I wish I could just send an email to God, you know? Like, hey, what's up? I REALLY need to know if the Loch Ness monster is real, and could you also give me some insight into what I'm supposed to do with my life? Great, thanks. P.S. Sorry if I've been botching it up so far. -Keri
See? How easy would that be? Then, he'd respond and all of our questions could be answered.
I'm such a contradictory person. I love poetry and the whole abstractness of it, yet I crave black and white. Answers. Directions. Plans. I just want to do the right thing. For some reason, doing the wrong thing absolutely horrifies me. Where did I pick up this perfectionist disease?? It ruins everything, and it's like the most impossible disease to have.
I always joke with my sisters about having picked up the worst traits to have. Yeah, everyone has things to work on, and I always feel like mine are the hardest things. I struggle with not shoving 100 oreos into my mouth everyday, and my sister wishes she read more. I feel like I'm afraid of the future and worry about everything. My one friend says her biggest flaw is that her gum is a little lower on one of her front teeth. See the difference? :/ These things aren't comparable. I feel like I'm lost in a sea of people, of everything, and if I'm never going to be perfect at anything, how am I enough? How will I be valued? My sister mentioned that she thinks that maybe God is more interested in the good of mankind as a whole as opposed to caring for the individuals. That sounds about right to me. But, then, what's the purpose of one flawed, oreo-shoving person? Who knows. Add it to the list of things we'll never know...like...if the Loch Ness monster is real or if I was meant to do something other than what I'm doing, or whether God is what our cliché Christian education taught us he was, etc. (This Loch Ness thing really bugs me).
I have been teaching my class about Thanksgiving recently. One of the Higher Ability spelling words was grateful, and we've been discussing the suffix -ful etc. It was difficult to explain what the word thankful/grateful meant to kids whose first language is not English. We watched a video on how to draw a turkey and we made a list of things we're grateful for. They came up with some wonderful things. One student said they were grateful for their life! One said they were grateful for Ms. Keri (yesssss, score.) One said they were grateful that they had friends to play with. After listening to these things, I made my own short list for them to see. And I had a sentimental moment, and explained how if we woke up every day and thought of what we were grateful for, we wouldn't focus so much on the things we DON'T have. We also discussed the suffix -less. I said some people are jobless, homeless, or friendless. I am thankful to have a job, and a home, and friends!
I have been privileged to see the world. Heading to India next week. What a gift that is! I have also become someone entirely different than what I expected. ( a blessing in disguise) I get the chance to be with my family and friends for Christmas. What incredible things to be grateful for! Yes, there's so much I want, so much I expect, so much I worry about not having, but I have been given so much, and have done so much that I sometimes forget! This Thursday, I plan on being a big ol' grateful turkey over here in the sandpit. And maybe have an oreo or two...or 100.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Thursday, November 6, 2014
"Just" Living it up
Forgive the depressing feeling I left in my last blog post. It was a moment in time, and it needed to be shared. Yes, I do miss my friends and my family, but when I go home to visit, it is always the same with them, so that is one comfort.
I've just been reading a book that claims that moods/anxiety/depression is all a matter of brain chemistry and your body not getting enough of the essential nutrients it needs because the RDA is actually too low. So, that's also comforting in a way. Just need to find my essential nutrients, and I'll feel better! haha
Anyway, life is going on. Who wants to spend their 25th year of life on worrying about the small things and only looking forward to the future? Every day brings its own small treasures, and over time I've realized the vast amount of important things that I've learned. I had my parents day, and it made me so glad to hear parents saying, "Oh, my child loves you, and we are happy with you, and we appreciate all of your efforts." That definitely makes it all worth it. Even if the school doesn't give you the recognition or even enough money, just to know that you are making a difference is incredibly relieving and satisfying! One mother even said, "Teaching is the one profession that I admire above all of the others. I don't know why you guys choose it. I don't know how you guys do it!" And I was standing there, smiling, being like, "Yeah, it's a little crazy", while inside I'm trying desperately to hold on to my sanity.
Teaching can be incredibly frustrating where there are tears in your eyes because one of your kids is telling you that "blue" rhymes with "sky". And you have no idea how to correct him. This is the same child who writes "sister" as "ster". Then when you ask him what rhymes with "school", because you're helping him write rhyming words, your higher student across the room dances and says "school, cool!" Then you flip out. I had to leave the room for a minute to calm down because I think everything was coming to a head and getting all frustrating. I'm happy parents are happy, but I still have to deal with their wild children all day!
The weekends are my salvation as you know. We are all slowly going broke because we're trying to save, trying to pay off bills in all directions, trying to eat well, and trying to have fun at the same time (the most important part :)) But each weekend is always something new and exciting! A brunch here, a birthday party there, and beach days and bars/nightclubs interspersed throughout. Maybe even a hop over to another country. Who knows? I actually went to a 20's themed bar at the Ritz Carlton with a friend for drinks on the bar's Tuesday jazz night. I felt like I was Daisy in The Great Gatsby. Dream.
My sister and I shared the same feeling that we miss America because of it's efficiency and natural beauty and the feeling of home it gives us. In school, we were learning about the seasons, so I bragged about Pennsylvania, and was like, "Well in MY country, all four of the seasons are very DISTINCT." That's right-I bragged about winter being cold and summer being hot and all the rest of 'em. They were amazed. Wowww, what's snow like? It was fun. So, I do miss America. I mentioned this to an old college friend who lives in Malaysia. I said I'd be going home after I finished my contract. He was like, "Oh, so you're JUST going to live in Lancaster and teach?"
Thanks, pal. Thanks. My fears of becoming a decrepit old woman living in her hometown and dying next to her fish tanks and litter boxes and spinning wheel are coming back to me. English is not his first language, so maybe he doesn't understand the meaning of the four-letter word "just". It could crush a soul! Make people do things they don't want to do! Don't worry, I corrected him then and there to say that "No, for heaven's sake, I would not be returning to JUST live in my hometown and teach. I don't really have any intention to teach for the rest of my life, and Lancaster's great, but I want to try somewhere new." So take that. I refuse to JUST do anything. JUST be depressed. JUST stop trying. JUST keep a job because it's a job. JUST live at home with my parents. JUST say yes because you're afraid. No no no. I'm too busy for JUST. I'm too hopeful for a good satisfying life for JUST. And gotta go, because right now, I'm JUST living it up.
I've just been reading a book that claims that moods/anxiety/depression is all a matter of brain chemistry and your body not getting enough of the essential nutrients it needs because the RDA is actually too low. So, that's also comforting in a way. Just need to find my essential nutrients, and I'll feel better! haha
Anyway, life is going on. Who wants to spend their 25th year of life on worrying about the small things and only looking forward to the future? Every day brings its own small treasures, and over time I've realized the vast amount of important things that I've learned. I had my parents day, and it made me so glad to hear parents saying, "Oh, my child loves you, and we are happy with you, and we appreciate all of your efforts." That definitely makes it all worth it. Even if the school doesn't give you the recognition or even enough money, just to know that you are making a difference is incredibly relieving and satisfying! One mother even said, "Teaching is the one profession that I admire above all of the others. I don't know why you guys choose it. I don't know how you guys do it!" And I was standing there, smiling, being like, "Yeah, it's a little crazy", while inside I'm trying desperately to hold on to my sanity.
Teaching can be incredibly frustrating where there are tears in your eyes because one of your kids is telling you that "blue" rhymes with "sky". And you have no idea how to correct him. This is the same child who writes "sister" as "ster". Then when you ask him what rhymes with "school", because you're helping him write rhyming words, your higher student across the room dances and says "school, cool!" Then you flip out. I had to leave the room for a minute to calm down because I think everything was coming to a head and getting all frustrating. I'm happy parents are happy, but I still have to deal with their wild children all day!
The weekends are my salvation as you know. We are all slowly going broke because we're trying to save, trying to pay off bills in all directions, trying to eat well, and trying to have fun at the same time (the most important part :)) But each weekend is always something new and exciting! A brunch here, a birthday party there, and beach days and bars/nightclubs interspersed throughout. Maybe even a hop over to another country. Who knows? I actually went to a 20's themed bar at the Ritz Carlton with a friend for drinks on the bar's Tuesday jazz night. I felt like I was Daisy in The Great Gatsby. Dream.
My sister and I shared the same feeling that we miss America because of it's efficiency and natural beauty and the feeling of home it gives us. In school, we were learning about the seasons, so I bragged about Pennsylvania, and was like, "Well in MY country, all four of the seasons are very DISTINCT." That's right-I bragged about winter being cold and summer being hot and all the rest of 'em. They were amazed. Wowww, what's snow like? It was fun. So, I do miss America. I mentioned this to an old college friend who lives in Malaysia. I said I'd be going home after I finished my contract. He was like, "Oh, so you're JUST going to live in Lancaster and teach?"
Thanks, pal. Thanks. My fears of becoming a decrepit old woman living in her hometown and dying next to her fish tanks and litter boxes and spinning wheel are coming back to me. English is not his first language, so maybe he doesn't understand the meaning of the four-letter word "just". It could crush a soul! Make people do things they don't want to do! Don't worry, I corrected him then and there to say that "No, for heaven's sake, I would not be returning to JUST live in my hometown and teach. I don't really have any intention to teach for the rest of my life, and Lancaster's great, but I want to try somewhere new." So take that. I refuse to JUST do anything. JUST be depressed. JUST stop trying. JUST keep a job because it's a job. JUST live at home with my parents. JUST say yes because you're afraid. No no no. I'm too busy for JUST. I'm too hopeful for a good satisfying life for JUST. And gotta go, because right now, I'm JUST living it up.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Middle East Tour
So sorry for the delay! I've been busy as well as a little bit lazy in updating this. My goodness, is this a different year. All of the faults of our school are coming out from the darkness and into the light, and everyone feels the full brunt of the truth of disappointment. I'm getting to the point where (and my sister and brother-in-law can fully understand this), you've become this other person: this angry, impatient, and fed up person who remembers fondly the beauties of their country and desires to go back and have a normal life. My fellow coworkers and I are in the same boat. My flatmate and I were just discussing today how we miss fresh food and farmer's markets, dressing in shorts to go to the grocery store, a change in seasons, people who actually move quickly, and things working efficiently in the workplace. We're so sick of it. We're not sure how we're going to survive the rest of the year.
Well, I apologize for the ranting. It's just getting a bit overwhelming now. But, I wanted to travel in order to feel this feeling. I miss having a true home and a place to be and live. I will always love to travel, but I am a bit tired of this aimless wandering. Sharjah is my home, but only for the moment. I miss not being able to see my friends and family when I can. I missed my mother's 60th birthday party where almost all of my relatives could attend. I'm missing out on their lives in order to create and decide a life of my own. That was the whole point of this. But it wears on a person more than you know. I didn't realize that before I came. I had to do this in order to realize it.
Moving on, I have returned from my Middle East Tour which included Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia! I'm so excited that I was able to see all of those places because they're so close! Oman was beautiful. We rode four wheelers out in the desert and swam in the clear blue water in the rocky hills. In Saudi Arabia, I visited Katie and Matt. Amazing! What an experience. I'm so glad I got to go because not everyone can say that they've been there! They took me to one of their infamous Embassy parties, so my first night there was spent on a dance floor. Awesome. Then, the next day we drove out into the desert and saw something called "The Edge of the World". It was a cliff overlooking the vastness of the desert beyond. It was an empty place and completely silent. That's what I loved about it: the silence. It was so refreshing and revitalizing. I drank it all in. Over the course of my time, we wore abayas, and went for high tea in Riyadh, went to the market place (called a souk), and hung out with their friends. I loved it! Every woman was covered, but it didn't feel as scary as I expected. It was not as exciting and fun as Dubai, obviously, and I would never want to live there long-term, but it was nice to get away and visit.
