No creative title today. I just couldn't think of one.
Well, the Abu Dhabi people have left. The ones that will be staying in a hotel apartment left this afternoon. It was kind of sad, especially since I didn't even get to say goodbye to Lakisha since she left while I was getting my hair done:( I have her number so we will definitely stay in touch and I'm still in Abu Dhabi, even though she's not at the InterContinental anymore.
I found out that I will most likely be moving to a hotel in Al Ain on Thursday! Yeah!! That means that I should be able to start shopping and getting my apartment ready. Fun times!! I also have orientation tomorrow morning. I have been wishing for this since the people who are staying in Abu Dhabi have had orientation all week and have been getting a lot of great resources and information about their schools. It's time for us Al Ain folk to be getting some information and resources as well. Plus it will give me something do and focus my mind on.
I went to the bank today to set up my online banking. Not that I have any money in my account, but at least it's set up for when I do have money. So when Cassandra and I got to the bank there was a sign on the door; "ladies use back entrance". I felt like I was in the Civil War time period when blacks had to use a different entrance. Didn't make me feel really good. We go in the bank and there is one teller, one customer service representative, and 4 chairs. I don't know what the men's side looked like, but I'm sure there was more than 1 teller. Plus the room must have been bigger because the bank was a very decent sized bank. We waited in line for the teller and I was very pleased that she spoke English; I wasn't sure how I was going to communicate online banking to her. She told us that we had to wait for the customer service rep. There were 2 other people waiting for her. When it was my turn I told her what I wanted and she clearly understood! No language issues at the bank! They have some really intense security measures in place over here. I got an envelope with a security code in it and my password. The security code changes all the time. Weird. You don't get to choose your username or password it's all given in sealed envelopes. Same thing with my password for my debit card. I filled out my form and waited for Cassandra. While Cassandra was filling out her form an Emirati (local) woman began talking to the customer service rep and interrupted the service Cassandra was in the middle of getting. That's just the way things are here. The Emirati's don't wait their turn, they just do what they want when they want. It's just something that we're going to have to get used to, along with the discrimination. They can make it sound and look good like on the bus with priority seating, but having to use a different entrance is not very positive.
Went looking for a car today, not that I have the money or the residency visa that is required to get a car; it was just nice to look. They are very expensive; at least the new ones. I will not be getting a new car. I am leaning heavily towards leasing one, it will just be so much easier to not have to worry about a car when I leave. If I can get by without a car, that would be great as well.
I ordered my first delivery meal in Abu Dhabi. Again, I was concerned about the language but the recorded message said "to continue in English press 2". I ordered my pizza with pepperoni on it. Despite not eating pork here you can get whatever you want on your pizza; ham and sausage included. Kind of weird! I thought that they would have different toppings due to the culture. Chicken is a big pizza topping here though.
Excited for tomorrow! I hope that I will get a lot of useful information!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Gold Souk
There was some excitement at the InterCon today! The people who are placed in Abu Dhabi had been told that they were leaving the hotel at 3:00 this afternoon to head to their new apartments. There was excitement in the air as they got packed and said goodbye to friends that were made. It was a little sad knowing that Kisha, Kate, and Virginia were going to be leaving the hotel, but at least we're all still in Abu Dhabi. Well, 3:00 came and went and no bus. The excitement changed to nervous which changed to frustration when they realized that they were not leaving. The lack of communication is getting to everybody. I think everyone would be ok if we just knew what was happening when. The people who are moving to Al Ain have been told to get comfortable; we'll probably be here another week. That's fine with me, just knowing something is better than all the rumors and wondering that is going on here. Even though everyone on Facebook from last year said to expect stuff like this, I thought they would have gotten it worked out and been more organized. Guess I was wrong. That's just the way this country works; not much planning and organizing except when it comes to consturction. So, knowing that I am going to be here for a while longer I did some more laundry and organized my luggage. I was so sick of rifling through suitcases and clothes that I'm not going to wear to find the stuff that I wanted to wear. Now that I am all organized and have wet clothes hanging in the bathroom I'll probably leave tomorrow!! I think I am getting to be quite good at washing in the tub!! It's not fun at all and I thank the inventor of the washing machine:) Can't wait to get my own!
This evening Cassandra, Kisha and I went to Madinet Zayed to pick up our abayahs and go to the gold souk. Cassandra's abayah was finished and it fit her well; mine was finished, but it was a little too tight in the arms. The guy said it was fine and that it was very loose; that was when I held my arms out like I was flying. I don't normally walk around like that. When I bent my arms, and even when I just put them by my side it was tight. So after arguing with him that it was actually tight, he said he would fix it so it won't be ready until tomorrow. After Cassandra got her abayah we walked next door to the gold souk. I thought the gold souk would have bars of gold for sale and anything you wanted decorated in gold. I thought there would be gold vending machines (they have them here) all over the place. I expected to see lots and lots of different gold objects. Boy was I wrong. All it was, was gold jewelry. Quite disappointing. I wanted to take some pictures of the very tacky (Mr. T like) gold jewelry, but no photography was allowed. There was some nice jewelry as well, but most of it was very gaudy and "blingy". Guess I should have gotten some bling, since I couldn't get my abayah!
The taxi ride home was very scary. You are putting your life in danger everytime you get in a taxi in this country. They drive so fast and cut other drivers off all the time. The taxi is equipped with a device that tells them to slow down if they are going too fast. This particular driver heard the warning and promptly sped up! The horn is their favorite part of the car! Cassandra said that she felt like she was at 6 Flags!!!! In a way I can't wait to get a car, but it also scares me because I know I will have to drive with these maniacs! Defensive driving is a must here.
Still no money in my bank account, but at least my card works at the ATM now! One step forward!! Patience. "Shway, shway" (slowly) is a phrase that we're all using a lot now. "Inshallah" (God willing) has become like "no". Everytime we hear someone say Inshallah we automatically say that the answer must be no. Off to bed; maybe more information or money tomorrow!!
This evening Cassandra, Kisha and I went to Madinet Zayed to pick up our abayahs and go to the gold souk. Cassandra's abayah was finished and it fit her well; mine was finished, but it was a little too tight in the arms. The guy said it was fine and that it was very loose; that was when I held my arms out like I was flying. I don't normally walk around like that. When I bent my arms, and even when I just put them by my side it was tight. So after arguing with him that it was actually tight, he said he would fix it so it won't be ready until tomorrow. After Cassandra got her abayah we walked next door to the gold souk. I thought the gold souk would have bars of gold for sale and anything you wanted decorated in gold. I thought there would be gold vending machines (they have them here) all over the place. I expected to see lots and lots of different gold objects. Boy was I wrong. All it was, was gold jewelry. Quite disappointing. I wanted to take some pictures of the very tacky (Mr. T like) gold jewelry, but no photography was allowed. There was some nice jewelry as well, but most of it was very gaudy and "blingy". Guess I should have gotten some bling, since I couldn't get my abayah!
The taxi ride home was very scary. You are putting your life in danger everytime you get in a taxi in this country. They drive so fast and cut other drivers off all the time. The taxi is equipped with a device that tells them to slow down if they are going too fast. This particular driver heard the warning and promptly sped up! The horn is their favorite part of the car! Cassandra said that she felt like she was at 6 Flags!!!! In a way I can't wait to get a car, but it also scares me because I know I will have to drive with these maniacs! Defensive driving is a must here.
Still no money in my bank account, but at least my card works at the ATM now! One step forward!! Patience. "Shway, shway" (slowly) is a phrase that we're all using a lot now. "Inshallah" (God willing) has become like "no". Everytime we hear someone say Inshallah we automatically say that the answer must be no. Off to bed; maybe more information or money tomorrow!!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Long weekend
My weekend just got lengthened! Teachers that are placed in Abu Dhabi had to go to a meeting today, while teachers placed in Al Ain had the day off due to not being in Al Ain yet. This would normally be a good thing, but I am so ready to get started. It is kind of weird to say that I'm bored. I mean I'm in Abu Dhabi of all places and I'm bored. One can only go to the mall so many times!!
