#abu dhabi | suzannainthesand

Ayubowan

08 Dec 2014 3 Comments

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #Sri Lanka, #teaching abroad, #UAE

Sri Lanka is a difficult place to get around, and the driving conditions are terrible. Drivers always have one hand on the horn and honk it constantly to alert dogs, cyclists, cows, elephants, and goats as well as other vehicles.

I couldn’t imagine driving around this place; I know I said that about Abu Dhabi a few months ago, but I’m serious this time. Not only do they drive on the left but most of the roads are only two lanes (in its better areas it was reminiscent of driving down the Keys in the 80’s, but most of the time not really), although there are two new four-lane highways that connect a few of the cities (for the most part) with a third highway in the works. Many of the roads we took were very narrow and busy. Animals, people, houses, and open-front stores line either side of the road- right there- no sidewalk or curb.

Luckily, a car and driver were included in our vacation package. Our driver, Chami, was very skilled and though I gasped and/or closed my eyes multiple times during our road trip (I was sure the car was gonna die while driving through some deep water at one point), he navigated the streets very skillfully. Even though the driving is insane, those behind the wheel share a common etiquette and navigate fairly seamlessly along the winding roads. We rode in a regular car, but many look like this:

The tuk-tuk is mainly used as a taxi. It’s kind of like a covered motorcycle with a larger seat attached to the back, big enough for two people to ride in (or in Sri Lanka, several people, or people and dogs, or a carful of vegetables, or whatever needs to be transported) plus the driver up front. The side flaps can be lowered in the rain. Sri Lanka gets its fair share of rain and has the greenery to prove it.

Chami was a cool guy and super-informative.

He spoke very good English as many Sri Lankans do. Their official languages are Sinhala and Tamil (signs are in all three languages). The first word he taught us was “Ayubowan,” a hello/good-bye greeting that’s exchanged to wish people a long life. He said when someone directs the greeting toward you it’s insulting not to reply in the same manner. My language learning ended there but I at least used this word numerous times.
Chami suggested extra stops that weren’t on the original itinerary. Yes, he took us for a ride in more ways than one as we discovered he knew the people at each stop personally, so I’m sure he and the shop owners have a really good gig going with that setup. Still, as first-timers to Sri Lanka there were so many things to check out and he made sure we saw as much as possible during our short visit.
SIGIRIYA
We visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sigiriya, which is an enormous rock where King Kasyapa built his palace.

There are frescoes inside:

along with a gateway that was built in the shape of a huge lion.

Word to the wise: if you let a man help you up any of the stairs at the beginning of the hike, he’ll follow you for the next 1200. Then you’ll tip him at the end and he’ll ask for even more rupees.
TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH
Another UNESCO Heritage Site, the Temple of the Tooth is a Buddhist temple that houses one of the Buddha’s teeth.

People bring all kinds of offerings, mostly flowers:

While we waited in line for forty minutes to walk past the tooth, we were able to listen to some interesting drumming that was taking place in the hall below. Unfortunately, I can’t share the video until I upload it to youtube. Trust me, I heard enough of it for all of us.

TEA-MAKING
This shop and its equipment looked to be about 1,000 years old and only in place for demonstration purposes. None of the equipment was on unless the tour guide turned it on and no other tourists were in the shop. The guide showed us how tea leaves are processed and poured us a cup of tea at the end of the tour, so all was well.

HERBAL/SPICE GARDEN
There were actually other people here. The guide showed us a number of trees and plants, served us tea and some concoction that tasted like cough syrup (it did not, however, eliminate the persistent cough I’ve had for three weeks) and offered a “free” back and foot massage at the end of the tour. Very earthy. Their lunch buffet (including a bottle of water) was $3/person, so that was a big score.

PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE
There were dozens of elephants, with most roaming free except for the few that were ill-behaved. They’re supposedly released back into the wild when it’s appropriate, but some stay in the orphanage forever due to injury or illness. The elephants walk back and forth between the holding pens, feeding area, and river several times each day. They lumber right down the middle of the road, past the shops and restaurants. For a very small fee, you can feed, bathe, or take photographs with them.

MANGROVE SAFARI
Armed with half a Dramamine and my indispensible Psi-Bands (for motion sickness) I clumsily boarded a small boat that motored for 90-minutes through the mangroves. Fell in love with a monkey, held a baby crocodile, watched a cinnamon stick-making demonstration, and photographed a group of people who enjoyed having a pool of fish eat the dead skin off their feet. Again, I found myself slightly out of my comfort zone- aside from holding the monkey, which was second-nature. I wished I could’ve carried him around all day or adopted him altogether.