And lastly, we went to Bahrain for my friends' Gaelic football tournament. It was an hour flight, and we flew into outside Manama. Interesting place. It's a small island, and 1 Bahrain dollar is worth 10 dirhams. So it was a little strange to see your taxi fare or your grocery bill to cost 5 BD. It makes you feel like you're paying nothing: so not trueeee. Anyway, we went out on the town and oh gosh, was it a prostitutey place. I mean, Dubai has its prostitutes, and you can spot them right away, but this place...Wow. You feel like a movie star because when you walk down the street it's literally ONLY men. So they yell out things like "Nice..." and "Meow." Ew. You don't go unnoticed because you stick out like a sore thumb. You're not covered like their wives and sisters, and you're not a prostitute from southeast Asia.
During the day we did the best thing ever. We spent our day on an island called Al Dar Islands, and laid out on the beach, swam, played volleyball in one of those water courts, and even rode jetskis. That's what's so nice about this country. Random rich Arab men will offer to let you drive their expensive toys like jetskis, no questions asked. So we rode on SUPERCHARGED jetskis that went so unbelievable fast, I got air! He laughed when I screamed as we ramped off of another boat's wake. It was awesome. The sun slowly dipped behind the water, and it was such a nice reminder to me how lucky I am to have seen as much as I have (despite my earlier rant). I have been so blessed and privileged and have seen so many lovely things, that it's easy to forget and to become jaded and take things for granted. But laying on that Bahraini beach and watching the sun go down and forgetting every other problem in the world was a moment to remember.
Coming up next...Home for Christmas December 18 to January 8!
Can't wait to experience fall and thanksgiving when I return to the states next year!
Well, I apologize for the ranting. It's just getting a bit overwhelming now. But, I wanted to travel in order to feel this feeling. I miss having a true home and a place to be and live. I will always love to travel, but I am a bit tired of this aimless wandering. Sharjah is my home, but only for the moment. I miss not being able to see my friends and family when I can. I missed my mother's 60th birthday party where almost all of my relatives could attend. I'm missing out on their lives in order to create and decide a life of my own. That was the whole point of this. But it wears on a person more than you know. I didn't realize that before I came. I had to do this in order to realize it.
Moving on, I have returned from my Middle East Tour which included Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia! I'm so excited that I was able to see all of those places because they're so close! Oman was beautiful. We rode four wheelers out in the desert and swam in the clear blue water in the rocky hills. In Saudi Arabia, I visited Katie and Matt. Amazing! What an experience. I'm so glad I got to go because not everyone can say that they've been there! They took me to one of their infamous Embassy parties, so my first night there was spent on a dance floor. Awesome. Then, the next day we drove out into the desert and saw something called "The Edge of the World". It was a cliff overlooking the vastness of the desert beyond. It was an empty place and completely silent. That's what I loved about it: the silence. It was so refreshing and revitalizing. I drank it all in. Over the course of my time, we wore abayas, and went for high tea in Riyadh, went to the market place (called a souk), and hung out with their friends. I loved it! Every woman was covered, but it didn't feel as scary as I expected. It was not as exciting and fun as Dubai, obviously, and I would never want to live there long-term, but it was nice to get away and visit.
And lastly, we went to Bahrain for my friends' Gaelic football tournament. It was an hour flight, and we flew into outside Manama. Interesting place. It's a small island, and 1 Bahrain dollar is worth 10 dirhams. So it was a little strange to see your taxi fare or your grocery bill to cost 5 BD. It makes you feel like you're paying nothing: so not trueeee. Anyway, we went out on the town and oh gosh, was it a prostitutey place. I mean, Dubai has its prostitutes, and you can spot them right away, but this place...Wow. You feel like a movie star because when you walk down the street it's literally ONLY men. So they yell out things like "Nice..." and "Meow." Ew. You don't go unnoticed because you stick out like a sore thumb. You're not covered like their wives and sisters, and you're not a prostitute from southeast Asia.
During the day we did the best thing ever. We spent our day on an island called Al Dar Islands, and laid out on the beach, swam, played volleyball in one of those water courts, and even rode jetskis. That's what's so nice about this country. Random rich Arab men will offer to let you drive their expensive toys like jetskis, no questions asked. So we rode on SUPERCHARGED jetskis that went so unbelievable fast, I got air! He laughed when I screamed as we ramped off of another boat's wake. It was awesome. The sun slowly dipped behind the water, and it was such a nice reminder to me how lucky I am to have seen as much as I have (despite my earlier rant). I have been so blessed and privileged and have seen so many lovely things, that it's easy to forget and to become jaded and take things for granted. But laying on that Bahraini beach and watching the sun go down and forgetting every other problem in the world was a moment to remember.
Coming up next...Home for Christmas December 18 to January 8!
Can't wait to experience fall and thanksgiving when I return to the states next year!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Still in Shock
Wow. It's so annoying how FLABBERGASTED I still am at the RIDICULOUSNESS of this place! It's like the rest of the world is Type A, and this area is the annoying, laid back, easy going guy, who maybe we all wish we could be, but we know that nothing gets done and rules don't get followed if we do.
So, as you know, I have my license now. Wow, it should have been entitled licensed to drive in a DANGER slash DEATH ZONE. Supposedly the cops here are really strict, and I think they are about speeding and crashes and things, BUT there are basically no rules here it feels like. People just swerve in and out as they please, indicating if they feel like it, but mostly not. You have to be mean sometimes and not let someone in. They EDGE in towards the lane because they know people won't be nice enough to let them in! So, when you're driving here, that's what you have to do! You're on a four lane busy "motorway" (oh the Brits), and you have to get all the way over. So, you basically put yourself in danger as you shove your car into the next lane, because that is mostly the only way people will stop for you. There are so many roundabouts here, and one night my friend and I were driving our friends to go out and watch the Patriots game (Yay, something American!). I was following her. She got lost and went to one side on the packed roundabout and exited, but had to make a U-turn, to return to the roundabout and cross like 4 lanes. At one point, I wasn't even in a lane on the roundabout. Cars were coming towards either side of me, their car horns were going mad; it was insane. Now I feel ready for anything (haha). Yesterday on the way home from school, I almost got smooshed but a bus, because we both wanted to get into a one lane, and I wanted to beat it. (Plus I didn't realize it wanted to go there because there was no INDICATION. I hope this gives you a little taste of what it's like to drive here.
I went to get my Saudi Arabia visa yesterday. I feel as if I've been in so many weird and different and sometimes awkward situations in my life that I have no more dignity left, and the part of me that feels awkward is barely there anymore. A good thing about this place is it makes you go, "Ah, whatever." I go in, and wait to be called. I go talk to the lady, and it went pretty smoothly. I give her my passport photos, and she's like, "No white background?" I said no. She goes, "We need white background." I said, "I didn't know there was a background preference." She said, "It was mentioned on the paper I had." Darn it!!! I'm turning into one of my students. Great. That's my constant rule: READ THE DIRECTIONS! Here I am, sitting in hypocrisy. So, I had to get my photo taken. The guy takes me around to a white hallway where no one is, and puts the camera right in my face as I awkwardly stand smiling. He showed me and I just said, "Fine." It's official, everyone, I have beaten the world record for the WORST PICTURE I HAVE EVER TAKEN OF ALL TIME. And I have taken some bad ones in my life, folks. The lighting was very scientificy, and it didn't do me any favours. So, I didn't have the cash to pay for the pictures, so I had to go out to the ATM in the mall across the way, get some, and come back. I came outside into the perfect picture of Sharjah. Let me paint it for you now. I exited the building, and on my left was a group of Pakistani men, just chilling, some in their full outfits with the long shirts and loose pants, and some in a weird assortment of strange adidas labeled clothing (like sweat capris, etc.). All of them had the ugliest sandals on in the world. I can't stand men in sandals. Especially leather or shiny ones that have a special loop over the big toe. Anyway, I'm walking along. I am wearing black pants with a long sleeved shirt. Yeah, I know. But it was my school outfit. Over here, you need to get used to feeling DISGUSTING and hot (not in a good way) everyday. I'm walking along in my sandals. Cars are zooming past, as I make my way across the road. Sand and (other unknown particles!) are getting into my shoes. Now, I get the whole foot washing thing with Jesus. Feet are never clean here. I couldn't find the ATM, so I'm wandering along, wondering who to ask. I pass the dumpsters that are randomly sprawled across Sharjah. I spy a cat walking next to me that had two furry ball things coming out of its butt. The dumpsters smelled AWFUL, but it was the smell I've smelled many a time before.
I go back to the building to ask about the ATM, and the lady directs me to the mall across the street. I return and see the pack of men standing and smoking and chatting. It's 4 in the afternoon, people, what are you doing?
I find the ATM. Someone's using it. I'm right behind him. He finishes. I go to put my card in. As, soon as I do, the screen says, Sorry, this ATM is out of order. Really? Oh shock and surprise. Had to find another one and return to the lady to pay my fee. Anyway, that's all sorted. I leave the building a little while later, and the pack of men is still there! I wanted to yell at them, "Please disperse! Find something to do!"
Later, I told my friend they should just scrap Sharjah and start again. It's a dumpster spot, mutant cat home, but luckily I live in the "nicer" part of it which is closer to Dubai. Anyway, that's enough of my rants for now!
My class is very endearing and fun, but they are hyper and chatty, and I had to pull out my big strong teacher voice on some people the other day. I find myself very odd if I think about me watching myself teaching. I feel like I do weird things. I dance and sing and show the kids yoga moves when we do our stretching time (when I feel them getting sick of sitting). I cheer for them when we do well and say, "Ms. Keri's going to go home and have a dance party because this worked very well." What?? I've got a lot of affectionate ones who come and give me hugs, so that makes everything all worth it. They're very sweet, but they can really cream my corn sometimes! Hopefully all continues to go well! On to the next! Oh, by the way, I will be visiting three countries in the next few weeks. We're going to a desert safari in Oman for my roommate's birthday, and then we're flying to Bahrain for the weekend because some of my friends have a Gaelic football tournament there, and I'm flying to Saudi Arabia over my October break to go see Katie and Matt! This is quite the life. Wish me luck!
So, as you know, I have my license now. Wow, it should have been entitled licensed to drive in a DANGER slash DEATH ZONE. Supposedly the cops here are really strict, and I think they are about speeding and crashes and things, BUT there are basically no rules here it feels like. People just swerve in and out as they please, indicating if they feel like it, but mostly not. You have to be mean sometimes and not let someone in. They EDGE in towards the lane because they know people won't be nice enough to let them in! So, when you're driving here, that's what you have to do! You're on a four lane busy "motorway" (oh the Brits), and you have to get all the way over. So, you basically put yourself in danger as you shove your car into the next lane, because that is mostly the only way people will stop for you. There are so many roundabouts here, and one night my friend and I were driving our friends to go out and watch the Patriots game (Yay, something American!). I was following her. She got lost and went to one side on the packed roundabout and exited, but had to make a U-turn, to return to the roundabout and cross like 4 lanes. At one point, I wasn't even in a lane on the roundabout. Cars were coming towards either side of me, their car horns were going mad; it was insane. Now I feel ready for anything (haha). Yesterday on the way home from school, I almost got smooshed but a bus, because we both wanted to get into a one lane, and I wanted to beat it. (Plus I didn't realize it wanted to go there because there was no INDICATION. I hope this gives you a little taste of what it's like to drive here.
