What a very long, stressful, and exhausting week. I am glad that it is over!
My observation was Tuesday and it went very well. The day started off stressful because there was some change in the schedule. For some reason the homeroom teachers had to have their classes right after assembly, which meant that first period was delayed until second period. They don't just cancel a period here, they take minutes off of each period to make the whole day very confusing. You never know when the bell is going to ring; no problem except when it's time for break. Anyway, I have first period off on Tuesday so I didn't get into the class until second period, which was technically third period. Confused yet?! I was 1/2 way through my English lesson when Andrea, مديرة - modeera (Arabic for manager/principal), and the assistant principal came in. I was working on retelling with my high group. They did a good job! I knew they would. After that it was time for science. Wind erosion. Not that easy of a concept to teach. I took them outside and gave them a tray with sugar (we didn't get sand or soil from ADEC for science so I had them pretend it was sand) and straw and told them to blow. Let me back up a minute. Before we went outside we reviewed erosion and I had them predict what was going to happen in the experiment. Then we went outside and they were the wind. They did a good job talking about what happened. We discussed it for a while then came back in and they drew a picture. I was just getting ready to start answering the questions in the book when the bell rang. Go figure! So that was my lesson. I was very pleased with 3/1. They can behave, they just choose not to on a regular basis.
After the lesson it was break time so I went to the staff lounge and was greeted by shouts and clapping and الحمدللة Al hamdullilah (Thank God!). Somehow all the teachers knew that I had my observation and they knew it was a big deal. There was a huge celebration. I was quite surprised! So we talked in English/Arabic about the observation (well, I mostly talked in English and they mostly talked in Arabic, but somehow we understood each other). The easy part was over, I told them. Now I just had to wait for the evaluation, which was scheduled for Tues. afternoon, but had to be changed because the translator couldn't be there until Wed.
Armed with my newly created portfolio I walked into the principal's office Wed. afternoon and nervously waited for Andrea to arrive. Let me explain the new teacher evaluation process that they implemented in April (2 weeks ago). The evaluation has 4 standards; school improvement, curriculum, classroom, and community. Each standard has 4-6 (other than community which only has 1) points below it. I was to be ranked on each of the points for each of the standards and I needed to have evidence to support/defend my ranking. Ms. Keltham was very very thourough. When she said it would take 90 minutes, she wasn't kidding. It acutally ended up taking longer than that. She went over each and every point in detail. Asking for evidence, how I meet that goal, what I would give myself, what Andrea would give, how I can improve for next year, and finally her mark. Very intense! After about 40 minutes we had gotten standard 1 finished and modeera was requested in the theater so we could eat lunch. I kindly suggested that she go to the theater and we could finish later. I thought it would be later in the afternoon, but it turned out to be Thursday.
As I was walking back to the LT room, Moza said تعالي سارة (ta'allee Sara - Come on Sara) and dragged me into the staff room. There was singing and dancing and cake. The Arabic teachers said it was a party for me since I was finished! How sweet! We celebrated for a little and I did a little, really only a little, dancing and had some cake. It was fun and also very sweet of them to do that. I explained to them that I wasn't finished and there were gasps of horror. They made me tell them what was happening and what modeera and I were talking about and who was doing the talking. So I spent some time going over with them what the process was. They were shocked! And, I have to admit, so was I! After the impromptu party, I went and got my hair done. I guess I should have prepared since I knew what she wanted, but I figured the only way I could truly be prepared would be to type up my response for every point and read it to her. I didn't think she would like that so I just reread the points and tried to focus on the evidence I had and how I was going to prove that I met each of the goals.
So we finished Thursday. We only disagreed on one point; critical thinking. Her definition and my definition are two different things. She wants the students to initiate critical thinking. OK I agree that they should, they just aren't there yet. They need the foundation and that is me asking them the critical thinking questions. She didn't like that and wanted to give me a 1. I would not let her give me a 1. I am not a 1 teacher. We finally agreed on a 1 3/4; closer to a 2. Once I put aside all the stress, I guess this is a good way to evaluate teachers and get them to self reflect. There are a lot of things that I will change for next year. It wasn't all that bad and I ended up getting mostly 3s and a few 2s (out of 4). Not bad; it's just that the whole process was very stressful and exhausting. I am glad I am finished!
Side note about Thursday. We had a whole day of health today. No teaching. It was very different. The girls made posters and did little skits about being clean and eating healthy. It was only supposed to be periods 1-3, but it lasted until the end of the day. Maybe a little too long, but I didn't have to do any teaching so I shouldn't complain. Other than the fact that I have so much to do!
The stress is over and I am going to Dubai tomorrow! Should be fun and a nice way to relax after such an exhausting week. I am really not looking for anything other than shoes. We'll see what happens!
Happy Easter!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Update
OK I know it's been a while but things are pretty normal here. Well, as normal as they can be! Nothing too terribly exciting going on, but I'll try to fill you in on the day to day business stuff.
School
Two weeks after the break and into the 3rd trimester things aren't settling down. Not the kids, well, they're just as wild as ever, it's the work load. More and more and more stuff to do.
First of all the Arabic teachers are now telling us (LTs) how to do our jobs!!! Yeah you read that right, the Arabic teachers are telling us how to teach English. Extremely frustrating. I am dying for an opportunity to tell them how to do their job. Acutally that's one of the reasons I was hired. Well, not really tell them, to show them. But they're not learning. Anyway the Arabic teachers want us to have a contest between grade levels. They want the 1st graders to color certain words, the 2nd graders to make words from letters, and the 3rd graders to translate words from English to Arabic. Then we have to do a school wide spelling test. Nothing is going to be done with these results, so it's not really a contest. It's just taking valuable teaching time. I made the translating and focused on certain objectives that we had been teaching in 3rd grade so it's somewhat correlated to the "curriculum" but basically just a waste of time. Now we're going to have a health camp. It's taking all morning on Thursday. Normally this would be a good thing, but I just don't have time. They are all about putting on a show. This is coming about because of the new evaulation that is being put into place. The Arabic teachers are afraid they are going to lose their jobs if they don't meet certain requirements, and one of them is to participate in the school improvement plan, which brings me to number 2.
The new evaluation. This is intense. Now I've had evaluations before and I'm really not stressed about this one, it's just the timing. They sprung this on us last week and my observation is Tuesday. OK granted I did ask for it to be over with, but the evaluations have to be completed before the end of May. In addition to the observation, which has 5 pages of criteria, I have to create a portfolio with evidence that I am meeting all these criteria (or maybe criterion??). That's the stressful part. After my observation I have to sit down and discuss my portfolio with Ms. Keltham (who by the way doesn't speak much English) for 90 minutes! I guess I should probably start putting something together!!
Thirdly (?) I finally finished all my running records and discovered that about 3/4 of 3-1 and 1/2 of 3-2 aren't reading. They aren't even reading the simple level 1 books (repetitive text). So I had to plan how I was going to change my literacy block (40 minutes). I now have 2 groups; one group that is working on sight words, basic reading, and alphabet knowledge, and the other group that needs to be working on comprehension and word attack strategies. I really should have more groups because within each group are different levels, but I don't have time. So, I spent all weekend on that. I must say that today went very well. The girls adjusted to the change in schedule and worked very good. They didn't bother me when I was working with the other group and they worked very quietly. Before I get too excited I must remind myself that it is Sunday and they are usually very good on Sunday.
I think that about wraps up what's been going on at school.