I went to a souk today. A souk is like an outdoor market or street fair, only this one was indoors. This souk specialized in perfumes, incense, fabrics, abayahs, and fabrics. I saw a rug that was really nice that I would like for my apartment. It was brown and it had some Arabic writing on it. I asked the guy if he knew what it said, but he didn't. I told Cassandra that I could just make up something poetic when people ask what it says. The guy then said that it was for Muslims only. I thought he meant that only Muslims could buy it, but he meant that the writing was verses from the Quran. I decided that I didn't want it. The incense was really strong and not pleasant smelling either. You could tell that the perfume was cheap from the overpowering scent of the souk. There were some places that I couldn't even walk down due to the smell. When you go to a souk, the first rule is that you never pay full price for something. The shop owners expect you to haggle with them over pricing. They try all sorts of tactics to get you in their shop and to get you to buy something. Susan was looking for a scarf and the owner kept telling her that everything looked beautiful on her. He even asked her to name a price when the original price was too high, but she declined saying that she needed to save money for a car and furniture; which is true.
My abayah wasn't ready today. Well, it will be ready at midnight, but we're not going back. Cassandra and I will have to make a trip tomorrow. Oh well, it will give me something to do; although it is going back to a mall. Time to check the tourist book and find the museums and stuff. Something intersting for tomorrow.
I went to a souk today. A souk is like an outdoor market or street fair, only this one was indoors. This souk specialized in perfumes, incense, fabrics, abayahs, and fabrics. I saw a rug that was really nice that I would like for my apartment. It was brown and it had some Arabic writing on it. I asked the guy if he knew what it said, but he didn't. I told Cassandra that I could just make up something poetic when people ask what it says. The guy then said that it was for Muslims only. I thought he meant that only Muslims could buy it, but he meant that the writing was verses from the Quran. I decided that I didn't want it. The incense was really strong and not pleasant smelling either. You could tell that the perfume was cheap from the overpowering scent of the souk. There were some places that I couldn't even walk down due to the smell. When you go to a souk, the first rule is that you never pay full price for something. The shop owners expect you to haggle with them over pricing. They try all sorts of tactics to get you in their shop and to get you to buy something. Susan was looking for a scarf and the owner kept telling her that everything looked beautiful on her. He even asked her to name a price when the original price was too high, but she declined saying that she needed to save money for a car and furniture; which is true.
My abayah wasn't ready today. Well, it will be ready at midnight, but we're not going back. Cassandra and I will have to make a trip tomorrow. Oh well, it will give me something to do; although it is going back to a mall. Time to check the tourist book and find the museums and stuff. Something intersting for tomorrow.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Short post
Not much going on today. I am sick of the mall. That seems to be the only thing to do here. There are plenty of shops, but of course everything is closed until 8 and then it is so hot and humid at night that I just don't feel like walking around all the time. I do have to get out and experience the local culture and that can be done by walking around and seeing the different shops and souks.
Went for a walk with Lakisha this afternoon since we couldn't go to the tourist area where souveniors are. It was really pleasant! We went to a little park by the hotel and we tried to walk to the mall, but it got really hot really quick so we turned around.
Went to the Abu Dhabi mall this evening with Cassandra and Ertha (she used to work at the Intercon). It's a huge mall, like any mall you may find in a big city. We met at Starbucks! Starbucks are everywhere here as well! I got my new phone, I will try to keep better track of this one! I also began looking for appliances. If I am not careful I am going to go through my AED 5,000 in just appliances and a TV. I found a little countertop stove that was cheap, and I will probably only get a washer not a washer/dryer combo. I am looking at the Abu Dhabi Cooperative which is kind of like a discount store. I will also check Carrefour and IKEA.
Another day with no word from ADEC about moving to Al Ain. I talked to Anton at the front desk and he said that the rooms are booked untill Sept. 3rd. So I may be here another week.
Went for a walk with Lakisha this afternoon since we couldn't go to the tourist area where souveniors are. It was really pleasant! We went to a little park by the hotel and we tried to walk to the mall, but it got really hot really quick so we turned around.
Went to the Abu Dhabi mall this evening with Cassandra and Ertha (she used to work at the Intercon). It's a huge mall, like any mall you may find in a big city. We met at Starbucks! Starbucks are everywhere here as well! I got my new phone, I will try to keep better track of this one! I also began looking for appliances. If I am not careful I am going to go through my AED 5,000 in just appliances and a TV. I found a little countertop stove that was cheap, and I will probably only get a washer not a washer/dryer combo. I am looking at the Abu Dhabi Cooperative which is kind of like a discount store. I will also check Carrefour and IKEA.
Another day with no word from ADEC about moving to Al Ain. I talked to Anton at the front desk and he said that the rooms are booked untill Sept. 3rd. So I may be here another week.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Weekend
Today has been a relaxing day. It was so nice to just sleep in and get up slowly, when I wanted to, not the alarm. I went to church and lost my phone. Not sure if I lost it at church or in the taxi coming from the church to the hotel. Hopefully it fell out of my purse at church, becuase then there is a chance that I may get it back. I may have to go phone shopping again:(
I finally made it to the Emirates Palace this afternoon! Unfortunately I forgot my camera:( That is just an excuse to go back. All I can say is that it is amazing! Pictures wouldn't do it justice, just like the mosque. As soon as I got to the hotel there were people there to open the taxi door and the hotel door. I walked in on a red carpet! Just like the stars! The lobby is amazing; my eyes were immediately drawn up and up and up. The ceiling seemed to be so far up, when in reality there were only 5 floors above where we were. It was so grand and the way that you can only see one part at a time is amazing. Marble everywhere, chandeliers, spiral staircases, ancient art pieces, and luxurious furniture defintitely make it a place of grandeur. They have an embrodiery exhibit and a 2030 exhibit, but they were closed when we were there (Ramadan of course). The exhibits opened again at 8 pm, but we didn't go back. We will definitely have to return in the evening. The gardens were so green and lush. It's amazing that they can do that in this heat. The grass is greener than the grass in NC that actually gets some rain. They must pay a lot of money to irrigate their lawn. There were palm trees everywhere and the look at the beach was beautiful. Not that I wanted to go in the water, it was so nice just to look at it! Pictures will come when I go back and take pictures, but if you're curious you can google Emirates Palace. I'm sure there's a website.
I also did the Corniche tonight. The Corniche is the beachfront walk. It was so quiet, peaceful, and beautiful tonight. Unfortunately it was so dark that my camera (yes, I remembered it this time) wouldn't take good pictures. Just looking out over the water to see the buildings lit up was magnificent! It was actually tolerable on the Corniche. The breeze from the water helped. It was nice to just walk along and talk. I thought that there were shops on the Corniche, but all that was there was restaurants. We treated ourselves to Cold Stone Creamery!!
Just a word about the people here. They are so friendly and helpful. Especially the people at the hotel; I know they are getting paid, but still. The people outside are also friendly. Language hasn't really been an issue, other than a few times in the taxi. The men seem to stare a lot, but I guess I should be used to that since people are always staring at me due to my height. All the people that I have talked to have been really nice so far. I hope that is the same in Al Ain. I know there will probably be more of a language barrier there, but it will be good exposure to the real culture.
Still no word on when I'll be moved to Al Ain. I am just going to enjoy this 5 star living!
I finally made it to the Emirates Palace this afternoon! Unfortunately I forgot my camera:( That is just an excuse to go back. All I can say is that it is amazing! Pictures wouldn't do it justice, just like the mosque. As soon as I got to the hotel there were people there to open the taxi door and the hotel door. I walked in on a red carpet! Just like the stars! The lobby is amazing; my eyes were immediately drawn up and up and up. The ceiling seemed to be so far up, when in reality there were only 5 floors above where we were. It was so grand and the way that you can only see one part at a time is amazing. Marble everywhere, chandeliers, spiral staircases, ancient art pieces, and luxurious furniture defintitely make it a place of grandeur. They have an embrodiery exhibit and a 2030 exhibit, but they were closed when we were there (Ramadan of course). The exhibits opened again at 8 pm, but we didn't go back. We will definitely have to return in the evening. The gardens were so green and lush. It's amazing that they can do that in this heat. The grass is greener than the grass in NC that actually gets some rain. They must pay a lot of money to irrigate their lawn. There were palm trees everywhere and the look at the beach was beautiful. Not that I wanted to go in the water, it was so nice just to look at it! Pictures will come when I go back and take pictures, but if you're curious you can google Emirates Palace. I'm sure there's a website.