I went to get my Saudi Arabia visa yesterday. I feel as if I've been in so many weird and different and sometimes awkward situations in my life that I have no more dignity left, and the part of me that feels awkward is barely there anymore. A good thing about this place is it makes you go, "Ah, whatever." I go in, and wait to be called. I go talk to the lady, and it went pretty smoothly. I give her my passport photos, and she's like, "No white background?" I said no. She goes, "We need white background." I said, "I didn't know there was a background preference." She said, "It was mentioned on the paper I had." Darn it!!! I'm turning into one of my students. Great. That's my constant rule: READ THE DIRECTIONS! Here I am, sitting in hypocrisy. So, I had to get my photo taken. The guy takes me around to a white hallway where no one is, and puts the camera right in my face as I awkwardly stand smiling. He showed me and I just said, "Fine." It's official, everyone, I have beaten the world record for the WORST PICTURE I HAVE EVER TAKEN OF ALL TIME. And I have taken some bad ones in my life, folks. The lighting was very scientificy, and it didn't do me any favours. So, I didn't have the cash to pay for the pictures, so I had to go out to the ATM in the mall across the way, get some, and come back. I came outside into the perfect picture of Sharjah. Let me paint it for you now. I exited the building, and on my left was a group of Pakistani men, just chilling, some in their full outfits with the long shirts and loose pants, and some in a weird assortment of strange adidas labeled clothing (like sweat capris, etc.). All of them had the ugliest sandals on in the world. I can't stand men in sandals. Especially leather or shiny ones that have a special loop over the big toe. Anyway, I'm walking along. I am wearing black pants with a long sleeved shirt. Yeah, I know. But it was my school outfit. Over here, you need to get used to feeling DISGUSTING and hot (not in a good way) everyday. I'm walking along in my sandals. Cars are zooming past, as I make my way across the road. Sand and (other unknown particles!) are getting into my shoes. Now, I get the whole foot washing thing with Jesus. Feet are never clean here. I couldn't find the ATM, so I'm wandering along, wondering who to ask. I pass the dumpsters that are randomly sprawled across Sharjah. I spy a cat walking next to me that had two furry ball things coming out of its butt. The dumpsters smelled AWFUL, but it was the smell I've smelled many a time before.
I go back to the building to ask about the ATM, and the lady directs me to the mall across the street. I return and see the pack of men standing and smoking and chatting. It's 4 in the afternoon, people, what are you doing?
I find the ATM. Someone's using it. I'm right behind him. He finishes. I go to put my card in. As, soon as I do, the screen says, Sorry, this ATM is out of order. Really? Oh shock and surprise. Had to find another one and return to the lady to pay my fee. Anyway, that's all sorted. I leave the building a little while later, and the pack of men is still there! I wanted to yell at them, "Please disperse! Find something to do!"
Later, I told my friend they should just scrap Sharjah and start again. It's a dumpster spot, mutant cat home, but luckily I live in the "nicer" part of it which is closer to Dubai. Anyway, that's enough of my rants for now!
My class is very endearing and fun, but they are hyper and chatty, and I had to pull out my big strong teacher voice on some people the other day. I find myself very odd if I think about me watching myself teaching. I feel like I do weird things. I dance and sing and show the kids yoga moves when we do our stretching time (when I feel them getting sick of sitting). I cheer for them when we do well and say, "Ms. Keri's going to go home and have a dance party because this worked very well." What?? I've got a lot of affectionate ones who come and give me hugs, so that makes everything all worth it. They're very sweet, but they can really cream my corn sometimes! Hopefully all continues to go well! On to the next! Oh, by the way, I will be visiting three countries in the next few weeks. We're going to a desert safari in Oman for my roommate's birthday, and then we're flying to Bahrain for the weekend because some of my friends have a Gaelic football tournament there, and I'm flying to Saudi Arabia over my October break to go see Katie and Matt! This is quite the life. Wish me luck!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Welcome back to the ME
Back now--wayyy better than I thought it would be. It would so good to see my friends again and meet the newbies! I flew in late on Saturday night and had to get up the next morning to go into work! The first week was just basically re-introductions to procedures and blah blah blah. We started working on our rooms and got them finished this week. I start with kids on Tuesday-crazy! The school seems a tad bit more together (but maybe because I'm used to it now, and when something happens, I'm like, "Whatever".). I feel really bad for the newbies and the shock we've put them through! hahah We all tried to sugarcoat it at first, but then we were like, "Yeah...sorry. This is actually how it is."
I have two new coworkers, one from Wales and one from America! It's so great to have new additions to the team that see where I'm coming from. The one from Wales plans literacy with me, so it's AMAZING. I can't tell you how great it is to not dread having a meeting with someone. We work quickly, and we understand each other. Pure dream. So everything was great, and then I got my real introduction back to the Middle East.
Yeah, the traffic's bad, and it's hot, and Sharjah's a little boring, but we knew all of this beforehand. This was something different. I went to get my driver's license at the traffic driving school place in Sharjah. I had to go during the work day last week. SIA (my school) has done this loads of times before. They had a bus driver take me, so it was just me and him in the bus. Weird. Then we get there, and we hand the papers to the guard at the door. He goes, "There are 3 papers you are missing. Your school did not give them to you." I was FUMING. Of course. OF COURSE!!!!! My school would MESS THIS UP, even though they've done this DOZENS of times before. We had to wait to get the school to FAX them to the place. Finally, we had all of the papers. I was still fuming. But why was I surprised? You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now.
So then, I had to go into the Ladies' section to get my application. I had to get a ticket and wait. Of course. Waiting is like a pastime here in this place. The people are moving through all of the numbers, but before my number, there is a veryyyyyy long pause. They're speaking in Arabic, so to me it looks like they're just chatting and chilling. They are in part, but apparently the computer system broke down. Oh good! So the wait continues. I finally get called, and then I have to take my paper to another place in the building. I go there to wait. I have to pay a fee there (that the school didn't tell me about), so my bus driver had to pay for me. I go back to the Ladies' section. I wait again; the computer system still does not work. The IT guy is there, but in this country, the IT guy is a pointless job. They literally can fix nothing. My old number kept getting called because the screen was broken, so I kept going up and hopefully asking, "Is it me? My turn?"
Anyway, after about an hour of waiting, I get called up a few times and sent back to my seat a few times. The lady says to me the system is broken. She says all the other computers work now though, except mine. Hmm coincidence? Being thwarted at every turn? I think so.
AT LONG LAST, I am able to go to the next window to get my license printed. Took about 3 minutes there. Then DONE!
So, despite the issues that are common to the Middle East, I got my license! I am now a certified UAE driver for the next ten years! So after I come back to the US, if anyone ever wants to go back and visit the UAE, I'll be your driver. Got to get my money's worth, right?
Frustrations galore in this place! But you've got to just let things go...Tough skill to learn. :)
This past weekend we took the newbies out to their first brunch and had a great time on the dance floor! Saw pictures on facebook and one of me dancing near a guy who had a hat that said, "Sorry, I'm fresh." (Sighhhhh) I'm home. :)
I have two new coworkers, one from Wales and one from America! It's so great to have new additions to the team that see where I'm coming from. The one from Wales plans literacy with me, so it's AMAZING. I can't tell you how great it is to not dread having a meeting with someone. We work quickly, and we understand each other. Pure dream. So everything was great, and then I got my real introduction back to the Middle East.
Yeah, the traffic's bad, and it's hot, and Sharjah's a little boring, but we knew all of this beforehand. This was something different. I went to get my driver's license at the traffic driving school place in Sharjah. I had to go during the work day last week. SIA (my school) has done this loads of times before. They had a bus driver take me, so it was just me and him in the bus. Weird. Then we get there, and we hand the papers to the guard at the door. He goes, "There are 3 papers you are missing. Your school did not give them to you." I was FUMING. Of course. OF COURSE!!!!! My school would MESS THIS UP, even though they've done this DOZENS of times before. We had to wait to get the school to FAX them to the place. Finally, we had all of the papers. I was still fuming. But why was I surprised? You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now.
So then, I had to go into the Ladies' section to get my application. I had to get a ticket and wait. Of course. Waiting is like a pastime here in this place. The people are moving through all of the numbers, but before my number, there is a veryyyyyy long pause. They're speaking in Arabic, so to me it looks like they're just chatting and chilling. They are in part, but apparently the computer system broke down. Oh good! So the wait continues. I finally get called, and then I have to take my paper to another place in the building. I go there to wait. I have to pay a fee there (that the school didn't tell me about), so my bus driver had to pay for me. I go back to the Ladies' section. I wait again; the computer system still does not work. The IT guy is there, but in this country, the IT guy is a pointless job. They literally can fix nothing. My old number kept getting called because the screen was broken, so I kept going up and hopefully asking, "Is it me? My turn?"
Anyway, after about an hour of waiting, I get called up a few times and sent back to my seat a few times. The lady says to me the system is broken. She says all the other computers work now though, except mine. Hmm coincidence? Being thwarted at every turn? I think so.
AT LONG LAST, I am able to go to the next window to get my license printed. Took about 3 minutes there. Then DONE!
So, despite the issues that are common to the Middle East, I got my license! I am now a certified UAE driver for the next ten years! So after I come back to the US, if anyone ever wants to go back and visit the UAE, I'll be your driver. Got to get my money's worth, right?
Frustrations galore in this place! But you've got to just let things go...Tough skill to learn. :)
This past weekend we took the newbies out to their first brunch and had a great time on the dance floor! Saw pictures on facebook and one of me dancing near a guy who had a hat that said, "Sorry, I'm fresh." (Sighhhhh) I'm home. :)
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Summer Sadness
Alas, my time doing nothing for two months has ended. Boy, was it glorious. I saw friends, went on vacation, flew to California, went out dancing, and got to go running in a GREEN environment. It was absolutely amazing. It was almost as if I'd never left, which makes me feel less sad for leaving and staying away a long time.
I forgot how lovely Lancaster was in the summer. It's like a dream. Everywhere is just so wholesome and peaceful and oozing with freshness. I love the purity of this place. The wind is so clean and life-giving. I know I can breathe it in deeply, and it will make me feel ALIVE. I've missed that. It was just what my soul was craving. Truly. It was just what I'd needed before I start another year in the mad house!
But, now it's time to go back. I'm a little nervous about the job, but hey, there's only one more year! And, life is to be enjoyed and not to be stressed over. I need to remember that. So, goodbye to all my dear friends and fam! It was wonderful to see you and spend such a nice long time with you. Back to the desert! And if I get my foot caught in a coat hanger in the parking lot on my first day back to work, oh I'll be in quite a tizzy.
I forgot how lovely Lancaster was in the summer. It's like a dream. Everywhere is just so wholesome and peaceful and oozing with freshness. I love the purity of this place. The wind is so clean and life-giving. I know I can breathe it in deeply, and it will make me feel ALIVE. I've missed that. It was just what my soul was craving. Truly. It was just what I'd needed before I start another year in the mad house!
But, now it's time to go back. I'm a little nervous about the job, but hey, there's only one more year! And, life is to be enjoyed and not to be stressed over. I need to remember that. So, goodbye to all my dear friends and fam! It was wonderful to see you and spend such a nice long time with you. Back to the desert! And if I get my foot caught in a coat hanger in the parking lot on my first day back to work, oh I'll be in quite a tizzy.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Leaving Arabia
The time has finally come to leave my current country and return HOME. What a beautiful word and feeling to return to something that always brings a feeling of comfort and welcoming. As I've mentioned before, I can't wait to see green again, feel a breeze, and not have to drink 3 liters of water a day. I cannot wait to see friends and family and visit with one who is now gone (Maggie). I want to eat Domino's pizza and go to Cracker Barrel. (We have Domino's, but it tastes differently here). Believe it or not, living in the Middle East has provided me with a few interesting skills that may not ever be useful in the future, but they are INTERESTING, to say the least.
Here we go:
-I can now read all of the Arabic letters, so if an Arabic word is given to me, I can read it, I just won't know what it means. I practice by reading all of the store signs, and have learned that if the word is an English name like McDonald's, they just write the letters that make the same sounds in Arabic. I started learning Arabic a few months back. I can now say some words and phrases and write and say the letters. 28 letters and many of the letters have a different way they look at the beginning, at the middle, and at the end. Great. And some letters are changed by the adding, moving, or removing of one dot. Insane. It's a fascinating language and I hope to learn more!