Arabic
Frustrating as usual. I am waiting for the day when this language just clicks. Right now, every word is a new word. I am having a very difficult time learning/memorizing/remembering the words. I get so tired of hearing "you know this, we took it last time" from Dania. OK so we took it and I guess I should know it but I don't. Verbs are still confusing me and they probably shouldn't. Once I figure out the pattern, which she has explained to me many times, I'm sure things will be much easier. Yesterday in class she gave me a bunch of letters and told me to make words. That was probably the hardest task I had done. I had to think of words that I know that had those letters and then how to spell them correctly. I succeeded in making 2 words! I guess that's good. She says I am making progress, so I should be happy about that. I was able to understand a little bit about what I read for Saturday's class and answer the questions without much help, so that's an improvement because at the beginning I really needed her to translate everything. One day last week I was trying to honey (عسل- a'asil), not sure why I needed this word at school, but anyway it has the ع which always gives me trouble. Reem, one of my students, was working with me on this word and I actually said it right! She was so happy! She clapped and jumped up and down and said "Miss, you got it!" So, that was a pretty good feeling. I got it once, I guess that means I can get it again. Now I just need to work on the following letters; ص ض ح ط ظ. Those silly letters with no English equivalent.
Other stuff
I eamiled Najwa and she replied. I kept the message very light just saying hi and wondering how she's doing. She's happy that I'm continuing Arabic (I wish it were with her). We had a nice little conversation via email so I think things may be ok?
I went on a date last week. I met this guy at DHL and we talked for a while. I had to give him my phone number for the whole mailing process and he ended up calling me. We talked for a while and he asked me out. I agreed. We met at the Rotana, a hotel, for dinner, and that's where things got quite strange. Men here just seem to have marriage on their mind. That's part of the Arabic culture. No dating, just jumping right into marriage. Well, he made it clear that was what he wanted. He kept telling me "I love you", "I want to spend my life with you", and "I need you" throughout the conversation. I told him that he was moving way too fast and that he just met me and he shouldn't be saying those things. What happened to getting to know someone? We finished dinner and then left. He texted me a few days later with some more inappropriate comments and I did not reply. I haven't heard from him since!
It's hot here! I mean hot! It's already been in the 100s and it's only going to get worse. I can see why the girls stop coming to school at the end of May because it's too hot. It really is. I don't think it would be that bad if the school were inside, but it's not. The assembly area is outside, the girls eat outside, our classrooms open up to the outside, and they have to walk outside to go to the bathroom and get water. Something needs to be done. I suggest that the Sheikh shorten the school year (you know to a regualr school year Sept-June) and lengthen the school day. But they never take suggestions from those on the front lines!
We celebrated Susan's birthday on Thursday with a very nice meal at a fabulous French restaurant. The food was delicious (or as Lexi says delish:) It was real food, so not Arabic! I had stuffed chicken with potato gnocchi. Cassie had lasagne and Susan had some chicken with mashed potatoes! Yes, mashed potatoes. I would be more excited about that, but I only like KFCs mashed potatoes, which by the way they don't have at the KFCs here.
My observation is Tuesday and my post observation evaluation is????? I'll write on Tuesday about the observation and whenever I have the evaluation. Now it's time to get the portfolio ready!
School
Two weeks after the break and into the 3rd trimester things aren't settling down. Not the kids, well, they're just as wild as ever, it's the work load. More and more and more stuff to do.
First of all the Arabic teachers are now telling us (LTs) how to do our jobs!!! Yeah you read that right, the Arabic teachers are telling us how to teach English. Extremely frustrating. I am dying for an opportunity to tell them how to do their job. Acutally that's one of the reasons I was hired. Well, not really tell them, to show them. But they're not learning. Anyway the Arabic teachers want us to have a contest between grade levels. They want the 1st graders to color certain words, the 2nd graders to make words from letters, and the 3rd graders to translate words from English to Arabic. Then we have to do a school wide spelling test. Nothing is going to be done with these results, so it's not really a contest. It's just taking valuable teaching time. I made the translating and focused on certain objectives that we had been teaching in 3rd grade so it's somewhat correlated to the "curriculum" but basically just a waste of time. Now we're going to have a health camp. It's taking all morning on Thursday. Normally this would be a good thing, but I just don't have time. They are all about putting on a show. This is coming about because of the new evaulation that is being put into place. The Arabic teachers are afraid they are going to lose their jobs if they don't meet certain requirements, and one of them is to participate in the school improvement plan, which brings me to number 2.
The new evaluation. This is intense. Now I've had evaluations before and I'm really not stressed about this one, it's just the timing. They sprung this on us last week and my observation is Tuesday. OK granted I did ask for it to be over with, but the evaluations have to be completed before the end of May. In addition to the observation, which has 5 pages of criteria, I have to create a portfolio with evidence that I am meeting all these criteria (or maybe criterion??). That's the stressful part. After my observation I have to sit down and discuss my portfolio with Ms. Keltham (who by the way doesn't speak much English) for 90 minutes! I guess I should probably start putting something together!!
Thirdly (?) I finally finished all my running records and discovered that about 3/4 of 3-1 and 1/2 of 3-2 aren't reading. They aren't even reading the simple level 1 books (repetitive text). So I had to plan how I was going to change my literacy block (40 minutes). I now have 2 groups; one group that is working on sight words, basic reading, and alphabet knowledge, and the other group that needs to be working on comprehension and word attack strategies. I really should have more groups because within each group are different levels, but I don't have time. So, I spent all weekend on that. I must say that today went very well. The girls adjusted to the change in schedule and worked very good. They didn't bother me when I was working with the other group and they worked very quietly. Before I get too excited I must remind myself that it is Sunday and they are usually very good on Sunday.
I think that about wraps up what's been going on at school.
Arabic
Frustrating as usual. I am waiting for the day when this language just clicks. Right now, every word is a new word. I am having a very difficult time learning/memorizing/remembering the words. I get so tired of hearing "you know this, we took it last time" from Dania. OK so we took it and I guess I should know it but I don't. Verbs are still confusing me and they probably shouldn't. Once I figure out the pattern, which she has explained to me many times, I'm sure things will be much easier. Yesterday in class she gave me a bunch of letters and told me to make words. That was probably the hardest task I had done. I had to think of words that I know that had those letters and then how to spell them correctly. I succeeded in making 2 words! I guess that's good. She says I am making progress, so I should be happy about that. I was able to understand a little bit about what I read for Saturday's class and answer the questions without much help, so that's an improvement because at the beginning I really needed her to translate everything. One day last week I was trying to honey (عسل- a'asil), not sure why I needed this word at school, but anyway it has the ع which always gives me trouble. Reem, one of my students, was working with me on this word and I actually said it right! She was so happy! She clapped and jumped up and down and said "Miss, you got it!" So, that was a pretty good feeling. I got it once, I guess that means I can get it again. Now I just need to work on the following letters; ص ض ح ط ظ. Those silly letters with no English equivalent.
Other stuff
I eamiled Najwa and she replied. I kept the message very light just saying hi and wondering how she's doing. She's happy that I'm continuing Arabic (I wish it were with her). We had a nice little conversation via email so I think things may be ok?
