Not much new has happened but I have had some recent revelations about working in Abu Dhabi.
To enjoy Abu Dhabi life, you really only need a small group of true friend that you can be yourself with. Which I guess isn’t any different from anywhere else for me. Going out once or twice a month with those friends makes me feel much more content then hanging out with a whole group here, like many people here tend to do. Eating a really good meal and hanging out at home with some good friends is much more enjoyable to me than going out clubbing every weekend. Not to say that I don’t go out. One of our favorite Friday excursions is going to the brunch at Pearls and Caviar and then up to the bar to watch the sun set after. This past weekend we met some interesting people and had an absolute blast! There are also sushi nights that we have created and just simple movie nights.
Teaching is about the same. Some of my students continue to copy, despite losing major marks. We are trying to convince admin to let us take the top English students to a kid-friendly version of Romeo and Juliet, which is a task and a half in itself. My students have turned in most of their work and are now preparing for their trimester exam though taking practice tests, reading and answering questions and other such work. Some of the students are excelling and improving daily. It’s nice when you see a student who couldn’t speak English the first trimester beginning to use full sentences during class and completing more of the work on her own. Times like that help me remember why I became a teacher and why I still love teaching. I am beginning to get over worked though. I want to come into work less and less every day and my days seem to be more and more exhausting. I think that there needs to be a long weekend in the middle of each trimester to give teachers and students a little bit of time to recoup.
Some interesting things about Abu Dhabi. Students repeatedly choose my classroom to pray in despite there being the mosque (messejed) and places in the gym. Not sure why this is but it is an interesting practice to watch. Mainly, it is one of the few times some of the students are ever quiet. I always make sure the room is quiet when they come in to pray during the breaks, maybe that is why they come to my room so often.
People don’t use seat belts here. You will be driving down the road and see a child sitting in daddy’s lap or running around the back of the car. I have become desensitized to it, which worries me a bit. Also, parents are allowed to hit their children here and brothers of my girls get away with anything. One student’s brother pushed her down the stairs, not sure why, and other kids cry when they have to go home at the end of the day. Some of the local staff hit their students with sticks or pull their hair. This is something that I have had to learn to accept, but I don’t enjoy watching a student getting hit just because she is talking during the morning meeting or seeing her with welts on her arm because she made one of her other teachers angry. Oftentimes things aren’t that bad, however I have to be careful about sending students to the nurse about mental problems such as cutting, because some places here they will send kid to jail for trying to kill themselves. Sand storms and fog are the equivalent of rain and snow in Minnesota. Driving in the fog here is dangerous and we get 2 hour late starts due to intense fog. Sand storms are easier to deal with but instead of being drenched you have a thin film of dust on your skin and in your home, no matter what you do. Therefore, cleaning weekly still looks like you haven’t cleaned in a month.
Yes, life here can be interesting and difficult. It can also be lovely. Laying out in my bikini in February is one of the many pluses to this environment. Also, as a woman you get many perks. In a line of men, you are sent to the front. There is a ladies night every night here at some bar or other. People will do anything you ask at a store or in general. Also, you can enjoy better service from waiters and bartenders at any joint. Finally, you don’t have to pay to get into any clubs and dress codes are overlooked if you are a woman. I suspect if I showed up at one of my favorite bars in sweats they still would let me in but they wouldn’t let in a guy with shorts or without a collared shirt.
My taste for wine has increased tenfold. I worry about coming back to the states and not enjoying the selection there. I have also gotten a bit used to having any food and such at my beck and call during brunches here. The U.S. should really pick up this idea, it is a great one. I also worry that my style of dress, as it is much more formal here, will be out of place back in the states.
Overall, traveling and living outside the U.S. is an adventure.
