- I got a car! I wanted to get one yesterday, but when I went they were closed. Of course. I should have known since just about everything closes from 1-4. I guess I just thought the rent a car place would be open. They weren't. So I had to wait another day. Add that to my list of things that I just don't like about this country; the fact that just about everything closes from 1-4. OK enough of that. I got my car this afternoon after my Arabic class. I had Dhammika, my taxi driver, take me to Fast Cars (the place I am renting from). I think he was a little sad. He said "mafi taxi?" (not taxi). I told him that I just needed a car. Since he is such a good driver he took me there and waited to make sure I was going to get a car. He asked how much I was paying, but I wouldn't tell him because I knew he would be mad at me. He told me not to pay more than 1,000dhs. That's impossible! I told him I would call him, and I will. He has become a good friend. So I got a 2011 Nissan Tiida. I had to get the 2011 because I couldn't fit in the 2010. The 2011 has a bigger engine and it's newer so of course it costs more, but it is more comfortable. I wouldn't purchase one, it's ok but not for a long time. My plan is to rent for Jan. and Feb. and then buy a used car. Hopefully I'll be able to save some money. I don't think I'll be taking a trip in March. Oh well, getting a car is the price I will have to pay. So I am paying 2,200dhs (which includes insurance)/month. I know it's a lot but I wanted a car and I didn't want to take out a loan. So, now I can go where I want when I want. I survived the roundabouts today! I went to the mall and to the bookshop/teachers store. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get to school. I've been going there everyday for the past 3 1/2 months, but I don't know where it is! It's not in my GPS either so I guess I'll have to figure it out. Wish me luck!
- It rained! Real rain, not just 5 drops. I was getting out of the taxi at Fast Cars when it started and I just stood there looking up and letting the rain hit my face! It felt sooooo good! A guy came out of his shop and stood in the doorway laughing at me. I guess I did look kind of silly, but I haven't seen rain in 4 months. I wanted to capture this moment and really feel the raindrops falling on my head! A lady walked by and said "rain!" I exclaimed "Yeah!" It actually lasted for a couple of minutes and we got a nice shower. As I was leaving Fast Cars the salesman told me to be careful driving in the rain because the people here speed up in the rain! Oh yeah, any reason to drive faster. Sounds weird. I guess I would have thought they would have slowed down, but I guess they want to make it home sooner. What a wonderful experience:)
- I made a pot roast. I couldn't make Mom's pot roast because she uses Onion Soup Mix and I can't find that here. One more thing on my list that I don't like about this country (I can never find what I want). So I just put the roast, potatoes, carrots, pepper, garlic, and 2 cups of water in the crock pot. I thought that would have been enough water, but it wasn't. The pot roast was a little dry. Not too bad, but definitely not like Mom and Dad's. Maybe one day I'll be able to make something that I'm used to eating. Tomorrow I'll be broiling fish. That shouldn't be too difficult! I've done it many times. I've made a pot roast many times too, but this one just didn't turn out right. Too bad too because Cassie came over for dinner. She did say that she enjoyed it.
- I am buying fall clothes. OK this really isn't all that exciting but some of you may find it interesting that I needed to buy 3/4 sleeve shirts and a hoodie sweatshirt when I'm in the desert. It is getting quite chilly here in the mornings. I'd say the temps are in the 70s during the day and 60s during the morning and evening. I know it's a lot warmer than you are experiencing now, but keep in mind when I arrived it was near 120. That's a huge temperature difference. So I have every right to be cold!!! Now I just need to find shoes that will fit. I have only found sizes up to 40 or 41 and I need 43. Najwa suggested that I try the outlet mall on the way to Dubai so I may head there tomorrow since I have a car.
Monday, December 27, 2010
What a Day!
Several exciting things happened today!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas in the UAE
So, you may be wondering how I was able to celebrate Christmas with my family when I'm halfway around the world. The answer is simple; Skype!
This is my Christmas.
I woke up at 2:00am Christmas morning so I could have a video call with my family at 5:30pm Christmas Eve. I get myself ready and make the video call. Before the video comes in I hear my niece shout "Aunt Sara's calling!" As soon as the video is on, I see Lexi and she says "There you are! I missed you!" Awwww how sweet! We talked for a little bit and she showed me the present that I got for her. She told me it was Christmas and Santa was coming tonight. Harry brought Mason-Man over and he was so happy! What a bubbly little man. He loved banging and screaming "dadadadadad!!" All smiles! It was great to see and hear. The rest of the family was there as well. Christmas wishes were given to Ann, Amy, Mark, Nancy, Mom, and Dad. I think Mom even got a picture of all of us together! Well together with the computer, but a nice way to remember this weird Christmas.
I was there when Lexi opened her doll house from Grandma and Poppy. I was there when Mom opened her family memories CD and started to cry. I was there when Ann tried to get into the gift that Mark had covered in tape. I was there when Mark tried to get into the gift that Ann had covered in tape. I was there when Amy got all her gift cards so she can get what she wants for Christmas. I was there when Dad got a car starter for "my" car (now I'll have an automatic starter when I return:). I was there to see all the clothes that Mason-Man and Lexi got. I was there to hear Lexi exclaim that she got "a big toilet!" when she saw the Sit-N-Spin from Amy. And I was there to see the family frame that Amy had made for Mark and Nancy.
It was just like I was there, except I wasn't. On the outside everything was fine, but on the inside my heart was breaking. I wanted to be able to hold my niece and nephew and be there for Mason-Man's first Christmas. I wanted to be able to hug my mom so she wouldn't cry. I wanted to be able to laugh with my family as Mark and Ann were opening their tape covered gifts. I felt like I was going to cry, but I didn't. I wasn't going to ruin this special holiday. I wanted to remember this as a fun, weird, different, and special way to celebrate Christmas 2010.
I am so thankful that I was able to "be there" for Christmas and that the connection was wonderful. Skype didn't shut down once on my end and it usually does during a conversation. So, that is how I celebrated Chrismas and I can't wait to see pictures!
This is my Christmas.
I woke up at 2:00am Christmas morning so I could have a video call with my family at 5:30pm Christmas Eve. I get myself ready and make the video call. Before the video comes in I hear my niece shout "Aunt Sara's calling!" As soon as the video is on, I see Lexi and she says "There you are! I missed you!" Awwww how sweet! We talked for a little bit and she showed me the present that I got for her. She told me it was Christmas and Santa was coming tonight. Harry brought Mason-Man over and he was so happy! What a bubbly little man. He loved banging and screaming "dadadadadad!!" All smiles! It was great to see and hear. The rest of the family was there as well. Christmas wishes were given to Ann, Amy, Mark, Nancy, Mom, and Dad. I think Mom even got a picture of all of us together! Well together with the computer, but a nice way to remember this weird Christmas.
I was there when Lexi opened her doll house from Grandma and Poppy. I was there when Mom opened her family memories CD and started to cry. I was there when Ann tried to get into the gift that Mark had covered in tape. I was there when Mark tried to get into the gift that Ann had covered in tape. I was there when Amy got all her gift cards so she can get what she wants for Christmas. I was there when Dad got a car starter for "my" car (now I'll have an automatic starter when I return:). I was there to see all the clothes that Mason-Man and Lexi got. I was there to hear Lexi exclaim that she got "a big toilet!" when she saw the Sit-N-Spin from Amy. And I was there to see the family frame that Amy had made for Mark and Nancy.
It was just like I was there, except I wasn't. On the outside everything was fine, but on the inside my heart was breaking. I wanted to be able to hold my niece and nephew and be there for Mason-Man's first Christmas. I wanted to be able to hug my mom so she wouldn't cry. I wanted to be able to laugh with my family as Mark and Ann were opening their tape covered gifts. I felt like I was going to cry, but I didn't. I wasn't going to ruin this special holiday. I wanted to remember this as a fun, weird, different, and special way to celebrate Christmas 2010.
I am so thankful that I was able to "be there" for Christmas and that the connection was wonderful. Skype didn't shut down once on my end and it usually does during a conversation. So, that is how I celebrated Chrismas and I can't wait to see pictures!
عيد اليلاد الجيد (Eid Aleelad Aljeed - Merry Christmas)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Oman عمان
Friday 12/17
My journey to Oman began in Abu Dhabi. Friday evening, Cassie and I drove to Abu Dhabi so we could catch our early Saturday morning flight. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay with Wesley while we were in Abu Dhabi. It was great to see him and to stay with him even though if we got caught, all 3 of us could have been deported. We forgot about the fact that men and women can’t stay in the same house unless they’re married. Oh well. We didn’t get caught and we had a good time.
Saturday 12/18
We got up bright and early and Wesley took us to the airport for our 8:55 am flight. We had no issues at the airport and we even got exit row seats! One more exit stamp in my passport!
The flight was very smooth and super quick; only 40 minutes. The view from the airplane was amazing. Check out the pictures on FB. The mountains are quite visible. It was awe inspiring. We arrived in Muscat and got off the plane and I desperately needed to find a bathroom. But that was not to be. We had to go get our visas and go through immigration first. No big deal, but I really had to use the bathroom. I got my Oman stamp and changed some money. The exchange rate didn’t really work in my favor, or it did but everything was super expensive. Still can’t figure it out. 10dhs = 1 OR (Omani Rial). I mean really things weren’t that expensive in Omani money, but when you convert to dirhams, yikes! Our taxi ride from the airport cost 7OR which is 70dhs. I have never paid 70dhs for a taxi ride! Anyway, I got my stamp and money and headed to the bathroom.
In order to get a taxi from the airport you have to go to the taxi stand and literally order one. They have them there waiting but a guy fills out a paper telling the driver where you want to go and you pay him, not the driver. Weird, but whatever works. So we got our taxi and the driver turned out to be really nice and spoke good English. He gave us his number and told us to call him if we needed a ride while we were in town. That was a great idea. We ended up using his services more than once. We arrived at Al Bajhah Hotel in Seeb Oman about ½ an hour later. We ate lunch at the hotel and tried to find something to do in the area, but there really isn't much to do in Seeb so we called Ali, the taxi driver, and he came and picked us up.
We went to Muscat where we walked the beach. Well, not really the beach, but near the water. We couldn’t find a beach. I have heard that they’re beautiful in Oman, but the only one that we could find was quite rocky. I did venture down and put my feet in the water. The city is beautiful; lots of mountains, greenery, forts, and gulf (Gulf of Oman) views! I couldn’t believe how different it is from the UAE. Not only is the scenery different, and better in my opinion, but the people and traffic are different as well. More on people differences later, but the traffic is so much better. They actually seem to follow traffic rules in Oman. There isn’t that much honking either. I think the car horn is the national sound of the UAE!
On our walk, I discovered that I am a tourist attraction! A couple of guys asked to have their picture taken with me. They pointed to my head and indicated that we were the same height. I obliged even though I felt kind of awkward. I guess it’s not everyday that Omani’s get to see a tall woman.
After our walk we shopped at the local souq. I didn’t find anything too appealing, but Cassie found some neat gifts for her siblings. I am still looking for the camel wind chimes that my parents want. Not sure if I’ll ever find them made out of wood though, but I am looking.
After our shopping we had dinner and signed up for a dolphin tour for Sunday. So we went back to our hotel so we could get a good night’s sleep and get up early the next morning.
Sunday 12/19
The day began with a boat ride on the Gulf of Oman where we got to see a lot of dolphins! We signed up for the 8am cruise because we were told that our chances of seeing dolphins would be better earlier in the day. I am so glad that we got up early! We were rewarded with a huge pod of dolphins! It was amazing to see these majestic creatures up close. I didn’t think I was going to be able to get good pictures of them since they were moving so fast, but I got many wonderful pictures including the one of the dolphin coming out of the water!
I only got seasick once. That was when we stopped to look at the dolphins. I was a little worried about that, but it wasn’t too bad. As soon as we started moving again I was fine. I was a little wobbly when I got off the boat, but I didn’t fall in! Cassie supported me!!
We had a delicious Omani breakfast, walked around Muscat for a while, and then headed back to the hotel to take a nap.
After our nap we were ready for dinner. We headed down to the Indian restaurant in the hotel. I ordered, but Cassie couldn’t figure out what she wanted so I had dinner and Cassie ended up getting her meal to take back upstairs. When we got upstairs she discovered that she didn’t have silverware so she called the desk. They couldn’t understand that she wanted silverware and since I know the word for spoon ملعقة (milaqah)in Arabic I tried to help. Unfortunately he didn’t understand what she was saying when she was speaking Arabic. Evidently, my pronunciation wasn't right. She eventually got her point across and a spoon arrived shortly thereafter. At least her rice didn’t get cold while she was waiting! A great day was over.
Monday 12/20
The activity for today was a tour of Muscat. The tour started with the Grand Mosque. This mosque is nothing compared to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, but it is very nice. Some nicely carved marble and wooden doors and ceilings. Beautiful gardens. Intricate and delicate carvings from the Quran. A very nice mosque.
After the mosque we went to the fish market. Yuck. The smell was terrible. But, I am glad that I went. There were tons of fresh fish and people buying. Most of the fish were dead, but we did see a fish that was still breathing. Poor thing! The colors of the fish were spectacular. Bright orange, blue, yellow, and red. Who knew that fish came in so many different colors.
From the fish market we went to a museum where we learned a lot about Omani history. This country has come a long way in the last 40 years. Very similar to the UAE.