I also did the Corniche tonight. The Corniche is the beachfront walk. It was so quiet, peaceful, and beautiful tonight. Unfortunately it was so dark that my camera (yes, I remembered it this time) wouldn't take good pictures. Just looking out over the water to see the buildings lit up was magnificent! It was actually tolerable on the Corniche. The breeze from the water helped. It was nice to just walk along and talk. I thought that there were shops on the Corniche, but all that was there was restaurants. We treated ourselves to Cold Stone Creamery!!
Just a word about the people here. They are so friendly and helpful. Especially the people at the hotel; I know they are getting paid, but still. The people outside are also friendly. Language hasn't really been an issue, other than a few times in the taxi. The men seem to stare a lot, but I guess I should be used to that since people are always staring at me due to my height. All the people that I have talked to have been really nice so far. I hope that is the same in Al Ain. I know there will probably be more of a language barrier there, but it will be good exposure to the real culture.
Still no word on when I'll be moved to Al Ain. I am just going to enjoy this 5 star living!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
End of the week
Yeah! My second full work week in Abu Dhabi is finished! I found out that my school, Amorriyah Primary School, is only about a 10-15 mintue drive from my apartment in Hili Residential Complex. I am sooo happy because there are people who have a 50 minute or more drive to their school. My next task is to try to get a car. I am thinking of getting a used car or renting/leasing a car. If I rent a car the price includes insurance, so I have to figure that in if I end up getting a used car. There is also the advantage of just returning the car when/if I leave in 2 years. More decisions to make!
I got my bank account!! I have my bank card, but there's no money in the account right now. The furniture allowance and salary advance should be there on Sunday.
I still really don't know when I'll be leaving for Al Ain (really pronounced Al eyen; so many people say it differently but it's really Al eyen). They have told us that we have the weekend here in Abu Dhabi and we may move on Sunday. Who knows? When we move they will put us up in a hotel for 5 days while we get our apartment ready and then it's to the apartment complex. I am so ready. I'm ready to get settled and in a routine.
I went abayah shopping tonight. I know, I can't believe that I'm going to wear one, but I hear it's "required" in the school that I'm going to. I don't have to wear the sheylah (head covering), just the abayah. I am having 2 made; and they are very simple. They are actually quite comfortable and cool because I will be able to wear whatever I want under them since you can't see through them. Unfortunately I may not be able to wear the beautiful and comfortable skirts that Pam made me to work. I will still be able to wear them out and to church. Who knows, the dress code may have changed from last year, or it may change in the middle of the year. That's what we're there for; to bring change.
I had an interesting time doing laundry. I took a majority of my clothes to the laundromat where they wash and then bring the clothes back. That was a neat service! I only paid 61 dirhams for some capris, tops, and skirts. I did my underwear in the tub. Now that was an experience! I have never done that before and I"m honestly not sure how clean they got. Hopefully I won't have to do that again! I can't wait to get in my apartment and getting a washer/dryer combo! Supposedly the dryers here just wring the water out and that's it. Most people just hang their clothes to dry and they dry really quickly.
Time for bed! I get to sleep in tomorrow:)
I got my bank account!! I have my bank card, but there's no money in the account right now. The furniture allowance and salary advance should be there on Sunday.
I still really don't know when I'll be leaving for Al Ain (really pronounced Al eyen; so many people say it differently but it's really Al eyen). They have told us that we have the weekend here in Abu Dhabi and we may move on Sunday. Who knows? When we move they will put us up in a hotel for 5 days while we get our apartment ready and then it's to the apartment complex. I am so ready. I'm ready to get settled and in a routine.
I went abayah shopping tonight. I know, I can't believe that I'm going to wear one, but I hear it's "required" in the school that I'm going to. I don't have to wear the sheylah (head covering), just the abayah. I am having 2 made; and they are very simple. They are actually quite comfortable and cool because I will be able to wear whatever I want under them since you can't see through them. Unfortunately I may not be able to wear the beautiful and comfortable skirts that Pam made me to work. I will still be able to wear them out and to church. Who knows, the dress code may have changed from last year, or it may change in the middle of the year. That's what we're there for; to bring change.
I had an interesting time doing laundry. I took a majority of my clothes to the laundromat where they wash and then bring the clothes back. That was a neat service! I only paid 61 dirhams for some capris, tops, and skirts. I did my underwear in the tub. Now that was an experience! I have never done that before and I"m honestly not sure how clean they got. Hopefully I won't have to do that again! I can't wait to get in my apartment and getting a washer/dryer combo! Supposedly the dryers here just wring the water out and that's it. Most people just hang their clothes to dry and they dry really quickly.
Time for bed! I get to sleep in tomorrow:)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Long Day
I have such awesome friends and family! Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and encouragement when I was feeling overwhelmed. It means a lot to me! I am doing much better, even though there are still many many uncertainties.
I found out where I will be teaching. Well at least the name of the school, I still can't find the area on a map. I will be teaching at Ammoriyah Primary School. This is a girls cycle 1 (1-5) school. As of right now there are no other LTs (licensed teachers) going to this school. There are 3 more LTs that are going to the same area as I am, but they are going to a different school. Not sure why I got placed at Ammoriyah instead of the other one, but I'm sure I'm there for a reason.
We went to Sheikh Zayed Mosque today. It is beautiful. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't really do it justice. For women to enter the Mosque they have to wear an abbayah and a sheyla. The abbayah is the long black covering and the sheyla is the hair covering. This Mosque can hold 22,000 people! That's amazing. It has the largest chandelier in the world. I will say that the chandelier isn't all that pretty, but it is the largest! There is a men's worship area and a women's worship area. Both are exactly the same. The ceiling has huge domes with verses of the Quran inscribed. The Quran is also read 24 hours a day. The men have to read for 2 hours at a time. In addition to wearing the abbayah and sheyla, we had to take our shoes off. Even though it was hot outside the ground wasn't hot at all. Not sure how they achieved that, but I was quite glad. Sheikh Zayed is buried in this Mosque, but we didn't have time to see his burial site. In one area of the Mosque if you are stepping on a flower on the carpet and look up at the ceiling you will see the exact flower that you are stepping on! Pretty neat feature. The wall facing Mecca (the direction they pray) is white while the other walls have more color. Some of the walls were covered in flowers. More pictures will be posted on Facebook. It was very impressive and amazing!
We also went to the Islamic Cultural Center in Al Ain. We were told that we would have an Iftar buffet when we got there. This did not happen. We had light refreshments; finger foods. It was good, but not what we were told was going to happen. The rest of the night wasn't fun at all. We sat through 2 lectures, and I mean boring lectures where the speaker read from a paper, about culture and relegion. I am getting sick of hearing the same things about Muslims and Islam culture. I know it's important to understand their culutre, but they keep telling us the same things over and over. For a 2 hour ride, I thought it was going to be informative and well presented. A lot of us actually thought we were going to go to a museum. That would have been so much better.
Now it's late and time for bed. I still have no idea how much longer I'll be in the hotel. I have heard that they are moving us to a hotel in Al Ain on Saturday, but I haven't gotten any real confirmation about that.
I found out where I will be teaching. Well at least the name of the school, I still can't find the area on a map. I will be teaching at Ammoriyah Primary School. This is a girls cycle 1 (1-5) school. As of right now there are no other LTs (licensed teachers) going to this school. There are 3 more LTs that are going to the same area as I am, but they are going to a different school. Not sure why I got placed at Ammoriyah instead of the other one, but I'm sure I'm there for a reason.
We went to Sheikh Zayed Mosque today. It is beautiful. I took a lot of pictures, but they don't really do it justice. For women to enter the Mosque they have to wear an abbayah and a sheyla. The abbayah is the long black covering and the sheyla is the hair covering. This Mosque can hold 22,000 people! That's amazing. It has the largest chandelier in the world. I will say that the chandelier isn't all that pretty, but it is the largest! There is a men's worship area and a women's worship area. Both are exactly the same. The ceiling has huge domes with verses of the Quran inscribed. The Quran is also read 24 hours a day. The men have to read for 2 hours at a time. In addition to wearing the abbayah and sheyla, we had to take our shoes off. Even though it was hot outside the ground wasn't hot at all. Not sure how they achieved that, but I was quite glad. Sheikh Zayed is buried in this Mosque, but we didn't have time to see his burial site. In one area of the Mosque if you are stepping on a flower on the carpet and look up at the ceiling you will see the exact flower that you are stepping on! Pretty neat feature. The wall facing Mecca (the direction they pray) is white while the other walls have more color. Some of the walls were covered in flowers. More pictures will be posted on Facebook. It was very impressive and amazing!