BEACH
The beach was nice; we had been forewarned about the “beach boys” who follow everyone around in a lame attempt to get someone to commit to a massage or buy things from the shops that dot the shore. Although I tried to coax one of the dogs to walk with me on the beach, he wouldn’t. The beach boy, however, followed me relentlessly. As in other countries, these guys aren’t allowed to enter the resort, which is a good thing because they just don’t let up.

Indian Ocean

HOTEL
The pool bar was entertaining, or rather, I was entertaining at the pool bar. I met a number of people and chatted up the bartender well past closing time. Must’ve been the Sri Lankan beer, which was cheap and almost double the size of a regular bottle. And I didn’t only have one.

There’s more, but I promised myself I’d only hit the highlights. All in all, five days in Sri Lanka was a nice way to spend our National Day holiday. Planes were on time, people were friendly and accommodating, and everything was much less expensive than it is in the UAE. This city girl enjoyed a glimpse into a world that’s dominated by dogs, cows, goats, monkeys, bats, and more. The abundance of local fruit was a refreshing change of pace as well.

It was back to the grind on Sunday, but ten days from today we have two weeks off for winter break. I’ll spend it here, showing Kate and Jenna around Abu Dhabi and Dubai… stay tuned as the adventure continues!

Somebody’s Having a Birthday!

01 Dec 2014 2 Comments

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #National Day, #teaching abroad, #UAE

Situated along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf- known as the Arabian Gulf here- the area formerly known as the Trucial States was basically a vast desert that was comprised of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras al Khaimah, Fujaira, Bahrain, and Qatar, each ruled by a different Sheikh. After the rise and fall of the pearling industry, oil was discovered in the 1950’s and 60’s and the money making began. Soon after, in December 1971, the leaders decided to unite, forming one nation. While Bahrain and Qatar declined, six of the states united, with Ras Al Khaimah joining the following year. With Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (believe me, after only four months here that name rolls off my tongue) as the first President of the United Arab Emirates, the new country quickly flourished and has since become one of the most progressive areas in the world. Tourism has skyrocketed despite the generally suspect reputation of the Middle East. The economy is flourishing and construction is at an all-time high- just tool around town with me if you want to see for yourself. Dubai is the most recognizable city to Westerners and boasts the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building to date. Dubai Mall houses an aquarium while Mall of the Emirates sports an indoor ski hill. Abu Dhabi is home to the Grand Mosque, Yas Marina Circuit with its Formula 1 track, and the world’s fastest roller coaster at Ferrari World. Though “bigger, better, faster” is the name of the game in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, each of the seven emirates has its own distinct feel. Some are largely comprised of camels and sand, as many people picture this entire nation. But no matter the composition, each area celebrates National Day like you wouldn’t believe. Although the official date is December 2^nd, party preparations began on November 3rd (Flag Day) with the festivities snowballing from there.

Commonly referred to as “Our Father,” Sheikh Zayed, who passed away ten years ago, was and still is revered by the people of the UAE. I kept mentally equating him with George Washington but it just didn’t work. Who drives around with a George Washington sticker on their car? That’s right… nobody. The Emirati people have a deep love, respect, and admiration for what Sheikh Zayed did to turn the UAE into the prosperous country it is today. While his image is permanently plastered on billboards and buildings, at this time of year his face is also on pins, scarves, hats, candy, coffee mugs, car decals, etc. People dress in the UAE flag colors of black, red, white, and green; some paint their faces like this:

Many locals decorate their cars or even drape a flag over the front.

There are elaborate parades and “pride” contests with sizable monetary awards (big surprise). Buildings are covered in colored lights and decorations line the highways.

Fireworks displays abound, and they’re beyond extravagant. Picture a never-ending 4^th of July celebration. Everyone goes crazy. Although our official school break is Dec 2-6, the students have already stopped showing up, not that I’m complaining! A funny thing here is when the families think it’s important to be home celebrating together, they ignore the school calendar and decide individually how much time off is appropriate.
We already celebrated National Day at school last week.

Our school lobby

The English department hosted a spelling bee, created an art display, and manned a table where the girls could create yarn bracelets in the national colors. Other departments chose their own ways to promote national pride. Some of my friends’ schools had authentic Arabian meals, henna, camel and falcon visits and lots of other coolness. Although our celebration was tame, this was still exciting for the girls who attended because we normally don’t have a lot of extra activities going on. A talent show was scheduled for last Thursday (US Thanksgiving Day) but we only had several dozen students out of 1000 present, so it was postponed until next trimester. Here are some cute sentiments expressed by a few of the students:

To reward myself for working on Thanksgiving Day last week, I’m gonna hightail it out of here and take a short trip to Sri Lanka over break. My bags are packed and I’ll be on my way to the airport in a few hours. So I’ve posted photos to give you a taste of what the National Day holiday is like, knowing this post doesn’t convey even a fraction of the insanity that will be on display tomorrow. Happy 43^rd birthday, United Arab Emirates- let’s enjoy our fabulous 40’s together!!

