Forbidden Fruit 2

I was in Abu Dhabi today for an all-day meeting.  Thankfully, this one was timely and relevant.  We were back at the new school with no toilet paper.  I was ready for it though.

On the way home, I passed by the grocery store that sells pork, and decided to stop by.

This is the sign above the small room that houses the porky items.

Right down the hall from this room, on the way to the main store, is the restrooms. Note the area is called "Comfort Room."

Restrooms

Totally unrelated and random is the picture below which is a section of the Main Post Office in Al Ain.

Emirates Post - Main Post Office - Al Ain

There are thousands of boxes.  This photo is of just one corner.  The boxes wrap around corners several times and there is a second floor, also with wall-to-wall boxes.  Remember, there is no delivery of mail to homes or offices.  All mail is delivered to the post office for pick up.

Other random thoughts - 

Almost all parking lots are covered because of the intense heat.  It's been hovering at around 100 degrees for about a week or so.  We're expecting it to cool down some in the next few days.

As I've mentioned before, there is only one kind of gas station - the national brand - and the fuel cost is subsidized by the government, mainly for the nationals, and all of us ex-pats benefit from the discount.  I pay between $17-$20 to fill up Luther. He's a Toyota Camry.  I rarely let him get lower than a quarter of a tank.

There is an automatic car wash at most of the gas stations.  Once the car has gone through that, it is wiped dry and vacuumed by three guys.  I love this service and get it often.  I like Luther looking sharp.

More random thoughts - 

The nationals don't wear wedding bands.  Neither men nor women.  As I've mentioned, an Emirati man can have up to four wives.  The only caveat is that he has to treat each of them fairly.  Of course, he decides what's fair, so there is the chance it might get a little funky.  

Can you imagine a guy trying to keep four women happy?  Or maybe, it's four women trying to keep the guy happy.  

It is a disgrace for women to be divorced.  Men can divorce women with simply the stroke of a pen.

From the newspaper - 

Names of folks - criminals and victims alike - are excluded from the articles.  Only initials are used.  I'm told it is because of concern of possible embarrassment to the person or their families.  

From our district website - 

Condolences are regularly published via emails to all ADEC Employees.  They read:

We extend our sincere condolences to

Our colleague / _________________________

Name of School – Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Education Council

on the unfortunate loss of his Mother

May God rest her in peace and inspire her family patience and solace

This was a pretty scattered post today, but this is how my brain was working.  I've been up since 3:00am.  I woke up with a headache and drank coffee.  A cup of coffee a day helps to keep the migraines at bay.  Drinking at 3:00 this morning wasn't smart though.  I probably could have gone back to sleep.  

Oh well.

Here's wishing you a great day and sweet sleep.

Encouragement

I was listening to someone talking about how important it is to help others and oftentimes the way to do that is through encouragement.

Sometimes that looks like greeting people pleasantly, complementing folks who do a good job, or telling someone its going to be OK.

I see encouragement a lot in schools with teachers interacting positively with kids, telling them they can do it or acknowledging a good job.

We all need encouragement from time to time.  No matter how strong we are, or how independent we've become, its still important to hear that you're doing OK or that this too shall pass and everything will be alright.

It's amazing what a kind word or a friendly response will do to brighten someone's day.

Conversely, when we are negative and finding fault, it can do much to damage someone's self-esteem or confidence.  Especially in kids.

So often, when a teacher believes in a student, even when that kid doesn't believe in his/her self, that teacher's confidence in them can help to launch them on the right path.

On the other hand, when a teacher blames her students for her inadequacies, it produces a ripple effect of failure.  Heaven forbid if a child has this kind of teacher for consecutive years.  The damage can be irreversible.

Likewise, when a parent only sees the glass half empty, always complaining and only seeing the negative, it can have a lasting effect.

I pride myself on having good judgement when it comes to people.  But sometimes, I miss the mark.  Sometimes, especially if it's a negative encounter, I quickly pass judgement and move on.  I'm now beginning to stop and think . . . what's their story?  Why are they the way they are?  How can I help to change the course of a bad day?

