An empty house

My winter break started after school on Thursday. It is now Saturday. My building is a ghost town.

I won't leave for another 22 hours (OMG, so soon!). More friends have left for good; too many have gone. Telling us to "be flexible" was just too vague, too nice toward this place, and unkind to us about what to expect here.

While I will return, I probably wouldn't be if I had booked a trip home for this break back in October. Half of my colleagues will be gone in the new year.

At least Fionka will be in good hands with neighbors. I'll come back for her:)

One week to go!

There are just 5 more days in the classroom before three-weeks of winter break. This week can't fly by fast enough! Well, except that I have much left on my to-do list: grades, formal evaluation, grades, grades, grades, oh and improve the "environment" of my classroom before Tuesday's "formal eval." As if "grades" aren't enough at the end of the term!

There will be no home for me this break. But I'm off to Germany. I may as well visit one of the motherlands of my varied ancestors. Traveling from the UAE to Germany takes substantially less time than to the US.

If this week doesn't kill me, I'll be very happy to get away!

Lead up to National Day = Crazy Days in the Classroom!

The trimester is almost complete. Now it is crunch time for grades. In the midst of this stress, the kids are all  wound up in anticipation for the 40th National Day of the UAE. (Honestly, by the sheer volume of expensive cars decorated in Green, Red, Black, and White, I think everyone is excited.) Who wouldn't be? Forty is so young from my American perspective and even younger when I think of the histories of both Europe and Japan. But if rehearsing is what is necessary for the big school assembly on Tuesday, then why am I trying to teach anything new? My students are being pulled, and it is impossible to not hear various rehearsals in the central courtyard. Getting kids to focus when the sound system is on full-blast is not my forte. Oh well, whatever, I am ready to give up.

Lap cat

Fionka may be Fellini. I will take her/him to the vet tomorrow for her/his first check up. But F is happiest when curled up on my arm. Though F may be a wild cat, it taken to me. F likes to walk the never ending hall way of my building, too. While I'm sure F misses the outdoors, I'm not giving F up!

Welcome Fionka!

Yesterday morning, I visited the Al Ain National Museum with my visiting mother. As my mom and I left the building in search of the falaj irrigation system we were told was near the building, we were immediately approached by the kitty pictured above and distracted completely.

Fionka (sounds like Bianca) is now in my home. This tiny bundle of enormous amounts of energy and purr-power will certainly be a happy addition to my life. Now, I just have to take her to the vet to make sure she's healthy.

Fionka is my version of the name that the two Egyptian guards at the museum gate had been calling her. She might have whiskers to rival my US cat, Emma; she is too small to tell yet. However, she certainly the biggest ears of any feline I've ever known! Her head is about the size of a plum!

Geez Louise!

I've been renting a car and driving in the UAE for two months now, and I've been in Al Ain for almost as long. Al Ain is notorious for having more roundabouts than traffic lights, like 10 to 1! You have to be bold about the roundabouts, and I have been...until now.

I noticed the guy in front of me was hesitating at the roundabout for an inordinately long time as I approached the roundabout from like 200 meters away. But then, I looked at the roundabout traffic, assumed that he would have gone, and then tried to go myself. No damage, cool.

But then, I'm in the middle of 3 lanes wanting to go straight through to the 2nd exit, and as I'm mindlessly continuing, the guy to my left (far inside of the circle) cuts me off to make a right at the 1st exit. 

What the heck! I need to read up on the traffic rules here. I can't take another series of rapid-fire episodes like I experienced today.

Efficient Friday!

Unlike most Friday mornings, I rose early (after a difficult Thursday evening--dehydration & me don't work well together). Primarily to get to my still unfinished apartment (no gas for the cooker/stove) in order to tidy up before my scheduled cleaner appointment.

So as she cleaned (and boy did she clean!), I worked and ran errands. As a teacher, one's work is never done. When I think that she cleaned for 3-1/2 hours, I still shake my head at her refusal of my initial offer. She saved me so much time! I am happy that I was able to work instead of slogging through chores.

Then I went shopping for shelves. After 4 hours of trying, I decided to wait for drilling help. Not even my "girl-friendly" uber-drill was powerful enough in my weak hands for concrete walls.

I'm grateful for the people in my life: new and old, here and abroad. (OMG, I want to puke! Damn those children for making me so stressed out!)

