A friend of mine convinced me that I should continue my blog, even though it's been forever since I last posted.  So, here we go.

This year we moved into a new school, Ahmed Bin Zayed, named after the son of Sheikh Zayed who died in a car accident.  Ahmed's son and two other "little sheiks/ sheikhas" are in the first grade.  First grade now has integrated boys and girls.  This is scheduled to happen next year in grade two, and then on to grade 3.  I'm not sure if it will ever make it to 5th grade or not.  This is a huge advancement!  No parents pulled their children out of the school.  In fact, every spot is filled and there is a waiting list.

My classroom is beautiful!  I have sinks and bulletin boards and storage and an interactive white board with a touch screen computer!  I even have internet, although most sites are blocked.  My girls are fabulous, and some are really close to being on grade level in English, which is quite amazing.   I wish the same was true in math!  I feel like the girls are WAY behind in math and science because frankly, 45 minutes a day for math is just not enough.  I will say that the other day a girl finally asked a question.  FINALLY!  We were working on adding fractions with like denominators.  One girl asked me, "What if they bottom is not the same?"  I nearly fell on the floor!  A real, thoughtful question!  So, we talked about how to make them have like denominators.

We are getting ready for a short trip to Oman for our spring break.  We will spend 2 days in Muscat and 1 night at Turtle Beach to see the turtles hatch.  Excited - pictures and post will follow. 

Zendala dare #44 by Bright Owl.

This dare uses the template by Erin Koetz Olson.  I used the following patterns to create this zentangle:
Kuzek, Nipa, Perk,Vega, and Fescu. 

Year of the Snake!

Here I used the patterns Fang, Trumpits, Starawn, Vega, Nekton, and Fescu.  It is supposed to be two snakes watching the fireworks for Chinese New Year.  My first attempt is in the trash - the snakes got lost in the background "noise" of the busy patterns I chose.  This seems a little better, but still not my best work.  

Bright Owl Challenge #43

This zendala was created with perk, dansk, nipa and a pattern I call peacock.

Zendala Dare #42

Using patterns:  fang, printemps, perk, and mist.

Zendala Dare #41

       Zendala #41 for the Zendala Dare 

Angerer Family (aka mom and dad) visit Al Ain

Last week mom and dad spent a week in Al Ain.  They wanted to experience our daily life, and I think they got their wish.  Pat took Dad to the grocery stores, and mom got a great visit at school with my girls.  I think the girls were as curious about mom as she was about them.  We also did some shopping at Al Ain Mall.  We had lunch at Applebee's  - hard to believe they opened one here in Al Ain just a week ago!
We took a day trip to Dubai and saw the Souk, Dubai Mall, and the Burj Khalifa.  They also took a day trip to Abu Dhabi to see the Grand Mosque with Shannon and Pat.  We ate at a few great restaurants and spent time doing simple things like laundry.  Amazing that it can dry in 30 minutes on the porch!   We had a great time . . . but it went by so quickly!!! 

The Musings of My Girls

Some days during English class I just want to have conversation with my girls to assess their speaking and listening skills.  Today the topic was "What is Haram?"  All year long my girls would tell me, "Don't do that Miss Mary, it is Haram".  So today I made a list.  Here, in their exact words, is a list of what is haram:
1. Showing your leg to a man you do not marry is haram.
2. Using food for math is haram. ( I think only when we do not eat it)
3. Wearing a necklace with a T is haram. (here they refer to my cross necklace)
4. Showing your hair to a boy is haram.
5. Eat pigs is haram.
6. Short hair like boy is haram.
7. You wear a short dress is short is haram.
8. If you call girl animal like dog or goat it is haram.
9. If you hit girl it is haram but not if the mom says yes.
10. Drink _________ (insert Arabic word for alcohol) is haram.
11. Steal is haram.
12. You make joke of Allah, Mohammed, or Islam is haram.
13. Tattoo is haram.
14. To kill a person is haram.
15. To kiss boy you are not married to is haram.
16. You draw picture of Mohammed is haram.
17. If you pray to the sun it is haram.
I could hardly help but laugh!  My girls really try hard to convert me.  Hate to tell them, but it will never happen!  I will add more as I hear them (which is often!).

Staycation day 6 - Dubai

Pat in Dubai Mall- See the water fountain behind him?