Sanded

26 Nov 2014 2 Comments

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #Saadiyat Beach, #teaching abroad

Frankly, the Abu Dhabi teaching life can, on occasion, knock you out and drag you down. All expat teachers here arrive optimistic and ready to positively impact the education system. Ahemmm. OK. Let’s re-think that. Because as much as we want to give 110% every day, resources, time constraints, and various other obstacles prevent many from accomplishing their goals. So we work with what we have. Which, depending on the grade you teach and the school that employs you, can be attainable or just a shisha pipe dream. We all have good days and bad but, thankfully, the weekends here tend to make up for the headaches (along with the knowledge that I’m paying off my huge grad school bill.)

Many teachers hang out together, whether meeting up for pool time, happy hours, birthday celebrations, or meals eaten in good company. Everyone finds his or her niche. Sometimes you just need to break away and chill and I’m thankful to have people to explore cool places with.

Helllllllloooooo, beaches! For as much as I hate the gritty feel of sand, crunching shells under my feet, seaweed, and disgusting, aggressive little biting fish that swim in the shallow section of the ocean, I’m no stranger to beaches. Those of you who don’t hail from Chicago may not realize that our unbeatable city is situated on Lake Michigan, which totally puts us on the map of “best summer hangouts on Earth.” We’ll ignore the downside of winter for now since it’s not always easy to justify the daily scraping of car windshields, commuting over varying degrees of snow, ice, and potholes for five freezing months out of the year just to experience the few summer months of joy our awesome city has to offer. Some folks actually enjoy winter, but clearly I’m not that gal. But those glorious summer months make us forget time and again that we’re held captive to the wind, snow, and ice more than most of us would like to admit. My parents have also spent a good amount of time living in Florida over the past 30 years, so if I didn’t know beaches as a kid I’m certainly an expert after visiting the various homes they’ve occupied over the years. Also, my daughter Kate attends college in Grand Rapids, MI, so nobody needs to sell me on the benefits of driving up the west coast of The Mitten on a blistery 85 degree summer Saturday.

Not a fan of sand, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed my first excursion to Saadiyat Beach. Kate also abhors sand, but I’m telling you, this place is on my to-do list for her visit next month. As much as I don’t LOVE the sun- I don’t tan well, it’s tedious reading a book wearing sunglasses instead of readers- I enjoy a good cabana. And that’s close to what we got. For about a $20USD entrance fee to Saadiyat Beach (free if you don’t want any frills but I’m too old to scrimp) you get a lounge chair, umbrella, and the good graces of the Arabian sun. The guide checks your ticket and walks you to a designated spot where he sets up a table and chair under a large, in-ground umbrella; the space is yours for the day. Food and drinks are sold on-site but you can bring your own cooler. Heck, this is the UAE- people brought coffee and tea sets and served themselves right there on the beach. Chris and I spent the afternoon reading, listening to tunes, and wading in the Gulf. Bonus points for Saadiyat for being seaweed-free, crystal blue, and bathwater temps. What a recharge.

However, beaches aren’t only for daytime lounging. Last night, I went with some friends to a beach BBQ. They’ve been venturing out on Tuesday nights for several weeks now and invited me to join. And that’s how Andy finally made the blog. When I first began chronicling my adventures I wasn’t comfortable specifically naming people in case they didn’t want to be called out for their antics. Well, all that’s over now because I can’t tell the stories properly without setting the scene. Andy, our resident Scot, and his wife Danielle are awesome- they married shortly before arriving in Abu Dhabi and have been living a type of extended honeymoon (aside from work) ever since. They’re out and about all the time, planning activities, buying tickets to events, orchestrating road trips. Andy’s never at a loss for words as he’s a natural-born storyteller. Dani’s one of my favorite people here- she’s sweet as can be, has had me over for dinner (I’m semi-retired from cooking at this point) and will go anywhere, anytime- my kind of girl.

So right after work yesterday we headed out to the beach- me, Andy, Dani, and Dani’s dad Colin, who’s visiting this week. They prepared all the food for everyone while the people we met there brought the firewood, grills, etc. So basically I just tagged along- in general I’m up for doing my part but this time I got a free ride. We arrived at the beach and started off-roading to their standard meeting place. And then all of a sudden we were “sanded.” Stuck. Spinning our wheels, going nowhere fast. This is exactly why we weren’t allowed to park in the sand lot at the golf outing in Dubai last weekend- the attendant found us a special spot because he said our car couldn’t handle the sand. Now I believe him.