Another week down...at least it is cooling down

School continues to be torture, but the temperature is getting nicer. 84 degrees Fahrenheit this morning! Yes, it is still humid, but the lower temperature helps.

As another week comes to a close, I will move into my apartment this weekend. After two and a half months in hotels in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, I hope it will be nice. The parking garage wasn't complete as of two days ago when I scoped out the location of my assigned underground parking spot. Living without television will be a vacation, but living without internet will be a chore. All in all, I can't complain anymore than I usually do:)

Coming together

This week was the most difficult one yet. Ironically, World Teachers' Day on Wednesday was the most annoying day of the week. Why hand out chocolate to any child at 9 am? What is wrong with this place? Probably the same thing that leads to seeing children at malls after 10 pm any day of the week as well as the majority of my students tell me they haven't eaten breakfast before coming to school. This isn't America, where often schools have a federally subsidized breakfast program. Y'all are rich, folks. And raising children isn't rocket science. To be ready to learn, they need the basics of rest and food. (Even grade 1s learn that!)

On a brighter note, I'll get my closet/wardrobe tomorrow:) (I hope IKEA delivers as promised.) My couches arrived on Wednesday Tuesday evening. I'm still waiting for the construction crew to be finished, but things are coming together slowly but surely.

If only the same could be said about my classroom experience.

Abu Dhabi revisited

I went back to Abu Dhabi, purportedly to exchange my Yaris for a Peugeot 207 from different companies. I didn't get that new rental, but it wasn't a completely wasted trip.

The Yas hotel was RED for at least a short time (it had been purple hours before). I found myself getting to previously visited locations with more success, though not all the time. I instinctively knew the turn for the "new" Yas Island tunnel that my 2010 GPS is not aware of. I got to see friends:) And, I found my favorite beer of all time: Hoegaarden!!!!

And it gets complicated

Not that I've ever had an extraordinarily positive outlook on life, but things are getting worse. You see, I'm teaching both 1st and 2nd grades. I have one colleague at each grade level. We three met to plan this afternoon, and while we were making great strides in one grade level, the other teacher stormed off into the heat of, well, this humid desert.

We are here now, and we've got to make it through this year. I would love to work cooperatively with my teaching colleagues, in fact, I need to! Fingers crossed that moods improve quickly! I know it is hard to be so far from home and the lives of loved ones that continue forward without our presence.

OMG, I'm being the level-headed one! What's happened in this universe?

Sleep...who needs it?

Weekends are too short, everywhere, but especially when I spend at least half of both weekend days at school. Unlike my last job, in Alaska, the cleaning staff work on the non-sabbath day of the weekend. I was constantly in the way! Here it is, 1 am, and I know I shouldn't sleep. I shouldn't be writing this post either! But then, I face my G1 girls first tomorrow. I have the vice principal taking my class for an hour and 15 minutes while I observe an amazing colleague. I know the girls will behave for her, at least.

November 4th can't come soon enough! (Another Eid holiday) Until then, I will try to smile daily. But I've got to hide the cookies. That so wasn't worth it!

Whew, 2 weeks down

Even with the carrot of a cookie, my students still refuse to listen. Today after three hours of battling with a student who constantly runs to mommy, another teacher, by blocking the door with my body, I attempted to get them and her happy with a game. But then, audacious me, I wanted the kids to sit down in a closing circle before the weekend. The class wouldn't cooperate. So I had them sit down and put their heads on their desks. I played nice, calm music. Then after the final bell rang, I excused the cooperative girls first. I then noticed that a few girls were crying. They were happy to ignore my directions two minutes before.

Two hours after getting scolded by a masked/veiled mom, I remembered that they were probably sad because my cookie jar was still full. On days like Sunday-Thursday this week, I hate my job.

Week one: Off to a Rocky Start

With the conclusion of Week 1, I know I'm going to have a difficult year. After having trouble with a boy-heavy class last year, I asked for girls. In this land of gender segregated schools, that request was a big mistake. I miss my old students! Fortunately, since many of my grade 1 students received instruction in English last year in KG2, many of them understand me even if they aren't comfortable speaking. Unfortunately, these spoiled girls know how to say "No" emphatically. As if!

It is time for Ms. L to become stern, real stern. It is time for me to refer insolent little girls to the social workers and principal.

