Welcome to my new hometown: Sila'a , Abu Dhabi, UAE

My journey to my new home began at 2 pm on March 20, 2012, when all the Western Region Teachers received memos in our hotel rooms telling the 7 of us we were being whisked away at 6pm to the Western Region.  Two teachers were headed to the Liwa Oasis, 2 teachers were headed to Ghayathi and 3 of us were headed for Sila'a.  Chaos ensued.  Rapid packing, last minute purchases of things we would not find in the Wild, Wild West, and the search for teachers out pampering themselves with mani-pedi's.

You will be thrilled to hear that we all left on time.  Five in the bus and two of us in my rented car following.  The adventure began with me informing the driver that I would be following and to please not to lose me.  He replied, "No problem madam.  Can you go 140 hm/hr?"  That is 88 mph in the US.  This is the maximum speed limit on the highway.  More about that later in this post.

Now before we get started let me give you some basic logistical pieces of information about the location of Sila'a, Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

First, Sila'a is located in what is commonly called the Western Region of the the Abu Dhabi emirate of the UAE.  The Western Region makes up more than 3/4 of the emirate.  The population of Sila'a is 8000.  Westerns make up 1% of which I am a member.  I know 17 of them and have yet to meet the other 63.  3% are Bedouin, the local emirates.  The rest are Pakistani, Mayalsain, Egyptian, Indian and Syrian.  I am definitely in the minority here. Finally, Sila'a is 18km (11 miles) from the Saudi Border Post.

 Now, on to the move.
The first stop the driver made was to get gas.  No big deal.  But while he was waiting in the gas line he hopped out and let Christine and I know that he would be popping him to get his phone charger.  Really!  Once gassed up he then parked at the gas station and went inside to purchase minuted for his cell phone.  Then we were truly off to his home to pick up the charger.  So we were finally on our way at 6:45 pm.  The adventure to our next temporary home, The Mirfa Hotel.  This was an hour and a half trip in the dark down a two lane highway.  In the USA no big deal.  Here the maximum speed is 140km/hr as I mentioned before.  Although I tend to have a heavy foot, in the dark on a road I don't know, not so much. But the bus driver hit the road and put down the hammer.

My only choice was to keep up.  This two lane highway is also the major truck road to Saudi Arabia. I should really say the only truck road.  Now, you need to understand that trucks and coaches must stay in the right lane.  The maximum speed for them in 80km/hr (50 mph).  So, picture this.  One lane of bumper to bumper  truck traffic going 50 mph, then the other lane a spattering of autos and small buses (think VW van) going 88 mph.  Treacherous does not begin to describe this experience in the dark.  Then add the fact that the only monitoring of the speed on this road are fixed cameras about every 8km (5 miles). So many of the emirates feel that going 180km/hr (112 mph) is acceptable just so you slow down at the camera.   If your suspense has not been heightened, now add that these people also believe that at these high rates of speed it is acceptable to flash their light and ride about 5" from your bumper to get you to move over for them.  They are much more important than you.  Also in order to move out of their way you must now pull over into the 50mph lane and slam on your brakes so you do not become the latest bumper sticker on a tractor trailer heading for the KSA (oh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).

Well, as I am sure you have figured out we made it to the Mirfa Hotel at about 8pm.  By the time we got checked in and had some dinner I could easily say that drained would be an understatement.  Sleep came easy.

On Wednesday we were able to get to see the surroundings and get acquainted with the Mirfa.  The Mifra is a lovely hotel in the middle of nowhere.

 The big attraction is the beach.  In Mirfa since 2008, the annual Watersport festival is held.  The small Corniche (beach/boardwalk combo) in Mirfa is the only place in town you can swim.  The Mirfa has a beach but swimming in the Persian Gulf here is forbidden.

 But the Mifra has a beautiful swimming pool and it was fun to go for an evening swim.








But Irma Diaz and I are still an hour and 40 minutes away from our new teaching home.  The choices in the Wild, Wild West are slim.  This area is very remote.  I have heard many people in the US say, "I live in the middle of nowhere".  Well, the truth is those people have never been to the middle of nowhere.  The middle of nowhere is in Al Gharbia (Western Region), UAE.  Don't believe me just look. 

So, unlike those other posers I can truthfully and unfacetiously say, "I live in the middle of nowhere".  That is not to say that occasionally you can't find an adventure in the middle of nowhere.

Saying Goodbye to the Teachers leaving for Al Ain

March 16, 2012

This process and adventure is very disjointed.  We all found out together where we would be teaching and living last Sunday at our big orientation.   Some were prepared and some were shocked.  But all knew this was the real start of our adventure.



