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