It's been a long week.

The accreditation committee was here for four days. We did not get an answer at the end of the week as to whether or not we will get accredited. They told us that we won't know until January. That's a long time to wait. Until then, I am going to forget about it. My department did get a commendation from them, though :)

I swear I am getting crazier with every passing day. I actually let the music teacher talk me into doing the talent show with her and a couple of other teachers. I put my hair into ponytails, and thought that they were quite big enough. My friend from secondary school didn't think so. She teased them out until it looked like I had a grand chandelier of hair. The look was completed with gold and turquoise eye shadow, orange lipstick, leggings, and a huge t-shirt. We were truly channelling the 80s. And it was SCARY! The song we sang was actually about the accreditation committee sung to the tune to "I Will Survive". LOL The students got such a kick out of seeing us sing! And the staff liked it so much that they requested we do it for the ENTIRE staff AND the accreditation committee at the debriefing meeting! HA! It was hysterical, and a ton of fun. I would never have done it years ago. I was too worried about what other people thought. I find that the more time goes by the less I give a damn what anyone thinks.

Is it November already? Really? I have been told that I am adjusting very well. Most people are actually rather surprised when I tell them that this is my first time overseas. Several have said they thought I must have been doing this for years. In a way, I am flattered. On the other hand, well, I don't know what to think. Some days I don't think I am doing so well. Some days are better than others. Some are downright excruciating and all I want to do is hide in my covers away from everything foreign and forget the desert outside my window. Forget all of the crappy Emirati women who actually cross to the other side of the walkway in the mall to avoid walking to close to the infidels. Yes, there aren't many of them, but there are some that are that ignorant. School and government bureaucracy drive me nuts on a daily basis. But whatever. I roll with it. That's all you can do. Roll with it.

I am going to Singapore next week for Eid. So looking forward to the Eid break! We could use the time off after this whole accreditation process. I am excited to actually start travelling. But in all honesty, there is so much to do here, too! I want to go on desert safari, go up to the top to the Burj Khalifa, snorkel in Oman, and head out to a couple of the souks. My list of things to do, places to see, and stuff to try out gets longer and longer! Yipe!

I am also trying to understand the tax situation at home. From what I read, I couldn't come home for more than thirty days each year. However, another teacher says we just can't be home for more than thirty days at a time or else we'll be considered residents. I will have to make sure, because it will make the difference between my coming home for two weeks at summer and two weeks at Christmas or for an entire month at summer and two weeks at Christmas. And next year, I AM coming home for Christmas. I am going to book my tickets in the summer so I can make sure I can go home. But for now, I am planning on Singapore next week and Sri Lanka in December.

Miss you. Lots.

Mamzar Beach

So, this week was a long week at school. I subbed in for some teachers for meetings, went to meetings, had other meetings, planned for students, blahblahblah. Long. And slightly irritating.

We left from school today to go to Mamzar beach. I hadn't been to the beach since I had gotten here, so I had asked some teachers from my department if they wanted to take a little afternoon trip. I must say that while the beaches here do not have boardwalks, they have a lot to offer. The sand on Mamzar is soft, although people need to take more care in cleaning up their cigarette butts. There are permanent wooden umbrellas here and there that one can set up unde\r. There is a little stand that sells beach accoutrements. We got there just as the sun was starting to sink. It had cooled off and there was a gentle warm breeze. It's a little odd to see an offshore oil rig in the distance, but what of it. The lagoon (for it was rather lagoon-esque) was quiet. There weren't many people there.

I have been swimming in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. I would say that the Gulf is rather unique. It's like warm bath water. It's light green and clear. After such a long week, I felt like I was in a spa, floating there merrily with my friends. A pleasant bunch they are, too. I am normally afraid of open water, but I'm trying to get over it. So I floated along, chatting happily about absolutely nothing. We sat on the beach and had a light picnic. The sun turned tangerine. The sky changed to hot pink and purple. And far off on the opposite horizon, the almost full moon just kind of hung gently over Sharjah.

We were some of the last to leave the beach. The life guard had gone. We floated until it began to get quite dark. Then I started to worry about the things I couldn't see in the water.

It was wonderful. I might as well have been in a spa, although I am sure spas aren't quite as sandy. I told my colleagues that we should make this a regular afternoon thing at least once a week. We should have beautiful weather until February I am told. Then it will start to get sickeningly hot again.

But not yet :)

It helps to know a guy.

We got a special treat last night. One of the teacher's husbands works as an accountant for a very large real estate company in Dubai. He can get in to a lot of the private buildings and take advantage of a lot of the perks. One of the really nice perks is access to a private condo overlooking the ocean from the Palm Jumeirah. This place has it's own private beach, a fabulous pool, and wonderful little restaurant. A bunch of us went last night at dusk. We just missed the sunset, but we got to eat outside overlooking the pool and private beach. I had the most succulent bruschetta, a buttery medium rare steak, and to die for potatoes au gratin. We all savored dinner, a calm warm breeze, and candlelight. We could see the Burj Arab, the most expensive and only six star hotel (they said theirs was six because five stars wasn't enough) across the water.