We have found out that there is very much a laid back attitude and then a short spurt of NOW NOW NOW.  The first to leave our happy little family was our Al Ain teachers.  They found out last night at 11:30 pm that they would be leaving at 3 pm today.

So with less than 24 hours these families had to get ready to go.  There were 17 people and probably some where near 80 bags.  At 3pm a small labor bus pulled up and began to load the luggage.  Within minutes we all realized that there was no way that 17 people and 80 bags would fit on the bus. Phones started burning at ADEC and some hour and 45 minutes later 2 coaches showed up. Of course only one was needed.  And instead of laoding the group into the coach and leaving the luggage on the small bus, 35 minutes laer the small bus was empty and 17 peole were on their way to Al Ain!  Here are photos of the happy group:

The #1 Sport in the U.A.E. is NOT Soccer.......

March 12, 2012

You would think that due to the international popularity of soccer and the fact that there are many local and national teams, soccer would be the #1 sport but it's NOT!  The #1 sport in the U.A.E. is shopping.  Since I have been in Abu Dhabi I have seen and heard about more than 20 malls, souqs, and shopping centers.

Traditionally. souqs were as much meeting places as trading centres; a hotchpotch of sandy alleys crammed with individual stalls interspersed with tea and coffee houses where men would gather to discuss the day’s events over a shisha pipe or cup of tea or gahwa, Arabic coffee. Throughout the country, souqs have been preserved and refurbished carefully so that they retain their traditional charm. (UAEinteract 2012)

There is the Marina Mall, the Abu Dhabi Mall, the Madinat Zayed Shopping Center, Mushrif Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Al Ain Mall, the Dubia Mall, the Gold Souk, Al Ruwais Mall,  the Port Zayed Souk and many many more.





SO on this day, almost up to here (can you picture my hand well over my head) with shopping Irma, Alicia and I set out to GOOF AROUND!  As you will soon see.

 My friends, Irma and Antalicia, enjoying alittle bit of home.





We don't say "CHEESE" here.  We say "ABU DHABI"!  That was Irma's idea!  A stroke of genuis.

 Say "Abu Dhabi", Irma!






Finally, we got paid!! SO we celebrated at the bank!  "Abu Dhabi"

My first glimpse of Abu Dhabi Schools

March 9,2012


I just finished a full week of shadowing an English Medium Teacher at the Al Emam Muslim School in Mussafah, Mohammed bin Zayed City on the mainland of Abu Dhabi.

I shadowed one of the Grade 2 EMT's named Miss Hiba.  The students call their teachers by their "good" or in other words their first name.

The Head of Faculty (HOF) was a wonderful British woman named Sara. 

The Principal is Du Bubba.  She was a gorgeous and gracious Emirate woman who welcomed us with great support and hospitality.  The tradition here is that you begin a gift to your principal and HOF; which we all did.

These are public schools and the wall are adorned with country pride.







All of the schools are air conditioned.





This particular school is all boys from Grade 1 to Grade 5.  Half the teachers are Arabic and the other half are English Medium Teachers.  And yes they have school buses too.








And just like in the USA,  boys drop everything just where they stop.







Most of the school have 2 floors and are divided into wings.  Grade 1-3 is in one wing and Grade 4 & 5 are in another.  There is a courtyard that connects the two and the children have lunch and recess there.





 
 
This is Miss Kelli. She teaches Grade 3 and is very cool.

During the our week at school,  it was also the beginning of the 18 week student teaching session for Arabic teachers.  There were  about 10 of them in the school.  This is Miss Fatima grading spelling tests.  They spend time with the EMT's and the Arabic teachers.









During my week with Miss Hiba and the boys, they began to work on designing dioramas of Animal habitats.  This group had the Arctic.








This group had the Desert.








This group had the Ocean.

And the group below had the Jungle.  They all did a great job.  That is not to say they are angelic.  Far from it.  They poke each other with pencils.  Hit each other.  And during the week they lost recess twice.  But they were wonderful.

The hardest thing will to be learn all of my students names.  In Miss Hiba's classes there were 9 Mohammed's, 6 Sultan's, 4 Ali's and 7 Abdullah's.  Most of them have 5 or 6 names in their full name.  So you might have to go to their 3rd name to make the difference; such as Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Abudullah, or Mohammed Mohammed.

Well hopefully soon I will be showing you pictures of my own classroom.

Just a little home away from home

March 7, 2012

Here is just a small picture diary of all the things you might think I would miss from home.  You would be wrong.  I found them here in the UAE.