-I can now tell the difference between someone who is Arab, or from India, or from Pakistan. These are common mistakes (especially between India and Pakistan). I'd say this is a pretty cool skill. It frustrates me that people will say about Indians and Pakistanis that they're all the same, so it doesn't matter. Whoops, sorry, no dice. Not the case. How would we feel if someone said to us that we are the same as people from Canada or from Europe, and it just "doesn't matter"?
-I can name all of the countries and capitals on the Arabian Peninsula (where I am located). I can say Qatar properly.
-I own a Qu'ran and occasionally read it, and I know more about Islam than I ever did before! (which was my goal)
-I've learned that I don't have to accept bad behavior from other people. It doesn't say something about me when people act poorly. It says something about them.
-I've learned to start to not be "too nice". If someone tries to get you to do their work for them, you fight back. If you have ideas to share and they talk over you, you talk over back. If someone tries to get in front of you in line, you say something!
-I've developed an intense liking of hummus and cucumbers. Great snack.
-I've developed a slight tea addiction. It's all of these Europeans I'm with. I've had to pull back a bit from the tea thing. I've realized, that's why Americans have such white teeth. We don't drink as much tea.
-I am the boss of my students, not the other way around.
-I am learning this, and it's the toughest thing to learn: project yourself the way you want to be viewed (for example, confident), and that is the way you will be viewed.
-It's just me now, so I've got to do things that are good for me.
-Oh, and lastly, I've learned how to drink a lot of water in one day.
So, those are just a sampling of some of the random skills the Middle East has taught me. It has been an amazing yet incredibly difficult experience in so many ways. Even after 10 months, I've just recently started to feel closer to these girls here. It's taken a while! I've met some fun and interesting people, and have learned a lot about teaching, and I hope next year will be bigger and better! Who knows what will happen next?
Here we go:
-I can now read all of the Arabic letters, so if an Arabic word is given to me, I can read it, I just won't know what it means. I practice by reading all of the store signs, and have learned that if the word is an English name like McDonald's, they just write the letters that make the same sounds in Arabic. I started learning Arabic a few months back. I can now say some words and phrases and write and say the letters. 28 letters and many of the letters have a different way they look at the beginning, at the middle, and at the end. Great. And some letters are changed by the adding, moving, or removing of one dot. Insane. It's a fascinating language and I hope to learn more!
-I can now tell the difference between someone who is Arab, or from India, or from Pakistan. These are common mistakes (especially between India and Pakistan). I'd say this is a pretty cool skill. It frustrates me that people will say about Indians and Pakistanis that they're all the same, so it doesn't matter. Whoops, sorry, no dice. Not the case. How would we feel if someone said to us that we are the same as people from Canada or from Europe, and it just "doesn't matter"?
-I can name all of the countries and capitals on the Arabian Peninsula (where I am located). I can say Qatar properly.
-I own a Qu'ran and occasionally read it, and I know more about Islam than I ever did before! (which was my goal)
-I've learned that I don't have to accept bad behavior from other people. It doesn't say something about me when people act poorly. It says something about them.
-I've learned to start to not be "too nice". If someone tries to get you to do their work for them, you fight back. If you have ideas to share and they talk over you, you talk over back. If someone tries to get in front of you in line, you say something!
-I've developed an intense liking of hummus and cucumbers. Great snack.
-I've developed a slight tea addiction. It's all of these Europeans I'm with. I've had to pull back a bit from the tea thing. I've realized, that's why Americans have such white teeth. We don't drink as much tea.
-I am the boss of my students, not the other way around.
-I am learning this, and it's the toughest thing to learn: project yourself the way you want to be viewed (for example, confident), and that is the way you will be viewed.
-It's just me now, so I've got to do things that are good for me.
-Oh, and lastly, I've learned how to drink a lot of water in one day.
So, those are just a sampling of some of the random skills the Middle East has taught me. It has been an amazing yet incredibly difficult experience in so many ways. Even after 10 months, I've just recently started to feel closer to these girls here. It's taken a while! I've met some fun and interesting people, and have learned a lot about teaching, and I hope next year will be bigger and better! Who knows what will happen next?
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
A 20-something Non-grownup
The countdown is officially on and has been on. It is June 17th. Kids are out of here on June 23rd, and I am out of here on June 27th. It's over; I'm done. We're all done (psychologically). Kids leave school at 12:30, and we must stay until 3:30 doing silly dilly paperwork.
Today, I organized my papers for next year while I watched the movie Tangled. You see, we're getting a little desperate here. Next week, we get to leave at 2:30. Woohoo (sarcasm). This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of: keeping kids in school after their exams are over. How silly! There's no teaching, no nothing! I read to them, have them do "academic" activities, artwork, cleaning and organizing, and cartoon watching. TOO MUCH CAKE is being brought around. I'm tired of cake.
So, it's been a full year of teaching. What have I learned you may ask? Well, I've learned more than I probably realize, but much of it belongs in the category I call "intangibles". I seem to be chock full of intangible skills. So, I can live life but don't actually know anything useful.
Possible job ideas/skills teaching has provided me:
-herding: I have learned the skill of "herding" large groups of beings and bringing them to the location I want them to be in
-copygirl: secret dream job. Wow, can I make good copies. I can even fix the copy machine if it's broken! I'm resourceful.
-reading with expression: I've always enjoyed this, but I think I could make an all right public speaker or public book reader. Or maybe even read for an audiobook company. Oh, the possibilities. I've got such lovely practice changing my facial expressions and my voices to accompany certain stories.
-intimidation and guilt-tripping: "you're going to make Ms. Keri go to the crazy house and then you'll need to bake her some delicious chocolate chip cookies."
-dramatic displays: A week ago, we were reviewing for the math exam. We were playing a "math bee", and I had 4 divided by 2 on the board. I asked one of my boys to answer who was fairly good with numbers. He said 6. 8. 2. I said it is division. You ask yourself, "What times 2 equals 4?" He again gave a wrong answer. I said, "do you know what division is?" He shook his head. I threw my marker to the side against the wall and said "see ya later!" I left the room and had to collect myself outside the door. Hmm... perhaps they shouldn't leave me to deal with children.
So you see? There's all kinds of "intangibles" I've learned and skills I've acquired that I can take with me to...well nowhere. I feel like a 20-something non-grownup who still doesn't know what to do when she does grow up. This was a fun year in many ways, and the biggest learning experience ever, but is my heart in it? Not sure yet. I've got lots of "intangibles" in my bag of tricks, but maybe it's time to get some "tangibles" in there as well.
Perhaps the summer break is what I need to refresh my brain to start another year of fluent reading, superb copies, dramatic displays, and a classroom full of kids, who are possibly all in cahoots to send me away to the mental institution, but I still love at the end of the day. Even if this isn't what I'm meant to do, there are still moments of human connection that are so brilliant and beautiful it's bound to change you.
Today, I organized my papers for next year while I watched the movie Tangled. You see, we're getting a little desperate here. Next week, we get to leave at 2:30. Woohoo (sarcasm). This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of: keeping kids in school after their exams are over. How silly! There's no teaching, no nothing! I read to them, have them do "academic" activities, artwork, cleaning and organizing, and cartoon watching. TOO MUCH CAKE is being brought around. I'm tired of cake.
So, it's been a full year of teaching. What have I learned you may ask? Well, I've learned more than I probably realize, but much of it belongs in the category I call "intangibles". I seem to be chock full of intangible skills. So, I can live life but don't actually know anything useful.
Possible job ideas/skills teaching has provided me:
-herding: I have learned the skill of "herding" large groups of beings and bringing them to the location I want them to be in
-copygirl: secret dream job. Wow, can I make good copies. I can even fix the copy machine if it's broken! I'm resourceful.
-reading with expression: I've always enjoyed this, but I think I could make an all right public speaker or public book reader. Or maybe even read for an audiobook company. Oh, the possibilities. I've got such lovely practice changing my facial expressions and my voices to accompany certain stories.
-intimidation and guilt-tripping: "you're going to make Ms. Keri go to the crazy house and then you'll need to bake her some delicious chocolate chip cookies."
-dramatic displays: A week ago, we were reviewing for the math exam. We were playing a "math bee", and I had 4 divided by 2 on the board. I asked one of my boys to answer who was fairly good with numbers. He said 6. 8. 2. I said it is division. You ask yourself, "What times 2 equals 4?" He again gave a wrong answer. I said, "do you know what division is?" He shook his head. I threw my marker to the side against the wall and said "see ya later!" I left the room and had to collect myself outside the door. Hmm... perhaps they shouldn't leave me to deal with children.
So you see? There's all kinds of "intangibles" I've learned and skills I've acquired that I can take with me to...well nowhere. I feel like a 20-something non-grownup who still doesn't know what to do when she does grow up. This was a fun year in many ways, and the biggest learning experience ever, but is my heart in it? Not sure yet. I've got lots of "intangibles" in my bag of tricks, but maybe it's time to get some "tangibles" in there as well.
Perhaps the summer break is what I need to refresh my brain to start another year of fluent reading, superb copies, dramatic displays, and a classroom full of kids, who are possibly all in cahoots to send me away to the mental institution, but I still love at the end of the day. Even if this isn't what I'm meant to do, there are still moments of human connection that are so brilliant and beautiful it's bound to change you.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
SENIORITIS
Yep, it appears one doesn't outgrow this feeling as one outgrows youth. I am currently experiencing symptoms of the deadly senioritis. It is May 25. School ends June 23. I am ready for it to be done. I am ready to be done with silly lesson plans and meeting about lesson plans and curriculum. I'm tired of dealing with children who sometimes act like they're fresh out of the insane asylum. I'm tired of giving my teacher look and saying "not the right thing." I'm tired of fighting against disorganization, laziness, and the desire to eat every treat that passes over my desk (and my goodness many do pass over it.). I am ready to lay down with no concerns, if even for a moment. I'm ready to not worry about why my one student can't remember to start a sentence with a capital letter! Ughhh...it's too much. It's time to be done. But nooooo, I must do as my parents say and "keep plugging away." I absolutely hate that phrase. It makes me almost want to cry because of how painful it is to keep going when you just feel like stopping and saying, "NO! No more!".
I am so ready to be back in the United States for a visit. I need to see greenery and feel cool breezes. I need to be able to go to the grocery store and actually find what I'm looking for. My parents will be thrilled--I want to do their grocery shopping and go hiking and go running with my Dad! (Who'd ever have thought I'd want to say those things??) Over here, we're trying to go out with a bang. This past weekend we went to the Justin Timberlake concert (a POOR substitute for me missing a good friend's wedding). But, the concert was awesome! We also have a day off today (we usually work Sundays), so that has been the icing on the cake.
Despite my excitement to return, I'm a little nervous to see how I act in small Lancaster County. Here, most people seem as if part of their brain is missing! I loathe people who move slowly, but don't worry everyone does that here. I've started huffing and puffing and making faces of frustration behind them! (Rude, I know). I might have said this before, but the automatic doors are actually slower here. That's because people don't arrive at the door quickly. They putz along, just strollin', and then the door opens. But, me, I rush to the door and then have to wait 3 seconds for it to open while I tap my foot and roll my eyes. I'm terrible. I'm also going to run to the dermatologist when I get home to see if there is any sun damage to my skin. I'm the freak that wears sunscreen like all the time. In every single place ever, people smoke. You cannot escape it! So, my lungs are black, my skin's getting old, I'm going crazy with slow people frustration, who knows what kind of monster I'll be like when I get back!