Amy, Jacob and I outside of the Hotel

Imagine waking up in a luxury apartment on the Palm in Dubai after sleeping in the most comfortable bed in the world, looking out the window and seeing the Arabian (Persian) Gulf and a beautiful pool with palm trees.  That was me on Saturday morning!  Amy is such a wonderful hostess and she kept us hopping all day.  First Pat and I took Jacob for a swim in the pool - he really wanted to swim for a while.  Then we loaded into the car and headed to Dubai Mall.  I let each person pick one thing to do over Spring break and Jacob wanted to go to Kidzania in the mall.  He is writing a blog post about his adventure, but I wanted to mention it here as well.  We simply dropped him off and then we were free to shop and do other things at the mall.  We saw so many fun things including the Dancing fountain, The Address and The Burj Khalifa. We saw so many stores, as Dubai Mall is the largest mall in the world (of course it is - it's in Dubai where everything is the biggest, tallest, most expensive or most innovative).  We picked up Jacob 4 hours later and he had had the time of his life!  On our way home we stopped by the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel.  This hotel was in Mission Impossible 3 - the part where you thought you were in India.  Click here to view the hotel if you want to see grand luxury!  

Jacob

After a long day we went back to the hotel and played cards with Amy till 2 am!  She made the most wonderful lemonade drink from Southern Living Magazine.

Staycation day 5

Amy Anderson invited us to come to Dubai for a nice long weekend.  How could we refuse? Pat, Jacob and I  drove to Dubai which took only an hour and stopped by the Dubai Outlet Mall to shop for some good deals.  Apparently in Dubai paying $55 for a T-shirt is a good deal so we left empty handed.

Here in Africa I barter with the woman for something small I thought my sister would like.

Pat tries juice outside the Syrian area - he thought it was coffee

We drove a bit farther and met Amy at the Global Village.  This was my third visit and each time I go it is different.  We started at the African area and then moved to see China, Syria, Morocco and then saw India, Qatar, and the UAE.  Even after three times I know that it is a place I could go again and again.  Global village is open from November till March.  They have cultural experiences, foods and booths with items made in their country.  The cost of admission is only 10 AED or about 3 dollars!

Looking at quilts in one section of the Indian area.  

Staycation Days 2,3 and 4

Pat at the Corniche

Day 2(Sunday)  was a none too exciting day - but relaxing all the same.  We went to see The Hunger Games but the website misrepresented the times (big surprise!!!) so we ended up seeing John Carter - Jacob and his friend Annas loved it, but I thought it was a bit long and drawn out.  


Day 3(Monday) we ventured around Al Ain - mostly the downtown area to check out some of the small shops.  We were also invited to be "guests" at the trial opening for Fudrucker's Restaurant.  We were invited to try out the menu during the lunch hours and  it was free provided we give them feedback.  Everything was terrific and we had a great time!  

Grand Mosque

Jacob putting his shoes on after the tour

Day 4(Tuesday) we ventured into Abu Dhabi for a day trip.  We walked along the Cornish - the beach walkway- and the water was SO blue!  We then went to visit the Grand Mosque for what we thought was a 4:30 tour.  The website was not correct (again???) so we had to wait until after the 3rd call to prayer and then we had a tour at 5pm.  We learned so much from Ahmed, our tour guide!  Here is the site if you want to check it out:     http://www.szgmc.ae/
We also visited an authentic arabic restaurant and had a great meal.  

What????  Hummus AGAIN????

"Staycation" day 1- Saturday, March 24, 2012

So we decided on our two week spring break to stay in the UAE and venture out to explore what is in our own back yard.  So each day or two I hope to post what we did.  

This does not even look real, but it is!

These photos are in the Al Ain Oasis.  It is full of paths that wind and twist through the date palm trees in the oasis.  Everything was beautiful, and the shade provided by the trees was welcomed!  Loved hearing many different birds flying around.

Next we decided to head over to the Sheikh Zayed old Palace.  The palace depicted what life was like in Al Ain for Sheikh Zayed and his family.  While it is nice, it is not the luxury enjoyed by Emiratis today.  Plus there was no air conditioning then, and I'm sure it got very hot!


We spent about an hour wandering through the different rooms and looking at the grounds. 



Here are Jacob, PJ and Pat relaxing on the cushions in the guest room.  







Here are Jacob and I at the outdoor tent.  Most big functions have an outdoor tent with cushions.

Pat, Jacob and PJ posed with an Emirati guard.  He looked fierce at first, but once we talked with him he was very friendly and his English was quite good!  He even let Jacob hold his GUN!

