It's 2015 Already?!?!

Happy New Year Everybody!  In the blink of an eye, half a year flew by and here we are in 2015.  Where did the time go indeed!  So I totally failed at my mission of updating my blog at a consistent rate but really so many things have happened in my life and in the world around me that the task has truly slipped my mind.  Where do I even begin?  I guess it only makes sense to start from where I left off..July of last year (so weird saying that).

I landed in Chicago after a long 14 hour direct flight.  No easy feat as it was incredibly uncomfortable being stuck in such a small space - sleepless, restless, tired, and cranky.  Being on the plane with friends did make the time go by just a little easier.  I spent a little over a week in the Windy City and got the opportunity to meet up and catch up with awesome friends over great food and venues.  The time spent away from love ones does make you appreciate everything and everyone you have at home that much more.  It was so nice that everybody took time out of their busy schedule to chat and bond.  Some even opened up their homes to me so I could spend the night with them at their place.  I am truly blessed with such incredible people in my life.  I love and miss them tremendously, every single day.  Then I returned to my hometown in Pure Michigan and spent as much quality time as I could with my family.  It was not as relaxing as I had hoped - my parents had a lot on their plate and really needed me to help out with a lot of financial, medical, and business-y matters.  Meetings, appointments, and paper work filled up my time there.  I love being able to be the ultimate problem solver for them but it did put a damper over the happy family time that I had in my mind.  I guess that's just how life goes sometimes.  I did enjoy being able to celebrate my mom's birthday with the entire family there.  It was the first time in almost 15 years that the 7 of us (mom, dad, and 5 daughters) were in the same place at the same time.  You bet your bottom dollar that we took pics to commemorate such a monumental moment! haha  We ate at a traditional Chinese restaurant with the little ones running around and being rowdy, crazy, and loud.  I loved it!  In a snap it was time to go back to Abu Dhabi.  

I was jet lagged for quite a while but somehow managed to buy a car (and that was a whole other adventure for a future post), take care of a few things for the apartment, and return to work.  It has been a super hectic school year, especially having to teach grade 6 boys at an all-male school as a female with no co-teacher even though I'm supposed to have one.  Plus the classes are more filled this year than the previous.  It's been a tough challenge.  Despite the circumstances I've been making it work by staying focused on my purpose, steering clear of drama, and remaining professional with everyone at work.  Just brush the dust off your shoulders and let each day be a new day.  It's really important to smile, positive self-talk, seek support from friends, and give yourself some slack from time to time.  And let me tell you Trimester 1 was crazy long...15 weeks long!  Everyone was desperate for the 2-week winter break.  So believe me you'll need a glass half full attitude to make it.  Plus it doesn't hurt to always have something to look forward to during these long trimesters, may it be a concert, a friend coming to visit, a birthday party, a fabulous brunch, a trip over a long weekend, etc.  I did travel to Hong Kong with a friend I met here over the National Day, 5-day holiday (what a gut-busting, foodie vacay...yay!) and then my parents came to visit me during winter break so I stayed in town.  We had an awesome, awesome time together - I took my parents all over Abu Dhabi and Dubai and they cooked and cleaned and spoiled me every day by bringing my home to life with their voices, laughter, and presence.  I was devastated when it was time for them to leave.  My heart aches just thinking about it and I miss coming home to them from work.  I believe God will give me the strength to make it and I treasure the great memories I had with my parents for it's been a long time since I've seen them so stress-free and happy.  

Well that's all for now folks!  I gotta get to my lesson planning for next week so no time to add pictures to this post but I will put them up when I have a chance, hopefully soon, like "before the week ends" soon.  Wishing everyone the very best in the meantime and hoping 2015 treats you well with happiness, good health, and prosperity!  

Things Are Looking Up! Yup!

My heart is pounding so hard it can burst out of my chest.  Today is Monday, the 7th of July, and I'm only 3 days away from the last day of school for teachers and 6 days from putting my feet on American soil once more!  My mood swings have been going out of control in the last few months but lately it's mostly been on the upside.  Keeping myself busy and building foundations to solid friendships have been tremendously helpful - hanging out and catching up with people, hosting movie nights at my place, painting the town with friends throughout the weekend, celebrating birthdays, having one too many bubblies over fabulous brunches, getting pampered at salons, watching World Cup matches at various venues in Abu Dhabi & Dubai, and trying out new restaurants are just some of the many things that have occupied my social calendar. 

Knowing that I have devoted followers of this blog and Youtube videos have also encouraged me to stay upbeat and positive on my AD journey despite the fact that I haven't updated them as often as I would like to.  Anyways, here is another video for your viewing pleasure!  The next time I update this, I'll probably be on Stateside! Woohoo!  Even though I'm having a lot of fun here and little parts of me are beginning to make AD my new home, 'Merica is where my heart's at.  ;)

It Gets Lonely Out Here...

