Former Expat Teacher Acclimating to the American Way!

I dont think school taught us enough about certain regions. My belief on that isnt appropriate for this blog  but my purpose in saying that is to say that there are differences in the countries here even though we are in the same region. How would I feel if I were back home right now contemplating a move such as this? hmmmm,Itd probably be at the bottom of my list. No doubt everyone I know would be urging me not to come. I am,however, still glad that I came and things are going well here. Without getting into politics, I will say that the people here (Nationals) are very happy and well taken care of. Yes,things are going on in neighboring countries but it seems far removed from us. In other news...I think my kids like me more and more. Theyre little sweethearts when they want to be,lol. I know theyre enjoying school and the activities in class and that makes me feel good. Thank you for the chocolate, the hand shakes and waves,as well as the "blown" kisses. I hope that yo...

We went to Al Ain this weekend and it was relaxing to lay by the pool, have lunch (which was yummy) and drinks by the pool. I could TOTALLY go for a Tiki Puka right now! It was warm enough outside to realy enjoy it and the pool was slightly heated to a comfortable level. If it werent for the ride,Im sure Id do it twice a month until it gets too hot to do so. And speaking of rides. . . I thought that we may actually DIE en route. I happened to notice the driver yawning, which is nothing unusual because many people yawn while driving. Only something made me keep my eyes on him.Maybe because his eyes were a little droopy, maybe because,along with yawning,he was wiping his eyes. That too can be innocent enough but after wiping with his hands, he enlisted a tissue! He started rubbing his head back and forth with his hand, moving around in his seat,going from lane to lane (mostly on purpose but I really wondered how much of that was sleep), moving his arms back and forth in an appare...

After shopping today I realize that I can shop at the deli of Lulus for 3-4 days worth of food (which is the shelf life of most things gotten from the deli) and pay less for groceries this way. The food is good and already cooked. Not sure what Ill like and not like but Im pretty sure they give samples. Im not the happiest about paying 1000 dhm for food BEFORE eating out comes into the picture but the man has to eat,lol. Today lunch was good at home:chicken pasta with fresh diced tomatoes. PB&J for "dinner",lol. NOTICE: PORTOBELLO at Al Wahda Millenium Hotel has good,italian food, nice ambiance, and great service. Theyre new and waiting on their license for alcohol. IN THE MEANTIME. . . the food is 50% off which is a treat!!! lowest thing on the menu for dinner is 50 dhm and the highest I think is 150 or so. The fresh juice is wonderful and thats 30dhm a glass (no refills). I had the canneloni and he had the chicken parmesan ( i think). Cant wait to go back to taste ...

There are definitely some crazy people here. . . #1. Its really quite sad. . .but I can overlook all of that #2. Why did they come here?       Oh yeah,no $ at home,no job, etc. Those are good reasons       (yes,I know there are lots of people who did not come for those reasons.Well,not entirely.$ is a          motivator) #3. Well I wish theyd left their bad attitudes and craziness at home!       noone wants to experience it.

This will come at random as Im tired and just want to get some things out there. Lots of ideas,expectations,hopes BUT I know not to go overboard and things will come slowly Today Kh was so good! he sat quietly while others didnt AND cleaned up the table WITHOUT anyone asking and without anyone else doing it first.Nor did he ask for candy afterward.I was VERY proud of him And disappointed that I couldnt tell him in a way that would convey my intentions Things can be translated but its not the same as you saying it yourself knowing SOME Arabic is essential. Yes,it can be used sparingly and can produce good results at times. At other times, I dont think it matters what language you speak,lol. We had those days in our own schools back home Im certain internet searching pays off and you find so many things that are useful The question becomes WHEN and/or IF they will be successful in your room SIP is starting soon. Excited to hear concerns of Arabic teachers.Hope to see changes and...

Today I didnt want to get out of bed. . .and on the way to catch my carpool, I almost told the cabbie to turn around because I wanted (longed) to get back into bed. The "wonderful" Moroccan bath left my pores open and Ive been congested all weekend.Even so,I pressed forward and vowed to have a good day. Besides, we had measurement activities today and I was too interested in how that would go. Walked into assembly. "wow,we have a class full today". Simultaneously I noticed the Arabic teacher wasnt there. Had a feeling she wouldnt be if she wasnt there by now as I was late to assembly. I told the VP I would be good but would take her up on her suggestion to come to her if I needed to. Today was a pretty good day,for the most part things went well and even if there was a mess in the room the class was pretty cool. These are the things that happened,lol: "frisked" the kids today after magnets "disappeared". me:"MAFI MAGNETS,MAFI SAHA!!...

ok,so Im feeling a little vulnerable about his post but am posting it anyway. I know youre going to laugh and Im ok with that (I suppose). Here goes: Something told me that this wasnt going to be the experience Id imagined,dreamed of even. I walked in the room after B ranted and raved about it. I didnt know what to expect BUT based on the name, figured I had a pretty good idea. NOT SO. First, she didnt speak English.Only motioned for me to get undressed. "you want me to take off my clothes" she nodded, "yes". I reluctantly folded each piece of clothing and laid it on the bench as I resigned to the fact that this lady was going to see me naked.Completely.In addition, THERE WAS NO TUB IN THIS ROOM!!!!!!!! WHERE IS THE MOROCCAN BAAAAAAAAAATH?! "Im gonna kill ( )", I said to myself as I stood where she told me to, right beside her as she fixed the shower and began to wet me and wipe my body down with this soap. She then t...

This week hasnt been very productive BUT its not because of my own doing. Regardless of my slight disappointment, I dont take it home (although Im writing this at home). It is what it is. Some practices have to stop and others have to start.If not,progress will be stagnate. If only I were bilingual! which reminds me,I have to study my byki today!!!

The following is a "Happy Disclaimer" intended to clarify the mood of previous posts and (possibly) put things into perspective although "perspective" is not a word  concept often used in the conversations of many expats in conversations you hear/read. Be careful as to the company you keep. Often times you walk away after having lost your perspective and no matter where you live in this world,its something you shouldnt live without. Its actually quite simple. I cant think of one negative post Ive created. I have written about some introspection (though not here) and questions about particular things. There was also a time I was on the verge but it was more about expats than the people Ive encountered while here and decided against it as this isnt the most anonymous place. But there is a reason why that is the case. And its not because of fear of retribution (which is an understandable fear). Its because, while there are inconveniences abound depending on how...