The Yas Revisited

Last August, I lived for a month in a five star hotel during Ramadan. Staying at the hotel for a month and while a daytime fast was occurring, it lost some of its charm.

This past weekend, Rob & I attended a good friend's birthday party there and stayed as regular guests. It was a lovely experience, perhaps even nicer because I got to share the experience with him. :) Some habits came back quickly, wearing the robes, ordering room service, and calling friends to meet for meals and pool time. 

This time around, we could eat and drink where we wanted. The lifeguards brought chilled glasses of water with lemon and frozen lollies (popsicles for fellow US people) while we sat at the pool. And I was able to use the tub for soaking me, and not doing laundry! 

We need to get away as a couple more often.

A year without rain...

Fourth of July is tomorrow and I am homesick. This is the first time in 17 years I will not be celebrating the parade in Woodsville and the first time in Belle's life she won't be chasing the thrown candy in front of the Railyard. There will be no fireworks or sparklers, and no BBQ with family and friends.  I had my salon do my nails in stars and stripes because I needed something patriotic (ignore the puffiness of my foot- it has been hot and stressful). It will do until we can get a US flag for our flat. I miss the USA.

In the last couple weeks, we've been staying busy. School is out for Belle and next week, the school year will end for me. We still have to pick up her report card, but I'm not terribly concerned about her grades.  Last week, all the Cycle 3 English teachers had to mark (grade) the English 12 exams for two consecutive nights. It was a lot of work because so many teachers didn't come, but thanks to some very hard working teachers, we were able to do it in two nights. It made for an exhausting week because I still had to report to school each day and of course, we had company. I think Rich ends up coming every time I have night marking.

We tried to do some touristy things while Rich was here. Rob and Belle took him to the quiz night at the Rugby Club and we all went out to dinner at Zest.  Then for our big trip, we went to the waterpark at Atlantis, Aquaventure. It was our first time out on "the Palm" and it had a Hollywood, unreal feel to it. The apartment complexes and hotels there were all over the top, and the signs to go out on the different fronds were a different experience (they are alphabetized in case you were wondering). 

Our first ride was the "Rapids" which was kind of like the Lazy River at Whale's Tale, except with some cool rushing water areas that propelled you forward and some flat escalators that moved you up over terrain changes. We all enjoyed the shark slide - where you go down a dark enclosed slide that pushes you inside a tunnel through a small aquarium filled with fish, sting rays, and sharks.  Next year, when I'm not incubating, I think I will try the big plunge slide on the front of the pyramid.

The most taxing thing lately is that we are still dealing with housing, as the housing person is now withholding the housing we were promised. We are making it a priority to get accommodations with other families and children around for next year. It has been a hard year for Belle without any other children living nearby and being unable to spend time outdoors outside our flat. Rob has reassured me that this move will be easier because I don't have to do it alone.  We did join the Rugby Club so that at least we have access to a pool and gym, and Belle has become quite the fish. We are so proud of our brave swimmer.

Rob has been busy getting bookings to bring people to the airport and even has pick ups booked for August, as many people will be leaving for the summer, or at least for Ramadan.  He's also been working with another spouse who is moving out of Al Ain to coordinate border runs. He's done two border runs for people already, and will be offering his services to in-coming EMT's and their families in the fall.

For now, we are doing our best to stay cool (it is very hot - and no, the heat is not always dry - also, although the published temperatures will not read above 120, it does get there frequently and above).  We are working hard to find new housing before our lease is up (in less than four weeks!). And trying to get ready for our family's new addition in a couple months.

Exams and quality time...

We are in the thick of final exams at school. Belle had her English exam today and will be finishing third grade on Thursday after completing the rest of her subject exams this week. This means half days for her and more quality time with her dad.  At my school, the Cycle 3 (grades 10-11) girls began their exams yesterday. Today they had their English exams, where they had a reading section and writing. I will be marking them tomorrow as we had our "end of the year" staff party this afternoon, a luncheon with gifts from our principal and a gift swap among the entire staff. Like many of the staff parties, there was a background of loud Arabic music and the entire production took place in Arabic as well.  Unfortunately, the gymnasium is not air conditioned so it made it uncomfortable on this 115 degree day.  I ended up coming home and needing lots of fluids and a nap, while Rob and Belle went to the pool to cool off.

Rob and I are planning our first overnight getaway in years (in many, many years), to the Yas Viceroy in July to help celebrate a friend's birthday.  It is a nice excuse for Rob to get the Yas experience I had last August and for us to spend some quality couple time.  I think this weekend we might head to Abu Dhabi to spend some time with our city dwelling friends before the summer exodus begins.

No pictures, Miss

I used to teach 12th grade. This meant that the weeks leading up to graduation were hectic, trying to finish up curriculum while working around a marching practice schedule, chase down the graduation week speakers for speeches and rehearsal, and make sure all my grades were entered to ensure that everyone participating was actually graduating.  I even chased down students and called parents to have a student come back to make up work or do something to earn the last few points that would make the difference between a diploma or another year in high school. 

Not here.
They actually graduate BEFORE their final exams, and so at graduation, there are no diplomas issued, but laminated certificates. This is so everyone can participate in the celebration, and some girls have participated in more than one celebration.  The girls wear mortarboards and a cape (sort of like the hood you'd receive for your Master's degree). Underneath their hood, they wear evening dresses (think US prom).  Their hair is uncovered and face, so pictures are absolutely forbidden.