Our last stop was the Sultan’s Palace. We were actually allowed to go near the entrance and take pictures. The Sheikh could take some lessons from the Sultan since visitors aren’t allowed near the palace in Al Ain and pictures are strictly prohibited.
Instead of being taken back to the hotel after the tour we decided to have lunch. Our tour guide took us to an authentic Omani restaurant where you have to take your shoes off and sit on the floor. The food was delicious, as to be expected! I wasn’t too thrilled about sitting on the floor, but the food made it all worth while! After our late lunch it was back to the hotel for a nap.
Time for a late dinner, so we decided to go to McDonalds. I know, how boring, but sometimes we just don’t want Middle Eastern food. So we tried to get a taxi to take us to McDonalds. Who knew that it was going to be so difficult? McDonalds is the same in Arabic and English so it shouldn’t have been that hard. We had to ask 3 taxi drivers before we found one that could understand us and knew where there was a McDonalds. I had the opportunity to practice my Arabic on this ride and discovered that I really need to work on my pronunciation. It was quite frustrating to me when I discovered that the driver could not understand what I was saying. I know I’m supposed to ask for the correct pronunciation, but I get so frustrated and embarrassed that I don’t. After a fantastic McDonalds dinner we headed back to the hotel. Another great day in Oman was over.
Tuesday 12/21
The tour today was to the historic city of Rustaq. We saw a ton of forts, mountains, hot springs, and another fish market. There are over 1,000 forts in Oman and a lot of them are in Rustaq. Well, maybe not a lot, but I thought we saw a lot on the drive. There were 4 on the tour, but 2 of them were closed for renovations and I couldn’t tour one because of all the steps. The one I did see was pretty neat. Very old stuff. The indoor plumbing was amazing. Not sure if you could really call it indoor plumbing, but the toilet was indoors and the water was run from the channel outside of the fort. Pretty fascinating.
Because 2 of the 4 forts were closed our tour guide decided to take us to Swaida Islands. We walked on the beach and saw a horse getting a bath! Pretty neat! The Islands are pretty much just rocks coming out of the water, but they’re very nice to look at. I hear the snorkeling and diving are wonderful near the islands.
Lots of driving and we were tired after staying up late last night and getting up early so another nap! For dinner tonight we decided to go to the mall. Oh how different! The mall was actually quiet! No screaming kids playing soccer or roller skating through the mall. Yes, that actually occurs in the UAE. We had a very pleasant dinner at Chili’s. That’s not exactly where we wanted to eat, but the rest of the mall was closing at 10 and Chili’s was open until 11. We thought that the mall would be open till midnight like in the UAE. It wasn’t so we had no choice but Chili’s. We had a good meal and discovered that there is always one picture hanging upside down in Chili’s. Our vacation is over, Back to the hotel to get ready to leave for the UAE.
Wednesday 12/22
An early morning flight to the UAE. The flight was uneventful and we got exit row seats again! Eithad can be accommodating. Wesley met us at the airport and took us to the mall. I got my crock pot!! I haven’t been able to find one here at all so I am very excited! We had lunch and then headed to the Emirates Palace to see the 11 million dollar Christmas tree! Beautiful! It is huge and decorated with jewelry. I wouldn’t mind some of the jewels that were hanging on the tree.
After a wonderful vacation we arrived back home in Al Ain around 9:30 and I’m still not unpacked!! That is very rare for me!
Oman is a beautiful country and I had a wonderful time. Who knows, we may take another trip to Muscat since it’s so close to Al Ain.
My journey to Oman began in Abu Dhabi. Friday evening, Cassie and I drove to Abu Dhabi so we could catch our early Saturday morning flight. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay with Wesley while we were in Abu Dhabi. It was great to see him and to stay with him even though if we got caught, all 3 of us could have been deported. We forgot about the fact that men and women can’t stay in the same house unless they’re married. Oh well. We didn’t get caught and we had a good time.
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| Muscat |
We got up bright and early and Wesley took us to the airport for our 8:55 am flight. We had no issues at the airport and we even got exit row seats! One more exit stamp in my passport!
The flight was very smooth and super quick; only 40 minutes. The view from the airplane was amazing. Check out the pictures on FB. The mountains are quite visible. It was awe inspiring. We arrived in Muscat and got off the plane and I desperately needed to find a bathroom. But that was not to be. We had to go get our visas and go through immigration first. No big deal, but I really had to use the bathroom. I got my Oman stamp and changed some money. The exchange rate didn’t really work in my favor, or it did but everything was super expensive. Still can’t figure it out. 10dhs = 1 OR (Omani Rial). I mean really things weren’t that expensive in Omani money, but when you convert to dirhams, yikes! Our taxi ride from the airport cost 7OR which is 70dhs. I have never paid 70dhs for a taxi ride! Anyway, I got my stamp and money and headed to the bathroom.
In order to get a taxi from the airport you have to go to the taxi stand and literally order one. They have them there waiting but a guy fills out a paper telling the driver where you want to go and you pay him, not the driver. Weird, but whatever works. So we got our taxi and the driver turned out to be really nice and spoke good English. He gave us his number and told us to call him if we needed a ride while we were in town. That was a great idea. We ended up using his services more than once. We arrived at Al Bajhah Hotel in Seeb Oman about ½ an hour later. We ate lunch at the hotel and tried to find something to do in the area, but there really isn't much to do in Seeb so we called Ali, the taxi driver, and he came and picked us up.
We went to Muscat where we walked the beach. Well, not really the beach, but near the water. We couldn’t find a beach. I have heard that they’re beautiful in Oman, but the only one that we could find was quite rocky. I did venture down and put my feet in the water. The city is beautiful; lots of mountains, greenery, forts, and gulf (Gulf of Oman) views! I couldn’t believe how different it is from the UAE. Not only is the scenery different, and better in my opinion, but the people and traffic are different as well. More on people differences later, but the traffic is so much better. They actually seem to follow traffic rules in Oman. There isn’t that much honking either. I think the car horn is the national sound of the UAE!
On our walk, I discovered that I am a tourist attraction! A couple of guys asked to have their picture taken with me. They pointed to my head and indicated that we were the same height. I obliged even though I felt kind of awkward. I guess it’s not everyday that Omani’s get to see a tall woman.
After our walk we shopped at the local souq. I didn’t find anything too appealing, but Cassie found some neat gifts for her siblings. I am still looking for the camel wind chimes that my parents want. Not sure if I’ll ever find them made out of wood though, but I am looking.
After our shopping we had dinner and signed up for a dolphin tour for Sunday. So we went back to our hotel so we could get a good night’s sleep and get up early the next morning.
Sunday 12/19
I only got seasick once. That was when we stopped to look at the dolphins. I was a little worried about that, but it wasn’t too bad. As soon as we started moving again I was fine. I was a little wobbly when I got off the boat, but I didn’t fall in! Cassie supported me!!
We had a delicious Omani breakfast, walked around Muscat for a while, and then headed back to the hotel to take a nap.
After our nap we were ready for dinner. We headed down to the Indian restaurant in the hotel. I ordered, but Cassie couldn’t figure out what she wanted so I had dinner and Cassie ended up getting her meal to take back upstairs. When we got upstairs she discovered that she didn’t have silverware so she called the desk. They couldn’t understand that she wanted silverware and since I know the word for spoon ملعقة (milaqah)in Arabic I tried to help. Unfortunately he didn’t understand what she was saying when she was speaking Arabic. Evidently, my pronunciation wasn't right. She eventually got her point across and a spoon arrived shortly thereafter. At least her rice didn’t get cold while she was waiting! A great day was over.
Monday 12/20
The activity for today was a tour of Muscat. The tour started with the Grand Mosque. This mosque is nothing compared to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, but it is very nice. Some nicely carved marble and wooden doors and ceilings. Beautiful gardens. Intricate and delicate carvings from the Quran. A very nice mosque.
After the mosque we went to the fish market. Yuck. The smell was terrible. But, I am glad that I went. There were tons of fresh fish and people buying. Most of the fish were dead, but we did see a fish that was still breathing. Poor thing! The colors of the fish were spectacular. Bright orange, blue, yellow, and red. Who knew that fish came in so many different colors.
From the fish market we went to a museum where we learned a lot about Omani history. This country has come a long way in the last 40 years. Very similar to the UAE.
Our last stop was the Sultan’s Palace. We were actually allowed to go near the entrance and take pictures. The Sheikh could take some lessons from the Sultan since visitors aren’t allowed near the palace in Al Ain and pictures are strictly prohibited.
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| Sultan's Palace |
Instead of being taken back to the hotel after the tour we decided to have lunch. Our tour guide took us to an authentic Omani restaurant where you have to take your shoes off and sit on the floor. The food was delicious, as to be expected! I wasn’t too thrilled about sitting on the floor, but the food made it all worth while! After our late lunch it was back to the hotel for a nap.
Time for a late dinner, so we decided to go to McDonalds. I know, how boring, but sometimes we just don’t want Middle Eastern food. So we tried to get a taxi to take us to McDonalds. Who knew that it was going to be so difficult? McDonalds is the same in Arabic and English so it shouldn’t have been that hard. We had to ask 3 taxi drivers before we found one that could understand us and knew where there was a McDonalds. I had the opportunity to practice my Arabic on this ride and discovered that I really need to work on my pronunciation. It was quite frustrating to me when I discovered that the driver could not understand what I was saying. I know I’m supposed to ask for the correct pronunciation, but I get so frustrated and embarrassed that I don’t. After a fantastic McDonalds dinner we headed back to the hotel. Another great day in Oman was over.
Tuesday 12/21
The tour today was to the historic city of Rustaq. We saw a ton of forts, mountains, hot springs, and another fish market. There are over 1,000 forts in Oman and a lot of them are in Rustaq. Well, maybe not a lot, but I thought we saw a lot on the drive. There were 4 on the tour, but 2 of them were closed for renovations and I couldn’t tour one because of all the steps. The one I did see was pretty neat. Very old stuff. The indoor plumbing was amazing. Not sure if you could really call it indoor plumbing, but the toilet was indoors and the water was run from the channel outside of the fort. Pretty fascinating.
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| one of the forts of Rustaq |
Lots of driving and we were tired after staying up late last night and getting up early so another nap! For dinner tonight we decided to go to the mall. Oh how different! The mall was actually quiet! No screaming kids playing soccer or roller skating through the mall. Yes, that actually occurs in the UAE. We had a very pleasant dinner at Chili’s. That’s not exactly where we wanted to eat, but the rest of the mall was closing at 10 and Chili’s was open until 11. We thought that the mall would be open till midnight like in the UAE. It wasn’t so we had no choice but Chili’s. We had a good meal and discovered that there is always one picture hanging upside down in Chili’s. Our vacation is over, Back to the hotel to get ready to leave for the UAE.
Wednesday 12/22
An early morning flight to the UAE. The flight was uneventful and we got exit row seats again! Eithad can be accommodating. Wesley met us at the airport and took us to the mall. I got my crock pot!! I haven’t been able to find one here at all so I am very excited! We had lunch and then headed to the Emirates Palace to see the 11 million dollar Christmas tree! Beautiful! It is huge and decorated with jewelry. I wouldn’t mind some of the jewels that were hanging on the tree.
After a wonderful vacation we arrived back home in Al Ain around 9:30 and I’m still not unpacked!! That is very rare for me!
Oman is a beautiful country and I had a wonderful time. Who knows, we may take another trip to Muscat since it’s so close to Al Ain.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Tree Lighting
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| Christmas tree at Rotana Hotel |
The Rotana Hotel had a tree lighting ceremony tonight. It was a nice bit of home! The hotel was decorated for Christmas and all the employees were wearing Santa hats. Very nice to see! I must say that even though Christmas isn't celebrated in this country they really try to be aware of the different cultures. There are decorations in the malls and some stores are even playing Christmas songs. It's nice to see and hear. Now it's nothing like home, but it's something for a Muslim country. So back to the tree lighting ceremony. Cassie and I got to the hotel and walked around. There was a Santa's workshop out by the pool where you could buy Christmas presents; I didn't buy anything. Santa's throne was set up by the pool! Kinda weird! They had it all decorated with snow and ice, just like the north pool; but with a pool!! We had some eggnogg, sang some Christmas carols and watched Santa arrive. He arrived in a horse drawn carriage with bodyguards, not elves! Santa must be a huge celebrity here! The rest of the evening was for kids; visiting with Santa, crafts, and presents so Cassie and I left. I was very impressed with the evening. Especially the emphasis on the real meaning of Christmas. There was more here than in some places back home. The majority of the Christmas carols that we sang were Christian (Joy to the World, O Holy Night, Silent Night, O Come all Ye Faithful, Rudolph, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town). It was nice to sing about the real meaning of Christmas, especially in a Muslim country.
I am still not sure how I will be celebrating Christmas this year. I have heard that the Embassy is offering different Christmas activities, so maybe I'll head there. The only thing is, is that the Embassy is in Abu Dhabi. As far as I know the church isn't offering anything. Maybe Cindy will have something. She has already invited me over to make Christmas cookies and candy!
I am headed to Abu Dhabi tomorrow and then to Oman عمان Cassie and I are going for 4 days. It will be nice to get away. Muscat is supposed to be a beautiful city. I have heard that it's more "true" Middle East. I guess that means not as many expats, if any! I'll fill you in next week when I get back.