School is finishing up. This is the last week where we'll actually be teaching new content. Then it's all reviewing for the exam. I wrote the numeracy final exam. My co-workers wrote science and literacy. I'm really enjoying the feeling going in on my class right now. We all know each other so well, and it's so chill. I like to bring out my silly side, and many times I sit on a desk when we're having discussions or when I'm reading a story. It's great! I feel very comfortable with them, and now they know my "looks" so well that I can just send them a look, and they know I'm not happy. I'm surprised at the loving feeling I feel for each of my students! They may be the most insane people in the world, but we've come a long way together, and I will always remember them. They're sweet kids. I even love my bad kids so much! I love the kid who was the worst at the beginning of the year. The other teachers and kids tell me about things that he's done, but he's become such a sweet student!! He and I get along so well. And they give it to me straight. My one student (the most annoying one), told me, "Miss, why you wear your glasses today? You look much more beautiful when you do not wear your glasses." Yes, Yatrik, I know. But I didn't feel like giving an effort today. I would be APPALLED if anyone from home saw my school outfits. They are the UGLIEST things of all time. I wear the same 6 outfits. Long skirts, pilled shirts that look like crap, and I started wearing pencil skirts, but our vice principal said we have to stop wearing tight skirts because we live in Sharjah. So, there goes any hope of looking stylish at school :/.
Well, see you soon!! Can't wait to see you all.
Love, "black-lunged", frustrated, not-stylish-at-school, and sun damaged skin girl
I am so ready to be back in the United States for a visit. I need to see greenery and feel cool breezes. I need to be able to go to the grocery store and actually find what I'm looking for. My parents will be thrilled--I want to do their grocery shopping and go hiking and go running with my Dad! (Who'd ever have thought I'd want to say those things??) Over here, we're trying to go out with a bang. This past weekend we went to the Justin Timberlake concert (a POOR substitute for me missing a good friend's wedding). But, the concert was awesome! We also have a day off today (we usually work Sundays), so that has been the icing on the cake.
Despite my excitement to return, I'm a little nervous to see how I act in small Lancaster County. Here, most people seem as if part of their brain is missing! I loathe people who move slowly, but don't worry everyone does that here. I've started huffing and puffing and making faces of frustration behind them! (Rude, I know). I might have said this before, but the automatic doors are actually slower here. That's because people don't arrive at the door quickly. They putz along, just strollin', and then the door opens. But, me, I rush to the door and then have to wait 3 seconds for it to open while I tap my foot and roll my eyes. I'm terrible. I'm also going to run to the dermatologist when I get home to see if there is any sun damage to my skin. I'm the freak that wears sunscreen like all the time. In every single place ever, people smoke. You cannot escape it! So, my lungs are black, my skin's getting old, I'm going crazy with slow people frustration, who knows what kind of monster I'll be like when I get back!
School is finishing up. This is the last week where we'll actually be teaching new content. Then it's all reviewing for the exam. I wrote the numeracy final exam. My co-workers wrote science and literacy. I'm really enjoying the feeling going in on my class right now. We all know each other so well, and it's so chill. I like to bring out my silly side, and many times I sit on a desk when we're having discussions or when I'm reading a story. It's great! I feel very comfortable with them, and now they know my "looks" so well that I can just send them a look, and they know I'm not happy. I'm surprised at the loving feeling I feel for each of my students! They may be the most insane people in the world, but we've come a long way together, and I will always remember them. They're sweet kids. I even love my bad kids so much! I love the kid who was the worst at the beginning of the year. The other teachers and kids tell me about things that he's done, but he's become such a sweet student!! He and I get along so well. And they give it to me straight. My one student (the most annoying one), told me, "Miss, why you wear your glasses today? You look much more beautiful when you do not wear your glasses." Yes, Yatrik, I know. But I didn't feel like giving an effort today. I would be APPALLED if anyone from home saw my school outfits. They are the UGLIEST things of all time. I wear the same 6 outfits. Long skirts, pilled shirts that look like crap, and I started wearing pencil skirts, but our vice principal said we have to stop wearing tight skirts because we live in Sharjah. So, there goes any hope of looking stylish at school :/.
Well, see you soon!! Can't wait to see you all.
Love, "black-lunged", frustrated, not-stylish-at-school, and sun damaged skin girl
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Vacation Withdrawal
I'm currently experiencing the withdrawal symptoms that occur when you return from a vacation: listlessness, slight depression, homesickness, wondering about the meaning of life, etc. Wow, have I been on a vacation. It was more like a constant tourist activity.
Five friends and I departed two weeks ago on a crazy adventure: 5 flights, 5 locations, about 7 hotels/hostels, countless restaurants/bars, a few dance floors, one too many late evenings, way too much humidity, and contact with about a bazillion unknown germs. But, we've survived, and I'm here to tell the tale!
First, it was Hong Kong. What an interesting place to see from the airport. As soon as you exit the plane, you see mountains! More like hills, I suppose, but covered with so much green! And the fog (or probably smog) was creeping down over the tops of them and winding around them. It was very mystical (very much like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon kind of stuff). It was beautiful. Hong Kong was very busy--people always moving from place to place and lots of noise. The walk signals even make an annoying ticking sound which tells you to go. I enjoyed it. There was lots of history and ritual and religion, and it was an experience eating in a real live Chinese restaurant. They even wrote down our order in Chinese! Imagine that--it sounds stupid to say that because they speak Chinese in HK, but it was very cool to watch! We only stayed there for 24 hours. We went out at night and returned to stay in a very shadyyyy hostel. This was our first experience with the shower being in the same room as the bathroom. It was more like there was a bathroom and they just attached a shower head to one wall. Talk about saving space.
Next, was BALI. Now Bali and Gili T were my favorite places of the whole trip. Bali is more of a culture shock. It's primitive in a comforting sort of way. It's nice to know that there are still places like this out in the world. Places where people are still doing the old style stuff. It felt like Africa with an islandy twist. We got there on their "New Year's Eve". We went out and saw the Monsters Parade, which is where they build these crazy looking monsters (They're Hindu in Bali, I believe), and they parade them around town with music. This things are CRAZY looking-tongues out, huge eyes, boobs everywhere (even the men), long toenails and maybe more than two arms. They do a dance with them, and then they burn them on the beach a few days later. That was an experience. The next day, which is called Nyepi Day, is where you have to stay inside all day because it's considered a "day of silence". You're not allowed to drink or anything or walk anywhere. So, we just relaxed and read and sat by the pool. It was a nice day. But, by the end, I had come down with "Bali belly" and was ill for 24 hours. I think Bali belly is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't get into it. It was awful. This was in Kuta, Bali. We then moved to Ubud. Ubud was a lot of fun. We stayed in a gorgeous hostel and were within walking distance to great shops and restaurants and even the Monkey Forest!
We spent about 2 days there, riding elephants, seeing the monkeys, going to temples, and hanging out at night in the town and meeting some other crazy travelers. It was great.
Now, here comes my favorite part. We took a boat to Gili Trawangan which is about an hour and a half away from Bali. This place was GORGEOUS: white sands, blue water, perfect weather, and a dirt road lined with hotels, pools, island bars and restaurants and stores. We spent 2 days here. We went snorkeling, laid on the beach, rode bikes around the island, and just hung out. It was amazing and just what we needed. The island is only 7km around, so there's just the one main road. No cars are allowed there, so there's mini taxes driven by mini ponies: weird. We walked everywhere and stayed in a hostel that cost us 13 dollars a person for 2 nights. Yeah, Indonesia's cheap. This island was PACKED with Germans-Keri's personal dream. So I got to hone up on my German skills and impress my native German acquaintances with my German talents :). Great sunsets, great feel, and great views. My friend and I rented bikes and rode around the island. That was a truly amazing moment. We went deeper into the jungle part, and it was like going back in time. People were actually dressed in cloth and hand-harvesting the fields and living in huts! It was crazy and beautiful. There was a silence about the area that you will hardly find anywhere else. I was sad to leave there, but we had to head back to Bali for one more night before heading to Malaysia!
We went back to Kuta but stayed in a different area-the party area. This area was ENTIRELY different from the first. I was told it looked like Thailand. So much noise and so many lights and so many people coming in your face and giving you flyers to come to their bar or trying to entice you into buying their "energy" drug. It was a little creepy. Some guy grabbed my arm at the ATM, so I'd look at him and buy his weird drug thing. It seriously looked like a battery. FREAKY. We proceeded to spend our evening in a huge building filled with about 10 different kinds of bars with all kinds of music. Very cool, but I will be bringing my earplugs out to clubs next time. I don't care how stupid it looks; I refuse to be the deaf older lady because of the "bad" behavior of my youth.
Then, Kuala Lumpur. We spent two nights here. This place was a city that desperately wanted to be up there with Dubai and Singapore, but it's just not cutting it yet! Maybe one day. We saw the Batu caves, the King's Palace, and the National Monument. It was all very nice stuff, but the religion has taken a strange turn. There was a Buddha outside of a Hindu cave, and we would also hear the call to prayer during the day. So, we're not exactly sure which religion they're sticking with, or if they've just mishmashed them all together. In KL, there are the PETRONAS Towers, which used to be the tallest buildings in the world, I believe, until the Burj Khalifa was built (Sorry). But they still win the record for something: I think it's the fact that they're two attached towers and not one. The nightlife there was fun but very calm, and there aren't as many western expats there as in Dubai or Bali even. Our fatigue started to catch up with us, so by this point we were focused on relaxing (or at least I was) and enjoying what remained of our vacation.
Next and last, Singapore. Singapore is gorgeous. It's clean and flashy and just what a city ought to be. It reminded me of Dubai, but there aren't the same kinds of restrictions there or even a religious undertone at all. It was a very nice place to visit, and I would definitely go back some day. There is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is an amazing 3 skyscrapers with a boat lying across the top!! We actually went up to the top. There is a restaurant, a bar, and a swimming pool with trees all around. It's breathtaking to be up there.
So, in conclusion, it was an amazing trip, but it was very tiring. I'm not the mega tourist type who needs to traverse the entire city in one day, so it was hard to try to squeeze things in to a small amount of time. I like to savor and absorb and enjoy a city. So, next year, I think I'll choose one place or two places to go and just take my time seeing each place. I realized that the entire reason I travel is to see again that there's a whole world of people out there who have their own lives, their own problems, and their own ways of doing things! It really gives perspective. I also travel for that moment or those moments that really blow your mind and give you a memory you can take with you wherever you go. I have a pocket full of memories now that I can just relax into whenever I need to get away. And that's why I love to see the world...
Five friends and I departed two weeks ago on a crazy adventure: 5 flights, 5 locations, about 7 hotels/hostels, countless restaurants/bars, a few dance floors, one too many late evenings, way too much humidity, and contact with about a bazillion unknown germs. But, we've survived, and I'm here to tell the tale!
First, it was Hong Kong. What an interesting place to see from the airport. As soon as you exit the plane, you see mountains! More like hills, I suppose, but covered with so much green! And the fog (or probably smog) was creeping down over the tops of them and winding around them. It was very mystical (very much like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon kind of stuff). It was beautiful. Hong Kong was very busy--people always moving from place to place and lots of noise. The walk signals even make an annoying ticking sound which tells you to go. I enjoyed it. There was lots of history and ritual and religion, and it was an experience eating in a real live Chinese restaurant. They even wrote down our order in Chinese! Imagine that--it sounds stupid to say that because they speak Chinese in HK, but it was very cool to watch! We only stayed there for 24 hours. We went out at night and returned to stay in a very shadyyyy hostel. This was our first experience with the shower being in the same room as the bathroom. It was more like there was a bathroom and they just attached a shower head to one wall. Talk about saving space.