A smile.  A friendly hello.  Remembering to thank them for their service, even when its subpar.  These are things I'm striving to do on a regular basis.

I'm hoping that encounters with me will leave folks wanting more, not running for the hills.

Forgive me for being a little preachy.  That's not my intent.  This message is for me, most of all.

Happy Easter!

Here's hoping that you all are having a wonderful holiday celebration.

Today was the first day back to work after our two weeks of Spring Break.  I had to be reminded that it was Easter because its not on our calendars.  I'm sure it was celebrated by all of the ex-pats at the local Christian Churches, but I haven't been to church since I first arrived and was searching for one.

Random thoughts -

I've noticed at each break, the stores have huge Back-to-School sales.  Kind of like what we have in late August, but they have them throughout the year.  They had one in December before we returned in January, and there was a big one last week in time for our return to school this week.

Most of the school supplies - backpacks, binders and notebooks - have American characters on them.  Like Hello Kitty, Justin Beiber, Miley Cyrus, Sesame Street characters, etc.

Also, when I was in Cape Town and visited my teacher who lived there, her son was watching American sitcoms on TV.  As I mentioned before, there was American music, particularly R & B, that was piped in most public places and spaces.

Our cultural influences - good or bad - touch every corner of the globe.

Instant communication via news alerts on my phone and computer, keep me abreast of the happenings back home.  In fact, there was a shooting at the local courthouse back home in Texas, and I heard about it before my brothers, one of whom was only a block away.

The Internet is my lifeline to the world.

Interestingly, a huge number of websites are blocked here.  We get around that by downloading a program before we arrive that uses servers outside of this country. This has been a tremendous help.  Of course, you have to do it before you arrive or when you're on holiday because the site that you would download it from, is also blocked.

I'd love to be in on the conversations deciding what's blocked and what isn't.

That reminds me of the meds here.  I'm sure I mentioned that antidepressants are very strictly controlled, whereas most antibiotics are over-the-counter.  The migraine med, Imitrex, is also over the counter. There is in fact, a whole laundry list of drugs that are absolutely forbidden.  Some of which are our common cold meds.

Fascinating, really.

I didn't sleep well last night.  I rarely do when we're going back after a break.  So, it's off to bed for me.

Good morning to you.  Goodnight to me.

Happy Easter!

Tyrone vs. Jerome

I ditched Tyrone.   My wireless router.

I know what you're thinking.   He was virtually new.

Here's the thing.  I'd been having serious Internet connection issues, and I wanted to be sure it wasn't because of the router.

So, I replaced him.  With Jerome.   Bigger.  Stronger.  Covers more territory.

Where's the loyalty, you asked?

Well, I was faced with a decision.  Do I stick with a guy for sentimental reasons . . . he was my first; we started off here in the UAE together, etc?  Hoping and wishing things will be OK?

Or do I just ditch him for a newer, fancier model?

I chose to think, and act, like a guy, and go for the newer model.

Side note - This post is just about routers.

Or is it?

Ben is a Genius!

I take it all back.  Everything I said about Ben.  Every name I've called him over the years.  I take it all back.

I emailed him that I was having computer issues, using my iPad.  Thank God for more than one gadget.  He  responded via chat that he would research the issue and get back to me, which he did.

It looked like it was going to be a long, drawn out process, so he said he'd call to walk me through it.

When he got on the line, he asked a couple of questions and then, on a whim, suggested I hit the brightness button.

People, that was it.  That was the problem.

As my friend Deb would say, this was definitely a case of operator error.

Whew!

Thank God for Ben!

So, please join me in giving him his richly deserved kudos.

Computer Issues

My brand new MacBook Pro won't turn on. The nearest service center is in Dubai. Guess where I'll be when it opens tomorrow?

Wish me luck.

Things I Learned From My Ex-Husband

I know.  I know.  You're shocked.  Me, saying something nice about Frank.  I know you weren't expecting this, but I've grown.  I've learned how to forgive and because of that, I see things clearer and my life is fuller.

So, some things I learned from Frank:

1)  How to pack; he was a master at packing a suitcase.  There was always a packed one at home while he traveled.  When he returned, he simply dropped off the one he had, and exchanged it with the one with fresh clothes.  Of course, my traveling doesn't warrant that, but the way he laid out things, is what I took away.

