Summer Travel

Well, I finally decided where I will be going and when I will be traveling this summer. 

1. Muscat!  OK this really doesn't count, but it's travel and it's the summer.  Susan found a super deal where we get a flight and a room at a 5 star resort for about 1500dhs ($408)!  I am looking forward to spending next weekend at the beach and at the pool!  It will be a relaxing get away!
2. Dublin!  I am leaving Abu Dhabi July 26 and I will spend 3 days in Dublin.  Well more like 2 days since I arrive in the afternoon on the 26th and leave in the morning on the 29th.  Anyway I am excited about this little trip to Dublin.  I don't like beer, but I will definitely be going to the Guiness factory (or whatever it's called where they brew the beer) to tour and taste the beer.  I will need to see if I can get anything for Ann and Harry (beer brewers of the family:) while I'm there!  I am also planning on touring a castle.  I know I won't have much time, but I'll get to see some of Dublin.
3. MICHIGAN!  I can't wait!  I will arrive in Michigan at 4:30 on July 29th.  Just in time to wish Amy a happy 38th birthday!  Lots of family and friends to spend time with.  I will definitely be spending as much time as possible with Alexa and Mason.  Mark and Nancy beware I may just have to spoil them!!!  I hope I can get a Ludington trip in while I'm home.  I will have to leave Aug.31 in order to be back in Abu Dhabi before school starts on Sept.4. 
4. NC!  I am planning a brief trip to visit friends in NC.  I will be there Aug 15-18.  I will be staying at the lake with a good friend.  More beach time for me!!!  I hope I will get to see many friends when I am in NC, but I know I will not catch them all.  3 days is not nearly enough time, but my time in the states is super short.
5. Portland/Lansing!  I will make a super short trip to visit some college friends in Portland.  I am planning on Aug.7-8.  It will be nice to visit with them and their children.

So that's about it.  I will cram in all the family time I can get in the short month that I will be back in America.  I know the time will fly, but I am grateful that I will be able to spend the time there.

The latest school news - I am so bored!  Last week there were no students at school so I spent a few days working and cleaning and getting ready for next year, but there really wasn't much I could do.  I guess it's partially my fault for being so organized and hard working throughout the year.  I have inventoried the LT room and now I will just pack it up and store the stuff in my extra cabinet.  We can't leave it out because it is so sandy and we're sure all the books would get covered in sand.  It's disgusting.  Our new hours are from 8-1 so I should be thankful about that, but it's still a long time with nothing to do.  We have a couple of professional developments to go to this week so that should help.  They don't start until 9 and they finish at 12:30 so I'll have some nice short days this week.  Plus it's a short week since we have Thursday off due to the Prophet's ascension.  That's really it.

34 more days!

111 degrees here at 4:30pm.  It's supposed to get to 113.

No More Girls

Just a quick update as to how things are going at school and in the UAE in general.  As of Tuesday there have been no girls at school; well not really no girls I guess there were about 10-15 each day although I'm not sure what they're doing with them.  So although the official end of school is June 23rd they have stopped coming.  I'm not really sure what was so significant about Tuesday June 14th, but I guess that's when the parents thought that school should end!  So I've been working in my rooms and trying to get things, but trying to work slow.  I have a hard time with that.  I always finished the end of the year stuff before the last workday.  And that was when I only 3 workdays at the end of the year.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with a month of workdays!  It's weird, because they don't give us any days during the year to work and only 1 week before school starts, so why 3 weeks after school ends?  What in the world am I supposed to do?  I got too many things crossed off my list already and that's after only 2 days.

Now that school is done I am ready to come home.   Feeling homesick again.  I know it's because it's the end and it's almost time for me to come home, but I want to go home NOW.  One more month+  I haven't gotten my ticket yet so I'm not really sure when I'll be leaving but it'll be sometime around July 24th.  I'm tired of school, tired of Arabic, tired of Andrea, tired of the heat, tired of roundabouts (I almost got in two accidents on the same roundabout just a few seconds apart; seriously people (not you of course the drivers here) you're supposed to yield to those in the roundabout!!!), and tired of ADEC. 

