National Day

On December 2, 1971, the United Arab Emirates was formed. Prior to that the area was known as the Empty Quarter and the land was seen as a commodity. Many conflicts took place, but Sheik Zayed, who became the first president of the UAE saw the importance of maintaining independence for the people of this area.  There has been tremendous changes to the area and as a result many nationalities can be found here now. Each year the locals go all out to show their pride for this young country.  About a week or two before National Day, I witnessed the changes being made to the streets of Al Ain.  The palm trees were wrapped in lights and the centers of the roundabouts now had more distracting items in them.  Some serious cash was spent on decorating the cars and the faces of the sheiks could be seen EVERYWHERE.  My students began arriving with some classroom decorations and then some embellishments to their uniforms. I asked how much were they allowed to wear and was told not to limit anything.  It was a bit much.  See for yourself.

This is a co-worker's car decorated for National Day 2012

 

 

National Day Assembly - Those are girls dressed in military uniforms

This is the start of the National Day parade.

  The staff, students and some mothers rode the two school buses through the streets of Bu Kariyyah.  The police accompanied us and other decorated vehicles followed.  Safety is not a top priority here.  Children were encouraged to stand on the seats and held flags out the open windows.  They also sprayed Silly String out the window and Snow in a Can. The town, thankfully it's small, so the ride was brief.  The girls sang and chanted, while boys from the neighborhood rode their quads and dirt bikes recklessly down the sidewalks.  I went home at took some aspirin.  We had two additional days off from school, so the following week was a short three day week. Attendance was low so the students went home early each day.  

Parade

 

Flat Stanley came all the way from Florida and got to participate in National Day. Here he is with some 2nd graders who are showing their pride with their colorful outfits. The girls started wearing some of these items about two weeks before the official day.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thursday was a work day for me, but when I got home the neighbors and I gathered on the rooftop for our Thanksgiving feast.  We had turkey, ham and all the traditional side dishes.  It was a great way to end the work week and celebrate my favorite holiday. Friday, I was invited to a co-worker's and once again we had a feast fit for a king.  There were about 30 adults and children gathered and I met people from Germany, Finland, Michigan and Flushing, NY!  It really is a small world. So, Saturday I needed to get out and walk off the calories from two days of eating.

A local group that coordinates social outings had a museum tour planned for this morning.  Our first stop was the Hili Watchtowers. The towers are located northeast of the city of Al Ain. There are two towers which stand on top of man-made earth mounds.  They were built to protect the village of Hili. The building was also used by the Ruler's Representative, whose task was to resolve any disputes arising between local families.  Also he taught the local children to read and write, and versed them in Islam.  The towers were last used in the 1950 when the last noted conflict arose.  The towers are made of mud, palm trunks and fronds.

I learned that the v shape to the left of the window was where they poured hot oil, molasses or even water on any advancing enemy.  I think I saw something similar in Braveheart.

Our next stop was the Hili Archaeological Park.  The tour began to feel not so much like Indian Jones, but more like Ross Geller without the dinosaurs.  Here there are several tombs that date back to the Bronze Age, which makes these tombs over 4000 years old. Beehive shaped tombs were discovered in this area and in the Jebel Hafit mountains. That is the mountain area I drive by every morning on the way to work. These beehive shaped tombs are collective graves and at one site more than 700 skeletons were discovered and excavated in the early 1960s by Danish archaeologists.  The  remains were both male, female with some children.  The adults were in their 20s to 30s, which was about the average life span in that time.

 This grand tomb had six chambers inside which were formed by a cross wall dividing the tomb in two, then each half was divided again. Most of the original stones were missing when it was uncovered, but have since been restored. It is unclear if the remains from this tomb were moved to the larger pit tomb on the other side of the park area.

 

The next stop was the Al Qattara Arts Center. There is a great deal of construction going here in hopes of making the upcoming deadline of National Day on December 2nd. Men were busy working on a souq area where locals will sell their homemade goods in just a few days.  The Art Center is becoming a popular location for school field trips and offers drawing, painting, and photography classes during the day and evening.  The basement of the center is also an archaeological site.  Pottery was discovered along with silver pieces which are now on display in the center.