2)  How to spot a good restaurant;  Hint:  it's the one where there's a line to get in.  Those to avoid, the ones with no customers.

3)  Commercial airlines carry meds on board;  This knowledge came in handy when I had an allergic reaction to something on my flight to South Africa.

4)  Creating pro and con lists when you have to make a big decision;  He was very rationale, and rarely made a spur-of-the-moment decision.  He deliberated long and hard before making his final choice.

Of course . . . No.  No.  No.  I will not.  I will not.  I will not dwell on the negative side of that equation.  I will only spend time on those things I can take away and use to my benefit.

5)  Cooking, preparing and presenting food is a form of artistic expression. The food should look as good as it tastes.

I'm sure there are more things I learned from Frank, but these are the biggies that come to mind.

Although I didn't get this until the eve of my 55th birthday, forgiveness is not about the person who wronged you.  It's about you.  You forgive for you.  So that you can move on without pulling an 18-wheeler filled with junk around with you.

There's a fabulous quote from Robben Island that states,

"While we will not forget the brutality of apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument of our hardship and suffering.  We would want it to be a triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil; a triumph of wisdom and largeness of spirit against small minds and pettiness; a triumph of courage and determination over human frailty and weakness."  -Ahmed Kathrada

Powerful.

And finally, I've learned that maturity has little to do with age.

Have you ever met a child who seemed like an "old soul?"  He/she just exuded wisdom without realizing it?

Conversely, have you met some an ole critter who makes foolish decisions and acts like a kid?

As I've gotten older, I've learned that there is world of things I don't know.  To stay informed, I must always be open to learning new things, experiencing new adventures.  If you're not careful, it would be easy to go through life on automatic pilot, just taking each day as it comes, instead of seeing the wonder that each days brings.

I like me at this age.  Do you like you?

Poem

I've never been a fan of poetry.  I usually don't get the similes and metaphors and other methods used to describe things.  It's rare when I read a poem and even rarer that I understand it.

I got the following poem.  I hope you get it, too.

The Smell of My Mother


It took me four years to gather
the courage to 
go back home 
after the death of my mother.


I never entered her bedroom.
I never asked what happened to
her pillow.


My father took their bed for himself
and I never complained.


The bed suddenly became 
his;
and his alone.


Now my father has died!
I am searching for her pillow.
But I never ask.
I never say
what happened to my mother's pillow?


He is dead now!


Why am I so frightened to
enter their room?


Maybe her pillow is still on the bed,
next to his.


Does the pillow still have my mother's smell?
I know his must have;
he just died
yesterday.


Keep their room closed.


Keep their smell there 
behind finished memories.


Is a forty-nine year old man
allowed to feel like an orphan?


Who sets the rules?
Yes
I am an orphan,
And I don't like it.


I miss the smell of my mother and
I cannot locate he pillow.


What happened to my mother's pillow?


by Dr. Ali Abu-Rahma

Headed Home

Another view of Paradise

This plant grows on Table Mountain

View from the canal cruise

The glorious week is winding down.

My bags are packed.  I've just eaten.  We're just waiting for the guy to come and get the keys and for my local friend to take me to the airport.

The beauty of the city of Cape Town is unmistakeable.  But it is the welcoming warmth that engulfs you that makes the city special.

My flight home is an all-nighter.  Never my favorite, but I'm ready to get back home, so I know it will be fine.

Just settled in at the airport.  Thankfully, the flight was delayed because I was racing from the moment I arrived.  Not the way I like to do this, but . . .

Guys scaling a wall

Trying to show heavy Dutch influence in the street names

Although I tried, the pictures don't adequately capture all of the beauty that is Cape Town.  

It really is a magnificent city.

Thanks for taking this trip with me.

Bootylicious!

Beyonce and J-Lo would feel right at home here.

This could be called the "land of the booty."  I haven't ever seen this many amble behinds before.  Women with pencil thin waists, but with booties galore.  Any man who is a "booty man" would be in hog's heaven here.

OK.  I just had to share that.