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| Sheikh Zayed Mosque |
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| Me and Cassandra in our abbayahs and sheylas |
We also went to the Islamic Cultural Center in Al Ain. We were told that we would have an Iftar buffet when we got there. This did not happen. We had light refreshments; finger foods. It was good, but not what we were told was going to happen. The rest of the night wasn't fun at all. We sat through 2 lectures, and I mean boring lectures where the speaker read from a paper, about culture and relegion. I am getting sick of hearing the same things about Muslims and Islam culture. I know it's important to understand their culutre, but they keep telling us the same things over and over. For a 2 hour ride, I thought it was going to be informative and well presented. A lot of us actually thought we were going to go to a museum. That would have been so much better.
Now it's late and time for bed. I still have no idea how much longer I'll be in the hotel. I have heard that they are moving us to a hotel in Al Ain on Saturday, but I haven't gotten any real confirmation about that.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Overwhelmed
I am having a pretty rough day today. It started out with one of my dizzy/weak spells. I went to sit down in the bathroom (so I could get something to drink) and had someone bring me some orange juice. Not a great way to start the day, but people were very helpful and kind.
In addition to not feeling well today (weak, stomach issues, and hot) I think the reality of the situation has finally hit. I am quite overwhelmed with the task that I am about to undertake. I am in a totally different country with a totally different culture, trying to make friends, learn the language, figure out when and where I'll be moving to, thinking about how to teach these students and all the pressure that is being placed on us as new LTs (licensed teachers), and not being able to eat or drink. It's just a bit much to deal with right now and all at the same time. I have just felt like crying all day today, and I have at different points when people ask me how I'm doing. Everyone has been great though, very helpful and friendly. Those that have lived in other countries say that it's normal and part of culture shock. I haven't thought about leaving, so that's a good thing. It's just a lot to take in and process. I am scared about what comes next. I am ready to teach, but at the same time I think I am realizing all the pressue that ADEC is placing on us to make sure the program is a success.
To handle the physical aspect of this I have to start eating during the day again. Regardless of Ramadan, I need to have a snack with me so I can counteract the dizziness and weakness that I have been experiencing. Liz, works for ADEC and helped me this morning, told me that it would be ok for me to carry something with me if I need to.
I am praying that the rest will pass and that God will help me to adjust and not stress and worry about what is going to happen next.
In addition to not feeling well today (weak, stomach issues, and hot) I think the reality of the situation has finally hit. I am quite overwhelmed with the task that I am about to undertake. I am in a totally different country with a totally different culture, trying to make friends, learn the language, figure out when and where I'll be moving to, thinking about how to teach these students and all the pressure that is being placed on us as new LTs (licensed teachers), and not being able to eat or drink. It's just a bit much to deal with right now and all at the same time. I have just felt like crying all day today, and I have at different points when people ask me how I'm doing. Everyone has been great though, very helpful and friendly. Those that have lived in other countries say that it's normal and part of culture shock. I haven't thought about leaving, so that's a good thing. It's just a lot to take in and process. I am scared about what comes next. I am ready to teach, but at the same time I think I am realizing all the pressue that ADEC is placing on us to make sure the program is a success.
To handle the physical aspect of this I have to start eating during the day again. Regardless of Ramadan, I need to have a snack with me so I can counteract the dizziness and weakness that I have been experiencing. Liz, works for ADEC and helped me this morning, told me that it would be ok for me to carry something with me if I need to.
I am praying that the rest will pass and that God will help me to adjust and not stress and worry about what is going to happen next.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
School Orientation
School orientaion started today. Having to work on a Sunday really isn't a big deal, other than the fact that I think it's Monday! That's going to take some time getting used to.
Today we just went over Abu Dhabi's 2030 plan and the strategic plan for ADEC. The 2030 plan is pretty impressive! The strategic plan for the schools is quite impressive as well. They want to completely overhaul their schools. A lot of poor performing students and schools. They want the focus to be on English so their students can be globally competitive, but they also want them to stay in Abu Dhabi to help them reach their 2030 vision.
I also had some time to learn some Arabic. 45 minutes is not enough time to learn Arabic. We will have Arabic lessons for 45 mintues each day this week. They are teaching us common survival Arabic and we learned simple greetings today. "shoeismick" what is your name; "issme _____________" my name is_______; "kef halak?" how are you?; "zane al hamdulilah" fine thanks; "assalam alaykum" hello; "ma'a salama" goodbye. It's a start and I know I will have to practice in order to fully learn these phrases.
After orientation Cassandra, Lakeesha, and I tried to do laundry so we got in a cab and told him we wanted to go to Spino's, he had no idea what that was or where it would be so we had to improvise. It's funny to try to use hand signals and easy words to talk about doing laundry. He thought we wanted to buy clothes, or soap, He was getting ready to take us to the Abu Dhabi Mall! We eventually got him to understand by saying dirty clothes, make clean. Weird. Then we found out they were closed due to Ramadan and we went back to the hotel where we found out they don't have actual laundramats here. You leave your clothes at the laundramat and they wash it and bring it back. It was too late to do that so we'll have to do that tomorrow. So we went to dinner. We ate at a very different and highly recommended restaurnat Lebanese Flower. It was good, but not the best. I had chicken shwarma with hommas. Chicken shwarma is thinly sliced meat like gyro meat, but it doesn't taste like gyro meat. After dinner they gave us complimentary dessert that tasted like soap!! Really it did! It was a pancake wrapped around some white filling that tasted like soap and there was syrup on top. We couldn't stop laughing when I said it tasted like soap! Well we won't be going back there again!
It was still relatively early so we decied to walk around and see what was in that area of town. Bad idea! This black guy in a white SUV began following us and beeping his horn. We didn't think much of it until we saw him following us for a while. So we went in a store and looked at refrigerators. Cassandra noticed that he had gotten out of his car and was waiting in front of the store! We didn't know what to do so we talked to the shop owner about shipping stuff to Al Ain. He must have thought we were crazy! We eventually were able to leave the store and hurry to find a cab, but as soon as we turned the corner he was there. Oh my gosh were we scared. We had to get a cab quickly! We hailed one down and even as we were walking to the cab he was still following us. We got in the cab and he stood right by the cab! SCARY! For a city with a very low crime rate I didn't feel very safe. We told the driver to get out of there fast. No big deal, cabbies drive fast in Abu Dhabi. We made it back to the hotel safely and agreed that's the last time we would be in that area at night.
Oh, I witnessed call to prayer tonight. It was pretty neat to see all the Muslims head to the mosque on the street. They were walking with a purpose. The sight was different than I expected because I thought they would just stop in the middle of the street, but they go to mosques.
Talked to Lexi today and she broke my heart when she asked when I was coming to her house again:( I miss that little girl! It's been great having Skype to be able to talk to and see my family. I have talked to Mom, Dad, and Amy quite a lot this week, and Mark and Nancy today. It will definitely make this move a lot easier knowing that I can see them even if I can't be with them.
Today we just went over Abu Dhabi's 2030 plan and the strategic plan for ADEC. The 2030 plan is pretty impressive! The strategic plan for the schools is quite impressive as well. They want to completely overhaul their schools. A lot of poor performing students and schools. They want the focus to be on English so their students can be globally competitive, but they also want them to stay in Abu Dhabi to help them reach their 2030 vision.
I also had some time to learn some Arabic. 45 minutes is not enough time to learn Arabic. We will have Arabic lessons for 45 mintues each day this week. They are teaching us common survival Arabic and we learned simple greetings today. "shoeismick" what is your name; "issme _____________" my name is_______; "kef halak?" how are you?; "zane al hamdulilah" fine thanks; "assalam alaykum" hello; "ma'a salama" goodbye. It's a start and I know I will have to practice in order to fully learn these phrases.
After orientation Cassandra, Lakeesha, and I tried to do laundry so we got in a cab and told him we wanted to go to Spino's, he had no idea what that was or where it would be so we had to improvise. It's funny to try to use hand signals and easy words to talk about doing laundry. He thought we wanted to buy clothes, or soap, He was getting ready to take us to the Abu Dhabi Mall! We eventually got him to understand by saying dirty clothes, make clean. Weird. Then we found out they were closed due to Ramadan and we went back to the hotel where we found out they don't have actual laundramats here. You leave your clothes at the laundramat and they wash it and bring it back. It was too late to do that so we'll have to do that tomorrow. So we went to dinner. We ate at a very different and highly recommended restaurnat Lebanese Flower. It was good, but not the best. I had chicken shwarma with hommas. Chicken shwarma is thinly sliced meat like gyro meat, but it doesn't taste like gyro meat. After dinner they gave us complimentary dessert that tasted like soap!! Really it did! It was a pancake wrapped around some white filling that tasted like soap and there was syrup on top. We couldn't stop laughing when I said it tasted like soap! Well we won't be going back there again!
It was still relatively early so we decied to walk around and see what was in that area of town. Bad idea! This black guy in a white SUV began following us and beeping his horn. We didn't think much of it until we saw him following us for a while. So we went in a store and looked at refrigerators. Cassandra noticed that he had gotten out of his car and was waiting in front of the store! We didn't know what to do so we talked to the shop owner about shipping stuff to Al Ain. He must have thought we were crazy! We eventually were able to leave the store and hurry to find a cab, but as soon as we turned the corner he was there. Oh my gosh were we scared. We had to get a cab quickly! We hailed one down and even as we were walking to the cab he was still following us. We got in the cab and he stood right by the cab! SCARY! For a city with a very low crime rate I didn't feel very safe. We told the driver to get out of there fast. No big deal, cabbies drive fast in Abu Dhabi. We made it back to the hotel safely and agreed that's the last time we would be in that area at night.
Oh, I witnessed call to prayer tonight. It was pretty neat to see all the Muslims head to the mosque on the street. They were walking with a purpose. The sight was different than I expected because I thought they would just stop in the middle of the street, but they go to mosques.
Talked to Lexi today and she broke my heart when she asked when I was coming to her house again:( I miss that little girl! It's been great having Skype to be able to talk to and see my family. I have talked to Mom, Dad, and Amy quite a lot this week, and Mark and Nancy today. It will definitely make this move a lot easier knowing that I can see them even if I can't be with them.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Apartment
Today ADEC scheduled a tour for those of us living in Al Ain to go see our aparatments. The buses were supposed to arrive at 8:00, but they didn't show up until 9:00. There were only 2 buses, and we all wouldn't fit, so they had to get another bus which didn't arrigve until 10:00. So there was a lot of time this morning just sitting around and waiting. We got the buses moving and arrived in Al Ain at the apartments around noon. The apartment complex is right on the border of Al Ain and Oman. There is a huge fence with barbed wire on top of it running along side the road. We also passed the border station. The apartment complex looks farily new and is huge. Lots of buildings and about 7 stories high.
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| outside of complex |
We were informed that singles would be getting a one bedroom apartment, but this commplex only has 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, so I get a 2 bedroom apartment! The whole thing is empty! No furniture or appliances. That is kind of weird. I knew that there probably wouldn't be furniture, but I figured that there would be appliances. Oh well, I get to shop for a refrigerator!! There are 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. The living room is pretty good sized and the kitchen is small, but bigger than the one in Asheboro! I am excited to go furniture shopping and ready to move in and get settled!
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| bathroom |
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| one of two bedrooms |
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kitchen |
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| living room |
Friday, August 20, 2010
Emirates Palace
Today was the day! I walked from the Intercontinenal Hotel to the Emirates Palace. It was hot, but definitely not as hot as it has been. Well, at least not as humid. It is very uncommon for people to walk in this city so when a taxi driver sees someone walking they will honk and try to get their business. I had to turn down many taxis today since I wanted to walk and it's not that far.
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| Emirates Palace |
So as I get up close to the gate of the palace I start to take a picture and the security guard tells me that I can't. He says it's 1,000 Euros to take a picture! That is unbelievable, but what can I do?! So I put my camera away and he began talking to me about the Palace. It's where the Sheikh's come when they are in Abu Dhabi. Famous people from America also come there. He couldn't tell me who though. He was very kind and offered to take me to Egypt in October when he goes "Inshallah" (God willing). While we were talking Mr. Abdullah came out and told me he was from Al Ain. Eventually Amir, the security guard, told me to take the picture that he was only kidding about it being 1,000 Euros. It's 1,000 Euros to stay there, taking a picture is free! He jokingly told me that to take a picture with Mr. Abdullah it would be 1,000,000 Euros!!He told me that I could come back from 10-10 any day besides Friday and tour. They allow tours, but only if I'm dressed appropriately (long skirt and long sleeves or an abbayh. Since I don't have an abbayah, but I do have long skirts I will definitely wear that instead, and next time I won't walk!!
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| Mr. Abdullah |
Church
Friday is the Muslim holy day so that's when church services are held, since Sunday is a regular working day. Cassandra, Lakeesha and I went to Evangelical Community Church this morning. It was a little weird going on Friday, but who says that Sunday has to be the day of worship? I'm sure I'll get used to it. The church is very big and seems to have a lot of activities going on. Very diverse, but so is Abu Dhabi. I would say that the service was contemporary, with a little bit of traditional aspects. A lot of contemporary music, but one hymn and the message was more traditional. I liked the service, but I'm not sure if I will be attending this church. Cassandra and I talked about making Friday our day in Abu Dhabi, but we're not sure. It was just nice to go to church and get focused on God.
Today I am going to relax and read by the pool and then go to the Palace. I have been waiting to do this and every time I ride by I can't help but admire how beautiful it is.
We are headed back to Al Ain tomorrow. ADEC is going to show us our apartments. I am excited! I will get to see where I'm living! Plus it won't involve a trip to the bus station!
Today I am going to relax and read by the pool and then go to the Palace. I have been waiting to do this and every time I ride by I can't help but admire how beautiful it is.
We are headed back to Al Ain tomorrow. ADEC is going to show us our apartments. I am excited! I will get to see where I'm living! Plus it won't involve a trip to the bus station!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Al Ain
Today I decided to venture to Al Ain (pronounced a-lain) so I could check out my future city. The day was quite an adventure and I learned a lot. I went with Lakeesha, Cassandra, and Wesley. We had to take a taxi to the bus station. That was no big deal. Taxis are becoming very easy for me, I just need to make sure I don't take a hotel taxi (those are the white ones and they're more expensive). The bus station is huge, and it's mostly outdoors! We went inside to purchase tickets, but we were told to wait by a slot (place where the bus would pull up). Wesley had to wait in the male's line while we waited in the ladies line.
While we were waiting we noticed a bus pull up across the street. This was not in the bus station and laborers were getting on this bus. As soon as the bus came into view the laborers waiting began pushing and shoving to get on the bus. There was a lady in line who got pushed and lifted out of the way. We even witnessed a fight over who got on first. We could hear and see someone getting punched. Very unruly and not at all like the Muslim culture that I have been witnessing. But, there is a class system here with laborers at the very bottom and they are not treated well which might explain why they have their own bus.
When our bus came we orderly boarded the bus, ladies first. There was even a sign on the bus that said "priority seating for ladies" this was at the front of the bus, so we got to sit up front. People say that Arabic men don't respect women, but I think this is a clear sign of the opposite. We could have been the last to board the bus and pushed to the rear of the bus, but we got to sit up front.
The bus ride into Al Ain was uneventful and beautiful. It was great to see the desert finally! We even passed a truck that was carrying camels!!! I tried to get a picture, but as soon as we got close enough the camels laid down:( Oh well, I will get a picture soon enough. We stopped for the afternoon call to prayer at a little mosque on the side of the road and many Muslim men got off, including the driver, to pray. I think that shows how devoted they are and that their religion comes first in their life, which is awesome!
We arrived in Al Ain and took a taxi to the mall, of all places!! Not much else is open during Ramadan. We walked around for a while and then we decided that we wanted to go see some of the city, so we went to the City Center. Lots and lots of buildings. Lots of tailors, textiles, car dealers, parks, and restaurants. I don't think that I will be bored! So we did some walking around and decided to leave instead of go to the Al Ain Oasis. It was around 4 when we decided that and since it was a 2 hour ride; we thought we should head back. Things might have gotten more crowded after Iftar.
So we took a taxi to the bus station in Al Ain. This was quite different. First of all when we got out of the taxi several guys were shouting at us "No Bus" they wanted us to take their taxi, which is a 120 dirham ride instead of 10. We just kept walking. Well they were right; there wasn't a bus until 5. So we waited. Again Wesley went to wait in the large men's waiting area while we went to the much smaller ladies waiting area. After waiting for about 1/2 an hour a guy came and gave us a brown piece of plastic. Weird! He told us "after 5 minute wait for bus". We were a little concerned about Wesley because he didn't get a brown piece of plastic! After about 5 minutes we heard "brown" and we got up and went to the bus. The men were pushing and loudly fighting to get on the bus, but the women walked to their line quietly and calmly and boarded first. Even though Wesley didn't get a brown piece of plastic he was allowed to board since we told the security people that he was with us. Wesley said that he told them that we were all his wives!! He was just kidding, but that could have been the case!
About 1/2 way to Abu Dhabi the driver stops and gets out (no call to prayer). There was something wrong with the bus! I was afraid that he was going to yell "Off bus" and leave us in the desert! A couple other guys got off and they all tried to fix whatever was wrong. The driver did this about 4 times before stopping and stealing some wire from a construction site to fix the problem. We did make it back to Abu Dhabi and hailed a taxi to the hotel.
So that was my day. My sinuses are bothering me, or I'm getting a cold. Thanks family members!! I got some Advil cold and sinus, but couldn't take it since I couldn't have water while we were out.
While we were waiting we noticed a bus pull up across the street. This was not in the bus station and laborers were getting on this bus. As soon as the bus came into view the laborers waiting began pushing and shoving to get on the bus. There was a lady in line who got pushed and lifted out of the way. We even witnessed a fight over who got on first. We could hear and see someone getting punched. Very unruly and not at all like the Muslim culture that I have been witnessing. But, there is a class system here with laborers at the very bottom and they are not treated well which might explain why they have their own bus.
When our bus came we orderly boarded the bus, ladies first. There was even a sign on the bus that said "priority seating for ladies" this was at the front of the bus, so we got to sit up front. People say that Arabic men don't respect women, but I think this is a clear sign of the opposite. We could have been the last to board the bus and pushed to the rear of the bus, but we got to sit up front.
The bus ride into Al Ain was uneventful and beautiful. It was great to see the desert finally! We even passed a truck that was carrying camels!!! I tried to get a picture, but as soon as we got close enough the camels laid down:( Oh well, I will get a picture soon enough. We stopped for the afternoon call to prayer at a little mosque on the side of the road and many Muslim men got off, including the driver, to pray. I think that shows how devoted they are and that their religion comes first in their life, which is awesome!
We arrived in Al Ain and took a taxi to the mall, of all places!! Not much else is open during Ramadan. We walked around for a while and then we decided that we wanted to go see some of the city, so we went to the City Center. Lots and lots of buildings. Lots of tailors, textiles, car dealers, parks, and restaurants. I don't think that I will be bored! So we did some walking around and decided to leave instead of go to the Al Ain Oasis. It was around 4 when we decided that and since it was a 2 hour ride; we thought we should head back. Things might have gotten more crowded after Iftar.
So we took a taxi to the bus station in Al Ain. This was quite different. First of all when we got out of the taxi several guys were shouting at us "No Bus" they wanted us to take their taxi, which is a 120 dirham ride instead of 10. We just kept walking. Well they were right; there wasn't a bus until 5. So we waited. Again Wesley went to wait in the large men's waiting area while we went to the much smaller ladies waiting area. After waiting for about 1/2 an hour a guy came and gave us a brown piece of plastic. Weird! He told us "after 5 minute wait for bus". We were a little concerned about Wesley because he didn't get a brown piece of plastic! After about 5 minutes we heard "brown" and we got up and went to the bus. The men were pushing and loudly fighting to get on the bus, but the women walked to their line quietly and calmly and boarded first. Even though Wesley didn't get a brown piece of plastic he was allowed to board since we told the security people that he was with us. Wesley said that he told them that we were all his wives!! He was just kidding, but that could have been the case!
About 1/2 way to Abu Dhabi the driver stops and gets out (no call to prayer). There was something wrong with the bus! I was afraid that he was going to yell "Off bus" and leave us in the desert! A couple other guys got off and they all tried to fix whatever was wrong. The driver did this about 4 times before stopping and stealing some wire from a construction site to fix the problem. We did make it back to Abu Dhabi and hailed a taxi to the hotel.
So that was my day. My sinuses are bothering me, or I'm getting a cold. Thanks family members!! I got some Advil cold and sinus, but couldn't take it since I couldn't have water while we were out.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Ramadan and culture
Time for a bit of a culture lesson from Abu Dhabi. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. During Ramadan Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Everything is closed during the day as well (which has been making things very difficult for tourists like me). After sunset eveyrthing opens again and Muslims and non-Muslims alike go out and eat. They call it Iftar and it's a very light buffet. The tradition is to end your fast with something sweet so there are always sweet things on the menu. Our hotel is being very nice and offering breakfast from 6:30-10:30 and lunch from 11-2, but they have to put a screen up so Muslims can't see or hear us. After they have had their Iftar meal they smoke Shisha (Hookah pipes). This is very neat and the pipes are beautfiul and very different. Shisha is fruit flavored tobacco and doesn't smell like cigarette smoke at all. I have yet to try it, but they say that everyone should try Shisha at least once. That is definitely on my list of things to do. During Ramadan Muslims are very devout and quiet so you aren't supposed to be loud when you're out or in their presence.
Call to prayer occurs 5 times a day starting at 4:30 am. I have not heard that one. I have heard one around 4pm and 7pm. When Muslims hear the call to prayer they stop what they are doing and pray. Non-muslims aren't supposed to get in their way as they are to face a certain direction when they pray. There are prayer rooms all over the hotel and in other buildings so they do not have to pray in the open.
On a humorous note I have been called long and fast!! Both times they meant that I was tall!! I can understand the "long", but not "fast". Oh well I should be used to it by now, right?!
Call to prayer occurs 5 times a day starting at 4:30 am. I have not heard that one. I have heard one around 4pm and 7pm. When Muslims hear the call to prayer they stop what they are doing and pray. Non-muslims aren't supposed to get in their way as they are to face a certain direction when they pray. There are prayer rooms all over the hotel and in other buildings so they do not have to pray in the open.
On a humorous note I have been called long and fast!! Both times they meant that I was tall!! I can understand the "long", but not "fast". Oh well I should be used to it by now, right?!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Exploring
The day started with a bus ride to get a medical test. There were 4 groups every 2 hours starting at 6am; I went at 10. I am glad I didn't have to get up and miss breakfast:) The medical test was very fast and easy. They took blood and did a chest X-ray. The X-ray was weird, but everything went very smooth. A lot better than what I heard from the people that went at 6. Some of them were still there when we arrived at 10! Yikes that was a lot of waiting for them.
After the medical test I had lunch with Cassandra and Lakeesha. We ate at the hotel restaurant where we get a 25% discount but lunch still cost us about 100 dihrams which is about $25. They charge for the water. It comes in a bottle so it's good water, but still. It's 8 dihrams for a bottle of water. Pop is more than that. They also add a 10% tourism fee, they don't call it taxes here, to every bill. So things may be priced cheaply, but you have to figure that tourism "fee" in. I have to stop eating out, but it's hard when I'm in a hotel and don't have acces to a kitchen. I need to go get food that I can store in the fridge in the room that doesn't require cooking otherwise I'm going to go broke just by eating out.
I went in the pool today! It was amazing! The water was so nice and refreshing it didn't seem so hot outside. It was nice to just sit in the pool and chat with other teachers.
Around 5, Lakeesha, Cassandra, and I decided to take a walk. Not a great idea. It is soooo HOT. We just wanted to see some sights and get some pictures. We got some nice picutres, but it's really HOT. We were going to go to the Emirates Palace after Iftar (end of Ramadaan fasting for the day), but we ended up meeting with some other teachers and went out to dinner. We went with teachers from last year, so it was nice to hear their experience.
I found out that I'm going to be teaching in Al Ain like I wanted! Some people didn't get where they wanted and were a bit upset. I am glad I got Al Ain, but I would have taken anywhere! Now I have to try to find a place, but I still don't know where I'll be teaching in Al Ain so that makes it kind of hard, but I would like to know what's available.
Tomorrow - police check sometime???? Not sure if it's 9am-3pm or 9pm-3am. I can't believe we still don't know what time.
Off to bed a little earlier tonight, it's only 10:54 (2:54 your time!!)
