I want to be like Gumby. He could get all in a twist and still keep a smile on his face. We've been in the hotel for over two weeks now, and still no word on where, exactly, I'll be living and teaching. I sent off an email yesterday to (politely) inquire. By the process of elimination I had deduced that, since my name wasn't on the list for Abu Dhabi city or Al Ain, I would be in Al Gharbia. However, Al Gharbia (pronounced al garBEEa) is a huge region and I was curious to know in which city I would be placed. The answer just came back: "You will be placed in Al Gharbia." Alrighty then. I guess I'll just be patient and wait to hear more.
We had three days of training this past week, which was very helpful. On Wednesday they separated us by grade level so we could take a look at the curriculum. I was glad to see that the standards are very similar to Oregon's.
While I was glad to have the training that was provided, it also heightened my anxiety about the task at hand. I woke up Friday morning feeling a bit homesick and unsettled. It didn't last long--conversation at breakfast with my new friends, a run on the treadmill, and Skype with Arlene took care of it.
My friends Clark and Rochelle are back in Al Ain. They just flew in from Utah yesterday and are coming to get me on Monday. It will be so good to catch up with them and pick their brains about...everything. I also look forward to using their washing machine! I have a cell phone (mobile, it's called here) again and have been texting with Clark. Funny how something so small can make life feel more normal again.
Tonight Jo, Katherine and I are taking the shuttle to IKEA for dinner. (We laugh at ourselves for being delighted in such a small, silly thing. We've been in this hotel toooo long!) We also learned of an Australian place called "Jones the Grocer" that is open during the day (even during Ramadan!). We're taking a field trip on Tuesday with the intent of finding a thrift store, getting our drivers licenses translated, visiting the Grand Mosque, and stopping for a bite to eat at Jones'.
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