1001 Tales of Chaos and Beauty

A reflection on life as an expat and teacher in Abu Dhabi in early 2012.

Weather. Did you know that March is sandstorm month here in UAE? Today I awoke again to another hazy, windy, sandy morning. The sandstorms are not as dramatic as in the scene from the recent Mission Impossible film but can still pose problems for driving, daily living and basic breathing and seeing techniques. Instead of dust on the floor, I have sand. I even find it in my ears after even a short jaunt to the grocery store. And sunglasses are a must. I had either pnuemonia or bronchitus (the doctors diagreed) back in January after never having any of these illnesses before. I think it was the sand in the air.

Fog. Unexpectedly, fog can be an issue as well. A few weeks back I awoke to fog unlike anything I had ever seen before. As I opened the curtains at an ungodly 6:30 am I had to blink my bleary eyes and pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming: a wall of dense, smokey fog outside my window. If you held your arm out directly in front of you, your hand would have gotten lost in the endless smokiness. I only thought of one thing: fog day! Students will be late! It's similar to a 'snow day' at home. And back to bed I went.

The job. It's impossible to describe what my days are like. I try to explain the chaos that is my school to the folks at home and I realize it's impossible. You don't believe me. You think I am exaggerating. One day I will make a secret documentary film and it will knock your socks off. It will be called 1001 Tales of the Delights of Teaching at Al Mafraq School. "Have you tried this/these insert classroom management strategy here?" Oh dear. I have tried IT ALL. Including and not limited to locking myself in my classroom and turning off the lights in the hopes that after kicking in the vending machine window and stealing all the money, they will not come after me asking me for chocoate any more. Please, I invite you to come and be my shadow for a day. You will not believe your eyes. Yes, these are the docile, polite, obedient girls I had hoped I would be teaching.

And yet, student behaviour is the least of the problem. Each day I arrive at school there could be numerous suprises waiting for me. Nothing is planned, and if it is planned it's not communicated. For instance, timetable changes are a weekly occurance. Then there was the spontaneous mock-wedding the teachers planned last week. Spontaneous whole school breakfasts and awards ceremonies with lavish gifts happen often. Then, having to wait until the girls are tucked away in class to let a male computer technician come to the office to connect a printer. These are things that are now my 'normal' but that have forced me to become extraordinarily flexible.

Giving up? Not a chance. And yet, I am far from giving up. That's not in my nature. As my mom will tell you, I was born to be stubborn. And it's not that I refuse to give up out of any sort of fear or spite. If I am truly honest with myself, I just don't feel like leaving. And trust me, if Iwant to go, I go. If I have had enough, I can't stop myself.

But the reason is probably much more profound: the sun. And the roof top pool after school.

Meditation. Meditation is the name of my game now. How to meditate with ones eyes open in the middle of a chaotic classroom where girls are walking on the tables, sniffing glue, throwing open water bottles at each other, and screaming in my ear 'Teacher, sweet? Teacher, chocolate?' All while I try to teach a lesson on the simple past. It is an art. I can tell you how in theory. Well, at least I am trying to learn.

"I am a soul." "I am peace, love and happiness." Is the mantra I repeat to myself while the chaos whirls around me and my long skirts. It kind of helps. It also helps to wear ear plugs. And I just walk around singing la la la sometimes.

Why do I stay? For now, I still feel like I can plant some seeds. And I realize that so much of the chaos doesn't really matter any way. And don't get me wrong, I embellish a little here for the sake of keeping this posting more interesting. My students are good as they can be, they behave like this in every class, some way worse than mine, because of the lack of consistency, routine, and discipline in the school as a whole. They tell me they love me every day and make me feel like a minor celebrity most of the time. And as you will see from the pictures below, somehow most of them get their work done.

I am completely overwhelmed by what my senses bring in to me each day and I need time to process. I know that there is more to this than meets the eye. And I am learning to filter all the rubbish. That's an important life skill. And there is so much rubbish to filter!

1001 tales of Arabian Nights here in the desert. One thousand and one. Ten Oh One. Did you know my apartment number is 1001? Someone recently told me that in numerology this number symbolizes new beginnings. I'd say that's about right. I want to see where this goes, after all it can't be all sand, smoke and mirrors.

