...learning new things

When I got up this morning and saw that I had no internet access I was bummed. That's not so unusual--the connection comes and goes.  So while I waited around for the little yellow triangle to disappear I made some coffee and fixed breakfast. (I felt too lazy and antisocial today to go down to the dining room.) Still, no internet. Rats.  I puttered around, made a call to Katie (Hi Katie!), then checked again.  This time I clicked on the icon, and up popped a message from the hotel asking me to sign in once more.  Oh yeah, the internet is only good for a week at a time and today is the first day of my fourth week here.  Who knew one could get tired of living in a five star hotel? But, I'll have to continue to make the best of it, because this is going to be my home until September 4th, and possibly longer.  All government offices are now closed for the last week of Ramadan, and people are preparing for Eid, a very festive time.  The malls are decorated in a manner very similar to how we decorate for Christmas.  The stores are busy in the evenings with people shopping for gifts and new clothing.  I was in Carrefour last night, admiring some beautiful gift baskets filled with chocolates and dates, when an Emirate woman spoke to me. I was delighted--this was the first time that someone had initiated a conversation with me.  Her name was Amal, and she works for the official Tourism office.  She was so friendly, and graciously answered my questions about Ramadan and Eid.  She even gave me the phone number for her office and her personal mobile number. 

Because the offices are all closed, I still don't know where I will be living and teaching.  I can't even be sure that I'll be somewhere in Al Gharbia.  Jo was also told via email that she would be in the western region, but when she asked for more specific information she was given the name of a school here in Abu Dhabi.  She is disappointed because she would have preferred a more rural setting. Katherine knows that she will be clear out in Sila, close to Qatar, so I am the only one of our trio who has no idea.  I sent an email late Wednesday evening, hoping that I would get a reply before the end of the work day yesterday, but no such luck.  I knew ahead of time that patience and flexibility were the two most important attributes needed for living and working here.  I'm finding that I'm learning patience at a whole new level!  We have lots of free time coming up, but can't rent a car just yet.  I think Jo, Katherine and I are going to hop on a bus and do some exploring this week.  I need to do some research online to find out if the places we want to visit will be open.  Let's hope so! 

I've been here long enough now to have learned a few things.  Exact change is not always given, nor expected.  The coins, fils, are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50.  If the change is 15 fils or less, it usually isn't given.  Before I realized this, I asked the clerk for my change and got an exasperated look in return.  Then I did the math and understood that the smaller fils are almost worthless. It did makes me wonder though, if they have to balance their tills at the end of the day.  Maybe "close" is good enough. 

I learned the hard way that produce must be weighed and labeled before one leaves the produce area. There are no scales at the cash register.   Luckily, I made this mistake on my first night here, and the small grocery store was not busy.  A bagger ran back to the produce department to do it for me.

I've figured out that lining up and taking turns is not done quite the same way it is back home. Once I understood about having my produce weighed I would politely stand in line and wait my turn--only to have people come from all sides and go in front of me.  I've learned to ease my way toward the front and place my bags on the counter.  They will eventually be weighed and tagged and handed back to me. I do try to time it so the counter isn't too busy.

The grocery stores are so fascinating to me.  It's like walking through a giant Trader Joe's on each visit.  I want to look at everything and try new things.  One of my former students expressed concern about what I would find to eat here.  I need to write to her and let her know that I am in no danger of going hungry! (The opposite is true.  Good thing there's a gym in the hotel!)

I get overwhelmed at times by how difficult it is to do even the most basic things.  Getting a mobile phone, signing up for online banking (error--please contact the bank), and getting my US bank's swift number for transferring funds...the list goes on.  I look forward to the time when it all seems familiar and "life as usual."

My friends back home have been in their classrooms for the past couple of weeks, getting everything ready for students on Monday.  I am used to the feeling of urgency at this time of year--so much to do and so little time to do it in.  Did I say I'm learning patience? I wandered through the school supply section at Carrefour last night and was glad to see such a wide variety of supplies.  If my school doesn't have something I need, then I know where to go.

Here's something that made me laugh:

 "...a composition very similar to that of human body fluid..."

...a birthday wish

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy

birthday dear Leslie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to

youuuuuu! 

 (And many more!)