Since I see 2 groups (grade 1 and grade 2) each day, I am struggling with whichever is in the afternoon. (My G1 kids never seem to each their lunches at the absurdly early break of 10:45-11:15. Today, I let them eat in the classroom. STUPID IDEA! I need to invest in some pretzels, if those are even available here.) If the crowds in the mall are any indication, these children certainly don't get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Culture shock, I'm deep in it. I must be at the "disgust" stage now.

Driving...in circles

On a lighter note, I've been through three days of driving by now. One key thing that I have noticed is that my GPS navigator doesn't understand Abu Dhabi's roads. Construction interferes with so much of the city, especially in the Tourist Club neighborhood, near the Corniche. From my NYC days, I want to call "uptown" north, but AD's island isn't oriented in a similar way. What I consider "north"/the Corniche, is really west. The Tourist Club area which is my east, is really more north. Good thing I'm going to live in Al Ain:)

Tomorrow's the day. I still have to decide what to buy my principal for a meeting gift. The problem with chocolate is that it has no chance in this climate; it would melt in a cooler. But how many dates can one principal enjoy?

One more day...of Vacation

I'm so ready to stop vacationing on my employer's dime. I'll report to work on Sunday morning, bright and early. Our employer is coming off a weeklong holiday, and since we have not been issued staggering reporting times, I'm sure to be among a crowd with a very long wait. Patience must be applied. Unfortunately for them and us, many teachers from the other two regions of Abu Dhabi's emirate will report to the office in AD. Because they dropped the ball, and we're still in our AD hotels.

Other than waiting for the inevitable (work), I've been as busy as I can possibly handle (antisocial/social bi-polarism). Tonight I went to dinner with some of the other teachers from my region of the US. We had sorta met on a FB group, and we arrived in two separate groups. The Lebanese Flower on Defence Road is pretty good. It was great to meet more people from home. I regret that more people couldn't join us.

I've rented a car, so getting to school from Abu Dhabi on Sunday may be possible. But if you wanted me to report to my other-region school, dear employer, why am I not there before Sunday? Other people in my region have been in their homes for nearly a week now, via ours truly's expense.

But whatever, or insha'allah as they say here. After hearing that the fool in charge of routing our emailed queries within their HQ has routinely highlighted a bunch of unanswered emails and hit delete, I'm changing MY translation of insha'allah, which I previously thought meant to be patient. Now "they don't care" seems more appropriate to me.

Happy about something...

See all of the yellow dots? Each represents a school. I am extremely grateful that my school is in Al Ain proper. I could not have handled one of those more isolated locations, though it will probably be true that every teacher will live in Al Ain proper and commute. Like my last location in Alaska, I won't have a long commute!

Al Ain for sure

I am definitely in Al Ain, at H* School. It seems to be a girls school within the grade level range I had expected. Oh joy + depression of Al Ain being confirmed. I held out hope that I would be in Abu Dhabi.

It will all be OK in the long run. I just have to keep telling myself that.

Al Ain, first impressions

Today (Thursday), I went out to Al Ain for the first time since I arrived in Abu Dhabi. Al Ain is the city where I am supposed to teach. However, while other teachers are moving in to their homes, I am still homeless. I went with a friend who had a lead that lead nowhere.

My first impressions:
-It is frigging hot! I'm getting used to Abu Dhabi's heat, but Al Ain's heat was unbearable. We cannot drink water in public.  As we wandered aimlessly, I wanted to pop into a hospital for an IV of fluid more than once! I could cope with no more than 10 minutes at a time of walking outside.

-It is a quiet town. There's no big interstate dividing east from west, or connecting AA to Abu Dhabi or Dubai, just simple highways.

-There are far fewer expats there. The information I read indicated that there is a greater percent of Emirati nationals in Al Ain. I have a lot to learn about my new home and neighbors.

-Aggressive taxi drivers. Whoa boys! Do I seem that gullible? Yes, 50 dirhams seemed like a deal (considering it would cost at least 200 dirhams on the meter) to get back to Abu Dhabi, but then why up it to 125 to get us to our hotel? Take no for an answer. We took the 10 dirham bus, which had the AC cranked up so much that we welcomed the heat when we arrived back in AD.

Overall, Al Ain neither looks that bad nor particularly good for me. The "Subway" sign I noticed got me all excited. But it was an underground walkway to cross a very busy road.

However, I am eager to move into an apartment already! (A mold free one, please.) I can't imagine a 2 hour bus ride to school for my first few days of work starting two Sundays from now.

Sunday in Dubai!

