One Week

There's no storyline to this post. This last week has been a whirlwind. A good whirlwind, but a whirlwind to say the least.

From orientation to medical checks, from the pool to the pub, here is a quick recap:

The ADEC seal is everywhere,
including on the coffee cups
that our personal orientation server
brought us.

Orientation:
First and foremost, I was officially told that I am a sixth grade EMT (English Medium Teacher). As some of you already know, there had been little communication about what grade level I would be teaching, especially coming into the school year late. I'm excited about sixth grade and there will be lots of support for us (curriculum maps, resources, etc). And I am more than confident walking into a "reformed" (that's what they are calling sixth grade this year) classroom, because as a department at NHS, we were already grading like ADEC wants us to, implementing curriculum like ADEC wants us to, etc.

We spend two days with a Cycle 2 (middle school) English Advisor and, even though it is going to be a difficult year, I'm more than confident that it won't be impossible (I was afraid of that, you know!). We have rubrics, assessments, books, and built in support system that far surpasses anything I got my first year of teaching. Our advisors were open and honest with us that there will be challenges. They mentioned having administration that is more traditional, colleagues that resist change, etc and my first thought was, "Isn't that the case everywhere?".

For more information on ADEC and the school reform that is happening in Abu Dhabi, click here. It is some pretty interesting stuff.

Hotel Living:
There are still a lot of things up in the air, though. I don't know where I'll be teaching, where I'll be living, etc, but for now, I'm in a hotel with other EMTs and they are (for the most part) AWESOME! It has been an instant friendship group with all of us going through the same things and sorting it all out together. They have been a true lifesaver.

Currently, my laundry is draped around my room because, while I have a washer in my room, I do not have a dryer. But in this heat, my clothes are dry in about an hour if I put them in the direct sunlight.

Olive Garden

Slightly different menu, but still
good ol' Mickey Ds

Food:
Before I left, quite a few people were concerned about what I would eat here. To put their minds at rest, I've included the following pictures. I'm pretty sure we won't starve.

For you Michigan folks

My only complaint would be that the Starbucks doesn't carry the Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Which, if that is my biggest complaint, I think I'm doing pretty well. The other thing that will take some getting used to is almost every sit-down restaurant offers sheesha or hookah as part of their menu, so people are allowed to smoke inside. That will take some getting used to, for sure, but again, if smoking and a lack of PSLs is the hardest thing to get used to, I feel like I'm doing alright.

By far the best (and cheapest) places to eat are hole in the wall "refreshment" shacks. Falafel sandwhiches, with a side of hummus, for about 4 dirhams or less than $1.00. Delicious!

Vanilla latte, please!

Delicious and cheap

Being 5'10 and Blonde in Abu Dhabi:
People stare. But it's nothing that is super uncomfortable. Men will look away if you stare back. It's a theory my fellow EMT and friend, Kristen, came up with. We've tested it and pretty conclusively decided that men don't realize they are staring and when they see you staring back, they look away. Women start a bit when they have to look up to make eye contact with me. And young children just stare and smile and stare some more. I've yet to feel unnerved or uncomfortable.

We were told by one man at a soccer game that we walk and talk "like teachers", we're guessing that is a nice way of saying we walk and talk like tourists.

Other Random Tidbits:

The weekend here is Friday and Saturday, with the work week starting on Sunday. That will take a little getting used to for sure.
There is no easy way to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit. None. Today, it is 37 degrees. I have to use my iPhone app to know that it is 99 degrees Fahrenheit. If the rest of the world uses Celsius, why in the world is Fahrenheit ingrained in my brain? Thanks US school curriculum.
The city is busy and bustling. It comes alive at night. I was told to expect it, but it is still rather off-putting to see children out and about late at night, but it's the only time of day that it is comfortable to be out and about.
All the stores (everything from H&M to Gap, Nike to New Balance) have their "winter lines" for sale. We're talking coats and puffy vests, people! So for those of us who are new to the country, we can't find "summer" clothes. I have a feeling that visiting home during the winter will be quite the adventure.

More Photos: