One Year Ago

Where were you May 24th, 2010?  I was in St. Louis interviewing for this job.  At this time last year I had "unofficially" accepted the job in Abu Dhabi and was told the official contract would be coming within a week.  One year ago today Susan saw me for the first time.  She just happened to be in St. Louis for her interview as well, and she was waiting for her interview when I came downstairs for mine.  I don't remember seeing her, but she remembers me.   Weird  how things worked out.

So, I guess it's time to reflect.

Am I glad that I took the job?  Well, mostly yes.  There are times when I don't like my job and I say that I want to go home and not come back next year, but I haven't gone home and I will be back next year (I think my parents would kill  me if they couldn't come and visit:)  Just kidding.  If I hated it, I wouldn't be back.  I do not regret the decision I made a year ago.

Am I a better teacher for being over here?  I don't know.  Sometimes I think when I go home to teach that I will  have forgotten how to teach because I am not using a lot of the strategies and teaching styles that I used back home.  But then I have to remind myself that I am learning a whole set of new skills; teaching students whose first, and primary language is not English.  And, I am truly learning that teaching is more than just reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and health.  It is character builidng, instilling values and morals, helping children value education and want to learn, teaching appropriate behaviors (that's a HUGE one, especially here:),  and helping children to understand that they need to respect everyone (even if they're not Emirati and they are just a servant; ok that's pretty specific to here, but the respect part isn't). 

What's the biggest obstacle I've overcome?  Learning to deal with the fact that there really isn't a schedule here.  That was a huge obstacle at the beginning, and yes it still bothers me, but I don't react like I did when I first got here.  I am learning to deal with the uncertainty of daily events.  In the interview I was told to bring my flexibility and patience, I just never imagined that I would need my flexibility and patience along with 5 other people's flexibilty and patience. 

Would I do it again?  Yes!

What have I learned about about the world?  It is HUGE!!!  OK I knew that, but it is.  There are so many different cultures and people that I never would have encountered in my tiny worlds of NC and MI.  Yes, I have met Arabic people and people of other cultures, but I hadn't really experienced the culture.

What have I learned about the Arabic culture?  I am definitely not claiming to be an expert, but this is just what I have experienced.  Love for country and Allah (God) are very important.  Family is also very important.  The more children the better.  Boys are more highly regarded than girls (a woman is not addressed as someone's mother until she has a son, same for the father).  Children are expected to be/act like adults (especially when it comes to relegion) when they are in 4th grade.  It's a very respectful and formal culture.  The food is delicious (other than the no pork aspect:).  The languge is extemely difficult.

So, after being here a little more than 9 months I am ready to come home.  I am ready to experience US culture!  I am ready to see my family and friends!  I am ready for a break from the heat (109 today; it's a cold front!!  We had temps near 120 already!).  I am ready for school to end, we all are.  I will be home July 26th or 27th depending on flight prices.  As of right now the 26th is cheaper than the 27th, but I can't pay for the ticket until the end of June when I get my travel money.  So we shall see.  2 more months!!  It seems like a long time, but the past 9 1/2 have gone pretty quickly so 2 should fly by.