Today I went with a few friends to Dubai for some...(what else) SHOPPING! With 3 friends, I caught a cab into Abu Dhabi (35 km in the opposite direction) to catch a bus to Dubai. We were confused about where to get off, then the bus drove past THE MALL OF THE EMIRATES. Bad me for not researching our journey in advance in my iPhone-less condition. (I have more city experience than my friends. No bus or metro system can intimidate me!) Well, several taxis, buses, and metro stations, and 14 hours later, I'm back with just a few needed things. "Need" is used in the loosest possible way. But I only went to 3 stores. (But...Bad Jo Malone for discontinuing Honeysuckle and Jasmine!)

Upon inspection of the board in the lobby at midnight tonight, I'm really not on the Abu Dhabi list at this point, which is in alignment with last week's notice that I'll be in Al Ain. Those folks get to see their apartments tomorrow, accept their keys, and then get out of the Yas hotel in 5 days. Lucky them... Even a 5-star hotel wears thin after two weeks. But on a positive note about this hotel: we are closer to Dubai than other teachers in downtown Abu Dhabi!

Lazy Friday?!

Without a holy day of my own, I've always followed the local customs of my location. Growing up, Sunday was the day when stores delay opening. In New York, the 92 St Y wasn't opening on Saturday morning for swimming.

But I'm having a more difficult time adjusting to Friday being my lackadaisical day. I feel more guilt and awkwardness. And believe me, I've always spent one day a week being home-bound, so it isn't just having a lazy day that is the cause of my consternation.

I know this is all just part of moving to the other side of the world. I'll get with it soon. It will help when school starts in a few, no, two weeks. I guess I should appreciate these many opportunities for lazy days since they aren't giving me any extra time to prepare for my grade level. I get the 5 days that everyone else will get. I hope we will at least know 5 days before students arrive!

Orientation is O V E R!

After 3 days of our formal orientation, we are done for the foreseeable future. Well, until Monday when we have to turn in copies of our authenticated documents. Fun stuff, I tell ya. I spent 130AED in the business center making color copies. Yes, 130 is only about US$40, but still, what a ripoff.

There was a new Al Ain housing list posted after I found out that I am to teach there. But I wasn't on it this time either. I want to hold tight and not bother busy people, but tomorrow rounds out 2 weeks in the hotel. We seem to be the only group not in Abu Dhabi's central city. We are on bfe Yas Island, where the Ferrari World lovers stay. Oh, I guess IKEA is here, too.

I may be off to Dubai this weekend. Though I need to translate my drivers' license before I do much else. 

Insha'allah

OMG, it has been a day of extreme lows and mid-level highs. It was day 1 of our school operations orientation. We started and ended the day exactly as planned (times) rather than the three-hour delays of last week. However, I was dismayed when my name tag read "KG" instead of "LT C1." I was to break-out with kindergarten teachers. Here, the kindergartens are not part of elementary school. They are their own school, which two levels of KG (1 is 3-4 year olds; 2 is 5 year olds). C1 is Cycle 1 (grades 1-5, of which English will be taught to in grades 1-4 this year).

I moaned, I groaned, I looked at flights home, but then I emailed the people with the real knowledge. Was my name tag correct? And where I am slated to teach (region, if not specific apartment)?

I waited by sleeping to stave off rising blood pressure, but I've gotten one now. Al Ain, cycle 1. Al Ain is not where I wanted to be, but I can deal with it. The humidity is supposed to be less there (yay!). There is significantly less traffic in the second largest city in this emirate.

As they say: insha'allah. Wait and see...

Aldar headquarters

This unusually shaped building is next to the Al Raha mall, the closest mall to Yas Island. I cannot say that I've ever seen a similarly shaped building. Between this and the Yas Hotel, the UAE offers some futuristic architecture.

A picture, at long last

This sight was much more impressive on days 1 and 2 than today (day 11). But it is where I am in the UAE. Other than the lights which stay on too late, this hotel has little in common with a disco, thank goodness!

Patience is a virtue...but is starvation?

I cannot stand the heat yet without water, the public consumption of which is restricted in public during Ramadan. I cannot travel inexpensively by bus due to this issue.

Is restricting water a routine part of fasting? Am I lucky that I have never had to fast in my life? I know that I am probably the most difficult person to be with when I'm hungry or thirsty, so imagine me when I'm both. I know, it is not a pleasant thought...

