Joy Comes In The Morning
I’ll wake -up early to catch a plane. I’ll stay up late to see the big game. In my younger days I would party till dawn but this morning my desire was to rise before the sun to enjoy Easter sunrise service. To start my day with music, melody and celebration! To praise what is truly important. This sunrise service was held in Kuwait City at the Lighthouse Church.
The entire church grounds were filled with jazz and old school Christian music. Skits and beautiful voices floated over Kuwait City as Easter morning was upon us. With love, humor and a sense of purpose this service brought together two languages and two cultures. With grace music was sang in both Arabic and English. Lyrics of hymns were printed on screens in both Arabic and English. Messages of Easter celebration came from people of all cultures. It brought peace into my heart. Here in this church in Kuwait two cultures found a way to pray as one. Language that sometimes can separate people was used to unite!
As I rose to sing I couldn’t help but remember all the people around me who lift me up. The people I am blessed to have the chance to celebrate. This weekend I was at a dinner party. There was both gorgeous people and gorgeous food. It was humbling to enjoy such a night, being put upon a pedestal, allowed to be surrounded by someone else’s passion and experiences for an evening. Some people don’t know how to stand on a pedestals. they spend all their time and energy giving to others that they forget that they too should humble enjoy the chance to shine. Others take for granted when they are being lifted up and others don’t have the self awareness to realize when someone is shining light upon them. Some people can fall from pedestals but it is wonderful that with time, love and support they too can rise again! The perfect balance is when two people can put each other on pedestals, nobody falls and you can simple look into each other’s eyes. That isn’t easy, it takes time, trust and a pure commitment.
Commitment to excellence takes practice, discipline, training and self-care. It is why I write on days I don’t always feel like writing. I need the practice. This morning being committed to early morning worship also meant that I was going to commit to a mid-morning nap! Before we returned home we tried to stop for breakfast at the Early Bird. Closed on Sundays, perhaps to rest and maintain that Early Bird standard of goodness, we went to a place around the corner. I think it was called All Morning, All Evening. It wasn’t All That Good. They hadn’t committed to figuring out the basics of what makes a restaurant run. A small place filled with a horrible bleach smell we moved our table outside to enjoy sunshine and get some fresh air. The service was very smiley but not very fast. Coffee wasn’t possible until the person who knew how to make coffee got there but we did have positive all be it slightly sleepy conversation! We did wonder why does the Early Bird not take their day off in the middle of the week so that long weekends can still be celebrated with great breakfast?
Spring break has just started. It is nice that it is off to such a wonderful and interesting beginning! Tomorrow I am waking up to a morning writing session with the “Women of Words!” Did I mention I love vacation!
Breakfast Utopia
Since I believe that a Breakfast Utopia is a place of perfection rather than nonexistence in Kuwait I continue my search for the ideal spot to enjoy coffee, conversation and great hash browns.
The Hilton has a wonderful breakfast and outstanding weekend brunch. A lovely omelet man will cook your eggs any way you like. There are rows upon rows of breakfast pastries and miles upon miles of Kuwait fresh fruit. It is a good place to have breakfast. However the Hilton Breakfast is a special occasion, Easter Weekend, families come to visit type breakfast place. It is luxury but not your regular, every weekend breakfast place. The wait staff would never learn your name or what you like in your coffee and if it is possible it just seems a little to polished or to stuffy to be that breakfast place you love to hang out in.
Across the fine country of Kuwait exists a plethora of Starbucks. Like Starbucks in North America they each Starbucks store has its own unique personality. My favourite so far would have to be the Fahaheel Starbucks. Located by the marina you can sip your morning cappuccino, read the overpriced trashy magazine you bought and enjoy the sunshine on the patio. No hash browns so although Starbuck perfect not the Breakfast Utpoia!
Johnny Rockets does a great breakfast but something about red plastic booths and the store out of a box feel quickly crosses it off the list of being a Breakfast Utopia contender.
We had heard rumors of a possible Breakfast Utpoia. After some detective work and reading the EAT Magazine cover to cover we came across a write-up and address for The Early Bird!
We are an ALL AMERICAN Breakfast Restaurant in Fahaheel, Kuwait, owned and operated by Bianca Simonian, an American from Los Angeles, CA trained internationally in the culinary arts. March 2008 marked the grand opening of The Early Bird where Bianca and friends treated guests to a weekend of delicious food including pancakes, biscuits n’ gravy, French toast, omelets…THE WORKS! House specialties include homemade sausage and banana bread! Themed SPECIALS are featured every weekend. We are open six days a week from 5am-3pm!! (closed on Sundays). When you visit us we promise that you will leave full and 100% satisfied!!! Early morning deliveries are available and you can stop by for pick up anytime during regular hours. Scrumptious sandwiches are now included on our menu. As always, dogs are welcome! Board games, cards and good music from the iPod complete our panoply of treats for the mind, heart and body!
The Early Bird has all the makings of being the Breakfast Utopia! Great food, friendly staff, funky and fun. I totally enjoyed by sunny Saturday morning of adventure and entertainment. There is only one tiny and when I say tiny I mean tiny draw back of the Early Bird. It is small. Like 12 chairs, size of my rug small. They do say good things come in small packages and this is true with the Early Bird. However to reach Breakfast Utopia status I look for the Early Bird to get bigger or perhaps open a second larger location. As the word continues to spread about the Western Breakfast wonder that might become possible. I do enjoy how you get a Tootsie Roll with you bill.
In the meantime and in between time I wait and continue to search for the Breakfast Utopia in Kuwait!
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!