After dinner, we took a little tour of the Palm Jumeirah. The Palm is a man-made island. The fronds are all expensive villas, private beaches, and docks for yachts for the fabulously wealthy. No one can access those areas unless you live there or are invited by a resident (have to make some rich friends!) The Crescent of the Palm follows around the top and is covered in awe-inspiring resorts and hotels. We stopped outside the Atlantis, which is owned by Donald Trump. He has another one in Nassau. It has tanks of sharks and fish. You can go snorkelling, diving, and walk through the underwater tunnels and swim with dolphins. It also has a ton of high end shops, restaurants, and a dance club. I so want to go there and swim with dolphins! We got some ice cream at the Cold Stone at the Atlantis and went for a drive around the island. We have been here for almost two months, and this was the first real experience we had with the cool Dubai that everyone reads about in the travel books.

It really helps to know a fabulous teacher who is married to a wonderful man with handy connections so we can experience things that we otherwise would not be able to do. Like dine at a private restaurant on a stretch of private beach and enjoy a world class meal :)

Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love came out here tonight. A bunch of us went out to dinner and to see it at the theater over at one of the numerous malls here in Dubai. They really are like destinations in and of themselves, really. They have everything from theaters, to ice skating rinks, to indoor ski resorts. But I digress...

I haven't read the book. I usually like to read the book first so I can get the real story before I go see the movie. The book almost always turns out to be better than the movie. The movie was fascinating, stirring, and spiritual in a way that makes me want to run out and buy the book right now if it means I can have more of what I experienced during the movie.

There were some really good quotes that I have taken away with me. "Send him love and light when you can, and then drop it." There have been loves in my life that for one reason or another I have not been able to keep. It really sucks when you wake up one morning and realize that the love you have isn't the love that you need. It is harder still to tell that other person that although you love them, that you are not the one they need no matter how much you tried to be. People go through their lives miserable with the person they think they need to be with, happy in the idea that they are sticking it out. It's ridiculously hard and painful letting go, forgiving yourself for trying so long only to have to let go. But it happens. So you remember what you had, send them love and light when you can, and then drop it.

I saw myself in Eat, Pray, Love. That's me. The woman who woke up one day and realized that the life she was living was merely an existence, not a life. A woman who had gotten so far from herself that she didn't remember nor recognize who she was. I couldn't remember what I looked like on the inside. It had been so long since I looked in there, only to find it empty. Granted, I love my family and my friends so much. I am very grateful for everyone I know. I just wasn't grateful for me. I didn't know me anymore. It took awhile, but I eventually remembered what I had dreamed about doing, and remembered how to live. Rather, I am still learning how to live.

So what do you do when that happens? Well, some run to Italy to eat and enjoy life, find their spirit in India, and find romance in Bali. Others come to Dubai. And adopt an abandoned kitten. And run around with the most smashing, fabulous, well-travelled, strong willed women that I have ever had the privilege to meet. I remember reading somewhere that when one travels, they find themselves. That when you are away from everything familiar and comforting, that you become who you truly are. I do believe that there is a lot of truth in that. Humans shine their brightest when they are facing great odds. Living out here with so much that is unfamiliar, I feel like only now am I really getting to know myself.

Now, will I find the romance at the end? I prefer not to think about that, really. One of the points in the movie was that after finding balance, one must allow oneself to love again. That's the hard part, isn't it? Some days I believe in love, others I don't. It's easier to believe in someone else's love. Looking from the outside, one can see the beauty of the relationship between two people who are in love. It's a bit harder believing that I can have that and still remain myself considering how lost I became before. How many people run from person to person hoping to find who they really are? Maybe the lucky ones find themselves and love. Don't know. I'm brilliant, but I'm not that smart.

So I'm having a moment. I'm allowed every now and then. So I saw a great movie that I really made a personal connection to. Love Julia Roberts, the woman is phenomenal. The locations were stunning and the story was fantastic. I highly recommend it for a girls' night out. And perhaps a yearlong trek through Italy, India, and Bali as well.

Good night.

Let me tell you about Waxy's...