I went on a date last week. I met this guy at DHL and we talked for a while. I had to give him my phone number for the whole mailing process and he ended up calling me. We talked for a while and he asked me out. I agreed. We met at the Rotana, a hotel, for dinner, and that's where things got quite strange. Men here just seem to have marriage on their mind. That's part of the Arabic culture. No dating, just jumping right into marriage. Well, he made it clear that was what he wanted. He kept telling me "I love you", "I want to spend my life with you", and "I need you" throughout the conversation. I told him that he was moving way too fast and that he just met me and he shouldn't be saying those things. What happened to getting to know someone? We finished dinner and then left. He texted me a few days later with some more inappropriate comments and I did not reply. I haven't heard from him since!
It's hot here! I mean hot! It's already been in the 100s and it's only going to get worse. I can see why the girls stop coming to school at the end of May because it's too hot. It really is. I don't think it would be that bad if the school were inside, but it's not. The assembly area is outside, the girls eat outside, our classrooms open up to the outside, and they have to walk outside to go to the bathroom and get water. Something needs to be done. I suggest that the Sheikh shorten the school year (you know to a regualr school year Sept-June) and lengthen the school day. But they never take suggestions from those on the front lines!
We celebrated Susan's birthday on Thursday with a very nice meal at a fabulous French restaurant. The food was delicious (or as Lexi says delish:) It was real food, so not Arabic! I had stuffed chicken with potato gnocchi. Cassie had lasagne and Susan had some chicken with mashed potatoes! Yes, mashed potatoes. I would be more excited about that, but I only like KFCs mashed potatoes, which by the way they don't have at the KFCs here.
My observation is Tuesday and my post observation evaluation is????? I'll write on Tuesday about the observation and whenever I have the evaluation. Now it's time to get the portfolio ready!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Bangkok Part 3
Ban Battra Community and Jim Thompson House 3/29
Tuesday was a very relaxing day. I slept in, had a late and relaxing breakfast with sausage (although the sausage wasn't good at all), and hired a taxi to take me to the Ban Batrra Community.
Ban Battra is the last remaining community that makes the alms bowls that the monks used to carry to get their food and donations. It is a dying art, and it is beautiful. The bowls are handmade from steel. They pound together 8 pieces of steel to make the bowl. While there I met this amazing woman who is one of the last people to make the bowls. She was so sweet and greeted me on the street with a smile and a bow. She couldn't speak much English, but that didn't prevent her from talking to me and mentioning my height and her height! She is very tiny, as most Thai are. She showed me around her little community and allowed me to sit and pound at the bowl that was being made. She sat with me and showed me how to do it! While I was looking at the different bowls she showed me her guest book and proudly pointed out all the visitors that she had from USA. I just couldn't tell her that I was from Abu Dhabi, she was so pleased to have another American visit. I guess in reality I'm from America via Abu Dhabi. So I signed her guest book as an American and then bought a bowl (happy birthday Mom!!!:) As I was leaving this wonderful lady we took another picture near the entrance to the community (the difference is height is very pronounced when we both are standing) and she instructed me to send her a copy of the picture. I will definitely do that!
After leaving the community my taxi driver took me to the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand and helped to make the industry of Thai silk what it is today. His house was made from 6 separate houses and moved from different parts of the country to Bangkok. Pretty neat how they put it all together; you really can't tell that it's 6 different houses. Each room was a different house. The most spectacular part of the house were the gardens. Absolutely beautiful. Lots of vibrantly colored flowers, hanging vines, ponds with fish, and greenery everywhere. An interesting note about Thai houses; they build very high entrances into the house (what is that called?) so that the evil spirits that can only travel in straight lines can't get into the house. Interesting, but made for painful entering of each room/house. I took a quick tour of the house and went to the gift shop. The Thai silk is beautiful. Very colorful and soft. It really didn't feel like silk at all. The silk was very expensive, even in Bats, so I did not buy anything I just looked.
I left the Jim Thompson House and headed back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon and evening. I would have loved to sit by the pool, but the weather was not cooperating at all; cold and windy all day.
Temples and City Tour 3/30
Another early morning. I had to be ready to leave the hotel at 7:30, so I got up early and had a quick breakfast so I would be ready for the tour. The driver showed up at 7:30 and then we went to 2 different hotels to pick up other tourists. There were only 5 of us on this tour so we didn't have a big bus, just a van. It was still pleasant and there was enough room for all of us to be comfortable.
The tour started with the Golden Buddha. This Buddha is made of nearly 5 tons of solid gold! The interesting story is that it was covered in plaster during a war and it wasn't until 1955 when it was discovered that it was made of solid gold.
From the Golden Buddha we went to the Reclining Buddha. This Buddha is huge! More than huge, massive. It is not made of solid gold, but the gold leaves. The feet of the Buddha are made of mother of pearl and are gorgeous. The Buddha measures 46m long (~150 ft) and 15m high (~ 49ft). It was very difficult to get a full length picture of the entire statue. The head itself is huge.
The last Buddha we saw was at the Marble Temple. This temple is made from Italian marble and is very different from the other temples in the area. The Buddha that is featured in this temple is pretty much like the other Buddhas. There is one area that has 52 Buddha statues, including one of Buddha fasting.
After the temples we were taken to the largest gem factory in the country. Thailand is known for its gems and jewelery. At the entrance to the factory/store there was an armed guard. Kind of impressive and scary at the same time. We toured the factory and got to see the gems being cut, polished, and placed in jewelry. Pretty neat. After watching the process of making the jewels we got to tour the store. Lots of jewelry and gems. Very sparkly! Very expensive even though I know the prices were cheaper than they would be at home, it's still too much to pay like 20,000 Bat for jewelry. I just enjoyed looking at the different cuts and stones.
That was the last stop on the tour so it was back to the hotel. Once at the hotel I had lunch and now it's time to get ready to leave. It's been a great vacation, but I am ready to go home. Not necessarily ready to go back to work, but ready to go home. I have seen some wonderful sights and had a great vacation, but it's time to return to normal.
Notes about Bangkok
Tuesday was a very relaxing day. I slept in, had a late and relaxing breakfast with sausage (although the sausage wasn't good at all), and hired a taxi to take me to the Ban Batrra Community.
Ban Battra is the last remaining community that makes the alms bowls that the monks used to carry to get their food and donations. It is a dying art, and it is beautiful. The bowls are handmade from steel. They pound together 8 pieces of steel to make the bowl. While there I met this amazing woman who is one of the last people to make the bowls. She was so sweet and greeted me on the street with a smile and a bow. She couldn't speak much English, but that didn't prevent her from talking to me and mentioning my height and her height! She is very tiny, as most Thai are. She showed me around her little community and allowed me to sit and pound at the bowl that was being made. She sat with me and showed me how to do it! While I was looking at the different bowls she showed me her guest book and proudly pointed out all the visitors that she had from USA. I just couldn't tell her that I was from Abu Dhabi, she was so pleased to have another American visit. I guess in reality I'm from America via Abu Dhabi. So I signed her guest book as an American and then bought a bowl (happy birthday Mom!!!:) As I was leaving this wonderful lady we took another picture near the entrance to the community (the difference is height is very pronounced when we both are standing) and she instructed me to send her a copy of the picture. I will definitely do that!
After leaving the community my taxi driver took me to the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand and helped to make the industry of Thai silk what it is today. His house was made from 6 separate houses and moved from different parts of the country to Bangkok. Pretty neat how they put it all together; you really can't tell that it's 6 different houses. Each room was a different house. The most spectacular part of the house were the gardens. Absolutely beautiful. Lots of vibrantly colored flowers, hanging vines, ponds with fish, and greenery everywhere. An interesting note about Thai houses; they build very high entrances into the house (what is that called?) so that the evil spirits that can only travel in straight lines can't get into the house. Interesting, but made for painful entering of each room/house. I took a quick tour of the house and went to the gift shop. The Thai silk is beautiful. Very colorful and soft. It really didn't feel like silk at all. The silk was very expensive, even in Bats, so I did not buy anything I just looked.
