LOOONNNNNGGGGGGG Week

Last time I checked in I was going to be waking up early for three days to go to orientation.  We had to get up by 6ish so we could get down to eat before 7:30, which was the time that we had to be in the lobby to get on the buses for the trip to orientation.  Then the trip to the Paris-Sorbonne University took about 30 crowed minutes on the bus.  Some buses even got the privilege of waiting outside the University complex for thirty minutes while they made sure we were safe...so you got to know your neighbors a bit better during those times.  Then once in the complex we had to sign in, get a name tag, and figure out where our "break-out" classrooms were.  Then we were shepherded into the auditorium for a couple hours of speakers telling us about the vision of Abu Dhabi and what we can expect in the coming weeks and such.  By about half way through the speeches I was giving thanks that the chairs weren't very comfortable because it meant that I couldn't easily give into the sleep that pulled at me as speaker after speaker stood behind a podium and delivered their power-point accompanied speeches.  Only three of the speakers really made an impact and that was because they moved around and included humor in their speeches, which was much needed by 12:30pm.  We got a half hour break at about 11 where we were again shepherded into a screened off room where we could have a snack, now what no one realized was that we were supposed to bring our own snack, which made for some grumpier people when the speeches resumed.  Then we went to "break-out" sessions where we talked about our thoughts about the program so far...or at least we were supposed to...my group decided to ask some unrelated questions and then got bogged down talking about the price of renting vs buying a car in Abu Dhabi.  I can tell you it was incredibly awe inspiring discussion...  The next day, Wednesday, was a bit different in that the secondary teachers were taken to a high school in Abu Dhabi to discuss curriculum and the other teachers went to the University again.  It was a lot more interactive the second day and we got a lot of information on the curriculum...but we were given it during the meetings and didn't have much time to read through it, so when question time came, there were a lot of questions being asked that could have been answered by reading the packets of information.  Day three was a bit like day one, but longer and more interactive.  By the time we got back to the hotel at around 3 or so all the teachers were starving and sleepy, where as I was about bouncing off the walls.  Now we come to the weekend.  I have learned that we are a bit spoiled in Minnesota as people cannot smoke inside places anymore.  There was a beer pong tournament at P.J. Riley's Pub which meant a lot of people smoking in an enclosed space...after a couple hours my eyes were burning and the sleepiness I had not felt earlier hit me like a wall.  Mix that with the frustration of getting hit on by very inebriated guys my dad's age it is understandable that I left before the normal 3am closing time.  The next night was much better as we got to go to a late brunch at Bamboo restaurant which meant that you paid 200dhs and received all the food and drink you wanted.  It was the best Chinese food I had had in a long time and eating with about fifteen other wonderful people, my night started well.  We then went to the house of a friend I had made the week before and commenced in chatting and dancing and all around fun.  If I wasn't tired by the end of that night, last night must have exhausted me as I was taken to an amazing Italian restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel and wined and dined better then I ever have before courtesy of one of my new friends.  Needless to say I slept in until past 11am today and plan on a relaxing afternoon.  Now I must head to the pool and to see my friends who are no doubt worrying that I have lapsed into a coma.  Until next time...