Monday, December 13, 2010
This and That
It's been a pretty long week already and it's only Monday. Tomorrow is hump day!!! Then semester break for 2 weeks;)) I can survive! Grades were due on Sunday to the principal so I spent all weekend working on them only to find out that I had done them wrong. We were told that the principal only wanted a percentage, so that's what I spent my time doing; recording the percentage. I showed Andrea, the head of faculty, what I had and she told me that the principal wanted to see all the grades and a final percentage. No problem, but why not tell me that before I spent the time making the spreadsheet with just the percentage. So I had to tell the principal (I think her name is Miss Keltham or Miss Keltam I can never quite distinguish what they're saying; that's her first name not last) that I didn't have my grades ready and I would give them to her tomorrow. She was ok with it! She's actually really easy to talk to even though some of the other LTs are afraid of her. So I was up late last night putting together a nice spreadsheet of all the asisgnments we have done and calculating a final percentage. I must admit that I haven't been all that good at keeping track of grades. Mostly it's because I wasn't sure how to and what they were looking for. Plus we do a lot together due to language issues, so I don't think it's right to grade them. They are making progress, but grades don't really show that. Then there's the fact that we have to include behavior, and participation into our final grade. It seemed like I was doing a lot of guessing. Oh well, I have them turned in. I was also supposed to enter them on Esis (a computer grading program), but it's not working. Who knows if I'll be able to do that before Thursday. If not, that is fine with me!!
After waiting 2 weeks and making several phone calls I finally have my stove installed!! I can't wait to make a nice meal. So, what should I have for dinner tomorrow???
I planned and booked a trip to Muscat, Oman with Cassie. We were planning on going to Greece, but due to credit card issues that's not going to happen. Muscat is supposed to be a really nice city, but I was looking forward to getting out of the Middle East and Muslim culture for a while. We are leaving 12/18 and returning 12/22. It's not long, but at least I'll get to get away. Maybe I'll have an opportunity to go to Greece next year.
I need a car:( I am sick of taxis. What got me so frustrated was when he failed to show up on Sat to pick me up from Arabic. I told him to pick me up at 5:45 and he wasn't there. Najwa (my instructor) and I were chatting and I realized it was 6:00 and he still wasn't there. I called him and he was with a customer so he wouldn't be able to get me until 6:30. I was very mad. I couldn't believe that he took a customer when I told him to pick me up at 5:45. Then he tried to blame it on me by saying that I didn't call him. No, I didn't call because I told him to get me at 5:45. Najwa was kind enough to take me home. I felt really bad because Hili is so far from her; it's like 20-30 minutes. I will be getting a car when I get back from Oman. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm not going to Greece; I'll have more money to save to buy a car. I plan on renting one for a month or two and then buying a used one. Renting/leasing is so expensive here.
I have been practicing Arabic at school with the girls and some of the teachers. It's hard. I know what to say, but when I get in the situation I freeze. I get nervous and worried that I'm going to make a mistake and totally forget what I want/need to say. I was talking to the principal (Good morning, how are you?) and she replied with something that I didn't know. I looked at her like I didn't know what to say and she was very helpful and told me my options (al hamdulilallah or bakheir - both mean fine with al hamdulilallah having religious conotations), but the thing is I didn't realize that she asked me "how are you?" I know that phrase, but I couldn't identify it in the conversation. I worked through it though. Then I attempted to have a conversation with one of the other teachers and I totally forgot how to say "where are you from?" Well, not totally because I knew the words, I just forgot the order. She looked at me and I could tell that she had no idea what I had said. So, I had to ask her how to say "where are you from?" in Arabic. I know that phrase. I just get so worried that I'm going to mess up that I can't do it right. So, today when I had to talk to the principal I used English. She looked at me and said "No Arabic today?" I repeated myself in Arabic and did much better. I even caught "kayfa halookey? - how are you?" today. Then there was Arabic class today. I'm not quite sure how I can go from being so confident and experiencing success to feeling so inadequate. Just about everything she asked me today I replied with "ma bareef" (I don't know). OK maybe not just about everything, but it sure seemed like I was saying that a lot. We were going over words and phrases that she introduced on Wed., but I couldn't remember all of them. I did study, even though it didn't seem like it. I was getting rather frustrated and felt like I was going to cry if I had to tell her "ma bareef" one more time. She sensed my frustration and moved on; no spelling today! Thank God! I have a hard time spelling the words because I don't say them right so I don't write the right letters. We began working with "this is, what is this, is this..., whose is this, and who is this. Should be easy enough since they all involve some form of hadha (hatha, "this"), but it was just too much. At one point she asked me to say something, anything, in Arabic (I think she wanted me to be successful) and I replied with "khallas" she just started laughing and said "khallas, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea"
"Khallas 'arabeea, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck Najwa (I wasn't sure what she was looking for)" - please stop Arabic, Najwa or something to that effect maybe Najwa please stop Arabic.
Even though that was not really what she wanted it helped me to calm down. We finished the lesson and I have to practice. Without practice I will lose it. Words to know, phrases to use, and learning how to spell. Lots of practice. At least I work with Arabic teachers who I can practice with. I just need to stop worrying about making mistakes and speak Arabic.
Since I have my grades done maybe I'll get to bed before midnight tonight!!!
After waiting 2 weeks and making several phone calls I finally have my stove installed!! I can't wait to make a nice meal. So, what should I have for dinner tomorrow???
I planned and booked a trip to Muscat, Oman with Cassie. We were planning on going to Greece, but due to credit card issues that's not going to happen. Muscat is supposed to be a really nice city, but I was looking forward to getting out of the Middle East and Muslim culture for a while. We are leaving 12/18 and returning 12/22. It's not long, but at least I'll get to get away. Maybe I'll have an opportunity to go to Greece next year.
I need a car:( I am sick of taxis. What got me so frustrated was when he failed to show up on Sat to pick me up from Arabic. I told him to pick me up at 5:45 and he wasn't there. Najwa (my instructor) and I were chatting and I realized it was 6:00 and he still wasn't there. I called him and he was with a customer so he wouldn't be able to get me until 6:30. I was very mad. I couldn't believe that he took a customer when I told him to pick me up at 5:45. Then he tried to blame it on me by saying that I didn't call him. No, I didn't call because I told him to get me at 5:45. Najwa was kind enough to take me home. I felt really bad because Hili is so far from her; it's like 20-30 minutes. I will be getting a car when I get back from Oman. Maybe it's a good thing that I'm not going to Greece; I'll have more money to save to buy a car. I plan on renting one for a month or two and then buying a used one. Renting/leasing is so expensive here.
I have been practicing Arabic at school with the girls and some of the teachers. It's hard. I know what to say, but when I get in the situation I freeze. I get nervous and worried that I'm going to make a mistake and totally forget what I want/need to say. I was talking to the principal (Good morning, how are you?) and she replied with something that I didn't know. I looked at her like I didn't know what to say and she was very helpful and told me my options (al hamdulilallah or bakheir - both mean fine with al hamdulilallah having religious conotations), but the thing is I didn't realize that she asked me "how are you?" I know that phrase, but I couldn't identify it in the conversation. I worked through it though. Then I attempted to have a conversation with one of the other teachers and I totally forgot how to say "where are you from?" Well, not totally because I knew the words, I just forgot the order. She looked at me and I could tell that she had no idea what I had said. So, I had to ask her how to say "where are you from?" in Arabic. I know that phrase. I just get so worried that I'm going to mess up that I can't do it right. So, today when I had to talk to the principal I used English. She looked at me and said "No Arabic today?" I repeated myself in Arabic and did much better. I even caught "kayfa halookey? - how are you?" today. Then there was Arabic class today. I'm not quite sure how I can go from being so confident and experiencing success to feeling so inadequate. Just about everything she asked me today I replied with "ma bareef" (I don't know). OK maybe not just about everything, but it sure seemed like I was saying that a lot. We were going over words and phrases that she introduced on Wed., but I couldn't remember all of them. I did study, even though it didn't seem like it. I was getting rather frustrated and felt like I was going to cry if I had to tell her "ma bareef" one more time. She sensed my frustration and moved on; no spelling today! Thank God! I have a hard time spelling the words because I don't say them right so I don't write the right letters. We began working with "this is, what is this, is this..., whose is this, and who is this. Should be easy enough since they all involve some form of hadha (hatha, "this"), but it was just too much. At one point she asked me to say something, anything, in Arabic (I think she wanted me to be successful) and I replied with "khallas" she just started laughing and said "khallas, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea"
"Khallas 'arabeea, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck, what?"
"Khallas 'arabeea, min fudluck Najwa (I wasn't sure what she was looking for)" - please stop Arabic, Najwa or something to that effect maybe Najwa please stop Arabic.
Even though that was not really what she wanted it helped me to calm down. We finished the lesson and I have to practice. Without practice I will lose it. Words to know, phrases to use, and learning how to spell. Lots of practice. At least I work with Arabic teachers who I can practice with. I just need to stop worrying about making mistakes and speak Arabic.
Since I have my grades done maybe I'll get to bed before midnight tonight!!!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Success at last!
So by now you know of my frsutrations with learning the Arabic language. It is not one of the easiest languages to learn. In fact I'm pretty sure it ranks right up there with English. And English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. I have not really been enjoying learning this language. That is until Wed. I had a great lesson! Maybe it's because I'm finished learning the letters and their sounds and now it's applying it. Maybe it's because I really really studied over the weekend (since it was a long weekend). Maybe it's because she introduced some things that I had already sort of known (I had very brief Arabic lessons when I first arrived). Or maybe it's because I am actually getting it! Who knows. It's probably a combination of all those reasons. Whatever the reason, I left feeling very confident and pleased. I was able to have a very brief conversation with my instructor and her son (Hi, how are you? What's your name? Are you doing well? Good evening. See you later.) See not much, but I was able to say most of the words and understand most of what he was saying without much help from my instructor! She had warned me that she would be sending me Arabic emails so when I got home and checked my email I wasn't surprised to find an email in Arabic. Well, I was a bit surprised. I didn't think she would send one so soon. What surprised me more was the fact that I could read it (even without a lot of those silly vowels:) and understand what she wrote without referring to my notes! I was even able to write back to her. I wanted to try to answer her questions without looking at my notes so I wrote them on paper before responding to her email. I did not spell all the words correctly (those darn vowels; I have a hard time figuring out if they're long or short; the short ones don't appear in writing), but I was able to fix my mistakes. I will learn this language!
Shhh, don't tell ADEC, but I even used some Arabic in class today! Nothing much, just good morning, how are you, and see you later. But we're not supposed to use any Arabic at all. The girls were very surprised! They know I'm learning, but I think I surprised them by saying something instead of repeating what they say! They did respond to my good morning with the appropriate response so that's good. At least I know they understood what I said!
I am even noticing success in the girls. Their reading is getting so much better. I love it when they try to sound out words! I'm not sure they really know what they're reading, but they are trying. At the beginning of the year they wouldn't even try. They would just stare at something. Their writing is getting better too. It's just the fact that they're trying and sounding out words that is so impressive! Their spoken English is also getting better! A lot of them can now communicate with me in partial sentences instead of just one or two words. I love this! We still have a lot of work to do, but it is amazing to see their learning and growth!
So, I will close in Arabic and go and study Arabic!
Shhh, don't tell ADEC, but I even used some Arabic in class today! Nothing much, just good morning, how are you, and see you later. But we're not supposed to use any Arabic at all. The girls were very surprised! They know I'm learning, but I think I surprised them by saying something instead of repeating what they say! They did respond to my good morning with the appropriate response so that's good. At least I know they understood what I said!
I am even noticing success in the girls. Their reading is getting so much better. I love it when they try to sound out words! I'm not sure they really know what they're reading, but they are trying. At the beginning of the year they wouldn't even try. They would just stare at something. Their writing is getting better too. It's just the fact that they're trying and sounding out words that is so impressive! Their spoken English is also getting better! A lot of them can now communicate with me in partial sentences instead of just one or two words. I love this! We still have a lot of work to do, but it is amazing to see their learning and growth!
So, I will close in Arabic and go and study Arabic!
(toosbehou 'ala khair - good night!) تصبح علئ خير
Friday, December 3, 2010
Dubai Trip
What a great trip to Dubai! The trip began uneventful enough. Just a nice drive with Cassie. It was nice not to have to board the tiny bus that takes you from Al-Ain to Dubai. I had a much more relaxing and comfortable ride.
Kisha had a room at the London Crowne in Dubai, so I put that information in Cassie's GPS and discovered that there are 3 London Crowne's in Dubai. OK, so which one do we choose? Kisha said she was at the one on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed St., but that wasn't an option. So I just chose one. Well, it ended up being the wrong one, but we didn't figure that out until we got to room 410. We rang the doorbell and Cassie said "Honey, we're home!" and waited for her to answer. We got a huge surprise when a short man answered the door! He just stared up at us and we stared down at him. It took our brains a while to figure out that Kisha wasn't in the room. Once we did figure it out, maybe a couple of seconds later (seemed like 5 minutes), we apologized and left the poor man alone. We couldn't stop laughing! Once we settled down we asked for directions at the desk. When we got to the second hotel I decided to call Kisha and let her know that we had arrived. I began describing the lobby I was in just to make sure it was the right one. She couldn't remember what the lobby looked like so she headed downstairs. I watied, and waited, but no one came out of the elevator! So once again we were at the wrong hotel. At least we didn't go up to room 410 this time! OK forget this business of asking for directions. I put Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed St. into the GPS and decided we could figure it out from there. The GPS got us to the street and all we had to do was look for the hotel. Surprisingly it was quite easy to find! We get in the elevator ready to go up to the 4th floor, but there is no 4 button, only up to 3. We burst out laughing and I think, oh no here we go again! We decided to push 3 and see what happens. When the elevator opens we see a sign that says 4th floor! Only in the UAE will 3 take you to the 4th floor!! Crazy! But we did find Kisha. What a night. We left Al-Ain at 10pm and arrived at the hotel a little before 1am. It's only takes a little over an hour to get from Al-Ain to Dubai. Finding the hotel was the issue. So needless to say we were exhausted when we got there.