I left the Jim Thompson House and headed back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon and evening. I would have loved to sit by the pool, but the weather was not cooperating at all; cold and windy all day.
Temples and City Tour 3/30
Another early morning. I had to be ready to leave the hotel at 7:30, so I got up early and had a quick breakfast so I would be ready for the tour. The driver showed up at 7:30 and then we went to 2 different hotels to pick up other tourists. There were only 5 of us on this tour so we didn't have a big bus, just a van. It was still pleasant and there was enough room for all of us to be comfortable.
The tour started with the Golden Buddha. This Buddha is made of nearly 5 tons of solid gold! The interesting story is that it was covered in plaster during a war and it wasn't until 1955 when it was discovered that it was made of solid gold.
From the Golden Buddha we went to the Reclining Buddha. This Buddha is huge! More than huge, massive. It is not made of solid gold, but the gold leaves. The feet of the Buddha are made of mother of pearl and are gorgeous. The Buddha measures 46m long (~150 ft) and 15m high (~ 49ft). It was very difficult to get a full length picture of the entire statue. The head itself is huge.
The last Buddha we saw was at the Marble Temple. This temple is made from Italian marble and is very different from the other temples in the area. The Buddha that is featured in this temple is pretty much like the other Buddhas. There is one area that has 52 Buddha statues, including one of Buddha fasting.
After the temples we were taken to the largest gem factory in the country. Thailand is known for its gems and jewelery. At the entrance to the factory/store there was an armed guard. Kind of impressive and scary at the same time. We toured the factory and got to see the gems being cut, polished, and placed in jewelry. Pretty neat. After watching the process of making the jewels we got to tour the store. Lots of jewelry and gems. Very sparkly! Very expensive even though I know the prices were cheaper than they would be at home, it's still too much to pay like 20,000 Bat for jewelry. I just enjoyed looking at the different cuts and stones.
That was the last stop on the tour so it was back to the hotel. Once at the hotel I had lunch and now it's time to get ready to leave. It's been a great vacation, but I am ready to go home. Not necessarily ready to go back to work, but ready to go home. I have seen some wonderful sights and had a great vacation, but it's time to return to normal.
Notes about Bangkok
- Very crowded
- Traffic is atrocious
- A lot of poverty, begging, and pickpocketing
- Good train system for traveling within the city
- A lot of pollution, both noise and air because it is so crowded
- 9,100,000 people in Bangkok
- Green in color and recycling
- Very nice people (everyone greets you with a bow and welcome to Thailand or their greeting)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Bangkok Part 2
Night Market 3/27
After resting yesterday afternoon, Susan and I headed out to Chinatown for dinner and then to the night market. On our way to Chinatown we we were planning on seeing a Wat with a Buddha lit by candles. As we were walking to the Wat we saw the Giant Swing. When Susan pointed it out to me I was quite surprised because there is no swing. It's just the very tall metal poles to hold the swing. Evidently they attach the swing during ceremonies. I just found it quite weird that they would call it the Giant Swing when there isn't actually a swing. We stopped long enough for me to take a picture and then continued on our way to the Wat. The Wat was beautiful; as they all are. It's amazing how many they have here; like mosques in the UAE they are everywhere. Anyway when we arrived there was a service going on and many Buddhists were praying and reciting something. Very interesting to witness, but I felt like I was intruding on something very spiritual as I was walking around taking pictures. Just like a mosque, when you enter a Wat you have to take your shoes off. A sign of respect. We walked around the grounds for a while, then collected our shoes and searched for a taxi to take us to Chinatown for dinner.
Chinatown was packed and quite intense! Food and people everywhere. The concierge said that any restaurant we chose would be good, but it was difficult to choose. There were so many, and most of them just served seafood. We eventually found one off the beaten path that served more than just seafood. Now, when I say restaurant it's not what you think. We ate in the street and the food was cooked right there. Just like the lunch at the weekend market. I ordered fried rice with crab meat, and it was delicious. I am pretty sure my crab was alive 5 minutes before I ate it. OK maybe not literally 5 minutes, but I'm sure it was fresh and they most likely killed it right there before cooking it. It was delicious!
After dinner we headed to the night market. This was not like I had imagined at all. I was thinking something along the lines of the weekend market, but I was way off. It was packed and there were a lot of "nighttime" activities being offered all around us. Not something I needed to witness. Not that I saw anything other than ladies dancing and people advertising the services they offered, but it was still more than I needed to see. Needless to say, we didn't stay all that long. There really wasn't anything worth buying there anyway. So we headed back to the hotel so I could get up early for my tour in the morning.
Auttayah Tour 3/28
I had a 7am pickup from the hotel scheduled so I got up quite early at 5:30 so I could have breakfast before I left. There was no time for any made to order breakfast this morning so sausage will have to wait until tomorrow morning. The tour driver picked me up promptly at 7:00 and we headed to get some more tourists before going to the bus parking lot.
There were about 25 of us on the tour and as soon as we all boarded we headed out of Bangkok. The drive out of Bangkok is very nice. Very green, with rice paddies lining the roads when you get out of the city. The drive to Auttayah was about an hour. Once there I saw the Summer Palace. The Palace is amazing. There are a lot of western style buildings there, as the king who designed it really liked the western architecture. Of course there was a temple there along with many other statues. I think my favorite building was the gathering house. It is made in the Chinese style and it's beautiful. I loved the Chinese calligraphy on the walls and the murals. I also liked the gardens; they were so green and had statues of animals cut from bushes. Amazing how people can do that. After touring the Summer Palace for about an hour we headed to the Wat ruins at Auttayah.
The ruins are beautiful. Striking how they can still be somewhat standing after all this time and the way they were built. Kind of reminded me of Petra, although Petra was in much better shape. At the Wat ruins you could still see the place where the Buddha would have been placed. The most impressive part of this part of the tour was the Buddha head that was on the ground surrounded by tree routes. They say that it fell off the Buddha during a storm, or was cut off during the war, and a tree grew around it and that Buddha protected it so the roots wouldn't cover the face. There was also a statue of Buddha surrounded by headless Buddhas. During a war (can't remember which one) non Buddhists came and beheaded all the Buddhas. It was kind of odd walking around looking at Buddhas without heads.
From the Wat ruins of Auttayah we headed to 2 other Wats. Pretty much the same as the others I have seen other than the huge reclining Buddha. Massive. Very long and tall. This one is made of stone unlike the one in Bangkok which is made of gold and slightly bigger than the one at Auttayah.
After our tour of the Wats we headed to the river for the river cruise and lunch. The river cruise was neat because I got to see traditional Thai houses and the way of life along the river. Something not so touristy. The houses are built on stilts so during the rainy season their living quarters aren't flooded and also so the children have somewhere shaded to play (that is if the house isn't actually in the river; some were and some weren't). The tour ended at the River Plaza and we were taken back to our respective hotels. Maybe I'll just relax tonight!
Oh by the way it's freezing here! Well at least for me it is! It's been gray and overcast the entire time and it even rained today. Not much more than a light drizzle, but still rain. It was very windy as well, which meant that I stayed inside for most of the boat trip. I just didn't bring my winter clothes; they're all in the States anyway!