For blog purposes only, I wish I could say chaos ensued but fortunately for us an Emirati guy showed up two or three minutes after we stranded ourselves. Andy was digging out the tires and we were just about to shove the car mats underneath them for traction. The Emirati had a 4×4, which is typically what’s driven in the sand, so he tied a rope to the car and freed it within seconds. We proceeded to our site via a safer route and then enjoyed good food and conversation for several hours. Even a non sand-loving girl could get used to this.

Sugar Rush

09 Nov 2014 1 Comment

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #diabetes awareness, #teaching abroad, #Walk2014, #Yas Marina Circuit

Type 2 Diabetes commonly surfaces in adulthood, and though there are multiple risk factors it can be brought about by an unhealthy diet and inactive lifestyle. Knowing what I do about my teenage students’ eating habits, it’s no surprise that as a country the UAE ranks 15th worldwide in reported diabetes, with 19% of the population living with this disease.
The backstory: Our high school “canteen” serves snacks twice a day. The students don’t have a formal lunch period; there’s a 20-minute break in the morning and a 15-minute break in the afternoon. Since it’s customary to eat dinner around 9 or 10pm, most of the girls hold off on lunch until they get home from school at 4pm. But because they wake at 5am for their first of five daily prayers, even if they have breakfast they’re hungry at school and snack all day. Unfortunately, nobody brings healthy food from home. There are ZERO fruits or vegetables to be found when the bell rings for breaks; instead, they all bolt to the canteen to buy their all-important sugar and caffeine-laden snacks.
I have to say the girls are more than willing to share the food they consume at school. The Islamic culture expresses love through food and drink; my students will offer me their half-empty water bottle or a piece of chocolate that’s melting in their hand. This is done out of genuine care and it’s nice to see this side of them. Today, one of my students walked up to me and shook my hand (as I say from time to time, there will be an entire blog post dedicated to something I’m only briefly mentioning today… hand shaking in the UAE is on the list.) I said, “Your hand’s freezing! Did you just eat ice cream?” And she responded, “Yes, do you want me to buy you some?” Despite their kindness and generosity, their offerings aren’t at all appealing. Here’s a short list of snacks I see most frequently scarfed down:
Chocolate milk
Mountain Dew
Kit Kats
Popcorn
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
Ice cream novelties: cones, popsicles, freeze pops
Energy Drinks
BBQ potato chips stuffed inside a cheap, white-flour hot dog bun (sans dog, not that a hot dog would up the nutritional value).
“Teachahhh… why don’t you try this?? It’s delicious!”
“Teachahhh, have one! Everyone eats this! It’s our favorite snack!” (yeah, talking about the chip bun.)
To compound the food issues, the older girls don’t have PE class or play on any sports teams. See where I’m going with this? Unhealthy diet + inactive lifestyle= Type 2 Diabetes.
This past weekend I joined 18,000 people for Walk 2014, which was held to promote awareness of badly needed lifestyle changes. I have to admit that I agreed to do the walk partly because it was held at Yas Marina Circuit and the 5K took place on the Formula 1 track where the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is held (and is going down in two weeks!). The walk began at 5pm so the weather was beautiful, and it was yet another awesome people-watching opportunity. I’m often torn between trying to take photos without capturing unwilling subjects, requesting permission to take photos (especially of Muslim women, which is protocol here) or not taking photos at all. Here are the results:

Entrance to bldg at Yas Marina Circuit

Pre-race with Chris

Fancy chair decorations in the coffee shop. I smell a Pinterest pin!

Happily surprised to see a veg stand at the walk

There’s just something refreshing about women who pair abayas with baseball caps

Relaxation is a priority in this country!

At the starting gate

Yas Viceroy, a luxury hotel that straddles the track

On our way…

Almost finished

Oddly enough, I consumed more sweets this weekend than I normally crave. There’s a coffee shop at the track, so I belligerently walked the first km with a chocolate Frozzychino in hand. I felt a little guilty about that, but when it’s 90 degrees and you happen upon a place that serves frozen drinks, things can spiral out of control. To add insult to injury, I went out last night and picked up a container of banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. I haven’t eaten this much sugar in a long time. I hope my students aren’t rubbing off on me. If you ever see me biting into a hot dog bun filled with chips, feel free to slap it out of my hand.

Adventures in “Plain Al Ain”

21 Oct 2014 2 Comments

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #alain, #jebelhafeet, #teaching abroad

Al Ain is an area in the emirate of Abu Dhabi that’s a 90-minute drive from the actual city of Abu Dhabi. My friend Ashley was placed there to work at a middle school near the Oman border. I met her on our first night here; we were both assigned to the 10th floor of the Hotel Intercontinental and spent at least part of every day together until I was given the keys to my apartment. Several weeks later, after settling into our respective new homes, we agreed that a reunion was in order. I decided to go to Al Ain since Ashley had already seen the city and I wanted to get a feel for her new living situation.
Before either of us knew anything about her new home (other than its name) we were talking about our blogs and how she should rename hers to tie in with her current adventure. A few days prior, we had been told that people from Dubai like to call Abu Dhabi “Abu Shabi” because the two cities are always arguing about which one is better and the residents like to get a jab in whenever they can. We finally settled on “Plain Al Ain” because, frankly, it was the best nickname I came up with and it has a nice ring to it. If you can do better, by all means let me know.