I'm guessing I've got some of my buddies already booking their flights.  It's OK.  I'm not mad at you.

Now back to the straight and narrow.

We were expecting rain today, so neither of us planned to leave the apartment.    It ended up being a lovely morning, so I decided to venture back out.  I wanted to visit the Mandela Museum again.

I walked the several blocks to the bus top, but must have just missed the bus because I waited more than 30 minutes for the next one.  Not a big deal.  The view of the water, and the glass houses, and the the traffic going by kept me entertained.

Residential Housing

I like people watching.

Once on the bus, the ride was only about ten minutes to the Waterfront.  Yes, this area is the jumping off point for many of the sight-seeing opportunities.

Remember Woolworth?

Interestingly, you can see Robben Island from the museum.  Which means all those years those men were imprisoned, they could see freedom across the shore.  How tough that must have been, to be so close, and yet so far.

After visiting the museum this last time, I strolled through the surrounding area. Enjoyed a cup of coffee, and again enjoyed people watching.  And listening to the various accents, trying to guess where the folks were from.

Striking Statues

It started to drizzle, so I cut my venture short, and headed home.

In between napping, I finished one book and started another.

Later this evening, I was invited to dinner at the home of one of my teachers who lives here in Cape Town.  It was a lovely evening.

Tomorrow, I'll be on my way back to the UAE, ending my wonderful visit to the Motherland.

Last week I read this long article in the NY Times about what a racist city Cape Town is.  I'm thrilled to report that I saw no signs of this during my weeklong stay. We intermingled with the locals throughout the week, and couldn't have been treated better.

It truly has been a marvelous experience.

Solo on the Blue Route

It's really cool today.

I'm awake early, as usual.

I make coffee, check my emails, and get some reading done.

About 8:30 I get dressed and head downhill.  I'm traveling alone today, and I appreciate the solitude.

The cafe has wi-fi, so I get online using my phone. Oh, how I miss having the Internet at my disposal.

I decide to take the second of the two Big Bus Tours.

I stopped at the first stop, the Waterfront, which is a tourist Mecca, and hung out there for a while.  Then I hopped back on the bus and we headed out to ride the water's edge of this lustrous shoreline.

Water Front

Guys singing on the Water Front

Statue made out of Coke crates

The views were breathtaking.  Reminded me of the Northern California Coastline, with its rocky boulders, and crashing waves.

Picture taken on Robben Island looking toward Cape Town

Everything was so lush and green.

Table Mountain - up close;
The cable car station is that square figure on top

Luscious green mountainside

Vineyards are big here, and the neat rows of grape vines line one of the mountainsides.  I know that neither I, nor my camera, could capture this incredible site.  It is stunning.

Mountainside vineyards

We then passed by a botanical garden, a bird sanctuary, and a stately university that is home to a recent Nobel Prize winner.

We traveled on the outskirts of exclusive neighborhoods, which were a stone's throw from a neighborhood of shanty towns.  The contrast was striking.

Shanty Town, a section of Cape Town

Side note - I really like these Big Bus Tours.  They're a great way to see an overview of the city with all of the highlights pointed out through the narrations coming from the headsets that are in at least a dozen different languages.  It's like having your own personal guide.  You can hop on and off at any of the stops to check things out close up if you want to.  Brilliant idea.

Side note 2 - The sound of R& B Music is everywhere . . . In the cafes, in every other store in the malls.  Even the street musicians mix their African beats with R & B.  Our music transcends borders and continents.

The people are charming here.  Friendly, warm, and helpful.  They're representing the Motherland really well.

Side note 3 - I seem to be a diva magnet.  Which always baffles me.  I am the most down-to- earth person you'll ever meet.  I'm a straight shooter.  And yet, somehow, divas find their way in my world.  You know, the ones who need special pillows or they can't sleep.  The ones who demand sushi when all you want is a burger.  Or the ones who can't lift a finger to get anything done that they feel is "beneath" their self-proclaimed stature in the world.

Really???

Thankfully, I escaped this lesson in becoming a woman.

Maybe being raised with only brothers, or only having sons, or having a no nonsense Mom, or coming from a really small, country town, all helped me to escape this plight.  Whatever the reason, I'm so glad I did.