Finally settled after eight months and ready for the good stuff.

Some pictures to help paint the picture:

A student project on Shakespeare

A student project on Benazir Bhutto

A recent exhibition of my students' work:
a birthday present to an extraordinary person

Dubai - around the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa

Dubai

And some photos from a recent trip to Nepal at the holidays...

All I want for Christmas...

is three weeks off.

Wow. I've made it past the four month mark! And it's finally the holiday - three weeks of time to myself, time to relax and recuperate after a very intense fall. We all deserve a holiday, don't we?

While I would love to go home and reconnect with friends and family, it's just not possible at this time. So I have decided to embrace one of the benefits of being in this part of the world and that is the proximity to many interesting countries. I decided that mountains are what I needed and well, what better place to find some mountains than Nepal? So here I go again!

The past few months have flown by in a sandy, desert breeze. I have encountered many interesting people, made new friends, tried new food, listened to new stories, learned parts of a new language, tried new clothing, and figured out how to live in the desert.

Here are some photos from the past little while.

Oman - the old fort town of Nizwa

Oman - Nizwa

Oman - Nizwa

Me in the abaya and sheila

Merry Christmas from Abu Dhabi, everyone!

Of oil, pearls, sand & sun

"One more dispossessed child, do you suppose? Another refugee? Very much otherwise..."

Watch this vintage Brit documentary on the making of Abu Dhabi and the Baniyas bedouin tribes of the desert.

Part 1

Part 2

I teach in a small town called Baniyas on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi city. My students are the grand children of the people whose lives changed so dramatically after oil was found here in the 1950s. When times get tough in the classroom, I keep having to remind myself that these people have come from desperate poverty to immense wealth in just one generation. It would explain a lot. More on that later though.


Pop quiz:

What is the meaning of the name 'Abu Dhabi'?!

Lost in Translation

When I came to Abu Dhabi, I wasn’t expecting things to be easy. In fact, I tried not to expect much. This was a good plan because I never could have predicted what this job would actually be like. I have tried to explain the way things are here to the folks at home, but unless you have taught here it’s all rather difficult to fathom.

It’s hard. Did you think I would say that? Of course it is! I could go on and on about all the things I have observed but that might make for a wordy, rambling, posting and I am trying to avoid those. Simplicity is bliss especially when your days feel like chaos.

The hardest part? Without a doubt, it’s the language barrier. Imagine trying to teach a group of thirty immature, rowdy, but kind-hearted, teenage girls in a language that they do not understand. Imagine teaching three classes of these girls, for five or six hours a day sometimes. Imagine that you cannot understand one word of the language your students are speaking in your class, nor understand their writing. You have no idea if they are saying rude things or how to help them when they ask you a question. All you have are facial expressions and body language and the few girls who have a limited (but more than the rest of the class) grasp of English to translate for you. But again, you have no idea if what they have translated is appropriate or correct. Imagine not actually teaching them what they need which is intensive ESL, but rather curriculum designed for students already proficient in the language and therefore far above their level. We misunderstand each other all the time and as a result I have seen some pretty appalling behaviour. But I know if the situation was reversed, I would probably behave in the same manner, maybe even worse. I don’t blame them. It's not their fault.

Each day we  fumble, stumble and bumble around, the girls and I, trying to understand one-another, just trying to survive, taking it all one day at a time. Maybe it will get easier.  Or maybe my perspective will change.

I try to remind myself often that "we don't see things as they are, we see them as we are” and I am the outsider here seeing everything from my own limited perspective and thinking about everything in relation to my own limited set of life experiences. And just trying to learn what I have to learn.

On the practical side, I think Arabic classes are next on the agenda.

Despite it all, I have to say I actually love it and all its muddled, awkward, complexities.  It’s just very different from what I am used to and as a result I am exhausted from processing my day to day experiences. But I have decided this is one of the richest experiences I have ever had and I am learning more every day who I really am. I am getting to know myself in contexts I could never have imagined even existed for me; in relation to people and environments I might never have had the fortune to encounter had I never come here. And it feels rich, stimulating and very alive. I feel like I am truly living in each moment.

