Back To School? But Break Was So Much Fun?

Meg and I

View from the dhow cruise

Well, we're about to start week three post-break and so far the time is flying. I barely remember last week and I can only hope that the rest of the year goes by as fast. I've been very fortunate in regards to work. Being a pull out support teacher definitely has its advantages, the biggest of which being the fact that I get to work with a variety of age groups. For the most part the kids are really sweet, with a few terrors thrown in there to keep me on my toes, but that is the same in the states. There are already a few that I really enjoy and look forward to seeing. (Yes, some of them are the terrors!) Enough about work though, I've done a lot of fun stuff over the last two weekends and that's way more exciting.

Dessert 4 wheeling

Hadi made me hold a bird

     As I imagine you've heard, my boss is from my home town. Her two daughters came to Abu Dhabi for a week over break, so I got to meet and hang out with them, which was a great time. Her youngest was high school buddies with my great friend Sarah, so it was a lot of fun to chat with her. Since Lisa was trying to fit in so much fun stuff for her girls, I was able to tag along and do a lot of this cool stuff as well.  We went on a dhow cruise that left out of Oman just outside Fujairah, went four wheeling in the dessert, and made a visit to an Emirati farm.  

Horses at the farm

     The dhow cruise was really nice and relaxing, but we had a bit of an adventure on the way there. We didn't realize that the boat was leaving out of Oman, which for those of you unfamiliar with the Middle East, is another country! So my friends and I drive 2.5 hours and between the three of us we have a passport, a UAE ID card (sort of acts like a passport/enhanced drivers' lic.) and a UAE driver's license. We didn't even think to bring any ID because we didn't realize we would be going through border control. I always have mine with me as I do not yet have my UAE ID card. Naturally, we assumed we are screwed and will probably be turning around for another 2.5. We decide to give it a whirl and the guy at border control is actually super nice and makes an exception because we had driven so far. I firmly believe if we had only driven the hour from Dubai, we would have been making a U-turn! Crisis was averted though, and we enjoyed a sunny day lounging on a boat, eating and snorkeling. 

Rocking my keffiyeh

My new friend 'Twiggy"

     The next day, Lisa's Emirati friends took us four wheeling in the dessert, followed by a nice visit to an Emirati farm. There we held birds, rode a horse and hung out with a dog I affectionately named twiggy. It was an amusing night to say the least, complete with photos taken while sitting in front of a painting of horses and holding a toy gun and toy violin-type instrument. As I read this back, it doesn't sound that funny, but trust me...it was! We were all crying by the time the photos were done. 

     

 

Ready for the Eagles!!

   That was my last hoorah before break was over, but don't worry, I did a lot of fun stuff the next weekend as well! On the 12th (mom's bday) I 

Blurry, but those white blobs are the Eagles!

Fireworks after the concert

went to see the Eagles live in Dubai. To say that this was the best $100 I've spent since I've been here is a gross understatement. This was by far the most amazing concert I've ever been to. Partly because it was the Eagles, and I have grown up listening to and loving them and partly because it was the first time they have ever been to the middle east. There was this amazing energy in the crowd and it was spectacular to be a part of. Despite the fact that all the older people looked at me like "Does this girl even know who the Eagles are?" I enjoyed myself immensely....and sang every word to prove that, "Yes, I do know who they are and probably love them more than you!" They played Hotel California to start off their encore set and it was awesome! If you have never heard of the band, you at least know this song, and when it came on, the crowd energy definitely turned up a notch. Just as I was beginning to worry that they wouldn't play Desperado, they closed with it and I actually teared up listening to it.  Overall, it was the best experience I've had here and I am so glad that my friend Shannon asked me to go with her. They sound as great as they do on record and that is a pretty impressive feat for a group that has been together for so long!

Couldn't stop after brunch!

Mona, Mo and I at brunch

Mo and I at brunch

     The next day I drove into Abu Dhabi for boozy brunch number three and had a wonderful time as always. I got to hang out with the regular brunch crew as well as a few new additions. Mona's cousins were in town and they were a lot of fun to hang out with. We love Mona, so we love all of her relatives as well! This was a really good deal because we were allowed to float between all three restaurants at the Intercontinental hotel. Needless to say, we all left sufficiently stuffed and then spent the rest of the night hanging out and doing a little souk shopping!
     I'll leave the adventures of last week to a new post as I am sleepy and think this one is really quite long already! 'Til next time blog friends!