Thank God for iTunes

After my extremely plain drive through the desert to Al Ain- the bonus factor being that it’s just under an hour away from my school- we went shopping to buy her some home furnishings. The following day we flirted with heat stroke at the Al Ain Zoo and laughed about the fact that we didn’t die (we were so hot we barely conversed the whole time). In general, she lives in a pretty regular town. It’s what people here think of as “suburban,” but it’s not like Chicago suburbs at all. It’s very spread out with sand hills all around; shopping is easier than it is in the city but it’s not as bustling by any means. Gas stations are also much more plentiful though, so it does have its good points.
At any rate, Al Ain is the proud home of a mountain called Jebel Hafeet. It’s over 1200m (4000 ft) high, which I didn’t realize until it was too late. Anyone who knows me knows that I have motion sickness issues; I’m usually able to work around them if I’m aware in advance that I’ll be on a boat, or circling endlessly on never-ending winding roads, or riding three roller coasters within an hour, or jumping out of a plane. However, we hadn’t discussed this field trip ahead of time so when I saw the mountain and the ominous road swirling to the top, I was reminded of the out-of-body experience I had while driving to Muir Woods in California and was like “Nooooo, I’m not sure I can handle this.” I’m so jaded that I actually keep Dramamine in my purse, but knew we’d reach our destination before the little miracle pill even kicked in. Since we were in Ashley’s rental car, I opted to let her to continue to drive just to absolve myself of any responsibility should we careen off the road; I begged her to drive slowly and to stop at the photo opp areas so I could physically and mentally re-group. I’m sure she thought I was nuts, as anyone who hasn’t experienced my motion-sickness-in-action would, but we eventually made it to the summit without incident.

Once there, I was glad I’d held it together. At the top of the mountain sits Mercure, a beautiful oasis resort.

We walked through the hotel to an outdoor restaurant called Eden Rock, which overlooks the pool on one side and the mountainside on the other. The waiter told us they only offered a prix fixe lunch menu so, having no choice, we went with that. Later, we noticed other diners eating hamburgers and club sandwiches, but we were in it for the experience so we didn’t complain, at least not until we asked to take our leftovers home and the waiter said “we don’t have containers for takeaway.” Of course you don’t; this is the UAE, where nothing makes sense and things are… just the way they are. Unfortunately, the food was so good we would’ve wrapped it in a napkin (aka a tissue here.. really- right out of the cardboard box) or carried it in our bare hands if that was feasible. Instead, we left a feast for the flies that swarmed our table.

And these were just the apps!

Since it was almost 5pm by the time we finished lunch, we made only one quick stop at the less-than-stellar gift shop before returning to the car. As soon as we began driving I realized that though there are two lanes on the way up the mountain, there’s only one on the way down. I forced Ashley to drive so slowly on the descent that she had to pull over to allow several aggravated drivers to pass us. My extreme concern for our health and safety didn’t stop her from carrying on a non-bluetooth cell phone conversation as we wound down the mountain. But because of her gabbing she completely missed out on seeing an extremely large, oddly-shaped mountain/sand formation that I cannot describe on my G-rated blog so that was her loss. Ashley says I should have interrupted her but I didn’t think she needed any more distractions. In reality, I thought we’d wind past it several times but our path didn’t take us around in a circle the way I’d anticipated. We eventually made it back to her apartment and had some laughs about the takeaway fail and how we didn’t melt into a puddle at the zoo. All in all, a good day and a fun weekend. As usual, we had a great time, made some new friends, and mixed in a little culture with our antics. Although we’ll probably use the nickname the entire time we’re here, Al Ain will never be plain as long as she’s living there.

What Not to Wear

16 Sep 2014 Leave a comment

by suzannainthesand in Middle Eastern fashion Tags: #abu dhabi, #teaching abroad

Ahhh, the question that’s been on everyone’s mind. I can only speak from personal experience because the dress code is different for everyone.

Times I was inappropriately dressed:

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque- please refer to my previous mosque post for details. When you’re required to dress a certain way and don’t, sheer embarrassment is the end result. It’s quite an eye-opener to be called out on account of clothing, especially as an adult. I had to use one of the mosque’s hooded abayas, which in turn resulted in inappropriate, convulsive laughter.