My Visit to an Emirate's Home

Last week in school the librarian, Miss Mouza, asked me about my family in casual conversation in the lunch room.  I told her I had a son, Jacob who was nine, almost 10.  She got quite excited and asked me if I could bring him to her house to play with her son, Mohammed on Friday.  So, on Friday, March 2nd at 3 pm Al Ain time we ventured to a new experience.  We drove up to the home and right away I realized how nice it was.   Upon arrival we were ushered into a parlor area where we were served tea, cakes and macaroni.  Then Jacob and Mohammed went out to play on the dirt bikes, which left me alone with Mouza, who at school does not seem to speak English too well.  We started chatting about things, drinking more tea, talking about school and home life, etc.  We communicated very well.   She asked me questions about America and I asked her questions about her life.  She has 8 sisters and 6 brothers.  She has only 4 children herself.  Soon she asked me if I wanted a tour of her home.  YES!  So, we went into one of the 4 parlor areas, all fully furnished.  Each room had it's own unique style, and she informed me that the furniture was bought in Saudi Arabia - it is less expensive there. I hear some homes border (or even push past) tacky, but this home was exquisite.  Every detail was in place and it was so clean you could eat off the floor.  We went upstairs and she showed me the bedrooms and the two additional sitting rooms.  BEAUTIFUL!  She had ordered a wonderful 12 foot chandelier from China and had a full stained glass window going up the stairs.  AMAZING!  Mouza was the most gracious host and we had a spectacular time.  As we left she packed up tea and macaroni for us to take home.  She gave us a huge bag of tomatoes and even had Jacob dressed in a Kandora and head scarf.  Then she gave us some beautiful Arabic perfumes and asked us to please come back "every day we wish" because her home is our home.  She told me next time to bring PJ to go driving with her oldest son in the desert.  She also told me I was welcome to bring my camera - so look forward to some pictures!

My Boys Are Here and Pat Is Soon To Follow

So glad to have the boys arrive at Abu Dhabi Airport.

     Jacob and PJ joined me here in Al Ain on January 1st.  After a smooth flight on Saudi Airlines they arrived right on time.  I was so relieved to see them, but I knew they would make it!  We have seen all the malls, the zoo, and took a trip to the top of Jebel Hafeet.  We've also gone to the pool and gotten Jacob enrolled into Manor Hall Private School.  He seems to love it so far, and his Arabic is improving every day.  He has Arabic class every day.  He also takes French twice a week and has a robotics lab each week.  They access lots of information on their iPads - games to reinforce skills, textbook resources, and research.  He has not gotten his iPad yet, but should in the next week or so.

     PJ has been exploring the bus route and made it to the Bawadi Mall using the bus last week.  He's in search for a job, but we are not sure what is available for Americans.

Al Ain Zoon

Trip To Oman

Thursday, December 22, 2011 Sandy Boyce and I ventured across the border to Oman.  There we visited a souk,  saw a rebuilt fort, and saw the ruins of a small village.  What a day!

This guy sold me my red pears.  He was SO nice!

Me in one of the souk stalls.  Neat stuff!

 We started in the souk.  The sellers are known to be very aggressive, so we were prepared to say no.  While there I found some delicious red pears.  We also found some traditional tea/coffee cups with camels on them so we bought a set to split - for 18 dhs or about $6 for 12 cups.

Front of the rebuilt fort - not sure what it's called!

Another view of the fort.

 When we first got the the souk a car full of Omani ladies pulled up and beeped at us.  They rolled down their windows and started yelling for Sanday and I to come to their car.  They wanted to touch us, shake our hands and talk English to us.  We were the only blonde western women in town that day, so I guess we were sort of celebrities.


We were interested in the traditional crafts and items in some of the stalls.  We saw frankincense and incense burners.  We saw baskets, mats, rugs and oil lamps.  It was fun to look, and the sellers were very respectful when we said no thank you.











We next stopped by this fort.  It is very interesting, and more of my pictures are posted on Facebook.

Me in the fort

I don't love to have my picture taken, but here I am in the fort.  The tan is due to the past week at the pool.  I use 60 spf sunscreen, but still manage to get some color.

Old Village ruins

Another part of the village

Now we moved on to some ruins.  We stumbled upon them totally by accident and Sandy's good driving skills.  We drove by and I said, "Hey, that looks cool and old, let's stop".  There was nobody there, but the old mud buildings were so interesting.  The details in the construction were amazing.  We did realize how much there was and we hiked around in the sand for about 45 minutes looking, taking pictures and being amazed at seeing something really authentic!

Speaking of Authentic, we ate at a little roadside cafe and survived.  Chicken, rice, salad and some kind of unknown soup.

Dunes are so beautiful!

View from the top of the dune.

  

It Has Been Way Too Long Since My Last Post.

Red and green pears from Oman

So many things have happened, and I have so much to tell you, but I'm going to start with the present and work backwards.  
It is Christmas Eve Eve and my cookies are baked.  Carols were sung today in church at the Service of Lessons and Carols.  Decorations are hung, and all is well in Al Ain.  