I continue to wait patiently for word of my location in the UAE. Yes, I know I'll be within the emirate of Abu Dhabi. But come on, this emirate is 80% of the area of the entire country! School starts in three weeks. I would like to be settled in my residence before then. Since I'll only have a week before students arrive, I'd like to be able to dedicate an inordinate amount of my time to my classroom and teaching during that measly week.

After 10 days at the Yas hotel, I'm over paid vacation. I need something constructive to do besides laundry in the bathtub!

OK, enough ranting. I need to watch or read something that will make me less homesick. Julie and Julia has driven me lower than usual.

Narrow escape...for now

Well, I'm not on the housing list for Al Ain that was posted tonight. Really, I'm exhaling deeply. After the minimally populated rainforest of Alaska (and I'm not talking about any sort of "bush"), I need an urban setting.

We are way out of Abu Dhabi at this hotel, but we've already figured out a series of free shuttles to get us all the way into the city, though unfortunately, all I've seen so far are two malls and IKEA. But tonight I saw the Marina Mall in the evening, after Iftar feast (break of the Ramadan daily fast). The same mall that I visited last Sunday was bustling whereas it was hardly alive that the early afternoon. It is definitely interesting to see how this culture operates. Plus, it is a relief to be able to eat or even drink a bottle of water in public, which is frowned upon during the day when so many others are fasting.

I'm looking forward to exploring traditional souk markets and famous mosques in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai soon. I'll get to Al Ain eventually, but I hope not to live... (famous last words, I know, but my fingers are still crossed!)

Medical and Police checks complete, now more waiting.

Imagine the ordeal for the travel agency dealing with our group 400+ teachers.

I have completed both my medical check and police check in the last two days. Yes, there were many delays in both cases, but that's nothing new.

The police last night (I arrived there at 12:30) seemed to have a lot of fun gossiping about us. I'm not sure my fingerprints were actually acceptable. I swear the lady at ESD 113 three years ago had to do each finger several times each before she was satisfied with my prints. Last night, the guy didn't care that half of them were smudged. But what do I know?

I seem to have the next four days free. Well, at least I know of nothing until Sunday. It would be so nice to use this time productively, but until I know what grade I will be teaching, planning is hard to do. So until I know, I'll enjoy this 5-star hotel to the fullest. It is kind of nice to be on vacation at the start of my new job.

AD so far

So far this has been a series of tests of patience. Yes, it is Ramadan, where Muslims do fast during the day. Then why schedule our orientation for 4:30 and 7 Sunday? The banking and school council staffs were either napping or eating. Nothing like sitting while hungry waiting for nothing to start. Things finally got going after 9 pm. I think I was done after 11 pm. The crowds still give me the chills. (450 teachers plus miscellaneous family members)

While 70 teachers have received their permanent housing assignments, which confirms they'll be teaching in a location, I have yet to hear where I will be living and teaching. But we all should know within the next 10 days. Wait and see, I continue to be a little (im)patient.

Abu Dhabi bound: tomorrow!

Today, August 3rd, is my last day in the US for some unknown length of time. Tomorrow morning, I will fly to Chicago and then after a 6 hour layover in O'Hare, onward to Abu Dhabi. I will arrive there on Friday evening, which will be Friday morning in Washington.

The last few weeks have been consumed by packing, storing, and driving. What do I really need to take to the UAE?  Well, I'm shallow and frivolous... I'm taking a slew of shoes that worked well for me in NYC but weren't appropriate for SE AK. Dressy sandals return to my wardrobe. This is happy news for this shoe-obsessed girl:)

Ticket to go!

Well, I don't have my e-ticket or visa, but I got my itinerary. I'm leaving on August 4, two weeks from today!

Unknown anxiousness is replaced by full-blown nervousness. C'est la vie!

Waiting for Godot...

There is still so much I have to discover about my upcoming year. While many other UAE-bound teachers have been receiving their e-tickets and visas since Sunday, I have yet to see anything. Is it that my name starts with "V" or that I have perhaps the farthest distance to travel, from Seattle? Insha'allah or in good time...I must wait.

If I do get this long-anticipated email this week, I will probably leave during the first week of August. But if not, I'll be in a later traveling group. We shall see...

Where to next?

After two years in Ketchikan, Alaska, I am ready for a change. And as I was brave/crazy enough to move to S.E. Alaska in the first place, my next perch may be the antithesis of the Tongass National Rain Forest: the desert of the Middle East.