The latest ADEC decree is that we may not get all our summer money before July!  Yes, they are going to pay us, but it may not be all in one lump sum at the end of June.  The only problem with that is that I hope/need to be in the States at the end of July.  But, if I don't get all my money I will have to wait here until I get paid.  Because what good is that money going to do me sitting in my bank in the UAE when I'm in the USA? 

OK enough complaining.   The lunar eclipse was amazing!  It was amazingly beautiful to see the moon get black and then disappear.  Now, I didn't see the red-orange glow that they said to look for (I don't have a telescope) but it was a sight nonetheless.  It was also pretty amazing to be watching the lunar eclipse from my bedroom balcony in the UAE overlooking Oman.  Not too many people can say that.  OK well all the people living in/near Hili could say that, but you know what I mean!

That's about it.  I will survive until I leave, whenever that may be.

Small Success in Arabic

Good lesson yesterday.  We were talking about the words but (لكن - lakin),
because (لان - liana), and useful   (مفيد - moofeed).  "Useful" was in the story that I had to read, so that's why we were talking about that word.  She asked me to tell her some useful things and why they are useful and then to use "liana" and "lakin" in sentences and this is what I came up with.

سيارتي مفيدة لانها تأخذي إلى مدرسة

الطاءرة مفيدة لان تستطيع تذهب إلى بلدان بعيد

قلم مفيد لان تستطيع تكتب

أنا مدرّ سة لانني أحب الاطفال

أريد ان أذهب إلى امريكا لانني أريد ان أرى أمي و أبي

أحب تفاح لكنني لا أحب مانجو

أحمد ولد لكن شمة بنت

أتكلم الإنجليزية لكنني لا أتكلم العربية 

My car is useful because it takes me to school. (seeyaratee moofeedah lianaha takhatha ila madrasa)

The plane is useful because you can go to far countries. (adaui'ra moofeeda liana tostaddeea'a tathhab ila baladan bae'ed)

A pen is useful because you can write. (qalam moofeed liana tostaddeea'a taktab)

I am a teacher becuase I like children. (ana modaresa liananee ohebo aladdfal)

I want to go to America because I want to see my mother and father. (orreedo an athhab ila amreeka lianananee orreedo an ara omee wa abee).  By the way I want to see the rest of my family, but I don't know family in Arabic.
I like apples, but I don't like mangoes. (ohebo tofaah lakinnee la ohebo manjue)

Ahmed is a boy, but Shamma is a girl. (Ahmed walad lakin Shamma bint)

I speak English, but I don't speak Arabic. (atakalam alinjleezeeah lakinnee la atakalam ala'arabeeah)

Wow it really is hard writing Arabic words in English, it's difficult to figure out what to write for the sounds

Graduation, Grades, and Field Trip

Wednesday was 5th grade graduation at Ammoryiah.  It was the worst graduation ceremony/celebration ever.  I found it very surprising since they love to put on a show and celebrate here.  We gathered in the theater and had our attendance celebration since we are no longer having morning assembly (it's too hot).  After the class with the highest attendance was recognized the 5th graders stood up and walked to Ms. Keltham, the principal, and shook her hand.  Then they returned to their line and sat down.  The 5th grade teachers said a few, litreally just a few, words and then 2 students said "shukran/thank you".  Khallas/finished.   And we exited the theater for break.  Pretty pathetic.

Grades were due May 30th and Wed. Ms. Keltham was reviewing the grades and deciding if any needed to be changed.  Yep that's what they do here.  They change grades if they don't "look" right.  So I'm talking with Andrea about my final evaluation from her (which was good by the way) and Ms. Salama, the assistant principal, comes in to talk to me about one of my students' grades.   She is getting a C in English and all her other grades are As or Bs.  This just didn't look right and she asked me if I would change it.  I told her that Aya can't read and her writing is not good at all.  She is just beginning to be able to write a sentence, when my A and B students can write 3-5 sentences on topic.  She shouldn't even be getting a C, but Esis (the computer grading program) wouldn't give her anything less than a C.  So I explained this to Ms. Salama and she replied "does her mother know?"  Well, she has been a C student all year so I would think that she knows.   She can't read.  I can't give her a B.  She agreed to let me keep it a C and left the room.