We got up the next morning, very late mind you, (National Day) and headed to the Dubai Mall for lunch. That was the easiest thing to find. After lunch we went to the Dubai Museum. It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. When we pulled up I thought that it was going to be a pretty boring museum, but it was really interesting. There were exhibits from way back in BC when Dubai began. Pretty interesting to see their history. A lot has changed. We saw some houses and boats and skeletons of people that lived a long time ago. Pretty neat.
After the museum we drove around for a bit more and then went to the Outlet Mall. Kisha had heard there were some big sales going on there. I wasn't too impressed. We shopped for a bit and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner cruise on the creek.
The cruise was wonderful. It was so peaceful. The food wasn't all that great, but it was a good night. The weather was fabulous, we saw some neat boats, some buildings deocrated for National Day, and a little magic show on the boat. A very nice and relaxing night!
Friday began with a trip to the InterCon (our favorite hotel:) for breakfast. We had a great breakfast, we knew we would, and then headed to Global Village. Global Village is located in Dubailand (an amusement park) and has vendors from all different countries selling souveniors. I figured I could get my Christmas shopping done. We got to Global Village and couldn't figure out how to get to the parking. Cassie eventually drove the wrong way on a one way street (good thing it was Friday and there was no traffic), but we got to the parking place only to discover that they didn't open until 4pm:( Bummer. We really wanted to go there. So we drove around some more trying to find something to do. As we were driving we saw some camels out in the desert and we just had to stop to take some pictures. We decided to check out the Dolphinarium. We couldn't find that either. It wasn't in the GPS and the thing with maps here is they like to put things on them that they're building. Not a good idea. So that's what we think was the case with the Dolphinarium since we couldn't find it or any signs for it. We did go over the Floating Bridge though. That was pretty weird. The Floating Bridge is exactly what the name says; it floats on the water. Kind of scary, but cool at the same time. At this point Cassie decided that she wanted a milkshake from Hardees and the nearest one was in Sharjah (another emirate) so we took a drive to Sharjah. Yeah! Now I've been to 3 of the 7 emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah), I just have to visit Ajman, Fujeriah, Ras Al Khamin (RAK), and Umm Al Qaimm. Well I guess I should go back to Sharjah since all I saw was the Hardees because we needed to get Kisha back to the bus station.
I had a great 2 days and it came at a great time. Helped me to get over my homesickness. Now I get to enjoy the rest of my long weekend. I have Sunday off!
Kisha had a room at the London Crowne in Dubai, so I put that information in Cassie's GPS and discovered that there are 3 London Crowne's in Dubai. OK, so which one do we choose? Kisha said she was at the one on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed St., but that wasn't an option. So I just chose one. Well, it ended up being the wrong one, but we didn't figure that out until we got to room 410. We rang the doorbell and Cassie said "Honey, we're home!" and waited for her to answer. We got a huge surprise when a short man answered the door! He just stared up at us and we stared down at him. It took our brains a while to figure out that Kisha wasn't in the room. Once we did figure it out, maybe a couple of seconds later (seemed like 5 minutes), we apologized and left the poor man alone. We couldn't stop laughing! Once we settled down we asked for directions at the desk. When we got to the second hotel I decided to call Kisha and let her know that we had arrived. I began describing the lobby I was in just to make sure it was the right one. She couldn't remember what the lobby looked like so she headed downstairs. I watied, and waited, but no one came out of the elevator! So once again we were at the wrong hotel. At least we didn't go up to room 410 this time! OK forget this business of asking for directions. I put Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed St. into the GPS and decided we could figure it out from there. The GPS got us to the street and all we had to do was look for the hotel. Surprisingly it was quite easy to find! We get in the elevator ready to go up to the 4th floor, but there is no 4 button, only up to 3. We burst out laughing and I think, oh no here we go again! We decided to push 3 and see what happens. When the elevator opens we see a sign that says 4th floor! Only in the UAE will 3 take you to the 4th floor!! Crazy! But we did find Kisha. What a night. We left Al-Ain at 10pm and arrived at the hotel a little before 1am. It's only takes a little over an hour to get from Al-Ain to Dubai. Finding the hotel was the issue. So needless to say we were exhausted when we got there.
We got up the next morning, very late mind you, (National Day) and headed to the Dubai Mall for lunch. That was the easiest thing to find. After lunch we went to the Dubai Museum. It's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. When we pulled up I thought that it was going to be a pretty boring museum, but it was really interesting. There were exhibits from way back in BC when Dubai began. Pretty interesting to see their history. A lot has changed. We saw some houses and boats and skeletons of people that lived a long time ago. Pretty neat.
After the museum we drove around for a bit more and then went to the Outlet Mall. Kisha had heard there were some big sales going on there. I wasn't too impressed. We shopped for a bit and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner cruise on the creek.
The cruise was wonderful. It was so peaceful. The food wasn't all that great, but it was a good night. The weather was fabulous, we saw some neat boats, some buildings deocrated for National Day, and a little magic show on the boat. A very nice and relaxing night!
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| Happy 39th Birthday to the UAE |
Friday began with a trip to the InterCon (our favorite hotel:) for breakfast. We had a great breakfast, we knew we would, and then headed to Global Village. Global Village is located in Dubailand (an amusement park) and has vendors from all different countries selling souveniors. I figured I could get my Christmas shopping done. We got to Global Village and couldn't figure out how to get to the parking. Cassie eventually drove the wrong way on a one way street (good thing it was Friday and there was no traffic), but we got to the parking place only to discover that they didn't open until 4pm:( Bummer. We really wanted to go there. So we drove around some more trying to find something to do. As we were driving we saw some camels out in the desert and we just had to stop to take some pictures. We decided to check out the Dolphinarium. We couldn't find that either. It wasn't in the GPS and the thing with maps here is they like to put things on them that they're building. Not a good idea. So that's what we think was the case with the Dolphinarium since we couldn't find it or any signs for it. We did go over the Floating Bridge though. That was pretty weird. The Floating Bridge is exactly what the name says; it floats on the water. Kind of scary, but cool at the same time. At this point Cassie decided that she wanted a milkshake from Hardees and the nearest one was in Sharjah (another emirate) so we took a drive to Sharjah. Yeah! Now I've been to 3 of the 7 emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah), I just have to visit Ajman, Fujeriah, Ras Al Khamin (RAK), and Umm Al Qaimm. Well I guess I should go back to Sharjah since all I saw was the Hardees because we needed to get Kisha back to the bus station.
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| Camels seen from the road |
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
National Day Celebrations at School
What a day! What a waste of time! I was absolutely bored. They did the same thing over and over for 5 hours. Plus I couldn't understand what they were saying or singing. They did a lot of dancing. I did find out their National Dance; which is shaking their hair! Literally! Well, that's what the girls did. There probably is an actual dance, but it didn't look like one.
The program started at 8:00 and could have ended at 9:00, but it went until 1:00. Surprisingly the girls were pretty well behaved until about 11:00. Then they started getting restless. Can't say as I blame them.
The girls wear these amazing dresses. They look like wedding gowns. It's amazing that the parents let them come to school in them and run around. But, they have money so they probably buy a new one after today. We weren't allowed to take pictures today. Not sure why, but I had to put my camera away. I did get some pictures of the girls in their dresses before I was told no pictures.
Arabic is extremely frustrating! I have learned all the letters, so I should be able to read. The only thing is I need the vowels to read and now she's telling me to stop relying on them. Vowels don't appear in Arabic writing unless they are long vowels, so if you don't know the word you have to "guess" at the pronunciation. Reading to me is not a guessing game. But, I guess if you practice enough without vowels you will learn words and won't need them. That's their reasoning for not using vowels in writing. I finished phase 1 and phase 2 (grammar and speaking) starts next week.
I got a stove today! I just couldn't use the hot plate/convection thing any longer. It takes too long to make something and it shuts off a lot. I like to cook so now that I have a real stove and oven I will be able to make some nice meals.
I am going to Dubai for a couple of days to celebrate Kisha's birthday. Not sure what she has planned, but I'm sure we'll have fun.
I am still a little homesick. I think it's due to the fact that for the past 8 years at this time I knew that I would be going home for Christmas in a couple of weeks. That's not happening this year.
Tomorrow the UAE will celebrate its 39th birthday! I wonder what I'll see in Dubai!
The program started at 8:00 and could have ended at 9:00, but it went until 1:00. Surprisingly the girls were pretty well behaved until about 11:00. Then they started getting restless. Can't say as I blame them.
The girls wear these amazing dresses. They look like wedding gowns. It's amazing that the parents let them come to school in them and run around. But, they have money so they probably buy a new one after today. We weren't allowed to take pictures today. Not sure why, but I had to put my camera away. I did get some pictures of the girls in their dresses before I was told no pictures.
Arabic is extremely frustrating! I have learned all the letters, so I should be able to read. The only thing is I need the vowels to read and now she's telling me to stop relying on them. Vowels don't appear in Arabic writing unless they are long vowels, so if you don't know the word you have to "guess" at the pronunciation. Reading to me is not a guessing game. But, I guess if you practice enough without vowels you will learn words and won't need them. That's their reasoning for not using vowels in writing. I finished phase 1 and phase 2 (grammar and speaking) starts next week.
I got a stove today! I just couldn't use the hot plate/convection thing any longer. It takes too long to make something and it shuts off a lot. I like to cook so now that I have a real stove and oven I will be able to make some nice meals.
I am going to Dubai for a couple of days to celebrate Kisha's birthday. Not sure what she has planned, but I'm sure we'll have fun.
I am still a little homesick. I think it's due to the fact that for the past 8 years at this time I knew that I would be going home for Christmas in a couple of weeks. That's not happening this year.
Tomorrow the UAE will celebrate its 39th birthday! I wonder what I'll see in Dubai!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Homesick
Not exactly sure what brought it on, but I am homesick tonight. Maybe it's the fact that Thanksgiving just passed or that Christmas is coming up or that July is soooooo far away or that I had a bad day today. I just miss my family and friends back home and I want to go home. I know this will pass, and I hope it passess soon.
Pre-National Day Celebrations
Although National Day isn't until Thursday (we are off Thursday, so we're celebrating it on Wednesday), our morning assemblies are filled with skits, songs, and dancing. The girls are getting pulled from class to practice their performace for tomorrow's big show. And just about everywhere you look you can see red, green, black, and white. And chaos reigns in the classroom (even more so than usual; it's like the week before Christmas break).
Sunday during morning assembly some boys from a local boy's school came and did a performance using swords and sticks. It was really neat. They did a great job twirling them and tossing them back and forth. They were very coordinated. There was even a little sword fight! Of course no one got hurt, but you could hear the swords clanging. I couldn't beleive they were using real swords. They had them trained well! We also had a group of middle school girls come and do an aerobic routine. I was amazed as I watched them jump on and off their little step thing in time with the music. Not only were they jumping on and off they were sharing the step with another person and miraculously no toes got stepped on (as far as I could see). Then the girls went on a little parade around the building. They were singing the National Anthem as they walked. We didn't walk outside of the school, just around the inside, so it was kind of weird. No one really saw. Oh well, it took up time! The entire assembly lasted for one full period (40 minutes), so I only had to teach 5 periods instead of 6. Unfortunately I had 3/2 in the morning so I missed a period with the class I like. I wish I would have missed a period of 3/1.
Monday was a pretty normal day actually. A group of kindergarteners (boys and girls) came and presented something about the different emirates. I think they were talking about the sheikhs because they had a picture of the sheikh on their crown. I was able to hear the names of the different emirates, but that was all I got out of their presenation. Other than the fact that the little kindergarteners memorized an awful lot! They did a wonderful job! A few girls did a song and swayed to the song, but that was it. I had 3/1 so why would we miss a class today?
From what I understand tomorrow is just a free day. The girls come to school and the assembly is full of all the different presentations that they've been preparing the last 2 weeks. It should be interesting to see. After they assembly they just play. Can't wait to see that! Oh yes I can! Structure Please! I believe we get out of school at 1:00 tomorrow. Or I should say the girls get out at 1:00; I have to stay until 2:00. No big deal though. I have tons of things that I need to do in the classroom.