Instead of "Pomp and Circumstance" and the marching that I am familiar with, our girls walked out slowly to an Arabic song and then preceded to line up in a big circle, striking model poses in their evening gowns. It was like a scene from the Miss America pageant.



Then they proceeded to sit in their reserved chairs and the ceremony began. There were a lot of speeches in Arabic, gifts for their mothers and gifts from their mothers, sisters, and aunts. Food was served to all the teachers and female family members in attendance as younger schoolmates walked through our rows serving food and water.  There were slideshows of the girls as infants and in their more modest adult clothing, some dancing, and confetti cannons.  Grade 12 teachers were given a single rose, a small gift and a laminated certificate in Arabic.  And then, the teachers went to the social worker's office, shared a lunch and the day was done.

After graduation, I was invited back to a local family's home. The daughter was one of the highest achieving graduates (in the US she would have been valedictorian), but there was no party and indeed, outside of coming in briefly to greet her mother and welcome us to her home, she was absent from most of the visit. My coworker and I were served Arabic coffee and tea, and then were fed a meal in stages, starting with the chicken and rice with salad, then sweets, then fresh dates, followed by sliced watermelon and finished with cut fruit.  I had thought we were staying for just an hour, but the visit lasted for over five.  Her hospitality was incredible and upon departing, we were encouraged to visit her again, the next time bringing our whole family.

On Tuesday, our KG2 will graduate. I wonder if that will be different.

Hello, June...

June is typically the end of the school year - in the US anyhow... Belle's school will be finishing up around the 21st of this month, but my school year will end on July 12th.  The heat is beginning to make the end of the day classes difficult and I never complain when our social worker rearranges the schedule so 8 and 9 can be cancelled. Teaching when it is 115 or higher is a challenge - just as learning is, I'm sure. Graduations at our school start this week, with Grade 12 on Thursday and KG2 on the following Sunday.

Cycle 3 (grades 10-12) recently took a field trip - the first one I've been asked to attend - to Bawadi Mall. The last field trips I've chaperoned were to theater productions, so this was quite a change. Most of the girls spent a couple hours at Fun City (an indoor grown up version of Chuck-E-Cheese, I guess, with rides more typical of fairs or amusement parks) and a few went to see a movie. Then they shopped a bit, had lunch at Pizza Hut, and boarded the bus back home.  The field trip ran smoothly, but then, why wouldn't it?

Now, we are trying to figure out where we're moving to this summer, as our housing department has notified us that the building we are living in will not have its lease renewed. This did not make us sad because although the flat is nice, our location is not ideal and it has been a lonely year for Belle - no other kids around, and no safe place to play outside. We're hoping for more kids at our next location and some outdoor space - ideally with a pool.  Oddly enough, we'll be thinking about housing again next summer as we prepare to return stateside.

Holidays are different...

Today is Mother's Day in the US, but it did not feel like Mother's Day.  In truth, none of our traditional holidays feel quite the same over here. I was at work today, as well as on Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, and although we were on break for Christmas and New Year's -they still did not feel the same. Being at work on these traditional days is one part of the difference, but also absent is the commercial build up for each of these holidays. There are no television reminders that these dates are approaching or the planning of how to fit in all the family visits or festivities that usually accompany our holidays. But in some ways I think time feels different here for our family as well. We are used to seasonal changes to show the progression of the year, and although there are two seasons in the UAE (oh my goodness it is HOT, and this is nice), they are not quite the same as the seasons in NH (winter, spring - with a touch of winter, mud, blackfly, sweet summertime, foliage, and winter).

Happy Mother's Day...

Traveling to Turkey

I'm a bit of a history geek. I love learning about the past, and it was a close call whether I would go to school to teach English or history - English won out, but mostly because I could still use history.  That being said, I don't incorporate a lot of history into my teaching at this time - mostly because I am not as familiar with the UAE history as I am with other regions of the world.  So when it came time for vacation, my family and I decided to visit some of the rich history of Turkey.

Our first stop was Ephesus and the Celsus Library. We learned about the powerful Greek and Roman influences in Anatolia, as we explored sites dedicated and celebrating gods I'd studied in school, or taught about while exploring older literature.  During long bus rides, we entertained Belle with the stories we recalled, so that she would understand the relevance of Dionysus and why everywhere we went had beautiful theaters still standing in his honor.

We also were able to visit some historic sites that are important to our Christian faith, the Basilica of St. John, with his tomb, and the Home of the Virgin Mary, where she is said to have resided after being placed in John's care. Within Virgin Mary's home, there were gifts from the last three Popes.  Everywhere we went it was amazing to think about the people who had come before us.

 

 Our last two major stops before returning to our home overseas were the City of Troy's ruins - the site of the Trojan war, and the Gallipoli memorials from more recent history.  Belle climbed to the top of the Trojan horse replica after we toured the remains of the many incarnations of Troy - it was continually rebuilt and enlarged. 

The Gallipoli memorials were the first time that I had learned about these battles, and ANZAC day (April 25). Our Turkish guide was full of pride in speaking of the role that both Turkey and Australia have played in remembering and honoring a generation of soldiers that never returned home, falling on foreign soil.  As my former students can attest, I have a special place in my heart for war memorials, because how we remember those who have fought for us, I believe, speaks loudly about who a nation is.  The memorials on the Gallipoli peninsula spoke poignantly of the place these soldiers continue to hold on both their foreign resting places, and their far away home. 

 

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well." Ataturk, 1934

It made me cry.

We finished our trip by spending our final night in Istanbul, staying near the Hague Sofia, and enjoyed dinner on one of the cobblestone streets. 

It was a good holiday.