Shooting fire in an bombed out satellite station and a border run

Finally made it back out to shoot some more steel wool. Some friends had visited this bombed out satellite station during the day and suggested we shoot steel wool there. It is totally awesome for these types of shots. 

Apparently the Al Alsh Earth Station was one of the first places bombed when Iraq invaded. It's only about 30km from the border so that makes sense. A group of us went after our conferences on Wednesday night because we had the next day off. This meant that we couldn't actually leave until around 9:30pm (my normal bedtime). The station is about an hours drive away too. We didn't get home until almost 4am-- so late/early! But it was fun and I think it was worth it.

I went out again with some other friends the next night. My car was full the night before and there were more people that had wanted to go so we did a second trip. Some friends from church also met us there. We were able to leave earlier so we got back earlier but we still didn't get back until 11:30pm-- past my bedtime.

We would have been home earlier but we figured-- hey, we're this close to the border, we might as well just go check that out. That was a bucket list item for me for Kuwait. The last sign before you reach the border is the 10km to the border sign. We got out and took some pictures there. Then we planned on getting close to the border but turing around before reaching it-- like I did when I went to the Saudi border-- but the Iraq border is not as well maintained/not as big and it wasn't clear when we needed to turn around, especially in the dark.

I totally missed where to turn and ended up actually at the border. I didn't know what to do. I was totally nervous but my friends were like- let's just ask these border agents. Joanna did the talking (they were on her side and I was scared) but they just told us to back up the way we came. I'm pretty sure we were not the first ones to do that. oops.

I love the rubble hanging from the ceiling. 

Didn't get the whole wall-- it says "Sept. 11, 2001 WE WILL NEVER FORGET" and then there's "to be continued" and "you haven't seen anything" and "I love Osama Bin Ladin"

My shots are ok, but I think others got some better shots. Guess I need to go back ;)

Joanna bravely snapped a shot of the border as we were back away. :) 

Kuwait National Day/Liberation Day 2016

55 years ago Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate. This actually happened in June but they celebrate it in February in conjunction with Liberation celebrations- celebrating the liberation from the Iraq invasion 25 years ago.

Last year we had a 4 day weekend and I went to Jordan, but this year it was only 3 days because the holiday was actually on the weekend. So instead of traveling this year I just stayed in Kuwait. I basically hid in my apartment most of the weekend and tried not to drive anywhere. Kuwaiti drivers are insane on a normal day. They're triple insane over holidays like this.

The big thing to do for Liberation is basically have a water fight. It's a little like Songkran in Thailand, only Thailand is much better. The other thing they do is put up lights-- all kinds of festive lights. It's a little like Christmas. I went out a couple of times with some friends to just drive around and look at all the Liberation lights, like you do with Christmas lights. Since I was the one driving I don't have a lot of shots of the lights, but I did get some. We also went to a celebration at the park. I did drive down Gulf road, which is where the water fight happens, one time just to say I did it.

We went to a Liberation Day/National Day celebration in the park. 

They gave us a hat, a flag, and a scarf. I love swag!

Selfie!

They had free snacks like cotton candy, little slider sandwiches, and cookies. 

The amphitheater was cool. They have these grassy levels and they had these giant pillows to sit on. 

I was trying to work this shot with the flags backlit.... never really got a money shot but some of the shots were still cool enough to share. 

Lots of kids all decked out in Kuwaiti flags and colors. 

These light up shoes are so the new cool thing. 

It was all in Arabic and it was mostly little kids doing something to win a oil worker costume. 

Pretty city view from the park.

Again, pretty city view from the park. 

That building has the flag waving projected on the side.  I didn't get many good shots because I had to grab them at stop lights since I was driving. 

This was an accident but I kinda like it in an abstract way. 

The red flag is the old Kuwait flag. I kinda like the red one. 

At the grocery store. 

We could wear traditional dress or Kuwait colors the last day of school before the holiday. This is our weekly flag ceremony but this time everyone had the flags and we did a little parade where each grade walked around the yard for everyone to see how they dressed. 

One of my students brought temporary tattoos to share with the class...

so I became a tattoo artist for the morning.

This is the kid I tutor-- he looks handsome in his dishdasha

treats my kids brought

So many treats! 

I specifically did not say we were having a party in the hopes of not ending up with a TON of food-- this is what still came to class. Actually, we had already eaten some during 1st snack break. 

And this is what was left even after letting the kids eat as much as they wanted.