Today was the third grade end of the year field trip.  Yesterday they got a note (in Arabic) telling them that they were going to Al Ain Mall Action Zone (an indoor amusement park like thing).  I was able to read that much of the note.  This morning I collected 20dhs from every student in 3/1.  This process went much smoother than it did when we went to the zoo in October.  The girls and I have learned a lot since then!!  

After I get their money we go out and board the bus; one bus for 4 classes.  It was a packed and hot ride.  Plus I think the bus driver took the longest possible route to get to Al Ain Mall.  We finally get to the mall and we walk them upstairs and head to the cinema.  Yes, the cinema.  Imagine my surprise, and the girls'.  They were upset.  They wanted to play not watch a movie.  They were told that maybe after the movie they would have time to play.  Yeah right, we got to the mall around 9 and we had to be back by 11:30 for dismissal.  There would be no time for playing.  We get settled in the theater and the girls get their popcorn, juice, and 3D glasses and the movie begins.  We are watching Animals United (a very very stupid movie) in English with Arabic subtitles.  The girls are bored, and angry and most of them don't really know what is going on.  About 1/2 way through the movie a lot of the girls came to sit by me and we were talking about the movie and America.  They loved to hear me sing the songs with the movie; The Hookey Pookey, Splish Splash I was Takin' A Bath, and Fun, Fun, Fun (she'll have fun, fun, fun, till her daddy takes the T-bird away).  After the movie we went to the food court for a Hardees lunch.  Most of the girls had brought money and wanted to buy ice cream, candy, or balloons so that took a long time.  We did make it back to school just in time for them to reboard the bus and go home.  I think Action Zone would have been a better field trip.

Scary things about field trips in the UAE: 1) they don't believe in counting the children to make sure they're all there, 2) they let the girls stand up on the bus, and 3) the girls were allowed to leave the theater unsupervised.  I can't change everything, but I did count my girls in 3/1 before we got on the bus at school, before we left the mall, and when we got on the bus.  I also tried to get my girls to sit down, but when everyone else is standing and walking around why should they be sitting?

108 degrees at 8:45

The Beginning of the End of Year 1

3 more weeks of school!  Well, at least for the kids; I have another 2 weeks after that.  So, when are they going to stop coming like everyone told me they would?!  I thought it had happened on Thursday, but they showed up today. 

Flashback to last Tuesday.  Andrea comes in my room and asks "Have you seen the note?"  I hadn't and even if I had, I most likely wouldn't have been able to understand it due to the fact that all communication is done in Arabic.  Anyway, the note said that the student schedule for the remaining of the year would be from 8-11:30.  Which meant no morning assembly!!! and only 5 periods.  I was extremely excited about this, but even more so about the fact that modeera (principal) said that we could leave at 1:00 instead of 3:00.  Right then and there Andrea and I started the Happy Dance!  The girls thought this was hillarious and couldn't stop laughing.  The girls eventually got the note and understood the Happy Dance so they joined in!  It was a fun afternoon with 3/2. 

We adjusted to this new schedule and had a pretty normal day on Wednesday.  On Thursday I had 6 girls out in 3/1 and 8 in 3/2.  I let them all play on Thursday, even 3/1.  I know weird!  3/1 was actually really good last week and I had even stopped giving them candy and prizes!!!  Amazing:)  Who knows what is up with these girls!  I just hope it continues.

Based on the attendance on Thursday I thought the dwindling had begun.  Well I was wrong because they all came back today.  I only had 4 absent in 3/1 and 2 absent in 3/2 (that's a good thing because I forgot to take their class picture on Wed. and today but there is an excuse for forgetting today, I only had them for 1/2 an hour.  Hopefully they show up tomorrow when I have them for 3 periods.).  It's just going to be a day by day thing and we'll see what happens tomororw.  At some point in the 1/2 hour I had 3/2 today they were talking in Arabic and although I can't fully understand what they are saying I was able to pick up a few words and discern the meaning.   لا مدرسة يوم الخميس (la madrasa youm alkhamees)They were talking about this coming Thursday being the last day of school.  As much as I want them to not come I just couldn't let them beleive this so I called them together and we looked at the calendar where I kindly pointed out June 23rd and told them that was the last day.  What in the world was I thinking?!  I'll just have to keep teaching and see what happens. 