Next, was BALI. Now Bali and Gili T were my favorite places of the whole trip. Bali is more of a culture shock. It's primitive in a comforting sort of way. It's nice to know that there are still places like this out in the world. Places where people are still doing the old style stuff. It felt like Africa with an islandy twist. We got there on their "New Year's Eve". We went out and saw the Monsters Parade, which is where they build these crazy looking monsters (They're Hindu in Bali, I believe), and they parade them around town with music. This things are CRAZY looking-tongues out, huge eyes, boobs everywhere (even the men), long toenails and maybe more than two arms. They do a dance with them, and then they burn them on the beach a few days later. That was an experience. The next day, which is called Nyepi Day, is where you have to stay inside all day because it's considered a "day of silence". You're not allowed to drink or anything or walk anywhere. So, we just relaxed and read and sat by the pool. It was a nice day. But, by the end, I had come down with "Bali belly" and was ill for 24 hours. I think Bali belly is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't get into it. It was awful. This was in Kuta, Bali. We then moved to Ubud. Ubud was a lot of fun. We stayed in a gorgeous hostel and were within walking distance to great shops and restaurants and even the Monkey Forest!
We spent about 2 days there, riding elephants, seeing the monkeys, going to temples, and hanging out at night in the town and meeting some other crazy travelers. It was great.
Now, here comes my favorite part. We took a boat to Gili Trawangan which is about an hour and a half away from Bali. This place was GORGEOUS: white sands, blue water, perfect weather, and a dirt road lined with hotels, pools, island bars and restaurants and stores. We spent 2 days here. We went snorkeling, laid on the beach, rode bikes around the island, and just hung out. It was amazing and just what we needed. The island is only 7km around, so there's just the one main road. No cars are allowed there, so there's mini taxes driven by mini ponies: weird. We walked everywhere and stayed in a hostel that cost us 13 dollars a person for 2 nights. Yeah, Indonesia's cheap. This island was PACKED with Germans-Keri's personal dream. So I got to hone up on my German skills and impress my native German acquaintances with my German talents :). Great sunsets, great feel, and great views. My friend and I rented bikes and rode around the island. That was a truly amazing moment. We went deeper into the jungle part, and it was like going back in time. People were actually dressed in cloth and hand-harvesting the fields and living in huts! It was crazy and beautiful. There was a silence about the area that you will hardly find anywhere else. I was sad to leave there, but we had to head back to Bali for one more night before heading to Malaysia!
We went back to Kuta but stayed in a different area-the party area. This area was ENTIRELY different from the first. I was told it looked like Thailand. So much noise and so many lights and so many people coming in your face and giving you flyers to come to their bar or trying to entice you into buying their "energy" drug. It was a little creepy. Some guy grabbed my arm at the ATM, so I'd look at him and buy his weird drug thing. It seriously looked like a battery. FREAKY. We proceeded to spend our evening in a huge building filled with about 10 different kinds of bars with all kinds of music. Very cool, but I will be bringing my earplugs out to clubs next time. I don't care how stupid it looks; I refuse to be the deaf older lady because of the "bad" behavior of my youth.
Then, Kuala Lumpur. We spent two nights here. This place was a city that desperately wanted to be up there with Dubai and Singapore, but it's just not cutting it yet! Maybe one day. We saw the Batu caves, the King's Palace, and the National Monument. It was all very nice stuff, but the religion has taken a strange turn. There was a Buddha outside of a Hindu cave, and we would also hear the call to prayer during the day. So, we're not exactly sure which religion they're sticking with, or if they've just mishmashed them all together. In KL, there are the PETRONAS Towers, which used to be the tallest buildings in the world, I believe, until the Burj Khalifa was built (Sorry). But they still win the record for something: I think it's the fact that they're two attached towers and not one. The nightlife there was fun but very calm, and there aren't as many western expats there as in Dubai or Bali even. Our fatigue started to catch up with us, so by this point we were focused on relaxing (or at least I was) and enjoying what remained of our vacation.
Next and last, Singapore. Singapore is gorgeous. It's clean and flashy and just what a city ought to be. It reminded me of Dubai, but there aren't the same kinds of restrictions there or even a religious undertone at all. It was a very nice place to visit, and I would definitely go back some day. There is the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, which is an amazing 3 skyscrapers with a boat lying across the top!! We actually went up to the top. There is a restaurant, a bar, and a swimming pool with trees all around. It's breathtaking to be up there.
So, in conclusion, it was an amazing trip, but it was very tiring. I'm not the mega tourist type who needs to traverse the entire city in one day, so it was hard to try to squeeze things in to a small amount of time. I like to savor and absorb and enjoy a city. So, next year, I think I'll choose one place or two places to go and just take my time seeing each place. I realized that the entire reason I travel is to see again that there's a whole world of people out there who have their own lives, their own problems, and their own ways of doing things! It really gives perspective. I also travel for that moment or those moments that really blow your mind and give you a memory you can take with you wherever you go. I have a pocket full of memories now that I can just relax into whenever I need to get away. And that's why I love to see the world...
Friday, March 28, 2014
On the Precipice of World Adventure
I've always dreamed of using a word like precipice in a real life situation. I guess today is my day. So, you may result from extreme jealousy when I tell you that yes, this past week I got off school early once again for RAIN. It was excellent--watching it pour down and hoping against hope for them to call it. It has become that time of the year where everything bothers you, and you need some time away from your students!! We were getting on each other's nerves. We have not had one day off since Christmas break, so it's been a bit rough.
Now we're heading for a 2 week Spring Break trip! First destination: Hong Kong for a night, then Bali for about 6 days, then Malaysia and Singapore for the next 6 days!! A dream come true. It's hard to know how to feel when your dream actually comes true. I've hoped for this beautiful day, the day when I get to see different parts of the world that I probably will never see again! I'm on the precipice of an amazing adventure, I'm sure. I'll be sure to update you on my return.
I've realized that this is a place in which you can't live for a long time. Everything here is temporary and fleeting. It's amazing, to be sure, and it's absolutely fun, but there's no depth to it, no character. I am ready to get out and see some new places. When everything around you is as such, it's hard to develop and grow in good ways. It makes you want to just enjoy the present and focus on entertainment rather than on developing your mind. It's like floating endlessly with no grounding. Believe me, I wanted this, because I'm young and want to explore and to be free, but I don't want to lose who I know I am and want to be. I don't want to lose those Lancaster County roots (in some ways, not all). It's a very different experience, than anything I've ever had before. My brain (and even soul!) is desperately searching for something here that has more layers and more depth to experience. Sometimes I miss the world where doing the right thing is not embarrassing--it's applauded! Well, I suppose the journey to self-understanding will just take a bit longer than anticipated.
I'm currently in the process of writing an article for a luxury magazine about the Burj Khalifa. It's catered toward really rich people, so you can only write about really expensive activities, etc. I met a writer friend (from England), who asked if I'd be interested once he found out I liked to write. If the owner of the magazine likes it, and the magazine is able to continue, I'll be a paid employee!! This friend has also given me some other writing jobs for the future. I'm very excited because this is a dream I'm thinking of pursuing later down the road. I really don't know how people teach children for 30 or so years. It is fun, I'll give it that, but you eventually will get drained, I feel. We'll see what the future holds.
Something that I find so interesting at my school is that you don't have to shy away from discussing religion. There's a prayer room for the Muslims, for goodness' sake! It's fascinating because my kids and I can talk about all of their different religions, and I can ask them questions without it being inappropriate for the school setting. I love the "internationalness" of it. I push so hard in my class for my students to develop a sense of respect for people even though they are different and believe different things. Like I've said before, I've had issues with students who "make fun of each other's gods". I just say, "Guys, it's fine, Mahek is Muslim and Sahana is Hindu, but we can still be friends. They just believe different things, and that's ok. There's no reason to make fun of someone for what they believe." I also like to foster the idea that only YOU have control of your own actions and beliefs, so if someone says something mean to you, who cares? You like your project, then that's all that matters. You are a Muslim, then great. You do what you think is the right thing.
And it sounds so bad to say, "Hey Haidar, you're Muslim right?" But it's so normal here. I love how the kids are so used to the differences that they're not shocked by it. Below is a picture that pretty much explains it all. We were learning about Carroll Diagrams. See what we created.....
Well that's about it for now. Wish me luck on my journey!!
Now we're heading for a 2 week Spring Break trip! First destination: Hong Kong for a night, then Bali for about 6 days, then Malaysia and Singapore for the next 6 days!! A dream come true. It's hard to know how to feel when your dream actually comes true. I've hoped for this beautiful day, the day when I get to see different parts of the world that I probably will never see again! I'm on the precipice of an amazing adventure, I'm sure. I'll be sure to update you on my return.
I've realized that this is a place in which you can't live for a long time. Everything here is temporary and fleeting. It's amazing, to be sure, and it's absolutely fun, but there's no depth to it, no character. I am ready to get out and see some new places. When everything around you is as such, it's hard to develop and grow in good ways. It makes you want to just enjoy the present and focus on entertainment rather than on developing your mind. It's like floating endlessly with no grounding. Believe me, I wanted this, because I'm young and want to explore and to be free, but I don't want to lose who I know I am and want to be. I don't want to lose those Lancaster County roots (in some ways, not all). It's a very different experience, than anything I've ever had before. My brain (and even soul!) is desperately searching for something here that has more layers and more depth to experience. Sometimes I miss the world where doing the right thing is not embarrassing--it's applauded! Well, I suppose the journey to self-understanding will just take a bit longer than anticipated.
I'm currently in the process of writing an article for a luxury magazine about the Burj Khalifa. It's catered toward really rich people, so you can only write about really expensive activities, etc. I met a writer friend (from England), who asked if I'd be interested once he found out I liked to write. If the owner of the magazine likes it, and the magazine is able to continue, I'll be a paid employee!! This friend has also given me some other writing jobs for the future. I'm very excited because this is a dream I'm thinking of pursuing later down the road. I really don't know how people teach children for 30 or so years. It is fun, I'll give it that, but you eventually will get drained, I feel. We'll see what the future holds.
Something that I find so interesting at my school is that you don't have to shy away from discussing religion. There's a prayer room for the Muslims, for goodness' sake! It's fascinating because my kids and I can talk about all of their different religions, and I can ask them questions without it being inappropriate for the school setting. I love the "internationalness" of it. I push so hard in my class for my students to develop a sense of respect for people even though they are different and believe different things. Like I've said before, I've had issues with students who "make fun of each other's gods". I just say, "Guys, it's fine, Mahek is Muslim and Sahana is Hindu, but we can still be friends. They just believe different things, and that's ok. There's no reason to make fun of someone for what they believe." I also like to foster the idea that only YOU have control of your own actions and beliefs, so if someone says something mean to you, who cares? You like your project, then that's all that matters. You are a Muslim, then great. You do what you think is the right thing.
And it sounds so bad to say, "Hey Haidar, you're Muslim right?" But it's so normal here. I love how the kids are so used to the differences that they're not shocked by it. Below is a picture that pretty much explains it all. We were learning about Carroll Diagrams. See what we created.....
Well that's about it for now. Wish me luck on my journey!!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Nonself-awareness and Wheely Backpacks
COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK of self-awareness and freaking wheely backpacks are a serious epidemic in this country. It's probably the UAE's worst problems, I'd say. If they fixed those things, woohoo we'd be cruisin'.
I don't know what it is, but it's an entirely different mindset here, and it is so hard to get used to. Local people have no concept of others (most people here I should say). For example, they will cut you off on the road without indicating, pull out in front of you even though you're speeding past, NOT let you in in a long line of traffic, interrupt you while you're speaking to say their piece, park their car in front of yours in the parking lot while they go do something (and you can't get out), cut in front of you in any line, stop in the middle of a hallway and do something and you bump into them, leave their stuff anywhere and everywhere, the list goes on and on! But it's turned me into a more vocal person who stands up for herself. So, if someone cuts me off in line, I'm like, "Hey pal, there's a line, and I'm in front of you." (I say some derivative of that-I probably don't use pal). Or I just put my body in a position where no one can get past me. Instead of just being quiet and letting people blather on and interrupt you etc. etc., I speak up, and I'm like no, you need to hear this.