...even if you live in the hustle and bustle of the city.  I know I shouldn't be complaining, especially when I have friends who are trying to survive in the middle of nowhere, but I did say from the very beginning that I would keep it honest and keep it real here - that I would express myself and include feelings that I so desperately want to dismiss.  It's like if I say them out loud, they become real.  It's so much easier to paint a pretty picture and hide behind a veil of denial.  I could do that and attempt to fool myself and fool everyone but it wouldn't be right.  I think people should know the whole truth and understand what's happening from all angles.  As hard as it is for me to do this, I am going to face my problems head on. How? Well I guess I can start by acknowledging that the problems are real so I can deal with them and hopefully overcome them accordingly.

Loneliness is not just boredom. It's a state of mind & being - and that's what makes it so dangerous and so overwhelmingly difficult to deal with when it hits you, especially when you least expect it.  Sometimes it can hit you like a freight train - it knocks you down so hard you're out of breath.  You feel empty inside, like a piece of your heart is missing, and it's almost impossible to fill that void.  There is actually a lot of things to do here, plus another major metropolis is only a couple of hours away.  But when loneliness attacks, you find it difficult to get yourself off the couch and out the door.  Your energy is down, your motivation is low, and you just don't want to do anything even though you really, really, really want to do something so badly.  It's like your mind is holding your body captive and you simply can't move.  

I hate being the bearer of bad news but the monster that is loneliness is real.  I'm usually a glass-half-full type person - nothing can keep me down for long, no matter how bad it gets.  I don't know what's happening to me.  It's not like I haven't been away from home, away from my family before.  But I guess living across the ocean is a whole other beast than being a long 6-hour car ride away from home, heck it's definitely worse than being across the country from home.     

I know I could Skype with family and friends, and I'm grateful that this technology exists, but it's just not the same as coming home to someone and being able to vent to them, laugh with them, sit quietly with them, chat away with them, argue with them, make plans with them, go grocery shopping with them, do something stupid with them, etc. etc. etc.  So I guess those of you who are coming here with someone, the whole family or at least one other person, count yourself lucky.    

I know I'm strong enough to get through this rough patch and I will but I thought I should share this with everyone.  Right now I'll just keep myself busy while trying to steer clear of food so I don't emotion-eat and pack on the pounds that I'll probably regret later. Oh and I'm avoiding malls as well so I don't just emotion-shop and spend all my money away.  I guess the only things left to do are watching tv, surfing the net, and working out.  Ughhhhh I need to get myself out of this hole.
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Despite what I've written above, I am a person of my word (though a few weeks late).  Here is my latest video.  Once I get out of my rut, I'll probably make the next one on the JT concert that I went to a couple weeks ago.  

Hashtag Fail!

It's 11pm on a Tuesday night - hump night...as in "it's the middle of the work week" in the UAE.  

I'm feeling weird and inspired simultaneously so it's time to write something however long or brief this post ends up being when I'm done typing.  I'd like to take this opportunity to document some hilarious "fails" that I've experienced in my personal, day-to-day and in the teaching world.

Fail #1: Random Fog Day
Due to a fog on a random day there was only a few students for Period 1. Normally all the students who are present would run around the school and play until the fog lifts and the rest of the kids arrive. However on this particular day the four sixth grade boys who were present decided to come into class.  Surprised by this I jokingly and also sincerely said, "Oh! You came to class. You must miss us huh?" Not missing a heartbeat the boys replied, "A/C!" 

They came into class because of the refuge that the a/c in our classroom offered, nothing else.  FAIL!!!

Fail #2: LG Washing/Drying Machine
I bought a brand new washing/drying machine and after only 1.5 weeks of being functional it decided to flood my kitchen for a total of 6 times! I called the customer service of both the store I bought it from and LG many, many times - they sent out servicemen to repair my machine 4 times.  I finally had enough of it and kept demanding for a replacement - after insisting this numerous times they gave in and said they would give me another new one.

I got a brand new replacement on a Thursday afternoon after a long work week, thinking that it must be my lucky day that it came just in time for me to do laundry on the weekend.  I was just so excited and had too much faith in the brand that is LG that I decided against my best judgement and threw in some really nice bed sheets and pillow cases into the thing.  After only 1 minute of washing, the machine made some funny vibrating noises, sounded off some music, and displayed an error message!!!  The "Life's (Not) Good" saga continues even after a month of this hot mess!!!  FAIL!!!  