Sunday during morning assembly some boys from a local boy's school came and did a performance using swords and sticks. It was really neat. They did a great job twirling them and tossing them back and forth. They were very coordinated. There was even a little sword fight! Of course no one got hurt, but you could hear the swords clanging. I couldn't beleive they were using real swords. They had them trained well! We also had a group of middle school girls come and do an aerobic routine. I was amazed as I watched them jump on and off their little step thing in time with the music. Not only were they jumping on and off they were sharing the step with another person and miraculously no toes got stepped on (as far as I could see). Then the girls went on a little parade around the building. They were singing the National Anthem as they walked. We didn't walk outside of the school, just around the inside, so it was kind of weird. No one really saw. Oh well, it took up time! The entire assembly lasted for one full period (40 minutes), so I only had to teach 5 periods instead of 6. Unfortunately I had 3/2 in the morning so I missed a period with the class I like. I wish I would have missed a period of 3/1.
Monday was a pretty normal day actually. A group of kindergarteners (boys and girls) came and presented something about the different emirates. I think they were talking about the sheikhs because they had a picture of the sheikh on their crown. I was able to hear the names of the different emirates, but that was all I got out of their presenation. Other than the fact that the little kindergarteners memorized an awful lot! They did a wonderful job! A few girls did a song and swayed to the song, but that was it. I had 3/1 so why would we miss a class today?
From what I understand tomorrow is just a free day. The girls come to school and the assembly is full of all the different presentations that they've been preparing the last 2 weeks. It should be interesting to see. After they assembly they just play. Can't wait to see that! Oh yes I can! Structure Please! I believe we get out of school at 1:00 tomorrow. Or I should say the girls get out at 1:00; I have to stay until 2:00. No big deal though. I have tons of things that I need to do in the classroom.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Surprise!!
"Miss, we go zoo !"
"What? You already went to the zoo."
"No, we go... (lots of thinking, words in Arabic, "Noussaiba Inglasie (English)?") casa la Sheikh. You know Zayed? Baby, he live, casa."
"Casa, yes I know casa (thinking Spanish? Can't be right). Yes Sheikh Zayed, where he used to live?"
"Casa Al Ain" (but it never really comes out Al Ain, and I can't figure out how to write what they say it's something like Al Eyeeehn which makes it difficult to understand at times).
I was following this logic and piecing together that the girls were going on a field trip today to the Al Ain Palace Museum. They most likely were saying "castle" and I heard "casa", unless of course "casa" is an Arabic word that I don't know yet, which could be the case. I just needed to figure out when they were going and who they were going with.
"When?"
"Today."
"Yes, but when?"
"Today."
Ok so this wasn't going to work. We could spend all day on this one conversation alone and never get anywhere.
"Who?"
"All. 3/1, 3/2, 3/3." I figured that much.
"Abla (teacher)?"
"Abla Salha period 7."
Oh, so now I knew who was taking them and when they were leaving. Period 7, no big deal that's at the end of the day and it's only period 1. We still had a lot of time for learning left. I gathered the girls on the floor and went through our morning routine and began our English lesson. Period 2 began with a knock on the door.
"Miss Sara, need girls now."
"Why?"
"They need canteen (where they buy their snacks)."
"Now? They aren't leaving until period 7."
"No, they leave now. You come. Yella (hurry up)." To the girls, and maybe, quite possibly to me as well.
So, what choice do I have? I quickly get the girls ready and gather up my stuff and head to the canteen. The girls buy their snacks and board the bus.
I get off the bus with 3/1 and begin walking towards the Palace. It's amazing. It's original, but it looks like it was just built the other day. Amazing what can remain preserved in a country that experiences no rain. Ms. Salha calls us over and we join her. She takes the girls and me on a guided tour. Her English is very good and she was able to explain a lot of the museum to me.
The Palace was built for Sheikha Fatima, one of Sheikh Zayed's wives. I'm not sure how many he had, but he did have 19 sons. Two of them died and the rest are ruling somewhere in the Emirates. That's how it works here, if your dad was the Shiekh than you will get to be a sheikh as well. No questions asked.
We weren't at the museum very long, maybe an hour at the most. But, it was a nice little field trip. Very fitting this week since National Day (Etihad Wattan) is coming up. So, thanks to this surprise field trip I was able to cross off one of the things that I need to see in Al Ain.
Our little National Day skit this morning went very well. The girls were actually prepared. They had practiced over the weekend. The girls were a little nervous speaking into the microphone, but other than that it went well.
For National Day we all have a bulletin board to decorate. There is a contest for the best decorated door, and the winning teacher will get a prize of some sort. I probably won't win since mine is student created, but it is beginning to look good. Last week I had the girls make a poster about the UAE. Most, if not all of them, drew the flag and wrote "I love the UAE!" in the white stripe. Today we made a handprint flag. I had one large poster board that we made the flag on. It was chaos, but the girls enjoyed it. They love anything with paint. Me, not so much, but the end product looks nice. I just need a little more border and then it will be finished.
So, we will see what happens tomorrow! Who knows what the surprise will be! I'll just try to be prepared for anything, maybe even a regular day!!!
"What? You already went to the zoo."
"No, we go... (lots of thinking, words in Arabic, "Noussaiba Inglasie (English)?") casa la Sheikh. You know Zayed? Baby, he live, casa."
"Casa, yes I know casa (thinking Spanish? Can't be right). Yes Sheikh Zayed, where he used to live?"
"Casa Al Ain" (but it never really comes out Al Ain, and I can't figure out how to write what they say it's something like Al Eyeeehn which makes it difficult to understand at times).
I was following this logic and piecing together that the girls were going on a field trip today to the Al Ain Palace Museum. They most likely were saying "castle" and I heard "casa", unless of course "casa" is an Arabic word that I don't know yet, which could be the case. I just needed to figure out when they were going and who they were going with.
"When?"
"Today."
"Yes, but when?"
"Today."
Ok so this wasn't going to work. We could spend all day on this one conversation alone and never get anywhere.
"Who?"
"All. 3/1, 3/2, 3/3." I figured that much.
"Abla (teacher)?"
"Abla Salha period 7."
Oh, so now I knew who was taking them and when they were leaving. Period 7, no big deal that's at the end of the day and it's only period 1. We still had a lot of time for learning left. I gathered the girls on the floor and went through our morning routine and began our English lesson. Period 2 began with a knock on the door.
"Miss Sara, need girls now."
"Why?"
"They need canteen (where they buy their snacks)."
"Now? They aren't leaving until period 7."
"No, they leave now. You come. Yella (hurry up)." To the girls, and maybe, quite possibly to me as well.
So, what choice do I have? I quickly get the girls ready and gather up my stuff and head to the canteen. The girls buy their snacks and board the bus.
I get off the bus with 3/1 and begin walking towards the Palace. It's amazing. It's original, but it looks like it was just built the other day. Amazing what can remain preserved in a country that experiences no rain. Ms. Salha calls us over and we join her. She takes the girls and me on a guided tour. Her English is very good and she was able to explain a lot of the museum to me.
The Palace was built for Sheikha Fatima, one of Sheikh Zayed's wives. I'm not sure how many he had, but he did have 19 sons. Two of them died and the rest are ruling somewhere in the Emirates. That's how it works here, if your dad was the Shiekh than you will get to be a sheikh as well. No questions asked.
We weren't at the museum very long, maybe an hour at the most. But, it was a nice little field trip. Very fitting this week since National Day (Etihad Wattan) is coming up. So, thanks to this surprise field trip I was able to cross off one of the things that I need to see in Al Ain.
 |
| Al Ain Palace Museum |
For National Day we all have a bulletin board to decorate. There is a contest for the best decorated door, and the winning teacher will get a prize of some sort. I probably won't win since mine is student created, but it is beginning to look good. Last week I had the girls make a poster about the UAE. Most, if not all of them, drew the flag and wrote "I love the UAE!" in the white stripe. Today we made a handprint flag. I had one large poster board that we made the flag on. It was chaos, but the girls enjoyed it. They love anything with paint. Me, not so much, but the end product looks nice. I just need a little more border and then it will be finished.
 |
| Bulletin board for National Day |
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
It certainly doesn't feel like Thanksgiving. Maybe it's because it's 85 and sunny, or because I had to work, or because this country doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving. Most likely it's a combination of all three. I will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, when everyone at home is going shopping to try to get the best Black Friday deals! I am glad that I don't have to deal with that aspect of Thanksgiving! I am going to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner after church. It will be nice to have a home-cooked meal. I am not exactly sure what's on the menu, but I know there will be turkey!
I had a very quiet week. Nothing too exciting going on. Getting back into the routine of going to work was difficult, but it always is after a break. The week was a relatively normal one, other than the fact that we're getting ready for National Day (12/2). Green, black, red, and white everywhere (the colors of the flag). Our morning assemblies are now filled with a group of girls dancing (usually in flag dresses), waving flags, throwing balloons (they love balloons!), and letting their hair down. Oh yeah there's more Quran reading, reading of papers/reports about the UAE (which I have no idea what they're saying, but they sound important!), and skits about being an Emirati. The girls love to say "I love the UAE" and "Emirates of life". Today the LTs got called up on the stage and asked some questions. As we walked up to the stage we asked each other if anyone knew about this. Evidently no one had any idea! We were first asked "How are you?" to which we all replied "Fine, thank you" that's the only response to that question that they really understand. We were then asked to say something about the UAE. We all gave a response about how nice and welocming this country is and how we enjoy living here. A teacher handed us a bag of goodies (a UAE bracelet and some chocolate) and told us that we were going to play a question and answer game. Oh no, now I'm really going to embarrass myself because I don't know a lot of trivia about this country. The questions were just riddles, not trivia! Good thing too. Not that they were any easier. Q - "What has legs and goes in your ear?" A - sound. We asked for an explanation on that one, but didn't get one. Q - "What is something you eat with, but don't eat?" A - a fork. Easy one. Q - "What has teeth but doesn't eat?" A - a comb. Another easy one. There were a few that didn't get translated and 1 that I didn't understand even after the translation. We got a round of applause and a lot of laughter from the girls and then headed off the stage.
The next guests were Mickey and Minnie Mouse! All the way from Florida! I think the LTs were more impressed with Mickey and Minnie than some of the girls were. Mickey and Minnie joined a group of 4th and 5th graders in a dance. It was pretty fun to watch. I took some pictures, but I won't put them on the Internet. Sorry. You'll just have to look at my actual pictures when I return in July.
Sunday a few of my students will be putting on a skit for the assembly. They are going to be doing a quiz show with UAE trivia. We didn't have a lot of warning so they only got to practice for 2 days, but they're excited. We are also going to be decorating our door and classroom for a contest. I told the girls to bring in UAE stuff to decorate and from what I hear they will go all out. I'm a little scared!
All of this makes me wonder what would happen if schools were in session July 4th. How would US public schools celebrate Independence Day?
I had a very quiet week. Nothing too exciting going on. Getting back into the routine of going to work was difficult, but it always is after a break. The week was a relatively normal one, other than the fact that we're getting ready for National Day (12/2). Green, black, red, and white everywhere (the colors of the flag). Our morning assemblies are now filled with a group of girls dancing (usually in flag dresses), waving flags, throwing balloons (they love balloons!), and letting their hair down. Oh yeah there's more Quran reading, reading of papers/reports about the UAE (which I have no idea what they're saying, but they sound important!), and skits about being an Emirati. The girls love to say "I love the UAE" and "Emirates of life". Today the LTs got called up on the stage and asked some questions. As we walked up to the stage we asked each other if anyone knew about this. Evidently no one had any idea! We were first asked "How are you?" to which we all replied "Fine, thank you" that's the only response to that question that they really understand. We were then asked to say something about the UAE. We all gave a response about how nice and welocming this country is and how we enjoy living here. A teacher handed us a bag of goodies (a UAE bracelet and some chocolate) and told us that we were going to play a question and answer game. Oh no, now I'm really going to embarrass myself because I don't know a lot of trivia about this country. The questions were just riddles, not trivia! Good thing too. Not that they were any easier. Q - "What has legs and goes in your ear?" A - sound. We asked for an explanation on that one, but didn't get one. Q - "What is something you eat with, but don't eat?" A - a fork. Easy one. Q - "What has teeth but doesn't eat?" A - a comb. Another easy one. There were a few that didn't get translated and 1 that I didn't understand even after the translation. We got a round of applause and a lot of laughter from the girls and then headed off the stage.
The next guests were Mickey and Minnie Mouse! All the way from Florida! I think the LTs were more impressed with Mickey and Minnie than some of the girls were. Mickey and Minnie joined a group of 4th and 5th graders in a dance. It was pretty fun to watch. I took some pictures, but I won't put them on the Internet. Sorry. You'll just have to look at my actual pictures when I return in July.
Sunday a few of my students will be putting on a skit for the assembly. They are going to be doing a quiz show with UAE trivia. We didn't have a lot of warning so they only got to practice for 2 days, but they're excited. We are also going to be decorating our door and classroom for a contest. I told the girls to bring in UAE stuff to decorate and from what I hear they will go all out. I'm a little scared!
All of this makes me wonder what would happen if schools were in session July 4th. How would US public schools celebrate Independence Day?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Vacation
This is going to be quite a long post. I will try to break it up into different days to make it easier to read. I hope you enjoy reading about my vacation to Jordan.
Sunday 11/14 - Abu Dhabi
Cassie drove Susan and I to Abu Dhabi Sunday afternoon. She finally has her car and she is a wonderful driver! We arrived safely and had a great French lunch with Kisha. After lunch we walked around some ane enjoyed the sights. It was so much more pleasant than it was in August. On our walk we saw some interesting signs, what exactly is 1/2 an executive bachelor??? We also some fish, shrimp, and lobster flavored chips in one store. I was not brave enough to try those, but Cassie got some shrimp flavored ones. I'll let you know her thoughts later.