It's April Already??

     I can't believe it has been two weeks since my last post. I guess time flies when you're having fun! Since I last surfaced in blog world, I have gone to Al Maya Island twice, made another visit to Dubai, gotten my apartment as set up as it's going to get, been to an Emirati wedding, seen Hunger Games, used my gym membership for the first time, went to my first rooftop BBQ, and have been generally enjoying life.
     Despite the fact that Mike and Sarah were insistent that I stay away from boats, I have gone twice to Al Maya island. Both times by boat, and can you imagine, I have survived to talk about it! Anyway, this island is great. My friends and I have gone for the last two Fridays, and it is so nice to just relax by the beach and have a Corona! It is free as long as you get over there by 2 and is complete with beach, infinity pool, swim up bar, waiters, and DJ. The place is packed with people and there are always lots of beautiful men walking around, so no complaints from this girl.

Magnolia Bakery!

     I also went to Hunger Games twice. I had told one friend I'd see it with her, but then couldn't wait to see it until I got back to Al Ain, so I went in AD. I loved it! I was sad I couldn't see it with my Daniele sisters, but at least I got to see it! It was as good, if not better than the book, and if you haven't seen it yet, or read the books, you should do both!! The only thing that stinks about seeing movies here is the fact that movie etiquette does not exist. People will answer phone calls and have full conversations in the middle of the movie. It would drive my brother nuts! I've gotten over it though, and my love of going to the movies far outweighs my annoyance with my fellow moviegoers.

Outside for the fountains!

     I made another visit to Dubai as well. This time I went with Mona and Mo, and we spent the entire day at the Dubai Mall. The place just swallows you up, but it is pretty cool. While we were there we visited Magnolia bakery, which is located inside the Bloomingdale's.  It felt just like home! We also sat outside for dinner so we could enjoy the fountain shows. All in all, a very nice day.
     My first Emirati wedding was spectacular, and I imagine that they can get way more elaborate than this. The men and women are separated, so we had to trek around back to the ladies' entrance. It was worth the walk. When you walk in, your eyes are darting everywhere to take it all in. The sparkle, the flowers, the elaborate dresses, big hair, airbrushed makeup, and the runway that cuts through the center of the room make for quite the first impression. We were greeted very warmly, and introduced to all of Mona's sisters. Mona (different from Mona who came to Dubai) is a coworker who invited us to join in the festivities.

     We didn't actually see her until about an hour in, but her sisters took care of us and let us pick a table. There were 60 10-tops to choose from, so we picked one close to the stage. From the moment we sat until the time we left, we were bombarded with drinks, food and desserts. The music started and women and children were up on that stage dancing all night. That is, until the men came in, at which point they covered up again, but it was awesome to see all of the beautiful women without their abayas for a few hours. They were great dancers and seriously the most wonderful hosts ever. They must have checked on us at least ten times. I am excited to go to more weddings in the future, because I imagine every one is a little different and just as beautiful.

Ice cream for Mo's bday!

      Sunday was Mo's birthday, so I took her to the gym! In all fairness, after the gym we spent the day by the pool and swim up bar. I finally put my gym membership to use after purchasing it a week prior and it felt good to finally exercise again. I've been pretty negligent since I've gotten here, but I plan to be more diligent once school starts back up. While at the pool, we met some nice Scottish people and it turns out two of them live here and are golf pros just down the street at the Rugby club. I think I'll check it out later this week. I have yet to see the place and wouldn't mind hitting a bucket at the driving range for some stress relief!
    We ended the night with a rooftop BBQ at Lisa's apartment complex. It was a great time. We met several other teachers and some Lebanese engineers. Lisa's friend who will take us dune bashing on Saturday was also there. The food and company were wonderful and I hope that there are more BBQs to come!

Bathroom

Bedroom

Bathroom

Bathroom/bedroom

Kitchen sans washer/dryer

kitchen

    I've been running around getting things for my apartment for the last two weeks. Every time I leave the apartment I buy more stuff and every time I return home, I remember something I forgot! I think I am pretty settled now, and won't need anything else major until I move to a new apartment in a few months. I am the proud owner of a washer/dryer and my last load of laundry is currently in right now! I am glad to be semi-settled and look forward to being in a more permanent home once this lease is up. Aside from that, I've just been spending times with friends and loving life here in Al Ain.