 The basement of the Art Center

 

The last stop on our tour was the Al Jahili Fort. Construction began on the fort in 1891 and was completed in 1898. We came into the museum and sat for a brief overview of it's history.  We were served tea and dates while we listened to our guide give us the highlights of the museum.  Outside there were workers busy with preparations for the upcoming National Day.  It was interesting to see the old mixed with the new.  Cable cords running across doorways and hooked up to large speakers and lights.  The fort has a long wing dedicated to Sheikh Zayad the First. The writings and photos tell us of the violent history of this area. The Sheikh's father who ruled for a period was assassinated by a family member so his mother took the family, the future Sheikh was 10 years old, to be raised by an uncle on her side of the family.  When he was 19 or 20 he was asked to return to the area to rule over the tribe that had killed his father. He did and began a long reign.  His grandson, who is named after him, became the first ruler of the UAE and made major deals with other countries to make the UAE what it is today. The fort also has a large portion that was added onto when the British was given the fort in the 1950s. The third wing is a permanent tribute to a British explorer, Wilfred Thesiger, who spent 5 years (1945 - 1950) living among the Bedu nomadic tribe.  The wing has a beautiful display of his photos, along with a video explaining his life's dream to live among the people of an area that he loved so much. He had two young boys who were hired to be his guide during his travels and thirty years later he returned to the UAE to be reunited with the two boys who were now grandfathers.

 

Original part of the fort circa 1898

 

Additional portion of the fort added on during British ownership in the 1950s.

 

Oh-man, Oman

With the celebration of Eid this past week we had two days off from work.  It seemed like everyone was heading out of town for a quick and relaxing getaway.  Oman seemed to be the destination of choice since it is accessible by plane or car.  We choose to drive the four hours and cross the border into Oman and head for the capital city of Muscat. We had a reservation at the Millennium Hotel and Resort in what we thought was Muscat.  After successfully crossing the border (nothing like a Jason Bourne movie at all) we managed to get ourselves VERY lost and drove around for hours.  We asked taxi drivers, gas station attendants, and locals to help us find this luxurious resort we were desperate to reach.  No one had heard of it or what direction we should be going in.  Finally, on the verge of a total breakdown we spotted a lone cab driver at the gas station we stopped to fill up at and he knew where we need to go.  Much to our surprise we were about an hour and a half away from the resort.  It wasn't in Muscat, not even close (thank you Kayak!). Another u-turn and off we went.  It was about 2am when we finally reached our destination. What should have been 4 to 5 hours turned into 9!



After a few hours of sleep and a great buffet breakfast we drove back to Muscat for a 3 hour boat trip.  On board was a family of four from Alaska and our group of six.  The captain was a local gentleman who filled us in on the local history.  At first he wasn't sure if we would spot any Spinner Dolphins as the brochure promised, but he said he would try.  The landscape was magnificent with mountains and small coves that dotted the coastline. The water was a beautiful deep blue.  Temps were perfect with no humidity.  After about 45 minutes we slowed and drifted for awhile.  Shortly after the waters were littered with dolphins.  They came in pairs and then merged into larger pods.  Then the real acrobatics began.  They would emerge from the water, complete a 360 and effortlessly slip back below the surface.  It was like watching an Olympic gymnast.  Then the captain pointed out a sea snake moving through the water and that is when I started to rethink the snorkeling portion of this trip.  The entire ride back I wrestled with my fears and finally I thought, when I will I have this opportunity again. I'm doing it! AND I DID!