Being a diva is exhausting.  Just ask everyone around her.

Robben Island

Home alone.

Thankfully, I'm in the apartment alone, thinking about the history I witnessed today.

Bridge to the Mandela Museum
 that swings open to let ships pass

Another view of the bridge

Mandela Museum
Where you catch the ferry to go to Robben Island

The visit to Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 19 of 27 years, was sobering.

The island is reached via ferry.  The ride is 30 minutes.  You can see the Cape Town sillouette behind you moving farther and farther away as you get closer and closer to the island.

As you gaze into the rapidly approaching distance, you see, what appears to be a community.  There are structures all around, that look like they're been there for years.  No sign of the prison yet.

Robben Island on the horizon

Once docked, we got off the ferry and boarded four large buses. This is a guided tour, so we're driven around the island, with our guide pointing out the highlights.  It is during this ride that we eventually pass by the maximum security prison, where political prisoners were held.  There are several buildings making up this section, but none of them are especially large.

Busses that took us around the island

Interestingly, the political prisoners were held in maximum security, but murderers, rapists, and serial killers were housed in the minimum security wing.  The reason they weren't together is because the government feared the political prisoners would influence and sway the thinking of the criminal prisoners.  The government feared the political prisoners more than the actual criminals.

Outside view of the maximum security wing

We then drove by the limestone quarry that the prisoners worked.  The guide described the horrid conditions under which they labored.  There is a small pile of rocks at the entrance of the quarry that was built impromptu when Nelson Mandela, and many of his political comrades who were imprisoned with him, went back to Robben Island to dedicate it as a museum.  When he finished speaking, he picked up a rock and sat it down.  Every other former prisoner did the same.  This pile of rocks has remained untouched since that time in 1994.

Limestone Quarry - Political prisoners were forced into the hard labor of breaking these rocks.  The dust was damaging to their lungs, and because of the light color of the limestone, that absorbed heat, it was blisteringly hot work, too.  There is a small cave-like opening that was the only thing they could use for shelter.

Pile of rocks that began with Mandela's

Close-up of rocks

Side note - The island is home to about three hundred people who run the museum and take care of the land and the buildings.  There was an elementary school on it until last year, when the few number of students warranted it to closed.  The students attend school in Cape Town and travel to and fro via ferry.

Side note 2 - There was a senior high school group of about eight or nine that were touring as well.  They were all from Cape Town and were a very impressive group. They asked great questions, and were good conversationalists for their age.  They rivaled college kids in their thinking.  It was refreshing to see.

Prison Tower

When we finished the bus tour, we were guided by an actual political prisoner who had been imprisoned there, too.  He served six years, beginning in 1986.

His story was a remarkable one.  He shared what life was like when he was there, and compared it to life when Mandela was in prison.  The conditions had improved, but not by much.

There must have been a crowd of about 80 of us, listening to his commentary. We're in a large room that housed prisoners in an open area, as opposed to the single cells.  There are benches that line the walls, with two sets of bunk beds on the far wall, demonstrating the kind of beds they had.  In addition, there were two narrow, rough, rugs in the middle of the floor that were used to sleep on before the prison system was forced to provide beds.

Large, open cell block;
We were sitting on the benches around the perimeter of the room

There were at least two couples, about my age, who did not appear at all interested in what was being said.  One of them were talking during the guide's message.  The guide said if they were translating for each other, fine.  If not, then he shared that they should be respectful of the message and the memory of the suffering that had taken place.  It was a powerful statement.

The two couples, got up and left.

Prison Yard

The guide saw one of the men who walked out later, as we were moving through the building, and asked if he understood English.  The man said he did.  If I was that guy, I think I would have lied.  He looked like an idiot for walking out.

The guide was very even tempered though, not getting upset, but you could see he was disappointed, hurt even.  He had lived in this hell hole, and was trying to help us to see and understand what that was like.

We then went to see Mandela's cell.  It was unbelievably small, where he spent almost twenty years of his life.

Mandela's cell

His life and time there is a true testament to the endurance of the human spirit.