     I will try to be better about posting more, and as I settle into a routine and get out of vacation mode, I think it will be easier to get to. I will also try to start taking more pictures! See you again soon blog world. Inshallah!

I Finally Have an Apartment and a School!!

Family Room

    When I moved to Abu Dhabi, I had envisioned myself waking up to the view of gorgeous beaches with the gulf breeze wafting through my window. Well, Al Ain is land locked, so that isn't exactly what I got, but it could be worse for sure! I have been placed in a complex located a little on the outskirts and on the way to my school. It is only temporary and I will get to pick my own place when the lease is up in June. They pay by the year here, so when teachers go home mid contract, it leaves ADEC with lots of empty apartments to fill. They won't be renewing with this complex next year, which is why I get to move out in a few short months.

Bedroom I won't be using

 

Bigger room that I will use

         
        I am happy about this for a few reasons. 1) Normally they make you wait a full year before you get to pick a place and I only have to wait 3 months. 2) The place is furnished, so I don't have to shop now and then find a mover to lug myself to a place of my choosing. 3)I get to hold on to my housing allowance and take time to decide how I want to furnish my apartment, rather than feel pressure to buy everything in a week because we get booted from the hotel after 5 days once we have both our keys and furnish allowance. 4)Mohamed is setting up our electric,water, and gas. Jen and I also set up our internet/phone after a few short hours (insert extreme sarcasm) at Etisalat. All that being said, the place is not that bad. I just prefer somewhere with more light and closer to town. I feel fortunate that for now I can get to know neighborhoods I'd like to live, and I get to take a bus too and from school.

Patio seating at apartment

MUCH better bathroom!

Master Bath

Kitchen

Pool at apartment

     The apartment is 2 bedroom and 2.5 bath with a decent kitchen and family room. I will actually use the hall bath and bigger room, rather than the master bedroom/bath because they both have better light than the master. It also comes with a stove and fridge, which is nice because most places you need to purchase appliances. There is also a pool and a small gym, but I probably won't be using those as I just got a membership to the Rotana. The Rotana is a beautiful hotel/resort and has a great gym and pool. I plan to exercise during the week and relax there on the weekends!

School

     Now on to my new school. The place is gorgeous and only two years old. It houses both boys and girls, but they have separate halves of the building.  The staff all seem really nice so far, and I'll be working with all of them as I have landed a resource room position. I am thrilled to be able to work across the grade levels and help support the ELLs who really need it. It will be a lot of work for sure, but I think in the long run it will be less stressful than taking over a classroom at this point in the year.

Classroom

     The craziest thing about my new school is that one of my heads of faculty is from Maine-Endwell. We have both taught at Homer Brink and know many of the same people. I think it's a sure sign that I am in fact meant to work and retire from M-E when I get home from this adventure. It's sounds a bit hokey, but I think it's the universe telling me not to forget about Homer Brink, which has been my dream school since I student taught there in 2004. In the mean time, I love having someone from home around who understands my love of Consol's and knows what a spiedie is!

Big bright hallways!

Classroom!

Library

Main Entrance

     It is because of Lisa that I was able to get such a good deal on my gym membership as well.  A few friends and I went out for drinks on Friday night and ran into Lisa at the Rotana. She introduced us to the gym manager and he agreed to give us 50% off as long as we came in by the 25th. We went in today and are only paying $50 a month to use the awesome facilities. For those of you at home, think Court Jester, but with a beautiful outdoor pool, 6 restaurants, and a swim up bar. It's pretty sweet.
     Overall, I'm really loving life in Al Ain. It is much slower paced than the city and I enjoy the suburban feel, not to mention the fact that you can actually see the views as there are very few tall buildings. Break starts in a few days and I'm sure I'll be up to something fun, so be on the lookout for my spring break blogs!











   
      

Look Out UAE, She Can Drive!!