Waxy's is an Irish pub in Oud Metha which is a neighborhood in Dubai. It's dark, with lots of loud Irish rock, drunken Irish and British people, and eighties music. Upstairs on Friday night, they serve a brunch of English breakfast. Well, after waiting outside our building in the sand for twenty minutes, our taxi showed up. It got us there just in time to get our brunch tickets at 6pm. Yes, I know. Brunch is typically earlier in the day. Not here. It's a "eat a whole lot and then drink your weight in beer" kind of affair. 85 dirhams gets you five drink tickets and the brunch buffet. We got there a little late, so we had to get all of our drinks at once. We drank about five drinks in a little over an hour (apparently we're drinkers with a teaching problem ;) and headed downstairs. The place was packed, and most of them were completed sotted. It was HILARIOUS. The Irish and British get more friendly the more they drink. They're easy to smile, and free with their alcohol. I have never had drinks bought for me by hot Irish guys, and I think I like it ;) The music got louder as the night went on. The entire place sang "Greased Lightning" at the top of their lungs. People got falling down drunk, knocked over tables, got thrown out, got let back in, and got even more drunk. We had a blast. I danced with a very nice British guy, who kept smiling at me and kissing my hand. I danced with him for almost two hours and had a very good time. At one point, he stepped into the light and I got a good look at his face. This prompted me to ask how old he was. He was 22! LOL!!! Yep, and the guy that my friend was dancing with was his uncle! HA! We both agreed that we're going to that special place in a handbasket, and I'm probably driving that handbasket. It was so much fun though! I hadn't gone out to get smashed, I just kind of...did. LMAO!!!

I will probably stay in next weekend. Money is getting tight because we haven't gotten paid yet. We get paid monthly, and we're due for our first paycheck on the 28th. I will be so happy to get some money in my UAE account. So I can get some furniture, some appliances...and go out to Waxy's again! Woohoo!

And the school year has begun!

Ever wonder where time went? I sure do. I've been here over three weeks now, and the time has seemed to fly by. A couple of teachers have said that before you know it, we'll be saying goodbye to the kids for the summer.

I was supposed to go to Ras Al Khaimah with the girls, but I got really sick last week. I mean REALLY sick. Horrible stomach virus, dehydration, fever...it was horrendous. I was so miserable, didn't know how to make an appointment or what doctors I could see or where. Didn't even know if they would understand me if I did make it to a doctor's office. I had it for several days, and by the time vacation rolled around I felt like I had  been dragged behind a truck for three days. However, the beach will still be there the next time we decide to go away, so staying home was for the best.
I am teaching grades 1-3 EAL (ESL where we come from). Right now, I am working out my schedule, meeting with teachers to determine the best methods of in-class and pull-out support, and amassing massive amounts of paperwork on my students. I have to learn to assess using the standardized testing methods they use here as well as get a working understanding of the guided reading kits. It's a lot, quite frankly. My head is about to explode. I'm almost to the point of saturation. Almost. I feel a trip to the Irish pub coming on and the need for a pint of Magner's.

Day to day living is interesting when living out of a fridge smaller than most dorm fridges and an apartment with almost no furniture, no TV, no internet. Nights can be boring, but we usually have to go out, run some small errand, or someone has there door open and we go hang out for a bit and have a glass of wine. I have to shop fairly often because nothing fits in my fridge except small things and the freezer doesn't work that well. My meals are sporadic and mishmashed because I am limited with what I usually have on hand. My frying pan is my best friend because I have no microwave or kitchen appliances except for my hot water kettle. I love that thing. It boils water in less than two minutes. Needless to say, I have been making a lot of instant coffee. I might break down and get a coffee pot later, but the kettle is so handy.

It's kind of hard to say how I'm feeling. I am getting used to the sights and the sounds. The feeling of sand under my feet, the sound of prayer calling at dusk, and the women in their long black (and often sparkly) abayas and shelas. I can see the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, from my kitchen window. I see it through the haze in the morning, and it glitters on the horizon at night. It's still very hot here (some days over 115), but it should start cooling down soon as we get closer to October. Or so I'm told. The heat really limits what can be done on the weekends because so many places are closed until October when the heat lets up. I really want to go on a desert safari, see the parks, and walk the Creek in downtown Dubai. Those things are coming. Right now, it's kind of a wibbly wobbly journey into some semblance of a routine. According to my friend Julie, I am going through the stages of culture shock. And in a few weeks I will come up against a wall of depression, followed by disenchantment and then eventually acceptance. Not looking forward to that wall. But I do have lots of support here. The teachers have all been very kind. When I was sick, one of them brought me some ginger ale, crackers, and tea. There's always someone around to help, to ask questions, to give words of encouragement. It's really a nice community of people here.

Ok, it's dinner time. Think maybe some friends and I will order out for Thai. I am hungry, it's been a long day, and I don't think I can stand one more meeting. I'm up to my ears in meetings, curriculum, etc. Dindin time.

It's been a week!

Computer access is sketchy, and I only have internet when I am at school, so these next few posts will be few and far between.

The flight to Dulles went very smoothly. I met the rest of the teachers there and we all flew to Dubai. We got there on Saturday evening (the 21st) and meandered about a bit until we found our way down to customs. Customs was not nearly as much of a hassle as I thought, but the retinal scan caught me by surprise. There are just some things that just don't make it into guide books.