Al Sharq Mall in Baniyas, AD. I was out in the sticks and quickly learned that people generally dress more conservatively the farther out they are from actual Abu Dhabi city. Lost and hungry, we stopped at a mall only to find that nearly everyone was wearing the traditional dress, whereas when you go to a mall in the city there’s a larger variety of people, resulting in a wider array of fashion choices. At Al Sharq, I was the only person in a sleeveless shirt, but rather than shop for a sweater or scarf I hung my head in shame while we found a place to eat before bolting back to the car.

What I didn’t pack enough of:

Jackets- Because I knew I’d need to cover my arms at work, I bought five identical black cardigans before I left home so I’d have one to wear every day of the work week. All eight of the skirts I brought match them so I figured it would be an easy way to coordinate my outfits. But since I wear them all day, I don’t feel like wearing them outside of work. I brought two jean jackets but those are much too heavy to wear now. Over the summer, I had read how every indoor facility is over air-conditioned to the point of freezing in an attempt to counteract the extreme heat outside, but that’s rarely the case. In the classroom and in the English Dept, if the air is too strong someone just opens a window. Hey, it’s a wealthy country, we might as well air-condition the outside, right? But I do wish I had brought more of a variety of light outerwear just to spice up my wardrobe. I’ve already heard more than once, “Teacher, is your favorite color black?”

Pants- I’m one of the lucky ladies who can wear them to work. The stipulation is that your backside needs to be covered by a tunic or longer sweater. I bought two long sweaters today because I so desperately want to wear the black pants I brought. Again I wish I had more variety but I didn’t think there was a chance in H-E- double hockey sticks that slacks would be part of my dress code. I’ve had to shop so much for apartment furnishings in the past month that I just don’t feel like looking for new clothes at the moment. Until now I’ve worn a maxi skirt, black t-shirt and black cardigan to work every day. I feel like an Amish lady so that’s gonna have to change soon.

Shoes- As a size 9, I can find some shoes here but I’ve seen numerous styles that are only stocked to size 8. I brought about a dozen pair of various black shoes- wedges, heels, flats, Sketchers, etc. I bought a second pair of Dansko “teacher shoes” right before leaving the U.S. but don’t like them as much as my first pair so I was still wearing the old ones all the time. They’re super-comfy but the sand has settled into the cushion layer and it bothers me so I wash them often, which has already ruined them. Super-sad face for sure. On a happy note, this experience has helped me decide that my next blog will be titled “Sand in My Shoes;” the first runner-up was “Sand in my Apartment.”

Abayas (dresses)- These can be bought in a regular store or custom-made. A few of the dozen English teachers at my school wear abayas to work simply to make dressing in the morning easy. I haven’t bought any yet but am contemplating picking one up somewhere down the line in case I need it for a future function. Many of them are quite elaborate and you can have them tailored to fit perfectly, and they’re supposedly light, airy, and comfortable to wear in the heat. Of course, the most popular color is black, which used to be my ultimate favorite but I’m starting to think I need a little more happy in my life than all-black clothes and shoes provide.

Shaylas/Sheilas (head covering)- Again, we don’t have to cover our hair at work but are allowed to if we so choose. I haven’t done this either, not because I like my hair but because I look so much older with it under wraps. It reminds me of when I put a towel on my head after a shower. No thanks.

Dresses- It would have been easier to bring some cute outfits from home than shop for them here. At night, everyone wears sleeveless blouses and dresses and no one looks twice. All the clubs and bars here are just as rowdy as at home. Bands (though not nearly as good as at home), DJs, cocktails, it’s all here. There is no lack of nightlife, either- it’s just restricted to the hotels because of the liquor license laws. The hotels here are awesome and have fabulous restaurants, quaint pubs, crazy bars and nightclubs. The crowd rolls in late; the “see and be seen” places don’t get going until after midnight. I’d like to say I’m home by then but have stayed out long enough to know when things really start happening around here. The dresses grow shorter as the night grows longer.

I’m about to go online and order myself some clothes and shoes. I’ll send them to my sister’s so the girls can bring me a full suitcase when they come to visit at Christmas. All it takes to make me happy is a little hope on the horizon!

American (Sub-) Standard

10 Sep 2014 1 Comment

by suzannainthesand in Uncategorized Tags: #abu dhabi, #teaching abroad

Yes, this post is about bathrooms. Referred to as the “toilet” here- not the restroom, the bathroom, the ladies’ room, the loo, or the lounge- no mincing words. But regardless of its name, hands down the cleanest restrooms you’ll find in the world must be in the UAE. I’ve been here for a month and I’m still not used to the attention that is paid to public restrooms.