Fail #3: Professional Development
Apparently every English Medium Teacher (EMT) at my school has to lead a PD before the end of the school year.  Even though my coteacher and I have only taught here for maybe 6 weeks, we were not exempt from this and got thrown into the fire.  Up to the challenge we prepared a PowerPoint and a small packet of materials on teaching writing for our workshop.  Upon arrival into our classroom, one of the EMTs said, "Got something good for us?" I answered, "Absolutely! It'll be the most stimulating PD you'll ever attend!" He responded, "We'll be the judge of that." (We are a sarcastic bunch.)   

My coteacher and I were trying to get our attendees to brainstorm qualities that they look for in a great piece of student writing, they gave us a funny look and said, "Are we talking about our kids here or our kids back home?" This was followed by cricket, cricket, cricket.  Then there were more awkward silence and reluctant involvement throughout the 30-minute PD.  When we were done, they gave us a big round of applause!?!? Come on now, stop playing...I saw some of you nodding your heads and dozing off!  FAIL!!!  

Hashtag: End of School Year Blues, Hashtag: Nobody Likes PD, Hashtag: Teachers Can Sometimes Be the Worst Students, Hashtag: Jaded and Cynical 

School & Work - Not Boring, Surprisingly!

Thanks to House of Rose I have an important topic to talk about - school and work! How fitting that this topic should come up as I had just finished lesson planning for next week and thought that I should update my blog. Doesn't hurt that Spotify is playing an eclectic mix of music in the background as I'm typing away. 

Where to begin...

First, I must declare that everyone, and I mean every, single EMT, HoF, or whomever, has had a totally unique experience traveling to, living, and working in Abu Dhabi. Therefore, my journey is not a one-size-fits-all and cannot be considered as a generic preview of what can be expected when coming to teach in this country. In fact this is the main reason that it's fun meeting and talking to other educators, heck anyone living in the UAE, since everybody has a one-of-a-kind story to tell. I have had the pleasure of acquainting with and befriending people from England, Ireland, Cameroon, Jordan, India, Palestine, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, Egypt, Scotland, Mauritania...and the list goes on and on.  

Okay, let me get into the main subject at hand, starting from the top. I must create a list/timeline to help me with this...

- I got my medical check and fingerprinting for my residency visa/Emirates ID done 3 days after arriving in Abu Dhabi.

- I found out my region placement (Abu Dhabi) and that I was on "reserve" during the general orientation, which took place on the first day of the following week (6 days after arrival)...and this was followed by 3 days of subject-area, cycle-relevant training at a hotel.

- I finally received my school placement at the end of the next week, almost 3 weeks after arrival. I'm placed at an all male-staffed, all-boys school about a 35-40 minutes drive from city center. The school serves students from Cycles 1-3 but it's divided into two buildings with Cycle 1 on one side and Cycles 2 & 3 on the other side. Due to a limited amount of space on the Cycles 2 & 3 side, Grade 6 is in the Cycle 1 building even though this grade level is a part of Cycle 2. 

Since my school is all-male staffed and teaches boys exclusively, I have been assigned there with another female EMT so that we could co-teach and manage our students more effectively together since this is a very interesting and unique situation for all parties involved - teachers, admins, pupils, etc. Nobody was sure how this would play out or how it would affect school culture and the learning environment, especially how our students would respond to us. Luckily, things have been moving along just fine and our boys work quite well with us. All limbs & fingers are still intact, our brains remain in our heads, and we are still breathing and going to work! Woot woot! They adhere to our routines and listen to our directions for the most part - well with plenty of reminders, of course, and one of the reminders involves being sent to our social workers/disciplinarians (they don't enjoy that very much so they try to redirect themselves and behave). 

Our kids are silly, animated, sometimes unmotivated, sometimes eager to learn, sometimes too much to handle, but sometimes will melt your heart...all in all I have enjoyed working with them and grown to like them quite a bit. Not that they don't make me want to pull out my hair or at least sprout some white ones from time to time but they are not vicious or violent or mean...they just eat too much candy and have too much energy for their own good. Could they be more focused? Sure. Could they behave better? Sure. Is there room for improvement? Yes and always - this goes for everybody in general. However, I can't blame them or anyone working with them for some of the challenges that are present because of the language barrier. Imagine being asked to do something that you're not good at (and don't find enjoyment in doing for some) and having to do it every day. This explains some of the frustration, lack of motivation, and disengagement.  It's an uphill battle but also a unique opportunity for everyone. There's a lot of hand gestures and facial expressions involved, that's for sure, and you have to celebrate small victories when they happen - they do happen and they will happen.  It definitely helps being surrounded by positive staff members whom you can exchange stories with and lean on for support. Healthy doses of intrigue, amazement, breakthroughs, and laughter are injected in the work week as well.  Like I said, work is definitely not boring.   

- The AMTs and EMTs at my school teach anywhere from 18 to 24 to 30 periods each week. Most classrooms have about 25, plus or minus a few students, each class.  

