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