In Abu Dhabi, the facilities are immaculate because there’s always someone cleaning up after the patrons. I haven’t yet stressed how much of a service-oriented country this is, so let me veer off-topic for a paragraph. Many people, especially those from south Asian countries, come to the UAE to eek out a better living than they would at home. The service workers live in shared housing and ride plain white buses to and from work. They work long hours for little money by providing services that the Emerati neither want nor need to do themselves. You see, the UAE takes care of its people and since there aren’t many of them, relatively speaking, they allow others into the country on work visas to do the jobs the locals wouldn’t dream of. And these workers do their jobs happily! They’re the kindest, friendliest people you could hope to have a conversation with. So food servers, bartenders, valets, hotel staff, and gas station attendants are easy to converse with and chock-full of local information to boot. Coming from the U.S., I still feel like I need to tip (though it isn’t required) because so many of them deserve to make several times more in salary than they do. Now, keep in mind that two things I like about myself are my independence and my ability. I feel silly when someone removes my tray from a food court table (I told you we spend a lot of time in malls!) when I could just as easily do it for myself. Even so, I slowly find myself accepting this new lifestyle- having food and groceries delivered instead of picking them up, having a water delivery service, texting the cleaning lady to find out when she can come sweep the sand out of the apartment, letting the guy at the mall hail a taxi for me because I couldn’t possibly raise my own arm. There are wonderful ladies who clean the bathrooms in the English Dept at my school on a daily basis, and they also tend to our kitchen area. One young woman- I’ll call her Lola- makes copies for us… helllllllo!!!!!! Our 10th graders had a Welcome Assembly the other day (or at least I think they did… they received a mechanical pencil and a piece of candy so even though the whole thing was in Arabic, I know they weren’t getting in trouble for anything). After the assembly began, Lola passed out chocolate and tea to the teachers. Can you imagine??

But back to the toilets. Seriously, it’s rare if there isn’t an attendant in a public restroom. I’m not only talking restaurants and hotels, but the mall… the MALL. That means the paper towel and soap dispensers are always full and there are no questionable liquids on the floor or the seats. Just imagine feeling like you’re dining at Gibson’s every day when you really just ordered from Sbarro.
One exception to this observation is one of the bathrooms in Marina Mall, a place I’ve unwillingly visited more times than I can count. There’s a bathroom on the 2nd floor where not one, but two girls work at a time- I’m not sure why. At any rate, these girls spend more time taking selfies than anything else and I’m happy for them, making the best of a 10-hour shift in a public restroom. More power to ya, girls.

Now, let’s talk about private restrooms. Bidets are not uncommon here, though they’re not in our apartments. But every single bathroom stall in this country is equipped with a little personal shower thing. I don’t know what it’s called and in order to stay true to my blog revolving around personal observation only, I’m not gong to bother looking up its formal name. What’s important to know is that the two bathrooms in my apartment have a sink, a little shower sprayer, a toilet, and a bathtub/shower combo.. no water conservation here.

I’ve received several negative comments, texts, and PMs when I don’t include pics with my posts. It’s a little more difficult to take pictures/videos here because we’re supposed to be wary of those who may not want to appear in random blog/ Facebook posts, so if I don’t feel like it’s appropriate I don’t break out the iPhone. The only pic I’ll post here is of my guest bathroom, just for fun and to avoid any backlash. I know it’s not too exciting, but here you go. Imagine having these in your house while raising little kids- all I ever dealt with in the U.S was my kids unrolling all the toilet paper, but what a party this would be!

The Waiting Game

05 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by suzannainthesand in Abu Dhabi, Footprints Recruiting, Teaching Abroad, UAE Tags: #abu dhabi, #Footprints Recruiting, #teaching abroad, #UAE

Do you know when you’re leaving yet?

—- Nooooooo

How come you don’t know when you’re leaving?

—- That’s just the way it works. Stop adding to my anxiety.

The first wave of teachers was brought to Abu Dhabi last week and is currently divided between two hotels; it’s been really exciting to follow their adventures! Thanks to Facebook groups we’re able to connect, ask questions, make plans, complain, and celebrate progress together all day, every day! Orientation gets under way quickly. As an added bonus, teachers who have been in AD for a year or more have set up meet & greets for the new arrivals. They explain some pretty confusing processes, like how to get phones up and running and where to find places such as grocery stores, which definitely helps make the transition a little easier. The first group is now receiving housing assignments and keys, and we’re under the assumption that once they’ve been cleared out of the hotel more of us will be sent our plane tickets. The process seems to vary from year to year though, so nobody knows for sure what’s going on.