In fact, the island also housed scores of German Shepherds that the prison used to help guard the inmates.  The dogs' houses were twice the size of the prisoners' cell.

House used for solitary confinement; Dog shelters are to the left and right

Prison Warden's home;
Now used as a guest house for visiting dignitaries 

Even the dogs were treated better than the men.

Then, as nature's way to lighten things up, as we were leaving, we went to see a colony of penguins that live on the island, too.  They blended in really closely with the rocks, so they were hard to spot.

Robben Island is home to 13,000 penguins

Over and over, we were reminded that it was in the spirit of forgiveness that this monument, this island, stands today.  In spite of the inhumane cruelties that were levied here throughout the years, it is because of forgiveness that the people, and it - Robben Island Museum - can exist.

Sobering thought, coming at the end of a sobering day.

I love the message on this bus . . .
We're on the journey together.

What a triumph for Mandela to leave this place, and ride the ferry into history as the first Black President of South Africa.

The Motherland!

View from our window

After a bit of a snafu, we settled into our apartment nicely.

Remember, I'm traveling with a colleague.

View from our window 2

Side note - The apartment was rented thru AirBnB, a website where people all over the world rent their apartments/homes.  I used them before and loved it.

This apartment is in a residential area called Sea Point with stunning views of the water.  We're on a hill, three blocks up from the beach.

Cool, square wash basin in the apartment

Stool that can double as a tray

Today was the first leg of our Big Bus Tour, which takes you through all of the city highlights.  There were seventeen stops on today's tour and you can hop on and off throughout the day.

Cape Town is a breathtakingly beautiful city.  It is surrounded on three sides by water, and there is majestic Table Mountain that dominants the landscape.

Cable car descending Table Mountain

Flat top Table Mountain

We took a cable car to the top of the mountain.  The views were spectacular. Seeing this grandeur helps you to see how insignificant you are in the real scheme of things.

To me, the city is a combination of the hills of San Francisco, the many glass buildings of Miami, and the quaintness of New Orleans.  It's a relatively large city, with a small town feel.

Funky purple building

Lattice-trimmed buildings, like in New Orleans

Glamorous Area - Camps Bay

The local people are friendly and helpful.

We've seen diverse crowds everywhere.  There seems to be lots of folks visiting like us.

We met a delightful young man, 26 years old, who was traveling with his mother. They hopped on the bus and sat by us.  They were from Zimbobwe. She was visiting him because he had just completed his Master's Degree.  It was so impressive to see how he treated his Mom.  She was proud of him and rightfully so.

South Africa!

I woke up at 1:30am, before the alarm went off at 2:00.  At 2:30, I was on the road headed to the airport in Abu Dhabi.

I arrived at 4:15.  We boarded the plan at 5:30.

The first stop was in Doha, Qatar, about a 45-min flight.

Immediately I noticed the rain.  I had not seen rain since I left the US.

The other really noticeable thing, is the different ethnicities.  Doha is a small city in a very small country, but their national airlines, Qatar Airways, has a dominant presence in the Middle East.  Now, I  was no longer seeing a sea of brown faces, nor did I see obvious Muslims in their distinct dress.  Diversity was everywhere.  This was the most diverse crowd I'd seen, also since leaving the US.

The airport in Doha is under construction, so the plane taxied as far as it could go, then canopied steps were attached to the plane.  We got off, and went to a waiting bus that shuttled us to the the terminal.  Once we went through several security checkpoints, we boarded another bus, to our departure plane.

In complete contrast was the stop in Johannesburg, where we had another layover but couldn't leave the plane.  No matter.  The view was great.  The airport is modern, with all of the amenities you would expect.

The different airlines, parked at the terminal, with their colorful tails, made a wonderful splash of color against the beautiful blue sky.

The airport was neat, clean and orderly.  Like Abu Dhabi, just not as flashy.

As we were coming in for landing, I was surprised at what an orderly, structured city, Johansburg is.  Clearly, I had fallen prey to the negative media portrayal of this part of the Motherland.

