Can things get worse? Yes they can!

  O.K, so we all knew that going into this adventure that things would be a little tough.  I guess the 3 weeks in a 5 star hotel really turned me into a princess, but so far this week has brought me crashing back down to reality and then lower (if that is possible).  I moved out here on my own, got my furniture and so far the beds (one for Pat and I, one for Jacob and one for PJ/Shannon), fridge and stove have arrived.  My cell phone works poorly in my apartment, but out front it works fine.  I paid almost $500 to get my apartment professionally cleaned after 5 hours of cleaning myself with no results.  I also had my first bout with the flu or food poisoning.  Are you  feeling sorry for me yet?  Keep reading. . .

   Sunday was supposed to be my first day of school.   I went to the office to pick up my letter and it said cycle 3 girls which is what I “expected” as of last week.  The lady looked at me and said, “Oh, Mary, you are the one who is not licensed to teach high school.  We need to change your placement.  Come back tomorrow at 8 and we will give you a new placement in cycle 1 (grades 1-4). 

  Monday I went back at 8 am and sat for 1 ½ hours to get my new placement.  They sent me to Al Ezra School.    They gave me a phone number and told me to find my way to that school.  I called the number and the secretary who spoke very little English told me the principal’s aunt died.  She handed the phone to someone who spoke English and they offered to come pick me up which I truly appreciated.  Arab hospitality is great when it is offered.

  When I got to school I was given the grand tour and told to spend my work day in a small office with the other English speaking teachers.  We did nothing but chat and go out for Arab Pizza (dough spread with Lebnuch (like cream cheese) and olives and then roasted over an open fire in a brick oven).  I was then told I would teach 1^st grade.  Now, when you stop laughing, I want you to say a quick prayer, not for me, but for my students.  I will have 2 groups of 27 girls.  They may range in ages from 4 to 8, and they may or may not know the alphabet and numbers.  Luckily the standards are VERY basic for English and Math.  Really it will be like a Pre-K class with bigger kids. 

  When we arrived in Abu Dhabi we were told we might have a school with computers and Smartboards in every room.  Then we were told there were schools where we’d teach “with a rock and a stick”.  Guess what I got?  Yup – I got the stick, but I’m still looking for the rock!   I then found out that we have NO books, no school supplies, and very few learning materials.  Everything I brought with me is out the door, except the packs of sentence strips, the sharpies, the expo markers, the Mister Sketch markers, and the book on Literacy Learning Centers.  Oh, and the post-it notes will be quite useful.  I may even need to use them for paper.  We literally get one pencil per student and there were about 12 boxes of colored pencils in the cabinet for all 16 classes to share. 

   I got home at 1 and spent about 30 minutes crying my eyes out.  I want to go home!   I miss my family, I’m lonely, I don’t have furniture . . .  and really?  1^st grade and no internet???  No computers even for the teachers.   Then I decided to dry up and get control of the situation.  I know it sounds funny (or not) but I kept “hearing” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.  I did not sleep very well.

   Today, Tuesday,  I went to school with a new attitude.  I can do all things . . .   As I walked in the door Kelly, another teacher, told me I should come to church with her Friday.  Then an new teacher walked in and she was assigned to Grade 1 with me.  We will not teach together, but we can plan together.  Dionne is from Atlanta and has 9 years experience in . . . you guessed it . . . 1^st grade.  We sat together in my room and bounced ideas off each other.  We came up with a day 1 plan and I felt so much better!  Then we went to the bookstore and found the number line, the ABCs and a bunch of other school stuff we needed to decorate and stock our rooms.  I bought pencils and stuff to make a calendar.  I found a CD with great songs like the Farmer In the Dell, If you’re Happy and You Know It . . . and more.  I get to sing, dance, play puppets and have fun all day long!  Look here for pictures of my classroom before I decorate.  I’ll show you after when I get there.  So, don’t worry about me, but please pray!  i have pictures of my classroom, but can't post them - left my camera in the apartment and don't want to hike back to get it.  I'm posting from an internet cafe, but hope to have internet soon!  Post again soon!  ME