From there, we met a group of teachers in the cafe and were shuffled into cars and whisked away to our apartment building. Dubai looks like most other cities at night: lots of lights, tall buildings, and traffic. When we got there, we were assigned apartments and given keys. There is a gate, 24 hour security with a watchmen, and there are codes to get into the building so it's fairly safe. The building itself is in a neighborhood outside of what the other teachers call "cool Dubai" where all of the touristy stuff is. You actually have to go off-road to get to our parking lot and drive on the sand. It isn't paved. There is so much construction here, roads seem to be put in last. Adds a fun element to driving!

It was after nine, but there were guys in my apartment putting together my bed and there was no fridge (got one the other day). A couple of the girls and I decided to take our first foray out into society and invade the local market for bottled water, cereal, and juice. Ever try reading food labels in another country? Yeah, quite an experience. The products were from all over, though. I got strawberries from Ethiopia, jam from Australia, local eggs and milk, German cereal. And the calories are metric, too! Sheesh. Have to re-think my diet now. Food goes bad much more quickly because there are fewer preservatives in local products. And I don't think my fridge works very well.

The last week really has been quite a blur. I have done more shopping in the last week than I have done in the last year. Setting up an apartment from the basics is not easy! I have seen more of Ikea than I ever wanted to see. There are a couple of other stores that are nicer which have more of the Arab aesthetic of rich textiles, color, and blingy bling. So far, I have acquired a red desk and chair, an Irish pub table with built-in wine rack and four stools, and a small work table for the kitchen. Thanks to the school, a bed, dishes, and starter kitchen box were in the apartment when I got there. You really can't throw a stone around here without hitting a mall. Shopping is a national pastime, it seems. And the malls here put King of Prussia to shame. The stores are mid to high end, but it's the malls themselves that really stand out. Columns, lights, sculpture, grande facades, water fountains, tiled floors, mosaic walls, it's just so much for the eyes to take in! Shopping here takes on a real ambience that makes one just really want to walk around and simply look. There's an awful lot to see.

Everything is here. Chili's, Macaroni Grill, Coldstone, all of the fast food chains (and I mean ALL!), TGI Fridays, Cinnabon, they are all here and within a fifteen minute drive of where I live. I haven't had the chance to miss anything. Shopping in the supermarket is a bit more challenging, but most everything I have ever used I have seen here. Bit more expensive, but it's imported so no way around it.

I have rented a car with a nice young lady who came over with her husband and one year old son. Kudos to them for making the journey! We all knew we were okay when we landed and the baby was still smiling as were we :) Driving here is a bit nerve wracking because everyone has their own sets of rules. The expats all come from countries with different driving laws, so it makes for a lot of road rage. One of the teachers said it best: "Watch out for yourself, and expect people to do the stupidest, weirdest things they can do behind the wheel". And I've seen it. You have to have both eyes open and not be distracted or you will end up smooshed or upside down in the sand. The laws are improving here, though. It also helps that it's Ramadan and there are less people out on the road. We're learning to drive at a good time.

Ramadan falls eleven days earlier every year (lunar calendar). This year, it falls in the hottest time of the year. The Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and in this heat that is a loooong day. Expats cannot even drink water in public. I had read that some restaurants are open and screened off, but haven't seen that to be the case. When you can't eat or drink when you want to, it takes it's toll. It seems like forever between breakfast and lunch because all meals have to be eaten in private, even at school out of respect for the Muslims who are fasting. I respect them more and more for it every day when I see how hard it is. They listen for the call to prayer at sundown when it's time to break their fasts with Iftar (evening meal during Ramadan). I like listening to the call to prayer. I don't know what they are saying, but I like the sound of it. It carries throughout the whole city. There are prayer rooms in the malls, and the prayer is played over loudspeakers everywhere. It is omnipresent.

Our residency visas should be coming sooner than we thought. They took us for our medical exams the other day. That was an interesting experience. The principal's driver and one of the administrators drove us downtown to the medical clinic. We walked in, and it was chock full of men who all turned and blatantly stared at us. Some of the other teachers were uncomfortable; I rather expected it. In a large room full of Asian and Arab men, a group of seven Western women sticks out quite a bit. We were x-rayed and blood was taken. They are mainly looking for hepatitis, AIDS, and tuberculosis. Having any of these can get us deported. All of us are going to come up clean, so we should have our visas soon and be able to sign up for internet, cell phones (we have visitor phones and phone cards right now), etc. We are planning to go to Ras Al Khamiya to the beach at the end of Ramadan. This time is called Eid where the Muslims celebrate for a few days. I would too if I made it through all of the fasting and praying! We'll have a few days off of school, so a bunch of us booked rooms at a hotel and will loll about a bit before school starts.

Sorry for the super long post! Hopefully there will be less time in between future posts :)