Side note - The flight attendants counted all of us remaining passengers on the Johannesburg flight at least a dozen times.  We were showing two more folks on the flight than we should have had.  In chatting with one of the flight attendants, he said we'd be surprised at how many people that fly that are not sure where they're going.

Insane, right?

Side note 2 - On this leg of my journey, I had an allergic reaction to something on the plane.  My top lip started to tighten and swell.  This went on for several hours, while I tried to figure out what was happening.  I doubt it was something I ate because it only caused my top lip to swell.  I think it was a reaction to the orange juice container, as that was the only thing that would have touched the effected area.  Thankfully, I remembered from when I was married to a commercial pilot, that they have a medicine chest on board. I explained the issue and was given an antihistamine.  I tried to deplane in Johansburg to get more meds, but I was given another pill instead.  The second one really turned the tide.  The tightness and tingling feeling started to go away.

Side note 3 - I had an allergic reaction like this several days before I got married.  I used to pluck leaves from bushes and shrubs when I walked by.  Why?  Who knows!  Anyway, I touched something I was allergic to, and my entire mouth quadrupled in size.  Not a pretty sight with just days before my wedding!

This last leg of the flight is less than two hours.  I have the seats to myself.  I didn't see anyone get on.  About half the folks we had on, got off here.

Already, Africa is so much better than I expected.

There's a great TED Talk by a young African author, and in it she discusses the single story.  Too often, we know one thing about someone or something, and draw incorrect conclusions from that limited scope.  She has a powerful message.  See the link below.






http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Vacation

South Africa is INCREDIBLE!

Internet connection is not.  I'm writing everyday and will post when I return.

Where I Live

Check out the video clip in the middle of the page.  It features Al Ain, my home.

http://livcomalain.ae/Arabic/default.aspx

Spring Break

Mother's Day Bouquet

I'm being presented with a Mother's Day Bouquet
on March 21st

Thankfully, today officially begins our two weeks off for Spring Break.

I've missed a few days of posting because of the fight with my internet service, but mostly because I've been so incredibly tired.  Which really is interesting because my work load and stress level is probably less than half of what it was in the US, and yet I was still exhausted.

As I was sharing with a dear friend earlier, I used to travel by car from Florida (where I went to college), back home to Texas on a regular basis.  It was a twelve hour trip. The first eleven hours were fine, but that last hour was pure torture.

Likewise, I have been moving through the days at work just fine, but this last week was incredibly long.  It's more mental than anything, I'm sure my therapist would say, but the fatigue sure felt real.

Thankfully, I built in rest days before and after my trip to Cape Town.  I depart early Monday morning for the 13-hour flight, arriving early evening.  I return on Saturday morning.  I'll have another week off when I get back.

I'll be taking my electronic gadgets.  I'm hopeful that I'll be able to post from South Africa.

Art Award Presentation.
Note the ladies who are covered veiled themselves when the cameras came out.

It took me years to give myself permission to take care of me.  Don't make the mistake I made, do something good for yourself everyday.  It doesn't have to be something big - taking a hot, uninterrupted bath; reading a chapter in a book; watching your favorite TV show; jotting a quick note to a friend; or having a bowl of ice cream.  Whatever it is that makes you happy, do often.

You have my permission.

Quickie

I've had all kind of issues with my internet connection.  This will be a quickie, just in case it goes out again.

Had fun with the new walkie talkies that arrived yesterday.  Huge thanks to Deb for getting them to me.  A quick course on which button to press and when to press it was all it took to get my Arab sisters chatting away.  Their chatter warmed my heart.

Communicating this way is foreign in this land.  Of course, these devices are standard issue for schools in the US.  I'm hoping they will be used successfully here.

The Internet has stop working twice since I began this, so I won't push my luck.

More soon.

Testing & Safety

The standardized testing continues to be colorful.

The tests are timed and last a maximum of 90 minutes.  Good luck trying to teach anything after that.

In fact, the kids were roaming the halls and playing outside - unsupervised - as soon as the testing was complete for the day.  The testing grades are 3rd-5th.  Once the 1st and 2nd graders saw everyone else roaming the halls, it took more than a notion to keep them focused.  Remember, the classroom walls facing the hallways are made of glass, so whatever happens in the hallways can/will be a distraction.