I went back to Kisha's place, so Susan could get her luggage, while Cassie and Kisha went to do some errands. While I was waiting for them to return I called Mary and ended up having a wonderful dinner with Mary, Kate, Jennifer, and Tom whom I haven't seen since I left for Al Ain in Sept. Great food and great friends, but the night had to end too soon so I could get up at 3:30 the next morning for my 8am flight.
Monday 11/15
Susan and I arrived at the airport at 5:15 which was way too early. The Etihad check-in desk wasn't even open. We had to wait until 6am. A lot of waiting this morning. Check-in and security were smooth processes. I got my first exit stamp in my passport!! The 3 hour flight was very smooth and comfortable. I had asked for exit row and actually got it!
We arrived in Jordan at 9:30am. Customs and immigration were very quick processes other than waiting in line. Absolutely no hassels! I paid 10JD (Jordanian Dinars) for my visitors visa and got a new stamp in my passport. When we got to baggage claim my suitcase was waiting for me. It was nice not having to watch for it on the luggage thing and then fight the crowds to pull it off.
With luggage in hand we headed to Avis to rent a car. We paid 600JD (about 3,000 dirhams; very expensive) for a 4 wheel drive car that I thought we didn't need. Turns out that it was a very good thing that we got the car that we did. After 2 1/2 months of not driving it was nice to be behind the wheel! At least until we got to the downtown area. Chaos, absolute chaos. No lines on the road, no turn signals, lots of honking, lots of merging, street signs in just Arabic (I surprised myself and Susan by actually reading one; my instructor would be proud:), packed streets, pedestrians crossing whenever and wherever and roads blocked for Eid. It was like cattle crossing. Terrible. Drivers doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to. Not a good idea to get behind the wheel in a foreign country!
The hotel is about 30-40 minutes from the airport, but it took us about 3 hours!!!! I was so frustrated and sick of driving past the same things 10 times and not being able to find the hotel. So we found a place to park and took a taxi to the hotel. At the hotel we begged for help; pleading lost tourists. The owner's son walked me back to the car and drove it to the hotel. What great service!
The Hotel - Arab Tower Hotel (Burj al Arab)
Very nice staff, but very small. It's actually a hostel not a hotel. There were 2 twin beds in the room and a table. The bathroom was a toilet and water hose. I can't really call it a shower because it was totally open and it was just a hose with a head to it. That was a new experience for me. I had to be very careful where I put my towel and clothes because I didn't want them to get too wet. The room was only $40 so I guess I shouldn't complain. Breakfast was included as well. Breakfast consisted of toast, hard boiled eggs, and cucumbers and tomatoes. Different.
After we got settled into our tiny room and got somewhat cleaned up we went out to a delicious restaurant for dinner and had some authentic Arabic food. Wonderful salad (fatoosh) and hommus. There was this cute little boy there who kept looking at us and smiling and waving. He was practicing his English as well. At one point he came over and shook my hand and introduced himself to us. Very cute!!
After dinner we walked the streets. Everything in downtown Amman was open 24 hours due to Eid. So it was really a party type atmosphere. The people are so friendly. Just about everyone said "Welcome" or "Welcome to Jordan" as we walked past. I, of course, got lots of stares and wows and laughs and pointing due to my height. Then there's the fact that there aren't many Westerners here so I'm very different. We did some shopping and talked to some nice local people. I had to turn in early because of all the cigarette smoke. It was really hurtning my throat. I did get some gifts and souveniors, but it was time to go.
Monday Night
What a miserable night. The twin bed was tiny. Fine for Susan, but problems for me. The AC didn't work so we had to open the window. That normally wouldn't have been a problem since it was a beautiful night, but this was party night. There was music playing and horns honking literally all night. Not conducive to sleeping.
Tuesday 11/16
So, we headed to the Citadel. Awesome views of Amman! Great archeological sites. Amazing that this was built out of stone and it is still standing. Lots of history in this country. We could not enter the main portion of the site due to Eid but I still got some good pictures anyway. I was a little upset because I couldn't really see the Roman theater from the Citadel. I did get to see it from street level, but I couldn't go in due to construction. It would have been great to see it from on top of the city at the Citadel.
Then began the worst experience in my life. Praise God because He is in control and He kept us safe. Driving from the Dead Sea to Petra was a very horrifying experience. For the first hour everything was fine as it was the open road. At Namal Checkpoint I had to turn off the highway and start driving through the desert. No big deal for a while. There is a nice 1 lane road and I'm sure the scenery would have been unbelievable, but it was dark so I couldn't really see anything other than the road. All of a sudden the road starts getting bumpy and torn apart. Mountains appear and I realize I must drive up the mountain in the dark. It was only 25km (15.5miles), but the worst 25km ever. Windy, rocky, steep roads, dark, uphill, downhill, sharp corners, and mountains on one side and deep drop offs on the other. I was terrified. "Please God keep us safe. My God is in control. He knows my future and He is bigger than this mountain and desert road." I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. I was so scared. Then God gave me a sense of peace. I knew He was in control and His will would be done. I had nothing to fear. If I had died I would be in Heaven. No fear. God is in control. Then I saw a truck and I waved for the driver to stop. Two Bedouin (desert living people) men got out of the truck. One spoke excellent English and reassured me that everything was going to be fine. Just continue to go slow and be careful. Angels sent by God! I continued on in peace and finally arrived in Wadi-Musa (the hotel area just outside of Petra).
When we finally found our hotel we found out that our reserved room was given away because we were late. They didn't care that we traveled the King's Highway (name of the awful road; eveidently it's no big deal to the locals they think it's beautiful). They tried to give us another room, but there was just one tiny double bed and Susan and I couldn't share that. So we left. We tried to find another room, but the entire town was booked. I have never heard of that happening. We ended up at a 5 star resort that had 1 room left for 1 night. We were planning on spending 2 nights in Petra. So we took the last room in the entire city! What a contrast to the hotel in Amman. We had a junior suite. Two twin beds plus a living area. Very nice bathroom with an actual shower! I had a great night's sleep! We even kept the windows open; no loud partying or horns honking or repetitive Quran verses early in the morning! Breakfast was fabulous as well. I could live like this! Wait, didn't I do that when I was staying at the InterCon?! I can't beleive I was so ready to get out of the hotel!!
Wednesday 11/17 - Petra
Amazing! Absolutely beautiful! What a sight! Not sure words or pictures can describe what I saw, but I'll try. The rock formations were beautiful. Rock layers of different colors lined the entire walk from Wadi-Musa to Petra. Then there were the buildings from the ancient city of Petra. It's amazing that they built an entire city out of rock and sand and into a mountain. The columns and architecture were fabulous. Everywhere you looked there was evidence of the people that lived there. Holes in the rock to show their houses, theaters, paved roads, carvings... Lots to see and a lot more to learn. I wish I had a tour guide, but Susan didn't want to get one so we explored on our own. I tried to listen while some of the tour guides were explaining, but I didn't get much. Even without a guide it was fabulous to see, but I would have enjoyed it with a guide. We walked for quite a while taking in the sights. I actually walked more than Susan and would have continued but I knew it was getting late and we had to leave for Amman. So I reluctantly turned around and experienced all of Petra in reverse. It was still beautiful to see as I was walking out of the ancient city. We eventually got a horse drawn carriage to take us the last bit of the way, the part that was uphill and most difficult for Susan. It was a nice, albeit bumpy, ride.
We explored a little bit of Wadi-Musa, ate lunch, and then got back in the car to head back to Amman. We did not take the King's Highway back. I was not going to drive that again. There is a different route, it's longer but it's safer. It's called the Desert Highway and it goes through the desert. The views were amazing. Vast expanses of nothing. I didn't think "nothing" could be so beautiful. The desert hills and flat lands were astonishing. Lots of colors due to the sunset! I would love to drive this highway again! We drove back to our little hostel where a different room was waiting for us.
Thursday 11/18
Susan had made an appointment at Movenpick, the resort on the Dead Sea, so we headed back there. We spent the day relaxing at the various pools the spa had available. I did not go back in the Dead Sea. Once was enough. I just enjoyed the relaxation and sunshine. Evidently the sun at the Dead Sea is not dangerous. Not sure why or how, I just enjoyed sunbathing! It was actually relatively cool. Well, cool for me! It was just nice to be able to sit outside and not sweat! What a perfect way to end our vacation!
Friday 11/19
Back home! We left Jordan at 11:30am (our flight was supposed to be 10:20, but it was delayed) and arrived back to Hili at 8:30pm. A long day of travel.
Overall I had a very good time. I saw a lot of interesting things that I never thought I would be able to experience. I think I could have seen a lot more if I didn't have a car and relied on public transportation and tours provided by the hotels. I learned a lot about international travel. I need to get an international plan for my phone if I'm going to be doing anymore traveling. It was scary not being able to use the phone if necessary. I realized this while driving the King's Highway (not that I would have had reception, but just to be able to have a phone would have been nice). My phone only works in the UAE. Book tours, call ahead for reservations to make sure the room is still available, and don't drive.
Now it is time for bed. The weekend is going to go so fast. Lots to do tomorrow and then back to work on Sunday.
Sunday 11/14 - Abu Dhabi
Cassie drove Susan and I to Abu Dhabi Sunday afternoon. She finally has her car and she is a wonderful driver! We arrived safely and had a great French lunch with Kisha. After lunch we walked around some ane enjoyed the sights. It was so much more pleasant than it was in August. On our walk we saw some interesting signs, what exactly is 1/2 an executive bachelor??? We also some fish, shrimp, and lobster flavored chips in one store. I was not brave enough to try those, but Cassie got some shrimp flavored ones. I'll let you know her thoughts later.
I went back to Kisha's place, so Susan could get her luggage, while Cassie and Kisha went to do some errands. While I was waiting for them to return I called Mary and ended up having a wonderful dinner with Mary, Kate, Jennifer, and Tom whom I haven't seen since I left for Al Ain in Sept. Great food and great friends, but the night had to end too soon so I could get up at 3:30 the next morning for my 8am flight.
Monday 11/15
Susan and I arrived at the airport at 5:15 which was way too early. The Etihad check-in desk wasn't even open. We had to wait until 6am. A lot of waiting this morning. Check-in and security were smooth processes. I got my first exit stamp in my passport!! The 3 hour flight was very smooth and comfortable. I had asked for exit row and actually got it!
We arrived in Jordan at 9:30am. Customs and immigration were very quick processes other than waiting in line. Absolutely no hassels! I paid 10JD (Jordanian Dinars) for my visitors visa and got a new stamp in my passport. When we got to baggage claim my suitcase was waiting for me. It was nice not having to watch for it on the luggage thing and then fight the crowds to pull it off.
With luggage in hand we headed to Avis to rent a car. We paid 600JD (about 3,000 dirhams; very expensive) for a 4 wheel drive car that I thought we didn't need. Turns out that it was a very good thing that we got the car that we did. After 2 1/2 months of not driving it was nice to be behind the wheel! At least until we got to the downtown area. Chaos, absolute chaos. No lines on the road, no turn signals, lots of honking, lots of merging, street signs in just Arabic (I surprised myself and Susan by actually reading one; my instructor would be proud:), packed streets, pedestrians crossing whenever and wherever and roads blocked for Eid. It was like cattle crossing. Terrible. Drivers doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to. Not a good idea to get behind the wheel in a foreign country!
The hotel is about 30-40 minutes from the airport, but it took us about 3 hours!!!! I was so frustrated and sick of driving past the same things 10 times and not being able to find the hotel. So we found a place to park and took a taxi to the hotel. At the hotel we begged for help; pleading lost tourists. The owner's son walked me back to the car and drove it to the hotel. What great service!
The Hotel - Arab Tower Hotel (Burj al Arab)
Very nice staff, but very small. It's actually a hostel not a hotel. There were 2 twin beds in the room and a table. The bathroom was a toilet and water hose. I can't really call it a shower because it was totally open and it was just a hose with a head to it. That was a new experience for me. I had to be very careful where I put my towel and clothes because I didn't want them to get too wet. The room was only $40 so I guess I shouldn't complain. Breakfast was included as well. Breakfast consisted of toast, hard boiled eggs, and cucumbers and tomatoes. Different.
After we got settled into our tiny room and got somewhat cleaned up we went out to a delicious restaurant for dinner and had some authentic Arabic food. Wonderful salad (fatoosh) and hommus. There was this cute little boy there who kept looking at us and smiling and waving. He was practicing his English as well. At one point he came over and shook my hand and introduced himself to us. Very cute!!
After dinner we walked the streets. Everything in downtown Amman was open 24 hours due to Eid. So it was really a party type atmosphere. The people are so friendly. Just about everyone said "Welcome" or "Welcome to Jordan" as we walked past. I, of course, got lots of stares and wows and laughs and pointing due to my height. Then there's the fact that there aren't many Westerners here so I'm very different. We did some shopping and talked to some nice local people. I had to turn in early because of all the cigarette smoke. It was really hurtning my throat. I did get some gifts and souveniors, but it was time to go.