After resting yesterday afternoon, Susan and I headed out to Chinatown for dinner and then to the night market. On our way to Chinatown we we were planning on seeing a Wat with a Buddha lit by candles. As we were walking to the Wat we saw the Giant Swing. When Susan pointed it out to me I was quite surprised because there is no swing. It's just the very tall metal poles to hold the swing. Evidently they attach the swing during ceremonies. I just found it quite weird that they would call it the Giant Swing when there isn't actually a swing. We stopped long enough for me to take a picture and then continued on our way to the Wat. The Wat was beautiful; as they all are. It's amazing how many they have here; like mosques in the UAE they are everywhere. Anyway when we arrived there was a service going on and many Buddhists were praying and reciting something. Very interesting to witness, but I felt like I was intruding on something very spiritual as I was walking around taking pictures. Just like a mosque, when you enter a Wat you have to take your shoes off. A sign of respect. We walked around the grounds for a while, then collected our shoes and searched for a taxi to take us to Chinatown for dinner.
Chinatown was packed and quite intense! Food and people everywhere. The concierge said that any restaurant we chose would be good, but it was difficult to choose. There were so many, and most of them just served seafood. We eventually found one off the beaten path that served more than just seafood. Now, when I say restaurant it's not what you think. We ate in the street and the food was cooked right there. Just like the lunch at the weekend market. I ordered fried rice with crab meat, and it was delicious. I am pretty sure my crab was alive 5 minutes before I ate it. OK maybe not literally 5 minutes, but I'm sure it was fresh and they most likely killed it right there before cooking it. It was delicious!
After dinner we headed to the night market. This was not like I had imagined at all. I was thinking something along the lines of the weekend market, but I was way off. It was packed and there were a lot of "nighttime" activities being offered all around us. Not something I needed to witness. Not that I saw anything other than ladies dancing and people advertising the services they offered, but it was still more than I needed to see. Needless to say, we didn't stay all that long. There really wasn't anything worth buying there anyway. So we headed back to the hotel so I could get up early for my tour in the morning.
Auttayah Tour 3/28
I had a 7am pickup from the hotel scheduled so I got up quite early at 5:30 so I could have breakfast before I left. There was no time for any made to order breakfast this morning so sausage will have to wait until tomorrow morning. The tour driver picked me up promptly at 7:00 and we headed to get some more tourists before going to the bus parking lot.
There were about 25 of us on the tour and as soon as we all boarded we headed out of Bangkok. The drive out of Bangkok is very nice. Very green, with rice paddies lining the roads when you get out of the city. The drive to Auttayah was about an hour. Once there I saw the Summer Palace. The Palace is amazing. There are a lot of western style buildings there, as the king who designed it really liked the western architecture. Of course there was a temple there along with many other statues. I think my favorite building was the gathering house. It is made in the Chinese style and it's beautiful. I loved the Chinese calligraphy on the walls and the murals. I also liked the gardens; they were so green and had statues of animals cut from bushes. Amazing how people can do that. After touring the Summer Palace for about an hour we headed to the Wat ruins at Auttayah.
The ruins are beautiful. Striking how they can still be somewhat standing after all this time and the way they were built. Kind of reminded me of Petra, although Petra was in much better shape. At the Wat ruins you could still see the place where the Buddha would have been placed. The most impressive part of this part of the tour was the Buddha head that was on the ground surrounded by tree routes. They say that it fell off the Buddha during a storm, or was cut off during the war, and a tree grew around it and that Buddha protected it so the roots wouldn't cover the face. There was also a statue of Buddha surrounded by headless Buddhas. During a war (can't remember which one) non Buddhists came and beheaded all the Buddhas. It was kind of odd walking around looking at Buddhas without heads.
From the Wat ruins of Auttayah we headed to 2 other Wats. Pretty much the same as the others I have seen other than the huge reclining Buddha. Massive. Very long and tall. This one is made of stone unlike the one in Bangkok which is made of gold and slightly bigger than the one at Auttayah.
After our tour of the Wats we headed to the river for the river cruise and lunch. The river cruise was neat because I got to see traditional Thai houses and the way of life along the river. Something not so touristy. The houses are built on stilts so during the rainy season their living quarters aren't flooded and also so the children have somewhere shaded to play (that is if the house isn't actually in the river; some were and some weren't). The tour ended at the River Plaza and we were taken back to our respective hotels. Maybe I'll just relax tonight!
Oh by the way it's freezing here! Well at least for me it is! It's been gray and overcast the entire time and it even rained today. Not much more than a light drizzle, but still rain. It was very windy as well, which meant that I stayed inside for most of the boat trip. I just didn't bring my winter clothes; they're all in the States anyway!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Bangkok Part 1
Departure 3/24
After a crazy hectic day at school, which consisted of a 1/2 day Mother's Day assembly/party and a 12:15 dismissal I went to the bank so I could be financially prepared for my trip. I got home did some cleaning, laundry, got packed, studied some Arabic, and rested for a bit before Susan and I left for Abu Dhabi.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:55pm so we left Al Ain at 5:15. We got to the airport around 7 and no problems checking in. Susan did discover that the flight was over booked and she was going to see if she could get bumped to business class. No such luck:( I did get an exit row seat with a ton of leg room. It was wonderful!
Our 9:55 departure turned into an 11:00 departure. A lot of waiting. I think I was pretty much up all night; I may have slept for an hour or 2, but I did get to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Great movie! Not the best screen to watch it on, but I still enjoyed it! Can't wait for part II!
Arrival 3/25
We arrived in Bangkok about 8am and waited forever in immigration. There were so many people in line and the process was taking so long I thought we were going to be there until our 2pm check in time. We eventually made it through immigration and I got my 4th entry stamp! Susan had requested a car from the hotel to pick us up at the airport. We found the driver and got into a very spacious car with water, a cold towel, and breath mints. I was totally surprised because they drive on the other side here! That was a very weird feeling to be sitting on the right side of the car behind the driver. We arrived at the hotel, the InterContinental, at about 11am. Our room was ready so we were able to check in! I was starving, since I didn't eat on the plane. They served dinner around midnight. I just can't eat at midnight. So, I went to the lounge and had a delicious bowl of vegetable soup and an orange juice. After my breakfast/lunch we headed to our room for a nap!
Feeling refreshed and clean we headed out at about 3pm. We walked to a nearby Hindu Shrine where there were many people praying and offering incense and flowers to the god depicted in the shrine. If someone had received an answer to a prayer they either bought something (mostly elephants) or paid some women to dance as an offering. They dancing was pretty neat, but they really didn't look all that into it. While there I was talking to a lady who was telling me what I needed to go see; The Grand Palace and the weekend market. Those were both on my list. In fact the weekend market was scheduled for Saturday.
When the incense began to burn my eyes Susan and I left and just walked the streets. The sights, sounds, and smells were just a bit overwhelming. There were many stands set up where you could buy street food. The meat was raw and sitting out in the sun so I didn't have any of that, but it sure did smell good when they put it on the grill. I got some corn, which was amazing! The corn was fresh off the cob and cooked in some buttery sauce and then mixed with sugar. It was delicious. We continued to walk around this little bazaar and found that you could even buy your underwear there! We headed to a nearby mall where we stopped at NaRaYa (a very popular Asian store that sells all sorts of handbags). I spent 715 Bat (about $30) and got a bag, travel bag, and a wallet. With our shopping finished for the day we headed back to the hotel.