Anais Ninn said, “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.” So I try to remind myself why I came here. I try to take each day at a time, each class for what it is, each girl for who she is in that moment and I try to take it all in; I just try to breathe and stay calm, and be grateful for this chance to get see these lives, meet these girls, and experience this culture.

I know I cannot change anything about the way this school is run; it’s not my place to do so. There is no point in dwelling on all the problems and absurdities and thinking about the way things should be. There is nothing here to change but myself. Really, the only reason I came here was to learn and if I can do that and teach someone a bit of English along the way that will be fine.

A Glimpse

Here are a variety of photos from the last month or so....

Interesting staircase in Cafe Arabia

View from my classroom door

My timetable and mark/attendance book

Dubai - Marina

Dubai - kite-surfing beach

Dubai - Beach

Eid mubarak everyone!

Hello again. The last few weeks since my last post has been both simultaneously busy and slow.  It's been weeks of extremes. How is that possible you might ask? Well, it's been a lot of 'hurry up and wait'; with barages of information all at once at one end of the spectrum, and complete lack of information on the other. No matter, Ramadan is officially over now and that's what I am really excited about.

Eid mubarak everyone! The moon watchers announced the end of Ramadan late last night. What does this actually mean? In short, Muslims are finished with the month-long fast, and I can eat and drink in public again. For Muslims, Eid is a major holiday full of celebrations, gifts and, of course eating. Not that they didn't eat during Ramadan, they could, it just had to be after sundown every day. It's called Iftar, the fast-breaking meal. For me, it means I don't have to sneak into bathroom stalls to drink or eat anymore.

Make no mistake, the Iftar meals are feasts of mouth-watering proportions. After depriving oneself of food and water all day, wouldn't you think you deserved a feast? I know I did. I had the opportunity to partake in the ultimate Iftar at the Emirates Palace a few night ago with a group of my teacher friends.

I have never experienced a food extravaganza such as this one, ever in my life.

First of all, the Emirates Palace is a seven star hotel. I thought the rating system only went to five stars, but little did I know. This is a hotel fit for an emperor. It is a hotel straight out of  a fairytail.

There were cascades of chocolate for dipping fresh fruit and dates; bowls as large as hoola hoops filled with fragrant biryani rice, nuts, spices and chicken. One thousand (or so it seemed) types of savoury salads and dips made from yogurt, cheese, spinach, vegetable, chickpeas, eggplant; curries made with tender, spiced lamb, chicken, fish; dessert platters with countless varieties of baklava, chocolates, turkish delight, nuts, fruits, caramel and chocolate cakes. It was a sumputous feast and I tried all of it, almost every single dish.

I'll let the pictures to do the talking now:

Me in the Emirates Palace lobby

Part of the desserts section complete with chocolate fountain

Some friends and I at the 'Gold to Go' vending machine.

Yes, you can purchase gold blocks in this vending machine.

I've heard gold is a safe investment these days.

This place is full of glitz and glamour and if you are not careful, it is very easy to get caught up in it. I feel like I have to be more dressed up when I go out; make up always on, perfect outfit, bag and shoes. I don't mind it too much and it's different right now for me, as I feel things have gotten a little too casual sometimes at home. I have to be more conscious when I get dressed here anyway because certain items are a no-no: tank tops, spaghetti straps, short skirts or shorts. It's ok, I don't mind, it has forced me to be more conscious of the way I put myself together and how I might come across to others. If I wore any of those aforementioned items, nothing would happen to me, there are no fashion police, but it might warrant un-wanted attention from creepy men or strange, judgmental looks from others especially if they know I am a teacher in the public school board. I am not worried, though, I still wear the clothes I like while still respecting the culture.

It's true what they say, here the shopping mall is where everything happens. I have to say, in the past three days, I have spent more money all at once than I ever have in my life. We received our furniture allowance on Saturday and our apartments the previous week, so as soon as that money was in our accounts it was: on your mark, get set, gooooo shopping! Reason being: we were told that as soon as we get our apartment keys and our furniture allowance we have five business days to vacate the hotel. This also means we have to be able to live in our new aparments and for that we need at least some basic necessities. Which has led me to the age-old philosophical question: what is a basic necessity?

