Not in the Brochures

United Arab Emirates = UAE = Unstoppable Ass Explosions

Potential visitors, consider yourselves forwarned.

First Days of School, Moving Days, and Ramadan Value Meals

My first full week of teaching is done, and I've had a day to relax and reflect. There is still a lot to process, so I expect a lot of this will come out jumbled and half-formed, but here's the skinny nonetheless.

The school is called the Aljazira Football Academy. It's essentially a soccer farm that offers academic classes as well. First day, I was told by the principal, the vice principal and the English faculty that the first priority is athletics, not academics. The students, they told me, might need to miss school or sleep in class because they are tired from training. I was informed that students would often miss class because they play on the national team and would be traveling to other countries to compete.

This is a tough pill to swallow for me, but I'm coming around to accept that I can only work within the confines of the environment I'm in, and that I can still be of service to these young men by using the class time we have to further their skills in the English language. So it isn't likely to be life-changing for them. Learning another language is its own reward, even if most of these boys are going to rely on their feet to make their way in the world.

Sas Alnkhl School, where my school is currently housed.

I'll also be teaching the faculty here, which will be interesting. The principal would like all of the faculty to take the IELTS, an international standardized test of English language skills. He'd like me to assess their current skills and teach a class that will help them to succeed on the exam. This is a new challenge for me, and I'm looking forward to it, although I'm not sure I know what the hell I'm doing. As is the case with much of the professional world, I'll be making it up as I go along, at least at first.

The young men in my classes, I should mention, are great. On the whole, they are very respectful, friendly, and seem to genuinely want to learn. The class sizes are small, so I hope I'll be able to learn a lot about them as the year progresses. I am optimistic about the actual class time, even though I have my reservations about the school system itself.

The faculty has been very welcoming, although I definitely feel my "otherness" there. I am the only native English speaker in the school--most of the the faculty are from nearby countries--Egypt and Lebanon mostly--and a few are Emiratis. It seems that most of the new teachers who have come here are in schools where they have a little cadre of westerners with whom they can discuss the difficulties of coping in the new setting; I am much more on my own in this regard. I have times when this makes me despondent, but I'm hoping that it will push me to venture even further outside of my comfort zone and befriend people from the region. I'm hoping, too, that it will motivate me to continue studying Arabic. So far, I've acquired about a twenty-word vocabulary. There is a long way to go.

In other news, Frances and I are moving into our new apartment today! In just a few hours we'll depart the Aloft Hotel and taxi over to Al Manzel Hotel Apartments, our new home. We're both relieved to be out of hotel living, and excited to finally have a home. The apartment is in the "Tourist Club" area, which is basically the downtown, with plenty of places within walking distance for good eats, etc. I expect that being in the downtown area will alleviate the feelings of isolation we've been experiencing. Insh'allah, as my Arabic friends would say.

Got around to check out a little more of the city. Bit by bit, it's becoming more comfortable and less intimidating. Learning where things are, how to get things done. Trying to meet people, though this is difficult as I am borderline antisocial. A journey like this certainly makes you appreciate your friends. (Hi friends! You're awesome.)

Also, I'd like to say that I love Skype. How cool is it that, all the way from Abu Dhabi, I can see Chad and Ben pretend to make out? Okay, it's actually a bit gross, but the technology is cool.

I'll leave you with this, which speaks for itself:

No bacon, of course.

A Convergence of Something or Other

A great deal happens in the smallest bit of time.

First of all, gotta say that Etihad Airways is incredible. It was a long flight and all, but they fed us what seemed like a constant stream of tasty food. We actually woke up to receive Klondike bars in the middle of the night. Plenty of movie and game selections at your seat. (Justin, you were right--The Karate Kid was kind of awesome.) The strange procession of Stepford Stewardesses was a little off-putting, particluarly to my feminist wife, but all in all it was a first-rate though economy-class journey.

We were herded by ADEC through the Abu Dhabi airport to gather our belongings and make our way to a convoy of buses and trucks that would schlep us to the hotel. The first wave of heat that hit us as we left the airport was a tease, tempered with the trailing-off air conditioning; for a moment we thought it wasn't going to be so hot after all. Another step from the doors was all it took.

The hotel (called Aloft Abu Dhabi) is swanky enough, and the amenities abound. I've never been called "sir" so much in my life. Extravagant and free breakfast buffets, a lovely swimming pool, several bars--it's a lot of what you'd see at a Vegas hotel, actually. We've been taking advantage of the fitness center in the mornings and swimming at night in the pool. It's a quick cab ride to the Carre Four, which is the Arabian Wal-Mart, so we have procured a few basics for food and such. That'll be a lot easier when we get placed in an apartment.

We spent our first day here at polar opposites: first the Grand Mosque, the largest in the Emirates, and then at the Abu Dhabi Mall. The Grand Mosque speaks for itself, so I'll just post the pictures. At the mall, I bought some essentials, mostly school clothes. Frances searched with great perserverance for the perfect bra, but came up empty-handed.

I started work on Sunday. It was just an orientation, but it helped to feel a lot more grounded, as they gave us our school placements. I had been quite concerned that we would not wind up in the city, as we requested, but it all worked out. I'll have a bit of a commute to work, but we'll live downtown. Once the dust settles on the beginning of the school year, they'll give us a hotel apartment--a one bedroom apartment, fully furnished, inside one of the fancy-schmancy hotels in downtown, I expect. Not bad--we won't have any utility bills, we'll have a daily cleaning service, etc. We may wind up a bit spoiled.

Chatted with a representative from the "operators" of my school, got a bit of information about what my working conditions might look like. It's certainly going to be a growth experience. I'll be trying to figure out how to teach without the benefit of technology, for instance. Still, it could be worse--the folks working in Al Gharbia will be figuring out how to teach without the benefit of electricity.

Had a big all-staff meeting today, featuring the Director General of Education for all of Abu Dhabi. Around 6000 teachers and administrators in attendance. A big deal--news cameras, all that. I'm proud to say that I stayed awake the entire time.

School starts Wednesday. I still don't know precisely in which school I'll be teaching (it's between two schools at the moment) or how I'll get there. I get the sense that school won't really start until next Sunday, and even then it'll be a slow roll-out of a start, if you catch my drift.

I'm really excited about everything that's happening. I'm a bit anxious about the things that aren't happening, or aren't happening as quickly as I'd expected. However, I'm beginning to develop a more relaxed attitude about it--funny that eight years in San Francisco didn't help me develop that reputed California go-with-the-flow easiness, but a week in the Middle East has brought me around. Things are going to happen. I'll most likely get to school tomorrow, at least some school. It will work out.

There is so much to learn. I have a lot of reading to do. A lot of things to see. I'm so happy I am here with my wife, and that we can explore this new place together. It's exhiliarating.

It's also a little sad. I want to teleport my friends here to hang out with me, to talk to me. I had a Skype conversation with my mom and sister this morning, which helped. Chad, get a Skype account you bastard!

Yeah yeah yeah, we'll make friends blah blah blah. I'll ease up on that eventually, too.

Okay. No more typey typey. Look at the pretty pictures.

Spare a dirham?

The Grand Mosque

Old World, meet New World.

She makes that abaya WORK.

Gotta stop and smell the wall sometimes.

I got in trouble for touching these.

In case you don't read Arabic, that reads "Pizza Hut."

In our hotel room. Mecca that way.

"There are TREES in the pool!" -Frances

And They're Off

Not a lot of time to write just now, but I thought I'd check in before bed.

We leave tomorrow morning! Bags are packed, everything is in order (I believe).

Excited. Anxious. Relieved. A lot of things, all at once.

Good night, San Francisco.