We went to the Ambassador Lounge and had appetizers and drinks. As members of the Ambassador Club we upgraded for this option which includes breakfast, tea time in the afternoon, and cocktails at night. After a long day of traveling and site seeing it was time to turn in!
Weekend Market 3/26
What an experience! The day started with an early morning breakfast and then the train ride to the market. The train ride was something! It was packed and people just kept squeezing on. It's amazing how many people can squish together. As we neared the market, I could see the rows and rows of stalls from the train; they just seemed to go on forever! We walked through a very nice park to the entrance of the market. It wasn't all that crowded at 10am, but somehow I knew that wouldn't last! I didn't think it was that hot either, but again I knew that wouldn't last either!
Susan and I walked through the myriad of stalls and bought many souvenirs. I'm not quite sure how much I spent, but it was less than 2,000 Bat (about $70). They had everything from statues of Buddah (I bought one), to underwear. There were even pets for sale! The puppies were so cute! I would have loved to buy one.
The food was another experience altogether. There was squid eggs, chicken legs (not what you think - actual chicken legs), some sort of live shrimp flopping around in a bucket, tons of fruit, and great Thai food. We stopped at the food tent where I had fried noodles with PORK! It was delicious! Sitting in the food tent was an experience for all the senses. The language is something totally different; glad I'm not learning this one! Not sure if I'd ever be able to write it, let alone speak it. The smells of the food made me want to try everything or throw up. I enjoyed sitting there taking in the sights, sounds, and smells.
As the day wore on it got hotter and more crowded. I was dripping in sweat, even though it was overcast, as I squeezed past mobs of people. We eventually reached a point where we both had had enough and were ready to leave. I know we didn't see everything the market had to offer, but I did get a lot of good souvenirs. We made our way through the crowds and back to the train station. We got onto an empty train and headed back to the hotel. The train didn't remain empty for long; by the second stop we were squished like sardines. We squeezed off the train at our stop and headed across the street to our hotel.
Once back at the hotel we changed into our suits and headed to the rooftop pool. It was very breezy up there and the water was cold so there was no swimming for me, but it was so nice to sit there with my feet in the water. That definitely helped the swelling and cooled off my feet. After a full day it was nice to relax by the pool and then the lounge.
The Grand Palace 3/27
I will start this out by telling mom and dad not to be freaked. I traveled by myself today and I lived to tell about it! Susan had already went to the Grand Palace when she was here in December so she didn't want to go again. She gave me very good directions on how to take the train and the water taxi.
After breakfast (which included BACON!) I headed to the train station. I walked to the next train station, Siam, so I didn't have to change trains. It was a nice walk by their skywalk. I succeeded in buying my ticket for the train and waited in line for the next train. The ride was very nice; not crowded at all. I even got to sit down. I got off the train and headed to the water taxi. Now, that was a nice ride. A lot to see on the river. Temples lining the river and a lot of beautiful 5 Star Hotels. I was tempted to get off at Chinatown, but I didn't. I did get off at the wrong stop, but it worked in my favor because I got to see some pretty neat things and talk to nice people.
I got off the water taxi at the station for the Reclining Buddah instead of the Grand Palace. But the Reclining Buddah was amazing! Check FB later for pictures. It is huge and gold. I walked around that Wat for a while and looked at some pretty neat stuff. Once I left the reclining Buddah I took a tuk-tuk (not sure how to describe this; it's like a taxi but not a car) to the Grand Palace.
Wow! Huge and beautiful. Lots of Buddhas, and intricately decorated. The Emerald Buddha is the main attraction and I must say that there is no reason it shouldn't be. It is amazing! Tiny, but beautiful. It sits upon a very high throne which is surrounded by gold and flowers. The Emerald Buddha is made of jade (weird) and the king is the only one allowed to touch it. It has 3 outfits; one for each season (summer, winter, and rainy) and the king changes the outfit. I walked around the Palace and took tons of pictures of the statues of the Buddhas and the dragons and monkeys. The grounds were beautiful as well. I saw some very old bonsai trees. I tried to take in all the sights, but there was something different to look at from each angle. A lot of statues and thrones. After walking around for a bit I headed back to the hotel. I decided to take a taxi instead of the train. This was fine. It was more than the train and water taxi, but not much (maybe 50 Bat). It was just easier than trying to find the water taxi station by myself.
I got back to the hotel and Susan was waiting for me. She had planned our evening. Tonight we are going to Chinatown, to a Wat (oh, that's a Buddhist Temple), and then to the night market. It should be fun.
I will write more later and post pictures on FB when I get home.
After a crazy hectic day at school, which consisted of a 1/2 day Mother's Day assembly/party and a 12:15 dismissal I went to the bank so I could be financially prepared for my trip. I got home did some cleaning, laundry, got packed, studied some Arabic, and rested for a bit before Susan and I left for Abu Dhabi.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:55pm so we left Al Ain at 5:15. We got to the airport around 7 and no problems checking in. Susan did discover that the flight was over booked and she was going to see if she could get bumped to business class. No such luck:( I did get an exit row seat with a ton of leg room. It was wonderful!
Our 9:55 departure turned into an 11:00 departure. A lot of waiting. I think I was pretty much up all night; I may have slept for an hour or 2, but I did get to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I. Great movie! Not the best screen to watch it on, but I still enjoyed it! Can't wait for part II!
Arrival 3/25
We arrived in Bangkok about 8am and waited forever in immigration. There were so many people in line and the process was taking so long I thought we were going to be there until our 2pm check in time. We eventually made it through immigration and I got my 4th entry stamp! Susan had requested a car from the hotel to pick us up at the airport. We found the driver and got into a very spacious car with water, a cold towel, and breath mints. I was totally surprised because they drive on the other side here! That was a very weird feeling to be sitting on the right side of the car behind the driver. We arrived at the hotel, the InterContinental, at about 11am. Our room was ready so we were able to check in! I was starving, since I didn't eat on the plane. They served dinner around midnight. I just can't eat at midnight. So, I went to the lounge and had a delicious bowl of vegetable soup and an orange juice. After my breakfast/lunch we headed to our room for a nap!
Feeling refreshed and clean we headed out at about 3pm. We walked to a nearby Hindu Shrine where there were many people praying and offering incense and flowers to the god depicted in the shrine. If someone had received an answer to a prayer they either bought something (mostly elephants) or paid some women to dance as an offering. They dancing was pretty neat, but they really didn't look all that into it. While there I was talking to a lady who was telling me what I needed to go see; The Grand Palace and the weekend market. Those were both on my list. In fact the weekend market was scheduled for Saturday.
When the incense began to burn my eyes Susan and I left and just walked the streets. The sights, sounds, and smells were just a bit overwhelming. There were many stands set up where you could buy street food. The meat was raw and sitting out in the sun so I didn't have any of that, but it sure did smell good when they put it on the grill. I got some corn, which was amazing! The corn was fresh off the cob and cooked in some buttery sauce and then mixed with sugar. It was delicious. We continued to walk around this little bazaar and found that you could even buy your underwear there! We headed to a nearby mall where we stopped at NaRaYa (a very popular Asian store that sells all sorts of handbags). I spent 715 Bat (about $30) and got a bag, travel bag, and a wallet. With our shopping finished for the day we headed back to the hotel.
