Former Expat Teacher Acclimating to the American Way!

sometimes you have good ideas for things you did at home or things you want to try but they just wont work here. Its a little disappointing and sometimes frustrating. Depending on where you are, there could be a number of reasons why you "can't" do an activity. Here are a couple I am familiar with: the issue of time. You have a long list of things to do and on top of it you have to fit teaching in there somewhere language. It  would be cute and educational to boot but the language barrier would make it much more time consuming that it needs to be.Putting it in category 1 and resulting in content being missed not enough hands.Because you're only human and you cant do it all by yourself without disaster happening on your watch $$$.Because that 1 dollar item you can get so easily at home is at LEAST 30 dirham here-and often is half the size of the one dollar item That last one just irks me. I wanted to make moon sand. Flour and baby oil. "oh, this shoul...

Here I go again, ranting. I know.I know. This isnt even like me but here I go. And this is a double rant. A two parter, if you will. GROUPON: this thing.I just dont know what to say about it. Ive tried it several times. And each one of those times (aside from one) has sucked HORRIBLY. I mean, just terrible. If I must go into detail, one was a hotel in Dubai in which I went off on the people for several things to include holding on to our passports for too long because of "security checks" and trying to charge me for a washcloth that has mascara on it.Nevermind the fact that I couldnt find it and it was raggedy. *sigh*           Another experience: a massage coupon a friend gave me. IT.WAS.TERRIBLE. I mean, that              word doesnt give it justice. The entire time, I contemplated stopping her. It was so obvious she            didnt know what she was doing. I was angry for part of...

being so far away, sometimes its almost like it never happened. But it did and you remember every time you call home and want to ask about him. There's a picture I took of him that I love. It was random so he wasn't looking-just like I like my pictures. Its sepia and his skin looks so soft, just like it felt. This is a normal response but really, Im just so happy and grateful that I got to have him in my life for as long as I did.And maybe its better that I was away because my last memories are of breath,life,and warmth. sprinkled with a little JT sarcasm

Before I came, I thought Id be witness to major car accidents every other day. Based on the statistics, and after living here for two years, Id think that many of the car accidents are outside the city. Occasionally, you see a fender bender. I saw a 5 car pile up for the first time the other day. Ive rarely been caught up in traffic that is a result of a car accident. Thank God, Ive not been in an accident myself. Of course, you have people who whiz by you, cut you off, ride your bumper, flash you and force you to move from the fast lane. By the way, all the lanes are fast lanes according to the drivers who sometimes have the nerve to flash hauling trucks who are in the lane farthest to the right because they dont want to go around. It can be crazy. The other day I was leaving our island to grocery shop when I passed by a car that was completely burnt up. I wondered who the guy was and whether he was able to get out. I figured we wouldnt hear anything about it unless he was an ...

Very interested in doing photography walks in AD with others who are interested in photography as well as possibly having a photography mentoring session and critique. I am interested in: lifestyle photography candid photography street photography black and white photography architectural photography toy photography (a recent interest) ...and I dont shoot nearly enough. If you are interested or know someone who is interested, please message me. Sometimes its so easy to sit at home and snap nothing...or have small periods of being snap happy before reverting to nothingness

two entries in one day! So today I went paddle boarding for the first time. It was basically a demo and they showed us how to get on, paddle, stand up,turn, etc. Id watched the videos on youtube and it was a repeat of that information. Looking at the murky water was a little unnerving but I chose to ignore it and go forward with the decision to try something I probably wouldnt do once I go home. Plus I figured once I got out further in the water it wouldnt be stagnate and looking so eeew,lol. So I get in (with life jacket, of course) and steady myself. It isnt that bad. I feel a little wobbly but thats to be expected.I  noticed how tight my thighs were feeling and was happy that they were getting a little workout. I wondered what he was doing behind me-whether he was getting on or had already joined me in the water-but wasnt confident enough to turn around. Once out there, I was ok. Definitely not ready to stand up but was able to paddle and move myself forward as well as ...

If I could I would do some.The simpler thing would be just to talk with my coteacher and tell her how I feel. Actually, the cartwheels would be easier because she doesnt speak english. After teaching 1.5+ years by  myself in kg, I liked it (for the obvious, or not so obvious reasons). My classes were good-even if they didnt start off that way. I loved my classes and the kids as we had bonded and were very close.I was tickled at how we could laugh and joke while neither speaking very much of the other language.The hugs and kisses I got daily, the questions about why I was absent and the statements about them not coming to school if I wasn't all let me know that I was doing what I came here to do. So finding out I was getting a teacher full time was a little unsettling.Its hard to work with an adult all day. Yes, harder even than working with 20+ four year olds. She came and observed a little before settling in. Shes been at school for awhile now.I havent really counted but I wa...