The coffee shop in the Rotana Hotel was made into a Gingerbread house!

I love Christmas, but without family it's just not the same!

My "Charlie Brown" tree!

The Tree at the Rotana - where I go to the pool!  Bigger and better than mine!

Gifts under my tree are waiting for Jacob and PJ!  

My computer was speaking Arabic and Kelly fixed it!

Praise the Lord!  I hit a button by accident and could no longer access my blog!  Kelly and I fooled around with it after school today and we/she fixed it!  Now I have a backlog to work on.  

A New Era at Al Ezza School

I realize now that my MacBook Pro can edit faces, so here is a picture of my girls with their traditional dresses on.

     Last Thursday no girls showed up for school due to the Eid holiday, but teachers took the time to work in their classrooms and also to socialize as teachers do on workdays.  Right around lunch time the "Man Bell" rang at our school to indicate there were male visitors.  Nobody answered the door, and I was right there, so I looked and saw some very official men.  I went into the English Teacher's workroom and told my Head of Faculty that there were some men here, and then I went out to greet them.  As I shook their hands I realized that this was H.E. Dr. Mugheer, head of the Abu Dhabi Schools.  He asked me and the other Licensed English Teachers a lot of questions and for the most part we tried to keep it very positive.  Then our principal, Miss Sheikha came out and they met.  
     About 20 minutes later we were called to an all faculty meeting with Dr. Mugheer.  He brought an English translator so we could all understand what he said.  He gave all teachers an opportunity to ask questions, and many good questions were asked.  The Arabic teachers asked questions like why were they being replaced with English teachers who did not understand their culture and their religion.  They asked about what would happen if they could not learn English.  He reassured them that there would be jobs for all of them, even if some had to be transferred.  According to the translator the teachers expressed that they were happy with us, but they knew of some schools where the English speaking teachers were not easy to work with and were not demonstrating good Islamic values as role models for the children.  Then one of the English teachers got up to ask a question.  She got very emotional and said that she came here to learn about the culture but had not been given the opportunity to do so.  While I may or may not agree with her (after all, we were not trying too hard to be social with the Arabic teachers just as much as they avoided us) I do feel she had a point.  Unfortunately the Arabic teachers were quite upset that this issue was brought up in front of the "Big Cheese".  
     After leaving our meeting we stood around to chat and as we did so we saw the furniture being removed from our English planning room.  We were then each assigned to an Arabic planning room where we would eat lunch and spend our planning time if not in our rooms.  There were 2-3 teachers assigned to each Arabic room.
     Sunday, upon our return, I was nervous, but I entered the Arabic room for lunch.  The two other teachers assigned to our room decided to eat in their classrooms, but I was determined to brave the fire.  My one Arabic "friend", Miss Alia, was in that room.  She's always been friendly and helpful towards me.  As I arrived they greeted me warmly and invited me to take off my shoes and sit on the rug to share their Arabic food and ginger tea.  They asked me many questions in English, how many children did I have?  What did I teach in America?  How long was I a teacher?  They were amazed that this was my 24th year as a teacher.  The lunch conversation was 90% Arabic, 10 % English.  I survived.  
     Monday rolled around and it was lunch day 2.  Again, the other teachers chose not to join us in the Arabic room, but I was not going to shy away.  I brought pictures of my kids and my house in America.  I also had made Oatmeal cookies to share with them.  GOOD MOVE!  They asked me question after question and told me I was different from other English teachers.  I was interested in learning about them and they appreciated it.  Then the 5th grade science teacher invited ME to go with them to the Abu Dhabi Science Festival on a field trip.  We were allowed to send 30 girls and they gave 5 spots for my girls to fill.  I was so happy that I got tears in my eyes, but I think that made them even happier with me.  Monday the conversation was 70% Arabic and 30% English.  
      Tuesday the other two English teachers joined us and we all chatted and shared food.  The ginger tea was made from freshly ground ginger and it is a new favorite.  Wednesday the Arabic teachers bought each of us a Kandora, a traditional dress to wear.  So, of course on Thursday we wore them.  I even found a Shayla (head scarf) to match.  
     This was a draining week, but I have to say I've acquired about 20 new Arabic words and have found favor with the Arabic teachers.  Life is hard but good!