We went to the Ambassador Lounge and had appetizers and drinks. As members of the Ambassador Club we upgraded for this option which includes breakfast, tea time in the afternoon, and cocktails at night. After a long day of traveling and site seeing it was time to turn in!
Weekend Market 3/26
What an experience! The day started with an early morning breakfast and then the train ride to the market. The train ride was something! It was packed and people just kept squeezing on. It's amazing how many people can squish together. As we neared the market, I could see the rows and rows of stalls from the train; they just seemed to go on forever! We walked through a very nice park to the entrance of the market. It wasn't all that crowded at 10am, but somehow I knew that wouldn't last! I didn't think it was that hot either, but again I knew that wouldn't last either!
Susan and I walked through the myriad of stalls and bought many souvenirs. I'm not quite sure how much I spent, but it was less than 2,000 Bat (about $70). They had everything from statues of Buddah (I bought one), to underwear. There were even pets for sale! The puppies were so cute! I would have loved to buy one.
The food was another experience altogether. There was squid eggs, chicken legs (not what you think - actual chicken legs), some sort of live shrimp flopping around in a bucket, tons of fruit, and great Thai food. We stopped at the food tent where I had fried noodles with PORK! It was delicious! Sitting in the food tent was an experience for all the senses. The language is something totally different; glad I'm not learning this one! Not sure if I'd ever be able to write it, let alone speak it. The smells of the food made me want to try everything or throw up. I enjoyed sitting there taking in the sights, sounds, and smells.
As the day wore on it got hotter and more crowded. I was dripping in sweat, even though it was overcast, as I squeezed past mobs of people. We eventually reached a point where we both had had enough and were ready to leave. I know we didn't see everything the market had to offer, but I did get a lot of good souvenirs. We made our way through the crowds and back to the train station. We got onto an empty train and headed back to the hotel. The train didn't remain empty for long; by the second stop we were squished like sardines. We squeezed off the train at our stop and headed across the street to our hotel.
Once back at the hotel we changed into our suits and headed to the rooftop pool. It was very breezy up there and the water was cold so there was no swimming for me, but it was so nice to sit there with my feet in the water. That definitely helped the swelling and cooled off my feet. After a full day it was nice to relax by the pool and then the lounge.
The Grand Palace 3/27
I will start this out by telling mom and dad not to be freaked. I traveled by myself today and I lived to tell about it! Susan had already went to the Grand Palace when she was here in December so she didn't want to go again. She gave me very good directions on how to take the train and the water taxi.
After breakfast (which included BACON!) I headed to the train station. I walked to the next train station, Siam, so I didn't have to change trains. It was a nice walk by their skywalk. I succeeded in buying my ticket for the train and waited in line for the next train. The ride was very nice; not crowded at all. I even got to sit down. I got off the train and headed to the water taxi. Now, that was a nice ride. A lot to see on the river. Temples lining the river and a lot of beautiful 5 Star Hotels. I was tempted to get off at Chinatown, but I didn't. I did get off at the wrong stop, but it worked in my favor because I got to see some pretty neat things and talk to nice people.
I got off the water taxi at the station for the Reclining Buddah instead of the Grand Palace. But the Reclining Buddah was amazing! Check FB later for pictures. It is huge and gold. I walked around that Wat for a while and looked at some pretty neat stuff. Once I left the reclining Buddah I took a tuk-tuk (not sure how to describe this; it's like a taxi but not a car) to the Grand Palace.
Wow! Huge and beautiful. Lots of Buddhas, and intricately decorated. The Emerald Buddha is the main attraction and I must say that there is no reason it shouldn't be. It is amazing! Tiny, but beautiful. It sits upon a very high throne which is surrounded by gold and flowers. The Emerald Buddha is made of jade (weird) and the king is the only one allowed to touch it. It has 3 outfits; one for each season (summer, winter, and rainy) and the king changes the outfit. I walked around the Palace and took tons of pictures of the statues of the Buddhas and the dragons and monkeys. The grounds were beautiful as well. I saw some very old bonsai trees. I tried to take in all the sights, but there was something different to look at from each angle. A lot of statues and thrones. After walking around for a bit I headed back to the hotel. I decided to take a taxi instead of the train. This was fine. It was more than the train and water taxi, but not much (maybe 50 Bat). It was just easier than trying to find the water taxi station by myself.
I got back to the hotel and Susan was waiting for me. She had planned our evening. Tonight we are going to Chinatown, to a Wat (oh, that's a Buddhist Temple), and then to the night market. It should be fun.
I will write more later and post pictures on FB when I get home.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Conversion???
After the girls finished the math EMSA and before break I was in 3/1 trying to keep them occupied and under control. We were talking about the test and then I just let them talk. Here's what happened.
Rauda - "Miss you said" followed by a whole bunch of words that I didn't understand in Arabic.
Me - "Wow! I didn't know my Arabic was that good!"
Rauda - "No, Miss you said" the string of Arabic again.
Fatima - "Gooley (say) Miss"
Me - "Oh, Rauda you want me to SAY that?!"
Rauda - "Yes, gooley"
Me - "OK say it again"
Rauda - Arabic sentence???????
Me - "Too fast go slow"
Rauda - Arabic slowly!!!!!
Me - Whatever Rauda said I said although I had no idea what I was saying.
Look of shock on the rest of the girls' faces and a few gasps! Oh no, what did Rauda just make me say. She's not the type of student to make me say something bad, actually none of them are, so why the response.
Ashwaq - "Miss you Muslim" or Arabic word for Christian that I don't know?
Me - "I am Christian"
More gasps and a lot of yelling at Rauda in Arabic. Yikes. What happened?
Me - "What did I say?"
Ashwaq - "She make you say something for Muslims Allah put her in fire!"
Me - "No, Allah not put her in fire." I probably should not have said that because I don't know what the Qu'ran teaches, but I didn't want Rauda to think that Allah was going to put her in the fire.
Moza - "She is small, not know."
Ashwaq - "No she say so Allah not put her in fire."
Me - "What?"
Ashwaq - "She say for you be Muslim so Allah not put her in fire."
Me - "Oh, she wants me to be Muslim so Allah won't put her in the fire?"
Ashwaq - "Yes!"
Me - "OK, but I am a Christian and I am happy to be a Christian."
So, Rauda wants me to be a Muslim so she doesn't go to the fire. I have to give Rauda some credit here; she has a lot of courage to talk to her teacher, even if it is in Arabic, about becoming a Muslim.
Now, I have to go study Arabic so I can learn more words and be able to understand the next time someone trys to convert me to Islam! I have a lot of work to do:)
Rauda - "Miss you said" followed by a whole bunch of words that I didn't understand in Arabic.
Me - "Wow! I didn't know my Arabic was that good!"
Rauda - "No, Miss you said" the string of Arabic again.
Fatima - "Gooley (say) Miss"
Me - "Oh, Rauda you want me to SAY that?!"
Rauda - "Yes, gooley"
Me - "OK say it again"
Rauda - Arabic sentence???????
Me - "Too fast go slow"
Rauda - Arabic slowly!!!!!
Me - Whatever Rauda said I said although I had no idea what I was saying.
Look of shock on the rest of the girls' faces and a few gasps! Oh no, what did Rauda just make me say. She's not the type of student to make me say something bad, actually none of them are, so why the response.
Ashwaq - "Miss you Muslim" or Arabic word for Christian that I don't know?
Me - "I am Christian"
More gasps and a lot of yelling at Rauda in Arabic. Yikes. What happened?