(Blogger is still giving me fits and I can't seem to comment on your blog. Atticus is a cutie--so glad you have a new friend! Oh--and your heat wave?  Psshh.  ha!)

...a desert romance

Yesterday morning my friends Clark and Rochelle and their three boys picked me up and took me back to their home in Al Ain, about 1 1/2 hours away.  We talked non-stop all day long while I did my laundry.  I now know what kind of drying rack I will buy when I am finally out of the hotel and in my own place. It took only 15 to 20 minutes for each load of my clothes to dry. 

In the late afternoon we decided to drive around Al Ain so they could show me where they lived last year.  I got to see the border with Oman (but couldn't cross it because I don't have my passport and visa back yet) and saw "mountains" in the distance. 

Rochelle wondered if the camel market would be open, so we decided to go see.  There wasn't much going on--it was close to sundown and time for iftar (breaking of the fast).  We finally spotted some camels and Clark pulled over so we could take a look.  We would have been happy with taking a few photos through the fence.  All of a sudden a little pickup roared up next to us.  I rolled down the window and the driver said, "Baby!  Baby!  Come!  Come!" 

So we got out of the car and followed the man into the enclosure.  He insisted that I take the rope and touch the camel.  The two youngest boys were not at all happy about being so close to the big animals, but Rochelle, Gabe and I got pet them. 

We had all thanked the man for letting us see his camels and were ready to go back to the car.  All of a sudden, he grabbed Rochelle's arm and took off across the yard, hollering back at us, "Come!  Come!"  He only let go of her arm when she said, "Hey!  I'm a married woman!"  (Clark was looking on, trying to calm the little ones and wondering, "What is that man doing with my wife?!" 

The handler took us into another pen with an old camel that was lying down.  "Sit! Sit!" he ordered, so we sat. Gabe wasn't so sure, but the man made him sit for the picture. 

Then he had Rochelle get in the picture.  I was so surprised to see him caress her cheek.  Rochelle was speechless. 

Then, to top it all off, he put his head scarf on her head.  Rochelle was about to lose it by this time.

We again thanked the man for the experience (!) and headed back to the car.  The man followed me, saying "Money, eat! Eat!"  I was willing to pay him because I had wanted to see the camels so gave him  a 5 dirham bill. He saw that I had more cash in my wallet so kept asking for more.  I gave him 10 more, but he still kept asking.  The price kept going up until Rochelle told him that 25 was enough and we wouldn't pay any more.  I didn't think that $8 was much at all.   But, I doubt that Rochelle will take me again any time soon!

...being like Gumby

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'. 

...standing out in a crowd

Last night Katherine, Joanne and I took a taxi to downtown Abu Dhabi. We wanted to find the souks (markets) that we had heard about, and hopefully snag a bargain or two on some clothing. Our driver dropped us off and we began walking. (I have never seen so many jewelry stores in my life!) We must have seemed quite the odd trio to the local people--a tall redhead, a petite brunette, and me. We finally found a souk--a series of small shops that sell anything from Levi's to tacky souvenirs (a shiekh and his lady salt and pepper shakers, anyone?!)--but our most pressing concern was our rumbling tummies. We asked shopkeepers along the way to point us in the direction of a restaurant. "Oh Ma'am, too far. You need taxi." I guess we looked too delicate to walk any distance! We kept wandering and looking and finally stumbled upon a delightful little cafe that sold sandwiches and fresh fruit drinks. After taking care of our hunger pangs, we were back out on the street again (in a good way) and made our way back to the souk. As we walked I heard catcalls and comments. It reminded me of being in rural Mexico a few years ago. I had asked my hostess, Candy, if the boys hooting and hollering realized how old I was--I could be their mom! She said it didn't matter--they had never seen a blonde person before, so I was an oddity to them. I was also reminded of our trip to Italy in 2000. Katie was a gangly 13 year old, badly in need of a hair cut. But to Japanese tourists in the Sistene Chapel she was "So pretty! So pretty!" After the previous day's taxi fiasco, we hit the jackpot on the way home. We got into a cab driven by the most delightful man from Nepal. He was college educated, and had worked as an accountant in his home country for 26 years. His job ended, but since he is still under 50 he needed to continue working. For 26 years he sat at a desk, so he decided he wanted to do something totally different. He loves driving a taxi, and is very proud of the fact that he speaks English so well. He had a wonderful sense of humor and kept us laughing the entire ride.

Today we're going to go to Carrefour, a large store (like Walmart on steroids) to get some more groceries and hopefully find an abaya or two. Katherine is so tall that she's having trouble finding floor-length anything.

An email came yesterday letting us know that official business is going to start this week--three days of training. Some folks are getting all worked up about the down time that we've had--they want to know where, what, and when, and they want to know NOW. (We're not in Kansas anymore...)

...being taken for a ride

We've been here just over a week now, and are starting to feel confident in getting to where we want to go. There's a free shuttle that will take us to IKEA, where we can catch another free shuttle to Marina Mall. We found a grocery store just minutes away, and we know how to get to another small mall close by. We know that it costs about 20 dirhams (about $5 US) for a one-way trip.

Yesterday, Kristina and I headed out to Al Raha Mall. I didn't think much would be open except the Lu Lu's department/grocery store, but getting out for a bit sounded like a good idea. We got there just fine, wandered around and made our purchases (I found a lovely blue top for $49 Dirhams), bought some groceries (I really didn't need much, but it all looks so interesting), then headed outside to catch a cab back.


We got into the first taxi in line, and told him our destination. "Yas Hotel?" he asked. "Hmmm..." He fiddled with his GPS, then took off. I was sitting behind him and hadn't seen Yas anything come up on the screen, so asked him if he knew where it was. He said he had only had the GPS for six days, so wasn't used to it, but "No problem, I'll find your hotel." We traveled for a bit, then I told Kristina that it wasn't looking right. We should have been heading in the opposite direction, on a main highway. I kept looking for signs that said "Yas Island," but all I saw was "Abu Dhabi" and "Dubai." I finally spoke up and told him that we were going the wrong way, and offered the number of the hotel so he could call and get directions. He said he could find it. He took an exit and got us turned around--going in the right direction--but we were on a side road in a bunch of construction. The meter was ticking along, and we weren't anywhere near the hotel. Quiet, reserved Kristina showed me a side of her I hadn't seen yet. She spoke sternly to the driver and told him that she would be reporting him. She told him we would pay him 20 dirhams, and no more.

We finally made it back, and paid him the 20, even though the meter said the fare was well over 40. It was uncomfortable--I wanted to believe that it truly was an error, and he wasn't just taking us for a ride.

...entitlement

I had briefly considered entitling this post "The Ugly American," but unfortunately, we Americans are not the only ones with a sense of entitlement. I have been amazed, apalled, and bemused by some of the things I've seen my fellow teachers (from all over the globe) say and do here in AD. We are the guests, and we were hired to do a job. We were flown here at no expense to ourselves (well, maybe a little out of pocket for overweight luggage, but hey, there were just some things I didn't think I could live without!). Tickets for spouses and children were paid for as well. We are living in a five star hotel, provided a sumptuous breakfast each day, have access to a full gym, two swimming pools, and spa treatments for 50% off the usual rate. The staff treats us like royalty, catering to our every whim.

Every bit of literature that I read about coming here to teach said to be flexible, go with the flow, and understand that things work differently here. Friends who are already here told me the same thing. We were also told, repeatedly, that we would be arriving during Ramadan, the Muslim month of prayer and fasting, and that it was especially important to be respectful of the customs during this time.

I guess the woman who sauntered across the lobby eating a bag of chips and drinking a soda didn't read the same info I did. Nor did the young woman who got on the bus last night (on our way to the police station for fingerprinting) whose neckline plunged (and plunged some more). The woman who stood at the front desk complaining about the lack of an optimal view from her room must have forgotten who was footing the bill. The group of girls in Ikea who had to be told four times by security that taking pictures inside the store wasn't allowed should be grateful they aren't in jail. The man who pretended to lose his number at the bank so he could cut in line made us all look bad. I'm afraid the local people are looking at us and thinking, "Hmmm...and we hired YOU to educate our children??"

But, for all the dolts in the group, there are many more who are kind, respectful, and patient. I have met people from all across the States and from around the world. Conversation has been effortless, and friendships are blooming. I'm eager to know where I'll be teaching and to get my apartment. Living in luxury has been wonderful, but I'm ready to do some laundry, cook my own meals, and settle in.