The Western Region - A visit to Great Unknown

A friend of mine decided to rent a car.  You see, since we've been here we have only used taxi and bus service which is getting rather expensive and is a little limiting.  We went to one car rental place and were told that because we did not have a visitor visa and did not yet have a residence visa we were not allowed to rent a car.  But we found that we could rent one from the hotel (legal?  I'm not asking).  So we each pitched in some money and for about $200 dollars plus gas (which is the equivalent of about $1.50 a gallon!) we got our own car for 6 days.  Mike is sort of the chauffeur - he has a great sense of direction.  We've been to Al Ain (Mike and Rebecca and I) to scope out the town and Mike and I to do some cleaning and appliance shopping.  But I digress.  Today's post is all about our visit on Tuesday to Al Gharbia - the western region.  This region is mostly dedicated to oil, so much of the population is ex-pat.

We headed out of town and immediately went into a vast desert with nothing more than power lines and sand (see the above photo).  The first city we hit was Mirfa.  It is a VERY small town with a mosque and a place to buy food and some housing.  The house pictured to the right is one really nice structure we saw in Mirfa.  This is typical of many homes in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, but were not seen as frequently in the Western Region.

Next we went to Ruwais where my friend Shannon will live.  Again, not much more than a shopping center, a rec center, some housing, hotels and a few schools 2 1/2 hours away from Abu Dhabi.  We found where Shannon will be teaching Kindergarten - a nice but small school in town.  Shannon will live with 4 other teachers in a villa so she will have company - I just hope her company is good.  We found - a ways out of town - a beautiful resort hotel on the beach.  I think she needs to join the club to have pool, gym and beach access - a personal getaway for tough times.



Finally we journeyed back towards Abu Dhabi and hit the town of Madinat Zayed where our other friend Daisha will live.  This town was hopping (in comparison) with a mall, and industrial park and LOTS of men.  It was strange to not see women at all.  We Americans (and Mike the Canadian) were of much interest to the people we passed.  We found a Burger Hut and a Pizza King, so we know Daisha will not starve.  Unlike Shannon, Daisha will get her own apartment, but she did not yet know where so we could not visit it.  Again, a lot of SAND!  On our way home we came upon these oil wells - they burn at the top all night and day.

So, as for me, I'm glad to be in Al Ain, but I think the folks placed in the Al Gharbia region will have a much more authentic experience.  Good luck and God bless!

Grand Mosque Part 2

When you enter the Grand Mosque you must take your shoes off in this area, the outer courtyard.  You can see a beautiful flower design in the marble.  The flowers were used to remind worshipers of the perfect gardens in heaven while they pray.  This courtyard is white marble and is inlaid with precious stones.  It is about the size of a football field, and it is breathtaking.  Before a Muslim enters this area he or she must wash in a ritual cleansing.  They are sure to wash their mouths so they will rid themselves of evil speech (gossip, swearing).  They wash their heads to rid themselves of evil thoughts.  They wash their hands to rid themselves of the actions they may have performed, and then they wash their feet because they are dirty.  After washing they are pure before Allah (God).

This is the prayer rug in the main room of the mosque.  It is the largest singular piece of carpet in the world.  It is woven of New Zealand Wool.  It took 26 Iranian women to craft the carpet.  It was constructed in 9 pieces and then joined together inside of the mosque.  The carpet weighs 35 tons and is 6000 meters squared.

 Here is a close- up picture of one of the inlaid flowers.  This is actually inside of the mosque on a pillar.  Notice the colors?  The stones that are inlaid are mother of pearl, amethyst, jade, onyx, sapphire and . . . I forget the yellow one - sorry!  This method is used to decorate the inside of the mosque (which is air conditioned) as well as the courtyard.