     As soon as I knew I would be moving to Al Ain, I also knew I would want to immediately rent a car, which is why I got my UAE driver's license last Monday! It was shockingly easy to get my license. Sure, I can drive in New York, but they don't make you do anything. Perhaps this is why there are so many horrible drivers roaming the streets of Abu Dhabi. I don't think I'm one of them, especially comparatively speaking, but still, they could make you do more to acquire the right to drive.
     All I needed was my translation of my NY license, passport, visa, and UAE id card application. They make you take an eye exam, which is kind of a joke. You literally name four letters on each eye and look at one picture for the color blind test. You pay 25 Dhs for the exam, and 200Dhs for them to take your picture and print it out. That's it, done, I can drive here now.
     Not that I'm complaining at all. I'm glad it was this easy, I just thinks it's funny that it was. I've been driving around since Thursday and it's been great having my own car again. I haven't had my own car since the end of January and it sucks not being able to go wherever you want whenever you want. I'm proud to say that I now know how to get to two of the malls in Al Ain, as well as Etisalat (phone company), Lulu, and my apartment! I bought a GPS in case I need to go anywhere else!
     Here's the thing about driving here though. The place has a round about at pretty much every intersection. No, I'm not exaggerating. It's crazy. I constantly have to go around circles and pray that everyone else is driving it correctly so I don't get hit. It's not the most pleasant driving, but at least it keeps me on my toes! They have named all of the round abouts, so directions sound something like this. Go straight at the Sheikh Bin Zayed r/a and left at the deer r/a. Or go through four round abouts and left at the horses. Street names exist, but are kind of a joke as no one actually uses them. Business even have their location listed in relation to other places rather than an address. For example, the UAE exchange is opposite ADCB bank and located in Al Ain gift mart. (Not to be confused with Gift City, which is right next door!)
     So, that is what driving here is like in a nutshell. It's a bit odd, but way better than taking taxis everywhere. I can't wait to buy a car when I come back from summer vacation!
   
      

The Moment Of Truth!

     It's the moment you've all been waiting for! Ok, so maybe it's just the moment I've been waiting for. I finally got my placement letter today! I've been placed in the Al Ain region of Abu Dhabi, which is also sometimes referred to as the Oasis. I will work about an hour and fifteen minutes from my housing in a town called Al Wagan. I have yet to find out the grade, but I do know I am working in a new school that is coed and 1-5. Don't get too excited, I will have all boy classes and all girls classes. They're taking their integration in baby steps!
     While I had originally wanted Abu Dhabi City, I am not upset about this placement. Sure it would've been nice to live near the water and have the gorgeous views all the time, but there are several upsides to where I have been placed.
1) I will hopefully spend less money, as it it a little more suburban.
2) Supposedly, we receive a stipend for living over an hour away from work. (We shall see about this one!)
3) It is hot, but not nearly as humid as the city. I think I will be especially grateful for this in the upcoming months as the temperature continues to rise.
4) I will always appreciate both Abu Dhabi City and Dubai because I will only get to visit them on weekends! This will also give me something to look forward too if the the weeks start to drag.
5) Last, but certainly not least....it is NOT the western region which is located approximately in the middle of nowhere! I will at least be surrounded by some civilization. Al Ain may be a city in the middle of the dessert, but there are still malls, restaurants, and activities that are easily accessible.
    So, there you have it folks. It wasn't my first choice, but I am surprisingly pleased with the outcome of today's orientation. I look forward to getting out to my new school, meeting my co-workers and acclimating myself to a new region of Abu Dhabi. All this paid vacation has been wonderful, but I am very excited to get to work!

Where Are You Going?

All the walls are covered in murals.

     The answer to that and many other questions, will hopefully be answered tomorrow. But for now, let me tell you about my week of observing at an amazing KG school! My small group of 11 had been here for about 8 days or so, when we received an email telling us we would get the chance to observe model schools for the next week. This was really exciting news because it meant we were not just going to get thrown in to a school, we would instead get the chance to see schools in action first. Other groups before us have not had such a great opportunity. The only downside of this is that we would have to wait another full week to find out which city we had been placed in. Our employer, ADEC, wanted to wait for more people to fly in so we could have a larger orientation group. Luckily the week flew, and now orientation is tomorrow!