After the medical test I had lunch with Cassandra and Lakeesha. We ate at the hotel restaurant where we get a 25% discount but lunch still cost us about 100 dihrams which is about $25. They charge for the water. It comes in a bottle so it's good water, but still. It's 8 dihrams for a bottle of water. Pop is more than that. They also add a 10% tourism fee, they don't call it taxes here, to every bill. So things may be priced cheaply, but you have to figure that tourism "fee" in. I have to stop eating out, but it's hard when I'm in a hotel and don't have acces to a kitchen. I need to go get food that I can store in the fridge in the room that doesn't require cooking otherwise I'm going to go broke just by eating out.
I went in the pool today! It was amazing! The water was so nice and refreshing it didn't seem so hot outside. It was nice to just sit in the pool and chat with other teachers.
Around 5, Lakeesha, Cassandra, and I decided to take a walk. Not a great idea. It is soooo HOT. We just wanted to see some sights and get some pictures. We got some nice picutres, but it's really HOT. We were going to go to the Emirates Palace after Iftar (end of Ramadaan fasting for the day), but we ended up meeting with some other teachers and went out to dinner. We went with teachers from last year, so it was nice to hear their experience.
I found out that I'm going to be teaching in Al Ain like I wanted! Some people didn't get where they wanted and were a bit upset. I am glad I got Al Ain, but I would have taken anywhere! Now I have to try to find a place, but I still don't know where I'll be teaching in Al Ain so that makes it kind of hard, but I would like to know what's available.
Tomorrow - police check sometime???? Not sure if it's 9am-3pm or 9pm-3am. I can't believe we still don't know what time.
Off to bed a little earlier tonight, it's only 10:54 (2:54 your time!!)
Monday, August 16, 2010
First full day
My first full day in Abu Dhabi was eventful. I was told that I would hear the call to pray at 4:30, but I slept through it. I guess getting no sleep on the plane allowed me to miss that early wake up call. I ended up getting up at 5:30 because my neighbor was very loudly talking on the phone (probably Skype, but who knows?!). So that allowed me to get some things done in the mornning. Breakfast was wonderful. They had all sorts of food available on the buffet. Lots of things that I had never seen before, but also many ordinary breakfast foods. I did try a mint lemon juice which was awesome! The mint really made it quite refreshing. I also tried something called a frayter which is a bread type thing with some sort of icing on the top. It kind of looked like a mini danish, but it certainly didn't taste like one. I did not like it at all! They had beef sausage, which was disgusting. There is just no replacing the real thing:( I am going to miss my sausage.
After breakfast came orientation. This was not planned out very well. I had to turn in my passport last night, but I needed it this morning so I (along with everyone else) had to go to the desk and get it back. We also had to make copies of our passport and visa. So there was a lot of waiting in line and going back to rooms to get certain documents that were needed. Once I got all the documents that I needed I was able to fill out the forms for health insurance (got the card already:) and a bank account. So now that I have the bank account they can start putting money in it!!! We did find out that we were going to get a pay advance to help with the moving costs.
I still have no idea where I will be living or teaching. We are only allowed to stay 14 days so I better find out soon! Not that I'm not loving this royal treatment, but it won't last forever!
After orientation I went out with Susan to do a little exploring around the hotel. That's when we saw the pool and amazing view! The water was so nice! They said that they have to chill it to keep it cool! How crazy is that?! We then went to get a pedicure!! I now have purple toes! I know not too exciting, but it has to be done in the summer. Then we went to the beach. Oh my gosh it was beautiful. A new picture will be posted. The water was so still and clear. Absolutely beautfiul. The sand was white and soft. Very nice beach. The water was hot though! I don't think I'll be swimming in the Persian Gulf! I'll stick to the pool:)
The big adventure for the day came when I went to the mall with a group of people. We took a shuttle to the mall but were told that we'd have to get a taxi back. The mall is huge! I forgot my camera, but I guarantee you that I will be going back and the next time I will take my camera. I tried to get a cell phone, but I didn't bring a copy of my passport page and visa so I couldn't get one. I did end up changing some money to dirhams and buying a hair dryer, straightener, and an electric toothbrush. The mall has this store called Carrefour (Carfour), which is like a Walmart. So that is where I got my supplies. You had to pay 1 dihram for a cart, and I didn't have 1 dihram so I had to use a basket. If I could have gotten a cart I would have bought more essentail stuff, but I guess I can live off of hotel shampoo for a while!! After I did my shopping I got my first taxi!! I ended up splitting up from the group I went with because they were able to get phones and I didn't want to wait forever. There were tons of taxis at the mall so I had no problem getting one and I didn't even feel unsafe getting into one alone. It's just done over here. Everyone takes taxis.
So now it's midnight. Time to go to bed. Medical check tomorrow at 10:00 and then the day is mine. I'll probably do more exploring and I will definitely try out the pool!!
After breakfast came orientation. This was not planned out very well. I had to turn in my passport last night, but I needed it this morning so I (along with everyone else) had to go to the desk and get it back. We also had to make copies of our passport and visa. So there was a lot of waiting in line and going back to rooms to get certain documents that were needed. Once I got all the documents that I needed I was able to fill out the forms for health insurance (got the card already:) and a bank account. So now that I have the bank account they can start putting money in it!!! We did find out that we were going to get a pay advance to help with the moving costs.
I still have no idea where I will be living or teaching. We are only allowed to stay 14 days so I better find out soon! Not that I'm not loving this royal treatment, but it won't last forever!
After orientation I went out with Susan to do a little exploring around the hotel. That's when we saw the pool and amazing view! The water was so nice! They said that they have to chill it to keep it cool! How crazy is that?! We then went to get a pedicure!! I now have purple toes! I know not too exciting, but it has to be done in the summer. Then we went to the beach. Oh my gosh it was beautiful. A new picture will be posted. The water was so still and clear. Absolutely beautfiul. The sand was white and soft. Very nice beach. The water was hot though! I don't think I'll be swimming in the Persian Gulf! I'll stick to the pool:)
The big adventure for the day came when I went to the mall with a group of people. We took a shuttle to the mall but were told that we'd have to get a taxi back. The mall is huge! I forgot my camera, but I guarantee you that I will be going back and the next time I will take my camera. I tried to get a cell phone, but I didn't bring a copy of my passport page and visa so I couldn't get one. I did end up changing some money to dirhams and buying a hair dryer, straightener, and an electric toothbrush. The mall has this store called Carrefour (Carfour), which is like a Walmart. So that is where I got my supplies. You had to pay 1 dihram for a cart, and I didn't have 1 dihram so I had to use a basket. If I could have gotten a cart I would have bought more essentail stuff, but I guess I can live off of hotel shampoo for a while!! After I did my shopping I got my first taxi!! I ended up splitting up from the group I went with because they were able to get phones and I didn't want to wait forever. There were tons of taxis at the mall so I had no problem getting one and I didn't even feel unsafe getting into one alone. It's just done over here. Everyone takes taxis.
So now it's midnight. Time to go to bed. Medical check tomorrow at 10:00 and then the day is mine. I'll probably do more exploring and I will definitely try out the pool!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Arrival
The journey begins! I had a great family lunch at Champp's before I had to leave for the airport. I was so glad they all could make it and I know I will miss everyone of them! After lunch my parents and I headed to Detroit Metro. They got passes so they could come to the gate with me. After a tearful goodbye I got on the plane headed to Chicago. At this point I was thinking, oh my gosh this is actually happening, and I can't believe I am doing this.
I arrived in Chicago safely at 3:50 and had a long wait until my flight on Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. I made my way to terminal 5, the international terminal, and got checked in with Eithad. I found my gate around 5:00, but realized too late that once you pass the security point in terminal 5 there's nothing. So I had to sit at the gate for quite some time. The only benefit to this was the fact that there were a lot of other people from Teach Away there so we could talk. We chatted away the hours before boarding and finally boarded at 7:30 and that is when I realized there was no going back now. There were 41 of us on this flight. The rest of the group was coming in from New York and Toronto.
I got on the plane and walked through first class and marvelled at how roomy their seats were and then I made my way back to my cramped economy seat. 14 hours sitting on a plane with zero leg room is not fun. At least I had an aisle seat so I could get up frequently and stretch. Between sleeping, watching movies, and reading I survived the 14 hours and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 7:30 pm local time (11:30 am). I coudln't believe how dark it was! It was only 7:30 and it looked like it was 10:00. As soon I step off the plane Tracey (one of the other ADEC new employees) mentions that our pay starts now!!! So now I am officially paid again! I won't get my pay check until the end of Sept. but I am earning money! That got a shout from all of us!