Me - "What did I say?"
Ashwaq - "She make you say something for Muslims Allah put her in fire!"
Me - "No, Allah not put her in fire." I probably should not have said that because I don't know what the Qu'ran teaches, but I didn't want Rauda to think that Allah was going to put her in the fire.
Moza - "She is small, not know."
Ashwaq - "No she say so Allah not put her in fire."
Me - "What?"
Ashwaq - "She say for you be Muslim so Allah not put her in fire."
Me - "Oh, she wants me to be Muslim so Allah won't put her in the fire?"
Ashwaq - "Yes!"
Me - "OK, but I am a Christian and I am happy to be a Christian."
So, Rauda wants me to be a Muslim so she doesn't go to the fire. I have to give Rauda some credit here; she has a lot of courage to talk to her teacher, even if it is in Arabic, about becoming a Muslim.
Now, I have to go study Arabic so I can learn more words and be able to understand the next time someone trys to convert me to Islam! I have a lot of work to do:)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Testing
OK for those of you teachers out there that are reading this, forget everything you know about standardized testing in the States. This is nothing like what I'm used to in NC. Well, other than the fact that the test is ridiculously hard and not appropriate for students who are just learning English.
The science portion was Thursday. I don't know much about this because as soon as the test was delivered I was kicked out of the room. No problem, I went to the LT room and got my planning done! Yeah! What I did hear, was that it was extremely hard. The girls had to write about would happen in certain experiments. Now, that shouldn't be a problem, but keep in mind that this is only their 2nd year learning English. They just don't have the vocabulary. Now some people would say that the exam doesn't match the curriculum, but it does. It's just that the curriculum is wayyyyyy off base. They are testing exactly what I am supposed to teach; it's just that I can't teach what I'm supposed to due to language issues. That's really all I know about the science part.
Arabic was on Sunday and because I don't know Arabic I was allowed to stay in the room and administer the test. The first issue arose when I had to pass out the test books. Yes, I could read the names on the books, but it was taking forever. So I got help. Good! That was not the time for me to be practicing my Arabic reading skills. Once the girls got their book there was a lot of talking and a lot of questions. The girls kept talking to each other, even during the test. Many teachers walked in during the test and began talking to them and asking them how they were doing. The girls would turn around and look at the student's paper behind them. The girls were even walking around the classroom. Now, I tried to stop all of this of course but you know the issues I'm having with them listening to me. There was absolutely nothing I could do about the other teachers coming in and talking to them either. One of the biggest problems occured when they were given pens. Yes, pens! There was a writing portion to the Arabic test and they had to write in pen. Pencil is changeable and the administration was afraid that someone (the person grading the exam) would change the answer. So pens it was. Well, give a girl a pen and what do you expect. You expect her to use it. The only thing is you don't want her to use pen on a standardized test because it ruins the answer sheet. Well, they were told to only use the pen on the writing part (someone translated for me), but many girls used it to fill in the bubbles!! I know! Horrifying! What could I do?! I told the principal, but I don't think she can do anything. I don't think they have extra answer sheets laying around. Who knows what the Arabic scores for 3/1 will look like now. Then there's the fact that because I was adminstering an Arabic test I miraculously transformed into an Arabic teacher! I can not count how many times I heard "abla" followed by something in Arabic, or pointing to the Arabic page and asking "shoo" (what). OK I will say that I tried to read it, but there were no vowel marks so my reading was not accurate at all, and even if I could read it I couldn't understand what I read. I would repsond with اقراي (iqraee - read) and اكتبي (iktabee - write). There wasn't much help that I could offer them.
English was today. Again I was ushered out of the room as soon as the test arrived. I did get more information from my girls though. A lot of girls in 3/2 were in tears. My high girls were the ones that were crying. It was too hard for them. They didn't know the words. That's what I heard a lot of; I could read, but I didn't know what the words were. Just as I figured. If it was too hard for my girls that are reading on a H/I level, imagine what it was like for those that can't read at all. They also had to write, but they said that the writing was easy. Who knows for sure though.
I was able to sympathize today because I feel the same way in Arabic. I had to ask Lara for help today becuase I needed to answer the questions relating to the paragraph that I read, but I couldn't figure out the words. How can I (or they) answer a question if we can't figure out the words in the question to know what the question is asking? Help me with that one!
Tomorrow is math. Maybe that will be better!
The science portion was Thursday. I don't know much about this because as soon as the test was delivered I was kicked out of the room. No problem, I went to the LT room and got my planning done! Yeah! What I did hear, was that it was extremely hard. The girls had to write about would happen in certain experiments. Now, that shouldn't be a problem, but keep in mind that this is only their 2nd year learning English. They just don't have the vocabulary. Now some people would say that the exam doesn't match the curriculum, but it does. It's just that the curriculum is wayyyyyy off base. They are testing exactly what I am supposed to teach; it's just that I can't teach what I'm supposed to due to language issues. That's really all I know about the science part.
Arabic was on Sunday and because I don't know Arabic I was allowed to stay in the room and administer the test. The first issue arose when I had to pass out the test books. Yes, I could read the names on the books, but it was taking forever. So I got help. Good! That was not the time for me to be practicing my Arabic reading skills. Once the girls got their book there was a lot of talking and a lot of questions. The girls kept talking to each other, even during the test. Many teachers walked in during the test and began talking to them and asking them how they were doing. The girls would turn around and look at the student's paper behind them. The girls were even walking around the classroom. Now, I tried to stop all of this of course but you know the issues I'm having with them listening to me. There was absolutely nothing I could do about the other teachers coming in and talking to them either. One of the biggest problems occured when they were given pens. Yes, pens! There was a writing portion to the Arabic test and they had to write in pen. Pencil is changeable and the administration was afraid that someone (the person grading the exam) would change the answer. So pens it was. Well, give a girl a pen and what do you expect. You expect her to use it. The only thing is you don't want her to use pen on a standardized test because it ruins the answer sheet. Well, they were told to only use the pen on the writing part (someone translated for me), but many girls used it to fill in the bubbles!! I know! Horrifying! What could I do?! I told the principal, but I don't think she can do anything. I don't think they have extra answer sheets laying around. Who knows what the Arabic scores for 3/1 will look like now. Then there's the fact that because I was adminstering an Arabic test I miraculously transformed into an Arabic teacher! I can not count how many times I heard "abla" followed by something in Arabic, or pointing to the Arabic page and asking "shoo" (what). OK I will say that I tried to read it, but there were no vowel marks so my reading was not accurate at all, and even if I could read it I couldn't understand what I read. I would repsond with اقراي (iqraee - read) and اكتبي (iktabee - write). There wasn't much help that I could offer them.
English was today. Again I was ushered out of the room as soon as the test arrived. I did get more information from my girls though. A lot of girls in 3/2 were in tears. My high girls were the ones that were crying. It was too hard for them. They didn't know the words. That's what I heard a lot of; I could read, but I didn't know what the words were. Just as I figured. If it was too hard for my girls that are reading on a H/I level, imagine what it was like for those that can't read at all. They also had to write, but they said that the writing was easy. Who knows for sure though.
I was able to sympathize today because I feel the same way in Arabic. I had to ask Lara for help today becuase I needed to answer the questions relating to the paragraph that I read, but I couldn't figure out the words. How can I (or they) answer a question if we can't figure out the words in the question to know what the question is asking? Help me with that one!
Tomorrow is math. Maybe that will be better!
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