خريف في العين - Fall in Al Ain

So, it's October and that means fall.  Leaves are changing color.  I'm going to cider mills and eating fresh picked apples.  The smell of cider and pumpkins and leaves is in the air!  OK so only in my dreams, but still it is fall.  I was at LuLu Hypermarket (kind of like Walmart) doing my grocery shopping and there in the produce section (which I absolutely hate going to) were red delicious apples from USA.  I guess that's what brought this whole topic on.  Oh how I crave a fresh picked red delicious apple.  I didn't buy one because I am very picky about my apples.  They have to be crisp and juicy and I just couldn't take the chance that it would be soft and mushy.  That would ruin everything.  So I walked by and got my fresh cut pineapple from the Philippines, cucumbers from Oman, peppers from Egypt, and a peach from Turkey.  I do think it is kind of weird that they tell you where your produce is coming from, but it is interesting to know that I am eating a peach that was grown in Turkey.  So back to fall.  I got some cider smelling candles at Bath and Body Works (which is opening up in the Al Ain Mall extension so I'll be able to go much more frequently) in Dubai and I have them lit so there really is the smell of fall in the air in my living room.  I have a pot of chili simmering on the stove, which is adding a nice aroma to the apartment.  It is getting cooler (93 at 7pm) and it is actually quite pleasant in the mornings and evenings.  The afternoons are still hot, but not hot like in August and September.  So I guess fall is really coming:) 
The rain on Wed. was heavenly!  It wasn't just a few sprinkles like usual.  It was a nice rain shower.  Thunder and lightning included.  I opened my window and stuck my head out to enjoy the cool breeze and the drops of rain.  If I wasn't in the middle of lesson planning in my pjs I probably would have been out running in the rain!

Things are changing at school.  Last week marked the first week that I had to go into the other 4th grade classes to teach science.  We are still short an LT and parents are complaining so the principal reached this solution: I will teach science twice a week, Andrea will teach English twice a week, and Haila (an Arabic teacher) will teach math twice a week.  Not a great solution if you ask me, but I guess it's better than what they were getting.  Hopefully Terry (the LT we are supposed to have) will come soon, although she's not going to be welcomed very nicely by either the LTs or the Arabic teachers.  Going in the other classes and teaching is no problem it's the leaving my classes that creates the issues.  They get all riled up and want to know who's coming and what they're going to do and I don't know the answers to those questions.  Then there's the fact that the Arabic teachers don't make them clean up so the room is left a mess.  Because I guess what happened is they sent a bus lady in to watch them and she let them play and then the bell rang for fussha (recess) or dismissal and the girls left.  Not much I can do about that.

In addition to that, the Arabic teachers are now coming into LT's rooms.  That should be a good thing because that means the Arabic teachers will get some sort of teaching on how to teach, but it just requires extra work for me.  Then there's the fact that they come in during the lesson and leave just as soon as I get the girls ready to do their assignment.  That's when I need the help.  I don't need someone to observe.  They are supposed to be helping in addition to observing.  Baby steps I guess.

Then there's the fact that lots of university students are coming to observe.  Another good thing, I guess, but they have tons of questions that they ask during the lesson/class so I really have to multi-task.  I had one on Thursday tell me that I needed to teach a new lesson.  A university student telling me what I need to teach.  I don't think so.  I really wasn't planning on teaching a lesson anyway.  They were finishing up their writing from Wednesday.  I told this to the student and she said that she needed to see a new lesson.  Oh well honey.  Not today!

I did find out that all the Arabic teachers like me.  They did not tell me this, Ashley told me.  Reason they like me:  I'm quiet.  Kind of funny because they kicked us out of the teachers' lounge for being too loud!!!  They didn't tell me I could stay because I was quiet.  Honestly I didn't think that was one of my better qualities!

Time for dinner.  The chili smells delicious.  Enjoy the fall!