More bad news was delivered today.  We have to stay until 2:00 now:(  What am I supposed to do for 2 1/2 hours each day for 3 weeks and then all day for 2 weeks?!  I could plan, but I don't know what grade I will be teaching next year and if I get 4th like I requested there isn't a curriculum yet.  Even if I did know what grade I was teaching I can't access the Internet because we don't have the Internet or a consitently working computer in the LT room.  We don't even have electricity consistently (they are working on installing wires for the Internet and that's messing up the electricity).  I didn't know it was either the Internet or electricity I thought we could have them both!  So, I finished my mapping and cutting out word wall words for next year.  Oh, I wish I knew if I was going to have 1 or 2 rooms because that would help me in planning.  Right now I am hoping and planning on only having 1 room, but that could change.  Now I am working on making file folder games for centers for next year.  Andrea wants to plan, but we can't do that since we don't know what grade we'll be teaching.  It's going to be a long 5 weeks.

         العربية



  أعلم كلمات وأستطيع أصبع جمل لكنها تكون صعبة وأستطيع أفهم و أتكلم و أقرأ و    أكتب

Arabic

I know words and I can make sentences but it is hard I can understand and I read and I write (and that's about all I can say about it in Arabic so I will finish the rest in English).  Sometimes I don't know why I am continuing to pay for lessons.  It feels like I'm not learning.  And then there are days like today when I can understand the girls and I can understand what she is saying to me and I can put my thoughts into words and she can understand me.  (Look I'm even writing English like Arabic, they use and and and all the time).  I swear the hardest part for me is the verbs.  She even asked me what I tell the girls in Arabic and all I could come up with was little phrases like:

على طاولتي - on my table (she asked what do you want them to do?)  Put their papers there of course!!  I know the words for put and paper, but I don't use them.  They just understand that's what I want them to do. 

قلم صبرة - pen for the board (every writing utensil is a pen so they get confused if I ask for a marker).   She asked what about the marker?  Give me one of course!  I know how to say "can I have a pen for the board" and "I want a pen for the board" but I don't. 

I ask for my key, bag, a book all by just saying the noun instead of saying a complete sentence.   So, that's what I need to do.  It's good that she asked because I don't think I would have realized that I was doing that.  The few times I have tried a complete sentence they laugh at me and don't understand.  I don't have a problem with them laughing, it's the not understanding.  I know I'm going to make mistakes like when I asked them to sit on the floor I said جلسي على الارض (jalasee ala'al ard) instead of إجلسو على الارض (ijlisue ala'al ard).  It's making the verb a command and plural that I got stuck on.  They did what I asked even though I said it wrong, but they laughed and didn't correct me.  Which is odd because they usually have no problems telling me that what I said was wrong and this is how you should say it.  Practice, practice, practice and maybe just maybe I'll get it.

Other Stuff

I think I found a new favorite restuarant.  Al Noor is awesome:)  Their hommous and zatar chicken is delectable.  It's chargrilled and you can tell, but you can still taste the zatar.  Which by the way is something quite difficult to explain.  I'm not really sure what it is except that it's wonderful.  The Golden Sheep (simply referred to as the sheep) is really good too.

We (LTs) went to Lara's for dinner on Friday.  It was wonderful.  She made lasagna:) and some type of briyani rice.  It was delecious food and nice to get together outside of work. 

My trip to Europe/Italy is cancelled.  One way tickets are just so super expensive!  I can buy one round trip business ticket on Etihad (check out their site and the pearl business class, just for fun) for the same price as 2 one way tickets.  I would have to buy 3 one way tickets and the huge one is from Chicago to Abu Dhabi.  So even though I would love to go to Italy I am going to travel business class and save money.  Maybe one day I'll get there.  The travel date is looking like it's going to be July 26th-Aug.30th.  All will depend on prices as the date gets closer.  I can't buy my ticket until ADEC gives me my travel allowance and summer pay.  Hopefully it doesn't go up too much.  I'm still trying to figure out a NC and Portland visit. 

As of right now things are cooling off with Khaled.  I think we just need to be friends.  I can't get involved in anything knowing that I am only going to be here for 1 more year.  And, I can't go to Morocco with him.

So I think that pretty much catches you all up on what's been going on.  Thanks for reading!

109 degrees at 8pm tonight.

I am living in the Middle East and learning Arabic.  Go figure!