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| view of Amman from the Citadel |
Monday Night
Then there was the wakeup call at 5ish; call to prayer followed by loud constant repetition of a verse from the Quran. Very loud, annoying, repetitive, and monotone. I was ready to scream "KHALLAS"
خلاص(enough, finish, quit, stop, done) out of the window. I eventually had enough and got out of bed to brave the "shower" at 6.
Tuesday 11/16
The day started with us trying to find The King Abdullah Mosque. We had seen it on our travels on Monday, but couldn't remember where it was. We asked at the hotel and it sounded easy enough and looked close enough on the map, plus I have a Garmin so we could find it. Yeah right! We got so lost. But we did end up seeing the sheep market. Not something I want to see again. People buying and slaughtering sheep for the sacrifice. Slaughtering on the side of the road. Not a pleasant sight. Poor sheep. After driving around for a while we decided to give up on the Mosque. Good thing because we found out later that it was closed due to Eid.
So, we headed to the Citadel. Awesome views of Amman! Great archeological sites. Amazing that this was built out of stone and it is still standing. Lots of history in this country. We could not enter the main portion of the site due to Eid but I still got some good pictures anyway. I was a little upset because I couldn't really see the Roman theater from the Citadel. I did get to see it from street level, but I couldn't go in due to construction. It would have been great to see it from on top of the city at the Citadel.
Our journey to the Dead Sea began at the InterCon. We just had to stop at our home away from home. We had a nice lunch and then we were on our way. Amazingly it wasn't too difficult to find! There were actually a few signs in English pointing us to the Dead Sea.
What an experience! Everything was so peaceful and calm at Zara Spa and Resort, the resort we chose to spend the day at for 40JD. We went to the spa but couldn't get any treatments because they were booked. Susan scheduled something for Thursday. So, we changed into our suits and headed down to the Dead Sea. Unfortunately the escalator was broken so we had to walk. The Dead Sea is so weird. It is 420 meters (1,377 ft) below sea level and 33.7% saline. The bottom is very rocky and then muddy. After I got off the rocky part I plunged in and immediately floated to the surface. Everyone looked so funny laying on top of the water. It was a very weird feeling. There were people covering themselves in Dead Sea mud, but Susan and I didn't. I don't like getting messy. I know I probably should have because it's the Dead Sea mud, but... After we showered to remove the slimy salty feeling we had dinner and watched the sun set over the Dead Sea and Israel. One day I will get to Israel.
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| floating on the Dead Sea |
When we finally found our hotel we found out that our reserved room was given away because we were late. They didn't care that we traveled the King's Highway (name of the awful road; eveidently it's no big deal to the locals they think it's beautiful). They tried to give us another room, but there was just one tiny double bed and Susan and I couldn't share that. So we left. We tried to find another room, but the entire town was booked. I have never heard of that happening. We ended up at a 5 star resort that had 1 room left for 1 night. We were planning on spending 2 nights in Petra. So we took the last room in the entire city! What a contrast to the hotel in Amman. We had a junior suite. Two twin beds plus a living area. Very nice bathroom with an actual shower! I had a great night's sleep! We even kept the windows open; no loud partying or horns honking or repetitive Quran verses early in the morning! Breakfast was fabulous as well. I could live like this! Wait, didn't I do that when I was staying at the InterCon?! I can't beleive I was so ready to get out of the hotel!!
Wednesday 11/17 - Petra
Amazing! Absolutely beautiful! What a sight! Not sure words or pictures can describe what I saw, but I'll try. The rock formations were beautiful. Rock layers of different colors lined the entire walk from Wadi-Musa to Petra. Then there were the buildings from the ancient city of Petra. It's amazing that they built an entire city out of rock and sand and into a mountain. The columns and architecture were fabulous. Everywhere you looked there was evidence of the people that lived there. Holes in the rock to show their houses, theaters, paved roads, carvings... Lots to see and a lot more to learn. I wish I had a tour guide, but Susan didn't want to get one so we explored on our own. I tried to listen while some of the tour guides were explaining, but I didn't get much. Even without a guide it was fabulous to see, but I would have enjoyed it with a guide. We walked for quite a while taking in the sights. I actually walked more than Susan and would have continued but I knew it was getting late and we had to leave for Amman. So I reluctantly turned around and experienced all of Petra in reverse. It was still beautiful to see as I was walking out of the ancient city. We eventually got a horse drawn carriage to take us the last bit of the way, the part that was uphill and most difficult for Susan. It was a nice, albeit bumpy, ride.
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| the treasurery in the Anicent City of Petra |
We explored a little bit of Wadi-Musa, ate lunch, and then got back in the car to head back to Amman. We did not take the King's Highway back. I was not going to drive that again. There is a different route, it's longer but it's safer. It's called the Desert Highway and it goes through the desert. The views were amazing. Vast expanses of nothing. I didn't think "nothing" could be so beautiful. The desert hills and flat lands were astonishing. Lots of colors due to the sunset! I would love to drive this highway again! We drove back to our little hostel where a different room was waiting for us.
Thursday 11/18
Susan had made an appointment at Movenpick, the resort on the Dead Sea, so we headed back there. We spent the day relaxing at the various pools the spa had available. I did not go back in the Dead Sea. Once was enough. I just enjoyed the relaxation and sunshine. Evidently the sun at the Dead Sea is not dangerous. Not sure why or how, I just enjoyed sunbathing! It was actually relatively cool. Well, cool for me! It was just nice to be able to sit outside and not sweat! What a perfect way to end our vacation!
Friday 11/19
Back home! We left Jordan at 11:30am (our flight was supposed to be 10:20, but it was delayed) and arrived back to Hili at 8:30pm. A long day of travel.
Overall I had a very good time. I saw a lot of interesting things that I never thought I would be able to experience. I think I could have seen a lot more if I didn't have a car and relied on public transportation and tours provided by the hotels. I learned a lot about international travel. I need to get an international plan for my phone if I'm going to be doing anymore traveling. It was scary not being able to use the phone if necessary. I realized this while driving the King's Highway (not that I would have had reception, but just to be able to have a phone would have been nice). My phone only works in the UAE. Book tours, call ahead for reservations to make sure the room is still available, and don't drive.
Now it is time for bed. The weekend is going to go so fast. Lots to do tomorrow and then back to work on Sunday.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Eid and other stuff
Yeah! Eid is finally here! Eid is an Islamic holiday and I get a week off of school!
I asked my Arabic teacher to explain this holiday, so here's a brief synopsis. I hope it's right. Well, I'm sure the information she gave me is right; I just hope I'm remembering it correctly.
This Eid is celebrated by haj حج (by the way, I can write that!, of course I didn't but I can:) (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Mecca is the holy city in Saudia Arabia. All Muslims are supposed to go on haj once in their lifetime during Eid. When they get to Mecca they pray, fast, and walk around a mosque (Kabba) 7 times. This mosque is regarded as Allah's dwelling and is to be treated with respect and reverence. She told me why you walk around 7 times, but I can't remember. I suppose I should have written this one last night when I remembered more of what she told me. Oh well. Animal sacrifice is also required and then a 3 day celebration. Those that do not go on haj, pray more than usual at home, fast, and perfom an animal sacrifice. My Arabic teacher has already perfromed her haj so she is not going to Mecca. She said that even with the crowds of people gathered for haj it was a very serious event for her and she could really feel Allah's presence. A couple of my students are going to Mecca. I'm not sure if this counts as their haj because they are so young, but they are going with their family.
Dare I say it? I think it's getting cooler! Well, it is getting cooler, but there was one morning when I was a bit chilly! Yes, chilly! OK that's only in the morning and evening, but still, that's better than hot all the time. The temps here have been in the upper 80s to mid 90s this week. No more 100s!!!! There's a nice breeze in the mornings and evenings and if I wasn't in the middle of the desert I would probably have my windows open as the temps can drop to the 70s.
Wednesday a couple of teachers surprised me with a birthday gift! They were so sweet! They came into my room in the morning smiling and saying "Happy birthday!", which of course made my girls giggle and start singing Happy Birthday all over again. I thought they were done with that! They told me that they wanted to see me for a minute and then they gave me the gift. They gave me some body wash and lotion. Very nice!
I am surviving Arabic classes. She asked me to read on Wed. I had a very hard time. I could identify some letters and say them one at a time, but it was a very difficult and slow process to push them together to make words. The girls know that I'm taking Arabic and they're so funny. They try to teach me how to say words and write their names. I will say that my attempts at writing their names or reading words are not always correct. I have a hard time hearing the differences in certain sounds and knowing what letter to write or to say. Then there's always the added difficulty of letters changing shape based on their position. Still lots to learn, but they are so cute trying to teach me. Although they go very fast and don't really give me enough time to think, but it's cute nonetheless. One little girl was so cute today. I aksed to see her Arabic book and she was standing on a chair next to me so she could help me! Too cute:) Not very safe, but cute! I guess I should have sat down instead of her standing on a chair. Oh well, there's no OSHA here.
Wed. Miss. Salha, a teacher that I share one of my rooms with, asked me "why they not clean up, Miss Sara?" I told her that I really try. I do, I try to make them clean up and put their English books away and get Arabic out, but they just don't listen to me. I am not going to waste my time yelling at them to clean up. I try. I tell them to pick up and straighten their tables, but they don't listen. She made me kind of mad; like I'm not trying and I let them do whatever they want. I will say that when I come in the room isn't perfect looking either. I am always telling them to put their Arabic books away and get English out. I see papers on the floor and all over their desks. So she's not making them clean up either.
Dinner with Cassie and Susan was at an American restaurant, where they had 50s and 60s music playing. What a taste of home! Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for humus, rice, chicken tikka, and shwarma. Although it's good, we all just needed a break tonight. So we went to this new restaurant in Bawadi Mall. It was very good. I had a chicken turkey melt with fries. The fries weren't all that good especially since the Ranch dressing isn't really Ranch dressing. But sitting there listening to the music and eating American food I felt like I was at home. That is until I noticed the Arabic writing on the menu and other stores in the mall. It was just a quick taste of America!
I am going to Abu Dhabi (which I just found out is not pronounced D-abi, it's pronounced Thabi the /Th/ like that) on Sunday and then to Jordan for the break. Can't wait!
I asked my Arabic teacher to explain this holiday, so here's a brief synopsis. I hope it's right. Well, I'm sure the information she gave me is right; I just hope I'm remembering it correctly.
This Eid is celebrated by haj حج (by the way, I can write that!, of course I didn't but I can:) (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Mecca is the holy city in Saudia Arabia. All Muslims are supposed to go on haj once in their lifetime during Eid. When they get to Mecca they pray, fast, and walk around a mosque (Kabba) 7 times. This mosque is regarded as Allah's dwelling and is to be treated with respect and reverence. She told me why you walk around 7 times, but I can't remember. I suppose I should have written this one last night when I remembered more of what she told me. Oh well. Animal sacrifice is also required and then a 3 day celebration. Those that do not go on haj, pray more than usual at home, fast, and perfom an animal sacrifice. My Arabic teacher has already perfromed her haj so she is not going to Mecca. She said that even with the crowds of people gathered for haj it was a very serious event for her and she could really feel Allah's presence. A couple of my students are going to Mecca. I'm not sure if this counts as their haj because they are so young, but they are going with their family.
Dare I say it? I think it's getting cooler! Well, it is getting cooler, but there was one morning when I was a bit chilly! Yes, chilly! OK that's only in the morning and evening, but still, that's better than hot all the time. The temps here have been in the upper 80s to mid 90s this week. No more 100s!!!! There's a nice breeze in the mornings and evenings and if I wasn't in the middle of the desert I would probably have my windows open as the temps can drop to the 70s.
Wednesday a couple of teachers surprised me with a birthday gift! They were so sweet! They came into my room in the morning smiling and saying "Happy birthday!", which of course made my girls giggle and start singing Happy Birthday all over again. I thought they were done with that! They told me that they wanted to see me for a minute and then they gave me the gift. They gave me some body wash and lotion. Very nice!
I am surviving Arabic classes. She asked me to read on Wed. I had a very hard time. I could identify some letters and say them one at a time, but it was a very difficult and slow process to push them together to make words. The girls know that I'm taking Arabic and they're so funny. They try to teach me how to say words and write their names. I will say that my attempts at writing their names or reading words are not always correct. I have a hard time hearing the differences in certain sounds and knowing what letter to write or to say. Then there's always the added difficulty of letters changing shape based on their position. Still lots to learn, but they are so cute trying to teach me. Although they go very fast and don't really give me enough time to think, but it's cute nonetheless. One little girl was so cute today. I aksed to see her Arabic book and she was standing on a chair next to me so she could help me! Too cute:) Not very safe, but cute! I guess I should have sat down instead of her standing on a chair. Oh well, there's no OSHA here.
Wed. Miss. Salha, a teacher that I share one of my rooms with, asked me "why they not clean up, Miss Sara?" I told her that I really try. I do, I try to make them clean up and put their English books away and get Arabic out, but they just don't listen to me. I am not going to waste my time yelling at them to clean up. I try. I tell them to pick up and straighten their tables, but they don't listen. She made me kind of mad; like I'm not trying and I let them do whatever they want. I will say that when I come in the room isn't perfect looking either. I am always telling them to put their Arabic books away and get English out. I see papers on the floor and all over their desks. So she's not making them clean up either.