- We're not overflowing with resources but we're not necessarily lacking in them either. The essentials are there for the most part and we make do with what we have for the rest.  Some of us use our own funds to bring in the things we want but they're not like do-or-die items.  If it's reasonable and permission is given in advance, my school reimburses what we purchase, which is awesome.  Sometimes what we need is right there in front of us but sometimes we need to ask around and hunt those materials down. Communication is key. 

- Oh and finally, my daily routine consists of getting up around 5-5:30am, start driving around 6:15am, and get to school before 7am. The school day kicks off with a 15-minute, all-school assembly where the kids do a few exercises to get their blood pumping, sing the national anthem, and watch a presentation put up by one of the classes. Then some talented students play live music to dismiss everyone from the assembly. After a full day of teaching with a prep period or two and a short lunch break in there, I usually make my way home around 1:30pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays while I do the same around 2:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays due to professional development. 

Welp, this is all I can come up with for now.  I was hoping that this entry would be more logical and structured when I first started writing but it ended up being a jumble of disorderly thoughts. I blame this on the caffeine-sugar rush I got from the cup of coffee I drank. Nonetheless I hope this post sheds some light on what the work could be like and is somewhat helpful in preparing you for what could be coming your way.

Balance

People always talk about work-life balance but what about the balance between being social and finding solace in solitude or being fit & healthy and finding complete satisfaction in eating something guilty & sinful? Part of my goal of being in Abu Dhabi is discovering who I am, what I'm made of, and what I want in life. Honestly it is a lot harder that I thought it would be. Not that I believed it would be without its challenges but I also wanted to be ideal that this self-discovery and its revelations would come to me like it did for Isaac Newton with the fall of an apple beneath a tree. I was too optimistic, too ideal but one can only wish and dream, right? 

I have met some really amazing and incredible people since I've been here in the AD. Heck, I felt like I knew them even before I landed in Middle Eastern soil, thanks to Facebook and other social networking avenues. Truly, I should be counting my blessings that I have the opportunity to build on some solid friendships that have begun to develop here, and I should be further grateful, and I am, that I have found happiness in many aspects of my life plus living in such a phenomenal place on top of it all.  Abu Dhabi is exciting - it's full of culture, it's diverse, and most importantly it's safe - many people can attest to that. Yet somehow, some way, I still find myself feeling completely empty inside, filled to the brim with loneliness and sadness and worries, and I don't even know why, which is the hardest and most mind-boggling part. As people get older, they become wiser (hopefully) but this wisdom also comes with a price - they begin to see the truth. With truth and knowledge they become more guarded with whom they let into their inner circle, whom they call friends, in fact whom they count as family. Not only is money an important commodity but so are time, effort, and trust. Right now I'm just rambling. I have a lot on my mind and in my heart but I don't know what to say, how to say it, or who to say it to. Everyone seems to be incredibly busy these days and has their own set of problems to deal with - I just don't want to add mine on top of theirs. Even if I wanted to talk or try to they could only listen for a little while and then have to rush to take care of their own matters. How can I blame them? So I ramble and let this blog be my escape. I guess if I have my closest around me, right here with me, I would feel so much better. Unfortunately, they are not. 

Spring break is officially over in t minus 4 hours and it's back to lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching. I just made it sound a lot worse than it actually is but really who wants to go back to work and reality? During this holiday I have visited Dubai twice, went out West to bbq with friends over food & music, biked along the Corniche, ate pastries sprinkled with gold leaves at the Emirates Palace, and so much more. I have also experienced several difficult conversations with family, had massive headaches and heartaches over them, and dealt with not 1 or 2 or 3 but FOUR floods in my kitchen, thanks to my nifty little washing-drying-combo machine. Currently, I'm waiting for them to call me and hopefully bring me a new one in the next few days. Not that I am in love with doing laundry but having clean clothes is kind of essential. Anyways, I hope to blog with a more upbeat attitude in my next post but until then enjoy the videos below. Looking at them does make me happier and know that it's not all bad after all. 

Trying to Keep Up

Another post to make up for the lack of them for the last few weeks! So much has happened that it's been difficult finding the time to make videos and post updates. Alas, Spring Break is upon us and I finally have the hours and minutes on my side. So I shall indulge you all with less words and more videos. Hopefully, the pictures and clips speak for themselves the experience I have had here in Abu Dhabi. There has been some bumps along the journey but it's been mostly great if not awesome! Being placed at a school where you feel comfortable, welcomed, and supported does make all the difference in the world. The kids have been manageable and I must admit I'm beginning to adore them, more on some days than others, but I do enjoy working with them overall thus far! I pray that things continue to go smoothly into & throughout the next and final trimester.