We were met at the gate by some very nice people from the travel agency. They gave us our visas, took us to customs where we got our iris scanned for our visa, and then to get our passport stamped. I got my first stamp in my passport! Hopefully many more to come! After we collected our luggage we had to get to the bus that would take us to our hotel. It is 90 degrees here, and this is after the sun has set! HOT! We were greeted by more friendly people who welcomed us to Abu Dhabi and gave us a rose! Everyone was/is so nice here so far. We load up the bus and head for the Intercontinental Hotel, which I hear has its own westernized beach!!! Havne't been there yet though too tired to do anything last night. As we make our way to our hotel we pass Sheik Zayed's mosque. It is amazing! I can't wait to take a tour. We also pass the palace, which happens to be within walking distance of the hotel, so that's where some of us are going after orientation this afternoon.
At the hotel we are met by a line of employees! Nothing like in Sex in the City, but a lot nicer than a regular hotel greeting. We are told to give our passports to the people from ADEC at the hotel and then we get our room key. A little scary handing over my passport, but we were reassured that we would get it back as soon as our paper work was finished. I got a glass of some very nice orange juice drink and got my room key. I tagged my luggage so it could be brought to me and went to find my room. I am on the 17th floor and the view is amazing!! Palm trees line the road, building lit up, water in the background. Absolutely beautiful. The hotel room is amazing as well. Nice big comfy bed, huge bathroom with a tub and shower. Looks like we're going to be treated very nicely. The only issue I had was figuring out how to keep the lights on! You have to put your room key in a slot by the door and leave it there for the lights to stay on. There are no switches. So as soon as you take the key out it gets dark! Weird, but I figured it out with a little help from someone else who is staying on the 17th floor.
Well I think that about sums up my flight and arrival. Orientation is at 10:00 this morning so there is a little time for exploring before orientation. I hope I make it through the day! I hear jet lag is worse the next day. Maybe we'll check out the beach as well as the palace.
I arrived in Chicago safely at 3:50 and had a long wait until my flight on Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. I made my way to terminal 5, the international terminal, and got checked in with Eithad. I found my gate around 5:00, but realized too late that once you pass the security point in terminal 5 there's nothing. So I had to sit at the gate for quite some time. The only benefit to this was the fact that there were a lot of other people from Teach Away there so we could talk. We chatted away the hours before boarding and finally boarded at 7:30 and that is when I realized there was no going back now. There were 41 of us on this flight. The rest of the group was coming in from New York and Toronto.
I got on the plane and walked through first class and marvelled at how roomy their seats were and then I made my way back to my cramped economy seat. 14 hours sitting on a plane with zero leg room is not fun. At least I had an aisle seat so I could get up frequently and stretch. Between sleeping, watching movies, and reading I survived the 14 hours and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 7:30 pm local time (11:30 am). I coudln't believe how dark it was! It was only 7:30 and it looked like it was 10:00. As soon I step off the plane Tracey (one of the other ADEC new employees) mentions that our pay starts now!!! So now I am officially paid again! I won't get my pay check until the end of Sept. but I am earning money! That got a shout from all of us!
We were met at the gate by some very nice people from the travel agency. They gave us our visas, took us to customs where we got our iris scanned for our visa, and then to get our passport stamped. I got my first stamp in my passport! Hopefully many more to come! After we collected our luggage we had to get to the bus that would take us to our hotel. It is 90 degrees here, and this is after the sun has set! HOT! We were greeted by more friendly people who welcomed us to Abu Dhabi and gave us a rose! Everyone was/is so nice here so far. We load up the bus and head for the Intercontinental Hotel, which I hear has its own westernized beach!!! Havne't been there yet though too tired to do anything last night. As we make our way to our hotel we pass Sheik Zayed's mosque. It is amazing! I can't wait to take a tour. We also pass the palace, which happens to be within walking distance of the hotel, so that's where some of us are going after orientation this afternoon.
At the hotel we are met by a line of employees! Nothing like in Sex in the City, but a lot nicer than a regular hotel greeting. We are told to give our passports to the people from ADEC at the hotel and then we get our room key. A little scary handing over my passport, but we were reassured that we would get it back as soon as our paper work was finished. I got a glass of some very nice orange juice drink and got my room key. I tagged my luggage so it could be brought to me and went to find my room. I am on the 17th floor and the view is amazing!! Palm trees line the road, building lit up, water in the background. Absolutely beautiful. The hotel room is amazing as well. Nice big comfy bed, huge bathroom with a tub and shower. Looks like we're going to be treated very nicely. The only issue I had was figuring out how to keep the lights on! You have to put your room key in a slot by the door and leave it there for the lights to stay on. There are no switches. So as soon as you take the key out it gets dark! Weird, but I figured it out with a little help from someone else who is staying on the 17th floor.
Well I think that about sums up my flight and arrival. Orientation is at 10:00 this morning so there is a little time for exploring before orientation. I hope I make it through the day! I hear jet lag is worse the next day. Maybe we'll check out the beach as well as the palace.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Ludington
Yeah, I know Ludington isn't abroad but it is a wonderful destination in MI! My parents and I went to Ludington yesterday. Ann, Mark, and Nancy couldn't get the time off work and Amy was sick so it was just me and my parents. We had a great time on Lake Michigan and just spending time together before I leave. I can't believe that I'm leaving tomorrow. The day came so quickly. I was ready a week ago, but now I'm not. This is going to be such a huge change! I can't wait to meet new people and experience something so new and different, but I am scared as well. Tomorrow and Sunday will be long days; lots of flying. I should arrive in Abu Dhabi Sunday at 7:25. Hopefully customs and immigration goes smoothly! So next time I write I will actually be living abroad!!!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ticket!!!
Yeah! I have an itinerary for Aug.14th! I fly out of Detroit at 4:01 and arrive in Chicago at 4:17! Crazy huh?! From there it's a nonstop flight on Etihad Airlines to Abu Dhabi. I will arrive Sun. Aug. 15th around 8:00 their time which would be around noon. I can't believe that this is actually happening! I had prepared myself for leaving the following week around the 20th so this email and confirmation phone call was a huge surprise. God worked it all out!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
No Ticket
The end of the work week in Abu Dhabi means 2 long days of waiting for more information as to when the next group of e-tickets will be sent out. Many people got their e-ticket today and they will be leaving Aug. 13th or 14th. I am excited that people are getting sent over, that means that things are moving along, but quite disappointed that I am not one of them. Hopefully the following week. Praying for patience and acceptance of God's timing.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Still Waiting
Well, here I am. Jaimie encouraged me to do this, and I read hers and I think it's a great idea. Hopefully I'll update frequently to let everyone know what's going on in my new adventure.
As of right now I still have no idea when I will be heading over. The last I heard from ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Cousel) was that things were coming along well with the travel agency and the first group of about 300 teachers would head over on or before Aug. 10th. That "or before" part is what is driving me crazy!!! Not that I know what group I'm in or anything. Trying to be patient and trust God and His timing. As much as I am ready to go I am enjoying this extended time with family since I will not be able to see them for a year.
I actually met 2 people who will be going to Abu Dhabi! It was great to talk to people who are in the same position as I am (waiting, packing, and just the overall uncertainty of everything). Now at least I will know 2 people when I get to Abu Dhabi, that is if we are in the same group and the same location once we arrive. So many unknowns!!!
Well that's about it. I will update when I get an update!
As of right now I still have no idea when I will be heading over. The last I heard from ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Cousel) was that things were coming along well with the travel agency and the first group of about 300 teachers would head over on or before Aug. 10th. That "or before" part is what is driving me crazy!!! Not that I know what group I'm in or anything. Trying to be patient and trust God and His timing. As much as I am ready to go I am enjoying this extended time with family since I will not be able to see them for a year.
I actually met 2 people who will be going to Abu Dhabi! It was great to talk to people who are in the same position as I am (waiting, packing, and just the overall uncertainty of everything). Now at least I will know 2 people when I get to Abu Dhabi, that is if we are in the same group and the same location once we arrive. So many unknowns!!!
Well that's about it. I will update when I get an update!
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