Trip to the Grand Mosque Part One

Here is the Grand Mosque - a view from my hotel window!  I love waking up every morning to see this and at night it is beautifully lit in shades of white and blue.  Every day we can hear the call to prayer 5 times.  Around sunrise is the first call.  The second is around 12:30.  Then there is one around 5:30, one at about 7 and one before bed.   I can't hear it inside, but I usually hear it when I'm at the pool.  They also broadcast the call in malls and stores.  Don't think everyone drops and prays at that exact moment.  It just means they have to pray before the next call.  There are private rooms everywhere (malls, hotels, office buildings) for men and women to pray.  They always pray separately.

This is one of 5 spires that reachers up to heaven from the mosque.  See the gold - it is real gold!  Every day the 5 calls to prayer are sung from this tower - although now it is usually a recording.  The rest of the tower and most of the Mosque is made from marble imported from Greece and Italy.  It is always clean and white!

Here is the group of friends I toured with.  Notice we are all in traditional dress.  Women are required to wear the Abaya and cover their heads. Men can wear whatever they want to tour.  See me there in the middle?  I'm with Mike, Shannon, Daisha and Rebecca.  We had a great time and learned so much information.  I will be sharing more about the Mosque in my next post!

The Most Amazing Desert Safari EVER!!!

If you come to Abu Dhabi, you must do the desert safari.  Let me take you through it.  The Driver picks you and 5 other passengers up at the hotel.  He drives you out into the desert.  Then you wind farther into the desert where the dunes begin.  He drives you up the dunes, and then you slide back down, hoping you won't roll over.  Sometimes you jump over dunes, and if you are not wearing a seatbelt you will get bruises.
The Land Rover stops at a camel farm where they live in a semi wild state.  They are pretty tame, though.  After a visit with the camels we get back into the vehicle for more "dune bashing".  Just when you feel like your stomach can take no more, we stop again at the camp.  Here we get to ride camels and sand boards (not me for the sand board).

After that they ushered us into the enclosed area, and sunset began.  It was fun to sit around and have sodas and water and watch a desert sunset.  Then Iftar (breaking of the fast) began.  We had hummus, pita bread, lentils, taboli, kabobs which appeared to be beef and chicken and lamb.  There was a warm cole slaw and a mixed vegetable dish, as well.  For dessert they had baklava and fruit.  It was an amazing dinner and nobody seemed to care about the sand in our teeth, shoes, eyes, clothes, etc.  Usually after dinner there is belly dancing and henna tattoo art, but because it is Ramadan, they did not have those things.   Maybe that is why this whole evening was a bargain at just $35!!!  Really! 

Ramadan Kareem

It's very interesting to visit an Arab country during Ramadan (this year Ramadan falls on August 1-30, but it moves back 12 days each year).   Ramadan is the holy month here, and during daylight hours (5:30 am to 7 pm) nobody eats, drinks, smokes, chews gum, gossips, thinks bad thoughts . . . you get the idea.  It is against the law to eat or drink in public during this time, but in a hotel room it is ok for non-muslims to do the activities listed above.  The reasoning is to deprive themselves and feel what the poor must feel (hunger and thirst) on a daily basis.  They make offerings to the poor and hand out food and water on street corners.

But, come 7 pm, Iftar begins - the breaking of the fast.  Malls and stores and movie theaters and almost everything stays open until 2 or 3 am, and people flock to shop, visit, and eat.  Many restaurants have all you can eat Iftar buffets.  People dress in their finest and party!  In private homes women work all day to cook and clean and create the perfect Iftar for their family and friends.  The idea is to provide more hospitality than any of your friends.

The pictures above represent the decorations displayed during Ramadan.  Outside you see blue and white lights.  Inside you see candles and lots of live flowers and plants.  It's really beautiful!  

Got My Apartment Today!

Here are some pictures of my new apartment in Al Ain, UAE.  It is beautiful and has 3 bedrooms.  The only problem is that here you have to supply your own appliances - stove, fridge, etc.  Was not expecting to have to use furniture money for that!  All in all, the UAE and I are getting along very well.  Most days average about 110 and I'm proud to say my body is adjusting!  In the next few days I'll be posting a lot - some free time before orientations next week.  I'll tell you about my visits to the Grand Mosque, the Expo center, and the desert safari!