 



 While snorkeling we noticed an area offshore with white stones and wondered what they were. We asked the captain about them and learned they were tombstones of the Portuguese that had defended the shores of Oman over 500 years ago. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture. Once we arrived back at the marina we changed and headed into town.  We wanted to visit the Souks we had heard so much about right along the corniche, a popular waterfront area.  This was the day before Eid and the crowd was similar to New York on New Year's Eve.  Needless to say we couldn't find a parking space after several attempts, so we had to settle instead for a stop at the Sultan's Palace. The current Sultan overthrew his own father in 1970 to take control of this little piece of heaven. The successor is unknown as the Sultan never married and has no heirs. I heard they are taking applicants.

 

The Zoo

Another great attraction just minutes from my house.

There were lions, tigers but no bears!

This afternoon some friends and I took a trip to the zoo.   It is a 900 acre zoo in the foothills of Jebel Hafeet. We waited to go until the temps dropped a little and it was very comfortable walking around. We arrived around 5pm and wandered around for about two hours.  Admission price was extremely inexpensive, 15 dirhams, which amounts to about $4. Will make a point to go back so I can feed the giraffes,

I think the flash disturbed his nap.

Like being back in Florida

 

Field Trip - Al Ain Palace Museum

On Thursday the girls in grade 1-5 took a trip to the palace home of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.  He was the ruler of Abu Dhabi emirate and the 1st president of UAE from (1971- 2004). His family has ruled for many years.  Beginning with his grandfather who ruled the emirate from 1855 to 1909. His father became ruler in 1922 until he was assassinated in 1926.  Sheikh Zayed's older brother also ruled in 1928 after their uncle was assassinated. Such tragic deaths, reminds me of the Kennedy history. Sheikh Zayed's image can be seen all over Al Ain and throughout the UAE.  He was beloved by the people for his generosity and forward thinking, especially on women's rights (compared to other Muslim countries) and religious worship for non Muslims.  He died in 2004, at around 83.  He and his wife had 31- 33 children, records vary.  He is buried in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

The  palace museum is located about 10 minutes from my apartment so I met the bus at the museum rather than make the 50 minute drive to school and back again. The other invited English teachers also met at the museum.  We waited for about 45 minutes and had a chance to chat with one another for the first time outside of work.  The weather was perfect. It was warm for 9 AM, but there was a breeze.  There are gorgeous gardens within the walls of the palace.  Lots of green grass and huge shade trees.  The surrounding wall blocks out the traffic of the city's streets and you really feel you are at an oasis or resort.  The rooms are simply decorated to reflect how the family lived here from 1937 to 1966.



The bus finally arrived and the girls ran from room to room.  There wasn't a tour guide and I am not sure exactly how they were prepared for the trip.  The chaperones included a few mothers, who also brought younger siblings, the music and art teachers were there as well.  The girls were allowed to wear their play clothes and not the school uniform.  We spent 20 minutes in the museum before they boarded the bus for the local park and lunch.  All I thought about was our annual trip to St. Augustine. The prep, the lessons and the follow up.  I didn't experience any of that and I am grateful that I was a last minute invite.

Lunch and play time at the nearby park was the highlight of the day for the girls.

 

 Now I understand why there are so many Land Rovers on the streets of Al Ain.  The Sheikh drove one. I read that he used this one to drive into the desert to visit with the Bedouin tribesmen. They were nomads and he also lived among them for a while when he was younger.  He received basis instruction as there were no formal or modern schools in the are

 

 

Al Burooj School K-12 Girls

I have a few pictures of the school where I am currently teaching.  As I mentioned it is a 50 minute drive from Al Ain into the desert.  I pass several camel farms and lots of sand dunes on the way.  I must admit that the dunes look fake.  They are the most beautiful shades of orange and brown and every time I pass I have this urge to exhale just to see if they will move.  They look more like ski slopes minus the snow.

The school is a large two story school with a small student population.  There are two kindergarten classes, KG1 and KG 2.  The kids start school at age 3 and 4.  KG1 has the little ones and even though we are a month into the school year, there is always someone crying each morning.  Usually it is the same little boy who asks if anyone has seen his mother, because he thinks she is late. It is obvious he doesn't get the concept of time because he asks when there is about another 2 hours before dismissal.  These two classes are the only coed classes the students will ever be in.  When they start first grade and until they finish high school they will attend separate schools.  If they go on to University, the classes may be coed depending on the area of study, but the entrances to the campus are separate. I live close to the University of Abu Dhabi campus and when I first saw the sign that read "Male Entrance" I was confused until it was explained to me.