1st Trip to Dubai

      Many of you have already seen my pictures from Dubai, but I’ll repost for those of you who do not visit Facebook or who don’t have me listed as a friend (shame on you!).  Ashley and I decided on Sunday of Eid break to go to Dubai to let me see if for the first time and to do some shopping! For those of you who don’t know, Ashley is my UAEBFF and my church buddy.  She keeps me young!  We originally were going to Dubai to use tickets we got for the Ice Lounge, but we could not get reservations because it was full.   So, we will return on Dec. 2 to get into the Christmas spirit while freezing our  _ _ _ _ _ off!

Burj Khlifa, Dubai

      So, we started the day at 8 a.m., got gas and then stopped by Starbucks.  I had my first ever “London Fog” which was Earl Grey tea made with steamed milk.  It was delicious!  Not a big fan of Starbucks, as I don’t really drink coffee, but London Fog I can do!  Then we were on the road to Dubai!  One hour later, almost to the minute we hit the town.  You drive through 120 km or so of desert and then it just pops up out of nowhere.  I expected the Burj Khlifa to be the first thing I saw, as it is the current tallest building in the world (I think it still is) but I saw many other buildings before I saw the Burj! 

Entrance To BIG Roundabout

Mall of the Emirates

This is Ashley!

     We entered town and Ashley informs me that we are about to enter the biggest roundabout in the UAE, maybe even the world (not!).  Glad she waited to tell me because roundabouts here have their own set of rules and they make me very nervous!  Well, in Dubai the roundabouts have traffic lights and that makes all the difference in the world!  With Ashley’s expert guidance we hit The Mall of the Emirates.  We saw the PF Changs in the picture, and then did a bit of shopping.  I bought a music bead for my Pandora Bracelet and ordered a CAMEL!!!  They hope to have it in in time for our next big trip, Dec. 2.  We also saw the ski village in the picture.

Ski Area in Mall of the Emirates

     Next we were off to Dubai Mall where I was meeting some friends I first met in Abu Dhabi upon my arrival.  We met at the Texas Roadhouse and I had the first steak during my stay here in Abu Dhabi.  Yum!  After hitting a few more stores (Bath and Body Works!!!!!)  we were then off to find Ikea in Festival City Mall.  I needed a desk and heard they had Christmas items, as well.  Got desk, got Christmas items!  Now it was time to go home.  Thanks for a fun day, Ashley!

Eid Mubarak!

Today is the first day of Eid Al Adha, a holiday celebrated here for 4 days.  Here is a really good link that tells you what and why Muslims celebrate:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/eid-al-adha-2011-dates-customs_n_1028563.html

Home made cookies and a chocolate treat on a stick

 At school on Thursday, our last day before the Eid Al Adha break we had a special assembly.  During the assembly gifts and candy were handed out to the teachers, and the children were thrown candy, piñata style.  Here is a picture of two of the sweet treats I received.  The little boy decoration depicts how the men dress for the Hajj.  The candy on a stick with Arabic says something like, "Blessings be upon you this Eid and always".






When we went to class there were only 5 kids in my class (4-3) and about 11 kids in the other class (4-4).  My arabic teacher suggested we combine them and I teach them in the morning 3 periods and she'd take them in the afternoon.  I thought that was  a really nice gesture as I was sure

Our Class Eid Al Adha Party

they would be totally wild after lunch break.  So I started the morning with puzzles on animals found in the Qur'an and a multiplication coloring sheet.  Keep it easy and fun, right?  Well, I had no party planned because we were told no parties.  All of the sudden, about 30 minutes before lunch one of my girls whipped out two large containers, both still somehow piping hot. One had a macaroni dish and the other had small fritter type nuggets.  She proudly informed me that she and her older sister made these at home and they were for the class.  I told her we had no plates, spoons, napkins . . . she stared at me oddly.  She said, "No need spoon Miss Mary, we share".  The photo shows our classroom party - they all sit around the pots and share.  Of course each girl only used her right hand.  After about half of each pot was gone the girls looked at me and said, "Miss Mary, why you no eat?  You must eat!"  So, do you think I did?  If you say yes, you are right.  It is rude not to accept food if offered.  So I dug my right hand in, grabbed a bit and ate.  It was GOOD!

Finally I opened the gift, which was given to me by the Islamic Education teachers.  Can you guess what it was?  If you guessed a copy of the Qur'an, a book about understanding Islam and a Pashmina scarf to cover my head, you are correct.  A very thoughtful gift, but will it be awkward when I don't convert?  I sure hope not.

Now I'm ready for a break after lunch, and the announcement was made that because there were so few girls in school they were going home.  I am pretty sure my Arabic teacher, who volunteered to take the girls in the afternoon knew that would happen.  Oh well, at least I got the joy of a feast with my girls.  In the next few days I will have an extra long weekend, so I will take a trip to Dubai and one to Oman.  Look for posts and pictures about each.