Ha. And I thought it would be fun to furnish an apartment from scratch, kind of like a reality show or something exciting like that. It has been sort of fun, but also extremely stressful. I know you're probably thinking, oh poor, poor Mel, she's stressed about shopping! And yes, I would be with you on that, it is a priviledged place to be; however, the amount of decisions I have had to make in a very short amount of time, such as which stove/fridge/washing machine to buy, are important purchases that normally one would take some time to think through. I feel like I made some of these decisions very quickly, without a lot of information. I don't have much time until I have to be moved out of my luxurious hotel room (haha) and into a completely bare apartment. And then on top of that we have to organize the delivery and assembly for numerous large purchases from numerous places to make sure for example, that we at least have a bed to sleep in when we move in. Which actually, I won't. More on that later though.  

I spent an entire day at Ikea, carefully choosing a couch, bed and frame, coffee table and end tables, rug, shelves, dining table/chairs, wardrobe (there are no closets in my apartment, not one!), pots & pans (Jenny!! ), dishes, bedding, shower curtains, and the list goes on. Only to get to the warehouse end of it and realize I have to pull that long list of major furniture off the shelves myself and organize delivery. And then, after all that they tell me that they do not have in stock the bed, the couch, the end tables, or the wardobe I wanted. I felt my eyes start to well. I thought to myself what is the point of having an Ikea store if they don't have those basic items? And on top of that I hadn't eaten or drank anything all day. I know, poor me. But eventually a nice, smiling, helpful, Ikea lad came along and helped me pull the rest of my items off the shelves and I just decided I would have to purchase the remaining items somewhere else. I have learned you can't dwell on the injustice of it all, you just have to move on. So move on I did. 

That night, we returned to the hotel, showered, went to the Iftar at the Emirates Palace, then on a stomach full of that rich, Iftar food, at 10pm we headed to the Home Centre where I ended up purchasing a lovely couch, mattress and wardrobe. That's the way it works here; the malls are open until very late. So there, at 11:30 pm after an already very long day, I chose my couch. And, it's green.  It's green? Was it my first choice? No. Was it the last one they had in stock? Yes. Was there any other couch that wasn't gaudy and didn't look like it belonged in a palace? No. So I am hoping, when it finally arrives that it doesn't look hideous.

But oh, the problems weren't over. There was one more hitch, they couldn't deliver until the 10th of September. Do you know what that means? I have to move in to my apartment by this coming Thursday, September 1, and I won't have a mattress or even a couch until the 10th.

No bed + marble floors + sleep = ??

However, my lovely neighbour and fellow canuck, Janine, generously offered me her couch for the week. I also purchased a small foam mattress on which I could camp out until the delivery. So be it. At least I can cook food on my new, stainless steel, Italian made, gas stove.

Some photos so you get the idea:

Empty apartment living room with glossy, hard, marble floors

New stove! The first one I have ever purchased.

It was installed yesterday.

I am glad I don't have to shop for a chandelier.

This would be an impossible choice.

So after all that, I need to say this: these experiences have given me a lot of perspective on consumerism, consumption, choice, decision making, and the way we live. My friend Nicole sent me the following article from the New York Times on 'decision exhaustion' and I can relate. It explains a lot about the anxiety mixed with guilt I have been feeling, and possibly the bad design choices I have made while purchasing major furniture items at midnight.

But, these are the truths: perception is everything and if I look at all this from another set of eyes, I see petty problems and superficial complications. It's very annoying, but as they say, 'this too shall pass.' I have everything I need and more and I am profoundly fortunate and grateful for all of my blessings. And every once in awhile I need to catch myself in one of these traps, shake my head and just try to smile. Opportunities like this one are great times to do some 'unlearning' as I like to say. I think to unlearn is to break bad habits or discard negative or unproductive thought patterns or ideologies. One bad habit for me is that I find it's so easy to fall into the trap of not being able to see the forest for the trees. Another one is focusing on what I don't have instead of everything that I do have. These incidents that I write about here are mere snafoos that will be worked out in time and in one year I might have some funny stories, but I am sure at most they will be but vague memories. And, in writing to you all about them, I am also realizing the importance of seeing the humour in it all as well. As I write about all of these annoying things, I realize it's actually all quite ridiculously absurd.  So if you read this far, thank you!