I received an email yesterday from my recruiter stating that the 2nd group can expect to go over in approximately two weeks. At least they’re kind enough to throw us a bone and send some sort of update our way, but the problem is that nobody knows who’s in the 2nd group, or how many groups there are for that matter! When our employer processes an entry visa, it’s given to their travel agency, who emails the visa along with a plane ticket. Although many teachers are chomping at the bit, I’m in the minority because I don’t WANT to be in the second group. Kate’s going back to school on Aug 14 and we’re awaiting confirmation from Jenna’s dorm of her Aug 19 move-in date. So, in a perfect world I’d receive a plane ticket to leave on August 21- it that too much to ask?? I know it won’t work out that way; if I’m in the 2nd group I’ll be rushing to leave before the girls are gone and if I’m in the 3rd or 4th group I’ll be sitting at home wondering why I haven’t been called over yet! It’s the stress of not knowing that is causing all my anxiety. Some teachers received 10 days’ notice of their departure but a small number of teachers were only given 24 hours’ notice. My current to-do list will require a minimum 3-day advance notice in order to properly execute my departure; however, once the girls are gone I’ll be ready to fly at any time. I’m so stressed out and need to re-group, so I had to declare today a stay-at-home day, where I’ll busy myself by cleaning the stove and refrigerator, and probably re-organizing some of my packing. It will all work out, as things have a way of doing.

For now, I’ll enjoy spending time with friends, family, my daughters, and my cats for as long as possible! I just popped over to beautiful South Haven MI for a short visit with my friend Robin and I will continue to enjoy this wonderful, mild Chicago summer!

Love Chicago in the summertime!

In the Beginning…

03 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by suzannainthesand in Abu Dhabi, Footprints Recruiting, Teaching Abroad, UAE Tags: #abu dhabi, #Footprints Recruiting, #teaching abroad, #UAE

For the past 11 years, I’ve generally felt “manageably overwhelmed,” though I look back and truthfully admit I’ve enjoyed the ride. Our little ranch house in Elmhurst, IL, as much as we tried to love it, failed us time and again until we finally gave it its walking papers (sold to a builder, which is fairly common where I live) and “moved on up to the big time” in our present condo. When you’ve had nothing but trouble, I’ll attest to the fact that a pool, clubhouse, and underground parking are dreams realized. I’ve been working full-time for the past ten years, sometimes with an extra part-time job or two, and also obtained my Master’s degree this past spring, all while raising two girls who will both be in college this fall. Unfortunately, I’ve barely been scraping by, knowing I needed to do something more for my kids and myself.

As far as careers go, I’m confident that I was meant to teach. I’ve encouraged my own kids to explore different paths to ensure that they have a good job after college, make decent money, and have some flexibility while raising a family. To date, my biggest accomplishment is the peaceful and joyous relationships I’ve created with my daughters, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I think I’ve successfully drilled into them that life is nothing but one big experience and they shouldn’t be afraid to explore unknown territory… which led me to teaching in the United Arab Emirates. I was surfing the net one day and happened upon a website to teach abroad in Europe. I soon realized that I was over the age limit (?!!) for that particular program and it hit me… if I want to make things happen I have to do it now. My research led me to opportunities in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. Hundreds of English-speaking teachers are hired yearly and move to the wealthy desert metropolis, so why not me? Yes, it’s far away (more than 7,500 miles from Chicago). But depending on how you look at it, it’s also just a plane ride away, albeit a LONG one. I happened to apply at the perfect time (February) and after my initial Skype interview I was informed that in-person interviews were taking place in Chicago the following weekend. Yay, no time to get nervous! After wading through the process, I was offered a position for the fall. Hearing this, I realized that I needed to quickly finish my Master’s degree, something I had put off due to lack of funds, because my pay would jump significantly if I obtained it before departure, but would not increase if I completed it once I was there. Done. Let’s just chalk April, May, and June up to sad times. But I plowed through my last two classes (online) and the cats were happy that I was huddled up at home every weekend working away on my laptop.

Upon graduating, I thought this summer would provide some badly needed respite from the chaos I’ve experienced in recent years. However, I’ve encountered an extreme amount of stress- setting up the girls to make sure they’re ok until I see them at Christmas, figuring out how I’m going to handle money, payments, cars, mail, and bills at home, working out all the tech aspects of moving to the UAE (HUGE stress factor), sorting, donating, throwing away, selling, organizing all my stuff while preparing the girls to leave for school in August, resigning from my jobs (but tutoring in the meantime), and taking that one last Berg Girls roadtrip (Memphis) for good measure. Now I’m waiting for my authenticated documents to be sent back from the UAE Embassy in DC. Pressing matters also include extensive dental work (major stuff for all three of us!) and an endless stream of paperwork, along with tying up a thousand loose ends.
So there you have the short version of it; the adventure has begun.

suzannainthesand

Ayubowan

Somebody’s Having a Birthday!

Sanded

Sugar Rush

Adventures in “Plain Al Ain”

What Not to Wear

American (Sub-) Standard

The Waiting Game

In the Beginning…

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