The school is located about 2 miles off the highway on a dead end street (21st Street, which is my address in Florida) and looks out into the desert. The boys school is identical to the girls and is one long block away.  All the students ride the bus even though they live within the neighborhood. Inside the gate there are a few covered parking spaces for staff and the security guards room.  It actually is a small house that he lives in.  All schools have on site security guards who live on the campus 24/7.

This mural is one of four that was recently painted and the door to the left of it is my classroom door.  We were told that our rooms were going to be painted over the weekend and that we needed to take down anything on the walls in preparation.  So, I gently took down what I had just put up and you can imagine my surprise when the painters' faces appeared in the windows of my room the following day (while I was teaching) to begin painting the walls OUTSIDE the classroom.  Another example of lost in translation!  The minute the first face appeared and we began to smell the fumes the day was lost.  The mural took three days to complete and I'm still hoping the interior painting will take place soon.  Notice the windows have been painted over and are part of the mural.  Some days I feel like I am in outer space.

 

This is the only bulletin board in the room, so I cram all three subjects onto it.  There is no such thing as fadeless board paper over here. I have, as well as others, searched high and low for it with no luck.  The ugly green is the felt background of the board.  It has more dust on it then an attic!  Truly gross, but work with what you have.  My room has no computers or internet.  The Epson projector (I think that is what it is) is mounted to the ceiling and covered in a green garbage bag.  Last week I had a teacher chair for my table (no desk), this week I don't.

Teaching place value with an activity from Pinterest.  I don't have many resources so I find myself (just like in the states) shopping for supplies for activities.  It's a challenge to try to get a feel for the girls' prior knowledge because the culture and experiences are so different.  These are my fifth graders. The pink and gray are their school uniforms.    



This is the mountain I pass to and from work. At the top sits the Presidential Palace and a beautiful hotel.  I will have more pictures of that after this week.  I am attending a function there on Wednesday evening.  I joined a group called, InterNations.  It is a social group of expats who gather once a month to plan events and network with one another.  Looking forward to the gathering and the view from the top.  Stay tune!

 

Home Sweet Home - For the next 2 years

Well, it appears that I now have all the essentials needed to be comfortable in my new space.  When we first received our housing assignments and had the chance to visit I wasn't sure if the place would ever feel like home.  It has come a long way in 4 weeks. Yesterday was the last delivery from IKEA. Now I think the space is cozy and just fine as temporary housing aboard.  The furnishings are nothing like the things I have in my condo in Florida but that is what this adventure is all about, change.

So, welcome to my home.  I am sure with a few more trips and visits to the Souks the walls will soon be cluttered with momentos of those outings.  Right now it looks bare because it is a challenge to get nails into the cement walls.  I am happy with the artwork I have selected.  Besides I can't take it all back to the states, so when I shop I have to remember that it will have to be sold when I leave. The most impressive feat of all ... I came in under the furniture allowance amount. 

 Living Room  - before

 Master Bedroom - before

 

 Workspace area

 

Living Room - after

 

 

 Living room - after

 

 Kitchen   - very tiny

 work space - after

 

 Master Bedroom

 

So, that is the apartment in a nutshell.  The second bedroom has become a very large walk-in closet and storeage area.  There are no closets in this place, so I decided the guest bedroom would be every girl's dream, however I didn't bring the clothes or shoes to fill it.  Maybe that could be a goal of mine, to fill it!!!

 

Seriously, if guests ever made the long trip over here, I would spruce it up and welcome them, but now I have errands to run and plans to finish writing for work tomorrow.

 

On another note...yesterday I booked my first trip.  I am spending Christmas in Salzburg, Austria!