Now, after all this forced consumerism I have undertaken, how to simplify my life after I settle in? Maybe a course in meditation and some non-thinking? A much needed rest. Oh, wait! School starts on the 11th....no rest for the weary.

At least I can eat and drink in public again.

Until next time my dear friends.

Waking up in Abu Dhabi

Well folks, I have arrived.

After a 12 hour flight from Toronto, I arrived in Abu Dhabi at 6:30 in the evening on August 12, 2011. When I looked out the window of the airplane as we landed and saw the desert, I knew I had awoken in a whole new world. Or Abra Cadabra as my grandma prefers to call it.

I have come here for work, but also for an adventure and to experience a new culture and to learn about the world and myself.

The first thing that I have learned is that +54 degrees is breath-takingly hot and as much as I have traveled, I have never experienced this type of heat, ever. It actually feels suffocating, like being inside a hot, extremely humid oven with no air. As soon as I left the airport into the night air, I lost my breath for a moment and my glasses and my camera were immediately foggy:

But then, like a beautiful desert oasis, the luxurious Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel appeared before me and I immediately knew everything would be okay. Especially when my man-servant handed me a glass of rosewater and led me inside to the cool, air-conditioned depths of this contemporary hotel.  Okay, so it's not the one built on an island or surrounded by a Formula 1 racetrack (The Yas hotel), but I think it's home and nothing less than what I deserve.

When I arrived in my room, my ever loyal and forward-thinking man-servant had anticipated that I would be in need of some fruit and mineral water as he knew it had been a long, trecherous journey, so there was a lovely platter waiting for me. As I drank the mineral water and nibbled on my lychee fruit slowly gaining my strength back, I thought to myself: I am in the right place, this is the life for me.

My room:

The view from behind the hotel and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the distance:

Now, as I am too jetlagged to type right now, I will dictate as my man-servant types for me.

The first few days here have been an adjustment in many ways. First, the jetlag of course. Second, the heat and third, the culture. I will explain the connection of all three. This month happens to be the holy month of Ramadan where Muslims fast during daylight hours. Ok, so you think fine, no problem, this doesn't apply to me because I am not a Muslim. Well, hold on to your camels, not so fast. It is against the law, even as a non-Muslim, not to respect the rules of the country during Ramadan.  Drinking and eating in public places is stricly forbidden (this includes chewing gum, sucking sweets or drinking water). I can eat and drink in the privacy of my own room, as long as I am not being over-looked by my man-servant. Women also have to dress more conservatively than usual during Ramadan as a sign of respect. Moreover, restaurants and malls are pretty much closed until evening (sunset, approximately 7:30 pm) when the Iftar (the fast-breaking meal) happens. So, needless to say, eating and staying hydrated during the day has been challenging, on top of being bleary-eyed and jetlagged.  Yesterday I had to resort to hiding in a bathroom stall to stealthly take some water during our first orientation. However, our breakfasts have been fabulous (we take it in a secluded restaurant in the basement of the hotel), but I have had to figure out how to sheepishly smuggle a couple of pain au chocolats for lunch into my purse. Thank-you Nana for the tip.

So far, everything with ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) has been very organized and it's thanks to them that we are staying at this fabulous hotel. Yesterday was the first day of orientation and we were given our bank accounts and some of us were given our apartment placements.  I was one of the lucky ones to be placed right in Abu Dhabi city. Yay! I now have the keys to my new apartment although I have yet to find out where it is exactly or to see pictures. Today, we had our medical tests and you will be pleased to know that I do not have leprosy. Whew. My man-servant tells me this is standard practice here, nothing personal.


I do not know yet what school placement I have, they have told us we won't know this until the beginning of September.

Ok, I have given my man-servant a rest now, it's me again. I will sign off for now, but definitely check back once a week for updates as things are constantly changing.

It's definitely a whole new world here but I am glad I have taken this chance....