I spent the last hour of the school day trying to keep my girls from heading to the busses to go home.  After a half hour, I gave up.  Thankfully, the busses arrived early so they were able to line up and board soon thereafter.

Teachers were making a mad dash out of the building soon after the kids.  The stillness in the school was noticed, so they will have to stay until normal dismissal time for the rest of the week.

Remember also this is the last week before our two week Spring Break.

The grades are inputted into the computer and report cards are generated from that.  Each student has a minimum of seven teachers putting in grades for them.  There's the English-speaking teacher who teachers English/Math/Science.  The Arab teachers teach Arabic, Music, PE, Art, Social Studies and Computer.  The computer program that is being used to input this data is not user friendly, making the tedious task even more laborious.  It crashes a lot from all of the traffic on the server during the grading periods.

Side note - Car seats are not used for babies and children.  Kids ride in someone's lap, usually the nanny's.  Kids can be seen sitting in the father's lap as he drives or hanging out the windows.

Side note 2 - Hotels, apartments and other high-rise buildings are being advised to put safety measures in place to prevent children from falling.  There have been over a dozen toddler/child fatalities in the past year.

As I close, here's giving you permission to do something wild and crazy and totally selfish.  Have a ball doing it.

OK.  Maybe not too wild.

Your blogging buddy

Henna

Henna, the colored dye, is used a lot here in various ways.

It's used in intricate designs painted on women's bodies, usually their hands and forearms, and sometimes their feet.

It's used as a fingernail polish, but the whole tip of the finger is colored.

It's used to color hair.

It's used to color beards.  Not sure what the significance is there.  Thankfully, you don't see it often because it's a rather strange sight.  A bright red beard on folks my complexion causes you to take a second look.

It's also used by men on the palms of their hands and bands around their fingers to indicate they're married.

One of my teachers had her hands painted and had a horrific allergic reaction to the dark brown/black henna which is believed to be stronger (???).

Interesting, right?

Now to school stuff -

Today was the first day of standardized testing.  The students were tested on reading and writing Arabic.  The whole testing environment is in keeping with everything else here, very laid back.

I was monitoring a 4th grade class of girls because their teacher was absent.  About midway through the testing period, someone came in and chatted with the girls, interrupting for about five minutes.  No problem.  No big deal, but unheard of in the US.

Like I said yesterday, this is the least stressful testing I've ever been involved in.

Beginning tomorrow, the boys will go home at 11:00 and the girls at 11:45.  Gotta love that, too.  Normal dismissal is at 12:45 for the boys and 1:45 for the girls.

Those times are colorful, too, because the last period should go from 12:15 to 1:00 for the boys and 1:15 to 2:00 for the girls.

Here's what happens.  Beginning at 12:30 and 1:30 respectively, everyone starts heading for the door.  It is a daily exercise in controlled chaos.  You just pray to God that everyone gets where they're supposed to go. The last class should be a study on how efficiently everyone can clear the building.

Adhering to dismissal times and adjusting those times so that the students are not missing instructional minutes, is a work in progress.

As I've mentioned, the girls use 11 huge busses, to accommodate them all.  The system is such that none of the busses move until everyone is on board.  Then they depart in caravans, some going left, the others right.

Finally, there is another thing I've noticed about the students.

There seems to be a higher percentage of special ed students, probably because of the custom of marrying relatives.  The country has just started to push for genetic testings before and after marriage, but that's proving to be an uphill battle.  What's really fascinating is the stigma associated with having a special needs child. Because of this, there is also a high percentage of unidentified special ed students. We do have a teacher for these students, but it is a new focus, for sure.

OK.  Just one more thing.

Mother's Day is celebrated today in Ireland.  One of my teachers is from there.  She also shared that she and her family and friends had a big St. Patrick's Day celebration.  I didn't even realize what the day was.  It was not recognized in the malls or shopping areas.

Mother's Day is celebrated in this country on Wednesday, the 21 of this month, the first day of Spring.

Who knew Mother's Day wasn't universally celebrated on the same day around the world?

OK, that's it.

I think all of this is very interesting.  I hope you do, too.