This happens quite a bit: I go running by the waterfront in Sharjah, and there are tons of kids out riding their bikes and stuff while their parents are smoking slash on their cell phones slash wearing abiyas, slash grilling food. Out in the public, kids are the literal WORST. I want to make an announcement to the world. If you raise your kids they way you've been doing, Earth will turn to rubble and it will be controlled by mutant bizarro nonself-aware people! Anyway, so while I run, kids will not look or even care to look and will just drive straight towards me and refuse to get out of the way. I've become the Bruce Nickles sequel. I'll throw my hands up in a dramatic way and give an angry face and maybe even mumble things. Or I'll say them out loud. Things like, "What is wrong with you?" This country has made me lose my patience entirely.
Now, let me tell you about wheely backpacks. These beasts are literally the most illogical things in the entire universe. I'm not exactly sure of their purpose. Is it cool to look like you're carrying luggage or something? I DO NOT get it. If it's for protecting your back, then that's ridiculous, because people do not really care about their health over here either. Every single student anywhere here has them. I'm not kidding. And they're HUGE too! They are 1/3 of the child's body! So, we waste our time in school traffic lines in the morning because all the kids have to wheel their stupid wheely bags up the stairs. My new phrase has become, "Let's roll here, folks" (with a splash of sarcasm), as I roll my eyes being stuck in the line behind these foolish contraptions. And, they have no balance ability! So you try to place them in a convenient place in your classroom and they fall over and get in everyone's way. It's a daily occurrence for me to get my foot caught in a bag handle as I walk around the room. "For Heaven's sake!" is my other new school-appropriate phrase.
I'm trying to teach my students about self-awareness and caring about others and being responsible for oneself. My parents would be proud to hear my tell my class, "I don't care what culture you're from or where you grew up, you will clean up after yourself. There are more people than just you in the world. Remember that." So, I point to backpacks that have fallen out of line and are in the way and say "self-awareness." They know to clean it up then. It is a constant battle in my class for students to think for themselves and take responsibility for their own learning. The words of my mother keep spilling out, "Oh, you don't know the definition of a word? Well, there's a dictionary right over there. Find out yourself." They're getting used to me and my way of doing things, but it is a challenge. And, I just can't get used to it; it drives me nuts! It's definitely a culture clash that we're experiencing. In a western school, I would be able to set up stations in my classroom, for example, where students have an activity that they do as a group and must control it themselves. Doing that in my class requires me to hold everyone's hand, basically, and walk them through each step, or even make them participate! At the end of the day, you just feel so out of breath from all the managing you've been doing all day!
We will see what the future holds. They're kind of getting used to me and my ways of doing things. Sometimes I hear them use my phrases to each other, and that makes me chuckle.
In other news, the weather is slowly slowly getting warmer. We will be back to DEATH heat by May. Cannot wait for Spring Break! My friends and I will be heading to Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore, and Malaysia. Dreams are coming true :). This past weekend we all went to the Atlantis Resort on Palm Island for a brunch-the most famous brunch here basically. It was sooo expensive but absolutely amazing! They had drinks made in real pineapples with a straw that came out of it. It was awesome. I also got to hang out with my new German friends (so glad to meet some new people), and we spent a good evening together, going out and speaking German. It was great! I'm hoping to get involved in some more things: book clubs or beach volleyball.
Well, talk to you again soon! I wish you well from across the world...
I don't know what it is, but it's an entirely different mindset here, and it is so hard to get used to. Local people have no concept of others (most people here I should say). For example, they will cut you off on the road without indicating, pull out in front of you even though you're speeding past, NOT let you in in a long line of traffic, interrupt you while you're speaking to say their piece, park their car in front of yours in the parking lot while they go do something (and you can't get out), cut in front of you in any line, stop in the middle of a hallway and do something and you bump into them, leave their stuff anywhere and everywhere, the list goes on and on! But it's turned me into a more vocal person who stands up for herself. So, if someone cuts me off in line, I'm like, "Hey pal, there's a line, and I'm in front of you." (I say some derivative of that-I probably don't use pal). Or I just put my body in a position where no one can get past me. Instead of just being quiet and letting people blather on and interrupt you etc. etc., I speak up, and I'm like no, you need to hear this.
This happens quite a bit: I go running by the waterfront in Sharjah, and there are tons of kids out riding their bikes and stuff while their parents are smoking slash on their cell phones slash wearing abiyas, slash grilling food. Out in the public, kids are the literal WORST. I want to make an announcement to the world. If you raise your kids they way you've been doing, Earth will turn to rubble and it will be controlled by mutant bizarro nonself-aware people! Anyway, so while I run, kids will not look or even care to look and will just drive straight towards me and refuse to get out of the way. I've become the Bruce Nickles sequel. I'll throw my hands up in a dramatic way and give an angry face and maybe even mumble things. Or I'll say them out loud. Things like, "What is wrong with you?" This country has made me lose my patience entirely.
Now, let me tell you about wheely backpacks. These beasts are literally the most illogical things in the entire universe. I'm not exactly sure of their purpose. Is it cool to look like you're carrying luggage or something? I DO NOT get it. If it's for protecting your back, then that's ridiculous, because people do not really care about their health over here either. Every single student anywhere here has them. I'm not kidding. And they're HUGE too! They are 1/3 of the child's body! So, we waste our time in school traffic lines in the morning because all the kids have to wheel their stupid wheely bags up the stairs. My new phrase has become, "Let's roll here, folks" (with a splash of sarcasm), as I roll my eyes being stuck in the line behind these foolish contraptions. And, they have no balance ability! So you try to place them in a convenient place in your classroom and they fall over and get in everyone's way. It's a daily occurrence for me to get my foot caught in a bag handle as I walk around the room. "For Heaven's sake!" is my other new school-appropriate phrase.
I'm trying to teach my students about self-awareness and caring about others and being responsible for oneself. My parents would be proud to hear my tell my class, "I don't care what culture you're from or where you grew up, you will clean up after yourself. There are more people than just you in the world. Remember that." So, I point to backpacks that have fallen out of line and are in the way and say "self-awareness." They know to clean it up then. It is a constant battle in my class for students to think for themselves and take responsibility for their own learning. The words of my mother keep spilling out, "Oh, you don't know the definition of a word? Well, there's a dictionary right over there. Find out yourself." They're getting used to me and my way of doing things, but it is a challenge. And, I just can't get used to it; it drives me nuts! It's definitely a culture clash that we're experiencing. In a western school, I would be able to set up stations in my classroom, for example, where students have an activity that they do as a group and must control it themselves. Doing that in my class requires me to hold everyone's hand, basically, and walk them through each step, or even make them participate! At the end of the day, you just feel so out of breath from all the managing you've been doing all day!
We will see what the future holds. They're kind of getting used to me and my ways of doing things. Sometimes I hear them use my phrases to each other, and that makes me chuckle.
In other news, the weather is slowly slowly getting warmer. We will be back to DEATH heat by May. Cannot wait for Spring Break! My friends and I will be heading to Hong Kong, Bali, Singapore, and Malaysia. Dreams are coming true :). This past weekend we all went to the Atlantis Resort on Palm Island for a brunch-the most famous brunch here basically. It was sooo expensive but absolutely amazing! They had drinks made in real pineapples with a straw that came out of it. It was awesome. I also got to hang out with my new German friends (so glad to meet some new people), and we spent a good evening together, going out and speaking German. It was great! I'm hoping to get involved in some more things: book clubs or beach volleyball.
Well, talk to you again soon! I wish you well from across the world...
Friday, January 24, 2014
Can it be true?
I decided it would be beneficial to all if I wrote a post about something more substantial, as opposed to just letting you know if I went dancing or not this weekend (which I did not unfortunately, in case you were dying of curiosity). This is something that has been on my mind the entire time I've been here, and I wanted to share it with you all.
Racism is so unbelievably prevalent here, that it's hard to know what to do when faced with so much of it. But, the strange thing is, it's so subtle, and here it's been weaved into everyday life. Years after civil rights, it's become almost culturally unacceptable to be "racist", therefore, people are now more discreet about it. And they just accept it as a way of life. So do those who are experiencing the short end of the stick! (in my opinion).
For me, personally, I love to hear about American stereotypes (which is really a cultural stereotype and not a racial one but you get my point). I'm that annoying person who asks people in different countries, "So hey, what do you think of us, huh?" I find it fascinating, because I like to see what I and people I know fit into and what we don't. I've heard things like saying thank you and sorry too much, being outwardly kind to people but not actually kind within, smiling always, talking about all of our feelings even when we're sober (shocking for people to believe), being in a sorority (if you're blonde), going to a highschool like in mean girls, and loving football and Obama, etc. I eat it all up because for some skewed reason, I almost trust others' opinions rather than my own, so I like to hear their perspective. But, even still, is it right to be put inside of a box and expected to act within the limits of that box, and for people to assume you will and should act within those limits? I don't know. And I don't know what to do about it.
In this country live white people from everywhere, Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Africans, etc.
The Arabs are the ones on top (and then I think racially "acceptable" Muslims), then it's the western ex-pats, then Indians, then lastly are the Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Filipinos. Don't quote me on this listing. When I say the Arabs are on top, I mean that they are the ones most accepted by the country. So if you have a car accident, for example, with a native of this country, you're going to lose that battle. Everything is underlying.
At my school the list goes like this: the westerners, the Indians and Arabs, and then the Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and the Filipinos. (that's probably because our head administration is western). The Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Filipinos are the ones who hold the lower-end jobs. They get paid hardly anything, and they live away from their families and have to send money back! We've spoken to many taxi drivers. Taxi drivers here are mostly from Pakistan. They have to work 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, I believe, and some haven't seen their families in 1 or 2 years! For me, when I want to go get my driver's license, I just go in, pay a small fee, and my license transfers over to here. But if you're from Pakistan, you must pay 5,000 dirhams, and take another driver's test in order to be able to drive! (there are probably more hoops to jump through, but I'm not sure).
Someone once told me that there's always going to be levels in life. And the world cannot function without different levels of people. Some people will do well, some will not. Some will have everything they need, some will not. Some people will be healthy, and some will not. Life is like highschool: There will always be the losers and the popular kids, and the middle section. It cannot stand any other way (or so they would say). But just because some people have been blessed by privilege, does it have anything to do with race? It's just the way things turned out. I have a feeling that the world would be entirely different if we had to crumple it up and start over.
There's this feeling of separation in school. The workers keep their eyes down and hardly anyone speaks to them. They call us Miss, etc. They are very friendly and they do say "good morning" many times. Some teachers who aren't western, don't even acknowledge their presence when they come to clean the classroom or help them in some way. I tense whenever any of them come in because I want them to know that I appreciate their help, and I'm sorry for their situation. So, all I can do is say hello, thank you, and excuse me if I'm in their way. There is a separation between the western teachers and the Arabs and Indian/Pakistani teachers. It's almost like a cultural disagreement, but it felt racial at least in the beginning. I hated the fact that I felt like I was meant to feel better or higher than them. (So not true-I have no idea what I'm doing in the classroom ;)). I've tried to speak to the other ladies at school, and they're so friendly and helpful! I'm even learning Arabic: Kaifa Ha lak=how are you?. I don't want to seem like that annoying American who just sweeps through and blows through barriers simply because I'm American, and our country thinks it can fix everything. There's something to be said for the originality and individuality of culture without it being tainted by outside influence. But, what do we do??
As soon as we came to this country, it hit us. "Don't hang out with or associate with Arab men, they'll try and control you; the Pakistanis are always your taxi drivers and don't know what they're doing, and they are creepy and will stare at you etc." These are the kinds of things we were told. What do you do with these kinds of things? How do you proceed? Just not speak to them or change their level of value in your own mind?
