete story? And why are they always varying? Again, reporting consists of accuracy. What are the odds?

It's so disheartening to read the newspaper and see such tragic stories as the ones I've been reading lately. Perhaps being Ramadan makes it even worse in my mind. Of course that's not to say these behaviors are acceptable other times of the year -- but it's nice to believe people are a little more aware of their own actions during Ramadan. Who am I kidding?

I have often said if Islam was taught by watching the behavior of people who refer to themselves as Muslim -- Islam would be seen in a very poor light.

When the answer to your problems, your frustrations, and your contention is always 'physical vilolence' then clearly you lack something as a person. Unfortunately, these same people are raising children... the future of Kuwait. Continue to show your children that hate, anger, and violence are acceptable and I will show you a country which will be full of crime and corruption (moreso than now) in that same period of time.

As people (especially children) we need compassion, kindness, forgiveness and love to feel complete. We need to know our every mistake isn't going to result in being abused. We need to be taught patience through our parents' actions, and sympathy through our parents' generosity.

Please, take one step today which places you in someone else's shoes. Before you act towards another person, attempt to feel what they might be feeling. Attempt to understand them before you judge them. And above anything -- pass that along to your children.

No pay for 8 months: maid - ‘Both took turns in beating me’

KUWAIT CITY : Another Filipina who became a victim of her employers is crying for justice after she was left almost maimed from the savage beatings she was subjected to.  The 45-year old Filipina from Mindanao recounted her ordeal to Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Ricardo M. Endaya after she sought refuge there last Saturday.  She said she was being maltreated and subjected to beatings by both her employers for no apparent reason, leaving her black and blue and things got even worse every time she asked for her salary. “On one occasion just recently, they took turns hitting me with whatever they could lay their hands on, which resulted in my right ear being almost ripped off due to the severity of the beatings-this, after I asked them for my salary” she narrated.  The victim, who asked that her name be withheld, said she was brought to Kuwait by a Fahaheel-based agency in 2004 and later transferred to another agency in December 2008 from where she was hired by her present employers. Her male employer, she said, reportedly works for the ‘shoun.’  Two days ago last Saturday, she said her employers dropped her off at a ‘baqala’ purportedly to buy a bottle of mineral water and later when she came out, she found her employers had left. Thinking they would come back for her, she said she waited but when no one came after more than an hour, she decided to hail a taxi and asked the driver who, on seeing her condition, agreed to take her to the Philippine Embassy without question.  Embassy personnel immediately took her to the hospital to receive treatment for her injuries.  Ambassador Endaya then summoned the agency responsible for her including the owner who reportedly expressed shock and surprise on seeing what happened to her. The owner reportedly said they did not know anything since no one called them up to report any abuse and the victim herself said she did not report the matter to the agency either out of fear, was unable to or simply did not know how to go about it.  On learning the victim was not only being maltreated but was also not paid for eight months, the visibly upset owner angrily asked the Philippine Embassy to take appropriate action to bring the cruel employers to court to answer for their misdeed.  The poor Filipina is now staying at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) where she being looked after.

Maid kills herself: An Indian housemaid, in her 30s, committed suicide by hanging inside her sponsor’s house in Abdullah Al-Mubarak, says Al-Seyassah.
The maid’s sponsor called the Operations Room after discovering her lifeless body inside the room. Securitymen and paramedics rushed to the location and they found the victim tied a rope around her neck and fastened the other end to the ceiling, which led to her death. According to the sponsor, the maid was suffering from psychological problems prior to the incident
A case was registered and investigations are in progress to determine the actual circumstances that prompted the maid to take her own life.

Maid found dead: The remains of an unidentified Asian maid who was found dangling from a rope tied to the ceiling inside her sponsor’s home in Mubarak Al-Kabir, have been referred to Forensics, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
Police are investigating the incident.

Maid rescued: Acting on information police rushed to a residential building in Salmiya and saved the life of an Asian housemaid who was attempting to jump to her death from the balcony of her sponsor’s apartment, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
The daily did not give more details.

Young, mentally-ill girl strangles herself to death

Kuwait : A 20-year-old mentally retarded Egyptian girl is said to have strangled herself to death, reports Al-Anba daily. According to a report filed by the victim’s father at a police station, the father, who is a teacher of Islamic Education said, every time he goes to pray he used to tie the girl with a rope made of nylon bags to prevent her from destroying household items and hurting her younger siblings. On the day of the incident, the father continued, the victim let loose and strangled herself to death. It has been reported the father was controlling his daughter in this manner for the past 18 years. Police have registered a suicide case.