     So, about the KG school...Jennifer and I were placed in a school located just outside Abu Dhabi Island, in Khalifa City A. It is an absolutely beautiful school that houses 6 KG1 and 6 KG2 classes. Think Pre-K and K. So anyway, the school is gorgeous with murals covering the whole entire hallway. I would be very lucky to teach in this building permanently. There are a lot of cool 'western' teachers there and I also found the Arabic teachers to be quite welcoming and friendly. On Wednesday and Thursday I wore my abayas to school and got many compliments from the the Arab staff, which was nice, since they're the one who wear them daily and see so many different ones.

     Throughout the week, I observed 8 different teachers and got to go on one field trip. It was interesting to see all the different teaching styles, and observe the obstacles that the English teachers had to contend with. I found it particularly interesting to watch an Arabic lesson. The teacher did a great job and it looked a lot like my lessons at home. It's funny because I know that it will be extremely difficult to get my classes to look like that here, since there is such a huge language barrier. It was nice though, to see that the kids can be completely engaged and attentive when they understand what is going on. It gave me a different perspective and I think it will help me be more patient as I start off with my own class. After all if I, as an adult, can get distracted during an Arabic lesson, imagine how 5 year olds feel listening to us babble on in English. It's gotta be pretty tough!

Little hard to see, but this is the playground.

Kids enjoying the fish tank at the park.

     Although I am pretty sure I'm the only one who enjoyed the field trip, I have to say it was my favorite part of the week! We went to Khaleefa Park and the kids really liked it. The class I was in, split the kids among adults, so I had 6 kids to look after. The were super cute, and for the most part listened and stuck together. It was just nice to be spending the day outside and enjoying the nice weather. It will soon be much hotter, so I have to enjoy while I can. I say I am the only one who enjoyed it because all of the teachers seemed stressed about losing track of the kids. There were some points that they got jumbled in with other kids, but it was nothing like trying to keep track of my kids at the Coney Island Aquarium, so I was quite relaxed!

Burj Al Arab

     On Sunday, I spent the day in Alona's room. This was great, because I knew Alona before getting her school by chance. She has been very helpful to our January group and was on our Facebook page answering questions before we got over here. She is a great example of someone who is over here and just loving life and has her own YouTube channel dedicated to videos of her life here in Abu Dhabi. (I showed some of you the video of her apartment.) We had met and gone shopping the first week I was here, so it was great luck to be placed in her school. She was kind enough to take us home and pick us up every day all week so we wouldn't have to take taxis! 
     Not only were the teachers and school enjoyable, so were the after school activities! After school on Sunday, Alona was driving us home and spur of the moment decided to take Jennifer and I to Dubai. We went to her apartment, which has an insanely gorgeous view so she could change, and were off to Dubai. It's about the same as a trip to Syracuse from Binghamton. 

Canal at the Jumeirah Souk

Burj Khalifa

   


















     While we were in Dubai we saw the Jumeirah souk, which is not exactly a souk you bargain at, but it had beautiful stuff. I plan to go back to get some artwork for my apartment. We saw the Burj Al Arab, which is one of the most recognizable buildings in Dubai. (It's the building Tiger Woods hit balls off of.) We also went to the Dubai mall, which is the most beautiful mall I have every seen, complete with fountain light shows every half hour. (Like Bellagio, but way bigger.) Right next to the mall is the Burj Khalifa, which is tallest building in the world. You know, the one Tom Cruise scaled in MI4.
So that was a fun, but exhausting, little adventure. I will definitely be going back once I know where I am living and have money to buy decorative stuff for my apartment.

Inside Dubai Mall

     On Tuesday, we went with all of the English teachers for happy hour at a pub called Cooper's. It has this awesome big couch booth that made me feel like Alice in Wonderland because if you sit all the way back your feet dangle off. It's high off the ground and the back goes up to the ceiling. I had some really good fish and chips and yummy pale ale. It was great to hang out with all the other teachers and to gain a different, perhaps more realistic, view of the school.
      All in all it was a wonderful week, and I can only hope that the school I wind up in is as nice. Supposedly the principal went to ADEC to request for us to stay, but I'm not counting those chickens! I'm sure there are other schools which are more short staffed than this one. I need to sign off so I can get to crossing my fingers and toes that I get a good school here in Abu Dhabi City tomorrow! I'll keep everyone posted on where I end up!