Dinner with Cassie and Susan was at an American restaurant, where they had 50s and 60s music playing. What a taste of home! Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for humus, rice, chicken tikka, and shwarma. Although it's good, we all just needed a break tonight. So we went to this new restaurant in Bawadi Mall. It was very good. I had a chicken turkey melt with fries. The fries weren't all that good especially since the Ranch dressing isn't really Ranch dressing. But sitting there listening to the music and eating American food I felt like I was at home. That is until I noticed the Arabic writing on the menu and other stores in the mall. It was just a quick taste of America!
I am going to Abu Dhabi (which I just found out is not pronounced D-abi, it's pronounced Thabi the /Th/ like that) on Sunday and then to Jordan for the break. Can't wait!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
I went back
Due to my lack of understanding and participation in my Arabic lesson on Thursday I did not get much out of it. All of the lessons are building upon the previous one and I didn't want to be behind, that would only make it more frustrating for me. So I asked, yes I asked, my instructor if I could come for an extra lesson today. She agreed and I went.
It was extremely difficult to go back, but I needed to. I went and tried. I didn't produce the sounds correctly, but at least I tried. I even specifically asked for help with the most difficult one. Which meant that I had to say it. And believe it or not, I survived.
She even prepped me for tomorrow's lesson, which includes the most difficult sounds. Of course! At least I know in advance and had the opportunity to practice for a bit. I can prepare myself mentally for tomorrow.
I will not give up!
It was extremely difficult to go back, but I needed to. I went and tried. I didn't produce the sounds correctly, but at least I tried. I even specifically asked for help with the most difficult one. Which meant that I had to say it. And believe it or not, I survived.
She even prepped me for tomorrow's lesson, which includes the most difficult sounds. Of course! At least I know in advance and had the opportunity to practice for a bit. I can prepare myself mentally for tomorrow.
I will not give up!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Weekend
What a wonderful weekend at the exact moment that I needed it! Kisha came from Abu Dhabi to spend the weekend with me and Cassie. It was great!
We went to church on Friday morning then out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. No, not the Family Restaurant. We went to Corriander. It's a wonderful Indian restaurant where all the food tastes so fresh. The service is fantastic and the food is prepared right when you order it. The spices are wonderful. I love the curry. Not too spicy though, just a little bit! Great lunch! Then we did some shopping at Bawadi Mall (our favorite mall). I got some Christmas presents! Be on the lookout for some handmade gifts from Pakistan.
We then headed up the mountain and since I had bought a new camera I could take some pictures. They didn't turn out all that good because it was dark, but have a look anyway. I love it up there! It is so beautiful and peaceful. Well, it wasn't all that peaceful on a Friday night, but it was still beautiful. Nothing here is peaceful on a Friday night. I didn't have coffee like I wanted to, but it was still nice to go back up. I will have to take a trip in the daylight.
We went to church on Friday morning then out to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. No, not the Family Restaurant. We went to Corriander. It's a wonderful Indian restaurant where all the food tastes so fresh. The service is fantastic and the food is prepared right when you order it. The spices are wonderful. I love the curry. Not too spicy though, just a little bit! Great lunch! Then we did some shopping at Bawadi Mall (our favorite mall). I got some Christmas presents! Be on the lookout for some handmade gifts from Pakistan.
We then headed up the mountain and since I had bought a new camera I could take some pictures. They didn't turn out all that good because it was dark, but have a look anyway. I love it up there! It is so beautiful and peaceful. Well, it wasn't all that peaceful on a Friday night, but it was still beautiful. Nothing here is peaceful on a Friday night. I didn't have coffee like I wanted to, but it was still nice to go back up. I will have to take a trip in the daylight.
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| top of Jebel Hafeet where the coffee shop is |
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| view from the middle, valley in the middle and city beyond |
After our trip up the mountain we came home and just hung out in the apartment. We had some girl talk time! It was very nice.
Saturday we had a nice breakfast and then went to the camel market. We had to take Kisha there; it's just something that you have to experience when in Al Ain. We saw baby camels that were only 1-3 days old. Very cute. When they are sleeping they look like they are dead. We saw a few that were sleeping and I thought they were dead until a guy told us they were sleeping.
Now it is time to study Arabic:( and get ready for the week:( Where does the weekend go?? Next week at this time I will be getting ready for my trip to Jordan. Well, not really at this time since it's only Saturday and I don't leave until Monday, but it will be a lot closer.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Arabic class
I am not quite sure how to explain my frustration. If you have ever taken a foreign language and have struggled making certain sounds, you know how I am feeling. It's frustrating, difficult, and very overwhelming.
I had gone into tonight's lesson feeling very confident and prepared. I had studied and even memorized 10 words. I could read them in Arabic and translate them to English and read them in English and translate to Arabic. I was enjoying writing the letters and I could even identify some letters in words! I was ready to show her what I knew.
Unfortunately that is not how the lesson went. I knew that it was going to be difficult right from the beginning when I saw on the top of the page "letters with no Engish equivalence." Oh no here we go again. That brought back memories of 2 weeks ago when I attempted the /ha/. Supposedly my /ha/ is getting better, but I still don't hear it. Anyway, I glanced down the list of the letters we were learning this week and saw /s/, /sh/, /s/ (yeah, exactly why 2 /s/'s?), and /d/. I thought I had learned /d/ last week. I had only learned one /d/. There are 2 and they are slightly different, just like the 2 /s/'s. Sound hard? I wish you could hear the letters, maybe then you could help me because I don't hear the difference in the /s/. I can hear it in the /d/. One is more like the regular /d/ sound and the other is more like /daugh/ like in daughter. Easy enough by itself, but try combining that sound with an e. /daughe/???? Try saying that one.
I was so frustrated and overwhelmed that I started crying after she spent several minutes trying to get me to hear the difference and say the sounds. I just couldn't do it. They all sounded the same and incorrect when I said them. The more frustrated I got the less I wanted to participate. I just wanted to go home and quit. It became very difficult to continue the lesson. I even had trouble with the letters that I knew. I couldn't even find the /b/ (one of the easiest letters and one that I learned in the first lesson) in words and I couldn't say words that had letters in them that I knew. All the letters were becoming jumbled, which isn't too difficult in the first place since they are all smushed together and change shape based on their position in the word.
Now that I know all the letters in my name, she showed me how to write it, but I wasn't all that impressed. I know she was trying to cheer me up, but I didn't care. She is very kind and encouraging so I shouldn't be getting upset because she really isn't putting any pressure on me. She is very patient and wants me to do good. She kept telling me that I need to be proud of myself because I am reading and my /ha/ is better, and I can do the /r/ (rolling r's like in French and Spanish), and /kh/ very well while others are still struggling with those sounds. She made a point of making me read the word patience, in Arabic of course. Learning takes patience and practice. It's pretty bad that on the 5th lesson my instructor can tell that I am a perfectionist and sensitive.
Hopefully things will get better.
I had gone into tonight's lesson feeling very confident and prepared. I had studied and even memorized 10 words. I could read them in Arabic and translate them to English and read them in English and translate to Arabic. I was enjoying writing the letters and I could even identify some letters in words! I was ready to show her what I knew.
Unfortunately that is not how the lesson went. I knew that it was going to be difficult right from the beginning when I saw on the top of the page "letters with no Engish equivalence." Oh no here we go again. That brought back memories of 2 weeks ago when I attempted the /ha/. Supposedly my /ha/ is getting better, but I still don't hear it. Anyway, I glanced down the list of the letters we were learning this week and saw /s/, /sh/, /s/ (yeah, exactly why 2 /s/'s?), and /d/. I thought I had learned /d/ last week. I had only learned one /d/. There are 2 and they are slightly different, just like the 2 /s/'s. Sound hard? I wish you could hear the letters, maybe then you could help me because I don't hear the difference in the /s/. I can hear it in the /d/. One is more like the regular /d/ sound and the other is more like /daugh/ like in daughter. Easy enough by itself, but try combining that sound with an e. /daughe/???? Try saying that one.
I was so frustrated and overwhelmed that I started crying after she spent several minutes trying to get me to hear the difference and say the sounds. I just couldn't do it. They all sounded the same and incorrect when I said them. The more frustrated I got the less I wanted to participate. I just wanted to go home and quit. It became very difficult to continue the lesson. I even had trouble with the letters that I knew. I couldn't even find the /b/ (one of the easiest letters and one that I learned in the first lesson) in words and I couldn't say words that had letters in them that I knew. All the letters were becoming jumbled, which isn't too difficult in the first place since they are all smushed together and change shape based on their position in the word.
Now that I know all the letters in my name, she showed me how to write it, but I wasn't all that impressed. I know she was trying to cheer me up, but I didn't care. She is very kind and encouraging so I shouldn't be getting upset because she really isn't putting any pressure on me. She is very patient and wants me to do good. She kept telling me that I need to be proud of myself because I am reading and my /ha/ is better, and I can do the /r/ (rolling r's like in French and Spanish), and /kh/ very well while others are still struggling with those sounds. She made a point of making me read the word patience, in Arabic of course. Learning takes patience and practice. It's pretty bad that on the 5th lesson my instructor can tell that I am a perfectionist and sensitive.
Hopefully things will get better.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Birthday in the UAE
Today is my birthday and although it is different not being with friends in NC, or family, I have made friends here who are helping to make this day special for me!
The girls knew it was my birthday today and they have been asking me about it for the past week. I'm actually glad it's over with so they won't ask me anymore. "Happy birthday today, Miss?" Everyday for a week.
Oh the gifts! They are so different from gifts that I have gotten from students in the past. I got a lot of jewelry! And those of you who really know me know that I don't do a lot of jewelry. I got a necklace with a big flower on it (too big for my taste), one with black and red beads (that one is kind of nice but very heavy), and a diamond necklace and earrings (that's more my style:). It's very nice, I was actually looking at something similar in the store and thought about buying it. It's very simple yet elegant. I love it and I can't believe that it came from a student. I also got some perfume (Chanel), a watch (diamond studded, but I don't know if they're real diamonds or not) and a huge heart ring. I will definitely be wearing all the jewelry so the kids see that I have it on, but some of it is just not for me. It's the thought that counts and I was truly surprised at the gifts. I also got some more traditional gifts; things that I would have gotten from students back home. I got a few hand made cards! Those are precious:) I got a box full of candy (I don't need it, but it's chocoloate:), some stickers, and a liter of Pepsi. Yes, a liter of Pepsi. OK that one is weird, but I'll put it in the fridge and drink it anyway.
So that being said, I got all the gifts and then succeeded in making 3 girls cry today. Yeah not the best birthday present, but the afternoon was rough. I am sick of it. I am tired of them listening when they want to and doing whatever they want to. So I decided to make the ones that weren't listening go back and sit at their table for the rest of the day. They also got no stickers. That's what made them cry. I know 2 of them will be better tomorrow because they are usually very good students, but the third one I'm not sure. I had 10 girls out of 26 in my 3/1 class that were listening all day and not yelling at each other. Many of the girls that weren't listening said "I sorry, Miss", over and over but I wasn't taking it today. They constantly tell me sorry, but they continue in their misbehavior. Maybe things will be different tomorrow.
So that's my birthday. I talked to family members yesterday and even this morning, which was still last night in the US. It was kind of interesting to talk to Amy on my birthday, but it wasn't my birthday yet. I get to celebrate my birthday for 32 hours! How many people can say that?
The girls knew it was my birthday today and they have been asking me about it for the past week. I'm actually glad it's over with so they won't ask me anymore. "Happy birthday today, Miss?" Everyday for a week.
Oh the gifts! They are so different from gifts that I have gotten from students in the past. I got a lot of jewelry! And those of you who really know me know that I don't do a lot of jewelry. I got a necklace with a big flower on it (too big for my taste), one with black and red beads (that one is kind of nice but very heavy), and a diamond necklace and earrings (that's more my style:). It's very nice, I was actually looking at something similar in the store and thought about buying it. It's very simple yet elegant. I love it and I can't believe that it came from a student. I also got some perfume (Chanel), a watch (diamond studded, but I don't know if they're real diamonds or not) and a huge heart ring. I will definitely be wearing all the jewelry so the kids see that I have it on, but some of it is just not for me. It's the thought that counts and I was truly surprised at the gifts. I also got some more traditional gifts; things that I would have gotten from students back home. I got a few hand made cards! Those are precious:) I got a box full of candy (I don't need it, but it's chocoloate:), some stickers, and a liter of Pepsi. Yes, a liter of Pepsi. OK that one is weird, but I'll put it in the fridge and drink it anyway.
So that being said, I got all the gifts and then succeeded in making 3 girls cry today. Yeah not the best birthday present, but the afternoon was rough. I am sick of it. I am tired of them listening when they want to and doing whatever they want to. So I decided to make the ones that weren't listening go back and sit at their table for the rest of the day. They also got no stickers. That's what made them cry. I know 2 of them will be better tomorrow because they are usually very good students, but the third one I'm not sure. I had 10 girls out of 26 in my 3/1 class that were listening all day and not yelling at each other. Many of the girls that weren't listening said "I sorry, Miss", over and over but I wasn't taking it today. They constantly tell me sorry, but they continue in their misbehavior. Maybe things will be different tomorrow.
So that's my birthday. I talked to family members yesterday and even this morning, which was still last night in the US. It was kind of interesting to talk to Amy on my birthday, but it wasn't my birthday yet. I get to celebrate my birthday for 32 hours! How many people can say that?
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