I sometimes hold back because I don't want to be culturally offensive if I say hello to someone and be all "American" about it, but that's really all I can do isn't it? Hello, thank you, and excuse me. Three phrases that won't change anything, but it could create a blend between people. It's a start. Perhaps one should just worry about how they think, how they react to things, and how they act towards others. It's all that can be done.
Racism is so unbelievably prevalent here, that it's hard to know what to do when faced with so much of it. But, the strange thing is, it's so subtle, and here it's been weaved into everyday life. Years after civil rights, it's become almost culturally unacceptable to be "racist", therefore, people are now more discreet about it. And they just accept it as a way of life. So do those who are experiencing the short end of the stick! (in my opinion).
For me, personally, I love to hear about American stereotypes (which is really a cultural stereotype and not a racial one but you get my point). I'm that annoying person who asks people in different countries, "So hey, what do you think of us, huh?" I find it fascinating, because I like to see what I and people I know fit into and what we don't. I've heard things like saying thank you and sorry too much, being outwardly kind to people but not actually kind within, smiling always, talking about all of our feelings even when we're sober (shocking for people to believe), being in a sorority (if you're blonde), going to a highschool like in mean girls, and loving football and Obama, etc. I eat it all up because for some skewed reason, I almost trust others' opinions rather than my own, so I like to hear their perspective. But, even still, is it right to be put inside of a box and expected to act within the limits of that box, and for people to assume you will and should act within those limits? I don't know. And I don't know what to do about it.
In this country live white people from everywhere, Arabs, Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Africans, etc.
The Arabs are the ones on top (and then I think racially "acceptable" Muslims), then it's the western ex-pats, then Indians, then lastly are the Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Filipinos. Don't quote me on this listing. When I say the Arabs are on top, I mean that they are the ones most accepted by the country. So if you have a car accident, for example, with a native of this country, you're going to lose that battle. Everything is underlying.
At my school the list goes like this: the westerners, the Indians and Arabs, and then the Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and the Filipinos. (that's probably because our head administration is western). The Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Filipinos are the ones who hold the lower-end jobs. They get paid hardly anything, and they live away from their families and have to send money back! We've spoken to many taxi drivers. Taxi drivers here are mostly from Pakistan. They have to work 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, I believe, and some haven't seen their families in 1 or 2 years! For me, when I want to go get my driver's license, I just go in, pay a small fee, and my license transfers over to here. But if you're from Pakistan, you must pay 5,000 dirhams, and take another driver's test in order to be able to drive! (there are probably more hoops to jump through, but I'm not sure).
Someone once told me that there's always going to be levels in life. And the world cannot function without different levels of people. Some people will do well, some will not. Some will have everything they need, some will not. Some people will be healthy, and some will not. Life is like highschool: There will always be the losers and the popular kids, and the middle section. It cannot stand any other way (or so they would say). But just because some people have been blessed by privilege, does it have anything to do with race? It's just the way things turned out. I have a feeling that the world would be entirely different if we had to crumple it up and start over.
There's this feeling of separation in school. The workers keep their eyes down and hardly anyone speaks to them. They call us Miss, etc. They are very friendly and they do say "good morning" many times. Some teachers who aren't western, don't even acknowledge their presence when they come to clean the classroom or help them in some way. I tense whenever any of them come in because I want them to know that I appreciate their help, and I'm sorry for their situation. So, all I can do is say hello, thank you, and excuse me if I'm in their way. There is a separation between the western teachers and the Arabs and Indian/Pakistani teachers. It's almost like a cultural disagreement, but it felt racial at least in the beginning. I hated the fact that I felt like I was meant to feel better or higher than them. (So not true-I have no idea what I'm doing in the classroom ;)). I've tried to speak to the other ladies at school, and they're so friendly and helpful! I'm even learning Arabic: Kaifa Ha lak=how are you?. I don't want to seem like that annoying American who just sweeps through and blows through barriers simply because I'm American, and our country thinks it can fix everything. There's something to be said for the originality and individuality of culture without it being tainted by outside influence. But, what do we do??
As soon as we came to this country, it hit us. "Don't hang out with or associate with Arab men, they'll try and control you; the Pakistanis are always your taxi drivers and don't know what they're doing, and they are creepy and will stare at you etc." These are the kinds of things we were told. What do you do with these kinds of things? How do you proceed? Just not speak to them or change their level of value in your own mind?
I sometimes hold back because I don't want to be culturally offensive if I say hello to someone and be all "American" about it, but that's really all I can do isn't it? Hello, thank you, and excuse me. Three phrases that won't change anything, but it could create a blend between people. It's a start. Perhaps one should just worry about how they think, how they react to things, and how they act towards others. It's all that can be done.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
You wish you'd get off work for a rain day
I've been back in the UAE for over 2 weeks now, and it feels like I never left to go home for Christmas! Christmas was wonderful. It was great to see everyone, and to remember what cold feels like, and to see trees and woodland things. I loved it, but I was ready to return to my sandy home, where nothing ever gets done by anyone and your floor is permanently dirty because Sharjah is basically a desert. It's pretty cool.
At work, we had to come back to doing dreaded REPORTS. (aka report cards). We had to fill in all of our numbers and blah blah blah; it was actually surprising how difficult it was to get everything sorted (because the online site wasn't up and running totally yet.) But, my grades are in! I need to write my students' comments, but then I'm good to go. Here they give out E's instead of F's: the actual one practical thing people have going out here. E does come after F, after all.
Moving on, my students and I have been getting back into the swing of things. I've been attempting to be more organized and structured during my day, and that's helped a bit. But I still have some students where you just want to leave the room because they drive you absolutely crazy. "All right, guys, what goes at the end of the sentence?" "Full stop or period," everyone says. I move to the next sentence on the board, and a boy raises his hand. He says, "Put a dot at the end of the sentence." I reply, "Ok, what is it actually called?" "I don't know." Oh for the love of all that is dear and holy!!! Or I'll give directions to the entire class and repeat them many times. I count on my fingers how many times I repeat it, and I look everyone in the eye. But there's that little guy raising his hand the whole time you're talking. You call on him when you're finished, and he says, "What are we doing?" Internal flash of anger. So, that was tough to come back to, BUTTT, I have created a motivator. Whenever I see the entire class doing something properly, I give them a scoop of sugar in our class party jar! When the jar is full, we will have a class party one day. The kids are loving it so far!
Surprisingly enough, the weather here has actually been quite chilly. I even wore a jacket the other day! It's in the 50's in the morning, and then it moves up to the 60's and 70's during the day. When I first got back, it was really rainy. Before Christmas break, it rained so hard that we went home early one day. That's because Sharjah has no drainage system, and our school is on a sand road, so flooding is an issue. Rain day=awesome. So, every time rain is in the forecast, we hope against hope that it means no school. Craziest thing ever. Recently, it rained veryyy hard, but they didn't let us go home! Our school is basically open air, so the water just comes in onto the hall floors. Check out the pics below. It's insane. But the people just keep mopping it up, and no one decides to let us escape. Oh well.
The things I forgot about the UAE when I was looking through rose-colored glasses over Christmas break: The traffic: no one cares about you or where you need to go. It's drive or be driven over. The way that things don't get accomplished: Oh, don't worry, Dubai can fool you all and put on the best fireworks show in the world, but the lone copier in a Sharjah school breaks every other day. And a lone teacher has to walk through rain puddles in her hallway. Lastly, the impatience: I feel like over here I've lost almost all of my patience. It's so sad. But, here you just have to tell people how it is. No, lady, you cannot completely cut in front of me in the Baskin Robbin's line. The audacity!
But, it was so fun to come back home (my UAE home) and be reunited with my friends and get back to doing all sorts of Dubai things. Dubai never ceases to amaze me. Really. It is a sight to be seen, especially at night. When I take a taxi to Dubai, I love watching as I crest over the bridge and see the overpowering heights and lights of the city. Here, you can do anything. It feels like a dream. There are so many people to meet, so many activities to do, and so much fun to have. (cheesy, my apologies). Recently, I went to the Dubai Aquarium (pics below) as well as a few museums in Sharjah-the cultural center of the Middle East, no joke!
Well, I am happily re-settled into Middle Eastern life, sand and car horns and all. Enjoy the pictures and the tales. Talk to you soon.
*Side note: Sharjah has much better views than originally thought!
The flashy night pics are of Dubai Marina--the prettiest part of Dubai in my opinion
The rest are of my class-learning time, multiplication, and eating lunch outside!
At work, we had to come back to doing dreaded REPORTS. (aka report cards). We had to fill in all of our numbers and blah blah blah; it was actually surprising how difficult it was to get everything sorted (because the online site wasn't up and running totally yet.) But, my grades are in! I need to write my students' comments, but then I'm good to go. Here they give out E's instead of F's: the actual one practical thing people have going out here. E does come after F, after all.
Moving on, my students and I have been getting back into the swing of things. I've been attempting to be more organized and structured during my day, and that's helped a bit. But I still have some students where you just want to leave the room because they drive you absolutely crazy. "All right, guys, what goes at the end of the sentence?" "Full stop or period," everyone says. I move to the next sentence on the board, and a boy raises his hand. He says, "Put a dot at the end of the sentence." I reply, "Ok, what is it actually called?" "I don't know." Oh for the love of all that is dear and holy!!! Or I'll give directions to the entire class and repeat them many times. I count on my fingers how many times I repeat it, and I look everyone in the eye. But there's that little guy raising his hand the whole time you're talking. You call on him when you're finished, and he says, "What are we doing?" Internal flash of anger. So, that was tough to come back to, BUTTT, I have created a motivator. Whenever I see the entire class doing something properly, I give them a scoop of sugar in our class party jar! When the jar is full, we will have a class party one day. The kids are loving it so far!
Surprisingly enough, the weather here has actually been quite chilly. I even wore a jacket the other day! It's in the 50's in the morning, and then it moves up to the 60's and 70's during the day. When I first got back, it was really rainy. Before Christmas break, it rained so hard that we went home early one day. That's because Sharjah has no drainage system, and our school is on a sand road, so flooding is an issue. Rain day=awesome. So, every time rain is in the forecast, we hope against hope that it means no school. Craziest thing ever. Recently, it rained veryyy hard, but they didn't let us go home! Our school is basically open air, so the water just comes in onto the hall floors. Check out the pics below. It's insane. But the people just keep mopping it up, and no one decides to let us escape. Oh well.
The things I forgot about the UAE when I was looking through rose-colored glasses over Christmas break: The traffic: no one cares about you or where you need to go. It's drive or be driven over. The way that things don't get accomplished: Oh, don't worry, Dubai can fool you all and put on the best fireworks show in the world, but the lone copier in a Sharjah school breaks every other day. And a lone teacher has to walk through rain puddles in her hallway. Lastly, the impatience: I feel like over here I've lost almost all of my patience. It's so sad. But, here you just have to tell people how it is. No, lady, you cannot completely cut in front of me in the Baskin Robbin's line. The audacity!
But, it was so fun to come back home (my UAE home) and be reunited with my friends and get back to doing all sorts of Dubai things. Dubai never ceases to amaze me. Really. It is a sight to be seen, especially at night. When I take a taxi to Dubai, I love watching as I crest over the bridge and see the overpowering heights and lights of the city. Here, you can do anything. It feels like a dream. There are so many people to meet, so many activities to do, and so much fun to have. (cheesy, my apologies). Recently, I went to the Dubai Aquarium (pics below) as well as a few museums in Sharjah-the cultural center of the Middle East, no joke!
Well, I am happily re-settled into Middle Eastern life, sand and car horns and all. Enjoy the pictures and the tales. Talk to you soon.
*Side note: Sharjah has much better views than originally thought!
The flashy night pics are of Dubai Marina--the prettiest part of Dubai in my opinion
The rest are of my class-learning time, multiplication, and eating lunch outside!
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